French Onion Soup (Soupe à l'oignon)

This particular soup isn't the most filling of all meals - unless of course you eat it with some crusty bread and enjoy it in its full glory. Nonetheless, it is a soup full of great flavor that always looks much more impressive than it actually it is when you serve it to friends. SO, in its simplicity, you can find a great meal. Enjoy and Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:4 Large Yellow Sweet Onions, peeled and sliced into half moon slices
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp of Sugar
1 Tbsp of Fresh Thyme, chopped
½ cup of Sherry
4 cups of Beef Stock
1 cup of Grated Sharp Cheddar or Grated Swiss
4 Slices of Crusty Bread, cut into bite size chunks and toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Process:

1) Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter, let the butter melt and add in the onions, sugar and salt and pepper. Cook for about 25 to 30 minutes stirring frequently or until the onions develop a beautiful deep caramelized brown color.

2) Add the sherry and thyme and cook for about 1 minute, turn the heat to medium high, add the beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Le it come to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

3) Preheat your broiler to high.

4) Ladle the soup in some oven safe bowls and top them with the bread and cheese, pop them under the broiler for just a couple minutes or until the cheese melts and its all bubbly and golden brown. Enjoy!

This Dish is On Fire, Literally! Bananas Foster!

Tonight's dessert will be the quick and easy, Bananas Foster. I absolutely love when dishes are incredibly simple and easy, and I love them even more so when they are PACKED with flavor. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you have the ingredients and had a bad day, make yourself a little happier - make the dish. And if you had a good day, well, make the dish. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:3 Bananas, peeled and quartered
¼ cup of Unsalted Butter
½ cup of Brown Sugar
½ tsp of Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp of Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp of Rum (Or Frangelico, Or Bourbon, Or Whisky)
Vanilla Ice Cream to serve

Process:

1) In a large skillet, cook together the butter, sugar and cinnamon over medium high until the sugar has dissolved. Add the bananas, and vanilla extract and cook them for a few minutes or until the bananas start to soften. 

2) Add the rum and using a large lighter, flambé it and cook for a bout 30 seconds. Serve over vanilla ice cream. 

Minestra Maritata - Italian Wedding Soup!

Italian Wedding Soup (Minestra Maritata) is one of my mom's favorite soups and since their anniversary is on Friday, I decided to make it ahead of time and freeze it until then. My parents will be married 32 years, so major congratulations are in order - I choose to celebrate the occasion with great food that will demand that we all spend it together.  So enjoy this great delicious and healthy soup! Don't forget to bring it with you to lunch - you will surely be the envy of your co-workers and/or friends! Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:For the soup base:
1 Small Onion, chopped
2 Medium Carrots, diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
6 cups of Chicken Stock
5 ounces of Fresh Baby Spinach, washed and dried
¼ tsp of Fresh Lemon Zest
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3/4 Cup of Small Pasta

For the meatballs:
¾ lb Ground Chicken 
1 tsp of Grated Onion
1 Clove of Garlic, grated or finely minced
¼ tsp of Fresh grated Lemon Zest
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp of Fresh chopped Parsley
2 Tbsp of Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 Tbsp of Milk
3 Tbsp of fresh grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Process:

1) In a large bowl, combine together all of the meatballs ingredients, mix well and form little tiny meatballs. Set aside.

2) In a large pot over medium high heat, cook together the chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

3) Add the meatballs and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook according to packaged direction. 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the spinach and cook for a couple minutes.

4) Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn the heat off. Right before it’s served, add the ½ tsp of grated lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley.

Ladle up and enjoy!

The SP&O Sub

I should have a license to make this sandwich. It's way too good. There is no greater italian sandwich. This isn't a hero, a hoagie, or whatever name you want to call it. It's a sausage, peppers, and onion SUB. 'Nuff said. If you don't make it for yourself or if you have never tasted one, well, I will do a special prayer for you. BECAUSE YOU ARE MISSING OUT. BIG TIME. My family doesn't put sauce and cheese on it because that would make it a parm. SO, just stick with me when it comes to the SP&O sub. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:2 Crusty Italian Rolls
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, sliced lengthwise 
1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced into half moon slices
2 Large Links of Italian Sausage, cut in half lengthwise
2 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
½ cup of Red Wine
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Fresh Basil Leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Process:

1) Preheat a non stick skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and make sure it’s nice and hot before adding the sausage.

2) When the oil is hot, add the sausage cut side down and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the sausage to a plate.

3) In the same pan, add the onions and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown and still tender crisp.

4) Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift up all of those delicious brown bits.

5) Add the sausage back in and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.

6) Remove from the heat and add a few fresh basil leaves. Make yourself a sandwich and dig in!

Pasta Arrabiata: Disclaimer: Water.

Arrabiato means 'angry' in Italian and this sauce, had I not changed the recipe from chili peppers to hot pepper flakes, would certainly have lived up to its name. Actually, if I had not, the word, arrabiata,would not have done the original recipe's heat intensity justice - because it's on another level. I like a little heat just as much as the next person, but I don't want to be culpable for drinking all of North America's remaining fresh water supply. SO, after some slight alterations, enjoy the recipe! It'll definitely add a kick to your dining experience! Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:

4 oz of Pancetta (or thick cut bacon), cut into small dice
1 lb of Penne Pasta
1 32oz can of Italian Peeled and Chopped Tomatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 tsp of Olive Oil
Freshly Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

1) Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle in some salt, bring to a boil.

2) In a large skillet with high sides, add the oil and let it get nice and hot over medium heat, add the pancetta and let it cook for a couple minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Add in the garlic and hot pepper flakes and let it cook for another minute. 

3) Add the canned tomatoes and give it a nice stir, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick. When the sauce has about 10 minutes left, cook the pasta into the boiling water according to package instructions making sure to drain it well. 

4) Add the drained cooked pasta to the sauce add the parsley and grate in about ½ cup of parmiggiano, give everything a big stir adjust the seasoning if necessary and enjoy! 

Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano Reggiano

I occasionally like to make this as a side dish to a great meat course, HOWEVER, let me tell you how I really like this...After you complete the recipe (when the asparagus and cheese are all happy and have made friends with each other), put the finished product into a food processor and blend it - instant roasted asparagus with parmigiano tapenade. That, and a nice piece of bread, and you are living the good life. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:1 Large Bunch of Asparagus, bottom 2 inches trimmed off
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
¼ cup of Freshly Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lemon, optional

Process:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2) Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet and toss them around in the olive oil. 

3) Season with salt and pepper and pop them in the oven and let them roast for 10 to 12 minutes.

4) Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Place them back in the oven and let them roast for 2 more minutes.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon. 

Strawberry Jam

So over the past two years, I have lost around 45 pounds and I have done it eating all the things I want in moderation and exercising - NOVEL IDEA! In any case, every time I go to the supermarket, I see so many different types of fruit in season, at bottom prices, that I just can't help myself. I buy box upon box of strawberries. With so many strawberries, I have gotten creative with their use. I recently put them in port wine with some sugar - DELICIOUS. But I still had an enormous number of berries, so I decided to make Jam. Not only is it delicious, but you can jar it and it keeps quite a while. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:

3 ½ Pounds of Fresh Strawberries, hauled 
5 cups of Granulated Sugar
¼ cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ of a Packet of Fruit Pectin

Process:

1) Fill about 2/3 of your canning pot with water and bring it to a simmer, using canning tongs add the canning jars and the lids but not the rim, leave them to simmer while you continue on the recipe. 

2) In a very large bowl, with either a potato masher or your hands, mash up the strawberries so you have some pulp and some chunks.

3) Place the mashed strawberries in a large pot with the lemon juice. Over high heat, bring to a rolling boil and add the pectin, stir well and add in the sugar, stir that in really good as well. 

4) Let it bubble fiercely until the mixture reaches 220 degrees when tested with a candy thermometer. 

5) Turn the heat off and skim off all the foam that has collected at the top of the jam.

6) Remove the jars from the hot water with canning tongs and using a canning funnel, fill the jars with the jam until they are ¼ inch from the top. 

7) Run a clean knife (or a canning knife) along the inside edges of the jam filled jars. (this removes all air pockets) 

8) Using your canning tongs, remove the lids from the simmering water and place it on the jars (make sure it's centered) screw on the rim but make sure you don’t screw it on too tightly. 

9) Fill the pot with a bit more water and turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. 

10) Insert a canning rack in the pot and place all your jars in pot on top of the rack (make sure they are all submerged in the boiling water. 

11) Cover the pot and let them boil away for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let them sit for 5 minutes in the hot water. 

12) Remove the jars from the hot water and let them sit somewhere at room temperature for a day so that they seal completely. Don’t bother them as they sit for the day otherwise you can cause them to not seal properly.

13) After the day has gone by, check on the jars to make sure the lids are tightly sealed. 

Ratatouille

I first learned about Ratatouille the same way most American children of my generation found out about it - from the Disney film, Ratatouille. At first, I was very apprehensive about making this dish - it looked like a tremendous amount of preparation. It involves cutting vegetables about a million times  but then I was introduced to a handy dandy little device called a mandolin and well...cutting turned into a very quick slicing experience. The mandolin and I are now very good friends and we occasionally meet up for dinner every now and then. This dish is wonderful and makes everything feel better. You, however, should have your wits about you and some patience, as you will need them. Mangia Bene, or rather, Bon Appetit!

For the Piperade (bottom layer):
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded and finely diced, juices reserved 1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 bay leaf
Kosher salt

For the Vegetables:
1 medium zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 Japanese eggplant (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 yellow (summer) squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (such as thyme and chervil)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the piperade:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Roast until the skins loosen, about 15 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees.
2. Peel the peppers and discard the skins. Finely chop the peppers; set aside.
In medium skillet over low heat, combine oil, garlic and onion and saute until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until very soft and little liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Do not brown.
4. Add the peppers and simmer to soften them. Discard the herbs, then season to taste with salt. Reserve a tablespoon of the mixture, then spread the remainder over the bottom of an 8-inch oven-proof skillet.

To prepare the vegetables, you will arrange the sliced zucchini, eggplant, squash and tomatoes over the piperade in the skillet.
1. Begin by arranging 8 alternating slices of vegetables down the center, overlapping them so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. This will be the center of the spiral. Around the center strip, overlap the vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. All vegetables may not be needed. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, oil and thyme, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle this over vegetables.
3. Cover the skillet with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until the vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.)
4. If there is excess liquid in pan, place it over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)
5. To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. To serve, heat the broiler and place skillet under it until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and lift very carefully onto plate with an offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees as you set the food down, gently fanning the food into fan shape. Drizzle the vinaigrette around plate. 

Cioppino: A Seafood Appetizer

If there was a ever a pool of this appetizer, I would swim in it. Gladly. Perhaps I should feel some remorse for murdering the seafood community, but happily for my stomach, I do not. This appetizer is utterly fantastic. A picnic on a lawn (Georgetown Hoyas, you know where to go) or by the sea or a river with this dish, a great couple bottles of white wine, some great crusty bread, and you have yourself the makings of a very good time. Enjoy it, ladies and gentlemen, from my family to yours. Mangia Bene! 

Ingredients:
4 cloves of Garlic, Chopped
1 stalk of Celery, finely minced
1 small Onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
1 Cup of White Wine
15 oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
3 Cups of Fish Stock
1 pound of Mussels, cleaned
1 pound of Clams, cleaned
1 pound of Shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 Scallops, cut in quarters
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

1) Add the oil in a large soup pot and preheat over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, hot pepper flakes and parsley, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the veggies begin to cook down.

2) Add the white wine and let it cook for a minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and the fish stock. Let the mixture come up to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, season with alt and pepper.

3) Add the seafood and cover with a lid, cook for about 5 to 10 minutes or until all the shellfish has opened and the shrimp and scallops are firm.

4) Finish with a bit more fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!

Madelines: A Taste of My Childhood

My great-grandmother, Emma, used to love these. She would tend to her garden, then relax amongst the grapes in the back and play solitaire while eating some madelines and drinking tea. These are incredibly simple cookies to make and are sure to impress anyone you serve them to. If you have some Nutella, you can always put two madelines together, with some Nutella in the middle. Just a suggestion - not forcing you to do anything. But now the thought is in your head. 

Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs
1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 cup of All Purpose Flour
¼ tsp of Salt
¼ tsp of Baking Powder
½ cup of Unsalted Butter, melted
½ tsp of Grated Lemon Zest
Powdered Sugar, optional

Process:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray 2 Madeleine pans with non stick cooking spray and set aside. 

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream together the eggs and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes on high speed or until the mixture thickens and develops a light pale color. 

3) Add the vanilla, lemon zest, flour, salt and baking powder and turn mixer down to low and slowly stream in the melted butter. Mix until everything is well incorporated but don’t over mix. 

4) Divide the batter evenly in the pan and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden and brown around the edges. 

5) Let them cool for about 2 minutes in the pan, then invert them on a cooling rack and let them finish cooling. Sprinkle with confectioner sugar if desired. 

Linguine with Pesto

When I was younger, I was terrified of Pesto. It was green! It was the color of the boogers in the Gooey Louie game (I may have been the only child in the world with this game, but if you ever played it, you can remember how...interesting it was). SO, I never ate it. What a mistake. One day in college, I had some baked salmon with pesto sauce and I was converted. Don't make the same mistake I made - you're missing out on one of life's better joys. But if you're allergic to nuts, well...tough. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:

For the Pesto:

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Tbsp of Pine Nuts, toasted
2 Small Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Grated Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
¼ cup of Fresh Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the remaining ingredients:
1 lb of Linguine 
Salt and Pepper
Freshly Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Process:

1) Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle in some salt, bring to a boil and add the linguine, cook according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. 

2) In a food processor add the basil, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Start pulsing everything together and slowly add the olive oil. Once you have everything combined add it to a bowl and stir in the parmiggiano reggiano.

3) Add the cooked drained pasta to the same large pot and add in the pesto and the reserved cooking water. Toss everything together until it’s all combined. 

4) Plate in on a large platter and sprinkle over some extra cheese and some freshly grated black pepper. 

A Vegetarian Italian Farmer's Dish (Vegetarian Italians = Nearly Impossible, But Work With Me)

My girlfriend does not eat meat. It's her decision. She's done it for years and I have come to accept this reality. (Somewhere, a cow rejoiced and praised the cow god for this). This, however, means more meat for me. However, this dish is so good, it doesn't need meat. No living creature died to make this dish (I'm sure I just won some kudos points in someone's book). Out of all the dishes I have ever made for her, this may just be her favorite (she is a very difficult critic to please, so I guess I did something right). Enjoy this dish while the vegetables are still in season, cheap, and delicious. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:
1 Medium Eggplant, cut into about 1 inch cubes
10 oz of Cremini Mushrooms, quartered
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut inch chuncks
1 Onion, chopped
1 32 oz Can of Italian Peeled and Chopped Tomatoes
½ cup of Red Wine
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parley, chopped
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
1 lb of Pasta
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Tofu may be added!

Process:

1) Fill a large pot with water, sprinkle in some salt and bring it to a boil.

2) In a large non stick skillet over high heat, add in about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and let it get nice and hot, add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the eggplant starts to cook down and develop color, remove to a plate and set aside.

3) In the same skillet, add in another Tbsp of oil and let it get hot, add the mushrooms and season with some salt, let those cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mushrooms have cooked down, remove the mushrooms to a plate and set aside. 

4) In the same skillet, add in another Tbsp of oil and add in the onions and peppers, season with salt and cook those as well for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. 

5) Add the cooked eggplant and mushrooms to the peppers and onion and add in the wine, let it cook for 1 minute. 

6) Add the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. When the sauce has 10 minutes left to cook, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it according to package directions making sure to drain well. 

7) Season with some more salt and pepper to taste, add in the basil and parsley and add it to the cooked pasta. 

Lemonade: A Happy Day in the Neighborhood

I hear Lemonade and I think of the South - North Carolina, specifically. The Land of Lemonade and Sweet Tea. 'Nuff said. A nice cold glass of my lemonade on a porch on the last few days of summer - now that is a happy day in the neighborhood. Beve Bene!

Ingredients:
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1 1/4 cups of Lemon Juice
5 cups of Water
2 1/2 cups of Ice

Process:

1) Add the one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a small saucepan and cook it over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves. 

2) In a large pitcher, add in the remaining ingredients along with the simple syrup mixture.

3) Give it a good stir and pop it in the fridge for a couple hours to chill well. 

Osso Buco: Step into Olde Europe

My parent's tell me that this was once a peasant dish - and if they're right, I think it would have been nice to grow up a peasant in Old Europe - especially if they ate this way! (This, of course, overlooking the slight problems of past times such as plagues, lack of medicinal innovation, religious battles, monarchical warfare, and hygiene issues, which all constitute as small oversights. Not.) Nevertheless, there may very well be no dish that can give you a heartier, warming, and comforting feeling than this one (well, I can think of a few, but using hyperbolic statements such as this one make everything so much more captivating and interesting). If you haven't had Osso Buco, you're missing out. BIG TIME. So discover the good things in life - try it. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients:
6 1½ inch Thick Veal Shanks
½ cup of All Purpose Flour
¼ cup of Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, Chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
1 cup of White Whine
2 Tbsp of Tomato Paste
1 28oz can of Italian Crushed Tomatoes
¾ cup of Chicken Broth
1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary, leaves removed and finely minced
1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme, leaves removed and finely minced
1 tsp of Dried Oregano
1 Small Dried Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the Gremolata:
¼ cup of Fresh Parsley
1 Large Clove of Garlic
Zest of One Lemon

Process:

1) With some kitchen twine, tie the veal shanks around the middle (so they keep their shape as they cook) set aside. 

2) In a large pot, add the oil and let it preheat over medium-high heat, season the veal shanks on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour making sure to shake off any excess. Place them in the hot oil and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until deeply browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. 

3) Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots to the same pot and season with salt and pepper, allow them to cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until they start to cook down. 

4) Add the tomato paste and give it a stir cooking it for about 30 seconds. 

5) Add in the white wine, let it cook for 1 minute. 

6) Add the canned tomatoes, beef stock, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and oregano, stir well, add the veal shanks back in and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. 

7) Cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone checking on it every half hour or so. 

8) Remove the veal shanks onto a platter, cut off the twine and cover them with some aluminum foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf. 

9) Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces a bit and thickens.

10) While the sauce is finishing cooking, make the gremolata.

11) Place the parsley, lemon zest and garlic on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, mince everything together so that you have a fine mixture, set aside.

12) Once the sauce is ready, spoon it over the veal shanks and sprinkle the gremolata evenly over the top. Enjoy!