You say it’s your birthday

Usually when it’s our birthdays we have two dinners: one is a big multi-course prix fixe extravaganza at a nice restaurant, and the other is cooked at home. The home-cooked dinners are easy comfort food (in their own way) and unlike most nights, the other person does not have to do the dishes. That’s the real gift.

When I make dinner for Dan’s birthday, it’s ma po tofu, adapted from Land of Plenty by Fuschia Dunlop.

My birthday was more recently. Dan made pastitsio, from Cook’s Illustrated Best 30 Minute Recipe.

Recipes follow:

Ma po tofu

Ingredients

1. 1 lb tofu
2. 4 baby leeks or 2 leeks or 1 leek plus 1 bunch scallions
3. 1/2 cup peanut oil
4. 6 oz ground beef or ground pork or 6-8 shiitake mushrooms + 2 sliced garlic cloves
5. 2 1/2 tbs chile bean paste (toban djan)
6. 1 tbs fermented black beans
7. 1 cup chicken stock, or vegetable stock, or water
8. 1 tsp white sugar
9. 2 tsp light soy sauce
10. 2-3 tbs arrowroot or 4-6 tbs cornstarch
11. 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns

Directions

1. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and steep in salted hot water.
2. Cut leeks into long “horse ear” slices (or roughly chop scallions)
3. Add peanut oil to wok over high heat and stir-fry meat or mushrooms, adding garlic at the end
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add the chile bean paste, stir-frying for 30 seconds, then add fermented black beans and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
5. Pour in stock and add tofu. Mix it gently to avoid breaking the tofu. Season with sugar, soy sauce and a little salt. Simmer for 5 minutes or more.
6. Add leeks or scallions and stir in until just cooked. Turn heat to low and add arrowroot until sauce has thickened. Serve with scattered peppercorns at the table, over rice.

Skillet pastitsio

Ingredients

1. 1 lb ground lamb
2. 1 onion, minced
3. .25 tsp groun cinammon
4. 2 tbs tomato paste
5. 6 garlic cloves, minced
6. 2 tsp minced fresh oregano
7. 3 cups chicken broth
8. 1 cup heavy cream
9. 8 ounces elbow macaroni
10. .5 tsp arrowroot or 1 tsp cornstarch
11. 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 475 degrees
2. Cook lamb in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, 3 - 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 tbs of fat
3. Add tbs of fat to skillet and add onion, cinnamon and .25 tsp salt once hot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano and cook 30 seconds
4. Stir in broth, .5 cup of cream, macaroni and lamb. Increase heat to high and cook until pasta is tender, 8-10 minutes
5. Whisk remaining .5 cup of cream and arrowroot/cornstarch, then stir into skillet. Simmer 1 minute until thickened
6. Off heat stir in .5 cup Parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake until lightly browned, 5 minutes.