Michelle and Martha Challenge : A Fall Twist in the Final Stretch

As I near the finish line of my Michelle & Martha challenge, I decided it was time to make a few changes. Maybe it’s the crisp air or the cozy sweaters, but I’ve been craving fall flavors lately. As I looked at the remaining recipes in this challenge, the thought of making corned beef and cabbage or cream puffs just didn’t feel right. So, I made an executive decision and swapped them out for two recipes that felt a little more in season: Martha’s beef short ribs in a red wine reduction and her pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. I also checked off another from my list this week, Martha’s French Martini. Here are my thoughts on each one.

Short Ribs

The flavors were amazing. Starting out I’d never purchased short ribs so I had no idea what to look for. I ended up finding a pre packaged set of 8 ribs. I think I picked a really fatty package and next time I’ll be more aware of this. The short ribs cooked low and slow in the oven for a few hours and once done came off the bone perfectly. The red wine reduction came together beautifully. I paired this was Martha’s mashed potatoes recipe and oven roasted broccolini. This meal was amazing on the flavor side. Next time I just need to pick slightly better cut of meat.

Pumpkin Bars

Last weekend I was getting the itch to bake something that felt like fall. Cream puff were not that so I pivoted to Martha’s pumpkin bars topped with cream cheese frosting. The cake for the bars itself was really good, the cream cheese frosting was a little too sweet and rich for me. I think I’d lower the sugar next time and use sparingly. Overall these were pretty good. I ended up using part of the cake to make my daughter pumpkin spice cake pops covered in white chocolate, which I thought tasted better than the bars.

French Martini

Lastly I finally got around to getting the ingredients for Martha’s French Martini. I’m typically not the mixologist or bar tender in my house. I tend to get the delicate balance wrong and my drinks never taste great. I usually leave the drink making to my husband, he has a talent for making really good cocktails, so I never put too much effort in. Regardless, I gave this a shot. The color was beautiful, the red from the chambord and the smell of the raspberry made this very tempting. However upon taking my first drink I couldn’t really understand the appeal. I didn’t get much sweetness from the pineapple juice, and it just tasted strong. I think the Chambord has potential in a different cocktail but I’d rather have a Cosmo.

With this week wrapping up I only have one recipe remaining in my Michelle & Martha challenge and that’s Martha’s Perogies. Up until 2010 when I moved to Chicago, I’d never heard of these Polish dumplings. Chicago has a rich culture of Polish immigrants but for some reason I’ve never tried them. To be honest I’m a bit intimidated by them but I’ll be excited to hang up my apron on this challenge with one of Martha’s most prized recipes.

Until next time!