Winter fare

Chilly? I asked Matthew Newton, chef-owner of the new Folsom Bistro, about his favorite warming, stick-to-your-ribs dishes:

1. “The first one that comes to mind is that [recently] we had a customer who called in, and he was familiar with where I used to work and asked if I could do cassoulet for him. So that’s the first dish that comes to mind. I make it with fennel sausage, duck confit and bacon. You need a big glass of wine and a lot of exercise after you eat it.”

2. “Next, I would probably say butternut squash as an ingredient. The versatility of it is really nice—you can use it for anything from risotto to soups. My sous chef likes to make dumplings or gnocchi with it.”

3. “I like short ribs or lamb shanks, braised. We do them with a dark chicken stock and mirepoix, and then after braising we reduce that down with red wine, and that turns into our sauce. We finish it off with a little bit of horseradish.”