tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67463208472119330282024-03-12T20:15:49.997-07:00Cubby CookingWhat's in your cabinet?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-68934930556770908272010-05-28T08:17:00.001-07:002010-06-03T06:39:49.682-07:00Pork ribs in the ovenThese came out soooooooo good! There was next to no talking at the dinner table. Very easy too! Hope you like :)<br /><br />Ingredients<br />2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs <br />Dry Rub:<br />3 tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed <br />1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt <br />2 tsp chili powder <br />1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper <br />1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper <br />1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning <br />1/2 teaspoon garlic powder<br /> <br />Braising Liquid:<br />1 cup madiera wine<br />2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar <br />2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce <br />1 tablespoon honey <br />2 cloves garlic, chopped <br /><br />Directions<br />Preheat oven to 250 degrees.<br /><br />In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.<br /><br />Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.<br /><br />Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-88447084775294372212010-05-27T09:25:00.000-07:002010-05-28T12:02:18.863-07:00Turkey Basil FritattaA fritatta is a glorious thing for lazy "garbage" dinner days (where you reach into the fridge and pantry and take out everything you don't know what to do with). It's a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is really easy to throw together. I made this last night with some ingredients I had on hand, but you can truly dress it up with whatever you want. Got spinach? Broccoli? Peas? Carrots? Find a combination that sounds good. Spinach is great with goat cheese, onions, parmesan. Broccoli is great with cheddar and sausage. Whatever you think sounds good, it probably is good. If you are using a hardier veggie (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bell pepper, celery or carrot) you're going to want to saute that vegetable with the onions and garlic at the beginning to soften it up a bit. Potatoes should be boiled ahead of time. Veggies like spinach, arugala, basil, scallion, etc. do not need sauteeing because just the oven time with wilt and/or cook those. So change this recipe up as much as you want, just keep the first four ingredients the same and the oven temp/cook time and you should have a winner! Cheers :)<br /><br />Ingredients (serves about four depending on accompanying dishes)<br /><br />-12 eggs<br />-1 cup cream<br />-1 tsp salt<br />-1/2 tsp pepper<br />-3 potatoes, peeled, boiled and chopped<br />-3 scallions, chopped<br />-1 white onion, diced<br />-1 clove garlic, minced<br />-10 basil leaves, chiffonade<br />-7 mini turkey sausages, sliced<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350.<br /><br />In a large oven-safe skillet, begin sauteeing your onions in 2 tbs butter and let them turn translucent. In a seperate bowl, combine the eggs, cream, scallions, basil, and salt and pepper. To the skillet, add the turkey sausage, garlic, and the cooked potatoes. Let that cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Spread the ingredients around the pan to distribute evenly, then pour the egg mixture on top to cover the whole pan. <br /><br />Place the skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 50 minutes. Cut like a pie and serve.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-31870059761399708862010-05-27T07:48:00.001-07:002010-05-27T07:57:24.648-07:00Tomato Feta SandwichesThis is my sister's recipe that she came up with in collaboration with a good friend one day when they were hungry. I've never met anybody that tried one that didn't think it was amazing, and it is incredibly easy to make. I don't make them that often because it's cute when Zach gets so excited when he finds out we're having <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsDYOfnVwFsSGOUox8WlYi_O7_lLb_iDSew5QubG5SRT9ISMLs8o3cIIurz7Cw1J2DmccBNHPU5R_huUMO9WYS0_z7GhmjWhffxY-NiLPYB3mIdbwj4reR5_RjTFLGJmIaswRTL28fWBE/s1600/My.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsDYOfnVwFsSGOUox8WlYi_O7_lLb_iDSew5QubG5SRT9ISMLs8o3cIIurz7Cw1J2DmccBNHPU5R_huUMO9WYS0_z7GhmjWhffxY-NiLPYB3mIdbwj4reR5_RjTFLGJmIaswRTL28fWBE/s200/My.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475964027898001810" /></a>them as a treat. I think I can pretty much guarantee that you will love them.<br /><br />Ingredients (serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are)<br /><br />-1 loaf of french bread, sliced in half<br />-about 3 vine tomatoes<br />-1 package feta cheese<br />-3/4 cup mayo<br />-1/2 cup minced onion (I like the dried kind best but you can use fresh. Dry has much more flavor though)<br />-1/4 cup dry oregano<br /><br />Preheat your broiler. In a bowl, mix the mayo, onion, and oregano. Spread it on the bread, place the bread on a baking sheet, and place under the broiler till the mayo is bubbly and the bread is slightly brown. <br /><br />Remove the bread from the oven and generously crumble feta all over the bread. Layer the tomato slices tightly over all the feta, salt and pepper to taste, close, slice, and eat. The End.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-69582829098533368862010-05-26T07:12:00.000-07:002010-05-27T07:48:19.420-07:00Liv's Virginia Cheese SteakSo, anybody from Philadelphia will probably hate me for straying from the traditional cheese wizzy hoagie roll masterpiece that is the philly cheesesteak, but <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cpCeUfvARZhozZwm-hW2OljgLZA6fgwaLyZqHD8PUUW9sqfAWUm4cObAcamC_t11Hvz8rQi57MK11vwcNrc3Ql30HuFtc1Eczud9v-4m4AVQMZIFm4sDAZHtbwxIOID5Scu7b42cYu6S/s1600/silly+smile.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cpCeUfvARZhozZwm-hW2OljgLZA6fgwaLyZqHD8PUUW9sqfAWUm4cObAcamC_t11Hvz8rQi57MK11vwcNrc3Ql30HuFtc1Eczud9v-4m4AVQMZIFm4sDAZHtbwxIOID5Scu7b42cYu6S/s200/silly+smile.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475961508604990962" /></a>the idea of putting cheese wiz in my mouth truly makes me ill so I came up with a different steak "sammich." Zach and I both love a spicy cheesesteak, so I am using pickled tabasco peppers to spice it up because I love their flavor but they aren't overly hot. I am also making an Irish cheddar cheese sauce flavored with a little bit of coarse ground mustard (regular dijon is fine). These little variations are not necessary. I'm not a stickler for keeping to recipes so just replace whatever you want with whatever you like better. Use jalapenos, fresh or pickled, or even just plain bell peppers if you hate spice. Use any kind of onion you want, but just make sure it's sliced thin. Also, the best way to get a steak sliced really thin is to freeze it for about 30 minutes, then use a super-sharp knife to just shave it down little by little. <br /><br />I do not know if people would consider this recipe "easy." Sauteeing and mixing up a sauce are pretty easy in my book, but if the sauce just sounds like a pain to you, just top your steak with a favorite cheese and serve it up that way. I do suggest giving the sauce a try though; it's delish. Oh! And I just made a salad with light dressing as the side dish; I've been pretty careful about the fattening ingredients but it's a very filling sandwich and I wouldn't add french fries or even chips to go with it.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 sirloin steak, sliced thin then tossed with two tbs olive oil and sprinkled with a SMALL amount of montreal steak seasoning or just S&P<br />-1 onion, cut in half then sliced in thin half moons<br />-1 clove garlic, minced<br />-5-8 pickled tabasco peppers, chopped<br />-about 1/4 cup water<br />-2 tbs butter<br />-2 tbs flour<br />-1/2 cup milk (1% is just fine, but don't use skim!)<br />-3/4 cup grated white cheddar<br />-1 tsp dijon mustard, coarse ground or regular<br />-salt and pepper<br /><br />In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions for a few minutes till they crystalize, then add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Remove onions/garlic from pan and add in your steak slices and peppers. Saute them till they release their juices and the juices pretty much dissolve and the pieces begin to brown, then add the 1/4 cup water to deglaze the pan and steam the steak a tiny bit.<br /><br />In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring to make a roux. Add the milk and bring to a boil to thicken. Once the beshamel is thickened, add the mustard, cheddar, and salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />Spoon the steak onto a hoagie-sized cut of french bread, top with the onions and then the cheese sauce. If you like mayo on your bun, go ahead and do that. Zach likes his with sliced pickled jalapenos, and I just like it with the onion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-49263069166605490162010-05-25T06:40:00.000-07:002010-05-25T07:09:54.423-07:00Semolina and BaconI'm sure most of you know what I mean when I say that certain meals more than others can take you back to your mom's kitchen and that ultimate feeling of comfort and safety. I remember waking up early morning and sitting sleepy at the breakfast table while my mom peeled off the tip of a soft boiled egg, stuck it into a cute little humpty dumpty egg holder, and let me dip little strips of buttery toast in. Delicious. The recipe I'm about to share is good for winter or summer, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's so simple you can play around with it however you want; add herbs, various cheeses, even wine. It is total comfort food--a delicate fusion of traditional southern cooking with Italian elegance and simplicity. I hope you enjoy :)<br /><br />Ingredients (serves 4)<br /><br />-4 strips of bacon<br />-4 cups chicken broth (or water with chicken bouillon)<br />-more or less 3 cups of fine yellow corn meal<br />-parmesan cheese for topping<br />-4 eggs (optional)<br /><br />Drizzle about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a frying pan and begin frying up your strips of bacon. You want them nice and crispy but remember they will continue to cook a little bit after you remove them from the pan.<br /><br />In a medium soup pot, bring your chicken broth to a boil. This is the part where you could add some special herbs like thyme and bay leaf if you want. If you want to add basil, I would wait till the corn meal has thickened so the flavor stays fresh. Sometimes my mom would also add in 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of white wine to the broth as well. Once the broth boils, slowly add the semolina in while whisking constantly. Just keep adding the corn meal until the mixture begins to thicken, then let it simmer for a few minutes till the corn meal has absorbed the broth. At this point you could add a favorite melting cheese like cheddar or havarti. Remove from the heat and cover.<br /><br />After the bacon has fried, let the oil and drippings cool a little bit then add your eggs in and fry sunny-side-up. (You have to let the bacon grease cool unless you want "french lace" around your eggs; my dad loved this but I am not a fan). Spoon the semolina into shallow bowls. Gently serve an egg over each helping, then sprinkle with crushed bacon. Finally, sprinkle a generous handful of parmesan on top and serve. You could also sprinkle a little basil chiffonade on top too, which would be yummy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-8075578762634918672010-05-22T18:51:00.000-07:002010-05-25T06:17:16.881-07:00Key Lime PieOkay, I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com (here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-key-lime-pie-i/detail.aspx) and it's so easy it's hard to believe it's so good. I thought making key lime pie would be a real pain (I had no basis for this assumption but it sounds hard), but as you can see, 4 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fwYpew5XDzNqYDSqtXmEjvEBbfNtpTSqwjlbkhlVnpwOnP9Um0vFAojFsckfbVOlehx8o_IUaDo9oPgUMnJ6ca2KPt373Zk9_3886FNS-SjtUArapBOTMldiVVsD1zaXQaWvHnHxem2B/s1600/keylime..jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fwYpew5XDzNqYDSqtXmEjvEBbfNtpTSqwjlbkhlVnpwOnP9Um0vFAojFsckfbVOlehx8o_IUaDo9oPgUMnJ6ca2KPt373Zk9_3886FNS-SjtUArapBOTMldiVVsD1zaXQaWvHnHxem2B/s200/keylime..jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475195728926732562" /></a>ingredients and about 5 minutes of work and 15 of baking. You could totally make your own graham cracker crust if you have some magical recipe, but graham crackers are pretty much graham crackers to me whether you do it yourself or not, so I bought an 8 inch crust (I had seen some reviewers say that 9-inch was a little big). I made my own homemade vanilla whipped cream and then piped it in little dollops all over the pie after it cooled. Also, I couldn't find key limes to save my life so I used regular lime juice. Floridians would probably tell me I'm a sinner, but the main difference between key limes and regular limes is that keys are a little more tangy and definitely harder to juice. If you can find them, knock yourself out, but you might have to buy several to get the required 1/2 cup of juice for this pie. As it is, the regular limes provided some great flavor. Just DON'T use bottled juice of any kind! <br /><br />Ingredients<br />5 egg yolks, beaten <br />1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk <br />1/2 cup key lime juice <br />1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust <br /><br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). <br />Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into unbaked graham cracker shell. <br />Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Top with whipped topping and garnish with lime slices if desired.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-6125175210396332122010-05-21T12:22:00.000-07:002010-05-21T13:15:46.603-07:00Spice Blend RecipesSpeaking of spices, I hate the fact that you have to go out and buy spice blends <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7Hs4EW-O8UyZhte1JqtNKDqlusAa7oEOTi_-osIe0B-1pmmCernzJsfK9O5Wk8oGz5689ZCUl0fj7BDAs8k0aBodR7njb1Ftg21qe8v7g3WE3MuiaUHebTPdXmPZFJ7_vdddVOK7XHuD/s1600/spicy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7Hs4EW-O8UyZhte1JqtNKDqlusAa7oEOTi_-osIe0B-1pmmCernzJsfK9O5Wk8oGz5689ZCUl0fj7BDAs8k0aBodR7njb1Ftg21qe8v7g3WE3MuiaUHebTPdXmPZFJ7_vdddVOK7XHuD/s200/spicy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473819171169600290" /></a>so if you don'twhen you have perfectly good spices in your cupboard that just haven't been put together yet. I decided to do some research and post a bunch of spice blend recipes have the mix you can make some yourself.<br /><br /><br />Adobo Seasoning<br /><br />3-6 tablespoons salt <br />3 tablespoons onion powder <br />3 tablespoons garlic powder <br />3 tablespoons ground black pepper <br />1 1/2 teaspoons ground oregano<br /><br />Cajun Seasoning<br /><br />2 1/2 tablespoons salt <br />1 tablespoon dried oregano <br />1 tablespoon paprika <br />1 tablespoon cayenne pepper <br />1 tablespoon ground black pepper<br /><br />Caribbean/Jamaican Jerk Seasoning<br /><br />2 tablespoons dried minced onion <br />2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme <br />2 teaspoons ground allspice <br />2 teaspoons ground black pepper <br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon <br />1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper <br />1/2 teaspoon salt <br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br /><br />Creole Seasoning<br /><br />2 tablespoons onion powder <br />2 tablespoons garlic powder <br />2 tablespoons dried oregano <br />2 tablespoons dried basil <br />1 tablespoon dried thyme <br />1 tablespoon black pepper <br />1 tablespoon white pepper <br />1 tablespoon cayenne pepper <br />5 tablespoons paprika <br />3 tablespoons salt <br /><br />Garam Masala (common Indian cuisine)<br /><br />1 tsp black pepper <br />1 tsp cinnamon <br />1 tsp cloves <br />1 tsp coriander <br />1 tsp cumin <br />1 tsp allspice <br />1 tsp cayenne pepper<br /><br />Greek Seasoning<br /><br />1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano <br />1 teaspoon dried mint <br />1 teaspoon dried thyme <br />1/2 teaspoon dried basil <br />1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram <br />1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion <br />1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic <br /><br />Herbes de Provence (usually tied in a mesh cloth. If using fresh herbs, use one sprig each)<br /><br />1 tsp crumbled bay leaf <br />1 tsp celery seeds <br />1 tsp lavender flowers <br />1 tsp marjoram <br />1 tsp parsley <br />1 tsp tarragon <br />1 tsp thyme<br /><br />Indian Curry (Basic)<br /><br />5 Tablespoons ground coriander<br />7 Tablespoons ground cumin<br />1 Tablespoon Paprika<br />1 Tablespoon Turmeric<br />1 Tablespoon chilli powder<br />1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds<br />1 teaspoon ginger powder<br />1 teaspoon garlic powder<br /><br /><br />Italian Seasoning<br /><br />3 tablespoons dried basil <br />3 tablespoons dried oregano <br />3 tablespoons dried parsley (I am disdainful of parsely as I think it has no flavor. If you don't have this I doubt it will make much difference)<br />1 tablespoon garlic powder <br />1 teaspoon onion powder <br />1 teaspoon dried thyme <br />1 teaspoon dried rosemary <br />1/4 teaspoon black pepper <br />1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes <br /><br />Montreal Steak Seasoning<br /><br />2 tablespoons paprika <br />2 tablespoons crushed black pepper <br />2 tablespoons kosher salt <br />1 tablespoon granulated garlic <br />1 tablespoon granulated onion <br />1 tablespoon crushed coriander <br />1 tablespoon dill <br />1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes <br /><br /><br />"Wet" Spice Blends <br /><br />Cajun Trinity (the prominent base in most cajun/creole dishes, such as jambalayas, gumbos, etouffees, sauces, chilis and stews). Onion, bell peppers, and celery are the only essential ingredients--the rest is fluff. Another example of a "Trinity" of essential ingredients in a cuisine would be tomato, garlic, and basil in Italian cooking.<br /><br />1 large sweet onion <br />1 green bell pepper <br />1 red bell pepper <br />6-8 stalks celery <br />5 gloves garlic <br />2 handfuls of fresh parsley tops <br /><br />Harissa (Northern Africa, common in Moroccan dishes)<br /><br />1/4 cup dried chilies <br />4 cloves garlic <br />1 teaspoon caraway seeds <br />1 teaspoon cumin <br />1 teaspoon coriander seeds <br />2 teaspoons dried mint leaves or 2 tablespoons of fresh <br />1/3 cup olive oil<br /><br />Sofrito<br /><br />2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped <br />1 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped <br />10 ajies dulces peppers, tops removed (can be subsituted with another red bell pepper)<br />3 medium tomatoes, chopped <br />4 onions, cut into large chunks <br />3 medium heads garlic, peeled <br />25 cilantro leaves with stems <br />25 leaves recao, or culantro (aka "long coriander," can subsitute with more cilantro)<br />1 tablespoon salt <br />1 tablespoon black pepper<br /><br />Tapenade (usually used as dip)<br /><br />1/2 pound pitted mixed olives <br />2 anchovy fillets, rinsed <br />1 small clove garlic, minced <br />2 tablespoons capers <br />2 to 3 fresh basil leaves <br />1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice <br />2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-50672104785845022372010-05-20T11:03:00.001-07:002010-05-20T11:31:10.432-07:00Super Excited for Spices<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVCwv16zYD6Balj7o6I9npjbyFL69r6cVVJcHEeI9tNNzBrl3oDx7s1-Ba_OCT-PanAQlbpwz0j7msuplRK-q96W3wHhWM2EXZPoTrzr656e45HKuBI56hXapv3uN9ROUnzp8Lq2azap9/s1600/spices.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVCwv16zYD6Balj7o6I9npjbyFL69r6cVVJcHEeI9tNNzBrl3oDx7s1-Ba_OCT-PanAQlbpwz0j7msuplRK-q96W3wHhWM2EXZPoTrzr656e45HKuBI56hXapv3uN9ROUnzp8Lq2azap9/s200/spices.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473421541273466386" /></a><br />So the other day, to make a Tagine recipe, I had to go out and buy 4 spices that I didn't already have in my pantry. I am a spice nazi. I hoard them as much as possible because I hate going out to buy news ones. After this particular spice-buying trip, I discovered I had spent about 25 dollars on 4 little jars of spice! I was pretty annoyed, and vowed I would find some other source for spice buying than the supermarket. <br /><br />I googled wholesale spices and found The Atlantic Spice Company (www.atlanticspice.com). <br /><br />This place is so cool!! Did any of you know about this place and if so, why didn't you tell me!? You can buy a whole pound of certain spices for as little as $3.50. After going over in my head about how much certain spices cost, even the "cheap spices" (garlic powder/salt, onion powder/salt, celery salt, etc) are cheaper on this website. They also sell essential oils (although I can't claim to know the regular prices of those, but some of you oil people may). They sell various types of rice (a pound of Arborio for $3.50, for example), and different couscous, lentils and quinoa. They also sell bulk and bagged tea in some delicious flavors, and baking goods like tapioca pearls, arrowroot, and they even sell a 1 lb bag of bee pollen (I have no idea what you do with this, but it sounds neat). <br /><br />I'm also excited because they sell smoked Spanish paprika, which I could not find anywhere and you can even buy spice blends like Herbs de Provence and Adobo seasoning (although Adobo is cheap no matter where you go, I'm just saying).<br /><br />Check it out and maybe save a little money! Orders over $40 are free, and you ought to be able to get a large amount of different spices for that price :) I doubt you would want to do it if you rarely use any spices at all. I am a big spice fan so even bulk spices wouldn't last so long that they'd go bad. I looked it up and you can apparently freeze spices safely for up to 1 year by placing them individually in small freezer bags and then placing those, in turn, in a large freezer bag. They don't recommend doing this for a long period of time, as certain spices, such as black pepper, cloves, and garlic will become too strong and bitter. Garlic salt/powder and onion both powder and minced do not stay in my house long enough to go bad, no matter how much I have on hand.<br /><br />Another fun little detail: they give you recipes for potpourri! They have bath potpourri recipes, and sleepytime bed pillow recipes. I imagine either of these would be fun to put together and give as gifts at Christmastime or other major holidays.<br /><br />Please come back here and let me know what you think!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-81722019115526826302010-05-20T08:15:00.000-07:002010-05-20T08:31:59.104-07:00Simple Mushroom Risotto<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUtuxP38j8jrUhEB-R3jOM1fRdxr6zi2k-td9-Ztqd6x2ypJBZG_fHx2fSLqIlaSebEb1dr1qLwLDRqW953f4O_C0QweqYWssCx7yXo1G-D5N5myaA0S4iSxKXwI2ZMkUMG6FMjl5WpX3/s1600/mushroom.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUtuxP38j8jrUhEB-R3jOM1fRdxr6zi2k-td9-Ztqd6x2ypJBZG_fHx2fSLqIlaSebEb1dr1qLwLDRqW953f4O_C0QweqYWssCx7yXo1G-D5N5myaA0S4iSxKXwI2ZMkUMG6FMjl5WpX3/s200/mushroom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473375342998455394" /></a><br />At Becca's request, I'm posting this recipe. There are probably a lot of different things you could do with it, like deglazing the pan with white wine, sherry, and adding herbs such as rosemary, sage, or other mushroom-friendly plants. Play around with it as much as you want, but it tastes just fine like this and isn't very difficult. Use whatever your favorite mushrooms are, from portobellas, criminis, oysters, porcinis, plain white, shitakes. I usually use two different kinds to give it depth of flavor but nothing too complex. You do not have to purchase expensive Arborio rice to make risotto, even though Arborio makes the best creamy risotto. Just make sure you get short grain white rice and you will be fine.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-2 cups short grain white rice<br />-about 8 cups chicken broth, or water with chicken bouillon mixed in<br />-4 tbs unsalted butter<br />-2 tbs olive oil<br />-2 large shallots, diced <br />-2 cups mushrooms, your choice, chopped fine (make sure the two cups is AFTER they are chopped fine, not before)<br />-about 1/2 cup large mushroom pieces, halves or quarters, for texture<br />-salt and pepper, to taste<br /><br />In a pot as large as necessary, bring to boil all the chicken broth. This is actually quite important.<br /><br />In a medium to large soup pot, melt your butter in the olive oil and add the shallots, allowing them to turn translucent and brown slightly. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper everything to layer the flavor.<br /><br />Once the mushrooms have begun softening, throw in your rice and stir it around for about 1-2 minutes to coat the grains and get them started. This done, add about two ladel-fulls of the boiling chicken broth. (Because the broth was already boiling, it will not reduce the heat of the rice concoction, so the cooking of the rice is never interrupted). Stir the rice frequently until the broth is absorbed. Keep repeating this step until the rice is soft and creamy. If you run out of broth before this happens, just use a little water to finish the job.<br /><br />Plate a serve with plenty of parmesan cheese.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-46450801743628421312010-05-18T17:12:00.001-07:002010-05-18T17:17:59.385-07:00Easy Peasy Beer Bread<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhopCqbRKjTBa7TV0zwYn1RBCl-CLJFou2XX2EDzZxy6kzYltvGrr4TSApkkwJljZ8ZWqhmszLwHBZAJ0U4qZ0tX-inMroXLejAolwhYeV_yib9RcUFX3SH8-SP3h4lKnZb2N3NUJQI-5/s1600/beer+can.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhopCqbRKjTBa7TV0zwYn1RBCl-CLJFou2XX2EDzZxy6kzYltvGrr4TSApkkwJljZ8ZWqhmszLwHBZAJ0U4qZ0tX-inMroXLejAolwhYeV_yib9RcUFX3SH8-SP3h4lKnZb2N3NUJQI-5/s200/beer+can.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472768747034910194" /></a><br />This is a recipe I found written by a gentleman over at Recipezaar. Here's the link: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Beer-Bread-73440. The reason I'm putting it here is 1) to share it with you because it's so easy and a beautiful bread to whip up for dinner and 2)I keep losing/forgetting the recipe and have to keep finding it again online. It really is awesome! I don't bother melting butter to pour over the batter, though. Why dirty up another pan/bowl? I just dot the top with little slices of butter and it's turned out beautifully every time. Hope you like!<br /><br />Ingredients<br />3 cups flour (sifted) <br />3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour) <br />1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour) <br />1/4 cup sugar <br />1 (12 ounce) can beer <br />1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine) <br /><br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees. <br />Mix dry ingredients and beer. <br />Pour into a greased loaf pan. <br />Pour melted butter over mixture. <br />Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-78480300763280706952010-05-18T12:13:00.000-07:002010-05-18T12:33:38.189-07:00Pasta Alla Caprese<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D_hyphenhyphenGoEEnZtFCf6QVy1G5uLEBSklxA8wHQGkO7BP1sy9Ukce4hbYEY2ZiZx4-BJMxLVhSkWSH00K32gtngKVwH8h_NZyXAoAi3GEQ2Dx-m84v6VxOUkFgzImwsk1HyjGmDxEyUEZotho/s1600/tomato.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D_hyphenhyphenGoEEnZtFCf6QVy1G5uLEBSklxA8wHQGkO7BP1sy9Ukce4hbYEY2ZiZx4-BJMxLVhSkWSH00K32gtngKVwH8h_NZyXAoAi3GEQ2Dx-m84v6VxOUkFgzImwsk1HyjGmDxEyUEZotho/s200/tomato.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472695485830498434" /></a><br />No, I'm not making this today, or tomorrow, or this week, or the next week. I just want to share it with you because it's so fresh and delicious that keeping it to myself would just be naughty and selfish. Oddly enough, I don't like the sad attempt at authentic mozzarella for this recipe (the kind you find in tubs of water at the store: soft and squishy balls of counterfeit). For this recipe, I like the even MORE pathetic excuse for mozzarella (the solid block kind you find next to monterey jack; Polly-O is my favorite and has the best flavor of these little fakers). The reason is, the fake block version melts better against the hot pasta, while the squishy ball kind just sits there and has a flavor too mild to compete against all the other elements of the dish. Hence, I'm using Polly-O. Use what you want, but don't come complaining to me when you can hardly taste it in here.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 lbs pasta, either penne or spaghetti<br />-4 fresh, juicy tomatoes, ideally homegrown but if you must buy the vine type from the store. You can also use a large can of diced tomatoes and even reserve some of the juice in the can.<br />-a generous handful of fresh basil (about 20 leaves), chiffonade<br />-10 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved <br />-2 large cloves garlic, put through the crusher<br />-1/2 block of Polly-O mozzarella<br />-3 tbs of the olive juice (I like this better, but you can use lemon juice if you want)<br />-about 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (use extra virgin for fresh sauces as it has so much more flavor) and a bit more to coat the pasta<br /><br />While you're boiling your pasta, in a bowl, place your minced garlic and olive juice in the bottom, then whisk in the olive oil, carefully emulsifying the liquids. Add the tomatoes, olives, basil and toss. If you used canned tomato, let some of the juice from the can get in with everything. Chopped your mozzarella into half-inch cubes. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and give it a good douse of olive oil to coat it well and toss in your mozzarella (I like to put the cheese in before the cold ingredients so it starts to melt a bit). Finally, mix your tomato mixture into the pasta, salt and pepper it to taste, and serve it up presto.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-90247243523569247082010-05-17T12:49:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:50:44.123-07:00Raspberry Limoncello Preserves<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlC6Z0G_f0V0P3h7gn2FLex4gfcJXvrdRQBPyK9gEkOTqscGM5F5UXh7GPBRBRbdrSK5w08Deg0R1TwtbOMIG8bpYa5MQ-sSHfQ8B6o_2XoWmkChvOlewErjQp7St72ZoBE8t6vhwvzG8/s1600/fruit.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlC6Z0G_f0V0P3h7gn2FLex4gfcJXvrdRQBPyK9gEkOTqscGM5F5UXh7GPBRBRbdrSK5w08Deg0R1TwtbOMIG8bpYa5MQ-sSHfQ8B6o_2XoWmkChvOlewErjQp7St72ZoBE8t6vhwvzG8/s200/fruit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472684432704934930" /></a><br />I am a raspberry-holic. When you combine raspberry with a citrus element, I do believe you've achieved the rapture. I'm not even going to mention adding chocolate to that, it'd be the end of the world. This little recipe for raspberry limoncello preserves is wonderful, but if you do not have limoncello on hand, you could use Grand Marnier, or even just plain lemon (in which case I'd add a couple extra tablespoons of sugar) or orange juice. But the cooked-off alcohol element is quite delicious. Thought I haven't tried it, I imagine that even Amaretto would be incredible. Enjoy!<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 cup fresh raspberries, washed<br />-1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />-2 1/2 tablespoons of limoncello (or other citrus juice)<br /><br />Place all ingredients together in a small sauce pan. Mush the raspberries as they heat. There should be a decent amount of liquid. Bring everything to a boil and let it reduce a bit till the mixture gets foamy then stir it well. When the mixture is sirrupy, remove it from the heat and let it cool before pouring it into a storage container. It should last about a week in the fridge.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-30479616878982315902010-05-17T12:37:00.000-07:002010-05-17T12:48:59.131-07:00New England Clam ChowderI don't know about you, but I hate fishy tasting food, even something called Clam Chowder. The reason I enjoy this soup is because the only hint of seafood that you get is when you bite into one of the little clams--just enough for comfort :) Hope you enjoy this.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-2 tbs olive oil<br />-2 tbs unsalted butter, and another 4 tbs later on<br />-1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion<br />-1 1/2 cups diced celery<br />-1 1/2 cups diced carrot<br />-2 cups diced yukon gold potato, peeled<br />-1 1/2 tsp salt<br />-1/2 tsp pepper<br />-1 tbs fresh thyme<br />-1 bayleaf<br />-3 regular size cans chopped clams in clam juice (reserve the juice)<br />-1 1/2 cups water with chicken bouillon, or 1 1/2 cups prepared chicken broth<br />-1/4 cup flour <br />-1/4 cup heavy cream<br />-1 cup milk (nothing under 1%)<br />-1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)<br /><br />In a soup pot, melt butter with the olive oil and add the diced onion, stirring well until they begin to sweat and turn translucent, but do not brown. Add the celery, carrot, potatoes, salt and pepper. Add the bayleaf and thyme. Open your cans of clams and, keeping back the clams, pour in the juice from each can. Add your bouillon water or chicken broth and bring the whole thing to a boil. Meanwhile, put your flour in a bowl and, beneath the faucet, slowly whisk in cold water, smoothing out lumps as you go. Pour the flour mixture into the boiling pot and stir well. It will thicken up after you do so. Add in your reserved butter, chopped clams, the heavy cream, milk and the Old Bay. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, till the potatoes are soft.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-67079908907481460662010-05-15T12:54:00.000-07:002010-05-17T06:43:10.745-07:00My Projected Meals This WeekTrying to eat cheap this week. Got to make meals with just a few simple ingredients!<br /><br />Monday: Laab Gai with White Rice<br />Tuesday: Roast chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli Salad<br />Wednesday: Beef Tagine with Cous Cous, Naan, and Indian Lentils<br />Thursday: Dijon Roasted Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes, and Buttered Peas<br />Friday: Ziti all'arrabiata (the usual Friday meal)<br /><br />Can I just say that I love the Perdue Ready Roasters? If you've got a smaller sized family like me, between 1-3 kids, they are just wonderful. A regular, undressed chicken is about 7-8 dollars. A Ready Roaster that's been seasoned and had the neck/giblets taken out is 10. It cooks perfectly and you don't have to touch that disgusting raw chicken. I highly recommend given them a try!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-29864829921609333862010-05-15T12:34:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:56:46.622-07:00Laab Gai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLIE-kWhp8x-QkrFkNf2UPzqOHTuHjtr0uev1-jMu0PJJfIrgdVUJUTFB53TgkPSVo8aDONMltlakJQfVscw4koKI2qZzjy7LmY-pULC6VyPSsD39S8sZtelrrKdR1yUF2qRTNkvQ9DYt/s1600/green+limes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLIE-kWhp8x-QkrFkNf2UPzqOHTuHjtr0uev1-jMu0PJJfIrgdVUJUTFB53TgkPSVo8aDONMltlakJQfVscw4koKI2qZzjy7LmY-pULC6VyPSsD39S8sZtelrrKdR1yUF2qRTNkvQ9DYt/s200/green+limes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472684941300846658" /></a><br />This dish is, quite frankly, amazing if you are a Thai food fan. And, well, if you are a Thai food fan, you should already know how amazing it is! It is usually served as a side salad to the main meal. I love to spoon some into a butter lettuce leaf and eat it like a little spring roll (PF Chiang style). My husband loves it so much I often just double the portion and serve it as the main course with some sticky rice. You can make it as spicy or mild as you like. While I like to taste my food, my husband likes flames to shoot out of every opening in his head, so it's all up to you. Traditional recipes use fresh chili peppers chopped up, but I discovered that I really love how the flavor of chopped, pickle tabasco peppers taste in my Thai food. You can find jars of pickled tabasco in the hispanic section; I know that Goya bottles some that you really have to be careful with! If you already know what tabasco peppers taste like and don't like them, however, just use your favorite fresh spicy pepper. Buon appetito!<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />1 lb ground chicken (you can also use turkey)<br />2 tbs vegetable oil<br />1/4 cup lime juice<br />1/4 cup fish sauce<br />about 10 chopped pickled tabasco peppers (or a couple fresh chilis depending on taste)<br />4 scallions, chopped<br />1 tbs red pepper flakes<br />1/2 cup chopped cilantro<br />1 head butter lettuce<br />1 tbs toasted rice powder (this is optional, but I will tell you how to make this)<br /><br />In a wok or a heavy skillet heat the vegetable oil and add the ground chicken. Break up the chicken so there are no large lumps (you want the chicken consistency to be fine, not lumpy). Stir fry the chicken until it has released all its water and the water has evaporated and the pan is pretty much dry around the chicken. <br /><br />Meanwhile, get your lime juice, fish sauce, tabasco (chili) peppers and red pepper flakes mixed together in a bowl to marry the flavors. Once the chicken is prepared, add it to the lime juice mixture and coat it well. Add your rice powder and lastly add your cilantro and spring onion (you don't want to add them too soon because the cilantro will wilt and you want the onions to be crisp). Serve nestled in butter lettuce leaves or on a plate with leaves on the side. <br /><br />To make toasted rice powder: Get a dry skillet good and hot and add a couple tablespoons of jasmine rice. Shake the pan every now and then; you will see the grains of rice start to get brown. Do not let them burn. Once they are toasted on all sides, pour them into a mortal and crush them into a fine powder. Voila! Rice powder. It adds a nutty flavor to many Thai salads.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-71539462111015153222010-05-13T09:17:00.000-07:002010-05-13T09:20:31.506-07:00If You Like Broccoli and Garlic...From Ina Garten on the Food Network website, I just tried this last night and it's AWESOME! If you like broccoli and garlic, give it a try.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />1 head garlic, peeled (about 16 cloves) <br />1 cup good olive oil <br />1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes <br />1 teaspoon kosher salt <br />4 stalks broccoli, cut into florets (8 cups of florets) <br /><br />Directions<br /><br />Put the garlic cloves and oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the garlic is browned and tender. Turn off the heat and add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Immediately pour into a heat-proof container to stop the cooking. Allow to cool to room temperature.<br /><br />For the salad, blanch the broccoli florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well and immerse immediately into a large bowl of ice water until the broccoli is cooled. This process stops the cooking and sets the bright green color. Drain well.<br /><br />In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup of the oil used to cook the garlic, and 8 or more cloves of cooked garlic. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-85234858192343510782009-11-23T12:50:00.000-08:002010-05-18T12:00:50.995-07:00My Apologies...and a special guest contributor!I realized today that I have not posted in an indecently long while and I hope you'll forgive me. About a month ago we found a new house to live in and ever since then I've been frantically throwing everything I own into boxes. I even packed all my pyrex, corningware, and dishes in boxes with no padding. Luckily nothing broke and it is all safe and cozy in my new cutie-pie kitchen.<br /><br />I promise that once I'm settled in the posts will be coming too fast for you to process them! Recently, while visiting in Virginia Beach with my mom (who had just watched Julie and Julia) I got to make Beuf Bourgignon. I am not even going to bother spell checking that so no criticisms :) It was, as it is touted, too delicious for words and also one of the most time-consuming meals I've spent a Saturday afternoon on. About two days later my mom called up and said she'd come up with an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy version of it that tasted JUST AS GOOD! And hence I shall blog it as soon as I get the recipe written out all perty like. I am also going to be testing a few other recipes I discovered on Food Network and I will let you know how they turn out. <br /><br />As my post title indicates, I have a special guest Smart Cook-ie today! She already gave us the secret recipe to make Bisquick, and now Veronica will be giving us a chef-tested, hungry man approved recipe that is sure to bring the stray dogs barking at your door for some good eats! Enjoy all...and I promise I will bombard you with posts in about a week! (I have copied and pasted Veronica's message/recipe exactly as I received it below:)<br /><br />So as promised here is a recipe for dinner using bisquick... this is from Betty Crocker Bisquick cookbook and I love it because Marc loves it and it is (as Barney Stinson would say) "Possimpible" or (as Betty Crocker would say) "Impossibly Easy"... now how can you turn down a recipe like that?<br /><br />Impossibly Easy Deluxe Cheeseburger Melt<br /><br />1 1/3 cups Bisquick mix<br />1/4 cup water<br />2 eggs<br />2 cups shredded cheddar cheese<br />1 lb ground beef<br />1/4 tsp black pepper <br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp garlic powder (I prefer crushed garlic)<br />1/4 tsp onion powder (I prefer finely chopped onion)<br />1 can (10 3/4oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup<br />1 cup frozen mixed vegetables <br /><br />Directions:<br />Heat oven to 400. Spay 13X9 pan. Stir Bisquick mix, water, eggs and 1 cup of cheese. Spread in pan.<br /><br />Brown beef (with spices); drain. Stir in soup and vegetables; heat until hot.<br />Spread over batter in pan.<br /><br />Bake 23-25 min or until edges are light golden brown, Sprinkle with remaining cheese.Bake 1-3 min or until cheese melts.<br /><br />Number of Servings: 8Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-46917341095292112512009-10-30T08:27:00.000-07:002009-10-30T08:37:26.091-07:00Homemade Bisquick<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4utz2EcY72IPu46CAk5zNexrWq_whxSCmMoQ-Axrl1geamnYnicyOSecy4pbyDDRR3fef3RbSqOpAbCw8QmRAbkUBHFsq1_g3n3eAkxAufJx3QYAudCGXL8_yJuo3Vsajk_6dNUMgSft/s1600-h/flour.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4utz2EcY72IPu46CAk5zNexrWq_whxSCmMoQ-Axrl1geamnYnicyOSecy4pbyDDRR3fef3RbSqOpAbCw8QmRAbkUBHFsq1_g3n3eAkxAufJx3QYAudCGXL8_yJuo3Vsajk_6dNUMgSft/s200/flour.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398417537002130786" /></a><br />This is a recipe brought to us by my friend, Veronica. She got it from her grandmother, who got it from the actual Bisquick box (you know, back when they didn't mind giving people a reason not to have to buy their product!) We all know the awesomeness of bisquick. Use it for biscuits, bread, pancakes, muffins, various appetizers, wash your clothes with it, throw it at burglars, remove nail polish, use it as dry shampoo, cure the common cold. Pretty much anything. Veronica has promised to give us a bunch more recipes that use Bisquick as the primary ingredient, so hold on to this, it's about to get bisquicky around here!<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />6 Cups Flour<br />3 Tablespoons Baking Powder<br />1 Tablespoon salt<br />1 cup shortening<br /><br />Put 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt into food processor and give it a quick spin. Then add the shortening and the remaining three cups flour. Mixture will resemble biscuit dough prior to adding milk (slightly crumbly powdery) Store in airtight container for up to 1 year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-67624356347645965872009-10-27T17:50:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:57:17.085-07:00Coq Au VinAlright. Coq au vin is not supposed to be easy. At least, all the recipes I've looked at tell me so. However, from my understanding, coq au vin used to be a peasant food in France. It was usually made with a rooster, hence the long cooking method (to tender up the tougher connective tissue). I've read a bunch of recipes and I do not see why it has to be difficult. So, I've come up with a recipe here that should take less than thirty minutes to get into a pot, and then you just have to let it simmer for about an hour after that. It's definitely fun to be able to tell people you're making "coq au vin" for dinner, and they never have to know that it was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezie! Serve it up with some textbook mashed potatoes and I've pretty sure you've got yourself a winner. I made it yesterday and the brothy gravy around the chicken was delicious. I will note that the longer you cook this the better. Buon appetito!<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 whole, cut chicken<br />-2 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch squares, or pancetta, sliced into strips<br />-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided<br />-2 cloves garlic<br />-2 carrots, sliced<br />-2 medium onions<br />-3 cups chicken broth<br />-1 cup red wine<br />-1/2 cup red wine vinegar<br />-2 tbs tomato paste<br />-2 sprigs of thyme<br />-1 package white mushrooms, sliced<br />-kosher salt and pepper<br /><br />In a heavy bottomed pan, preferably a dutch oven, heat boil the bacon/pancetta in ¼ inch of water. Keep it on high heat and let the water worry itself away, then allow the bacon/pancetta to simmer in the dry pan till it starts to leave a little brown in the pan. Remove the bacon, and, still on high heat, place the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the pan of bacon grease. If you think there isn’t enough grease to cook the chicken, add a tablespoon of oil and heat it up before adding the chicken. Cook for about 4 minutes on just the skin side, then remove from the pan. <br /><br />Add two tbs olive oil Iif necessary) to the pot and sauté the carrots, garlic, and half the onions. Pour in one cup of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned stuff. Pour in the remaining chicken broth, wine, vinegar, and tomato paste and put the chicken back in, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Arrange the sprigs of thyme around the chicken and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer till the chicken is cooked all the way through, about 45 minutes. <br /><br />Meanwhile, in the skillet, sauté the remaining onions and the mushrooms till they release their liquid and then that liquid reduces by a little more than a half. When the chicken is cooked, pour the onions and mushrooms on top and serve with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or even wide egg noodles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-89367363879080027902009-10-27T11:12:00.000-07:002009-10-27T11:18:45.394-07:00Cocoa VanYes, when I was a little girl, I thought coq au van was a dessert with lots of chocolate. Today I am attempting the real recipe with a few little simplifying modifications I've made. Hopefully it won't come out atrocious and I will then be able to pass it on to you without feeling guilty :) If it works, I can honestly tell you that it's great for a busy day because today is crazy for me. On top of it all, my 10 month-old has been climbing stairs now for a couple weeks and she's getting faster and faster and more and more daring about it, so I can't look the other way for a second without hearing her chuckling her way to the second landing. <br /><br />I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit Cubby Gourmet in the next week or so to see some fun holiday recipes I'll be collecting for your enjoyment! You can just click on Cubby Gourmet in my sidebar menu or go to www.cubbygourmet.blogspot.com<br /><br />Buon appetito!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-55597746831017681782009-10-25T13:21:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:56:20.192-07:00Olignese (Bolognese Olivia Style)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevoTMzrjbCrRM_BF9Q1MqRduCCL5Vi2eU3C8MYnKZ1Bj08z3emMoF51b6Cq9lsL9Ktkpo3oUVzkQRxzxTcxACWkGHgxq4i3wbt-s990OLujSWktTCo1IcDTPjc680ujP2vXMZeERSEX95/s1600-h/tomato+basil.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevoTMzrjbCrRM_BF9Q1MqRduCCL5Vi2eU3C8MYnKZ1Bj08z3emMoF51b6Cq9lsL9Ktkpo3oUVzkQRxzxTcxACWkGHgxq4i3wbt-s990OLujSWktTCo1IcDTPjc680ujP2vXMZeERSEX95/s200/tomato+basil.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395526136922728338" /></a>This is my version of ragu di bolognese, a red(ish) sauce originating in the region of Bologna, Italy. Many recipes turn this into a red sauce, using tomato puree, etc., but in authentic recipes very little tomato is used. Traditionally, the sauce is served with "tagliatelle," like fetuccine only wider, or green lasagne noodles. Generally, I eat it with spaghetti or bucatini (hollowed out spaghetti that look like long straws) because your everyday grocery store doesn't always carry tagliatelle. I have heard, though, that if you want to serve it with those nice, flat lasagne noodles, just break the long pieces into thirds and they will almost be like eat unfolded wonton squares. This is certainly one of my favorite recipes, and I hope you enjoy. Buon appetito!<br /><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />-4 strips bacon, cut into ½ inch strips<br />-1 lb lean ground beef<br />-2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped<br />-2 carrots, finely chopped<br />-2 stalks celery, finely chopped<br />-1/2 package white mushrooms, finely chopped<br />-3 cloves garlic, minced<br />-1 tbs dried basil (if you’d like to use fresh, do about ½ cup basil chiffonade)<br />-1 tbs dried oregano (if you’d like to use fresh, do about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano; it’s a much stronger flavor than basil)<br />-1/2 tsp garlic powder<br />-1 tbs salt<br />-1 tsp pepper<br />-1/2 cup red wine<br />-2 cans tomato paste, with two cans water<br /><br />In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil and saute the chopped bacon until it begins to brown. Add the ground beef and break it up well—you don’t want any huge chunks in the sauce. When the beef begins to brown a bit, add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir to coat the vegetables and allow the flavor to marry. Add the herbs, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and stir, then add the wine and stir well. Finally, add the two cans of tomato paste with the water and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes on low heat. If it is too thick, add a little more water until you achieve the consistency you want. <br /><br />Generous amounts of parmesan cheese is definitely Cubby-approved.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-22552118485790837962009-10-24T09:50:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:57:38.223-07:00Fettuccine Alfredo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3ScbsB6MIir8QB8wVHq4BLiLBlQecNe0AuNnuiI_dQFpOnmnXm2-fcYyRvS5EzbJuS_GdVfzhoac_9W-wCDUAlweZUPYeI9WcYnSDs_SY0_YKcNTQSMe2jA8supoRgSua9GB7hBeq45D/s1600-h/amore.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3ScbsB6MIir8QB8wVHq4BLiLBlQecNe0AuNnuiI_dQFpOnmnXm2-fcYyRvS5EzbJuS_GdVfzhoac_9W-wCDUAlweZUPYeI9WcYnSDs_SY0_YKcNTQSMe2jA8supoRgSua9GB7hBeq45D/s200/amore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396163222999150802" /></a>This recipe is from my mom. It is the best alfredo sauce I've ever had, because it is so simple and the flavor is very straightforward. There is no garlic, no onion, no spices. It's just salt, cream, parmesan and egg. It makes a beautiful escort to chicken, fish/shrimp and I imagine that dropping in some lump crab meat after the pasta is assembled might taste fantastic too. Serve with a white wine, something dry and tragic and wonderful.<br /><br />Fettuccine Alfredo was created by Italian restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio in 1914. He developed it, originally, with ridiculous amounts of butter in its creamy self to serve to his pregnant wife, who was having difficulty keeping food down (I'm sure many of us have been there). After her pregnancy had ended, he began serving it on the menu of his Roman restaurant, Alfredo alla Scrofa.<br /><br />One important thing to note is that you will need a "double boiler" or "bain marie." <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Innova-Classicor-Stainless-Steel-2-Quart-3-Piece/dp/B0000DJBCB/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1256333180&sr=8-3">Here</a> is a nice inexpensive one. Also, even though this recipe calls for no butter while most alfredo recipes call for ridiculous amounts of it, we cannot be under any illusions that we will somehow lose weight by eating it :) Handle with care, and buon appetito!<br /><br />Ingredients (more than enough for two adults; I made this yesterday and there was a huge serving leftover)<br /><br />-2 cups heavy whipping cream<br />-3 egg yolks beaten (mom says, one egg per person, then one egg for good measure. Do not multiply the "good measure" egg no matter how many people you make this for)<br />-1/2 cup parmesan cheese<br />-about 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste<br /><br />Set the bottom pan of the double boiler on the stove filled about halfway with water. You don't want the boiling water licking the bottom of the top pan. While you bring that to a boil, pour your whipping cream and 3 beaten egg yolks into the cold top pan and stir to mix well. Fit the top pan into the bottom pan and allow the cream mixture to heat up. When the water beneath starts to boil, keep stirring the cream and add in the parmesan. Just keep an eye on it. You will see it starting to thicken up and you'll want to reduce the heat. When you can tell that the cream is nice and hot you can add the salt and taste it (I don't taste it until I know the egg is cooked). Keep it on your lowest heat setting till you're ready to put it over the pasta. My mom actually serves this with wide egg noodles, the widest you can find. I know that the Egg Yolk brand actually has super wide noodles called "dumplings," and that is what I have used here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-40975907274824391992009-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:58:02.589-07:00Saltimbocca (or Saltinbocca)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye5rxV-wcb07ITXiI5s3_bF8vx_thuV_y65E6ExLWJj5kxD4LM1FFIvXlbQ03D2e5OhJbtToXh-B68ziX7XLRxdUq2-nhXLmfipc7WOkMwfme8A7OIf_Pu1MgfmgvrB1N44-DA5g3MSmH/s1600-h/harlequin.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye5rxV-wcb07ITXiI5s3_bF8vx_thuV_y65E6ExLWJj5kxD4LM1FFIvXlbQ03D2e5OhJbtToXh-B68ziX7XLRxdUq2-nhXLmfipc7WOkMwfme8A7OIf_Pu1MgfmgvrB1N44-DA5g3MSmH/s200/harlequin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395864678266637330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxbrT5nG0u1PDuW69_I6oxLAN0PuSH-g9gIMI7a65P4ek2lqLf9AO_WCHkFu3b9xRZFZeOjbGjIxLEg5_pH0D8OSEfs43cxCdZcOR0XoFPt5tHN1Dwmz4TjLRbUEL3q1IXP78eY9k2mGz/s1600-h/columbina.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 117px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxbrT5nG0u1PDuW69_I6oxLAN0PuSH-g9gIMI7a65P4ek2lqLf9AO_WCHkFu3b9xRZFZeOjbGjIxLEg5_pH0D8OSEfs43cxCdZcOR0XoFPt5tHN1Dwmz4TjLRbUEL3q1IXP78eY9k2mGz/s200/columbina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395864558937789426" /></a><br /><br />Vesti la giubba,<br />la faccia infarina,<br />la gente paga e rider vuole qua<br />e se Arlecchino<br />s'invola Colombina,<br />ridi pagliaccio<br />e ognun t'applaudirà.<br /><br />How do you like my commedia dell'arte? I could not believe this is just clipart. The Italian is an exerpt from "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's opera "I Pagliacci." The translation, as far as my Italian goes, is:<br /><br />"Put on your costume,<br />powder your face,<br />the crowd has paid and they want to laugh here<br />and if Harlequin<br />seduces/steals Columbina,<br />laugh, clown!<br />And everyone will applaud."<br /><br />Admittedly I am not a huge opera fan. I adore the arias but sitting through sung dialogue is not my cup of tea. This play, however, always makes me cry. For the storyline, go <a href="http://www.musicwithease.com/pagliacci-synopsis.html">here</a> <br /><br />Now for cooking! The name of this recipe literally means "it jumps in your mouth," or "hops in the mouth" it's that delicious. My mom serves this with her fetuccine alfredo (recipe to be posted), and it is such a crowd pleaser. It’s one of those meals that looks like it took hours to make and really only took a small amount of time. She always made it when our parish priest came over for dinner, which made it difficult because I always wanted seconds, even thirds, and I had to make sure the guests got enough! <br /><br />Several saltimbocca recipes do not bread the chicken. Some fry them in a pan (which is probably delicious but baking is definitely healthier) and many add a sage leaf in with the "stuffing" ingredients. Still other recipes serve the chicken with a carmelized onion or shallot sauce. However, I'm recounting this recipe the way my mother and grandmother do it, and I know for certain that it's so good that "salta in bocca!"<br /><br />Buon appetito!<br /><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-4 thin-sliced chicken breast (the kind that are about ¼ inch thick)<br />-4 slices hard or Genoa salami or prosciutto<br />-4 thin pats of butter<br />-salt and pepper<br />-1 egg beaten, two if necessary<br />-1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, more if necessary<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.<br /><br />Take each chicken breast and salt and pepper one side. Lay a slice of salami/proscuitto on the salted side. Place a pat of butter over that. Gently, roll the chicken breast over the salami/prosciutto and make a little “chicken loaf” with the red meat and butter on the inside. Hold it shut by inserting a toothpick through it. Dip the chicken rolls into the beaten egg and then into the bread crumbs and coat it. Set each breaded roll into a baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the rolls are browned and crunchy on the outside. I usually test it by cutting my own roll in half and making sure there’s no pink in the chicken, but if you’re good at telling when chicken is done, do it your way.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-25406479751660592812009-10-22T14:21:00.000-07:002009-10-22T16:25:02.539-07:00Hot and Sour Soup alla Jessica<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk_hNnF3SpMEfpOynLbXiQGEkvzi1m8GhsIBd0DiD0nDxt7SlsFvRFUMufEMlGrUj7Ym6eX_REa4h6l8zO6Ykxm7GPRnyHYHikrdECg7TpFvZifs0lM4czFs5D522HYUJvsOwtdExaVU2/s1600-h/dragon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk_hNnF3SpMEfpOynLbXiQGEkvzi1m8GhsIBd0DiD0nDxt7SlsFvRFUMufEMlGrUj7Ym6eX_REa4h6l8zO6Ykxm7GPRnyHYHikrdECg7TpFvZifs0lM4czFs5D522HYUJvsOwtdExaVU2/s200/dragon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395490913853094754" /></a><br />This is a Tyler Florence recipe that I modified to be a bit easier and less time consuming. I'm posting it here at the special request of my hot-and-sour-addicted friend, Jessica! Hope you enjoy it, girly. I haven't had a chance to make it yet, but I trust Tyler Florence--the guy can just flat out cook. I haven't made any changes that will compromise the overall integrity of his recipe. He used wood-ear mushrooms and I replaced them with shitake. I love the flavor of shitake mushrooms and it's not always easy to find mushroom varieties other than white, portobello, cremini, and shitake. If you know where to get some nice wood-ears, by all means use them for this recipe. Also, he has a recipe for "Chinese Chicken broth," which is basically your regular chicken broth with scallions added and carrots, celery and tomato taken out. In the end it may taste better in the recipe, but I am certain that regular chicken broth isn't going to be the end of the hot and sour universe. However, for his recipe and the recipe for Chinese Chicken Broth, go here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/index.html <br /><br />A little piece of info about hot and sour soup: when I was pregnant, I ate it as much as I could. For some reason it tasted so wonderful to me and I'd have to think of other things to order so I could get them to deliver me a pint of the soup! Well, this baby turned out so well I may just eat it constantly the next time I get pregnant as well! Buon appetito, friends.<br /><br />First of all, maybe a day in advance, you’ll want to put about a ½ lb pork roast into the crock pot with some salt and pepper to season. Let it cook till it’s tender, remove it from the juices and shred it up like you’re doing barbeque. <br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms (our grocery store sells them fresh, but if you have to buy the dried kind, put them in a bowl, cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 30 minutes to reconstitute)<br />-2 tablespoons canola oil<br />-1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated<br />-1 tablespoon red chile paste, 2 if you like some extra spice in your life ;)<br />-1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced into straws<br />-1/4 lb shredded pork<br />-1/4 cup soy sauce<br />¼ cup rice vinegar<br />-1 tsp salt<br />-1 tsp pepper<br />-pinch of sugar<br />-2 quarts chicken broth<br />-1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced into ¼ inch strips<br />-3 tbs cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water<br />-1 large egg, beaten<br />-chopped scallions and cilantro leaves, for serving<br /><br />Heat the 2 tablespoons canola/vegetable oil in a soup pot. Add the ginger, chile paste, bamboo shoots, and shredded pork and cook for about a minute. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar then pour into the pot and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then add the tofu. Put the cornstarch into a small bowl and, using a whisk, drizzle cold water from the tap into the cornstarch, stirring constantly to dissolve any lumps. Pour this mixture into the broth and continue to simmer it until it thickens a little bit. Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir it quickly in one direction (clockwise) to get the motion going. While the broth is still swirling, drizzle in the beaten egg and watch it spread throughout the soup. It will be cooked almost instantly. Serve with slices of raw scallion and a generous handful of cilantro.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6746320847211933028.post-23311271809302236892009-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:002010-05-18T12:00:10.842-07:00Tomato Pesto Cream Sauce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTfPB-Zh-6ptYolevxcIkrfZVE3_mb4f0AoV1u0ZCJN0RKnB7bJbN7hIMDr2c2QU_VuxPlEwKM6DUuYjfpWvcsG9jXefqdc-ac5t3PbHp1jCFkcm4SA5uYQvSk5_YJhLsvFAixcWjVSfm/s1600-h/basil.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTfPB-Zh-6ptYolevxcIkrfZVE3_mb4f0AoV1u0ZCJN0RKnB7bJbN7hIMDr2c2QU_VuxPlEwKM6DUuYjfpWvcsG9jXefqdc-ac5t3PbHp1jCFkcm4SA5uYQvSk5_YJhLsvFAixcWjVSfm/s200/basil.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457869705020146" /></a>This sauce is my own creation. I thought it'd be neat to have pesto and cream sauce get hitched. I imagine you could probably do it with a regular basil pesto, or a cilantro pesto. I am a pesto-holic and will post more super simple recipes eventually. When you look at the ingredients you may ask "why no nuts?" Usually pesto contains either walnuts or pine nuts. Well, I never use walnuts because Zach is allergic, and I used to use pine nuts, despite how expensive they are, until one day I didn't have any and made a pesto without them. I honestly couldn't taste any difference, so I decided to stop wasting $3.50 on 1/4 cup of pine nuts when I could just leave them out.<br /><br />The first time I made this it was kind of like stars aligning. The pasta went on the fork, the fork went to Zach's mouth, and suddenly his eyes teared up and all he could say was "Wow." I had tasted the sauce before I gave it to him and thought it was good, but I honestly hadn't expected that reaction. He immediately decided he wanted it to be a regular around here, and I've made it three or four times since developing it a month and a half ago. I hope you like it as well. I will stress the fact that sun dried tomatoes packed by themselves (as opposed to in olive oil) are much, much better in this recipe. It is a noticeable difference. You can find the dry, sundried tomatoes usually where they keep the tomatoes and garlic in the grocery store. Buon appetito!<br /><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />-1 package sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil, preferably. If you cannot find the dry kind, use the ones packed in oil and omit the added olive oil)<br />-1 large handful of basil leaves, about a 1 – 1 ½ cups<br />-3-4 medium cloves garlic<br />-about ¼ cup of olive oil, or more depending on consistency. You want the pesto to look like a squishy paste.<br />-1/3 cup of parmesan cheese<br />-about ½ - ¾ cup light cream.<br />-1 lb penne pasta (I prefer Barilla)<br /><br />Bring a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. As soon as it starts to boil, pour in the penne, stir once, and cook with the l id off for about 8 minutes for “al dente” consistency. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients (except cream and pasta) one by one in a food processor, blending each one before adding the next ingredient. When it makes a fragrant, sticky paste, scoop into a small saucepan and heat thoroughly. When the pesto is steamy, slowly add in the light cream, stirring to combine. The sauce will have a “bisque” consistency. <br /><br />Drain the pasta. I leave a tiny bit of pasta water in the bottom of the pan to help the sauce spread. Pour the pasta back into the pot then add the sauce. Stir to coat. I think a slightly sweeter wine tastes good with this and counters the acidity of the tomatoes. A favorite white or rose wine would be perfect.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2