Saturday, August 20, 2005

Adventures in Cooking

I have no gift for languages. But I humour myself that I can read any menu~ and after all cooking is universal. So surfing the net last week when I went into Molisana's website and translated a recipe from it, I howled with laughter as it came back . Thanks to the free translation at http://www.babblefish.com/ Clear as MUD! ( is was free after all) The orginal recipe is : http://www.lamolisana.it/cgi-bin/webdriver?MIval=index&idPasta=55&idFamiglia=3&idRicetta=58&lingua=ITAL
Gnocchetti gratinati al caciocavallo - 350 g of gnocchetti ( I thought Gnocci, easy enough, small potato dumplings and bought them pre-made) - 2 segments of garlic ( 2 cloves of garlic) - 50 g of them them ( uh, who is them, di mandorle? So I put in 4 chopped fresh Italian tomatoes skinned and deseeded) - basil ( 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fine, my best guess and I have tones in the backyard) - 60 g of oil (about 1/4 cup) - 180 g of caciocavallo ( 3 oz grated, it said grainati, so it had to be a cheese, it is the sort of snowman shaped little top blob with a big bottom blob cheese ) - black pepper ( got it) - they knows ( yah right, original its sale, its salt.) Fluttered the garlic, them them, a tuft abounding of basil, the oil, knows them and abounding black pepper. Fairies to cook the gnocchetti in boiling water and cut to thin scaglie the caciocavallo. Conduit the pasta with the sauce already gotten ready, you it it in a heat resistant one to layers with the scaglie of cheese and passed all in oven to 200' for 5 minutes. You serve immediately. Turns out that them them or 50 g di mandorle are actually almonds and Gnocchetto is actually a pasta shaped like 'flexible conduit'. I didn't find out until today. I have no idea who the Italian fairies are who cook the pasta are but the angels hummed a little with my version. Preheat oven at 400'. Cook Gnocci in boiling salted water until they float, drain and place in a oven proof casserole. Heat oil, sauted chopped garlic until golden, add tomatoes and basil until softened. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste pour over the cooked Gnocci. Add grated cheese and stir and pop in oven for about 5 minutes. Serve as a side, or as substantial enough as a main course with salad and bread.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Sharing toys

The 'husband' came home from work yesterday and asked if I had looked at the comments on my blog. I think he is becoming addicted to the blog. He is really going 'high tech', he is getting his own Blackberry. The 'husband' needs it for work, and its more efficient. ( besides its really cool) He claims that on the trip to France this fall that I can update my Blog with it. Right! This from the man, who when we first met, did not know that his bank card also was his debit card. In the next breath he also added that our rental car for our trip to France had been upgraded to a Volvo, and that he promises that we will take turns driving it. Grinning ear to ear, he claims it was the best deal, really. He does have good luck with rental cars. When we went to Arizona right after September the 11th, our 'car' was upgraded to a brand new Nissan Pathfinder. We drove 1000 miles through Arizona and New Mexico mentally shooting our own car commercials. When we went to BC for my nieces wedding, our 'Escape' was upgraded to a Yukon Denalli bigger than our living room. This mammoth vehicle transported us in comfort and style. I think I got to pull it out of a parking spot once before I had to surrender it. Although he will deny it, he really just likes toys. A young 5 year old dinner guest recently asked me, "why do you have so many toys if we had no kids?" I explained that the 'husband' was the kid. Poor thing was really confused, I let her wear my Minnie Mouse ears while she tried to figure it out. I got my quarterly bonus from work last week. I spent days dreaming of Hermes Bags, ( bonus not quite big enough), the pasta attachment for my Kitchenaid Mixer (bonus big enough but, Queens Pasta is just around the corner and they sell to all the restaurants), new shoes ( those are really a necessity, and if we spend bonus money that would only limit us to shoe shopping 4 times a year) . I then had a revelation. I am going to the spa for a manicure and pedicure. Yes no high tech for me, give me creature comforts (Besides, the 'husband' has responsibly and swiftly placed the bonus in RRSP's.) So whatever I cook tonight will require the limited use of hands! Maybe just a box of bonbons, while lying in bed watching a movie. Yup, that might just be the ticket.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Pasta Puttanesca

If you ask any Italian what this means, your going to get some funny looks! Southern Italians say it must be Tuscan, Tuscans swear it comes from Venice...It goes on an on. But what you will get an agreement on is the fact that, no ones mother has ever made this. NEVER. Why? The word Puttanesca, means the style of the streetwalker, hooker or whore. basically its a really quick, on hand in the pantry, pasta and sauce. I first made it out of the Joy of Cooking which was good. Then I made it from David Rocco's Dolce Vita http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails/recipe_5417.asp, better but a bit too fussy pitting the olives and such. So, this is my version with my three new favorite ingredients. Hah! Garlic, Olives and Hot Peppers in a tube. How great is that! 6 oz of Fiesta Fettucine ( Tricoloured and a bit flashy being a street walker pasta) 1/4 cup olive oil 3 teaspoons of Garlic Puree or just chopped garlic 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chili Puree to taste 4 anchovy rolled filets wrapped around capers, Chopped into small chunks ( or the flat ones if you prefer, I had these on hand. Don't skip these either because they melt and you won't even see them but they add the smokey salt flavour) 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives ( canned) 2 teaspoons of olive puree 1 tablespoon of capers 1/3 cup pinenuts 3 cups canned chopped plum tomatoes salt and pepper Fresh Parmesan cheese to taste Boil water for pasta, add salt to the water and olive oil if you wish. Have everything on hand and pre-measured as this is a quick sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan large enough to hold sauce and pasta, then add the garlic and pepper for a few seconds. Add chopped anchovies, olives, olive paste, capers and pinenuts. Cook until the pinenuts start to tinge golden. Add Tomatoes and bring to a firm simmer. Your pasta should be about done by now, just al dente, Drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Cook only until the pasta finishes cooking to your liking. ( about 2 minutes more max) Season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

The Potluck Lunch

My sister is invited to a Potluck lunch next month and she asked for some ideas on what to bring. I personally avoid all contact with Potluck. I have an Aunt, who once said something to the effect of, what is the point of inviting someone to a meal if you ask them to bring part of it? I agree, if someone asks me to a meal, personally I think they should have thought the menu through. They would have carefully chosen what flavors, wine and decor that they wanted to entertain their guests with. But I digress. The first challenges in transport, it has got to go on the subway. Second challenge is ease of service, there is only a microwave available to reheat. Third challenge is what is called the "Wow factor", there is ego at stake here people. My first idea is Lentil Salad Hot, cold or at room temp this one is an easy and good one 3 slices of thick English bacon, smoked bacon, or ham chopped into cubes 2 shallots sliced into rings 1 red pepper chopped and divided into two piles 1 can of lentils ( I really like the canned ones better then doing them yourself, but if prefer dried, be my guest) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil teaspoon of garlic puree teaspoon of olive puree salt and pepper to taste. Heat a frying pan with a dab of olive oil and add, bacon and shallots. When the shallots soften and the bacon is firm and browning but not too crisp add 1/2 of the red pepper. Saute until the red pepper starts to soften. Drain and rinse the lentils, put into a medium bowl. Tip the contents of the frying pan over the lentils. Combine the rest of the ingredients in another small bowl, pour over the lentil mixture. Add the reserved red pepper and toss. Let sit for at least one hour, or better yet, covered over night in the fridge. Before serving season with salt and pepper.

Monday, August 01, 2005

Easy Last Night of Long Weekend Dinner Part 2

Hey there is limited room here!!! So tonight, something quick and easy, and in honour of AKKINS declaring bankruptcy, like it was ever going to last. Pass the bread please. Shrimp with Fettucine 1 frozen pack of tiger shrimp ( hey its Toronto, no fresh shrimp within a million miles) 1 teaspoon of Old Bay ( and or 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes) 6 oz of fettucine ( that cooks in 3 minutes) 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic or garlic puree 1/3 cup brandy ( or sherry or for that matter white wine) Salt and pepper 2 tablepoons chopped Italian parley Parmesean Cheese Have everthing ready as this is a quick recipe. Thaw and peel shrimp. Bring a pot of water big enough for the fettucine to boil, add salt and olive oil if desired. Heat olive oil in a separate pan big enough to hold the pasta. Add pasta to the boiling water, add garlic to the olive oil. Dust the shrimp with Old Bay or chili and add to the olive oil. Add brandy and bring to a boil. Pasta at this point should be 'al dente' drain and add to the shrimp. Cover and let meld for one minute. Sprinkle with parley, serve with cheese, crusty bread, green salad and a dry rose.

Easy Last Night of Long Weekend Dinner Part 1

I was the domestic diva this weekend. I think I was inspired by the Vanity Fair article on Martha Stewart and no slouch either, Tamara Mellon. I brushed off the mental task list of what needed to be accomplished, stroked out a few (sometimes it seems life is too short to whiten the tile grout in the bathroom) , and set down to making curtains. We, ( the 'husband' and I) had debated which colour to paint the kitchen. We always have as a matter of fact. When we first painted, years ago, we painstakingly chose which white and which blue to paint. Ecstatic we got to work with our final selection. What we found was we were painting it the exact same colours as the previous owner. Plan B, Off white, everywhere. In May we went to a flea market, as the 'husband' walked around muttering under his breath, JUNK , I was in heaven. I love the hunt and the kill of bagging 'the unusual' or 'the bargain'. Not a whole lot of success but, but I did manage to pick up a piece of 'Bark Cloth'. It had the most perfect shade of blue that I wanted for the kitchen and bonus it would serve as the window covering. It was funky, eclectic, fun and most importantly cheap! The extra doors for the kitchen showed up this last week and I decided that I should finally get the damn curtains made. Not only did I make the kitchen curtains, I washed, pressed and mended the other window coverings in the house. I finally tore down the horrible master bedroom coverings which started out as a another extremely good bargain........But I was just learning to sew then. They had ended up costing me a fortune and I still hated them . I did also cook this weekend, I had the blotched chicken recipe that did not work on Saturday. It included 'TWO' cups of cream so I was most bitter. I did slow roasted ribs on the barbecue with a rub, smoked with apple chips. Very good but, frankly, a lot more work then popping them in the oven with a good sauce.