Madam's Pasta

A couple of nights ago we were watching Jamie Oliver's show on Netflix, the episode where he was making Pasta Puttanesca. I always forget about this dish but it is one of my favorites. This is a sauce that incorporates all your favorite salty things (olives, anchovies, capers) with tomatoes, garlic, and basil. I'm not exactly sure why this pasta is named such, translated as "the prostitutes' pasta." Among the theories: the short amount of time it takes to make, because we all know a good lady-of-the-evening is a busy girl; maybe the salty/sweet combination. Or because its gorgeous smell made people want to come to the brothel. Nothing says "I love you for the next 10 minutes" like food, after all. Who cares, it's delicious. It comes from the Southern part of Italy, Naples and the Campagnia region. This does indeed explain the anchovies and the olives...and I suppose the prostitutes too.

So to make this sauce you can go a number of routes, but here's the one we did last night - pretty yummy...

Olive oil

4-5 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic

1 cup of chopped mixed olives, pits removed...(kalamata, big green ones, gaeta, doesn't matter as long as they're salty) - We used half cracked green/half kalamata

1 tin of flat anchovies in Oil, chopped - SAVE the oil

1/4 cup drained capers (if you'd like more, go for it)

Pinch of chili flakes

1-1.5 cup crushed/pureed tomatoes from can or garden - Jamie O used whole canned that he chopped up but I like the saucy feel of the puree.

Basil, a nice punch maybe 10-12 big leaves torn or sliced

(Get everything chopped and ready cause this sauce moves FAST, that includes having your water on the boil when you start)

Pour the olive oil from the anchovies into a saute pan, add enough extra from a bottle to get at least 2-3 tablespoons of oil in there. Saute the garlic till it starts to turn golden then add the anchovies and saute till they start to break up. Add the olives and capers with the chili flakes. At this point put the pasta in your boiling salted water - we used Linguine - cook till just before they reach the al dente phase while you finish the sauce (say 5 minutes if they're like spaghetti or linguine, a minute or two more if they are thicker noodles). Once those ingredients have sauteed for a couple of minutes add the tomatoes. Simmer while the noodles get to that "just under-cooked" point. Add the pasta to the saute pan to finish cooking, adding water from the pot to thin the sauce if it gets too thick. When the pasta reaches "done" (aka al dente) toss in the chopped basil and enjoy. DO NOT top with cheese. It doesn't really go.

I scarfed it. Not very lady like, but puttans are just slightly less than elegant society so I suppose it works. If you're looking to shake up your pasta I really recommend it. We had a grilled fennel salad with shallot-Dijon dressing in addition , and a Tempranillo which cut the salt nicely. Not a half bad Monday night dinner.

Check out my grill - Part 1?

Fire. Fire and shiny things. Okay maybe grills aren't shiny things to most of you, but they are to me. Like the diamonds in my engagement ring, I cannot stop staring at our grill...mostly when we're cooking on it, but I have been known to go out to the *tiny* back deck and stare at it (I also might have a staring problem). Now, to be upfront, we don't have a charcoal grill, we are not allowed these on Chicago decks; we've got this lovely little gas Weber. However, one day we will get the Big Green Egg and then my life will be complete. Let it be said that charcoal is ideal, I envy those who have it and we have been known to usurp our friends' grills when we visit. Gas is okay though...passable, and both the Husband and I use ours almost daily during the short Chicago summer.

So you want to grill on gas. Um. Turn it on, go.


So you want to grill with charcoal...ah, yes. Yes. Throw the lighter fluid out. Better yet, don't buy any. Why people think that their food has to have the chemical before/during/aftertaste... Anyway, get a chimney. If you're cheap, get some sticks and paper and mound your coals on that, but the chimney is a work of genius. The Husband loves these, and they get the coals all nice and hot real fast like. Once your colas are good to go, the sky is the limit!

Lately we have done so many meals on the grill, like smoked some ribs on a friend's Weber, and we did our first octopus just the other day. Vegetables are killer good; this method of cooking turns even the proudest meat-potato veteran into a vegetarian - WAIT, I hate that word - a veggie-respect-mature-adult. Some of our favorite grillables are asparagus, zucchini, onions (spring and mature), peppers, radicchio, tomatoes, eggplant, corn on the cob, mushrooms, and the list goes on. Brush them with a little oil or butter, salt and pepper shower and on the grill they go. AND may I recommend a Romesco sauce to accompany, mine goes like this...


Romesco Sauce: Into a food processor put 3 roasted red peppers seeded, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup toasted hazlenuts, one chopped tomato seeded, a splash of redwine vinegar to taste - no more than 1T, salt/pepper, and olive oil once the machine is going (1/4-1/2 cup??). If the sauce is too runny I add some chopped day old white bread toasted. This=Heaven. It's good with meats too.


We always have chicken breasts on hand in the summer, and sausages and beef are also frequent visitors of those spankin' hot grates. Fish can be tricky, and other seafood is even trickier. My gorgeous Japanese friend inspired me recently. She mentioned she and her husband had just grilled baby octopus. What what what?! I mean, I love octopus. We frequently get it while dining out at such places as Evanston's UNION (our favorite hang-out spot) and Campagnola, and Chicago's Antiprema. It's a tasty little creature, but never cooking it at home I was intrigued and nervous...and hungry.



On a visit to Mitsuwa Asian Market, while on an adventure to IKEA to get our new bookcase, we found some lovely little gems already skewered. It was a sign from the heavens. Theywere already boiled, so we grilled them on high to a crispy texture and topped them with a kalamata olive/green onion dressing with grilled lemon. Oh my GOD. You have to do this. THEY WERE RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. If you're just to freaked out to cook them at home, go out and eat them. The Husband proclaimed it was the best meal we've ever cooked...and that, I think, is saying something.

Bless this bacon, for it gives me long life.

It's true! Cured, smoked pork belly has never tasted so good, and finally the truth has come out that it's so good for you!

An elderly woman, age 114, in Los Angeles has attributed her longevity to the occasional eating of crispy bacon. It's now scientifically proven one key to long life is eating bacon. Bacon i, it may be the world's most perfect culinary art. The wondrous combination of salty and sweet, and crunchy fatty goodness. I'm sure Mr. Kevin Bacon and Sir F. Bacon would agree.

Bacon is as versatile as the pig itself. It can be a condiment (in "bit" form), a flavor component (in stews), a main ingredient (The Bacon Explosion), and the fat can be made into soap... not that I've ever tried making that before. Okay, that part is actually kind of gross to think on, "Honey I'm out of dove, can you bring me some bacon?"

We fry bacon crispy in our house, that's the way my mom does it too, and making it melt in your mouth fat-meat ratio. Typically we use the Farmland type, the other kinds are okay, but nothing does it like the farmland, except the scrumptious slabs from New Braunfels. Up here in Milwaukee I have discovered Nueske's bacon, a whole other world. Last night friends and I made a pound of Nueske's for Fat Tuesday celebrations and my hair still smelled of it this morning. Better than perfume, sigh.

If you're looking for more ways to use our fragrant friend, I sometimes coat a chicken with pieces of bacon before roasting, it works for turkeys too. Chop it up and toss it with sectioned Brussels sprouts. And one of the best Tapas in the whole world can give credit to bacon for it's amazingness.

Bacon wrapped dates.

Oh holy jesus these are good. You might not want to use thick slices because it's too much baconess (i know, "How could it be too much?" you think!--but it really is). Cut a slice into three pieces - we discovered half a piece is too much, and a whole piece is ridiculous and doesn't cook crispy. Wrap the bacon around a pitted date and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min and then flip them over and bake for another 10 till crispy. You're guests will eat them all up and beg for more. And they'll be sad because you ate all the reserves in the hour before people showed up.

Sushi fix

Nothing says love like dead fish...

The H. and I were given a recommendation by a Japanese friend of ours for a couple of places for sushi in Chicago this past Valentine's day weekend. Okay, so normally going out on holidays is the WORST. All those twice-a-year people come out of the woodwork. We chose to brave it on the Saturday night before thus redeeming ourselves of the culinary Valentine's Day massacre.

Sushi, which most people associate with raw fish, is actually a title referencing the presence of vinegared rice. I get cravings for Sushi and sashimi quite frequently. Odd to some friends that my worst cravings are when I'm hungover. For me there is something beautiful and restoring about having nosh that hasn't been fussed over too much, of ingredients that are actually better for the body than a lot Western ingredients.

Now, I really know NOTHING about Japanese food, but what I do know is that every time I leave a Japanese restaurant I feel healthier than before I came in.

We were told to tryout Mizu on North, having been a popular choice with our fabulous friend. She and her husband like this place for the extreme freshness of the product coupled with the reasonable prices. However, if you want a real treat, the daily specials are fantastic. The night we were there Toro graced this list, and while we couldn't afford to sample this luxury, knowing they had it available give me confidence in their menu. We had a couple of rolls as well as (my favorite!) the sashimi plate. The Chef selected several cuts of raw fish, supremely fresh. My favorite was actually the flounder, white and light. The server told me they can do the flounder as almost a carpacio plater as well (off menu), which we will be getting next time if they have the fish. One of the roles we got was topped with the best eel I've ever had. Holy moly, batman, that was amazing.

OKAY. Eel and shrimp in sushi is not usually raw in America. So if you're a wuss, chose those. You know who you are. Who am I kidding? You, as the wuss, probably wouldn't even order the eel. And I say, GOOD - more for me.

Mizu also has a wonderful yakitori menu. Yakitori, I found out 3 minutes ago, refers to grilled skewered chicken only. We had chicken (dark meat please) as well as beautiful Japanese peppers and some skewered mushrooms stuffed with chicken. You are served three sauces to dip the grilled items in, and be aware of the mustard. A condiment which I adore nearly floored me as I forgot the Asian spice associated with this stuff. SO GOOD.

Another of my favorite things about Japanese food is sake. Sake is so yummy. I can see why all the Japanese business men drink it. Plus, it's BEAUTIFUL. Girls like pretty things. Mizu brought ours to the table in a blown glass decanter that had a sculpted hole in the bowl where ice could sit and keep the juice nice and cold without watering it down.

SO while you may hear the word "Sushi" and think, "Um, no, that's ridiculous, I'm not eating raw fish. I'd rather die." Be a world citizen. You won't die. In fact you will enjoy yourself... just get over yourself and eat up.

Complete control

"I think it's done."

"How long is it supposed to cook?"

"I dunno, a couple of minutes. I've never done this before."

"I have to say, I'm very nervous with the whole not using a recipe thing."

"I know and I don't care."

Some friends and I have been getting together the last couple of years for a nice dinner at the start of the New Year. We try to vary the guests, but usually the same group shows up. I am able to be in the kitchen with a good friend, one of my closest friends really. The problem is that unless I'm baking (and we all know how that goes with me) I don't really stick to recipes. I don't like them. It's like someone else, along with the millions of other things in our lives, telling me exactly what to do. It's the same reason I hate flying. I am not in complete control. And if you cannot be in complete control in your kitchen where else can you be.

This got me thinking, though. Am I just really selfish and void of compromise, or is this a good thing... not to stick to recipes all the time, I mean. GRANTED I occasionally use them for cooking times and basic starts, but once I get going am I, under this certain umbrella, doing myself a disservice??? I mean, it means I know what I'm doing, right? Sometimes. And if I fail, I fail...or the dish just comes out wrong, and is that really so bad? Is it bad? I mean, Julia Child said never to apologize.

I think I made my friend particularly distressed that night. He is a by-the-book kind of guy. Once, I was told, he cooked scallops all day (in total he said round 25 scallops) just to get the perfect scallop. I admire this. And I love him dearly. Though now he doesn't want to eat scallops. Well, I guess if I had to eat 25 scallops in a day I'd never want to see one on my fork again.

Eat your Brussels sprouts. Fine, I'll eat them.

I can understand why most people don't enjoy the noble Brussel sprout. The miniature cabbage-like little brains freaked me out too until a couple of years ago. They're small, and people are wary of small vegetables, I find. Americans especially dislike anything remotely small. Tragically we were all mistaken, and before we learned the truth the Brussels sprout got a bad rap (thank the 1950's housewife for this). So if you think you hate them, think again and realize that you just have no idea how to cook, that you're now in the minority. The BS is back to take over your table and you won't be unhappy.

Like other rich leafy greens from this vegetable family, BS (no bull) contain cancer-fighting properties, so you'll save your life (theoretically) by consuming more of them. What's not to love about that?! Since they are growing in popularity in recent years, the BS is being seen quite consistently in stores. You can find them by the bulk, frozen, trimmed and pre-bagged to name a few. ... Actually that might be it. BUT it's a good variety. There are, in response, a number of ways to cook these tasty gems.

Our favorite is roasting...with bacon... Seriously it's so easy and so good, and not just because of the added pork element. When you buy the b. sprouts, get fresh ones either bagged or in bulk. Grab 8oz-1lb, trim the bottoms and any yucky spots, then half or quarter them depending on the size, the bigger ones you might want to quarter. What they hay, quarter them all! Toss them with salt pepper and a little olive oil, or other oil (the oil is just for crisp factor and no stick), as well as 2-4 pieces of bacon raw and chopped. You could also use pancetta...yum.

Put in an oven safe dish into an oven which you have heated to 375 degrees for 10 min, then give them a toss... not with your hands because they will be hot. Silly, use a spoon, we've been over this. Let 'em cook for another 10-15 min, and don't worry about the little leaves that fall off, those get crunchy and gorgeous and you will eat them all before your guests even see the serving bowl. If they need a little more time to get crispy let'em have it. You want the crisp factor. Try also subbing the bacon, and sprinkling with a little lemon zest, or Parmesan cheese, or garlic breadcrumbs. Or sauté till crispy with similar ingredients. IF you steam them, don't do it for longer than 5-6 minutes. You will be sorry.

Here's the real secret to cooking Brussels sprouts... don't boil or steam them to death. Just don't kill them, and they will thank you, and you will thank you, and everyone on the face of the culinary planet will thank you. I mean, who wants to eat mush? Except babies, and mainly because they don't have a whole lot of choices in the matter. Water means less flavor and less vitamin content, which means not only will you have a flavorless meal, but you'll likely suffer an early demise. That's right.

When I'm on the road, b.sprouts are a good quick vegetable that make me feel as if I'm not eating out of a hotel room kitchen. They are classy and tasty. And well worth getting over the crap that your dad said about them when you were a kid. I mean, really, how often do you agree with him anyway?

Sardines (POST Eating)

So we didn't die. I marinated the little headless-wonders in garlic and fresh herbs with a little lemon zest and olive oil. Grilled to bronzed perfection they were quite nice! The Husband was perturbed by the bones (as quite honestly so was I) and kept saying, "I might get punctured."

The bones, I was told, were supposed to be cooked out... they weren't. And one can only assume that I have more calcium than I did this time yesterday. But the fish were crispy skinned and yummy.

I paired them with an eggplant pesto pasta, which in retrospect was not that right flavor combo for the same plate. We made the eggplant pesto by roasting a whole eggplant with an onion some garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes. The pureeing it in the processor adding some olive oil, a little red wine vinegar. I made it a couple of hours ahead, then when the pasta was almost done I spooned the right amount of eggplant mixture into a sauté pan and added a little ricotta and some Romano cheese, a little pasta water and heated it through. Then I poured in the orecchiette (because I first had this dish in Bari), turned off the heat and tossed in a little chopped basil. It was great! but not exactly right. If anyone has a recipe like this I'd love to know it. We had it originally at La Cecchina restaurant in Bari and it's one of the great food memories.

So that's that. Next up: squid.... They are frozen in the freezer right now... and I have to pull out their eyes and stuff.