Bucatini All’amatriciana

Bucatini All’amatriciana is a classic and favorite pasta recipe of ours. We decided to make Mario Batali’s recipe from The Babo Cookbook. We replaced the guanciale with bacon in our modified version.

Bucatini All'amatriciana

The Babo Cookbook

Mario Batali

Bucatini are sometimes referred to as "garden hoses," not only for their tubular shape but because they are hard to control on the fork. I love their very chewy texture and the fact that guys with ties usually have to lose the tie after eating these. We make guanciale—bacon made from pig's jowls or cheeks—in-house, but you could substitute pancetta, or good slab bacon. There is a cool organization called Bacon-of-the-Month Club, which I highly recommend (see Sources, "Grateful Palate").

Serves 4

¾     pound gvanciale or pancetta, thinly sliced

3     garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1     red onion, halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1-1/2     teaspoons hot red pepper flakes

kosher salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

1-1/2     Cups Basic Tomato Sauce

1     pound bucatini

1     bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

pecorino romano, for grating

1.   Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

2.   Place the guanciale slices in a 12- to 14-inch saute pan in a sin­gle layer and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat has been rendered from the meat, turning occasionally. Remove the meat to a plate lined with paper towels and discard half the fat, leaving enough to coat the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Return the guanciale to the pan with the vegetables, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion, garlic, and guanciale are light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3.   Cook the bucatini in the boiling water according to the pack­age directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering sauce. Add the parsley leaves, increase the heat to high, and toss to coat. Divide the pasta among four warmed pasta bowls. Top with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

Bucatin

Duck and Apple Tart Tartin

Tarte before Baking

Just out of the Oven

Flipped onto a serving plate

We saw a recipe for Duck Confit and Apple Tarte Tatin in The Wall Street Journal it looked interesting and we decided to make it. It would very easy because you can purchase the prepared duck legs and the puff pastry. All you need to do is assemble it in a cast iron pan. Like all Tarte Tatins it is made in a cast iron skillet and with the crust on the top. It is then flipped over to serve, the crust is on the bottom and the caramelized Apples and duck are sitting on top. We served a simple Nectarine and Walnut Salad with the tarte.

Duck Confit and Apple Tarte Tatin

Wall Street Journal

Active Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1-1/4 hours

Serves: 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

2 legs duck confit

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan

5 cooking apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into Vh-inch slices

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 1/2 pound), thawed overnight in fridge

All-purpose flour, for work surface

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape fat and skin from duck legs and reserve. Use a paring knife to remove all meat from bone and roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons reserved duck fat and skin with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches, add apples to pan, sautéing until lightly brown and slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan, ovenproof skillet or tarte Tatin dish. Sprinkle pan with honey and cider vinegar. Transfer apple slices to pan and arrange in tight concentric circles, then top with chopped duck. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Set aside.

Remove thawed pastry dough from refrigerator and let sit on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Carefully unfold dough, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough out so it is about 1/8-inch thick and about 2 inches larger than pan. Gently brush off any excess flour from dough, then lay dough over duck in pan. Press pastry down around duck at edge of pan to form a seal. Trim any overhang. Use a fork to prick dough all over.

Place tart in upper third of oven and bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden and crisp, 15-20 minutes more. Remove cooked tart and immediately set a plate upside-down on top. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Knock on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or the handle of a large knife to release duck from pan. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

i tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about Vi pound), thawed overnight in fridge

All-purpose flour, for work surface

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape fat and skin from duck legs and reserve. Use a paring knife to remove all meat from bone and roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons reserved duck fat and skin with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches, add apples to pan, sauteing until lightly brown and slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan, ovenproof skillet or tarte Tatin dish. Sprinkle pan with honey and cider vinegar. Transfer apple slices to pan and arrange in tight concentric circles, then top with chopped duck. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Set aside.

Remove thawed pastry dough from refrigerator and let sit on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Carefully unfold dough, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough out so it is about Vs-inch thick and about 2 inches larger than pan. Gently brush off any excess flour from dough, then lay dough over duck in pan. Press pastry down around duck at edge of pan to form a seal. Trim any overhang. Use a fork to prick dough all over.

Place tart in upper third of oven and bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden and crisp, 15-20 minutes more. Remove cooked tart and immediately set a plate upside-down on top. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Knock on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or the handle of a large knife to release duck from pan. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

Teriyaki Salmon

Hungry Cat Salad

We decided to make a simple fish dinner. We purchased Salmon at McCall’s Meat and Fish and used the recipe for Teriyaki Salmon, With Pickled Vegetables And Sesame, Seeds from: A Change of  Appetite by Diana Henry. We cheated on the recipe and instead of making our own pickled vegetables we purchased Seaweed Salad from Gelson’s. We served the fish with Rice. To season the rice and fish, just before serving, after the food was plated we added: Ochazuke Wakame. It is available on Amazon.

We started with one of our favorite salads that we call: The Hungry Cat Salad. You can get the recipe from our blog of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

I could live on this. It's so easy and yet utterly beautiful looking, I always feel better after eating it. The pickled vegetables are a great thing to know about. Make extra and keep them in the refrigerator for eating at lunch. You can make this dish with mackerel and chicken breasts, too (chicken needs to be cooked for 20 minutes).

Teriyaki Salmon, With Pickled Vegetables And Sesame, Seeds

A Change of  Appetite

Diana Henry.

SERVES 4

FOR THE SALMON

¼        cup soy sauce

1         tablespoon sugar

2         tablespoons mirin

1               tablespoon dry sherry

4         (4-1/2 oz) salmon fillets

2         teaspoons black sesame seeds

FOR THE VEGETABLES

½        cup rice vinegar

1         tablespoon superfine sugar

½        cucumber, halved and seeded

2         small carrots, peeled

4         radishes, trimmed and cut into wafer-thin slices

1/3      daikon radish, peeled

½        teaspoon salt

1         tablespoon pickled ginger (plus whatever liquid clings to it)

¼         cup microgreens

For the salmon, mix the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sherry and stir to dissolve the sugar. Put the fish in the marinade, turn to coat, cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

To make the vegetables, heat the vinegar and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Set aside to cool. (Or, if you are in a hurry, you can just whisk together the vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.) Keeping them separate, cut the cucumber, carrots, radishes, and mooli into matchsticks, each about 2 inches long. Sprinkle the salt on the cucumber and put it into a colander for 10 minutes, Rinse and pat dry, then add all the vegetables to the vinegar mixture and toss to combine.

When you're ready to cook the fish, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the salmon, in its marinade, for 12 minutes; it will remain moist and only just cooked in the middle. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds. Add the pickled ginger and microgreens to the vegetables, toss, and serve with the salmon. Offer rice on the side.

Ferris with Tandoori Lamb and Sword Fish

Salmon Tartar

Sautéed Swordfish

Lamb Marinating in Yogurt

Gifts from the Motherland

Ferris was staying with us and we decided to have a joint dinner with Bobby and Darryl. Tim and Scott joined. Timmy enjoyed some gift food that Scott brought him from China.

We started with Salmon Tartar. This is an easy and delicious recipe. It is perfect for an appetizer with wine. You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

Robert and Darryl Grilled Sword Fish and served it in a Salad topped with a Sauce Vierge It was wonderful and we loved the texture of the persimmons that were served with it.

For the main course we served tandoori-spiced leg of lamb from American Masala by Suvir Saran. With the delicious lamb we served rice. It was a great and fun filled evening.

tandoori-spiced leg of lamb

American Masala

Suvir Saran

SERVES 8

FOR THE SOUR CREAM MARINADE

¾          cup sour cream

1           cup raw cashews
½  cup golden raisins

4           garlic cloves, peeled and  roughlychopped

A 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

¼          cup lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

2           tablespoons kosher salt

1-1/2      teaspoons Garam Masala

1           teaspoon ground peppercorns

¼          teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

¼          teaspoon ground cardamom

½          teaspoon ground mace

1 boneless leg of lamb (about 3-1/2 pounds), tied into a roast

FOR THE SAUCE

¼      teaspoon saffron threads

6 cardamom pods, or ½ teaspoon  ground cardamom

1-1/2      cups whole milk

Blend all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place the lamb on a cutting board and prick it all over with the tip of a paring knife. Place the lamb in a casserole or baking dish and cover with the marinade, spreading it all over and under the lamb and massaging it into the slits. Cover the casserole or baking dish with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, uncover, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the saffron in a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast, while stirring, until the saffron is fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the saffron to a mortar and pestle (or, if using ground cardamom, to a small bowl) and grind with the seeds from the cardamom pods (if using ground cardamom, mash the saffron with the back of a spoon in a small bowl). Add 1 cup of the milk and stir to combine. Pour the saffron milk over the lamb and mix into the marinade, spooning it over the lamb.

Cover the casserole or baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the lamb rest in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and carefully transfer it to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Remove the twine from the lamb. Stir the sauce in the casserole and spoon just enough over the lamb to make a thick coating.

Truffle Mania Part 3

Scallops with Truffles and Chive Oil

Kashmera and Darryl

Brussels Sprouts with Truffles

Pasta with Truffles

We were in Beverly Hills and stopped in at The Cheese Storeof Beverly Hills. They had fresh White and Black Truffles. White Truffles are super expensive (and more fragrant), Black Truffles less so. We bought several truffles (large black, small white). We decided to make a 3 course truffle dinner.

We invited Robert and Darryl over to join us. For the first course we served: Scallops with Chive Oil Sauce topped with Truffles. We split the scallops horizontally and barely seared them under the broiler. We used a home made chive oil to with the scallops. You can get the simple recipe for the chive oil from our blog of: June 4, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the 2^nd course we made Shredded Brussels Sprouts from City Cuisine by Feniger Milliken. It is a great recipe. If you want the best Brussels Sprouts try this one. You can get the recipe on our blog of: September 11, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the 3^rd course we made Pasta with Truffles.

Overall we were disappointed in the meal. It was very expensive and the truffles didn’t have the heavy nose we expected. Sometime you win and sometimes you loose! The disappointment was with the truffles definitely not the recipe for the Brussels Sprouts or the Scallops with Chive Oil. Try those recipes without the truffles.

Thai Pork Fried Rice

Tomahawk Pork Chop 

Thai Pork Fried Rice

Once again we ate at Mozza ChiSpacca. We had the gigantic (and delicious) Tomahawk Pork Chop. We always bring home the leftover pork and make Pork Fried Rice. This one was absolutely delicious. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 4, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

Dal Machani and Manchurian Cauliflower

Dal in the pressure cooker after cooking

Dal Maharani, Rice and Manchurian Cauliflower

Kashmera and Tom

Yummy Cake!

This was a twofer dinner. We wanted to make Dal Makani, but instead made Dal Maharani. (Maharani = Queen). So this is called the Queen of Dal. I don’t know the difference between Dal Makani and Dal Maharani, but we decided to go with the queen. When we were in India we constantly ate Dal Makani. Tom, LOVED it, as we did. It is a Punjabi staple. We used the recipe from: The Art of Indian Cuisine by Rocky Mohan.

We also wanted to use our new Pressure Cooker and the recipe called for using a pressure cooker. It was delicious. Both Kashmera our official Indian taster and Tom, gave it thumbs up.

I love Cauliflower (Gobi in Hindi). My favorite preparation is Gobi Manchurian. Before we went to India we had no idea that there was a large Chinese influence in India. The basic spice for this is Heinz Ketchup. What can I say? No matter, this recipe was easy and great. We like this recipe for: Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower. You can make it as spicy as you want. This version was spicy and perfect. It has the virtue of beening baked and not fried. Give it a try! We loved it!

Tom brought a delicious Cake.

Dal Maharani

(Pulses with a pizazz)

The Art of Indian Cuisine

Rocky Mohan

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2    cups split black gram (urad dal)

½          cup Red kidney beans (rajmah)

3           tsp. Garlic (lasan) paste

4           tsp. Ginger (adrak) paste '

2           tsp Red chilli (lal mirch) powder

1           cup Tomato (tamatar) puree

½          cup Unsalted butter (phika makhan)

¾          cup Cream (malai)

Salt to taste

METHOD

·      Clean, wash and soak the split black gram and the beans in plenty of water overnight or for at least 12 hours.

·      Wash the gram and beans under cold running water. Heat 1-1/2 quarts of water in an open pressure cooker. When it starts boiling, add the gram and beans. Close the cooker and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

·      Open the pressure cooker carefully and with a wooden spoon, mash
the split black gram and beans on the sides of the pan by stirring the spoon rapidly. When they are partly broken, add the garlic and ginger pastes, red chilli powder, and the tomato-puree. Add 1-1/2 cups of warm water, mix well and once again, put the cooker uncovered, back on heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure that the gram and beans do not stick to the bottom of the cooker.

·      Add the butter, stirring until it is completely absorbed. Add the cream
and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the mixture is of a thick
consistency. Add salt and mix well.

·      (Note. Normally this dish takes close to 12 to 14 hours to cook. The short cut given here has been arrived at after thorough experimentation, and the result does justice to this age-old recipe.)

Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

This side dish has origins in Chinese cooking (hence the name) and is typically fried. This version roasts the cauliflower instead to intensify the flavor, and the spicy tomato-based sauce reduces with the vegetables. Serve with a simple cooked spinach side, a mild curry with potatoes and peas, and plenty of flatbread (naan) to scoop up the sweet-salty sauce.

                  YIELD: 9 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

                  COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients

                  5 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

                  2 tablespoons Garam Masala

                  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

                  2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

                  Cooking spray

                  1/2 teaspoon black pepper

                  8 garlic cloves, minced

                  3/4 cup ketchup

                  1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients and 1 teaspoon oil in a large bowl; toss well. Place cauliflower mixture in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.

3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add black pepper to pan, and sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in red pepper; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until thick.

4. Remove cauliflower mixture from oven. Stir in ketchup mixture. Bake at 425° for an additional 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring after 10 minutes.

Goan Shrimp

Goan Shrimp is one of my favorite Indian foods that we make. We have made it many times and I always like it. This one was especially spicy and good. If you want to make authentic Indian Food and want to start with a real winner, this would be a great starting place. Serve it over rice. You can find the recipe on our blog of: August 9, 2008. Click the date and get the recipe.

Brussels Sprout Risotto

We made this recipe for Brussels Sprout Risotto from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi. We like almost of the recipes in his 3 cookbooks. This one is excellent! Give it a try. Who ever heard of Brussels Sprout Risotto?

Brussels Sprout Risotto

Plenty More

Yotam Ottolenghi

2          tbsp unsalted butter

2         tbsp olive oil

2         small onions, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)

2         large cloves garlic, crushed

2         tbsp thyme leaves

2         lemons, rind shaved in long strips from one, finely grated zest from the other

1-1/2   cups Arborio or another risotto rice

18 oz   trimmed brussels sprouts, 7 oz shredded and 11 oz quartered lengthwise

scant 2 cups dry white wine
scant 4 cups hot vegetable stock

about 1-⅔ cups sunflower oil

1-1/2   cups coarsely grated Parmesan

2 oz     Dolcelatte, broken into 3/4-inchn chunks

½         cup tarragon leaves, chopped

2          tsp lemon juice

salt and black pepper

If you wonder about a risotto full of brussels sprouts, please trust me and set your doubts aside. My recipe tester Claudine said she had similar misgivings but totally loved it. The fried sprout quarters add a layer of texture and crunch that risottos often lack. They are so good that you'll quickly be figuring out other dishes they can be sprinkled over.

Place the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over

medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon rind strips and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the rice and shredded sprouts and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Pour in the wine and let it simmer for a minute before you start adding the stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and a good grin of pepper. Turn down the heat to medium and carry on adding the stock in ladlefuls, stirring often, until the rice is cooked but still retains a bite and all the stock is used up.

While the rice is cooking, pour the sunflower oil into a separate large saucepan; it should rise 3/4-inch up the sides. Place over high heat and, once the oil is very hot, use a slotted spoon to add a handful of the quartered sprouts. (Take care that they are completely dry before you add them; they will still splatter, so be careful.) Fry the sprouts for less than 1 minute, until golden and crispy, then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep them somewhere warm while you fry the remaining sprouts.

Add the Parmesan, Dolcelatte, tarragon, and half the fried sprouts to the cooked risotto and stir gently. Serve at once with the remaining sprouts spooned on top, followed by the grated lemon zest and the lemon juice.