Orecchiette with Tomato Sauce, Lamb Sausage and Mint

Oh my. I think this could be in my top 5 pasta favorites. It's from the same book I've been raving about in other posts. When we made this, we used a wonderful lamb sausage from The Local Butcher and it was finger licking good. It's the mint that adds that perfect finishing touch though.

Orecchiette con Salsiccia d'agnello, Salsa di Pomodoro e Menta
Orecchiette with tomato sauce, lamb sausage & Mint
Serves 4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 oz lamb sausage
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
28 oz canned whole San Marzano-style tomatoes, pureed with a hand blender or in a food processor
20 parsley springs, picked and chopped (about 6 tablespoons)
12 mint sprigs, picked and chopped (about 4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 pound orecchiette
2 oz Pecorino Romano, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil.

Put the olive oil in a 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage in small flecks, add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the sausage starts to brown. When the garlic is golden, remove and discard it. Add the red onions and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and simmer the sauce until it has reduced by half.

Add the parsley, mint, and hot pepper. Cook for another minute and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Drop the orecchiette into boiling salted water and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is almost al dente. Drain the orecchiette 3 minutes before the indicated cooking time, reserving 1 cup cooking water. The pasta will cook for the last few minutes in the sauce and absorb its flavors.

Transfer the pasta to the tomato sauce and turn the heat to medium-high. Simmer the pasta in the sauce for about 2 minutes, adding cooking water as necessary and stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Serve immediately with freshly grated pecorino. 

Gnocchi alla Borgo

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven the moment that perfect little gnocchi dripping in tomato gorgonzola sauce crossed my lips. 

Our friend "Borgo" first made this recipe for us in Spoleto. It was a perfect hot summer evening and we ate outside, enjoying the last rays of sun while sipping a delicious Umbrian wine and licking our fingers. Vacation doesn't get better than that!

The secret is flavoring the oil with the rosemary and using only the sweetest, creamiest gorgonzola possible. Note that the cheese seasons the sauce - so no additional salt is needed.

Gnocchi alla Borgo

Gnocchi in a tomato, rosemary gorgonzola sauce

Serves 4

1 recipe fresh gnocchi

2-3 pounds fresh San Marzano tomatoes or other ripe tomatoes from your farmers market, quartered.

Two 10-inch sprigs fresh rosemary

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

a hunk of beautiful sweet Italian gorgonzola

Make fresh gnocchi. I like this recipe from Mario Batali.

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the rosemary and simmer gently until the oil is infused with the rosemary (10-15 minutes). Remove and discard the rosemary. 

Add the tomatoes, cover the pan and turn up the heat to medium high until the tomatoes are nice and hot and begin to get soft and release their juices. Uncover, reduce the heat slightly and use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes further. Continue cooking stirring occasionally until the tomatoes reduce by half and achieve a sauce-like consistency. 

Pass the sauce through a food mill, removing the skins.

Return the sauce to the pan, and add the gorgonzola in small hunks over low heat, stirring and tasting as it melts until you reach a perfect salty/sweet balance. Keep warm while you cook the gnocchi.

When the gnocchi are done, add them to the sauce and toss. Serve immediately.

Mitts! Mitts! Mitts!

Sometimes when you see a skein of yarn, you have to buy it because you're in love with the color. I never worry about what I'm going to do with it. I know the inspiration for the perfect project will come along at some point, and that's exactly what happened when I found this tutorial on The Purl Bee. This is the perfect project for playing with colors and using up odd bits from your stash.

I've been on a mitt-making extraaaaaavaganza for weeks now. The options are endless and they're so quick to make. Oh, plus aren't they just so cute?! Perfect for fall.

Tortiglioni alla Norma (pasta with roasted eggplant)

We were just browsing one of our favorite local shops when I stumbled upon this cookbook. I almost didn't pick it up because it looked "gifty" vs. for actual cooking. But it was called "Pasta" - and that was enough to catch my attention.

This was the first recipe we chose to make and it is a total show stopper. The caramelized eggplant is to die for and the instructions to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce make all the difference. Ridiculously delicious and a total new fave!

Tortiglioni alla Norma

Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Roasted Eggplant & Ricotta Salata

Serves 4, generously

1 large globe eggplant (1 to 1 1/2 lbs), peeled, leaving stiles of skin and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup olive oil

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

25 Italian basil leaves

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

36oz canned whole San Marzano-style tomatoes, pureed with a hand blender or chopped by hand

1 lb tortiglioni or rigatoni

4 oz ricotta salata, grated on a box grated using the large holes (about 1 1.2 cups)

Heat oven to 400º. 

In a large mixing bowl, toss eggplant with 1/2 cup olive oil and season generously with salt. Put the eggplant on a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes until the eggplant is soft and golden brown.

Meanwhile, but 1/2 cup olive oil, the onion and a pinch of salt in a 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.

Add the basil leaves and the hot pepper to the onions and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the tomato puree and simmer the sauce until it has reduced by half. 

When the eggplant is tender and roasted, drop the tortiglioni into boiling salted water and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is almost al dente. Drain the pasta 3 minutes before the indicated cooking time, reserving 1 cup cooking water. The pasta will cook for the last few minutes int he sauce and absorb its flavors.

Transfer the pasta and three-quarters of the roasted eggplant to the tomato sauce and turn the heat to medium-high. Simmer the pasta in the sauce for about 2 minutes, adding cooking water as necessary and stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Top with remaining eggplant and freshly grated ricotta salata and serve immediately.

Plum and Pluot Galette

For years now I've thought baking just wasn't my thing. It's too precise, requires a lot of technique and I'm just not patient enough to embrace it. 

But I also believe that knowing how to make a pie crust from scratch is an important life skill. I churned out many failed crusts before my friend Leslie showed me what a good dough feels like in your hand. That gave me confidence, but I still produced no pies.

Until this summer, when I found the galette. Not quite a pie, not a tart, the galette is a rustic bit of deliciousness that is simple, easy and a total crowd pleaser. What's not to love about that?

Plum and Pluot Galette

From Chez Panisse Café Cookbook

Serves 8

10 ounces Galette Dough (recipe below), rolled into a 14-inch circle

1 1/4 pounds ripe plums and pluots unpeeled

About 1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon ground almonds 

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Optional: 2 tablespoons plum jam

Preheat over to 400º.

Remove pre-rolled dough from the refrigerator or freezer and place on a buttered or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Cut the plums and pluots in half and gently twist the halves to separate them. Remove the pits and cut the fruit into slices about 1/3-inch thick. You should have about 5 cups of sliced fruit.

Mix 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the flour and ground almonds (I just chopped my almonds very finely), and sprinkle the mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the fruit slices on the dough in barely touching concentric circles, again leaving the 2-inch border. Sprinkle the fruit evenly with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit.

Trim away most of the 2-inch border, leaving about 1/2 inch of pastry. (Save the trimmings to make little sugar cookies.) Finish the tart by folding the exposed border over on itself, crimping to make a narrow pastry rim around the fruit. Brush the rim generously with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in the lower third of the over for 45-50 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the crust is well browned and its edges slightly caramelized. Let the alette cool for 20 minutes. If you would like to glaze the tart, brush it with a little gently heated plum jam. Serve the tart warm with vanilla ice cream.

Galette Dough

Makes 20 ounces dough, enough for 2 galettes or tarts

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing blow. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces. Add half the butter to the flour mixture and work it into the flour with your fingertips, until the dough has the texture of coarse oatmeal.

Add the rest of the butter and quickly work it into the dough until the biggest pieces are the size of large lima beans.

Dribble about 1/2 cup ice water into the dough in several stages, tossing and mixing between additions. Don't try to dampen all o fthe dough evenly. It should look rather ropy and rough. Stop adding water when there are still a few bits of dry flour remaining in the bottom of the bowl.

Gather the dough into 2 balls and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap, pressing down to flatten each package. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before rolling. (Dough may be frozen for a few weeks.)

Roll each flattened ball into a  14-0inch circle on a lightly toured board; the dough will be a little less than 1/8 inch thick Refrigerate the rolled-out dough for at least 1/2 hour before using. 

Summer Sandwiches

We're in the middle one of the best times of year in Northern California for produce. The stone fruits are in, the strawberries are amazing and the tomatoes! The tomatoes are AMAZING!

One of the best ways to enjoy a luscious ripe heirloom tomato is to slice it up and throw it on a piece of crunchy bread over a layer of soft creamy goat cheese. We like to drizzle a little mustard vinaigrette and some freshly cracked black pepper on top. What could be better? If you want to go for double bonus points, serve it along with our other summer fave; Avocado Sandwiches.

Rice with Spinach, Lemon, Feta and Pistachios

I've been on a veggie kick of late. I'm not ruling meat out, but I've been trying to choose vegetables over meat more often than not. My new obsession is Deborah Madison's latest effort- Vegetable Literacy. 

This rice pilaf was the first thing I tried out of the book and it's become a staple. 

Rice with Spinach, Lemon, Feta and Pistachios

Serves 4 or more

1 cup long-grain white rice (I use basmati)

Sea salt

2 pounds spinach (2 large bunches)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, slivered

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1 heaping tablespoon chopped dill or marjoram

2 ounces or more feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, lightly toasted 

Freshly ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir to even out the grains and bring the water back to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut stems from spinach, punch leaves into plenty of cold water and wash well, twice if need be, then dry.

Heat the oil with the garlic over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to turn pale gold and flavors the oil. Discard the garlic, then add spinach and a couple pinches of salt. Cook over high heat until wilted, which will happen rather quickly, then turn off the heat. When cool enough to handle, chop the spinach, then put it in a bowl and add the lemon zest and dill.

Turn the rice into the bowl with the spinach and toss well.  Taste for salt. Add the feta and pistachios and toss again. Season with black pepper and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Serve immediately or let cool a bit.

Modern Circles

I heart this quilt. I was looking for something clean and modern, with a little bit of cuteness and I love how simple this pattern is. It's not completely finished yet - I still have to put on the binding - but I'm so excited that the quilting is done, I thought it deserved a post. 

I thought I might lose my mind with row after row of straight lines, but it turned out better than anticipated and I love the texture the lines created.

 

Plus the backing fabric is just adorable!

Carrots & Cream Risotto

We had a larger than normal stash of carrots the other day and it ended up being the perfect inspiration to make a simple risotto. Ever since my friend Gary introduced me to this book, I've been a big fan, particularly when it comes to variations that include mushrooms.

Carrots weren't at the top of the list, but man-oh-man, did I underestimate them!! This simple recipe is a stand out and I'm truly kicking myself for not making it before now. 

Carrots & Cream Risotto

serves 4

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock 

1/2 cup dry white wine or stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon oil

1/3 cup finely minced onion

1 cup coarsely grated peeled carrot 

1/2 cup half & half

1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

Bring the stock to a steady simmer in a saucepan on the stove.

In a heavy 4-quart sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to soften, being careful not to brown it.

Add the carrots to the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the rice, using a wooden spoon, and stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed. Begin to add the simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup, reserving about 1/4 cup to add at the end. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

After approximately 18 inures, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth along with the cream, parmesan cheese and parsley – stirring vigorously to combine with the rice. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as desired. Serve immediately.

Penelope's Zig-zag Quilt

My ridiculously adorable niece Penelope has the distinct pleasure of being the second-born in her family. Not only does this mean her parents are more relaxed (not their first rodeo!), but her Aunt Mary has had more time to learn a few things about quilting. 

My first quilting attempt was for Penny's sister Paloma and while it was made with oodles of love, I wish I had known then what I do now. I'm pretty darned excited about the way this turned out. Thanks for being born Penelope!!

xoxox,

Auntie M

Classic Caesar Salad

When I first moved to San Francisco oh-so-many moons ago, celebrity chefs weren't quite the thing they are today, but there were a couple whose names stood out and one of them was Bradley Ogden. His restaurant Lark Creek Inn was the place to eat then and his Caesar salad was famous.

I had a hankering for a Caesar the other day so I thought I'd try to track the recipe down. While I can't guarantee this is his exact recipe, I think it's pretty close. Regardless, it's definitely delicious! If you want to be sure you have the completely official recipe, track down a copy of his book Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Classic Caesar Salad   

2 heads romaine
 lettuce

2 large cloves garlic, minced


2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon capers, rinsed and minced


6 anchovy filets, mashed with a fork


1/4 teaspoon dry mustard


2 tablespoons lemon juice


1/4 teaspoon kosher salt


3/4 teaspoon

fresh cracked black pepper


1/2 cup olive oil


parmesan croutons (see below)


1/2 cup shaved parmesan

Trim the romaine lettuce of any brown or bruised leaves. Tear the leaves in to 2-inch pieces. Wash, dry and refrigerate.

Combine the garlic, capers and anchovies, mixing together to form a paste. Add the egg yolks, dry mustard, lemon juice and salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Whisking continuously, very slowly add the olive oil. Continue whisking until all the oil has been added and the dressing is thick and smooth like mayonnaise. Refrigerate the dressing for 30 minutes to develop its full flavor.

Place the romaine in a large bowl and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper. Pour the dressing down the sides of the bowl, lifting the lettuce up and over, coating the leaves evenly. Add the parmesan croutons and toss. Place on plates and garnish with the shaved parmesan.

Parmesan Croutons

2 cups french bread cut in to 3/4 inch cubes


6 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed


1/4 cup unsalted butter


1/2 cup grated parmesan cheeese

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Combine the garlic and butter in a small saucepan and place over moderate heat until the butter has completely melted and is bubbbling but not browning. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain the butter and discard the garlic cloves.

In a bowl toss the bread and butter, evenly coating the cubes. Place the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Stir them 2 or 3 times while baking. Once the croutons have become a deep golden brown and are crisp all the way through, remove them from the oven and place them in a large bowl. Add the parmesan cheese to the croutons while they are still warm and toss the croutons and cheese together.

Shaking things up in 2014

Walk-On Beach, Sea Ranch

It's a new day and a new year and when I opened my eyes this morning, it felt like a fresh start.

My word for 2014 is Disruption. That's right. I'm shaking things up over here. But don't worry, I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water. Disruption means letting go of things that don't serve me anymore and welcoming the new. It means getting out of my comfort zone and...

Saying yes when I might have automatically said no

Saying no where I too easily say yes 

Learning new dances (Tango!?)

Being less critical

Going to new places

Trying new things

Eating new foods

You get the idea. Thanks to all of you for sharing your words. It is always incredibly inspiring to me. 

Some favorites so far are:

Act

Finish

Build

Moxie

Forty-three!

Elevate

Own it!

Clear

Recommit

Positive

Health

Commit

Open-hearted

Transformation

Acceptance

Boldness

Reconnect

Share them if you've got them! Happy New Year to all.

Choose your word for 2014!

It's December, which means - it's officially time. That's right. You know you're thinking about it. What's your word for 2014? Something to inspire you? Keep you on track? Motivate you? What do you want to change, invite, explore, bring to fruition?

My word came to me early this year, but I'm holding out for January before I reveal. Share 'em if you got 'em! Hearing what you're thinking about is one of my favorite parts of this tradition. And please feel free to pass it on!

In case you're new to this, here's the deal:
It all started nearly 20 years ago at a holiday dinner. We were all sitting around the table lamenting the tradition of New Year's Resolutions. We all had them, or attempted a list, but we never managed to fulfill them and it made us feel bad. So we scrapped the whole idea. Instead, each of us came up with a single word that would set the tone for the year to come. It could be anything, it just had to inspire. The idea is that this is YOUR word for the whole year - a singular rallying cry, intention, reminder, kick in the pants, inspiring thought.... use it however you like. Live it for the year. See how you feel.

A few all time faves are above, and more can be found here.

Mike's famous post-Thanksgiving Sandwich

The Mid-West contingent was out to visit earlier this month so we decided to roast up a turkey and celebrate Thanksgiving a little early. My brother-in-law Mike was pretty excited to make up sandwiches the next day, waxing on about his special combo of cranberry sauce and avocado. I'll admit I was skeptical about the avo/cran combo, but this sandwich is a total winner. It's so simple- just bread, cranberry sauce, turkey, avocado, salt/pepper and mayo. Done! and delicious!!

Borgo's Apple Pie

Being that this is a day of giving thanks, I thought I should send a proper shout out to our dear friend Borgo for continuing to amaze us with his culinary talents. I always knew the man could cook, but baking too?! Is this crust crimped to perfection, or what? Bravo! Borgo! And Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Rosy Applesauce

Wow. Homemade applesauce. It's so easy - once you make it you'll ask yourself why you haven't been making it your whole life. And the flavor!!! We had another bumper crop of Braeburns this year so I decided to give applesauce a whirl. What could be more simple than apples, water, and a little lemon juice, cooked down and put through a foodmill? That's it. Oh - I also added a teeny bit of cinnamon. The apples were so sweet I didn't even need to add sugar. Double bonus - the beautiful rosy tint comes from leaving the skins on. Who knew? And less work to boot.

Percolating on Words for 2014!

Alright peeps! It's time. A couple of you have already been thinking about your word for 2014 and I just love how this tradition has caught on. I've got a couple of potential themes swirling in my head, but still have a ways to go on honing in on "the word". 

For those of you new to this idea - here's a bit of history.

My word this year was juicy and it's definitely been a juicy year - just not exactly in the way I had thought it would be. Note to self: be careful what you wish for! In case you're looking for a little inspiration, check out some of my favorites from earlier this year. As always, please feel free to comment, email me your thoughts and share with friends.