To Food With Love

I typically like to switch up my cuisines - sushi one night, Mexican the next. But the theme of this weekend was Italian, and I'm not complaining. Maybe I'm biased because of my Italian roots, but I don't think I could ever get sick of Italian food, even after an entire weekend full of it...

It started with dinner at Il Bagatto in the East Village on Friday night. Hidden on 2nd Street between Avenues A & B, Il Bagatto is old school, no frills, authentic Italian food. After the waiter spewed off a looong list of specials (completely by memorization, too!), I decided on two specials: grilled calamari to start and fettuccine with shrimp, grape tomatoes and pesto. Though simple, the calamari was perfectly tender, not rubbery at all, and very light. The pasta was also not too heavy, yet nicely satisfying for a hot summer evening. Afterwards and very apropos, we saw Woody Allen's To Rome With Love, which I highly recommend for anyone who has a love affair for all things European, like me! 

Continuing the trend, Saturday I spent at an Italian cooking class at The Blue Burner in Midtown. Another Groupon purchase and having taken a cookie baking class there a few months ago that was somewhat unfulfilling, I was a little weary for this one. But we were pleasantly surprised, as this class was much more hands-on and involved. During the 3 hour class, we made a white wine risotto, a red wine risotto, pesto, and chicken cacciatore. It was quite the indulgent meal for a Saturday afternoon, but also made for the perfect excuse to take a long nap after. 

To cap it all off, Sunday's excursion was to L & B Spumoni Gardens in the depths of Brooklyn. I've read about Spumoni Gardens on several "best pizza" round-ups from other food blogs, so it was about time I saw what the buzz was all about. And the buzz is 100% deserved. Also a very old school, no frills place, you order your pizza by the slice or pie at a window and then devour it on several red picnic tables out front. (There's also a sit-down restaurant attached to the pizza window). Spumoni's signature is a tomato pie, which has a thick crust, a little bit of cheese and topped with tomato sauce. A departure from your typical New York slice, this was the best Sicilian style pizza I've ever had. And though it's a bit of a trek into Brooklyn, I'm not one to pass on quality food for the sake of time. 

Lessons from Ina: How easy is that?

I have a mental list of recipes that I've always wanted to try, but haven't had the guts to. As easy as Ina makes it look, that double-layer chocolate cake really can't be that simple. There are several factors that might shy me a way from a certain recipe: too many ingredients, need for particular (or expensive) cookware, patience. This is why I rarely blog about baking; because I don't have any more space in my apartment to house five different cake pans and I don't have the patience to follow a recipe word for word.

While I don't see myself getting over my baking phobia any time soon, I will brave more savory recipes when I'm feeling adventurous. Some feared recipes that I've been able to cross off my list: frittata, risotto, braised short ribs. The funny thing is, every time I've finally attempted one of these dishes, I'm always surprised at how easy and not scary it is.

So this past Friday evening was the perfect occasion to give lasagna a go. I was having some friends over, so I wanted to serve something that I could prepare ahead of time and just heat up before they arrived (Ina's number one rule when entertaining: never serve something that will keep you over the stove while guests are waiting hungrily). Lasagna has always been hallowed ground for me. Gaga makes lasagna every Christmas Eve, so I've always felt that lasagna was her territory, not to be toyed with. Luckily, this lasagna was for friends, so I didn't have to live up to the decades-old expectations from family and could play with the recipe as needed.

While I tend to use recipes more for inspiration (see above, re: lack of patience), I do stick closely to a recipe when trying something for the first time. So who better to go to than the Food Goddess Herself: Ina. While there was no one part to the recipe that was particularly difficult, it was a bit time consuming between cooking the sauce, pasta, and actual cook time. But all good things come with a wait, right?

Right. So, so right. The lasagna was incredibly cheesy, with so many great flavors - tanginess from the goat cheese, butteriness from the mozzarella, and a fresh, herbiness from the basil. We all went back for seconds and thirds, and yet somehow managed not to feel heavy and weighed down at all. A great dish to feed a crowd or impress your friends, yet relatively simple. As we shoved our faces, cheese oozing down our chins, I couldn't help but think (in the words of Ina): Now, how easy is that?


Ina Garten's Lasagna with Turkey Sausage
serves a crowd
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Pepper

For the lasagna:
1/2 lb lasagna noodles
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Add the sausage, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and let sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, Parmesan, the egg, the rest of the parsley, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Ladle a third of a the sauce into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish, spreading over the bottom. Layer  half the noodles, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta and one-third of the sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to lightly cover the top. Bake for 30 minutes in a 400-degree oven, until bubbling. (If serving later, refrigerate as needed, but allow to come to room temperature for about an hour before putting in the oven. This is what I did and it worked out great!)

Lotsa layers!

Cheesyliciousness

In the words of Ina, how bad can that be?

Kitchen Casualties

Okay, so maybe the title is a little dramatic. I personally don't know of any actual casualties in the kitchen, but I've had my fair share of burns, bumps and bloopers. One of my first cooking conundrums I can remember was in my high school French class. We each were to prepare some sort of traditional French dish. Mind you, I was only a high school freshman and my cooking skills ranged from preparing Kraft mac & cheese to heating up Ellio's pizza in the microwave. I can't remember the exact name of the dish, but it was some sort of white cake with a whipped topping and berries - not very memorable, and not very good. As I was taking the hot cake pan out of the oven, I burnt my arm on the side of the oven and dropped the cake on the floor, which crumbled into several pieces. Luckily, the cake pieces were still large enough to salvage, and I quickly - so as not to disobey the 5 second rule - picked up the broken cake and glued it back together with the whipped egg whites. This probably says a lot about my character (or lack thereof) that I was willing to serve cake that had fallen on the floor to my fellow classmates, but I'm pretty sure no one wound up touching it anyway, as it looked like a crumbly, bland mess. 

My most frustrating and humbling cooking experience was a couple years ago during my week-long "boot camp" at the Culinary Institute of America. The day's lesson was knife cuts: brunoise, chiffonade, julienne (don't these all sound like awesome names for a little French child?). My breaking point was segmenting oranges and grapefruits. It was a total, utter mess. I could not, for the life of me, cut between each thin, delicate membrane. Sticky pith stuck under my fingernails, juices running all over my hands, causing my grip on the knife to slip over and over, leading to several little cuts all over my fingers, which then began to sting like hell from the all citrus juices. Our petite yet stern instructor clearly did not approve. I was ready to call it quits and give up on cooking forever. Luckily, I didn't, and luckily, my hands smelled citrusy fresh for days. 

Skip ahead a few years, and minus a few minor cuts, I've escaped any major mistakes. Until last week that is. It was Thursday night and I was ready to celebrate the looming weekend with a decadent dinner. Enter bacon and bacon fat. With some brussels sprouts still in my fridge, I knew that frozen bacon in the back of my freezer would be the perfect way to add some indulgence to an otherwise healthy veg. After frying up the bacon, the fatty, salty smell had me just so excited to eat that I hastily dumped the brussels sprouts into the hot bacon fat. NEVER DO THIS!! Hot bacon fat everywhere! On my clothes, stained the white paint on my walls, and burned the skin on my wrist. Ouch! After some icing and a nice glass of wine, the redness and swelling went down significantly, and now I'm left with a little constellation of red marks on my arm. Injury aside, the pasta with brussels sprouts and bacon was absolutely delicious and totally worth the pain. 

Pasta with Bacon & Brussels Sprouts

serves one

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon

1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 

1/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup whole wheat penne

1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (or Parmesan)

1. In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Turn down the heat on the skillet and wait a minute for the hot bacon fat to cool slightly (do not skip this step!). Add brussels sprouts, salt and crushed red pepper to the skillet. Toss to coat in the fat and saute a couple minutes until the sprouts start to brown. Add the chicken broth, cover and cook about 5 minutes until sprouts are just tender.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.

4. Remove the lid from the sprouts and add in the cooked pasta. Crumble the cooked bacon over the pasta. Stir gently to combine.

5. Remove pan from the heat and stir in grated cheese. Serve hot!

Celebrate Good Food, C'mon!

For me, food is the answer to all of life's ups and downs: break ups, hangovers, birthdays, new jobs. There is no better way to feel better or to celebrate than through food. So upon starting my new job at Benchmarc Restaurants, you can bet I toasted myself with a delicious, gourmet meal.

On the eve before my new adventure, I was craving something elegant yet hearty. With some butternut squash in the fridge and arborio rice in my pantry, I decided that a butternut squash risotto would be the perfect self-celebratory dinner. After making a quick trip down to Westside Market to pick up a few other ingredients - vegetable stock, sage, and of course, white wine (for cooking and consuming) - I was ready to go.

This wasn't the first time I attempted butternut squash risotto. Unfortunately my first try last year at Christmas was a bit of a flop. First, the squash was already spoiled by the time I went to use it, so I was forced to improvise. Being my first time ever making risotto, I was definitely not experienced enough to do so. What I ended up with was a grayish, purple risotto (from red wine) and grains that were still quite starchy and chewy. My first risotto was as sad as a lump of coal on Christmas morning. But thankfully, I lived and I learned...

And this second attempt at butternut squash risotto certainly was something to celebrate! So creamy and hearty, with a touch of sweetness from the squash and vanilla bean, and a lovely earthiness from the sage. The dish was exactly what I had been craving and was luxurious enough to feel like I was "treating" myself even while I ate in my sweatpants and slippers.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable stock
1 vanilla bean
3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (I buy the pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's)
2 tbs butter, plus 1 tbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
8-10 sage leaves, roughly chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, heat stock over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the pot.
2. When the broth comes to a simmer, add the squash and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move the squash to a side dish. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
3.  In a large, heavy saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth to the rice and stir until almost completely absorbed, about  2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed in between additions. The rice should be creamy and tender to the bite when finished cooking. (If you're starting to run low on the broth and the rice is still too firm, just heat up more broth or water until the rice is cooked).
5. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and discard the vanilla bean pod. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, sage, salt and remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve immediately.

Heat of the Moment

I've been on a real improv kick in the kitchen lately. Not planning out my meals the weekend ahead like I usually do, but cooking whatever I'm in the mood for. This is very atypical for me. I'm a Type A planner to a "T"--on Sundays I'll sift through cookbooks and favorite blogs for recipe ideas, then decide what I'll make for lunch and dinner for the week and make my weekly trip to Trader Joe's to buy all the ingredients. I usually take comfort in this routine, knowing what to expect throughout the busy week.

But as in life, menus don't always go as planned--you run out of eggs, the bread has gone stale, you burn the rice. These mishaps are part of the challenge (and fun!) with cooking. The more comfortable you become, the more agile you'll be in working with unpredictability.

So I'm not quite sure what's inspired my recent change in fooditude (food + attitude, cute huh?). I think the 90 degree days in NYC definitely have to do with it--the thought of slaving away over an intensive meal in my hot, cramped kitchen is not appealing. Or maybe it's been some recent changes in my personal life that have shown me you can never get too comfortable with routine, because you never know when you'll burn the rice. Regardless of the reason, I'm enjoying the liberation of my newfound fooditude.

On a recent weeknight I came home craving a summery, Mediterranean pasta to find only asparagus in my fridge. What to do, what to do? My new footitude and I set to work looking through my pantry for inspiration...sun-dried tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, and frozen shrimp in the freezer. Perfecto! In less than 30 minutes I was able to cure my summer pasta craving.

Not only was this meal quick and easy to prepare, but all the more fun and exciting because it was my own. Sure, it's nothing fancy and has probably been done before, but not following a recipe is such a liberating and exhilarating feeling. You never know what you're gonna get; it's just you and your taste buds to guide you. Going into the world (er, kitchen) alone and unguided can be intimidating at first, but you'll always be surprised with what you can overcome--I mean cook--in the end.

Improv Shrimp Pasta
Makes 2 servings (great for lunch the next day)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne
2 tbs olive oil, divided
3 tbs onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
7-8 frozen shrimp, thawed
1 small Roma tomato, chopped (this isn't necessary, but helps to add a little moisture to the sauce)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add a couple tablespoons of salt then stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant and onion starts to become translucent.
3. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and let that cook for 3-4 minutes more.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes until they're slightly moistened, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and tomatoes. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Stir to combine and let cook for 3 minutes, so the shrimp heats through and flavors combine.
5. Toss shrimp and vegetables in a large bowl with the cooked pasta. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Spoon onto 2 plates, or reserve some for leftovers. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

A Passion for Pumpkin

Has anyone else noticed the recent pumpkin craze in America? Granted it is now officially fall, but I have never seen so many different pumpkin flavored things. It seems like every cafe, bakery and coffee shop now has pumpkin spice lattés, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cupcakes, the list goes on. Not that I'm complaining. I have always been a fan of pumpkin in my food, and I'm happy that the rest of America seems to be catching on too.

Earlier this week, I found a link to several pumpkin recipes from Saveur magazine. These aren't your typical pumpkin pie recipes. The pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin couscous look particularly yummy and interesting. This article inspired me to cook with pumpkin in an unexpected way. After some online research, I found a couple different recipes for pumpkin pasta and decided to incorporate ingredients from a few to create my own recipe. And so I came up with...Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Pasta.

It was very easy to make, but had quite a complex flavor profile, with a mix of sweet and spicy. My Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Pasta was the perfect comforting, hearty Friday night meal.

(Note: this recipe only makes about 2 servings)

2 tsp. olive oil

2 links chicken sausage, cut into chunks

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 chicken stock

2 tbsp. milk

7-10 dashes hot sauces (depending on how spicy you like it)

cinnamon

nutmeg

salt

pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tbsp. fresh chopped sage

2/3 cup whole wheat penne

1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook 7-8 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add sausage, stir around to brown on all sides. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and place on a plate with paper towels.

3. Add the shallot and garlic to the pan. Cook a few minutes until fragrant.

4. Add the chicken stock and pumpkin purée. Stir in milk.

5. Add a couple dashes of hot sauce at a time, until you've reached desired level of spiciness. Season with a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

6. Add the sausage back into the pan. Allow to cook for a few minutes to heat through and absorb flavors.

7. Pour the cooked pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and sage to the sauce mixture. Stir to combine, and add reserved pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce.

8. Garnish with more cheese and sage. Enjoy!