Pasta with Sausage, Cream and Cheese

I was ready to have leftover  split pea soup (made with ham hocks, naturally) for dinner before I came across this recipe. John kindly bought ingredients, and we had a rich, flavorful dinner. Next time: more blue cheese (we could hardly taste it, even after tripling the amount in the recipe). This would also be a good one-pot meal with a bunch of spinach or other leafy greens added. Tweaked version below.

• 8 oz. pasta
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1 in. lengths (6 oz. in original)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup loosely packed basil, chopped (oregano in the original)
• 1-1/2 oz. blue cheese (1/2 oz in the original)
• 1/4 cup half and half (cream in the original)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, for garnish  (a treat, as we didn't have Parmesan handy)

Bring lots of salted water to a boil and cook pasta till done. Reserve a half cup or so of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown, about 5-10 minutes.

Add wine, turn to high, and reduce for about 2 minutes. Add herbs, blue cheese and cream, cooking till the cheese is melted and the liquid has begun to thicken.

Mix with the pasta, adding pasta water or additional cheese till a nice, saucy consistency has been reached. Serve, passing around Parmigiano-Reggiano/Parmesan to garnish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

During a business trip to San Antonio in 2008, I was struck by a mighty cough and cold. Though enervated and mostly voiceless throughout, I managed to stick it through, sustained in no small part by multiple daily helpings of flavorful, nutritious chicken tortilla soup from Sazo's. The recipe below is adapted from their own - it turned out to be a rich, comforting soup with just the right amount of heat, though I skipped the cheese and fried tortilla strips, and despite a rather makeshift broth. (The chicken parts I was planning to use for stock had spoiled, and I didn't have any good canned broth available, so I made do with 4 cups water, two cubes of Telma veggie boullion and a cheesecloth-wrapped bundle of chopped onion, 6 cloves of crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp. of black peppercorns and a smattering of dried thyme. Simmered all that for 20 minutes, squeezed all the juices out of the bundle - the resultant broth turned out quite tasty - then proceeded with the recipe.)

• 4 cups chicken stock 
• 2 chicken breasts (originally 3, but I made do with what the little bodega had)
• 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced (used canned Muir Glen; original called for 3 large tomatoes)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (originally a white one)
• 1 cup salsa - Jardine's 7J Ranch Texasalsa, Hot (originally 2 cups of picante sauce)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• guacamole to taste (used this recipe)
• fried tortilla strips (skipped this time)
• cheese to taste (skipped this time - may use a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack next time)

Place chicken and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer till chicken is done, about 15 minutes (when it reaches 160 degrees). Remove chicken from liquid and reserve.

Add tomatoes, onion, salsa/picante sauce, salt, pepper and cumin to liquid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Dice cooked chicken and add to liquid. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then add cilantro.

Cut tortillas into strips and fry till crispy. To serve, place tortilla strips, a generous scoop of guacamole, and grated cheese in a bowl, then ladle soup over everything.

Blessed Are The Cheesemakers

In the post-snowpocalypse lull, we finally got to try out Kate's wonderful Christmas present - a DIY goat cheese kit. Thanks are also due to Bradley, who procured goat's milk from a Whole Foods near his workplace.

 

First, we sterilized the various implements by boiling them in water for 5 minutes.

While waiting, we dissolved a teaspoon of citric acid in 1/4 cup of water.

 

Once the sterilizing was done, we improvised a double boiler and started heating the milk till it was foamy and steamy (180-190 degrees F), stirring often - well, in my case, pretty much constantly - to prevent scorching. This coincided with the Who's halftime show, which the stirring person was able to see most of via reflection in a painting frame.

Once it reached the desired temperature and began foaming, we drizzled in the citric acid solution and, following the dirctions, stirred for 10-15 seconds till we saw some subtle curding.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure if I those counted as curds, but John convinced me to trust the recipe.Then we removed the pot from the heat and continued to stir, adding a bit more citric acid, till the whey turned a very pale shade of yellow-green instead of staying whitish.

Then we poured the curds and whey (along came no spider, thankfully) into a cloth-lined colander. My trepidations regarding what I wasn't quite sure counted as valid curds were relieved, at this point, when they formed into something very much cheese-like.

 

Since this was the first batch, we decided not to get fancy with herbs and/or additional seasonings, and just see how it turned out. After another 5-10 minutes of draining, it was time to shape!

We pressed about half the cheese into the provided molds,

 

and shaped the other half into a rough wheel.  (Note the jar of expired homemade pickles weighting the cheese down.)

  

After an hour in the fridge - congratulations, Saints! -

it was ready to sample.

 

It turned out well, too - creamy and mild, though perhaps a bit less tangy than one might be used to. Now that the basics of a system are in place, though, we can't wait to experiment some more - especially since that kit promises to make nine more batches. Thanks again, Kate!

UPDATE: Below: the baby cheeses!

Today's Lunch: Tuna Mac and Cheese

Now that I'm home from the holidays, the staycation begins in earnest! Used a box of whole wheat Annie's Organics as a base. While the pasta was cooking, I diced 1/2 medium onion and 1 celery stalk, sauteed them with a bit of olive oil, then added a can of tuna. Nothing fancy, and not nearly as rich as the bacon mac my sister made on Christmas eve, but nonetheless nourishing (and a good excuse to pull out the camera again). The learning curve re: phoodtography is pretty steep, but at least I have a nicely-colored bowl that showcases my noms. Would have taken more photos, but the perfect is the enemy of the good -- and the hungry.

The Seasonal Bento

My lunch looks like fall, today: fluffy white rice; soft yellow-green sauteed artichokes, interspersed with golden-brown bits of garlic and garnished with a bright yellow lemon slice; dappled tan and Maillard-brown sausages, speckled with green inside. The most intense colors congegrated in the top container: deep purple and brown Nicoise olives, five dark green cornichons and two red waxen mini-wheels of Laughing Cow cheese.

P-p-p-pasta with Pancetta, Pecorino...and Peas

Modded der Bittman's "Pasta with Pancetta and Pecorino" (from the 2nd edition of How to Cook Everything) - where we diverge, the original proportions are in parentheses.

• salt
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta
• 13.8 oz. whole wheat spaghettini or other long pasta (1 lb.)
• about 1-2/3 cup frozen peas
  
• about 3/4 cup grated Pecorino-Romano (1/2 cup)
• freshly-ground black pepper

Salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.

Put the oil and pancetta in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, till the meat's crisp and nicely browned, about 10 mins. Turn off the heat.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water till tender. Drain, reserving a bit of the cooking water (I always forget to do this - fortunately, there wasn't any need this time).

Prepare the peas (mine were frozen, so I just followed the directions on the package).

Toss the pasta with the pancetta and its juices; stir in the cheese and the peas (these dudes were a pain - alternately congregating at the bottom of the pot and hopping out when I tried to distribute them evenly. In the end, I sort of gave up and scooped the recalcitrant ones out to make a sort of topping). Adjust the seasoning, then add the black pepper (a lot of it!) and serve (or pack into Tupperware for tomorrow, in my case).

Tomorrow's Bento

I've not been as remiss with the cooking as it may seem. For one thing, John has been doing a lot of cooking for us lately, including a lovely chicken dish with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil and orzo and a delicious by-the-Bittman bolognese sauce just a couple of days ago. For another, I've been mostly repeating old standards or rushing through too-simple-to-be-written-up dishes. Not that these are excuses.

At any rate, here are the contents of tomorrow's Mr. Bento, from top to bottom:

1. Cherry tomatoes with Laughing Cow cheese wheels
2. Artichoke hearts sauteed with garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper flakes (next time, I'll add more garlic, dry the [canned] 'chokes more thoroughly and try to get a bit more caramelization going)
   
3. Garlic steamed rice (a new favorite: When making rice with a rice cooker, add a small head of garlic - this particular time I used about 9 cloves, peeled and crushed but not minced - to the rice and water, then cook as normal. The rice around the garlic develops a faint tinge of sweetness, and the cloves themselves remain whole but can be mashed wonderfully into the rest of it)
4. Boiled sausages with spicy suka (Filipino cane vinegar infused with garlic and chiles)
   

Linguini with Spinach, Butter and Cream

I had yet another 10 oz. bag of spinach to use up, so I decided to try this recipe (only in the first edition of Bittman). Came out pretty well, but why am I so resistant to learning that 1 lb. of pasta is a TON (figuratively, for sure) of food? Next time, I'll probably add more spinach or decrease the amount of pasta - just as I said I would in the last similar recipe I posted. Ah well.

• 10 oz. fresh spinach, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp. butter
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, light cream or half-and-half (used the latter)
• 1 lb. linguini (Bittman also recommends fettucini or spaghetti; I used whole wheat, though he didn't specify one way or another)
• 2-3 tbsp. pasta cooking water, reserved
• 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing around (Bittman sticks with 1 cup total)
  

In a pasta pot-type piece of cookware, salt water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and cook till it's tender but firm.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet that can be covered. Add the spinach, along with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, till the spinach is very tender - about 10 min. Uncover, add the cream and cook gently for 5 minutes.

When the pasta's just about done, put the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter in a large, warm bowl. Add a couple of tbsp. of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the butter and half the cheese.

Add the spinach sauce (After the step above, I tossed the pasta in the pan with the other half of the cheese - Bittman prefers reserving the extra 1/2 cup to pass at the table) and serve, passing around even more grated cheese.

Cheesy Catfish Chowder

So catfish was on sale at Peapod again. While I typically make catfish sinegang or Bittman's "Catfish Poached with Ginger and Soy Sauce," it was time to branch out. To the internet! And behold - this recipe (via Allrecipes.com) came to light. Did I have everything? Close enough. A search through the fridge produced a few stalks of limp celery and a half-bag of forlorn, drying carrots; an IM sent across the hall revealed both a baking potato and a large container of cow juice that I could borrow. Thus came about my first attempt at a milk-based soup - the version below incorporates my modifications.

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup; more is fine)
  
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
  
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 large baking potato, cut into 1/2-3/4 in. cubes
  
• 3 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. salt + more to taste (used maybe 1-1/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste (used maybe 3/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1- 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
• about 1 cup grated cheese (this time I used a mix of Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions, carrots and celery for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, till the vegetables soften a bit.

Add potatoes. Cook 10 or so minutes, so vegetables are soft but still firm.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour into 1-1/2 cups of milk. Add to Dutch oven and mix.

Add the rest of the milk, the salt, celery salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens - maybe 5-7 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.

Add catfish. Cook another 5 or so minutes till fish flakes easily on a fork but isn't overdone.

Stir in cheese; cook another minute or so, then turn off heat. Serve with more grated cheese, if you like.

NOTE: This came out wonderfully - vegetables were cooked through but not mushy; the catfish was moist and soft and chewy. A bowl apiece is more than enough dinner for myself, John and Bradley; the rest is currently cooling on my counter.

Pasta with Spinach and Pancetta

I had a 10 oz. bag of spinach that needed to be used up, but was neither in moo-mode enough for Bittman's "Fettucini with Spinach, Butter and Cream," nor feeling sufficiently salt-licky for "Pasta with Spinach, Garlic and Capers" (courtesy of Aaron, who taught me how to make it during a cook-for-Obama event - recipe coming at some future point). So, clearly, this called for a bipartisan compromise that would hopefully combine the richness of the first with the stimulative properties of the second.

NOTE (24 Feb.): Dish tastes fine, but seems a bit thin. Next time, I may either increase the amount of spinach to 1 lb. or decrease the amount of pasta to 3/4 lb. And there's always the more pancetta route.

• 1 lb. pasta (I used whole wheat linguini this time)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil, more if needed
• 1.5 oz pancetta (wanted 3-4 oz, but that's all I had easy access to)
• about 1/4 cup garlic (half a head or so), cut into dimes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 10 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more to pass around

In a large skillet or pot, render pancetta in a small amount of olive oil over medium-low heat till brown and crispy (around 10 mins.). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Augment pancetta juice with olive oil if needed. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat till onion is soft but not translucent, about 2-4 min.

Add spinach. Lower heat, cover and cook till spinach is tender (about 10 min).

Meanwhile, generously salt a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, then drain.

Add pasta to spinach mixture along with grated cheese and a bit more olive oil, if necessary; mix and correct seasoning. Garnish with pancetta and serve with more grated Parmesan.