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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

10 Legs in the Kitchen

Tag Archives: spaghetti

Life Predicts Change

22 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

comfort food, spaghetti, tomato sauce

Life can be predictable, and for me, predictable is what life will always be…

20140222-160739.jpg Found this in my journal – volume 3, circa 2003; from my niece, Catherine (to me, Cat), age 6

I will, always, sleep until the last possible second before needing to get up for work. Most days, Buddy will, always, be waiting for me outside the shower, ready to cry if I don’t give him (and Ginger, who is three steps behind) their raw diet immediately upon grabbing a towel. Tom will, always, eat anything I put before him, and eat it as if I have given him a gift. So, life goes on like this…always, day-in, day-out. What’s not predictable is the change. It could be the subtle things, that happen quietly, in a whisper. They might pour upon us in a slow and gentle trickle. Or, the unexpected change that gives our world a big shake up, requiring agility and finesse just to keep from falling down.

Good, bad, or otherwise, it is predictable that change will occur. Our lives become better for it, richer! Our expanse of experience becomes larger and wider. More fulfilled. It might not seem that way because change is not always by choice and yet, sometimes it is.

I feel change coming. I don’t know why…I don’t know what. But, on this day, I feel like something familiar, comfortable and predictable. I want to fill the house with smells that are as safe and comforting, to taste something that will welcome me back rather than introduce me to someone/thing new. I want to make something I make when the weather is cold, the heart is warm and the outlook is unclear.

I want to make spaghetti, with meat sauce. I want to eat it in large portions accompanied with garlic bread oozing of garlic…and butter…and cheese. Lots of cheese. Lots of garlic. And wine. Ruby red wine. Bold, personable Italian wine. And cheese. But as Buddy would say, “more meeeeet” too, please!?

20140222-152928.jpgNo need for fuss to be fancy, just plate, eat, enjoy. I tuck in arugula so that I eat my greens too!

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Over the years I have refined my tomato sauce which is both versatile and handy to make in large batches. I keep 2-cup packages in the freezer for a large array of uses, but the main reason for doing this is to have on hand a quick avenue for making a reliable and predictable spaghetti. Simmered with good-quality ground beef, garlic, onions and red wine, the spaghetti feed is on and change can wait ’til another day.

INGREDIENTS (for tomato sauce)

1 TB olive oil
1 1/2 – 2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped and peeled
1 TB red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups red wine
3 qty. 28 oz cans peeled whole tomatoes or diced, unsalted (preferably San Marzano)
2 TB tomato paste (from the tube, Napoleon double-concentrate or 1 small can)
20-30 grinds pepper
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 TB dry oregano
1 tsp each fresh thyme and rosemary
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

sea salt to taste

MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE

In a stock pot, sweat the onion, carrots and garlic in the olive oil until they are soft (approximately 10 minutes). Listen to them sizzle softly, without browning and reflect on the day.

Add the vinegar and cook for another minute before adding the wine. Breathe in the fragrance and exhale.

Now empty the tomatoes into the pot, stir. Take in the wonderful hue of red with your eyes and recall warm summer gardens brimming with plump, sweet tomatoes bursting from the vines.

Stir in the tomato paste and grind in the pepper. Feel the strength of your hands as the mill turns out the fiery black speckles.

Add in the chili flakes through the fresh basil, one spice at a time. Pause after each addition to appreciate the smell and imagine the taste that the spice will bring to the finished sauce. Tip the jar a little further or scoop the herb a little fuller if you feel more will improve the taste.

Bring the mixture to a rumbling simmer, turn down the heat and cover the pot. Let it simmer this way for 30 minutes, or so. Don’t go too far though, it will need attention and stirring. As you lift the lid to stir, breathe in the aromas, deep and slow. Break up the tomatoes with the back of your spoon, put the lid back on the pot and pour yourself a glass of wine.

After the 30 minutes, or so, remove the lid and continue to simmer, gently, for at least another hour, more if you desire. I usually go about my business attending to other things and keep it simmering away for several hours, adding the lid when it gets thicker than I want, and then removing the lid to thicken a little more.

I always, periodically, dip in a clean spoon to determine what adjustments I want to make, more pepper or chilies, more basil or wine? Sometimes I add salt and sometimes it isn’t needed; the brand of tomato used will play a role in this.

When the sauce is done, you can keep it chunky or use a small hand mixer to purée the sauce into a more even consistency. I like it somewhere in between even and chunky.

If you are making spaghetti, as I am tonight, begin preparing your meat while the sauce is developing flavor.

INGREDIENTS (for spaghetti)

Olive oil for browning the meat
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I always use grass-fed)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1 TB red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
2 cups homemade tomato sauce

1/2 lb good quality spaghetti noodles (you could also use angel hair or linguini noodles)
Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating over

MAKE THE SPAGHETTI

It is important to bring the meat to room temperature before browning. Season with the salt and pepper, gently tossing and mixing the seasoning into the meat; let it sit covered for an hour.

To a hot, low-sided Dutch oven, add a little olive oil and tilt, covering the bottom of the pan with the oil. Add the meat, carefully breaking it up into a single layer as it drops in the pan. Enjoy the sound as it sizzles; this is a happier, more energetic sizzle than that of the onions.

Do not disturb the meat for at least 5 minutes. When you are able to stir without the meat sticking to the bottom of the pan, it is ready to be turned. Now is the time to add in the onions and garlic.

When the onions have softened and the meat has browned (8-10 minutes), add in the vinegar first, then the red wine. Breathe in again and exhale slowly. Close your eyes and feel the humidity wash over your face as the liquid evaporates into the air.

When the wine has reduced just a little, 5 minutes or so, add the tomato sauce, stir and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and cover. With the lid on, moisture stays in and it sweats out the flavor, which then seeps back in, tenderizing and deeply-flavoring the meat and the sauce. Lifting the lid is like seeing the inner workings of a factory in motion. I stir, feeling like an intruder interrupting a process fully under control.

The meat sauce can simmer this way for as little as an hour or as long as 5 hours (yes, I picked that number out of a hat). A slow-simmered sauce will deepen and develop as long as the heat is low and the sauce stays moist. This can be interrupted early for a weeknight meal or left to simmer all day for a casual weekend extravaganza; it will be deeply satisfying in either case.

When you are near-ready to eat, bring a pot of salted water to a hard boil, add the pasta and cook per the package directions. If the pasta is fresh, it will take less time than dried pasta. There are very-good quality dried pastas imported from Italy that are often better than the fresh pasta found at your local grocery store.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and drizzle with olive oil, toss and grate over some cheese.

TO SERVE

Using kitchen tongs, place a pile in the center of heated pasta bowls. Spoon over a large helping of meat sauce. Grate more cheese on top and serve with really good homemade garlic bread and a hearty glass of red wine.

The house will put off the most comforting of aromas and your tongue will be rewarded with an explosion of addictive flavor, predictable, but never boring.

20140222-162939.jpgCatherine is off to college next year…University of Richmond – love you Cat!

What do you cook when predictable provides comfort?

47.535825-122.05501

First things first

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by Stacey Bender in holidays, the kitchen

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Christmas, pasta, spaghetti, tree trimming

20131218-200936.jpgSaphire martini – a tradition

I have never much liked trimming the tree at Christmas. I did a poor job of verbalizing the reason to my family who thought I was just being lazy, sleepy or bored. What I did know was that it wasn’t to do with the old metal (albeit shiny) trunk chest that belonged to my Father that needed retrieving, year after year, from under the stairs. Also required was a good under the stairs closet cleaning, first. This, so we could actually reach the trunk; important because it housed all of our Christmas ornaments (and trust me, we had more than a few). I actually liked this ritual, minus the cleaning. Seeing the shiny chest opened to reveal centuries worth of sentiment was good enough for me to play along.

It wasn’t because I kept pricking my finger with the re-purposed ornament hooks that needed a good deal of untangling before one could be set free. I was used to fishing (actual fish) so, I could put up with that.

It wasn’t even because of the tinsel, which Dad made us put on s t r a n d by s t r a n d (and yes, they came down that way too – back into the box… o n e by o n e). Those of you that have never had the happy fortune to experience real lead (yes lead, as in, red-list lead) tinsel – well, let’s just say, “they don’t make it like they used to”, as my Dad would explain in the same breath that instructed us the correct way to remove it from the box and apply it to the tree… no cheating by the way; no choosing more than one strand at a time… maybe three is okay – if he isn’t looking!

Now before you say that I’m a bah humbug, hear me out, because actually, I’m quite the Christmas bug (in an equally cute sort of way). I am! It’s just that I prefer to sit on the sideline, watching everyone happily discover old memories from the ornaments as they unwrap each of them individually, and box by box. There is always a story. The story accompanies every single ornament before finding that perfect spot on the tree. From my seat on the couch, curled up by the fire, I have the best view. I have always loved Christmas, and to me, it starts with the tree (usually the day after Thanksgiving, but NEVER before). Thanks to Dad, we always had a glorious tree, 20+ boxes of meticulously laid tinsel, a 100 year-old Santa doll, part home-made/part store-bought ornaments, and all!

Christmas-time begins with the tree. No matter how many fake Santa’s lined the malls with their so called “elves”, and fake snow sprayed onto stage sets. No matter how many shelves of candy, wrapped in red, green and gold that eventually turn stale. It is the tree that puts off the scent of Christmas, and can fill the home with a magical spell. For us anyways.

Since Tom and I recently returned from Hawai’i, and immediately got thrown right back into the rat race, I forgot, just for a moment… or two, that it IS indeed the holiday season of which we are usually fully emerged by this date. Why is it that we are not? We began the Holiday tunes in Hawai’i. Heck, even Ginger and Buddy had decorated themselves in antlers and bells (did any of you notice their antics up top?).

I looked around our house and it just felt the same. No snow was outside, no lights were shining (okay, maybe a few lights, which we leave in our backyard year ’round – holiday lights, turn to winter lights, turn to late night mood lighting, and then back to holiday lights…). It donned on me suddenly, we were still lacking a tree.

So, first things first, to start our festivities and bring in the spirit that makes me smile from within, we have gone out and fetched a most splendid tree, put it up and trimmed it (actually, real elf Tom did the trimming, as is often the case). Each year we proclaim this year’s tree to be more spectacular than the last. It can’t be too perfect or too tightly filled in. There needs to be character and openings to fit ornaments cradled just right. Tall ones and short ones, fat, skinny or wobbly ones.

20131220-140331.jpg
Keeping with the traditionalist in me, Mr. Crosby (not to be confused with Bill Cosby in a reindeer jumper) is singing in the background as our first, most important ornament is hung. Tom bought this for me from a little country store outside Madison, New Jersey during our first Christmas together at my brother Scott’s old place; it began our tradition of snowmen-only trees. The second to go up is a silly picture frame ornament purchased at Eddie Bauer a zillion years ago, which contains a picture of Buffy, in my brother’s room as we wrap presents during the same trip; she was laying on the floor next to Christine’s red pumps and ended up wearing them thanks to Tom (not really her style, but we cherish the picture nonetheless).

20131220-140623.jpg
With our traditional tree-trimming martini, we toast first to Buffy and then to “us”; this year marks our 20th Christmas together.

“Almost Christmas” spaghetti (not to be confused with Christmas fettuccine) serves 2 (possibly 3)
Since it is a work night and a very long week, I decided to make dinner simple and comforting. A good quality Italian jarred tomato purée, lovely unfiltered, extra virgin olive oil, red wine and Unami paste, make for a remarkably quick but tasty sauce. Thanks for the much-appreciated treats Paula and Jeff!

LINGUINE BOLOGNESE the shortcut version

20131218-201307.jpg

INGREDIENTS

1TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/2 lb ground beef, seasoned with sea salt and pepper and brought to room temperature
1 cup cooked tomato puree (I used Mariangela Prunotto organic tomato purée)
3/4-1 cup red wine
1 tsp Unami paste (or more to taste)
1 tsp oregano

6-8 ounces good quality dried, Italian spaghetti noodles (such as Montebello)
Olive oil for tossing
Fresh parmesan cheese

Garnish:
Soft baby mixed greens
Lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Freshly grated Parmesan

PREP

HEAT A SAUTÉ PAN over medium heat then add the olive oil to the pan. When it is warm enough to move freely when tilted, ADD the garlic and shallot, cooking for just a minute or two. ADD THE BEEF and BROWN undisturbed for a few minutes then stir and continue to let it brown. ADD 3/4 cup red wine and let it simmer down. ADD the tomato purée, Unami paste and oregano. BRING TO A SIMMER then cover the pan and turn down the heat to low.

This will be fine on it’s own for bit while you munch on a piece of cheese and pour a glass of wine while admiring the tree (and it’s decorator). It will want to cook for at least 15 minutes in order to let the flavors blend and the beef soften. This is a good time also to fill your pasta cooking pan with water and let it begin to come to a boil.

COOK

COOK the pasta as the package instructs. When cooked, drain (saving a little of the pasta water to refresh the sauce if needed). DRIZZLE the pasta with some nice olive oil then GRATE some Parmesan over top and TOSS.

CHECK ON the sauce and adjust the seasonings or consistency as you desire. ADD the pasta to the sauce to heat through.

20131218-201153.jpg

PLATE

DIVIDE the pasta between two warmed pasta bowls.

DRESS a handful of greens with lemon juice and salt, a little olive oil if you like, TUCK them into the pasta mound. GRATE over some fresh cheese and enjoy with a piece of crusty bread, with olive oil for dipping and (of course) a glass of red wine.

Buon Natale!

47.535759-122.054772

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