I really debated this one for a long time....when you open Pandora's box it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to close. And when you start talking about a Marinara Sauce.....you are opening Pandora's Box. Everyone has a version they love and most likely it is a version they grew up with that was cooked in their household. Or worse their favorite is out of a jar! And look, there are some good jars out there, maybe even very good. But please don't ever compare that to what can be done out of your own kitchen. Ever....
Marinara in its essence is not a complicated sauce. Which is also wherein its beauty lies. Now I'm not talking about "Sunday Gravy" here folks, which has different meats thrown in and sits for hours and hours (which is also amazing!). This is plain, simple and beautiful Marinara sauce. Though the origins trace it to southern Italy how it is made can be and is often disputed. One thing for certain is that it contains tomatoes. After that you will people get creative and argumentative. You will see onions, garlic, all sorts of herbs (Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley), olive oil, cheese and maybe even peppers or olives. But I think once you get to peppers and olives you are on a whole different type of sauce here people. I keep mine very simple and use it as the base for many of my other tomato sauces. It is my favorite version because.....well....I adjusted until I was in love with it. And I've had people tell me so as well. BUT in the end, there's really only one thing to do. Grab a loaf or two of bread and keep on tasting and changing until you get what you like. OK...Let's prep...
Here's What You Need:
- 1 Onion, minced, diced or sliced depending on how you like your sauce to look
- 4 - 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs of Thyme
- 6 - 8 leaves of Basil
- 2 (28 oz) cans of whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano if you can get them), broken up by hand and mixed well with their juices
- The rind of Parmesan Reggiano Cheese (yes the rind, it adds a wonderful depth of flavor, also good in soups!)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and FG Pepper to taste
In a large sauce pan or pot add a couple of splashes of olive oil and then add your onions and cook down about 5 minutes. Once the onions are soft and somewhat translucent looking you can add your garlic. Cook about another 5 minutes and then you can add your thyme and cook another 5 minutes.
TPC NOTE: Though you will see many recipes who add the garlic at the same time or even first, I find that since onions take longer to cook down, that when you add them first you are less likely to burn the garlic. And if you burn the garlic you HAVE to start all over again.
Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, stir in half the basil and the cheese rind and stir every so often for about 45 minutes to an hour. The longer you leave it on the thicker it will be. So adjust according to how you like it. Continue to taste throughout and salt and FG pepper to your liking. About 5 minutes before you take it off the heat add the rest of the basil. And if you want....a pinch of dried oregano....shhhh.
WINE NOTE: The flexibility of this sauce stretches to the wines you can drink with it. You can really range here. But the tomatoes are really complimented with some nicely acidic wines, so you can do a Chianti or a fruity Sangiovese or on the white side a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
I won't even go into how you can use this sauce or all the wonderful things you can add to it. I WOULD say that the first thing you should do is just have this on some pasta and try it as it is.....start there. Then....explore my friends!
Until we do this again....
Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!
TPC
Our guest for this week went with an interesting yet incredibly versatile approach, and it was quite the delicious surprise. Instead of a straight up dish, she is sharing with us a homemade marinade and sauce that can be used on a whole assortment of dishes! Thank you Gina for letting go of what I'm sure has been your special secret for sometime.....well now you're famous. As with any good sharing of a secret we should hear it straight from the source. Gina...the stage is yours....OK....Let's prep....
Hey TPC!
Buckle up my friend because this is the best Asian marinade/sauce that will ever hit your pallet (but I'm a bit biased)! I always use to struggle with finding just the right stir fry sauce & marinade but finally nailed a recipe that is equally bold & flavorful.
This can be used with steak, chicken, shrimp as well as tofu. It's also a great dipping sauce for egg rolls. I recommend doubling, tripling or even quadrupling this recipe because you can keep the leftover sauce in the fridge for quick use in the future.
Ingredients:
3 TBS Dark Soy Sauce
1 TBS Tomato Ketchup (the secret ingredient)
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
1 TSP Ground Coriander
Mix all ingredients until well combined (I use a magic bullet). If you want to get a little freaky, you can add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the mix...that'll kick things up a notch.
Coat your meat (or tofu) with the marinade for at least 1 hr to achieve maximum flavor. When it comes time for stir frying, add a bit to the pan but be sure to keep a little left over to drizzle on top of your heaping bowl of goodness.
I took a couple of pics of some beef & broccoli I made for dinner tonight. One is the "action shot" of it cooking in the wok with the saucy goodness and the other is the final plating (served alongside premium short grain brown rice).
Let me know what you think!
Gina
How about that kiddies? I'm already thinking of how many ways I can use this amazing little recipe.
WINE NOTE: Since you can't really pick a wine for just a marinade, here are some options on pairings: For a dipping sauce for egg rolls - some champagne. As a marinade for steak - go cab. On pork - I would go with a grenache. For noodle veggie stir fry - I would defer to what the meat would be that is mixed in.
Until we do this again....Keep those recipes coming in!
Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!
TPC
Kicking off a new segment here at TPC. It's called the "Side Note". In this we hope to explore some quick and easy side dishes that can stand alone (with a glass of wine of course) or compliment many of your favorite main dishes. I'll try to keep the whole section as short as possible (though I DO love to hear myself talk...or write in this case)
This surprising little side dish can be whipped up in about ten minutes and will be sure to inspire your guests to give off a slight, "oh!" as they gobble it down. We turn to the asparagus to be the star of this side. Asparagus, an easily recognizable green high in vitamins, dietary benefits and antioxidants, has a very unique taste and can often take the lead in any dish it is added to. Knowing this we are just going to let it stand on it's own here with some lovely spices to play off it's unique taste. But enough..keeping this short....Let's Prep.
Here's What You Need:
- 1 Bunch fresh Asparagus
- 1-2 Garlic Clove sliced
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and FG Pepper to taste
- Half a Lemon
Heat the olive oil (just a couple of quick swirls from the bottle) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw a pinch of the red pepper flakes and a turn or two of the fg pepper to infuse the oil with some wonderful spice. Add the sliced garlic and asparagus, salt and another fg pepper turn or two; cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. It should have little hints of dark color letting you know she's ready for plating. Turn off the heat, squeeze a little lemon juice on the asparagus and serve it right up.
Great with beef and pork dishes OR cut up the asparagus, toss with pasta (and a little pasta water) and some freshly grated parmesan cheese and you're golden.
WINE NOTE: As this is somewhat Italian in it's background, let's do an Italian wine with it. You could go with either a Barbera or Primitivo both which compliment really well with a dish that has a little kick to it. Or get fancy and have a Franciacorta, which is a sparkling wine from Lombardy
Until we do this again....
Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!
TPC,
With a most colorful background as to it's name, this dish is all about the very essence of using what you have on hand. A Mediterranean mouthful with every bit, it will give you an "old world" taste that you would swear was passed down from generation to generation in your family (btw there's nothing better than a good story with a dish). I would leave out the part that the dish is probably only 50-60 years from it's creation. Like many Italian dishes you will find that you can have many variations but the key, as always, is to taste, test, adjust, taste until you find the one that is to your liking. And once you do, you will find this dish as hearty and satisfying as a good pasta meal should be. Of course you can get it in a jar, but then.....really....
OK....let's prep....
What you'll need:
1 pound of pasta (A nice thick Spaghetti is best, but if you only have a Penne around, go for it)
1/2 cup of Pitted Olives halved gives a nice effect (black, Kalamata, Gaeta....got any left over from that Tuscan salad? of course you do)
3-4 Garlic Cloves chopped (as a garlic guy, I'm going 4, but your choice)
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Olive Oil
6-8 Anchovy Fillets (I've seen tuna used, but in my opinion that's a whole different dish)
1 large can (28 oz.) Whole Plum and Peeled Tomatoes (break the tomatoes with your hand for a nice rustic look and reserve the juices too)
2-3 tbsp of Capers (rinse thoroughly and drain)
Italian Parsley chopped (about a handful)
Wedge of Parmesan Reggiano (to be grated)
Salt and FG to taste (this can be a very salty dish so you may not need a lot here)
I've seen an onion used in this dish as well. However you are dealing with some very strong ingredients and I've found that onions didn't really work for me. BUT you are more than welcome to add 1 onion (sliced for effect) and just add with the anchovies.
TPC NOTE: In this dish, because timing is very important (especially in cooking the garlic), I can't stress enough to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go in the pan.
Bring water to boil in a large pot. THEN salt the water. Throw in the pasta and cook until al dente. With the pasta ready, drain return to the pot and pour the reserved liquid from the tomatoes and give a quick toss. I would use just enough to coat.
As soon as the pasta goes in, in a large frying pan on a med flame, combine the oil, anchovy, red pepper flake and then garlic. Stir, stir, stir. IT IS KEY to make sure that you don't brown the garlic so keep it moving. Right about here you are going to get hit with one of life's most wonderful aromas. The garlic will literally welcome you home. Add the plum tomatoes and cook until you get a nice thick consistency.
Now you're ready for the olives, capers and parsley. No need to really cook here as the olives and capers are ready to eat from the can/jar and the parsley will give it's flavor with the mere heat from the sauce.
Combine the Pasta and the Sauce giving a quick toss. (If you're a little dry you can add some of the pasta water or the reserved juice. experiment here, but I'd go with the juice just on this dish.) Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in warm bowls and grate the Parmesan cheese to taste over each bowl.
WINE NOTE: I think a Zinfandel or even a Pinot Noir would go very nice here. But again....if you're feeling slightly celebratory, open a bottle of bubbly!
Enjoy....Have Fun....and Eat Well!
TPC
On Fat Tuesday, how do we not explore the wonder and glory which is gumbo. Whether you are Cajun or Creole (and yes there is a difference) surely you can agree how amazing gumbo can be. That being said, gumbo is as personal to those who make it as "gravy" is to Italians...yes that personal. And it's in that personalization of the gumbo that makes it so wondrous. Created in Louisiana in the early 1800's gumbo is a mix of 5 culinary cuisines. And there are literally thousand of different ways to make this. Why? Well basically after you make a roux (which we'll get into) the only other must have ingredient is okra (or file powder) though I don't use either. After that....it's anything goes...well almost. OK enough of the history lesson, time to get to it. Let's prep....
First and foremost..The Roux.
This is the hardest part. Once your passed this, you're on Bourbon St. (Couldn't say Easy St. on Fat Tuesday) What you will need. Equal parts fat and flour. In this case butter and flour. 1/2 cup each (That's a whole stick of butter...unsalted always please). Over a medium heat melt the butter. Once melted, slowly stir in the flour. Stir until a nice dark brown (Darker = Deeper flavors). Immediately remove from heat and let cool. TPC NOTE: Roux is going to take a long time of constant stirring, so set aside a good 20 - 30 minutes, because if this burns even a little bit you will need to start over...ugh.....oh btw....you can also buy Roux in a jar these days, but what fun is that!
Here's what you need:
1 Onion chopped or sliced (I like a big chop , not little it gives a great rustic look)
8 Cloves Garlic chopped
1 Bell Pepper Seeded and Chopped (I sometimes go 1-2 to Jalapenos instead...yeah)
1/2 bunch Parsley (Now when I say parsley I ALWAYS mean Italian, the other is...blech)
3 Celery Stalks chopped
1 bunch Scallions chopped (Tops are best here)
Salt, FG Pepper, Cayenne Powder, Bay leave, Paprika, Sage...All to taste. Tobasco? Sure why not,but don't let it overpower the gumbo
2 lbs Andouille Sausage
4 Chicken Breasts skin removed
About 2 gallons of water (sounds more than it is, this should serve 6-8)
4 Tbsp of your tasty Roux
In a large pan brown the Andouille and set aside. Then in the same pan brown the chicken and set aside. Don't be afraid to mix the flavors here and the browning of the meat adds a nice depth. You can also skip this part and add the meats directly into the gumbo without browning them, but I like the extra depth of flavor.
In a VERY large pot add a few quarts of the water and boil. Add the roux and stir. Once it's all mixed well add the rest of the water and bring to a boil again. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the Parsley and Scallions. Add your spices to personal taste here as well (taste, taste, taste!). Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for about 45 minutes or until everything is nice and tender.
Right before serving add the Parsley and Scallions....and if you're really crazy....add some shrimp! 5 minutes should do then kill the heat.
Serve in a bowl with crusty bread....or over rice...with crusty bread.
WINE NOTE: I'd serve with really cold beer....BUT you can use a Cab or a Zin here and be VERY happy. Want to go nuts? Pour with some bubbly.....just try it.
Until we do this again...
Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!!
Enjoy, have fun....and eat well!
TPC
Spring is fast approaching and peoples thoughts turn to getting in shape and building those muscles....well despite that I am a loyal P90X guy and certainly try to keep in my best shape, my thoughts today are to a different type of muscles....the mussel. (Hey you come up with a daily segue!)
Let's talk about mussels for a bit. Now don't be intimated here. Mussels are surprisingly simple to make, relatively inexpensive and once you get down the basic premise of the preparation of this tasty little mollusk, the variations you can make are endless. I'm telling you once I'm done with you here today you will be Master of Mussels. It's almost as easy as 1,2,3. In fact that's how I'll divide this up...
Step 1: Mussel Selection and Prep These days you can really get good fresh mussels year round (in the US). Most large supermarkets have them in their seafood section And once again if you have a local fish monger, please please please, get to know them and you will reap the rewards. I like to tap the bag and make sure those guys are still alive and kicking. They should close up when you tap them.
TPC NOTE: If they are not closing up they are probably dead and I'd stay away from them. Seafood poising is probably one of the worst tings in life you can go through.
Once home, rinse and debeard (they probably won't need to be scrubbed if from the market). Discard any that stay open. Place them in a large bowl and cover with a damp towel. They will keep for 2-3 days....but really? How are you going to wait that long? Exactly.
Step 2: Base Prep
OK here is the fun part where you can really get creative. You'll find a lot of recipes out there for garlic and white wine....can't go wrong there.
Here's where you'll add some onion (Red, yellow, shallots etc) to a butter or olive oil (or better yet a little of each!). Cook down until they are softened. Throw in 2-3 cloves chopped garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Some preferred herbs (Parsley (about 1/2 cup) and thyme (1/2 -1 tsp) are very popular here but try other things like basil, red pepper flakes, etc). Add 1-2 cups of "drinkable" white wine....bring to a boil and move to step 3.
Step 3: Add the Mussels
Once you've got a nice boil, add the mussels and cover. This should only take about 3 minutes tops. Give it a quick spoon toss and you're ready to serve. You can pour in bowls with liquid along with some toasted bread (which I love to rub with fresh garlic) or in a big bowl family style with side plates. Also fun. And if more people show up than you expected. No problem. Simply put the mussels in a side bowl pour a pound of (almost al dente pasta) in the pot. Cook to al dente. Throw the mussels back in. Bowl them up and throw some fresh parsley on top (a lil parm? ok) and you're still the hero.
Here I did Mussels with Chorizo and Jalapeno. This is wonderful heat and all you want to do is mop it up with some bread..
In Step 2 here I did:
Cook the 3-4 chorizo links until brown over med-high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels on plate. Leave a some of the chorizo fat in the fan (eyeball 1 tbsp) the pan. Add 2-3 tbsp butter and melt, add the 1 onion sliced, 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers sliced crosswise. Cook down until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 can plum tomatoes (break them up by hand as you put them in) and cook, another 2 minute. Add two healthy splashes of white wine and cook another few minutes as it reduces. GO TO STEP 3. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (or parsley if you don't like cilantro) and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.....and of course the bread.
WINE NOTE: Of course you can served with whatever white wine you used to cook with, but don't hesitate to throw a nice Zinfandel in there as well. Never a bad choice for a spicy little dish.
You have a good basis to start playing. Go online, look some up! There's beers and creams and all sorts of herbs and spices you can add.
As always just enjoy, have fun...and eat well!
TPC
In music, your chops are your skills at plying your craft, that being your instrument or your voice. In food, chops can be a term that brings back brutal memories of your childhood being subjected to a heavily breaded, overly cooked, flavorless piece of meat (usually pork)....But let's set aside these thoughts for a moment....close your eyes.....breathe deep...clear you mind...and let us start anew.
Put in your thoughts instead thoughts of little white fluffy sheep jumping up and down playing. Isn't that just the cutest? Great....now let's eat em. OK OK...don't get all up in arms. I'm just playing. But seriously, lamb chops are truly a delicacy AND (sticking to our theme) quite easy to prepare, cook and plate. Stay with me on this one....
In the meat section of any store you should be able to find a little pack of lamb chops. OR if you're lucky enough to have a butcher, it's even easier. TPC NOTE: Most supermarkets have a butcher. GET TO KNOW YOUR BUTCHER WELL! If you listen to nothing else I say, listen to this. The art of being butcher is tragically fading fast. These guys WANT to cut some meat. It's what they do! So ask for their assistance. They are BORED back there. Talk to them. Ask for their opinion. They are quite knowledgeable. Do this and you will be pleasantly surprised how better cuts will magically find their way to you.
OK enough....grab your chops and let's get to the cooking!
There are many ways to do chops, on a grill, in a pan or bake them, but since we are about being easy and quick...we are hitting the pan.
Here's what you Need:
Package of Lamb Chops: 2-3 per person (Let's go with 8 here)
Fresh Rosemary...a few sprigs (save some for plating!)
2-3 Cloves of Garlic chopped (1 clove every 4 chops...ish)
Olive Oil (do I have to say Extra Virgin?)
1 lemon for 2-3 tbsp of juice (Get some zest off the lemon prior to juicing and don't forget to roll your lemon prior to zesting to get the oils and juice flowing)
Salt (sea salt, course is more fun here) and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
This is so easy it hurts...But again you should achieve hero status from your tests subjects...er guests for this one.
Grab a large plastic freezer bag.
Toss in the chops, garlic and lemon juice and zest (a pinch). Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste...I'm a pepper guy here.
Grab a sprig of the Rosemary (and you'll love this), grab the upper tip with one hand, and with the other hand pinch two fingers at the top below the other and and slowly pull down on the sprig....voila all the little needles should come off. (Another "look cool" trick if you're doing this in front of others). Now, chop them up and toss in the bag.
Pour in Olive Oil to cover and holding the outside of the bag, rub it all in. (Um not that I have to say it, but seal the top please)
Let that sit over night if you can....for a few hours if you must....or hell even an hour will be better than most things they've eaten at a house....truth.
KEY: When you take out the chops let them hit room temp before cooking...it really makes a difference.
Fire up a pan (or grill pan if you have one) over high heat until it's really hot (a speck of water will sizzle), add the meat and sear for about 2 minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 3 minutes for med rare. If you are cooking good meat past med rare...please stop reading this blog.
OK now...plate them on a nice plate....bone side facing in like a lamb chop tepee. Place the rest of the Rosemary Sprigs around the plate (have fun with it don't get uptight here) and you're ready to serve!. Serve as appetizers or as a meal with steamed herb potatoes.
WINE NOTE: I'd go with a nice Syrah or Rioja here, but really drink what you like. This is about enjoying the meal and your guests.
Enjoy and of course....eat well.
TPC
I would think that there would be little choice to start with anything but an Italian dish. And as I like to keep things fast and simple, this is as simple and easy as it comes. It is called Spaghetti All'Ubriaco or "drunken spaghetti" if you will. How could we go wrong here? From what I understand this is a dish from Florence, but there are some different versions out there, by all means go look. Some use Anchovies...some add some butter....I've even seen breadcrumbs....here's what I like....but TEST...TRY...and decide for yourself!
1 pound spaghetti (1/4 to 1/2 pound per person...depends how hungry you are)
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (if you call it EVOO we are in a fight)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 to 3 anchovy fillets, chopped (or you can match with pinch of rough salt, but come on be adventurous, you're shy go 2)
Couple of pinches dried chili peppers, crushed (not an overpowering heat...tasty...I tend to go bigger here)
2 cups red wine (OR about 3/4 of the bottle...ish...I pour from the bottle...it looks so much cooler!)
Fistful fresh Italian parsley, chopped....( really makes the look of this dish)
1/2 cup freshly grated PARMESAN REGGIANO cheese (duh)...add more to taste.....I always leave a bowl of it at the ready when I serve...always
Bring water to boil in a large pot. THEN salt the water (never before it's boiling, bad for your pot) Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, you're going to want to transfer just BEFORE the pasta is al dente....test it!
While the pasta is going....In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, chili peppers (to taste), and anchovies...OK now anchovies...here is the part you make your call...you should cook until the anchovies disappear. It won't taste fishy...just a deep salty taste. If you don't like anchovies....use a pinch of coarse sea salt....you'll get close...but nothing beats the anchovies. Really. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes...ish....until the little fishies are gone, remember?
Add the pasta to the pan, and toss well.
Pour in the red wine, and cook until it has reduced and the spaghetti has finished cooking. WINE NOTE: Use good wine...wine would you drink. The wine is intensified so using a bad cheap wine just makes a bad cheaper tasting dish. ...That being said you don't use a $50 bottle of wine either! (You probably already know this...but just in case)
Kill the flame.....add freshly chopped parsley and grated parm cheese toss well. (tongs work great here and looks like you know what you're doing)
Slide it into to a warm bowl (with flair please!) and serve right away family style!
SECOND WINE NOTE: If you can, serve with another bottle of whatever you used to cook....it really does accentuate...and if you didn't have two bottles to start with...shame on you...rookie.
This should serve 2 with leftovers or 4 straight up.
Enjoy and eat well!
TPC
