Pasta Carbonara, Duck Egg, Black Pepper, Ham Brodo
What. A. Week.
Let’s just get one thing out of the way. I had to get stitches on Wednesday. Oh yeah. Wednesday around 2:30, just an hour and a half after I arrived at work. Not to mention Wednesday is my Monday. And, I had to take a cab to work. So, when I went to drive myself to my Mom’s office, after cutting myself on the sharp metal anchovy can while making a broken Caesar-like vinaigrette, I realized Erik had the car . <insert curse word here>. I had to pull Erik out of an important meeting so he could drive me fifteen miles north to the arms of my Mama. Three stitches an a tetanus shot later, I was home-ridden. Unable to cook. This is the second time I have ever had to leave the restaurant from cutting myself.
Seven Yolk Pasta Dough + A Four Year Anniversary
My arms are tired, and it has nothing to do with my new commitment to work out. Yes, I actually have to make a commitment to myself to work out now that I don’t exercise for a living. Stop laughing. You know, your body goes to shit when you stop moving and then eat/cook for a living.
By. the. way.
I never thought it would get to this point, but alas…
Capellini, Plugra, Parmigiano Reggiano, Cracked Pepper
The bookshelf sat in the kitchen, in a sunny nook where the four person table and the golden retriever also shared it’s space. It was black metal, with inclining shelves that got shorter has they got further from the floor. Those shelves were packed with books. So, packed, in fact, that you would almost pull it over when you pried one out of its home. Read the rest of this entry »
The Restaurant’s Simple Potato Gnocchi
I wasn’t kidding around when I said I would not be cooking or blogging for Anticiplate. I was gone for a long time! My last post was two weeks ago, and I feel a little guilty. I have been working my tooshy off (not literally-but I wish) already this summer, and learning more about the finer nuances of cooking than I knew possibly could exist. The people I am working with are the most amazing people and Chefs I have ever met. The talent is beyond words.
If you have been reading Summer Spoon, you know that I have been working at The Restaurant a lot this summer. This is one of the first dishes I learned how to make, and the first dish I got to cook for customers as well. So, there is a small amount of sentimental value to it. Read the rest of this entry »
Duck Leg Ragu with Bucatini
Why do we eat Ducks, Chickens, Turkeys, and Geese but not Swans? Why do Swans get exempt from the ubiquitous poultry category. Well for one, it is illegal to kill and eat a swan in most countries. Especially in the United Kingdom because all of the swans are the property of the Queen. But, if you really want to try one, you can kill and eat a swan in North Carolina. Go figure. Southerners will eat anything.
The reason I wondered this is because we are in the midst of performing Swan Lake right now. In the story, Prince Siegfried goes hunting for Swan and then falls in love with Odette who is a Swan Queen that has been kidnapped and transformed by an evil sorcerer to a Swan by day and Woman by night. I wonder if Swan would even taste good? The Amateur Gourmet says no. Anthony Bourdain however….. Read the rest of this entry »
Spring Awakening Campanelle
I just experienced a magical moment in my ballet career. It all happened in about a 12 hour period of time, and at the end of the night, I was surprised that my delirium had not made me batty. Actually, I am wondering now if it even really happened, or if it was just a vivid dream.
I premiered a ballet that I had been wanting to dance ever since I had seen New York City Ballet do it back in 1998. Now, 11 years later, my dream had come true. I got to dance the “Strip Tease Girl” in “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue“. Read the rest of this entry »
Sunday Night Pork Shoulder Ragu
I have never chopped onions and garlic at 8am. Never.
But because of my plans for Sunday, I knew I had to get an early start on this dish. I did all of the normal protocol: chop, saute, simmer, scrape the brown bits, but when it came to cooking on the stove for 2 hours, I just didn’t have time for that. So, I heated the oven to 250 degrees, put a lid on my dutch oven and left my pork shoulder to do what it does best. I got home at 4:00, 8 hours later, and I smelled the ragu down the hallway of my building. I came in and opened the oven. Took the lid off, and began to stir. The pork just shredded. Read the rest of this entry »
Chitarra with Sausage and Rainbow Chard
This is how the conversation went as Erik and I simultaneously brushed our teeth in the bathroom in the morning…
Erik: “What are you planning on making for dinner tonight, Frauline Fizz (don’t ask)?”
Me: ”I was thinking a pasta with Sausage, Feta, Currants, Pine Nuts, and (under my breath with a slight cough) Swiss Chard.”
Erik: “Oh….you know I really don’t prefer Swiss Chard, Fizz.”
Me: “Well then you can pick it out or better yet, I will eat it off your plate. (Rolling my eyes but secretly smirking inside).”
Luckily, I didn’t have to watch Erik pick out the chard! He loved this dish because the Rainbow Chard was braised with the spicy sausage and sweet onions for about 10 minutes in chicken stock. This must be the trick! I was so impressed that I could make a dish where he liked the Swiss Chard that I knew I could find other converts, like our best friend Dane. Watch out!
I think as long as food ingredients are prepared well, most people will like ANYTHING. I have eaten pork brains, veal thymus and pancreatic glands, and even goose liver. But, with fancy dish names like cervelato, pate, and sweetbreads, it would be hard to turn down these spectacular creations. I had most of these dishes in Paris. I made sure not to ask what the English translation was until I came back to the states, and researched it on Wikipedia.
That makes Swiss Chard look very tame in my opinion…..
Bacon, Kale, and Hazelnut Pasta
This week, I finally started rehearsing for my performance this weekend. This is slightly abnormal. Usually, you prepare for weeks on a part.
Due to injuries, my partner for Twyla Tharp’s “Nine Sinatra Songs” had to learn another part in the ballet, which made me have to learn the part with a brand new person. Our performance is tomorrow, and we just started rehearsing yesterday. I went from having two hours of passive rehearsal where I was basically observing, to five hours of rehearsal where I was intensely dancing.
At 7:00 when I got home, you can imagine how tired I was. I created this dish from what I had on hand. Bacon, Kale, Onions, Gorgonzola, and Hazelnuts. I loved it, and I was very impressed by my creation. Erik had some improvements he would have made. He is not a huge fan of whole wheat pasta (even though he has given it a chance!), so that is certainly an easy change. He also doesn’t LOVE kale, but I could substitute spinach next time.
The dish felt hearty, yet healthy and was a perfect meal to end a long day of rigorous activity. Whole wheat pasta has tons of protein and omega 3’s, and Kale is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Beta Carotine. Also, hazelnuts are a good source of fiber. The bacon and the gorgonzola….well they are just for flavor.
You will see this dish again. It has not had it’s day yet! Back to the drawing board for me….
Penne with Cherry Tomatoes and Pancetta
I know I have told you before, but tomatoes could quite possibly be my favorite food. I like them cooked or uncooked, seasoned or not, and my favorite is right off the vine in my Moma’s garden.
One of my favorite dinners of all time is my Steak with Tomato Pan Sauce. I was thinking of how I could incorporate that pan sauce into a lighter dish using pasta. And this is what I created….
I love summertime because you can get cherry tomatoes inexpensively in all assorted colors. In the winter, all though they are available, they just don’t taste the same.
What is your favorite way to use cherry tomatoes in cooking (or not)?
