Ragu of Braised Lamb

This past Friday I drank & supped with some old and new friends and discovered a new eatery that's operated in Toronto for years.

I supped at none other than Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant. Upon pulling up in front of what used to be a bank, you wonder if you're at the right address but as soon as you enter the premise, catch the buzz of the crowd, the positive vibe of the staff and ultimately taste the food. You'll realize why this joint has been satisfying Torontonians with Italian food for years.

If you're in Toronto and you feel like Italian, a fun crowd and at affordable prices, go to Geo's! I started off with the Frito Misto and finished off with a grilled whole Branzino (Lavraki) stuffed with tarragon and lemon. I also ordered a side of rapini but the dish that stood out in my mind enough to replicate it the next day was the Lamb Ragu.

Geo's served me an aromatic, slow-braised lamb that was served on a bed of homemade Pappardelle pasta. It was a small "secondi" so every twirl of pasta in my fork was savoured. The dish left me wanting more and based on my taste memory and a quick scan of the internet, I was able to successfully recreate a wonderful dish that will make a lover of lamb out of anyone....sheepish (pun intended)!

Jamie Oliver has a game ragu recipe which makes for a good starting point but if you want something more concrete, take a look at Claudia's ragu at Cook Eat Fret.

Both Jamie and Claudia reinforced my taste memory of Gio's ragu and convinced myself that I would go in the right direction with my own take.

Ragu is Italian for meat sauce (not that awful jarred tomato sauce) and although the sauce comes together after a couple of hours, it's quite easy, ideal for that lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon where you can turn up some tunes, open some wine and gracefully cook, drink and entertain at the same time.

On this occasion I also had the opportunity to once again put my new pasta machine to use and make some homemade Pappardelle (thicker than fettucine). There are tons of "how to" references on making homemade pasta so I'll only emphazise that the general rule is about 1 cup flour plus 1 egg for each pasta serving. Most recipes include olive oil, salt and some water in the mix.

Pasta dough is very forgiving and once you know you're way around your pasta machine, you'll be cranking out enough pasta to guraantee you a spot in carbohydrate heaven!



Ragu of Braised Lamb
(serves 6)
1 1/2 lbs. of lamb shoulder (bone in)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 carrots, fine dice
2 stalks of celery, fine dice
1 tsp. dry rosemary
1 bunch of thyme
3 bay leaves
4-5 allspice berries
2 cups of good tomato puree (passata)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 cup of beef, veal or lamb stock
1/2 cup cream grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
homemade Pappardelle (or pasta of your choice)

1. Trim your lamb meat of excess fat but still leave some on. Season with salt & pepper and pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown your lamb meat in batches and set aside and reserve.
2. Now lower your heat to medium and add your onions, carrots, celery, parsely and garlic and saute for about 1o minutes or until softened. Make a bouquet garni by rolling your bay leaves, thyme springs, rosemary and allspice berries in a tied cheesecloth ( I forgot to but YOU should) and add into the skillet.
3. Add your tomato paste and sundried tomatoes and stir in and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and simmer for another five minutes. Add your tomato puree (passata), pieces of lamb and stock and bring to a boil. Add some salt and pepper to taste and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about an hour. Remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.
4. You lamb meat should fall off the bone and be fork-tender. Remove the meat from the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce until you've achieved your desired consistency (I chose thick, for another 30 minutes.
5. Get a large pot of water boiling and get your pasta cooking. Separate the lamb meat from the bones and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, the meat, cream and some grated cheese. Remove the bouquet garni and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Add a good amount of salt to your water and boil dry pasta according to package's instructions or about 3-4 minutes for fresh pasta. Strain pasta and divide among the 6 bowls. Serve a heaping ladle of lamb ragu over the pasta and grate some Romano or Parmesan and a few turns of fresh ground pepper.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Heads & Tales: Fish Tails (and a Recipe)!

Today's installment of my New York City recap involves making more new friends from the blogging community, celebrating seafood and living like a New Yorker.

Having been given the luxury of having one week to live in New York City gave me a new perspective on this great city.

New Yorkers are kind. Throughout the week I did get lost on the subway, disoriented on many occasions at an intersection and often "rescued" by an all too eager New Yorker willing to help me, one of thousands of tourists in the city that never sleeps.

Many New Yorkers use the transit system. Unlike other North American cities (like Toronto) where a transit system is in place, many New Yorkers actually prefer using the vast subway and train system. It's extensive, runs 24/7 and it's safe.

New York City has the best of everything, the worst of everything. New York has ten-times better everything but...ten-times "the worst" of everything - all is multiplied. It's a big city, with flaws and like any other destination, you need to explore, do some homework (buy & read a travel book) and with some good travel instincts, you'll find what you're looking for.

As a fish and seafood lover, I knew that I'd be spoiled with some of the freshest seafood in the world. When Marc of No Recipes extended an invite to dine together at a sushi restaurant in New York, I couldn't refuse.

His choice, Sushi Azabu...located in TriBeCa near the Hudson River. I got to the place a little early, ordered a Japanese beer and leafed through the new cook books which I had just bought from The Strand.

New Yorkers are very familiar with The Strand but for those of you contemplating a trip to NYC and looking for rare books for fabulous price, The Strand is a must. The place is teeming with book lovers, helpful staff and shelves upon shelves (18 miles) of mostly used (some new) books touching upon every genre possible.

I was kindly assisted to the cooking section, found some Greek cookbooks, snapped them up and toted them in my backpack for the day.

Marc and his ever-smiling wife Liz arrived punctually and ventured to the basement of the establishment (upstairs served steak and Italian), downstairs was sushi. I'm not a fan of basement haunts but the service staff here are warm, courteous and the decor sleek (Japanese designed - right down to the bathroom amenities).

Liz, Marc and I warmed up to each other quickly and being a Greek dude who enjoys sushi, I allowed Marc to take the lead on ordering.

First up was the beverage of a choice...a sesame Shochu which is a brew of premium wheat, rice and sesame. This drink was served on ice, reminded me of vodka with a definite sesame aroma and taste. We ordered one bottle and had no difficulty in finishing this fabulous Japanese drink.

Marc's choices for the dinner were of the highest quality and every morsel went unwasted. From the Japanese seaweed salad to some seared, rare Wagyu beef and on to the red snapper carpaccio and the Chef's Choice of the market-fresh sushi offering of the day...the meal was dreamy.

Liz, Marc and I got acquainted with each other's lives, talked food (what else) and relished every single course of this masterpiece sushi dinner. A trip to Japan just got bumped up on my "to do" list.

Let's rewind a bit. Not that far back - just a little earlier in the day. STAY right there...mid-afternoon and lunch.

What was to be the largest food-blogger gathering of the week for me would take place at Lupa, a Mario Battali and Joseph Bastianich osteria.

Coordinating the lunch was Stacey of Stacey Snacks and Giff of The Constables Larder. Stacey made the reservation (based on her contented patronage of Lupa) and Giff liaised with myself and the others to confirm all in attendance.

You've already met Stephane of Chefs Gone Wild and Mlle. Claire of Colloquial Cookin' but I'd like to also introduce a new acquaintance and friend, Rachel of the Essential Rhubarb Pie.

I was afraid that Rachel was going to arrive late (something about work) but it appears she and Stacey got real comfy with each other, at the bar and in the midst of an afternoon glass of wine...how civilized!

We met for a late lunch and although most were hungry, we kept on getting distracted by the usual "getting to know you chats" that ranged from life in New York, rude behaviour (or not) of Parisians, a little politics, more New York and a little about each of us.

With lunch hours dwindling...Stacey suggested we order some sampling platters: one seafood antipasti and other a veggie/salad antipasti.

Each of us ordered their own main and we washed our food down with a northern Italian white and a Sicilian red.

Being a Greek and enjoying the food concept of appetizers and mezedes, I would have been most comfortable just ordering and ordering starters, sampling, chatting, drinking and sampling again...THAT is a good dinner and company for me!

Lupa's service is very good. The staff attentive, they know the menu and the wines and they were kind and patient with our tardy ordering from the menu.

The best approach to ordering from Lupa's menu is order some antipasti, enjoy your wine - order your main and don't forget it's ala carte here...grab a side to complete your entree.

I didn't order dessert but I had a sample of Claire's hazelnut tartuffo (huge) and if any of the other desserts are like this one...Lupa delivers from start to finish.

I'd like to leave you all with a dish that reminded me of that day in New York City, filled with memories of some the freshest seafood I've ever had in North America, the new friendships made and the memories...forever!

Here's a simple Italian seafood dish, works great with bream, sea bass or any other white-fleshed fish fillet. I found some wonderful Grouper fillets at my local market and in keeping with Lupa's unpretentious Osteria cooking approach without sacrificing quality or breaking the bank, I present a Walnut Gremolata Grouper...enjoy!

Walnut Gremolata Grouper
(serves 4)

4 Grouper fillets
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
sweet paprika

Gremolata
2 Tbsp. of lemon rind, thinly sliced 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. coarse bread crumb
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all the Gremolata ingredients in a bowl and cover - set aside.
2. Rub both sides of the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.
3. Add some olive oil into a non-stick pan over medium high heat and place the fillets (skin-side down first) for 3-4 minutes per side or until crisp and brown.
4. Plate the fish immediately with a mound of Gremolata on top and serve with a garlic mash or in my case...orzo with mushrooms and zucchini.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

We all know this dish as "chicken cacciatore" but it's really "cacciatora".

The origins of the dish are northern Italian and the story goes, the hunter's wife might have cooked this dish on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase.

I've tried many versions of this dish but I like this one best, inspired by a recipe from the glorious food mag, Saveur. This dish turned out wonderfully and it was a joy to cook with my new Kitchenaid dutch oven.

Pollo alla Cacciatora
(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (28oz.) of plum tomatoes, hand crushed
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1 cup of Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
flour for dredging

1. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2-3 turns of olive oil. Brown your chicken pieces and reserve.
2. Into the same cooking vessel, add your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for a few minutes. Now add your onions, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms and bay leaves and rosemary and saute for 5-7 minutes or until your onions are soft and translucent.
3. Now add your parsley, tomato paste and garlic and saute for a minute. Now add the wine and reduce for about 5 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.
   
4. Add the chicken pieces (plus juices) back in the cooking vessel along with the tomatoes and their juices and your stock. Partially cover with the lid and simmer for about 60-80 minutes or until you have a thick, chunky sauce.
5. Spoon some sauce on the bed of your plate and place a couple of chicken pieces for each serving. Serve with roast potatoes, some good bread for mopping up the sauce and a glass of red wine.
   

Chianti Chicken

I've had my eye on this dish for awhile. We're at the end of summer and here in Ontario the harvest is in full swing.

Grapes are at their peak and this next dish marries sweet with savory. As you can see, we have a show-stopper here but this ain't just another pretty dish it tastes "wicked awesome"!

Chianti chicken came to being through the well-known, entertaining, informative and most importantly, delicious blog called Jenn the Leftover Queen.

Jenn currently resides in Florida with her husband Roberto and together they cater to a us a vibrant food blog, a sister travel blog and an active food forum where several food enthusiasts can chat, discuss topics, compete in the Royal Foodie Joust or ask for some technical assistance.

Jenn was one of the first people in the blogging world who extended their hand (and smile) with positive encouragement, the support to publicize my blog's existence through the Foodie BlogRoll and to become a new friend. Isn't there always room for new friends?

The dish I'm about to show you will cement a friendship, complete that "date" or impress guests over for dinner( again, thanks Jenn).

I've added my own twists to this dish, the main one being to finish it off in the oven (rather than all on the stovetop).

My other twist was to add some aromatics to the chicken by whizzing up a blend of herbs. This time I was in the mood for lemon verbena but you may certainly used thyme or rosemary here. I placed the herb mixture between the skin the meat of the thighs.

You have two options here...go with Jenn's approach or try mine...both will yield delicious results.

I have no problem serving guests chicken, especially when it's offered up like this...chicken seared on a skillet then roasted with grapes and served up with a Chianti reduction and a bed of couscous?

I knew this dish would come together just seeing the grapes and chicken going into the oven. The presentation was going to be awesome but what would it taste like?

When the chicken came out of the oven, I tasted the pan juices and to my delight I found a sweet, syrup like sauce had been created from the juices of the grapes.

This was gonna be good...add some Chianti, low-sodium stock and reduce until thick and add some butter to tighten the sauce.

Chianti chicken's a winner and I can't wait to make this again!


Chianti Chicken
(for 4)

4 quarter chicken pieces
3 Tbsp. of butter
3 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
Approx. 1 cup of Chianti red
1 cup of chicken (or veg. stock)
4 clusters of red grapes
salt and pepper to taste

Aromatics
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. lemon verbena (or 1 Tbsp. dry)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Trim excess fat from your chicken and wash and pat dry. Now take the ingredients listing under "aromatics" and place them in food processor and pulse until blended. Adjust seasoning accordingly. Now carefully place your finger between the skin and meat of the thighs and separate the skin from the meat. Now spread the aromatic mixture under the skin with your finger and repeat for all the chicken quarters.
2. Place an oven-safe skillet (large enough to hold 4 chicken quarters) on the stovetop and bring to a medium high heat. You may now season your chicken quarters with salt and pepper. Add your olive oil and butter and as soon as the bubbling stops, add the chicken into the skillet, face down and saute until the skin has turned to a golden-brown (3-5 minutes).
3. Flip your chicken quarters and place the clusters of grapes to the side of each chicken quarter. Now place in your pre-heated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and reserve the chicken and grape clusters in a tented plate. Skim any excess fat from the juices in the skillet.
   
4. Place the skillet back on the the stove-top and add your sliced onions and reduce over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and stock and bring to a boil. Now reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. As soon as the sauce thickens to your liking, take off the heat and swirl in a couple of pads of cold butter to tighten the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
6. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of half your plate and place a mound of couscous on the other half. Now top your dish with the quarter chicken, a cluster of grapes and serve with a side of sauteed mushrooms.

Linguine Carbonara

This is an Italian classic but I first tasted this dish when I visited the Greek island of Corfu in 1988. The Italian food Caribinieri will insist that this dish NOT contain any cream.

Lucky for the Italians, I can pull off this dish without cream but if you're the type that likes it in the mix, who am I to stop you?

Carbonara is very popular in Greece and it's often found on menus alongside other pastas & pizzas on offer.

After spending five weeks in Greece, I craved something a little different and this quick, filling and most satisfying dish always hits the spot.

There are many legends as to the origins of the dish...you pick the one you like and spout it off to your dinner guests...they'll think you cooked under the tutelage of Mario Batali!

Linguine Carbonara
(per serving)

1 handful of dry linguine
2 egg yolks
cracked black pepper to taste
grated Romano cheese
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup of diced bacon, pancetta or guanciale
splash of dry white wine
pasta water
chopped fresh parsley

1. Get a pot of water to boil and then add a generous amount of salt and cook your pasta to just under al dente (6-7 minutes).
2. In a large skillet, add your bacon and some water and place over high heat. The water will boil down to nothing and then your bacon will render better and crisp up nicely. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, remove most of the remaining fat (save a Tbsp.) and reserve.
   
3. Allow your skillet to cool down a bit and add your diced onions and garlic (add a bit of olive oil if the skillet has too little fat) over medium heat and stir frequently for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add a splash of white wine and deglaze the pan and take off the heat (you may remove the garlic cloves now, if you wish).
   
5. In a small bowl, whisk your egg yolks, black pepper and Romano cheese and reserve.
6. When your pasta is ready, strain while remembering to reserve some pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet (off the heat) along with some pasta water and your egg yolk mixture.
7. At this point the residual heat of the hot pasta and pasta water should cook and bind your mixture into a thick & creamy sauce.
8. Add your chopped parsley and adjust seasoning with salt (rarely needed) and cracked black pepper to taste. Grate some additional Romano cheese on top if desired.
   

Margherita

In 1889, the pizza was named after Margherita, Queen consort of the kingdom of Italy. The pizza bears the three colours of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella.

To this day, the citizens of Naples still debate, argue, compete for what is the most authentic pizza, the best ingredients and argue about which ingredients are used and how it's constructed.

There's no way I'm going to walk through this mine field and even if I visited Naples, I'm sure I'd still piss off someone from there.

Having said that, you can be sure there's absolutely no tolerance for Hawaiian pizza with pineapple, no Greek pizza with feta or worst still, an improvised pizza of salami, use of any leftover white cheese left in the fridge or the use of canned mushrooms.

I will be in Greece soon and although I'll be elbow deep in fabulous Greek food, pizza will not be one of the foods I will enjoy.

Greeks (in Greece) love pizza but it's not pizza as the Italians or American Italians know it. Frankly, by and large it's horrible!

I still shudder at the use of leftover cheeses such as Gouda, Milner or even grated Kasseri as a topping. It gets worse...no pepperoni but greasy salami or ham becomes the meat portion.

There's very little sauce on the pizza and jarred or canned mushrooms make even the decent made pizzas soggy!

There are some good pizza makers in Greece now but the bad still outnumber the good pizzerias. The Greeks have always made wonderful dough and pizza crust and lately I'm seeing wood burning ovens and the use of more traditional pizza ingredients.

If it sounds like I'm slamming pizza in Greece, well I am. However, I'm doing you a favour...you'll be well rewarded by instead eating local, fresh and regional Greek cuisine. Leave the pizza behind for movie night or the big game. You're on vacation...eat local, eat Greek...why not try out the Ladenia or go old skool and have a whack at the Pizza Margherita.

Pizza Margherita
(makes 1 large pizza or 2 small)

For the Dough
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
Approx. 3 - 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

For the Topping
hand crushed can of San Marzano plum tomatoes
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
dried oregano
fresh Mozzarella cheese
hand-torn fresh basil leaves

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. In a large bowl, add your yeast, sugar, and warm water and allow about 7-10 minutes to activate (as evidenced with the bubbling). Now add your salt and olive oil add about 2 cups of flour into the mixture. Keep on adding flour while kneading on a floured work surface until your dough is pliable and no longer sticks to your hands. NOTE: (flour amounts vary from 3 to 3 1/4 cups flour, depending on the weather you are experiencing and how the flour and yeast react.
2. Spread some olive oil on your round baking pan and sprinkle some fine semolina flour. Roll out your pizza dough to the size of pizza you desire. You may now preheat your oven.
3. After hand-crushing your plum tomatoes, tear them up and spread the tomatoes over the surface of your dough. Season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle the minced garlic and dried oregano over the sauce.
4. Now cut (or hand tear) your Mozzarella cheese and spread it over the surface of your pizza (do not entirely cover your pizza with cheese, it will melt).
5. Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until the edges start to brown and your cheese has just melted and browned just a bit.
6. As soon as the pizza is out of the oven, tear your basil leaves and spread them over the surface of the pizza.
7. Serve immediately with cold beer or a bottle of good red wine.
   

Greek Garden Pesto

I don't think I've shown you the herbs that are grown in my garden and in the end, used in the dishes I make.

Photographed and currently growing are Genoa basil, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, mint, Greek oregano, thyme, sage, chives, Greek basil, French tarragon and lemon thyme.

The Genoa basil was produced by using the seeds of last year's plants, the parsley was purchased and planted from a gardening center, the rosemary is a carry-over from last year, the mint is a perennial that pops-up each & every year, the thyme is new purchase, as is the sage, the chives are another perennial and the French tarragon and lemon thyme are also new additions.

I have had some decent success with bringing some herbs indoors during the colder and winter months. My herbs are in the backyard, facing north and I will bring the basil, thyme, rosemary and some parsley indoors.

Around mid-October, I will move these plants into a shaded and protected area to accustomize the plants to an indoor existence and protect it from an early frost. After about a week, they will then move indoors, this time facing South and in direct sunlight in the front of the home.

Come Spring time, around the third week of May (and surely beyond any late frosts), the herbs come out again....first into the shaded outdoors (again just under the roof) and about a week later, back into the full exposure to the elements.

This method is not without it's fatalities but I've once had a rosemary tree for five years, basil for three years and some thyme for four years. Even with this track record, an attempt to bring your garden's herbs indoors for winter use is worthy of a try.

I don't have access to bunches of herbs through this method but I can have fresh thyme in a pinch, some basil leaves for pasta if needed and garnishes for many dishes.

In the meantime, I have lots of fresh herbs at my disposal and earlier this week I made a Mint Pesto.

I'm not going to try and pass this off as anything Greek as Pesto IS ultimately Italian but the three herbs in this pesto are commonly found in a Greek garden, hence the name of the dish, Greek Garden Pesto.

Greek Garden Pesto

1 cup of fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Approx. 1/2 cup Greek feta
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1/2 extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper

1. Wash and pat-dry your herbs, then throw into your food processor along with the garlic, feta and black pepper.
2. Process on high until you get a good, green paste and scrape the sides with spatula and process again until everything is smooth.
3. Now pour a slow and steady stream of olive oil until you've reached your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
4. Add your almonds and pulse until you get your nut consistency.
5. Boil some water, add salt and cook according to the package's instructions.
6. Drain the pasta and add as much (or as little pesto) as you wish to your pasta and toss to coat.
7. Serve immediately.
   

Lemon Linguine

Most of you who are food enthusiasts (freaks) like myself, you've noticed by now that many items on your grocery bill have gone up.

One glaring spike in prices is with lemons. Limes I can find for 6 for $1, oranges are decently priced but lemons? The best deal I've found so far this year is 2 for $1.

Are lemons going to become a luxury item? Will we have to resort to using bottles of "real remon" juice? I don't think so.

Citrus is a staple in our house and if Canada didn't have a pipeline of oranges, lemons & limes heading up north, we'd be the scurvy capital of the world.

To help ward off any signs of scurvy, I whipped up this light but substantive pasta dish, borrowing from the style of Carbonara , where egg yolks make the sauce.

I originally was inspired (forced) to make such a dish from watching Paula Deen make a similar dish using sour cream, milk and lemon juice.

Do not make this dish. My insticts were telling me this would be too sharp, tart & sour - and I was right. The two bowls of pasta were chucked in the garbage.

On to the second attempt and Lemon Linguine Carbonara and the YES....success. Basically, I'm slowly sauteing some onions and garlic 'til translucent, then I hit the pan with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and take off the heat and reserve.

While your pasta is boiling, whisk some egg yolks with cream, grated Romano and lots of cracked black pepper and sett aside until your pasta is done.

Lemon Linguine Carbonara
(for 2)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 whole lemon
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cream
grated Romano cheese
lots of cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
approx. 4 oz. of dry linguine
reserved pasta water
salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a good amount of salt upon boiling and add your linguine. Cook as per package's directions.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add your olive oil and onions and garlic and saute on medium to low heat for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add your lemon juice and set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk your eggs, cream, black pepper and grated cheese and set aside.
4. When your pasta is done, reserve some pasta water then drain and now add the linguine into the skillet along with the egg/cream mixture, lemon zest and some pasta water.
5. Toss the egg/cream mixture until the residual heat of the pasta has turned the mixture into a creamy sauce. Taste and adjust for seasonig and add the chives and parsley before giving one final toss.
6. Plate and serve immediately.
   

Rocket (Arugula) Pesto

At the pub where I imbibe my many alcoholic beverages of choice, sits a CD jukebox with an eclectic array of tunes.

One of the CD's in there is by William Shatner...yes, Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame. The dude also dabbled in some "music". I'm not sure if his musical tangent was sarcastic or serious - you decide.

Here, he sings or rather...narrates the lyrics to Elton John's Rocket Man. This version is bad that it's good! Little bored with the same song mix in your CD changer? Need to shake up the tunes at your next party? Throw in some Bill Shatner tunes. You might not fill the dance floor but the you'll stir up some good conversation and a gaffaw or five.

So, it's here that I tie Rocket Man, Bill Shatner and my dish du jour...Spaghetti with a Rocket Pesto.

Elly of Elly Says OPA! is the hostess of Eat to the Beat where food bloggers post a food or beverage related to a song.

If you're interested in contributing, you still have until June 30th to create a dish and submit a tune.

Arugula is pesto and pesto is arugula. I planted some rocket this year in my garden and it was looking full, lush and green but it's starting to grow long, look a little weedy and I figure, save (eat) what I can of the rocket before it goes into the composter.

So, without further ado, here's the Rocket Pesto recipe.

Rocket (Arugula) Pesto
(for 4)

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups of fresh rocket
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
splash of good balsamic vinegar
500gr. package of dry spaghetti
salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and then add a good amount of salt. Add your pasta and cook according to package's instructions.
2. Wash and pat-dry your rocket and basil leaves. Add the greens into your food processor along with the garlic, balsamic vinegar, grated cheese and half of your walnuts.
3. Pulse until the mixture is blended and then run your processor at a high speed. Now gradually add your stream of olive oil into the pesto mixture.
4. Adjust seasoning and consistency of pesto (more oil, cheese or any other ingredient lacking). Add the remaining walnuts, pulse a few more times.
5. Empty the pesto into a tub and reserve for upto 1 week in your fridge.
6. When your spaghetti is cooked, drain and add your your pesto while tossing to coat. Add some grated cheese and fresh ground pepper and serve immediately.

Spaghetti "al Cartoccio"

Yesterday, I was greeted with the return of seasonal, warm weather. The weather was very important and some friends and I played "hookie" and ditched work for a day at the amusement park, Canada's Wonderland.

This amusement park is situated just north of Toronto and my return was long overdue...25 years! We hit the roller coasters and dizzying rides, challenged our stomachs and pushed the limits of what G-forces our bodies could take.

After a long day filled with laughs, screams and thrills, I got home late for dinner and I was famished. A pasta dish always does the trick when you're tired and hungry yet, you want to treat yourself to something special.

I finally tried a Spaghetti "al Cartoccio" which simply is a pasta baked in paper. First of all, it's easy. Secondly, it's rustic and finally...it's also an impressive presentation.

People love surprises. Next time you have friends over, treat them to a dinner surprise. Bring the baked bag of pasta in the plate and cut open the cartoccio and listen to the Ooooohs and AHHHH's.

Bon Appetito!

Spaghetti "al Cartoccio"
(for 5)

1/3 cup olive oil
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup pitted black olives, chopped
4 sun-dried tomatoes, rough chop
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dried Greek oregano
1/4 cup dry white wine
1lb. of frozen(thawed) or fresh seafood medley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 package of spaghetti (500gr)
4 paper lunch bags

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. Spray your paper lunch bags with cooking spray or brush them with vegetable oil. Place on a baking sheet and reserve.
2. Get a large pot of water boiling. When it starts boiling, add a generous amount of salt and cook your pasta for about 5-6 minutes (under al dente). The pasta will cook through when baked.
   
3. In a large skillet, add your minced garlic and infuse your oil for about a minute. Add your halved cherry tomatoes and sundried tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes to soften and cook through. Add your chopped olives, oregano and chilli flakes and adjust seasoning with sea salt. Reserve.
4. When your pasta has cooked for 5-6 minutes, drain and add it to your sauce along with the reserved mixed seafood, white wine and chopped fresh parsley. If the pasta looks dry, drizzle some more olive oil.
5. Carefully place a portion of pasta into each paper bag. For a nice presentation, tie some butcher's twine at each end of the cartoccio to give them a tapered look.
6. Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven for another 10 minutes. Carefully place each cartoccio onto a plate and serve to your guests. Carefully cut open each cartoccio with kitchen scissors and enjoy!
   

Linguine With Zucchini, Garlic, Black Olives, and Toasted Breadcrumbs

When the weather is this good, it's hard to blog or catch-up on my friends' kitchen action but here I am...adding to the din.

Last week, Martha Stewart lined up a whack of celebrity chefs to show off and show the viewers quick and easy recipes that you & I can can whip up in no time.

This pasta dish jumped right out of my TV screen and I scurried over to my computer to bookmark it.

This pasta dish is so easy that the sauce is ready EVEN before the linguine has been cooked to "al dente".

The recipe comes courtesy of Pino Luongo and Mark Straussman and the book is called "Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen".

I love this simple, refreshing pasta dish. It's light, it's flavourful and the olives give one a nice burst of salt. It's been a week since I saw the recipe on TV and I've made it twice.

Linguine With Zucchini, Garlic, Black Olives, and Toasted Breadcrumbs
(Serves 4 to 6)

• Coarse salt
• 1 pound linguine
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced very thinly crosswise
• 20 Gaeta or Nicoise olives, pitted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs
  
• Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
  

1. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat and salt. Add pasta, stir until water returns to a boil, and cook pasta, according to package directions, until "al dente".
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and garlic, onions and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes; season with salt to taste.
3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to skillet and toss to combine. If pasta seems dry, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing between each addition. Transfer pasta to a large platter, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; serve immediately.