Another Wednesday To Love

I love Wednesdays because I know there's always something to look forward to.  Not every day is like that.  In fact, most days are pretty mundane. Get up, exercise, do chores, cook dinner, go to sleep.  I'm not complaining.  Things could be a lot worse.

But Wednesdays are special.  That's NYT Dining day.  I know that even if the news on every other page of the newspaper is bad, that the Dining section is guaranteed to make me happy.  I know that no matter what is happing at home or abroad, Melissa Clark or David Tanis are sure to have written about something I am anxious to cook.

It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

Last Wednesday was a real cooking bonanza.  So much so that I made a couple of recipes from the Dining section.

This recipe for cold roast pork with green bean salad is absolutely perfect for these hot summer days. In fact, it's the kind of meal that I always envision being served at one of those really long tables in the middle of a tuscan garden.  Or a garden in the South of France.  Or a backyard in Pittsburgh.

Recipe:  Cold Roast Pork with Green Bean Salad
David Tanis, New York Times, July 23, 2014

Ingredients:

For the Pork:

1 boneless pork loin roast, about 4 pounds
Kosher salt
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus extra fronds for garnish
2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice mill
1 teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons roughly chopped sage
2 tablespoons roughly chopped marjoram
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (peperoncino)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Salad:

1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound green beans, or a mixture of green beans, yellow beans and Romano beans, trimmed
2 heads fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

For the Pork:

Season pork loin generously on all sides with salt (about 2 tablespoons).

In a small bowl, combine garlic, fennel fronds, fennel seeds, fennel pollen if using, lemon zest, rosemary, sage, marjoram, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olive oil. Rub and pat mixture on loin, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan. Put loin on the rack and roast for about an hour, until a thermometer registers 130 degrees. Let cool to room temperature before serving. If desired, after cooling you can wrap and refrigerate loin for up to 24 hours, then return to room temperature.

For the Salad:

For the dressing, put garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk in olive oil.

Blanch beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and cool. Put beans and fennel in a salad bowl, season lightly with salt and toss with dressing. (Dress salad about 20 minutes before serving.)

To serve, cut roast into 1/4-inch slices. arrange on a platter and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Pass the salad separately.

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

Cook This Immediately

One of my favorite cookbooks is Cook This Now by Melissa Clark.  As those of you out there who have been reading this blog for a long time know, I love Meliisa Clark and I love Melissa Clark's recipes.  In fact, if anyone out there in You Little Tarte-land knows Melissa Clark, I'd be very happy if you could introduce me.  I'm just putting it out there.  Just in case.

But my point is, Melissa Clark cooks the way I want to eat.  She uses only the freshest ingredients, but more than that, her recipes are accessible and they work.  Yes, they work.  In fact, I've never made a Melissa Clark recipe that wasn't (a) delicious, and (b) didn't work.

Melissa Clark strikes me as a person who enjoys her job as a food writer.  She also strikes me as a person who doesn't have a complicated relationship with food.  With the exception of dealing with her husband's lactose intolerance, it appears that Melissa is pretty much game to try anything.  I like that in a food writer.

So, today's delicious cavalcades of flavor (you like that, don't you?) come from the aforementioned Cook This Now cookbook by Melissa Clark.  Oddly enough, despite using this cookbook nearly to death since I purchased it a couple of years ago, I've never made either of these recipes.  I can't imagine why.

The first recipe is for Panfried Striped Bass with Anchovy Garlic Bread Crumbs and Basil.  Need I say more?  Anchovies? Garlic?  Yum, and double yum.  The only thing that could possibly make this recipe more appealing is the addition of olives.  You might think the fish with the fish would be a little on the fishy side, but it's not.  The combination is definitely salty, but salty in the very best way possible.  Even if you are a confirmed anti-anchovy person, you may find your mind being changed forever.  And if, perchance, it is not, at least you tried to widen your horizons, which is always a good thing.  Trust me.

And because I needed something to go along with the fish, just a few pages further into the July section of the book, is this recipe for Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing.   Don't reject this out of hand because you think cilantro tastes like soap (which I do not).  Instead, substitute in flat leaf parsley.  It will still be delicious.

And while you're at it, adding Cook This Now to your cookbook collection would be a really good idea.  As would be introducing me to Melissa.

Recipe:  Panfried Striped Bass with Anchovy Garlic Bread Crumbs and Basil
Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:

 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs (I used panko)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Chopped fresh basil, for serving
Lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the anchovies and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the anchovies have melted into the butter, 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the bread crumbs and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Season with pepper.  Scrape the bread brumes into a small bowl.

Wipe out the pan and return it to medium high heat.  Add the oil and heat until very hot but not smoking.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Add the fish to the skillet skin-side down.  It should sizzle when it hits the pan.  Cook, without moving, until the edges and sides of the fish are opaque, about 5 minutes.  Carefully flip the fish and continue cooking until it is completely opaque and beginning to flake, 2 to 3 minutes more.

To serve, arrange the fish on individual serving plates,  Scatter basil over the fillets and top with the bread crumbs.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe:  Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing
Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:

3 ears corn, kernels sliced from the cob
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large tomato diced
2 rip avocados, diced
2 scallions finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Drop in the corn and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain.

In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Whisk in the oil.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomato, avocados, scallions, and cilantro.  Add the dressing and toss well to coat.

Sandwich Night

There are sandwiches and then there are sandwiches.  When I talk about sandwiches, rest assured that while I am as big a fan of PB&J and anyone, the sandwiches I am talking about are... well... sandwich masterpieces.

Let me first start by saying that I am a sandwich lover from way back.  My mother, who we have established was no gourmet, made a mean p-nup and jelly, as my father used to call it.  She believed in creamy peanut butter and strawberry jam.  There was no jelly, and certainly no grape jelly, happening in my house.  I loved those sandwiches.

My mother could also, on occasion, turn out a respectable grilled cheese, although it suffered greatly from the inclusion of Kraft American Squares.  Sure, back in the day I thought American cheese was real cheese, but I know better now.

It wasn't until I became a bona fide grown up that I realized that a sandwich could be more than just the sum of its parts.  A sandwich could be absolutely astonishingly delicious.

Fast forward to tonight.  I didn't know what I was in the mood to make.  If truth be told, mostly I was in the mood to make a phone call and order in a pizza, but I felt a little guilty since I do not recall cooking anything at all over the weekend.  (For the record, I do not believe that I can get cooking credit for making myself a Nespresso, and so far as I can recall, that is the only thing I did of a preparatory nature all weekend.)

But back to dinner.  I recalled seeing a recipe in last week's NYT Dining Section for a steak sandwich.  By some miracle, I actually located said newspaper section which, since I didn't recall the name of the recipe or the author of said recipe, was a good thing because it would have required some fancy Googling to actually find the recipe online.

I'm not gonna lie.  This was not a wham bam throw together sandwich.  The recipe has steps and procedures.  There's chopping and sautéing.  There's grilling.  And there's assembly.  And then there's the eating part, which makes all the other parts well worth the effort.

Recipe:  Grilled Frank Steak on Ciabatta with Red Peppers
New York Times, July 16, 2014

Ingredients:

1 13/4- to 2-pound flank steak
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, slivered
2 large red bell peppers, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 large ciabatta, halved horizontally

Directions:

Smear flank steak with 2 tablespoons olive oil, massage with paprika and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine 11/2 tablespoons of the tapenade with the parsley and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté on medium until soft. Add garlic, sauté briefly, then add peppers. Reduce heat to low and sauté gently until very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in wine and remaining tapenade, cook briefly, then remove from heat.

Heat grill to hot. When peppers are done, put steak on grill and sear fairly close to the heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Timing is tricky because it depends on the fire and the thickness of the meat, but you can make a diagonal cut at one end of the steak to gauge doneness.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and place ciabatta halves, cut side down, on the grill to toast. Watch closely. Smear toasted ciabatta with the reserved tapenade and parsley from Step 1. Slice steak thin on the bias and arrange slices on the ciabatta. Reheat peppers and spoon on top of the steak. Cut each ciabatta half in six pieces, arrange on a platter and serve.

YIELD 6 servings

Pickle Power

Last week we made picked zucchini.  Today it's pickled cucumbers.

I've made pickles too many times to count, and I have to say that they've all been delicious.  I think this says far less about my cooking ability (or pickling ability, as the case may be), and far more about how generally foolproof pickling is.

But I digress.  Making pickles is surprisingly easy and you end up not only with a delicious snack, but with lots of jars full of delectable looking summer goodness.  (Okay, that description may border on flowery, but I just couldn't fight the urge.)

As with the pickled zucchini, it's really all about the produce.  Don't bother making pickles with anything less than fresh, crisp cucumbers.  Making sure they're pretty is a plus as well.  Cut your spears uniformly, so that they sit nicely in the jar.  This is essential if you think there is any chance you may feel the urge to give someone a jar of pickles.  You'll want the opportunity to really impress the recipient with your kitchen prowess.  Let's face it, they probably won't know how easy it is to make pickles.  And there's a good chance they may never eat them, so you'll want the pickles to at least make an impressive presentation.

Oh come on.  How many gift baskets have you received where two years later you find the remnants in the back of your pantry?

This is a pretty basic recipe, good for all of you pickling neophytes out there.  Pick up some nice pickling cucumbers and give these a try.  I promise they'll be so good you probably won't be willing to part with even one jar.

Recipe:  Nadine's Pickles

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 cups cucumber spears
2 cloves garlic, whole per jar
2 heads fresh dill

Directions:

Stir water, vinegar, sugar, and sea salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely.

Slice the cucumbers into spears.  Drop two whole garlic cloves, a couple of sprigs of dill, and about a tablespoon of pickling spices into each jar.  Pack the cucumber spears into the jars.

Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture.  Store in refrigerator or process in a water bath and store in a cool place.  The pickles will be ready to eat in a week or two.

Worth It

I haven't really been eating a lot of cake lately.  I discovered that there's a direct correlation between my weight and how many desserts I eat, so I've been laying off the sweets.  It's amazing how much easier it is to be thin if you forgo dessert.

But every once in a while, dessert beckons.  I try to makes those treats really worth the calories, and this generally involves making them myself.  There isn't really a bakery in these parts that makes anything delectable enough to entice me, but I know a good recipe when I see one.  This bundt cake just had my name written all over it.

As those of you who have been reading the blog for some time know, I love a good plain cake.  I don't need a lot of bells and whistles, but rather I love a cake that relies on good, fresh ingredients.
I'm a big fan of the multi-purpose cake, and this buttermilk bundt cake fits the bill perfectly.  It's perfect for dessert but also equally as delicious for a weekend brunch.

So, although I've been very virtuous when it comes to desserts, this is one that's totally worth it.

Recipe:  Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
Food and Wine, August, 2014

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of fine salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 
325°. Generously butter a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 1/2 cups of flour with the salt 
and baking soda.


In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the 1 1/2 sticks of butter with the shortening at medium-high speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and 
beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At medium speed, beat in the eggs 1 at a time until just incorporated, then beat in the vanilla; scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 alternating batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. At low speed, beat in the lemon juice. 


Scrape the batter into the prepared 
Bundt pan and use a spatula to smooth 
the surface. Bake in the middle of the oven 
for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until 
a toothpick inserted in the center of the 
cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on 
a rack for 30 minutes, then turn it out on 
a platter or cake stand to cool completely.


In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with 
the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter and 
salt until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over
the top of the cake, letting it drip down 
the sides. Let stand for 20 minutes 
until the glaze is set. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.



No Reservation Required

Every morning this week I have announced to Ted that "tonight we're going out to dinner".  I mean, it's just the two of us, although it's pretty much always just the two of us.  And it's hot.  And it's summer.  What better reason to go out than all that?

But then, around midday, something funny happens.  I happen on a recipe that inspires me to make dinner, not reservations.  Go figure.

True to form, that happened again today.  I was all set to pick a restaurant when, as I was mindlessly paging through this month's issue of Food and Wine, I was hit with... inspiration.  There were a lot, and I mean a lot, of recipes that I wanted to make.

Who woulda thunk it?

So, in the midst of all the chaos going on in my house, what with the painters and the dust and the general schmutz, I found solace in my kitchen and produced this absolutely delicious chicken dish.  And while I was at it, I sautéed up some fresh corn to go alongside.  I set a nice table outside, and before I knew it, we had a dinner so much better than any reservation I could have made instead.

Recipe:  Curried Maple-Mustard Chicken Breasts
Food and Wine, August, 2014

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mild or hot curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
Pepper
Four 12-ounce, bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a 9-by-13-inch ceramic baking dish, combine the butter with the maple syrup, mustard, curry powder and cayenne. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the butter is melted. Whisk in a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and let cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the baking dish and turn to coat with the sauce. Carefully spoon some 
of the sauce under the chicken skin. Turn the chicken breast side up and bake for about 45 minutes, basting occasionally, until the chicken is glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°. Transfer the chicken to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes

Cut the chicken off the bones and transfer to plates. Whisk the pan sauce and spoon over the chicken. Serve, passing additional sauce at the table.

Hot or Not

I am so tired of being hot.  And by hot I mean, hot as in the temperature, not hot as in "she is so hot".  This is because I am 54 years old, and let's face it, there's only so hot, as in "she's so hot," you can be at 54. And there is an unlimited amount of hot when it comes to hot as in the temperature.

There are those women out there who, even at (the advanced age of) 54, are still hot.  Good for them.  At this point, I'm just happy that nothing is sagging too offensively, and that the radiation tattoos kind of blend in with all the sun damage my skin endured back when I was, in fact, actually hot, as in "she's so hot".  I suppose with the right lighting, I might still pass for somewhat hot, but I'm not sure, and I don't want to ask Ted because he'll just say I am because that's what he's supposed to say.  And he won't look because he "already knows" what I look like.

There are also those women who have hot bodies which , when you see them from behind you think, "wow, that's some body on her".  Then she turns around and she's about 70 years old, with skin that looks like it spent way too much time laying on a chaise lounge in Palm Springs.  She's also wearing skinny jeans which were not designed for a 70 year old body, no matter how hot said body happens to be.

To be fair, I used to think 70 was old.  Now I think 70 is pretty much middle age,  Everything is relative.

But back to the weather.  It's been so damn hot and humid that I am sweating pretty much all the time.  Add to that the fact that we are in the midst of a massive painting/redecoration project in our house, and you can just assume that tempers are hot too.  I think my painters, who I love the day they start whatever project we're embarking on, and hate by about a week in, are taking un permanent residence on my third floor along with all the crap that Ted can't live without.

Anyway, because it's been about a thousand degrees outside, and because it's Wednesday, and that means it's NYT Dining day, we had a cold dinner.  Yup. Cold as in chilly.  No cooking.  No fuss, no muss, no bother.  Well, maybe a little muss and bother because there was chopping and blanching and tossing involved.  But on a scale of one to ten, ten being "she's so hot", this dinner was a ten.  Not a ten because of the hot factor, but instead it was a ten because it was so cool.  And as we all know, cool is often just as good as hot.

Recipe:  Spicy Pearl Couscous Salad
David Tanis, New York Times, July 16, 2014

Ingredients:
For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste, plus zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 red Fresno chile, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup olive oil

For the Salad:

1 pound very small new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 sweet bell peppers
1/2 pound Romano beans or green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 pound pearl couscous
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
Small bunch mint, cilantro or parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, turmeric, cayenne, chile, caraway, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put halved potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and roast cut side down until tender, about 15 minutes.

Roast bell peppers whole under broiler, over a gas burner or over hot coals until skins are blackened and blistered, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Using a paring knife, split peppers lengthwise and scrape away seeds and charred skin (do not rinse). Cut into 1/2-inch strips.

Drop beans into salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Meanwhile, boil the couscous in abundant salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes, then drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Blot dry.

Put couscous in a shallow salad bowl. Add roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and beans and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss well to coat. Add potatoes and toss again. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon. Garnish with mint, cilantro or parsley leaves.

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

The Waiting Game

This summer I have wisely enrolled in just one CSA.  After last summer's debacle, I learned my lesson.  No one, and I mean no one, needs four heads of cabbage in one week.  I don't care how much you like cabbage, there's a limit to how much a person's digestive system can handle.

We are currently in the midst of a zucchini and cucumber blitz.  Last week, my CSA generously provided me with five gigantic zucchini and a bunch of adorable cucumbers.  (Really, the cucumbers were the cutest little shape.)  What to do, what to do?

The obvious choice for at least some of the zucchini is zucchini bread.  And grilled zucchini.  But what about pickled zucchini, kind of like pickled cucumbers but with zucchini?

Well, it's all good news because there are a plethora of pickled zucchini recipes out there so it appears that pickled zucchini is a thing.  The other good news is that I had everything needed right there in my refrigerator and in my pantry.  Score one for me.

This recipe was quick and easy, but alas I cannot tell you how delicious my pickled zucchini spears are.  For that, we will have to wait a week or two or three.  But good things come to those who wait.

Recipe:  Zucchini Dill Pickles
Epicurious.com

yield:
Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

2 pounds small zucchini (preferably about 4" or 8" long), trimmed
4 tablespoons coarse sea salt or pickling salt, divided
12 fresh dill sprigs
2 teaspoons yellow or brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 red jalapeños or Fresno chiles, split lengthwise
2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

If using 4" zucchini, halve lengthwise. If using 8" zucchini, halve crosswise, then quarter lengthwise. Place in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons salt and 4 cups ice. Add cold water to cover. Top with a plate to keep submerged. Let sit for 2 hours. Drain; rinse.

Divide dill sprigs and next 6 ingredients between 2 clean, hot 1-quart jars; set aside.

Bring vinegar, sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Working in batches, add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until khaki in color and slightly pliable, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer zucchini to jars.

Divide hot syrup between jars to cover zucchini, leaving 1/2" space on top. Wipe rims, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow at least a week to pickle before eating.

Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.

I Love Wednesday

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week, and it's not because it's hump day.  I love Wednesdays because that when the NYT Dining section is published.  No matter how uninspired I'm feeling, there's always something there that makes me look forward to cooking dinner.

This week's section did not disappoint, and Ted and I dined on Melissa Clark's Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes Wednesday evening.  Melissa is my go to when I'm looking for something fresh and vibrant to fight off the humidity of summer.

The real bonus here is that I had everything needed to make this delicious sounding pasta recipe right here in the house... or in my backyard.  Yup, we're growing a variety of herbs this summer, and to say that we are being overrun by mint would be an understatement of epic proportions.  There's a limit to how many cocktails with muddled mint Ted can make, so finding a recipe that calls for 3 cups of mint leaves is a real bonanza.  Because our basil is going wild as well, I threw in a handful of torn basil leaves along with the mint.

The weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy our summer pasta al fresco, along with a nice glass of rose.  Just one more reason to love Wednesdays.

Recipe:  Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
New York Times, July 9, 2014

* Note:  I added a handful of torn basil leaves along with the mint,

Ingredients:

1 pound fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
6 ounces pancetta, preferably thick cut, diced
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Fine sea salt and black pepper, as needed
1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh ricotta cheese, for serving (optional)
3 cups whole mint leaves, torn
4 scallions, preferably red scallions for color, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt, to finish

Directions:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add the oil and heat until it thins out and easily coats the pan when swirled. Add pancetta and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges and shrivel up slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add pasta to pan and toss with tomato-pancetta mixture; if the mixture looks dry add a little pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time. Cook over high heat until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the butter and toss until it melts and coats everything.

Divide pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish with dollops of ricotta if desired, and top with a generous mound of fresh mint and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and more pepper before serving.el4 Note: If you would like to leave out the pancetta (making the dish vegetarian), toss 1/3 cup grated pecorino in the pasta along with the butter.

YIELD 4 to 6 servings

A Little Kick

Although I am not a huge Asian food fan, I do love wasabi.  There's something about the sharp, sinus clearing taste that just drives me mad.  In fact, as far as I'm concerned, soy sauce and wasabi are the best things about sushi.

I know, I know.  Soy sauce and wasabi are not generally considered to be the high point of the sushi eating experience.

The other day I was thinking about how I might merge my love of sushi condiments into to a format I'd be more excited about.  What I really meant to say was that I was looking for a way to get the punch of wasabi with something other than raw fish.

A really limited amount of checking with my close friend Google revealed that lots of other people have had the same thought.  I found numerous versions of salmon with wasabi, but this one, with just a few of my own twists, really hit the spot for me.

Give it a try.  There's nothing quite like the wasabi kick!

Recipe:  Wasabi Crusted Salmon with Rice Noodles
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Wasabi powder
4 6 to 8 ounces salmon filet
½ pound rice noodles
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (divided) chopped peanuts
½ teaspoons hot sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Zest of 1 orange
2 scallions, chopped


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a glass bowl, mix the wasabi powder and a little water until you have made a paste. Add the oil to the Wasabi paste, and brush the mixture on the salmon. If possible, let the salmon rest for a short while to absorb some of the flavors. Place Salmon in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.

Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften. In a glass bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, peanuts, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Using a microplane grater, zest 1 orange into the mixture. Drain the noodles, add the soy sauce mixture and mix well. Place the noodles in the middle of the plate and top with the salmon.  Garnish with the scallions and reserved 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts. Drizzle with a little additional soy sauce, if desired.