Herbie Likes Spaghetti

Mint & Pea Pesto with Shrimp

2013-01-23T15:51:00.004-05:00

We love shrimp. We love pesto too. Why? Because they are both so easy and quick to make. Shrimp are great because you can just sauté them for a few minutes and you've got a meal. Pesto takes barely any time to prepare, yet packs a big punch of flavor.

We wanted to try something a little different, so we created this mint and pea pesto as the base, and tossed it with some quick sautéed shrimp. Whole wheat pasta was a very nice foil for this sauce - it had a bit more flavor than a traditional pasta would have, which paired very nicely with the pesto.

This dish only takes a few minutes to put together, so it's a great option for a weeknight. Give it a go!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1/2 lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 cup fresh mint
1.25 cups peas
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

To get started on the pesto, combine the peas, mint, walnuts, garlic, and cheese in a food processor. Pulse a few times to get things chopped up. Then turn on and drizzle in olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the food processor and pulse again. Continue this until a nice pasta forms. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat up a skillet and melt the butter. Toss in the shrimp and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, until the shrimp has turned opaque but has not started to shrink. You don't want to overcook it! Remove the skillet from heat when the shrimp has cooked.

Add the pesto to the skillet with the shrimp and stir to combine. Add in a ladle of pasta water and stir together until a nice silky sauce is formed.

Bring the cooked pasta from the cooking water into the skillet with the pesto and shrimp. Toss everything together to combine until the pasta is nicely coated.

Then, serve in big broad bowls, and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Cavatappi with Bacon, Spinach and Chickpeas
Two Years Ago: Rosemary Dijon Barbeque Sauce & Mac and Cheese

Gemelli with Eggplant and Mint

2013-01-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

In the wintertime, it can be hard to find good veggies to cook with, and eating with good veggies is a fundamental part of a healthy diet. That's why we're thankful for our good friend, eggplant. Some people really don't like eggplant. I can't get my mind around that. It tastes like whatever you cook it with plus a touch of umami, and has a nice thick texture that can almost convince you that you're eating meat. In my opinion, that's a winner.

So this is a dish that is a nice tribute to that magical vegetablemeat. It's very simple and easy to put together, the perfect thing for a new cook or a rushed cook. We recommend using Italian eggplant, as opposed to American eggplant. The Italian eggplants are a smaller (and a little pricier), but they don't have nearly as many seeds and on the whole have a better, less bitter flavor. So go ahead and sauté, simmer, and enjoy!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
2 Italian eggplants, chopped into cubes
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
4 tbsp freshly chopped mint
3 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups tomato sauce
1/2 lb gemelli pasta
Pecorino romano for garnish

Sprinkle your cubed eggplant with salt and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then, press down on it with a paper towel and get out some of the excess water. Get started by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. When the onion and garlic are translucent, add in the eggplant and sauté until soft - about 5 - 7 minutes.

Add in the tomato sauce and mint and stir to combine. Let come to a boil and then simmer. While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gemelli according to the package instructions - finishing a few minutes shy for al dente perfection.

Ladle a scoop of the pasta water into the sauce and then drain the pasta, rinsing it under cool water. Pour the drained pasta into the sauce and toss together over medium heat until nicely combined.

Serve topped with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese for garnish. Dig in and enjoy!

One year ago: Bucatini with Chicken Ragu (we actually just made this again a week ago)
Two years ago: Farfalle with Lamb, Basil, and Sundried Tomato

Spaghetti alla Gricia

2013-01-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! 2012 was a big year for us here at Herbie Likes Spaghetti. We moved to Brooklyn and became homeowners, travelled to Italy and Argentina, and got married. It was a truly special year, and it'll be hard to top in 2013, but we'll try. Between all that, we didn't do as great of a job giving you that many delicious recipes, and we'll try to remedy that over the next few months.

To start it off, we've got a delicious traditional dish that we really should have posted a long time ago. Spaghetti alla Gricia is one of those dishes that is so simple that you can really taste every single ingredient, and really get a feel for how those ingredients compliment one another. It's essentially the same dish as Spaghetti alla Amatriciana, just without the tomato. "White" dishes like this are what Italians eat when they're looking for a lighter dish or when they have an upset stomach. Or so I've been told.

In any case, you can pull it together in about 15 minutes, so it's perfect for a weekend night or a primi for a big dinner that won't take too much effort, and it'll still be a real crowd pleaser, so read on to learn how to make it at home.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need
Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz pancetta, chopped into cubes
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 lb spaghetti
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In your sauce or sauté pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat, and then slide in the pancetta and cook over medium low heat for about 7-8 minutes until the pancetta renders its fat and starts to get slightly crispy.

Next, add in your garlic and red onion slices and bring up the heat a bit. Sprinkle over a touch of salt, and let the garlic and onion simmer in the oil and fat for about 5 minutes until it is softened and fragrant.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in your pasta. You'll be finishing the pasta in the sauce, so you'll want to make sure that you only cook it until it is close to al dente - about two minutes shy of the package directions.

Add in a ladle of pasta water to the pancetta and onions and then drop in the grated cheese, letting the pasta water melt the cheese as much as possible. Add in the parsley, and when the pasta has reached the desired level of doneness, transfer it to the pan and toss everything together to combine over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with additional grated cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

One Year Ago: Hangar Steak with Blue Cheese Spiked BBQ Sauce
Two Years Ago: Jumbo Shrimp Buzara Style, Buzara di Scampi

Simple, Stunning Pasta for Dinner Tonight

2012-12-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

I've found that it's been pretty hard for me to get motivated to cook lately (and blog for that matter, if you'll notice how long it's been since I've been back here!). I think it has to do with the sun going down so early. By 4 o clock it feels like it's night time, and by the time work is over, the last thing I want to do is cook.

Fortunately, there are recipes like this simple tomato basil pesto that are super easy and extremely tasty. It doesn't take a ton of time to make, so you can eat and relax without much fuss. I love it because it utilizes basil and tomatoes which are really more of a summer flavor and are never that good in the winter. Because it's blended with other savory ingredients, you can get away with having mediocre tasting tomatoes and still get that summer flavor.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need
15 basil leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 lb linguine

Boil up some salted water and start cooking the linguine. It'll take about 8 minutes or so to cook - check it from time to time, and when it still has a touch of bite left, take it out of the water as you'll be cooking it a bit at the end.

While the pasta is cooking, combine your basil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, almonds and romano cheese into the food processor. Give it a good couple of pulses until a paste has formed. Then, carefully scrape down the ingredients that have risen to the sides. Close the processor again, and start drizzling in the olive oil. Pulse continuously until the olive oil has been used up and you've got a nice blended puree.

Give the puree a taste, and season with salt and pepper. If you feel like it needs a bit more sweetness, you can add some more basil or for more tanginess, a bit more cheese, and then just pulse to incorporate.

Heat up a sauté pan and pour in the basil tomato pesto and bring to heat. The pasta should be done at this point, so grab the linguine with your tongs and transfer to the sauté pan. Toss with the pesto over medium high heat and add in about a tablespoon of pasta water. Toss together until everything is nicely combined, a little less than a minute.

Serve in a bowl garnished with grated pecorino, and enjoy!

One year ago: Mezze Rigatoni with Sausage and Radicchio

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Shrimp

2012-11-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we posted - sorry guys! We've been really busy with work and getting married (yep, that happened!) and haven't had a lot of time to cook much less post. But we're sorry! We're really sorry.

With that out of the way, we wanted to share a little dish that we've made a few times that's a pretty classic Italian-American creation: Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Shrimp. But this isn't just any old fettuccine alfredo with grilled shrimp. You know how when you go to Olive Garden and order alfredo, it's very smooth and tastes like it came out of a can? This isn't like that. This is a really light, simple, sauce that isn't overwhelming, isn't too creamy, and provides just the right amount of flavor to really get you to want to eat it up as quickly as possible.

Grilling the shrimp separately and then placing them on top to combine while eating allows you to really honor the flavor of the shrimp and bring out it's shrimpiness. In my humble opinion, grilling is immensely superior to sautéing for this dish as it really highlights the flavor and texture.

In any case, don't take my words for it - give it a try and taste for yourself. The nice thing is the dish comes together so quickly and easily you won't need to try too hard to get it right!

Making the Dish
1 lb fresh peeled and deveined shrimp
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese
1/2 lb fettuccine or tagliatelle

Clean and rinse the shrimp, then in a mixing bowl combine the shrimp, olive oil, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Toss to combine and then let the shrimp marinate for about 20 minutes.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and then start to sauté the garlic. When the garlic is slightly golden and fragrant, add in the flour and start to whisk. Let the butter and flour combination toast slightly, and then slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking constantly so that no clumps form. Add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cheese, and then stir to combine until the cheese has melted. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and remaining parsley if needed. Remove from heat.

Turn up your grill to high heat. What? It's winter? No problem - do it anyway! The shrimp will only need a few minutes to cook through, and you want to make sure you don't over cook them. String them down a bamboo skewer and then place them over high heat. Sear on each side for 2 - 3 minutes until it has cooked through. Then remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions but subtract two minutes so that it's nice and al dente at the end. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and reserve a cup of the pasta water. Toss the fettuccine with the alfredo sauce over high heat and add additional cheese if desired. If the sauce needs to be loosened up at all, add in some pasta water and continue to toss until it is absorbed.

Serve with the shrimp on top, and enjoy!

Favorite Fall Feast: Pulled Pork

2012-10-01T20:29:00.000-04:00

I know this is usually a "summer" default, but for some reason, I love to make pulled pork in the fall. I think part of it has to do with the smell - you can go outside, get the grill all set up, and you have that nice fall smell surrounding you. It gets blended with the smoke throughout the day, and then the scent of the pork later on, and it's just intoxicating! Also, a big part of it may be that it's just not so hot, so you can spend some time out by the grill tending to your fire without the sun beating down on you and it's just all a bit more relaxing.

Pulled pork is an exercise in patience and quality of ingredients more than any sort of culinary skill. The patience comes from resisting that urge to lift up and check on the pork every 20 minutes or so, resisting the urge to take the meat off the grill too early and dive right in, resisting the urge to dig into the meat as soon as it comes off the fire. And since you're using really just one ingredient - the pork - you have to choose wisely. Get a good cut. It doesn't have to be huge, but it should have a nice thick fat cap. If you can find it, free range pork taste the best. A happy animal is a yummy animal.

Pulled Pork
3 - 4 lb pork shoulder
3 tbsp cajun seasoning
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 tsp brown sugar

3 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
aluminum foil
drip tray, filled 1/4 in high with water

Get things started by firing up your grill, set up for indirect heat (one bunch of coals on each side), and let it come to heat. Let your pork rest out of the fridge and come to room temperature during this time. Let the wood chips soak in water during this time as well.

Combine the olive oil, cajun season, salt, pepper, and brown sugar together in a bowl and whisk until a nicely combined paste forms. Spread the paste all over the pork, really rubbing it in. Get under the fat cap where possible, and make sure to really cover all sides of the flesh.

Create your smoker packets by placing a handful of wood chips into the center of a piece of aluminum. Fold the aluminum over and close it up. Then, poke 5 - 6 holes on one side. Do this until you have 6 packets made up.

Place your drip tray into the middle of the grill between the coals. The water in here will help to regulate the temperature in the grill throughout the cooking process. Place a wood chip packet on top of the coals on each side. Then, put the grate down and place the pork shoulder on top, fat cap up.

Cover the grill, and regulate the temperature to around 250 - 300 degrees. Soon you'll see plumes of smoke coming up. Once that smoke starts to peter off, after about 45 minutes, replace the spent wood chip packets with new ones. Repeat this until you've used up all your wood chips.

Let the pork roast in your grill smoker low and slow for about 5 hours. If you need to add new briquettes to keep the heat up, do this at the same time you're replacing your wood chip packets to avoid letting the heat out too often.

At about hour 5, wrap the whole shoulder up in aluminum foil and then let roast in the foil for the last hour.

Finally, when you've roasted the pork for a good six hours, remove it from the heat and let it rest in its foil packet for about 20 - 30 minutes. Then, remove it from the foil packet. You should be able to just pull out the bone in the middle as the meat will be so tender. Use two forks to pull the pork apart into strands. Douse with barbeque sauce, and dig in!

Note: if your grill loses too much temperature and you can't get it back up, it's okay to move the pork to the oven after you've gotten all of your smoke penetration done. I've had to do this a few times around hour 4, and there was no problem at all. You still get that smokey flavor since all of it is imparted in the first few hours, so don't sweat!

Ravioli alla Felice: Recreating a Roman Masterpiece

2012-09-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, we visited Rome, Italy, and had one of the most fantastic meals. It was at Felice a Testaccio, on a Saturday night, and we were able to experience their fantastic Ravioli alla Felice. It's a fresh, uncooked sauce of tomatoes, mint, basil, and cheese, tossed with perfectly al dente ravioli.

The amazing combination of flavors - the tangy tomatoes, the sweet mint, the creamy ricotta - has been stuck in our heads for months. We decided we ought to try and recreate it to the best of our abilities. So we went about purchasing our understanding of the ingredients, and trying to replicate the texture, presentation, and flavor. The result came out pretty close! We'd definitely give this one a try while the tomatoes are still ripe and the basil still plentiful. Enjoy!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
1/2 lb fresh made ravioli
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh mint
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup freshest ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
Grated pecorino romano cheese to garnish

Get started by chopping everything up. You'll want to thinly slice the 10 - 12 leaves of the basil and 10 - 12 leaves of the mint in a chiffonade. Additionally, quarter the cherry tomatoes. Lastly, finely mince the garlic clove (a tip - if you throw a little salt over the glove while you're mincing it, it will help to crush it up more and give you an almost paste).

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, mint, oil, and pepper together, and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Remove half of the tomato mixture and place it in a food processor. Give it two or three quick pulses, until a sort of chunky salsa has formed.

Return the pulsed tomato blend into the bowl with the whole tomatoes. Add in a quarter cup of the ricotta cheese, and stir everything together to combine until the ricotta has spread throughout the sauce. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Cook up the ravioli according to the directions. When it's done, drain, and then pour the sauce over it, toss everything together so that the heat from the ravioli transfers to the sauce.

Spoon onto a plate, top with a dollop of fresh ricotta, and some basil and mint for garnish. Sprinkle the grated pecorino romano over top. Dig in, and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Tagliatelle Bolognese

A Most Delicious Skirt Steak Dinner

2012-09-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hello readers! Apologies for being away for so long, we know we've been bad. With the end of the summer coming up there's been quite a bit of travel and visits and other activities keeping us away from the computer, which I suppose is a good thing. But that doesn't mean we've stayed away from the kitchen. In fact, we've developed quite a few delicious recipes that we're very excited to share with you!

The first is what we're calling simply, Skirt Steak alla Bryan. It is not the most creative name, but it is accurate - this is skirt steak in the style of Bryan. It's one of those recipes that came about from having a desire for certain flavors, walking around the store to find the best looking ingredients that would match, and then pulling something together.

I think we've mentioned before that skirt steak is one of our favorite cuts. We marinate it in a deliciously simple rosemary garlic marinade, and then grill it up. We top it with a luscious combination of caramelized mushrooms, bursting cherry tomatoes, and creamy ricotta cheese. Served with a side of whipped potatoes, this is a dish that will leave you feeling sublime after every bite. So read on and learn how to cook it up tonight!

Preparing the Dish

What You'll Need
1 lb skirt steak
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
4 - 5 waxy red potatoes
1/4 cup half and half/cream
salt and pepper to taste

Take the salt and pepper and spread it evenly over the steak and let rest for a minute or two while you chop up the rosemary and garlic. Then, rub the rosemary and garlic into the steak, and drizzle over a tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub everything around until all of the herbs are spread around evenly, and let the steak rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you're using a charcoal fire, start it now.

Get the mushrooms started. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add in the mushrooms and add in a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Heat the mushrooms until they start to exude their liquid. Once they do, add in the marsala cooking wine, let it boil off slightly, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the mushrooms cook like this until just about the end, stirring occasionally so they don't burn. You'll want them to get nice and small and caramelized.

Heat up a pot of salted water to a boil. Dice your potatoes and then add them to the water. Let them cook for about 10 minutes until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small pot or pan. Add in the smashed garlic cloves and slowly cook in the oil over low to medium heat, being careful not to let the garlic burn. It should start to be golden and soft. If you cook it low enough for long enough, it will get very soft and sweet. That's what you're going for!

Remove the potatoes from the water and add them to a mixing bowl. Add in the slow cooked garlic and start to mash everything together with your fork. Add in the half and half and continue to mix together until the potatoes get to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the amount of cream if needed.

Now you can put on your steak. Grill it for about 4 - 5 minutes per side over direct heat with the lid closed until the steak is fairly firm to the touch but not too tough. Remove from the heat and let rest.

While the steak is resting, add the tomatoes to the mushrooms and raise the heat. At the same time, start to toast the pine nuts in the toaster.

Saute the tomatoes and the mushrooms together until the tomatoes are just starting to burst. Remove from heat. Add in the pine nuts and stir together.

Now, put it all together. Slice the steak agains the grain and ladle on a dollop of ricotta cheese. Place over that the mushrooms, tomato, and pine nuts, and serve a nice big helping of whipped potatoes on the side.

Dig in and enjoy! We guarantee you'll love the creamy texture of the ricotta with the tanginess of the tomatoes and mushrooms and the heartiness of the meat. This is a winner for sure!

One Year Ago: Fettuccine with Fresh Corn Pesto and Kale and Edamame Pesto

Nectar of Summer: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2012-08-30T07:47:00.000-04:00

We don't do nearly enough baking around here, and in the summer when fresh fruit is abundant, some baking just won't be better. Strawberry Rhubarb pies have always been a favorite of ours - that sweet yet slightly tangy flavor of the filling is just irresistible. However if you don't have a pie crust on hand and don't want to make your own, the idea of baking a pie can be daunting. By making a crisp instead, you can be united with your sweet summery filling more quickly, and truthfully, it might even taste better!

So if you love strawberry rhubarb pies but find yourself pressed for time to make a pie crust, give this recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp a try, and feel free to thank us later!

Making the Crisp
What You'll Need

For the filling
1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced in half
1 bunch fresh rhubarb, cut into small chunks
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

For the crisp
1.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and flour. Fold everything together gently until the sugar and flour are equally spread out over the strawberries and rhubarb. Let rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

While the strawberries and rhubarb are resting, combine the crisp ingredients in another mixing bowl. Add the rolled oats, flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and mix together gently. Then add in the butter and using a fork, start to stir it into the dry ingredients.

Stir everything together until the butter is fairly equally distributed throughout the ingredients, and clumps of crisp have formed. You may need to use your hands to get it really nicely dispersed.

Take out a pie dish and coat the sides with butter. Then add in the strawberry rhubarb mix - it should be nice and syrupy by now. Spread the strawberry rhubarb mix equally over the pie dish.

Then, sprinkle the crisp over the top, until the entire surface of the crisp is covered.

Pop the dish into the oven and wait about 30 - 45 minutes, or until the top of the crisp is nice and, well, crispy. Once it's done, remove and let cool for about 15 minutes at least before digging in.

Enjoy!

One year ago: Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange

Thomas Keller's Tarragon Chicken and Creamy Potato Salad

2012-08-22T17:18:00.001-04:00

This is one of those really fancy tasting meals where you take a bite and think to yourself "wow, did I really cook this at home?" Well guess what - you did. Tarragon seems to have that effect on me - every time I have it it makes me feel like I'm eating something really luxurious. Unfortunately I've only really ever had it on chicken - any other ideas of where I could be using it?

We served this delicious tarragon chicken with a side of creamy ranch green bean potato salad, which is as easy to put together as reading the name of the salad! The two flavors actually went together quite well, with the coolness of the ranch in the salad mimicking the cool deep flavor of the tarragon chicken.

Give this one a try next time you need to impress!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
For the Chicken
2 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded down to about 1/2 an inch thick
1/4 cup flour
4 tbsp canola oil
1 shallot, diced
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
1/2 cup white wine

For the salad
4 - 5 red potatoes
1/2 lb green beans
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 tbsp chopped chives
1 cup ranch dressing
2 tsp ground pepper
1 shallot, diced

Start everything off by cooking up the potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic. Then add in the potatoes and cook until they are fork tender.

Remove the potatoes from the water and then blanch the green beans for about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove and then rinse in cool water. Quarter the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle. Cut the green beans into one inch pieces

Add the ranch dressing to a bowl and add in the ground pepper. For the ranch dressing, we made our own but it was a lot of work and ended up tasting just like it would have if we had used a good pre-made one, so we recommend doing that and just adding the pepper to give it a little kick.

Add the potatoes, green beans, chives, and diced shallot to the bowl with the ranch dressing. Stir everything together, and then place in the fridge to cool.

To make the chicken, once you've pounded the chicken flat, dredge each piece in flour so that it's lightly coated, and pat off the excess. Heat up the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet until it is very hot. Then carefully place each piece of chicken in the pan, searing it on each side, about 2 - 3 minutes per side.

You may need to do this in batches so that you don't crowd the pan.

Once you've seared the chicken on each side, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a paper towel. Remove all but 2 tbsp of the oil from the pan. Then return the pan to heat, with the remaining oil and the browned chicken bits, and add in the diced shallot and the diced tarragon.

Stir everything together and let the shallots soften and the flavor of the tarragon infuse. When the shallots have softened a bit, add in the wine and bring everything to a boil. Stir around and let it thicken slightly. When it has thickened slightly, return the chicken to the pan and cook for a minute or two longer on each side until the chicken has cooked through and absorbed the flavor.

When the chicken is done, place it on each plate and drizzle the pan sauce over it. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon, and serve the cooled salad on the side!

One Year Ago: Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Corn, and Jalapeno

The Best Tomato Sauce is Sometimes the Simplest: Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Sauce

2012-08-20T15:47:00.004-04:00

Deep into summer is when the tomatoes start to get really good and the basil is at the peak of its brilliance. As a result, it's possible to make a ridiculously tasty pasta sauce using just the fruit of the earth. You'll look like a top class chef when all you'll have really done is cut up some tomatoes and applied a bit of heat.

This sauce is imminently simple - you barely need the recipe - but when done at the height of summer, it is perfection. Get some nice pasta, any kind will do, and toss it with the goodness here and be ready to really enjoy. Garnish with a touch of fresh grated pecorino romano cheese and you'll have a real treat.

My one tip - when you're starting it off, cook the garlic nice and low for a long time, getting as much of that flavor infused into the oil as possible. It'll really heighten the flavor of the tomato.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

2 - 3 ridiculously fresh, perfectly ripe tomatoes
12 leaves fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb pasta
pecorino romano cheese to garnish

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in salt. Add in the pasta and cook until 1 - 2 minutes shy of package directions. So long as the pasta takes more than 9 or 10 minutes to cook, you can start it before cooking any of the sauce.

To start, slice up the garlic into thin slices. Don't chop it or mince it too much, as you'll want to simmer it for a nice long time to get the flavor infused into the oil.

Heat the oil over low heat and then add in the garlic. Let the garlic simmer on the low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to turn slightly golden. Let this go as long as possible - hopefully around 5 - 7 minutes, to really get the flavor infused.

While the garlic is cooking, slice up the tomatoes. Core them and then slice them into eights, then slice those eights into half so that you have little triangles of tomato.

When the garlic is done simmering and before it starts to burn, add in the tomatoes and give everything a toss around. Add in the salt and pepper and stir together. This should remove the garlic from the direct heat.

Let the tomatoes simmer over the low heat for about 2 - 3 minutes. The tomatos will start to break down and exude their juice. While the tomatoes are cooking, cut the basil in a chiffonade.

Once the tomatoes have finished their slight cooking and the pasta is done, drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Pour in a small ladle of the water into the sauce and then add in the drained pasta. Throw in the basil and then toss everything over medium heat until the pasta water is absorbed.

Serve garnished with pecorino romano cheese, and enjoy the fruits of summer!

One Year Ago: Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Corn, and Jalapeño

The Perfect Sandwich Transformed into the Perfect Pasta: BLT Bucatini

2012-08-08T15:31:00.001-04:00

The closer we get to the end of the summer, the more delicious the tomatoes get. That's why these next couple of recipes will be focused on the sweet, delicious tomatoes that are abound this time of year.

This recipe is a sort of "BLT" pasta. It's simple but very tasty. Instead of bacon, we use pancetta, and instead of lettuce, we use arugula. But we definitely use tomatoes. Tomatoes that are slightly roasted to really bring our their flavors, and then tossed into the pasta to create nice medley of flavors as the juices from the tomatoes coat all the strands of noodles.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need
3 oz pancetta, cubed
1 bunch arugula, cleaned and trimmed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 lb bucatini or other long pasta
3 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pecorino romano for garnish

Get started by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Then slice in half all of the cherry tomatoes. Toss them in a bowl and drizzle with two tsp of the olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste, and then toss the tomatoes around with the olive oil until they're all coated.

Lay the tomatoes out on a baking dish and when the oven is ready, place them in to roast for about 10 minutes. You can start cooking your pasta around this time in a pot of salted water.

While the tomatoes are roasting, add the pancetta to a skillet with the remaining olive oil and cook over medium heat for about 8 or 9 minutes, until the fat renders out and the pancetta is nice and crispy.

Once the pancetta is crispy, add in the arugula, one bit at a time, and let it wilt down. It should only take a few minutes. Once all of the arugula has been added, remove from heat.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven. They should be nice and roasted and starting to soften. Drain the pasta, reserving a small ladle of the water. Then combine the pasta and roasted tomatoes in the skillet with the pancetta and arugula, and add in the pasta water. Toss everything together until the water is absorbed.

Serve with grated pecorino romano on top and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Maltagliati with Favas, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Lamb Meatballs from Thomas Keller

2012-08-06T19:03:00.002-04:00

We've been out on the beach for the last couple of days enjoying the hot summer weather. As a result, we're now very sunburned, but feeling nice and relaxed.

Now that we're back, we want to share this delicious recipe with you all. We got it from Thomas Keller - not from him personally, but from one of his books - and are pretty intrigued by it. Normally when we make meatballs, it's pretty much just meat, some bread, some cheese, etc. But Thomas Keller wouldn't have it be that simple. These lamb meatballs have a great flavor and pretty much perfect texture for a meatball, and it's thanks to a simple secret ingredient that's perfect in the summer - zucchini!

We served these up with our favorite summer side - tomato cucumber salad with a touch of mint and olive oil, which was the perfect side for these lamb meatballs.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

For the Lamb Meatballs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 egg yolk
1 lb ground lamb

For the Tomato Cucumber Salad
1 cucumber, sliced into wedges
2 tomatoes, cored and diced
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp freshly chopped mint
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

To start this off, chop up all your ingredients first and preheat your oven to 375 degrees or start up your grill. That'll save you time down the road. Then in a skillet heat up the olive oil and then start to sauté the onion, zucchini, and garlic with a touch of the salt and pepper.

Let the zucchini and onion cook for about 10 - 15 minutes over medium heat until it has started to caramelize and is very soft. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove the zucchini and onion from the skillet and place in a mixing bowl.

Let the zucchini and onion mix cool down a bit and use this time to make the tomato salad. Doing it early in the process will give it time to let the flavors mingle and develop a great taste.

Making the tomato salad is quite simple. Just toss the tomato cucumber and red onion together with the salt pepper and sugar. Then once everything is combined add in the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Then add in the mint leaves and give it another toss. Then let sit rest in the fridge while you finish up the rest of the meatballs.

Now that the zucchini and onion have cooled, add in the egg yolk. It'll be important that you give it a chance to cool or else the heat from the zucchini and onion will cook the egg yolk and give you chunks of yolk - not really what you want here. Stir together with a fork.

Add in the ground lamb and mix everything together using your hands. Mix and mix until the zucchini, onion, and egg is thoroughly incorporated into the lamb. Then, grab small pieces of the lamb and roll them into balls slightly larger than a golf ball. Place them onto a baking sheet.

Bake lamb meatballs for about 15 - 20 minutes (this will vary depending on the size of the meatball). or if you are grilling, give them a sear on each side over direct heat and then move to indirect heat and let cook. After 15 minutes check one to see if it is cooked all the way through. Continue cooking if necessary, if not, serve with the tomato salad on the side and enjoy!

One Year Ago: The Sriracha Burger

Simple Summer Pasta: Spaghetti with Jalapeños, Scallions, and Cherry Tomatoes

2012-07-28T14:07:00.002-04:00

This is one of those recipes that we'd seen a few times here and there and each time we saw it said "yea, we'll give that a try... one of these days." The reason is because, as you're probably thinking right now as well, it's a little different, a little out there, and you may not be convinced it'll be all that good.

Well, we finally did get around to putting this simple mix of ingredients together and let's just say, we should have done it sooner. All of these veggies cook pretty quickly so it's great for summer as it doesn't require a lot of time slaving away by the stove. Furthermore, although you might shy away from the jalapeños, when they're de-seeded and slow cooked, they get to be slightly sweet and just a little tangy - not really spicy anymore, and this gives this sauce a really nice little buzz that makes it perfect for a warm day.

The last thing to point out about this dish is that it's very inexpensive. The veggies here don't really take center stage in the farmers markets and as such don't command that high of a price. You can take advantage of that by making this tasty, intriguing summery pasta dish for probably less than $4 a plate.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

1 bunch scallions
1 - 2 jalapeños, cored and de-seeded
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved.
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb spaghetti
pecorino romano cheese and pepper, to taste

Get started by bringing a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until 1 minute shy of the package directions. Chop the garlic into somewhat thick slices so that it can stand up to the long cooking. Cut down 2 - 3 of the scallions into thirds. Cut the jalapeños in halves and then slice so that you have little half moons. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and slice them in half.

In a skillet, heat up the olive oil, and then add in all the veggies except for the cherry tomatoes. Stir them around in the olive oil over low heat, making sure none of them burn while allowing them to cook for as long as possible, infusing their flavor into the olive oil. This will take about 7 - 8 minutes. At the end you'll want the garlic to be soft and golden brown, and the jalapeños to be very soft and almost brownish in color. The scallions will get very dark green.

When the veggies are done cooking add in the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle over the salt, and stir everything together. Cook the cherry tomatoes until they just start to burst and exude their juices, and then remove from heat. When the pasta is done, add in a ladle of the pasta water and then the pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together over high heat until the liquid is absorbed into the pasta and the sauce is at the desired consistency - about a minute.

Serve, garnished with grated pecorino romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle a little extra olive oil as well, if desired. Enjoy!

One Year Ago: Creamy Pea Pesto with Sun-dried Tomato and Chicken (one of our favorites!)

Herbie's World Famous Guac

2012-07-25T10:49:00.001-04:00

It seems that many of you enjoyed our guajillo rubbed tacos recipe (a few of you even sent us photos of your own creations - thanks!), but what about the guacamole that goes with it? We like to call it our world famous guac. This may be a bit of an overstatement, but in our opinion, it's consistently the best guacamole we've eaten.

It's got the perfect blend of heat, tanginess, creaminess, and coolness. And the best thing about it is that it's actually really simple to pull together, so anybody can make it.

There are two important things to keep in mind when making the perfect guac. The first is the avocado. If you don't have ripe avocados, this recipe will be a total fail. So when you go to the store make sure you test each one by giving it a little squeeze. It should have a little bit of give - but not too much, as you don't want it to be bruised.

The other important thing to note about making the perfect guacamole is the mixing and mashing part. You can't overblend it! Bryan has been guilty of doing this before, to YiRan's chagrin. So really all you need to do is give it a few stirs with a fork and that'll be it. You'll see that limiting your efforts here results in a perfect consistency and an overall delicious guac. Dig in!

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

2 - 3 small or medium avocados, perfectly ripe
1 - 2 small or medium tomatoes, perfectly ripe
1/2 small white onion
1 clove garlic
1 lime
1 - 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt + more to taste
1 tsp pepper + more to taste

The thing about guacamole is that no recipe is going to be totally accurate because it all depends on the quality of the avocados and the tomatoes. If you have perfect, middle of the summer avocados and tomatoes that are perfectly sweet and wonderful, you'll probably need less lime and less salt and pepper to get the flavor just right. So the ingredients list above lists the recommened minimum's, from our experience. But do please take this with a grain of salt (ZING!), and look at it as more of a process. Add some ingredients, taste, and if you need more, add a little more here and there, and taste again.

Get started by chopping up your tomato. Slice it in half, core it, and then cut into slivers. Remove the seeds, and then dice the flesh into small little cubes.

Similarly, dice up half of the onion into very small (about half inch sized) cubes. Smash the garlic with your knife to get the skin off, add a pinch of salt onto it, and then dice it very finely. The salt will help to mash it and extract the flavor. Or, use a microplane to get it very very small.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, and onion to a mixing bowl. Remove the pits from the avocados and give it a few slices inside, then scoop the flesh out with a spoon into the bowl. Slice the lime in half, and then squeeze out the juice from half of the lime into the bowl. Add in the freshly chopped cilantro, the chile flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper to the bowl.

Now, it's time to mix. Use a fork and give it about 5 - 8 strong stirs around. This should start to mash the guacamole if it's very ripe and might just be enough. Gently use the fork to distribute the ingredients and see if the guacamole is at the desired consistency. If not, give it another 2 - 3 strong stirs, then gently distribute the ingredients again and check. This should be about enough. Taste it and see if it's at the right flavor. If it needs a bit more tang, add in some more lime. If it is a little bland, add a touch more salt. If it could use a litte more smokiness, add in some more cumin. Your main lever will probably be salt and lime, but be sure to not go too heavy handed. Nothing's worse than salty guac.

Each time you add in ingredients, gently fold the seasonings into the mix, but be sure not to mix too hard, or in the process of adjusting the flavors you may overmix the guac. Then YiRan would be mad at you.

Now you should have Herbie's World Famous Guac - so dig in and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Pan Seared Tubot with Zucchini

Super Tasty Tacos: Guajillo Chile Rubbed Steak Tacos

2012-07-20T18:26:00.001-04:00

Everybody loves taco night right? And during the summer when you can get out and grill, it's even better. This is a very simple recipe that will really amp up your tacos. All you have to do is get your hands on some dried guajillo chiles, and you're halfway there.

The guajillo rub gives the steak a deep, earthy flavor with a hint of spice. It's a rich, enchanting flavor that will tingle a bit, but won't be so spicy as to get in the way of enjoying it. We mixed ours with an ancho chile and a chipotle chile to give it an even more complex flavor. If you want a little more spice, feel free to amp it up with some jalapeño or habanero.

We served these tacos with our world's best guacamole, the recipe for which we'll share next week. So make sure you stop back for that!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
2 - 3 dried guajillo chiles
1 dried ancho or chipotle chile (optional)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb hanger steak, trimmed

First thing you'll need to do is reconstitute the chiles. Fill a bowl with warm water and then drop in the chiles. Place a smaller bowl on top of them so that they are totally submerged. Let them sit in the water for about 30 minutes.

Once the chiles are reconstituted, remove the stems and the seeds and then place them in a food processor. Add in the olive oil and garlic, and then start to pulse the food processor. A thick paste will form. If bigger bits get up on the side, move them down with a spatula and then pulse again.

After the paste has formed, drizzle in a little bit (about 1 - 2 tbsp) of the chile infused water. Pulse again with the water until a nice puree has formed. Taste this and season with salt and pepper. It'll be a bit abrasive to the taste, but don't worry, as you're only getting the essence of this flavor with your steak.

Rub the guajillo rub all over the steak. Let the rubbed steak sit at room temperature in the puree for about 15 - 20 minutes as it comes to room temperature. Then, remove the excess guajillo from the steak and get ready to grill.

Heat up your grill or grill pan to a high direct heat and place the steak over the heat source. Grill for about 3 - 4 minutes per side to get to medium. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Then slice the steak against the grain and get ready to enjoy.

This goes great with a nice cool sour cream and some guacamole!

One Year Ago: Fusilli with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

Simple Like in Italy: Cavatappi with the Simplest Veal Pasta Sauce

2012-07-18T20:56:00.001-04:00

When we were in Bologna, we ate at a place called Osteria 15 and we had a fantastic meal. One of the dishes that we ate was a simple pasta with sausage sauce. It wasn't elaborate or complicated, just a few ingredients that went together perfectly to create a wonderful, comforting dish.

This dish is quite similar although instead of using sausage, we use ground veal. There's nothing much that's special or complicated about this dish, it's just a couple of ingredients that go together really well. The result is an experience that's far more delicious than you'd expect given the amount of effort required.

So if you're in the mood for something strikingly delicious in its simplicity, give this simplest veal pasta sauce a try, and enjoy!

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

1/2 lb cavatappi or other tubular pasta
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 lb ground veal
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (plus a touch more for garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and then add in the chopped onion, a touch of salt, and the crushed red pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 7 - 8 minutes until the onion is thoroughly soft and slightly golden.

Once the onion is ready, add in the veal and stir together with the onion. Grind on a touch of fresh ground pepper and add a bit more salt. Let the veal cook in with the onion and olive oil until it is mostly browned on all sides - about 3 - 4 minutes.

While the veal is cooking. remove the whole tomatoes from the can and juice and chop coarsely. Add the chopped tomato to the saucepan. You do not need to add the juice - but if you feel like the sauce needs a bit more looseness, add in a touch of it.

Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a bubble. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and let the veal sauce simmer on very low heat, covered, for about 20 - 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure nothing gets burnt.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and throw in the pasta. Cook until a minute shy of package directions.

When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and then add in the veal sauce. Add in the pecorino romano, and drizzle some of the pasta water on top to get it to melt slightly. Then, stir everything together until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Serve garnished with some additional pecorino romano cheese, and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Tagliatelle with Fresh Tuna Ragu

Roman-Style Delicious Pasta: Fettuccine with Pancetta, Peas, and Mint

2012-07-16T21:29:00.002-04:00

Since coming back from Italy, we've been obsessed with what we're calling "Roman-style" pastas. That would be, pasta dishes that are incredibly simple, made up of only a few ingredients, served with truly al dente pasta. We tried to make a version of cacio e pepe, but that didn't turn out quite right. We'll try again.

In the meantime, this simple fettuccine of pancetta, peas, and mint is perfect for that Roman-style pasta craving while also being perfectly in season. The freshness of the mint goes perfectly with the peas, and the pancetta gives it a nice, crispy, bacon-y flavor.

This dish takes only a few minutes to prepare. Serve it with some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, and get ready to enjoy the delightfully simple flavors.

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
1/2 lb fettuccine pasta
1 cup, peas
2 thick slices pancetta, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until 2 minutes shy of package directions.

In a non-stick pan heat up the olive oil and then add in the pancetta. Turn the heat to low, and allow the pancetta to cook over low heat while the fat renders and the pancetta becomes quickly. Be sure to cook this at low heat or else the fat will not render completely before the pancetta starts to burn.

Once the pancetta has cooked through, add in the garlic and scallions. Add a touch of salt, and stir to combine. Let cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the garlic has cooked through, but be careful not to burn. If the garlic starts to burn at all, remove from heat and add in a touch of pasta water.

Add in the peas and stir to combine. Grate in a touch of the black pepper. Let the peas cook until warmed through.

Once the peas have warmed through, add in ladle of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the saucepan. Toss in the fresh mint. Over high heat, toss everything together until the liquid has been absorbed into the pasta.

Serve with a slight drizzle of olive oil and grated pecorino romano cheese. Enjoy!

One year ago: Tagliatelle with Fresh Tuna Ragu

The Best Quesadillas Ever: Grilled and Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach, and Chicken

2012-07-13T13:36:00.001-04:00

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming! You may have heard that we recently moved to our own place in Brooklyn, and the cherry on top of this new place is the massive (relatively speaking, that is) amount of outdoor space we now have. That means we can grill, and that we'll be sharing our grilling secrets with you.

The first one we're going to share is one of our favorites - grilled quesadillas. Usually you don't see quesadillas that are grilled, but let me tell you, the result is excellent. It's crispy without being oily, and you can get them to be almost charred, which gives them a nice deep flavor.

These grilled quesadillas are filled with grilled chicken, roasted red pepper, and spinach, as well as some Monterey jack cheese. The flavor combination here is tremendous. The roasted red pepper are nice and sweet, which goes perfectly with the earthy spinach. The melty cheese brings it all together and the tasty, spicy chicken gives it a nice kick. So this weekend, throw these easy to make quesadillas onto your grill and enjoy!

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
3 large flour tortillas
3 cups shredded monteray jack cheese
2 chicken breasts, butterflied
1 bag spinach
1 red pepper
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil

Prior to cooking anything, take the chicken out and butterfly it so that it can lay flat. Rub with the cajun seasoning, and then let rest until it comes to room temperature.

To start things off, heat up your grill and put the roasted red pepper on the grate. Roast the red pepper until it is charred on all sides. Then remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes or until it's cool enough to handle.

While the red pepper is cooking, you can prepare the spinach. Simply sauté in a pan with some olive oil, and once wilted, remove from heat. Use a paper towel and press down on the spinach to sop up any liquid that might be in the spinach (if it's runny it'll make the quesadillas fall apart).

Throw the chicken on the grill and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through but not too dry. Remove from the grill and let rest for a few minutes. While the chicken is resting, remove the skin from the roasted red pepper and remove the seeds. Rinse quickly.

Place the red pepper on the cutting board and chop into nice small pieced. Chop up the spinach roughly, and then chop the chicken into cubes. Separate all of the ingredients into thirds.

Onto each tortilla, place half of a cup of cheese, then a third each of the spinach, red pepper, and chicken. Then cover with the another half cup of cheese, and fold the tortilla over.

Place the folded over quesadillas back onto the grill (carefully so nothing falls out), and close the lid. Let them grill for about 3 - 4 minutes per side. You'll see the cheese has melted and the tortilla will have gotten golden brown and crispy.

Then, remove from the heat and slice each tortilla into thirds. Dig in and enjoy! Feel free to dip with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or whatever! These quesadillas are delicious and won't let you down!

One year ago: Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Eggplant

Where does Bolognese Come From? Bologna, of course!

2012-07-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

Now that we're back from Italy and all settled in, we figured we'd give you another taste of Italy. This time, from Bologna. We went to Bologna after Florence, but we found Florence to be somewhat of a foodie bust. The food was good, but not great, likely due to the fact that it's clogged with tourists there.

Bologna on the other hand is a food lovers paradise. It seems to be a somewhat overlooked and underrated city - not even getting a page in Rick Steve's Italian tour book that we had used throughout the trip - but that turned out to be a plus as we had our most authentic meals in this city.

It's located just minutes away from places like Parma, Modena, and Emilio Reggiano, so delicious D.O.P. Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto di Modena, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and Parmigiano Reggiano are aplenty, and very affordable.

We had one of our best meals of the trip at a very old and well known place in Bologna called Osteria 15. Everything was so good, so fresh, and so delicious, and we ate so much that we were literally not hungry throughout most of the next day.

We started off with a sampler of cured meats, fried bread, and cheeses. A fresh, dry ricotta drizzled with a reduction of balsamic vinegar was one of the cheeses, and the other was this creamy, delicious cheese that unfortunately I've forgotten the name of, but is apparently a typical cheese of the region (anyone out there remember what that might be? Let us know in the comments!).

Fresh ricotta with balsamic reduction

Cured meats and that amazing cheese. Creamy and tangy and delicious!

We each then had a pasta, YiRan enjoyed handmade tortellini in an creamy artichoke sauce that had a divine flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Bryan devoured gramigne with sausage which was also really good.

Tortellini with artichoke cream sauce

Gramigne con salsicce

Then we got our secondi, prosciutto and arugula baked with tomino cheese. To say this was rich and heavenly would be an understatement.

Prosciutto with baked tomino cheese. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The next day we went out on an amazing day tour of food producers in the region and saw how parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto were made, and learned all about the process and regulations governing what it takes to be real Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. This was a really outstanding day, which culminated with an amazing lunch out on the countryside. Anyone travelling to the region really must go on the tour - see more about it at the Italian Day's Food Experience website.

Our view while eating in Bologna's countryside

The first pasta - with vegetables grown in the garden nearby

The second pasta - with black truffle cream sauce and chopped walnuts

The secondi - white cow with balsamic and parmigiano, with a side of crisped potatoes and peperonata

Finally we feasted at Ristorante al Sangiovese where we had the traditional tagliatelle bolognese as well as a special of the house, this maccheroni with a tomato pesto and prosciutto. The tagliatelle bolognese was just the perfect incarnation of bolognese - light and simple, delicious, delicate flavor, nicely al dente pasta. The tomato pesto was sharp, tangy, and slightly sweet.

Maccheroni with tomato pesto and prosciutto

Tagliatelle bolognese

Finally, we should share a word about our accommodations in Bologna. We stayed at the Antica Residenza d'Azeglio bed and breakfast, and our host Roberto really redefined hospitality for us. We were greeted with a nice bottle of lambrusco, and a bottle of prosecco, provided with sparkling and still water throughout our stay, and sent on our way with a bagful of small paninis with prosciutto and salami. Anyone travelling to Bologna should try to stay here - it's a beautiful place, comfortable room, and incredible service for a very good price.

Anyway - hopefully that whets your appetite for some delicious prosciutto and parmigiano with lambrusco tonight and puts Bologna on your itinerary for your next visit to Italy. Next up this week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming :)

Ciao!

When in Rome - Eat like the Romans!

2012-07-04T14:06:00.001-04:00

Well hello there and happy Fourth of July! We've once again skipped town on America's birthday (last year, we were in Cancún) and are posting today from Italy.

So far we've spent some time in Rome and some time in Florence and will be touring Bologna and Venice later on in our trip. We've had a great time so far, and have really enjoyed seeing all the sights and most importantly eating all the food.

We wanted to share some photos with you of the delicious food that we've eaten, which will undoubtedly be inspiration for meals when we return.

Rome
We loved Rome. Many people mentioned that it was just like New York City - we're not quite sure we agree, unless they're spending time in a more quiet, quaint, historic, and delicious version of New York City that we've never seen. Almost all of the food we ate was fantastic, and the ancient ruins and churches were magnificent to see.

Our first morning we enjoyed a cappuccino with some delicious Italian pastries.

The cappuccino in Italy really puts my Starbucks on 21st street to shame. The foamed milk is silky smooth yet thick, and the espresso is much less bitter.

In Rome we also came to love Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe - spaghetti with cheese and pepper. It's such a simple combination, yet the resulting flavor is fantastic. This is the photo of the dish we had at Enoteca Antica, near the base of the Spanish steps. We've always thought about making spaghetti cacio e pepe before, but always opted for something a little more complicated. We'll put that mistake to rest upon our return.

At Enoteca Antica we also enjoyed this Bigoli d'Anatra - large handmade noodles with duck sauce. Little bits of duck in a light olive oil and butter sauce. Divine.

Finally, thanks to the recommendation of our friend, we enjoyed a spectacular dinner at Felice a Testaccio. It's in a part of Rome that's far away from the tourists and as a result the food is so much better.

This Spaghetti all'Amatriciana was made with huge chunks of speck that were cooked perfectly so that the fatty part just melted into your mouth. Apparently the Amatriciana at Felice is on the list of the "best Amatriciana's in Rome" and it's easy to see why.

We also enjoyed this absolutely superb ravioli with a mint sauce. The mint was so fresh and delicious that it made the sauce taste like the embodiment of spring. Topped with fresh ricotta and simply cooked cherry tomatoes, this is one of our favorite dishes so far.

We'll be back soon with more updates. If you have any advice for our time in Venice, please let us know in the comments!

Ooey Gooey Goodness: Penne with Sausage and Creamy Ricotta Sauce

2012-06-28T14:46:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, occasionally we'd have some pasta with sauce and then put some ricotta cheese on top of it. I'd always try to eat the ricotta and pasta separately, because I was OCD like that, but the thing is, the best part was at the very end when the pasta, ricotta, and sauce got all mixed together.

This dish takes that bottom of the dish goodness and spreads it out over the entirety of the meal. As a result you have creamy, rich, and delicious flavor, bite after bite. Better yet? It takes about 15 minutes to make, so you can have this whenever you'd like. Don't like sausage? Take it out! It'll work great with any other meat, or a nice vegetable like an eggplant or mushrooms. (Actually, I bet this would be great with mushrooms!).

And apologies for the lack of posts this week - we're getting ready for ITALY! We'll post pictures of all the food and drink and landscapes when we get back. Again, if you have any suggestions for the trip, let us know in the comments! (Special thanks to Benjamin for his excellent suggestions on our last post!)

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
1/2 lb rigatoni or penne pasta
1 - 2 links sweet italian sausage
1.5 cups marinara sauce
1 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 pecorino romano cheese

Get started by cooking up your sausage or whatever vegetable you're adding to the dish. Cook until nicely browned. When done, drain most of the fat off of the pan.

Add in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Add in the red wine and the basil, salt, and pepper, and stir together. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until 1 minute shy of the package directions.

Once the pasta has finished cooking, scoop the ricotta cheese into the sauce. Take a ladle of the pasta water and drizzle it over the ricotta to get it started melting, and then stir everything together.

Add in the pasta and the pecorino romano cheese, and toss everything together. Add in more salt or pepper if needed to adjust the seasonings.

Serve, and enjoy!

One year ago: Linguine with Monkfish and Thyme

Delicious, Luxurious, Lobster Chowder - Plus: We're going to Italy!

2012-06-25T17:19:00.000-04:00

Lobster. Bacon. Potatoes. Corn. Is this list making you drool yet? I can't really think of a more exciting combination. Independently, each of these ingredients are on YiRan's "must eat" list. Taken together, they form an irresistible combination that, were it not for the priciness of lobster, would probably be the only thing we'd ever eat.

We made this lobster chowder from scratch for a special occasion and will likely be breaking out the recipe again for other days of celebration in the future. It is a luxurious and delicious meal, smooth, silky, and ultra tasty. Fortunately, it's actually pretty easy to make too. Especially if you have the guy at the lobster store cook the lobster for you. So go ahead - make yourself some lobster chowder. You deserve it!

Also: We're going to ITALY!! And we're very excited about it. But we also want to make sure that we soak up the trip to its fullest. So if you've been before (or live in Rome, Florence, Bologna, or Venice), please let us know about what to do in the comments - we'll really appreciate it!

Making the Dish

1 whole cooked lobster, cracked open and the meat removed
3 slices bacon
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp, flour
2 cups, lobster stock
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen corn
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika

Start off by cooking your bacon in a large nonstick pan and cook it until the fat renders out and it's nice and crispy.

Once it's crispy, remove it from the pan. Into the rendered fat, add the carrot, onion, and garlic and cook for about 8 minutes, until nice and soft. Add in a touch of salt while cooking to help the process along.

Add in the flour and stir to combine. Let it cook together. (You can see in the picture that I put in way more than the suggested amount, and therefore ended up making way too much chowder :))

After letting the flour and vegetable mixture toast for a few minutes, add in the lobster stock in a slow stream, stirring constantly, until fully combined. Add in the cream or half and half and stir to incorporate. At the end you should have a nice thick chowdery base. If you need to loosen it up a bit, add in a touch of water.

Add in the potatoes and bring everything to a boil. Then cover and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender.

Add in the thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, and corn. Stir to incorporate, and then cook until everything is warmed through. To finish, add in the lobster, stir together, and warm through again. Finally, chop up the crisped bacon strips and add them to the soup, stir together. Then serve. And enjoy, immensely.

One Year Ago: Linguine with Monkfish and Thyme (one of our favorites!)

Incredible Side Dish: Stewed Tomatos with Asparagus, Bacon, and Leeks

2012-06-22T17:35:00.001-04:00

We came across this recipe for asparagus stewed in tomatoes with leeks and bacon and thought it sounded delicious. We love tomatoes, and asparagus is great right now. Plus, how can anything be bad when you cook it in with bacon and leeks? This is a perfect side dish for pretty much anything, and we chose to cook up some light and simple fish to go with it. Really though, it'd be great with chicken, steak, or pork too.

The flavors are full and bright, and the asparagus is a great main player. The bacon and leeks give it a nice savoriness that really fill it out.

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
2 strips thick cut bacon, diced up
1 leek, cleaned, and sliced up
1/4 red onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, botton hard end clipped off
salt and pepper to taste

Get started by cooking up the bacon. Cook it over low heat to let the fat render out. When it is nice and crispy, remove it from the heat and let it drain on a paper towel.

Remove any excess fat in the pan so that you have about 2 tbsp left. Then start to saute the leeks and red onion in the fat. Add in a touch of salt and let the leeks and onion cook until they are nice and soft.

Add in the tomatoes and stir together to combine. Add in the salt and pepper and let come to a boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Add in the asparagus, and stir to combine. Bring back to a boil, and then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until the asparagus is soft.

When the asparagus has softened, add the bacon back into the mix, and stir everything together to combine. Serve on the side with a quickly cooked fish, simply grilled steak, or chicken. Enjoy!

One year ago: Linguine with Monkfish and Thyme

Grilled Flank Steak with Roasted Poblano Salsa

2012-06-18T16:40:00.001-04:00

It's hard to say exactly why but for some reason, when summer comes, we just crave Mexican flavors. It seems like a contradiction - you'd think that in the heat the spicy flavors would be something to avoid, but it seems to be the opposite. Anyone know why that would be?

In any case, this recipe for a grilled flank steak with a poblano salsa was quite easy to prepare and gives a wonderful, circusy, deep flavor to the steak. We roasted some parsnips on the side, but you could easily substitue for some yuca, or potatoes, and have the same effect. The flank steak is not particularly fatty, so be careful not to overcook it. We cooked it to a nice medium, almost medium rare, and the flavor was great.

Making the Dish

What You'll Need
1 lb flank steak
3 tomatoes
2 - 3 poblano peppers
1 onion, sliced into 1/2 in thick circles
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

To get started, remove the flank steak from the fridge and sprinkle salt all over. Let rest at room temperature while you prepare your salsa.

Turn on the broiler in the oven or light up your grill. Roast the tomatoes, poblanos, and onion slices until charred all over, turning every few minutes so that they cook evenly. Depending on how hot the broiler/grill is, this should take about 7 - 10 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the heat and let cool until they're able to be handled. Slice the poblanos and remove the seeds.

Add the poblanos, tomatoes, and onion to a food processor. Add in the two cloves of garlic, and then pulse the food processor until the salsa comes to your desired consistency.

Remove half of the salsa and put it in a bowl (a little more than half if you plan on dipping some chips into it!). This is the salsa that you'll be using to top the steak. Add the fresh parsley into the salsa that remains in the food processor, and pulse until the mix is a smooth, green puree.

Wipe the excess salt off of the flank steak. Then, spoon the poblano puree over the steak, gently rubbing it in, getting it into the cracks where possible. Let rest for about 15 minutes while the flavors start to integrate with the steak.

Finally, place the steak on the grill or under the broiler. Cook for about 4 - 5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the steak (ours was about an inch thick and 4 - 5 minutes per side resulted in a perfect medium cook). When the steak is done, let it rest for a good 15 minutes so that the juices can distribute and the cooking can finish.

Finally, slice the flank steak across the grain into nice strips. Lay out on a plate, top with the remaining salsa, and add on any side that you worked up. Dig in and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Halibut in Bombay Tomato Sauce