SobaAddict70

Thanks, patrick. I should mention that's not a traditional prep -- it had 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter stirred in at the end. otherwise fairly straightforward: olive oil, garlic, canned clams, parsley, white wine, sea salt, black pepper, cooked spaghetti. for tonight, leftover spaghetti, but there were these as well: Insalata di zucchini e pomodoro Simmer zucchini in lightly salted water, then blanch in ice water, then drain. Combine with chopped tomatoes and baby arugula. Taste for salt and pepper, then dress with extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon vinegar (white wine vinegar, balsamic or sherry vinegar). Serve at once. Fagiolini e patate Boil green beans and peeled sliced potatoes in the same pot, in some lightly salted water, then drain. Next, heat some chopped garlic and olive oil in a skillet; when garlic becomes off-white (after about 30 to 40 seconds), add the green beans and potatoes, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry until potatoes become golden brown. Taste once more for salt and pepper, sprinkle lemon juice and parsley over the vegetables and serve immediately.

Some recent stuff from dinner this past week. Not pictured is spaghetti with summer vegetables (zucchini, tomato and onion) with pecorino. Lately I've been exploring contorni so I can broaden my horizons. Olives, cippolini onion, lemon and mint Zucchine con acciughe e capperi Fagiolini e zucchine Spaghetti with white clam sauce

tonight -- leftovers, but there were also these: Corn, sweet peppers, manouri cheese Inspired by Larry Forgione's pan-seared buffalo steak with corn, peppers and scallions at the original An American Place. Sopa de ajo con chorizo

mm -- ditto. sure you're not a chef in disguise? tonight: Deconstructed "aloo gobi" Clockwise from near left: Roasted cauliflower cooked with black mustard seeds, onion and turmeric; Indian home fries (Yukon gold potatoes fried in ghee, with onion, cumin and scallions); Quick tomato confit Spaghetti with squid, tomato and toasted bread crumbs

Scotty, when you have a moment, can you please tell us about the sunflower risotto? Looks good. Douglas, Chef White doesn't specify whether canned or fresh crabmeat. (I saw the entry on your blog.) However, I abhor canned seafood in general unless I can't get it any other way, so I used fresh lump crabmeat. RRO -- those squid remind me that I need to learn how to turn scallions into tempura soon, for an idea that just popped into my head. You can get inspired just from reading this thread, if nothing else. dcarch -- great-looking plates as always.

I thought "That's a decent price for a pound of squid!" ...then I remembered that a kilo is a bit larger than a pound. Lucky you. Indeed. Citarella was selling them for $7.99 a pound yesterday.

But Soba, you may have USED that all today, but certainly you won't EAT it all today, will you? (I might, but YOU? Nah!) I finished the last of it last night. I was supposed to have made something with a tray of roasted cauliflower but took one of my infamous "naps" and ended up waking up at 7 am. Oops. Tonight's menu is: Deconstructed "aloo gobi" Spaghetti with squid, garlic and bread crumbs. More later.

Open-faced omelette, with baby arugula, rocambole garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

thanks rod rock, but it's technically not an herb salad since the proportions are way off. tonight: Celery braised in butter, wine and herbs Tomato and crispy sourdough bread salad, with Spanish chorizo, almonds and a poached farm egg This consists of: sourdough bread (crisped in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes); Sungold cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes; scallions, toasted almonds, golden raisins, Spanish chorizo, sea salt, white wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, mint and a poached farm egg. Sort of a riff on panzanella, and the Zuni Cafe chicken and warm bread salad. I'm doing several versions of "tomato salad" this week, for people who have a glut of tomatoes and need ideas on what to do with them. Recipes on the blog. In addition, I'm formulating ideas for an "all-tomato" dinner that I'm going to blog about a few weeks from now once the main tomato harvest occurs, sometime in mid- to late September. Right now, we're looking at 3 to 4 courses, each of which will feature tomatoes, including dessert.

Dear me, between the pâte sucrée and the lemon curd, I must have used 14 tablespoons of butter today.

I do love chicken pr0n, C. sapidus. for tonight: Leftovers, but there were these... Tomato and herb salad Shiro plum tart -- with a pâte sucrée base, lemon curd and Shiro plums that were macerated with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Tomato and stone fruit salad, with Spanish chorizo and prosciutto crudo Spaghetti with Charentais melon Adapted from a recipe by Giuliano Hazan: http://giulianohazan.com/blog/spaghetti-with-melon-a-luscious-summer-pasta/

Yes, the pasta contains carrot purée. It's from Knoll Krest Farms, one of the vendors I buy from at USGM.

Thanks Ashen and patrick. Last night: Buttermilk biscuits, sweet butter, Meyer lemon confiture I suppose I am a baking n00blet no longer, although in the future, investing in some parchment paper might be a good idea. Carrot pasta, with cauliflower and breadcrumbs Simmer cauliflower in lightly salted water until tender, then lift out with a slotted spoon and blanch in a bowl of ice water. Be sure to use both the florets and pale green outer leaves. Chop finely. If you use half a head of cauliflower, it will provide enough for 3 to 4 servings of pasta. DO NOT drain the cauliflower cooking water since you'll be using that to cook the pasta. Prepare the pasta -- I used fresh, but this works just as well with dried. Cook the pasta in the same pot and water that you used to cook the cauliflower in. When the pasta is al dente, drain and reserve one cup pasta cooking water. Next, fry some garlic in olive oil. To that, add the cauliflower and some coarse breadcrumbs. I used some leftover crostini that I pounded with a mortar and pestle. Taste for salt and pepper. When the cauliflower begins to brown, add the pasta to the pan. If the pasta seems too dry, add a little pasta cooking water until a light sauce is formed. Or, you can be like me and add a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, along with some of the pasta cooking water. Taste for salt and pepper once more, then stir in some chopped parsley and serve at once. You can, if you like, garnish with cheese, but I find that this is one pasta dish where gilding the lily is unwanted. More flavor is not necessarily better, in my opinion.

The Babbo tomato sauce is overly complicated, I find. Not every sugo has to start with a battuto, and not every battuto is comprised of onion, celery and carrot. Some have fennel, some have celery leaves, some use ham or lard, pancetta or olives. Marcella's sauce -- the one with the butter -- has just three ingredients: tomatoes, an onion cut in half and unsalted butter. Works like a charm and is delicious with ricotta or potato gnocchi. Personally, I view Mario's books as the training wheels of Italian cookbooks. Great to start with, but there are better out there.

Italian night at Casa Soba.... Beans, with prosciutto crudo, potatoes and garlic Very simple (like most of my cooking) -- steam or simmer the beans until tender; steam or simmer the potatoes until tender; then cook in olive oil with a little chopped garlic. Taste for salt and pepper, then stir in chopped prosciutto, dress with lemon juice and serve at once. You can do this in 20 minutes, from start to finish. Pappa al pomodoro Start with a base of thinly sliced onions, slowly cooked in olive oil in a large stock pot or soup pot over medium-low heat until golden. This will take some time, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your stove. To that, add chopped garlic, then chopped ripe plum tomatoes (2 lbs. is more than sufficient, or if you prefer, a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste), a pinch of red chile flakes, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and let the tomatoes cook down, about 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, then add cubed stale bread, a couple of cups of water, torn basil leaves and sea salt (to taste). Raise the heat to medium, and stir frequently, while mashing the bread. Eventually the soup will thicken to the consistency of pap. Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle soup into warmed serving bowls, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, garnish with additional basil leaves if desired and serve at once.

Very impressive, Scotty. I like the burrata the best, although I'm sure all were wonderful. tonight: Left: Brown basmati rice with almonds, mint and pomegranate. Right: Pan-fried zucchini, red bell pepper and butterstick squash, with panch phoran. Butterstick squash is an heirloom variety of zucchini, known for its yellow skin and sweet, firm flesh. Panch phoran is a spice mixture that typically consists of fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds and black mustard seeds. Both are from Monica Bhide's cookbook, Modern Spice -- http://www.amazon.co...y/dp/1416566597 FYI, I'm REALLY picky when it comes to cooking directly from cookbooks. I don't do it very often; when I do, it's because I like the cookbook enough to consider using it for more than just a reference or a source of inspiration. BTW both dishes were changed slightly based on what I currently have in my pantry. Get this book; you won't regret it.

Anna -- that dish was one of the standards in my family. that photo brings back a lot of memories. thank you. tonight: Nectarine, ricotta cheese and heirloom tomato salad. The dressing consists of 1 teaspoon honey, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper (to taste). Mint chiffonade for garnish. Sage and onion frittata Sage and onion frittata, bread with extra-virgin olive oil This is extraordinarily easy -- 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced, fried in olive oil until golden brown, along with a few chopped sage leaves. To that, add 3 beaten eggs, seasoned to taste with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Pour the eggs over the onion mixture. Cook until the eggs are set, then flip over and cook the other side. You can add cheese if you want (and if you elect that option, you'll have to finish it in the oven). I usually skip that step if I'm cooking for myself. Garnish with thinly sliced basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Tonight, I'm finishing off the spaghetti dish from last night, but this was tonight's appetizer: Prosciutto crudo, roasted apricots, mozzarella cheese The apricots were roasted with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked peppercorns, then combined with basil and diced mozzarella cheese. In the future, I'd probably add a little honey and cardamom to cut the tartness (and omit the oil and basil, and sub in mint instead). You can make this in 20 minutes.

These photos were taken after about 4 hours roasting time -- it explains why the tomatoes in the pic below are more "shrunken" then the ones above. insalata Caprese -- slow-roasted Jersey tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. This is not a traditional version, but rather my own interpretation. For the slow-roasted tomatoes: Slice tomatoes, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper; then roast for 6 to 8 hours at 200 F. Use immediately; keeps for up to 3 days (if you can resist eating them), covered, in the refrigerator. Thin spaghetti, with Swiss chard, prosciutto cotto and heirloom tomatoes You can make this in 30 minutes. Start with a base of onions cooked in olive oil, add Swiss chard and let that cook down till silken, along with some sea salt and black pepper. Prep the pasta; drain. Add the pasta to the pot containing the Swiss chard mixture. Chop some tomatoes, add that to the pot, along with a little julienned prosciutto. If you want the vegetarian version, omit the prosciutto. Let the tomatoes break down a little bit. Taste for salt and pepper, then spoon into warmed pasta bowls. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve at once. thanks folks, for the kind words. ditto what Scotty said.

time for bumpage this is going to be part of tonight's dinner more later.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/12/new-years-day-2001/ this version has 4 tablespoons light rum and bread from the local bakery. otherwise, the same recipe as Deb's.

Boozy baked French toast, Meyer lemon confiture

mm -- I'll file that idea away for the future. thanks for the inspiration. Chickpea and heirloom tomato bruschetta A riff on Mario Batali's white bean bruschetta which originated when he was the chef and owner of Pó Restaurant, the precursor to his flagship, Babbo. This is addictive and simple: 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, 1 diced heirloom tomato, 1 minced rocambole garlic clove, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and red pepper flakes to taste, chiffonade of basil and/or mint. Combine all ingredients and spoon atop crostini or sliced toasted Italian bread. Can be made a couple of hours in advance and refrigerated to let flavors meld. Spaghetti alla norma Very simple pasta dish that consists of fried eggplant, homemade tomato sauce (1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, sea salt and black pepper to taste, basil) and cooked spaghetti. This typically has grated ricotta salata cheese on top, but I had to use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese instead.

Mr. Holloway -- thanks, but the oven-roasted mussels was an appetizer. thank you for the kind words though. Tonight's menu is: ???? bruschetta -- not quite sure yet what it will be, as I'm playing around with a couple of ideas in my mind. although when you think about it, sometimes classic is best. Spaghetti alla norma -- I have all of the ingredients on hand, as a result of making the parmigiana last night. I overestimated the amount of eggplant I'd need for the parmigiana; consequently, I have a bowl of sliced eggplant in the fridge that's already been salted and patted dry, as well as extra tomato sauce that didn't go into the parmigiana. this version won't have ricotta salata though, as I have some regular ricotta that needs to get used up. There may be a contorno as well. Depends on feel. There IS quite a bit of eggplant parm leftover that I'm going to have for dinner tomorrow and possibly for Saturday breakfast if it lasts that long. The flavors develop marvelously after a day or two; I can't wait. More later.