christabelle.com

As many of you know, I don’t enjoy eating out in restaurants that much. I admit I was a bit harsh in my last posting, so I wanted to take the chance to apologize to Basilico for that. They are new, so I need to give them a second chance.

With spring and warmer weather well on the way, we’ll all get the chance to use our own veggies and fruits from our own gardens! How wonderful that is to walk out into the garden and come back into the house with an armful of produce that you’ve grown yourself. Beautiful! For me, there’s nothing like cooking at home and enjoying the food I cook! I wasn’t always a cook, but I did want to be a chef when I was a kid. Funny that, ay?

Who knows what a ripe strawberry should look and smell like? If you’ve ever sniffed the strawberries in their plastic boxes at the supermarket, and I always do, they often smell of nothing. That should be a big indicator to what it’s going to taste like. Probably nothing. I do know that strawberries are shipped from everywhere on earth year round. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you could grow your own and taste the pure strawberry-ness for yourself, you’d never want to get them from a store ever again! A ripe strawberry should be red all the way through, minus the hull bit, and not hard. I’m sure you know what it’s like to cut the top off of a strawberry and it seems more like you’re cutting an apple. Right? Eew!

However, there are things you can do to make even the most cold, hard strawberries into a suitable feast any time of year. The trick is macerating and soaking. If you put the hulled, cut strawberries into a bowl with a bit of sugar (organic and natural, if you can) and a bit (a couple of tablespoons to a 1/4 cup, depending on how many berries) of either red wine or balsamic vinegar, you will have berries that taste nearly like they were ripened in the sun. There’s something in the wine and vinegar that allow the berries to give up some of their hidden flavors. It’s very interesting! When you choose this method, it is often best served with something else, like a scone and clotted cream, for example. You won’t get that freshness that is undeniable when you pick a berry and eat it right where you stand. I swear… NOTHING beats that! I can’t wait to do that in a couple of months! I hope to grow a few more varieties of strawberries this year, too. I have my sister’s strawberry transplants she planted with me, which are divine, but I’d like more berries after June! Unfortunately, War-N can’t eat strawberries. I wind up eating them all myself, when the birds don’t get to them first. Oh darn.

Another comfort of mine is making any sort of pasta dish. Just the act of combining the pasta with the sauce in the pan is heaven to me! I love to twirl the pasta, and I NEVER cut my long pastas!! It is a sin! My favorite long pasta is Bucatini. A long, thick spaghetti-shape with a hole through the center. There are a few varieties of “holy pasta”, but Bucatini is pretty easy to find. I’m sure you know where I get mine… at The Jungle. My Italian brand of choice is Rustichella d’Abruzzo. This is what is pictured. You can see from the texture of it that it’s going to be great. A general rule of pasta is that if it’s smooth, brighter yellow and more plastic looking, it’s not going to offer as much flavor and texture. The rougher and paler yellow it is, the more it’s going to meld with your sauce of choice. But, I won’t go into all the rules of pasta. There are so many! I just know on any given day, I could happily eat Bucatini with Browned Butter and Mizithra cheese. A dish I was introduced to at The Old Spaghetti Factory, but I made it at home and I have made my own version that I like even better! I found the Factory didn’t brown the butter as much as I do and it didn’t have that full flavor that I got at home. And, I found I loved it with the Bucatini rather than just Spaghetti (which the restaurant does). I also add a bit of parsley at the end with the butter (careful, it splatters like mad in a hot pan!) and I use white pepper. It adds a different kind of heat than black pepper. Incredible. I also do something the Factory doesn’t do. I make the pasta/cheese mixture pretty dry in the pan and then add the secret ingredient… pasta water. This melts the cheese further and it gets much creamier than the restaurant version. Just that tip, and using less butter than they did, made this dish jump off of the plate, or bowl rather! I am always happy when I make this. But, I try not to eat it more than once a month or so. It’s a bit high on the caloric scale! I may try adding fresh Asparagus to this dish. I have a feeling it would be a great addition. Plus, a veggie addition wouldn’t hurt at all!

Then, there are dishes I make when I miss certain people. I was introduced to Pineapple and Rice by my dear friend Christopher long ago. We used to eat it often with just a sprinkling of salt in his parent’s kitchen. As I get older, and Chris and I aren’t together as much, I find myself making it when I miss him. Now, I make it a little differently, but I still sit and think of him as I enjoy it. I call it CBCB Pineapple Rice. You can make it with instant rice, or Basmati (which is almost like instant), or you can take the time to steam some Japanese Short Grain white rice. Which ever rice you choose, you won’t be disappointed! Just make the rice according to package directions (for which ever rice you choose), set aside with the lid still on. Meanwhile, take either fresh pineapple (I did in the above picture) or canned pineapple chunks, drained, and saute them briefly in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. High heat will give you a nice caramelization on the pineapple making it even sweeter. Then, I add my little bit of heat. I add hot chili flakes and sea salt. Combine the cooked rice and steaming hot pineapple and enjoy. It’s a very good dish with little to no fat and it’s very satisfying when you want something sweet and savory. Oh, Chris. I do love that you introduced me to this wonderful combination! Thank you

When I need to bake, but I still want pasta, I have the perfect solution. Timballo! It’s a traditional Italian dish, usually made with a variety of meats, but I make it vegetarian with a few homemade “meatballs”, a few veggies, the usual cheese suspects (smoked Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano) and a Penne or Mostaccioli pasta. Any short pasta will do. Although, that said, I believe the traditional Timballo is made with homemade Garganelli, which is an egg-based pasta. I must post the actual recipe to Timballo some time. It’s a long one, so you definitely wan to take a day (or even two) to make it… like for a Sunday Supper or special occasion. Perfect! You can either make the crust out of fresh pasta or use a crust like in Pizza Rustica (another of my favorites!). On this particular day for the photo, I used a flour crust. Not quite so traditional, but still fabulous! You will love the “oooh’s and ahhhh’s” you get when you cut into this bad boy. Magnifico! If you want to drool over this dish being prepared, amongst many other fabulous things, I highly recommend the movie Big Night. Turns out a lot of people and restaurants have a Big Night Night and make Timballo. It’s such a wonderful foodie film! My uncle, Steve, suggested I watch this film. It’s now in my top ten! It’s like food porn! Me like

At the end of the day, you will have an empty plate. This should be one of the happiest moments for a home cook. Well, any cook really. It’s a great feeling to know everyone enjoyed their meal and are satisfied. I often don’t bother with dessert because the meal is so satisfying. Anything else would puncture the beauty of the dinner. And, maybe, your stomach! But, a nice fruit dish to cleans the taste buds would be a perfectly suitable dessert.

I guess the main point of this posting is to say that if you can share a meal with people you love at home, it’s such a wonderful thing. And, if they aren’t with you physically, you can eat a meal that makes you think of them very fondly. It’s their memory that feeds me. That’s why I love it so much. I guess, also, that’s why I don’t enjoy restaurants. I just don’t get that same good vibe. It makes sense now. If I couldn’t cook, I’d be very sad indeed.

So, I shall post more and more new dishes as I make them with my (hopefully) fresh from the garden produce! The closer to nature your food is, the better it is for you.

With much love and respect to all!

Christa Belle