pasta e fagioli

i have to sheepishly admit ... many times i go through my google reader and think so many things look delicious and i post a comment "got to try this soon!" - sometimes even a "definitely trying this out!" - and then i guiltily never come through on my encouraging promise.

but for some reason, this pasta e fagioli bucked the trend when i saw it on jen's blog use real butter. folks, i saw this yesterday and made it tonight ... that's how much i was impressed by this so simple, but so delicious supper soup!



i made some slight modifications based on what we had in the pantry, and our preferences. we used our favorite turkey bacon instead of the italian sausage, and navy beans instead of northern. we did splurge on the ditalini (oh when am i going to use this again?!) and we had fresh rosemary instead of dried (if you use fresh, add and remove with the cinnamon, not in the beginning as written in the recipe).

i worked later than usual tonight so i asked mr. mimi to have it ready for me when i came home (i know, spoiled by a professional chef!) and when i walked in the hallway, the spicy aroma - combination of cinnamon, rosemary, and vinegar - was sooo nice!! it was a perfect meal with some crusty bread, and even though i was tempted to halve the recipe i'm glad i didn't because i bet it will taste even better (as all soups inevitably do) for tomorrow's, and the next day's, and next day's lunch!

now you might notice that my soup doesn't really look like anything from jen's soup. although i'm sure her photographs benefit from natural mountain sunshine, my soup was definitely a dark red in real life too, so it could have something to do with brand of tomatoes i used. regardless, it tasted great, so who cares what color it came out!



plus! when i started getting ready to write this post and upload my photos i noticed that unbeknownst to me at the time of my clicking - both of us did a spoonful money shot. great pasta e fagioli minds think alike :-)

for the recipe, click here.

think spice ... think paprika ... think chicken paprikash!

this recipe is a family hand-down from mr. mimi's great grandma, who came from czechoslovakia (and supposedly somehow through marriage - and maybe some tale telling - is related to the great masayrk) and brought all her amazing cooking with her.

mr. mimi's fondest memories of his great grandma is visits to her large, ornate apartment in the bronx, especially on christmas eve when she hosted the family dinner. but regardless of when the visit was, and what it is for, the minute he stepped into her home, he was greeted with the most amazing smells coming from the kitchen. she was the one who inspired him to be "chef boy rp" (rp is mr. mimi's real initials). she always had something cooking, and was famous for her chicken soup with egg drop. it was crafted from hours of labor and a heart full of love.

one of his other indelible memories is his great grandma sticking a big brown bar of soap in his mouth when "damn" came out of his precious four year-old mouth. he never said it again in front of her ;)

this recipe is in honor of his great grandma, who taught it to his mother (yes it skipped a generation; his nana was of the 'everything convenient is good' mantra of the postwar 50s), and who passed it to him. although it is less a "recipe" because there are no real exact measurements. what's written below is a close approximation of what happens without thinking about it in the kitchen. it's a cliché, i know, but it is one of those family dishes that was taught by feel and look and taste rather than teaspoons and cups and pounds.

even thought it doesn't look like much the best thing about it is the smell that is so warm and fantastic while it's braising. by the time it's finished you will think you're starving because it smells so good. this must be what mr. mimi means when he talks about his great grandma's kitchen.

and when i chose paprika for think spice this month, i knew i would make this. if you'd like to join this event, you still have a week left! for the rules, click here.



mr. mimi's chicken paprikash: serves 4
adapted from great grandma

1 whole chicken, cut into parts
1 large onion, medium diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2-3 bay leaves
1-2 big cans crushed tomatoes
hungarian sweet paprika
salt + pepper
1/2 cup sour cream (give or take)
tomato paste
olive oil
1 lb large pasta shells

1. season chicken with salt and pepper, and heavily coated with paprika on both sides; rub in paprika. in heavy dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium and lay chicken skin side down carefully and sear until deep golden red, about 5 minutes. then flip over and sear on the other side for another 5 minutes. note: depending on your dutch oven size, you probably will have to do this in two batches; for the best sear, don't crowd the chicken!

this isn't the prettiest photo, but just to show you the chicken should be well coated with paprika!



2. take out chicken and place on plate. pour out oil and wipe out dutch oven if necessary. add a little fresh oil and sauté the garlic and onion until caramelized. stir in a tiny bit more paprika.

3. put chicken back in, skin side up. add bay leaves, tomatoes, salt and pepper. turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. occasionally stir and turn chicken.

4. pull chicken out. temper the sour cream by adding a little bit of the tomato sauce to the sour cream and whisk; then add back the tempered sour cream. you will have to adjust the amount by eye, it should be similar in color to a dark pink vodka sauce. if necessary, tighten it up with some tomato paste.

5. meanwhile, bring salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.

6. skim off fat from tomato sauce and add back chicken. slowly bring back up to heat. add in cooked pasta and stir well so the shells get nice and coated. bon appétit from the old world!

note: if you're not in budapest or going there any time too soon, the best readily available (at least in the US) hungarian sweet paprika is from szeged.

ravioli with brown butter sauce

brown. butter. sauce.

'nuff said!! this isn't going to win any awards for eating healthy. but it's delicious in all the right ways. we had some store bought (but very good - raffetto's is one of my favorites and as close to home made as it's going to get right now) raviolis that needed to be used up.



after an afternoon of procrastinating (two papers due tomorrow) on food network online, i found a recipe for brown butter that just sounded like a perfect way to dress them up. there's really nothing to it, but the addition of toasted walnuts and cranberries to the classic brown butter and sage was a brilliant touch of flavor.



if it makes you feel any better about the butter consumption, it makes the pasta so rich and decadent, you can barely eat a normal serving size. a big bowl of spaghetti and marinara this is not. we also coupled it with a side of sautéed broccoli rabe and garlic, so the bitterness of the broccoli rabe complemented the richness of the butter sauce nicely.



brown butter sauce: for 6 servings of pasta
from giada de laurentiis (originally with squash tortellini)

1 1/2 sticks butter
2 tb torn fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
salt + pepper

1. melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. when the butter is just about all melted, add the sage, walnuts, and cranberries. cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

strozzapreti with black kale, sage, and potatoes

deborah madison is one of my favorite cookbook authors. i have never made anything of hers that i didn't like. i mean, the good lady obviously loves her butter, so what is there not to like?! :)

normally i use the old standby, but her local flavors book is also a great treat, with beautiful photos of recipes organized by seasonal fare typically found at your farmer's market.



even though i hate the colder, darker days, i have to admit that i love dinner in the fall. everything becomes warm and hearty without being yet winter heavy.

strozzapreti ("priest stranglers") refers to the pasta's shape, which resembles folded and twisted ribbons of fettuccine. the strozzapreti i found at fairway was probably a little more twisted than what i'm used to but ms. madison also suggests gemelli if you can't find any.



ms. madison also suggests this serves 4 ... umm, maybe 4 paul bunyans. i did use a bit more pasta than her recipe (who buys 3/4 lb of pasta??) but even so, this pasta is quite rich, so it would easily serve 6, and maybe 8 if you had something else accompanying the dinner.



strozzapreti with black kale, sage, and potatoes: serves 6
adapted from madison's local flavors (2002, p. 101)

4 tb butter
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
10 sage leaves
2 bunches cavolo nero (black kale)
salt + pepper
2 cups finely diced yellow potatoes (about 3/4 lb)
1 lb strozzapreti
5 oz italian fontina cheese, cubed
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

1. bring large pot of water to boil. meanwhile, heat butter, garlic, and sage in small skillet over medium heat until butter is lightly browned and nutty smelling. turn off the heat and discard the garlic.

2. chop kale coarsely. when the water is boiling, add salt and kale. boil for 4 minutes, then add potatoes, and boil for 6 more minutes or until both are tender. scoop out, shake off excess water and reserve in bowl. in same water, cook pasta until al dente, then drain.

3. combine pasta, potatoes, and kale. pour the butter and sage over the mixture and using a pair of tongs, pick up some of the pasta to wipe out the butter pan. add the fontina and a generous grating of parmigiano, and toss well. season with pepper and enjoy!

penne with seared scallops and asparagus

last bite


hopefully most of you enjoyed a better holiday weekend than i. sure, we went to a great beachside party on friday, but the rest of the weekend was plagued with bad weather. no more beach, no tennis, no bbq, no nothing! but ahh, there's always my faithful blog! :)

so back to the photoshop vault for another dish we made back in may. i love pasta with seafood. it's the ultimate easy dinner that leaves you completely satisfied without feeling overstuffed. and as always, simple is better. and for that reason, make sure to befriend a good fish monger and get the freshest pieces of goodies available. we're lucky enough to have a great source at the farmer's market. it makes all the difference in the world. and their fresh scallops are just to die for.



penne with seared scallops and asparagus: serves 4

1 lb penne (or other bulky pasta)
1 lb sea scallops, cleaned and muscle pulled off (make sure they are dry, not treated)
1 bunch asparagus, cut on 1/2" bias
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
olive oil
salt + pepper
old bay
white wine
chopped chives

1. heat olive oil in skillet on medium high. season scallops (toss in bowl to coat) and then gently place scallops in skillet to sear. don't touch scallops until they can easily release from the pan. gently turn over, and cook for another 2-3 minutes (rough time estimate; they are done when you touch them and they bounce back).

2. take scallops out of pan. add leeks and caramelize for about 5 minutes. add wine to de-glaze and scrape off the fond.

3. meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. reserve water to blanch asparagus. add to pan with leeks, and add scallops too. mix, and heat through a little if necessary. combine with pasta and chopped chives and mix gently.

like this dish? try this recipe too.

linguine with fresh clams

beautiful weather is almost here, which gets me thinking about the fresh clams, one of my favorites for on the grill. but since it isn't that beautiful yet, we're still stuck inside for our cooking.

this little dish is super easy to make, quite quick, and has tons of flavor, freshness, and fills you right up. that is why i'm submitting it for the fun blog event hosted by equal opportunity kitchen for tried, tested, and true. you know ... those great dishes that are loved by all, all the time. we are lucky to have a couple of those in our repertoire, and are happy to share this lovely one. often times i crave this dish, and it always comes out delicious. although the recipe described is for two, it is easily adaptable for dinner party size.


linguine with fresh clams: serves 2

1/2 lb linguine
1 lb fresh clams (get the smaller sized clams, like cockles or littlenecks)
2 large shallots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tb parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 tb butter olive oil
1 lemon
1 cup vegetable broth (or water, or fresh clam juice)

1. cook linguine according to package. put clams in cold salt water bath, let sit for 15 minutes. rinse thoroughly with fresh, cold water.

2. in meantime, heat olive oil and butter in sauté pan (using butter gives great flavor, adding olive oil ensures it doesn't burn). add garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté until golden. add shallots and sauté until tender. de-glaze with broth.

3. bring to simmer, add clams, and cover. let simmer until clams all open. depending on size, but it should be about 5 minutes. discard any clams that don't open.

4. gently toss pasta with broth and clams. add parsley, fresh lemon juice. serve and dream of the briny summer ocean air!

international women's day

mac-n-cheese for international women's day

celebrated on 8 march, international women's day (IWD) is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential.

fiordisale and zorra are celebrating with a call to yellow!

and i couldn't wait to join them! so here is my humble entry, in a light yellow, to show my support all the achievements, big and small, that women have enjoyed and to support the continuing fight against gender discrimination in all its forms. i hope for the day when the need for a global celebration of women is obsolete. if someone were to ask me what i consider my cultural identity to be (with cultural being defined in the correct way as a perspective lens, and not strictly race or ethnicity) i would immediately reply that i identify as a women, first, foremost, and most strongly.

this baked macaroni and cheese comes from martha stewart (i didn't even realize until writing that now, what a fitting connection!) and it was good. but it was baked. so not oozily cheesily amazingly great. so the search for the best mac-n-cheese continues!


baked macaroni and cheese: serves 8
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 317)

1 lb elbow pasta
4 tb butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups skim milk
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded white cheddar cheese
salt + pepper
1 cup bread crumbs

1. preheat oven to 375F. cook pasta. meanwhile in pot, melt butter over medium heat. add onion and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. whisk in flour to coat the onion. in slow stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

2. cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly, 6-8 minutes. stir in cayenne and 1 cup each of the yellow and white cheddar cheeses. season with salt and pepper.

3. toss pasta with cheese mixture. transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish. toss bread crumbs with remaining shredded cheeses and a pinch of salt. top pasta with bread crumb mix. bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.



what is wrong with blogger? i think i'm going to strangle this blog. i don't spend 1/2 hour on here just so that when i post, it looks like crap and not at all how i set it up.

green is good

homemade pesto

what is your quick dinner meal? for me, it's pasta. and not only is it quick, but versatile too. with the average 12 minutes of boiling time, you can get ready all sorts of things to go with it. cherry tomatoes and olives. primavera with any combo of veggies. spinach, ricotta, and roasted garlic. i mean, what doesn't go with pasta?

raffetto's raviolis

tonight we used some leftover pesto sauce for a dinner of raffetto's spinach-cheese raviolis, topped with sautéed arugula and garlic. it made for a very green dish. but it was simple, quick, delicious.

pesto raviolis with arugula and garlic: serves 2

1/2 lb spinach raviolis
2 tsp pesto sauce
3 cups arugula
1 clove garlic, sliced
olive oil
1 tb butter
salt + pepper
hot pepper flakes
grated parmesan

1. bring pot of salted water to boil. cook raviolis until they float to the top, look puffy and tender. drain with a slotted spoon and into a bowl.

2. gently toss raviolis with butter and pesto.

3. over medium heat, sauté garlic until toasty; add arugula, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted. for presentation purposes, it's nice to place arugula on top of plated raviolis, it helps it stand out against the pesto green. however, if you prefer, you can also toss all together. garnish with grated parmesan and a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes.

pesto raviolis with arugula and garlic

baked ravioli and green beans with shallots

i am a glutton for pasta. and pasta with a baked cheesy top ... need i say more? this dinner seemed perfect for how cold it is now (18F) although not like there needs to be any excuse for cheesy pasta :)

baked ravioli and green beans with shallots

however, it didn't necessarily turn out as yummy as i hoped. it could be because i pigged out on leftover buttermilk biscuits before dinner and ruined my appetite and taste buds. that's the only rational explanation because i certainly never met a cheesy ravioli i didn't like, especially such tasty ones from raffetto's. and mr. mimi said it was good too? well, i have a gazillion servings of leftovers, so maybe it will suit me better tomorrow as lunch ...

but the green beans with shallots were delicious!

green beans with caramelized shallots: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 329)

3 tb butter
6 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
1 lb green beans
salt + pepper

1. in medium saucepan, melt 2 tb of butter over medium heat, swirl to coat bottom of pan. add shallots, cover. reduce heat to medium-low. cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown about 15-20 minutes. set aside.

2. meanwhile in large pt of boiling salted water, cook green beans until tender, about 4-5 minutes. drain, return to pot, toss with remaining butter. season with salt and pepper. add shallots, toss and serve.

rigatoni with sausage and parsley

tonight's dinner is thanks to a pairing suggestion by martha. but it also helps to alleviate that age old problem of "what should i do with the rest of this bunch of herbs?" wherein that beautiful bunch of whatever green herb is used for one inspired dish, with the rest only to languish away to a wimpy mess of nothing in the bottom of the crisper. this problem is easily solved in the summer, when we grow our own favorite herbs and then only cut what we need. but in the winter, when herbs are only store-bought, i feel so guilty not using all of it.

this dinner was really superb, and to me, much better than the recipe we tried on sunday night. we also took advantage of the winter season by using other citrus than just plain navels. and of course since we are not quite full-fledge carnivores, we used boca sausage instead of the real stuff. still tastes just as good, if not better! :)

fennel, orange, and parsley salad: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 271)

1 large fennel bulb (about 1 lb)
2 navel oranges
3 mandarin oranges
2 blood oranges
2/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tb slivered pitted kalamata olives
1 tsp olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

1. trim fennel bulb. quarter, core, and thinly slice cross-wise.

2. use paring knife and remove peel and pith from oranges. separate oranges into segments and add to the bowl. squeeze peels over bowl for extra juices.

3. add fennel, parsley, olives, and olive oil. season with salt and pepper. gently toss and serve. make sure to spoon out some of the juices to each plate. 

fennel, orange, parsley salad

rigatoni with sausage and parsley: serves 4
adapted from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 325)

1 package boca italian sausage
2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 lb rigatoni
2 cups fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
salt + pepper
olive oil

1. in large skillet heat olive oil. cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned, remove to plate. reduce heat to medium, add onions. cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes. slice sausage to about 1/4 inch thick and then return to pan. add broth and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes.

2. meanwhile in large pot of boiling salt water, cook pasta until al dente. drain and return to pot.

3. add sausage mixture and parmesan to pasta. toss to combine. season with salt and pepper. garnish each plate with a little parsley and extra parmesan. (if you're going to have all 4 servings immediately, you can combine the parsley with all the pasta and sausage, but because we were only going to have the 2 servings, we did it individually so the herb would not get brown in the leftovers.)

rigatoni with sausage and parsley