Basic Tomato Sauce

This tomato sauce is really not much more than pulped tomatoes. Nevertheless, in all its simplicity, it is an ideal foundation for many pizzas because the toppings that will go over it and blend with it bring a bouquet of flavors to the pie. I don’t want the sauce and toppings fighting each other. Harmony: That’s my mantra.

Makes 620 to 800 grams (depending on whether you use fresh or canned tomatoes, which yield a greater volume); or enough for about 8 pizzas

700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) ripe plum tomatoes or 1 794-gram (28-ounce) can peeled Italian plum tomatoes
20 grams (about 2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
2 grams (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt

1. If using fresh tomatoes, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart pot.

2. Cut away the dry stem area of the tomatoes, leaving the core intact. Place 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a rack to cool. Peel the tomatoes with a paring knife.

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Weighing down a splayed chicken with bricks seems so ancient. Did a Roman Emperor hatch the slogan “A Chicken Under Every Brick” to go along with the Bread and Circuses motif? Brick morphed so naturally from the good earth. Add water and high heat—ecco fatto, it’s done—terracotta. And civilization starts to build in a big way. Any brick will do here. If you have a few handy, wash them, let them air-dry, and wrap them in aluminum foil. Or use a heavy pan of some sort, covering the bottom with foil.

Almost as easy as roast chicken, this has Tuscan flair and deep roots in the cuisine’s history. Our Tuscan friends don’t marinate the chicken, but the chicken is more succulent after its overnight immersion. Rosemary potatoes go perfectly with this.

Serves 4

1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
zest from 1 orange
1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup white wine

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Wash the chicken under cold running water and dry it. With poultry shears, remove the wingtips and any excess fat, and cut out the backbone. Put those aside for stock.
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Broiled Fish

Black drum fillets are excellent for broiling. Swordfish, shark, tuna, and other big Gulf fish are good for broiling too, either as fillets or as bone-in steaks.

Serves 4

Juice of 2 limes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup seafood seasoning
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds fish fillets or steaks
Pope’s Tartar Sauce (see recipe below), for serving

1. In a good-size shallow bowl, stir together the lime juice, garlic, seasoning mix, and oil. Add the fish and turn to coat evenly on both sides. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.

3. Transfer the fish to a broiler pan, place under the broiler, and broil, turning once. Plan on 5 minutes per side for a 1-inch-thick fillet or steak and 2 1/2 minutes per side for a 1/2-inch-thick fillet or steak. Serve at once with the tartar sauce.

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With February 14th falling almost midweek this year, you’ll want to show your sweetheart you care without spending hours slaving over a hot stove. Try this romantic menu that’s a snap to prepare and sure to impress.

Love Potion #9 The light, fruity flavours of pomegranate and lime work well to balance the flavours of the rest of the menu.

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa With a 6-8 minute cooktime, shrimp is the perfect protein for a quick weeknight appetizer.

Crazy Rich Linguine Alfredo Enjoy hearty servings of this creamy dish on Valentine’s night and pack the leftovers in a lunchbox for your sweetie to enjoy the next day.

Grilled Carrot Salad Mix the short list of ingredients together and allow carrots to marinate and soften while you enjoy another Love Potion #9 cocktail.

Old Fashioned Fudge Cake Prepare this decadent dessert a day or two in advance so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your date.

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This is one of the first dishes I ever learned to make. Alfredo sauce is ridiculously simple. Think about it — with that much cream, butter, and cheese, how can you go wrong?

Servings: 4 to 6 – Easy

Grocery List:
1 lb linguine (1 package)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup good chardonnay wine
1 1/2 cups half & half
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
+ extra for garnish
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Gear:
Large pot
Large saucepan

PASTA
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

ALFREDO SAUCE
Heat the unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic in the butter for 1 minute, until golden and fragrant. Deglaze the saucepan with the chardonnay, and cook off the liquid for a few minutes until it’s almost dry. Add the half-and-half, and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir often, making sure the half-and-half doesn’t boil. If it looks like it’s about to start boiling, take the pan off the heat for a few seconds and lower the temperature. Cook the half-and-half for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the Parmigiano, and stir until the cheese has completely melted. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick, creamy, and smooth. Again, be careful not to boil the sauce. Once the sauce is done, remove it from the heat, and add the minced parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Mix and cover.

SHKIAFFING IT TOGETHER
Toss the linguine with the alfredo sauce. Garnish with more minced parsley. Serve immediately.

Excerpted fromNadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen: Cookin’ for Trouble by Nadia G Copyright © 2011 by Nadia G. Photographs Copyright © 2011 by Ryan Szulc. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.
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“Elle a vraiment du caractère, ta soupe!” (“Your soup has a ton of character!”) my father exclaimed while eating quickly, as he always does. My parents were visiting us for two weeks — it was February in Boston. Winter. We could feel the wind and snow falling outside. And it was exactly the kind of rustic food that we felt like eating for dinner. Perfect with a loaf of crusty country bread on the side, and even some grated cheese if we felt like it.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 thyme twigs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large shallot, chopped
1 large leek, white part only, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
24 thin slices of spicy chorizo
2 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
2 cups white lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 large carrots, peeled and diced MORE…

SERVES 4

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole Dungeness crab, steamed whole and peeled, 1?2 cup crabmeat reserved for the relish
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade
2 cups heavy cream
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed and reserved for the relish
Sweet Corn and Crab Relish (Recipe Below)

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WHY IT’S LIGHT This Italian restaurant standby turns virtuous with baked (instead of fried) eggplant and a healthier béchamel made from skim milk, which is then combined with some marinara sauce. Using less cheese also helps; here, the two cheeses are sprinkled only on top, rather than in each layer.

serves 4
prep time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes

1 large Italian eggplant (2 pounds), sliced 1/2 inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons all–purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup homemade or store–bought marinara sauce
1/2 cup grated part–skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Cherries and mustard may sound like an unusual pairing, but they taste great together. Sweet, tart, and hot, this sauce goes well with chicken and veal as well as pork.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons Colman’s dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound Bing cherries, stemmed and pitted (3 cups packed)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup ruby port
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, finely ground
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup honey
4 (9-ounce) bone-in pork chops, preferably Berkshire (each 1 1/4 inches thick)
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