well-behaved women rarely make... pasta sauce?

Puttanesca is a dish with a history as colorful as a Tommie dePaola book. And that, perhaps, is why I like it so very much. I smile thinking of those Neapolitan ladies of leisure concocting this sauce to woo their men. I can imagine the draw - the scent of a simmered sauce "tarted up" with capers and olives wafting out over moon-lit cobbled streets; the way to the heart found through the stomach. It's as vivid in my imagination as it is in my bowl.

Certainly does warm things up a bit, doesn't it?

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Ingredients:
2 Tb. olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (more or less, to suit your tastes)
1 - 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes in puree (or any whole, peeled tomatoes in puree)
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and broken into large chunks
1/4 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and broken
1/4 jarred capers, drained (rinsed if you desire)
a handful of torn fresh basil leaves

1 Lb. dried spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

While water is coming to boil, prepare the sauce. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the tomatoes in their puree, until broken, but not smooth. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds or just until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the processed tomatoes and their puree, the salt, and the pepper to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, partially covered. Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper, olives, and capers, and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes, while the pasta cooks. Remove the sauce from heat and add the torn basil leaves. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and add the sauce, tossing to coat the pasta.
Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan and wink or two.

bitter greens and ginger knobs

Judging by the next recipe here, and according to the old adage that 'you are what you eat,' some might be tempted to call me saucy and bitter. (Of course, some might call me that without any edible prompting... But only after a really crumby day at work...) Really I'm normally quite pleasant :) and so is this little bowl of greens and tofu:

I know some folks are just never going to love tofu, and that's okay by me, but I adore it and use it often in quick stir-fries. If you prefer, substitute chicken, pork, shrimp, or even beef - heck, you can even omit it altogether! These greens are so tasty, they're great on their own.

Broccoli Rabe and Tofu Stir-fry

Ingredients:

2 Tb. vegetable oil (soy, peanut, canola, grape seed, etc.)
1 large bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped
4 scallions, chopped (green and white)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, sliced and patted dry
3 Tb. dry white wine (optional)
4-6 Tb. Tamari
1 Tb. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 Cup water

Heat oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted and just cooked (3-5 minutes depending on how soft you like your greens). Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and cook until heated through. Pour in the white wine (if using) and simmer until nearly evaporated. Add the Tamari and the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring constanly. Continue to cook until sauce has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.

pickling...

Not me... Although this glass of Rose was pretty delicious...

I'm really referring to this kind of pickling:

I suddenly have an abundance of yellow cucumbers. Gee... Could it be because I planted, um, 15 plants??? Well, I do love cucumbers. Dill pickles are quite tasty too. So, in the interest of preserving the bounty (which is what I am constantly doing these days), here's a very simple recipe for garlic dills. To maximize their flavor they will need to sit for a few weeks, so I'll let you know in a couple of weeks, just exactly how they turned out...

Garlic Dills

makes 6 pints (approximately)
(adapted from 'Quick Dill Pickles' in the Kerr Kitchen Cookbook)*

2-2 1/2 Lbs. cucumbers, washed and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds or cut into spears
(if using pickling cucumbers, which is recommended, the quantity is approximately 7 Lbs.) If you have more than enough cucumber, just keep making batches of brine until you've packed all the jars you filled)**

6-12 heads of fresh dill (be sure to rinse the dill and pat dry before adding to the jars)
6-12 cloves of garlic, peeled

For the brine:

6 Cups of water (I used spring water)
3 Cups of distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tb. Kosher salt
1/3 Cup pickling spice (optional)

Sterilize your jars and lids (I like the wide-mouth jars/lids for this - I find they are easier to pack) and ready the water bath.

Combine the brine ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. When jars and lids are ready, pack the cucumber slices into the hot jars along with 1 or 2 heads of dill and 1 or 2 cloves of garlic per each jar - leaving 1/2-inch head space. Pour the hot brine (including some of the pickling spice, if using) over the cucumbers and fill to within 1/2-inch of the jar rim. Using a clean butter knife or thin spatula, go around the inside edges of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims with a clean towel and place the sterilized lids on the jars. Lightly screw on the bands and process jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from the bath and check the seals. Any jars that did not seal properly can be refrigerated and used within a month or so.
*For canning instructions and/or questions, please visit the website for The National Center for Home Food Preservation.
**Many recipes I've seen regarding cucumber pickles say that to get a really crisp pickle you should soak the cucumber slices in an ice water bath for about 2 hours before canning. I didn't do this - my cukes had been in the refrigerator for a few days, so I skipped this step. I think in addition to 'icing' the cukes, it also helps to use pickling cucumbers, though any kind of cucumber will still work for pickling. Mine were rather large in circumference and will most likely not be too crisp (I personally don't mind).
***In case anyone is wondering - the 'yellower' pickles in the foreground of the above photo are 'Spicy Garlic Dills' that were made using a packaged pickle mix (Kerr's) and the addition of 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes per jar.