full disclosure

Dear Kristin,

I returned from my visit with you and Lola to a garden full of vine ripened tomatoes. While this might be a welcome bounty to most people, I must admit that sometimes a bowl of ripe tomatoes can bring back some painful memories for me. After all, I was not always the culinary goddess I am now, and some of my beginning attempts at cooking were, well, in a word, disasters!

Case in point - my first attempt to make homemade spaghetti sauce. This was actually a collaborative failure, as it took both my college roommate and me to create a sauce that had the texture of gummy oatmeal, the color of an over-ripe pumpkin and the taste of wallpaper paste.

Laura (the roommate) and I were sophomores, and enjoying our first month of living off campus in our own apartment. We invited a couple of guys from MIT over for dinner, and decided that spaghetti was about the only thing we could afford to make that would feed four people. How hard could spaghetti be? We had both watched our moms make it hundreds of times, so we were pretty sure we knew what we were doing. Oh, and it looked so easy - just put some tomatoes in a pot with some seasonings, and you're done, right? Ah, the cockiness of youth! We may have watched our moms make sauce hundreds of times, but evidently neither of us was really paying much attention.

We started out with the right idea, putting some canned tomatoes into a pot with some oregano and crushed red pepper. We heated it up, and waited for it to thicken into that rich, sweet tomato-ey sauce that clings passionately to each strand of pasta. We waited, and waited and waited. (With the impatience of youth, we probably waited about 20 minutes, if truth be told.) Well, the sauce wasn't thickening up. What to do? How did our moms thicken sauces? Oh, of course - FLOUR! We stirred in some flour, and were rewarded with a lumpy orange mixture that would make nice bricks once it cooled.

Luckily, there was an Italian restaurant right down the street that served take-out, so as Laura greeted the boys at the front door, I ran out the back, picked up four orders of spaghetti to go, and ran back to the apartment. After barricading the kitchen door, Laura and I put all of the spaghetti into a big bowl and sliced up some bread. We presented this dinner to our dates, who declared that it was the best spaghetti they had ever had.

But I digress. Now I'm excited by a harvest of ripe red tomatoes and am not afraid to slowly coax them into a sauce that I can be proud of. Not only do I make the sauce from scratch, but I make it with ingredients that I've picked right out of my own back yard - roma tomatoes, green peppers, and fragrant green basil.

This is a pretty rustic sauce, with big chunks of sweet tomatoes and tangy green peppers. The amount of seasoning you use will definitely vary depending on the ripeness and sweetness of the tomatoes. It makes a quick weeknight supper, as once you assemble the sauce, it cooks and thickens in about the time it takes to cook up a pot of pasta. Add a salad and a crusty loaf of french bread, and you're all set.

summer harvest pasta sauce

6 to 8 large, well-ripened roma tomatoes
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 of a large red onion, roughly diced
1 large green pepper, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste - the amount you use will vary with the ripeness and sweetness of the tomatoes)
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Fresh basil for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove pot from heat and place tomatoes in the water to loosen the skins.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Lightly saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in the oil until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. While the vegetables are sauteing, peel and coarsely chop the tomatoes.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium or medium low, and simmer slowly until sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. (now is a good time to cook your pasta)
5. Serve sauce over pasta of your choice - I like farfalle, but you can use linguine or spaghetti just as well. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.

a late summer love affair

Dear Mom,

Some of my absolute favorite recipes are the ones that can easily translate into different variations.  Once you learn how to make a good pizza dough, you can easily make any kind of pizza you want.  Same thing for pasta or quiche, once you learn the basics you can make all different kinds, and use up any combination of items that may be hanging out in your fridge.  About a year ago I learned how to make ristotto, and it truly has changed my life! 

Just thinking about risotto makes me happy...  I wish I had discovered it sooner, but like so many people I was frightened off of it because of the "long and laborious" cooking time.  But believe me, it is worth it.  Once you master the technique you will probably want to eat it every day of the week.  It's really not hard to make, but it is a little time consuming.  Contrary to popular belief you do not need to stir it constantly, which may quell some nerves out there, but an attentive eye is required.  Ultimately, its going to take you approximately 45 minutes to an hour, but that includes prep time. So its not really that much worse than any other recipe out there.  And, again, its so great because once you master the technique of cooking the rice, you can add any additional veggies or protein that you've got in the fridge. 

This recipe I'm sending you was recently developed with the delivery of our CSA produce box and my desire to do something with the plethora of corn other than corn on the cob (although I do adore some good old grilled corn on the cob). I'm calling it "late summer risotto," and I really think its my new favorite.  I served it with some seared sea scallops which I seared off in some of the leftover bacon fat, and it was a scrumptious accompaniment, but this risotto is so good you can just make it by itself. 

late summer risotto

3 ears fresh corn
1 box low-sodium chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
2 slices apple-wood smoked bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
groung cayenne pepper (to taste)
freshly ground pepper
8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered
chopped scallions, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium-low.  Remove husks and silk from corn, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place corn on grill and cook until lightly charred on all sides, rotating them every few minutes.  This should take about 15 minutes.

Empty the chicken broth into a 3-4 quart sauce pan and bring to a low simmer.  Meanwhile in another 3-4 quart sauce pan add about 1 tbsp. olive oil and the 2 slices of bacon (cut bacon in half to fit in pan).  Cook bacon until crispy, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Drain into a separate skillet about 2 tbsp. of the rendered bacon fat.  Set aside. 

Leave about 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat in the sauce pan and lower heat to medium-low.  Add the minced shallots and garlic.  Cook about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.  (If it starts to brown, turn down the heat.)  Add the rice and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the 1/2 cup white wine, stir occasionally until the wine is mostly absorbed into the rice.  Add about 1/2 cup of the warmed chicken broth to the rice mixture, and stir.  Continue adding about 1/2 cup of the broth to the rice mixture, allowing each addition to absorb into the rice before adding the next.  Stir after each addition and occasionally stir or lightly shake the pot in between additions.

When the broth is gone your risotto should be ready, this will take about 30 minutes.  It should be slightly soupy. 

While you are adding the broth and stirring/shaking, prepare the remainder of the ingredients: When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the corn from the cobs and set aside.  Heat the skillet with the reserved bacon fat over medium heat and add the mushrooms and a little salt.  Cook the mushrooms until golden, set aside.  Finely chop the bacon, set aside. 

In a small bowl add the parmesan, butter, thyme, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and as much cayenne as you dare.  When your risotto is ready (all the broth is absorbed) empty this bowl into the risotto and stir vigorously until butter is melted and all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the mushrooms and corn, stir to combine.  Top with chopped bacon and scallions. 


cosmo's cooking notes:  Ok, fine, I know this sounds difficult!  But again, you'll just have to trust me on this one, it's worth it!!!

new york vs. chicago round two!

Dear Dennis,

It's really too bad you didn't come with me to visit Kristin. You missed out on some really good eats & some fun times. Yes, we ate a lot, but we did try to burn at least some of it off with a five mile run/walk on Saturday and a kayaking stint on the Chicago River on Sunday. While it might have been tempting to catch our dinner while kayaking, we thought it might be a little unwise to consume something from a river that has been known to catch on fire.

Since pizza is always on the menu when we visit Chicago, we decided to keep the tradition going. However, instead of going to one of our favorite chi-town pizza joints, we decided to stay in and have a nice little kitchen competition instead. Pizza Throw-Down!

Kristin's challenge was to create a Chicago style deep dish/stuffed pizza. My challenge was to come up with a thin, foldable New York style pizza. So, create we did. Kristin's windy city pizza was good, with two crusts surrounding a filling of ricotta, and then topped with peppers, onions & mozzarella. A side of sauce added the finishing touch. The New York style pizza was a thin crust affair, topped with a thin layer of sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Cooking the pie on the grill gave the crust an authentic brick-oven type finish.

After the flour settled, we both agreed that the visiting team won this challenge. Go New York! I think we'll continue to work on the stuffed pizza, though, because it definitely shows some promise.

new york style grilled pizza margherita

dough for a 12" pizza
1/2 c. jarred pizza or spaghetti sauce
1 tomato
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
fresh basil leaves

Preheat grill to 400F.
Remove pulp and seeds from tomato. Slice tomato as thinly as possible. Dry slices on paper toweling to remove excess moisture.
Roll pizza dough on floured surface as thinly as possible, while still being able to move it without tearing.
Place dough a pizza pan that will withstand direct heat from grill.
Prebake crust on grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, or until bottom just begins to brown.
Remove crust from grill.
Spread pizza sauce on crust, going all the way to the edges.
Place sliced mozzarella over sauce.
Top pizza with sliced tomatoes.
Carefully slide the pizza from the pizza pan directly onto grill over indirect heat.
Cook pizza over indirect heat for about 2 minutes, or until cheese melts, being careful not to burn the bottom of the crust.
Carefully remove pizza from grill. Top with fresh basil leaves and allow to rest a few minutes before serving.

new york vs. chicago - round one!

Because Comfy & Cosmo got together this weekend in Chi-town we are writing to our respective husbands instead of each other.  What do you expect?  We're sick of each other, we hung out all weekend...  Just kidding!

Dear John,

I miss you!  You've been gone so far away on this business trip for nearly two and a half weeks!  My Mom came to town though this weekend, so at least I've had some one else to keep me company besides the dog.  Lola is great and all, but she really needs to work on her conversational skills!  So you're probably wondering what us two girls have been up to.  Well while she was here we ate, then we ate some more, then we cooked, then ate, and ate.  Needless to say I'm still full and our fridge is stocked with leftovers, its been a good weekend.

For our major cooking extravaganza, we decided to attempt to create a "New York-style" pizza and a "Chicago-style" pizza, and yes, in one night!  This was as much an experiment as it was tasty entertainment, because neither of us had attempted a Chi-town pie or the technique we employed for the NY-style.  For the NY-style we strove for a thin crust, foldable pizza margarhite cooked on the grill, considering that many famed NY-style pizzerias use a coal-fired, wood-fired or brick oven with rather extreme temperatures.  The Chicago-style was a deep dish, stuffed pan-style pie with sausage, peppers and onions.

Who won you ask?  New York, hands down.  I know, I should be ashamed of myself!  I suppose I am no longer allowed to call myself a Chicagoan.  With some work, my Chicago-style pizza will be great, but as of right now the NY-style won because of the grill.  I never thought that grilling my pie would make that much of a difference, but it did!  The dough comes out perfect!  Slightly chewy, lightly crisped on the outside with a smokey note from the light charring, yum!  I'm very excited, and I cannot wait to make it for you!

 Anyway, here is the recipe for the Chicago style with notes for improvement included.  We will revisit this again in the future!

chicago-style deep dish pizza

pizza dough (see notes)
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup jarred pizza sauce (plus extra for dipping)
2 links italian sausage
3/4 cup shredded mozzerella
1/2 cup sliced green pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onion

Preheat the oven to 400.  Divide dough into two pieces and roll thin.  Oil and flour a 8" cake pan with 2" sides.  Push one of the pieces of dough into the bottom of the cake pan, allowing the edges to drape slightly over the sides.  Polk several holes into the dough with a fork.  (I didn't do this, but I would recommend using pie weights to prevent the dough from building up too much along the sides.)  Bake the dough for 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the italian sausage and mix the ricotta, parmesan, egg and salt & pepper (to taste) until well combined.  Leaving the par-baked pizza dough in the cake pan, fill the middle of the dough with ricotta and smooth over.  Place the other piece of dough over the ricotta and trim the edges.  Prick again with fork, and bake for anther 7-8 minutes. 

Remove the dough/ricotta combo from the oven, and build as you would a normal pizza.  Add sauce, cheese, sausage and the veggies.  Bake again until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

cosmo's cooking notes:  We used Mario Batali's Pizza Dough recipe which yields a soft and workable dough that you can get pretty thin.  This seems to work well, but again its a work-in-progress so there may be a better dough out there for this.