Pasta Puttanesca

Mmmmm, this is the first of many, many, many times I will be making this recipe. In fact, I think I'll make it tomorrow! I have never had Pasta Puttanesca before. Honestly, I've never even heard of it before. That is until the "culinary super man" Mark Bittman posted this recipe on his blog. I knew I had to try it because he went on about the fantastic flavors...and I'm coming to realize that Mark Bittman's food opinions are to be trusted.

This recipe has been churning in my head for the last few days. Tonight I wasn't sure what to make. I knew I had all the ingredients for this recipe (don't ask me why in the world I had a can of anchovies, but I did!!) so I figured that I'd give it a try.

First, some details. I have read several times recently that when a recipe calls for canned tomatoes, that it's a must to use San Marzano tomatoes. Foodies go on and on about them. I thought it might be just one of those food snob things until I read in "How to Cook without a Book" the reason why they are better. They are packed with less seeds, so the end taste is less bitter. It was worth a try, so I picked up a couple cans of them recently. My jaw dropped when I looked at my receipt and saw that I paid $6 per can!!!! So here was my chance to use them, and I must say that I get it. The difference in flavor is subtle but definitely there. And I am now learning that the difference between an "ok" cook and a "good" cook is due to the subtle choices that are made through the cooking process. After tasting this recipe with San Marzano tomatoes, I can definitely say it's worth paying 3 times as much for these tomatoes.

This recipe couldn't be easier. It's simple to make but the flavors are so complex. I highly recommend it. One thing I'll change next time is that I'll put 1 less shake of the red pepper flakes. A little goes a long way with those things. I did 4 shakes tonight and it was right on the border of being a little too spicy.

And a funny side note is that after Cory read my last post about his lack of enthusiasm towards my new facination with becoming a better cook, he was annoyed. He thought I portrayed him as a Neanderthal! We had a couple laughs about it but now he takes his position as food critic seriously. He gave me very good feedback tonight. He didn't just say "it's good". He offered more explanation. He said that it is very flavorful, he likes the olives, and he can see why it has such an interesting story behind it (you need to read Mark Bittman's post to understand the story!)

After looking at the photograph of my plate of food, I can assure you that it tastes better than it photographed!!!

Here is the delicious recipe...please try it and tell me what you think of it:

Pasta Puttanesca
Yield 3 to 6 servings
Time 30 minutes

Start the sauce while the pasta water is coming to a boil; finish it while the pasta is cooking. Add a salad and a loaf of bread and you're out the door to your evening's activity, whatever it might be.

Ingredients
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 or more cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
3 or more anchovy fillets
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured
2 tablespoons capers
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 pound linguine or other long pasta
Chopped fresh parsley, oregano, marjoram or basil leaves for garnish, optional

Method
1. Bring pot of water to boil and salt it. Warm 2 tablespoons oil with garlic and anchovies in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly golden.
2. Drain tomatoes and crush with fork or hands. Add to skillet, with some salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, capers and red pepper flakes, and continue to simmer.
3. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but not mushy. Drain quickly and toss with sauce and remaining tablespoon of oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, garnish with herbs if you like, and serve.

Source: The New York Times

It Tastes Like A Chalupa

Here's the dilemma that I face when trying to become a better cook... my husband honestly doesn't care. He is just happy that I cook for him at all. He honestly doesn't mind that it's not always great. I see this as a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because I really don't feel any pressure from him. He is just as happy when I serve a packaged meal from Costco as his is when I make something from scratch. He actually likes prepackaged meals better because it is so easy. However, his indifference towards me being a better cook is bad because he really doesn't care if a meal is healthy, low-fat, no preservatives, etc., which are all things that are very important to me. He just wants something to fill his belly regardless of the ingredients. This attitude also includes restaurants. When trying to think of restaurants to go to for dinner, I think of places like Chili's and he thinks of Jack in The Box. When I ask him if there is anything that he wants me to cook for dinner, he ALWAYS says "meatloaf". Yes, he's a simple guy. The only times he has ever really complimented my cooking is when I make very stereotypical comfort food recipes such as meatloaf, pan fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, etc.

So the reality of my goal to become a better cook is that I am doing it strictly for myself (which honestly is the best reason in the world to change something about yourself), I am doing this only for my own personal growth and happiness. But in order to become a better cook, I really need honest feedback. If I had more than my indifferent husband, my 3 year old, and my 8 month old to ask for feedback, I would. But I don't. That's the group of people that I cook for. Since my 3 year old would always rather have Mac n Cheese than what I am serving, his opinion doesn't count. My 8 month old is still eating baby oatmeal, so her opinion doesn't count. That means that it's all on Cory to give me constructive criticism. This is where the problem lies. He doesn't care...except when it's a meal that reminds him of fast food.

Last night I made Turkey Tacos. I used all my usual ingredients except for one thing: I made the taco shells with a new VERY YUMMY find, Mi Abuelita Bonita Tortillas Sonora Style Green Chili Corn Tortillas, and I must share with you Cory's priceless reaction. About 3 bites into the meal he said "mmmmm, you hit this one out of the park. These taste like Chalupas!" Now I can assure you that he didn't mean the authentic Chalupas that you would eat in Mexico. No, he meant that I made a delicious meal because the tacos tasted like Taco Bell Chalupas. Oy...I guess the bright side is it's a good thing that I don't feel any pressure to create culianry masterpieces. My critic has pretty low standards!


I do have to say that the tacos were delicious, and if you ever have the chance to buy these tortillas, do it...you won't regret it!

The turkey meat was seasoned wonderfully. I sauteed 1/4 onion then added the crumbled meat. I added taco seasoning, garlic powder, a spice from Tastefully Simple called Salsa Salsa, and then I also added some prepared salsa. Served it with Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives and sour cream. The side dishes were black beans and Green Giant Mexicali Corn. This was a very satisfying meal.