Pesto

    Italian food was my first "obsession" growing up, however, it was before the time I knew that pasta was not inherently Italian. I blame Marco Polo (jokingly) for going to China and bringing back the first "pasta" to Italy. It was from those humble beginnings that ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, and other inventions came along.

The truly inherent dishes out of Italy are the sauces. Pesto, Marinara, and Alfredo are the three most known of the Italian sauces. It is with these sauces that all Italian dishes gain their flavors and, with the addition of key ingredients, become other sauces. These three sauces, therefore, should be considered the "mother sauces" of Italy as they are the basis for all other sauces in Italian cuisine.

Pesto is the simplest of all the sauces, as there is no cooking, reducing, or stirring necessary. The key ingredients are Basil, olive oil, parmesan/Romano cheese, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and pine nuts.

Take 2 cups lightly packed basil leaves (do NOT throw away the stems), add 3 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 1 oz (30 g) pine nuts, 2 oz (60 g) shredded parmesan or Romano cheese, and puree in blender/food processor until a paste is formed. While pureeing, add just enough olive oil to make a sauce consistency. Taste to adjust seasonings and pulse until well mixed. Believe it or not, it is just that simple.

From this humble sauce, others can be created. 50% basil can be mixed with 50% fresh spinach leaves for a nice veal fettuccini with spinach pesto. Blend in green olives for a tapenade that goes well with crackers. Add your pesto to heavy whipping cream on the stove for a nice creamy chicken sauce. Puree in some re-constituted sun-dried tomatoes for a zing in your pesto. Want to add jalapenos?, Go for it!

I could go on and on, but the key here is to play and experiment daily with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, creating new dishes to bring the conversation at the table to heights undreamed of. Use the stems of your fresh basil to flavor your olive oil. Throw the stems into the bottle and let them infuse your oil with the same flavor you get from the leaves in your sauces. The next time you use that oil, I guarantee a new level of flavor is added to your dish. Bon appetit

P.S. Rubbing fresh basil on your skin is a natural bug repellent. We love it, but the bugs can't stand the smell, go figure.

Enjoy Tailgating this Football Season

October 17, 2001

    After everything that happened last month, it is truly inspiring that life is continuing in the United States.

Football is taking on a more patriotic emphasis  and nothing is more American than the tailgate  party. Tailgating parties are a football tradition in most US homes, :-), and especially in cities with stadiums.  People arrive at the game hours ahead of time, break out portable grills, propane  burners, etc. and commence to cook whatever the food of choice is depending on the area.  At  home people get together hours before the game comes on and sit and eat finger foods, drink whatever they feel like, and cheer for their favorite teams.  

Whether the party takes place in the parking lot of your sports arena, your local bar, or your  backyard, the food and friends are roughly the same. While chicken wings remain one of the nation's most favorite tailgating foods, why stop there?

Take the bones out of the chicken and change the sauce for a new tailgate food. Instead of spicy wings, add curry with a cucumber sauce instead of ranch or Blue cheese. Go a wee bit Oriental with General Tso's Chicken, making it boneless, spicy, and still finger-food suit-able for the most picky of palates.

Enjoy these tailgating possibilities as our favorite teams remind us that life goes on. Bon appetit!

Read the Southern Cooking article.

Recipe: Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Recipe: General Tso's Chicken
Recipe: Curried Chicken Wings

Cajun food can give you that 'warm' feeling for fall

October 31, 2001

   The colder weather has hit and I, for one, am enjoying this immensely. With a convertible, it is fun to let the wind blow through your hair and enjoy the night skyline with stars and the occasional full moon.  One of the best parts about driving in this cooler weather is coming home to a nice warm meal of our choosing. Cajun food can give you that warm feeling without burning your socks off, if done right. Cajun food is not necessarily spicy.  There is a subtle heat that will warm you without the fiery feeling on your taste buds. The seasoning blend in Cajun food is made from scratch and used on most all seafoods, meats and vegetables to give the food the rich flavor it deserves without breathing fire. Soups, stews and etouffees are perfect this time of year to chase away the chill and fill you up as well.  Served with rice or pasta of choice, you have a meal that could last for a few days. Making a pot full up, and then freezing the unused portion, can make the meal last for a few weeks, off and on. Enjoy these ideas for your next warm meal, enjoy the cool air before it turns really cold, and bon appetit.  

Read the Fish Tips and Ideas article

Recipe:  Seafood Etouffee
Recipe:  Cajun Seasoning Blend