Hello Old Friend!   You may have noticed that we have been in and out for the past couple months.  We have been going through some pretty big changes the past couple months.  Changes filled with mixed emotions;  bittersweet, and new growth.  We have always said, change is good.  It is good to shake things up, keep life fresh, and grow.  That is what we are doing;  shaking things up.

A few of you may have overheard some chatter that we had to move from our tiny home, and the 20 sq.ft. kitchen.  It was emotional tough; not leaving a space, but knowing I would not be seeing the people I have grown to love the past 10 years on a daily basis. No more, MEM poking their smiling faces in to say hi.  No more, Max getting me to play not one but a couple games of ping-pong, even though I am terrible at it.  No more, Ella and Maggie helping me make dinner.  No more, Evelyn or Will stopping by with mail, or to share a glass of wine.  Or the impromptu dinners.  I didn’t care about the material things.  It was the relationships that I was struggling with.  This was family.  Friends.  Children I helped nurture.

Then there was the realization that we did not want to stay in the city any longer, not because we had fallen out of love.  Rather it just didn’t make sense any longer.  Rents have tripled in two years, and it is criminal to give someone else all of that money, just to rent.  Buying in the city wasn’t an option, unless we wanted to leave in a closet.  We wanted space.  We wanted some adventure. Leaving a structure you cohabited, is  one thing, leaving the city was another. We both tease about leaving the Bay Area, to head East or maybe somewhere new and affordable.  But, we haven’t done it.  Now, after twenty years, we have done it.  I am tough until the moment we cross the bridge, on a that perfect, blue-skied day in the city, with the last of your belongings in our car.  The tears start flowing.  Surreal.  It’s like a break-up, one you hope to have back someday, but one that may not come around again.

Once we realized we had been out genderfied, we jumped ship so to say, and headed East.  Not quite the East, we always toy with but it was East.  We found a modest new home in “up and coming” West Oakland.  No question about it, it is edgy, and gritty;  but, we love it.  It is urban and industrial.  The distant sound of the train hitting the tracks.  Gorgeous nighttime views of twinkly shipyards, and the sunrises and sunsets are pretty awesome.  There is an old wreckage yard across from us, and the light shining on the graveyard where parts go to die, is amazing. The potential of this area is pretty grand, and we are thrilled to become a part of it.

In the same breath, we are so excited to be starting our new home together.  Sure we have been living together for 7 years;  but, we always lived in someone else’s “home”.  All fond, and more than lovely memories along the way.  But, this is ours;  all sparkly three floors.  We are excited to unpack boxes, set-up utilities, pick out paint colors, figure out the confusing world of blinds, try to fill all these cupboards in the kitchen, (remember we had everything in one cupboard in our old kitchen), meet all of our new neighbors, and we cannot wait to have friends and family over, on a regular basis, to break bread.

Last week, we had a “oh my god, what did we do” moment.  After talking through it, and remembering the positive things with change, we were good.  Some comfort food was still in order, though.

I have been wanting to make a squash lasagna for some time but have not found the time.  I could not find fresh pasta, and while I usually make my own, I wasn’t in the mood.  I did happen to find jumbo pasta shells, at a new to me market, and I turned my recipe around to accommodate this change.  Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta, hand-heavy amounts of fresh sage, and then drowned in a brown butter bechamel sauce.  This recipe did not disappoint it was creamy, comforting, and perfect;  just like our lives, no matter where we are.  Our loved ones will always be wrapped in our arms, no matter where we lay our heads at night.  Change is good.

Recipe:  Delicata Squash Pasta Shells with Brown Butter Bechamel

• 1 medium sized delicata squash, peeled, and sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 12 sage leaves, minced
• 1 lb ricotta
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 lb pasta shells
• 1 recipe brown butter bechamel
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella
• 8 sage leaves, minced

Heat the oven to 350.  Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions.  Drain very well, and drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta, and gently toss, this will prevent them from sticking together.  Set aside.  In a large frying pan, over low heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the shallot, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute.  Add the squash, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the sage.  Let cool.  In a mixing bowl add the ricotta, stir until creamy.  Fold in the squash mixture.  Season with salt to taste.  Stuff each shell with some of the cheese and squash mixture., and snuggle them in a baking dish, that has been lightly buttered.  You may have a few shells left over, simply squeeze them in the baking dish to fill the gaps.  Pour over the bechamel sauce.  Top with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella, and sprinkle over the minced sage.  Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly, and golden.  Depending on your oven it could be a little more or a little less time.

Recipe:  Brown Butter Bechamel

•  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup shredded gruyere
• 1 teaspoon salt

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bechamel Sauce, Brown Butter, Delicata, Lasagna, Ricotta, Squash

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Whenever we have a busy week full of work projects, I try to keep a few staples in the house that I would not normally have;  one being dried pasta.  We prefer to make our own pasta, but late nights call for something simple and nourishing. Otherwise, the pizza delivery guy will be getting a call from us.

With well-stocked “fresh” staples such as shallots, yellow onions, herbs, and cheese it is easy to make this delicious pasta dish.  Keeping a variety of fresh vegetables in the house  will make this recipe even easier.  We use whatever is currently in season;  it is really lovely with everything from spring peas all the way to rich butternut squash.

Couple weeks ago we received a surprise package from Oceanmist;  5 pounds of gorgeous fava beans.  The timing was perfect as we were going to be working late, and now we were set for dinner.  Favas do take a bit more prepping but are definitely worth it.  The beans we received were a bit on the larger side;  therefore, I had to peel the outer layer off as well as the inner layer, but there was a sweet surprise instead.  To give the dish a little tang, I added zest from one lemon as well I used some of the fresh ricotta we made; both went really well with the favas.

Feel free to play with this recipe.  Use different combinations of veggies and cheese, such as roasted tomatoes and smokey mozzarella, sweet baby peas with swirls of fresh mascarpone cheese or broccoli pieces with chunks of Gouda;  really it is all about using your imagination.

Recipe:  Go To Pasta

• 2 cups fresh vegetables
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons of fresh herb minced, used thyme for this dish
• zest from one lemon, optional (it went well with favas)
• cheese, your choice, be creative
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 lb pasta, cooked according to directions

If you like this recipe, check these Meatless Meals: 

• Vegan Spaghetti Squash
• Gluten Free Tabbouleh
• Vegetable Enchiladas

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cheese, easy to make, Enchiladas, fava beans, Meatless Monday, Pasta, Ricotta, Spaghetti Squash, t, Tabbouleh, Vegetables, vegetarian

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Ever since I sat down and really looked at what we were spending on take-out, I have been on the search for quick, easy, and delicious meals to make for those late nights.  Pasta is always a good fall-back on dish to have around the house.  We do enjoy making our own pasta but for emergency meals, I always keep some dried pasta on hand, just in case.  Another staple that I keep in the freezer is a little pancetta;  it is a great addition to eggs, salads, and pasta.  My take on Pasta Carbonara has become a regular guest at our dinner table.  This recipe is a little salty.  A little spicy.  A little creamy.

When I mentioned my new found late night nibble to a couple friends, they all asked the same thing, “aren’t you afraid of using raw eggs?”  I had never really thought about it before, and in all honesty I did not want to start worrying about it;  but, I wanted to serve this dish to some dinner guests, and figured this would be a good time to figure out a way to avoid the “raw egg” issue. For this recipe I coddle the eggs with the boiling pasta.  Then before serving, I toss the pasta with the coddled egg yolks, and then add the sizzling hot sauce, and the cheese, lightly tossing just to combine, to make a creamy sauce that hugs every strand of pasta.  This is going to become your fall-back-on recipe;  I just know it!

Recipe:  Pasta Carbonara

*serves 4

What you need:

• 8 slices pancetta, small dice
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• pinch dried chili pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian Parsley
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• kosher salt, to taste
• sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 coddled eggs, yolks only (I don’t like the texture of the runny whites with the pasta)
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked according to directions
• handful shaved parmigiano cheese

What you need to do:

In a large saucepan, heat water to boiling, and cook pasta according to directions.  2 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, add the eggs to the cooking pasta. Cook the eggs for the last couple of minutes with the pasta.  Remove from the water, set aside, and drain the pasta.

While the water is boiling, and the pasta is cooking;  heat a large frying pan, over medium heat.  Add the olive oil, and the pancetta;  cook, over medium heat, until the pancetta begins to get a little crispy;  about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, and chili pepper, stir;  over medium heat, cook until lightly golden;  about 2 – 3 minutes.  The bottom of the pan will begin to crust a little. Add the wine, and deglaze the pan.  Cook over low heat, until reduced; about 10 minutes.  Add the parsley, and the butter.  Stir, and cook, over medium high heat, for 1 minute;  slight bubbles will begin to form.  Remove from heat.

Working quickly as you do not want to lose any heat, add the drained pasta, and the coddled egg yolks to a large serving bowl, and toss using two spoons.  Add the hot pancetta sauce, and cheese;  toss quickly until creamy.  Season with salt, and a generous sprinkle of black pepper.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara with Poached Egg

Asparagus and Chicken Pasta Carbonara

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carbonara, Chili Peppers, Coddled Eggs, Easy Dinner, Garlic, Pancetta, Parmesan Cheese, Pasta, Pasta Carbonara, Spicy

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

San Francisco had classic, warm weather over the weekend. Blue skies. Birds chirping. People running around half naked (when the sun shines here people seem to lose their clothes).  Perfect weekend to get our grill on. We had some friends who decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, by hosting the first grill-out of the season, complete with burgers, dogs, and lots of cold beer. No grill-out is complete without the honorary classic macaroni salad.

In all honesty, I have to say, I have not had macaroni salad since I was a kid. Okay, I have nibbled here and there, but usually, I turn my nose up at it. Most often, macaroni salad is gooey, way too creamy, over sweet, and has too many hard boiled eggs. I wanted my recipe to be light, and flavorful.  After doing some research, I came to the conclusion, that our salad would not be the typical classic macaroni salad; it was not going to have sugar, over processed yellow mustard, no carrot slivers, no sweet pickles, and no hard-boiled eggs.  I am not a hater of these things;  I just don’t believe they belong in macaroni salad.  For the record, I am a hater of over-processed yellow mustard;  Lenny is not.  We are both haters of generic sweet pickles – YUCK!

This Chez Us classic macaroni salad, is light, flavorful, and creamy.  The creamy part of this dressing is made of mayo, Dijon mustard, and sherry vinegar.  I use an organic, canola oil based mayo, that is naturally sweet, as well the sherry vinegar is slightly sweet;  no need to add more sugar to this recipe.  I seasoned the base with fresh green garlic, red onion, fresh dill, and zesty Paulie’s Pickling pickles.  I don’t normally dig pickles, but am LOVING these.  Zippy.  Zesty.  Crunchy.  Perfect addition to our macaroni salad.   For some extra crunch, I tossed in some diced celery.

Do you have a favorite way to make a “classic macaroni salad”?

Recipe:  Classic Macaroni Salad

What you need:

• 8 cups cooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cup mayo
• 3 tablespoon dijon
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon green garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dill, minced
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1 half of a large pickle, minced
• 1/2 cup celery, minced
• sprinkle of ezpeletako bipera or paprika

What you need to do:

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Do not over cook.  You want the macaroni to be al a dente, not mush. While the macaroni are cooking, soak the red onions in cold water, for 15 minutes.  Drain the onions, then wrap in a flour-sack towel, or paper towel, to dry.  In a large serving bowl, add the mayo, dijon, and sherry;  whisk until smooth. Add the garlic, onion, pickle, dill, and celery;  stir until mixed.  Fold in the macaroni.  Chill for at least an hour.  Serve. Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Macaroni Salad with Eggs, Olives & Sweet Pickles

Pesto Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes, Corn & Fresh Mozzarella

Macaroni Salad with Red Peppers, Sweet Relish & Hot Sauce

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Classic Macaroni Salad, Dijon, Dill, Elbow Macaroni, Ezpeletako Bipera, Green Garlic, Grill-Out, Macaroni Salad, Paulie's Pickling, Pickles, Recipe, Salad

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

We had an impromptu dinner party a couple weeks ago.  I wanted something good, fast and easy to make, so I used one of my fall on tomato sauces.   You know me I always have to take it to another level, so we did make fresh pasta, bucatini, to go with the sauce.   Our friend Chelsea wanted to learn how to make pasta using our new gadget so it was the perfect excuse for a mini lesson and dinner.

I have two tomato sauces I use if all else fails or for last minute dinners.  I like this one as it combines pancetta and carrots – something wonderful about adding carrots to your pasta sauce, it adds a nice depth.  We like this sauce spicy so we do add extra heat, but adjust to your liking.  Whenever I make this particular sauce, I usually add a handful of arugula to this as it not only looks pretty but it gives it an extra zippy bite.  This time, though, I made a nice salad with an aged balsamic dressing.

Add a couple bottles of Italian wine, some bread, a bowl of olives and you have the perfect impromptu meal!

Recipe:  Spicy Tomato Sauce

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dinner, Homemade Pasta, KitchenAid, Pasta, Recipe, Sauce, Spicy, Tomato

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I have been dreaming about making homemade macaroni since I first saw the latest and greatest KitchenAid attachment.  I guess I am a sucker for their attachments;  but, have you tried them?  I could be a spokesperson for them but am not.  This comes from the heart, I love all of the ones we own.  In fact that KitchenAid mixer was one of the best gifts we have ever gotten and is put to great use all the time.  Okay, back to the attachment.  Why didn’t I purchase this sooner???  Fun!  Fun!  Fun!

I was not sure how it was all going to come together so I stuck with their basic pasta recipe for the first go around.  It was fine;  but, next time I will go with one of my pasta recipes.  There is not much to say about it really … you make the dough, pull of walnut size pieces,  throw the pieces into the shoot and presto, you have fresh pasta within seconds.  Really!  It took less than an hour to make the dough and crank out a pound of fresh macaroni.  Since I was going to be baking the dish that the macaroni was going to go into I did let it dry for about 5 hours.  I basically made it in the morning, rolled the pasta in some semolina flour (on a cookie sheet) and let it sit on the table and dry.  Easy!

Not only have I had this attachment on my mind for the past few months;  but, I have had macaroni and cheese tucked back into my thoughts.  We had some fantastic macaroni and cheese a couple months ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it.  As well I had dinner with some friends a couple weeks back and the same topic came up as Allison is opening a restaurant, called Little Mac, and you guessed it … macaroni and cheese.

This recipe was inspired by my conversation with some great ladies over dinner as well as the dish I ate awhile back.  Using fresh macaroni, just took it to another level.  The fresh pasta is combined with a creamy sauce made of  bacon, dijon mustard and three different cheeses:  Parmesan, Fiscalini Cheddar and Gruyere.  It is comforting, creamy, slightly smokey and not your typical macaroni and cheese.  I guess you could say it is more of an adult version.

Recipe:  Macaroni and Cheese

Click the printer icon for a down-loadable PDF of this recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cheddar, Dijon Mustard, Dinner, Elbow Macaroni, Fiscalini Cheese, Gruyere, Homemade Pasta, Macaroni and Cheese, Parmesan, Recipe

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

One of the first blogs I ever came upon was Chez Pim and the post that popped up was all about Pad Thai.  Who was this Pim?  How did she make such a beautiful Pad Thai?  I made a mental note to make this recipe one day, as it was one of Lenny’s favorite dishes and then I continued reading about the girl Pim.  I loved her culinary adventures that were delicious in one breathe and wrapped around somewhere exotic in the next – a girl after my own heart.  You see we are a bit a like, I love to eat, cook, drink and travel.  One just has to utter the words, TRIP, TRAVEL,and SUITCASE with a sprinkle of good food promised and I am there – does not even have to include a passport but that just makes it even more exciting.

We had the chance to finally meet Pim at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine event last year.  She was adorable, taking us under her wing and showing us around the event;  she was exactly as we thought she would be in person ….. sweet!  Over the course of  a couple glasses of bubbly, we got to know more about her as well as the “book” she was working on;  we even got a sneak peak.  It was lovely – full of Pim charm and enticing foodie wisdom.  We could not wait to get our hands on a couple copies!  Her book came out in the summer but we did not get a chance to get a copy until she was up in the city speaking at Omnivore Books.  Not only were we able to attend the event but she agreed to let us capture it so that we could share her foodie adventures with you – I will not tell you about it, you must watch it!

I have loved reading the book, it is warm, personal and full of interesting tid-bits about her life as a “foodie”.  As well she includes many fantastic recipes.   What I like about her advise is that she is not preaching to you about how to become a foodie, rather she is sharing her experiences through her sweet opinionated self and you can take it or leave it.  She will take you on a adventure with every chapter that will leave you salivating for more!

Now back to Pad Thai …. as I mentioned it is one of Lenny’s favorite dishes.  I on the other hand have always been one to take it or leave it.  I just have never found a place in the city that makes it like they do in Thailand.  When I first came across her post, I had a very good feeling it would be good!  So, I invited a couple friends (who have been to Thailand and also love Pad Thai) over and then I grabbed “The Foodie Handbook” turned to page 66 and headed to Clement Street to get ready for our Pad Thai party.  Her recipe is simple.  The hardest part was finding the translator in the markets – *smile*.  It is such a great dish to make with friends … pour a few glasses or Reisling and let the fun begin.  We all agreed it was the best Pad Thai we have eaten outside of Thailand;  slightly salty, a little sour and sweet all tossed together with a “bite”  of heat to warm it up.  Add noodles, seafood and crunchy bean sprouts and chinese chives to balance it all out!    In all honesty this was the first time I actually wanted more Pad Thai …. the next day!

You are hungry?  You want the recipe?  Pim has been so kind to donate a copy to Chez Us so we can share it with one of our readers.  Just leave a comment below telling us one of Pim’s favorite childhood memories (in the video) and tell us about your favorite Pad Thai experience, for a chance to win her book.  We will be announcing a winner on March 5, 2010, so please leave a comment by midnight on March 3.  Can’t wait for the drawing then you can purchase her book here.

And the winner is …………. drum roll please …………….. Kristina at Former Chef!

Congrats Kristina!!!  I, too, loved this story about driving to Hua Hin – so me!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Asian Inspired, Chez Pim, Dinner, Easy Dinner, noodles, Pad Thai, Thai, The Foodies Handbook

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

*photo was taken by our good friend & dinner guest, photographer extraordinaire Bryan Alberstat

I was excited when Jo picked this Donna Hay recipe for this month’s HHDD event.  I have been eyeing it on and off ever since I saw the recipe.  I love garlic so the fact that the recipe called for a whole head of roasted garlic did not scare me away.  In fact I decided to roast the garlic in the frying pan that I intended to use while making the dish as I wanted every last drop.

The sauce is very easy as well;  you cook some pancetta until golden and then stir in the roasted garlic, some heavy cream, chili flakes and fresh parsley.   Despite the rich ingredients the dish was very light and very flavorful.  This recipe is very easy to make and you can have dinner on the table fairly quickly once the garlic is roasted.

Warning don’t plan on a lot of kissing afterwards and no worries as the vampires will stay away for at least a full day.

Recipe:  Creamy pancetta and roasted garlic pasta

- donna hay magazine issue 38

roasted garlic 2 heads of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/355F. Cut off the tops of the garlic heads so the cloves are just showing. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and wrap in aluminium foil. Place on a baking tray and cook for 45 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool slightly before peeling off the skins*.   Place cloves in a bowl and mash with the back of a fork.

*The garlic will be so soft and jammy that you’ll be able to press the flesh out by gently squeezing the cloves between your fingers, or gently lift each clove out with a skewer.

Donna assures us we can make a batch of roasted garlic and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  My experience of roasted garlic is the aromatic pungency that lingers, as lovely as it is I don’t really want it to pervade my breakfast, so make sure your pre-roasted garlic is tightly sealed – unless of course you do have a problem with vampires!

400g dried or fresh pappardelle pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
300g piece mild pancetta, chopped
1 head roasted garlic, mashed
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
125ml pouring cream
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
finely grated parmesan, to serve

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water until al dente (10-12 minutes for dried or 3-5 minutes for fresh pasta). Drain and keep warm.   Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove from the heat and add garlic, chili, cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the warm pasta* with the parsley and parmesan and toss to coat. Serve 4

*the heat from the pasta will thicken the sauce

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Creamy Pancetta Roasted Garlic Pasta, Donna Hay, Food Blog Event, HHDD Event, Pancetta, Pasta, Roasted Garlic

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Hay Hay it’s Donna Day and  Jo of Have Fork Will Travel was the winner of last month’s HHDD Challenge.  Jo will be our hostess for this month’s challenge and she has picked the perfect dish to help keep those Halloween Vampires away, a creamy pasta recipe.  To read more about this dish and to get the recipe please visit Have Fork Will Travel.

To read learn about this Donna Hay event (HHDD) as well as a list of the rules for this challenge, please click here.   The deadline for getting your entry in for this challenge is October 31st.

Looking forward to seeing your ghoulish dishes.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Creamy Pancetta and Roasted Garlic Pasta, Dinner, Donna Hay, Food Blog Event

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Homemade semolina pasta with a simple fresh tomato sauce make an easy dinner that will please even the pickiest eaters.

A couple months ago Lori over at the Recipe Girl and I were tweeting about simple food that we sometimes forget about.  The first one that came to mind for me, is a simple tomato sauce, that I use to make very often when I needed a quick meal after a long day.  I have put that conversation and that recipe in the back of mind for an evening when we would need an easy dinner.

We have been traveling for the past three weeks (stop awwwing for us, it was all work) and have been locked in conference rooms where most of our meals have been dried out sandwiches or buffets of fried food and limp veggies.  I have been dying to get back in the kitchen and even more so we have been dying for a good meal.  I stopped by the market on my way home from work and picked up some Dirty Girl Dry Farmed Tomatoes, a baguette and a bottle of wine.  Rest of the meal would be found in the pantry at home.

Some of you may be wondering what dry farmed tomatoes are?  I discovered dry farmed tomatoes a couple years ago and have never looked back, in all honesty, I even look forward to these little gems more than their cousins the heirloom tomatoes.  Dry farming is a waterless method of growing tomatoes which will only produce about 1/3 as many but the end result is a tomato that is dense and packed with flavor, not to mention the deep red color.  As soon as I see the first ones  in the markets, I am buying them all the time.  At the close of the season, I purchase a big bag of them and freeze them whole.  They are a wonderful addition to toss into a sauce, stew or soup.

Now back to dinner ……   We got hooked on fresh pasta a couple months ago, after purchasing a pasta machine when we were in Montreal.  We used it very often before it gave out on us after the 5 time of using.  Finally upgraded last month and purchased the pasta attachments for the KitchenAid, love it!  For this meal, I made a simple pasta dough out of some semolina flour, olive oil and organic eggs.  While the dough was resting, I combined the tomatoes with lots of fresh garlic and a sprinkle of Maldon salt and then let it do it’s thing, while I rolled pasta.  The attachments are so easy to use and you can have fresh pasta in less than an hour, I cannot believe we waited so long before purchasing!

Once the pasta was cooked (and fresh pasta only takes minutes) and drained, I tossed it with handfuls of fresh basil from the garden, a drizzle of olive oil, a generous grind of fresh black pepper and the fresh tomato sauce – Delicious!

Recipe:  Homemade Fresh Tomato Sauce

*Pasta Recipe

1 lb fresh tomatoes, used dry farm tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

maldon salt, sprinkle

olive oil, drizzle

basil, handful, sliced thinly

Roughly chop tomatoes and put into a bowl.  Add the garlic, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better.   Gently heat before serving, only until heated through.  Cook favorite pasta, drain, add basil, olive oil and tomatoes.  Toss.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Basil, Dinner, Dirty Girl Dry Farmed Tomatoes, Easy Dinner, Homemade Pasta, Italian, Organic Food, Pasta, Recipe, Vegetables

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Pillows of creamy homemade ricotta has been lightly scented with fresh herbs, with a small hidden surprise, is nestled between layers of fresh homemade semolina pasta and then gently cooked before being sprinkled with fresh black truffles.

I imagine everyone has been touched at least once in their lives by cancer.  I knew people who were dealing with it, when I was growing up, but it really did not hit me until a few years ago, when my friend Dawn, was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  I was devastated.  This was not suppose to happen to someone so  young, let alone someone you love!  Then a few years back, almost at the same time I started this site, I met Barbara of Winos and Foodies and through her I met Jen of Use Real Butter, two more amazing women who were battling cancer.  Each of their stories touched me in so many different ways, I wept with each word, I smiled at how strong they were and I shared with Lenny, daily, how amazing I thought each of them was.  During this time I was dealing with something that we were not sure what it was and cancer was definitely an option during the 6 month testing process.  Always in the back of my mind, I told myself, that Dawn, Barbara and Jen were survivors and that if they had the courage, I could battle anything and that this was only going to be a bump in the road.  I was lucky as the outcome was not cancer but rather premature menopause;  but it was these three amazing women that helped build the strength in me, during a time when I needed it.  I thank you each for being who you are and how extraordinary you make every day!  Since this time we have had a few more friends who have been diagnosed with different forms of cancer and each time we are left speechless and saddened.  But, each person fights it and ends up being a stronger person for the courage and strength they used during this battle, we admire you for this and want you to know we are there for each of you!

In honor of the LiveSTRONG event, Barbara sent us an email asking us to participate, of course we said yes.  I am always honored when she asks us to be part of her events.  I knew that I was going to make one of our favorite dishes homemade Raviolis with egg;  but, I did not know until Sunday morning that I would include homemade ricotta. I sent out a tweet asking if anyone had a recipe for ricotta and Holly of Holly Hadsell-El Hajji was the first to respond with her recipe.  It is so easy, so easy in fact, I will never buy ricotta again.  It was the icing on the cake for this ravioli recipe.   I seasoned the ricotta with fresh thyme and oregano as well it had  a slight floral taste to the cheese, due to the fresh Meyer lemon juice I used to make it.  We made our own semolina pasta, using the newest addition to our KitchenAid family, the pasta roller.  It made life so much simpler and we were able to make a thinner pasta, which was perfect for this ravioli.  Inside each little pillow of ricotta, we put a raw egg yolk and then we gently cooked them just until the pasta was al dente and the yolk still runny.  Topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh black truffle!    An amazing meal for an amazing cause – Thank You Barbara!

Recipe:  Homemade Ricotta

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black Truffles, Homemade, Homemade Pasta, Homemade Ricotta, LiveSTRONG Event, Organic Food, Pasta, Ravioli, Recipe, Ricotta, Runny Egg, Vegetables

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Easiest spaghetti dish I have ever put together.  Simply seasoned with onions, garlic, thyme and spinach, nothing to it really.  Easy eating!

Okay, not sure if this is a “great” fall back on dish or a dud.  I saw this whole “frozen” spinach write up in the latest Donna Hay magazine and thought to myself, “what a great thing to have on hand, frozen spinach”!  I usually keep a bag of frozen sweet peas on hand for last minute risottos, stews or soups or the occasionally bump or bruise, but spinach, never.  Donna has this great recipe, well it looks great, with pasta and frozen spinach.  I did not have the other ingredients so I just threw together something with what we had.  Now, it was edible, it was not terrible, it tasted good but definitely was not the best thing I have tossed together.  Lenny had this odd look on his face, the entire time I was cooking, it basically read …. “I cannot believe we have “frozen” spinach in the house”!  Okay, let’s say it was temporary insanity;  but, I want you to be the judge of this dish!

Recipe:  Spaghetti with Spinach

1 bag frozen spinach

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

handful fresh thyme

3 tablespoons olive oil

drizzle of white wine

1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked according to instructions

4oz feta

kosher salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to instructions on package.  While draining pasta, reserve about 1/8 – 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in frying pan and saute onions until soft.  Add a drizzle of white wine and the frozen spinach, cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and thyme and cook for about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with pasta and reserved cooking water just until moist not over saucy.  Add Feta, stir.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Donna Hay, Easy Dinner, Feta, Pasta and Noodles, Recipe, spaghetti, Spinach, Thyme, Vegetables

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh