Pasta Puttanesca

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ladies of the evening are credited with creating this pasta dish. While that makes the origins of the dish more interesting, there's not a lot to support the claim. Pasta Puttanesca did not become popular until the 1960's. A more likely truth can probably be found in the purses of frugal Italian housewives. The sauce is made with a handful of ingredients, many of them leftovers, and by using a bit of this and a bit of that, a filling and delicious pasta could be made for pennies. I'm not completely immune to kitchen fable and romance. My favorite story regarding the origins of the dish comes from the book "Top 100 Pasta Sauces" by Diane Seed who reported, "My introduction to this famous pasta dish occurred when I overheard two elderly priest discussing the pros and cons of spaghetti alla puttanesca ("whore's spaghetti") as they deliberated over the menu in a Neapolitan restaurant. Made of ingredients found in most Italian larders, this is also known as spaghetti all buona donna - the good woman's spaghetti - which can be misleading if one is not familiar with the ironic insult "figlio d'una buona donna" - son of a good woman." Now how does that explain how this particular sauce got its name? In the 1950's Italian brothels were state owned. Italian prostitutes were, for all intent and purposes, civil servants, but they were only allowed to shop once a week and could not shop with "good" Italian housewives. Their meals were made from odds and ends and tinned goods in the kitchens of the brothels. This sauce became one of their specialties. They did not create it, but they sure made it popular. When I was working and my ravenous teens could not wait for a "real" meal, this became one of my go-to suppers. I could have it on the table in 20 minutes and quell the revolution before it gained a foothold in my kitchen. I made this at least once a month back then and it is still a favorite of mine on days when the clock runs out before my schedule does. It's perfect for a Lenten Friday supper. Here's the recipe.

Pasta Puttanesca...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons minced anchovies (about eight fillets) or 1 heaping tablespoon anchovy paste
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, drained, reserve ½ cup juice
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup black olives (kalamata) pitted and chopped coarse
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves and or basil

Directions:
1) Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, mix garlic with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; set aside. When water is boiling, add salt and the pasta; stir to separate the noodles. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain then return pasta to pot. Add 1/4 cup reserved tomato juice and toss to coat.
2) While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add garlic mixture, pepper flakes and anchovies to pan. Cook, stirring, frequently, until garlic is fragrant but not brown. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 8 minutes.
3) Stir capers, olives, and parsley into the sauce. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to combine, adding more tomato juice to moisten if necessary. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle an additional tablespoon of olive oil over pasta before serving. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Capellini Capricciosi
Fusilli with Fennel, Sausage and Red Wine
Ravioli with Salmon and Vodka Cream Sauce

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Roast Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Herbs

I've had some really good luck with recipes I've culled from newspapers or their websites. Two of my favorites are The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Oregonian. I know there are others I've missed, but the food editors at these two seem to understand the workings of the "real" American kitchen and the woman who cooks there. Lest you think me a slacker, I am an au courant foodie and while I follow the New York Times and other prestigious food pages, I no longer live a New York Times lifestyle. When we left the east coast it was with the intention of simplifying a life that had become overly complicated. So, just as I peel layers of an onion I'm peeling away those layers of my "skin" that represent possessions, habits and ideas that weigh me down. It's amazing how little it takes to live graciously and travel with ease. While I love to cook, I've come to appreciate the merits of fast and easy and a more simplified approach to eating. This recipe which comes from FOODday's Best Recipes for 2008 meets all those requirements. It uses bone-in chicken thighs so it is inexpensive as well. I really like the work these folks do. This is a nice recipe.

Roast Chicken Thighs With Tomatoes and Herbs

Ingredients:
3/4 of a large (12-ounce) onion cut in 1/4-inch slices
6 to 8 cloves garlic, crushed but not chopped
1-1/2 pounds cherry or other small tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh marjoram or thyme (divided)
Kosher salt
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 medium)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons herbs and 1 teaspoon salt; toss until everything's nicely mixed. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt.
3) Arrange chicken thighs on two heavy rimmed baking sheets, with space between chicken pieces. Distribute tomato mixture and any juices around chicken so it's in an even layer around but not covering chicken.
4) Roast until chicken is totally tender when pierced with a knife (or reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 35 to 45 minutes. During roasting, check that tomato mixture isn't burning. If they're getting too dark, pour in a few spoonfuls of water or chicken broth into the pan.
5) When done, transfer chicken to a serving platter. Put a large sieve or colander over a bowl and carefully scrape tomato mixture into the sieve. Make sure you catch all the juices, which are delicious. Deglaze any browned juices on pans by pouring on a bit of water and scraping to dissolve. Add this liquid to vegetable juices already in bowl.
6) Drain vegetables for a few minutes; spoon around chicken. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon herbs and serve. Pass a bowl of reserved juices at the table to drizzle over chicken and vegetables. Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe and photograph from FOODday.

Catsup, Carla and Me

I harbor a secret desire to homestead. I'm not a survivalist, but I'm drawn, at least conceptually, to the prospect of producing my own food. Not just jams and jellies or the odd jar of tomatoes, I'd like to be responsible for everything that makes it to my table for a year or so. Carla Emery, a leader in the modern homesteading movement, once categorized me as an urban homesteader. It was a fair assessment, not a shot. I'd excel my first year on a homestead, but I'm not temperamentally suited to the daily grind and "same ole, same ole" of a longer commitment. I know I'd eventually need a larger canvas on which to paint my dreams. Carla saw that, too. A recipe brought Carla and I together and we corresponded until her sudden death a few years ago. Her first version of The Encyclopedia of Country Living was a mimeographed affair and chapters were mailed to subscribers as they were completed. The book ultimately went through nine printings and Carla, whose down to earth mien and quick intelligence made her a natural, became a television personality. The early version of her book contained a catsup recipe that was simpler than any I'd seen before; unpeeled tomatoes, onions and peppers were pureed, baked for hours and then processed in a hot water bath. It was wonderful, but I mistakenly trashed the recipe during a bout of overzealous cleaning. It did not appear in later versions of the book so I began my search for Carla and her recipe. Once I found her we'd talk five or six times a year. I remember how touched she was when I recounted how my oldest daughter, sans my input, had found her book and enjoyed it as much as I had years before. I made catsup last week and want to share Carla's recipe with you. If you're tempted to farm or homestead Carla's encyclopedia will help smooth the way. If you're given to bouts of the Walton syndrome (i.e. a yearning for a simpler life) Carla's book will cure your romantic notions. Shortly before her death Carla wrote down how she wanted to be remembered. "She was responsible. She loved a job. She loved being a wife, a mother, and a writer. She worked hard and did her best." Blessings, Carla. Rest well.

Carla's Catsup

Ingredients:
8 pounds Roma tomatoes
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 large green bell peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons allspice
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Hot pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) Wash and quarter tomatoes. Using a blender and working in batches, puree tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions with vinegar.
3) Pour into a large, shallow roaster. Add sugar, salt, allspice, mustard, cloves and pepper flakes to taste. Mix well.
4) Bake uncovered for 4 to 6 hours, or until mixture is reduced by half.
5) While catsup cooks, sterilize 6 pint jars, rings and seals. Set aside.
6) Pour catsup into jars, adjust lids and seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Yield: 6 pints.