Cooks' Corner

[Lori S.]

Thank you, John.  That sounds delicious.  I made a similar, stock-based broccoli de rabe dish (no sausage) with pasta and liked it a lot... unfortunately, though, Stuart did not care for the broccoli so I had to eat it all myself!  (We prefer Barilla pasta too, BTW... )
Any other thoughts?

[johnw]

Any other thoughts?

Lori

For some reason Barilla orecchiette is not easy to find here, and strange about Dececco   - Italian cooks here tell me to stay clear of it.  Dececco and Divella were owned by two warring brothers, now both owned by Divella but recently had to resort to Dececco and guess what, same old problem.     Lots of pricey artisan orecchiette here though.

How about a ragu? Google Mark Bittman +fast sausage ragu.

Also another:

Orecchiette With Sausage and Roasted Peppers

Serves 6; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes
Freshly roasted peppers give this hearty pasta a smoky taste. If you like, you can use jarred peppers, thinly sliced, instead of making your own, and skip step one. To skin the peppers, char them and then cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will produce steam and make the skins come off easily.

2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
2 medium yellow bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
   
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings (in lieu a pinch brown sugar or pomegranate vinegar somewhere along the line for yours).
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
   
1. Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl. Thinly slice peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; return to bowl. Set aside.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water (if salting as I mentioned maybe cut with 1/2 reg water0.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers; cook until heated through.

4. Transfer sausage mixture to bowl; add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

johnw    - still +1c at 11pm.

[Lori S.]

The sausage and roasted peppers dish sounds great too!  (The ragu may be a little too close to what I have been making... )
I actually don't have Barilla orecchiette on hand (and can't recall if I've seen it), so will have to substitute another pasta.  That makes me curious though... I'll keep an eye out for it next time I go to the couple of Italian import stores that I frequent for supplies. 
Thanks!  Sounds like a plan for tomorrow night!

[ranunculus]

Beautiful pepper photos!  It looks like they are strung up for hanging... ?

Spot on Lori ... they were hanging in glorious technicolour drapes on the corners of the market stalls, but always on windy corners unfortunately!   

Displayed alongside these enormous bowls of live snails, pig's trotters and beautifully arranged fish.

[Anthony Darby]

If only we could down load all that lovely food.

I remember once falling for the "congratulations, you've won a free coffee cup (or Coca Cola^® can) holder" offer. "Click 'return' to receive it." I clicked return and the DVD drawer opened!

[Anthony Darby]

Just attempted to clear my drive of 18" of snow". Nae chance as the pavement outside the drive is 2' deep in snow because the snow plough cleared the road - onto the pavement! Time to have some mulled wine. Shame I don't have the ingredients for the "Philosopher's grog", as invented by Charles Darwin on " The Beagle":

Lime Juice - ½ measure
Vanilla sugar syrup - ½ measure
Plymouth Navy Strength gin - ½ measure
Peruvian pisco - ½ measure
Brazilian cachaça - ½ measure
Australian or New Zealand sparkling wine (cold) to top up.

I tried it at an inservice course on Darwin and evolution. Magic!!!

[mark smyth]

sounds great Anthony maybe I'll try some. The local offy might think I've hit the drink!

[mark smyth]

I cooked again last night. I'm definitely getting hooked. I wateched Nigella the other night and tried this

Teryaki chicken with sugar snap peas and pak choi

make a marinade of
2 tablespoons / 30ml of saki - optional
4                    60ml of rice wine
4                    60ml of dark soy
2                    brown sugar
2                    ginger
splash of seame seed oil
chillis to your own taste

add two diced or sliced chicken, mix thoroughly and leave for at least 15 minutes

add chicken and sugar snap peas to a hot wok but not the marinade - I get confused between marinade and marinate
fry until cooked and remove from the wok but not the juices.
add the marinade to the wok add fry until reduced and thick
add chicken and peas again until most of marinade is gone

serve with egg or rice noodles and pak choi or green of your choice

I also added a handful or cashews when frying the chicken and peas

[Anthony Darby]

I think you marinate something in a marinade Mark, but that's only a guess. Sounds really delicious. How was it?

[mark smyth]

I could eat it every day!

[Lesley Cox]

I doubt if Chas Darwin used wither NZ or Australian wine in his grog!

Yes Mark, marinate (verb) in a marinade (noun).

I really love bok choi and pak choi, not so much the leaves but the trimmed stems, especially the white ones, which are so crunchy and full of juice. I buy young bok choi at the market and sit in the evening munching on them. Better than chocolate! Well better for me, anyway.

[Lesley Cox]

Has anyone outside NZ come across Annabel Langbein? She's a local cook and food writer and I know her books are available overseas and maybe her TV series as well. I'm preferring her at present to Nigella L, also on local TV. Annabel's series is called "The Free Range Cook" and there is a beautiful book goes with the series. Roger is giving it to me for Christmas and there will be a copy waiting for Anthony when he arrives.

[John Kitt]

Her program is currently running on the ABC on a Saturday evening , just before "Gardening Australia".

The little bit of a narrative to the program and the background NZ scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment.

[Anthony Darby]

I doubt if Chas Darwin used either NZ or Australian wine in his grog!

"What is Charles Darwin’s contribution to wine, and why does he deserve a toast? This year [2009] marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, as well as 150 years since the publication of his thesis, "On the Origin of Species...". Darwin was an extraordinary scientist who wrote books on a huge range of subjects, including the formation of coral reefs, fertilisation of orchids, climbing plants, the expression of emotions in man and animals, worms and animal intelligence.

Much has been made of the life and achievements of this great English biologist, but few fully appreciate his contribution to wine. Darwin’s associations with wine were severalfold. The first was circumstantial, as Darwin was one of the first Europeans to taste New Zealand wine. This was on the voyage of HMS Beagle in December 1835, during a stopover in the beautiful Bay of Islands in New Zealand’s north.

Missionaries had been tending vines in New Zealand since 1819, the vines having been brought over from the colony of New South Wales in Australia. On 23 December 1835, Darwin and HMS Beagle’s Captain Robert Fitzroy, visited the missionary settlement at Waimate. Darwin’s diary records a rural English scene in the wilderness of New Zealand: ‘There were large gardens, with every fruit and vegetable which England produces and many belonging to a warmer clime.

I may instance asparagus, kidney beans, cucumbers, rhubarb, apples and pears, figs, peaches, apricots, grapes, olives, gooseberries, currants, hops, gorse for fences, and English oaks!’ New Zealand farmers today may be happy that vines were introduced, but maybe less so gorse, which is now a major weed in the country.

Darwin and Fitzroy were also guests of James Busby in New Zealand. This Scottish vine and wine enthusiast had a political career following his introduction, in 1833, of many European vine varieties to Australia, which earned him the title of ‘father of Australian viticulture’. He later took up his British Resident role at a time when England was not searching for more colonies."

The recipe is in one of his diaries in his own handwriting Lesley.

[Lesley Cox]

Well, you definitely had me there Anthony. I never imagined wine was made here so early (wasn't sure of Darwin's dates either). I expect they've improved somewhat since 1819.