Spaghetti e Fagioli (with some eggplant on the side)
2 Feb 2009

Spaghetti e Fagioli (with some eggplant on the side)

by | posted in: Beans, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian | 8

The problem with soaking dried beans, which isn’t a probably exactly, and wouldn’t be one in the first place if you’re a little better at stomach-eye coordination as I am, is that you’re usually left with far more beans than you had bargained for. Water plumps up the beans, sometimes creating pot overflows and dried, un-soaked portions at the top. (It’s a bit like planting a magic beanstalk, with less fees, fies, foes and fums.) Ever since the Cassoulet Cook-Off, … Read More

Completely Elitist Orecchiette & Arugula Casserole
10 Nov 2008

Completely Elitist Orecchiette & Arugula Casserole

by | posted in: Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegetarian | 23

This isn’t really a political blog, but in light of recent circumstances (ahem — GObama! — ahem), I thought I’d make a little exception. Because if there’s one thing I learned from the long road to the Presidential election, it’s that food is political. Period. You cannot like arugula, for instance (which ironically was only a peasant food in Italian cuisine until recent waves of popularity), without being “elite” (and possibly, a terrorist). Let’s look beyond that. This casserole combines … Read More

Lambsagna
23 Oct 2008

Lambsagna

by | posted in: Meat & Poultry, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes | 5

Oops… I did it again. I forgot to take photos of this main course du jour, once it was all layered, baked and poised at its prettiest. It’s a shame, this “lamb”sagna was really a treat. I spent a long time poring over what spices and add-ins to put in the sauce (eventually settling on a Moroccan theme, with fresh mint and raisins), what type of cheese to top it with, and if/how to make fresh pasta sheets for it. … Read More

Black Bean Ravioli with Cotija and Fresh Oregano
2 Jul 2008

Black Bean Ravioli with Cotija and Fresh Oregano

by | posted in: Beans, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegetarian | 14

It doesn’t have quite the timeless ring of “black beans and rice,” but here we are anyway: black bean ravioli. Where cheap comfort food and painstaking pasta-making collide. And like many good twists on classic dishes, this one was difficult and time-consuming to make, even with my disregard to the uniformity of the ravioli’s shape and overall prettiness. But if you’ll recall my last kitchen disaster with black beans, at least these homemade raviolis were edible. Actually, they were delicious, … Read More

Penne and Asparagus Salad with Pecans
19 May 2008

Penne and Asparagus Salad with Pecans

by | posted in: Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 12

This is either a very boring fact or a semi-interesting cooking tip, and if you grew up eating lots of Chinese food like me, you probably already know it even if it’s never been said aloud, but foods that share a similar shape and size go together. They just do. So if you’re cutting up chicken to go with green beans, you do long, thin strips. If you have something like fava beans and you’re cooking it with firm tofu, … Read More

Breakfast Lasagna
26 Mar 2008

Breakfast Lasagna

by | posted in: Breakfast & Eggs, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes | 13

What do breakfast, lasagna, free pool tables and cheap pints of beer have to do with one another? Nothing. Except that they’re sloshing around inside of me as I write this (the free pool more figuratively, say an X-ray glimpse into my stomach with sound effects) a few short hours and not enough sleep after indulging in all. I trust that you could skip the last two items in that equation and have yourself a mighty fine meal out of … Read More

Fresh Fettuccine with Baby Portobellos, Green Beans and Sage in a Cream Sherry Sauce
18 Oct 2007

Fresh Fettuccine with Baby Portobellos, Green Beans and Sage in a Cream Sherry Sauce

by | posted in: Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegetarian | 11

I got a brand new toy. Alright, it’s gently used and I bought it on eBay for $10, but check this out: A true Italian Marcato (aptly named) “Pasta Queen” pasta crank with 7 thickness settings, 2 pasta widths and a table clamp. Early Christmas in New York.

Not Fannie Farmer’s Four-Cheese Macaroni
8 Aug 2007

Not Fannie Farmer’s Four-Cheese Macaroni

by | posted in: Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegetarian | 11

I digress… I don’t really think of myself as an all-American girl, being a New Jersey-bred half-breed who grew up mostly on stir-fry. It was a long time until I had a meal that was all baked in one casserole dish, and wasn’t dessert. I didn’t like many of these American classics at first, encountered at friends’ houses or potlucks. And whose crazy idea was it, anyway, to cook a whole dish in the oven in one pan? A genius … Read More

Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Penne
19 May 2007

Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Penne

by | posted in: Beans, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian | 15

I can’t find anything bad to say about this pantry meal. I made it one night accidentally, when I was craving a light pasta dish with maybe a little sundried tomato and some fresh artichoke, neither of which my local Associated Market had. It was getting late, and I didn’t feel up for walking much farther than a block. It had just begun to rain. So dismayed and with lowered expectations as I was, I wandered into my corner bodega … Read More

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