Catkin Prodigy

So, what's with Mel Gibson in his new Rasputin beard? Cannot believe his next project is about the Holocaust, hope 'dad' doesn't get any input.

Dinner tonight, simply because I have all this stuff on hand and it arrived in my mailbox today. Now, if opnly the actual dish was in my mailbox:

Spaghetti Amatriciana
© 2005 Lynne Rossetto Kasper. All rights reserved
Amatriciana is the tomato sauce and pasta that Romans love. A plate is a full meal with its caramelized tomatoes, nubs of onion, pancetta, shots of pepper, and piquant Pecorino Romano cheese. It's mountain food, originally from the Apennines between Rome and Abruzzo, around the town of Amatrice.
This recipe is the best one I've tasted because of the special technique, which sets it apart from all other tomato sauces. You actually caramelize part of the tomatoes with onion and pancetta. Cooking them in the olive oil and pancetta drippings until their edges turn gold changes the entire dish. Once the sautÈ is done, add the rest of the tomato and onion and finish the sauce in a mere ten minutes.
Serves 2 to 4
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 thin slices (5 ounces) pancetta, coarsely chopped (use 4 to 5 thick slices of smoked bacon if pancetta is not available)
• 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• Salt to taste
• 6 quarts boiling salted water
• 12 ounces to 1 pound imported Italian spaghetti
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (4 to 6 ounces) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch straight-sided sautÈ pan over medium. Cook the pancetta or bacon 5 minutes, or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour off all but about 6 tablespoons of fat.
2. Lift about half the tomatoes from the can, poking each with your finger to drain the seeds and juice back into the can. Add the drained tomatoes to the pan along with half the onions, the salt, and red and black peppers. SautÈ, stirring often, over high heat 5 minutes, or until onions are softened and tomatoes are thick, browning at their edges and tasting very rich.
3. Stir in the rest of the tomatoes with their juices, the remaining onions, and reserved pancetta or bacon. Adjust the heat so the sauce simmers gently. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Taste for depth and salt, seasoning accordingly. Turn off the heat and keep the pan covered while cooking the pasta. Or cool, refrigerate and reheat as you cook the pasta.
4. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring often, until tender-firm with no raw flour taste. Drain in a colander and toss with the sauce over medium-low heat. Turn into a bowl and serve hot, passing the cheese separately. Each serving should be seasoned with a generous tablespoon of the cheese.

Met with three architects today and it was a hands-down unanimous choice for Mitch (www.oneilarchitect.com). He seemed to instantly understand what we were talking about and had pictures that had all the little details I have been clipping for so long that matched perfectly. We now get to sit down and give him the full list of what we want and what we like. This process should be fun since TY and I are finally in agreement about a project. I just wish we weren't constrained by money since the possibilities are so great! Now, to keep TY calm for the next year... Does spagetti have calming effects?