Lots of tasty updates!

Yo! Blog has been dead for a while. I have lots of updates once I can figure out what has happened to my camera. Since my last post, I have had some memorable meals in NYC and some REALLY fantastic stuff in Naples, Fl at the Ritz-Carlton. Expect synopses within the week.

Has anyone been cooking at home? Currently I'm on a homemade pasta kick. Just bought a larger pasta maker to encourage this even more. Was using the pasta-roller attachment for my Kitchen-Aide stand mixer. This worked well, but the surface area is so small, it takes forever to roll out and cut your dough.

One of my favorite weeknight pasta dishes, you can use homemade pasta but I also like dried buccatini or percatelli as well...simple and delicious.

For 2 people you'll need:
Some stale bread to make breadcrumbs along with some Italian parsley, EVOO, S & P
Anchovies or anchovy paste ~ 4-6 fillets or about 1/3 of a tube
Garlic, about 6 cloves, minced
Red Chili flakes, ~ 1/2 T or to taste
2 sweet onions, sliced into thin strips
Butter
Parmesan cheese

For the breadcrumbs, preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a food processor, combine the equivalent of about 3 pieces of bread, a handful of parsley, enough EVOO to coat, salt and pepper, then pulse to form coarse crumbs. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and toast until crumbs are brown & the moisture from the bread is gone. Set aside to use as a garnish for the dish.

Place a large pot of water on to boil, then start by sauteing the onions in a little butter over medium heat until reduced and well-caramelized. You can help soften the onions and speed up the process by adding some water or dry white wine during the process. After the onions are caramelized and all the liquid has evaporated, toss you pasta & a handful of salt into your boiling water and move the onions off to one side of your pan. Add a splash of EVOO to the bare part of the pan and add the anchovies, garlic, and chili flakes. Stir until the anchovies are broken down and the garlic is fragrant then mix well with the onion mixture ~ 6 minutes.

After the pasta is al-dente, drain reserving about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss immediately with the onion mixture, adding water as needed to keep the mixture somewhat moist. Transfer to warmed pasta bowls, add some Parmesan to taste, top with a generous handful of breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil...If you want to get crazy and like this sort of thing add a few drops of white or black truffle oil...the strong flavors of the anchovy, garlic, red pepper, and truffle oil is irresistible to me...

BTW, I hate anchovies by themselves, but in a pasta dish such as this, they add a depth of flavor that is indescribable. Not at all fishy. Try this one when you are pressed for time but still want something good to eat and let me know what you think.

JW