the constant hunger

Turkey and Bean Chili

Hello from the West Coast! After all the apartment hunting, dealing with movers and other headaches related to a cross county move, we are finally settled in our new home. What a change from the hectic pace of New York. San Francisco is a beautiful city with a rich heritage and tons to do, but it's definitely more laid-back. What a change! 

With lots more spare time (I'm hunting around for a new job ;-) I have thrown myself back into cooking full force. My San Francisco kitchen is about the same size as my New York one, though it's laid out a little differently. I'm still getting used to it but after the recipes I have planned to make this weekend, I'm sure to find my old groove.

Yesterday, I wanted to make a comforting dish, something that felt homey. What better dish than chili! I remembered that I had once made a turkey chili that was delicious and I was convinced that I had shared it on the constant hunger. Looking through my archives, I couldn't find it so here it is. I used this recipe and doubled it up. I made enough for two meals plus freezing another two meals, at least. Instead of using chili powder, I went with cayenne pepper and I threw in the orange bell pepper I had in the fridge instead of a green one. 

As you can see, I like loading up my chili with toppings: reduced fat sour cream, sharp cheddar, chopped cilantro and a good dose of hot sauce.

Happy cooking!

P.S. I celebrated my anniversary this week at this Italian restaurant. Had an unbelievable white truffle pasta. Any other Italian restaurant recommendations? 

Polpettine a.k.a Meatballs

After a stressful work week, I needed to eat something comforting. Not only did I need comfort food, but I also wanted something that I could make a large batch of and be able to re-heat during my even more stressful week ahead. The plan: meatballs. The chef: my husband.

It's almost an unspoken rule in our house that I never attempt to make Italian food, not that I don't think I could, but my husband makes it so much better. We each have our specialties in the kitchen and Italian is definitely his. The things he could do with a few simple ingredients is amazing. 

I was really in the mood to eat meatballs. The last time we made some at home was over a year ago. We also had some tasty ones at Osteria Morini for my husband's birthday in January. It was about time to take our our huge stock pot and make a big batch or meaty deliciousness. 

We did a little research and came across this recipe. It was a good start, but my husband definitely tweaked it. The result...light, fluffy meatballs. Awesome!

 

Polpettine

Ingredients:

1 small loaf of crusty white bread

1 cup milk

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1/2 mortadella, ground up in a food processor

2 eggs

3/4 pecorino

7-8 leaves of basil, finely chopped

small bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tbs. garlic powder

1 tsp. cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

For sauce:

2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

4-5 cans of whole plum tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, halved

7 basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

 

Method

Heat olive oil in a very large stock pot. If you don't have a large stock pot, you can make this recipe in two pots. Add a couple halves of garlic and let saute till golden. Remove from oil and discard.

Add onions and saute till soft. Carefully add the canned tomatoes. Using a hand blender, blend till desired consistency.  

Add rest of the sauce ingredients and let simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

Carefully tear away the soft interior of the bread and place in a medium bowl. Add milk and let soak for about five minutes. With your hands, make sure there are no large pieces of bread left. 

In a large bowl add all the meatball ingredients and bread mixture. Using your hands mix all the ingredients together. 

Here is the fun part. Start forming meatballs and set aside on a plate. 

Tomato sauce must be gently boiling before adding the meatballs, otherwise they will fall apart. 

One by one add the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Let simmer on low for several minutes before attempting to mix for the first time.  

Let simmer for about 3 hours, stirring about every 20 minutes.

Serve with pasta or with a side of greens.

Happy cooking!

Baked Sausages with Herbed Beans

Today's recipe isn't very summery, but it's darn tasty. I would save this for a rainy day. It's a hearty and comforting dish. My husband actually found this recipe and planned on making it for dinner last night. I got home from work earlier than him and decided to make it myself. 

I tweaked the recipe a little, adding three cans of beans to the pot instead of two and adding fresh sage to the mix. The result was a little soupy, but full of flavor. The original recipe has you adding the beans with their liquid, but I decided there would be too much. It's a good thing I didn't because even without that liquid, there was a bit too much sauce for my taste. Next time I'll add a little less chicken stock and a little more bread crumb to absorb any liquid. 

Happy cooking! 

My Love of the Cheeseburger

Sometimes I think I could become a vegetarian. Maybe more a pescatarian. Besides the ethical reasons, it would certainly cut out expenses, force me to be more creative with meals and perhaps improve my overall health. But there's one thing that makes me hesitate.

Any time, any place, you ask me what I want to eat and my answer is usually "Let's have burgers!" Cheeseburgers to be more exact. With some lettuce and tomato, it covers your four basic food groups. It's quite possibly the world's most perfect food. 

Recently, we made some cheeseburgers at home and, boy, were they delicious. Keep the seasoning simple: salt, pepper, a little Worcestershire sauce. My husband had bought potato buns and insisted that they make a better burger. He was right! Although we used cheddar, I think American cheese works better. It melts down and is nice and gooey. 

For some variation on the classic burger, check this out. Never know what kind of wine to serve with your burger? This article has got you covered. 

Happy cooking! 

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce

It's cold and wet in New York. I want to camp out on my couch under a big, fuzzy blanket and watch I Love Lucy reruns all day long. Have I ever mentioned that I love I Love Lucy? It's my favorite show of all time and I never get sick of watching it. She's adorable and I'll never understand why Ricky wouldn't let her be in the show. Honestly! 

 

This is one of my favorite episodes ever!

Getting back to the cold and wet day... When the weather is gross like today, you need something to lift your spirits. I usually self-medicate with food. It has the ability to always make me feel better. That's why I never deny myself anything, I just learn to control portions....sometimes. One thing that always puts a smile on my face is a big heaping bowl of pasta. At our house, we try to limit the amount we eat because, although it's delicious, it can make you feel weighed down. But a rainy day almost demands a generous serving of pasta.

This dish is perfect to make on a weeknight. It's quick and the preparation is minimal. I bought two containers of grape tomatoes (you can use cherry tomatoes, of course, but grape was on special) and literally cooked them down with a little olive oil and garlic. I usually add fresh basil or oregano to tomato sauce but I didn't for this dish. It was tasty enough without herbs. I served the pasta with some spicy sausages and a big glass of a bold red wine.

 

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

good quality olive oil (the more, the better)

5 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

2 containers of grape or cherry tomatoes (I think they're one pint each)

salt and pepper to taste

one box of spaghetti cooked al dente

Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a few slices of garlic to the oil to flavor it. Discard garlic once it has turned golden. 

Add tomatoes to pan. Careful as there may be some oil splatter! Season with salt and pepper. Let the tomatoes cook over medium-high until they begin to soften a bit, about 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium-low, add the rest of the garlic and let simmer uncovered for another 6-7 minutes.

Using a fork, press down on the tomatoes to release the juices. Stir and allow for sauce to thicken, about 6-7 minutes.

Add cooked pasta to pan and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Happy cooking!