Pasta Sauces

Do you get tired of the same old pasta sauce? Or would you just like to try something new? Well, here you go.
Need a quick dinner that uses pantry ingredients? Here you go.

Pantry/Staple Ingredients:
Pasta (mostly spaghetti or fettuccine)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic
Red pepper flakes
Canned tomatoes
Parmesan cheese (buy a block)
Capers
Kalamata olives (or black olives)
Heavy cream
Parsley (grow it)
Basil (grow it)

Cook pasta in plenty of salted water.  Cook almost until al dente. 

Always reserve some pasta sauce for adjusting the thickness of your sauce.
Always undercook your pasta by about a minute and put your pasta into the sauce and let them cook together for a minute or so.
Always serve the pasta with a drizzle of EVOO, herbs, and some Parmesan cheese.

ARRABBIATA
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic clove...

Lost Recipes

There are some foods that my generation (Baby Boomers) ate when we were growing up that have pretty much been lost in your generation (Millenials and Gen Z). Some of these foods were just silly and some were very nutritous. I thought it might be fun to let you taste some of these foods and see what you think!

SALMON CROQUETTES

2 cans (14.75 oz each) pink or red salmon, drained and flaked
2 large eggs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (plain or crushed crackers)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Oil for frying – avocado, olive, lard
Lemon wedges, for serving
Tartar sauce for serving

Soup

This time of year, well, truthfully, any time of year, I love soup. I love to make a pot of it and eat it all week. There is something very comforting and nourishing about a bowl of soup.

Did you know you don't need a recipe for soup? There is a basic formula for homemade soup. So, what this means is you don't need a recipe. Just learn the formula and you can make soup!

THE FORMULA:
Step 1 -
Choose your fat: butter, olive oil, bacon fat, ghee, etc.
Choose your aromatics: onion, leeks, carrots, celery, peppers, garlic, shallots, fennel.
Saute aromatics and hard veggies and season with a little salt.

Step 2 -
Choose your proteins: chicken, beef, turkey, beans, sausage, ham, etc.
Brown proteins, if using.

Step 3 -
Choose your liquid base: chicken stock, beef stock, vegetable stock, tomatoes,
Add the cooking liquid and any herbs you want (...

Christmas Appetizers

TARTE SOLEIL

1 (1.25-pound) box frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed but still cold
2 ounces fresh goat cheese (about 1/4 cup packed), at room temperature
3 tablespoons basil pesto
1 large egg yolk
flour, for dusting

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the goat cheese and 3 tablespoons pesto in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Whisk together egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl until combined.
Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper.
Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet on the parchment.
Using a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll it out to a square that’s slightly over 12-inches wide.
Place a 12-inch round plate or bowl on top of the puff pastry and cut around it to create a 12-inch round.
Discard the scraps and refrigerate the round.
Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet.
Slide 1 puff past...