Pasta All'matriciana

Pasta All'matriciana is a sumptuous, simple dish. It's rich and hearty, with a spicy, salty bite. Traditionally made with spaghetti or bucatini, I subbed farfalle because that's what I had. I added garlic, also untraditional, and used a local bottled tomato sauce to make this a weeknight-friendly dish. This recipe generously serves two, or allows for a small lunch portion the following day.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound farfalle, cooked al dente

1 tablespoon olive oil

Half an onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

1/3 pound pancetta, cubed

Half a bottle of good quality chunky tomato sauce, or homemade sauce

Pecorino cheese, to taste

Directions:

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft and lightly browned in a large skillet. Add garlic and stir to combine. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Meantime, in a small skillet, saute pancetta until crispy and brown. Remove with slotted spoon and add to onion mixture, along with about a tablespoon of the fat. Add al dente pasta to the pancetta and onion mixture and combine. Pour in tomato sauce and heat until warmed. Serve with pecorino, a crispy green salad and a glass of good red wine.

Leftovers: Party of One

Every so often, you throw together a dish with the bits and pieces pulled from your fridge and you create something dinner-party worthy.

Last night was one of those nights. And, go figure, I was all alone.  

I peered in the fridge, with no plan or preconceived notions, and pulled out all the leftovers: a bit of leftover farfalle, some prosciutto, a small chunk of seared filet mignon and mixed wild mushrooms with shallot and garlic. Not a bad start.

First, I thinly sliced another shallot and sauteed it in olive oil a large skillet with a clove of minced garlic until lightly browned. Next, I added the cold pasta and cooked it for a few minutes. Tossed in a slice of chopped prosciutto, then the wild mushroom and shallot mixture and cooked for a few minutes. Finally, I cubed the filet, tossed it in and heated it until barely warm. Then, I deglazed with a bit of chicken stock (or wine if you like) to bring up all of the lovely browned bits, and serve. Fifteen minutes later, I sat to a satisfying, savory meal.

The salty prosciutto mingles with the succulent beef morsels, the woodsy, earthy mushrooms and the sweet shallot to create a luscious, comforting fall dish. Yet, it's fleeting... a meal I could attempt to recreate over and over, yet never duplicate. Such is the paradox of leftovers - much maligned, yet full of flavor waiting to be unleashed.

Savory Wild Mushroom Soup

I've been obsessed with wild mushrooms lately. They are sturdy and substantial enough to stand alone in most cold-weather dishes, but also willingly slip into the background as a supporting player. They add a rustic complexity that can't be duplicated.

When food52 ran a contest recently for "best mushroom soup," I set out to create a recipe and submit it for consideration. 

Now, if you regularly read this blog, you'll see I tend to cook by instinct. I appreciate precise ratios and proper proportion, and I do follow recipes, but I often improvise and ad lib in the kitchen. And I never write anything down. So this posed an intriguing challenge. 

Building a recipe requires a unique set of artistic and scientific skill: one that I hope to have years ahead to develop. I brainstormed flavor combinations, studied other recipes, and devoted a place in my mind to work through the equation while I went about my daily life. I sketched it out on paper, then took to the kitchen and refined and revised as I went along.

The result? A light-bodied, yet substantial soup that blends shallot, garlic, white wine, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, four varieties of wild mushrooms, white beans and a touch of cream, pureed into a silky brew. My friend Jordana at Menu Maniac served as a tester, and I was excited and gratified to see that food52 named it an Editor's Pick (click to see recipe)!

Food52

In the kitchen: Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.

Photo by Sarah Shatz.

Take a look at food52, an innovative new website. Created by New York Times columnist and author Amanda Hesser and her fellow food writer and good friend Merrill Stubbs, food52 has the potential to change the internet and how we use it, while helping preserve the print medium.

According to the site, they believe home cooks are the best cooks. They launched the site to connect with them, and at the end of 52 weeks, create a "crowd-sourced" cookbook, in internet parlance.

Really, it's a modern-day version of those paperback, spiral bound community cookbooks our moms used to collect. But without the canned cream soups and with much prettier photos, of course.

Each week, Amanda and Merrill post two ingredients -- this week it's mushroom soup and any recipe using paprika. Home cooks submit their own, best recipes, A&M test them, select two finalists from each category and the home cooks vote online. The winning recipes will be be published in the cookbook.

It's smart, isn't it? The site is fun, well designed, and truly interactive. They post informative, funny videos and excellent tips and techniques. And, instead of subverting print, it celebrates it with what will surely be a beautiful cookbook. The site is a means to the end, and a way for them to collaborate with people who love to cook on everything from the recipes, cookbook design, photos and more.

I'm especially excited about food52 because it speaks to me as a writer, cook, and devoted print person, but also because I had the honor and privilege of serving as a beta tester before it went live.

That means I reviewed the site, made a list of what I like, dislike, added a few thoughts and ideas and sent it to Amanda and Merrill, who couldn't have been nicer or more gracious.

I hope you will support and enjoy food52 -- I'd love to hear your thoughts -- and see one of your recipes in the cookbook!

The Union Woodshop

It was a long day, and I dragged myself home exhausted and ready for some serious R&R.

As I pulled up, Wes met me at the car to carry my bags in (I love when he does this), and said, "Wanna go to the new Union?"

Well, of course I do! I perked up immediately, and we hopped in the car for our semi-annual trek to Clarkston, about 45 minutes from home, knowing I'd be in for a fun night.

The Union, as I've written previously in this space, is a little jewel of a place. And the new Union, officially called The Union Woodshop, a few doors down from the original, promises to add a whole new dimension to Clarkston's tiny downtown.

Owned by friends Curt and Ann Catallo, the interior, designed by Ann, can best be described as "urban rustic" - a modern interpretation of the old fashioned lodge. Customers sit at handmade plank tables and fabulous reclaimed wooden chairs. They drink water and beer in vintage Mason jars. Thin planks of blondwood line the walls, along with cheerful art pieces and artifacts.

Billed as a "handcrafted, woodfired joint," The Woodshop is all about creative BBQ. We started with house smoked mildly spiced chicken wings with bleu cheese dip and woodsticks (aka breadsticks). At each table is a flight of regional BBQ sauces, from Memphis, Texas, Alabama and Chinatown NYC. We tried them all, and deemed the Chinatown the best.

For our entree, we had pizza with arugula, San Marzano tomato sauce, prosciutto and a blend of cheeses, paired with a Santa Martina Super Tuscan. We also had meltingly tender pulled pork with the legendary Union mac and cheese (penne rigate, Vermont sharp cheddar Pinconning, bechamel, parmesan and a crunchy crust), a heavenly creamy sweet potato mash with spicy charred jalapeno and Michigan maple syrup and corn bread, with Kid Rock's Badass beer. Delicious.

For dessert, Curt presented us with an amazing salted butterscotch pudding with fresh cream (this alone is worth the trip) and a deep fried Twinkie with chocolate sauce. Yes, this place has a sense of humor, too.

We ran into some friends, shared a lot of laughs and enjoyed a down-home dinner. Did I say I was tired? 

Very Veggie Soup

There's something about soup that's comforting, soothing and good for your mind, body and spirit. The soup pot is a well-used accessory in our kitchen, and this Very Veggie Soup is a staple. This particular soup is also the perfect way to ease into healthy-eating mode after, say, a period of over-indulging. Granted, it isn't particularly photogenic, but have faith, it's delicious.

My sister-in-law Simona, a former restaurant cook in Italy and one of my kitchen mentors, created this recipe, and I've adapted it a bit over the years. Don't be tempted to use old, wilted or wrinkly veggies - this soup's clean, clear flavors require the freshest, best vegetables you can find.

With this in mind, and since we're at the peak of the harvest, Wes and I decided to use all local veggies this time - either from Eastern Market or our own backyard. Feel free to use whatever veggies you like best if you make this at home.

From Eastern Market: shallots, Italian red onions and cippoline onions, all from my favorite onion farmer at Eastern Market (yes, I now have an onion guy), garlic and carrot (also from the onion guy), celery and zucchini.

From our garden: Broccoli, swiss chard, basil and flat leaf parsley.

Directions:

Thinly slice a big shallot, 5 red onions (they're small) and about 5 medium cippoline onions. Or, just keep it simple and slice up one big plain onion. Crush and chop four garlic cloves and thinly slice two celery stalks and two good-sized carrots. Season generously with salt, pepper and a pinched of crushed red pepper for an added kick and saute in a big soup pot or dutch oven in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft, about 20 minutes. Then add a head of chopped broccoli, 2-3 chopped zucchinis and cook another 20-30 minutes. Throw in a few big handfuls of greens, such as baby spinach or swiss chard and stir.

Next, add enough chicken or vegetable stock to cover the vegetables. Homemade stock is best, it will make this soup amazing, but if you're pressed for time use the best boxed stock you can find.

Simmer until all the veggies are soft, about an hour, or even two if you have the time, stirring occasionally. Add a can of can of drained, rinsed cannellini beans and a couple of handful of chopped fresh herbs about 15 minutes before you take it off the burner. The beans give the soup a rich, velvety texture and added fiber and protein without extra fat.

Let it cool for 15-20 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor.

This soup is a great starter, or if you want to serve it as an entree, consider adding protein such as chopped chicken, shrimp, crab or leftover salmon fillet.

Either way, when serving, drizzle your best extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with high quality parmesan cheese for a healthy, satisfying, comforting bowl of goodness.

Eastern Market Shines

Guest post from Wes, my loving husband, ever-willing market partner and trusty vegetable hauler.

Apparently, it’s fun to pick on Detroit. Read the country’s newspapers and it seems it’s become nearly a national sport.

But at least as far as food lovers are concerned, that would be a mistake, for Detroit has something no other city in the country can boast: The biggest open air market in the United States, according to Detroit Eastern Market officials. This farmers' market has been operating since 1891 and attracts about 26,000 weekly. It's been recently renovated, and is a foodie’s paradise.

Heirlooms from an area urban farm.

Looks like the markets in Paris.

Famous Zingerman's cheese from Ann Arbor. The harissa fresh mozzarella is to die for.

Dried beans grown on a Michigan farm.

Thousands of peppers.

It all comes together once a week, each Saturday, when some 150 farmers and artisans converge on Russell street between Gratiot and Mack in Detroit. You can find an array of locally grown produce, herbs and spices, baked goods, jams, cheese, hummus, pickles, fresh oatmeal and grains and flowers and plants. You won't find anything fresher - most of the produce is picked the day before and is grown just hundreds, rather than thousands, of miles away.

A sampling of the flower selection.

Home decor.

Gourds for your table.

Local apples have arrived!

Squash, arranged just so...

More peppers!

Besides the farmers and merchants there are restaurants and terrific gourmet food, fish and meat shops packed with food lovers and gardeners. Not into food, plants or shopping? Go anyway: Eastern Market offers some of the best people watching anywhere. It’s high entertainment, and right now, during harvest time, is the best time to go. Get there early for the lightest crowds and best selection.