The Comforts of Home Cooking

Success! It's such a relief to be back in the arms and paws of my family. When I arrived I got all kinds of love, praise for finding amazing tenants, and my husband's special BLTA. Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwiches on toasted wheat. I kid you not, he makes THE BEST BLTA in the world. I think the trick is he spreads out his ingredients evenly, so that every bite has a little bit of everything. Of course using the best organic ingredients you can grow or buy helps. After I devoured the entire sandwich (I was planning on eating half now and saving the other half for later) I fell into a deep, deep sleep. 


Yes, I know it's bad to sleep right after eating, but I was exhausted and back with T and feeling quite at peace. The following day I cleaned house like crazy and made vegetable lentil soup. I served it with rosemary focaccia bread, lightly toasted, with a little butter. How can something so easy to make be such a blessing to your very soul! Some people need a nice juicy steak and potato to feel content. I am not above this, but if I want to feed something more than my stomach, I make soup and I use a large English soup spoon when I eat it. Maybe that's why I love the part in Amelie when she is eating soup with her father. The whole feel of that scene is both comforting and healthful. 


When I was nine, I made my first homemade meal for the family. Beef stew. I'll never forget my Mom's boyfriend Bill's praise. It made me want to cook all the time just so I could get a father figure's approval. The next thing I made was banana bread. To this day I wish I had that recipe, because it was the best I've ever baked. Light and airy with a strong banana flavor and a chewy crust. I think I got it from a children's cookbook that got lost in one of our moves.


I still make banana bread and stew. However, I use lamb meat instead of beef because it's easier to digest. For years Tony thought it was beef until I gave the recipe to a friend and he heard me say lamb. (The trick to killing lambs gamey taste is to use San Marzano stewed tomatoes) I've also added to my culinary repertoire spaghetti sauce. 


Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I swear Tony asked me, when we were dating, "Do you make your own sauce? My grandmother does and it's the best." What I do know for sure is that after eating her spaghetti I wanted to learn how to make my own sauce. Now I can't even stomach jar sauce. If only people knew how easy it is to make their own, better than you can find in any "Italian" restaurant or jar. 


When I cook for myself I make vegetarian sauces that are quick and fresh tasting, using minimal ingredients: Bariani olive oil, chopped tomato and basil. Sometimes I throw in a chopped Zucchini for fun, then sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. 


When I make spaghetti for Tony I make his favorite rich red sauce: Bariani, one big yellow onion - chopped, maybe a clove of garlic, ground white turkey meat, sea salt, lots of Italian seasoning, two big cans of San Marzano whole tomatoes - crushed by hand, one can of water and good red wine. If we feel like spicy I add red pepper flakes, if sweet I add some sugar or syrup. "And that's my trick." It needs to simmer for at least two hours, so watch The Godfather while you wait. Mama Mia! It's amazing and so easy. If you serve it over noodles, use De Cecco, they are the closest to freshly made pasta. I freeze the majority of the sauce so I can have spaghetti, manicotti, or pizza whenever I'm in the mood, which is often. 


Tonight, Tony is steaming the two huge artichokes I bought from Dan's Produce and he's making parmesan couscous. I made the aioli sauce using Best Foods mayo made with olive oil, Meyer lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. 


Did I mention how good it is to be home?