La Cucina

Tonight my house had the aroma of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and candles. Keith Jarret was playing in the background, and I had just opened a nice bottle of reasonable red wine. (Osborne Solaz, 2004 Temranillo/Cab- 7.00) I needed it for the sauce, so why not have some while cooking!

I took good care of myself all weekend, and felt like cooking for the first time in what seems forever. I am an excellent cook. A collage cook one might say, or better yet, a bricollage cook. I take what is in the house and make a dinner out of it. I think about flavor, texture, color and variety. Most of the time I would rather put this creative energy into visual arts, but on occasion I will push my fine art aside, and the art of the evening is cooking.

Candles, music, wine, and a lovely table. I must think more like Monet, and not only make the meal art, but somehow make it my visual art too. The best I could do was a photo of the beginning of the sauce. It looks rather bizarre if you ask me, which or course, delights me. All I had was my little shitty-ass camera, but I am able to work with what I have - as therein lies the challenge in art and design.

The Menu tonight was simple. Farfalle with marinara sauce. Red wine. Handmade chocolate for desert. And Lolita for the movie.

I cannot take complete ownership for this recipe. It is one that was started in the kitchen of the CIA - Culinary Institure of America, here in Hyde Park NY and has been altered a bit depending upon the available herbs. Tonights sauce was:

1/3 c. Olive oil--heated
Saute garlic in hot oil (don't brown/burn!)(3 large cloves for me do it nicely!)
Add 28 oz can of plum tomatoes WITH juice (The brand makes a difference. Furmanos preferred-hard to get. Try and get good Italian plums from the San Marzano valley)
Use knife and pierce tomatoes in several spots, then mash up w/ricer/potato masher
Simmer for 15 minutes
Add 1/3 cup of decent red wine - simmer another 5
Add ground pepper, whatever herbs are in season (parsley, basil, oregano etc.) Tonight I used a generous helping of oregano and basil-dried

Simmer another 5.

Serve over pasta of any kind with fresh grated Romano chesse. Normally I have a salad, picked right from my garden, but my lettuce is tiny...and not enough to do anything with. To make up for the missing salad, I had lovely hand made supreme chocolates from Woodstock for dessert.

Don't you wish you came to MY house for dinner?

patti