How this pasta is named is disputed. “The way a whore would make it” or simply quick and dirty, it represents a traditional Italian recipe which thought to have originated in Napoli. The sauce is usually served with spaghetti, although it may also be used with other dry pasta types like buca- tini, vermicelli or even rigatoni.
Heat a large covered pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Taste the water to insure salt level. When the water is boiling, start the sauce.
In a frying pan, cook tomatoes, olives, and chili over medium high heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Start boiling the pasta. Continue cooking the tomatoes for another four minutes then add garlic, capers and anchovies, optional squid and cook 2 minutes more on high heat. Remove from heat. Drain the pasta. Immediately toss with the sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
2 tblsp guajillo powder*
1 tblsp ancho powder*
4 cups home made chicken stock that is reduced
3 tomatillas, cut in half
2 tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoon Manteca ( lard )
1 onion, halved and thickly sliced
½ head garlic, peeled and sliced
⅓ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup black raisins
2 tsp cumin
1 toasted corn tortilla
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tblsp allspice
5 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
dark chocolate to taste, chopped and added last
3 tablespoons white sugar
Water as required
salt to taste
Notes:
1. Garnish with sprinkles of seasame seeds, I you want.
2. Blended produces smoother results
* powder chilies yeild a smoother result.
2 large eggplant or 4 Japanese eggplants
1 vidalia onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic,minced
1 fresh hot red chili, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp Concentrated tomato paste
1 tsp salt
Pinch of sugar or balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Thai often combine fish flavors with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and coconut milk. For color they use a variety of colorful vegetable and herbs.
Optionally, add bruised kaffir leaves when adding coconut milk
Heat a wok until hot, add oil, when smoking, add garlic, ginger, scallions whites, smashed lemon grass. When cooked, add tomatoes, snow peas, fish sauce, lemon, black pepper, pinch of salt, coconut milk. When hot, add fish, shrimp and cook 4 minutes. Then add cilantro,basil,scallion greens. Serve.
With a massively flavorful, spicy broth as its secret weapon, Tan Tan Ramen (Tantanmen) is a Japanese noodle soup that is certainly not for the faint of heart. The familiar aromatic combination of garlic, ginger, and scallions cozies up to the likes of miso, toasted sesame, peanuts, and Sichuan sesame paste.
Hong Shao Rou, also known as red braised pork belly, is a traditional Chinese dish from the Hunan and Zhejiang provinces that holds a special place in Shanghai cuisine. The dish features pork belly braised in a mixture of soy sauce, caramelized sugar, and various spices, resulting in tender, flavorful meat with a glossy, caramelized coating.
The Shanghai version consists of pork belly cut into thick pieces, caramelized sugar to achieve a signature red color and sweetness, and both light and dark soy sauces to add depth of flavor and color.
The Hunan version, which is more traditional, will also include the Shaoxing wine, a Chinese cooking wine that enhances the overall flavor, and aromatics such as ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon add complexity, dried chili peppers, bay leaves, and scallions.
Unlike the Shanghai version, which is a mix of sweet and savory, the Hunan version is more spicy and aromatic.
The cooking process begins with blanching the pork belly in boiling water to remove impurities. Sugar is then melted in oil to create a caramel base, and the pork is simmered in a mixture of soy sauce, wine, and spices for about an hour until it becomes tender and infused with flavor. The final step involves reducing the sauce to a thick, glossy coating on the pork.
The slow braising process ensures that the pork belly achieves a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Often served with steamed rice or vegetables to balance its richness, Hong Shao Rou is a beloved comfort food in Chinese cuisine, appreciated for its deep flavors and satisfying texture.
Begin by slicing your pork belly into 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick pieces.
Heat a pot of water until boiling, then add the pork belly pieces and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the pork from the pot, rinse it, and set it aside.
Over low heat, add oil and sugar. Cook until the sugar melts slightly, then add the pork, the ginger, the garlic, Cinnamon. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is lightly browned.
Reduce the heat to low and add Shaoxing cooking wine, dark soy sauce, and water. ( I pre measure the wine, soy and water in the same large measuring cup.)
Cover the wok* and cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the pork is meltingly tender.
Stir every 5-10 minutes to prevent burning, and add more water if it becomes too dry.
Once the pork is done, if there is still a lot of liquid, uncover the wok, increase the heat, and stir continuously until the sauce reduces to a syrupy consistency. Serve with white rice.
* A flat cover smaller than the wok will also work, to retain steam.
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| Shaoxing Wine |
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 or more slices of fresh ginger, smashed, then chopped finely
8 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
Sea salt or soy to taste
Cook in boiling water til just tender. In a fry pan, heat the pan, when hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir with a chopstick. Add the cut up choy. Stir or toss to coat. Eat over steam white rice
Nothing is fresher from the garden that is hardy even sweeter than snap pea greens. The nice thing about harvesting them is that the grow back rapidly and I include snap peas too. Combine with other favorite green and enjoy as a salad to company.
