Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Rediscovering My Library

August 18, 2006 · Narrative

I had zero motivation to cook today; just wiped out, so I wanted to keep it simple for dinner. For this week’s Rediscovering My Library, I turned to a cookbook that I think The Husband gave me last year for my birthday, Firehouse Food: Cooking with San Francisco’s Firefighters. I’ve never used this one, and it’s about time I did. At over 200 pages, there’s a color photograph on nearly every page. Filled with all sorts of recipes, from the easy to more involved, the chapters cover Salads & Soups, Main Dishes, Sides and Desserts. Recipes include Slug Salad (the Department’s signature dish), Tortilla Soup, Oxtail Ossobuco, Red Gumbo, Skillet Paella, California Chicken Paella, Carrot Banana Cake, San Francisco Chocolate Chip Cookies and much more.

I felt like having spaghetti tonight, keeping a simple meal even simpler, and went with their recipe for Pasta Puttanesca. Puttanesca sauce is like chili — everyone has their own recipe for it, from Ellie Krieger, Michael Chiarello, and Mario Batali to Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray and many more. Pasta Puttanesca is a perfect weeknight recipe, because I’d be willing to bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen already. This recipe was excellent and easy to make, hitting the table in about 35 minutes. A semi-thick sauce that clung to the linguine, a nice salty tang from the olives and capers … perfect. With the additions of the oregano and parsley, it makes a perfect contribution to Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging event, which is hosted by Anthony’s Kitchen this week.

I’m skipping this weeks’ New (to Me) Blogger on the Block … honestly, I couldn’t find one that spoke to me today. I’m sure it’s out there, but I’m tired and my pillow is calling me, so I’ll leave you with the recipe for tonight’s dinner.

Until tomorrow…

A year ago today … another spaghetti dinner.

P.S. While looking for a recipe in a cookbook yesterday, I stumbled upon the “perfect” recipe to make this weekend (either tomorrow or Saturday). It is very reminiscent of what is my favorite “cruise cocktail.” First person to correctly tell me what it is, in the comments section, wins a cookbook off my shelf.

Pasta Puttanesca
Serves 6
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup mixed olives, pitted and diced
4 teaspoons drained capers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound linguini
1 can (2 ounces) anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, about 2 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them, with their liquid, to the skillet. Add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes and oregano. Bring mixture to boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Once the sauce has simmered about 20 minutes, start the water for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and put in serving bowl.

When ready to serve, stir in the anchovies and parsley into the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste with pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss to combine, and serve immediately. Pass cheese at table.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    August 18, 2006 at 12:52 pm

    I know, I know. But I guess since I was there when you were drinking it, it’s really not fair.

    Come on people….We even took a picture of it.

    Reply
  2. wheresmymind says

    August 18, 2006 at 1:45 pm

    RR’s sauce has to be “Open 3 cans of something, make some sorta burger” and you are done! 30 minutes or less! hehe

    Reply
  3. Joan says

    August 18, 2006 at 2:09 pm

    I will guess Pina Colada but don’t know what recipe you will be using – maybe a Pina Colada salad?

    Reply
  4. Dani says

    August 18, 2006 at 7:16 pm

    I would say Strawberry Coladas – I can remember the picture you posted way back in February.

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    August 18, 2006 at 10:21 pm

    yeah I would have guessed strawberry daquiris, but that maybe Nicholas’ favorite.

    Reply
  6. Cate says

    August 18, 2006 at 10:28 pm

    Anonymous – no, definitely not fair. ;)

    Wheresmymind – hey, the simpler, the better, right?

    Joan – so close!

    Dani – ding, ding, ding – we have a winner. Send me your addy and the cookbook is yours.

    Heather – he fell in love with virgin Strawberry Coladas on the cruise. There’s only 25 cents difference between the alcoholic version and the non-alcoholic one, can you believe that?!

    Reply
  7. genevieve says

    August 19, 2006 at 12:16 pm

    bloody mary

    Reply
  8. Kalyn says

    August 22, 2006 at 1:00 am

    The pasta recipe sounds great. My garden is overflowing with tomatoes so I need to start making sauce to freeze.

    Reply
  9. Ruth says

    August 22, 2006 at 2:58 am

    Such a lovely dish. I just made some recently myself. It was the first time I got my husband to eat anchovies – if he only knew!!

    Reply
  10. gattina says

    August 22, 2006 at 9:08 am

    a bit of spicy, a bit of salty… I really love your pasta!

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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