Shrimp Curry Butter Canapés for the Virtual Mad Men Dinner Party {The Unoffical Mad Men Cookbook- cookbook review}

Gelman and Zheutlin have created "a cookbook with recipes for food and drink that either appear in Mad Men, or were served in the 1960's by the bars and restaurants featured in the show".  And in honor of the fifth season of Mad Men (premiering one week from tonight), they are throwing a Virtual Mad Men Dinner Party to get you in the mood.

Since I have a copy in my hands, I decided to join in and make one of the recipes I had marked to try, Shrimp Curry Butter Canapés, inspired by "Wee Small Hours" Season 3, Episode 9.  A Rockefeller fundraiser was held in the home of Betty and Don and depicted as a typical 1960's-style cocktail party.  Cocktails were sipped.  Finger foods were passed.  I could close my eyes and imagine myself a fly on the wall.

The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook
authors: Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin
publisher: Smart Pop
soft cover: 261 pages
photos: yes

chapters/sections: Cocktails - Appetizers - Salads - Main Courses - Desserts and Sweets

fun features:  Each recipe in the book is "introduced through a specific scene in the show".  Gelman and Zheutlin did their research by scouring period cookbooks, magazines, and advertisements.  Many of the recipes were contributes by actual establishments seen in the show (restaurants, hotels, etc.).  There is also a great When in New York... A Handy List of Mad Men Haunts section in the back of the book so that you can visit many of the bars and restaurants frequented by Don Draper, Roger Sterling, and other Mad Men characters.  Fun!

(a few of the) recipes destined for my kitchen:  Whiskey Sour, Potatoes au Gratin, Rib Eye in the Pan with Butter, Cocoa Fudge Cake, Avocado Dunk, Bacardi Stinger, Rumaki, Avocado and Crabmeat Mimosa, Apricot Apple Pie, French Toast (with Rum)

my thoughts/review:  Fantastic, well-researched and presented cookbook.  The bits of history and period facts entwined with the scenes from the show and how each specific dish/drink presented in the book fits with the characters is brilliant.  Fun for Mad Men fans, those who remember the '60's, and those who love to cook and eat.

about the authors: Judy Gelman is co-author of The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors, the first cookbook designed for book discussion groups.  the second edition of The Book Club Cookbook will be published in 2012.    She is also co-author of The Kids' Book Club Book: Reading Ideas, Activities, and Smart Tips for Organizing Terrific Kids' Book Clubs and Table of Contents: From Breakfast with Ahita Diamant to Dessert with James Patterson - A Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights from Today's Bestselling Authors.  She is co-creator of the online sites The Book Club Cookbook and The Kids' Book Club Book.  She speaks about cooking, food, and reading to book and food enthusiasts across the country.

Peter Zheutlin is author of Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride and co-author of Life in the Balance: A Physician's Memoir of Life, Love and Loss with Parkinson's Disease and Dementia among other books.  He has written for the Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Los Angeles Times, The New England Quarterly, and numerous other publications in the U.S. and abroad.

further info: website | blog | facebook | twitter

Shrimp Curry Butter Canapés

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

Keywords: simmer appetizer shrimp butter American

6020298

Ingredients (30 Canapés)

• 1 lb. medium shrimp (~30), peeled & deveined
• salt
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 4 oz. unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• ½ tsp. ground roasted coriander
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 30 Melba toast rounds
• ground white pepper
• 2 chives, finely chopped

Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and salt it. Add shrimp and lemon juice. Cover, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Drain and chill.

Combine butter, curry powder, coriander, and salt in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Spread each Melba round with a good layer of curry butter and top each with a shrimp (I prefer tail-off...just because these are meant to be popped into your mouth and not fussed with). Sprinkle with salt, white pepper, and chopped chives.

slightly adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

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*I received a free copy of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.

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Savory Sesame Bread Rings (Ka'kat) & Roasted Thyme Sesame Blend (Za'atar)

I'm still in catch-up mode in cooking through Flatbreads & Flavors, but I'm happy to say that I'm only 2 days late this time...as opposed to 2 weeks.  A notable improvement.  And actually, I was really looking forward to baking these sesame rings for one major reason (aside from the freshly baked bread factor which is always tops).  That reason?  Oddly enough, it was the recommended accompaniment to these tempting, oval rings.  Za'atar.  Or roasted thyme and sesame blend.

You see, my favorite local market has a pretty impressive aisle housing "international" items.  I find many of the imported items that I can't find anywhere else locally.  From treacle and English biscuits to golden syrup and "exotic" spices.  For months now, I've been eyeing a 16 ounce bag of Green Za'atar.  It wasn't expensive or anything...I just wasn't sure how I would use it.  I was intrigued by the look and the ingredients of roasted wheat, roasted thyme, and ground sumac (along with sesame seeds and salt).  Ground sumac.  What in the world is it?  Sure, I'd heard of sumac.  I knew the word.  But what in the heck was it.  Really?  In the back of Flatbreads & Flavors I found my answer.  Sumac is a reddish spice that looks sort of like chile powder and made from dried, ground sumac berries.  It gives a pleasant acid taste to spice blends and dishes.  Huh.

Well, when Za'atar was listed as a suggested accompaniment, I made a beeline to the international aisle and giddily placed that bag of spice in my cart.  While I've included the recipe for making Za'atar at home, if you're unable to source sumac (like me...and no I didn't look online...I wanted it NOW), this is a fantastic option.

This sesame ring dough is simple and very easy to work with.  My recommendations are to make sure you  have a big, clear work surface for rolling the long ropes - it'll make your life so much easier.  And to use a parchment or silpat lined sheet tray to lay said ropes on.  The original recipe calls for them to be oiled, but I found that the dough kept sliding and shrinking back when I tried this.  The lining gives the dough something to hold onto and lets the rings keep their long, brilliant shape.  My rolls weren't perfectly even from top to bottom on this first try - why I'm recommending you give yourself a nice, clear, BIG work surface.  I'll follow my advice next time.   It didn't affect their baking or taste, though.  Merely the aesthetics.

I will definitely be making these again - they are wonderful while warm.  Good and chewy and perfection when ripped and dipped into olive oil and touched to the Za'atar.  My kind of snackin' food.  Or a meal (I've mentioned that I can make a meal out of bread once or twice before, no?).

Savory Sesame Bread Rings (Ka'kat)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 15-17 minutes

Keywords: bake bread vegetarian sesame seeds Israeli

6020231

Ingredients (4 oval rings - ~12" long)

• 1 tsp. dry yeast
• 1½ c. warm water
• 2 c. bread flour
• 1-2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs. water, for egg wash
• 4-5 tsp. sesame seeds

accompaniments:

• extra-virgin olive oil
• Za'atar (Roasted Thyme & Sesame Blend)- recipe follows or pre-made (I like Ziyad)

Instructions

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a medium to large bowl. Combine bread flour and salt in a small bowl and add to the yeast, one cup at a time, stirring in one direction with a wooden spoon to help activate gluten. In the same manner, stir in one cup of the whole wheat flour. Now, stir in the remaining cup of whole wheat flour a little at a time until the dough will no longer hold any flour (you may have some flour left over).

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 7-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. If dough seems sticky when you're trying to knead, add in a bit more of the flour that you haven't used yet.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, ~1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 4 fairly equal pieces. On your work surface, roll each piece under your palms into a long rope, 24"-36" long. Pinch the ends of each rope together to make a loop. Place the rings on two trays that have been lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400° F during last 15 minutes or so of rise time.

Brush each bread liberally with egg wash and sprinkle with about a quarter of the sesame seeds. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden. If both sheets don't fit on the same rack, switch them halfway through baking. Cool slightly on a rack before serving.

Serve with olive oil and a little cone of Za'atar for dipping (dip bread in oil, then touch to the herb...or simply let the herb cling to the moist crumb of the bread if you don't want to use the oil).

Za'atar (Roasted Thyme & Sesame Blend) yield: ¼ cup

2 Tbs. sesame seeds

3 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves or 2 Tbs. dried thyme

½ tsp. salt

½-1 tsp. ground sumac, to taste

Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds and toaste, stirring or shaking constantly until they start to give off an aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Grind thyme leaves to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or mortar. Add sesame seeds and salt and grind to a powder. Add the sumac. Store in a tightly sealed spice jar or glass container.

adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors

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50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #39 Ina Garten - Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

the "Gourmet" prompt...

39. Ina Garten- The Barefoot Contessa is the only White House nuclear policy analyst with a packaged– cake–mix line. And a lot of cookbooks and TV shows. She’s not a countess. Her (defunct) East Hampton fancy food store was named after the Ava Gardner movie.


Feeling the urge to do something "more creative" while working in the Office of Management and Budget in the White House in 1978, Garten and her husband Jeffrey drove to the Hamptons to checko ut a specialty food store that she saw listed for sale in the New York Times.  The next day her "I'll think about it low offer" was accepted...and the rest, as they say, is history.  Thus began her adventure into food.

In '96, she sold Barefoot Contessa (that specialty store) to two employees, built herself an office over the store, and commenced her cookbook writing ventures.  Seven cookbooks and numerous television episodes later, she found what she loved to do.  She also launched a line of baking mixes called Barefoot Contessa Pantry with her business partner, Frank Newbold.  She still lives in East Hampton with Jeffrey.  For more on Ina, check out the Barefoot Contessa website.

I've always enjoyed Ina's recipes, so the hardest thing this week was deciding what to make.  I was seconds away from making Roasted Shrimp with homemade Thousand Island, but I wound up saving that for something coming up in a couple of weeks.  Which I hope go by quickly, because I crave it!  I have a couple of her books, but I couldn't find them.  Yes, I have just that many cookbooks.  Enough that sometimes I can't find the ones I'm looking for (because I have numerous bookshelves, yet not enough - some books are packed away and I really, really didn't feel like digging through boxes).  Fortunately, Ina has a great online presence, so I still had plenty to choose from.

Seems like I went simple with biscuits.  But honestly? These biscuits are ridiculously good.  Buttery and tender with bursts of cheese.  Ridiculous.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: bake bread breakfast buttermilk cheese

Ingredients (8 biscuits)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs./1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• ½ c. cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 cold extra-large egg
• 1 c. grated extra-sharp Cheddar
• 1 egg
• splash of milk
• Aromatic Salt or Maldon sea salt, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Toss the cheese with a Tablespoon or so of flour taken from the 2 cups. Set aside.

Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until you have a coarse meal and the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. Add to mixture and stir until just combined. Add reserved cheese and mix untiljust combined.

Dump out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently about 6 times, but no more than twelve.

Pat dough and gently roll dough out until it about an inch thick. Using lightly floured biscuit cutters, cut eight biscuits from dough and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet tray.

Beat egg with milk and brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt (if using). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are deeply golden and the biscuits are cooked through.

Good hot, warm, or at room temp.

*notes:

If you only have large eggs, simply add a drop or two of the beaten egg you are going to use for the egg wash (before adding the milk) to the beaten egg in the dough mixture.

These are extremely soft, flaky, buttery, tender and delicious. Almost too much so (I have a hard time controlling myself when they're around).

recipe adapted from Ina Garten

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In May '11, Gourmet posted a list of 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food) that runs the gamut from food writers to cookbook authors to television personalities to restauranteurs to chefs to food bloggers.  Some are a given.  Some are controversial.  Speaking the names of some brings fond childhood memories.  Speaking the names of others will make some readers cringe.  And of course, some of our favorites were not even included.  We food-lovers are a passionate bunch of people and whether we agree or disagree, every woman on this list has earned her place for a reason.  Being a woman who is passionate about food (cooking, eating, talking about, writing about, photographing), when I caught wind of Mary from One Perfect Bite's idea of cooking/blogging her way through each of these 50 women...one per week...I knew I wanted to join her.  Many of these women paved the way for us in culinary school, in the kitchen, in cookbooks, in food writing, and on television and I think it is a fabulous way to pay tribute to their efforts.  Some of the women on the list have been tops with me for years.  Some I have heard of (perhaps even seen, read, or cooked from) before.  And there are even a handful that I am not familiar with at all.  I excited to educate myself on each of these women game-changers and hope you look forward to reading along.  We are going in order from 1 to 50.

Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne- Eats Well With Others, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Heather- girlichef, Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Barbara- Moveable Feasts, Linda- There and Back Again, Nancy- Picadillo, Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen, Annie- Lovely Things, Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce- More Time at the Table, Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades  

*source: Barefoot Contessa: about Ina

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Gulai Ayam & Roti Jala {Coconut Milk Chicken Curry & Lacy Coconut Milk Pancakes}

Okay, so.  I made this last month.  And I'm just now posting it.  Story of my life.  How does time fly by so fast?  And without me even seeing it until it's in the rearview?  I do not know.  Anyhoo.

I started making this early enough in the day that not everybody was hanging out in the kitchen yet.  The kids were doing homework or watching tv or running wild, I can't remember.  Hubs was at his usual station in his work shop (aka the garage).  But once I had it sort of all together and simmering on the stove, hubs walks in and lets out one of those involuntary "ooohhh" or "mmmmmm" sounds as soon as he opened the side door (which is off of the kitchen). So of course he moseys over to see what's cooking.

Hubs: "Oh!  Are you making mole?"

Me: "No.  Well.  Sort of, actually.  Penang mole."

Hubs: {eyebrows raised...quiet...shrugs}  "Okay.  Smells good."

And really, although this is not Mexican in origin, it does resemble a mole pretty darn closely.  Layers of flavor built up using spices, herbs, and veggies.  Liquid is added to make a sauce (ahem...mole).  Meat and veggies are given a warm bath and infused with the savory essence before being served in it.  And eaten with some roti jala...or crepes, basically (ahem...tortillas).    So sure, I'm making Penangian (!?) Mole.

And we enjoyed it just as we would have enjoyed a mole dish.  There was a pleasant, slow heat lingering inside of this complex, flavorful sauce.  And although it got a big messy trying to eat it wrapped in a lacy pancake (tortillas don't have holes), we managed.  And we liked it.

Gulai Ayan (Coconut Milk Chicken Curry)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: up to 45 minutes

Keywords: simmer entree chicken coconut milk Indian

Ingredients (serves 4)

rempeh (curry paste)

• 4 dried red chiles
• 1 (2") cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 Tbs. coriander seed
• 1 Tbs. cumin seed
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• 8 oz. shallots, peeled
• 1 (1") piece fresh ginger, peeled & finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
• 6 macadamia nuts

curry

• 2 lbs. chicken thighs, bone-in (or breasts, legs, or a mix)
• 2 large red potatoes, cut into ½" chunks
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass, cut into 2" lengths & flattened w/ side of a knife
• 14 oz. (1¾ c.) coconut milk
• 1 c. water
• 2 tsp. salt

Instructions

Soak chiles in warm water for ~15 minutes. Drain the water and pull off the stems. If you wish, chop the chicken into 2" chunks with a heavy knife.

In a small, heavy skillet, toast the cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, ~3 minutes. Remove from heat and pound very fine using a mortar and pestle or grind in a spice mill. Add turmeric and set aside.

Place drained chiles, shallots, ginger, garlic, and nuts in a food processor and grind to a paste.

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chile paste and fry for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the spice mixture and sauté for another minute while stirring. Add the chicken and turn until well-coated with curry paste. Add lemon grass, potatoes, 1 cup of the coconut milk, and the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat until chicken is tender, 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add salt and stir in remaining ¾ cup of coconut milk. Cook 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

notes:

To make a boneless curry, start with 1¼ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken which will cook a bit quicker, start checking after 20 minutes or so.

slightly adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors

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Serve this delicious curry with Roti Jala.  If you don't have a roti jala pourer, you can make your own by punching 6 holes through a small tin can from the inside out.  I used a long nail and a hammer...and widened them a bit with a wide screw.  I then sanded off the jagged edges on the bottom...washed it...et voila!

Roti Jala (Lacy Coconut Milk Pancakes/Crepes)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: ~2 minutes each

Keywords: bread side vegetarian coconut milk Indian

Ingredients (~20 crepes)

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 10 oz. coconut milk, stirred well
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• oil for skillet

Instructions

Sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add coconut milk, vegetable oil, and egg. Stir well until a smooth dough forms. Let stand, covered, for ~30 minutes.

Heat a 10" cast-iron skillet until hot. Pour about a teaspoon of the oil on the skillet, then wipe off with a paper towel. Lower heat to medium.

Test consistency of the batter. It should be pourable but not watery.

Stir batter, then pour a scant 1/2 cup into a roti jala pourer*, holding it over the skillet, and immediately start moving the pourer in a continuous circular motion over skillet to create overlapping layers in the pan, keeping pourer ~3-4 inches above skillet.

Cook 30 seconds or so, until you see the roti starting to lift slightly at the edges. Using a spatula, flip it over and cook the other side for 30 seconds to a minute, until slightly golden. Lift out of pan and place in a basket, or on a plate, wrapped in a cloth. Cook remaining batter in same way. Serve warm.

*note:

If you do not have a roti jala pourer, you can make one by opening a small tin can at one end and punching six holes in the other (using a hammer and a long nail or drill bit) end, punching from the inside out. Or try a squeeze bottle with the end snipped open a bit wider. Get creative!

slightly adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors

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And I'm almost embarrassed to admit that this was our Flatbreads & Flavors challenge from the second half of February.  Eek.  I'm only half a month or so tardy.  Does it count that I actually made it in the correct time frame...just didn't post it?  I'm thinking yes.


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Mini Baked Brie w/ Tart Cherry Jam

Back when I was young(er)...say, early twenties...I discovered the glory that is brie.  We were young adults, discovering that our palates were more sophisticated than they were not so long ago.  Rich, thick, dark beer...bold, complex, red wine...chewy, crusty, lovingly baked loaves of bread...beautiful artisan cheeses than ran the gamut from young and creamy to aged and pungent...we explored it all.  And discovered the beauty of farmer's markets.  Oddly enough, I think it was this time period when I also tried my first mango.  I grew up in the Midwest, remember.  I reminisce with a smile on my face and a silent thanks that I had such good food and music loving, like-minded friends at this time in my life.

Some nights we'd all meet up at somebody's house, each with a different pizza topping in one hand and a "new" six-pack or bottle in the other.  Probably something green and natural hiding out in somebody's bag or pocket, as well.  Other times a local butcher-wrapped pack of beef jerky or even bacon.  I think it was around this time that I made my first Chicken with 40 {garlic} Cloves with friends hanging out waiting to tuck in. Or...my favorite...a loaf of crusty bread, a round of brie, some locally made jam or preserves, and a fat  head of garlic.

We would slice the top off that garlic and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, dust it with some salt and pepper and get it roasting while we opened the first bottle of wine.  Once it properly scented the kitchen and turned all soft and roasty, we'd lay a couple rounds of brie on a baking sheet.  One round of brie would get topped with a couple big scoops of that local jam...and the other one?  Well, that one we'd slather with smooshed, roasted garlic cloves.  Then the whole tray would go into that hot oven until the brie was gloriously soft and oozing in spots.

Slide them both onto a cutting board.  Rip off hunks of crusty bread.  Alternate bites of bread squooshed together with jammy brie and garlicky brie.  Wash it down with wine.  Repeat.

To this day, this is still one of my favorite things to eat.  I can make a meal of it.

So you can probably guess that when I see a puff pastry encased round of brie...be it plain, with jam, with nuts and brown sugar...I'm on it.  Which means that when I see a box of brie made a mere 40 miles from my home and a jar of jam made with the best tart cherries in the world, the ones that I grew up with and make pies and cobblers from every year, I'm totally making little glorious "bites" that will make me wax nostalgic.  Totally.

Mini Baked Brie w/ Tart Cherry Jam

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake appetizer snack cheese jam puff pastry

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Ingredients (serves 9)

• 1 (17.3 oz.) package puff pastry (contains 2 sheets)
• ~4 oz. brie
• ~¼ c. tart cherry jam
• 1 egg
• splash of milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Roll both sheets of dough out to about 12"x12". Score one sheet of dough with a 3½" round cutter nine times (3 across by 3 down).

Whisk egg and milk together. Brush a layer of egg wash over dough. Slice brie into 9 equal pieces (leave the rind on...it's good) and set in center of each scored circle. Place a heaping teaspoon jam on top of cheese.

Carefully lay top sheet of pastry over the top and gently press into egg wash on bottom sheet (like making ravioli). Cut through both sheets of pastry with the same cutter, keeping filling centered. Crimp edges. Transfer to parchment lined sheet tray. Brush each with a thin film of the egg wash and poke a tiny hole in top.

Bake for ~25 minutes, until golden and puffed. And a bit oozy. Enjoy warm or at room temp.

inspired by/adapted from Joy the Baker

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Even kitty-cats will beg for these.  Serve them as appetizers or snacks.  People will thank you.  They will rave.  They may even get a wistful look in their eyes.  And have the urge to jam Rusted Root while sitting around the fire with a bottle of wine and bare feet.  Maybe.

Pipette con Broccoli

Traditionally, this dish is made with Orecchiette.  But.  I didn't have any...and I did have Pipette, so I went with it.  Pasta with broccoli is very common in its many variations not only in our house, but across the globe. Broccoli is a veggie that all of the kids and adults in the house enjoy without question...so that makes this a go-to dish for us.  I don't always use the anchovies.  Because, though the kids (um...and the hubs...don't tell) eat them when they don't know they're there, if they see me putting them in?  Well, they suddenly "taste them".  Obviously it's all in their heads, but what can I say?

I love it simple like this, but my daughter loves a light alfredo sauce thrown in. And the boys love it with red sauce.  So even though it's pasta with broccoli in its base form...it can make many different meals in its variations.

That's it for today.  Simple.  Green.  Pasta.  Heading out the door to Lowe's - because I'm feeling crafty.  I want to create something!  Must find wood.  And wood glue.  And paint...

Pipette con Broccoli

by Heather Schmitt-González

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: boil entree pasta broccoli Italian

6019898

Ingredients (serves 6)

• ~2½ lb. broccoli
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
• 1 tsp. crushed red chiles
• 10 anchovy fillets in olive oil
• 1 lb. Pipette (or other small pasta)
• freshly grated Parmesan
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Trim broccoli into bite-sized florets. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water until just tender, ~5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water to shock the broccoli (stop cooking and hold bright green color). Remove from water once cooled and allow to drain.

Return broccoli cooking water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic, chile, and anchovies and cook until anchovies are melted into the oil and the garlic smells fragrant. Mash the anchovies with a wooden spoon and then add the broccoli florets and cook for a few minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Drain pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid. Add pasta and reserved water to sauté pan and toss to coat.

Grate Parmesan over the top and sprinkle a few extra crushed red chiles on top, if you wish. Serve.

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*recipe inspired by/adapted from Twelve by Tessa Kiros


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IHCC theme: Go Green!
Presto Pasta Nights hosted at Cook. Craft. Enjoy. this week