Food, cooking and eating...

This recipe is the best expresion of confort food. I higthly recommended after a bad day...  Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1/3 c. breadcrumbs 1/4 c. finely chopped parsley 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan 1 egg 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 1/2 c. Onion, finely chopped 1 bay leaf 1 35-oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 lb. spaghetti, prepared according to package instructions In a large bowl, combine beef with breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, egg, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Mix until just combined and form into 16 balls. In a large pot over medium heat, add1 tbsp oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs and reserve on plate. Add the remaining olive oil and onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add bay leaf and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and ...

Very easy and cheap recipe... Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta Serves Two 1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended) 1/2 Cup Raw Cashews 1 Tbs Tomato Paste 1/4 Cup Water 2 Tbs Olive Oil 2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional 6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti 1 tsp Salt (edit: upped from 3/4!) 2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional 1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper 1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth. Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. Tas...

The regions of Umbria and Tuscany—home to Florence, Siena, Perugia, and Assisi—aren’t just beautiful, but boast delicious food, too! Their cuisine is known for being simple, seasonal, and lovely Ribollita.  A thick, hearty vegetable stew, with its origins in Tuscany’s  cucina povera. Pappa al pomodoro.  A Florentine soup with its origins in “ cucina povera”  (“poor cuisine”), this is a stew of tomatos and (preferably day-old) bread. Panzanella.  A salad of tomatoes… and soaked day-old bread. (It must be hearty, unsalted country bread!). Originally, this salad was onion-based, not tomato-based. Popular in the summer in Florence. Lentil soup.  In Umbria, this hearty, classic fare has bits of local sausage; it’s also served in Tuscany. Often flavored with rosemary, garlic and basil, and with carrots and potatoes included, too. Pappardelle con la lepre.  Broad ribbons of pasta, served with a meaty sauce of hare, bacon and cloves. A specia...

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite quick comfort foods. They can be extremely versatile, easy and healthy... INGREDIENTS: 8 slices whole grain bread 8 slices provolone cheese 2 tbs tabasco 4 tbsp pesto sauce 4 oz fresh organic spinach 2 tbs olive oil Divide the olive oil over the outside of each slice of bread. Spread the pesto sauce over the inside of four slices of bread and the tabasco among the other four slices.  Place one slice on the cheese on four slices of bread followed by the spinach. Place the other cheese slice on top of the spinach and top with the other slice of bread. Add the sandwiches to the pan and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Ñam

Don't be scared - cooking is fun. But you need some basics. Start getting a few things and add to your collection of kitchen equipment as time goes. Chopping board. This is something very basic, as you can't chop anything without having a chopping board. It is very versatile, as you can chop pretty much anything on it. A knife. Again, this is very basic, but you will not be able to chop or cook anything without a knife. A good, sharp knife goes a long way to help you prepare food.  A big pot. You need a pot for pretty much anything - from boiling pastas to making soups to stewing to pretty much anything else. Some pots come with colander inserts, which makes it easier to cook pasta. A saute pan. Again, they are very versatile, a good trick is getting ones without wooden handles, so that you can put the saute in the oven as well.  Roasting Pan. These are perfect for preparing things in the oven. From roast to roasted chicken to roasted vegetables, a ro...

This a nice recipe, very tasty and lovely. Ingredientes: 12 oz. penne 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast  salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/3 c. white wine 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 c. chopped tomato 1 c. heavy cream 1 c. shredded mozzarella 1/2 c. finely grated parmesan (plus more for serving) 1 1/2 c. baby spinach 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley pinch red pepper flakes (optional) In  a large pot of salted boiling water, cook penne according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and oregano and cook until golden and no longer pink in the middle, 8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips. Make sauce: Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. When the wine is simmering, use a wood...