Dinner With TCR! February 22, 2009
Posted by littlebangtheory in Dinner with TCR.Tags: anchovies, leeks, mushrooms, raviolis, roasted red peppers
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Tonight, fresh pumpkin-sage raviolis, topped with a ratatouille of leeks, roasted red peppers and some of my own dried wild mushrooms, in this case a medley of boletes, the fabled cèpe of French culinary fame:
…with a few other flavors thrown into the sauté, like garlic and anchovies and vegetable broth and white wine, in this case a decent Gruner Veltliner, 2007.
Came out pretty good for blind gastronomic groping.
A Logical Progression February 23, 2008
Posted by littlebangtheory in Dinner with TCR.Tags: anchovies, artichokes, Manchego cheese, olives, pizza
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…Of dinners, that is.
I tend to buy ingredient in quantities which amount to more than one meal, because I’m both lazy and, um, Fiscally Under-Resourced.
As a result, there’s frequently something left over from the preparation of a meal, be it par-cooked or still in its package.
So at the risk of boring you all, I’ll admit to a certain sort of gradual morphing of menus based primarily on what’s left over from my last attempt at cookery. For instance, a stir-fry of chicken and vegetables might result in left-over chicken, which will appear in a subsequent meal.
Such was the case after my recent foray into the world of White Anchovies. I had about half of the package left, and not being in a position to waste food, I had to find a way to prepare the remainder.
Well, Duh. That would be pizza!
So here it is, a Very White Pizza:
Made on a pair of locally produced flat-breads, topped with artichoke hearts, the aforementioned white anchovies, chopped marinated green olives, fresh garlic, and a goodly amount of shaved Manchego (sheeps’ milk) cheese.
It’s been a while since I had pizza, but this came out good enough to prompt me to get back to the genre on a regular basis!
A Light Dinner February 19, 2008
Posted by littlebangtheory in Dinner with TCR.Tags: aiolis, anchovies, chipotle chilis, dinnerwood, field greens, rutabagas
12 comments
Being an inveterate “Hunter/Gatherer,” I try to get out to a decent restaurant once in a while, to hunt for and gather dinner ideas.
And being, um, “resource-challenged,” I usually go for an interesting sounding appetizer over an entrée I’m familiar with.
This past weekend I scooted on over to Hope & Olive, a great restaurant in the Teaming Megalopolis© of Greenfield, MA. to run their White Anchovy starter through the Gastronomic Deconstructor (that be me, heheh.) I’d had it before, but hadn’t sussed it out sufficiently to recreate it at home.
I gotta say, Chef Maggie could turn Cheerios into a five-star treat.
Anyway, I Came, I Saw, I Ate It. Then I came again.
And tonight I did my best to recreate it at home, on an entrée scale:
Marinated White Anchovies*, toasted almonds, and roasted root veggies (tonight, golden beet chips and rutabaga “fries”) on a bed of organic field greens and shaved fennel, with a Chipotle aioli. This was my first dance with Chipotle chilis, and it won’t be my last!
I’d say “Enjoy!” except that I performed The Hoover Maneuver, and it’s, um, gone!
* These are not the briny abominations you pick off your pizza. They’re marinated in olive oil, hot peppers, vinegar and spices, and have an extraordinary flavor and texture.
Dinner Capers! November 8, 2007
Posted by littlebangtheory in Dinner with TCR.Tags: anchovies, capers, pasta, puttanesca
7 comments
Heard a great-sounding recipe on the radio today, for a puttanesca sauce, uncooked, with many of my favorite ingredients.
So of course I came home and made it!
The Sauce:
Fresh tomatoes, black olives, capers, a bulb of garlic, some anchovies, and a generous handful of parsley. Chop coarsely, mix together, drizzle with some Extra Virgin olive oil and let sit at room temperature for half an hour or so.
Cook your pasta while you stare at your creation and sob:
Penne works well for a coarsely-chopped topping like this.
Drain al dente pasta, toss with sauce, sprinkle liberally with a dry, aged grated cheese (in this case a local goat cheese reminiscent of an Italian pecorino,) garnish with some lemon slices and splash with a squeeze of the juice.
As Porgy Tirebiter used to say, “Eat it. Eat it raw!“
Little Bang Theory 
