Spicy sausage and pepper pasta in a spicy cherry tomato sauce

One of my favorite things to do - besides eating - is trying to figure out how to make a restaurant dish.

One of the restaurants near where I work has this out-of-this-world amazing pasta dish.  It's spicy, meaty, and tomato-ey... and to me, it's everything I love about food, all wrapped into one.

It is simply called "Rigatoni", and the description is "tossed with sausage, hot cherry peppers, kalamata olives, cherry tomato sauce".  That's it.

And, forgive me as I repeat myself, it is OUT OF THIS WORLD amazeballs.  Slightly sweet cherry tomato sauce with a kick from the hot peppers and some acid from the olives... not to mention the fabulous pasta and the meaty sausage.

So I tried to recreate it.

Attempt #1 almost burnt my tongue off.  I made it soooo spicy that I had to throw out the entire dish because it just was not edible.  Sad face.

Attempt #2 was spot on.

And Attempt #3 was done in my "brand new" (to me) kitchen in my new apartyment in Florida. Not the best idea to make this when it's 80 degrees out, but you know what?  It's so friggin good, make it whenever.  Feel free to cool down with a glass of chilled white wine.

You're welcome:

Here's how I made it:

Start by browning some spicy Italian sausages.  You can use the full fat kind (like I did here) or go for Applegate's "chicken sausage", which is what I recommend as it's healthier.  Heat a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, then lay the sausages in.  You'll see I tried cooking them two ways... pre-sliced, and whole... I recommend starting whole, brown on all sides, then slice and finish browning on both sides... if you try to slice pre-cooking (at least the real Italian sausage kind), it will get all mushy and not be a nice-looking slice... if you go with the chicken sausage, you're golden.  Just heat up in the microwave for 30, slice, then brown for a few minutes in the pan.

...see how nice and brown they got??

...transfer those suckers to a plate with paper towels so they can drain.  Next, dice an onion... My method starts by halving a whole onion, then making nice, even slices...

...and then turning the whole thing 90 degrees and slicing again, this time perpendicular to the original cuts.  That way you get nice, even cubes!

...add those diced onions to the pan with the sausage fat and start sauteeing...

...after a few minutes, add garlic... and while that's cooking up and getting all nice and translucent, start halving some cherry tomatoes...

...and add those to the pan so they start cooking...

 ...after just a few minutes, add low sodium tomato sauce, stir, and then start adding dried herbs... namely oregano, thyme and a bit of rosemary...

 ...stir some more and let simmer so all the flavors start to absorb, and almost at the end, add chopped fresh basil.  Mix in...

...now, start cooking your pasta according to the package directions...

 ...and then go back to your sauce and start finishing it off to be nice and spicy.  You can leave the sauce as is right now for a great cherry tomato sauce, but we're going to make it spicy for this pasta... so add 2-3 spoonsfull of minced hot cherry peppers, a few sliced sweet cherry peppers, and a handful of sliced kalamata olives, crushed red pepper flakes to taste, salt and pepper, and stir together...

 ...with 2 minutes left to go in cook time for the pasta, REMOVE IT from the boiling water and drain.  I learned something on the foodnetwork - you're supposed to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce so it absorbs the flavor!  So drain, add the sausage and the pasta...

 ...and stir all that beautiful gorgeousness together, cooking on low heat for just a few more minutes...

 ...look at that friggin yumminess!!!!

 ...And I think it makes a beautiful plate too :)

 MMMMM thank goodness I have leftovers :)

 And here's the full recipe, enjoy!!!
 
Spicy sausage and pepper pasta in a spicy cherry tomato sauce
(My copy cat attempt of Masina's "Rigatoni")

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
12oz spicy Italian sausage or "chicken" sausage substitute
1 yellow onion
2 T minced garlic
1 package of cherry tomatoes
1 15 oz can of low sodium tomato sauce
1/2 T each of dried herbs: rosemary, oregano, thyme
Handful of fresh basil, chopped into chunks, or smaller pieces depending on preference
8oz whole wheat pasta, any style - penne, rigatoni, etc...
2-3 T minced hot cherry peppers (if you want spicy, go for 3... that's how I like it!)
4-5 whole sweet cherry peppers, sliced into rings
8-10 kalamata olives, halved
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Heat a large skillet, add a little extra virgin olive oil.  Add sausages and brown on all sides.  Remove sausages, and carefully slice then on the diagonal.  Add back to pan to brown on both sides.  When done, remove to a plate with paper towels to drain.
2. Dice one onion and add to pan with sausage fat, stirring a few times to cook through.  After 3-5 minutes, move onions out of the way of the middle of the pan, add minced garlic, browning for a few seconds before stirring to combine.
3. After halving the cherry tomatoes, add to the pan and combine, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, stirring to combine, and then add the dry herbs (you can use more if you like more flavoring).
5. Add fresh basil, stirring to combine, and lower heat to simmer.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes (you'll finish cooking the pasta in the sauce).
7. When the pasta is almost done cooking, add the hot cherry peppers, sliced sweet cherry peppers, kalamata olives, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, stir to combine.  Taste to ensure spiciness is to your liking, add more spice if you need it.  Simmer for a few more minutes.
8. Remove pasta from heat and drain.
9. Add sausage and pasta to the sauce, stirring to combine and cook on low for 2-3 more minutes.
10. Plate.
11. DEVOUR, preferably with a nice cool glass of white wine to cool your tongue :)

Note:
*  Re: Sausage.  If you're trying to be healthy, I highly recommend the Applegate Chicken sausage - it comes in a variety of flavors, one being a jalapeno, go for that one.  Add a bit more EVOO to the pan when cooking.
* I found this recipe to really come together after it sat in the fridge for a day - the flavors just melded together more, but it was also super tasty hot out of the pan.

Why I'm leaving NYC

This is a random post, that will be short and sweet.

As many of you know, I've lived in the NYC area for 9 years. During that time, I've:

• Seen dozens of Broadway plays
• Been to fabulous concerts (Madonna, Britney, Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few)
• Visited the museums
• Taken trapez, cooking and writing lessons
• Discovered unique bars
• Enjoyed cuisine from around the world (Ethiopian, Indian, etc...) and from the world's best chefs
• Run countless 5ks in Central Park
• Biked the perimeter of Manhattan
• Sshopped at the most unique boutiques
• Celebrated birthdays, bachelorette parties and promotions with friends
• Seen the ballet, the opera, the symphony
• Participated in SantaCon with thousands of other random people dressed in red Santa suits

New York is an INCREDIBLE city.  A mecca where you can do anything you imagine.  A city where you can move to and meet people from where you came from because everyone wants to be here.

And yet, I'm choosing to leave.

It's time I move on to a place that's "right" for me right now. NYC was the best place for me to be when I was younger, but now it's time to move on.

After a successful day in West Palm Beach hunting for apartments, I walked around to get a sense of the night life.  I explored City Place, a gorgeous outdoor mall full of shops and restaurants.  I sat down for a glass of wine, and a few feet away, a Top 40 band started playing live music... within minutes, a crowd of people had gathered, some of whom were dancing with abandon. 

One thing I noted about the crowd of people: They were SO HAPPY.  They were smiling and enjoying life. Earlier that day, people were out and about, running, biking, swimming....

So that is why I'm leaving New York. Sure, warm weather 365, but more so the lifestyle... less stress, more people living a well balanced life with JOY.

And also, these reasons.  Oh, and because of this article (which is actually a satirical article from several years ago, and even though it's supposed to be funny, it's true)

As this post goes live, I'm on my way down 95 to WPB... a 20 hour drive, which is hopefully worth it... we shall see!!!!

#17 Eat at a 3 star Michelin restaurant

I don't recall how many times I've told you that I love food.  L O V E love.

But what really makes me happy?  Phenomenal culinary experiences.  Sometimes I'm able to pat myself on the back when I create an incredible culinary experience (like a great lamb chop, crab cake benedict, or a chocolate cake), but I readily admit that I lack the training and culinary expertise to create mind-blowing concoctions with scientific techniques. 

And since I ate at STELLA! in New Orleans last April (which is not Michelin rated because Michelin does not rate restaurants in New Orleans, but it seriously should be), I really wanted to #17 eat at a 3 star Michelin-rated restaurant to see what all the hype was about.

There are seven restaurants in New York that are three-star Michelin rated.  Out of all of them, I chose Per Se.

And apparently, everyone else in New York chose the same restaurant, because it was impossible to get reservations.  I even called my credit card Concierge, and the most they could do was get me on the waitlist... which didn't pan out, as NO ONE cancels (plus you're subject to $175 fee per head if you do cancel!!!).

Fear not, gentle friends - even though I was unable to get a reservation, my friend Jon and I decided to show up right as Per Se opened and see if we could eat at the bar.  Turns out that the bar is actually a "salon" that resembles a really nice UES (Upper East Side) living room... and serves an a la carte menu that you can pick and choose from.  So we created our own tasting menu, and stuffed ourselves silly.

So here is my extremely indulgent, decadent and expensive experience:

I started out with a glass of champagne.  Why not, right?

 A poorly lit photo of the salon, and the view from my little couch:

After surprising the waiter by ordering one of everything (with the exception of the $125 caviar course), our service started with two amuse bouches: A ball of gruyere, and salmon tartare in a mini ice cream cone with a yogurt and citrus sauce... both were delicious bites.  The salmon had so many different layers of flavor that danced on the tongue:

While not on the salon menu, we begged to try the "Oyster and Pearls" dish.  One thing to note about Per Se: the menu changes daily, but there is one dish that always appears.  The Oyster and Pearl. The chef graciously agreed, and we were treated to this amazingly indulgent, buttery dish, which was so delightfully yum!  The oysters were meaty, the caviar was salty, the butter sauce was rich, and the tapioca on the bottom brought the texture of the caviar and the sweetness of the oysters and butter together.  Outstanding.

From the menu: "Oysters and Pearls": A "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar

Next up was the "salad" course, which was a gorgeous piece of art work...light, refreshing with celery, beets and granny smith apple...

From the menu: Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm "Bavarois" with Granny Smith Apples, Sunflower Seed "Nougatine", Heirloom Sorrel, Celery Branch "Ribbons" and Smoked Greek Yogurt

The next course could have been the end of the meal for me... it was so indulgent, rich, creamy, savory, extraordinary... duck foie gras.  AND it was a huge portion.  The foie gras plus the balsamic was such an interesting rich/smooth plus tart combination.  Then I spread the foie gras on a buttered brioche and that was mind blowing.  Seriously, I closed my eyes to focus on the perfectly-matched flavors:

From the menu: "Terrine" of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras; Hasley Orchard's Medjool Dates, Green Almonds, Hakurei Turnips, Watercress and Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Right after we ordered, the sommelier assisted us with wines to go with the food... in addition to the champagne we started off with, we had a light white, a sweet white, a fruity red (Melville Santa Rita Pinot Noir, which was OUTSTANDING), and ended with a dry red:

After the foie gras, I admit I was starting to feel full... but next up was the "Sauteed Fillet of Florida Red Snapper", which was a perfectly cooked piece of fish with a razor thin potato crisp and some fabulous fava beans... it was a really good dish, but I confess I was slightly disappointed as it was missing that "wow" factor that I was expecting in each and every dish...

From the menu: "Pomme Maxim's, Fava Beans, Ramp Bulb "Tempura" and "Beurre Blanc au Vin Jaune"

At this point, Jon and I assumed we only had one or two more courses left.  But the courses kept coming, as we had forgotten about a few of the items we had ordered.  Seriously.  This is how much food we ordered...

But I'm so glad we ordered this little slice of heaven: Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster.

The lobster was perfectly cooked, the artichokes were super crunchy, and the sweet carrot puree?  It was HEAVENLY.  It tasted sweet, but also hearty, similar to a romesco sauce... sooo freaking amazing...

From the menu: Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster, Cocktail artichokes, sweet carrot puree, castelvetrano olives, herb salad and "salsa verde"

Up next?  The pasta course!  Smoked Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta "Agnolotti", which we also forgot we had ordered, but also were equally happy we had... divine.  Perfectly cooked pasta, incredible sauce...

From the menu: Smoked Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta "Agnolotti" with Globe Artichokes, Sweet Peppers, Green Garlic and Wilted Arrowleaf Spinach

Next up on the We-ordered-so-much-we-forgot-what-was-next was the pork dish... a lovely "Four Story Hill Farm's Pork "Piccata", which reminded me a ground pork mini meatloaf, but so well done, an so finely ground... but to be honest?  One of my least favorite dishes of the meal... even though it was well cooked and tasty, it also lacked that "WOW" factor... maybe I'm just too picky??

From the menu: Four Story Hill Farm's Pork "Piccata" with Caramelized Cauliflower, Garden State Green Asparagus, Mache and "Sauce Grenobloise"

Finally, our last course, almost two hours later, and as you can tell from the horrible photo, the sun had stopped flowing through the windows, the lights were turned low, and we could barely see... but what is in that picture, I promise, is our last and final course, BEEF!  Perfectly cooked steak, some phenomenally cooked tomatoes bursting with flavor... true deliciousness.  I was almost too stuffed to enjoy it, but I took my time to savor every bite...

From the menu: Snake River Farms' "Calotte de Boeuf" with Hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, roasted salsify, tomato confit and "Bearnaise" reduction

Throughout the entire meal, we had many waiters attend to our needs, refilling our water glasses after every sip, replacing the cutlery, explaining the meal, etc.  Truly an incredible service experience!  I never had to ask for anything during this meal... it just appeared, perfectly timed and coordinated, like a dance...

After our final dish, we were presented with dessert menus, but quickly declined.  But then the waiter came out with four bites of tastiness... one marshmallow/pistachio combination, two fruity/tart jellies, and one heavenly dark chocolate bite:

And then came the bill.  We knew it would be an expensive meal, but slightly underestimated how much...

At least service was included!!!!

Was it worth it?  Yes.  It was an experience I will never forget.  Spending $463 on one dinner, though, is WAY too indulgent... and probably something that I won't do again, ever... not even for a special occasion.  While this meal was excellent, the service was excellent, I was disappointed that a few of the courses didn't "WOW" me... the food was delicious at every meal, but I was wanting to be bowled over at each and every turn, especially for the $$$ we shelled out...

Of course, I'm not an expert, so what do I know, but I just remember the phenomenal meal I had at Stella! in New Orleans, which blew my taste buds away.

Bottom line though, I am so glad that I had this experience.  Now I can cross it off my list, and never again wonder what I'm missing out on.  And be satisfied with my own home cooking and/or much less expensive meals that are equally as tasty :)

Just a few days left in NYC before I move!!!

Leftover spaghetti with mushrooms and meat sauce

One of the "fun" things about moving is cleaning out your kitchen cabinets, identifying items to throw away, and figuring out what to use up.

Sometimes it's easy to pare "leftover" items together... for example, pasta and tomato sauce... and sometimes it's more challenging, such as can of cream of mushroom soup and rice paper wraps...

Luckily, I was able to cobble something together this past weekend: Leftover spaghetti with mushrooms and meat sauce

Here's how I made it:

Start with sauteeing one sliced onion in a large skillet with olive oil:

Then start boiling your pasta of choice according to the package directions...

Once onions are starting to slightly brown, add garlic, stir and cook for one minute more, then add ground meat of choice (I used ground chicken since it was what I had in my freezer!).  Cook through.

Once meat has browned slightly, add canned mushrooms, and mix together...

...then, add pasta sauce (I used leftover jarred marinara sauce plus canned tomato sauce, which was all I had in my kitchen cabinet... then I added garlic powder, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning for flavoring...).  Toss the cooked (and drained!) pasta into the meat sauce, stir to coat, and then, plate!!!

... if desired, add grated parmesan cheese!

Everyone loves a tasty pasta dish with meat... and this definitely hit what I was craving.  A filling, homey meal that used up some of the "leftover" straggler items in my kitchen cabinet!! Plus, as a planner, I usually cook from a recipe rather than throwing things together... so I feel accomplished, even if it is only a basic meat sauce and pasta combo!! :)

Here's my recipe!

Pasta with mushroom and meat sauce
Recipe courtesy of Kimmy (that's me!)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
One medium onion, halved and sliced into 1/4" thick slices
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 lb Reduced/low fat ground meat of choice
1 can of mushrooms
4 oz pasta of choice
Canned tomato/marinara sauce (low sodium)
Garlic powder, garlic salt and/or Italian Seasoning to taste
Salt, pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Sautee one sliced onion in a large skillet with olive oil
2. Meanwhile, cook your pasta of choice according to the package directions...
3. Once onions are starting to slightly brown, add garlic to the large skillet, cook for one minute, then add ground meat of choice (I used ground chicken)
4. Once meat has cooked through and browned slightly, add canned mushrooms, stirring to mix
5. Add pasta sauce and/or canned tomato sauce
6. Add garlic powder, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning to taste
7. Stir to mix well
8. Add pasta and stir to combine.
9. Plate, topping with parmesan cheese if desired, and ENJOY!!!

#23 Eat at Peter Luger's

Peter Luger Steak House.  It's one of the most famous restaurants in New York, and has been named the best steakhouse in NYC for 28 years in a row!  And, it's not even in the city... it's one Subway stop into Brooklyn.

And of course, I've always wanted to go... but like most "wants", you just never get around to doing them...

...Until you decide to move out of the area, and you HAVE to go because this might be the last time you'll ever get to do it. 

And lucky for me, I have friends who are willing to help check the remaining items off my "must do" list before I leave.

 

So one sunny Friday after work, Elizabeth, her husband Scott, JimmyJ and I made the pilgrimage to Brooklyn.  

Scott had already studied the menu online, so we made quick work of ordering.  We started with the traditional steak and onion stack, topped with Peter Luger's special sauce.

 

And then a thick slice of bacon showed up....

...which was phenomenal... 

Peter Luger also has it's own house red wine... which was also yummy...

...we ordered the steak for three, which was the perfect size for four of us, given all the other amazingness we ate...

Our steak for three, cooked medium rare...

I took one of the T-bones and went caveman on it...

The steak was smooth as butter, and so phenomenally flavorful.  The creamed spinach was so well done, not overly creamy.  The German fried potatoes were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly seasoned...

After we stuffed ourselves silly with the steak, we ordered a second bottle of wine, and of course, dessert.  While I'm not a huge fan of dessert, it's essential for the experience.  We indulged in a heavenly slice of New York style cheesecake, as well as the "Holy Cow Hot Fudge Sundae"...

 ...which is named Holy Cow because it has a chocolate cow in it :)

When the bill came, we also received the famous chocolate coins wrapped in gold Peter Luger foil:

Our waiter was awesome - he had the best Brooklyn accent.  You could barely understand him.  But he took care of us:

JimmyJ (the banker) counted up the cash...

 ...and I posed with it before turning it over to our awesome waiter...

What an awesome experience.  I've never had steak that was as smooth as the steak the great chefs at Peter Luger produced... So glad I was able to check this off the list before I leave... and glad I was able to share the experience with my awesome work friends :)

Scott, Elizabeth, me, and JimmyJ