Marcella Hazan's celebrated tomato sauce is pretty simple - the original recipe calls only for tomatoes, onion, butter and salt. And it makes about two cups of sauce, a nice amount for one pound of pasta. But Marcella's recipe is not home-canning friendly. Her simmered-then-discarded onion is fine, the big chunk of butter is not. The solution? Make the sauce without the … [Read more...]
PEA SHOOT PESTO
Turns out early summer isn't such a bad time to join Weight Watchers. Facing the somewhat grim regimen of Points, Power Foods and vanishing carbs is easier when fresh produce (for the unlimited fruits and vegetables the program allows) comes into abundance. These pea shoots were on offer at an East Hampton farm stand. The guy said they would make a nice pesto. True … [Read more...]
Pasta Picchi Pacchi
Pasta Picchi Pacchi: the name is too cutesy perhaps but the recipe is a winner. Pretty simple too, it's basically tomatoes (fresh here, but canned are the more traditional choice), some anchovies, lots of olive oil, garlic, basil. Grated provolone is the secret ingredient. Picchi Pacchi seems to be Italian grannyspeak for a little of this, a little of that. Or maybe … [Read more...]
HOMEMADE CULTURED BUTTER
Supermarket butter isn't bland by accident; our dairy industry is rewarded for making the most flavorless product possible. Which is why this recipe for homemade cultured butter (ripped from the headlines of the New York Times) is such an exciting discovery. Margaret Visser's Much Depends on Dinner (1989) explains the USDA's butter grading system. Not surprisingly flavor is … [Read more...]
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
The wonderful tasting, wonderfully named chimichurri sauce is another fabulous Argentinean import, right up there with dulce de leche and provoletta. A fantastic topper for hot-off-the-grill steaks, chimichurri's charm lies in the freshness of an array of summer herbs spiked with vinegar and lemon juice. The basic idea is simple enough. Armed with the concept and the core … [Read more...]
CHATEAUBRIAND
Châteaubriand: the most glorious of all grilled meats. And while everyone's sort of heard of it, most people are quite sure what exactly it is. So here's the 411 with a step-by-step Guide to Châteaubriand recipe. Châteaubriand is a large cut of the center-most part of beef tenderloin, grilled or broiled and carved at the table. The cut of meat is non-negotiable, as is a … [Read more...]
READERS’ CHOICE: 2012 BEST READ AND MOST LOVED RECIPES
Here at Spectacularly Delicious we strive to present a little bit of something for everybody -- in the USA and the big wide world beyond. With our 2012 readership growing in such far flung reaches as Fiji, Laos and Azerbaijan perhaps, just maybe, we are inching along toward that goal. So let's close out the year with a look at the most popular stories and recipes visited by … [Read more...]
Pomegranate Cranberry Mustard: A Spectacular Home Made Christmas Gift!
Introducing SpecD's all-new Christmas 2012 mustard recipe: Pomegranate Cranberry Mustard! Home made mustard is just about the most perfect "loving hands at home" food gift one could ever hope for: - Surprisingly easy! - Wonderfully adaptable, so you can add whatever fruits and spices that strike your fancy!! - Joyfully inexpensive when you buy mustard seeds in bulk … [Read more...]
CHRISTMAS HORSERADISH
Foodstuffs pegged "Christmas" had better have some red and green in it -- as does this recipe for Christmas Horseradish, a pungent mix of thick shreds of fresh horseradish root speckled with bits of hot jalapenos and sweet red pepper. The ideal Christmas Eve dinner stars a hefty standing rib roast, gloriously rosy-red and juicy in the center cuts, with well-done end-cuts … [Read more...]
THANKSGIVING: TRADITION WITH A TWIST! TURKEY WONTONS, BAMBOO-SMOKED SESAME NOODLES
How did our Thanksgiving menu end up featuring cold sesame noodles, ghost pepper hot wings, turkey wontons, toasted ravioli, onion rings, turkey oven-roasted and turkey deep-fried, Wana's hamburger stuffing, wild cranberry and orange sauce, pumpkin muffins and chocolate-butterscotch fondue? It started with this sweet email from our 12 year old niece: "I cannot wait for … [Read more...]