Have a freat Sunday

 

Something healthy and light for the day after

 Most of you are stuffed from your Christmas meal so I'm proposing something that will be very appropriate. 

Bread, tomatoes, basil and good olive oil.

Take some stale bread or lightly toast some fresh bread. add some water, Sicilian sea salt, and olive oil. Cut up some tomatoes. Greenhouse tomatoes will do nicely. Place them on the bread and salt and add a trace of oil and fresh basil. That is it. No other ingredients are needed. remember to always cut up the basil by hand.

Have a wonderful and safe Christmas

 

Santa better wear a N 95 mask

Well Christmas Eve is upon us. A different Christmas but I hope that it's a joyful one. Please be safe and take no unnecessary risks. I love this shot taken a few years ago. Th Santa is a NYFD fireman. Truly one of the bravest. The local fire house in Astoria Queens brought toys for the children at a day care center run by Catholic Charities, my client. I just love this image. Sometimes one truly captures the moment.

Ravioli in light tomato sauce

This recipe is fairly easy. To start with I used good imported cheese and spinach ravioli. The other ingredients are: pomodorini (cherry tomatoes), one shallot, a teaspoon of tomato paste, two canned plum tomatoes, chopped up, a dash of peperoncino, sea salt from Trapani, good EVO, a small piece of gruyere cheese and parmigiano. A sprinkle of white or black pepper and some basil. I had no basil so I used parsley. If basil is used, use two garlic cloves instead of the shallot.

Use a skillet large enough to contain the ravioli and coat with EVO.and add the cut up shallot. Put a teaspoon of tomato paste and the plum tomatoes.. Stir and add a dash of white wine. Add a lottle salt. When the shallot pieces are golden add the cut up pomodorini and again add a little salt. By this time the salted pasta water should boil so put in the ravioli. They take about 5 minutes. Add some pasta water to the sauce. Sprinkle some Italian parsleys and the cut up gruyere. Stir well until the gruyere is amalgamated. Add the ravioli and finish cooking them in the sauce. In about a minute or two shut the flame, wait about 30 ds and add the parmigiano. Stir well. Place on a plate and put extra sauce on top of the ravioli and a little raw EVO. All done. Great for a cold night.

Buon appetito

Winter is here

 

I hope it's not the winter of our discontents 

Have a great week. Stay safe

 

Just a few more shopping days left so hurry.