Spaghetti with Shrimp and Spicy Tomato Sauce

I need to think of a cooler-sounding/shorter name for this delicious dish. Any votes? My dad makes something similar, usually on Christmas Eve, except his also has scallops and calamari (drool). And he also used to make "shrimp sauce spaghetti" fairly regularly when I was little, now that I think of it.

Shrimp is (are?) one my favorite things. I'm a total sucker for any menu item that mentions shrimp. Grocery shopping the other day, I was thinking about this, and then I realized that I no longer have to be at the mercy of a restaurant menu. I can just cook with shrimp. Anything I want. Any time. Mountains and mountains of succulent shrimp...or, to be more reasonable, I suppose, a handful or so cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

The husband has returned (hooray!), and he, while not an insane shrimp enthusiast, loved this dish, too. So it's a crowd-pleaser, to boot.

Here's how:

3/4-1 lb spaghetti (angel hair would be great, too, or linguine fine)
1/4 cup olive oil
5-7 small/medium cloves garlic
Red pepper flakes
Ground cayenne pepper
3 small tomatoes, chopped and lightly salted
1 small can tomato sauce
Splash of white wine
25 or so uncooked shrimp, peeled and with tails removed
Dried or fresh parsley

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes to taste, and a pinch or two of cayenne. Let the garlic cook for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook with a garlic for a couple minutes, then stir in the tomato sauce. Start the water boiling for your spaghetti. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Partially cover if it seems like the sauce is evaporating. Stir occasionally.

When the water boils, add the spaghetti. About 4-5 minutes before the noodles are done, add a splash of white wine to the sauce and turn the heat back up to medium. About 2-3 minutes before the noodles are done, add the shrimp to the sauce and cook until they pink and plump; sprinkle in a pinch of parsley. Turn off the heat, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce pan.

Pasta Salad with Salmon

My folks, aunt, and uncle were in town this past weekend, and thanks to that, I re-discovered one of my favorite summer recipes of my mom's. It's very similar to Salmon Salad, except that it omits the beans and adds pasta (which I'm always in favor of, obviously - nothing against beans, but pasta is my...um...bread and butter?).

This is seriously so good - the perfect summer recipe, because the only stove time is to boil some water for the pasta, beans, and eggs (which you can do in the same pot, if you're clever like my Ma). This recipe has changed over the years - we used to not use avocado or arugula; used lettuce, used peas, used tuna...you can really make it however you like. It's light, delicious, and relatively healthy. We top it (surprise!) with grated parmesan cheese, which really puts it over the edge.

Serves 5.

3/4 lb baby shells (bowtie pasta is really good for this, too)
Handful and a half or so green beans, cleaned and rinsed
3 eggs
10-15 baby carrots, sliced thin
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
1 container grape tomatoes, halved
2 cans or packages salmon
A few handfuls of arugula
Olive oil
White balsamic vinegar (lighter in flavor than regular balsamic; alternately, you can use fresh lemon juice)
Ground black pepper
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Place three eggs into the pot you'll use to cook the pasta in and add water for cooking the pasta. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and the green beans.

Meanwhile, in a very large salad bowl, combine carrots, avocado, and grape tomatoes. Add the salmon and mix together.

When the pasta is ready, remove from heat. Drain the pasta and green beans and rinse with cold water. Remove the eggs and place in a bowl of cold water to cool. When the eggs have cooled, peel them, remove the yolks (unless you don't want to), and cube the egg whites into the salad bowl. Add the pasta and green beans.

Next, dress the salad. Oy, I wish I had actual measurements here for ya. You will use more olive oil than you probably would think - the ingredients soak it up well. Use the olive oil and balsamic in approximately a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. I just watched my dad pour on the olive oil - I want to say it was at least 1/4 cup. Add olive oil, then balsamic, then toss to coat. Taste and adjust as needed.

Finally, add the arugula, along with just a splash more olive oil and vinegar. Grate in a little black pepper to taste. Toss to combine and serve!

Linguine with Scallops and Lemon-Butter

This recipe isn't finished yet. It was good, and it could be better. It holds great promise - I mean, anything involving scallops AND butter is, well, kind of unstoppable.

I'm not quite sure yet what to do differently with it. Maybe more butter - I really only used a pinch. Less lemon? Adding the lemon at a different time? More ginger? None? White wine? Red pepper flakes? Sadly, the answer probably is just more butter.

Anyway - if you have ideas, send them my way!

Here's how I made it. For one, with lunch leftovers:
1/2 lb linguine
A glug or two of olive oil
1/4-1/2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Very small piece of ginger, minced (honestly, though, I couldn't really taste it)
1/2 lb bay scallops
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Parsley for garnish

(Get your pasta cooking. The sauce cooks fast.) Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high, and add the garlic, ginger, and butter. Before the garlic starts to get too golden (don't let it get brown), add the scallops. Let them just start to cook, then add the lemon juice. Scallops cook very quickly - they're done when they're not longer translucent. Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta into the pan. Stir to combine, add salt to taste, garnish, and serve!

UPDATE: A delicious-sounding variation from my Pa!

Here's an idea:  saute a good amount of finely-chopped garlic in olive oil with some pepperoncino, chopped parsley and black pepper; when the garlic just starts to brown (you want it to stay sweet) add about a half cup of dry white wine and cook till the wine reduces. At about the same time you throw in the pasta (spaghettini would work too), quickly add the scallops, taking care not to overcook them.  When the pasta is done, add to the sauce to coat, with some of the pasta water if it's too dry.  You could add the parsley at the end, if you like the taste.

You could also experiment with some bread crumbs.

Alternately you could use the same recipe (without breadcrumbs) but just add a small amount of crushed Italian tomatoes to give it color.

Mulled Wine

Joef made pretty much the best mulled wine we've ever had tonight. Yeah, it's the middle of May - not quite mulled wine season, but it's been raining for about five days straight, and we needed some relief from the damp.

This is sweet, spicy, strong, soothing - everything you want in mulled wine. There are a good number of ingredients, but it doesn't take long to make, and it's worth it. The vanilla really made it. It was just perfectly balanced.

1 small orange, sliced thinly into discs
8 cloves, whole
1 vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise
5 cardamom seeds, whole
3 peppercorns, whole
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
750 mL dry/spicy red wine (we used Crianza, but others would work)
1/4 cup cognac (substitute: brandy)
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
1 cheesecloth
String

Place all the spices - cloves, vanilla bean, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon - on top of the cheesecloth, and tie the corners of the cloth together with the string to form a closed pouch - like a teabag! Place all ingredients into a small pot and heat on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes until hot. Do not boil.

Strain liquid through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Ladle into glasses and enjoy!

Bean and Pasta Soup with Broccoli Rabe

I don't quite know what was wrong with me, but I used to not be a fan of soups like these. Some foolish phase of my youth, no doubt. Because I didn't just tolerate this soup - I really loved it. Like, I could crave this soup in the future. I plan to add it to the usual rotation (clam sauce, carbonara, meat sauce, amatriciana, tomato sauce, takeout, takeout, repeat...). It's simple, satisfying, delicious, and makes you feel somewhat healthy. And as I'm not one of those people who won't eat hot, thick soups in the summer, I see no reason why that season's approach should stop me, either.

So, let's get to it:

1-2 slices pancetta, thick-sliced, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
8-10 baby carrots, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Ground pepper
Pinch or two rosemary
Olive oil
Generous handful or so broccoli rabe, stems mostly removed
8 cups chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3-1/2 lb small, short pasta
Parmesan cheese for serving

Add the pancetta, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and ground pepper to taste to a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir ingredients to coat in olive oil and allow to soften a bit and become aromatic.

When the onions become translucent, stir in the rabe. Heat with the other ingredients until it begins to wilt, then add the chicken broth and let the rabe wilt completely. Add the cannellini beans, bring soup to a boil, and turn down to low and partially cover to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Turn up the heat to bring to a boil again, and add your pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Pour soup into bowls and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Betty's Strawberry Bread

Another great recipe from my mother-in-law, Betty. We hadn't made this since college - long overdue. It's simple and delicious. Just think banana bread, only with...can you guess? Strawberries!

We kept the strawberries whole for this one, but you could blend them, chop them, or do half chopped and half whole. I kind of like the big bites of strawberry you get when you bite into the bread.

This made two lovely loaves.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs, beaten
2 16 oz packages frozen strawberries, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the eggs. Stir in the strawberries - this will significantly moisten the dough. Stir until evenly mixed, then stir in the oil until incorporated. Divide between two bread pans. Cook in the oven for 1 hour.

Ciderjack Pork Chops

Tonight, I bring you another successful Joef recipe! Joef has been clamoring for pork chops in a cider glaze for, well, months now, so tonight he up and created it himself. This was a great sweet-and-slightly-spicy glaze, easy and quick to make with ingredients you probably have around the house. (Yes, including Jack Daniel's - admit it.)

I decided to broil the pork chops - I definitely over-cooked them, so I haven't provided any cook time. Just...flip them once or twice, and watch them closely. The broiler cooks things fast. Like, a few minutes on each side fast. Cut into the chop to make sure it's cooked, of course.

Served with rice and some zucchini fried up in garlic and olive oil. The zucchini wasn't the best taste complement, per se, but it was good eatin'.

So:
Two pork chops, defrosted and brought to room temperature, lightly salted
1.5 cups apple cider
1 shot Jack Daniel's
3 heaping tbsp brown sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice
Sprinkle of habanero pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the pork chops in a small pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and reduce slightly so that it thickens a bit. Pour over and under the chops and pop in the broiler, broil, and look at that - you're done!

NEW! - Idea from my dad, inspired by the onset of warmer weather: marinate the chops and grill 'em!

Pantry Chicken Soup

It was one of those nights - ate too much takeout over the weekend, didn't get the chance to go grocery shopping, and starving due to an 11-mile run. The solution was this chicken soup with pasta and vegetables - made with whatever the heck we had around; hence, "pantry" chicken soup. Admittedly, it did require a quick drive over to a little grocery store for a couple veggies.

Of course, when I got home I realized the onion I thought I had was rotten, so I had to substitute a little onion powder and garlic. The beauty of a "pantry" soup is that you can really put whatever the heck you want in it. The only constants, I suppose, would be the chicken and broth. Unless you wanted it to be a veggie soup. Also, you could use rice instead of pasta, or just omit them both all together.

As prepared (hearty and satisfying):

Olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

8-10 baby carrots, sliced

1 small tomato, chopped

5 chicken drumsticks

Onion powder

Dill

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2-3 small red potatoes, chopped

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped

1/3 lb pasta

In a large pot, drizzle olive oil, then add garlic, carrots, and tomato and saute over medium-high heat until they begin to soften. Add your drumsticks to the pot so that they all are touching the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with dill and onion powder to taste. Brown on all sides.

Add chicken broth and potatoes, then bring to a boil. Add asparagus. Turn down heat, but boil for a few minutes longer. Turn down heat to simmer until chicken is cooked and potatoes have softened to your liking. Return to a boil and add pasta and cook until al dente. Ready to eat!

Steak with Habanero Butter (with Rabe and Mashed Potatoes)

This was Joef's "welcome home from Japan safe and sound" dinner. Rabe was, of course, a requisite item, as was the addition of something spicy - in this case, habanero butter for the steak, which was seriously delicious.

This is maybe the second time I've made steak. I'm not sure what cut I got - it was inexpensive, didn't have a bone, and was somehow really, really good. Probably because it was just a leeeeetle bit fatty. Mmm.

MASHED POTATOES
4-5 small red potatoes, chopped into largish chunks
Milk
1-2 tbsp butter
Garlic powder
Dill
Salt

Boil the potatoes until softened. Drain, then stir in butter until it melts. Stir in milk, mashing the potatoes, until they're at the consistency you want. Add garlic powder and dill to taste. Season with salt to your liking.

STEAK with HABANERO BUTTER
2 steaks
Salt
Pepper
Habanero butter for serving (see instructions below)

With steaks at room temperature, salt and pepper on both sides, pressing the seasoning into the steak. Cook under the oven broiler. Turn once, cooking for a total of about 6-10 minutes, depending on how well done you want them. For the habanero butter, melt 2 or so tablespoons of butter and add habanero pepper flakes - a few pinches - stir to combine and pour over steaks once they're cooked. Enjoy!

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Veggies and Toast

I'm a big fan of eggs for lunch. Combine that with an urge to be better at eating vegetables, and an insatiable hunger after a (lousy) 10.5 mile run, and you have this meal. If you can, get the toast crispy enough so you can eat it like an open-faced sandwich (which I suppose it is), without a fork.

1/2 a bunch or so asparagus, quartered
A little white onion, chopped
Olive oil
3 eggs, beaten with dill
1/2 a small tomato, chopped and salted
Shredded cheese, to taste

Saute the asparagus and onion in olive oil over medium/medium-high until both have softened. Pour beaten egg into pan and slowly shift the mixture around, letting the egg turn and cook on all sides. Pour in the tomatoes, and mix them in in the same fashion. Near the end, add the cheese and stir gently to incorporate as it melts. Serve over toast.

Polenta with Sauteed Mushrooms and Rabe

If I make polenta, it means Joef isn't around. He is not a fan. I wish he were around - he is still in Japan - safe, and on his way back home, but still in Japan. I can't imagine the devastation and loss the people of Japan are suffering.

For now, I'll focus on lighter things. This is an incredibly quick and easy meal. The recipe is a little rough, as I improvised as I went along, and fortunately, it's the type of recipe that allows you to be a little inexact. If I'd had wine, I probably would've added it. Chicken broth did just fine. Go ahead and use instant polenta - it's just about as good as the real thing, and definitely worth the corner-cutting.

Half-package sliced mushrooms, rinsed
A few stalks or more broccoli rabe
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
Olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup instant polenta (you'll have leftovers, which you can saute and eat for breakfast!)

Saute garlic, mushrooms, and rabe in olive oil until the mushrooms start to soften and darken. Add the chicken broth and cook over medium-high, allowing some of the broth to absorb/cook off. When it's at the liquid level you want and the mushrooms are cooked, pour over your instant polenta. Add a drizzle of olive oil, if you wish, and serve with parmesan cheese

Pasta with Eggplant

Back from Japan! The food was amazing. A post on that to follow, and hopefully recipes in the future. But for now, it's back to - what else? - Italian!

There's a recipe that's been tempting me from "Italian Country Cooking" - it's for a type of pasta casserole with eggplant, smoked mozzarella, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, basil. It sounds delicious. Unfortunately, it's a slightly more involved recipe, which means it frequently falls off my list. This time, I actually bought an eggplant and was all set to go - and then I ran out of time. Desperate to use the eggplant before leaving for Japan, I came up with the recipe below, which is kind of a quick version - I would imagine - of the casserole.

I also considered not adding the tomato sauce - something I'll have to try in the future. In that case, I would have sauteed the eggplant in the garlic, etc., as described, then tossed in the pasta and sprinkled it all with toasted breadcrumbs, probably skipping the mozzarella but adding plenty of parmesan.

In any a case, it was a hit. Even Joef, who was professedly not a fan of eggplant, loved it and called for a repeat performance. I forgot how flavorful eggplant is - it really infuses the whole sauce, and is very hearty.

3/4 lb short pasta

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

1 medium eggplant, partially skinned, chopped, and salted (see instructions below)

Fresh or dried basil

8 oz tomato sauce or less

Grated mozzarella, for serving

The first step is (thanks, Internet!) to prep the eggplant. Start by cutting off the tip, then partially skinning it - so use a potato peeler to peel off a strip, leave a strip, peel off a strip, etc. - until it's striped. Next, chop the eggplant into roughly bite-sized chunks. Place the eggplant in a collander over paper towels, and salt lightly, tossing the eggplant so the salt gets integrated. Leave it for 30 minutes or so. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. This has something to do with the natural absorption of the eggplant - improving it, or limiting it, or something or other. In any case, it worked.

Cook your pasta.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil liberally into your pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the garlic. After a minute or two, add the eggplant and some basil, and stir to coat in the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium and saute until the eggplant begins to soften and lightly brown. Then, add your tomato sauce (you may not need the full can, depending on how tomato-y and saucey you want it) and stir. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low to simmer. Give it at least 10-15 minutes.

When ready, pour sauce over pasta and top with grated mozzarella right away so it gets melty.

Red Clam Sauce: 100th Recipe!

By an admittedly rough estimate, La Piccina Cucina has hit 100 recipes since the first post in March 2010! That ain't half bad, if you ask me! What graces the 100th recipe spot? Another Popolizio family favorite - red clam sauce. As with most Popolizio recipes, wonderfully simple ingredients and process yield a delicious result.

I'm kind of surprised with myself that I haven't posted this one yet. The recipe is basically the same as white clam sauce, with tomatoes added. Now that I think of it, it does omit the butter and the white wine (which are technically optional, anyway), although I suppose you could keep those in for fun.

And here it is, your (drumroll) 100th recipe!
3/4 lb linguine or spaghetti rigati
3-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped and lightly salted
1 can minced clams (keep the juice)
1 can chopped clams (keep the juice)
Salt to taste
Pinch of parsley, for garnish

Start the water boiling for your pasta and cook. In the meantime, pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and add your garlic; heat over medium-high for a couple of minutes (don't let the garlic burn). Add your tomatoes and let those cook down for a few minutes, then add your clam juice from the two cans. Bring it to a boil if it's not already there, then reduce heat to low and simmer. It should be ready pretty soon after the pasta is done - make sure the tomatoes have started to break down. A few minutes before you're ready to serve, stir in the clams and continue to cook for a few minutes over low heat. Pour your drained pasta right into the pan while still on low, toss, garnish with parsley, then serve.

Bloody Marys with Homemade Pepper Vodka

Continuing - in a way - the theme of burning alcohol, a wonderful thing that Joef discovered a few years ago is how to make our own pepper-infused vodka. While he's cajoled or tricked a few people over the years into taking it as a shot, it's best in a Bloody Mary. Therefore, here are two recipes in one post: first, the pepper vodka, and second, the resultant Bloody Mary.

For the vodka:
1.75 liter vodka (Smirnoff is fine: a plastic bottle is actually better than glass)
2 jalapenos
2 serrano peppers
2 habaneros

Cut the tops off the peppers. Place them in vodka bottle. If needed, slice them lengthwise so they fit into the mouth of the bottle. Squeeze the bottle a few times so that the vodka seeps into the soft parts of the peppers. Let sit at least two days; five is best - the longer it sits, the spicier it will get.

And then, the payoff. For one Bloody Mary:
3 oz homemade pepper vodka
4 oz tomato juice
3-4 splashes soy sauce
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes celery salt
1 pinch black pepper
5 dashes dill
Juice of one lemon wedge

Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour contents (including ice) into glass. Repeat!

Cherries Jubilee

I realize I'm a little behind on my posts - still catching up with the holidays. More than a week after New Year's Eve, here's a traditional Hatton New Year's Eve recipe: Cherries Jubilee. This recipe comes from Joef's mom, and Joef made it for friends this year while we were staying at a cabin in New York. Not only is this delicious - you set it...wait for it...on FIRE! A great way to ring in the new year.

Serve over ice cream, with hot fudge (Indian Ghost Pepper optional). Serves 6-8.

1 can pitted dark sweet cherries, drained and with liquid reserved
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp grated orange peel
Drambuie

In a small saucepan, combine the reserved cherry liquid, sugar and cornstarch, then cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange peel and pitted cherries. Warm the Drambuie in a separate saucepan over low-medium heat.

Place the mixture in a flat casserole dish or chafing dish. Pour the warmed Drambuie directly onto the cherries and light immediately before serving over ice cream.

Christmas 2010

It was a wonderful Christmas this year. Joef and I headed back to my ole homestead in Oak Park to spend six days with my mom and dad. Joef's parents joined us, there were jigsaw puzzles and wonderful gifts, we decorated the tree, I went to a couple food-tastings for my best friend's wedding, I re-learned how to drive stick, we started training for Tough Mudder, and we were surrounded by wonderful friends and family.

And then there was the food. I don't have any recipes to share - yet - as I didn't do any of the cooking. But I wanted to put up a few photos in tribute to the real cooks of the family: Ma and Pa Popolizio. No wonder I like this stuff so much!

Orrechiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Seafood Salad

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Scallops, and Calamari

Baked Cod with Potatoes

Great-Grandma's Kuchen

Rolled Veal Breast with Pancetta and Rosemary

Lasagna (with Homemade Noodles)



Happy New Year, everyone! I love you, Mama and Daddy!

Tortellini in Brodo (Chicken Soup with Tortellini)

Joef was sick this week, so I had a great excuse to make chicken soup, which for me is really just an excuse to make tortellini. I love tortellini. I made extra, plain, and just popped them like candy the next day. That's good for me, right?

Anyway - this recipe cheats a little bit, because I used chicken broth instead of letting the chicken make its own broth (use water to just cover the chicken, season with salt, and let cook for a nice, long, long time). Usually I also prefer to use chicken drumsticks, but hey, you work with what you got. In either case, it's good for what ails you.

Splash or two of olive oil
2 chicken breasts (or five chicken drumsticks), chopped into cubes
1/2 or one whole white onion, quartered
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
6-8 baby carrots, chopped into thirds
8 cups of water
4-5 tsp chicken bouillon
Dried or fresh dill
1/2 package tortellini
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Splash a little olive oil in a large pot, and turn the heat to medium-high. Add chicken, onion, celery, and carrots, and top with a little ground black pepper and a couple of dashes of dill. Stir and brown the chicken on all sides, then add water and bouillon and more dill. (I love dill, so I add plenty.) Bring to a boil, then turn to low and allow to simmer, covered or partially covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. Return to a boil and add your tortellini right into the pot, and cook according to instructions. Done!

HOT Fudge (with Indian Ghost Pepper)

Ah, the quest for the elusive Indian Ghost Pepper. Last week, Joef and I were visiting our friends Ali and Patrick in Boston. We found ourselves at a local spice shop, where Joef asked if they sold Indian Ghost Pepper. The reply: "Yes, we do." (Joef's heart leaps.) "But we don't have it today." (Joef's heart falls.) "We usually have it every day." (Joef's heart falls further, and he proceeds to pout for the next few hours.)

This past weekend in New York, we were taken to another spice shop - and this time, we called ahead. Yes, indeed, they could supply Indian Ghost Pepper. And so we came to possess a probably lethal quantity of this spice, which, you see, is generally recognized as the hottest chili in the world. And now Joef can be happy again.

Then it came to what we might actually do with this stuff, and Joef's sister had the rather brilliant idea of adding it to hot fudge. Joef's mom, Betty, whipped up a batch of her unbeatable hot fudge sauce - half made with ghost pepper powder, and another half made with raspberry flavoring for the more sane among us.

Alright, so - was it good? Joef loved it. I have to admit that it was a really nice combination of flavors, the sweet and the smoky-spicy. I also have to admit that it had a semi-numbing effect on my mouth, and yes - it's crazy spicy - and yes, I just had a taste. But we did what we set out to do, and I can now say that I've truly had hot fudge.

Betty's recipe:
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder (like Hershey's)
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp white caro syrup/corn syrup
Half-and-half - enough to make kind of a chocolate "soup" - Maybe 1/2 cup
1 tbsp butter
Flavoring of choice:
-1 tsp vanilla, or
-1 tsp raspberry flavoring, or
-Dash of Indian Ghost Pepper (which was quite spicy - adjust to taste)

Combine all ingredients except the butter and flavoring in a small pot. Bring to a boil while stirring. Cook until chocolate will completely coat a metal spoon - dip a spoon in, and if it comes out patchy, keep cooking until it coats the spoon. Remove from heat and add butter and flavoring of choice. Let the butter melt, then stir just enough to combine (stir too much, and it'll get grainy and loose the right consistency). Serve over ice cream!

(UPDATE: As of 12/3/2010, Naga Jolokia has been replaced by the Naga Viper chili pepper as the hottest in the world. But when we made this, Naga Jolokia reigned supreme!)

Joef's Candied Yams

Joef's Thanksgiving tradition is these yams. They are also his ultimate comfort food. I have to say, I was dubious about these yams at first, despite their being a fairly traditional - as I've learned - Thanksgiving dish. My family, too, was skeptical when Joef made these for our first Thanksgiving together. But I have to say I've come around, and my family brings them up (with yearning, in some cases) every year now. They are incredibly simple and deliciously sweet.

3-4 yams, peeled and sliced into circles
Brown sugar
Marshmallows, big or small (Joef prefers the big ones)

Preheat oven to 375. Take a square or rectangular baking dish and arrange sliced yams in the dish. Top with generous amounts of brown sugar. Really generous amounts. Place in oven and cook until yams are soft and brown sugar has turned to liquid. Cover the top with marshmallows, then pop back in the oven to allow the marshmallows to brown (making sure they don't, er, catch fire). Remove from oven and serve!

Spinach Pie

Spinach pie is really one of my favorite pies. I've always been a savory-vs.-sweet kind of gal, and this just hits the spot - it's even good, if not better, cold the next day. This pie was my (small) contribution to the Thanksgiving feast this year. We did Thanksgiving with family in New York this year, thanks to Kaylynn and Alexis, and it was a blast. The food - none of which I can take any credit for, aside from this pie - was out of this world. We even had oysters. Oysters!

The pie seemed to go over well, and was enhanced by the fact that it was a collaboration between myself and Joef's Aunt Sylvia, who made a delicious gluten-free crust for my filling. I need to get that recipe from her - for now, I've posted the usual and always satisfying crust recipe, and will update with the gluten-free version when I have it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 lb frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1/2 lb muenster cheese, grated
1/2 cup granted parmesan
Sprinkle of nutmeg
1 egg
1 onion, diced
2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled
Milk
Butter
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Pie crust (below; gluten-free recipe to follow)

Put some olive oil in a large frying/saute pan and heat over medium. Add onions and allow to begin to soften, then add spinach. Stir around and let the spinach get hot and the onions soften. Add a little butter - 1-2 tbsp - and melt that in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, break your egg into a large mixing bowl, beat it, then add your two cheeses and stir. Sprinkle in a little nutmeg (remember a little goes a long way). When your potatoes have boiled, mash them up with a little milk and butter, then combine in the large mixing bowl with the egg and cheese.

When you feel the spinach is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it cool a little bit so it doesn't cook the egg. Then mix it in with ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir well, adding a little milk if you feel that it's dry. Pour it into the crust (see below).

CRUST (with gluten)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick butter, cut roughly into tablespoons
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the flour and butter in a bowl, and mix with your hands until fluffy and combined. Add the cold water, and again mix with your hands until you have dough that you can roll out. Add flour if it's getting too sticky. Place floured wax paper on your counter and roll out the dough on the paper (lightly flour the rolling pin, too) until it's about the thickness you want for your crust. Lift the dough over your pie tin, press down into the tin, and trim the edges (save them). Patch as necessary, then pour in the filling.

Take the remaining dough and roll it out again. Crust should cover the top of the pie. Use your fingers and thumb to pinch together the edges of the pie to get that ripply effect, and pierce top with tines of a fork.

Bake until crust is golden-brown.