Ratatouille is a rustic garden dish. It’s meant to be fast and savory without a lot of flair. Making it fancy is putting lipstick on a pig. Anyone who says different’s a poseur. [So there!]
The following is a basic recipe. It can be spiced up by adding bell pepper and garlic or a hot pepper. But remember, overcomplicating this recipe will destroy it. It will look prettier but taste worse.
Filed under Sides, Vegetarian
Frittata’s nothing more than a quiche without crust. But its eggs. And the weird thing about eggs is that, even though they can be made any one of a thousand ways, people are fixated on what they consider to be the best way to cook them. Don’t believe me? If you’re ever in a room with two cooks, ask them for guidance on the best way to poach an egg. Just don’t do it when kids are around.
So play with this and come up with something that works for you. The neatest thing about this recipe’s that, with a little practice, it can be done entirely on autopilot and early in the morning.
Filed under Main Courses, Vegetarian
This is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It’s as basic as a rural tradition can be without involving cousins who marry. This is food meant to feed large groups of people with the least amount of effort (let’s face it, the folks cooking ribs usually spend more time drinking and socializing than anything else). So if you’re wrapped up in a sophisticated recipe or stressing over the finer points, you’re doing it all wrong.
Wet or Dry, the Trick’s to Go Low and Slow
So get over it. Take a breath. Have a drink. Enjoy the ribs.
Filed under Main Courses, Pork
The foundation of many Tuscan recipes is a combination of wine, protein, celery, carrot onion and tomato. Mix it one way and you get a bolognaise sauce, do it another and the result is osso bucco. Like most of the recipes on this site, the technique relies on patience and confidence.
It’s done when the meat’s ready to fall off the bone
Filed under Beef, Main Courses
