Linguini with Amatriciana Sauce

Now firmly entrenched in the new Inn along with his wife, kids, residents, guests, dogs and a mortgage, work really took on a new meaning for our wine besotted cook. Take for instance arranging furniture; Lazy Bastard was the mule, others were the set directors. It went something like this (be reminded he did not speak much during these verbal directions):

"Move it there! No over there!"

"No! I liked it better where it was!"

"Okay, how about a little to the right?"

"Nope, that's not it!"

"Okay a little to the left!"

"Nope that's not it either!"

"Maybe try pushing it back towards the wall."

"No, that's not good either, move it back to where it was!"

"What's the matter with you?  Why you swearing?"

"What did I do?"

"You're such and asshole sometimes you know!"

"My momma don't like you and she likes everyone!"

"I should have listened to my mom and never, oh never mind, you're just a prick just like she said you were!"

The furniture readjustments and verbal onslaught repeated day after endless day until finally, the furniture, nearly worn out by now, had found it's rightful spot and the incessant moving instructions ceased. He had just enough strength left to cook us a pasta dinner after the last piece of furniture had found a place that satisfied She Who Must Be Obeyed and it was lovely (both the location and the pasta). 

It is not a "traditional" Amatriciana sauce by Roman standards, but it is the one he likes so that makes it okay to dither with.  Give it a try...

Snowy Palms Resort 
  

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 lb pancetta, 1/4” dice+ (do not use regular bacon, it so tooo smoky and sweet for this recipe)

3 ounces cured hot sausage (I love Genoa or Cacciatore)

1 large onion diced

5 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup white wine

1 - 19 ounce can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1/2 – 1 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar if desired

1/2 cup dry red wine (Chianti is great, so is Zinfandel)

4 ounces fresh grated parmigiana cheese

Add olive oil to hot 3 quart pot then add pancetta and saute for 3 minutes until the fat begins to render.

To the pancetta add the onion, hot sausage and garlic, saute until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Once onions are translucent add white wine and simmer until wine is reduce by at least half, about 8 minutes.

Once white wine has reduced add tomatoes, red wine, pepper flakes, black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and sugar. Bring to a slight boil then turn down to a simmer then simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with the cooked pasta of your liking (he served linguini) by tossing the al dente pasta in some sauce then once plated place a little more sauce over top of the pasta then finish with a healthy dose of cheese. Serve to eager guests.

Snowy Palms Resort Red Cabbage and Pecan Coleslaw with Honey Balsamic Dressing

It's that time again!  Spring has arrived and the forecast is for more record breaking high temperatures through the spring and summer, so we need to prepare our no-heat meal recipes as we look to get through this year's rendition of Global Warming.

Dressing:

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

¼ cup liquid honey

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I use white balsamic normally)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp ground white pepper

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. Place in a sealed container and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Makes enough dressing for 2 large coleslaw's.

Veggies for perfect slaw:

6 cups thinly sliced and loosely pack red cabbage, rinsed and drained

1 large carrot, grated

1 cup green grapes, sliced in half

3 green onions

3 stalks celery, minced

1 cup toasted chopped pecans - place pecans in a dry frying pan and place over medium heat until fragrant and slightly browned, tossing or stirring constantly.  Once toasted turn out onto a plate to stop the cooking process.

Cut cabbage in half then remove the core, it's tough and best used as compost. Slice cabbage thin using a knife or mandolin, then chop to bite size pieces. 

Place cabbage in large bowl.

Add celery. Add green onions. Add grated carrots. Toss well to mix. At this point (before the dressing is added) I put the mixed veggies in the fridge for an hour along with the dressing to chill well.

Pour half of the dressing over the tossed veggies and toss well to coat evenly.

Add grapes and toss gently to mix well but don't mash the grapes (that's bad).

Place 2/3 of the toasted pecans in the salad and mix well (that's good).

Once mixed well, sprinkle remaining pecans over the coleslaw and serve.

Snowy Palms Resort

Chocolate Tiramisu

At Snowy Palms Resort the making of tiramisu is always fraught with peril and potential disagreement between Lazy Bastard and She Who Must Be Obeyed. He loves the traditional version made with espresso coffee and she does not. Merely smelling coffee brewing wakes her gag reflex and if by some misfortune she tastes coffee her swallower goes immediately into high-range reverse and all good people within earshot can be subjected to a disagreeable event, so he  tries to limit her exposure to coffee as best he can.

Her dislike for coffee prevented him from making tiramisu for a very long time, relegating our enjoyment of it to restaurants or cafes if we happened on one that served it, an arrangement she was satisfied with but did not work for us. Lazy Bastard finally decided to give making a chocolate tiramisu a try and after searching the internet and all his cookbooks he came away disappointed by the lack of available recipes and suggestions for the liqueur to use. He wanted to use chocolate in place of the espresso and for inspiration and advice he knew exactly where to go. Where else do you think?

Lazy Bastard chose to go to his favourite dispensary of fine bottled elixirs and other sin based concoctions, the Liquor Store seeking their sage advice on all things chocolaty-liquorishy. The learned woman presented him with 2 different types of chocolate based liqueurs and happily sent the grease-stained cook on his way. He staggered for home and began to experiment.

Chocolate Tiramisu

24 – 36 ladyfingers (chocolate ones of you can find them)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 Tbsp icing sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup rum

1 pound mascarpone cheese

1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (add 1 Tbsp at a time and then taste)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Gianduia Chocolate and Grappa Liqueur

1 cup Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

1/2 cup chocolate syrup (see note at end)

2 ounces grated or shaved dark chocolate

In a double boiler, combine the eggs and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns pale yellow and coats the back of a spoon to resemble a light custard, which it is! 

Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Place in fridge to chill (2 hours minimum).

Whip the cream and icing sugar on highest speed of an electric mixer, until firm peaks form. Set aside.

Combine cream cheese and mascarpone, mixing well. 

Add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly creamed. Add chilled egg custard and mix at high speed until well incorporated and fluffy.

Slowly fold in the whipped cream into the cheese and egg mixture. Fold gently until well blended.

Place liqueurs in shallow pans (I use pie plates). 

Roll the lady fingers in one of the chocolate liqueurs the to coat and lay in the bottom of a spring form pan or trifle bowl, and also place liqueur infused lady fingers along the sides standing up. Now let's talk about rolling in liqueur. The ladyfingers are delicate and are quite the liquor sponges (reminds me of a girlfriend from long ago). Once placed in the liqueur, roll the ladyfinger on all 4 sides and keep it immersed for about 4 seconds (1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand, 4 one thousand) in total, about a second per side. DO NOT SOAK or it will crumble in your hands like the drunken girlfriend from long ago. I digress.

Spread half of the cream mixture over the moistened ladyfingers and smooth flat with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle half the shaved chocolate over the layer along with some chocolate syrup.

Top with other half of ladyfingers rolled in the second chocolate liqueur and place on top of the cream layer to form second layer of cookies . 

Place remaining cream mixture on top and smooth nicely.

Drizzle some chocolate syrup over the cream layer.

Sprinkle shredded chocolate or powdered cocoa on top of the chocolate syrup.

Garnish with fresh strawberries, or, my favourite, gooseberries if in season just before serving.

Note: Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours before serving, it must be well chilled.

Chocolate syrup: melt 2 ounces dark chocolate in the microwave in a glass bowl. Add 1/2 cup cream and 1 tablespoon of butter to melted chocolate, stir well until fully incorporated and a nice syrup is the end result. Warm if it begins to set up before it is fully mixed.

Snowy Palms Resort