S'more Pancakes

Pancakes are a favorite canvass of mine. They're such promising frames of fluffy emptiness, waiting to be populated with fruit or chocolate or any number of amazing things. Once you get down the basics of batter consistency and flipping, there's no end to the creative breakfasts (lunches, dinners, or desserts, for that matter) that you can create.

With a bounty of mini-marshmallows on hand from my Thanksgiving yams, I set out to bring a little bit of the campfire to the griddle one morning.

Ingredients:
Pancake Mix

Water

Chocolate Chips

Mini-Marshmallows

Graham Crackers

Butter

Steps/Analysis:

All pancake batters are a little different. Some call for additional eggs, some for oil. The variety that I've been buying lately merely asks for the addition of water and it really doesn't get any easier than that.

Follow the directions on whatever box you purchased, but don't be afraid to adjust the ratio if need be. The batter should be thick enough to hold together, but still pourable. Also, keep in mind that it will tighten up a little bit as it sits on the counter. I've gotten to the point where I can eyeball a consistent batter and, with enough pancakes under your belt, you will be there too. I promise.

To your batter, add equal portions of chocolate chips, marshmallows, and crushed graham crackers. Err on the side of caution, though. Too many mix-ins is going to complicate things later on.

Another note: leave your graham crackers a little on the over-large side. They're going to soften up in the batter and throughout the cooking process, and you want an identifiable graham cracker texture.

Heat a pan or griddle over Medium-High heat and lube it up with butter. When the butter starts sizzling, you're ready to go.

Dose out the batter in whatever amount you're comfortable with, making sure to leave room for flipping.

Don't mess around with your pancakes after you've poured the batter onto the pan. I cannot emphasize this enough. The melty marshmallows and chunky crackers are going to create some strange shapes as the batter spreads out. You can neaten up the edges if you must, but remember that you only get one flip! No more, no less.

You'll know that it's time to flip your pancakes when the edges start to solidify a bit and air bubbles start to work up through their centers.

Wait a minute or so to brown the other side and cook the pancakes through, then quickly evacuate them to a large plate or serving dish.

Repeat until there's no more batter left.

Serving/Analysis:

It seems almost criminal to suggest that you pour syrup over these pancakes, so, officially, I won't. (That is what I did, though.)

After cooking up a batch, it occurs to me that you might want to increase the ratio of marshmallows and graham crackers to chocolate. They have much subtler flavors and have the tendency to fade into the background when you really want them to put their stamp on the dish.

Feel free to garnish the plates with additional graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.

Thanksgiving Adventures: Yams

There are a number of benefits in having a steady female presence in one's life. Among the numerous reasons I'm thankful for the lady in my life is her cooking. Catfish? Whoo boy! Her macaroni & cheese? Ruined me for anyone else's or any brand, for that matter.

So, when she told me that Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without yams, I said sure thing, Babe, let's hit the grocery store and get down to business.

Ingredients:

1 29 Ounce Can of Yams

1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

1/4 Cup of Evaporated Milk

Mini Marshmallows

Steps/Analysis:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the yams into an oven safe baking pan or casserole and get mashing. If you don't have a potato masher on hand, a fork works just as well.

Add the remaining wet and dry ingredients, except for the marshmallows, and stir to combine. You'll notice the pumpkin pie spice coming into play again. There's no sense in letting it go to waste, but if you didn't just finish baking a pie, cinnamon and nutmeg are essential.

Next, toss in a handful or two of marshmallows and give them a quick stir as well.

Finally, use the rest of your marshmallows to create a thin top layer. It's okay to see some yams poking through this level of soft, pillowy sweetness, so don't pack them too tight.

That's really all there is to it. Pop those yams into the oven for about 20 minutes or until the marshmallows on top are melty and starting to brown.

Serving/Notes:

Spoon these bad boys onto a plate with some turkey and enjoy.

In all likelihood, you'll have a ton of marshmallows left over because they're generally packaged in pretty big bags. My suggestion? Make some hot chocolate for yourself.

Thanksgiving Adventures: Pumpkin Pie

Let's talk Turkey Day. Since I'm currently living about 6 1/2 hours away from family and am at the whim of my graduate school's academic calendar, it was up to me to make Thanksgiving happen this year.



It wasn't all bad, though. My lady and I hunkered down in the kitchen and kept up a steady intake of beer and wine to aid in the cooking process. In fact, everything turned out really well and a real-deal, grown-up Thanksgiving was had.



Don't believe me? Check out the photographic evidence below.



Yum. Makes me hungry all over again just looking at it.

Clearly, this spread is just too much to catalog in a single blog post, so I'm going to parcel it out over the next week or two. Start taking notes for next year, folks. I'm starting this series of posts off with dessert, because I'm an adult and can have dessert first if I want to, damn it!

Here is my pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:
1 Frozen Pie Crust (Deep)
1 15 Ounce Can of Pumpkin
1 12 Ounce Can of Evaporated Milk
3/4 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
3/4 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Eggs



Steps/Analysis: Start off by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.

Next, in a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin pie spice, for those of you who don't know (which included me until just a couple days before Thanksgiving), is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. It smells like the holiday season in a canister--it's a beautiful thing.








In the largest bowl you own, crack and beat the two eggs. Slowly stir in the canned pumpkin and the mixed dry ingredients.

Work in the evaporated milk in small installments, thoroughly incorporating each one before adding in the next. Take your time with it because this is your pie filling, for better or worse.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Hopefully, you trusted me and bought the deep variety. Otherwise, you'll have half a bowl of pumpkin soup to deal with.

Carefully slide the pie into the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. Once that goes off, you'll want to back down the oven temperature to 350 degrees and let it bake for another 40-50 minutes.

I say 40-50 minutes, but, really, the only way to know when the pumpkin pie is done is if you can insert a knife into its center and pull it out clean as a whistle. When you've attained that state, let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serving/Notes:

I actually baked this pie the day before Thanksgiving in preparation for the big day. I cooled the pie, as noted above, then covered it with aluminum foil and popped it in the refrigerator. I think this is probably the way to go to guarantee solid, un-runny pie contents.

When you are ready to serve, there's only one way to go: topped off with loads of whipped cream. Otherwise, enjoy the cool, creamy, pumpkin-y finish to your meal.

Leftover Corner: Spaghetti and Meatballs to Italian Burrito

I don't quite know what got into me this week. I've had a lone tortilla in the refrigerator for a while now, quietly mocking me and my lack of beans, rice, or any other Mexican fare, so that might have something to do with it.

Maybe I felt like channeling my inner child and playing with my food. Maybe I've lost my marbles. You be the judge.

I humbly present, for your approval, the Italian Burrito.

Ingredients:

1 Large Tortilla

Leftover Tomato Sauce

2 Leftover Meat Balls

1 Small Handful of Spaghetti

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Steps/Analysis:

First, get a pot of water boiling over High heat. Salt the water and add the spaghetti. Try to remember that cooked pasta always looks like more than when it was stiff and dry. This is going to be crucial when you try to fit it into a tortilla.

As the spaghetti cooks, break out your leftovers! Cut up two meatballs into bite-size pieces and set them aside.

If you have a George Foreman grill, as I do, or a panini press, you'll want to warm it up now. If not, you'll have to experiment with a pan on the stove top as we go along.

Now that I think about it, the oven might work as well, on very low heat.

At any rate, once your pasta is done, drain it as thoroughly as possible and return it to the pot. It's residual heat is going to help dry the pasta as well, which is very important to the integrity of the tortilla.

Add a few spoonfuls of leftover sauce to the pasta and stir to coat.

Get your tortilla out and prepare it with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Next, situate the spaghetti in the tortilla's center. Arrange the meatballs on top and spoon on a little more tomato sauce. Sprinkle a little more cheese over everything.

Wrap the tortilla as well as you can. Unfortunately, I cooked a little too much spaghetti and could not tuck in my ends--as you'll see in my pictures. That means I had to be a little more careful in placing it on the Foreman.

Serving/Notes:

Because my wrapping was a little untidy, I attached this beast with a fork and knife at first. Surprisingly, though, as I ate, I found that it was possible to pick the Italian Burrito up and eat it as I had originally intended.

My goodness, the tortilla is a marvelous thing, isn't it?

As far as taste is concerned, this isn't all that different from eating spaghetti and meatballs in the more conventional way. It is, however, a lot more fun, I think. In that respect, this was a worthwhile little experiment.

Turkey Meatballs

What's the point of having tomato sauce if you don't know how to make meatballs? Seriously. Pasta's nice, but you need a little protein to go with your carbs, don't you?

It's surprisingly easy to make a good meatball. You really only need three ingredients, so there's no reason not to make them. Well, besides the icky feeling of raw meat squishing between your fingers, but to that, I say, "grow up."

Alright? Alright. Let's make some meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Ground Turkey

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Bread Crumbs (Italian Seasoning flavored, preferably)

Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:

First thing's first: you'll probably want to get a pot of tomato sauce on the stove. If it's my homemade recipe from last week, awesome. If it's store-bought, well, I'll just turn my head while your crack open the jar. Put the sauce on Low heat and let it start to simmer.

Next, you're going to need a really big bowl. Really big. Trust me.

When you've found your massive bowl, dump in the ground turkey. Follow that up with the eggs and bread crumbs.

Now, it's time to get your hands dirty. Get in touch with your inner, mud-pie-making child and mix everything up really well. The more consistent the mixture, the better.

At this point, you should get a pan on the stove and let it warm up over Medium heat. You'll also want a relatively large plate on which to deposit your meatballs.

Gather up a small handful of meat and roll between your palms into a nice, little globe and set it aside on the plate. Repeat this process until you're out of meat. Depending on the size of your balls, you'll probably get 14-18 by the time you're done.

Add a little olive oil to the pan and carefully shift your meatballs from plate to pan. Don't overcrowd the pan. You may need to do this in more than one batch.

As the meatballs start to brown, roll them over with a spoon. Keep doing this until the entire surface is just a little crispy and the meatballs are cooked through the center, or at least most of the way there.

Move the meatballs into the simmering sauce and let the pot sit on the stove for about an hour or so. That'll give all the flavors a chance to meld and mellow and let the meatballs finish cooking, on the off chance that they're a little underdone.

Serving/Notes:

I was really pleased with this first attempt at meatballs. They were firm and flavorful and starting them off in the pan gives them a little crunch that they wouldn't have otherwise.

If you pair this recipe up with my updated tomato sauce, you'll have leftovers for weeks too, which is nice. Either that, or you can have a big pasta-and-meatball party!

Tomato Sauce v2.0

Those of you who read about my "Rustic Tomato Sauce" some time ago will remember that it quickly became an exercise in improvisation. I didn't really give myself enough time to properly simmer and misjudged my ingredient list. That's not to say that I was disappointed with the result, though; it's just not quite what I had in mind when I set out to make a sauce.

Thankfully, I just don't know when to quit. This week, I present my new and improved Tomato Sauce, version 2.0!

Ingredients:

2 28-oz Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
1 12-oz Can of Tomato Paste

1 Onion

1 Bell Pepper

Oregano

Red Pepper Flakes

Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:

You should know ahead of time that Tomato Sauce v2.0 is not a quick recipe. Ideally, you should set aside 3-4 hours in order to cook everything low and slow and really marry the flavors. It might be best to tackle this on a weekend.

Don't fret, though, this is an easy recipe that will require minimal attention once you get things going. Stay with me!

First, set a large pot over Medium-High heat and dice the onion and bell pepper. Just like the beginning of my last tomato sauce recipe, you're going to saute the crap out of these in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

At this point, you should also add the red pepper flakes. I did not use an exact measurement for this step. I like a lot of heat, so I threw in a lot of flakes. Use your best judgment.

Once your vegetables have broken down to the point where they are translucent, turn down the heat to Low or Medium-Low. Open up both cans of crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and add everything to the pot.

Carefully.

Tomato sauce tends to splash, so don't wear white.

You should also add the oregano now. Again, I did not use a precise measurement. I just added oregano until it looked like "enough." Scientific, I know.

Stir up the pot in order to incorporate everything. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 3 hours, or until dinner time.

Check on the pot every once in a while to make sure it's not bubbling over, but, otherwise, that's it!

Serving/Notes:

This iteration of my tomato sauce has a lot more of the saucy qualities I was looking for: a rich, almost sweet flavor and a smoother consistency that sticks more easily to pasta. I'm very happy with the result.

Other than that? Come on, people. There's nothing too mysterious about tomato sauce. Serve it over your pasta of choice and... hey! What are those meaty... ball-looking... things in the picture? Could there be a meatball recipe posted in the near future?!

Pesto Chicken Pizza

So, a high class meal is nice, but let's get back to what this blog is really all about: PIZZA!

After last week's dinner, I had lots of pesto and chicken left over. As fate would have it, there was also an extra pizza crust in my fridge, just waiting to fulfill its destiny as a conveyance of deliciousness.

Thus was born the Pesto Chicken Pizza.

Ingredients:

1 Pizza Crust

2 Cooked Chicken Breasts

Jarred Pesto

Grape or Cherry Tomatoes

Shredded Cheese

Steps/Analysis:
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees and lay the pizza crust out on a baking sheet. Then, spoon on a thin layer of pesto.

(Again, I'm using chicken breasts that I had already cooked and prepared for the week. If you haven't planned accordingly, residence in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes will get you where you need to be.)

Cut the chicken into roughly bite-size pieces and distribute them evenly over the pizza. Cut your tomatoes in half (or into smaller pieces if necessary) and repeat.

Sprinkle a layer of cheese over everything. Now, based on the nature and genre of the meal, logic dictates that you should definitely mozzarella cheese if you have it. I only had my usual Mexican blend on hand. Necessity being the mother of invention, I went for it and never looked back.

The final step is to brush a little olive oil around the outer crust so that it crisps up nicely in the oven.

10-15 minutes and you've got yourself dinner!

Serving/Notes:

You may want a little salt and pepper, but otherwise I was very happy with this creation. I've got a pretty solid repertoire of pizzas, if I do say so myself, and this is a nice addition to it.

The use of Mexican rather than Italian cheese seemed negligible. The substitution certainly didn't ruin my evening.

Chicken Pesto Supreme

I realize that a lot of my posts so far this fall have been a little too 'Freshman' and not 'Graduate' enough in complexity or class. Salami's great and all, but it really shouldn't be the focal point of one's diet.

With that in mind, I offer you a nice little dish I'm going to call Chicken Pesto Supreme. It's a little meaty and a little cheesy. It's got starches and vegetables. What more could you want?

Ingredients:

2 Cooked Chicken Breasts

Frozen Cheese Ravioli

Frozen Peas

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

Jarred Pesto

Steps/Analysis:

I cooked my chicken breasts in advance--I like to bake a bunch of them at a time and keep them on hand for meals throughout the week. If you haven't, though, no big deal. Trim their fat and salt and pepper them generously. Place them in an oiled baking dish and get them in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

With your chicken taken care of, set a pot of water over high heat and get it to boiling. When it's there, salt the water and carefully pour in enough ravioli for two people.

Keep an eye on that pasta! Depending on the brand you buy, it should only take about 5 minutes to cook through.

In the meantime, get the frozen peas in a large bowl with just a little water and microwave for 2 minutes or so. Halfway through, you'll want to give the peas a stir.

Drain off the water from the greens when done.

Next, slice a handful of tomatoes in half and add them to the peas. (Hopefully, you've selected a bowl large enough to house and serve the entire meal. If not, you may want to consider making a switch now.)

Drain the ravioli and give your chicken breasts a rough slicing. Add them to the bowl as well.

Finally, spoon on a healthy amount of basil pesto and stir to coat everything nicely. Just be careful not to be too vigorous about it; you don't want broken ravioli.

Serving/Notes:

A little salt and pepper are all that you need to accompany this meal... maybe a hank of bread, but not much else. Make sure you get a little of everything on your plate. The flavors and textures all play nicely with one another and the more variety you get on your fork, the happier you'll be. Enjoy, this classy, date-night dinner.

Salami and Mixed Vegetable Omelette

I know what you're probably thinking. Salami and mixed vegetables? In an omelette? That can't possibly be any good. The B.A. Gourmet has finally lost his mind. I won't be reading any more of his inane ramblings and warning my friends and family against him from now on!

Come on, now. That's a little harsh isn't it? Remember the good times: Mexican Pizza, Shepherd's Pie, Nutella Pancakes. Don't you think you should give me the benefit of the doubt just this once?

It's a good omelette, I promise. In fact, it's one of the tastier omelette's I've made in recent memory. Give it a shot, Sam-I-Am.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

2-3 Slices of Salami

1/2 Cup of Frozen Mixed Vegetables

Shredded Cheese

1/2 Onion

Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:

First thing's first: dice your onion and start sauteing in a little olive oil over Medium heat. While that's going, give your salami the same treatment. Your aim is to soften the onions a bit and brown the salami just a little.

Next, turn your attention to your frozen veggies. A mix of green beans, carrots, corn, and peas works well, but use whatever floats your boat. Whatever you choose, pour it into a bowl with a little water and microwave for about a minute to take the chill off of them.

Drain the water carefully and add the veggies to your pan to finish heating through.

At this point, you should crack your eggs and scramble them. Add a little milk if you like and some salt and pepper.

When the contents of your pan are sauteed to your liking, reduce the heat of the stove top to Medium-Low and slowly pour the eggs over the whole lot.

I heard that sharp intake of breath from all you avid breakfasters out there. No butter in the pan? Won't that stick like cement?

Fear not! There's should still be a little olive oil in the pan, plus whatever juices have escaped from the salami in the meantime. I guarantee the omelette will slide out without any problems.

Try to fuss with the eggs as little as possible. As you notice the edges firming up, you should lift them with a spatula and tilt the pan to give the raw egg in the center some contact with the metal.

When the egg is almost completely cooked, give it a little jiggle to loosen it from the pan and sprinkle some cheese over the half furthest from the handle. Position the pan over your waiting plate and ease the omelette out, gently folding it in half as you do so.

Serving/Notes:

This omelette is salty, savory, and substantial. The salami starts off your day with a hit of protein and the veggies make for a hearty, stomach filling experience.

A little salt and pepper is good and, as you can see from my pictures, my bottle of hot sauce is always at hand.

Yogurt Parfaits

Looking for an easy dessert to impress your significant other? How about a sweet, nutritious breakfast to start your day off on the right foot?

Perhaps you need one recipe that can solve both dilemmas. Impossible, you say? Bah! The B.A. Gourmet doesn't know the meaning of the word. Behold! The Yogurt Parfait!

Ingredients:

1 Single-Serving Container of Yogurt

1/2 of a Banana

2-4 Strawberries

1 Granola Bar

Steps/Analysis:

Since I was serving two people, I doubled up on this recipe, selecting Strawberry and Pina Colada flavored yogurt. You can pick just about any variety you like, but try to keep it simple since you'll be adding other sweet and chunky elements.

First and foremost, stir your yogurt thoroughly to get it to a smooth texture.

Pour approximately one third of the yogurt container into a small bowl or coffee mug. Slice the banana into small pieces and layer on top of the yogurt foundation.

Next, add the second third of your yogurt. On top of this level, add chopped strawberries.

Before unwrapping the granola bar, bash it a few times against the counter top. Don't be afraid to let out all of your aggression from the day. Take a hammer to the bar, if you like. The idea is to create small crumbs. You could also just buy loose granola to accomplish the same thing, but that's hardly as much fun.

Pour half of the granola crumbs over the strawberries and cover that up with the last of the yogurt.

Give the top a dusting of granola particles and enjoy the fruits of your labor (cue rim shot).

Serving/Notes:

If you follow these instructions, you're good to go as is. Of course, I imagine there are all kinds of interesting and delectable variations. Off the top of my head, I can picture chocolate chips, raspberries, blueberries, jam, graham crackers, chocolate syrup. Just make sure that your additions make sense with the flavor of yogurt you've purchased.

Broccoli and Pasta

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making a dish that she affectionately refers to as 'Broccoli and Pasta.' Now, that name is a little deceiving - this isn't quite a vegetarian meal - but it does mirror the simplicity of the recipe.

I've never asked her for the instructions, but when I noticed that I had all the necessary ingredients on hand in my kitchen I thought I'd give it a shot. The result was something quite tasty that reminded me of home.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Head of Broccoli

3-5 Slices of Salami

Rotini Pasta (or whatever variety you have on hand)

Steps/Analysis:

First thing's first, you want to get your pasta boiling. I don't have exact measurements for this portion of the recipe, but I used a smallish pot, nearly filling it with 3-4 big handfuls of pasta. Don't worry about making too much, though, this dish stores and reheats beautifully.

So, get your water boiling and throw your pasta in, salting the water for taste. It'll probably be 15-20 minutes until it's tender, but the only way you'll be able to tell for sure if the pasta's done is to (carefully) taste it.

In the meantime, we've got some chopping to do. Peel and dice the garlic as small as you're able to. Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. And don't throw out the stalk! If you cut or peel away the woody outside, you'll find that the inside is as tender as the leaves.

Now, regarding the meat; the beauty of this meal is that you can use just about any meat that you have on hand. Ideally, my mom used Italian prosciutto, but it wasn't unheard of for her to use bacon, ham, or even Taylor Pork Roll, in a pinch. As it happened, I had some salami in the fridge this night. Whatever porky meat you have, give it a rough chop.

If you've timed this well, the pasta should be just about done at this point. Drain it, return the pot to the stove top, and lower the heat to the Medium range.

Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot and a little more. Toss in the garlic, broccoli, and salami and cover with the lid. Let everything saute and marry together for about five minutes or so, stirring from time to time. When the broccoli turns a bright, vibrant green you're done.

Next, add the pasta back to the pot and stir to coat with the garlicky oil and incorporate everything. That's all she wrote!

Serving/Notes:

This is pretty satisfying as a one pot meal. You'll want to salt and pepper to taste. A good piece of bread on the side to sop the plate afterwards would be welcome, too.

If refrigerated, this will last for at least a week. Just microwave any leftovers for a couple minutes and enjoy again!

Leftover Corner: Meat Sauce to Pizza-dillas

Since my last blog post, my rustic tomato sauce has undergone an evolution. Basically, I turned it into a meat sauce by cooking up a pound of ground turkey and mixing it in. Now, that's all well and good, but not particularly tricky. I was, however, getting tired of the usual pasta iterations and tried to brainstorm a few new uses for my sauce.

Since my meat sauce usually winds up being more meat than sauce (It just happens that way; I think it's a character flaw of mine) it seemed to lend itself to less saucy applications. I looked through my refrigerator for additional inspiration, finding tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese, and little else.

That's when it occurred to me to marry food genres and create the Mex-Italian Pizza-dilla! (patent pending)

Ingredients:
Leftover Meat Sauce
1 Large Tortilla
Shredded Mexican Cheese
Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:
First, brush a thin layer of olive oil on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle on some salt if desired. Place the tortilla directly onto the top rack of a 375 degree oven. Let it crisp up a bit so that it will bear the weight of a substantial sauce. That should take between 5 and 10 minutes, but don't take your eyes off of it!

In the meantime, heat up the meat sauce on the stove top over low heat. You want it hot enough so that the cheese will melt on top of it.

When your tortilla is ready, spoon on a healthy amount of meat sauce, leaving some room around the edge. Sprinkle cheese over top and allow to melt.

Once melty and delicious, cut your pizza-dilla into quarters. I wouldn't recommend slicing it any thinner or the tortilla may not be able to support it's own weight.

Serving/Notes:
The Mex-Italian Pizza-dilla is quite the tasty culinary mutation. A fork is definitely a necessary accompaniment, though. Think of it as a life preserver in case you find yourself floating in a see of marinara.

Rustic Tomato Sauce

Didn't I tell you I'd be back? Didn't I?!

Coming from a large, Italian family, I've never made my own tomato sauce. There's always been someone around the who handled it. Someone who's been cooking sauce longer than I've been alive.

Since that is no longer the case, though, I'd give it a shot. Too proud (read: stupid) to ask for my mother's recipe, I tried to throw together my own, simple tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

1 Onion

1 Bell Pepper

2 28-oz Cans of Crushed or Diced Tomatoes
6 Cloves of Garlic

3 Teaspoons of Red Pepper Flakes

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Oregano

Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:

To begin, dice the onion and bell pepper into uniform pieces. Peel and finely chop the cloves of garlic.

Put a large pot over high heat. Coat the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil and throw in your chopped onion, pepper, and garlic. Add your red pepper flakes and oregano and leave to saute. You really want to break the onion and bell pepper down about as far as they'll go. Stir occasionally, but don't move on at least until the onions are translucent.

Next, add the canned tomatoes. I chose diced, simply because it was the cheapest canned tomato option. Looking back, though, I'd recommend crushed. I have a hunch it would make a smoother, thicker sauce.

Stir to thoroughly incorporate everything and bring the pot to a simmer. Keep an eye on it, but the sauce will need to cook like this for at least an hour. That way, a lot of the water will evaporate out of the pot and the solid tomatoes will have a chance to break down. If you can let it go even longer, it'll only get better.

This is an easy recipe, but it is not a quick one.

When you're satisfied with the consistency of your sauce (or when you can't stand the waiting any longer because your kitchen is full of the smell of Italian cookery) remove from the heat and serve.

Serving/Notes:

Because I chose diced, my tomatoes stayed mostly solid throughout the cooking process. Ultimately, I decided to just call it "rustic" and chow down.

Naturally, I served this sauce over spaghetti. I also had a leftover chicken breast laying around, which I let simmer with the sauce for the last half hour or so.

The sauce didn't cling to the pasta as well as it might have, but was quite tasty otherwise. It had a nice kick to it. Also, the proportions of the recipe will leave lots of leftovers if you're only feeding yourself: probably enough for a week or so.

Super Duper Chunky PBJ

Hello, B.A. Gourmet-niacs! You thought I had abandoned you, didn't you? It's been a while, I know, but I do have an excuse for not posting a single recipe this month. I swear.

The truth is that the B.A. Gourmet is now the graduate school gourmet (Don't worry, there won't be any confusing name change). By that, I mean that I have enrolled in graduate school. I've spent the last few weeks packing, moving, unpacking, and adjusting to my return to academia. I haven't had much time for cooking, or, at least, cooking anything new and exciting.

I'm hopeful, though. Living on my own means that I'll be responsible for feeding myself every day of the week. Since I'm not made of money, I'll be cooking more often than not. That should mean a return to normalcy shortly.

In the meantime, I have a recipe-esque kind of peace offering: Super Duper Chunky Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Ingredients:

Bread

Chunky Peanut Butter

Jelly (I prefer raspberry)

Granola

Steps/Analysis:

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you how to make a PBJ, step by agonizing step. It's up there with boiling water in the world of kitchen basics.

My variation on the sandwich, though, means sprinkling a handful of granola on top of the peanut butter before assembly.

I inherited a bag of somewhat bland granola from a loved one who was trying to get more fiber in her diet. Since I'm a fan of the texture of chunky peanut butter anyway, I thought this might be a way to put it to good use.

Serving/Analysis:

This will definitely be the crunchiest peanut butter and jelly sandwich you've ever eaten. If that appeals to you, you'll be in heaven. Embrace the inner schoolchild and consume with potato chips, carrot sticks, chocolate milk, whatever.

So, was this a cop out post? Perhaps. It's certainly nothing ground breaking. But it is a promise of better things to come. I haven't forgotten you, my dear readers!

Leftover Corner: Lunch Meat to 'Merica Paninis

Once again scratching my noodle to come up with a dinner idea this week, I turned to the fridge for inspiration. A couple containers of lunch meat stared up at me and I thought, "I can do something with this."

I threw together a quick shopping list to round out my ingredient pool, snatched some quick sides and fired up the panini press.

Ingredients:

Ciabatta Rolls

Sliced Roast Beef

Sliced Turkey

Roasted Red Peppers

1 Onion

Sliced Cheddar Cheese

Mayonnaise

Steps/Analysis:

First, cut up the onion into thin, uniform rings and get them sauteing with some olive oil over Medium-High heat. (It seems like a lot of my recipes start out this way, huh? I'm a fool for some onions.)You really want to get these nice and soft, golden brown and delicious for the sammiches.

I went with ciabatta rolls for this dish because I've had success with them in the past and really like the way they hold up in the panini press, but you can go with any sturdy roll or solid bread that you prefer.

At any rate, cut the rolls in half and spread a thin layer of mayo on each side. Then, pile on roast beef and turkey. Remember that you're making a dinner here, not a lunch, so don't be afraid to lay it on thick. Next, add the roasted red peppers and onions, capping everything off with the cheddar cheese.

Place the top half of the rolls in their proper position and turn your attention to the panini press. Lube it up with a dab of olive oil and a paper towel and get to pressing. If you made your sandwiches especially thick or the lunch meat just came out of the refrigerator, you may need to give them a nice long rest on the press to make sure everything is warm and the cheese is nice and melty.

Serving/Notes:

I cut the paninis in half for convenience sake and kept the sides simple: chips and a little asparagus.

So what makes these 'Merica Paninis? Well, to be quite honest, I was a bit flummoxed when it came time to name my creation. There didn't seem to be an easy analog in the sandwich world. A friend of mine suggested 'Merica (as in America with a healthy, proud inflection) and it stuck. After all, what says classic American sammich more than roast beef and turkey?