POMMES ANNETTE

Just a quickie before I head off into the Wild West for a week of he-man, self-deprivation, eating-sticks-and-rocks in the frozen highlands of New Mexico, our most beautiful state. I've pretty much cleaned out the fridge of perishables, but there was this perfect potato in the fruit bowl—welll, not quite too perfect as it was turning green and starting to sprout. As my German grandma would say, "Diese Kartoffel ist noch essbar," and remembering Granny's frugality I decided to have it for dinner instead of throwing it out.

No, I really don't have a German granny. But Karen doesn't have a Jewish one either, and she has Hannukah parties all the same. This is going to be my tribute to both of our imaginary ancestors, with a froggy spin. Pommes Annette is a single-serving variant (okay, I just made this up now) on the classic Pommes Anna—made with one potato, salt, and olive oil. Yeah, I know butter is traditional, but I think olive oil tastes better, and you can throw in a wad of butter at the end for flavor if you absolutely must.

The Jewish angle is that this could be considered a version of Latke—eat it with applesauce if you like—in fact the potato I cooked was a remnant of those I had gotten for latkes during Hannukah. It's also super simple, fun to make, and it's very elegant to look at—just like Pommes Anna.

While the oil is heating in a skillet (preferably cast iron), cut the ends off the potato, peel and slice (a Benriner mandoline is great for this!). Spread out the slices on the cutting board and sprinkle with salt—just one side is fine. After making sure that the oil is sloshed all around the skillet, arrange the slices artfully. I like to start around the outside with the larger pieces, overlapping somewhat—the result is kind of chrysanthemum-like. It's got to be thin, because we're not going to turn it—it's going to cook through just from one side.

That's pretty much it. By the time the tater is fully cooked, there will be a very nice crust on the side that's down. If you're using cast iron, you may need to coax the browned slices off of the metal. [And if the skillet is not properly seasoned, you'll end up with crunchy mashed potatoes!] Flip it over onto a plate and eat.

Cherry tomato pasta

Another summer recipe. This one is inspired from several pasta sauces I grew up eating, but I admit is my own concoction. Given that my family enjoys it, I'm passing it on.
It's summer, so we often BBQ, which means grilled vegetables (if using fresh vegetables, then sauté them with the garlic).
Also, our move to the country means we've fallen into the trap of growing organic vegetables. The most successful crop so far is cherry tomatoes, hence, the recipe that follows.


TIP: Put the salted water on for the pasta before starting the sauce, as it should only cook about 10 minutes.

20+ cherry tomatoes
20+ black olives
4 cloves garlic
grilled vegetables (pepcapers, eggplant, onions...)
tbsp capers
3 large anchovies (optional if vegetarian)
parsely
olive oil

Slice garlic in half. Chop anchovies. Simmer both in oil in a large saucepan.
Slice tomatoes in half. Chop grilled veggies. Add to the saucepan.
Add olives, capers & parsley. Stir, turn heat off.
When pasta is cooked, drain & mix directly in the saucepan. Serve immediately.

Aglio & olio-simple pasta sauce

Another typical Saturday. Up (relatively) early to prepare for a huge BBQ on Sunday, my almost son-in-law pops his head through the kitchen door, followed by a friend of his. Both are pretty built & ravenous types. Naturally, since I spent the morning cooking for the next day, lunch was meant to be simple, for 4 people, not 16. Therefore I adapted a classic pasta dish, aglio & olio (literally garlic & oil-sounds better in Italian).

Classic aglio & olio is just garlic cloves sauteed in olive oil with a dried chili pepper.

This time I added the following:

6 cloves garlic
5 anchovies
6 sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup of green olives
capers
chopped parsley

Slice all the ingredients. Wait until the pasta has been thrown into the boiling water & turn the heat on the olive oil, garlic & anchovies. Let the garlic saute nicely, the anchovies will melt. Add the , capers & olives. Pour onto cooked spaghetti, sprikle with parsely.