Béchemel
One of the five French mother sauces: butter and flour cooked into a roux, whisked out with warm milk and finished with nutmeg and white pepper.
Anchovy Oil
Three anchovy fillets melted into good olive oil and tossed through pasta with Parmigiano. A five minute primo built almost entirely from the pantry.
Tomato Jam
Six pounds of heirloom tomatoes cooked down with sugar, balsamic and lemon zest. Yields five jars and belongs on every cheeseboard.
Chicken Piccata
Chicken breasts pounded thin, seared, and finished in a lemon, caper and butter pan sauce over spaghetti.
Fried Zucchini and Squash
Zucchini and yellow squash sliced into rounds, dredged and fried until golden. Equally at home as an appetizer or a side.
Trapani Pesto
The Sicilian pesto: tomatoes, almonds, basil and garlic. Made for busiate, since both come from Trapani.
Port Sauce with Truffles
A bottle of red port reduced with shallots, mounted with butter and finished with carpaccio truffles. Made for steak or pork chops.
Pickled Shallots
Shallots sliced thin on a mandoline and quick-pickled in red wine vinegar with peppercorns. Five minutes for acidity you will use all week.
20 Hour Braised Chuck Roast, Sauce and Pappardelle
Chuck roast braised for twenty hours until it falls apart, folded through tomato sauce and served over pappardelle. Long on time, short on effort.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic and shallot with fresh herbs. Works as a dressing, a marinade, or a sauce for roasted vegetables.
Sauce Bolognese
Ground beef cooked down slowly with soffritto and wine over at least two and a half hours. Better still if you make it the day before.
White Truffle and Porcini Mushroom Cream Busiate
Busiate in a white truffle and porcini cream. A ten minute primo that tastes like it took far longer.