December 2009

When life gives you lemons, make risotto. The clean, citrusy spark brightens both the asparagus and the shrimp (though you can omit the shrimp to turn this from a main course into a side dish).

Rare, even raw tuna may be in vogue - but it is not to everybody's taste. That said, it's best not to let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction, either. Dry, overcooked tuna is no treat. Where, then, is that perfect middle ground of moist, tender tuna with just the barest hint of pink at the center? Italian cooks braise tuna to bring out its best. The final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving unifies the elements of each dish.

Quick shrimp dish with wonderful taste of garlic, tomatoes and white wine. 

They might sit there, unnoticed and undisturbed, in your fridge or cabinet, for weeks or months or even longer. But they’re waiting — or at least they should be — until your stir-fries need a jolt of distinctive, impossible-to-mistake flavor that nothing else can give you.

They are fermented black beans, and in an Asian market a dollar or two buys a pound, a supply that will last you a long time because you use only a tablespoon or two at a time.

Nothing is better than homemade pesto. This simple sauce highlights basil's cool flavor and bright color, and it's so easy to make. Spinach-Basil pesto brings life to a mixture of pasta, beans and corn. Just be sure to blanch your greens to keep the pesto from turning dark and dull. The problem with green pestos is that when tossed with hot pasta, their color can go from vibrant to murky in seconds. So keep your pesto bright by blanching the greens briefly in boiling water, and then 'shocking; them in ice water.

Pappardelle [pah-pahr-DEHL-lay] is long, wide (5/8 inch) pasta often found in Italian markets. Fettuccine is a fine substitute.

It's the possibilities in that blank crust that make pizza so much fun. Lately, we've been obsessed with white pizza. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with mozzarella, and then let the fun begin. Without the acidity of the tomato sauce to contend with, you can really experiment. In this version, asparagus adds freshness and a hit of color, goat cheese brings a creamy tang, and fingerling potatoes (yes, potatoes) round out the pie with their richness.