HAM LOAF: A blast from the past

I've only eaten this dish once in the mid-80's when I made it.  The recipe came from my mother's Lubbock Women's Club cookbook.

I was living in Long Beach (Bixby Knolls) with my partner.  I was a flight attendant for Western Airlines (later Delta).  Bixby Knolls, at the time, was this idllic place surrounded by LA urban blight. This was in the mid-80's.  The names Bixby Knolls and Ham Lear seem to come from a similar time place, by the sound of it.

We cooked this meal in memory of one of my most beloved friends, Alan Lane Hayworth.  He died in the early days of AIDS.  Not a day goes by that I haven't thought of him.  He was taken too early.  I so wish he were here in today's world to share the crazy world we're currently living in.  Alan lived in Texas, where I'm from.  We would talk long distance (a concept that current generations have no clue) periodically to get caught up.  On one of our calls he would asked when I picked up the phone: "What are you doing?"  I answered "I'm making a ham loaf."  For some reason, Alan started howling with laughter and teasing me about "ham loaf."  I think he found my response and my life bit a bit too suburban housewife.

I haven't made this recipe since.  My mother and I made this a couple of nights ago.  We did so with smiles on our faces, thinking of my friend, Alan.  Gone, but never forgotten.

I think Ham Loaf is an old time thing.  But it is heavenly.  It puts a meat loaf to shame.  The menu is below.  I think that to make this a more modern recipe I'd decrease the sugar because it is too sweet.   The sugar is used to make a sauce.  At this point in my life, I am not a big fan of sweet entrees.  

I'll make this dish again.  And everyday, I'll remember my beloved friend Alan.

HAM LOAF
3/4 lbs. ground ham
3/4 lbs. ground pork
1/2 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper
1/2 C. Bread Crumbs
1/2 C. Milk
1 Egg
1 C. Brown Sugar (see comments above)
1/4 C. Vinegar
1/4 C. Water

Mix first 7 ingredients together and press in loaf pan.  Mix brown sugar, vinegar, water together and pour over meat.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven 1 hr. 10 min.

Pour off liquid & thicken slightly with flour.

Meat can be made into patties.

OPTIONAL: Just before serving put sauce and pineapple (optional--I can't stand it so omitted it) on loaf/patty and broil briefly.

Mexican FOOD Memories

I'm in my mid-fifties.   I know there are people that are older and compared to them I am relatively old/young.

I have had a good life.  Bad times, sure.  But I have experience the world in ways that a stupid "faggot" from Texas would have conceived.  I graduated high school in 1980.  I did a whole lots of drugs, most of which I had no business doing at my young age.

I moved to California in 1985 when I was employed as a flight attendant.  I was wide-eye and bushy-tailed.  And dumb.

My life really began, in part, when I left Texas.  I moved to LA.  In the intervening years I've been a Southern California nomad, but for the most part I've lived in the Palm Desert (Palm Springs area).  In all of those years I was lucky to have experienced so many amazing and wonderful things in the world.

I lived a life without restraint.  The more money I made the more I spent.   I've owned and sold homes.  I've worked very hard in the healthcare industry but left it in 2007 to pursue my "dream".   There must be one person on the world that started that concept.  I hope they suffer great pain.

Since 2009 fall of the economy every single thing that I was taught in school or programmed afterwards as an adult was a sham.  The world is a lie.

I know a few things though.  Here's the upside to this blog.  I have been exposed to:

• Good food throughout life.  I love food
• I've traveled and enjoyed some of the finest of hotels around the world
• I have always loved music and I have in past years been in the fortunate position to learn and love all types of music, both in concert, on the stage, and recordings
• I've met many interesting, sometimes strange, people.   Some were celebrities or heroes.  Some were the opposite.

I have a very short bucket list left.  My first, is much like everything in life, no longer exists.   My second still exists but it would require me to go back to Lubbock TX to eat:

• Cheese enchiladas with rice and beans and sopapillas with butter honey.  As I grew up we went Red River/Taos frequently to snow ski.  There was the BEST mexican food restaurant on the square of downtown Taos.  This would have been in the 1970's.  Does anyone know what it was named?  I know that it is no longer there now. I found a restaurant here in the Palm Springs area that served this dish exactly the way I remembered it.  It was open for many years (El Gallitto) but it closed last year.    All things good must seemingly come to an end.  Why can't my life.

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• Anything from Taco Villa in West Texas.  I would be so afraid that if I went there, the food would have changed.  That's what happens when you get old.

Do you have good memories of moments that you'd like to live once again?  Can you give me update about both of these favorites. I have learned over the many years, that nothing stays the it once was..either it doesn't taste the way it did.. or it doesn't exist.

BRIE/CAMEMBERT cheese--My new food obsession

I have always loved Brie or Camembert (they are the same but have a very slight variance in taste).  Many years ago, in the mid to late 1980's I was a stewardess.  We served brie or camembert in first class.  I became addicted to it then.  When the service was over (this was usually on long hauls) we'd leave the cart out and my fellow crew members would feast.  It was I think my first exposure to this exquisite culinary experience.

Recently we've been having either cheese before dinner.  I am obsessed.  I love the cheese when it is runny and melty.  I also love the rind.  We put ours in a microwave briefly to soften and melt it.  I don't know if this is de rigueur or not to heat the cheese.  I don't care.

I love it anyone.  Do you have a preference for brie or camembert?  Or do you just not like it.

I have always loved it but I am now obsessed with it.  I will probably burn myself out on it, which is my way.

I know that no one reads this.  So I'll use it as a diary to record my inner thoughts.  I would love to have for my last meal:

brie cheese
foie gras
spaghetti carbonara
jambalaya
large bloody rare steak
cheese cake
fried okra
fried green tomato
multiple martinis

I'm sure I've forgotten something.    I would then like to lay down and die.  I read an article about a convicted, condemned to a death sentence who will be murdered by our our government.  The articles reported this man's menu for his last meal.

I admire him.  I don't want to be here.  I cannot stand this country or planet.  I am condemned, but not in a court of law.  I will never have the comfort of knowing when I am going.   Hopefully it will be soon.  I believe in euthanasia.  I think it should be legal in our country.   Oh the meal I would enjoy and the bliss of being out of this nasty, horrid world we are forced to live in.

Life is not a fairy tail.  All your dreams may not come true.  Happiness is luxury that a small segment of this world can pursue.  The majority, the billions, live in poverty.  They have no water.  They do not have food.  In our country alone, many people cannot eat or do not have a home.  Many of the worlds countries populations are being annihilated by their governments or external forces.  I have learned in my 54 years that everything I was taught in Texas/US/Christian faith is nothing but bullshit.  It is all false.

Anthony Bourdain's PARTS UNKOWN starts new season

In 'Parts Unknown,' Anthony Bourdain is not a man on a mission

One of my favorite show on television is the erudite, evocative, mouth-watering, multi-dimensional Emmy-award winning CNN series, Parts Unknown, hosted by Anthony Bourdain.  Tonight, the series begins it's second season of focusing on Shanghai, a place that I long to visit because of the staggering amount of very tall skyscrapers.

This show is about food, but it transform each week to an amazing educational and informative sociology and anthropological documentary on cultures throughout the world.

Watch CNN trailer here for the Shanghai trailer:    click here.

It's difficult to watch the show because makes my mouth water.  And it makes me fill smarter for having watched it.  I am so amazed at the ability of a show which is essentially for "foodies" that is so talented it transcends to a remarkable social commentary and travelogue.

More, Mr. Bourdain!!!!

Chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain arrives at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California September 15, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/JONATHAN ALCORN

Shanghai and Dubai are really becoming the most interesting cities in the world, architecturally and in other ways.   See more of my previous blog entries on Shanghai and Dubai by clicking here.

Do you know how to order your STEAK?

A great Huntington Post article today about how to order a steak to be cooked the way you prefer.  I like 'em "blue".    How 'bout you?

Over the decades, I've ordered steak "rare" and it is usually deliver anywhere from "medium rare" to "medium well."   Which is infuriating if your paying $50 for a slab of beef.    I learned about the term "blue" and have found satisfaction with my steak orders since.  Maybe this chart will help you know how to ensure you get your beef cooked to you preference.

I find that the cheaper the steakhouse/restaurant, the less willing or the less understanding they have about these nuances.  I LOVE STEAK!

Check out the Huntington Post article at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/steak-cooked-photo_n_4240121.html

BEST new show on TV: Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown on CNN

I always thought that restaurateur, author, chef, Anthony Bourdain, was a bit of a prick, although I like that sometimes.   Especially his very personal attack on Food Network's chef Paula Deen (didn't disagree with his issue about her diabetes, but the rather nasty way he treated her.

I was totally shocked when I watched one of the first shows of his new show, Parts Unknown, on CNN and was completely enthralled.   The first episode that I saw was the Korea Town in LA.   I became addicted immediately.  I've watch every episode since.

Bourdain, a dude who captures my heart with his profanity

First of all, the dude has a sailor vocabulary that he shares unabashedly on the show.   He said 'fuck' several times.  He said 'shit'.   He said 'god damned'.   I relish others who swear the way I do.  I fell in love with the show instantly with the first 'fuck' that was uttered.

Myanamar episode

But more importantly, Parts Unknown, is a very intelligent sociological, journalistic show in addition to being a "foodie"-oriented show.   The essence of the show is about discovering food in all sorts of exotic far flung places.  But like I said, the show transcends a food discovery show.

Last week's show from Libya, was perhaps some of the most impactful reporting I've seen since Gaddafi's death.  And yet, it ultimately made my mouth water.

Libya episode

One example, a breakfast item, which is sort of a flattened "donut" fried with an egg or to in it.  Another segment at a seafood shop made Seattle's Fisherman's Wharf's vendor offerings pale in comparison.

Dish from the Los Angeles Korea Town episode

Since the first LA Korea Town episode I've watched with more and more obsessiveness shows profiling:  Colombia, Canada (Quebec), Morocco (Tangier), Libya.   In fact, I've viewed each episode multiple times.

A Tangine from the Morocco episode

Canada (Quebec episode)

Libya episode

I'm bored with television for the most part.  I've lost any interest in the faux reality shows (Housewives, etc).   But this show is as real as it gets.   And Bourdain, who often looks haggard in a dashing way, is so very erudite, humorous, and ballsy, that you must check out this show.

After only a half a dozen episodes CNN has renewed the series for a second season.  It seems that I'm not the only viewer impressed with Parts Unknown.

Bordain in the Morocco episode

The show is on at 9pm Eastern on Sunday.   Please go to the website to learn more (click here).  But more importantly, give yourself a gift, and became a viewer of this show.  You'll become a more educated foodie, but more importantly, you'll be eminently aware of the diverse world in which we live.

Food from the LA Korea Town episode

OMG.......where the pho-ck has PHO been all my life.

A friend just recently introduced me to the Vietnamese soup, named 
pho (phở pronounced [fəː˧˩˧] (  listen)).

It is the most heavenly dish ever.

I think it is the broth.  Or, maybe it's the rice noodles.....or maybe it's the beef tendons.  No, maybe it's the garnishes.  All of these things together create the most amazing culinary experience.

Pho is served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with slim cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, or meatballs in southern Vietnam. Chicken pho is made using the same spices as beef, but the broth is made using only chicken bones and meat, as well as some internal organs of the chicken, such as the heart, the undeveloped eggs and the gizzard.

Broth

The broth for beef pho is generally made by simmering beef bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, charred ginger and spices. For a more intense flavor, the bones may still have beef on them. Chicken bones also work and produce a similar broth. Seasonings can include Saigon cinnamon or other kinds of cinnamon as alternatives (may use stick or powder), star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed, and clove. The broth takes several hours to make.[14][15] For chicken pho, only the meat and bones of the chicken are used in place of beef and beef bone. The remaining spices remain the same, but the charred ginger can be omitted, since its function in beef pho is to get rid of the "cow's smell".

The spices, often wrapped in cheesecloth or soaking bag to prevent them from floating all over the pot, usually contain: clove, star anise, coriander seed, fennel, cinnamon, black cardamom, ginger and onion.

Careful cooks often roast ginger and onion over an open fire for about a minute before adding them to the stock, to bring out their full flavor. They also skim off all the impurities that float to the top while cooking; this is the key to a clear broth. Salt, or preferably nước mắm (fish sauce) is added toward the end.

Garnishes

Typical garnishes for phở Sài Gòn, clockwise from top left are: onions, chili peppers, culantro, lime, bean sprouts, and Thai basil.

Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables, and various other accompaniments, such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice; it may also be served with hoisin sauce. The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, Thai basil (not to be confused with sweet basil), fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sprouts and coriander or culantro. Fish sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce may be added to taste as accompaniments.

Several ingredients not generally served with pho may be ordered by request. Extra-fatty broth (nước béo) can be ordered and comes with scallions to sweeten it. A popular side dish ordered upon request is hành dấm, or vinegared white onions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho

I have to thank my friend Zack for introducing me to this culinary experience. Where the phock have you been my entire life, Pho?

Chick-fil-A...an INTERESTING commentary from lesbian chef at CNN.com

This was a very interesting column about the recent announcement by Chick-fil-A that they no longer are financially donating to the right wing-organization that is anti gays and lesbian.

First, she is from the South and grew up with this fast food chain. We had one in Lubbock-awful-Texas where I was cursed to be born. I ate at occasionally as a kid and it was good. But I never thought of it as not as good as Whataburger, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Villa or the quasi-fast places like Chinese Kitchen (is it still there?) or a couple of barbeque haunts. Certainly, in my mind, Chick-fil-A never came near to the premier fast food experience of my life: In-N-Out, once I moved to California in 1985.

Second, the writer, Virginia Willis, considers Chick-fil-A to be a cut above the typical fast food chain fare. Willis by the way has a distinguished pedigree having trained at L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne. For fellow "foodies" who worship the fine art of eating, she poses a very interesting dilemma. The problem is that her passion for the food at the former (apparently) gay-hating Chick-fil-A makes her want to return as a customer. Reading her column also made me want to try it again after several decades. But I feel conflicted just as does this writer and slightly different, yet, for the same reasons.

Read here Ms. Willis' excellent essay at Eatocracy on CNN: Click-fil-a Controversy Leaves a Bitter Taste for Some Longtime Fans

If you are pro gay, what do you think about this column and the dilemma? Should Chick-fil-A be forgiven? Are they really sincere? If you're a supporter of gay rights and a lover of Chick-fil-A's food, should you be forgiven if you satiate your lust for the food at the food chain since they have offered a quasi mea culpa?

I am a devotee of the great show on tv "What Would You Do?".

What would you do?

Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

Today is National Peanut Butter Day in the US. Peanut Butter is one of my favorite things in the world. There are numerous "healthy" peanut butter recipes.

Check out this article: National Peanut Butter Day

After reading the first article read The Huntington Post's article today about why peanut butter is healthy (yea)!

Happy Peanut Butter Day! Click below if you like peanut butter!

Curious and FUN tv shows to watch

These are the television shows that I currently love watching.

Jamie's Food Escapes
(Cooking Channel on Cable tv)
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/jamies-food-escapes/index.html

Jamie Oliver hits the road for a culinary expedition through the world's cultures and cuisines. Travelling across Europe and North Africa, Jamie discovers as much about the people as the food. Heading off the tourist track, he finds authentic ingredients and extraordinary characters, preparing delicious recipes en route. From truffle and boar hunting in the French Pyrenees to spear fishing off an island near Athens, Jamie attempts to uncover the freshest, most authentic dishes; including the street food of Marrakesh, herring in Sweden and sweet prawns in Venice. He immerses himself in the diverse cultures, learning traditional cooking practices from the locals and taking part in their cultural ceremonies.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/


Two Fat Ladies
(Cooking Channel on Cable tv)
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/two-fat-ladies/index.html

The Two Fat Ladies are cooks, not chefs — they reject the pretensions and elaborations of haute cuisine and are aggressively unfashionable, delighting in such ingredients as clotted cream, lard and fatty meats. Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright tour Britain in their vintage Triumph Thunderbird, questing to rediscover the delights of traditional home cooking using the freshest of ingredients, as well as indulgent ones. Presenting enjoyable meals full of strong flavors and free of restraint, these flamboyant ladies have achieved worldwide cult status, united in their enthusiasms, prejudices and an unshakeable belief in their own culinary expertise.


Barefoot Contessa
(Food Network on Cable tv)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa/index.html
Popular cookbook author and magazine columnist Ina Garten throws open the doors of her Hampton's home for delicious food, dazzling ideas and good fun on Food Network's Barefoot Contessa.

The Barefoot Contessa is back and this time it's basics. You've been invited to all of her fabulous parties, and now America's hostess with the mostess, Ina Garten, lifts the veil on all her tips, sharing techniques and incredible elegant and easy recipes. Ina throws open the doors of her Hampton's home for more delicious food, dazzling ideas and good fun.

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/


One Girl, Five Gays
(Logo Network on Cable)
http://www.logotv.com/shows/one_girl_five_gays/series.jhtml

What happens when one sassy straight girl gets up close and personal with five fierce gay men? A whole lot of OMFG. Host and resident straight gal pal Aliya-Jasmine gets down and dirty with her gaggle of gays in 1 Girl 5 Gays--part talk show, part advice column, all outrageousness. Featuring real stories from a panel of hysterical guys, 1 Girl 5 Gays boldly bares it all. From jaw-dropping questions about love and sex to juicy celebrity gossip and pop culture drama, no topic is off limits for this group of hip hotties. Check in with the boys (and girl!) of 1 Girl 5. Gays to get the inside scoop on everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask!


Watch What Happens Live!
(Bravo TV on Cable tv)
http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live
On Watch What Happens: Live, Bravo's Andy Cohen sits down every week with guests from the network's hit shows -- and from the world of entertainment -- to chat about what just transpired on-air and in pop culture. The live half-hour, which is full of viewer interaction, includes lively debates and passionate discussions about everything from fashion, to the latest Housewives drama, to the week's celebrity headlines.
Bravo viewers can get up-close and personal not only with Cohen and his guests, but also with their favorite Bravo-lebrities and contestants, by interacting via e-mail, phone, video, Twitter and Facebook.
Check them out. They're all fun, fabulous and truly unique.



Diners, Drive-ins & Dives
(Food Network on Cable tv)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives are popular again thanks to faithful baby boomers, a slew of younger fans and a whole new generation of owners. Join Guy Fieri as he visits classic "greasy spoon" spots, from a roadside shack in Tarpley, Texas to a Las Vegas sports bar with stellar stromboli.





Everything on BRAVO Tv
(Bravo TV on Cable tv)
http://www.bravotv.com/shows

This fun, festive television network features all sorts of entertaining reality shows. My current favorites, in addition to Watch What Happens Live! are (not all of these are currently in season):

• Million Dollar Listing
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
• Real Housewives of Atlanta
• Real Housewives of New Jersy
• Top Chef All Stars
• Flipping Out

The Strand and Magnolia Bakery in NYC....my two favorite places on the planet

I made a quick trip into "The City" on Monday from Long Island to visit my two favorite places: The Strand Bookstore and Magnolia Bakery both in the Village.

It was worth every too short, New York minute. It was drizzling and a perfect day.

The Strand sells new and used books and is the ultimate bookstore for me. In my previous blog entry, I shared the Top 10 bookstores in the world according to a writer for London's Guardian newspaper. The Strand was conspicuously absent! The Strand is simply heaven. I wish I could work there.

Magnolia Bakery, for those of you who are unfamiliar, came to fame in Sex and the City television series. They are famous for their incomparable cupcakes (I prefer the vanilla...with that butter cream frosting). But I also tried this time the red velvet cupcakes which were also delicious. My friends with whom I was staying in Long Island, Shelly and Patti, told me that the bakery has something that is even more fabulous than cupcakes these days and which happens to be one of my most favorite desserts: Banana Pudding. And they were right. Banana Pudding is either really lousy or really spectacular, IMHO.

Magnolia's Banana Pudding is simply one of the most heavenly, spectacular culinary experiences you'll have in your lifetime. I moaned and sighed and sobbed through my two experiences thusfar. Last portion will be served tonight. I'm already weeping at the thought. (I even brought home Banana Pudding and cupcakes to share with The Bug.)

After the two visits and the walk in the drizzle to and fro I took the LIRR back to Glen Cove. What a perfect day!

Magnolia Bakery (this is the original downtown location but they have two other locations)
401 Bleecker Street
(212) 462-2572
www.magnoliabakery.com

Strand Book Store
828 Broadway
(212) 473-1452
www.strandbooks.com
Get directions

Carbonara Sauce--My favorite Italian food--another passion

I love food. I love to eat. I've always picked up strange fascinations with certain dishes. The two primary obsessions, for which I've spent years on a quest seeking the perfect recipe, are Carbonara Sauce and Jambalaya (my favorite food is Cajun food).

We'll stick with Carbonara Sauce for this post. There is nothing more perfect than the perfect Carbonara (and I am still searching). The best carbonara that I've ever had was at a restaurant in Rome.

Sometimes the best dishes are ones that are very simple and straightforward. Carbonara is a perfect example: eggs, cream, butter, parmesan cheese, a little onion, parsley and bacon (pancetta). This is one of the most sinfully delicious meals ever. And, such beauty in a dish, no?

For years, I have tasted this dish in restaurants and for years I've hunted for carbonara recipes in cookbooks (someday I'm going to publish a cookbook solely about carbonara). Most restaurants idea of carbonara differ quite a bit from my ideal.

There seems to be two types of carbonara recipes. The first is a cream-based sauce similar to alfredo. The second, and my personal preference, is egg-based. Then there are recipes that combine both which as long as it's light on the cream are okay alternatives in my book.

Sometimes you'll find restaurants or recipes that add either mushrooms or English peas in the carbonara. I tend to be a purist and prefer it without either.

The best recipes for carbonara, in my opinion, have little cream, and you literally pour the raw eggs and bacon mixture over pasta and toss. Perfection! Exquisite! And relatively inexpensive to make.

What I'd like to further explore is why there are two schools of thought about carbonara Sauce: cream-based versus egg-based. Is it a regional Italian preference? Where exactly did carbonara Sauce originate.

Oh, and my personal pasta preference with Carbonara is spaghetti, but I've had it with every type of pasta and it's always perfect.

I'd love to hear from others about your preferred Carbonara recipe. So here's a recent one that I tried and it was quel good (as Holly Gollightly referred to one of her suitors, "quel rat"):

Carbonara Sauce
15 oz/425 g spaghetti
freshly gated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz/175g pancetta (or other bacon)
1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 eggs beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp. Transfer to a warm dish or bowl. When ready to prepare return the bacon mixture to the skillet.

*Combine the cream, eggs, and cheese in a large bowl and season to taste.

Working very quickly, tip the spaghetti into the bacon mixture and pour over the eggs. Add the chopped parsley. Toss the spaghetti quickly until the egg and cream mixture, using 2 forks, and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh sage twigs and parmesan cheese.

Cook's tip: the key to success with this recipe is not to overcook the egg. It is important to keep all the ingredients hot enough to just cook the egg and to work rapidly to avoid scrambling it.

(Optional: this recipe called for mushrooms. If you'd like to add mushrooms then here's the modified recipe: 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter. Keep the 2 tbsp of butter out of the initial step of heating the onion and garlic. After the onion and garlic prep, then melt the butter in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Follow recipe from here*)

This recipe came from a book titled: Pasta Sauces: A classic collection of Italian-style recipes published by Parragon, 2004, page 24-25.

I'll have one of those--YUM!!

Thanks to Patticakes (Patricia Bradley) for this photo. She took it back in November when she and Shelly Mullen were visiting and we went to lunch at the LaQuinta Hotel. Gorgeous photo, no?