Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Pecan Pie

Last Friday Paul and I were invited to our friend Kathy's house for dinner. I volunteered to bring dessert and then struggled to decide upon something appropriate. Finally I took my inspiration in our upcoming trip to Savannah (we leave in 2 days - woo hoo). In my mind there are few desserts as southern as the classic Pecan pie.

Pecan pie is a sweet custard pie made primarily of corn syrup and pecans. It is popularly served at holiday meals and is also considered a specialty of Southern U.S. cuisine. Most pecan pie recipes include salt and vanilla as flavorings. Other ingredients such as chocolate and bourbon whiskey are popular additions to the recipe. Some recipes even use an amount of maple syrup instead of corn syrup for flavoring. Pecan pie is often served with whipped cream.

Legend has it that the French developed pecan pie after settling in Louisiana and introducing the tree to the natives. However, the Southern pecan pie will forever be inextricably linked to the introduction of Karo syrup in 1902. More importantly, in the early 1930s, a wife of a Karo executive made a pecan pie with the almost sickly-sweet corn syrup and the company publicized it. In many parts of the pecan-growing South, such as Georgia, people just say they made a “Karo pie” and everyone knows it’s a pecan pie made with Karo syrup.

So pecan pie it was to be! This recipe is from the Silver Palate cookbook - an old standby. I've made it before and prefer it because the finished pie isn't as sickly sweet as other pecan pies I've tasted.

Pecan Pie

4 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted sweet butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup shelled pecans, chopped
9-inch pie crust
1/3 cup shelled pecan halves

Preheat oven to 400?F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the pastry.

Beat eggs well in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, melted butter and vanilla to the eggs and mix thoroughly.

Sprinkle chopped pecans in pastry-lined pan. Pour egg mixture over pecans. Arrange pecan halves around edge of filling next to crust for decoration.

Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325?F. and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until set.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Earth Hour Toronto

The day after Earth Hour is upon us, now what are you going to do?

Will the symbolic activity designed to make a statement of concern about climate change make a difference in your daily lives?

The Toronto Star reports that energy consumption during that hour was down nearly 9% from comparable late-March Saturday nights. Across the province as a whole (bearing in mind that many cities and rural areas didn’t actively participate the way Toronto did), energy draw was down 5.2% from normal.

The Earth Hour’s launch point, Christchurch, New Zealand, had a 13% lower consumption during the hour. In Sydney, Australia, it was down 10%. I did get the impression that a lot of people didn’t participate, though, through numerous valid reasons but also some half-hearted excuses.

The Toronto Star states, “Ireland’s more than 7,000 pubs elected not to take part - in part because of the risk that Saturday night revelers could end up smashing glasses, falling down stairs, or setting themselves on fire with candles.

Likewise, much of Europe - including France, Germany, Spain and European Union institutions - planned nothing to mark Earth Hour.

That didn’t dismay organizers, who said there’s a powerful message in the fact that the usual powerhouse countries aren’t leading the way, and that even in wealthy places like Canada it’s very much a grassroots phenomenon.”

The Toronto Star had a great slide show of scenes from the different participating cities around the world. Many are very subtle before-and-afters, but I liked a number of them, including one of Sydney Harbour, from across the water. It doesn’t seem to let you grab the address for the individual images or I’d post a linked one here.

We were in Toronto to see a show at the theatre and during intermission Paul and I raced out to the street to see the lights off in the city. It wasn't pitch black by any means, but it was nice to see many of the office towers and other buildings with their lights off.

If it can be done for an hour for a special event, it can be done for good!

Technical Difficulties

ARGH

It would appear that the 'braintrust' at Typepad decided to try an new editor. At least that is all I can assume happened because for the past two days when I went to post it was all very different. The result was I had to muddle through on trial and error. Others would have thrown their hands up in dismay and hit the bottle.

Apparently I should have done the same. I've been alerted to that fact that it is impossible to add a comment to the past two posts. This is not by my doing (that I know about anyway) and I can only assume that it is the fault of the 'fresh new hell' AKA the new editor.

I've spent the last hour trying to figure it out.

I've given up and sent a 'help ticket'.

Please stand by for something (like the specter of a PC being tossed out the front window).

Spam . . .

  
Lately I have been inundated with spam e-mail. It has gotten to the point that I no longer bother to read anything. I tell you, I am sick of getting e-mail about blue pills, breast augmentation, penile implants and the such.

Every now and then I will receive a little treat in my junk mail folder - a spam e-mail that actually makes me wonder and perhaps even smile for a bit. This was the latest:

From Joy Moses

How are you today? i was convince within my heart that i can trust you with all my heart but my only fear now is that i hope and pray you beleive what i have to tell you.

I am Joy as you rightly know, i am 19, My mother was an frican American while my father was from the french speaking colony of Cote D‘ Ivoire, i was living with my mother not too far from Charleston building, 601 57th Street,Charleston West Virginia USA. And i attended Charleston senior High School,1201 Washington Street E, Charleston, WV. I lost my mother sometimes ago and after her death i came to meet my father for the very first time in Cote d‘Ivoire, though he was also living in the state efore he relocated back to Cote d‘ Ivoire to set up a business.

Exactely two months and one week after i came to meet my father with the help of US consulates he died , he was very sick when i came to meet him but before his death there were some document he gave to me and he told me that everything he worked for in his life time is in the document when i crosscheck the document i discovered that my late father deposited Ten Million dollars in a security company. my late father deposited the money as family valuables in a trunk box.

I am just a girl and there is little or nothing i could do on my own and again if my late father relative find out that my late father left that kind of money in my care i don‘t know what they might do to me, so i need! you to help me contact the security company and claim the deposited Item for me as my friend and Guandian,and take me along with you. If you do this for me apart from the love i will also offer you 20% of the total money for helping me.

Please i requested for your trust and understanding because it might sound unbeleivable but it is the truth,

Yours Truly

Miss Joy Moses

Please send this information's below

Your full name and home address
Your telephone and fax number
Your international passport or Id card
Please reply me back with my private mailbox( faithjoymoses11@yahoo.fr )

Someone has far too much time on their hands - but at least they have read the classics. This Dickensian tale of a poor waif alone against the world with a line on a stash of cash is inspired. Stupid, but inspired.

Of course, being the curmudgeon that I am I immediately wondered who the heck with give a whit about Joy. I know that I didn't.

Let's deconstruct this is bit. Here we have a 19 year old girl, raised in the US, yet her spelling and grammar is atrocious. I know that people make all sorts of comments about the US education system but you wouldn't be the richest country in the world if you were churning out illiterate idiots like this!

Joy feels that she can trust me with all of her heart. Wrong, wrong, wrong. In fact. I immediately reported your electronic drivel.

Joy is 19, educated in the US, raised by parents who somehow amassed $ 10 million, yet she needs some random internet friend she has never e-mailed before or met to help her transfer the money out of the country.

Hmmmm

All I need to do is send her enough personal information that she could steal my identity, defraud me, and generally make my life a living hell. In return she will give me $ 2 million dollars and her love. SCORE Keep the $ 2 million Joy, I' do it for your love.

Well Joy. You can rot away in the Ivory Coast. I won't be sending you anything. Well, anything except for my disdain.

Is there anyone in the world gullible enough to fall for this crap?

Sadly, I expect that there must be or the e-mails would stop coming.

Stuffed French Toast

This is an 'informal' recipe (a term I use to describe things I just throw together). I've tossed it together on four or five occasions and it is a great hit at the breakfast table everytime. French toast is an easy yet tasty breakfast. It's also great for using up bread that's on the verge of becoming just a little too old. There are many variations of French toast but the key ingredients are always eggs and bread, obviously. This recipe makes 5 or 6 slices.

Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf of unsliced bread (egg bread works very well)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
butter

For the filling:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice the bread into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.

For the custard - mix the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat until combined.

For the filling - mix all of the filling ingredients until combined.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a 1-1/2-inch wide pocket in the side of each bread slice. Fill the pockets with the blueberry mixture, dividing evenly.

Heat a skillet until hot. Grease the skillet with butter.

Dip the slices of french toast in the egg mixture. Carefully place the slices in the hot skillet (it is likely that you will need to do this in two or three batches). When the bottom is browned, flip. If the french toast browns too quickly or appears to be burning you may need to decrease the heat.

When both sides are browned remove to an oven proof baking dish.

When all of the french toast is fried and in the oven proof baking dish, place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove and serve with maple syrup.

I will often slice the stuffed french toast on the diagonal to make for a more attractive presentation.

Jamie Oliver's Slow-roasted Pork Belly with Braised Fennel

The post where we shared our attempt at the slow roasted pork shoulder from Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook Cook With Jamie (thank you again Rose - Paul has made some incredible meals with your gift!) has been my most googled post of late. Well, now that this is up the hits should just go through the roof because it is another slow-roasted pork recipe. Based upon my site counter I can only assume that slow-roasted pork is all the rage in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Welcome to the blog folks.

Pork belly... for years the forgotten part of the pig, it is now making regular appearances on menus; along with lamb shanks and shin of beef, it is beginning to upstage the old faithfuls of sun-dried tomato and rocket. Or at least it is right up there with them. And rightly so, because slow-cooked pork belly is delicious: the crunchy crackling and the meltingly tender meat are a winning combination.

Jamie Oliver's recipe for the pork is fairly standard: rub it in fennel salt and roast it briefly in a hot oven to set the crackling off, then turn the oven right down and cook it slowly to tenderize the meat. But Jamie's recipe takes the fennel theme further: the pork is cooked on top of fennel bulbs tossed in thyme, olive oil and garlic. After an hour, add a bottle of white wine to the tray. The wine and the garlic, thyme and fennel make for a delicious sauce, which flavours the meat as it cooks. The meat emerges beautifully tender, the crackling sublime and the 'gravy' a winey, garlicky jus.

Jamie Oliver's Slow-roasted Pork Belly with Braised Fennel

1 4 - 5 lb pork belly
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 bulbs of fennel, cut into sixths, herby tops removed and reserved
a small bunch of thyme, leaves removed
5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
olive oil
1 750 ml bottle of wine

Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature.

Using an extremely sharp knife, score the skin of the pork belly in deep vertical lines. Try to get them as close together as possible and as parallel as possible.

Crush the fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon of sea salt until you have a fine powder. Massage this powder into the skin.

In a roasting pan toss the fresh fennel, thyme, garlic, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Place the pork belly (skin side up) on top.

Put the pan in the preheated oven. After 10 minutes turn the heat down to 325 degrees and roast the pork for a further hour.

After 1 hour at 325 degrees, remove the pan from the oven and drain off the fat. Add the white wine and stir.

Put the pan back in the oven for another hour.

Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the fennel from the pan using a slotted spoon. Keep it warm.

Put the pork back into the oven for a further hour until the skin is golden and crisp. If the wine starts to evaporate during this time, add a splash more wine, or a splash of water.

Allow the pork to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

Carve the meat into chunks and serve with on top of the braised fennel, a splash of jus, and the reserved fennel fronds sprinkled on top.

Jamie - are you listening? You may annoy me with your splashes of this, glugs of olive oil, and knobs of butter but this was bloody excellent! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup

We made this for the first course of our Easter dinner. After I posted a picture I was asked for the recipe. Jessica thought that it would be a great thing to make with some of the goat cheese she intends to buy when she is in provence in a few weeks. Lucky gal. Here you go Jessica!

This recipe was originally from the October 1999 Bon Appetit magazine. Based upon the information on their web site it looks as if it was a reader request recipe from Matt's in the Market in Seattle, Washington. I've made this many times before because it is one of those dishes that impresses the heck out of folks with little effort on your part. Everyone loves it.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup

2 tablespoons plus 6 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
1/3 cup dry Sherry
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

3 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed (I actually used six sheets this time to make a thicker crust)
1/2 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon mild-flavored (light) molasses

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Add Sherry wine vinegar, then Sherry; boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. Mix in 2 tablespoons parsley.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with 2 teaspoons oil. Top with second phyllo sheet; brush with 2 teaspoons oil. Top with third phyllo sheet. Sprinkle cheese along 1 long side of phyllo, 1 inch in from edge. Spoon mushroom mixture over cheese. Fold short ends over. Starting at long filled side, roll phyllo up tightly. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Using long sharp knife, score top of strudel through phyllo, making 8 evenly spaced cuts. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake strudel until golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil balsamic vinegar and molasses in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 2 1/2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Using serrated knife, cut hot strudel at score marks into 8 rounds. Drizzle balsamic syrup onto each of 4 plates. Place 2 slices of strudel over syrup on each plate.

Easter Sunday

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. I confess to not being a religious person and so this day doesn't have any real religious significance for me. It does, however, have family significance. It was a day to enjoy good times with family. It is impossible to get enough of that in my book!

We started off with a nice brunch, just Paul and I. We enjoyed french toast made from thick slices of raisin bread stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, blueberries, dried cranberries, lemon juice, and vanilla. With this we had some slow roasted peameal bacon. We also enjoyed some hot cross buns from the bakery and some cut up fruit. It was a great brunch with very little work on my part - even better!

 

Once we had eaten we cleaned up the dishes and cleaned the house. While Paul was doing his chores (I had done mine on Friday) I set the table and prepared the table favours.

Mom arrived at 4:30. We toasted the day with a Blues Martini and then started on our Easter hunt. The first clue for the hunt was in the Easter cards, the next 9 clues were hidden throughout the house and outside. I had threatened to put one on a rock in the creek near our house (so mom and Paul have been quite well behaved lately!) The last clue was attached the each of the cats' collars. Some might think it is a kind thought on my part to include the cats in the fun. Not so. I have fun watching them try and catch Victor and Beckett to get at that last clue. When they reach the final destination they each discovered a large basket full of goodies.

Here is an example of one of the clues:

Art reveals so many surprises

Today a picture from Italy, a silent cat, will reveal the next stage in your journey. Behind the door is clue # 7

The clue was on the back of a picture we brought back from Venice. You might think that this is obvious, I mean how many cat pictures could we have brought back from Italy? Three. Only one has a door in the picture though, hence the reference to a door. Easy and tricky, all at the same time, if you knew what you were looking for.

One of Paul's clues referred to a device we have used often with snow since November. He was convinced it was a shovel. Lord knows we have used those A LOT this year. He checked all of them two or three times. No clue. I told him that the device was outside in the back garden. He looked and said that there was no shovel there. I reminded him that the clue said nothing about being a shovel. Finally he got it - I was referring to the wooden snowman given to us by Dave and Rosanne which measures snow accumulation. It was gotten lots of use since November! With this clue in hand he continued on.

Our Easter baskets have changed over the years. As a child we were happy to have a basket full of chocolate. Now we are more apt to receive other treats. For example, the Easter Bunny must have known that Paul and I were both heading to Italy in 50 days because he left some euros in our baskets. Who needs chocolate - give me euros any day!

Nancy, Doreen, and Ed arrived at about 6. We sat in the living room and enjoyed an assortment of cheese and crackers. Doreen LOVES seafood so I had some shrimp for her. Paul uncorked a great cab which we had brought back from California in 2002.

The first course was a wild mushroom and goat cheese strudel with a balsamic reduction. I've made this many times before because it is one of those dishes that impresses the heck out of folks with little effort on your part. Everyone loved it.

Normally we serve the main course at the table, we have many serving dishes so it makes sense to pile them up with hot food and pass everything around family style. I decided to do something different and serve the food already plated. We had done a baked ham with a ginger rum glaze, brussel sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, and individual scalloped potatoes. In our family it isn't Easter dinner without egg bread so we had some of that as well. I put everything on the plates while Paul played waiter and delivered them to the table.

I think that the highlight was the butter lamb. Have you ever heard of a butter lamb before? I hadn't. We were in the grocery store in Buffalo a few weeks ago where we saw a huge sign advertising butter lambs for Easter. Inside the small box was a hunk of butter which had been molded into the shape of a lamb. Cloves were stuck in to form its eyes. It even had a jaunty red bow. As soon as I saw it I had to buy one. Everyone loved the lamb. Who knew a hunk of butter could have been such a conversation starter?

Dessert is always such a challenge for me. As a cook I am a savoury cook. I don't really enjoy the sweet side of things. Plus, when we have a dinner party we usually have so much food that I don't even want to eat dessert. We had to have somehting though. I decided that I wanted something spring-like (even if the weather is anything but) and light. I ended up making a rhubarb tort that a friend of ours made for us a few years back. It was easy and everyone loved it (even if the rhubarb filling was far more runny than I would have liked). It was a wonderful finish to a great meal.

Once everyone left Paul and I had 'our quiet time' which we always enjoy after a successful dinner party. When the dishes are cleaned and put away, we pour a glass of wine and quietly talk about the evening. It was a nice way to end a great day.

Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Zinfandel-Blackberry Compote

I knew that with the menu planned for Good Friday dinner we would be full by the time dessert rolled around. Because of that I planned a dessert I had been wanting to make for some time - I knew that it would be light and refreshing and it was.

This recipe originally appeared in the March 2006 edition of Cooking Light magazine. It was a finalist in their recipe contest in the dessert category. It was created by Camilla Saulsbury, Nacogdoches, TX . Camilla said at the time that she 'developed this light but rich-tasting dessert for a get-together dinner for fitness instructors.' Hmmm - if a dessert works for fittness instructors that it must be great!

Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Zinfandel-Blackberry Compote

Panna cotta:
2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Compote:
3 cups frozen blackberries, thawed and divided
1/4 cup zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 mint sprigs

To prepare panna cotta, sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Bring milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat; remove vanilla bean with a slotted spoon. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Stir seeds into milk mixture; discard bean.

Add gelatin mixture to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk until gelatin dissolves. Add sour cream and cardamom; stir until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among 8 (6-ounce) custard cups. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

To prepare compote, place 1 cup blackberries, wine, and granulated sugar in a food processor, and process until smooth. Strain the blackberry mixture through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan, and discard solids. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; add remaining 2 cups blackberries. Cool completely.

Loosen edges of custards with a knife or rubber spatula. Place a dessert plate, upside down, on top of each cup; invert onto plates. Serve with compote; top with mint sprigs.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 panna cotta, about 1/4 cup compote, and 1 mint sprig)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 219(32% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 6.6g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 218mg; SODIUM 89mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.3g

Camilla Saulsbury, Nacogdoches, Texas , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Jamie Oliver's Slow-cooked Duck Pasta

We have so many lasting memories of our 2006 trip to Italy. One of the things which always come to mind is the meal we enjoyed under the stars at the villa we rented in Tuscany. It was a mild October night. The stars were out, the the crickets chirped. You could smell the soft scents of the rosemary and olive trees in the wind.

Gabrielle and his family had outdone themselves. We sat at a long table.  Candles, protected from the soft winds in clear glass jars, hung from the olive trees, their flames flickering in the darkness. Laughter and wine flowed.  Soon Gabrielle and his girlfriend started to bring out the food that his family had spent all day preparing. Oh my!

It was to be one of the most amazing meals I ever remember! We ate, smiled, talked, and ate some more. Hours passed before we finished. It was a memory of italian life; the celebration of simple things - friendship, family, love, laughter, food, and wine, that I so adore about Italy.

I was clicking through blogs the other day and Sandi had a post about Festa Italiano.  Proud Italian Cook - Marie, and Maryann at Finding La Dolce Vita are hosting a Festa Italiana on March 22. As Sandi also declared, this is a party I didn't want to miss!

It is only going to be 52 days until we fly back to Italy (not that I am counting them down or anything . . .)

My contribution for Festa Italiano is this amazing pasta dish created by Jamie Oliver. I love sweet and sour dishes such as this one. It’s got orange, vinegar, raisins, and bacon, and it works together extremely well. The only downside was that I had to roast a whole duck and then pick the greasy meat off of its bones. I hate working with duck because it is so greasy. Oh well, given the amazing final results it was bloody worth it (as Jamie himself might declare)

Slow-cooked duck pasta

1 duck
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lb pasta (rigatoni or occhi di lupo work well)
2 knobs of butter
1 large handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
zest and juice of 1 orange
red wine vinegar

For the sauce:

olive oil
6 slices of pancetta, finely diced
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely diced
6 springs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2x14 oz cans of good quality plum tomatoes
1/2 a 750 ml bottle of fruity red wine (Valpolicella of Barbera works well)
chicken stock
a handful of raisins
a large handful of pinenuts

Preheat the oven 350ºF.

Stuff a duck with a quartered orange; rub the outside with olive oil, salt, and pepper; and roast, breast-side down in a roasting pan, for two hours, turning every 30 minutes. Let it cool, and pull off all the meat.

Pour some olive oil into a large pot. Fry the diced pancetta until golden. Add red onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, cinnamon stick, and sliced garlic cloves. Cook slowly until it all softens up (about 10 minutes). Add the plum tomatoes and red wine. Let simmer for about an hour. Shred the duck meat and add it to the sauce. Cook for another half hour, adding water or chicken stock if it becomes dry. Remove the cinnamon stick, and add a handful each pine nuts and golden raisins. Continue to simmer while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. Drain (preserving some of the cooking water).

Toss the pasta into the sauce. Stir in a knob of butter, a handful of grated Parmesan, the zest and juice of 1 orange, chopped parsley, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

Loosen the sauce with the reserved cooking water if necessary. Check seasonings. Served with a flurry of grated cheese and a sprinkle of parsley flakes.