Every time I see a new recipe for  sesame peanut noodles, I feel compelled to try it.  Somewhere out there, I know, is the elusive sauce with the ideal balance of lively spice and creamy texture that turns cold noodles and fresh vegetables into a feast.

Most of the recipes I’ve made, however, tend to turn out bland, stodgy and gloppy.  Once the sauce joins the cooled noodles, it congeals and becomes almost impossible to toss with the pasta.

For years, my best bet was Nina Simonds’ rainbow peanut noodle salad from “Asian Noodles” (Hearst Books, 1997).  It was always a hit at potlucks and summer picnics with its creamy dressing and generous helpings of crisp vegetables, but it lacked the spark I craved.  I wanted the undercurrent of lime and tingle of chile that make Thai cuisine so irresistible.

During an extremely hot spell this month, though, I began experimenting with my own sauce, bumping up the heat with ginger and red chile sauce (I like sriracha in the plastic squeeze bottle with a rooster on it) while introducing the zing of fresh lime juice.  The ingredients are available in most supermarkets. (more…)

This was not the greatest tomato season where I live. Until the last couple of weeks, the weather was just too cool for regular size tomatoes to ripen properly.  But the cherry tomatoes have been just fine.

So, more often than not, when I’ve wanted a  quick and easy pasta sauce with the tang of fresh tomatoes this season, I’ve turned to the beautiful little Sweet 100s or orange Sun Golds lined up in baskets at the farmers market.  Not only do they add a bright shot of flavor to every dish, they don’t need chopping or peeling. (more…)

If mention of olive oil turns your thoughts to Italy, it’s time to expand your horizons.  Some of the freshest most flavorful olive oil on the market today comes from California.

For more than two decades the state’s  boutique producers of high end oils have been getting all the attention.  One of the most popular and widely distributed, McEvoy Ranch, commands more than $20 for a 12.7 ounce bottle of its  intense, pungent oils from Tuscan varieties of olives.

Now, California is building a reputation for high quality oils delivered at a more modest price, thanks to intensive planting techniques, mechanical harvesting and a proliferation of high tech mills.   Although many may be familiar with the oils from the mammoth California Olive Ranch, with mills in Oroville and Corning, far fewer are likely to recognize the products of the state’s number two producer, Corto Olive.  That’s because most of its oil production is bottled under private labels for the likes of Zabar’s and Sam’s Club. (more…)

Life has thrown me a few curve balls in recent days.  One of the most inconvenient was the loss of power, water and access to the files on my desktop computer for nearly a week.

I do have an appetizing food photo to go with this post, truly I do.  Sadly, it’s still locked up on the other computer, though. So I’m going to beg your indulgence and offer this shot of the culprit in all this—the 200-year-old fir tree that decided to depart this life during a blustery storm last week.  It uprooted and fell with a tremendous thud, crushing our water tank, blocking the road and taking down power and cable lines.

Thankfully, I had already worked out this recipe for oricchette with broccoli rabe.   Just thinking about this dish brightens my day.

It’s a variation on the Italian classic and one of the best ways I know to use that leafy vegetable also known as rapini.  The name of the pasta translates to “little ears” and the wilted greens of the sauce cling nicely to the small, cupped shapes.  Penne, ziti or rotelle will do the job nearly as well, however, if you can’t find oricchete at your market. (more…)

As summer begins to wind down and the days get shorter, even dedicated cooks would rather spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing outside while we still can.

This colorful pasta, bursting with the bold flavors of ripe tomatoes, olives, capers, and — yes — anchovies, has become one of my summer favorites.  It’s super simple, versatile, and only requires enough time in front of the stove to boil a pot of pasta. (more…)