Eating Out - Eating In

Last Friday, David, Kate, and I went to one of our favorite Italian cafes in the North End for a treat. I normally don't eat sweets, but it's really hard to resist sharing a piece of chocolate mouse cake with your husband, especially if you're drinking a delicious cappuccino. Kate boxed the rest of her cake and then we went and got her some more goodies at Mike's Pastry a few doors down. She was psyched!

Eating out, bringing food in, it's not something we do very often. But when we do, we try to stay within our dietary restrictions the best we can (cake and coffee aside). That means visiting restaurants that offer humanely raised options like b.good and Tasty Burger when I need my burger fix. It also means staying clear of ordering meat options when we decide to bring food in like Vegetarian Chili from our local pub and a wonderful Puttanesca sauce from another great Italian place a bit closer to home, Filho's Cucina.

Bringing food in can actually be the start of a wonderful meal without all the fuss. I ordered the Puttanesca sauce, made my own pasta and salad, and voila! A delicious meal without over-thinking what's-for-supper. In fact, I doctor a lot of ready-made foods and give myself a break when entertaining by buying dessert, an appetizer, or even part of the main meal.

However, there's nothing quite like making a big pot of something, especially this time of year. I know I'll make some soup (maybe this weekend) and chili soon enough, but the girls want apple pie and pumpkin bread, so I will happily start baking away before the weekend begins. In the meantime, here is a yummy recipe for that delicious sauce.

Puttanesca Sauce

This happens to be one of my favorite sauces to eat. Have you tried it? Tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies, onions and peppers in a wine infused marinara sauce ready to be sopped up by a crusty loaf of bread, is real comfort food. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. (Look up the origins of Puttanesca. It may surprise you!)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 anchovy filets, minced 

1 large (28 oz) can Roma plum whole tomatoes in juice, broken up 

3/4 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 Tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/4 cup red wine like Sangiovese or Chianti (optional)
Salt, to taste

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Add the wine and stir and drizzle with a bit more extra virgin olive oil.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

P.S. You may also enjoy Comfort Food and Pizza!