So, the first recipe in the book is "Pasta with Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Chilies." Ok, can I just say, I was VERY apprehensive about the whole anchovies thing. To me, anchovies and sardines are just things that do NOT belong in food. They just seem icky to me. But then again, Tell says I have a very 'limited' palate. So I have agreed to try at least a bite of everything that Tell makes during this "Becoming Ramsay" journey. *gulp* Maybe I should have looked through all the recipes first...
Okay so ingredients:
Spaghetti or linguine ($1-$2 depending on which brand)
Garlic ($2 approximately for a pound...you don't need a whole pound, I promise)
Olive Oil ($4 for a 12oz bottle)
One of those whole, dried chile peppers ($2 for a bag of them)
Anchovies (less than $2 for a small can)
Black Olives (pitted) (less than a dollar for a can)
Capers (which made me laugh because that was what chores were called at Girl's Camp as a kid)
Cherry Tomatoes ($4 for a package of them)
Sea salt and pepper
Basil Leaves (garnish, optional)
So as you an see, it was a WAY cheaper meal than the sirloin last week. That one about gave me a heart attack (and some wicked pregnancy heartburn!). Not all the recipes in here are going to break the bank (thank GOODness!) so it's easily something that anyone can do from home.
Preparation:
From what I understand, it was mostly like making a basic spaghetti dinner, just with weird, fishy ingredients. There was a super helpful tip that I hope Chef Ramsay won't mind me sharing from the book. The ex-English major in me says it's okay as long as I cite it properly and give credit where credit is due. So Chef Ramsay says, "Always use well-salted water to cook pasta because it is impossible to season later. The Italians always use 2 teaspoons salt for every quart of water. Adding olive oil to the cooking water is helpful, but if you really want to make sure that your pasta doesn't stick as it cooks, use plenty of water and twist the pan from side to side a few times to get the pasta swirling around just after you've put it in" (Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking 27). *Note: Yes, I am aware that is not correct MLA format for an internal citation but I really don't want to make a Works Cited page for one quote...sue me. Credit is given where credit is due, thank you Chef Ramsay.
The dish:
Okay, so like I said, I was a bit apprehensive about the anchovies in this dish. However, I can honestly say that I didn't even notice the anchovies. According to Tell, the anchovies are cut so fine that they really just melted into the olive oil more than anything so there weren't even like chunks of anchovies anywhere in the dish. To my "untrained" palate, I tasted mostly the basil garnish first. Maybe it's because I really like caprese salads and such so the basil really stood out to me. It mixed well though with the salty from the anchovies and the sweet of the cherry tomatoes. It was definitely an interesting combination of flavors. I am a fan of most things pasta as it is and this was something that I wouldn't mind trying again. I suggested that when Tell tries it again to maybe add mushrooms... not sure why and I could be totally off but I thought it would be good with them in it too.
Other than that, I would say this recipe was a success. Not much to fix or alter, and there was nothing under or overcooked about it, Week 2 in the bag! And now I won't have to eat anchovies again for a while (I looked ahead a few recipes, I'm safe for now!).
Until next week,
Cheers!
TaNee and Tell
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