Dish | (Gluten Free) Linguine with Shrimp & Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Growing up with parents whose parents were raised in the south, they were taught to cook food to it's fullest. Sort of Paula Deen style, if you will. While I do agree that that particular kind of food is delicious, it's not necessarily how I choose to prepare things in my own kitchen, and definitely not the way I cook on a daily basis. I like to take my mother's recipes and tweak them from time to time, opting for organic or fresher ingredients I feel more comfortable serving Ryan and our friends.

On my recent trip to Seattle I had the chance to spend a few days with my beautiful sister Danielle and brother in-law Trenton. My sister was one of those kids that had every allergy known to man. We would joke that she was allergic to anything green, basically meaning the outdoors. She went through the allergy shots and that whole mess for years, just assuming that her life would be one miserable sinus cold for, well, forever! Eventually fed up and exhausted from being sick more times then she could count, she asked her doctor about food allergies to which he told her, "You're crazy! It's not that." Not something you want to hear from your doctor! So off she went, on a mission to prove this guy wrong. She felt confident that she had narrowed it down to alcohol, dairy and gluten. She eliminated all 3 from her diet, then slowly incorporated each one back in one at time over the course of 3-4 months. Alcohol was fine, dairy was hit or miss, but gluten was the winner. Since then her and Trenton have completely changed their eating habits in favor of a gluten free diet... and she's never felt better!

I am lucky enough to have no food allergies but last night I had the opportunity to cook for Peter, a friend of ours who chooses to be gluten free; and I just have to say it's starting to look extremely appealing. This recipe comes from Gluten Free Girl, a blog my sister recommended to me, which is full of healthy dishes and fantastic stories.

LINGUINE WITH SHRIMP & SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES  |  Recipe inspired by Gluten Free Girl

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced paper-thin
1½ pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1 pound dried gluten-free linguine
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup dry white white wine
Kosher salt or sea salt

1  |  To slow-roast the tomatoes: slice cherry tomatoes in half, spread across a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, pour a glug of olive oil over the top, then sprinkle salt and fresh thyme on top. Toss. Cook in a 275°F oven until the cherries are slightly shrunken and have released their juices, about 2 hours.

2  |  Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large frying pan over low heat. Cook the garlic slowly for 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened but now browned. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to combine them with the garlic slices. Cover the pan and let the tomatoes heat slowly for a few minutes.

3  |  Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain it from the pot, saving about 1 cup of the water. Immediately run cold water over the pasta, which stops the cooking process. Pour a glug of olive oil over the pasta and toss it.

4  |  Raise the heat under the frying pan to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until the shellfish have turned opaque. Raise the heat to high and pour in the wine. Let it bubble for a minute or so, or just until the shellfish are completely cooked. Scoop a ladleful of cooking water from the pasta pot and stir it into the frying pan. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Turn off the heat.

5  |  Transfer the pasta to the frying pan and gently toss the pasta and sauce to combine thoroughly, adding a splash or two more of the cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Transfer the dressed pasta to warmed shallow individual bowls and serve immediately.

Dish | Basil Pesto

My schedule has been off lately. I've been busy with work/freelance and mini vacations and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. I've barely been able to cook - which is driving me nuts - even though I have a pretty great list of ideas and projects written down just waiting to be checked off. I got out of work around 9 last night and the idea of making anything felt like a nightmare so I figured, "What's easy?" The answer: Basil Pesto!

Pesto can be used for so many things! It's great on pizzas or use it as a dip or sauce for different breads and pasta dishes. I was able to get everything I needed to make pesto linguine at the corner store on my walk home from work. Doesn't get any easier then that.

BASIL PESTO

4 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (almonds or walnuts work too)
2 garlic cloves, with the skin on
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1  |  In a medium size skillet, roast garlic cloves with the skin still on over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden; 2-3 minutes. Be sure to watch these guys carefully as they tend to burn quickly. Remove skillet from heat and let cool completely.

2  |  Place the basil in a food processor (highly recommended) or a mortar and pestle. Add the garlic, making sure you peel it first, then the pine nuts. At this point you can add the olive oil and lemon juice and pulsate the food processor in intervals of 5-10 seconds until everything starts to smooth out and blend together. If it's still too chunky you can add small amounts of olive oil to break it down.

3  |  Add the parmesan cheese. Give it one last good blend then add salt and pepper to taste. It's done!

From here you can add it to anything you want. I boiled up some linguine, gave it all a good toss and served it with a hunk of baguette on the side. Simple and delicious food at it's best.

Dish | Mac & Cheese

I have been meaning to post this for awhile. One of my all time favorite dishes is Mac & Cheese. I grew up eating the classic Kraft Mac & Cheese, but occasionally - mostly holidays - my grandmother would make classic homemade Macaroni & Cheese. Whenever I see recipes in cookbooks, magazines or on websites of this classic American dish, I like to take notes and jot down anything that catches my eye. Over the past few years and through many rounds of experimenting in the kitchen I have finally come to a recipe that I consider all my own.

MAC & CHEESE  |  Recipe inspired by my grandmother.

6 tablespoons butter, divided by 1/2
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound cremini (brown) mushrooms, stems removed
1 red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3 cups 2% milk
2 cups grated smoked gouda cheese
2 cups grated fontina cheese, divided by 1/2
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 ounces cavatappi pasta
1 cup breadcrumbs

1  |  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, sauté until translucent, roughly 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, red pepper, then flour. Stir constantly for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook and whisk occasionally until mixture begins to boil, roughly 5 minutes. Add 2 cups coarsely grated gouda and 1 cup fontina. Stir until cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne, nutmeg and cumin. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

2  |  Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil water in large pot over high heat. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Stir macaroni into warm cheese sauce. Place half of macaroni in dish; smooth top. Top with remaining 1 cup fontina cheese. Top with remaining macaroni mixture; spread evenly.

3  |  Melt 3 tablespoons butter. Place breadcrumbs in medium bowl. Pour butter over; toss. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over mac & cheese. Bake mac & cheese until breadcrumbs are golden and edges are bubbling, roughly 30-40 minutes.

Dish | Pear & Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Rosemary + 'Love' Pasta

These dishes are coming from a small impromptu dinner party I had last night. It was the perfect storm of friends and food and a few bottles of wine! Like I mentioned in my last post about pasta, I make it a few times a week and always make an effort to buy seasonally. The bruschetta was a random last minute decision but it all came together so perfectly!

I had gone to the store with my best friend Henry to buy wine and the ingredients for making pasta, but we completely spaced on appetizers until we got home and realized we wanted something to snack on while we cooked. Drinking and eating while I (or you) cook is a must! We decided to make bruschetta after reading Bon Appetit's The Toast with the Most: a beautifully photographed feature on bruschetta. Your options are relatively open so I decided on a whole wheat baguette with pears, black pepper goat cheese and fresh rosemary.

PEAR & GOAT CHEESE BRUSCHETTA WITH ROSEMARY

1 whole wheat baguette, sliced

1 pear, thinly sliced

1/4 cup goat cheese of your choice

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for drizzling

1  |  Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch sections. Brush baguette slices with olive oil. Top baguette with pear, goat cheese and a sprig of rosemary.

2  |  Bake until baguette is golden and goat cheese is perfectly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serves 4.

Now for the pasta! I've been making 'Love' Pasta for the past year or so. The first time I made it for Ryan he declared it would forever be known as Love Pasta. I guess that means he liked it? Since then I have made it for a handful of dinners and I have to admit, it has never disappointed. I put love into making it and have felt the love back from happy friends with full bellies. Enjoy!

'LOVE' PASTA aka PASTA WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS, BUTTER LETTUCE & PROSCIUTTO  |  Recipe inspired by Bon Appétit April 2009

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1/2 pound spring onions or green onions (dark green parts discarded); white parts cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, pale green parts cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 pounds peas in pods)
1 pound medium shell pasta
1 head of butter lettuce, cored, leaves cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese plus additional for sprinkling
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1  |  Melt butter with 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallot. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer; set aside.

2  |  Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 5-6 minutes. Add asparagus to pot of boiling water with pasta until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus. Add peas and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain everything, being sure to save 1 cup of the pasta water.

3  |  Reheat onion mixture. Add lettuce and stir just until wilted, about 1 minute. Add drained pasta, asparagus and peas; stir until heated through. Add 1 cup parmesan cheese to skillet with vegetables; toss, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle prosciutto over; drizzle with olive oil. Serve, passing more cheese alongside.

I'm eating leftovers as I write this! 

Dish | Linguine with Burrata Cheese, Spinach, Lemon, and Toasted Almonds

Pasta is my go-to simple dinner. I'd say I make pasta 1-2 nights out of the week. I love it because you can add almost anything to it which makes it fun and easy to cook seasonally. The different pairings of proteins or vegetables are almost endless. Of course there are some solid recipes I have on standby year-round, such as my Spaghetti Carbonara with Poached Eggs, but I'll save that for another time. The joy of just going to the market and grabbing a few random ingredients is what makes pasta so fun. You can't really mess it up if you're willing to try.



LINGUINE WITH BURRATA CHEESE, SPINACH, LEMON & TOASTED ALMONDS | Recipe inspired by Bon Appétit December 2004

1 pound linguine (you can really use whatever pasta you feel like)
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 cups spinach
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 pound burrata cheese, cut into medium chunks

Burrata is a luscious Italian cheese made by mixing cream and unspun mozzarella curds together (for a texture similar to ricotta): the mixture is then inserted into the center of a ball of fresh mozzarella. It can be found in some supermarkets, at specialty foods shops, and at Italian markets. Substitute fresh mozzarella if you can't find burrata.



1 | Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon peel. Drain pasta, transfer to a large bowl.

2 | Place spinach and almonds on top of hot pasta. Pour the hot butter, olive oil and lemon mixture over spinach. Toss until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Top with burrata cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve. Serves 4-6.

Dish | Spring/Summer Pasta Salad

Hi there! 

This is officially my first post on Design & Dishes! I'm excited to finally get this thing going, but I have to admit that choosing a topic to start with has been slightly more stressful then I anticipated. It came down to that not so ancient question: Design or Dish?  

Its been one of those perfect weeks here in San Francisco. Great friends, tons of sunshine and so many excuses for delicious foods and beverages! Some friends and I had spent a few hours on the roof of my apartment yesterday basking in the sun and sipping on Berger Gruner Veltliner white wine spritzers with rosemary lemonade. Starting the day with a liquid lunch meant dinner time was going to be early. Sure enough, 5:00 rolled around and I had a small army to feed. I knew I could feed 5 people for $20 if I made pasta. We all took a quick stroll through Hayes Valley being sure to stop at Arlequin Cafe for more wine, followed by a stop at Nabila's Market for the food. 

SPRING/SUMMER PASTA SALAD

So here it is. My first dish! This one is super quick and easy. My Pasta Salad recipe can be made 1-2 days in advance and is best if eaten cool or at room temperature. I used vegetables that are in season but feel free to substitute any of the veggies to suit your personal tastes. On a side-note: The Mozzarella pictured above was used for an appetizer. I think the recipe would be nice with Mozzarella, but I used Parmigiano Reggiano for this particular meal.

Rotini pasta

1 cup Asparagus trimmed and cut into 1in. sections

1 cup Green Beans trimmed and cut into 1in. sections

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved (I used Plum Tomatoes and removed the seeds)

1 can of pitted Kalamata Olives drained

Salami

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (I say use as much as you want)

Dressing

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Honey

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

1  |  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Don't forget to salt the water! Stir pasta occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Add Asparagus and Green Beans to boiling water with pasta. Cook for another 2-4 minutes until pasta is done and vegetables are done but slightly firm. Drain pasta and vegetables. Set aside in a large serving bowl making sure to stir often until it cools down.

Dressing: In a measuring cup whisk Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar and Honey together. Slowly add Olive Oil and whisk until completely blended. Add Salt and Pepper to dressing until it suits your taste.

2  |  Add half of the dressing to the pasta and stir. Refrigerate pasta for roughly 15 minutes. I like to use this time to chop the Tomatoes, drain the Olives, and slice up a package of Prosciutto or Salami. In this case I used Salami. I cut it into 1/4in. strips. 

3  |  Once the pasta has cooled, add the remaining ingredients and dressing. Give it a good tossing and add the cheese. Let is rest for another 5 minutes before serving and add any extra Salt or Pepper you like.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!