Growing up in a family of six kids meant a lot of hungry mouths to feed! My mom's delicious cooking really whetted my appetite to create meals as yummy as hers (my dad had a few tricks up his sleeve too), but it wasn't until I was living on my own that I began to cook... Read more.
A few months ago, I spent some time doing volunteer work in Kenya through the volunteer agency International Volunteer HQ. I stayed with a Kenyan family and volunteered at an orphanage, Internally Displaced Persons camps, and with the Masai (warrior tribes in Kenya). It was an extremely moving experience. Read more.
I travel a lot. I mean, A LOT- mostly for work. Recent trips have included Israel, Florida and Montreal, and upcoming in the next few weeks are Chicago, Thailand, back to Israel, Cuba, possibly Hong Kong, and whatever else comes up. I’m always either just getting back from a trip, or gearing up to leave- and sometimes both at once.
…continue reading Cleaning Out the Fridge Chicken Soup
Anything Goes Salami Spaghetti
After two months travelling back and forth to London (UK), Cuba, Arizona, Montreal, Vancouver, Kelowna, Seattle and Israel, I’m finally home for a while, and thoughts of potential gastronomical delights taunt me.
In our goodie bag from IFBC, we received a Creminelli Tartufo handcrafted Italian salami with black truffle. I was eager to experiment with it, and also wanted to use up some other leftover ingredients, so I decided to cook up a big plate of spaghetti with a sauce incorporating the loose ends in my fridge. The salami was delicious so of course I forced myself to *sample* while cooking. It was all I could do to save some for an antipasti plate later, and for Chris to have some.
Tartufo Salami and fresh basil from my garden. The cutting board is also from our IFBC goodie bags.
Feel free to alter the recipe as you deem fit. The point is to make it work with your tastes and what you have lying around. I haven’t included amounts as everything is to taste! This spaghetti is REALLY good. The flexibility of the recipe and sheer deliciousness ensures this won’t be the last time it graces my table.
Anything Goes Salami Spaghetti
Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente (still slightly firm). Drain, put aside. Return pot to stove over medium- low heat. Add tomato sauce (jarred or home-made) and cream and mix together. Add whatever ingredients you want; I added sliced mushrooms, green olives, chopped salami, and lots of fresh basil, which I grow in my kitchen potted herb garden. Stir and heat through.
Sauce coming together
Put spaghetti on plate. Pour sauce over top. Garnish with additional basil leaves. Enjoy with a nice glass of your preferred wine.
