For the love of cookbooks

I know that I have mentioned 101cookbooks.com before, its a great read on the exploration and experimentation that ultimate leads to an amazing recipe. I had never actually made any of the dishes from the blog though. For shame I know. The photography and write ups keep me extremely entertained on there own, so recommending the site without actually cooking didn't seem to devious.

So, last night I manned up and picked Heidi's "Five Minute Tomato Sauce Recipe" to make for Crystal. There was near zero time or monetary commitment for this meal, I had most of the ingredients already and as the recipe says "five minute". I put it over Penne and served it with cold water (exciting I know, I couldn't find Orangina at the store I went to). It was a hit, very light and simple given the hot summer weather. The next time I make it I will most likely cut back on the crushed red pepper flakes a bit (1 tsp vs 1 1/2 tsp) as they are intended to add kick to the meal, not dominate it.

I have always wanted to know how to make a quick and tasty tomato sauce from scratch. Canned sauces always feel like they are only going half way between bland and uninspired so I swore them off years ago. Crystal makes a killer meaty pasta sauce, that will warm you to the core in the winter months, but can make you feel like your 3 hours into to a Thanksgiving day nap in the summer. This recipe is just the ticket for last minute guest and great after a long day at work that would feel even longer should you spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen.

I will be trying more of the dishes from 101cookbooks.com in the coming weeks and will come here to share my successes and failures rest assured.