12.03.11: dinner (orecchiette with sun-dried tomatoes, tarragon, veal stock and some other stuff)
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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOrecchiette%20with%20Tomato,%20Tarragon%20and%20Prosicutto%20di%20Parma%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou%20know%20how%20when%20you%20make%20a%20tomato%20sauce%20and%20there%E2%80%99s%20all%20of%20those%20dark%20red%20or%20purple%20bits%20on%20the%20side%20of%20the%20pan?%20I%20want%20to%20make%20this%20sauce%20taste%20like%20that.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%E2%80%93Michael%20on%20the%20way%20home%20from%20Fairway%20after%20I%20nagged%20him%20to%20death%20about%20his%20super-secretive%20sauce%20idea.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%E2%80%99s%20been%20a%20while,%20hasn%E2%80%99t%20it?%20I%20wish%20I%20had%20some%20profound%20reason%20for%20our%20collective%20silence,%20but%20to%20be%20honest,%20it%20boiled%20down%20to%20not%20feeling%20terribly%20inclined%20to%20write%20about%20food.%20The%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20leaves%20me%20with%20nothing%20to%20say%20about%20holiday%20cooking%20since%20we%E2%80%99re%20not%20the%20ones%20cooking%20it,%20and%20we%20have%20to%20travel,%20and%20frankly%20I%E2%80%99m%20over%20writing%20about%20various%20squashes%20and%20how%20good%20they%20are%20with%20sage%20and%20rosemary%20and%20waxing%20endlessly%20on%20the%20deliciousness%20of%20roasted%20vegetables..%20Yeah%E2%80%93they%20are%20all%20awesome.%20We%20know%20that.%20Let%E2%80%99s%20move%20on.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOver%20the%20course%20of%20the%20fall%20Michael%20and%20I%20have%20been%20tweaking%20red%20sauces%20fairly%20often,%20in%20part%20to%20rebel%20against%20the%20beige-ness%20of%20what%20tends%20to%20be%20made%20this%20time%20of%20year.%20This%20is%20a%20dish%20that%20evolved%20from%20that%20culinary%20puttering%20(see%20Michael%E2%80%99s%20quote%20above)%20as%20well%20as%20a%20very%20intense%20desire%20to%20have%20a%20sun-dried%20tomato%20pesto%20with%20orecchiette%20after%20a%20rather%20silly%20conversation%20on%20Twitter%20(see%20the%20%23pastawar%20tag%20to%20see%20what%20I%20mean).%20Michael%20completely%20ran%20with%20it%20and%20flatly%20refuesd%20to%20give%20me%20the%20details%20of%20what%20he%20was%20thinking%20as%20he%20gathered%20ingredients%20at%20Fairway.%20Bastard.%20But%20I%20trusted%20him%20because%20he%20had%20a%20vision,%20and%20that%20vision%20included%20prosciutto%20di%20Parma,%20and%20there%20was%20no%20way%20I%20was%20going%20to%20object%20to%20any%20of%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20I%20love%20most%20about%20this%20sauce%20I%20think%20is%20how%20weird%20it%20is:%20it%E2%80%99s%20not%20a%20traditional%20red%20sauce%20by%20any%20stretch%20of%20the%20imagination,%20nor%20is%20it%20in%20any%20shape%20a%20pesto,%20but%20it%20works%E2%80%93and%20more%20importantly,%20it%20works%20without%20needing%20to%20get%20a%20lot%20of%20exotic%20or%20incredibly%20expensive%20ingredients%20(OK,%20the%20veal%20stock%20may%20not%20be%20readily%20available,%20but%20everything%20else%20should).%20It%E2%80%99s%20also%20not%20terribly%20difficult:%20you%20saute%20the%20garlic,%20add%20in%20the%20tomato%20paste,%20stock,%20wine,%20Worcestershire%20and%20oyster%20sauces%20and%20let%20it%20reduce,%20reduce,%20reduce%20until%20it%E2%80%99s%20a%20thick,%20deep-brick-red%20color.%20Let%20it%20cool,%20then%20puree%20with%20the%20dried%20tomatoes%20and%20tarragon%20and%20toss%20with%20freshly%20cooked%20orechiette%20and%20the%20prosciutto.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOrecchiette%20with%20Sun-Dried%20Tomato%20Sauce%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EServes%204-6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E8%20oz%20of%20prosciutto%20di%20Parma,%20sliced%20(but%20get%20it%20sliced%20a%20little%20thicker%20than%20you%20would%20normally%20so%20it%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20completely%20fall%20apart).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBring%20the%20olive%20oil%20to%20medium%20heat%20in%20a%20small%20saucepan%20and%20add%20the%20garlic.%20Saute%20until%20fragrant,%20and%20then%20add%20the%20tomato%20paste,%20cooking%20for%20a%20minute%20or%20two,%20and%20then%20deglaze%20with%20the%20stock,%20red%20wine,%20Worcestershire%20and%20oyster%20sauce,%20add%20in%20the%20onion%20powder,%20stir%20to%20combine%20and%20let%20it%20simmer%20and%20reduce%20for%20about%20a%20half-hour%20or%20so%E2%80%93the%20idea%20is%20that%20you%20want%20to%20get%20it%20to%20a%20nice,%20deep%20red%20color%20and%20it%20will%20go%20back%20to%20being%20a%20paste%20rather%20than%20a%20sauce.%20Remove%20from%20the%20heat,%20and%20either%20in%20a%20food%20processor%20or%20an%20immersion%20blender%20cup%20combine%20the%20mixture%20with%20the%20tomatoes%20and%20tarragon%20and%20blend%20until%20a%20smooth%20paste.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMeanwhile,%20bring%20a%20large%20pot%20of%20water%20to%20boil,%20salt%20it%20well,%20and%20cook%20orecchiette%20to%20package%20directions,%20about%208-11%20minutes.%20Reserve%20at%20least%20a%20cup%20of%20the%20starchy%20pasta%20water%20as%20the%20pasta%20cooks.%20When%20al%20dente,%20drain%20the%20pasta%20and%20return%20to%20the%20pan,%20stirring%20the%20red%20sauce%20into%20the%20orecchiette%20(and%20use%20some%20of%20the%20pasta%20water%20to%20help%20the%20sauce%20coat%20if%20needed)%20along%20with%20the%20prosciutto.%20Serve%20immediately%20in%20pasta%20bowls%20with%20g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