"puttanesca" news and stories

• The Frugal Gourmet theorized that pasta puttanesca was so named because prostitutes could prepare the dish between shifts, a legend supported by a recipe for a "super-pronto" version of the popular primi.
• Sorting, rinsing, draining and soaking are the necessary steps for a perfect pot of homemade beans.
• Spud lovers on low-carb diets can make "fauxtatoes" by mashing cauliflower with cream and butter.
• A new book on the history of Mobile eats reveals oysters and Greek cooks have always defined the coastal city's dining scene.

Apparently, New York's nickname should have been "Chicken Soup City" and not the "Big Apple." Ed Levine tasted his way through a fair number of the city's tremendous chicken soup offerings while searching for the perfect bowl. The secret? Use your grandmother's recipe as a starting point - it's what the pros do. And slurp up some of the best in the city when you have the chance.

Utilizing other parts of the chicken, a recipe from Chef David Kinch turns chicken livers into a confit which rivals the taste and texture of foie gras.

Columnist Alex Witchel managed to overcome a bad experience with a silver finger bowl and dish out some advice on dealing with the unfamiliar at a dinner party.

Mark Kurlansky sees the city in the oyster's half shell and the Minimalist, Mark Bittman, makes puttanesca.

[photo NYT]

Source