The Doubting Doug

The Doubting Doug - Our Summer House Cocktail

Douglas, who is married to Sharyn (a fantastic cook) and is a dab hand in the kitchen himself, has an elegant palate. He prefers gin to vodka. (Who doesn't?) And, I agree it’s almost impossible to beat a Plymouth Gin & Fever Tree Indian Tonic on a hot summer's day. But the drink I named The Doubting Doug, which comes with two caveats, is a revelation to us Gin & Tonic drinkers and does just that (even though Doug doesn't believe me).

First, you must use Fever Tree MEDITERRANEAN Tonic; second, you must use half a lime for each drink.  

Just give it a try.   

The Doubting Doug
For one drink

 

Squeeze half a lime into an old-fashioned glass. Fill the glass with ice then pour one shot of vodka (we use Tito’s) over the ice. Top with chilled Fever Tree  MEDITERRANEAN Tonic.  Stir with a bar spoon and plop the spent lime half into the drink.  

Sharyn & Douglas

Douglas on Thanksgiving in his clan tartan

Pasta Sorta Norma

This recipe is from Rachel Roddy's blog, Rachel Eats. She is the writer of three cookbooks, all of which I like very much. In fact, in a library of over thirteen hundred books, her book Five Quarters is literally my favorite cookbook. If I could have only one, that would be it because I can read from it like a novel and cook delicious meals from it too.

Her books were all published in England before being published here, and I have the English versions in my library. I recently got a copy of the American edition of her newest book, An A - Z of Pasta, to gift for Christmas, and I am surprised, but it is even more beautiful than the English edition. I'm having trouble giving it away. The question is (always) do I need two?

This recipe, inspired by, but not, Pasta Alla Norma, a dish typical to Catania in Sicily, is from her blog. I call it Pasta Sorta Norma.

This was my favorite new dish of summer 2022. When I’m making it for 2, I use one small Italian eggplant (about 8 ounces), but I do not change the amount of tomatoes.

I prefer Pecorino Romano cheese here over the Parmesan or ricotta salata.

Pasta with Eggplant, Tomato, Basil, and Cheese
Pasta Sorta Norma

Adapted from Rachel Eats by Rachel Roddy

This would be enough for 8 ounces of pasta.

1 eggplant (I use 1 small Italian, not Japanese, eggplant  weighing about 8 ounces.)

Extra virgin olive oil.

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thick slices

400g tinned plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (I squish them by hand.)

Salt

Fresh basil (If you don't have fresh basil, do not substitute dried; just skip it.)

Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan, or ricotta salata (I prefer the pecorino Romano)

Short pasta - penne works well. 

Cut the spiky cap from the eggplant, and then cut the eggplant into 1 cm thick slices. (A centimeter is slightly more than 1/4 of an inch.) Cut the slices into 1 cm cubes, first cutting in one direction, then perpendicular in the other. 

Cover the bottom of a sauté pan with 1 cm of olive oil, and warm over a medium/high flame. Once the oil is quite hot, add a single layer of eggplant, and cook until tender and golden, then remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate. (Because I use such a small eggplant, it all fits in a 3-quart sauté pan. If all your eggplant isn’t cooked, continue cooking the eggplant in batches until it is all done.)

You should still have some olive oil in the pan; if not, add some more. You want about 4 tablespoons. Once the olive oil has cooled a little, add the garlic and cook until lightly gold and fragrant – do not let it burn, or it will be bitter.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often and pressing gently with the back of a wooden spoon, until thick and saucy but not dry. Add salt to taste. Add the eggplant cubes to the tomatoes, cook for another minute or so, then pull from the heat, and STILL OFF THE HEAT add a handful of fresh torn basil leaves. Do not substitute dried basil. If you don't have fresh, leave it out.

Meanwhile, having brought a large pan of water to the boil, add salt, stir, and then add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain or scoop the pasta and add to the sauce and stir.  I add the cheese and stir before serving rather than sprinkling it over the pasta after it is plated.  

Things I Like

 From Gustiamo

As of today, 9/27/24, Gustiamo has a maximum shipping cost of a little under $20 no matter the weight. They usually have a sale the Monday after Thanksgiving with free shipping as a promotion, which they alert customers to in advance, so I order whatever I need at that time and send some Christmas presents.

These tomatoes and

These tomatoes

Porcini Mushrooms They pack them in a smaller amount, but since I make this Rigatoni with White Bolognese regularly, I like to have them on hand. 

Faella pasta, specificaly bucatini, penne, linguine trenette, all of which I buy in 5.5-pound bags, and toffe, which I buy in a 1.1-pound bag and which I use for a particular Marcella Hazan recipe, Pasta Shells with Sausage. The Faella penne is not penne rigate - the penne with ridges.

From Buon'Italia

This is where I get the rest of my pasta,  Pastaficio Setario, specifically spaghetti chitarra, penne rigati, rigatoni, mezi rigatoni, vermicelli, spaghettini (it's very thin) and a little shape called nodi marini (marine knot), which stays delightfully chewy. 

I learned about Pastaficio Setaro from Luisa, The Wednesday Chef. At the time, like she, I was able to go to Buonitalia to buy it myself at Chelsea Market. If you check out that link of hers, read it to the bottom and find the hidden recipe for spaghetti with ricotta. It's a gem.

From Anchored Shrimp

I order IQF shrimp 21-25 per pound and always keep them in my freezer. They are wild Georgia shrimp. This is a family owned and operated company. The shrimp are delicious, but the shipping can be expensive because you should get the red (two-day) shipping if you are in a zone for it. It's worth it. Having these in the freezer is like money in the bank. These are shrimp - no salt, no preservatives, nothing but shrimp - delicious shrimp.

From Kalustyan's

From here I get real Hungarian Sweet Paprika, house brand sweet mango chutney, house brand hot mango chutney (not really hot), and basmati rice in 10-pound bags.

From Amazon

Casina Rossa Fennel & Salt I always have this in the house. It is coarse, basically a finishing salt, but I blitz half of it in an electric coffee grinder and keep it in a spice bottle to sprinkle and leave the rest coarse. I use it in many things but most often with pork - especially on ribs, and on pork loin roast. I love it and often gift it.

Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base - This is readily available in my market. I use it if I don't have my own chicken stock and lots of times add a dot of it to things for its umami flavor.

Links are not affiliate.

Shrimp & Scallions

 Joanne Chang is a baker and the owner of Flour Bakery and Cafe in Boston and Cambridge, MA, and co-owner with her husband, Christopher Myers, of Myers & Chang, an "Asian-ish" restaurant in Boston. She has written four cookbooks, Flour, Flour Too, Pastry Love, and Myers and Chang at Home. 

I always have IQF wild Georgia shrimp, jumbo (21 to 25 per pound) in my freezer. They are shipped to me from Anchored Shrimp Company, a family-owned and operated seafood company in Brunswick, GA. They are shrimp - no preservatives, no salt, no anything but shrimp. Having them in the freezer is like having money in the bank.  

Mrs. Chang's Stir-Fried Shrimp & Scallions
Adapted from Myers & Chang by Joanne Chang

For 4

When I make this for two, I use 3/4 pound of shrimp - 9 shrimp per person. I don't decrease the sauce.

1-1/2 pounds large (21 to 25 shrimp per pound) shrimp
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger (about a 2-inch knob)
2 to 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large egg whites
A pinch (what I use) of red pepper flakes*
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup stock, chicken or vegetable (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base.)
1 tablespoon sugar (I use Domino Golden.)
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Tiny splash of light soy sauce
Black pepper to taste
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use grapeseed.)
4 or 5 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

*The recipe calls for 1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, so adjust accordingly to your taste.

You can cook this recipe in a wok or a large, heavy flat-bottomed skillet.

Combine the shrimp, ginger, garlic, egg whites, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch in a large bowl and mix well. In a small bowl whisk together the ketchup, stock, sugar, salt, pepper, and the remaining1 teaspoon cornstarch until well combined.

Heat the vegetable oil in your pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the shrimp start to turn pink and get a little crispy around the edges. If your heat is high enough, this will take about 1 minute.

Add the ketchup mixture, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn the heat off, stir in the scallions, and serve immediately with rice. I use basmati.