I’m more often described as “ham-fisted” than “green-fingered“. Despite my obvious lack of talent in the garden, I’ve managed to grow a staggering amount of basil in pots on my window sill. A few weeks ago, I got a rush of blood to the head in B&Q and invested in a propagator tray and a packet of basil seeds. Moderation has never been my strong point, so I sowed all of the seeds at once and now I’m left with an obscene amount of the said herb. I don’t know what variety of basil I’ve got; it’s certainly not the Genovese variety, but I’m hoping it will still taste as good.
I’m determined to use every last leaf, but there’s only so much pesto a man can eat. So what do I do with it all? Here is my short-list of culinary possibilities so far:
“Send a salami to your boy in the army…”
A buddy of mine is off to New York for some sightseeing and I’ve given him a few restaurant recommendations. Among them is “Katz’s Deli”, an iconic sandwich shop situated in the Lower East Side. It’s probably more famous for it’s appearance in the 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally” (remember the orgasm scene?) than the amazing sandwiches and hot dogs it sells. Forget the Meg Ryan connection and the celebrity photos which adorn the walls, get down to Katz’s Deli for the food.
This place buzzes all day long. The queues are long, the atmosphere is a little chaotic, but trust me, it’s worth it. Huge, spicy pastrami sandwiches are the house speciality, slathered with mustard and accompanied by a large dill pickle. Makes you feel like you’ve truly arrived.
Katz’s Deli [website]
205 E. Houston Street, New York
We love “Spag Bol” in our house. If I was a real food blogger, I would have called this post “ragu”. But I don’t have a problem with accompanying this great sauce with spaghetti, so spaghetti bolognese it is. What I am precious about, and have been for many years, is not using that crappy red gloop you buy in jars.
This recipe is the real deal. Good quality minced beef and pork, a good vegetable base, some wine, tomato passata and a few herbs transform this innocent sounding dish into something truly special. If you try this recipe I promise you’ll never cook a “bol” in any other way.
Ingredients
- 450g minced beef
- 450 minced pork (or use 800g of beef with 100g smoked bacon pieces)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 small courgette, finely chopped
- 500g tomato passata
- 250ml beef stock
- 1 glass wine (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- pinch of sugar
- handful of fresh basil (optional)
- Parmesan cheese
Method
- Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole. Add the onion and fry until golden.
- Add the minced beef and pork and fry hard until brown, then add the garlic and fry for a minute more.
- Add the chopped vegetables and fry for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the basil. Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to the boil, cover the saucepan, then reduce the heat and leave on a very gentle simmer for 45 minutes. Don’t be tempted to shorten the cooking time - this is important to let the flavours deepen.
- Cook a batch of your favourite spaghetti (I like to use De Cecco) and add to the sauce. Add the torn basil leaves at this point, if using. Taste for seasoning and add some extra salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve in deep bowls with a generous handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4-6.
I’m just back from an extended visit to London where I (surprise, surprise) checked out a few more of the city’s finest restaurants - everything from gourmet burgers to 3-star tasting menus. I hope to have a couple of reviews up here within the next few days, so check back soon. Plenty of photos too, got to have the photos…
The above picture shows one of my favourite dishes from the trip - Gordon Ramsay’s “Pressed foie gras with Madeira jelly, smoked duck, peach and almond crumble“.
