Angel Hair Pasta with Hot Cherry Tomatoes

This unbelievably delicious pasta dish is adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe for bruschetta with spicy tomatoes. I tweaked the recipe a bit and substituted the bread for angel hair pasta to make a meal that is perfect for entertaining- you can whip it up in about 15 mintues but it tastes like it's been cooking for hours (I'm not lying, seriously it does). We like ours extra hot, but you can always use less crushed red pepper flakes if you like your dish not as spicy.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt
• 1/2 pound dried angel hair
  
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• a handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup-3/4 cup grated parmesean cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add one tablespoon of salt and a splash of olive oil to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 minutes; then add the tomatoes and season with salt, to taste, and toss to coat in oil.
3. Cover the pan, raise heat slightly and cook until the tomatoes burst, about 10-15 minutes.
4. While the tomatoes are cooking, add the angel hair to the pot of boiling water and cook according to directions on package. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.
   
5. Remove lid from tomatoes, squish any left over whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon and let thicken, about 1 minute.
   
6. Stir in the parsley and basil, adjust the seasoning and remove from heat.
7. Transfer pasta and 1/8 cup pasta water (or more depending on how dry your pasta is) into pan with tomato mixture, combining well.
8. Add parmesan cheese and toss all together.
9. Serve with extra basil sprinkled on top and a bowl of extra grated parmesan on the side. Bon appetit!!

Johnny's Jazzed-up Egg and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich

Don't let the name fool you- this is delicious for lunch as well- we've even had it for dinner on occasion. We microwave our bacon, which my parents always did growing up (I think it gets rid of some unneeded bacon grease). This couldn't be an easier recipe, and it tastes so good that we make it about 2-3 times a week. The recipe makes two whole sandwiches. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• Jewish Light Rye Bread, four slices (any sliced bread of your liking will do)
• two eggs
• one avocado
• sliced bacon, 4-6 slices (we use turkey bacon, b/c it's higher in protein and healthier)
• few tomato slices
• few leaves of lettuce
• handful of alfalfa sprouts (optional)
• super easy spicy aioli spread (recipe follows)
  

Super easy spicy aioli spread:

• 1/2 mayonnaise (we use dairy-free mayo, which I highly reccomend- it's healthier than regular mayo and tastes delicious)

• about one tablespoon of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (adjust to your liking- we use about one tablespoon but we like our spread spicy. If you don't already have Sriracha lying around in your pantry, you can pick it up at practically any grocery store in the International Foods Section. It's cheap and useful for spicing up lots of other dishes- we use it all the time).

• To make spread, just mix both ingredients together untill well combined. That's it!
  

Sandwich assembly:

1. Lay slices of bacon on a microwavable-safe plate that has been covered with a paper towel. Cook for as long as it takes depending on your microwave- the bacon should be crispy but never burned. It takes us about 6-8 minutes to cook the bacon, flipping the slices once on each side.
   
2. In the meantime, heat a frying pan lightly coated with olive oil on medium heat. When pan is hot, fry both eggs to your preference. Don't forget to sprinkle them with salt and pepper!
3. This would be a good time to put the slices of bread in the toaster.
4. Slice up a tomato, and avocado- reserving one half of the avocado for each sandwich.
   
5. Spread spicy aioli liberally on all slices of bread. Lay an egg on one slice of toast and follow on top in this order: bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce and alfalfa sprouts.
   
6. Cover with final slice of bread and bon apetit!
   

here's to new beginnings...

I've decided to start a blog because my kitchen drawer is starting to overflow with too many recipes. They are scribbled on bits and pieces of paper, receipts, even a few napkins. Most of them are covered in stains that mark a successfully made meal, their edges curled over with too much use.

For me, cooking is a daily ritual. It's like breathing. I can't go on without it! It makes me sad when people are afraid to use their own kitchen, or when they say things like "I don't have time to cook" or "It's too complicated". The thing is, cooking can be anything you want it to be. It can be a slow meal, simmering all day in a giant pot; or it can be a quick fix when you're in a hurry but is just as delicious. Either way, cooking doesn't have to be complicated and ANYONE can make time in their lives to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

After years of cooking for family and friends and seeing their faces light up from something they've just tasted, I've realized that I want to share the joy of cooking on a much bigger level. I want to share it with all of you. This will be a place where you can find recipes for meals that make you feel good, on the inside and the outside- whether it entails fresh vegetables from the summer farmer's market or making use of your pantry by sprucing up winter dishes with spices.

Renaissance means 'rebirth'. I want this blog to be a way for me to share some ubelievable food memories, in hopes that the rest of you will make your own, creating your own "renaissance in the kitchen".