Salutations! Hello! Welcome!

I say these greetings to myself, because I know that as the lowly, run-of-the-mill, plebeian home-cook that I am, I have no fans, no followers, no viewers.

And that's ok with me. I'm pleased as punch that I've finally put this blog up. Although not very put together, at least it's up. I'm fiddling with the template as much as I, IT-constrained as I am, can. I know that in the not too distant future I will be able to turn this into something my children and grandchildren and I can enjoy, reviewing memories and recipes. Did I just say not too distant future? Umm scratch that. A long time from now.. I mean to say.

My only problem with my carefully curated list of recipes is that I have no photos to show! I'm really not that kind of gal who would take photos of food before I eat it. I just eat. And eat. And eat. Oh dear. I suppose I'll have to learn how to make my food look appetizing and luscious. And remember to take a darn photo of it to put up!

Until then my darlings, I leave you me with a recipe of the not-so-famous..

Michelle the Hung Wai Lee Pasta

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients: 

½ pound sausage,  or

½ pack bacon (or both, lets be serious. the more the merrier. Just add more sugar to balance the ! salt)

1 cup lightly packed Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped, reserve ¼ cup for garnish

3 pounds tomatoes – roma or vine-ripened

1/2 additional pound of tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar (more to taste)

¼ cup olive oil

if desired,
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley.

1 pack barilla spaghetti

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the 3 lbs of tomatoes into quarters and eighths. In a large bowl, mix tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread out onto a baking tray lined with foil, including the juices.

Bake in oven for 40-45 min, until the edges of the tomatoes are browned and the juices are heavily reduced. At this point in time, your whole kitchen will smell like heaven. 

Bring salty water in a tall pot to boil.

In a large pan, fry sausage with chopped onion (if using), remove and drain fat.

or/and
Bring bacon to the pan. Fry on medium heat until crisp, remove, drain and cut into pieces.

Cook pasta in the hard-boiling, salty water.

Remove stems of remaining 1/2lb of tomatoes, dice. 

Scrape baked tomatoes off the foil into a medium bowl, add the diced tomatoes and some sugar. Taste, add more sugar if needed and mix well. Mix in sausage and onion and chopped parsley.  Pour cooked pasta in, mix well to coat pasta.

Divide onto plates, top with parsley garnish and bacon.


loving note:

This pasta sauce (without the fresh tomatoes and parsley) keeps remarkably well in the freezer for up to half a year. Come summer, I find myself making large batches to freeze for quick, fuss-free meals.