We live in a row house in Boston, with only 6 units in our particular building. There are three floors, two condos on each floor, so essentially we only have one neighbor who lives across the hall from us, all of the other dwellers in the building live below us. In the 10 months that we have lived in our new place we have become pretty good friends with the neighbor across the hall, A, who is our age, and is a cardiologist. We've taken to just calling him "the cardiologist" and everyone knows who we are talking about. Most of the time I'm pretty happy with what I've done with my life, but then A comes home and he's the same age as me, and he saved lives everyday and well, I take people out to eat. Oh well. I like to cook a lot and he's a bachelor, so I leave little treats on his doorstep for him. Cookies, biscotti, etc. He sometimes works late shifts at the hospital so it's a nice surprise for him when he comes home to have something waiting on his doorstep. So it was great the morning before Christmas Eve when CB and I got up and opened the door and he had left a bottle of Belvedere vodka on the doorstep with a note saying that we were the best neighbors he could have asked for. A few days ago I got my first issue of Cooks Illustrated (I absolutely love this publication) and there was a spread on Perfecting Penne alla Vodka I thought how serendipitous, I have a lovely new bottle of vodka with which to make this great recipe. And because A, "the cardiologist" was the reason that I had said bottle, we asked him over for dinner. This was an absolute awesome recipe and so very easy to make. Please try this at home. The recipe is also further enhanced if you make yourself a martini with the vodka first, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe. Bottoms Up. Recipe: If possible use premium vodka, inexpensive vodka will taste harsh in this sauce (as said my ATK blind taste testers) 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved 2 Tbs olive oil 1/2 small onion minced (about 1/4 c) 1 Tbs tomato paste 2 medium garlic cloves minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/3 C vodka (I used Belvedere) 1/2 C heavy cream (I used light) 1 lb penne pasta 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh basil Grated parmesan for serving Puree half of the tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed tomatoes and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around the edges, about three minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes to vigorous. Stir in cream and cook umtil hot, about 1 minute. Add pasta sauce to penne pasta that has been cooked to al dente. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, top with parmesan.
There’s nothing better than a dinner that you can have on the table in 30 minutes and tastes delicious! This Easy Pepper Steak starts with Swanson® broth for fabulous flavor. Simmer the beef with peppers and onions and serve with white rice to soak up the wonderful flavors. A perfect meal that can be prepped ahead to make weeknight meal planning easier. Click on “recipe tips” below for complete instructions.
This is the exact recipe we used at a local steakhouse where I worked for 15 years. It is great on pretty much any meat. You will probably want to use the conversion tool to make smaller batches. However, it will hold for a long time so if you like it make a nice big batch.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Andre Champagne. All opinions are 100% mine. This sweet strawberry and champagne cocktail is the perfect way to make any occasion special. Despite the fall home tour I shared on Monday and pumpkin latte recipes floating around these days, the reality in my neck...
Just wanted to share this delicious recipe from Lidia Bastianich with you - Buon Gusto!
This effortless tomato rigatoni pasta recipe comes together with a splash of heavy cream and melted butter that makes it creamy and luxurious. Plus, it's table-ready in just 45 minutes.
Looking for a great recipe? Your search is over! Try this delicious Spaghetti Carbonara, it's so good!
Chicken fried steak is a classic of southern comfort food. This recipe gives you an amazing, crispy, seasoned crust. Plus, with our new Thermapen IR, you can get all the temps for this dish right, using just one tool.
An easy all-natural favorite for seasoning almost anything.
Some people call it country fried steak while others call it chicken fried steak. But by either name its delicious. It doesn't matter if you call it country fried steak or chicken fried steak its delicious by either name. Country Fried Steak is...
Irish Chicken with Cabbage, Potatoes, Bacon and Onions
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken recipe is easy and healthy way to make homemade rotisserie style chicken! Delicious homemade rotisserie chicken can be served as the main course or shredded and used for another recipe.
A well-established baking blog with cookie decorating tutorials and recipes for all things sweet. Pioneer Woman blog contributor.
This thick and meaty pan-seared steak, infused with color from butter and flavor from aromatics, is perfectly cooked thanks to these seven tips.
Hanging out at home just got better with these exciting and fuss-free McDonald's copycat recipes! These are comfort foods straight from your home!
This delicious homemade apple cider recipe is easy to customize with your preferred type and amount of sweetener. See notes above for Instant Pot (pressure cooker) and Crock-Pot (slow cooker) instructions.
Just wanted to share this delicious recipe from Lidia Bastianich with you - Buon Gusto!
First of all, happy Cocktail Friday! It's been quite the week and I'm just glad we made it here. Seriously. Well, technically, we still have to get through the day, but let's just cross our fingers and push through it. It actually might not be too tough if this is drink on the other end. It finally snowed in Boston last night. So, obviously I decided to make a drink that made me feel like it was summer. But really, gin is one of my favorite warm-me-up drinks and I feel like this cocktail is absolutely perfect any time of
Back in the good ol' days of the first wave of fast food in America, McDonald’s had a really good thing going with their hot apple and cherry pies. They were deep fried and extremely popular. Now you can have those volcanic hot pies you remember so well from your childhood again at home.
Smoky BBQ chicken, corn, tomatoes, black beans, avocado + cheese drizzled with homemade Ranch. An instant family favorite!
Make amazing Stuffed Shells at home with this classic recipe. Filled with three kinds of cheese, topped with Alfredo sauce and baked in marinara. Lick your plates clean with this delicious recipe!
Wonton Soup, something so warm and comforting. Wonton soup can be made under 20 minutes. Use homemade wontons or store bought!!!
Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! Did you have a lovely time? How did you mark it? And with whom did you celebrate? Your sister? Your girlfriend? Boyfriend? Hubby? Your children? Your wife? Mr. Darcy? Did you celebrate your special relationship(s) with flowers? A movie? Crafts? Cards? Conversation? Silly text-messages? Your favorite book? A good meal? It...
This is a recipe you'll never forget.
Here are a few sangrias that are perfect for autumn, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and everything in between.
Ralph Lauren's signature burger. At his New York City restaurant, they use a mix of chuck, brisket, and short rib. If you have an awesome butcher, ask him or her to give you a blend, but you’ll get great results with chuck alone. Watch the video [here](http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/grilling-best-burgers).
Making the perfect steak in the oven is much easier than you may think with this country recipe. It may be the most juicy and tender steak you'll ever make!
