Rigatoni con Gorgonzola

Faithful readers know that I adore blue cheese -- Maytag, Gorgonzola, Stilton, doesn't matter. Salad dressing, dip, crumbled onto salad ... I love it!

After an enormously stressful day at work last week, I was craving some comfort. I'd had the idea of making macaroni and cheese from scratch, which ultimately evolved into pasta with a blue cheese sauce poured over it. And so, when I left work that fateful day I headed straight to the grocery store to get my ingredients. Cooking is my favorite way to decompress, after all.

Rigatoni, with its sturdiness, seemed the perfect shape, though shells or macaroni or penne or rotini would also work well. I debated whether to add spinach or green beans or peas, but the sweetness of the peas seemed to be the perfect complement.

I boiled and drained and stirred and whisked, and came up with a dish that perfectly matched my vision. It was golden and slightly toasted on top, yet the pasta was coated in creaminess. The blue cheese flavor was present, but neither pronounced nor prominent. My dinner was hot, delicious, and a perfect nurturing and nourishing end to my day.

Now, it's a simple dish so I should really just call it "Pasta with Blue Cheese Sauce." But that doesn't have a lot of charm, does it??? Specify the shape of the pasta, and roll the "r" when you say "rigatoni" ... that's better!

Say it in Italian next, to add a little flair to it: [ree-gah-TOH-nee kohn gohr-gun-ZOH-lah]. Wow ... now it sounds like something you'd order at a fancy restaurant!

But now that you know how easy it is, you can make it yourself one day when you just need something warm and wonderful to eat to make all your troubles float away ....

Rigatoni con Gorgonzola

1 pound rigatoni
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 cup skim milk
4 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
few splashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Cook the rigatoni according to package directions, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan; whisk in flour and salt, and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly


Slowly add half the milk, whisking it into the butter/flour mixture until it is absorbed.


Add the Gorgonzola, Tabasco and mustard; whisk in the rest of the milk.


When the pasta is ready, drain it and stir it into the sauce; place into a greased 9" pie dish.


Broil for 5 minutes or so, just until the top is golden.


Serves 4-6.

Because I Value My Kneecaps ....

Kneecaps are precious things, connecting the thigh to the shin and helping us to stand or to walk. When we bump them, they hurt terribly; they need to be protected.

And so, because I value my kneecaps so greatly, I am going to show you my weekend labor of love, some of which will be served this week and some of which will wait patiently in the freezer for a cold, icy night in February, perhaps, when its comfort will be most welcomed -- a Sicilian pasta sauce that takes hours to slowly simmer and transform itself into a thing of true beauty. But I am not going to share the recipe, because I have been instructed not to.

The recipe comes from a man with reputed Mafia connections, from whom I seem to have six degrees of separation through my ex-husband. And if a Mafioso shared a recipe with me and gave me strict instructions not to then blab it to anyone else, I am not going to put my little scrawny kneecaps at risk by violating that dictum!

But I must tell you that this sauce is a work of art ... as is the legend that accompanies it.

Our Mafioso -- Pete -- says that his beloved grandmother sailed to this country in the early 20th century. Her boat sank close to shore, and she was able to salvage only two priceless things: a family heirloom ruby ring ... and her own grandmother's recipe for pasta sauce.

The recipe has been handed down through the generations, and is supposedly now 250 years old (with modern adaptations incorporated). And when Pete found out how much I like to cook, that I'd studied Italian for a year, and that I love to acquire old family recipes, he very generously passed along his family's cherished treasure ... along with instructions that I was to take pictures when I first made it, so he could see how I'd done.

Now, this is a serious piece of work, this pasta sauce! The instructions call, first of all, for a 16-quart stockpot. I haven't got one, despite having a fairly well-equipped kitchen; mine is only 8 quarts, so I halve the recipe.

It also calls for numerous varieties of tomato products, lots of cheese, and three kinds of meat: meatballs, pork ribs and Italian sausage links. And there are instructions about how to form the meatballs properly -- in this country, we compact them into rocks rather than making them tender.

So, here's how it's done: Soak a slice of bread in water, then squeeze out the excess and add the bread to your meatball mixture. Then simply grab a handful of the mixture, scrape off the excess that isn't in your fist, and lightly form a ball-ish shape before browning the meatballs and then adding them to your sauce for a slow simmer. I can't tell you any more, but I hope you've learned something from this mini tutorial.

Also, note: "DO NOT DRINK WINE WHILE COOKING -- IT AFFECTS YOUR TASTE!" And, just as importantly: "DO NOT USE OREGANO! Sicilians do not use oregano in sauces; they use it on pizza, salad dressing, fish, etc."

I first made the sauce 4 years ago, following each instruction as though Pete and his fellas were in the kitchen with me, supervising. I took pictures of the entire process and the finished product, which Jeremy and I nearly swooned over because it was indescribably amazing!

I anxiously awaited a verdict from Pete, nervous because some of the meatballs had fallen apart ... but that was apparently the defining characteristic proving I'd done it properly -- the meatballs were so tender that some of them simply disintegrated, as they were supposed to (but which I hadn't known while I cooked). Whew!

So, here is a pictorial of how I made the sauce, starting with the ingredients pictured above and the various steps I completed below ... it's all I've got for you, even though I know this isn't fair! I'm normally vehemently opposed to the notion of secret recipes; but I kinda need my kneecaps, so this one has to stay "in the family," as it were ....

Ragu Della Nonna di Pietro
[rah-GOO del-lah NO-nah dee Pee-YAY-troh]

(a.k.a.: Pete's Grandmother's Pasta Sauce -- but doesn't it sound infinitely better in Italian???)

I'm Thrilled to Announce That I'm a Versatile Blogger!!!

I am so, so flattered to have received another award this week, and from someone whose blog I absolutely love! Michelle at All Home Cooking. All Year Long. won this herself -- and most deservedly so!!!

Her mission, as she states it, is "... to feed her family outrageously delicious meals and snacks and eliminate processed foods from her kitchen, all on a very low budget." And she then shares her adventures with the rest of us, writing a fabulous blog about food, her family, simple and delicious recipes, and health. Michelle is wonderfully warm and friendly, and I always feel as though she's inviting me to dinner at her house when she posts. This is one blog I never miss, and cannot recommend highly enough to everyone!

Michelle then passed the award along to a phenomenal group of bloggers whom I am very proud -- and profoundly humble -- to say that I'm a part of ... :) It's wonderful to know that one's efforts are appreciated and valued!

Now I am given the task of passing this award along to deserving recipients, and my brain paralysis is kicking in again -- I am so, so bad at making decisions! Too many options, too many worthy candidates! I'd have shared this with Michelle if someone hadn't beaten me to it; so that's one down, and still 15 more to go ....

So, on to following the protocol! The guidelines for accepting this award are:

Thank the person/people who gave it to you.

Thank you so very much for choosing me, Michelle, and for believing that my work warrants the attention. And thank you, too, for the charming and lovely way you introduced me: "Yenta Mary at Food Floozie. She was on the Early Show for her award-winning cupcakes. Run. Go to her. Now." Truly, Michelle, you made my entire chaotic Friday!!!

Tell 7 things about yourself.

Hmmmmm .... How much do I feel like sharing??? Am I in a "Truth or Dare" mood or a "Stick to Food" disposition, or ...? Why don't we try a little of both, rather than playing favorites?

1. I have never cooked an artichoke. Why bother? Too much effort for too little food. And so many places make that fabulous spinach-artichoke dip that I love that it's just not worth my time. I could be here, typing out inane blather instead!

2. I can't skate, and I'm prissy, and I'm a klutz ... and I'm old, at 47. But I'm still a Member Volunteer of the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes roller derby team, working on fundraising and general cheerleading for this newly forming team -- YEAH!!! I spent 13 years in all-girl Catholic schools (Lady Gaga's alma mater, I might add!), and it was girls who led the student council and girls who won science fair awards and girls who were star athletes ... never underestimate us! So I am 100% supportive of this women's sport and the fabulous and amazing group of women building the team! And if anyone would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, I will let you know when our gear is ready for purchase ... :)

3. Through 6 proverbial degrees of separation, I possess a pasta sauce recipe passed along by a suspected Mafioso. Legend has it that his grandmother came to this country in the early 1900s with only a few possessions. The boat sank close to shore, and she was able to salvage only 2 things: a family heirloom ruby ring, and her Nonna's (grandmother's) pasta sauce recipe. There has been some updating and some modernization, but it is still essentially an Old World "gravy." It starts with the words "Take a 16-quart stockpot ...." Yeah, right! My spaghetti pot holds 8 quarts, so I make half-batches. Tomatoes, cheese, basil, meatballs (and there are instructions for forming them properly!), sausage, and pork. Wine, along with the admonition to never drink any while cooking because it will taint your tastebuds. Truly, this sauce is a thing of incomparable beauty ... I have never experienced anything like it, and it is a labor of love to spend a day making it. I would share the recipe with you, but I was told not to ... and I value my kneecaps too much to violate that dictum!

4. I adore lilacs, and wish their season lasted longer. The bushes I have in my backyard have already had their shining moment this year ... I wish they were still in bloom.

5. Although everyone presumes that I watch it, I can't stand the Food Network. It's all about overly bleached teeth and showing off cleavage -- it has virtually nothing to do with cooking anymore. Any time I happen to breeze on by, there's some stupid competition for building Disney-themed Rice Krispies Treats structures ... sheesh! What happened to Mario Batali and to Sara Moulton and the other real chefs who'd worked their way up to a spot in the pantheon, who actually instruct and inform???

6. I was a member of the "Jeopardy" contestant pool back in 2006. I'd always bemoaned not being in California to take the test, and then they started offering it online. I signed up immediately, felt I'd bombed it horribly (the pressure!!!) ... and then, awhile later, I received an email congratulating me on having passed! I went to Chicago for a try-out, and was my usual flaky and chatty self -- my personality is better suited to "The Price is Right," in all honesty. (And sadly, most of the women who appear on the show wear grey or black and virtually no make-up, regrettably reinforcing the "nerd" stereotype; Alex Trebek might've had a stroke if he'd seen me in my purple nail polish and sparkly lip gloss and vivid pink clothes!) Then I got a call inviting me to the show, but Jeremy was sick and I couldn't fly out there. (Severely phobic of flying, but it would have been the chance of a lifetime!) They called again months later, and I still couldn't go ... :( I like to think it was God's way of sparing me humiliation on a national scale -- wouldn't it be horrible to not even make it to "Final Jeopardy"??? But I often wonder about what might've been ....

7. I have a "thing" for Cheetos. I can't explain it -- they have no redeeming nutritional qualities whatsoever, and I'm a girl who buys brown rice and whole wheat pasta almost exclusively, who banned hydrogenated oils an eternity ago, who cooks and bakes rather than relying upon processed and bleached and preservative-laden foods ... and yet. I'm not too keen on the puffy ones, though I'm also not too proud to turn them down. But I can devour an entire bag of the crunchy ones, and simply don't buy them to avoid the temptation ... though sometimes Jeremy will indulge me, even though he knows he shouldn't!

Pass the award on to 15 bloggers whom you have recently discovered and think are fantastic.

Again, let me reiterate how difficult a choice this is! But in no particular order, here are the blogs I think everyone should have already found. I'll pretend to be the hostess of the speed dating session, facilitating the introductions and potential life-long relationships!

1. Dropped Stitches

2. Kuppy Kakes by Kristin

3. Housekeeping in Progress

4. Hauplight

5. Lucy's Soup Can

6. Table for Two

7. My Kind of Cooking

8. The Bipolar Diva

9. Single and Sane

10. Created by Diane

11. Life As a Cuban-American Mama

12. Worst Vegetarian Ever

13. Blackberry Cottage

14. I'm Still Standing

15. The Foodie Mommie

Again, I offer my most sincere gratitude for this award! And I happily bestow it upon others, sharing the joy ... :)