Salmon Pasta

I kind of made this up today. It was well received, so I'll post it.

olive oil
2 T minced garlic
3 T capers
1 large tomato
1 smoked salmon filet
1 package thin spaghetti or Angel Hair

Warm up a frying pan to medium heat, then add olive oil. You want enough to coat the entire pan very well. This will wind up being a sauce of sorts, so be more generous than if you were just going to sauté an onion, but don't put in so much that the pasta would get greasy. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and capers. Cook this on medium heat for about five minutes, then switch it to warm while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta. Don't let the spaghetti get fat and soggy. Drain pasta and add to frying pan. Add in the salmon and toss. In another pan, sauté the chopped tomato in a little more oil and garlic. Cook it until it's just about to fall apart. Lay the cooked tomatoes on top.

Here's an optional mediterranean sauce you can add:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1.5 T fresh dill

1 T fresh parsley

.5 t minced garlic

1 lemon's juice (don't worry about getting every last drop out)
lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon's peel

Basically, just mix these ingredients together and you have a nice dill and dairy sauce. It goes really well with the salmon. I would recommend making this a little bit earlier, and letting it get to room temperature so you don't cool the pasta down too much when you add it.

Ronnie's Ribs

One of the best cooks I know is Ronnie Abel. He is a man renowned for his mini-muffalettas as well as a host of other dishes. Plus he's a long time family friend. I doubt he remembers this, but he actually taught me how to barbecue chicken. My dad is also a great cook, but I thought Ronnie's chicken was a lot juicer than my dad's, so I asked him to show me his technique. That's still how I barbecue chicken. Anyway, this ribs recipe comes from Ronnie's blog. I made it this past weekend, and it was a huge hit.

The nice thing about this recipe is it really requires no grilling. So if you live in an apartment like me, or if winter sets in and you start to crave some hot barbecue, this recipe is a lifesaver. The process is simple: rub the ribs, put them in a crock pot, and then broil them.

3 sides pork ribs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Tony Chachere's
1 T garlic powder
1 liter Coca-Cola
1/2 bottle of barbecue sauce

Mix the dry ingredients to make a rub. Cut the ribs into three or four piece segments. Rub the ribs down then place in a crock pot. Pour Coca-Cola over the ribs for moisture and flavor. Cook on high for about four hours. Remove from crock pot and place on a pan so that the ribs arch meat-side up. Paint them with your favorite barbecue sauce (mine is Bull's-Eye), then broil in the oven until the sauce cooks in (about five minutes). Serves about 10.