It is one of those sauces that well, can find a home on many plates, aside many dishes or is perfectly happy just being smeared on that last bit of bread. That was how it went for me: my first experience with this tomato-based concoction. It was Christmas Eve, and we went out to dinner—a family tradition, who has time to cook when there are presents to wrap?—and this sauce uneventfully sat next to a few slices of bread.

The event was my first bite.

I of course asked for the ingredients (so innocent am I, oh this is so good, what is in it anyway?). And lucky for me there was paper and a pen nearby. When the waiter turned on his heel to leave, I wrote—like rapid fire—the list of ingredients he mindlessly decanted.

And later, at home, I played with amounts and landed on a recipe. And that recipe, this Tomato Feta Olive Sauce, has since landed on asparagus, under a poached egg, on toast and over white fish.

Tomato Feta Olive Sauce
1/4 cup basil
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 T finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped feta
2 T olive oil
1 can plum tomatoes
kosher salt, coarse pepper

Mix all in bowl; serve at room temperature. Keeps well in fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes: play with the ingredients, slice ingredients large or tiny, increase the feta if you like more cheese, adjust the seasonings. I used a 28 oz can of plum tomatoes, but drained them from the sauce and lightly crushed and cut them. I loved the olives and feta, so my next round will have more… and I might even try this with roasted romas sometime…

I cannot take credit for the title: it is the name of a book I just finished reading. And I recommend it; it is an amalgamation of food writers, each giving an excerpt from their lives. Specifically, they share about times in their lives when they ate alone—and what surfaced as their indulgent, self-prescribed comfort food.

I liked that each authors’ experience was vastly different from the next. Some loved the ease of a thoughtless meal, the comfort of something they enjoyed, most particularly when alone. Some set an individual setting at their table—with manners and napkins in order—while others skipped the table altogether. Some meals morphed into good recipes, worthy of cookbooks and table-mates. Other meals hardly earned the name meal, and though they served their function, are best left tucked into that historical chapter of the author’s life.

And it gave me pause. And a small smile during that pause, as my mind began to travel back in my own life, looking for times I was alone, on my own, in my kitchen. What did I cook in a hurry? What meal did I seem to make time and again? Was there a dish I ate a million times but never tired of? Food that for me, became synonymous with solitude?

I had a few pop into my mind. The most common meal in my college days was a skillet grilled Quesadilla, filled with refried beans and shredded cheddar (a tsp of butter per side for the brown crispiness against the warm, cheesy gooey goodness). And there was that one summer when a regular craving for grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches never seemed to subside…

Another ‘me-meal’ is pictured above, a more recent addition, a pseudo-sandwich that filled many noons last summer. I cannot remember the first such sandwich; no doubt it was inspired by a larger-than-life heirloom tomato at my nearby Farmer’s Market. One tomato would delight my palate across multiple meals. A juicy slice or two topped a crusty toasted piece of bread, with herb-marinated Montrachet cheese (spread on while the toast was still warm), a drizzle of olive oil, some pepper if I was patient. Just the thought transports me to summery days, with light shining through my window and the building of this great little meal… no plate required… napkin likely… sitting optional.

If you want to sneak a peak at the book, hit the STORE button above, it is in the reading section. The cover is beautiful; and yes if you buy it through talkoftomatoes store I make a little. I would guesstimate .37 cents. But imagine what a writer and cook could do with half an eggplant…

Why don’t you just bring an appetizer? Maybe a dip and some veggies? Sure, you think, wondering why you were left with the boring alternative. I can bring the 1950’s veggie platter. But it is true, people crave the green crunchy alternative to the creamy, oily, cheesy, bread-crusted delights we hide under the diminutive term ‘appetizers.’ I spent a whole weekend eating holiday meals; and thanks to the innovative, seductive, often large and beyond-a-bite appetizers, I was consistently full by the time dinner arrived.

BUT if you are going to eat and eat, it is good to insert some of these under-appreciated vegetables. And the good news is, once you find a great vegetable dip, you have conveniently expanded your lunch-making arsenal for the rest of the year. Ranch and carrots don’t always cut it. Sometimes, adding in sliced cucumbers, red peppers, cauliflower, snap peas and cherry tomatoes—with a fancy dip—are just what you need. So, holiday or otherwise, here are three options:

I often make Sundried Tomato Dip (from Barefoot Contessa). The Weekly Dish provided a Feta twist on the Sundried Dip, and I recently found this curry dip from Epicurious. All the reviews [for the curry dip] are thumbs up, with a recommendation to make it one day in advance, so the flavors have a chance to wrangle. Oh, and upon making these dips, I did some tweaking. My recipe twists are below, but for the original recipes, just click on the respective source.

From The Weekly Dish

Sundried Tomato and Feta Dip
1 5-ounce jar of sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
2-3 ounces feta cheese
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
Sea salt, to taste
A pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Place all in blender; blend.

From Barefoot Contessa:

Sundried Tomato Dip
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

From Epicurious (and Gourmet magazine, 2002):

Curried Vegetable Dip
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 scallion, trimmed and finely chopped

Garnish: scallion greens, sliced diagonally

Place all in blender; blend.

I got a racing ticket the other day, on my way to dropping the kids off at school. I was whizzing by at a whopping 31 mph. Granted, it was a school zone and I was supposed to be going 20 mph. When was the last time you drove 20 mph?

Now that I have been ticketed, I am painfully careful to drive that paltry 20 mph whenever the school zone lights are flashing. Mind you, this is on an arterial where people are usually clipping comfortably at 40 mph. So when driving my kids to school, and slowing to 20 I have this nagging urge to chirp the JAWS music. You know, when the shark is slowly creeping up to its prey, softly and slowly, and that disturbing music begins on cue? Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. At 20 mph, any shark could catch me. Heck, even I could catch me.

Go drive 20 mph somewhere where you normally drive 40 mph and you will feel my pain. I know, [it is of course] for the safety of the kids. My 30 mph was normal compared to a lot of the backup-illegal-reversal-loopy-we’re late! driving done by a lot of moms and dads out there (who me?). But in my pursuit of improving, I have taken on creepy, yet slow, shark-like behavior. Go figure.

Oh yeah, this is supposed to be about food. So, my son’s teacher (that is school related, see I was going somewhere with the whole speeding racing ticket thing) had a birthday; my friend and I signed up to deliver him a special lunch. My part was soup, dip and plant. Sounds like stop, drop and roll. I am thick into digressing today… here, this is more official:

Teacher Birthday Lunch
Special Soda (sparkling something or other. Oh, but if you have the chance try these new dry sodas, you should: rhubarb)*
Mini baguette with dipping sauce (’dip‘)
Small container of mixed olives
Eggplant Parmesan (that is the ‘plant’)
Fennel Pear Soup (’soup’)

Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplants (cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick rounds)
4 tsp salt
Red Sauce (buy 6-8 roma tomatoes, some tomato paste, garlic and click for recipe)
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1 LB 1/3 inch sliced, fresh mozzarella (I was lucky: I found fresh mozzarella medallions, so I had mozzarella sans the slicing)

Toss eggplant with 2 tsp salt, let drain in colander over sink for 30 minutes. Make red sauce (click on link, above). Oven to 375; take out 3 bowls. In the first stir together flour with salt and pepper; in the second, whisk eggs and in the third, stir together crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan. For each eggplant sice: dip in flour, shake off excess, dip in eggs, shake of excess, dip in bread crumbs. Heat 3 T olive oil in skillet on medium high. Just when the oil shimmers (before is smokes), sautee four egglplant slices, a minute and a half per side. Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat, adding another 2 T per batch of slices. When finished, stack eggplants: put scant 1 T tomato sauce in a circle where you plan to place eggplant layer (4 circles in dish). Then layer: eggplant slice, [2 T] red sauce, mozzarella [to cover], eggplant, red sauce, mozzarella and then a sprinkling of Parmesan. Bake 35 minutes.

Serves 4.

* here is a great excerpt on these dry sodas from Seattle Bon Vivant.

And tomatoes of coarse!

I was browsing through my category of default dinners, and realized that this token fall, hearty and warm recipe was missing. Sure, you can eat it any time of year but truth be told, this is the time when we bring out the blankets, crank up the heat and draw the curtains. We love being warm and cozy inside while it is blustery, wet and dark outside.

This year, my whole family is into it. We turn on some nice jazz music, light a few candles and heat up the stove. When schedules are busy, it is a treat to be at home, together, with a bowl full of pasta… And then you sautee garlic, the aroma sneaks through the whole house, and everyone’s mood is elevated.

Actually, the garlic is optional. When I make this sauce, the ingredient list ranges happily between 4 and 9. The key is to let is simmer long so the flavors marry and develop. Here is the recipe topped out at all 9 ingredients:

Sausage Pasta
2-3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped onion (I have used sweet yellow and red onion, both are great)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes, plus (go for the more expensive brand here, with fancy Italian labels. In the end it is only a $4 splurge, and it IS your whole meal)
1/2 cup red wine
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T tomato paste
Italian herbs

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium. Add garlic and onions and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sausage and cook until browned. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine and vinegar, continue to simmer for another 30 minutes (or longer!). Add tomato paste if you want to thicken the sauce, or skip it. Add herbs, simmer on low another 10-15 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta.

Note: my bare minimum version is: skip the garlic & onions, and just sautee sausage in olive oil, add tomatoes, wine (skip vinegar, paste, herbs). I simmer for 30-45 minutes and serve. BTW if I were inclined to add just 2 more ingredients it would likely be the onions and herbs. Good luck!

Note: this is lovely warmed up for lunch the next day. Just because of that: when I want it to stretch a bit further, I am generous with all the ingredients and add another 1/2 can of tomatoes.