Ziti Time...

I'm a big fan of the Sopranos, so much so that a few years ago, I received the official Sopranos cookbook as a birthday gift. Actually, it which was published within a few weeks of my 30th birthday. Coincidence? I don't think so.

I was instantly transfixed by the recipe for baked ziti, which translates into a day of preparation, starting with time at the butcher counter to buy four different types of meat, several hours required to cook the gravy (red pasta sauce for those of us not familiar with the ways of the American Italian), more time to assemble the dish of pasta, sauce, cheese and more cheese, baking time and the longest part of all: waiting 15 minutes for the dish to become edible after exiting the oven.

In November 2002, I went to Nilay's house, and in one of our first joint cooking adventures, spent a long afternoon and evening cooking. I believe we may have actually begun dinner around 10. And, since we didn't think of inviting anyone to join us, three of us gorged on the rich, savory, incredible dish.

I repeated the entree in December 2003, with Nilay once again in attendance, as well as roommate Dan and another. The dish was again amazing, although the evening a bit awkward. Regardless, I determined that baked ziti was comfort food, and deserved to be made at least once a year.

And then, I just never got around to making baked ziti last winter. I have no excuses. I did host a few winter-themed Sunday dinners, one with an excellent lasagna and another, with a lamb tagine. But ziti just didn't happen.

The box of ziti - a not easy thing to find in the supermarket, for unknown reasons- beckoned, and feeling the need for comfort food, invited some friends for Sunday dinner. A day was spent making the ziti - and the final product was worth every minute of preparation.

To make the ziti, first brown a variety of meats (pork sausage, veal (better with a bone) and spareribs). Set the meats aside, add some garlic to the remaining oil, saute a bit, add tomato paste, saute, then add canned tomatoes, some water, basil and the meats. In the meantime, make meatballs, and after a few hours, add the browned meatballs and continue to simmer. Finally, boil the pasta, mix with some sauce and cheese, and then layer with more sauce and cheese.

Dinner was excellent, and everyone ate well. Carrie contributed bruscetta with pate and fig jam and prosciutto and manchego, Emil a salad and Rachel, wine. Carrie also brought along a nice bottle of Ravenswood Zin to accompany the appetizers, but alas, we had already cracked open another bottle and thus, it did well with dinner. I also really liked Rachel's bottle, a Sangre de Toro from Torres, decorated with a little black plastic bull.

Comfort food, indeed.

the Food in South Africa

This may be the weirdest statement to ever come from me (and we all know what that means), but it's entirely possible and likely that while visiting Africa, one will gain weight. Well, that statement at least applies to South Africa, which in many respects, despite an institutionalized system of racism and poverty (which is slowly, slowly changing), functions as a first-world country. I ate well in South Africa, and held off a few extra pounds only because of a vicious two-punch attack of the cold and flu.

In no particular order are listed highlights of my food experiences in South Africa during my recent holiday vacation.

--Kudu and ostrich. "Exotic" meats that I tried for the first time - and really enjoyed. Kudu was a bit gamier than steak, but equally delicious. Ostrich is also similar to steak - it reminded me of tri tip - only a bit healthier. And go figure, the ostrich, a flightless (and stupid) bird, is considered red meat. Gabe grilled an excellent oriental-marinated ostrich for dinner. The kudu at Emily's was served rare with a chocolate sauce, chopped pineapple and blueberries; it sounds weird, but the combination worked very well. I had a healthy serving of kudu casserole at Moyo (thin shepher's pie), which also featured a hint of chocolate, making me think that the pairing is fairly traditional. I also had springbok at Moyo, but found it a little too greasy for my liking.

--The Olympia Cafe. Located in Kalk Bay, the Olympia Cafe is actually a bakery with a restaurant on the side. I think my favorite meal in all of South Africa was at the Olympia Cafe, and this wasn't just because it was the first meal that I enjoyed as a healthy person since arriving in the country. My mussels were fabulous, and really, put most of the other mussels that I've eaten in my life to shame. They were served in a perfect white wine broth, with some garlic and parsley and a few other tasty things thrown in for good measure. Gabe had a pear and prosciutto salad; the pears were poached in anise liqueur. Jen had pasta and seafood. And Jason had an amazing dish with a name I can't quite remember (involuntaire? involundide?), eggplant wrapped around butternut squash and served on a bed of polenta, with some red sauce to tie it all together. Lemon tart with a crunchy and warm caramelized shell on top, fresh cream, strawberries and passionfruit puree finished the meal.

--Township Dining. South Africa institutionalized racism, resulting in the vast majority of the population forced to live in townships, little more than poverty stricken shantytowns. Significant efforts are being made to improve conditions in the township and I couldn't help but notice signs of economic gains being made in the townships - electricity and running water - but people should not be forced to live in shacks considering the tremendous wealth among the white population of the country. Towards the end of our tour of the Two Oceans township (what was the real name of the township, anyone?), we stopped for lunch in a township restaurant. I suspect that anyone squeamish and harboring the belief that germs are bad most likely would have fled, never to return. Luckily, I am brave when it comes to food, and happily tucked into one of the best meals of hake fish and chips that I've ever enjoyed. Actually, the chips were ok., but the fish was outstanding, encased in a crispy, slightly spicy batter. The fish was not even greasy. On another note, Charlotte, our tour guide, was fabulous, frankly answering our many questions and showing us the hope that exists in an area of poverty and despair. I will never forget the joy of several girls who passed their matriculation - impressive considering that they are children of apartheid and many studied by candlelight in conditions that are less than optimal for any form of academic success.

--Pap and Sam. Consistently, I fall in love with native starchy food. Pasta, rice, polenta, cous cous and now, pap and sam. I believe that pap is meal, ground corn that in a way, resembles fluffy polenta. Sam (pronounced not with a hard "a" as in "Sam" but with a soft "a" as in "bought") also has some form of meal mixed with something resembling hominy. Both are very plain, and delicious when served with sauce or stew.

--BBQ. I love bbq, no doubt about it. Luckily for all of us, Gabe is an excellent bbqer and twice (actually three times, but I didn't eat so it doesn't count), grilled up a bunch of meat and fish for all of us. My favorites were his lamb chops and marinated ostrich. He also did some tasty pork, lamb sausage, white fish, hamburgers, steak, and well, we all had some healthy appetites.

--Wine and Chocolate. Among the wineries that we visited, Waterford stands out as unique for their excellent wine and chocolate pairings. While the wine was so-so, the surroundings were impressive, with seats in a large outdoor area consisting of dainty wrought iron tables and fluffy couches. We tasted several wines, and then for an encore, wine and chocolate arrived. Three wines were served, each paired with a specific chocolate. The first, a cabernet accompanied a piece of dark chocolate liberally sprinkled with sea salt. The second, a shiraz, came with a piece of milk chocolate and cardamom chocolate. The third, a dessert wine (Muscat, maybe?) was served with milk chocolate with flowery essences. I think I liked the dark chocolate best, but then, dark chocolate has moved into the category of one of my all-time favorite indulgences, so I am a bit biased.