Whenever I hear this, several things pop into mind. Red. Romance. Roses. Love. Butterflies. Dinner. Date. Pasta. Pasta? Yes, you heard it right. You may ask why, simple. Valentine's reminds me of this film about dogs which I saw as a child and until now I still enjoy watching it. It was the first film ever that introduced me to what romance is, how butterflies in the stomach feels (I thought there were gonna be real butterflies in my tummy when I was little, hihi!), what fluttering eyelashes were meant for and how it feels to blush. Ah yes, that lingering Italian song, so soothing and romantic.
"Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night
And we call it bella notte
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
On this lovely bella notte.
Side by side with your loved one,
You'll find enchantment here.
The night will weave its magic spell,
When the one you love is near!
Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!
On this lovely bella notte!"
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
On this lovely bella notte.
Side by side with your loved one,
You'll find enchantment here.
The night will weave its magic spell,
When the one you love is near!
Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!
On this lovely bella notte!"
Familiar? Yes, it's a Disney classic, I love Disney. What little girl doesn't, right? That movie about lovelorn dogs, sharing a plateful of spaghetti and meatballs which led to an innocent kiss as they slurped on the last strings of spaghetti, The Lady and The Tramp. Whoever hasn't seen this classic film hasn't really been a fan of Disney movies, haha.
The look of innocent love
Oh how romantic it must be to be kissed unknowingly like they did. But of course, that's only in the movies. And so, my love for pasta began from this film. Celebrations were never complete for me without at least one pasta dish. Growing up, I loved pasta and always looked forward to days my mom would make me some. Her spaghetti was simply the best and yes, it was the only pasta dish I knew I'd eat. Up till I went to college, I dare not eat any other spaghetti dish, but my mom's. Unfortunately, it was in High School when I last tasted her spaghetti. She moved to California after a series of unfortunate events in our lives. The last spaghetti she cooked for me was when I graduated from high school. Then, I came to realize, both of my parents are good in culinary, so why can't I be good at it too?
And so I began experimenting. My first pasta dish was, you guess... Spaghetti,of course! Well, my first try didn't turn out to be the same as my mom's which was a blend of tangy sweetness, saltiness and a little bit of spice. Mine turned out to be rather more on the sour, aromatic and sweet side, much like how Italians do it.Not to brag or any of that sort, my first try in cooking was unexpectedly good for beginners, or so shall I say. This inspired me further to learn more and to experiment more. Maybe I was born to be good at it. Or maybe I'm just really a persistent and determined person.
Let me tell you something. A secret. I very rarely refer to cookbooks or any written recipes. How do I do it? I do so by sense of smell, taste and sight. Heck, you might think I'm kidding, but no. It's how it goes. I love to eat since I was a mere child, I love it so much that I take too much time when I eat. Oh I remember how my folks and nannies would impatiently wait and scold me for being too slow whenever we eat. I take my sweet time, a simple lunch even takes me an hour or two at the table much to the annoyance of my mom and my nannies, haha! I remember a colleague of mine saying during lunch break "If were in the middle of a war, I bet Rika would be the first casualty.". Well, at first I didn't get it, till they made me realize they were making fun of how slow I eat all the time. It does not bother me though as I am not a fan of the thought of hurrying up, choking on my food and suffering from indigestion. I savor every taste, the spices, the aroma, the textures and the enticing appearance of the food while I carefully chew before I gulp I shove it down my throat. My husband once joked "Maybe the reason why you're always slim is because there's nothing much for your stomach to digest. Every morsel's already digested before it can even reach your intestines.". I just laughed it off as is was almost close to reality. Truth be told, I have fast metabolism and that teamed up with my active lifestyle and eating habit, I'm always between 95-100lbs at most (well, except during my pregnant days).
So, back to my secret. When I come upon a dish that catches my fancy, I carefully inspect how the dish looks like or refer to my memory of it. I take delight in how a dish is prepared on a serving plate or even my own plate before I feast on it. There came a time, when every single day of the year, the dishes and presentation of it at our family table were similar to those of a fancy restaurant's. I kid you not. Meticulously, I'd take the time to cook, prepare and present our lunch and dinner with so much passion and art (you could also say kaartehan, hihi). And yes, we were guilty of taking snap shots of the food before we could even say our graces and eat, the hype and influence of Instagram :). After I feast my eyes comes the sense of smell. For some it may be rude or improper to smell a dish, I don't. Well that's given the fact that you don't stick your nose in it and just smell inches or a foot away if possible. If you're the type who likes to stick your olfactory centimeters away from the dish, then that my dear I'd say is improper. Having said so, the scent that lingers in my memory lets me know right away a few of the ingredients used in making the dish. Weird? You could say so, but to food enthusiasts and most culinary fans, it's a bonus. So next, the sense of taste. Like I've previously mentioned, I am a slow eater, haha! I savor every taste and texture. I take my sweetest time discovering the wonderful blending of every ingredient makes in a dish. Think Ratatouille, not the dish, the Disney film where the Little Chef (a mouse) demonstrate his love for food, talent for cooking and gift of smell and taste. Hihi, we have much in common, except that he is an actual mouse and I am born in the Year of the Rat.
Moving forward to Valentine's Day. It's a lovely day. A day meant to celebrate love and romance whether it's with your significant other, your family, your parents, or with your darling child. Why surge through heavy traffic and stress yourself waiting in line at the restaurant to be seated? Or if you have already made reservations, think of all the money you could save for something else when you can have the same cozy, romantic and delightful date at the comfort of your home? I know, I know, it's only once in a year and most of us want to feel in love and special once more, right?
Dinner for two? or more?
Well, come to think of it, wouldn't it be more special if you were the one who actually made it possible for you and your loved ones? Making the same dish you'd order in a fancy restaurant will cost you less and allow you to spend your money more on other things you'd like. Just pair it with a bottle of champagne or red wine, dress your dining table with your fancy china and adorn it with lit candles and maybe a vase of fresh flowers, there you have it. A romantic set up sans all the fuss of going out:). This is why I'm sharing with you one of my favorite pasta dishes, my Seafood Marinara. Hubby and I like to pair this with home-made garlic bread or sometimes with home-made bruschetta. If we really want to have a fill, I add another dish like a smoked salmon salad.
You can have this at the comfort of your home ;)
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 package linguine or spaghetti pasta (whichever you prefer, i personally like spaghetti on this dish)
1 TBSP and 1-1/2 tsps olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic hence I use more)
1-1/2 small red onion, minced
1 TBSP and 1-1/2 tsps virgin olive oil
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4-1/2 stalks green onions, chopped
1-1/2 (8 oz) cans crushed tomatoes OR about 6 peeled and crushed fresh tomatoes
1 small pack tomato paste
1-1/2 tsps dried oregano
1-1/2 tsps ground thyme
1-1/2 tsps dried basil
1 kilo mussels (cleaned and debearded, i prefer shelled)
1/2 kilo manila clams (halaan, thoroughly scrubbed)
1/2 kilo uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 cups dry white wine OR chicken stock
1 TBSP freshlemon juice
1-1/2 lemon - cut into wedges, for garnish
chopped parsley for garnish
freshly grated or shaved parmesan if desired
(for a little spice, you may add a few drops of chilli sauce or a few dashes of cayenne pepper)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cooked pasta as stated on package instructions. Boil a pot of water with a dash of salt and a dribble of olive oil. Once the water is on running boil, add the pasta and cook uncovered for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add another tablespoon of olive oil in skillet and turn to over medium-low heat. Stir in diced tomatoes and green onions. Cook tomatoes have softened. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in mussels, clams and shrimp.
5. Pour in the wine (or chicken stock) and lemon juice. Cover and turn heat to high. Cook until shrimp have turned pink and mussels/clams have opened, discard any shells that haven't opened.
6. Serve hot over pasta. Top with Parmesan and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges on the side if desired.
My very own Seafood Marinara
Buon appetito!
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