Adapted from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham (HarperCollins, 2001). Copyright 2001 by Mai Pham.
Tagliatelle con Arance e Mandorle
This recipe's inspiration was Chinese chef Susanna Food of Philadelphia. When we interviewed Susanna, we were struck by her lack of rigid culinary rules. She interprets the traditional Chinese palate with modern Western ingredients, boldly mixing balsamic vinegar with soy sauce, or rosemary with dried yellow soybeans. Surprises fill her books. For instance, did you know that fresh corn is used often in the northern regions of China?
Rick: Though most people really love meatballs, many versions never hit the top of my list. Until I tasted these meatballs, that is. The sauce may look like everyday marinara, but its taste is brightened with the flavors of cumin, parsley and good paprika, which is why I go back for bite after bite. When we learned to make these meatballs (called ketfu in Morocco) with Bouchra in Marrakech, she told us she sometimes cracks eggs into the sauce to poach alongside the meatballs. I haven't tried that yet, but I can just imagine how delicious the sauce would taste with the poached yolk stirred into it. I'm particularly fond of these meatballs made with lamb.
In Catalonia, we love our eggs, especially in the form of tortillas, or omelets.
From Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast by Nigella Lawson (Hyperion 2007). Copyright 2007 by Nigella Lawson.
Roast the lamb slowly, baste often and use a little more red wine if needed. Anchovies are the secret ingredient here -- you don't taste them, but they enrich all the other flavors. The pan sauce is lush and a only a small spoonful is needed to moisten the meat.
This recipe, from the Canal House restaurant in New York City's Soho Grand Hotel, has been lifted from my last cookbook, The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook. Some things are worth repeating. I have never met anyone who ate just one serving.
Ingredients