mango&lime — a blog about food and eating in miami

I’m not one who likes to go out to dine on Valentine’s Day, mainly because I have to share my dinner with the other hundreds of couples doing the same thing. Plus, I don’t like to deal with crowded restaurants. Truth is, going out to dinner on this day is overrated, but you still have to eat on Valentine’s Day and this year, having a very special someone to share it with, I can’t help but feel the pressure to actually do something.

I, decided to cook. Some people see it as work, but to me it’s much more fun and special. And if you really think about it, it’s love.

Everytime I cook a special meal, no matter who it is for, I think of Like Water for Chocolate. In the Laura Esquivel novel, Tita, forbidden to marry the love of her life so she can take care of her aging mother, a task she earned for being the youngest daughter in the family, spends much time putting her excellent cooking skills to work. But the effects of her exotic dishes, which range from sublime orgasms to uncontrollable sobbing, are dictated by her feelings while cooking. That’s just magical realism, I know, but to a lesser scale that theory has always stuck with me. You can trasmit feeling into food. Cook while you’re stressed or in a bad mood, your food won’t come out very good. Cook joyfully and see the outcome. It doesn’t have to be complicated either. A simple dish, cooked with love and served elegantly can be just as — or more — impressive than a three-course fine dining experience.

For tonight, I’m resorting to an already tried and perfected dish: Penne alla Vodka. This one always works for me. It’s easy and everyone who has tried it, loves it. Add a good bottle of wine and voila.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Penne Alla Vodka*

• 5 large tomatoes
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup vodka
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 lb penne
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (3 to 4 sprigs)

Preparation:

• Cut peeled and seeded tomatoes into small dice.* Set aside.
• Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and sautee 1 to 2 minutes until it starts to turn golden.
• Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka.**
• Return the pan to the stovetop and cook until reduced by half.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and add pasta to pan.
• Add the cream to the sauce mixture and cook until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes.
• Pour into a warmed large, shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss briefly. Serve immediately.

* Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma’s web site

Cook’s Notes

*If tomatoes are too juicy, drain them in a colander while you work on the sauce.

**When adding liquor to a pan, completely remove the pan from the stovetop to prevent flare-ups. You must add it early in the cooking so that the alcohol’s taste evaporates and only the liquor’s flavor stays.

tags: valentine’s day, recipes, pasta