I set up my Christmas decorations on Saturday morning after making some scrambled eggs and four cups of coffee.
I went “minimalist” this time, knowing nobody is coming over this year. So, I went with the two-foot tree, a sleigh with Christmas bulbs and pinecones (from my own trees, I might add) and one Santa. I got about half of my Christmas cards done before the mailman came.
I started a meat sauce for some pasta about 2:00 PM. I browned up a pound of hamburger and then removed it from the Dutch oven. Then I heated up a diced red onion and a diced shallot. I put the meat back in when they were translucent. I also added four cloves of minced garlic. Then I added two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes and squished them with my hands (I like that). I threw in a small can of tomato paste and two teaspoons each of basil, oregano and thyme. I added one teaspoon of red pepper flakes and let it all simmer until dinner time.
I made a pound of rigatoni pasta and added it to about half of the sauce (the rest I froze). I ate some of that for dinner.
I talked to my daughter Melissa after dinner. When we hung up, I watched TV until bedtime.
Why use whole tomatoes and then crush them? Why not just used crushed tomatoes?
ReplyDeleteBecause when you hand crush them, there are always little chunks left that add to the texture of the dish. Plus, it's fun to squish them. They inspire all kinds of fantasies I can't share here...
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