Weekend Test Kitchen

Whenever I’m not spending the weekend with my wonderful girlfriend, I look to spend my Saturdays and Sundays putzing around the kitchen, trying out some new dishes or putting a spin on ones that I’ve pulled off before. Since I’m spending this weekend here in the Lowcountry, I thought I’d let you in on what I’ll be cooking up in my apartment.

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana – This recipe calls for guanicale, a type of bacon made from pig jowl or pancetta, but I like to rock the all-natural applewood smoked bacon you can get at any grocery store. When paired with the tomato sauce, the bacon really gives the dish a wonderfully subtle smoky finish that I really enjoy. This dish is an absolute home run and a sinch to make. Like so many other dishes, it tastes even better the next day.

Squid in Red Wine Sauce – First time trying out this recipe, courtesy of New York Times writer and “How to Cook Everything” author Mark Bittman. The recent discovery of squid in the seafood counter at my local Publix has had me searching around for simple applications for the little critter for some time now and this recipe appears to be a great starting point. I’ve got an old bottle of red wine laying around but instead I think I’m going to braise the squid in tomato sauce and serve it over linguine with a little grated parm. The recipe seems to be a combination of a number of things that I love: Seafood, thyme, and pasta. I’m hopeful.