Baked Rigatoni Cake from Culinary in the Desert!

I think I gained 10 pounds just reading it, but WOW it looks great!

Port O’ Call is still one of my favorites. I don’t think the menu has changed in forever, but everything is great anyway. They also have a kickass gift shop filled with tons of shiny things and vintage jewelry, and who doesn’t love that? This is one of those places where I don’t think I’ve had the same thing twice, but I can’t be sure because all I can really remember from year to year is that it’s all good and whatever I get, I know I’ll like it.

Started off with the Oysters Rockefeller, which they apparently make a little differently from the standard, as it has spinach in it. (That was part of the reason I ordered it – one year I overheard a woman giving the waiter holy hell over the fact that OR is not supposed to have spinach in it. Though it’s quite clearly noted on the menu.) Well, I liked them and would get them again, so I can only assume this woman simply doesn’t like anything that doesn’t conform to her ideal of normal.

Then I moved on to the seafood carbonara. Shrimp and scallops and pasta and bacon. You can’t go wrong there.

Sadly, I made no note of what anyone else ordered but we all were quite satisfied by the end of the night.

They also have a very cool bar, if you’re just looking for a nightcap, it’s definitely worth popping in.

MP 8.5 on the Beach Road. Reservations accepted. Probably not needed but we always get them anyway.

Meridian 42

A bit of a bust. They did in fact change ownership last year and the new owner (who I think was one of the original partners, but I’m not 100% sure.) decided to scale back to just Italian.

The calamari is still fantastic, but the rest of it was just average. Tev did point out that the biggest problem is that they suffer from people knowing how great they were with the Mediterranean menu and plain Italian doesn’t really measure up.

Between the 4 of us, we had softshell crabs, sea scallops and veal marsala. The scallops were reported to be pretty good. The crabs were OK, but I’ve had better – something was off with the frying – maybe a bit overdone? The veal was OK, but it was also commented that maybe they just got a bad cut of meat, and there is only so much you can do with that. The side of the night was penne pasta with marinara, and honestly, it was mediocre at best. It’s just disappointing considering how good everything was in years past.

I can understand wanting to go with a “safe” menu in this economy, but you have to step it up and make sure it is GOOD. If you’re just average Italian, you’re not going to last around here, and in 2 years, there’s going to be yet another owner. Unless I hear that something has really changed between now and next year, I doubt a return trip is on tap.

#1 Ocean Blvd. Reservations accepted. (But probably not needed if things continue the way they are…)

OMG, she cooked!!!! :-D

OK, yes, it’s just non-spaghetti pasta and my standard spaghetti sauce with mozzarella on top and then popped under the broiler for a couple minutes to get melty and brown.  But Pizza Hut made it when I was a kid (and I assume invented the name) and I’ve always loved it.

But it’s tasty and hits the spot on a cold day.  Only downside was I couldn’t find any wagon wheel pasta.  Bummer.

For many years, I was under the impression that spaghetti sauce that didn’t come from a jar or packet mix was the sole domain of little Italian grandmothers. Not so! Last Christmas I manned up and just decided I would make my own – no packet, no jar, just me. And it is good. :) (No, I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Rose Reed’s who taught me how to bake wonderful bread when I was a kid, but I think she’d declare it more than acceptable.)

Now, my recipe doesn’t have mushrooms in it, which some would say is heresy, but I just don’t care for mushrooms in my sauce! However, if you like mushrooms, feel free to add them! I’d think maybe a half cup to a cup of crimini’s would work well, added in when you add the sausage.

Recipe after the jump.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb sweet italian sausage (It always ends up a little less, because somehow some of it disappears between the time I cook it and it hits the pot.)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 c. onion, minced
1-2 6 oz. cans of tomato paste
4-5 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
The sauce & paste can be plain or “italian style”
4-8 oz liquid of your choice (chicken or veg stock, water, red wine, white wine – I find beef stock to be too heavy.)
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1-3 cranks of cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp parsley

Cook up the sausage and get it to a “crumbly” state, drain well. (This can be done way ahead of time and popped in the fridge, there will be more than enough simmer time for it to heat all the way through.)

Saute the garlic and onions in a bit of butter or oil, until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add 4 cups of tomato sauce. When you put the first cup in, be ready to stir right away – the pan will be hot and this will prevent burning until the pan temp drops with the additional liquid in it. Then add the rest of the tomato sauce, and work in one can of the tomato paste.

Add in the sausage, heat over medium-low to medium heat until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer 15 minutes to let the flavors start to come together before adding the additional spices. (Especially if you’re using pre-seasoned tomato sauce or paste – you may need to go lighter on the add’l spices.)

At the 15 minute point, check the consistency – if it’s too thick for your taste, work in some tomato sauce or your “other” liquid – start with 1/2 cup at a time. Too thin? Add tomato paste, starting w/a half can. If you do adjust the liquids or paste, let it go another 5-10 minutes before adding spices.

Once you have the consistency where you like it, add the spices. This is also a good time to start your pasta water – don’t have to get it to boiling just yet, but if you at least get the pot heated up, when you’re ready to cook your pasta, it should only take a few minutes to get it to boiling. (I have a large pot and it does take forever to get water to boil for me.)

Cover and simmer another 15 minutes on low. Check the taste, adjust spices as needed and simmer another 5-10 minutes w/spice adjustment. When you’ve got it where you want it, turn off the heat, fire up the boiling water for the pasta and enjoy! (It will definitely stay hot enough while the pasta is cooking.)

I also use this sauce for lasagna and baked ziti, and it freezes wonderfully.

Once I attempted this with a bay leaf in the mix. Bad idea. Once I realized that was the problem, I managed to salvage it with about 2/3 of a can of tomato paste and some chicken stock and some additional cooking time. Sometimes reversing a disaster is just as satisfying as getting it all right the first time. :)