We are nearing the end of our second week in virtually lock-down conditions with no end in sight. New restrictions in Chicagoland limit access to large public parks, golf courses and playgrounds. Are we completely protected from contact with the coronavirus? Not quite.
The supermarket, that last remaining arena of social contact, is coming under closer scrutiny. Food ingredients themselves are not the likely vectors for disease. Transmission risks lie on surfaces other people have touched including food containers and, of course, fellow shoppers themselves. Here is a list of good practices I've assembled to help you minimize risks when shoppping:
- Only shop once a week. (That has to be the hardest one to follow)
- Pull on nitrile gloves before entering the market. Discard them before returning to the car.
- Wipe off the handle of the shopping cart with the sanitizing wipes provided at the door.
- Practice six foot distancing from others while shopping.
- Give purchases a sanitizing wipe when unpacking home.
Finally, we are ready to cook!
I am delighted to pass along an easy pasta recipe sent in by long-time blog reader Nancy Cunov. All of us stay-at-home cooks long for a sauce packed with the ripe Mediterranean flavors of tomatoes, olives and capers. This is a satisfying dish hiding in plain sight. Most of the ingredients are already in your refrigerator or pantry. Preparation time is minimal. How hard is it to open a can?
Nancy added one sentence of directions with the list of ingredients for this recipe. You are allowed to do that when you’re Italian. Making sauce for pasta is coded in your DNA. The rest of us need a little guidance which I’m happy to contribute. Thank you so much, Nancy!
WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS
1 pound spaghetti (Terra Bona whole wheat, preferred)
1 cup pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic (or more), minced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped black olives (kalamata)
2 heaping tablespoons capers (packed in vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh basil or oregano, finely chopped OR 2 teaspoons dried
Cook the pasta in 4 quarts boiling water with a tablespoon of kosher salt to an al dente consistency Ladle out and reserve a cup of cooking water before draining the pasta. Turn the pasta into bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Reserve.
Saute the garlic pieces in the remaining tablespoon olive oil for 1 minute in a deep skillet. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 -3 minutes as the tomatoes render their juices. (If you are using dried herbs, stir them in now.) Add the pasta and toss until well mixed. Pour in as much pasta cooking water as needed to distribute the tomatoes and lubricate the pasta. Fold in the olive pieces and capers; continue cooking and folding until all the ingredients are heated through. Add salt and grind on pepper, to taste. Stir in the fresh herbs and cook another 30 seconds. Garnish with additional whole olives and serve.
Please continue to send me your stay-at-home recipes. We’re in this together!
