Food For Thought

As much as I love hockey, I have a variety of other interests. They vary across a number of different skill sets, and I wouldn't say I'm a master at any of them despite my enjoyment in practicing these skills. From gardening to DIY repairs to softball, these interests occasionally intersect as it is tonight on the ol' blog where I will allow you a glimpse behind the curtain to tell you that I love cooking. Get me into the kitchen with some good ingredients, and I'm as happy as a clam. Tonight, I had some time to myself, so I decided to bring a few things in from the garden and get to work.

I've been thinking about adding a non-hockey piece in random spots going forward because I am involved with so many things. I happen to enjoy making good food. Yes, one can head to a restaurant and enjoy any sort of food one happens to desire, but it's a skill to be able to bring that taste home and recreate it whenever you want - for example, a late-night snack after a night out. I feel very comfortable in the kitchen and I love trying new recipes, so I think I'll incorporate a foodie post occasionally. If you like this idea, let me know in the comments below.

I happen to love pasta, and there's nothing better than a good sauce for pasta. It's one of those things that will either take pasta to a new level or wreck it completely, I find. An overbearing sauce causes the pasta to lose its flavors while a poorly-seasoned, watery sauce destroys any hope of enjoyment. I, for one, hope that my sauce tonight is good, but the real test will come next week when I taste it on pasta. In short, I spent my Friday night with four basic ingredients, a pot, a spatula, and some good scents. I'm not a chef by trade, but I think most people can master this basic, but oh-so-good, sauce.

This recipe comes from Marcella Hazan who may have changed how North Americans cook Italian food. I have made it a number of times in the past, and it always comes out rich and delicious due to the amount of butter used in the sauce. But don't fear that if you want to recreate this recipe - everything works well together!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of tomatoes with juice, peeled
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 1 onion, cut in half and peeled
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. DON'T OVER-SALT!
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
3. In Marcella's recipe, she recommends discarding the onion, but I like it in there. Wait until the onion becomes translucent and, as above, use a spoon to cut the onion pieces into smaller chunks. When all is said and done, this recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

Pretty easy, right? You can still discard the onion, but I think the sauce tastes better with the onion left in. You might not be big on onions and want it gone, and that's fine. I usually dress it up with a little oregano and Italian seasoning just to give it that stronger Italian flavor that I like. Dress it up however you prefer, but I've found that it makes a great pizza sauce as well if you enjoy making homemade pizza. In short, this easy-to-make and versatile sauce can be used for a number of things, and I hope it works as well for you as it does for me.

Again, if you like the idea of a non-hockey post on HBIC occasionally, toss me a comment below. I'm always up for some interaction, and good cooking and sports can usually bring people together fairly quickly. Bon appetit, folks!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!