What I Ate For Dinner

It happens to us all. We have grandiose ambitions of fois gras or "un petit peu de saumon en papillote" every night. Turns out, lots can come between. Fatigue. Penury. Rough days. Tough breaks. But fret not, comrade of the kitchen: the Baron is here to encourage your gestures toward ambrosia, work night-style.

One thing that motivates this blog is pragmatism. How can you come up with a good, if not great, meal when the world's gotcha down? I mean, seriously, there are definitely times when the last thing I feel like is doing even the simple stuff, like choppin' up a shallot or waiting for something to reduce. That said, I find that making an easy meal quickly often lifts my spirits after a long day. Which isn't to say I never get take-out--I do, and there's a certain satisfaction to be had with that, too. But if you wanna perform some "clutch cooking," read on.

You gotta keep in mind: lots of your favorite restaurants probably knock out your favorite dish any number of times in a given night. The secret: mis-en-place ("your meez," which means "everything in its place"). The idea is to have your "meez" set up so that everything you need is within easy reach; then, on the line (at the stove), you can crank the heat up, sauté what needs to soften, add some liquid (puree, wine, stock, demi-glace, etc.) add the "substantive" ingredient (a grilled chicken breast, some seared fish, or as in our case tonight, pasta), slap a baguette and side salad on the plate and serve. The idea of short-order cooking is that you have medium-high to high heat, a select crew of full-flavored adjuncts (shallot, carrot, salt, pepper, chilies if you feel like it---these guys are the "home team"), and something with body (the aforementioned "substantive"). That way, you can bang these out all night if you're a restaurant---or just once, if you're tired.

So, tonight I offer the first in what will probably be series: "What I cook when I don't feel like cooking." Quick, easy meals made from a few basic ingredients in under 20 minutes.

Tortellini à la Baron

1. Sauté shallot, carrot and corn until soft.
2. Deglaze with white wine and add boiled/strained tortellini (sub any pasta here).
3. Add tomato puree and reduce until excess liquid evaporates and you're left with something like a sauce/glaze.
4. I finish this with Parm, a side baguette, and salad.

If you don't have a tomato puree on hand, you can always use chopped tomatoes, or add wine or stock with butter and garlic. You'll find that this can be made in about the same time it would take to get take-out, and for a lot less.