Browned butter makes everything better.

A few weeks ago, when Louisa was in town, I had a superlative meal at Frankie's Spuntino down on Clinton Street. You may remember my desperate attempt to recreate their roasted beet and avocado salad; this post is about my imitation version of their (justly) famous cavatelli with browned butter and hot sausage.

This pasta is, in a word, too-licious. While sage and browned butter are a well-known and time-honored pair, the addition of a pinch of garlic and some porky, spicy sausage really make the dish sing. The sauce, nothing more than butter and pasta cooking water, is silky and spare, and the sausage's snap plays beautifully with the chewiness of the al dente pasta.

Some versions I found online called for a bit more sage; I find it's better with about half a cup between two people. It's enough to lend a good dose of piney flavor without making every bit overwhelmingly herbal. And, as is my wont, I added a bit more garlic than most versions because, well, I like garlic. You might want to adjust your seasonings depending on the sausage you use (if it's heavy on the fennel, for example, you might want less sage), but this is a remarkably forgiving meal.

Finally, the question of what sort of pasta to use. I searched high and low for cavatelli this weekend, but to no avail. Instead, I went for orecchiette. I've used penne in earlier variations, but I think the orecchiette is more suited to the dish - but, if you can find cavatelli, please use it! It's even more delightfully chewy than orecchiette.

Oh, and, for my veggie friends - leave out the sausage, and sub in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. All of the heat, none of the meat! (Look, Mom, I made a rhyme!)

Frankie's [Orecchiette] with Browned Butter and Hot Sausage

1/2 lb. orecchiette or cavatelli
1 tbs. canola oil
2 links hot pork sausage
4 tbs. butter
1/2 cup sage leaves, whole
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until just al dente. Set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet set over moderately high heat, brown the sausage links until dark brown on all sides. The sausages should be just barely cooked through.

Wipe out the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the butter and melt it and then continue to cook until the milk solids begin to turn brown and smell nutty. Add the sage and garlic and cook for a minute to release the flavors. Slice the sausages crosswise into rounds and add back to the pan. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, along with a bit of the cooking water. Cook over medium heat until the the pasta has absorbed a good bit of the sauce and everything is well-combined.

Transfer the pasta and sauce to two bowls or plates, sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and parmesan, and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Staycation...go!

Every year, I spend a week off from work just enjoying New York City. Living in New York, it's easy to forget that the city is as big or as full of amazing experiences as it is. You get into a rhythm (mine is work, cooking, theatre, drinks with friends) and don't stop to drink in the multitude of opportunities right smack in front of you.

My annual staycations are meant as an antidote to that particular brand of lethargy. This year, I'm planning to spend some time in Brooklyn (Williamsburg one day; DUMBO and Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens another), hit a few museums (I want to see this illumination exhibit at the Met in particular) and do some serious windowsill gardening. I also want to carve out some time to spend with my friend Miya, who's working on decorating her new apartment. Can anyone say inspiration board?

Any suggestions or requests for how I spend my time this week? Dinners at Dirt Candy and SHO Shaun Hergatt are already on the itinerary. Am also planning to dig into a bowl of pho at some point, visit Marlow & Sons for lunch, and stop by Blue Bottle for some coffee. What else shall I do, dear readers?

Bring on the ideas!

Queenie's Treasury

Happy Saturday, folks! It's a blustery day here in New York, and I've just returned from a chilly trip to Union Square for my weekly provisions (Including ramps, mais oui!). I've just begun a 10-day staycation (more on that later), and I can't wait to get to it. Before that, though, it's time for this week's edition of the Treasury!

First up, the coolest house tour I've seen in quite a while: impeccably styled, modern dollhouses, courtesy of the New York Times. If you can't afford a houseful of full-size mid-century furniture, why not go the miniature route?

Next, a nerdy delight for food and language lovers alike! Food52 has begun publishing food crosswords by puzzle-maker Michelle Humes. They're pretty fun, and far easier than the Times' Friday puzzle. Brush up on your culinary trivia and dive in!

Finally, another house tour (life-size, this time). This one is of the most adorable houseboat you've ever seen. Josie Curran and her husband share this boat in Hampton Court in southwest London. It's pretty amazing; I'd live there in a heartbeat, and not just because it's in one of my most favorite cities on earth.

Craving.

This warm weather we've been having here in New York has me craving summer foods. Berries, beans, stone fruits, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers (the gorgeous, flavorful, juicy kind you only get in June and July) - and, of course, ice cream.





What are you craving these days?

Little plates, big flavors.

On Friday night, Cristin and I met up at Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto to enjoy some Italian nibbles and dish about the goings-on in our lives. We ordered a bottle of red wine along with come caponata, brussels sprouts, burrata and arista.

First up was the caponata, a sweet and tangy eggplant relish studded with stewed onions and peppers. This was delicious - alternately musky and bright in flavor, and full of interesting texture. It was particularly tasty (and sinful) heaped onto the small slices of focaccia that came in our little bread bowl. The salt on top of the focaccia set off the sweet caponata beautifully.

Next, the arista. Arista is pork loin, slow roasted and basted with an assortment of spices. It's served cold, sliced thin, and it's quite yummy. One of the subtler breeds of salumi, it's gently porky and lightly fatty. Perfect for a middle course on a warm spring night - and I suspect it'd make a tasty sandwich, too.

Of all the dishes we ordered, the burrata was least exciting. It was good, but not creamy or magical enough to write home about. I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest.

Last, but most definitely not least: the brussels sprouts. Lightly sauteed in pancetta fat (the pancetta itself was tossed back into the mix as a finishing touch) and touched with red wine vinegar, this dish represents three of my favorite things brought together in one perfect place. They'll be off the menu soon, since the cold weather is pretty much over, so go soon or go home.

Overall, I found Salumeria Rosi to be pretty darn good - a good value, great service, and pretty much everything we tasted was delicious. I'll definitely be back, and I can't wait to sample some more salumi options when I go.

Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto
283 Amsterdam Ave. (Between 73rd and 74th Streets)
212-877-4800

Tubers and roots!

It's still early spring when it comes to Greenmarket eats, but that doesn't mean you can't find some goodies. The potatoes are fabulous right now (I'm addicted to a waxy breed named Nicola.), and the celeriac abounds.

And you can find some sweet, fat carrots - not like the bland specimens you sometimes get in grocery stores.

These may look like parsnips, but they're actually parsley root, and they're delicious.

So, this week, instead of buying, say, tomatoes and peppers from your grocery store, why not try to get out to your local market and see what's in season? (Though, I suppose, if you live in the southern hemisphere, that might be peppers and tomatoes!)

Ramps!

'Tis the season, my friends: the season for ramps. If you live on the eastern seaboard of the United States, chances are you've encountered ramps at least once. They're a wild onion prized for their unique stank and delectable, meaty flavor. They look a bit like a scallion, but with a purple tinge, slightly more bulbous, um, bulb and flat, dark green leaves. They pair gorgeously with anything smoked (like bacon), sweet (like corn or stone fruits) or tangy (like vinegar). And I can't get enough.

Last Saturday, after hearing that ramps had made their first Greenmarket appearance on Wednesday, I made sure to be up good and early for a trip down to Union Square. Turns out the slightly schizophrenic weather we've been having this year (freezing cold, then hot, then rainy and cool, then warm) is perfect weather for growing ramps, and that's why they're available a couple weeks earlier than normal.

I arrived just as the clock struck eight AM and hoofed it over to the Mountain Sweet Berry Farm Stand at 16th and Broadway. Sure enough, two crates full of ramps stood at attention, just waiting to be swarmed by food-obsessed New Yorkers like me (and you!). I was early enough to avoid any kind of line, and was even able to snap a few photos without being shoved from behind by ramp-mad hordes. And look what I spotted! (Pun not intended, but not edited out, either.)

Apparently, I was in good company. The Spotted Pig's bike, complete with cooler, was sitting right there, clearly awaiting a pre-ordered take of the morning's ramp harvest. After a swing through the market (and a stop in Whole Foods for some bacon, since Flying Pigs Farm was out), I jumped back on the 4 train to head uptown for a breakfast of champions.

Fresh fettucine with ramps, bacon and an egg is my traditional dish of celebration. I welcome ramps with open arms, pasta and pork. It's just my way. (Using fettucine and eggs from the Greenmarket helps keep things local, fresh and delicious.)

Trust me: you should run out right now to make this. (Vegetarian folk, just sub in a tablespoon or so of olive oil for the bacon fat, and don't skimp on the cheese. It's almost as good as the bacony version. A hit of cream or half and half wouldn't hurt you, either.)

Fresh Fettucine with Ramps, Bacon and an Egg

2 slices thick-cut, maple-cured bacon cut crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 bunch of ramps, cleaned and chopped into one-inch lengths (about 1 cup)
1/4 pound fresh fettucine, cooked to al dente and drained (save 1/4 cup of the cooking water)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs. olive oil
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Set a medium skillet over high heat; heat until hot. Turn heat down to medium high and add the bacon to the pan. Cook slowly, rendering the fat until the bacon is just crispy. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon.

Add the ramps to the pain and saute them in the bacon fat, cooking until the white parts begin to brown. Season (lightly) with salt and pepper, and return the bacon to the pan. Add the fettucine and stir with tongs to combine the sauce with the pasta, adding a little pasta water if things need moisture. Turn off the heat.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over meidum heat. Once it's hot, crack the egg into the pan and fry until the edges just begin to turn crispy. Mound the pasta on a plate or in a bowl, top with the fried egg and parmesan cheese, and eat!

Serves one.