Duck Ragu Lasagna

FINALLY.

I'd been wanting to experiment with this one for a while now, and it's a good thing Suzanne and Patricia were there for moral support to say the least.

THINGS LEARNED:

1. Lots of specialty foods operations are closed on Mondays, some of which include Raffetto's and Aphrodisia. Be warned.

2. Try to find fresh duck if possible.

3. Marjoram is a lie. It doesn't exist.

On to the recipe:

Autumn Lasagna

A few things changed in our recipe. First of all, we bought pasta (still fresh of course), used pecorino romano, and chervil instead of marjoram. Also our carrots were in matchstick form.

This was a really rich dish. It would be best served in small portions with a very acidic side salad. Upping the vegetable quantity would help as well.

I have to say that there was too much duck fat to handle. It would take a lot for me to say this, so know that it is true.

On the other hand, I didn't feel particularly gross or heavy after. I think because this sort of thing is so innately satisfying, it doesn't take much to register as a completed meal.

Best parts were the crispy bits, 'course.

-R

One Stop Dinner: Murray's Cheese

Title not entirely true... we bought produce elsewhere.

And although you'd think that since Murray's (http://www.murrayscheese.com/) is quite famed/tourist destination, the prices would be off the wall, the opposite is true.

FRESH Pasta: Enough for three people or two really fucking hungry people. $3.00.

Fresh Ricotta: A very generous container full of the best ricotta I've had. $3.00.

A Chunk of Prosucitto: That's right. A Chunk. No, not slices. $3.50.

All grand quality.

Grab a zucchini and a lemon or two from the market and you're pretty set to go assuming you have olive oil and garlic. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile, heat up some oil and cook pretty shaved zucchini slices and garlic. Throw in the chunks of proscuitto that you've rendered from the big chunk at the end. Take this all off the heat, throw it in a bowl and squeeze in some lemon juice. When the pasta's ready add it to the bowl and toss. Spoon in globs of fresh ricotta.

This is nice because the shaved zucchini twirls up in your fork with the pasta :) I still have leftover ricotta and prosciutto, too, and had leftover pasta this morning.

Eat.

-R

FRANK restaurant

beware the flash!!! over exposure!!!!

seared salmon with capers and lemon served over a bed of arugula

oricchiette (little ears) with a white sauce featuring sausage, kale, annd garlic

black spaghetti with calamari in a slightly spicy tomato basil sauce

http://www.frankrestaurant.com/

kristen, cecelia, and I headed to 88 2nd ave, btwn 5th and 6th tonight for a wine and dine

the executive chef/owner (frank) has two sister places, one of which i've been to ("SUPPER": which ROCKS). this is his southern italian branch, FRANK, which rocks just as hard, although southern italian fare doesn't instinctively make me salivate quite as much as that of the north. i know i speak generally, for anyone who knows anything about italian cuisine. it's a bit more regional than north/south, 'course.

you may miss the place because the awning only says "a place to eat" and the door says "Vera" the name of the wine bar inside. somehow, all this made FRANK cuter. cute cute cute.

BESIDES ALL THIS, the food was wonderful!!! the winner tonight was definitely the squid ink spaghetti. it was fresh and tender, and the red sauce was perfectly spiced. two other lovely plates of seared salmon with arugula and oricchiette with sausage cream sauce were feasted on as well. our bottle of red wine was just right even though i can't recall the name. i believe it may have been the first on the wine list.

photos are crazy white-washed, but I posted them anyway!

-R

PS: all in all, everything is reasonably priced as well, with almost every main dish on the menu falling between 10 and 20 dollars, and a few even going in the 9s. worth it.