Book Ninety-Two: Sunset 2003 Recipe Annual

by the Editors of Sunset Magazine

For me, the new year brings encouragement to get back to routines and the hope to accomplish more than the previous year.

I have let the sole purpose of this blog - to cook through all my cookbooks - to go by the wayside. Last year I joined two online baking/cooking groups which take up a lot of time - each group posts two recipes a month.

I could easily drop the baking group if it was not for all of the wonderful bakers from all over the world that I bake along with. Reading their blogs and comments makes it like we know each other personally, not to mention all the pointers and ideas you get from reading all the different variations of the recipes. However, the recipes have been less than ideal in my opinion. We have made twenty-two recipes and I can honestly say only a handful (if that) were worth it. Still, to drop this group would be like losing a best friend.

I'm hoping to post on two of my books a month - if not more - in addition to the four recipes a month for the groups I'm in. It may not sound like much (we do have to eat everyday, after all), but it's setting up the scene, taking the pictures, and writing up the post that is so time consuming, not to mention I also host a blog on my hiking adventures each week.

A picture from one of our hikes.

Well, this was not what I was hoping for for my first post of the year. I was wanting something with WOW factor - a knock-my-socks-off recipe to rave about. Not only did I run out of time for a recipe like that and went for simple, yet tasty, this was a disappointment. The salad was surprisingly good (recipe from the same book) and that is all I ate aside from two bites of the spaghetti. When the hubbs started on the pasta (after devouring the salad) his first words were, "it's fishy.."  We both agreed to toss the rest because, as he said, "It was a little off..."

You can't win them all. On the bright side, it was a super easy recipe and at minimal cost. When it fails, best it not be a costly, complex, and time consuming recipe.

The year is still young, and there are better recipes out there. Hope to share them with you soon!

Success meter (1-3): DUD!

Boil the noodles while you make the sauce.

Add clams to reduction.

Add pasta, parsley and hot chili flakes.

Simple ingredients for salad dressing.

This was the only tapanade available at my local large chain grocery.

I did not care for the taste on it's own, but it made for a great salad dressing!

Tapanade, balsamic, and olive oil.

Simplicity.

Surprisingly tasty.

Down the garbage disposal it goes...

Though I do not recommend the pasta dish, and you insist on wanting to try it yourself, you can find the recipe along with the salad recipe after the jump.

Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce

Makes 4 servings        

12 oz. dried spaghetti

3 Tbl. minced garlic

1 Tbl. olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 bottle (8 oz.) clam juice

2 cans (10 oz. each) baby clams

½ cup chopped parsley

½ tsp. hot chili flakes

Salt

1.     In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 4 quarts water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until barley tender to bite, about 10 minutes.

2.     Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir garlic in olive oil often until fragrant (do not brown), 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, clam juice, and reserved liquid from clams and boil until reduced to about 1 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Add clams and stir occasionally until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.

3.     Drain spaghetti. Add to clam sauce along with parsley and chili flakes; mix, and add salt to taste. Divide equally among four wide bowls.

Sunset 2003 Recipe Annual

Winter Green with Olive Vinaigrette

Serves 4

2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbl. prepared black olive tapenade

1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. bitter winter greens, such as radicchio, arugula, escarole, or frisée, rinsed & crisped

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, tapenade, and olive oil until well blended. Add greens and mix to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sunset 2003 Annual Recipe