Recipes & Food from Chef Robert Conaway

Pasta has to be one of my great comfort dishes, as it's versatility as a food stuff is almost unrivaled. Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes and allows you to make a variety of different sauces to accompany these varying shapes.

Marinara is one of my favorite pasta sauces to both make and eat, as it is simple in ingredients, simple in flavor and simple to make. With a few garden fresh ingredients (in season) or a can or two of Italian pear tomatoes, some garlic, extra virgin olive oil and herbs your well on your way to enjoying this sauce for yourself!

I developed this recipe to take advantage (if you can call it that) of off-season, or hot house tomatoes. These tomatoes are very light in color and are lacking in flavor, but by roasting them you not only concentrate their flavors, but also add a bit of smokiness to this sauce. By using a base of imported Italian tomatoes, you can keep a level of consistency that is only achievable during the height of the tomato season. Served plain over Fettuccine pasta (above) or with the addition of some Smoked Chicken with Penne Rigate and you have a great, time saving dish that will make even the most finicky of eaters happy.

To read the whole article please follow this link,

Roasted tomato marinara

chefRob

While working in Vietnam I was introduced to this exotic tea by a delegation of Bangladeshi diplomats while I was visiting their table after dinner.

We started discussing teas, and I mentioned my favorites Jasmine and Guava leaf teas. Someone, and I do not remember who asked if I had ever tasted Saffron tea and after a pause on my part to try and a grasp of this tea, I said no. Interesting enough, it is quite tasty.

Follow this link to read more and get the easy and tasty recipe!

Saffron Tea Recipe

chefRob

So this is my last recipe until fall that is about braising. I love braising, as most chefs do, and just love to dig around in all of my recipes and see what I can find.

Beef Bourguignon is one of those dishes that when done properly elevate an otherwise tough piece of meat onto a pedestal. Slow cooking the beef chuck with copious amounts of red wine, fresh thyme and adding pearl onions and mushrooms a bit before it is done and you have one of the tastiest one pot meals on the face of the earth.

OK, so here we go. You'll need the following ingredients to get started;

dry red wine, burgundy works well ;)
beef stock
carrots
garlic
parsley
fresh thyme
black peppercorns
beef chuck, cut into 2 1/2-inch piec

Got the ingredients?...Good, now follow this link for the complete recipe and a printable version for your kitchen.

Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Cheers!

chefRob