My other love...
While photography is definitely my favorite hobby, I have another love. Cooking! I love cooking almost as much as I love eating, so it's a good hobby to have. I decided the other night while trying out a new recipe that I might as well photograph the steps and share the results. Besides, I needed another reason for my kids to think I am crazy and taking pictures of raw meat seems to have done the trick.
Creamy Sausage & Bowties
1 lb bow tie pasta
2 T. olive oil
1lb sweet Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 (28oz) can Italian-Style tomatoes, drained & chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional: I toasted some cheese bread to go with this.
2 T. olive oil
1lb sweet Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 (28oz) can Italian-Style tomatoes, drained & chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional: I toasted some cheese bread to go with this.
Heat oil in large pan. Preheat your oven to 400. Also start boiling a pan of water for the noodles. Remove casings from sausage and crumble into the oil along with the red pepper flakes and cook until sausage is brown. 
I sliced the bread into thick pieces and coated both sides with butter.
While the sausage is browning, dice the onion and garlic. I used a whole small onion and chopped it into fairly small pieces.
I'll let you in on a little secret: To peel the cloves of garlic, I crush them with the handle of my knife and then just pop out the insides and run the knife through them quick. May not be pretty, but it works.
By this time, your sausage should be nice and brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan, but save the drippings in your pan. 
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. 
While that's cooking, drain can of tomatoes and dice. I saved a little of the liquid from the bottom of the can and added it to the pan.
Once your onions and garlic are done, add the diced tomatoes, the half & half, and the salt to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. I added my bread to the oven at the time as well (It took about 8 minutes to get nice and toasted) and tossed the noodles in the boiling water.
Once the noodles are done, drain and add to the sauce and add in the sausage as well. Heat for a few minutes and then serve. 
My thoughts: This is really quite good and simple. My picky kids actually ate it, so I consider it a success. Next time I will probably top the finished product with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese and maybe some basil.
I sliced the bread into thick pieces and coated both sides with butter.
While the sausage is browning, dice the onion and garlic. I used a whole small onion and chopped it into fairly small pieces.
I'll let you in on a little secret: To peel the cloves of garlic, I crush them with the handle of my knife and then just pop out the insides and run the knife through them quick. May not be pretty, but it works.
By this time, your sausage should be nice and brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan, but save the drippings in your pan. 
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. 
While that's cooking, drain can of tomatoes and dice. I saved a little of the liquid from the bottom of the can and added it to the pan.
Once your onions and garlic are done, add the diced tomatoes, the half & half, and the salt to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. I added my bread to the oven at the time as well (It took about 8 minutes to get nice and toasted) and tossed the noodles in the boiling water. 
Once the noodles are done, drain and add to the sauce and add in the sausage as well. Heat for a few minutes and then serve. 
My thoughts: This is really quite good and simple. My picky kids actually ate it, so I consider it a success. Next time I will probably top the finished product with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese and maybe some basil.
