Blistered Peppers

The other day I purchased a packet of Padron peppers on a whim at the farmers market. Padron peppers are beautiful green Spanish peppers that I had absolutely no idea how to prepare. If you are starting to notice a pattern, you are astute. I have a habit of purchasing ingredients I have no idea how to cook, then jumping in with both feet. Good news is this particular recipe is simple and doesn't require exotic ingredients. Bad news is the first batch with proper Padron peppers got eaten before I could take a photo so you will have to settle for the supermarket generic sweet peppers. Boo hoo.

1 pack of Padron or sweet peppers (any pepper under three inches long that you can stand to eat in bulk will work)
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Dilithum Crystals

I'll be honest, I pinched that last ingredient from Star Trek because I felt the list was too short, but trust me these are delicious. Heat a skillet to high heat with a few glugs of oil in it. Open all the windows in your house, get a few fans running and be prepared for smoke. Once the oil is shimmering toss as many peppers as can comfortably fit in the skillet. They need to all be making full contact with the cooking surface, so don't over crowd. Shake the pan every 10 seconds or so, and turn with tongs as needed. You are looking for even blistering. I myself prefer a bit of char, but that's up to your taste, as long as they get nice and blistered you don't need them black. Cook this way for 4-6 minutes, remove to a plate when at the desired doneness. Add a few generous pinches of sea salt on top and eat as soon as they are cool enough to handle. These are a perfect appetizer for any meal and a damn good reason to buy multiple packs of peppers at the market.

Pasta

This is the most basic pasta recipe I know. It's ridiculously simple and easy to memorize. I highly recommend doing so.

• Three large fresh eggs. (Fresh matters.)
• 1 1/2 cups flower, separated
• 1 teaspoonful of salt
• 1 tablespoonful of olive oil

One a clean smooth surface, make a mound with one cup of flower. Create a well in the middle of the mound, about six inches in diameter. Separate two of the eggs and add the yolks to the well. You can save the whites for cocktails or throw them out. Crack the entire third egg into the well. Add the salt and oil, then whisk the eggs, slowly incorporating the flour as you go. Keep whisking until a dough forms, then kneed dough until smooth. form into a ball, cover with plastic and let rest for a half hour. 

From here you have a few choices. If you have a pasta roller, you probably already know how to make pasta and aren't reading this. If you don't, get out your best rolling pin and get to work. I like to half the rested dough, but if you don't work quickly you will want to cut it into thirds. Keep the dough you aren't working with covered so it doesn't dry out.  Flour your work surface and pin. The thinner the better as they will plump slightly when you cook them. Cut into the appropriate size ribbons. 

Cooking fresh pasta is very very different than cooking dry or even supermarket "fresh" pasta. Salt four quarts of water with about a tablespoonful of salt, maybe more. Bring it to a roiling boil but then back it off to a light boil, barely more than a simmer. Add the pasta and watch it! Do not crowd the pot and do not let it over-cook. Taste at 30 seconds and see if its done. If you walk away you will over-cook it. Two minutes is usually too long, but you will get a feel for it.