Yippee! Tommy has what he calls 'more bad news'. He's going to talk about tomatoes again! My God, will we be able for it? And will he be able to make that mundane topic interesting again? Well, I shouldn't have asked. I shouldn't have doubted his ability both as a cook and as a master, gourmet wordsmith.
So now, all we need is a blast of Captain Beefheart's 'Trout Mask Replica' to go perfectly with everything, as we say five hosannas for our (slightly nutty) host!
Martin, I really enjoy your comments both here and on poetic outlaws, and your work as well. And your cap, like Bob,on the cover of his first album. Do you sing Man of Constant Sorrow or Song to Woody?
Okay so I made it and because I was jet lagged I left it sitting on top of the aga on the warm plate all night with the lid tightly on and holy moly it turns out that was a genius move because I think you'd agree if you were leaning over the pot at 5 am this morning when I woke up that I nailed it. It's the best tomato confit I ever made and also the first but without doubt not that last.
Never has so much pasta been consumed in my home. With the sole purpose of being bathed lavishly in this confit, there were second and third helpings. Dinner ended when the pot was clean. Thanks!
OMG I need this. Maybe get some truly delicious feta and toss that in after mixing this in with the pasta. Sending this entire post to the two family children who are up for the task…and who also have the requisite fresh basil in their gardens…
Tommy, I am grateful for your food writing. It's resonant and compelling. You seem to feel the same way about cooking magic as my family. My mother was raised on the dusty plains of West Texas and spent much of her early life in isolation. Somehow, she managed to become an erudite culinary virtuoso through the force of her will and an insatiable drive for knowledge. Like my mother, the rest of us express love through cooking, not exclusively, but powerfully.
I would love to see you write a book about food. Your posts here have led me to wonderful adventures where I learned new things and forged new skills. I now know the power of chicken feet bone broth, and I researched my own recipe with your narrative as a starting point. I share your love for heirloom tomatoes. And now confit will be the next adventure.
Hey Matt, thanks for the thoughtful comment and glad you are man enough for chicken feet cause not everyone is. I appreciate you man, and I love the idea of your mom in solitude on the west Texas plains, finding her inner culinary genius. I'll keep that book idea in mind. Just was at the market getting tomatoes, about to indulge.
Okay, I’m in. I have the Gjelina cookbook, which has insane garlic confit and shallot confit recipes, as well as a tomato confit recipe I haven’t tried. But this one, with the lemon peel and Parmesan rind, feels like it might be a little bit life-changing.
Jesus, this made me extremely hungry. 😋 I’m inspired to quickly go through a block of Parmesan as quickly as possible to get to the rind so I can make this.
Laughing. You can cut a piece of parm off and use that if you want. Be curious to see if the parm dries out quicker without the rind. You may just have to eat it quick Eleanor.
Thanks, Tommy. I'm going to do exactly as you say using my le creuset and the slow oven of the aga. Now, have you got a good onion soup recipe? I know I could just get it off the internet, but I don't want to. I want you to tell me.
Came back here to say that I'm planning to make this this weekend and I know it will be good. Reminds me of another recipe where you cook down the tomatoes for hours with a little balsamic and olive oil and not much else until it's practically charred. You might like it!
Yippee! Tommy has what he calls 'more bad news'. He's going to talk about tomatoes again! My God, will we be able for it? And will he be able to make that mundane topic interesting again? Well, I shouldn't have asked. I shouldn't have doubted his ability both as a cook and as a master, gourmet wordsmith.
So now, all we need is a blast of Captain Beefheart's 'Trout Mask Replica' to go perfectly with everything, as we say five hosannas for our (slightly nutty) host!
Martin, I really enjoy your comments both here and on poetic outlaws, and your work as well. And your cap, like Bob,on the cover of his first album. Do you sing Man of Constant Sorrow or Song to Woody?
"I'm about to ride that morning railroad / Perhaps I'll die on that train."
Okay so I made it and because I was jet lagged I left it sitting on top of the aga on the warm plate all night with the lid tightly on and holy moly it turns out that was a genius move because I think you'd agree if you were leaning over the pot at 5 am this morning when I woke up that I nailed it. It's the best tomato confit I ever made and also the first but without doubt not that last.
Accidents are the best cooks.
“To offer up their soul, but not their blood.” Mmmm. Wow. And other hungry noises.
Confit while rolling may be in your future, Ms Starley.
Never has so much pasta been consumed in my home. With the sole purpose of being bathed lavishly in this confit, there were second and third helpings. Dinner ended when the pot was clean. Thanks!
buying ingredients now. Sounds yummm
Get in there Teyani.
OMG I need this. Maybe get some truly delicious feta and toss that in after mixing this in with the pasta. Sending this entire post to the two family children who are up for the task…and who also have the requisite fresh basil in their gardens…
Let me know the outcome, and the feta sounds nice but taste it straight first Patris(That was the purist in me).
Tommy, I am grateful for your food writing. It's resonant and compelling. You seem to feel the same way about cooking magic as my family. My mother was raised on the dusty plains of West Texas and spent much of her early life in isolation. Somehow, she managed to become an erudite culinary virtuoso through the force of her will and an insatiable drive for knowledge. Like my mother, the rest of us express love through cooking, not exclusively, but powerfully.
I would love to see you write a book about food. Your posts here have led me to wonderful adventures where I learned new things and forged new skills. I now know the power of chicken feet bone broth, and I researched my own recipe with your narrative as a starting point. I share your love for heirloom tomatoes. And now confit will be the next adventure.
Hey Matt, thanks for the thoughtful comment and glad you are man enough for chicken feet cause not everyone is. I appreciate you man, and I love the idea of your mom in solitude on the west Texas plains, finding her inner culinary genius. I'll keep that book idea in mind. Just was at the market getting tomatoes, about to indulge.
Okay, I’m in. I have the Gjelina cookbook, which has insane garlic confit and shallot confit recipes, as well as a tomato confit recipe I haven’t tried. But this one, with the lemon peel and Parmesan rind, feels like it might be a little bit life-changing.
It's really good, brother. But now I'm interested in that garlic one you mentioned. Gonna seek it out. Thanks for the tip.
You’re invited to Santa Fe for dinner, Swerdlow. But of course, you’re cooking!
Santa Fe is is in my future one way or another so we might as well break bread!
I'll go shopping withya, but I won't choose a single thing!!!
Let me know Anna S. I'm interested and I also like your balsamic cook down
Jesus, this made me extremely hungry. 😋 I’m inspired to quickly go through a block of Parmesan as quickly as possible to get to the rind so I can make this.
Confession: i cut the rind off a perfectly good piece of Parmesan.
Laughing. You can cut a piece of parm off and use that if you want. Be curious to see if the parm dries out quicker without the rind. You may just have to eat it quick Eleanor.
It created its own little parm universe which I scraped out and have kept for slicing and adding to something else. The whole thing is a triumph.
It’s in the oven right now. My daughter and I made it and are being intoxicated by the smells coming from the oven.
How great. Let me know Ben. Love family cooking as well. Hope those good smells deliver.
Thanks, Tommy. I'm going to do exactly as you say using my le creuset and the slow oven of the aga. Now, have you got a good onion soup recipe? I know I could just get it off the internet, but I don't want to. I want you to tell me.
Came back here to say that I'm planning to make this this weekend and I know it will be good. Reminds me of another recipe where you cook down the tomatoes for hours with a little balsamic and olive oil and not much else until it's practically charred. You might like it!