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As I\u2019m about to embark on a girls trip with my mom and aunt to a new foreign land, including a cooking class of course, I\u2019m reminded again of the first time our family\u2019s first time taking a class. The poor souls who had to wrangle about 10 of our clan did not have an easy task, especially as the wine flowed freely.<\/p>\n
But 12 years later, I still make the recipes that we learned that day, and I still remember the wines that we tasted. Thankfully for the purposes of this blog, the recipe I make most often, pappa al pomodoro, (and was also one of the first dishes I shared with my sweetheart whom I\u2019ll be missing dearly), can be made in a Dutch oven.<\/p>\n
I haven\u2019t made many changes over the years. Why mess with this Italian classic?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what I did on my most recent venture:<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Peel the tomatoes — my method is to cut a cross in the bottom and put them in boiling water for a minute or less before transferring them to an ice bath. (I didn\u2019t say it was easy, just a way to use tomatoes!) Then, chop roughly and use a food processor or blender to puree the tomatoes.<\/p>\n Separately, in a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and then add the leeks and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for about another 1 minute.<\/p>\n Add the tomato puree to the Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about an hour. Add the chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste.<\/p>\n Continue to cook for about another half-hour. When the tomatoes are cooked, chop or tear off pieces of bread and place in the soup until it is thickened to taste. (I used about \u2154 of a small French loaf.)<\/p>\n Ladle the soup into bowls and top with additional olive oil and salt and pepper, if desired, and enjoy!<\/p>\n Programming note<\/strong>: I will be traveling, mostly out of the country, for the next few Fridays, BUT I will still be keeping my blogs updated as I worked in advance to ensure I kept up with posting weekly. However, if any technical difficulties or best laid plans do not work out and I go without posting, please be understanding and know that I\u2019ll fix anything when I return.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One thing that has become a staple of vacationing with my mom\u2019s side of the family is taking a cooking class. Though I was not there, I will not soon forget the pictures my mom sent of my Polish maternal grandma learning to make sushi. We\u2019re nothing if not adventurous. As I\u2019m about to embark … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/christiniacrippes.com\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/20190823_171408-300x228.jpg\")
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