Back To Basics

Sometimes you want good, simple comfort food. Sausage & peppers does it for me! I got greedy and ended up spooning the peppers over some pasta, but we'll get to that later.

Start by browning some sausage over high heat-- sweet or hot (or both); it doesn't matter. I used half sweet and half hot. I live on the edge like that.

Remember to brown and not fully cook the sausage - hence the high heat. Once browned, remove the sausage from the pan.

Start your veggies in layers. I know this is called sausage and peppers, but onion and celery never hurt anybody. They wanted to join in the fun and games too. I added the celery first. I hit it with a little salt and pepper and let it sweat until softened. Onions were next, followed by the peppers. Season each layer! Flavor should be built at each stage, not just at the end. After the peppers have started to soften, add the garlic.

As the veggies soften, they start to release their liquid. This will help you scrape up the good

bits of fond on the bottom of the pan. If you thought those burnt bits were no good, shame on you. They add wonderful depth to a dish.

I wanted to hurry up and cook so that I could take a nap. After I got the veggies on their way, I added dried oregano, put the sausage on top, put the lid on the pan and popped it in a 350 degree oven. Of course the pan was my All-Clad Petite Braiser. The domed lid allows more moisture to drip down and baste the food.

About an hour later, BAM!!!

All of that juicy goodness needed to be in a bun, but since I didn't have any, I opted for some pasta. I took some Barilla No-Boil Lasagna noodles, boiled them and made tagliatelle. (Thank you, Jamie Oliver, for the idea.)

Tools of the trade:

• Shun Santoku
• Totally Bamboo Butcher Block
• All-Clad Petite Braiser
• OXO Tongs

Masterpiece

I have rediscovered lasagna. The last time I made it, I lived in Cleveland and made my own pasta for it. I vowed never to do that much work again. I'm so kidding. I loved it, but I hadn't made it since.

One of my coworkers is out on maternity leave. Another coworker wanted to do something nice for her and asked if I would make a dinner to take over. The new mommy requested lasagna and key lime pie. I was up for the task! I also made Tyler Florence's roasted broccoli.

Now, there was no way I was making my own pasta this time, although we know it can be done. However, I still wanted kick-butt taste. Enter The Best Make Ahead Recipe or you can use Cover & Bake. Both are by Cook's Illustrated. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but close enough to count. Let's do it.

Sauce first. Here's the first departure: start with the trinity. CI just has onion. Since there is a heavy Italian influence in New Orleans, I felt I had the blessing to use celery, bell pepper and onion in my sauce. Sweat these in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once the trinity gets a head start, add the garlic and lots of it. I made two batches of lasagna. In the one for me, I also added cremini mushrooms sliced thin.

After the veggies soften, add your meat. Y'all know I don't do read meat or pork, so it's all about the turkey. I used Jennie-O sweet and hot sausage for this. Just take it out of the casing and add it to the pot. As it browns, break up large clumps. This is where my Oxo wooden turner rocks.

Don't allow the meat to caramelize, just get the pink off of it.

Here's the secret ingredient - heavy cream. Let it work out in the pot for a few minutes.

A tomato sauce has to have tomato right? Never fear. I won't break the tradition.

Allow this to simmer so the flavors can meld. Let's move on to the cheese filling. I just get really excited about fresh herbage. I guess I should tell you what's in it: ricotta, Parm, egg, salt and pepper. I guess I should stir it.

Is that better?

Let's assemble, shall we? Throw down a layer of sauce. If you skip this step, you will have cemented noodles. This is not a good thing.

Next, place three noodles on top of the sauce. A word about the noodles -- Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles, please. No substitutions. You'll need 12 of them. I hate that this foil pan is wider than a traditional 9x13, but what can you do?

Reach for your cheese mixture. Spread it nice in thick. Please don't skimp like I did on this layer.

Top with shredded mozzarella.

Next? Start all over with the sauce. You should have three layers. After you've built your third layer, place the last three noodles on top of the sauce. Top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the last of your mozzarella and hit it with Parmesan cheese.

Cut a piece of foil to fit the pan. Spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the pan (oiled side down) and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 25 minutes. The sauce should be bubbly and the cheese nice and browned. Here's the bait and switch. I took the lasagna in the previous pics over my coworker's house unbaked. Here's the one I baked for me.

It's so unfair that you can't taste this. You just have to believe me when I say it was awesome.

Tools of the trade:

• All-Clad 6-Quart Stock Pot
• Oxo Wooden Turner

Saturday Breakfast

Saturday is my lazy day, well at least for the time being. It's the only day of the week I make coffee. All other days are tea via the microwave. With the coffee indulgence comes Food Network shows and the time to eat leisurely. It is such a treat.

Today I decided on pancakes and turkey sausage. My pancakes came from a box mix -- it's left over from when my family visited during the summer. The mix is Trader Joe's and it's good, but the sausage ... homemade with rosemary, sage, thyme, mustard and brown sugar. It's so much better when you make it yourself! I have ground my own meat before and I know it's a lot of work. I made this batch with ground turkey I bought from the store. -- super easy. Spend a few minutes on the weekend to make up a couple of pounds, freeze the patties and you can make your own convenience food! Besides, you know exactly what's in it.

I am surprised that the food I love now is the food a generation ran from in the '50s and the opposite of the Happy Meals I loved when I was a kid. Now those enjoy quality, homemade food are labeled foodies. Why isn't there a name for the generation who know little outside the processed world of Pop Tarts, Lunchables and Pizza Rolls?