I was recently at a meeting in Dublin city centre, the casual type that involves coffee, sporting analysis and family chat before getting down to business. We were in the front lounge of a notable hotel. The conversation had just veered toward this column and the range of recipes featured over the past year – what works, what doesn’t, what do people actually like to cook versus just look at and read. With that, a gentleman in a neatly ironed shirt approached in a fashion I’ve become accustomed to, and one I always enjoy. He looked at me with a sideways glance, recognising the face from somewhere but having no clue where. I like to take it as a sign that I might be doing all right at my job, while bearing in mind you would never have to look twice at Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay.
Finally the penny dropped: “Are you that chef fella off the TV?” “That’s me, yep.” Then came the best line, another one I’ve become well used to: “My mother loves you!” Happily he also said he liked my work, too, so I took the opportunity to do a little market research. I asked him what recipes he would like to see more of. What recipes are most useful to a busy working life? The response was fascinating. He would like to see more functionality in cooking – one-tray bakes, one-pan wonders, more fish. And then came a very specific request for recipes for great home-made pasta sauces that can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge or freezer for use midweek after work folded through some pasta with meat or fish.
So this week’s recipes are two pasta sauces made using easily sourced ingredients. Ones that can be made in bulk at the weekend and then kept in the fridge for up to five days, or frozen down in individual portions. Tomato and piquillo pepper sauce has a perfect blend of sweetness and a decent kick of chilli. Folded through some spaghetti with olive oil, it makes a lovely light dinner, and you can even add some shellfish when cooking to spice it up further. The mushroom sauce is simple, too, yet the method of cooking slowly in the oven intensifies all the flavour. The addition of soy sauce as a seasoning brings it to the next level.
