I Ate Anchovies

Dear Turkey,

Greetings from the land of

trees with snow on them

and more trees with snow on them

Last night I had a big culinary adventure: anchovies. I have always wanted to like anchovies. They are good for you. They are low on the food chain. They are cheap ($1.99!). They don't spoil. But I was never sure, especially after studying abroad in Italy where, if you tell them you are vegetarian, they put anchovies on everything (don't ask me why; maybe they are trying to fatten you up).

Over the holidays we organized our pantry (romantic, and our baby loved chewing on all the Tupperware). We found a jar of roasted red peppers that expired a while ago (but more recently than 1983). So my husband decided to make a pasta sauce out of them. He asked me to buy cream, feta, and anchovies when I got groceries.

these are the ones I tried; that Oscar guy looked trustworthy

Last night, he cooked some angel hair. Then he sauteed the red peppers with some onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Then he added sherry vinegar, lime juice and the dreaded anchovies. He blended it all up and added some cream. Then he served it on the pasta with fresh basil, currants, and feta (and he would have used pine nuts but they were out at the grocery store).

When I tasted it I realized:
1) It was delicious (and I know he thought so too, because he wrote it in our cookbook), and not too fishy (my fear).

2) I have eaten anchovies before, and not just in Worcestershire sauce. I immediately felt like I was at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, even though I have never ordered anchovies there before (see 1st paragraph).

I would print the recipe (and a photo) here but my husband said that it is proprietary ("you can put your recipes on the blog"). So, honey, if I left something out above, I leave it up to you to correct the public. I threatened to make a new category on the blog called: Things My Husband Made and Doesn't Want Me To Put On Here, but, since he subscribed, I'd probably have to protect it with a password.

So, anchovies, maybe you and I will be friends. And now my husband wants to try sardines.

I moss you,
Tofu