A couple friends of mine introduced me to Cook’s Illustrated in 2005. We hit it off instantly. Cook’s Illustrated was always there for me, no matter what I wanted to make. When I had given up all hope, Cook’s Illustrated introduced me to CooksIllustrated.com which had online videos to help me along. Theres nothing Cook’s wouldn’t do for me, and I wouldn’t do for Cook’s.
This is why it took me some time to venture outside of Cook’s Illustrated and on to other sites, blogs and magazines. At first the guilt was overwhelming, but it was hard to ignore the overly chromatic images of cuisines from far away lands in magazines like Saveur.
I came across this recipe for a Baked Macaroni in a Puff Pastry, in Saveur, and was immediately interested. The site said this was a Maltese side dish, but based on the amount of meat and noodles, I decided to give it a go as a main course. I started reading the ingredients and became curious. Basil and Parsley, which is standard in Italian fare, but Cumin and Maltese Spice (which consisted of Cinnamon, Clove and Nutmeg among other things) seemed much more middle eastern than Italian. Saveur had a link to a great article about the Island of Malta which explained the background of the island, the culture of the people and of course, the food. Located off the southern tip of Italy and almost touching the Middle East, Malta is a combination between both cuisines.
The dish was less saucy and less cheesy than most Italian dishes. And actually, it was less meaty too. In a way, it reminded me of a Noodle Kugel, but not quite. It was an absolute natural cross between two cuisines that are extremely close to each other in proximity. The noodles were heavy, but I didn’t find this to be a totally satisfying main course. The only things I’d really do differently are to serve this as a side, and undercook the noodles slightly so they stack better.
The two side dishes came from ol’ trusy. Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs and Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts and Parmesan.
