Welcome!

Welcome to Food Straight Up! After a bit of urging from a few friends and some tech help from my friend Raina, the Straight family food blog is finally underway. We are definitely a family of "foodies," and we're constantly talking, planning, sharing, and sometimes obsessing over food. Although I have initiated this project, it is my hope that the rest of the family will chime in from time to time with their thoughts, ideas and recipes.

In my next post, I will share some thoughts about my relationship with food and my emphasis on healthy eating. For now, I will leave you with a recipe of the week (see picture above). It's from one of my favorite cookbooks: Italian Country Cooking- the Secrets of Cucina Povera, by Loukie Werle. Mangia!

Guazzetto di pesce e fagiolo

(Fish fillets with beans and tomatoes)

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 t chili flakes

1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c. dry white wine
1 c. dried cannelini or great northern beans, cooked

good handful flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

4 white fish filets (I used cod), cut into 2-inch pieces or left whole

lemon wedges and grilled bread to serve

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over moderate heat. Add the garlic, chili flakes, tomatoes and wine and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, about 10 min. Drain the beans and add them to the pan, together with the parsley, and cook another 5 min. Check seasoning.

Lay the fish on top and season with salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about another 10-15 min., depending on thickness. Serve in deep, heated plates with lemon wedges and grilled bread.

Note: The book's author does not recommend the use of canned cannelini beans but if you don't have time to soak the dried beans overnight and cook them slowly before adding them into the recipe, canned beans should be rinsed several times to avoid a metallic flavor.