PASTA IN A ANCHOVY AND GREEK OLIVE SAUCE, ASHTON STYLE #210

     Anchovies are a salty and strong flavored small fish that is mostly used for putting on a pizza.  The biggest fear is it being too strong a flavor and most people use it very sparingly.  The following recipe is a variation of another recipe that I have created using sauce with olives.  This one has the addition of using anchovies in addition to the Greek olives.  I hope you will try it and like it.
INGREDIENTS:
     1 lg can of Contadina crushed tomatoes
     2, 6 oz cans of Contadina tomato paste
     1/2 tin of anchovies
     12 to 15 pitted greek olives
     6 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed,
     and cut in half
     1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half
     and cut in half again
     1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
     OPTIONAL: 1 lb of pork neckbones
                          1 lb of ground meat for
                          meatballs
     15 or so large size capers
     2 tbls of dried basil
     1 tbls of dried oregano
     1/2 tsp of black pepper
     1 tsp of kosher salt
     2 tbls sugar
     1/2 cup of Merlot or a good red wine
     1 box 16 oz of thick spaghetti or linquini
DIRECTIONS:
     1. pour the virgin olive oil into a large fry pan
     2. add the pork neck bones and saute until
         they are brown on all sides and remove
         and set aside.
     3. add the anchovies and stir in until they melt
         into the oil
     4. make 12 or so meatballs
           1lb of ground chuck
           1 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs
           1 egg
           1 tbls of  Italian seasoning
           5 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed
           and cut in half
           mix all the ingredients and make your
           meatballs and brown on all sides and
           put them in the sauce and return the neckbones
     5. add the onions and garlic and saute until the
         the onions are slightly brown (don't over cook
         the garlic as it will get bitter
     6. add the 2 cans of tomato paste and saute about
         7 to 10 minutes continuesly stiring
     7. add the the basil, oregano, salt and pepper and
         sugar and stir in well
     9. add the capers and olives and stir in well and
         saute about 8 to 10 minutes continuesly stiring
    10. pour all the sauce into a large soup pot including
         the neck bones and meatballs and the wine and
        cook about a half an hour or more stiring every so often
     11. make the spaghetti or linquini according to the
         box and drain
    12. add the spaghetti into the sauce and stir well
    13. this recipe will serve 6 to 8 generously
     .    

MEATBALLS IN MUSTARD SAUCE, ASHTON STYLE #209

          Meatballs in mustard sauce is a very simple recipe which combines the meatballs with penne pasta and is very good for lunch or dinner.  I suppose it really isn't an Italian recipe or even Norwegian but it seems to me to be toward French or French American.  Whatever one refers to it, I believe it is worth trying for something a little different. Please let me know how you like it!
INGREDIENTS:
     2 lbs of ground chuck
     1 medium onion minced
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
DIRECTIONS FOR THE MEATBALLS
     1. mix all the above ingredients and form
         into meatballs (this recipe should make
         about 12 or 13 meatballs
     2. fry the meatballs in a 1/2 cup of
         virgin olive oil until well browned
         on all sides (set aside)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:
     1 cup creme fraiche (see recipe #
     1/2 cup Dijon mustard
     1/2 cup of Mostada Italian or
     whole grain mustard are good
     1/4 cup of white wine
     1/4 cup of shallots minced
     1 bunch of fresh dill minced
     3/4 box of penne pasta made
     using the box they came in
     1 tsp of Millers Chicken Soup base
     1/2 tsp white pepper
DIRECTIONS:
     1. mix all the above ingredients in a
         large bowl until well incorporated
     2. pour the mustard mixture into a
         large sauce pan and cook for about
         10 to 15 minutes over medium heat
     3. make the pasta according to the
         recipe on the box (aldente)
     4. add the meatballs with the pasta
         and pour the sauce over the pasta
         and meatballs and serve
     5. this recipe should serve 6 or more
         generously

WINDSOR VICTORIAN BROWN SOUP, ASHTON STYLE # 208

     One of Queen Victorias favorite soup is known as Windsor Brown Soup.  This
soup was served daily and until recently was also served in the dining cars of the British Rail.  Unfortunately canned knockoffs of this soup has deminished its popularity and now even the Royals don't have it as much as they used to.   My variation of this royal soup during the 19th and early 20th century has changed some of the ingredients and I believe has made the soup as good as what the Queen of  England used to have for dinner.  I hope you will try it and let me know what you think of it!
INGREDIENTS:
     1 lb of chuck roast cut into 1 inch pieces
     1 lb of lamb also cut into 1 inch pieces
     1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
     2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
     3 or 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
     3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
     3 stalks of celery cut into 2 inch pieces
     2 tbls of Millers or equivilent Beef Soup Base
     1 bunch of bouquet garni (4 or so sprigs of thyme, parsley,
     4 bay leaves tied together
     3 cups of water
     1/2 tbls of chili powder
     1/2 tsp of white pepper
     1/2 cup of Madeira wine or red sweet wine
     3 tbs of flour for the meat and 2 tbls of flour
     for the roux
     1/2 stick of salted butter
     (optional: 1 tbls of Kitchen Bouquet
      for flavor and color)
DIRECTIONS:
     1. dredge the beef and lamb in the flour covering all
         sides
     2. pour the olive oil into a large fry pan over moderate
         heat and saute all the meat until well browned
         (set aside)
    3. add the onions into the pan and saute until well
       browned and set aside
    4. add the carrots, parsnips, and celery into the fry
       pan and saute until they are slightly browned
       (set aside)
   5. add the butter into the oil in the fry pan and stir
      until melted and then add the 2 tbls of flour and
      make a roux
  6. add the water and the Millers soup base
      and the bouquet garni to the pan and stir in
  7. now add the chili powder and the optional
     tbls Kitchen Bouquet  and the tsp of
      brown sugar into the pan and stir well
  8. return all the vegetables and meat and
      add the wine into the pan and simmer for
    about 1 1/2 hours
 9. remove most of the meat and the bouquet
     garni from the fry pan 
     using a standing mixer (hand held motor
      boat mixer) puree the vegtables until the
      soup is smooth
10. return the meat into the soup and
     and serve
11. this recipe will serve 6 to 8 people