Back in the day–when I was young[ish] and cute[ish] and lived in Santa Monica–I had a Sunday ritual. I’d buy the New York Times Sunday edition and take it to the Rose Cafe in Venice. There, I order coffee and a croissant with a slab of Brie and a side of jam, which I’d take to one of the high tables by the windows. I’d spend the next hour or so reading the paper: the Book Review section, so as to tweak my writer’s jealousy over who was publishing what to great acclaim; the Arts pages, so as to see what lectures I would not be attending at the 92nd Street Y; and the Magazine, so as to see what the Cooking column featured that week. If it was possible–if the ingredients weren’t too bizarre–I would pick a recipe, go home and spend the rest of the day in my kitchen cooking.
I got out of that habit when I moved to Northern California the first time: the foothills of the Sierras were not on the NY Times delivery schedule at that time. However, now that I’m back within the NY Times delivery route, I get the Sunday paper (and the Saturday) thwaked at my door. My reading habits have changed over time, though. I read the first section and the business section because, well, because I’m a grownup now. I read Styles to see who I don’t know married someone else I don’t know and will live happily ever after or divorce in three years (I read the Obits too). And of course, I still pull out the Magazine, which I deliver to the bathroom, where it keeps me company all week long.
Now, however, I’m thinking that I should make a detour to the kitchen first and leave the cooking pages there to, should the ingredients not be too bizarre, make one of the recipes. This idea came to me just after the one that I wrote up on my Posts To Do list as “something from Bon Appetit every month….” Thus, herewith I present to you the following:
The May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit, the Italy issue, offers “Pasta Perfect” the 10 point guide to making your pasta taste and look like it does when served in the finest restaurant. The “Eat” feature of New York Times Magazine on May 15, 2011 was focused on pasta using spring veggies. This seemed like the HOG (hand of god) telling me, “go forth and make a spring vegetable pasta dish using the NY Times recipe, but according to the dictates of the Bon Appetit.” That I have done–and it was…good, although if I had chosen another vegetable it might have been better.
I made the Bucatini with Butter-Braised Turnips and Sage. There were seven other recipes I could have chosen but–remember my practicality in the kitchen–I already had the turnip and I already had the fresh sage. 
Bucatini I didn’t not have, still don’t, haven’t a clue what it is, but the drawing of it looked like spaghetti, so that’s what I used. The recipe itself is easy. Cook diced turnips in butter, add chopped sage, some liquid and boil away till the turnips are tender and liquid is almost gone.
Here’s are some of those special instructions from Bon Appetit that I followed to the letter: Forget the pot and use a saute pan. Add LOTS and LOTS of salt to the pasta water. Use tongs. Undercook the pasta by a couple of minutes and finish cooking it in the sauce itself. Save at least a cup of the pasta water to add to your sauce. Finish pasta with butter or oil. Add freshly grated cheese. Create pretty pasta by swirling with your tongs.
Here’s what I learned. My saute pan was just this side of too small to easily accommodate the sauce and the pasta and enable me to practice doing that flip the Top Chefs all do. However, it really is true that every single strand of spaghetti was nicely coated with the sauce, as they promised. Basically, you’re finishing cooking the pasta in the sauce, rather than just dumping it on top.
Speaking of dumping–that has been, to date, my plating method. I want to teach myself to plate nicely, so the instructions from Bon Appetit to use the tongs to make a nest with the pasta and serve is in a broad bowl were most welcome. I followed them to the letter and you can see the result in the photo above.
I will definitely use these techniques from now on when I’m making any kind of pasta. I just won’t use turnips again. Nothing against turnips; but nothing for them either.
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