OF PANS AND DOOFERS

Remember my procrastination of three weeks ago over how to use my supermarket points? Well, yesterday I was able to pick up my "loyalty reward" of this fine set of pans, complete with pasta drainer, and smart-looking onion chopper. I am rather pleased with them. Next challenge: to fine somewhere to keep them! By the way, the photo is a bit lopsided because I had to lie on the floor to take it, to avoid my own reflection showing in the gleam of the pans! Don't worry: they won't be gleaming for long...

I am making some progress, however, in the "good Italian housewife stakes"; no, I am not yet carrying a duster with me everywhere I go or ironing everything in sight, but I have discovered that I can now judge the amount of pasta needed for however many people I am cooking for by the handful, just as the Italian women do. No more weighing it [100gr per person is what Italians tell you to allow, whilst most British cookbooks suggest 2oz per person, a discrepancy which possibly arises because in Italy pasta is always a starter, never a main course] or putting spaghetti through one of those plastic things with different-sized holes in it which British cookery magazines love to give away. [I've lost the one I had, anyway.] Talking of pasta, I still put a sliced-up potato into the water, as friend Giovanna advised me to do me so many years ago [I know I've mentioned this before]; and yes, I do put a little olive oil in and, of course, plenty of coarse seasalt. I have no idea what the purpose of adding the potato is and different cooks disagree about adding olive oil. All I can tell you is, my pasta never sticks!

It's a while since I posted a recipe so, as everyone here seems to like my ragù bolognese, I thought I'd tell you how I do that. As ever, it's a recipe I have evolved over the years and it works for me:

5 - 6 tablesp. olive oil

1 finely chopped onion

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

small packet of pancetta cubetti

small packet dried porcini mushrooms [This is not a classic ingredient but I feel it adds a little "depth".]

80z minced pork

8oz lean minced beef

1 very large glass robust red wine

1 small can tomato paste

seasalt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the porcini mushrooms to soak in warm water for c. 15 mins.

Heat the oil in a large, wide pan [I use a wok] and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery till softened and the onion is transparent. Add the pancetta cubetti. Simmer it all for a few minutes.

Drain the mushrooms and chop them. [I do this with a scissors.] Add them to the pan.

Mix everything around then add the meats. Brown them, stirring all the time.

Dilute the tomato paste in a small glass of water and add to the pan.

Finally, add the wine and seasoning. [I find 10 twists of the pepper grinder to be about right.]

Stir well again, put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for c. 3 hours. Keep coming back to stir and check on the mixture - you may need to add water if it seems to be drying out.

This recipe freezes well.