Baby Clams & Spaghetti

The 99 Cent Chef's first 99 cent meals involved canned & dried goods. That was the only food they sold at the 99c only Stores many years ago. Baby clams and spaghetti became a favorite.

 After receiving accolades for this delicious Italian pasta entree, I always enjoyed the look of shock on my dining partner's face when I would gleefully announce, "This is a 99c only Store meal!"

This easy pasta entree is so quick and delicious so it's worth trying it out on someone some time.

Ingredients

1. 1 10oz can of baby clams in water
2. 1/2 of a 16 oz package of dried spaghetti4 slices of bacon
3. 1/4 onion & bell pepper - chopped
4. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (2 cloves)
5. 1/4 cup white wine
6. Slice of butter
7. 1/2 teaspoon total of dried oregano, basil, and/or sage - or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs

Directions
Start 3 quarts of lightly salted water to boil for the spaghetti. 

Brown bacon, then set aside to later crumble into clam sauce.

Saute 2-4 minutes chopped onion, bell pepper, and lastly, garlic in bacon fat. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup of a fine 99c only Store Sauvignon Blanc.

Pour in the baby clam juice from the can. Add dried herbs and reduce the liquid by half.

Your water should be at a boil by now. Add the spaghetti. The Chef likes his pasta "al dente," quite firm, so I cut the package cooking time by a couple of minutes. Drain and set aside.

When clam "water/wine" is reduced by half, add the baby clams and butter.

 Cook a couple of minutes, just enough time to heat through. 

Add fresh herbs if you've got them. Mix crumbled bacon into clam sauce and serve over spaghetti.

Orange Salad

The 99 Cent Chef is not a big salad eater, however there are times when the fancy strikes. Rummaging through the refrigerator, I had no tomatoes, but plenty of oranges. Why not substitute?

An orange adds enough acidity that mixes well with olive oil. It's a light, simple salad; to lead you into the next few days of heavy holiday dining.

ORANGE SALAD

1-2 oranges (depending on size)1 heart of romaine lettuceGoat or feta cheese2 tablespoons olive oilPepper to taste

Directions
Cut out wedges of orange; add to bowl of roughly torn romaine lettuce. Squeeze out juice from the pulp that remains in the sliced orange, over the lettuce. Drizzle olive oil over salad. Add a small amount of crumbled goat or feta cheese. Freshly ground pepper to taste.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

"A Free Lunch" Video Short - Part 2

The 99 Cent Chef brings sloganeering to new highs and lows
on the WGA picket lines. Even power lunchers across LA are
not safe from The Chef, who gleefully disses movie moguls and calls out
The Iron Chef Mario Batali, at his Hollywood restaurant, Mozza.

Play it here. A video in 2 parts; this is part 2 and is 3 1/2 minutes.

99 thanks to the WGA strikers at Paramount for allowing the Chef to walk the picket line. Click here to see "A Free Lunch, Part 1"

99 thanks to Pete Handelman for his quips, camerawork and for walking in Mario Batali's Crocs. Click here to see Pete's hilarious videos.

To embed or view the Chef's video from youtube, click here.
...

Power to the Screenwriters!

"A Free Lunch" - Video Teaser with Dave Chappelle

Comedian Dave Chappelle gives The 99 Cent Chef props.

Play it here. The video is 31 seconds

Next up, in Part 2: the screenwriters are fed, media moguls
are dissed and Iron Chef Mario Batali is called out!

99 thanks to Pete Handelman for his camerawork.
Click here to see Pete's hilarious videos.
To embed or view the Chef's video from youtube, click here.

Ice Cream & Beer?

Let me first start out with an apology. This posting may cause a dangerous increase in your calorie intake.
Ben & Jerry's "Black & Tan" pint servings of ice cream are at my local 99c only Store. I love the cover photo of a pint of beer.
Is "Black & Tan" on sale because the public is not ready for a "Cream Stout" flavored ice cream?
The 99 Cent Chef is ready!
If French children, at the dinner table, can sip wine; why not America's youth indulging in Stout flavored ice cream for dessert?
Hey Ben & Jerry's, do you take ice cream flavor suggestions? How about "Tequila Sunrise Sherbet," I would order that in a minute! Anyone else have a new ice cream flavor for Ben & Jerry's?
Add your flavorful post to "comments."

"A Free Lunch" - Video Short, Part 1

The 99 Cent Chef makes lunch for WGA picketers

at the Paramount Pictures movie studio in Hollywood, CA.

Play it here. A video in 2 parts; this is part 1 and is 2 1/2 minutes.

Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
3 slices honey roasted smoked turkey
1/2 leaf romaine lettuce
Sliced jellied cranberry sauce
"Rosemary mayonnaise"

To make rosemary mayonnaise, chop 1 tablespoon
of the herb rosemary, per 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Best
to let rosemary/mayo mixture refrigerate an hour, or longer.

99 thanks to the WGA strikers for allowing the Chef to walk the picket line and Pete Handelman for his quips, camerawork and for walking in Mario Batali's Crocs.
Click here to see Pete's hilarious videos.

Coming soon, part 2 of "A Free Lunch", where The 99 Cent Chef disses movie moguls
and The Iron Chef, Mario Batali, at Mozza . Hear sloganeering brought to new high/lows
on the WGA strike line, by The 99 Cent Chef.

To embed or view the Chef's video from youtube, click here.
...

Blueberry Pancakes & the WGA Picket Line

Welcome to my foodblog. I'll get right to a recipe.
Before hitting the Paramount Studios WGA picket line, The 99 Cent Chef carbo-loaded on blueberry pancakes. My local 99c only Store is carrying a pancake mix and fresh blueberries, a perfect combination.

Directions
Just add a 4.4oz container of blueberries, when mixing up the pancake batter, per box instructions.








Finding a decent 99 cent syrup can be difficult; if you do, let me know.

See you on the picket line!
Coming soon, a video from the Paramount Pictures picket line.

Photo by Pete Handelman