Photo via slowandsweet.wordpress.com

We’ve done this cooking thing before, but we thought we’d, uh, kick it up a notch. Bwog obviously loves to eat, but there are others on campus with more refined palates. We turned to Matt Powell, a member of Columbia University Culinary Society, to guide us through gastronomy. Welcome to the return of Cooking with Bwog, Culinary Society-style. This week, Matt gives us an easy and delicious pasta dish that’ll last you a week, a margarita pie, and a drink ripped from the Great Gatsby that you can make with ingredients from the Greenmarket on 115th. We’re hoping to work more with the folks at the Greenmarket, but tell us what you’d like to see more and/or less of in the comments, and happy eating.

The Recipe of the Week: Pasta de Ricotta

This recipe only takes 30 minutes to cook and can last you the whole week.

Ingredients:

16 oz dried pasta
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
Olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
Sliced Almonds
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 C chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (8-10 minutes).

2. While pasta is cooking, sauté onion in oil in a skillet, adding salt and a tablespoon of sugar. Sauté until onions become slightly translucent (7-10 minutes). Add sausage to the skillet. Break up sausage with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Cook through (7 minutes). Set onion-sausage mixture aside.

3. Drain pasta. In a large bowl, combine pasta, onion-sausage mixture, Ricotta, almonds, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper. Mix to distribute evenly. Eat cold or hot.

The Dessert of the Week: Strawberry Margarita Pie

This recipe only takes 30 minutes (besides freezing time). It serves 12-16 people.

Ingredients:

2 Graham Cracker Pie Crusts
1 lb. strawberries, halved
1 tbsp. lime zest
¼ C lime juice
14 oz. condensed milk
2 tbsp. Tequila
3 tbsp. Orange liqueur
1 ½ C heavy cream

Directions:

1. Puree strawberries, lime zest, juice, condensed milk, tequila, and liqueur in a blender until smooth.

2. Whip cream with an electric mixer in a separate bowl until it holds firm, stiff peaks.

3. Fold cream into strawberry mixture.

4. Pour into crusts and freeze for at least 5 hours, covered.

Drink of the Week: Lavender Spritzer

This recipe only takes 20 minutes and makes at least 5 drinks.

Ingredients:

Dried Lavender from the Farmer’s Market (25 sprigs)
¾ C sugar
3/8 C water
Soda Water/Club Soda
Vodka (opt.)

Directions:

1. Crush lavender into a small saucepan. Add sugar and pour in water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 3 minutes. Set aside and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Strain into a heat-proof bowl/container and let it cool.

2. To make drinks, mix 2 tbsp. lavender syrup with 1 shot of vodka. Fill the remainder of the glass (1 C approximately) with club soda.

3. For garnish, use mint or fresh lavender.

Food Events for the Week:

1. Bell House Cook-off: Here is your chance to be a critic! For 20 dollars (25 at the door), Bell House (at 149 7^th St., Brooklyn) is hosting a brunch cook-off among chefs. The event is from 12 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, March 28. The audience gets to play the part of the judge. If you think you have what it takes to pass judgment on professionals, play the part of the critic!

2. NYC Water Week: Water Week goes on for two more days (Friday the 26^th and Saturday the 27^th). By donating 1 dollar for tap water at participating New York restaurants, you will help UNICEF provide “lifesaving water and sanitation to kids around the world.” For more information and participating restaurants, visit www.tapproject.org/restaurants.