Milk In A Can

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." -- Woody Allen

The title of this post is pretty self-explanatory, I think. After going years without using canned milk in anything besides macaroons, I had the epiphany of substituting it into recipes in place of heavy cream and now I'm finding more uses for it every day. Here's a pair of them -- the lower-fat vodka sauce I promised last week and a slightly more fatty yet gloriously simple recipe for pistachio fudge minimally adapted from Nigella Lawson.

Vodka Sauce

I love vodka sauce, but for some reason, cream sauces seem to make me violently ill. (Case in point: I've fainted every time I've had risotto in the last eight years.) This recipe is easier on the arteries and easier on the digestive system than any I've ever seen, and it still tastes like good homemade vodka sauce.

½ white onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter or buttery spread
3 tbsp minced pancetta or prosciutto
½ cup tomato sauce
½ tsp each of tarragon, basil, and parsley
Pinch of salt and black pepper
Pinch of powdered cayenne pepper
½ cup vodka
1 cup (or 1 small can) evaporated skim or 2% milk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg (because, as I learned from the staff at my favorite restaurant, every cream sauce should contain nutmeg)

Sautee the onion and garlic in the butter until the onion is nearly transparent. Add the pancetta or prosciutto (and I like to add a little olive or sun-dried tomato paste here as well, if I have it on hand) and sautee until the meat stats to brown. Add the tomato sauce and all the spices except the nutmeg, lower heat, and bring to a low boil. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the vodka and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes to boil off most of the alcohol. Lower the heat a little more and add the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly, Heat until the sauce begins to bubble, then stir in the cheese and nutmeg and remove from heat. Serve over one pound of your favorite pasta, preferably something with ridges to catch the sauce. Serves six as an appetizer or four as a main course.


Chocolate Pistachio Fudge
(Adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe)

Chocolate and salt is one of my favorite flavor combinations, thanks in large part to the pistachio and sea salt-encrusted molten chocolate cake served by the Dessert Truck. Thus, even though I wasn't a big Nigella Lawson fan, I couldn't pass up trying this recipe. Needless to say, I'm now a Nigella convert! It's one of things you make, taste, and really can't believe you made yourself. I'm definitely planning on working on this recipe a little bit and passing out boxes of it at Christmas.

Half a bar of Lindt 85% cocoa chocolate
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp butter
1 cup salted pistachios, shelled and crushed

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until melted. Pour into a wax paper-lined 9" x 13" pan and spread into a thin layer. Allow to cool for about two hours, then cover and refrigerate until firm. Remove from pan, and with a sharp knife, make seven horizontal slices and seven vertical slices to yield sixty-four pieces of fudge.