Bucatini pasta with bacon tomato sauce.

This sounds so delicious and very simple.  The two things I look for in any recipe.

Eat up!

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 3 slices bacon (or pancetta), cut into 5-mm ( 1/4-inch) pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 8 whole canned tomatoes, drained and chopped)
• Salt, to taste
• 340 g (12 oz) bucatini pasta (or other long, thin pasta)

In a medium saucepan over medium, heat oil. Add bacon and cook until lightly browned and fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a small bowl and set aside.

To fat in pan, add onion. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add bacon and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

While tomatoes cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a serving platter or plates.

Taste sauce and add salt, if needed. Serve over pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Source:”The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters (Clarkson Potter, 2007).

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 474 calories, 101 calories from fat, 11 g fat (2 g saturated, 0 g trans fats), 7 mg cholesterol, 78 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 7 g fibre, 455 mg sodium.

[via The Canadian Press]

Yes, March Madness officially ended in last night (in April, thank you!), but MEAT MADNESS is just getting into it’s ELITE EIGHT.

If you are not familiar with MEAT MADNESS, here is my previous post on the subject.  It’s being run by the good folks (and fast becoming a favorite blog of mine) at So Good Blog.  Here is where things currently stand…

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[via So Good Blog - click thubnail to see larger bracket

Today’s match up is Steak v. Lamb.  Head over to So Good Blog and vote!

Bacon is STILL IN THE RUNNING!!  The #1 overall seed has been pretty dominating.  So even with the Spartans losing yesterday, I still got a team playing for a championship!

GO BACON!

“There can be only one!” – Connor MacLeod, The Highlander

Monday, April 6, 2009. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

Well there you go.  The 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball season has come to a close and Spartans everywhere got a huge humbling at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Ouch.

All through the day, you start believing, thinking “why not us”. Anticipation starts to build.  The venue looked great. There was a sea of Spartan fans. The noise was terrific during the team introductions.   The teams come to center court, the tip goes up, flash bulbs go off, the hair stands on your arm as the realization that you are at the finals. 

But then, in keeping with an automotive theme, the wheels came off.  Who were these guys?  This wasn’t the same team that beat Kansas, beat Louisville, beat UCONN?  Did the pressure of the moment just catch up with them?  I looked down for a minute and we were losing by 10.  Ouch!  The air came out of the arena.  Sure, there were fleeting moments where the crowd tried to will the team a bucket, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  Down 20.  I feel the anger start to build.  I’m cussing like a sailor.  Better half spent a fortune on these tickets and we’re getting our butts handed to us.  OUCH!

But then you start trying to rationalize things.  If they could just get the lead to 15, maybe get within 10 by half, just go on a small run…

I didn’t want to stay, but I did until 2:00 minutes left.  I just couldn’t watch another team, that team, hold up the trophy and celebrate on what became “our” floor.  I still have avoided media coverage from last night.  I’m just not ready for that.

“So we come, to the end of the road” – Boyz 2 Men

Tell you what though, I really do love my school and this team provided some great memories this year. Friends flew in from all over the country for this Final Four. We drank beer, did shots, sang the fight song, ripped on each other and reminded ourselves just how lucky we are to have each other. For that, I am grateful and I know I’ll look back and only see the great times.

I’m rambling, so I’ll stop.  Thank you Spartans!  Thank you Izzo.  You represented us well and provided a positive spotlight on Michigan all week.  We’ll see you next season!

GO GREEN! GO WHITE!