Old Time Boiled Icing

I found this cookbook my mom had, and on the cover she had written page 62,  fluffy frosting.  Reading it I remember her making this frosting often, how it would cook and she would look for the thread coming off of the spoon.  

Old time Boiled Icing

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix sugar, cream of tartar and water together in a saucepan.  Boil without stirring, until mixture  spins a 6-inch thread (240 degrees), keeping pan covered for first 3 minutes of cooking to prevent crystals forming on sides of pan.

Beat egg whites stiff.  Pour hot syrup slowly into egg whites, beating constantly at high speed.  Add vanilla.  Continue beating until mixture is fluffy and will hold its shape.  If icing does not set so that it will stay on cake, add 2 or 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture is stiff enough.

Pasta with Savory Sausage and Cream

I tried this new recipe tonight and it was a winner.  Very good flavor combination.  I did use orecchiette pasta instead of bow ties.  If you can find orecchiette try it.  It worked well for this dish.   I also used parmesan cheese instead of Feta or gorgonzola.

Pasta with Savory Sausage and Cream

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, oil reserved
1 Tbsp. oil from sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 (28 oz. ) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained, chopped
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8 oz.) package bowtie pasta
1/4 cup minced fresh wide-leaf parsley or basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Feta or Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil and reserved sun-dried tomato oil (1 Tbsp) in a large skillet; mix in onion and garlic and cook until tender.

Stir sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper into olive oil and onion mixture.  Cook 7 minutes, breaking up sausage until no longer pink.

Stir in tomatoes, whipping cream (I cut back on the whipping cream, maybe only used half) and salt.  Lower heat and simmer until mixture thickens, approximately 4 minutes.

Cook bowtie pasta in boiling water with salt, approximately 10 minutes or until al dente.  If using orecchiette it may cook longer.  Drain water; stir pasta into sauce.  Simmer an additional 2 minutes.  Stir in parsley or basil.

Serve with toasted pine nuts and the cheese of your choice.

Serves 4.