Taste of Tribeca Tip #6: When Applying Sauce, Use Your Noodle

This article first appeared in The Tribeca Citizen on April 1, 2010. We appreciate being able to reprint the article.

In anticipation of Taste of Tribeca, the benefit for P.S. 234 and P.S. 150 on May 15, I’m asking the participating chefs for cooking tips. John Sierp of M1-5 and White Cloud Catering says there’s more to saucing pasta that mixing and serving.

Do you hate when you order pasta and get a plate full of red water on the bottom of your dish/bowl? Here’s a way to avoid that. When you cook the pasta, stop a minute or two before it’s al dente. Strain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Put the pasta back in the pot (on low/medium heat), along with just enough sauce to coat it—you want to finish the cooking process by stirring the pasta with the sauce for the last minute or so; that way the pasta aborbs some of the sauce and flavors it. As you finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, add some of the pasta water as the sauce evaporates: The pasta will absorb the sauce/pasta water and the starch in the pasta water will help thicken the liquid. This also works well for serving family-style: When serving, add more sauce to each portion as you like. This way, everyone gets pasta with the right amount of sauce. And serve another helping of sauce on the side, so people can add it themselves as they wish.

*Tickets are on sale now at tasteoftribeca.org. Buy before May 1 and they’re only $35. Also, join the Taste of Tribeca Facebook group and you might win a T-shirt.

M1-5 Chef to Debut on Chopped!

Recently, we learned that M1- 5 will have a Food Network celebrity in their midst! Here is the note they sent us:

Be sure to tune in to the Food Network on Jan 19th at 10 PM, as our Chef, John Sierp makes his debut on the Food Network Show Chopped. Or if you don't feel like watching alone, come to M1-5, where we will be hosting a show watching party with appetizers and drink specials.

Tonight's the big night. Show up for half-price drinks and appetizer specials starting at 8:00 PM. Stay for the show!

Firefighter Chef at M1-5

Need to find the right place to go on your next Night Out? One of our readers had a great girl's night out experience and decided to share the details:

Went to M1-5 for a girls night out and had a really good time. The chef is a NY City Firefighter who won the Iron Skillet Contest and has appeared on Martha Stewart. We also got to meet Serge, the owner. They have a great bar menu and if you go you absolutely have to try Nanny's Mini Rice Balls and the Pulled Pork Sliders and the Sweet Potato Fries. The place is huge and they have various drink specials. They rent the place out for events, so if you want to have an office party, birthday party, happy hour they can set up a custom experience you would be sure to love. I can't say enough good things about the place - just go and enjoy, you won't be disappointed!!