Fresh spaghetti with green olives

Ingredients :
Fresh spaghetti with green olives - for 4 persons
500 g grams of fresh spaghetti
100 g of stoned/pitted small green olives
50 g of dried preserved tomatoes
30 g of anchovy filets preserved in oil
10 g of capers
a few leaves of basil
8 centiliters of olive oil
table salt and freshly ground black pepper


Direction :
Make 5 liters of water boiling
While water is heating, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the olives, the anchovy filet cut in 2 parts, the dried tomatoes cut in big dice and the capers
Let them sweat in the covered pan during 5 minutes
When the water is boiling, salt it and pour the spaghetti making them standing up, then stir with a fork and count 2 minutes of cooking after water is boiling again
Quickly drain the spaghetti and add the foodstuff prepared in the pan, blend quickly with a wooden spoon, add (very few) table salt and some black pepper
Place the spaghetti very hot in a large hollow dish with minced basil leaves and eat it with a good Bandol (rosé wine from the Provence area) this nice beautiful and friendly dish

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Alsatian's sauerkraut

Ingredients :
(For 8 guests)
2 kg of uncooked sauerkraut
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
200 gr goose fat
½ litre Riesling wine
1 litre water

Bouquet garni in a muslin made with:
2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme, 6 juniper berries and 12 pepper corn.
Garnish :
1 smoked pork shoulder
1 Pork knuckle,slightly cured
1 rack of pork
400 gr smoked pork belly
8 Strasbourg sausages

Direction :
Wash off the uncooked sauerkraut several times, then drain excess water by pressing carefully.
Melt the goose fat in a large pot and sweat off the onions until soft. Add the wine and the water and bring to the boil. Next add the smoked shoulder, the pork knuckle, the rack of pork and the pork belly as well as the small bag of spices and the sauerkraut. Salt lightly; cover with greaseproof paper and a lid. Cook in the oven during 1 ½ hours at 350°F (180°C or th6).

Meanwhile, cook the Strasbourg sausages in simmering water for 10 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pot, slice it and arrange it on a tray around the sauerkraut. Add the sausages and some steamed potatoes if you wish.

Sauerkraut can also be used in other recipes, in accopaniement of a grilled salmon steak, roasted monkfish or filets of guinea fowl or pheasant, etc.

My personal "tip" is that sauerkraut tastes really good if it is served with apples. You may for example braise some pork filets, deglazing them with some cider vinegar, some cream or some bouillon. Then you can coat the pork filets with this sauce and serve some sauerkraut, in which you would have added some dices of RAW apple, to the side.
The flavour and the texture of this dish will take you to new tasting heights...

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