More recipes from our buddy at the NY Times, Pierre Franey, The 60 Minute Gourmet. Tonight I made the rice I posted yesterday without the tomato sauce, just onions and garlic. Very good, and my house has a lovely cooked garlic smell.

4 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the tomatoes in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Stir often to prevent sticking. Heat the oil in another saucepan and add the garlic. Cook briefly, add the tomatoes, oregano, and parsley. Season with the salt and pepper and stir well. Makes about 2 cups.

Pork Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground pork, beef, or veal, or a combination of meats
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1 pound cooked spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, parsley, garlic, 1/4 cup grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and egg. Blend well and shape into 16 balls. Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the meatballs without touching. Cook until nicely browned all over, at least 10 minutes. Combine the meatballs with the marinara sauce and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve on pasta and sprinkle with more grated cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Here is a different way to cook spaghetti:

Bring 5 quarts water to a vigorous boil and add a bunch of salt; it should be as salty as the ocean. Add 1 pound spaghetti and stir well while the water returns to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cover first with a clean tea towel, then with the lid. Let stand for 9 minutes without uncovering the pot. Drain, add 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil. Serve with the sauce.

Pierre tells us:

"To my mind, a 'gourmet' dish is difficult if not impossible to pigeonhole or categorize, except to say that it is any food prepared with a mixture of conscience, care, and intelligence. It might be a liverwurst sandwich on good bread with lettuce and mayonnaise. It might be a platter of long-simmered sauerkraut with some well-chosen sausages - to name but two of things that have given pleasure to my palate over the years. Thus this recipe. Who on earth, you might ask, would call the likes of spaghetti with meatballs a gourmet's delight? I would, provided the dish is made with 'conscience, care, and intelligence."

Here is a low fat garlic bread from Eating Well Magazine:

4 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil, preferably extra virgin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 baguette, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put garlic in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook 3 minutes and drain. In a small bowl, mash the cooked garlic, oil and salt with the back of a spoon until a smooth paste forms. Spread the mixture over the cut surfaces of the bread. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake 4 to 6 minutes, or until the bread begins to brown around the edges. Slice and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Here is a not low fat garlic bread:

5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon water
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 crusty French baguette
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian mix cheese (Sargento)

Grate garlic cloves on a rasp grater or put through a garlic press and further mince with a knife to make a paste. Put the paste and 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon water in a cold nonstick skillet. Stir over low heat until it melts, for about 10 minutes, until the color darkens slightly and the garlic is very sticky. Put it into a bowl and stir in the butter, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly between the two halves of a French baguette. Reassemble the bread and roll in foil. Put on a sheet tray and bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove the foil, lay the bread flat and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Spread the cheese over the bread and put it back in the oven on the lower middle rack under the broiler for 1 - 2 minutes until cheese is melted. Turn cheesy side down to cut.

To complete the meal, serve a nice green salad.