For Your New Years Party: Salami Crisps

New years is a week away, and here's a recipe that'll be nice to your wallet and your guests. Can be prepared early up to step 4.
(Taken from Giada De Laurentiis, a chef whose recipes I steal often)

Ingredients:
24 slices of dry salami (half a packet)
Sour Cream (full fat, it sticks better)
Sliced basil
Tin foil



1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with tin foil and add salami.
2)Place salami in oven for 7-10 minutes. Watch carefully to insure the sides don't burn.
3) While salami is in oven, julienne your basil so you have nice, even strips. You'll need about a small handful of basil.
4) Drain salami on paper-towel lined plates and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
5)When cool, put salami on serving trays and add a small dollop of sour cream and half a slice of basil.
6) Enjoy your party!

Introduction, and Tangy Tofu & Soba Noodles

Hi, I'm Katherine. Welcome to my food blog. Wondering what's up with the title? Understandable. You see, I, like many people, cannot function without some food in my belly. So cooking + hunger usually equals disaster. That's why I have taken to eating while cooking. Just a little something, not a meal of course. An apple, a handful of this, a bite of that. Just to keep me going. My recipes are often Italian, sometimes healthy, and very often based on a recipe I've read elsewhere. I will ALWAYS give credit to the chefs who inspire me. Here's my first recipe I've chosen to share with you:

Tangy Tofu and Soba Noodles
Inspired by Mark Bittman's NY Times Blog, The Minimalist

When I saw Mr. Bittman's suggestion to "Ketchup Braise Tofu" I was intrigued. I'm not typically a tofu gal, but his recipe seemed easy enough, so I made it. And I'm glad I did.

Serves 1
Ingredients
1/4 box of Firm Tofu, chopped in large cubes
1/4 Flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1 garlic clove
Canola Oil
Handful of Soba Noodles (or spaghetti)
Handful of spinach

What Was Eaten While Cooking:
Sour Patch Kids..not the healthiest choice, better luck next time:)

Method

1. Dredge tofu in flour. Saute in pan at high heat in a glug of canola oil. When tofu is golden, remove to plate.
   
2. Lower heat to medium, add minced garlic clove, saute until fragrant and brown.
3. Add tofu, garlic and ketchup to pan and mix until sauce is bubbling.
4. Cook noodles according to package directions.
   
5. After cooked pasta is drained, add spinach and noodles to pan and mix to coat.
6. Enjoy!