Thank You, Marco Polo!

When I was growing up in a small midwestern town, my family joined the local country club. It had the usual amenities - 9 hole golf course (later expanded to 18 holes), a club house, and a swimming pool.

When I was 10 or 11. My parents bought me a junior golf club set. I took lessons and played golf in the "junior league" on Fridays. I became quite the "golfer". In fact, I "played" at least 3 times as much golf as everyone else. Not because I was good, but because I was horrible. A typical hole would be to tee-off into the right rough, a hit into the left rough, a hit into the right rough, a hit into the left rough, a hit into the right rough, etc. until I finally made it to the green and then 2 putted. Trust me, in the hot, humid midwest summer, this was HELL. So, I sold the clubs and bought a bicycle so that I could get myself to the club for the other amenities.

I LOVED the swimming pool. I was a little tadpole. The pool was open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You could find me there Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays, as soon as I could get there from church until 9 p.m. I would have been swimming on Monday, but the club was closed on Mondays, and I didn't want to chance getting caught shinnying over the fence. I was there so much that they finally hired me to teach swimming and, later, as a lifeguard.

Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with Marco Polo. Well, we played lots of water games in those days. One of our favorites was a game called Marco Polo. It was kind of like hide-and-go-seek in the water. The person who was It would close her eyes and the Non-its would swim around her. It would yell "Marco" and the Non-its would yell "Polo". These cries of "Marco" and "Polo" would continue until either one of the adults got sick of the noise and made us stop or It zeroed in on a Non-it and tagged her.

Now that you understand the connection between Marco Polo and swimming, you are probably trying to figure out what it has to do cooking. Well, while this was my first introduction to Marco Polo, it wasn't my last. It was only later that I learned that he is the person responsible for bringing one of my favorite food - PASTA - from China to Italy. If this hadn't happened, our Italian immigrants wouldn't have been able to bring it with them to the USA. But, since they did and Columbus Day's just around the corner, let's celebrate this great discoverer!

Fresh Pasta

Serves 6.

3 cups flour

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the 3 cups of flour in the middle of a smooth work surface (a pastry board, large baking sheet, countertop, etc.). Form a mound with the flour and create a well in the center. Add salt to well. Break eggs into a bowl and beat. Add olive oil to eggs and mix. Pour egg/oil mixture into well. With one hand begin to mix the flour at the edge of the well with the egg/oil. Use the other hand to support the edge of the mound to prevent it from breaking and allowing the eggs to escape. Continue to mix until the dough becomes fairly stiff. If the dough is sticky, moist or soft, you may need to add additional flour, a little at a time. The actual amount of flour needed to make pasta depends upon the size of the eggs you use, the humidity, etc. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by pressing it flat with the heal of your hand, doubling the dough over and pressing it again. Continue to knead dough until it is silky and elastic (about 5 to 10 minutes). Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes to 1 hour. Divide the dough into baseball-size balls. While working with one ball, keep others covered. Roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface until about 1/32nd inch thick. Cut into desired shapes - small strips, circles, stars, etc. Cook immediately in boiling water (about 3-5 minutes) or air dried for later use (about 3-4 hours).

Pasta with Chicken and Peas

Serves 4.

16 ounces pasta

2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon flour

4 strips bacon

1/2 medium red onion -- coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic -- crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons capers

1 cup petite peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Coat chicken pieces with flour and set to the side. Cut bacon into small strips. Place in a medium skillet and fry until crispy and brown. Add onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Continue to sauté over medium heat until onions start to soften. Remove mixture to a bowl. Add chicken pieces to skillet and quickly stir fry into fully cooked. Add white wine and capers. Bring to a boil and them simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Return onion/garlic mixture to skillet. Continue to simmer until onions are completely soft. Add peas and olive oil. If sauce is too thin, mix a small amount of cornstarch in water and add to skillet.