Hi there Boys and Girls and Jukies, today in The Kitchen with Chef Stress we'll be enjoying fresh new music from Nuk Fam homies BIG URBAN accompanied by a steaming hot pan of baked ziti!

BIG URBAN is the new project from KRAY (who does all the rapping) and SCOTT THOROUGH (who plays the instruments and sings). They were both born & raised in Brooklyn (80's babies), which of course explains why they tried to make a rap record. BIG URBAN was their failed attempt to make popular commercial rap music. Although it failed horribly its still weird and interesting anyways.

drawing by SNAFU

You may be familiar with Kray from his work with Iller Than Theirs and Scott Thorough from his recent collaboration with Junk Science.

Hopefully you know, but if you dont, act like you know and download the track and savor the musical nutrients, or as the hooks says, "minerals, vitamins, Irons and niacins".  ‘Snap To The Future’ is the first song from an upcoming EP, It's Not So Much The Heat, It's The Humidity, so stay tuned here to The Kitchen, check for free music on Radiobelly.com, and of course hit the fellas up on their myspace page.

Ok, so unless you're just here for the free hors d'ouevers, let's move onto the baked ziti...

Ingredients

1     pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
2     large eggs , lightly beaten
3     ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
1     pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2     tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5     medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1     (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1     (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1     teaspoon dried oregano
1/2  cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1     teaspoon sugar
3/4  teaspoon cornstarch
1     cup heavy cream (see note)
8     ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (**see note)

Table Salt

Ground black pepper

Instructions

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

3.  Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

4.  Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

5.  Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

[NOTE:  I got this recipe from Cooks Illustrated, but I added crushed red pepper & extra parmesan, thus putting my own Chef Stressiness on it.]

And of course, you can't visit The Kitchen without havin' a beer with The Chef.  For this weeks pairing, I'm going with a beer you can find at the bodega in Brookyln, (if you're lucky), and apparently all over the West Coast (probably easier the closer you are to Chico, Sierra Nevada's Torpedo IPA). 

Damn good hoppy flavor, really cuts through the cheese and sauce.