Page 70 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2022

What’s

Cookin’

with Shaun Murphy
All my life I’ve grown up around wonderful cooks; there
was always some great food simmering on the stove! My
grandmother was a cook for an all-girls school when I was
growing up, and I guess that’s where I first developed my
love for cooking. Later, when I started doing music, I found
myself cooking for all my bands and friends – I even started
a catering company with a singer friend of mine when I lived
in Los Angeles, which she still runs to this day. I continued
brewing up eats for my bands after I moved to Tennessee, all
the while honing my skills in music, as well as in the kitchen. Photo courtesy of Shaun Murphy
Cooking has always been a perfect outlet for me, a kind of
stress reliever. 4 – 6 slices bacon, chopped (originally, you’d use
Branching out in a number of favorite cuisines, I’ve guanciale or pancetta… but any good quality bacon
dabbled in American, Mexican, Italian and Indian, to name will do. I like the Hormel Black Label brand)
a few. I fell in love with all kinds of ethnic foods! If my friends 1 small onion, chopped
are cooking a great dish, I’m one of the first in line to ask for 1 – 3 Chile de Arbol dried red peppers, broken in half (or
the recipe. I’ve been collecting recipes for decades and have you can use chili flakes, just be careful as to how
around 10,000 so far! I’m not shy about giving out any recipe much heat you really want. You can also add the
I’m asked for either. My motto is, “Life’s too short not to make flakes at the end to accommodate non-heat eaters)
good food.” 1/3 – 1/2 cup dry white wine
My late musician husband really got me into in-depth 1 28-oz can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably Cento “San
Italian cooking, and he taught me many of his mother’s and Manzano” brand*)
grandmother’s recipes. Born in Rome, Italy, his recipes were 1 lb. quality pasta, such as bucatini, rigatoni, tortiglioni
a little different than the ones I’d been used to making – so (great brands include De Cecco, Barilla, or other
light, fresh, and quick… no simmering on the stove for hours. “hard durum wheat” pastas)
He taught me this one that his grandmother passed down to 1 – 3 tbsp Kosher salt, or other coarse salt
him, and I’ve been making it ever since. This type of recipe 1/3 – 1/2 cup parsley, minced, to toss in at the end
originally came from the town of Amatrice in the province of Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated
Rieti, in northern Lazio in Italy. (traditionally, it’s Romano), to sprinkle on top
I don’t have a lot of time these days to do much cooking,
but I try to make a soul-filling meal every now and then! My DIRECTIONS
love for music and satisfying food has never wavered, and I 1. Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.
plan on doing both ‘til the end! 2. Meanwhile, heat a very large skillet over medium heat
and add the oil (skillet should be large enough to toss all
Shaun’s Pasta all’Amatriciana the ingredients together at the end, 5-6 quarts). Add the
smashed garlic cloves, and watching closely, sauté until
INGREDIENTS pale to slightly golden. Scoop out the cloves and discard
1/3 – 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (add more at the end if it (or eat it, if you like!).
needs more depth of flavor) 3. Add the chopped bacon and fry in the flavored oil until
3 cloves garlic, peeled and a bit smashed it is cooked medium-well.

68 Blues Festival Guide 2022