I finally bought my first Frank Sinatra record – Moonlight Sinatra. I never really got into Ol’ Blue Eyes, but this album really struck me. The concept of it is actually kind of corny – Frank sings a whole album worth of songs about the Moon. Maybe it’s Frank’s voice or Nelson Riddle’s lush, romantic arrangements, but it’s easy to get swept up in Moonlight. It’s the kind of album that makes me want to light a few candles and have a nice dinner, and that’s exactly what I did.
Well, sort of. Sometimes cooking stresses me out, and I’m afraid I wasn’t as cool as the Chairman of the Board. But everything worked out in the end.
I heard a rumor that Sinatra invented vodka sauce. I don’t think it’s true, but it makes sense – we all know Frank liked a good drink. So I decided to make lasagna with vodka sauce to have a nice dinner with Moonlight Sinatra.
A lot of people think vodka sauce is a gimmick, since vodka is tasteless, but some pretty credible sources like The New York Times say otherwise. There are alcohol-soluble flavors in tomatoes. Vodka releases these without adding other tastes.
I really enjoyed the vodka sauce, which I’d never had before. I suppose this was a pairing of firsts – my first taste of vodka sauce and Frank Sinatra. I wouldn’t hesitate to turn to them again.
