What Did You Eat?

Weekend Herb Blogging: Desperation Spaghetti

The last two days have been extremely rushed, and I mean that literally.  I feel like a character in a Looney Toons cartoon, running from place to place.  And that doesn't count the time on the treadmill.  I think I bit off more than I can chew, with all the baked goods I've been preparing, as well as other obligations.    Oh well, Easter will be over soon and then life will return to a more normal pace.  Yesterday I resorted to my Desperation Spaghetti, a tried and true dish for those moments when I simply can't spend more than 10 minutes in total on a meal.  Here it is, and just in time for Herb Blogging Weekend, the creation of Kalyn, who's off having a very nice time in Texas!  The herbs of choice for this meal are fresh oregano and basil (again).  Go to Kalyn's site and see all the other Herb Bloggers in action!  I'm sure their recipes are much better planned than mine. 

Savory Rice Pancakes

On Saturday, I made a huge pot of risotto. It was just basic risotto, with some sauteed scallions  and shredded sun dried tomatoes stirred in at the end. I NEVER accomplish cooking risotto in the estimated twenty minutes that most recipes specify, but that's for another post at another time.  Even though the risotto took almost forty minutes to cook, it was worth it. Because I made a large amount, I had enough leftover risotto to make rice pancakes last night.  The next time you make risotto, make enough to have leftovers. The pancakes are incredibly easy to make and taste fabulous.  Then the only hard part is limiting yourself to only three pancakes.

Soft polenta with shrimp

I have been fixated on soft polenta, since I celebrated New Year's Eve at Biba and discovered it wasn't on the menu.  So, on Sunday I put my stirring arm muscles to the test and made it.  I ordered polenta cornmeal from Zingerman's a month ago, impressed by the praise heaped on it in the catalog. It's stone ground and from the Piedmont area of Italy, so I decided to give it a try.  Actually, the color and texture of the cornmeal reminded me a great deal of my Aunt Scotty's favorite stone ground cornmeal, which she uses to make the world's best cornbread.  She insists on using Lamb's, which is made in Texas.   Both have small bits of the germ in the meal and that makes a huge difference.  This polenta was better, creamier, with a deeper corn flavor.   

Tuscan minestrone

Five days into the New year, I resolved to make soup at least once a week.  I love soup and one look at my cookbook collection certainly confirms that fact. Yet, I rarely prepare any of the recipes that speak to me in those books. I've had a grand time preparing them in my mind.  Well, enough of that, it's time to make them a reality.

Everything about soup pleases me.   Of course, a good soup tastes wonderful.  Preparing it nurtures my spirit, as well as friends and family, when I serve them a steaming bowl of liquid heaven, as one friend labeled this particular soup.  For the most part, preparing soup is a calming experience for me, unlike some dishes requiring precise measurements and close adherence to time. Considerable chopping is often required in making soup, which I find very relaxing.  I refuse to use the food processor for this kind of thing. A good soup deserves better than the irregular bits and pieces produced by a machine. 

Spaghettini alla Chitarra with Bottarga

I finally turned the corner on my cold.  My heartfelt thanks to everyone who expressed concern for me.  I especially thank the people who listened patiently to my frog-like croak, as I tried to carry on a conversation.  I always wanted a deep, throaty voice like Kathleen Turner. Unfortunately I sounded like the little boy in The Shining.  Red Rum indeed!

I ate a lot of soup while I was sick.  Tortilla Soup, which contains the wonder drug chipotle chili, worked better than any decongestant on my sinuses.  But, I decided to cook something other than soup yesterday and spaghettini alla chitarra with bottarga seemed perfect to me. It's fast, satisfying, and it has chilies in it--which I still need for the sinuses.  I'm sure that chilies can cure cancer.