Yesterday afternoon, not long after my brother picked up the kids for a video game filled night with Uncle D., Phil called to see what I wanted to do. I venomously spat out that we would be eating at home, again, and hung up the phone.
It is always the same story. Phil loves to eat out. It doesn't matter where, and it is not because he is not well fed (very well fed) at home, but he loves to eat in restaurants. I, on the other hand, am thoroughly disgusted with the fare offered at most eateries within a 20 km radius of my home, and am loathe to spend money and to have to eat poor quality food. That being said, I do love to eat in good restaurants, and have lately been dreaming of trying out a few new places in town. One, a lively Italian restaurant that has been earning rave reviews for it's elegant atmosphere and sophisticated dishes. The other offers local produce, charcuterie and imported cheeses in a rustic setting, served with a beautiful selection of wines and beers. But all of this fine food and ambiance comes at a price, and these days we are able to treat ourselves only occasionally. So I find myself in the same situation week after week, insisting that we eat at home despite longing to have someone else serve me a delicious meal that I don't have to shop for, cook or clean up after. Sigh...
I spent most of last week shopping and cooking, and the family gathering on Friday left me worn out. I haven't really felt like cooking or eating since, which has meant meals of leftovers, a one pot veggie curry and even, gasp, take-out pizza! Last night was no different, but the tomatoes that were ripening past their prime on the counter were begging to be eaten, as was the goat cheese in the fridge, and I knew that I had to do something about it. (I can't stand throwing anything away which explains many of the interesting meals that we eat!) Although I would have prefered to be dining in an elegant restaurant, I opened up an inexpensive bottle of organic red and came up with a quick dinner plan that resulted in what was possibly the best pasta I have ever eaten. As Phil and I sipped our perfectly palatable carmenere and slurped down our creamy vegetable laden linguine, we knew that no restaurant meal would have been quite as satisfying or as affordable! If you have fifteen minutes, you can whip it up too.
Put a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Mince three cloves of garlic, some fresh or dried hot pepper to taste and a handful of parsley and basil leaves. Put in a small bowl. Slice very thinly four cups of mixed vegetables. I used tomatoes, yellow peppers, zucchini and green beans, but carrots, asparagus, mushrooms or peas would be delicious also. Cook 200g long pasta until very al dente. Drain. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on med high heat. Add garlic, hot pepper and herbs. Fry 30 seconds. Add mixed veg. Fry 30 seconds or until hot. Add pasta, 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano and a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Stir to coat and melt the cheeses. Serve in two bowls with freshly ground pepper and eat while very hot. Enjoy!
P.S. My macarons turned out pretty well. The first batch was undercooked and my filling was a total flop, but the second batch of cookies were pretty authentic. I'll have to keep working on it!
No comments:
Post a Comment