Pasta - - Page 18

by gansie

RIP Beloved Grill Pan, Chanukah 2006-Independence Day 2007

(our building’s in there!)

80 Proof and I just moved into a new apartment that has this crazy, nuclear fire alarm. It’s not battery operated so when the place gets harmlessly smokey from cooking, we can’t just undo the alarm until the smoke clears. 80 actually has to fan the alarm with a towel (amazingly funny to watch) the entire time I’m using my grill pan so the DC firefighters stay away. (And did you ever notice that when TV chefs use their grill pan it somehow never looks smokey?) Regardless, 80 demanded that the grill pan take a long hiatus, so in its honor, after the jump, is my last (for now) usage of the *grill pan.*

by Liza

Hair of the Blog

Editor’s Note: As stated in our cheating section, we here at endless simmer know we can be a little snobby. In fact, that’s kind of the point. But we also know not everyone wants to sit at home all day inventing white wine reductions and learning the difference between a scallion and a shallot. Not everyone has that much free time. Some of you may even have jobs. Yes, double-marinated, indirectly grilled, rosemary-infused lamb kebabs are exciting, but you know what? So are Extreme Nacho Cheese Doritos. So in the spirit of our more primal food urges, please welcome ES’ newest contributor: Liza.

Liza’s expertise is in cooking for busy moms, stoned teenagers, and perhaps most relevant to the day after a national party, hungover people.

Even though scientists can’t seem to find a cure for the common hangover (besides not drinking), I truly believe that I finally have found one by using the most under-appreciated cooking device in the kitchen: the microwave. I promise, in mere minutes you can have the most satisfying meal your post-4th of July hungover mind can imagine.

Now, throw all of your judgements out the window and get ready to make some PACKAGED NOODLES. Some may call them “pasta sides,” but trust me, you will want the entire package to yourself. Research suggests that eating a carbohydrate early on in the day can make you feel less hungover.

For those of you who don’t regularly buy packaged noodles, they are usually located in the soup aisle, although a considerate grocer will often have a “packaged dinner” aisle.

Pick the flavor you think sounds the best – they have creamy chicken, teriyaki and so many more – my personal favorite is the fettucini alfredo. And for health nuts, they also make a great whole grain alternative.

Liza’s must-read directions after the jump.

in Uncategorized 5 comments

by BS

Anything Else Is Just Basil Sauce

Perhaps no single food has been more commonized by the foodie crazy than pesto. Once the purview of gourmet Italian chefs, now everyone from Walla Walla to Peoria is hitting the green.

But there’s still some old world skill necessary to make Pesto right. For an Irish-New Yorker, my mom can make a pesto as mean as any Sicilian grandma. I highlighted the ingredients above to draw attention to her two simple rules that many of these nuevo pesto chefs choose to ignore, at their own peril:

1- Only fresh basil. Bypass that crud they have in plastic containers at the grocery. Come fresh or don’t come at all. My mom won’t even make pesto until the summertime, when the best crop comes out.

2- Pine (pignoli) nuts are key. Don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise. Sure, I’ve had some decent “pesto” made with walnuts or no nuts at all, but that’s not pesto, it’s basil sauce.

The result is a rich, creamy concoction that I could eat with a spoon, although I try to resist the temptation to do so.

Mama Spiegel’s full recipe after the jump.

in Cheese / Recipe / Veggie 4 comments

by gansie

This Old Hag Climbed Old Rag

80 Proof and his coworkers kidnapped me to the Shenandoah Valley out in Virginia and demanded I hike 7 fucking miles for 5 fucking hours, starting at an obscene hour Sunday morning.

This lazy girl was not so psyched about this venture until 80 remembered that we had to pack snacks (clearly I don’t have much hiking experience, therefore, I didn’t come to this conclusion myself.) So as soon as FOOD appeared in the picture, I became ready for my time in the wilderness…here I come Old Rag Mountain.

But, since 80 Proof didn’t tell me about the food aspect until two nights before (and the next day was *MOVING* day, not cooking prep-day) I had 15 minutes in the market, a la Super Market Sweep, because the store was just about to close. I quickly jumped online to figure out some hiking food musts and rolled with that to design my own trailblazing creations.

in Breakfast / Photos / Sandwich 1 comments

by gansie

When the Herbage Grows Freely

(The pasta salad is in that red bowl in the back, I swear. Next time I’ll try to take
pics before becoming too drunk.)

When most people think of pasta salad they picture gobs of mayo messiness crossed with a hot and sticky summer afternoon. I did too, therefore, not regrettably stuffing my face with burgers and ‘dogs and chips and pickles at the neighborhood grill session, instead.

But ever since Kim O’Donnel blogged about her mayo-free potato salad, I thought, hey, I can absolutely do that with noodles.

My friends Jeb and Anna (and 3rd roommate Pika!) always throw incredible parties at their house in North Carolina. While 80 Proof and Jeb gossip about the latest Duke basketball recruits, Anna and I hibernate in the kitchen all day creating fantastic fare that ranges from wonderful-when-sober to I-need-to-eat-this-or-I’ll-puke.

They also managed to buy a house where rosemary bushes grow freely all year. And as you can only cook and bake with so much rosemary, Anna now slips the stems into vases around the house (above: see centerpiece of table.) Using their unlimited supply of herbage, I created my own version of a super, simple pasta salad.

in Veggie 1 comments