"Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals - A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook" - Leek-y Chicken and Couscous

Date I made this recipe:  Sunday, October 22, 2017

Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals – A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook by Rachael Ray

Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers

ISBN: 1-4000-8255-2; © 2006

Purchased at: Paperback Exchange, Minneapolis

Recipe: Leek-y Chicken and Couscous – p. 22-23

Reader, I don’t know when I’ve been so decisive on selecting a cookbook and recipe, but this was a new a new record for me.  In fact, I wasn’t even trying when I pulled it off the shelf.  This is not normally how it goes for me, but maybe I should try this more often?

To set the stage, I had a couple of other dishes on deck to make this weekend, but when I ran them by Andy, he was rather “meh” about them and so I tabled them for another day.  I was also torn between making something that said “fall” but then our weather warmed up and something warm and heavy didn’t seem appropriate.

That said on Saturday, I attended a pot luck and one of the attendees brought pulled pork (which to me says “fall”) and dang, did that taste good!  So, hmm, maybe a crock pot meal?

At this point, I still had a fairly decent window to make something in the crock pot without going too late into the evening, and so I did a quick scan of my collection, and up on one of my very top shelves, I spied Slow Cooker cookbook.  Alas folks, nothing in there floated my boat, so I re-shelved it and was rethinking my options when I found myself eye to eye with several Rachael Ray cookbooks and decided to look through Express Lane Meals.  To be clear, Rachael Ray is famous for her 30-minute meals, so there went the crockpot idea!  This turned out to be a good thing though, since Andy and I had a few stops to make before we could get to a grocery store and by that time, the afternoon was flying by.

I’ve mentioned before that Rachael’s chipper personality can be grating but her recipes are spot on and Andy and I have enjoyed almost everything we’ve made; this dish was no exception.  In fact, to quote Rachael, this was “delish!”

At this point, I had totally lost interest with heartier and/or slow-cooked fare and decided I needed something “light.”  Not “salad” light, but along those same lines.  Fall may be the season of hearty and comforting food, but I am slow to embrace fall; bring on endless summer!

As you’ll see below, the book’s “Table of Contents” was brief which was fine except I had to take the time to go through each page to find recipes of interest; I prefer a more streamlined approach.  Our chapters were:

• ·       “Meals for the Exhausted” (76 pages of recipes and instructions)
• ·       “Meals for the Not Too Tired” (104 pages of recipes and instructions)
• ·       “Bring it On! (But, Be Gentle.)” (44 pages of recipes and instructions)

 You see?  How were these categories helpful?

Further, I just had to chuckle over the first two categories, “Meals for the Exhausted,” and “Meals for the Not Too Tired.” Let’s break this down, starting with the interpretation of what was written, particularly the “for the” designation as in:  these meals are being made FOR people who are exhausted or not [yet] too tired.  Well, where does that leave the cook?  What if I’m the one who is exhausted or not [yet] too tired? What result?

Assuming then, (dangerous, I know), that Rachael intended these recipes to be made BY me or others who are exhausted or will be shortly, let’s look at how many pages there are for us to review.  If you’re already exhausted, then you must look through 76 pages of recipes and instructions.  If you are merely working your way up to being exhausted, then you need to review 104 pages.  I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that reading that many pages will change your status from “not too tired” to “exhausted” in a Rachael-Ray minute!

Okay then, since the possibilities of me ending up on my couch instead of in the kitchen cooking were high, I decided to make it easy on myself and look for recipes that were easy and light and concluded that this meant chicken, seafood, or pasta sans heavy sauces.  This meant that I could pretty much tear through the cookbook, saving my strength for the cooking to follow.

Happily, it didn’t take me long to find what I was looking for because right there, on page 22, was the recipe I selected:  Leek-y Chicken and Couscous.  This recipe was very easy, and I did appreciate that it was not too taxing for me to make seeing as how I was already “exhausted” and everything!

Here were some other contenders:

• ·       Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta) and Spinach with White Beans – p. 30
• ·       Toasted Garlic and Sweet Pea Pasta (I love peas!) – p. 52-52
• ·       Cowboy Spaghetti (with fire-roasted tomatoes and Cheddar cheese) – p. 60-61
• ·       Smoky Black Bean and Rice “Stoup” – p. 64-65 (Rachael likes to call something that is a soup/stew a “stoup.”  I can’t say that word does much for me but it’s her word so she gets to use it.)
• ·       Everything Lo Mein – p. 114-115

There were a few others of interest and there were some other heartier recipes that I might have made on another day, but I liked the sound (and the taste) of chicken and leeks. 

Once I selected the dish of the day, it was time to go shopping and since I needed to go to Kowalski’s (local, family-owned grocery store) to get a few things, I thought I’d pick up the chicken there, and so I got two packages of chicken tenders and went home to start cooking.

Folks, as I walked into the house, I smelled something rather awful and could not figure it out until I took the [still sealed] packaged chicken out of my grocery bag.  Ew, that did not smell good!  Then I opened it and ew x 2, that really did not smell good. I called Andy over for a second opinion and he thought one didn’t smell too bad, but the other smelled “interesting.”  Well, I am totally my mother’s daughter, and I don’t “do” chicken that smells “interesting” or is “not too bad” so I called Kowalski’s and asked to speak to the meat department.

Folks, if you live in the Twin Cities and are close to a Kowalski’s you need to visit them because here’s what happened next.  I spoke to Brian in the meat department on Grand Ave and said, “Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this chicken smells right.”  He said, “Well, rather than take a chance that it’s gone bad, if you want, you can bring it back to us and we’ll exchange it for a product that does work for you, no charge, and we’ll give you a gift certificate for your trouble.

Ponder that a second:  Not only did they give me new product for free, no questions asked, but they rewarded me for letting them know and bringing it in.  I LOVE this grocery store even more than I already did! I dispatched Andy to go to the grocery store to do the deed, and he too, came back glowing.  I even posted this on my Facebook page because getting any type of services these days is a miracle, but getting this type of service was outstanding.

Okay then, now on to the recipe and how we fared.  This was a very easy recipe to make and one that seemed healthy and that was what I was looking for.  First, you make the couscous, then you make the chicken and leeks and ta-da, you are done!  That Rachael – when she says “30 minutes” she means “30” minutes!  Enjoy!

Leek-y Chicken and Couscous – 4 servings

1 ½ cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup golden raisins, a couple of handfuls, chopped

1 ½ cups plain couscous

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan

1 ½ pounds chicken tenders, cut into large bit-size pieces

Salt and black pepper

2 medium leeks or 1 large leek

1 cup dry white wine (eyeball it), about ¼ bottle

A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the chicken stock and 1 tablespoons of the butter in a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid.  When the liquid boils, add the raisins and couscous.  Take the pan off the heat.  Stir the couscous and place the lid on the pot.  Let it stand.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the EVOO.  Add the chicken in a single layer and season it with salt and pepper.  While the chicken browns on all sides, trim the rough tops and the root ends off the leeks.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then cut them into 1-inch half moons.  Place the leeks in a colander and run them under cold water.  Separate the layers to release the dirt and grit.  Rinse well, then drain well.

Add the leeks to the chicken and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the wine and let it cook down by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The leeks should still have some color but should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through.  Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl into the sauce.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the parsley.  Place a bed of couscous on each dinner plate and top it with the chicken and leeks.

"The Green Tomato Cookbook" - Tortilla Casserole and Green Tomato Spice Bread

Date I made these recipes – August 27, 2017 – Celebrating summer and the "arrival" of green tomatoes!

The Green Tomato Cookbook by Paula Simmons

Published by Pacific Search

© 1975

Purchased at Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, NYC

Recipes:  Tortilla Casserole – p. 50 and Green Tomato Spice Bread – p. 11

My friend Dennis mentioned in a Facebook post the other day that he picked some green tomatoes from his garden.

My ears perked up like a dog:  "Green tomatoes?  Did you say 'green tomatoes'?"

People, I've had this cookbook – The Green Tomato Cookbook – since 2011[1] and up until now, it's been languishing on my shelf until such a time as I could score some green tomatoes.

You may think "Well, that's easy, just go to a grocery store or farmer's market," but those folks sell red tomatoes.  Red. Red sell like hotcakes because they are ripe.  People like ripe.

Yet all tomatoes start out green and when Dennis mentioned that he had "green" tomatoes, I realized that in the future, I needed to connect with amateur gardeners.  Now I know plenty of people who garden and grow vegetables, but if they offer produce,  they are always trying to push things I don't need like zucchini or armfuls of rhubarb.  Not once has anybody ever mentioned they had green tomatoes until Dennis and then the light bulb went off and I found my "Holy Grail."

You might ask "Why didn't you just grow some yourself," but remember folks, my life motto is "Nature is NOT your friend."  When my husband and I moved into this house almost 20 years ago, I planted tomatoes and a few other things because it felt like the new home owner thing to do, and I grew lovely tomatoes which I then had to pick.

Well now, I went outside to pick my fruit (tomatoes) and vegetables and got eaten alive by mosquitoes.  And I'm the type of person who gets welts from bug bites (it's a histamine problem) and so that was my first and last attempt at gardening.  This is why grocery stores and farmer's markets exist.  But as I said above, farmer's markets in these parts don't offer unripe tomatoes and so I have to depend upon the "kindness of strangers" to be my supplier.  To be clear, Dennis is not a stranger but I just had to quote that line from A Streetcar Named Desire.

Anywho, I messaged Dennis and asked if I could have some and he brought some over and I had so many that I made two recipes instead of my usual one per cookbook.  I actually had enough for a third recipe but there is such a thing as overkill.

Now, I can't read minds but I'm pretty sure most of you probably inserted the word "fried" in front of "green tomatoes," but that was about the last thing I wanted to make, not only because it was expected but because I'm not a huge fan of these things.  I mean, they're okay, but don't float my boat; frankly, I think this is more of a southern obsession.  Besides, given that I had an entire cookbook with green tomato recipes at my disposal, why not do some exploring?

So I explored and I debated about branching out and making some pickles or relishes, something I had not done before, but frankly, I didn't/don't want to deal with sanitizing all the jars and making sure everything is sealed properly.  I suspect though, that this cookbook's previous owner really loved the Pickles and Relishes chapter as almost every recipe page was splattered with ingredients:  "End-of-the-garden Pickles," p. 69; "Green Tomato Chili Sauce," p. 70, and, "Martha's Vineyard Old-Time Mincemeat." I love particularly the note at the end of the mincemeat recipe – "Prize recipe of Gertrude Turner's mother."  I have no idea who that is, but hooray for her!

Other Table of Contents categories were:  Growing and Cooking Hints; Breads and Wine; Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Desserts; Casseroles; Pickles and Relishes; Vegetables and Side Dishes.

I'm sorry, let's go back a minute:  ]Green Tomato] Wine?????  Pass.

Out of all the other non-pickle or relish recipes, the Tortilla Casserole and the Green Tomato Spice Bread seemed to be the best and easiest ones to make.  Neither one showcased the green tomato (something you would be expected to do on Chopped) but they were fine. 

I have to note though, that the Tortilla Casserole's filling could easily be used for Sloppy Joe's or even Chili, with or without beans.  I thought it was tasty and happily, not too spicy.

As to the spice bread, it was not at all "spicy" which was good, but the flavors didn't quite come up to those I would expect from a spiced loaf bread, and that was disappointing.  I also hoped for the bread to be a bit more moist (sort of like a zucchini bread) but that didn't happen.  Part of the problem might be that I halved the recipe thereby cutting the oil from ½ cup to ¼ cup, and the eggs from two to one.  It's hard to get a moist cake when you're shy on ingredients, not that a full recipe would have fared much better. 

Now as a side note, on my recent visit to Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in NYC last month, I found a Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook by Fannie Flagg (who knew?). I pondered and pondered whether or not to purchase Fannie's cookbook, and decided to pass this time around.  This would make sense to you if you saw the huge stack of books I actually purchased – 18 total!  Besides, I already had today's cookbook on my shelf and so first things first.

Tortilla Casserole – Serves 6

1 pound lean ground beef

1 T. vegetable oil

½ cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons flour

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

3 large green tomatoes, chopped

1 ripe tomato, chopped

2 crushed garlic cloves

½ cup green chili salsa (optional) (see Ann's Note below)

1 T. chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon or more salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon sugar

1 cup water

12 homemade or purchased tortillas (recipe below)

¾ pound (about 3 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¾ cup chopped onion

Brown beef in oil; drain off excess fat.  Add ½ cup onion and sauté until limp.  Stir in flour; blend in tomato sauce.  Add both ripe and green tomatoes, garlic, chili salsa (if desired), and seasonings.  Stir in the water.  Simmer sauce slowly until thickened.

Fry tortillas lightly in oil.  Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon onion, and 2 tablespoons of meat sauce onto each tortilla.  Fold over and arrange filled tortillas in large shallow baking pan, side by side.  Spoon remaining meat sauce over them; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Easy Home-Made Tortillas – makes 12

1 ¼ cups flour

¾ cups yellow cornmeal

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients together.  Boil up oil in water; add dry ingredients and mix well.  Divide dough into 12 balls.  Roll each into a thin disk on floured pastry cloth or between wax paper.

In lightly oiled skillet, brown tortillas on each side.  These can be made ahead and reheated in oiled skillet to soften them when ready to use.  Recipe can be doubled.

Ann's Note:  Green Chili Salsa is an optional ingredient for the recipe above, but the cookbook does not contain a recipe for it.  It does include a recipe for a Green Tomato Taco Sauce but the yield on that is mega (8 quarts green tomatoes) when all you need is ½ cup.  So if I were you, if you want to add this ingredient to the casserole, I'd go shopping and find something that most closely approximates green chili salsa or make up your own version.

Green Tomato Spice Bread – Makes 2 loaves

2 ½ cups unsifted flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon molasses

3 tablespoons honey

½ cup oil

1 cup ground and undrained green tomatoes

2 whole eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup chopped walnuts

Mix dry ingredients.  Add rest of ingredients; beat well. Spoon into 2 greased and floured medium loaf pans.  Let batter rest 10 minutes.  Smooth the top of the loaves, then make an indentation along the center from end to end.  Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until they test done.

---

[1] Timing is everything:  I bought this book in July 2011, just a few days after we held a memorial mass for my late father who passed away in March of that year.  Since dad was from New Jersey, and since it was difficult for older relatives to travel, we brought the "show" to them and held a memorial mass for him in New Jersey.  Thereafter, as is usual and customary, we went into the city (NYC) for a few days to see more friends and family and to shop.  This cookbook was purchased at Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, NYC, with "daddy money" i.e. money that he left to me after he died.  Since he knew about my cookbook collection I am sure he would have approved, if not been highly amused.  He also grew a huge garden every year so this cookbook is especially fitting.

"A Culinary Collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art" - Fresh Vegetable Soup

Date I made this recipe:  August 20, 2017

A Culinary Collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, compiled by Linda Gillies, Anita Muller and Pamela Patterson (recipes from members of the Board of Trustees and museum staff)

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art

©1973; ISBN: 0-87099-081-0

Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Soup – p. 25, submitted by Clare Vincent – Western European Arts

In my latest blog, published last week, I mentioned that I was recently in New York state and also New York City.   Today's recipe is from New York City's world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I cannot recall the first time I went to The Met, but it was and is pretty impressive. It's also so big that it almost exhausts visitors before they even get past the entrance.  To combat that, I often decide in advance what I'm going to look at and then go from there.

Over the years, my favorite section of the museum has been exhibits in the lower-level, particularly those in The Costume Institute.  I cannot sew and I cannot draw but others can and I've seen some great exhibits.

I also like photography and have seen a number of special exhibits that just leave me speechless; I'm particularly fond of black and white photos because of the crispness it brings and the detail it enhances. 

Here is the most important thing you should know about The Met:  although the sign says "admission," it is your choice whether to pay anything (you decide how much you want to contribute) or nothing at all.  Don't go that last route though:  this museum costs a ton of money to run and if you can't part with at least a dollar bill, maybe this is not the place for you!

In the early years, I dutifully paid the suggested admission and even had a membership for a few years (mostly for the gift shop), but eons ago, I switched it up to give what I thought was reasonable.  This works very well for me if I only have time for a quick in and out.

For the record, the suggested "admission" for adults is $25.00 per person and heaven help you brought people with you because ouch!  I am not a cheap person per se and yes, this is New York City, but I'd bet at least 90% of people attending The Met are families of at least four, maybe more.  And that's just to get in folks, that does not county shopping opportunities thereafter!

Now the thing to know about all museum gift shops anywhere is that you do not have to pay to go there, and so if I am pressed for time, like I was this trip, this is how I get a glimpse of current and past exhibits as the gift shop stocks books and magazines from those exhibits.  Win Win!  All that said, you should know that I probably spend about double what I would on the "admission" but I can't help myself because well, the stuff is there, and it's just waiting for me to buy it under the premise of "I'm here, it's here and I may not be back for another year so...."

This year, I got there so late and was so absorbed in several books of interest that I did not hear the "all call" that the museum is closing until a guard came up and said "You're the last person here."  OMG—I was so embarrassed!  I think I made up for it though by purchasing three books there; had I had more time, it would have been four!

So to recap, pay what you want, check out the gift shop and also, and this is important, (although not quite on point), if you are leaving The Met and it is raining, do not expect to be able to hail a cab.  Do not.  Insiders know that cabs and rain do not go together.  Time after time, I see tourists trying to hail cabs but those cabs – coming from where I do not know – already have passengers.  I need to figure out "ground zero" to catch an empty cab!  (Likely 20 blocks north from there, if not more.)

And for the record, and again, apropos to nothing, almost every single time I've been to The Met, whether alone or with someone, it rains.  It rained this year.  It rained two years ago when I was with my friend, Susan, who lives in NYC. In fact, it has rained on us every single time prompting me to tell her that she was the jinx, and yet this time around, I got caught out.  I had an umbrella though so that was good but other times, I haven't. 

In conclusion then:  pay what you want, if pressed for time, check out the gift shop because it's FREE, and "fugheddaboudit" hailing a cab in the rain. (PS—You can, if you want, purchase a rain poncho like many of the tourists do, but it won't help you get a cab, and frankly it screams "TOURIST" to everybody you see.  Plus they are hot and I don't mean fashion-wise! Umbrellas are the better choice, and for your "convenience" you can almost always find an umbrella vendor near the front steps.)

This concludes my public service announcement about visiting The Met.

As to the cookbook, it is spiral bound which as I said in my last post, does not usually find favor with me, but I bought this at an estate sale and really didn't care because it was from The Met.  Besides, I was intrigued by the illustrations, both on the cover and inside and thought them appropriate for a cookbook from an art museum.

The cover art is "The Pastry Cook," by Abraham Bosse (French, 1602-1676), and is a rendering in black and white of several cooks in a kitchen (illustrations continue on the back of the book).  The inside illustrations were taken from an early Italian cookbook, Il Cuco segreto di Papa Pio V (The Private Chef of Pope Pius V] by Bartomlomeo Scappi, Venice, 1570.  The inside illustrations were all of pots, pans, and utensils along with their Italian names and I thought that was kind of fun.

Like the museum itself, the Table of Contents is carefully curated into these categories:

• Appetizers & Soups
• Meats, Poultry, Fish & Their Sauces
• Vegetables, Salads, & Salad Dressings
• Noodles, Rice, Pasta, & Their Sauces
• Quiches, Soufflés, & Eggs
• Desserts
• Cookies, Cakes, & Breads
• Menus & Miscellaneous

And remember, all of these recipes were submitted by the museum's staff and board members and their work area is listed next to each recipe, for example "Catalogue," "Drawings," "Prints and Photographs," and so on.

As to the recipes, there were plenty that caught my eye and would have been acceptable.  In fact, for the longest time, my money was on making "Bloody Mary Meat Loaf" on page 59 because well, why not!  I've never made a meatloaf with a Bloody Mary mix.  But then I started rethinking my selection and I have to tell you that sometimes these self-debates sound suspiciously like the call of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs:  "It's 'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' in the lead.  'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' down the back stretch.  'Fresh Vegetable Soup' is coming up from behind.  'Fresh Vegetable Soup' is gaining on 'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf'.  'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' and 'Fresh Vegetable Soup' are neck and neck and...'Fresh Vegetable Soup' wins by a nose!"

I have a vivid imagination! 

I also flagged "Hot Crab Meat for Twenty" on page 14 for future use, likely at a party, and pondered the merits of "Two-Tiered Tuna Casserole," p. 82. before deciding that it was a bit heavy for the day, plus it didn't have peas and people, it has to have peas.  Period.

In the end, I wanted something light and fresh and so went with the soup.  Mind you, the day I made it, the humidity was off the charts, but my house remained cool and so it all worked and it was tasty. 

As to my quick trip to The Met's Gift Shop, to answer your burning question, no, I didn't purchase a cookbooks because they really don't stock a lot of them and nothing I saw tripped my trigger such that I had to have it that day.  The books I purchased were all about NYC architecture and design which is also an area of interest and I ran out of time to see much of anything else.  By the way, one year after getting caught in the rain on my way into the museum and gift shop – what did I tell you – I pretty much hugged all the lighted jewelry cases as a way to warm up from the cold downpour.  I'd have loved to have been the security person who watched that tape:  "What is she doing? What. Is. She. doing? Is she trying to break into the cases?  Hey Joe, c'mere and look at this...."

Fresh Vegetable Soup – Serves 8 – submitted by Clare Vincent – Western European Arts

2 leeks, cut in ½-inch chunks

1 medium or large onion, cut in ½-inch chunks

2 tablespoons butter

 6 chicken bouillon cubes (Ann's Note:  or substitute chicken broth)

2 parsnips, cut in ½-inch chunks

2 medium white turnips, cut in ½-inch chunks

3 stalks celery (without leaves), cut in ½-inch chunks

2 medium carrots, cut in thumb-size pieces

¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or more)

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (or more)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium potatoes, cut in thumb-size pieces

2 cups stewed tomatoes (one 16-ounce can) (Ann's Note:  or substitute fresh, chopped tomatoes)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

In a large pot wilt leeks and onion in butter.  Add 3 quarts of water and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil.  (Ann's Note:  if you want to substitute chicken broth like I did, then just pour out 3 cups of broth and add that instead.) 

Add parsnips and bring to a boil.  Add turnips and bring to a boil. Add celery and bring to a boil.  Add carrots and bring to a boil.  Add thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and correct seasonings (more herbs and bouillon may be added).  Ann's Note:  once the broth started to boil, it continued to boil so there was no "bring to a boil" portion of our program.  Since the recipe contributor didn't saw to lower the heat, I kept it as was and just kept adding the vegetables as directed.

Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked through.  All the other vegetables will be ready by this time. Add parsley and dill, and simmer until the potatoes are done and the herbs have just begun to wilt.

When reheating to serve, make sure not to allow soup to simmer more than a minute or two, or all the care in bringing each vegetable to just the right degree of doneness will be wasted.

Ann's Note:  Okay, I need to parse this. Since the only way to make sure the veggies weren't overdone was to immediately lower the heat to simmer and then bring it back to a boil, it would have been nice if that was in the directions!  As mentioned above, once the broth started boiling, it never stopped.  Now had I made a full recipe, maybe the bulk of the vegetables would have caused the appropriate "delay" in the restart of the boil but such was not the case.  I did not need soup for 8, I needed soup for 2 and so played with it.  In the end, did the extra boil time matter much?  Nah. 

"Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals - Guy Food" - Triple-A Pasta: Spinach Pasta with Asparagus, Artichoke, and Arugula - Father's Day 2017

Date I made this recipe:  June 18, 2017 – Father's Day

Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals – Guy Food by Rachael Ray

Published by Lake Isle Press, Inc.

© 2005

Purchased at Arc's Value Village Thrift Stores, Richfield, MN

Recipe:  Triple-A Pasta:  Spinach Pasta with Asparagus, Artichoke, and Arugula – p. 30-31

So today is Father's Day and I thought I was all set and ready to go with a recipe from this Rachael Ray cookbook, Guy Food, when I changed my mind and made something else instead.

Note to self:  Should have stuck with the original plan, Stan!

When I bought this cookbook, I flagged the recipe for "Outside-In Bacon Cheeseburgers with Green Onion Mayo."  My dad loved rare burgers and steaks and this was not a rare burger.  Still, I though this was something he would have enjoyed so I put the book aside and then was all set to prepare a shopping list when I hesitated and as the saying goes "(S)He who hesitates is lost."

Translation:  I made a boo-boo. 

Andy and I have inadvertently been consuming a lot of meat lately and I thought I should perhaps lighten things up just this once, particularly since I made a beef stew the day before.  And so I veered instead toward the pasta recipe, especially since it contained asparagus; my dad loved asparagus.

And it was "fine" as in "nothing to write home to father about" and this bummed me out.  Further, this is not what I am used to with a Rachael Ray recipe.  Yes, the gal's perkiness drives me up the wall, but her recipes have usually been spot on.  This one leaned toward being bland. I don't "do" bland.  Worse, the lemon zest took over the dish and so all we tasted was lemon which was not a bad flavor but not what I expected.   Frankly, the entire time I was making it, I wanted to kick it up a notch with something but as always, made the recipe as written and then pondered options thereafter.

Options 1:  some red pepper flakes.  Options 2: other Italian spices that would go well with asparagus, arugula and artichokes.  Option 3:  I briefly contemplated using fresh artichokes but didn't because I've never made them before and they take some time to prep.  Frankly, I don't think the [canned] artichokes did much for the recipe.  Option 4: add some poached chicken breasts.  Option 5: load it up with some shredded Parmesan cheese?

That day, I went with Option 5 plus I added more salt and pepper and that brought the flavor up a bit (as did overnight refrigeration of the leftovers) but harrumph, I still want more from this dish like maybe an Alfredo sauce.  Or maybe more white wine?  Couldn't hurt, might help!

Now the burger (which I stupidly passed up) was not the only item of interest as there were recipes for "Manly Manny's Chili," "Blackened Chicken Pizza," "Grilled Mahi-Mahi Fillets," and "Tenderloin Steaks with Gorgonzola," all of which sounded good but since I had decided to reroute with the pasta, pasta it was.  Like I said, it wasn't bad but I think there's some tweaking to be done to turn this from just "meh" into "mah-ve-lous!"

As to next year's Father's Day, I'm going back to meat, final answer!

Triple-A Pasta:  Spinach Pasta with Asparagus, Artichoke, and Arugula – serves 4

12 ounces spinach fettuccine, dried or fresh, cooked until al dente

Extra-virgin olive oil, a drizzle

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large or 2 medium shallots, finely chopped

½ cup white wine

1 pound thin fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut on angle into bite-size pieces

1 cup broth, chicken or vegetable

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped

24 leaves fresh arugula, torn or coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons zest from 1 large lemon (grate skin, not the white part)

Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste

A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Drain pasta well and drizzle with oil to keep from sticking.  Set aside.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add butter and olive oil to pan and heat until butter is melted.  Add shallots and sauté, 3 minutes.  Add wine and reduce liquid by half, about 2 minutes more.  Add asparagus bits, cover, and cook, 3 or 4 minutes.  Then uncover, adding broth and artichokes to pan.  Heat artichokes through and add cooked pasta.  Sprinkle with arugula.  Toss ingredients until arugula wilts.  Season with lemon zest, salt and pepper, and parsley, to taste.

Serve immediately with crusty bread.  Fresh sliced melon makes a simple and wonderful accompaniment to this meal.

"Roma- Authentic Recipes from In and Around the Eternal City" & "Eating Rome" - Lentil Soup with Sausage and Green Beans and Mortadella Salad - Commemorating the day Rome was named Italy's capital

Date I made these recipes:  March 27, 2017 – Rome declared Italy's capital on this day, 1861.

Roma – Authentic Recipes From In And Around The Eternal City by Julia Della Croce

Published by Chronicle

ISBN: 0-8118-2352-0; © 2004

Purchased at Arc's Value Village Thrift Stores, Richfield, MN

Recipe:  Lentil Soup with Sausage – p. 61

Eating Rome – Living The Good Life In The Eternal City by Elizabeth Minchilli

Published by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN:  978-1-250-04768-7; © 2015

Recipe: Green Beans with Mortadella Salad – p. 105

Sometimes my ideas about what to cook come from the most interesting places, take for instance, Food Network Magazine(FNM).  Well, that's not exactly correct is it, because why wouldn't I get inspiration from a cooking magazine?

One of the features I like the most through from Food Network Magazine, is their monthly calendar of noteworthy food events and recipe suggestions that is often my inspiration for what I cook during that particular month.

On March's calendar, FNM suggested we have fish for Ash Wednesday (March 1^st), make a pie for Pi Day (3/14), celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a corned beef-and-cabbage pizza (Oh HELL no!), and then make a Roman dish (they suggested cacio e peper – pasta with cheese and pepper) on March 27^th to commemorate the same day back in 1861 that Rome was declared Italy's capital.  I decided on Roman food, final answer, and so set off to do some research so I have something to talk about here.

What I found was interesting to say the least:  some sources listed 1861 as the day that Rome was declared Italy's capital, while others said it was 1871.  Try as I might, I could not confirm (or deny) either year but do believe FNM got the actual date – March 27^th – right.  I hope.

Part of the problem, dear reader, is that Italy's history is complicated.  Once upon a time (and not that long ago), it was a kingdom, but a kingdom divided into separate principalities, then it was unified and also reunified such that I can't keep track.  Besides, my people are from Sicily whose history is a tad more straightforward with the exception, of course, of keeping track of various conquerors.

And then there's The Vatican to consider and we would consider it if we a) had the time and b) if this blog was a history lesson but we don't have time for all that, oh darn!  We can though, talk about Roman food.

Italy, like all other countries (including the U.S.), has regional food favorites but you may be surprised to learn that the focus of Roman cuisine is vegetables - artichokes (carciofi), fava beans, zucchini – you name it, you'll find it.  Meat is also very popular – steaks, pork, "bacon," (or products similar to bacon), as are pastas and pizzas tailored to the regional palate.

The cookbook Eating Rome, is intended to be more of a tour guide than a cookbook, containing a wide variety of "eating" suggestions such as how to eat pasta (don't cut it—this applies across Italy and Sicily), how to order coffee, and where to find some of Rome's culinary favorites.  Her Table of Contents includes also chapters such as "Please do not eat within ten feet of any monument," (love it!); "Mi piace la cicoria!" – the Roman passion for vegetables;" "How to eat pasta like a Roman," and "Learning to love Roman pastries."  I am keeping this book on hand should I ever get to Rome (I've been to Italy but not to Rome) as it is filled with good advice and great recipes.

Personally, I am glad to know I am not the only person of Italian (Sicilian) descent who does not make homemade pasta; Elizabeth (the author) doesn't, either.  She grew up in St. Louis in the 60's which makes her about the same age as me, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how she enjoyed eating Spaghetti-O's growing up.  She also noted how one day, she'd be at home in the states eating that canned product, the next off to Rome eating the real deal. 

I have a similar story:  one summer when my grandmother was visiting from New Jersey, my brother and I enjoyed a lunch of Spaghetti-O's.  Spaghetti-O's were all the rage back then and since we were kids, we thought they were kind of fun to eat.  My grandmother who hailed straight from Sicily, was a good sport and so joined us in eating them.  When we finished, my mother asked her what she thought and grandma's response still makes me laugh:  "Not-a bad-a."  I have a feeling grandma was likely horrified but she would do anything to please her beloved grandchildren and that was that!

At any rate, stories like this are what made this cookbook enjoyable for me.  Well, stories and recipes!  Recipes like the one I made – Green Beans with Mortadella Salad which combined many ingredients I love:  green beans, oranges and lemons and mortadella also known as Italian bologna.

Small side story here about mortadella:  Yesterday, I was at an event that featured some locally-made foods including mortadella.  It was really good mortadella, and yet I kept looking at it wondering "what's different" about this?  I mentioned this to another event guest and we agreed:  Where are the pistachios?"   We surmised that since the mortadella was locally-made and since pistachios aren't local to this climate, they were left out; we concluded this was an acceptable option.  Anyway, more on the salad with mortadella to follow.

Other dishes from this book that had potential were "Cavatelli with Tuna and Lemon," "Cacio e Pepe" which is basically pasta, pecorino romano cheese, and pepper," and "Pasta Al Forno," a dish of eggplant, pasta, smoked scamorza cheese (you can probably substitute smoked mozzarella), basil and Parmesan.  Yum!  I decided on the salad though because I wanted something fresh and not too heavy and that dish did the trick.

And now, let's chat for a minute about the other cookbook – Roma - about Rome, or Roma, as the Italians pronounce it.  (Ann's Note:  in the Italian language, an "e" is often pronounced as an "a" – really, more of an "ah" -  and so while we pronounce "Rome" without it, Romans pronounce it "Rome-ah."  Also?  In Italy, my last name is pronounced the same way:  "Verm-ah."  This concludes our Italian pronunciation lesson.)

This cookbook is pretty much a straight-up cookbook which is to say it gives you recipes with a little dialog and some photos showing you what your food should look like. The Table of Contents is also pretty straightforward:  "Appetizers, Snacks, and Fried Specialties;" "First Courses of Soups, Pastas, Polenta, and Risotto;" "Second Courses of Meat and Poultry;" "Second Courses of Fish and Shellfish;" Side Dishes," and "Sweets."    There are a few pages in the back detailing "Eating and Sleeping Places," "Festivals," and "Cooking Schools and Wine Courses," but the information here isn't as extensive as the other book.

High up on my list of possible dishes to serve up was "Stewed Baby Back Ribs and Sausages with Polenta" but making it was just too involved and was also very meat-heavy, consisting of a lot of poundage of baby back ribs and sausages, all of which are slow cooked to make a ragu.  And then polenta is served on the side making it one, hearty dish.  I wasn't exactly in the mood for "hearty," plus, after my meatball experience from last week, I was not going to go willingly into the night to make something that would take hours of my life I would never get back.  Also out because I just made it, was a pork loin braised in milk.  "Beef Stew with Cloves" sounded really good but I finally passed on that and decided on the Lentil Soup with Sausage recipe.  I love Lentil Soup and have a really good recipe for one but I like experimenting with other recipes just to see what's out there.

Of course this blog would not be complete without suggestions from me about tweaks I'd make to the recipes but overall, these were winners.  In fact, Andy kept saying "This is really good soup" over and over again which tickled me pink.  And I loved the green bean salad although as you'll read, I have a few suggestions to improve it.

And so reader, we now bid "arrivederci" (goodbye) to Roma – for now.  I wish I could say instead "arrivederla" (see you soon) but I don't think we'll be going there any time soon, darn it!  No matter – we'll just console ourselves in the meantime with the food.

Lentil Soup with Sausage (Minestra di lenticchie con salsiccia) – for 6 people

1 ½ cups brown lentils

10 cups water

1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste

One 8-inch sprig fresh sage, or 2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 links sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, or 1 teaspoon crumbed dried marjoram

1 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pick over and rinse the lentils.  Transfer them to a large pot and add the water, 1 tablespoon salt, and sage.  Bring to a boil.  Immediately reduce the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.  (Ann's Notes:  the lentils needed more time and so I kept them cooking for another 10 minutes or so. Also, I used bay leaves instead of sage.)

In the meantime, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the sausage and sauté until it is browned on the outside and still pink inside, about 8 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the garlic, onion, parsley, and marjoram.  Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the tomato puree. Add the sausage mixture to the lentils and mix well.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to marry the flavors.  Remove the sage (or bay leaves), taste for salt, and season with pepper.  Serve hot.

Ann's Notes:

1. I was out of marjoram so I substituted oregano.
2. If I were you, once you've cooked the sausage for 8 minutes (or so), remove the sausage from the pan, then cook the onions, etc. and then add it back to the pan.  I followed the directions and the sausage was fine but I felt it was almost a tad overcooked.
3. I've made variations of this dish before and felt that the dish could have used some carrots for color and flavor.  Without it, this dish is very brown.  Very tasty, but very brown.
4. My favorite lentil soup recipe calls for orzo pasta to be added at the very end. You could probably get away with that in this recipe.
5. I like a little Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top of my lentil soup.

Green Beans with Mortadella Salad – Serves 4-5

1 pound green beans, cleaned (Ann's Note:  I hope by "cleaned" she meant "trimmed" because that's what I did to the beans!)

1 slice mortadella (about ½ cup chopped in small pieces) (Ann's Note:  Pre-packaged mortadella is often sliced thin which is fine but probably not what the author intended.  If you can, ask for a deli for one slice of mortadella, about ¼-inch thick.)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a potato peeler and finely chopped*

Zest of 1 small orange, peeled with a potato peeler and finely chopped*

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped, roasted onions (for garnish)

*Ann's Notes:  Next time around, I'm not going to peel then finely chop the lemon and orange peel as the pieces were too big and they also tended to overpower the dish.  You might try grating it instead and also grating a little at a time until you are satisfied with the taste.

Steam the green beans until tender.

Meanwhile place the mortadella shallot, garlic, olive oil, tarragon, chopped citrus zests, and citrus juices in a large bowl and stir to mix well.

When the beans are tender, drain them and then add them, still steaming hot, to the mixture in the bowl.  Toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Ann's Note: The author suggests you "add the beans to the dressing while they are piping hot, so that they sort of cook the shallots and garlic, and coax the fat nodules out of the mortadella.")

Let cool, toss again, and top with the almonds.  Serve at room temperature.

"What Aria Cooking" by the San Francisco Opera & "Defensive Eating with Morrissey (an English singer/songwriter) - Grammy Night 2017!

Date I made these recipes:  Sunday, February 12, 2017 – Grammy Awards!

What Aria Cooking? – The San Francisco Opera Cookbook, edited by Donna M. Casey for The San Francisco Opera Guild Auxiliary

Published by The San Francisco Opera Guild Auxiliary

© 1974

Purchased at Kona Bay Books, Kona, Hawaii

Recipe:  Egg Noodles Alla Bolognese from opera singer Ezio Flagello – p. 59

Defensive Eating with Morrissey – Vegan Recipes from the One You Left Behind – Recipes by Joshua Ploeg, illustrations by Automne Zingg

Published by Microcosm Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-62106-203-5; © 2016

Purchased at Common Good Books, St. Paul

Recipe:  Asparagus [with tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, onion, garlic and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar] – p. 13

Ah, the Grammy Awards!  This was the 59^th time these awards for achievement in music have been handed out and as always, the music and the "What are you wearing" moments achieved new levels.  Not necessarily great levels in terms of fashion (or what I hesitantly call "fashion") but new levels, nonetheless.

So of course, with the award program looming, I set out to see if I had an appropriate cookbook to mark the occasion and folks, I found two – two – music-related cookbooks and I am just so chuffed with myself, I cannot tell you!

And so let's discuss our two disparate music cookbooks.  "In this corner, representing classical music..." we have What Aria Cooking by the San Francisco Opera Guild Auxiliary.  This cookbook is filled with recipes submitted by opera singers who have performed with the San Francisco Opera.

"And in this corner, representing alternative rock..." we have the British rocker, Morrissey.  Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey) was lead singer for The Smiths before striking out on his own.  My local and favorite radio station, 89.3 - The Current, plays a great mix of music that hits just about every genre, and every once in a while, I hear a Morrissey song. I have to say that my favorite is probably "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful," because let's face it, that is a pretty accurate statement, musical or otherwise! Fair warning:  his cookbook, Defensive Eating with Morrissey, contains vegan recipes but several are workable for omnivores like me.

Those, then, are our two musical genres and so as Seth Meyers (formerly of Saturday Night Live, now host of his own late night talk show) says "For more on this, it's time for a Closer Look."

What Aria Cooking (an aria is song for solo voice, usually sung by a female) gives us a snapshot of artists involved with the San Francisco Opera in the way back i.e. 1974.  I like opera and have attended several over the years.  I must admit to being somewhat of a purist though, in that I am not necessarily fond of more modern operas as they strike me as precocious.  I mean really:  "The Manchurian Candidate opera?"  "The Shining opera?"  (Yes, these are actual operas, adapted from films.  Sigh.) Mozart and company are rolling around in their graves!  This is not to say that every "older" opera is great, but many are and besides, it is so much more fun to hear someone say "I shall smite thee and take off thy head" in Italian.  As a friend and I used to joke "It sounds so pretty!"

The recipe I used for tonight's dinner was from Italian-American bass Ezio Flagello.  Ezio sang primarily with the Metropolitan Opera from 1957-1984 and favored Italian opera productions such as Tosca, The Barber of Seville, and Don Giovanni.  And then I found this tidbit and it is most cool:  Ezio made a brief appearance as an opera impresario (opera company manager) in the movie, The Godfather II.  Nice!  I have no memory of that, but who needs an excuse to re-watch a Godfather movie?  Not me!  Poor Ezio had a shortened career as he passed away in 2009 at age 78.  (These days, that is on the "young" side of old.)  By the way, men's voices ranges are tenor (high), baritone (middle range) and bass (Low.  Sometimes very low.  "Basement" low.)  Ezio was a "basement" bass.

Now I have to share that I think my dad would have not only enjoyed this meal, but liked the fact that it came from an opera cookbook.  I come from a long line of opera lovers:  my grandfather, a Sicilian immigrant, used to listen to Met (Metropolitan Opera) radio broadcasts way before the dawn of the TV age, and my father listened with him as well.  My dad had a great baritone voice and although he never sang opera (at least to my knowledge), he played Captain Corcoran in his high school production of Gilbert and Sullivan's H. M. S. Pinafore, an operetta which is basically "opera, light."  He was also a member of a mixed chorus while attending Michigan State University. And although my singing voice is a mezzo-soprano and although I have performed more classical pieces (not opera though), I really enjoy singing what we would call "pop standards" songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and the like rather than more serious, classical music.

Still and all, a friend of mine (who has since passed away) and I attended for many years regional tryouts sponsored by the Met, the winner of which went on to NYC to compete for a coveted spot on the Met stage. We joked that sometimes we went more for the fashion critique (or what I called "What Not to Wear to an Opera Audition") than we did for the singing, but we mostly wanted to be able to say "We saw him/her 'when'" and you know what, sometimes we did!

Speaking of "I knew him when," although I didn't recognize a lot of names on the "Artist Index" (and you probably won't as well), I hope most people are familiar with the name Luciano Pavarotti, whose dish for "Maltaliati con Fagioli" (pasta and beans) was high on my list of "for your consideration" until I switched it at the last minute.  Pavarotti is probably best know for singing Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot, a production I saw a few years ago at the Minnesota Opera, and it requires the singer to hit ridiculously high notes which Pavarotti did on a regular basis until one day, he didn't.  He cracked the upper notes of whatever he was singing and I am not kidding when I say the opera world was just beside itself.  Jeez, the man has one bad day and he's vilified for life!  If you didn't know, the Italians love their operas and you had better have your A game when you perform at places like La Scalla (famous opera company) or else!

I also recognized the name Anna Moffo as she appeared on the Firestone and Goodyear (Tires) Christmas albums my parents bought every year.  These albums were popular during the 60's and 70's and I remember that Anna Moffo sang Ave Maria on one of them.  I must say that these albums were a great way to learn the names and style of many popular artists (classical, opera, jazz, pop) of the time and I miss listening to them.  Sadly, they do not seem to be available in CD form, only vinyl and we got rid of our turntable a long time ago.  Drats.

Beverly Sills and Frederica Van Stade (spelled "Van Staade" in the book) were also included in this cookbook.  Beverly Sills was an extremely well-known operatic soprano who appeared on various variety show specials in the 70's, and Frederica is a mezzo-soprano who has appeared in countless opera productions and countless recordings.  And on a "who knew" side note, Frederica and her ex-husband were involved in a law suit over marital property, the likes of which appeared in one of my law school text books and I'm willing to bet that I am one of a handful of law school students anywhere who knew who she was. And for those of you who just have to know the dirt, here's the citation:  Elkus v. Elkus, 572 N.Y.S.2d 901 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991).  (PS—I was also stunned to see another familiar name in a case found in my Wills and Trust case law book.  Not only was the name familiar, but I had met her previously – yikes! And I tell you what, in order to get a case in a law school textbook, you had to have a doozy of a situation going on and hers so qualified it was ridiculous!)

Now, one of the reasons I selected the dish I did, Ezio's very tasty pasta Bolognese, is because I needed something to match the recipe I selected from Morrissey's cookbook and boy, that was not easy.

As the title says, Morrissey's cookbook is a vegan cookbook and vegan cooking can be challenging which is why I took the easy way out and made a vegetable dish!  And it's not that some of the other vegan dishes didn't appeal, it's just that I did not feel like going out and buying ingredients I knew damned well I would never use again such as "nutritional yeast," or "miso," or "tempeh," a soy meat substitute.  Also, some of the recipes were rather involved, like his recipe for [vegan] "Lasagna" – p. 56 or "Spaghetti for Two – p. 73-75 and when it comes to cooking, the shorter the ingredient list and cooking times, the better.

And let me be clear that I don't care what Morrissey says, these two words do not go together:  "Vegan" and "Bologna."  Ew.  Ew, ew, ew and furthermore, why?  Why, why, why? (See p. 95).

In the end, I think I came up with the perfect food combination and that was Egg Noodles Alla Bolognese from the opera book, with a side of Asparagus from the Morrissey book.  I am a genius!

As between the two, Morrissey's recipe title, Asparagus, is a tad misleading because here's what it really is:  asparagus yes, but asparagus sprinkled with a mix of chopped onion, tomato, garlic, and oregano, then tossed with olive oil, roasted, and then completed with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  It was fantastic!  Plus, this dish took only 20 minutes to make and that worked out well.  The other thing I loved was that I was able to score some fresh and hearty asparagus from a local grocery store, something that used to be near-impossible during the winter months.  All in all, I am tucking this recipe away for future use!

The Bolognese recipe was also very easy although I had to siphon off the grease from the ground beef several times to avoid having a greasy mess on my hands.  This then left the sauce a little on the dry side, but no worries, just add more wine or, if wine is not your thing, some water or broth.

I also "cheated" a bit with the recipe and added a handful of chopped tomatoes that were left over from the asparagus.  Waste not, want not, don't you know.  All in all, this dish was very good and was light to eat despite the pasta and the ground beef.  I think the use of white wine made it so.

And so these dishes were winners (I am on a roll as so were my Super Bowl selections) but alas, just like the Super Bowl, some Grammy nominees did not walk away with their golden gramophone and that's a darn shame but there's always next year.

Congratulations then to all 2017 Emmy winners and to those who didn't win, perhaps a nice plate of pasta and some asparagus will help ease your pain?  (It did mine!)

Egg Noodles Alla Bolognese – serves 5

1 pound egg noodles

1 large onion

1 small can mushrooms

1 bell pepper, cut in 1" strips

3 slices ham (Ann's Note:  although the recipe didn't say, I chopped my ham into smaller pieces)

1 tablespoon diced celery

1 ¼ cups water

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound chopped meat (Ann's Note:  I'm pretty sure he meant ground beef as the recipe instructs you to "brown the meat."  That said, I bet you could substitute ground chicken or turkey if you wanted.)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon carrot shirrings (Ann's Note:  I have no idea what this means and neither did Google so I decided it meant "carrot peels" and that is what I used.)

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon basil leaf (dried)

1 cup white wine

Grated cheese

Brown meat, onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper in two tablespoons of oil.  (Ann's Note:  I made a half a recipe and thought that even one tablespoon of oil was too much.  When coupled with the grease from browning the "chopped meat," it made for quite a bit of grease that I had to remove or risk "ruining" the sauce.)

Add water, ham, garlic powder, parsley, marjoram, and basil.  Cook slowly, until water evaporates.  (Ann's Note:  yes, but trust me, after you let the water evaporate, you are going to want to add more liquid back in or the sauce will dry out.  You can either add more wine (the recipe calls for 1 cup), or more water or broth and that should do the trick.  Even then though, I had to keep taking out some of the grease...sigh).

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, mushrooms, and wine.  Cook for one hour.  Pour Bolognese sauce over 1 pound cooked egg noodles and serve.  Add grated cheese if desired.

This recipe is from his forthcoming book "There's a Basso in the Kitchen."  Ann's Note:  It doesn't appear that this book was ever published as I cannot find it anywhere online and that is a damn shame because I would so add it to my collection!

Asparagus – Serving size not listed but 2 pounds should feed about 4-6

2 pounds asparagus

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, pureed (Ann's Note:  he doesn't say whether or not to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes or not but I'm guessing you should.  I have dried, but not oiled, sun-dried tomatoes at home and they don't puree well—not that this stopped me from trying!)

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Mix all ingredients together except balsamic vinegar, and then place in a casserole.  Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and then mix again.

You can cook it for less time, if desired.

But with a bit more time and a few more gentler words and looking back we will forgive.

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes to finish.  Ann's Note:  I didn't broil but I did drizzle and then bake for another 3 minutes.