Greeted by sprouting garlic, when I finally made it into the kitch. Neither cooking nor grocery shopping lately, apparently. Luckily, I had another head of garlic and a big paper bag of really fresh mushrooms; the workday went on a little longer than I'd thought it would, and I never got to the store. So, a compromise: instead of potatoes, pasta, and some Marsala-mushroom sauce. Thank you for all the suggestions yesterday — now at least I'll have recipes for the next cold, cloudy day. I'll be better prepared for that one.
I put about 8 oz. of thin spaghetti on the boil. In the Dutch oven, I sauteed about a pound of sliced mushrooms in 2 T. butter/2 T. olive oil until they were soft, and some were very well-browned. I added a clove of chopped garlic and sauteed for another 30 seconds or so. Splashed in 3 T. of Marsala wine and let the alcohol bubble out. Tipped in 1/3 c. cream, and 1/3 c. of the pasta-cooking water and brought that back up to a simmer. Then drained the pasta and tossed it in the sauce for the last minute or two of cooking. Topped it off with some Parmesan, and thought to add a big handful of parsley after the photo was taken. I wish I'd had a big bowl of fresh spinach, too, and maybe some hazelnuts. All woodsy and wonderful.
So, not what I had in mind, and not particularly challenging, but still okay. The weather here is absolutely perfect. I can't believe July is almost over. I need to bring buttermilk poundcake to a BBQ tonight, so I'm excited about that — I'm thinking big piles of strawberries, too. Tomorrow night, homemade pizza and The Young Black Stallion with our niece. Ratatouille on Sunday afternoon, after all.
Eat, watch, eat, watch, eat, watch. Seems like we should squeeze at least a walk around the block and a salad in there somewhere, jeez. Elephant family.
sounds wonderful...and something i could probably tackle as summer has invited me to feel less like cooking...but this cooler weather does seem to invite one to want to turn on the oven/stove.
have a great weekend!
Posted by: liz elayne | July 27, 2007 at 09:58 AM
Boy does that pasta ever look and sound good! It's pretty darn hot here in northern California so I don't feel much like cooking either. Isn't it great when you sort of throw something together with what you've got on hand and it turns out delish? Sounds like you have a lot of fun coming up on your weekend. Enjoy!
Posted by: HeidiAnn | July 27, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Oh I have to add this to your list of cold day dishes. It is the best soup ever!
http://pinchmysalt.wordpress.com/2006/09/09/is-fall-here-yet/
SO GOOD! I have made this several times, and had it for lunch all week long with a hunk of crusty bread, and a salad. I generally skip the puree-ing step, and just mash it with a potato masher so I have some chunks.
Posted by: courtney | July 27, 2007 at 10:07 AM
mmmm hazelnuts and mushrooms, that DOES sound good. We should be getting some cold nights again by ... October...
alicia, have you ever checked out Gordon Hammersley's "Bistro Cooking at Home"? I love his recipes for crisp autumn evenings especially, and I can't say enough good things about his writing style. So personal and friendly, and his recipes have become staples around here. The "walk away roast chicken" recipe really is worth the cost of the book. I found him at the seattle library and had him for weeks and weeks before I finally broke down and bought it.
Posted by: sarah | July 27, 2007 at 10:25 AM
The pasta dish looks wonderful. Congrats on the fallish weather. I'll be glad when we get some.
Posted by: Susan Ramey Cleveland | July 27, 2007 at 10:52 AM
oh but i love the throw together meals. yum! princess and the warrior, did you put it on your list??
Posted by: hannah | July 27, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Hi there, This is not about your post (which is great) but about blog tag, it's going around and I've tagged you. See my post for today at gardenrooms.typepad.com, Cheers.
Posted by: robyn | July 27, 2007 at 11:44 AM
YAY and YUM! After reading yesterdays post and wishing it was cloud-ier in my part of Portland for cooking at home- gave up and did Thai. Sigh. I'm voting for a walk tonight- why is it so hard to work into the evening? I'm now dreaming of Marsala.
Posted by: cheriwan | July 27, 2007 at 01:17 PM
gosh, you always have a way of making me want to cook! You make the simplest things look and sound so yummy. Thanks for the inspiration....again
Posted by: angeljoy | July 27, 2007 at 01:48 PM
I'll take sprouting garlic over dripping potatoes any day. That's what I found in a BRAND NEW bag of potatoes in my pantry the other day. (And that drippiness does NOT smell good...)
That pasta looks yummy, btw!
Posted by: Christina | July 27, 2007 at 01:59 PM
ooh, you make me want to go out and get mushrooms! i just made fried artichokes the other day, which takes a heap of craziness or ambition - you get baby ones (no fuzz inside), peel off most of the leaves, slice them thin lengthwise and do an egg-flour-egg dip, then into olive oil with just salt and pepper and flipping once to brown on both sides. you really could use a 2nd person to help as you become more and more sticky. these keep in the fridge too.
Posted by: patty | July 27, 2007 at 02:11 PM
I bet you sprouted that garlic deliberately just so that you could show what lovely photos you could take - even of sprouting garlic. Now I want one too. I am sure that you have just started the next big kitchen design thing. Move over bowls of lemons.
Posted by: Alice C | July 27, 2007 at 03:07 PM
Beautiful blog! Just stumbled on it today - great pics and writing, I'll be back,
A
Posted by: Amber | July 27, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Beautiful blog! Just stumbled on it today - great pics and writing, I'll be back,
A
Posted by: Amber | July 27, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Oh wow, that looks so yums!!!
Posted by: Diane | July 27, 2007 at 05:43 PM
I made spaghetti yesterday too. I took fresh tomatoes out of the garden and peeled them and used a potato masher and smashed them until they were juicy and wonderful. Then cooked hambuger and onions and garlic then added the tomatoes. Served over fresh pasta. It was a delight. Nita
Posted by: nita from red tin heart | July 27, 2007 at 08:53 PM
you are so getting the hang of your new camera.
Posted by: melissa f. | July 27, 2007 at 10:01 PM
I LOVE your blog,...
Beautiful pictures and useful information!
Keep up with the good work,...
I will be back soon, for more!
Kisses Kisses
Debbie
xxx
Posted by: debbies-english-treasures | July 28, 2007 at 12:40 AM
Don't throw that sprouting garlic away! I had pizza the other day with pepperoni and garlic sprouts - delicious mild garlicky flavour!
Posted by: mathea | July 28, 2007 at 02:13 AM
Marsala and mushrooms are so good together (thank you, Nigella!). If you'd like it, I can send you my recipe for cinnamon buns when I get back from my rainy holiday (in Norway and Britain - great choice :). They aren't like a Danish, but made with a yeasty dough instead, and very very good. As well as authentically Scandinavian (a Swedish recipe cooked and appreciated by a Norwegian in Denmark! :).
Posted by: Anja | July 28, 2007 at 09:01 AM
It looks absolutely delicious! I didn't get to the store yesterday either, and we ended up having fish sticks...
Posted by: Anina | July 28, 2007 at 09:11 AM
Oh wow!! That looks sooo yummy! Love mushrooms and pasta! Have a great and fun weekend!
Posted by: Elle | July 28, 2007 at 05:50 PM
OMG, that looks soooooooooo delicious!
Posted by: Gail | July 29, 2007 at 12:55 PM
It all looks so delicious, and the photos are beautiful!
Smiles...
Beverly
Posted by: tea time and roses | July 29, 2007 at 01:42 PM
this cake reminds me of a cake we call "Swedish cake".
Which I made when i took our kids strawberry picking a few weeks back.
:-)
love your baby/toddler clothing!
Daiana
Posted by: SeeMommyBlog | July 30, 2007 at 09:02 PM