Dinner Party Leftovers

This weekend I had a few girls over for dinner. Two of the ladies had just returned from a week in Poland working with teenagers on refurbishing a building. They really needed a hot home cooked meal. I made stuffed artichokes and Nigella Lawson's lemon pasta.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures during dinner... again. I can't help it! When it comes to artichokes all logic falls by the wayside until I get those cheesy silky leaves scraping across my teeth. I get artichoke vision. It's dangerous.

Nigella's lemony pasta was a perfect compliment. I wanted something starchy to balance the artichoke but nothing too heavy. Perfect.

My twist on Nigella's lemony pasta: Combine 2/3 cup of heavy cream, zest and juice of one lemon, 2 egg yokes, 1/2 cup Granna cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. Cook pasta al dente in salted water. Strain pasta and save a little of the pasta water. Put 1/2 butter in pasta and let it melt until all the noodles are just shining. Stir in combined ingredients. If pasta seems dry add a little pasta water. Serve with parmesan or granna. Enjoy your heart out.

love walked in

Oh, love walked in. So good. So, so good. This is the kind of book I want to write one day.

It has all the components I want: a coffee shop, several love stories in multiple forms, travel, death, abandonment, desperation, more love. *sigh*

I have such a crush on this book. I need to read it again and really study it this time. I know I haven't told you about the story at all but I really feel like I need to read it again to really get it and tell it and... I don't know.

Please read this book.

Turkey Chili

I made turkey chili last week. I made it and froze some and fridged some. All of the internets say that PLANNING and making AHEAD is the way to succeed at... everything. Weight loss, saving money, curing what ails you, and the secret to life.

So I tried it and I think the internets are on to something. Planning really might be the secret to life. The jury's still out on whether it's a secret that really wants to be found out or not, but the internets do know something.

Now, about the bowling turkey. I have every intention of coming home tonight and taking a picture of my final portion of turkey chili. I was going to grate some cheddar cheese on top and take a beautiful photograph. But when I got home I was hungry and I ate the chili. Because it was delicious. So instead of a picture of an empty bowl, you get a bowling turkey. Fair trade.

This is a very rough recipe because I mostly just threw in stuff that I had in my fridge, which is really something wonderful about chili. It can be made differently every time and still come out delicious.

Turkey Chili of Last Week

3/4 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms,

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

32 oz can crushed tomatoes

16 oz can kidney beans

1 Tablespoon chili powder

3 shakes red pepper

2 Teaspoons Oregano

In a large pot saute onion, mushrooms and garlic while browning the ground turkey. Once the turkey is cooked through and the onions are transparent, add the crushed tomatoes, drained kidney beans, chili powder, red pepper and oregano. Stir together and let cook 30-45 minutes until flavors are nicely combined.

Pasta con pepperoni

I'm not usually a pepper girl. Black pepper? Yes, please! Some heat I can handle, but the taste of peppers themselves? I'll pass. That was until last Sunday when I went to Giovanna's house and she made a peppery cream sauce. It was outstanding.

Even though I watched as Giovanna prepared the simple dish, I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to create it myself. Since I was preparing it for some friends, I thought something would go wrong. It's just like me to make a dish I've never made to bring to a potluck or serve at a party. Preparing something you KNOW is going to taste good is boring, especially for me since my guinea pig is currently MIA.

The girls loved it.

Pasta con pepperoni

1 small onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pint light cream

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound pasta

parmesean cheese (added at table to taste)

Chop onion and peppers. Coat pan with olive oil and add chopped onions and peppers. Let simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile set a pot of water to boil then cook pasta to taste (11 minutes for al dente). Add the salt and pepper and cream while the pasta is cooking and let reduce into a sauce. Once the pasta is finished strain it and add to the sauce. Serve with parmesean cheese and watch the people at the table light up.