Spagheti with Green Garlic, Asparagus & Walnut Oil
Inspired by Fine Cooking | April-May 2011
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. green garlic, white roughly minced & green parts cut into 3-inch strands
6 oz. spaghetti
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
In another pan place olive oil in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the green garlic and saute. Watch it so it doesn't burn. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted about 5- 7 minutes. Turn off heat.
Boil spaghetti until just al dente. My trick is to place the cut asparagus in a wok strainer spoon and lower into the pasta water for 2-3 minutes just to slightly blanch. I do this mostly because I have a an IBK.* After the lapsed time pull out asparagus and mix with the wilted, sauteed green garlic.
Drain the spaghetti, place back into its pot. Pour in beaten duck egg and stir quickly. Add in the pecorino, stir and occassionally pull apart the spaghetti. so clumps don't form. Add asparagus, green garlic, bread crumbs and lemon zest toss lightly. Season with black pepper and serve into 2 bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1 Tsp roasted walnut oil.
*itty bitty kitchen = 2' x 2' of counter space; 2 burners; 1 oven! cooking is a feat!
Image by JBrophy, The Butter Class
Recipe adapted from The Commonsense Kitchen, Tom Hudgens
Tom Hudgens attended and cooked at Deep Springs Ranch, Chez Panisse, and Liberty Café in San Francisco. He teaches at College of Marin and lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
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Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 tspn lemon extract
1 tblspn rosewater (or water)*
2 tblspns honey
1/4 tspn salt
5 large eggs, room temperature (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup sifted cake flour, sifted again after measuring (if you don't have cake flour, use another cup of AP flour)
1 cup sifted AP flour, sifted again after measuring
Makes 1 bundt cake or about 2 loaves
Do not preheat oven. Butter and flour dust 2 loaf pans or a lrage bundt pan. Tap the pan/s to reomve excess flour.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together well, until the mixture is cohesive, lightend in color and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts, rosewater, honey and salt.
Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spon alternately fold in the eggs and the flours by hand in 3-4 additions, blending in each addition only partailly before adding the next one. Once all the eggs and flour are added, gently blend the batter just until uniform. Do not overmix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, speading evenly. Place in cold oven. Turn oven on to 300F. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cook in pan for 15 minutes; turn out cake on to a rack.
*Notes:
Rosewater lends a subtle but exceptional taste to this recipe. It can be easily found in most ethnic aisles of grocery stores or in a Middle Eastern grocery.
Pound cakes can be finicky. Do yourself a favor and bring ingredients to room temperature. Usually about 30-40 minutes on the counter.
SALON: "We avoided a tragedy.”
SLATE: Why Did Betty Lie for Don
NEW YORK MAGAZINE: Hit Me, Fire Me, Hurt Me
Other: Over at AlterNet not a recap but a very good analysis of the dynamic between men &women onMad Men:
Eating as locally as possible for the last few years has come to mark a new food obsession with each passing season. At one point last fall I couldn't get enough Brussels sprouts--a vegetable I wouldn't touch until a few years ago. Right now I can see that apples are going to start moving front and center. As summer begins to wind down I have started thinking about my summer love this year, summer peaches.
Sure, fresh, unadorned are great for a quick juicy mid-day snack at the desk between meetings. Then tossed into cereal and salads. However my piece de resistance came about a month ago when I was on a eating-wise-get-it-together binge. The morning peach protein shake. Simple ingredients of almond milk, a few peaches, protein powder and fresh local yogurt. And as this has been an evolving obsession, that morning start led to the next in the form of a divine summer peachiness slurp, the Peach-Chai-Cajeta Frappe (milkshake to those not in Massachusetts). Divinely addictive and honestly--fairly healthy in moderation. The essence of summer peaches, the spicy chai notes and the indulgence of cajeta (dulce de leche but goat milk not cow).
Try it before peaches disappear from the farmers market.
Peach-Chai-Cajeta Frappe
Makes 1 generous serving or 2 if you like to share
Ingredients
Toss it in blender. Mix and puree for about 2 minutes. Pour into tall chilled glasses with a straw. Serve and enjoy!
Lunch
Prather Ranch All Beef Hot Dogs, Muffaletta & Melted Provolone
Homemade Potato Chips
Dinner
Heirloom Gazpacho w/ Pt. Reyes Blue Toast points
Carmelized Figs w/ Chorizo on a Skewer w/ Smoky Paprika Ailoi
Sebastapol Pear & Pecorino Ravioli, Drizzle of Roasted Walnut Oil
Steamed Rockfish over Bed of Spicy Sofritto
Trio of Homemade Cookies w/ Salted Carmel Ice Cream