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By now it should be no surprise that cheese in on my mind. (I was excited for the suggested cheeses several of you left on the other post; thank you for those!) I have a huge book on its way that details the different types of cheeses, how they are made, the flavor profiles, and more, which I can’t wait to dive into sometime next week. I’m not quite so ready to begin actually making artisan cheeses ourselves, but I do want to add this topic to the list of things we know beyond the education that has been picked up through trial and error over the past few years due to our culinary pursuits.
With all of the cooking we’ve done in the past few years, one of the biggest changes is the revelation we had about the value of good cheese. There have been three cheeses that stood out as exceptional. We still have a lot to learn about this culinary sub-category, but when you come across a wedge that is a winner, it’s a thrill because you add an entirely new flavor profile to your repertoire.
As I read through the S&P 500 tear sheets this afternoon, I found myself hungry, having not eaten much since last night. I asked Aaron if a short, one-hour trip to the grocery store were a possibility. We ended up making pan-roasted chicken with rosemary, garlic, and white wine.
We are heading to my in-laws for dinner tonight, partially to celebrate several people’s birthdays, mine included, and partially just because it’s been a couple of months since we’ve all gotten together. Our contribution is a homemade French apple cake … I won’t be around for the rest of the evening because of it, and…
For dinner this evening, I wanted to make a tomato and cream sauce to go over stuffed ravioli as it would allow me to use the remainder of the parsley and ricotta filling I needed for the dish I made yesterday. While I considered reaching for our normal tomato and cream sauce, I decided to be productive by at least testing one more recipe from Marcella Hazan.
I woke up this morning, grabbed a cup of black coffee, went straight to work, and dove into some of the things I needed to finish. In the early afternoon, I realized that I was expecting a shipment of books at the house and that I hadn’t eaten so much as a saltine cracker since…
Last night, around 3:30 a.m., I had the idea to take a fresh spinach pasta, cut it into thicker fettuccine, and serve it with the butter and parmesan cheese sauce that Marcella Hazan used for Tortelloni stuffed with Swiss Chard, Prosciutto, and Ricotta (found on page 191 of her most famous cookbook).
I promised Aaron that if he picked up a small chicken, I would try my hand at the classic Chicken with Two Lemons recipe that is famous for having only salt, pepper, lemons, and chicken on the ingredients list. No fats, butter, or oil, just the juiciest meat possible as a result of the chemical…
I happened to be looking around for more books to add to the library and came across something called Microwave Cooking for One. I always tell you to be aware of what is going on inside; like great surgeons or athletes, evaluating your own reactions and thought processes in a detached, rational way to better understand your subconscious motivations. I was shocked at how powerfully I responded to it. Something about this book – the fact that it even exists and that there is an audience for it – makes me deeply sad, in a very profound and emotional way.
For those of you who write me intrigued by the idea of cooking for the first time, I wanted to show you just how incredibly easy it can be. Since we are on an Italian kick lately, the best place to start would be the basic Italian staple: Fresh pasta. Homemade pasta has a unique flavor, texture, and element to it that even the best store bought boxed pastas can’t touch.
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