Spring Veggie Pasta Salad with Dill Dressing

Many of the pasta dishes I find are full on one-dish meals featuring lots of veggies, meat, and cheese.  I was looking for a new pasta recipe that still had enough ingredients to make it feel special but that was a true side dish rather than the center of the meal.  Most people would say you can't have your cake pasta and eat it too, but when I found this Bon App recipe I knew I could have it all.

I changed it slightly by switching the orzo for ditalini.  Ditalini means "little thimbles" and they are these adorable mini tubes.  There are no ridges to catch the sauce, but since this dish is virtually sauce-less, it's the perfect time to use the cute pasta.  The veggies in this dish - green beans, fennel, and cucumber - are full on springtime and the sauce should mirror that by being simple and light. I didn't have white balsamic like the recipe called for but thought the champagne vinegar worked very well.  The recipe calls this sauce a pesto, but a pesto is made with nuts and cheese.  I didn't add any nuts, but after taking the pic I did add a little grated cabot clothbound white cheddar.   I just couldn't help myself - it's not a pasta dish without just a little cheese.

Book Review: The Liar's Club

I love memoirs of crazy childhoods.  Perhaps it's because I know I'm safe from all that dysfunction and strife thanks to my loving parents and idyllic upbringing.  When the back of Mary Karr's memoir, The Liar's Club, described it as an "account of an apocalyptic childhood," I thought I was in for some serious loony toons.  Considering Karr's mother spent some time in a psych ward and both parents were alcoholics, there was certainly some crazy going on, but the way it was shared through the book didn't do it justice.

Karr's story of growing up in blue collar Texas generally follows a linear pattern but her own stories are given to us in a broken manner.  One moment she is talking about her mother's drunken rage and the next she is retelling one of her father's tall tales that comes off more like irrelevant rambling.  Every time she mentions moments of sexual abuse or a chaotic car ride you think you are finally getting to something good, but then she cuts off the story without either letting us know the end of it or showing how it affected her.  It is like she has blocked out most of the traumatic experiences in her life...but if you're not ready to share them in full, why write a book?

The last 15 pages provide valuable insight into why Karr's mother dove into alcoholism.  I read those last pages faster than any other bit of the book.  But it was too little too late.  I was already upset I didn't get more detail throughout the rest of the book.

3 out of 10 stars.

Radicchio with Avocado, Red Quinoa, and Ricotta Salata

Great salad.  That's what I've got to say about this recipe.  And with the purple of the radicchio and bright green of the avocado, it's a good lookin dish as well.  I'd never had red quinoa before.  Guess what.  It's a lot like regular quinoa, just a little nuttier.  And I'm a little nuttier than most so it fits.

A few changes on my end: I left out the shallots and swapped the romaine for endive and the almonds for pine nuts.  Pretty good updates, I must admit.  Ricotta salata and avocados go pretty well together.  I'll say it again: great salad.

  

Inspiration Station: You Don't Mess With The Zohan

It may be a weird choice, but I'd like to look at You Don't Mess With The Zohan for this month's movie.  I admit, it's a stupid movie, but as much as I tried to roll my eyes, I found myself laughing through much of it.  Oh Adam Sandler, I have such a soft spot for you.

1. The Dish: Hummus may as well be its own character in this movie.  It is eaten off of everything - from a candy bar to a pair of glasses.  Instead of making my own hummus, I made a hummus dish: 5 Layer Hummus Layer Dip.  This is the Mediterranean version of the Mexican 7 layer dip that you may now want to replace at potlucks.  It is so unbelievably simple and requires zero cooking.  Simply layer  ingredients as follows: hummus (I used my favorite edamame hummus from Trader Joes), tabbouleh, Greek yogurt, chopped cucumber, and feta.  Serve it with pita, flatbread, pita chips, or any combination of the above.  The recipe listed is the simplest version, but there are plenty variations.  Chopped iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickled veggies, or kalmata olives are also nice additions.  I'm just thinking of all the things I tried to pile into my falafel/shwarma/shnitzel sandwiches while I was in Israel.
2. The Doodads:

• Adam Sandler's character has his heart set on cutting hair so get yourself a snazzy new 'do.  Karina has recommended Fox and Jane and I think I'm going to check it out for my next trim.  I think they'll make my hair silky smooth.
• Everyone in this movie loves Fizzy Bubblech.  We may not get that here, but Maine Root sodas come in unique flavors like Blueberry, Ginger Brew, and Pumkin Pie so it should satisfy your fizzy cravings.
• Zohan runs around in denim cutoff shorts for a good portion of the movie.  It may feel a little middle school to wear them now, but denim cutoffs are making a comeback and if paired with the right top and accessories can look great for errands around the city.  I like these Rag and Bone boyfriend shorts for inspiration and plan to find a cheaper version for myself this summer.
• It seems Mediterranean folk are keen on hacky sack.  My game of choice for the park, however, is bocce and I think it could be cool to own an antique set.

3 on Thursday

Between post-work cocktails, a Broadway show, trivia night, and an out of town visitor, I am ready for my [comparatively] calm weekend.

I was lucky enough to get invited to see Ann through work, which means I have now seen my first on-woman show.  I was worried it would get boring having just one person standing on a stage for two hours, but they managed to keep it lively by alternating between speaking directly to the audience and stepping into a flashback-esque sequence.  The boredom is also cut by the sheer fact that Holland Taylor is a great actress.  For someone who typically has a very formal, almost affected way of speaking, she adopted quite the Texas accent to portray Texas' ball-busting, sassy former Governor, Ann Richards.  I was even more impressed when I realized Taylor also wrote the show.  This may not be a spectacle of a musical, but it was a delight to watch.

Andrew and I were originally going to go somewhere expected, like a nearby happy hour, for a long overdue catch up session.  But then Andrew sheepishly suggested we go to a bathhouse, giving me full veto power if I was weirded out by the idea.  Since I'm always up for something different I gave a hearty "why not?" and packed my bathing suit when I left for work.  The Russian and Turkish Baths has been in the East Village since the late 1800s...and I'm pretty sure they haven't updated the facilities since then.  Believe it or not, that's actually part of its charm.  I fully expected to be sandwiched between some overweight,bald, hairy Russians and my prayers were answered, but there were actually all sorts of people there - and only some were heavily accented.  I sweated it out in all the various rooms and even tried the ice bath.  I felt renewed when I left.  For $35 it's a steal of an activity that I'll definitely repeat.

One of many downsides to having my purse stolen was losing the phone that I had inside.  The upside to losing my phone, however, meant I had the opportunity to pick out a new iPhone case.  So many options!  My last case was super boring - I picked it up when I got the phone and it was a very simple black.  Yawn.  This time I got a great ikat pattern from my favorite store, C Wonder, in my second favorite color, navy.

Nachos

I was sitting at work the other day when it washed over me - a sudden craving for homemade nachos.  Of course, it would be a few days before I'd be able to turn this dream into reality, but that just made me want them all the more.  I wanted something a little better than the basic ground beef/shredded cheese kind but wasn't in the mood for a super funky take on the classic.  I stuck to the basic flavors but added a few stimulating adjustments.

I decided to go with chicken nachos but not just chopped, cooked chicken.  No way.  I decided I wanted tender, pulled chicken so it was time to pull down the crock pot.  All you need is one large chicken breast with a small can of diced tomatoes and the spice mix for taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano).  I also threw in a small chopped onion and jalapeno for good measure.  After 3 and a half hours on high, you've got some great pulled chicken.

I spread some tortilla chips on a tin foil covered cookie sheet and started assembling: chicken, black beans, corn, and shredded jalapeno peppadew cheddar that I found at Fairway.  It won't take long to cook so stick it in there at about 300 and by the time you've finished chopping your avocado and cilantro, the cheese will be melted.  Put your cool items on top of the nachos along with some sour cream and you're good to go.  Using fresh cilantro and a chopped avocado instead of tubbed guac makes a big difference in how fresh the meal tastes.  The chicken was great and since I have a ton leftover, I'll be incorporating it into my meals throughout the week.  Call Dionne Warwick because I'm seeing a rice bowl in my future.

This is the kind of food best eaten while watching sports but, unfortunately, none of my teams were playing when I wanted to eat.  But now I can confirm that nachos taste just as amazing when you're eating them while watching an ABC Family Original Movie.

Pea Shoots with Burrata, Blueberries, and Pine Nuts

Made Weekly is a new favorite tumblr where blogger Rachel picks one ingredient per week and incorporates it into a new recipe each day.  Last week's secret ingredient was pea shoots and I was determined to make one of the dishes.  Did you know pea shoots can be used as more than just a garnish for fancy dishes like velouté or free range sea bass mumbo jumbo?  You did?  Well I didn't so tone down the pedantic 'tude.

I did a twist on this recipe, substituting blueberries for grapes and - zut alors! - was it good.  Don't leave out the salt because otherwise the blueberries will be too sweet for the dish.  I could put burrata in almost any salad and be a happy lil chickadee but particularly enjoyed it with the pea shoots, which it turns out I am just as capable of using as those upscale restaurant chefs.  They're basically sprouts so they've already found their way into the sandwich I brought to work yesterday.