Passing the Bar Dinner

Keith passed the bar, so I made him a meal fit for a...public defender?

Farfalle with Braised Leeks, Prosciutto and Porcini Pangrattato

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-at-home/cheats-pappardelle-with-slow-braised-leeks-and-crispy-porcini-pangrattato-recipe/index.html

This is a modified version of a Jamie Oliver recipe, which can be found by clicking the photo. I substituted farfalle for paparadelle because it was the closest thing I had in the house at the time. I’ve also made this with fettucine, which works well in a pinch. The leeks and braising liquid makes a light sauce that delicately coats the pasta. Two neat things about this recipe:

1. He suggests covering the leeks with a layer of prosciutto to lock in the moisture during braising and the added flavor is absolutely amazing. 

2. Because this is a white wine sauce, it works well with the porcini pangrattato, which gives it a nice kick at the end. If memory serves, pangrattato is sort of like peasant cheese, because it’s inexpensive. This one is made by pulising stale bread with dried porcini mushrooms and rosemary. Then it’s toasted, giving the pasta a wonderful crunch. If you have the patience required to clean leeks (yes, big pain in the ass because they need to really be soaked to remove all the dirt and grit), then I highly recommend this dish. I made it for my boyfriend and father one night and it knocked their socks off.

Your Love Is Better Than Cupcakes

Thirteen hand-mixed shades of buttercream=my love for you.

New Cookbook Love

Well, crush, I guess, considering I've only ordered it and haven't even leafed through it yet. But it's getting great reviews and I watched a video of Aida explaining her thought process behind each chapter of the book. It's laid out in a very clever way and seems to be geared towards instruction, not just the "California eclectic" recipes she's known for. The video can be found on amazon. If you click on picture 4 it will automatically come up. Watch it! I promise you'll be sold!

The Shelf Life of Food InfoGraphic

The Shelf Life of Food

Passing the Bar Dinner

After three long years of days and nights when we didn't even see eachother--Keith either studying, practicing for mock trial, or fighting the good fight as SBA president--law school was over last spring. Hooah! Although, I shouldn't speak so soon, since I just found out he's returning as a coach for this year's mock trial competition, using up his Sundays for the next two months, (and of course, let's not forget the still looming Saturday nights of waiting tables). Still, school is over. And then he studied arduously for "the hardest test you ever take in your life" as he puts it. After three months of fretting over the results, they finally came in last Friday, and hallelujah, he passed. On to bigger and better things, like paying off student loans, credit card bills, and all the other lovely things that come with being a student for seven plus years. It finally feels like it's time to celelbrate. Plus, I'll be done student teaching in December, and then once I write my thesis in the spring, I'll be done with school forever. Then again, I'm hearing from just about everyone, that it makes sense to get a 6th year, but I've got some time before I'll even start to consider that.

So, onto the dinner. My brother is also visiting from Colorado (a rare treat), and I made a killer pasta dish. No recipe. It was just a flying by the seat of my pants sorta night. I started with al dente penne and fork tender Brussels sprouts. Then I made a white wine sauce with sauteed shallots and garlic, deglazed with white wine. Then I hit it with some heavy cream to thicken it up, and dropped in some crumbled gorgonzola. I finished it off with some black pepper, and roughly chopped flat leaf parsley. Et voila! Meal fit for a newly sworn in attorney. So proud, and that's an understatement.

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