Thursday, January 21, 2010

Yesterday's Dinner and Today's Leftovers

Yesterday I went to Whole Foods for the first time since I've been back in New York and I bought:
- two 14oz cans Muir Glen Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
- one 14oz can 365 garbanzo beans
- one head garlic
- one medium shallot
- 365 whole wheat linguini
- four navel oranges
- one organic seduction roll
- Noi Sirius Icelandic Chocolate 70%

The oranges and "organic seduction" roll are just for eating because I like them, but I used all the tomatoes, garbanzos, shallot, linguini and garlic (3 cloves, not a whole head...) in a very tasty pasta.
















I sliced the shallots and chopped the garlic and lightly fried them in olive oil, then added the garbanzos (drained) and sauteed for 5 minutes or so (in hopes of infusing the beans with garlicky flavor. and don't forget the salt). Then I added the tomatoes and a couple shakes of crushed red pepper flakes and simmered until reduced. All the while, I boiled my pasta. Voila, pasta sauce in 20 minutes or so, with plenty for today's dinner and beyond. It's also a nice idea to drizzle some olive oil over the top when you're plating.

Improvements: add fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, or thyme would be nice) parmigianno reggiano; some ground meat would also be good...
















Along with my dinner, I had a lovely Boucheron cheese. Always in the mood to try a new cheese, I chose this one and a very pleased I did...

Boucheron is a famous French cheese made with goat's milk, it has a creamy (ridiculously creamy!!) exterior kind of like brie, but better with less of that brie-like
tang/funk, and the interior is more like your traditional goat cheese, but not as tangy as goat usually is. Personally, I love goat cheese, but many people find it to be too gamey perhaps, but this one would be nice for goat beginners. Give it a go! I ate half of that puck-size disk with my organic seduction roll and couldn't stop!
















Lastly, I would like to discuss my Icelandic chocolate. $3.99 for what is literally two bars of chocolate--the richest, most wonderfully textured dark chocolate--stacked upon one another. I of course love my Valrhona, but I couldn't find this stuff in California. Also, Valrhona doesn't break into such tidy 1x2cm squares, nor is it such a fabulous deal. If you can get your hands on this stuff, GET IT!!!

-Patty

p.s. navel oranges are in season. thin membrane, juicy, orange-y...need I say more?

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