Facile Italian Cooking

'Facile' is Italian for easy and this recipe sure makes good use of this adjective.

Tomato Basil Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 box of angel hair pasta (whole grain opt.)
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 shallots, minced
• Basil, fresh (chopped) and dried
• A few dashes of cream (light or heavy depending on how calorie conscious you're feeling)

Fill a small/medium sauce pan with water and put over high heat. Make 2-4 slits on each of the tomatoes and when the water is boiling throw them in for about 3 minutes. When they are done take them out and run them under cold water for about 30 seconds. Peel off the skin and dice the tomatoes. Be sure to save the juice along with the diced pieces.

In another sauce pan boil water for the pasta and prepare according to directions on the box.

Slightly heat a shallow saute pan on the stove over low-medium heat. Add olive oil and shallots. Saute until translucent. Do NOT burn them at any time during the cooking process or else you will have to start all over again! Add some of the dried basil and continue to saute. Add the diced tomatoes, juice, and more dried basil. Saute for another few minutes and then add some fresh, chopped basil. Saute for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Add a few dashes of cream until the mixture is a pinkish-orange color.

Add the pasta a little bit at a time. When I was younger my mother always used to yell at me because i would make a whole box of pasta and then add it all to the cream-tomato mixture. There would be too much pasta and not enough sauce. You want to make sure you have a good ratio so that the sauce covers all of the pasta that you add in.

The key to this recipe is to add basil throughout the cooking process. I don't tell you how much to add because this is something you have to do at your own discretion. Each time you add the basil only add a few "shakes."  I don;t think you can ever have too much basil, but don't go over do it on my account.

For a more hearty meal add shrimp before you take the dish off of the stove. Make sure that the shrimp are touching the bottom of the pan. Cook until pink and then flip over. You do not want to keep them on either side for too long or else they will dry out...and no one likes dried out shrimp.

Life of the Party

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This was posted on one of my other blogs, but I thought I would move it over here so that everything is a little bite more organized.
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So let's talk guacamole...

Guacamole is fantastic with chips or on a sandwich, chunky or smooth, basic or spicy. I find that the chunky kind is better with chips while the spicy, smooth kind is better on a sandwich. One sandwich option that I (used to) love is guacamole with fillet on ciabatta or french bread.

Here's a recipe for great guacamole which I adapted from one on Epicurious.com.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 - 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice (bottles is okay too for a quick fix)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• A heaping handful of cherry tomatoes, diced (chunky if pairing with chips)

Remove the pits and skins of the avocados and mash (coarse if pairing with chips). Stir in the onion, garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, and tomatoes.

Epicurious says "The guacamole may be made 2 hours in advance, its surface covered with plastic wrap, and chilled."

The lime juice helps preserve that lovely green color. You can also use vitamin C crystals,  which is what I do. You can use any type of tomato. I just like cherry tomatoes because they are so sweet. Another addition you can make is minced jalapeño. Be careful not to add too much!!! Add 1/4 - 1/2 a jalapeño and then taste your creation. Add more as need be.

Enjoy!

To Be Or Not To Be

So what is être epicurean?

Let me break it down for you:
être - (v.) to be; to exist
epicurean- (adj.) devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, especially to the enjoyment of good food and comfort

These two words combine to bring you my philosophy on food:

"Eating is a requirement; eating well is a choice."

Eating shouldn't be taken for granted. It should be exciting, enjoyable, and one of the best parts of your day. A meal that combines simple, fresh, and occasionally organic ingredients should be a focal point in the daily diet. There is no excuse for not eating well in a society where we are provided with so many choices. However, it is understandable that many people don't eat well because they don't know where to get healthy ingredients or what to do with those ingredients that they find.

I created this blog as a way to share recipes with a friend who is away at college and for those who have a passion for cooking. I hope that it will be a useful tool as you expand upon your cooking knowledge.

May every day be delicious!
x,
Chace