Further to this post, where I wrote about cooking from America's Test Kitchen's Cooking for Two (2010), I've spent a some time in the kitchen since our big deal signed a few days ago. (A veritable "big deal" such that an attorney on the other side of the transaction was recognized as AmLaw's Dealmaker of the Week.)
This time, I chose the Polenta and Sausage Dinner with Mushrooms recipe. The name leaves out some important details: the sausage is sweet italian, tomato and onion are included, and the topping is finished with a goat cheese crumble. This qualifies as adventurous, seeing as I've never had polenta before. It tasted great right out of the oven--so I'll call it a success. But a few notes about this recipe:
First, I'd call this cooking for at least three, if not four. (I prefer a small portion and was able to stretch this to four dinners.)
Second, polenta doesn't keep well, which is important to remember since I store the second serving of these recipes for dinner the next day. The polenta turns to rubber although the mushroom, sausage, tomato and goat cheese topping makes for excellent leftovers.
Dessert was justified after my 24 hour stretch in the office, so I also picked something sweet: Peach Crisp. I love peaches in all forms, but there is something especially comforting about baked peaches. The recipe is simple and, if you use a food processor to chop your nuts (I used almonds), preparation moves very quickly. I've resolved to keep a small bag of frozen peaches in my freezer so that I can whip up some peach crisp the next time I have a bad day.
I am still processing my reactions to what it was like to work on this particular deal. My knee-jerk was to feel very concerned about heading further down this path. I spent more than 24-straight hours and two full weekends in the office while a dear college friend delivered a baby and my first love got married. What a juxtaposition! It's hard to keep up with life (or have a life) outside of the office when work demands are utterly unpredictable.
5 comments:
i am enjoying your cooking posts! and i am also wondering if you could slice and pan-fry the polenta the night after for a crisper, different textured version for the second meal?
great idea re the leftover polenta! thanks!
If only you would start posting pictures of your culinary escapades, you would be giving serious competition to smitten kitchen!
Here's one that I enjoyed quite a bit before I started curbing carbs. It's quite adaptable in its proportions.
Cut up a head of broccoli and steam until done to your liking (though advisable that it shouldn't be falling apart).
Boil and drain half a pound of medium shells or, if you want to be authentic, orrechiette.
Meanwhile, saute 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic (more if you like; I use A LOT of garlic) in 1/4 cup of olive oil until fragrant and just beginning to get tan.
Mix garlic/oil and broccoli with pasta along with 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and 3 or 4 strips of crumbled cooked bacon and 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano (don't cheap out on the parmesan--in such a simple dish, ingredient quality is paramount).
If it seems overly dry, stir in some additional olive oil and/or a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta cooking water.
Garnish with a sprinkling of pine nuts and serve with additional cheese to taste and a pinot grigio or unoaked chardonnay.
Play with quantities according to taste. Substitute pancetta, cooked Italian sausage, or diced hard sausage (sopressata, salami, even good pepperoni) for the bacon.
@Metal: SmittenKitchen and the like make food photography look easy! For now, I'm focused on making sure the end product tastes good... maybe one day I will also manage an artistic presentation :)
@TP: Sounds delicious! I'm planning to give this a try some time soon.
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