Last night was a sublime evening. After cutting my way through the heat and humidity of this early DC summer, I made it home to a night with The Boy. We don’t get a lot of alone time anymore, what with him working part time at E Street Cinema (my favorite theater in this city, by the way) and me constantly covered in flour.  But he loves his part time job and his co-workers (and he finally has someone to discuss the subtle nuances of a Jim Jarmusch film – something that leaves me blinking at him absentmindedly) and I’m excited about all the possibilities with Whisked!  Yet there are days where we crawl into bed tired and admit how much we miss just hanging out together.

Because of this lack of quality time, I decided to take a break last night and just hang out with my Boy.  And since his birthday was the next day, we made it his unofficial, low key birthday dinner.  He brought home a bottle of sangria (sadly, not nearly as delicious as Brian’s signature sangria) for me and ginger beer and dark rum for him.  And we toasted his grand entrance into his 30s (he’s such a young’un, isn’t he?). 

I’ll be honest. I wanted to throw The Boy a big ol’ party to really shove him into his 3rd decade on this Earth. He, however, paled at the idea when I brought it up.  He doesn’t like being the center of attention, preferring to chill somewhere in the background. I asked if he wanted to go out for a celebratory dinner but he didn’t want to do that either. He said a quiet evening at home with me would be the perfect birthday celebration for him (see why I love him so much). 

So last night, I broke out some fresh peas from Garner’s Produce, a lovely bunch of mint, fresh fettuccine, some cream and a LOT of parmesan cheese to make this simple, divine Spring meal.  During a heat wave so oppressive, even the devil would complain about it. 

Pasta w/Fresh Peas, Mint and Cream (adapted from Epicurious)

• 16-ounce fresh pasta (I used fettuccine) 
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 16 ounces fresh or frozen peas (if frozen, do not thaw them out)
• 2 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to top the finished dish)
• 3 tbs chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it and add the fresh pasta to it to cook.  When the pasta is al dente (or your desired texture), drain it, reserving a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, pour the heavy cream into a large saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the peas and cook until the peas are heated through and fragrant. 

Add the cheese and stir until it is melts fully into the cream.  Sprinkle in the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add the mint and half of the parsley and then remove the pan from the heat.

Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture (adding as much of the pasta water as you’d like to get your desired consistency). Top with additional cheese and the remaining parsley and serve!

Pea season is in full swing here in DC and I couldn’t be happier. Peas are one of my favorite vegetables and I practically OD on them when they are in season.  Last year, I froze a huge batch of fresh English peas which lasted me almost all Winter.  But nothing beats picking up a big container of fresh peas from the market on a Saturday morning.  Last Saturday, Garner’s Produce had English peas in the pod for the first time this season.  Although I like shelling peas, I was happy to pick up two boxes of shelled peas for a recipe I saw online during Snowpocalypse.  The recipe was from one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Mario Batali.

Mario’s recipes always highlight the flavors of his ingredients, letting the most mundane of them shine brightly.  I admit peas are not all that glamorous…they tend to get the short end of the stick really.  Whenever you see a child on television, gloomily sitting over his half eaten dinner, there’s a high chance peas are on his plate.  I personally blame that kid’s parents for this situation. Peas, when not properly cooked, can taste bland and downright mushy.  But when you do right by them, they will do right by you.  And this recipe truly knows how to seduce the lovely flavors from fresh peas.

I whipped this dish up for dinner tonight in less than 40 minutes…BUT I made my pappardelle from scratch. If you just use store bought pasta, this comes together in under 20 minutes.  If you don’t have access to fresh peas, frozen will do in a pinch. But for the love of God, stay away from those canned monstrosities in the “vegetable” aisle of the grocery store.  Trust me on that one…

I have but a few simple pleasures in my life: a perfect pitcher of sweet iced tea, the divine smell of baking bread dancing down my nostrils, laughing with my friends so hard I cry.  But one of the best things in life for me is the start of the Spring farmers market season.  Spring is the reawakening, the bright spot after months of potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes.  Fresh flowers and herbs pop out as the markets open for the first time this year.  And of course, there is the Holy trinity of Spring produce: morels, asparagus and ramps.  When these three start to show up on farmers market tables, you know its just the beginning of the best Mother Nature has to offer.

This past Thursday at Penn Quarter Farmers Market, asparagus made its debut for the season.  The fabulous woman behind One Bite at a Time and I have been quite excited about the appearance of the ‘gus (her lovely moniker, not mine), so we were both anxious to hit up PQ.  Sadly, I got there too late to snag one of the 40 bunches for sale at Sunnyside.  And by too late, I mean I got there an hour after the market opened.  I was told the line to get asparagus formed rather quickly and they sold out at an alarming rate.  And with only one vendor selling asparagus at Penn Quarter, my foodie hopes were crushed.  Not to be deterred, I vowed to get to Dupont Circle Farmers Market early on Sunday to claim my Springtime prize.

Even though we had a long weekend out in Leesburg (more about that to come), The Boy rallied and got up early with me to satisfy my ‘gus lust.  So there we were, at 8:52 am staring at the Spring Valley farm table loaded with salad greens, baby brussel sprouts, asparagus…and RAMPS.  We huddled together for our farmers market strategy and it was decided he would stay at Spring Valley to pick up the sprouts, the ‘gus and the ramps.  I would venture forth in search of broccoli rabe, salad from Next Step Produce and milk from Clear Springs Creamery.  Along the way I picked up some green garlic (for pesto of course), green onions and red pepper hummus from Sunnyside.  I contemplated grabbing a bunch of stinging nettles but demured when I realized I had no idea how to cook them (and the word “stinging” didn’t help its case).  But with ideas from Not Derby Pie and my Twitter pal Nikki_d, I think I may give them a shot next week.

Unloading all of the produce onto my kitchen counter, my heart did a tiny leap in my chest as I feasted my eyes upon all the lovely greenery.  This is what Spring is all about, I said to myself as I began gently washing the ramps for a simple dinner.  The pungent, heady aroma of ramps gives way to a gloriously mellow leek when the ramps are pan roasted with butter.  I learned the trick of pan roasting ramps from Tom Colicchio’s book, Think Like a Chef.  And to emphasize the stature of the ramps, I decided to serve them on a bed of…wait for it…homemade black pepper fettuccine!  Because I now have, thanks to my wonderful, lovely, awesome, kick ass friends Carlea and Geoff, a Kitchen Aid pasta roller and cutter attachment set.  I clearly have amazing friends…

I am not a fan of the concept of the celebrity chef…especially ones who have shows on the Food Network.  I’ve already shared my venom for Bobby Flay and Emeril LaGasse on this blog, so now let’s all turn our attention to Michael Chiarello.  I didn’t like him very much when he had his show Easy Entertaining on Food Network.  He came across like a used car salesman: overly cheerful and fake. The few times I watched his show, I always felt like he was trying to sell me a Yugo (or worse yet, a Gremlin…the car, not the creature).  And watching his ego and attitude on Top Chef: Masters solidly placed him on my list of chefs I’d like to punch in the face.  If your attitude can actually make me root for Spike, something is definitely wrong.  With all that in mind, I was surprised to come across a recipe credited to him that I actually wanted to make.  But my love of food overrode my urge to whack him one and I decided to whip up his Lasagna of Roasted Butternut Squash.

And I hate to admit it, this was one of the best vegetarian lasagnas I’d ever had.  Heck, it was one of the best lasagnas period.  The slightly sweet flavor of the butternut squash complimented the sharp and pungent taste of sage.  I used fresh pasta sheets from Severino Pasta, a new found gem discovered by The Boy at the Annapolis Whole Foods (sorry, they don’t have a shop within any of the DC area Whole Foods).  We picked up the squash, eggs, ricotta and sage at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market and I used some garlic I had picked up earlier in the season at the Penn Quarter Farmers Market.  In essence, this dish was a celebration of Fall at the DC farmers market.  And I could get with that…even if I had to go through Michael Chiarello to get there.

I was lucky enough to get out of work early this afternoon, so I headed over to Penn Quarter Farmers Market.  My co-worker James was along for the ride, as he wanted to pick up a few things for himself.  I had a list of things I wanted, including the new Ricotta Vanigla from Blue Ridge Dairy and blueberries (oh how I love blueberries) for a weekend batch of crepes.  But as often happens whenever I shop hungry, I ended up with a bit more than what was on my list.  And thus this quick, yet delicious pasta dish was created.

Even if I plan on going to a Saturday farmers market, I always make a trip to Penn Quarter on Thursdays after work to pay homage to Red Apron Butchery.  Chef Nathan Anda’s created quite a buzz around his house cured meats and the bacon alone lives up to all the hype.  I could easily shovel it down by the package full and have been known to steal a piece or two from the Boy’s plate (hey, if you’re going to leave bacon unattended in my presence, you suffer the consequences).  And don’t get me started on his hot dogs!  When I saw he had prosciutto last week, I snapped it up without even thinking twice…and wasn’t disappointed.  The prosciutto was a wonderful mixture of salt and pork goodness without any distracting spices to confuse the natural flavors of the cured meat.  So it was no surprise that I was back at the Red Apron tent this week, asking if there was anymore prosciutto.  Nathan pointed to a bin near the cash box, saying they only had 2 packages that week.  Being the greedy, evil child that I am, I bought both packages (and thanked my lucky stars I got there early enough to get them).

I continued on my merry way to pick up the rest of the items on my list but was heartbroken to find out Blue Ridge didn’t have any Ricotta Vanigla.  The vanilla infused ricotta was a fairly new item for Blue Ridge Dairy and I was curious to try it as a crepe filling.  To console myself, I got some crimini mushrooms to go with the prosciutto, along with an onion from Mountain View Farms and a big bulb of fresh garlic from another stand (there is never a sign but I always have a lovely conversation with the lady who runs it).  I made a pit stop at Cowgirl Creamery for a block of their Parmigiano Reggiano and some linguine and then headed home to experiment.

While I was being jerked about on the Metro (gotta love that manual operation) on the way home, the idea of a creamy mushroom sauce came about.  By the time I made it to the house, the entire recipe had been formed and I got to work almost immediately (hunger is a strong motivator…and a bitch until satisfied).  After reading the directions on the back of the Pasta Abruzzese, I opted to follow their suggestion and toss the pasta with cheese before adding the sauce.  When all was said and done (a mere 35 minutes later), I had an amazingly simple but flavorful dinner.  And a nice glass of Sangria to toast my success (it’s a holiday weekend…I can drink on a Thursday night).

Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Prosciutto (4 servings)

1-16 ounce package linguine

1 container crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 large clove of garlic, diced

1 small onion, chopped

8 ounces prosciutto, sliced lengthwise (I simply shredded mine with my hands)

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Approximately 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it liberally and add the linguine.  While the pasta is cooking, get started on the sauce.  Make sure to stir the pasta periodically to prevent it from burning and clumping up.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat and add the garlic.  Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic takes on a golden hue.  Add the onions and cook until soft before tossing in the mushrooms.  Stirring constantly, allow the mushrooms to reduce and release their juices into the butter.  Start slowly pouring in the heavy cream, adding enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  If you like a thinner sauce, use closer to 1/2 cup of cream.  If you like a thicker sauce, use closer to 1/4 cup of cream.  Continue stirring the sauce, allowing it to thicken slightly.  Once it reaches your desired consistency, remove the sauce from the heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta and pour it into a bowl.  Add the grated cheese and toss.  Add the shredded prosciutto in four batches, tossing the pasta after each batch is added.  Add most of the mushroom sauce, reserving a bit to top the pasta.  Toss the pasta once more, making sure the sauce evenly coats everything.  Serve with a small spoonful of the reserved sauce on top (and a grating of the cheese if you wish…which I usually do).

There is nothing in the world that makes me happier than puttering around my kitchen cooking while listening to Al Green.  “Let’s Stay Together” is hands down the most romantic song I’ve ever heard and just hearing it makes me want to sashay around my counter.  With a mixing spoon as my microphone, I sing at the top of my lungs while the kitties wonder if I’ve gone mental.  I haven’t…I just believe that the art of cooking deserves a soundtrack.  Food feeds the belly, but for me, music feeds my soul.

So what songs do I love cooking to right now?

Matt Kearney’s “Closer to Love” – a rhythm of drums, piano and his soothing but edgy voice bearing his heart to the love of his life.

Chris Botti with Shawn Colvin’s “All Would Envy” – a tale of the heartbreaks of a May-December romance gone wrong with Shawn’s haunting voice accompanied by Chris’s weeping trumpet

Jason Mraz’s “Butterfly” – a horn section to die for with lyrics that are seductively wicked…all sung by the second cutest guy who wears a fedora in my world (the first of course being The Boy)

Stevie Nick’s “Edge of Seventeen” – Stevie’s gravely, earthy voice belting out with such raw emotion demands you get up and accompany her

Melissa Etheridge’s “Similar Features” – A simple guitar rift echoes through Melissa’s aching monologue to a lover who has left her for another woman

All of these songs and a few others were wafting through my speakers as I lovingly created this homemade tomato sauce.  It was an overcast day, the perfect setting to stay in and cook up something slow and satisfyingly simple.  I adapted the recipe from Giada de Laurentiis’s Simple Tomato Sauce and the tweaks made for a richer, more complex flavor that smoked anything on the shelves at the grocery store.  It helped that I had gotten all the ingredients (except the bay leaves) from the farmers market or my own herb garden (yup…I’m successfully growing the herbs!) – so everything was fresh.  And I’d like to think my singing helped…

Simple Tomato Sauce (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

4 pounds fresh tomatoes, diced

1 carrot, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

6 basil leaves

2 dried bay leaves

1 1/3 cup good quality olive oil

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

2-3 mason jars for the sauce

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the carrots and salt and pepper to taste (I used about a small tablespoon of salt and three grinds of my pepper mill worth of pepper).  Continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender.  Add the tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano and bay leaves and simmer on low, covered, for about an hour or until the mixture has thickened.  Occassionally stir the mixture to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pot, but always remember to re-cover the pot.  After the sauce has sufficiently thickened, taste it to make sure there is enough salt and pepper.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.  Taste the sauce to see if it’s still somewhat acidic.  If it is, add another tablespoon of butter one at a time until the flavor is rounded out.  Once the sauce is to your taste, allow it to cool.

Working in batches, pour the sauce into a food processor.  Blitz on high until the tomato sauce is smooth (or until it reaches your desired consistency…some people like their sauces slightly chunky).  Using a funnel, pour the sauce into mason jars and firmly screw on the lids.  The recipe makes enough to fill 3 mason jars.  Place in the refrigerator and use within the next 2 weeks.  If you do not plan to use it all within 2 weeks, you can freeze some of the sauce in freezer bags for up to 6 months.

So what songs do you like to cook to?

I was an odd child, but this shouldn’t really come as a surprise.  I was the child in pre-school that the teachers worried about because I was “special”.  And by special, I mean I was the child singing the “VD is for everyone” song during nap time.  Granted, I had no idea when I was five what VD was, but it had a catchy tune and they played the dang public service announcement all the time in Germany.  So of course I thought it was appropriate to sing about sexually transmitted diseases while the other kids were trying to sleep.  But the oddest thing about me (or at least according to my fellow pre-schoolers) was my love of peas.  I seriously LOVED peas…so much so, I’d hide cupfuls of the little green gems in my room whenever my mother made them for dinner.  What?  Like you never did that…

Considering my ardent love of peas, I was super excited to see shelled English peas at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market last weekend.  The thing is, I’ve never had fresh peas before…last Spring I completely missed the pea season and DC is the first city I’ve lived in with such a vibrant farmers market scene.  So this Spring I was dead set on getting my hands on fresh English peas to see if they were as amazing as the boards on Don Rockwell touted.  Rumors had been swirling that fresh peas were showing up around the DC farmers markets, but I’d yet to actually see them myself.  Someone said they were being sold at Penn Quarter on Thursday evenings, but they were gone before I could get there.  I went to the Foggy Bottom Farmers Market after hearing one of their produce stands had them, but there were only snow peas for sale (and I really don’t like snow peas).  I was starting to think these peas were more elusive than the Holy Grail.  When I found out Garner’s Produce would have a limited supply at Bloomingdale, I made sure to be there before the market bell rang so I could stake out my very own pint of peas.  When I finally had them in my hands, I felt almost like I’d won the Super Bowl…although I refrained from spiking the container.  There was just one problem…I hadn’t a clue what to do with them.  That is until I popped one in my mouth uncooked…and it was heavenly!  Sweet and tender, with a slight crunch to them, they made the perfect snack.  I could have easily kept popping the little beauties into my mouth with abandon, but I figured I should do something a bit more productive with them.

Since asparagus is still hanging around the farmers markets, I decided to combine them with the peas for a Springtime stir fry.  But then I looked in the freezer and remembered I had some lovely fettuccine from Cavanna Pasta dying to be used.  I decided to combine the asparagus and peas with a creamy arugula pesto to make a light and oh so Springtime-y pesto pasta.  I managed to make the dish without finishing off all the peas by myself…but only barely.

Spring Vegetable Pesto Pasta

1 batch of Creamy Arugula Walnut Pesto

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, diced

2 cups of fresh peas, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces fresh fettuccine (can use dried fettuccine if you can’t find fresh)

Dice the asparagus into bite sized pieces and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Heat up the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the asparagus.  Saute until the asparagus is tender but still firm (about five to seven minutes).  Add the peas during the last two minutes of cooking time and then remove the vegetables from the heat.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the creamy arugula walnut pesto (follow the link for the recipe to this lovely pesto…yes it’s my recipe, but it’s still lovely).  Bring a pot of water to a boil and then salt it before tossing in the fresh pasta.   Cook for two to three minutes and then drain – reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water though.  Combine the pasta, the pesto and the vegetables in a big serving bowl and toss to evenly coat all of it.  Serve and Enjoy!

This recipe highlights the great produce available at local farmers markets right now.  Get out and find a farmers market near you!

Blame Michelle over at Thursday Night Smackdown for this recipe. I was perusing through the many food blogs I have bookmarked at work (during lunch…yes, that’s it, during lunch) and stumbled upon her most recent edition of Cheap Ass Mondays…which included fresh pasta made by hand (yes ladies and gentleman, she didn’t even use a pasta roller or maker). The thought of making fresh pasta was stuck in my head the rest of the day, so as soon as I got home, I pulled out the Babbo Cookbook and immediately fell upon the recipe for black pepper pasta dough. Hello luvah!

I am a gadget whore…this should not be news to anyone who reads my blog regularly. But I must admit, after making pasta without the use of a pasta maker or roller, even I am considering retiring my pasta making gadgets. It was so much easier to just roll the dough out with my heavy rolling pin than to run it through a machine repeatedly. And adding fresh ground pepper to the pasta dough? Sheer genius! You can find the pasta dough recipe here, so I now turn my attention to the fabulous pesto!

3 handfuls fresh arugula

1 handful chopped walnuts

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed but not scalded

Black pepper pasta, already cut and ready to cook

Place a large pot of water to boil on high on the stove for the pasta. Salt the boiling water and add the tagliatelle, cooking for about four minutes. While the pasta cooks, start on the pesto. In a food processor, place the arugula, parmesan, garlic and walnuts and pulse until combined. With the processor still running, slowly pour in the olive oil. In a saucepan, warm the heavy cream on medium heat until almost at a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for about a minute. Turn the processor back on and slowly add the heavy cream until you get a green, creamy emulsion. Scrape the pesto onto the cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated.

Since I had so much fun participating in last week’s Presto Pasta Nights, I decided to submit this entry for the next round-up! Head over to Chew on That this Friday for a slew of pasta recipes from all over the food blogosphere!

I’ve really been in a bit of a funk lately, which means no inspiration to cook or write. In fact, I have even ordered Chinese take out for dinner…twice! So this post is from a dish I made almost two weeks ago with my fabulous morels. Luckily there are a slew of recipes I made and photographed just in case such a funk hit…yes, I’m a planner…

A few years (and several boyfriends) ago, I went to a great Italian restaurant in North Carolina. I think we were celebrating something but for the life of me I can’t remember what (which pretty much tells you all you need to know about that relationship). What I do remember is this amazing mushroom ravioli I had there and I have always wanted to try to recreate it at home. Since I had these great mushrooms at my disposal, I figured now was as good a time as any to give them a whirl. I opted to use won ton wrappers instead of making a more traditional ravioli dough because I had some left over from a previous dish. But feel free to use the filling any way you see fit!

For the filling:

8 ounces morels (or any other wild mushroom)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 medium shallot, chopped

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

24 won ton wrappers, cut lengthwise

For the sauce:

4 ounces morels

1 tablespoon butter

1 small shallot, diced

Salt and pepper

Place a large pot of water on the stove on medium heat to boil. While waiting for the water, start on the filling. In a large skillet, melt the two tablespoons of butter and add the medium chopped shallot and the 8 ounces of morels. At this point, add the salt and pepper to suit your tastes. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are soft (but not soggy). Add the spinach and cook until it’s wilted. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool.

While waiting for the mushroom mixture to cool, cut the won ton wrappers lengthwise and create a ravioli making station. Place half the wrappers in one stack and the other half in another stack. Pour some water in a small bowl and place it next to the wrappers. Once the mushroom mixture has cooled, transfer it to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix everything together thoroughly and then begin the ravioli assembly. Place one wrapper on a clean work surface and add a small dollop of the filling to the center. Dip your finger in the water and brush all four sides of the wrapper with it. Place another wrapper on top of the filling and press down around the edges (the water serves as a bit of glue to hold the two wrappers together). Set aside the completed ravioli and repeat the process until all the raviolis are formed.

Salt the boiling water and then (gingerly) add about 10 raviolis at a time to it. When the raviolis float up to the top, they’re done. Using a slotted spoon, gently fish out the raviolis and place them in a large serving bowl. Repeat this process until all the raviolis are cooked.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the mushrooms and shallots. As before, salt and pepper the vegetables to suit your taste. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are soft (just like you did for the filling). This makes an excellent butter sauce that can be placed atop the raviolis!

This was one of my most recent favorite dishes, hands down! I am going to try a variation using shiitake mushrooms and another type of cheese, so stay tuned! I am also sending this over to Ruth at Presto Pasta Nights for the weekly Friday Presto Pasta round up! This is my first time submitting for this but since I adore pasta, I’m sure it won’t be my last!

Hopefully I can kick out of this lazy funk I’ve been in lately. But with so much to do this weekend with the Culturati posse, I’m just glad I have the foresight to store recipes and pictures for just such a cooking inspiration drought!

Instead of smartly asking Carmen for the recipe to the wonderful Sesame Salad he served at the neighborhood dinner, I decided to try to recreate it. As luck would have it, James had recently made a sesame salad and was kind enough to share the recipe. James’ recipe called for meat or seafood, but I decided to omit them because I wanted something light that would highlight the fabulous bounty of vegetables I got this weekend in my CSA box.

When James sent me the recipe, there weren’t any measurements for the ingredients. James is an organic cook who flies by the seat of his pants in the kitchen (and trust me, this is a philosophy carried throughout his life…he is an endless source of entertaining stories). However, this doesn’t help someone trying to replicate his successes. But if I can make it through watching my beloved Opera cake falling on the head of the Diva, I can decipher James’ recipe. Or at least fry trying (yeah, I know, it was a bad pun…couldn’t resist it).

2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus 1 teaspoon for pasta water

2-3 hot peppers, diced (depends on level of spiciness desired)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons powdered Mexican hot pepper or paprika

3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 large red pepper or a pack of small multi colored peppers, diced

1/2 pound snow peas in their pod

1/2 pound asparagus, sliced

4-6 white mushrooms, chopped

8 ounces thick pasta (i.e. fettuccine, linguine or rice noodles)

Dash of salt, to salt the pasta water

Boil pasta with salt and sesame oil until done, then drain and set aside.

Heat the remaining sesame oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Add the hot peppers, sesame seeds, garlic, and Mexican hot pepper (or paprika). The oil should NOT be smoking at any point! Let the spices simmer on lowest setting for 3-4 minutes, and afterwards, turn heat to medium and add the soy sauce and allow the spices to meld with it for about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and asparagus and cook for about a minute before tossing in the mushrooms and snow peas. Reduce the heat to low and add the hoisin sauce. Toss to make sure everything is coated evenly. Cook for another 3 minutes and then add the pasta. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce and vegetables. Keep the pasta and vegetables on low and allow the sauce to thicken (this takes about another 4 minutes). The salad can be served either hot or chilled for a few hours before eating.

Note: Picture of pasta taken by Liz.