*For a rich, delicious pasta dish that I think would impress anyone (even guests, regardless of what Julia says… and I don’t disagree with her very often), try this recipe for Orecchiette Bolognese with Chestnuts. I had been biding my time since it caught my eye in Food & Wine’s October issue, since roasted chestnuts aren’t one of my pantry staples. Luckily I had leftovers from my tarts (see below), and I figured it was about time to try this dish. As soon as I took the first bite I knew this pasta was something special. I think the trick is the layering of flavors – meat, mirepoix, herbs, then tomatoes and stock, all in stages. A generous portion of cream to finish didn’t hurt one bit.
*Last night I made pork tenderloin rubbed with a mixture of garlic, sage, olive oil, and salt and pepper. A recipe from Martha Stewart Living was the guide, but I realized while I was making it that you really don’t need instructions for something like this (duh). Mix any herb, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; rub it on a piece of meat; brown on the stove and roast at moderately high heat. Pretty basic and pretty reliable.
*Frankly, I would like dessert every night of the week (and possibly a few afternoons, as well), but I try to limit myself to the weekend. This way I feel like I’m showing restraint on the figure front, but I’m still able to experiment with new recipes on a regular basis – a perfect compromise. This weekend the simple milk chocolate pudding in February’s issue of Gourmet looked appealing. The list of ingredients was only seven items long, and the preparation could hardly have been easier – just right for a weekend where I wasn’t looking to outdo myself. The final product was a bit too thick for my taste, but, despite the use of milk chocolate, rich and smooth.
