A Little Pasta Party

I'm Italian, as I imagine you are too. Maybe it's just a sweeping cultural generalization, or we actually do have hotter blood pumping through our veins. Either way, we only deal in one of two emotions: unrelenting rage and jubilant gaiety. Rarely do the two mix. Except in the bedroom. The joy is brought about by many things such as pie, booze and the gentle purrs of my cat. The rage is triggered by mostly everything...from misplaced sunglasses to one of the good plates getting broken. Nothing is too small to get worked up about. Unfortunately for you non-Italians, there's no delicate way to deal with these unpredictable bouts of passion. It's best just to wait it out because there will probably be a pasta dish once the tantrum subsides. I keep this relic of my dad's college days in my kitchen to warn strangers that they're walking on eggshells. 

A Little Cooking Lesson: Calzones

There are situations in life that only a calzone can cure, most of which take place after an evening of heavy drinking. My guilty pleasure, when I indulge in delivery, is a calzone from Sarpino's. I'd be ashamed of it if it weren't so gosh darned good. No matter from which of their plentiful locations you order, it somehow arrives at your door before you can slip into your best Snuggy. This delightful treat reminds me of when I was a fatty in middle school and spent my weekends on the phone with Pizza Hut ordering P'zones. Other than the freezer of Sarpino's, I have no idea what the origins of the calzone are. What I do know is that it's basically a small pizza folded in half, and I like that. 

Thanksgiving Side by Sides - Part 2

I'm convinced that there's no real point to stuffing. It's just that, stuffing. Pointless bready filler. That being said, it's one of my favorite things about this bread cleanse I'm on. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Stove Top stuffing but that has its time and place, and it's usually a food drive for poor people. If you're making Thanksgiving dinner, take that extra initiative and make stuffing from scratch, it's really not that hard or expensive. I usually don't actually stuff the turkey, because of salmonella and why waste perfectly good bready filler?

Baguette Stuffing

Maybe not the most original stuffing, but when preparing a dinner for people, it's best to stay traditional, lest anyone have prudent palettes. I don't think there's a person alive who doesn't enjoy French bread, this is a safe recipe for everyone. 

you will need the following: 

1 long baguette in pieces 

1.5 sticks of melted butter

1 red onion diced

4 stalks celery diced

2 tsp finely chopped poultry herbs

1 c stock (use veggie if planning for vegetarians)

splash of milk 

Step 1: Rip baguette into small pieces while diced veggies and herbs sautee in butter. 

Step 2: Once veggies are tender, toss in bread. Let bread soak up remaining butter, then dowse in stock and stir until absorbed. Splash with milk and cover. Stuffing can sit for awhile and reheats nicely.