a la minute (pronounced 'minoot')

buona sera!

you guessed it, pasta tonight. and a surprise, i cooked again = not a very exciting entry. the Chef went under "the knife" yesterday but even still was hobbling around the kitchen by the time i arrived home from work. he started it, i finished it, and i learned a new term - a la minute; meaning, at the last minute. that was how i made the garlic bread. but i did a little more than that, i boiled the water, threw in the rigatoni, and mixed in Chef's homemade spinach pesto. Added a little chopped kalamata, crushed up some toasted walnuts, sprinkled some cheese and served it up.

So here's a little more informative information that i have acquired by being the Missus. Subject: Pesto; Opinion: what a wonderful thing. AND it can be made by much more than just basil. I don't mean just Basil. In fact, I love basil and there is so much diversity in basil! it is such an inspiring herb (i hope you pronounced that with a hard h, like uncle herb because that is how i meant for you to read it). Adoration aside, just about any green stuff can be used to make pesto. Since we went away for the weekend, we were afraid that the spinach we received in our CSA share on Friday would spoil and so, pesto'd that leafy green using walnuts, the Chef toasted those on the stove, and of course the standard some olive oil, grated parma, and s&P. Our other 'great moments in pesto' took advantage of loads of spring asparagus in the spring. (yes, i do know i repeated spring in the prior sentence, get it?) And another time, we foraged garlic mustard. Yes! You should try this wonderfully strong garlicky ubiquitous weed! Just be sure to take little tastes often as you pesto. If you don't know about this ah hem herb, you'll see it in a few weeks most likely everywhere, a very undesirable and invasive plant. You pick it, you got free eats and picking it makes space for native species to fill in. Another little notable is that we have been freezing our leftover pesto in ice cube trays, and then popping out little cubes when we need it. Now, I wonder how that would be in a bloody mary ...