A Pinch of This and a Dash of That

This has been one busy week for me which is why I'm so behind on my blog.  It's not that I didn't have anything to say - it's me, after all - but I just didn't have the time to sit down and share it.  Along with all the day to day activities that go along with parenting and just life in general (dentist, guitar lessons, driver's ed classes, chemistry tutor, gym, dealing with critters in the attic, etc.) we've been trying to get the Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving.  Yes, I like to take one holiday at a time and have always been adamant about not bringing out the Christmas decorations until Thanksgiving weekend, but with my mom having surgery next week I had to strike while the iron was hot.  On a high note, on Tuesday we made a quick trip to Orlando to meet my beautiful new great-niece who was born last Saturday.  My brother is the proudest grandpa around!

With Thanksgiving just next week I've been dragging out my countless cookbooks looking for inspiration.  There's really no point because everyone would have a fit if I don't crank out the same old menu I present year after year.  No new "fancy" stuff and I'd better include at least one favorite dish for everyone around the table.  Nothing wrong with tradition, I suppose.  I guess that's why I felt like I was suffering from recipe ADD while pouring through these cookbooks, I knew I couldn't really change my Thanksgiving menu so my eyes kept darting toward something new and exciting.  Turkey...pumpkin...stuffing...ooooh, shiny object!!!  That would explain why I've been in the kitchen experimenting all week, just trying to indulge my creative side. 

Do you have your passport ready?  I've been all over the world this week in the kitchen and was really happy with all the results.  It was to the Pacific Northwest for Salmon with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce; Vietnam for Bahn Mi (spiced pork sandwiches with pickled vegetables); The American South for Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Cole Slaw and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, Italy for Pasta Fagioli, and a trip to Candy Land for Peanut Brittle.  That last trip was a bad one and we almost needed a peanut brittle intervention!  However, I do want to know why when the question, "What happened to all the peanut brittle?" was posed all heads turned and looked at me?  Okay, guilty as charged. 

I also found myself happily fielding a lot of cooking questions this week; How do you cook fresh pumpkins? How do you make fresh pumpkin pie? Do you have a recipe for fruitcake? Do you know how to make rice pudding? Do you have a recipe for a recipe exchange? Can my daughter have your Pasta Fagioli recipe?  Want to try a new broccoli recipe? Do you ship, haha?  My goal in the upcoming week is to answer most of these questions and provide what recipes I can.  For now, though, I'll start with my Pasta Fagioli recipe for Karl's daughter.

PASTA FAGIOLI

Serves 4-6

2 ounces pancetta, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

32 ounces chicken broth

2  19-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

14 ounces San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 piece Parmesan cheese rind

½ cup Parmesan cheese, reserved

1 cup small pasta shells

1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the pancetta, cooking until just crisp and golden in color and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, and rosemary and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth then add the bay leaves, Parmesan rind and beans.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot and bring the mixture back to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-6 minutes more.  If the soup is too thick, thin with some water or more chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind.  To serve: ladle into individual soup bowls and top with a sprinkling of the reserved Parmesan cheese.