Food For Thought

I'll be the first to admit, I'm no Julia Childs. However, I have found a passion for cooking. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I'm home and I have time to cook. I love watching Food Network, my favorite chef is Giada De Laurentiis. Bill has met her, he even got a kiss on the check from her. It is my dream to meet her, to tell her because of her I love cooking. Of course as a result, I feel like I'm part Italian. There's nothing wrong with that. I also admit we probably eat more pasta than we should.

I have also found that desire to make things from scratch. To do things the way they used to be done instead of relying on prepared foods. My grandmother gave me a "no fail" pie crust recipe that is really easy! And no matter what you do to it, it always turns out flaky and delicious.

Another thing I have discovered is my love of so many different foods. I grew up being a very picky eater (if my mom would like to weigh in, I'm sure that's an understatement). As I've gotten older I've been more daring. I'll try new things. Not everything, I do still have my limits. (Calamari is on that list of things that still makes me gag looking at it. It is still squid with little slimy tentacles, yuck!) And I've even been eating a lot healthier, more veggies and fruits in my daily diet!

This last weekend I tried yet another new recipe. It was Penne with Pesto and Eggplant. It was quick, easy and delicious. I wanted to capture it, to share with you, to make your mouth water. Alas, real food does not photograph too well. I tried. Here's the result.

Look, you can see the garlic. Mmm. This dish made a lot, so I still have leftovers. Tonight I plan on reinventing the dish by combining it with another recipe I have. I'll let you know how my creation turns out.

I once said on my facebook page that if you have a dishwasher and would like a cook, I'm available! I'll be cooking for our friends Dave and Greg this weekend. Check back soon for more pictures!