Pasta E Fagioli--Italian Pasta and Bean Soup

Non si vive di solo pane. - Italian proverb: One does not live by bread alone.

If you have ever eaten a bowl of this at "The Garden", you never will again after tasting this version. And even though I do not have a single picture to post of making this soup, it is, without a doubt, one of the most fabulous things I have ever cooked. Quick and easy (about 35 minutes), cooks in one pot, and everything was already in my pantry. If you're missing any ingredients, head to the store, and then get cooking. This makes two hearty servings, with one left for the bestest good one's lunch the next day. It is easily doubled, and definitely won't go to waste. I served the soup with toasted sourdough bread, spread with additional pesto. 


1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
4 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press (about 1 heaping Tbsp)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp anchovy paste
15 ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 piece parmesan rind (about 5 inches by 2 inches)
15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
8 ounces small pasta (ditalini or orzo)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup basil pesto


Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally until just browning and softened (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and anchovy paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add tomatoes, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan, Add cheese rind and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low to blend flavors (10 minutes). Add broth, water, and cooked bacon; increase temperature to high and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (about 7-10 minutes, or according to package).


Discard cheese rind. Remove from heat and add parsley; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into individual bowls and top with grated parmesan and pesto (about 1 heaping Tbsp). Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Tortilla Soup

 "Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite." Auguste Escoffier


Nothing says soup like a cool autumn day. The list of ingredients may seem long and daunting, but this soup comes together pretty quickly and easily. Chipotle in adobo is usually located with the ethnic foods (taco shells and taco seasoning aisle). Its smoked jalapenos in an adobo sauce (spicy,  so add carefully). You can save what you don't use--just put it in the freezer until the next time.


Tortilla Soup


2 split bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2-2 lbs)
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
6 medium cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch cilantro (about 10 sprigs)
3 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/2 medium jalapeno, seeded 
1 chipotle en adobo, plus adobo sauce to taste
1 TBSP vegetable oil


8 corn tortillas, halved and cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 TBSP vegetable oil


Garnishes:  diced avocado, shredded monterey jack cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 425 degress, and place oven rack in middle position. Spread tortilla strips on baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss to coat. Bake approximately 7 minutes, rotate and shake pan to redistribute strips, and continue to bake additional 7 minutes or until golden brown.










In a dutch oven, bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 3 garlic cloves, cilantro and 1/2 tsp salt to boil over medium high heat. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through. 

Transfer chicken to plate to cool. Pour broth through fine mesh strainer. Discard solids.

Puree tomatoes, 2 remaining onion quarters, 3 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeno, chipotle, and 1 tsp adobo sauce in food processor until smooth.

Heat oil in now empty dutch oven, and add tomato/onion puree and cook until slightly darker in color.






Stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to a boil and simmer to blend flavors. Taste soup and add additional adobo 1 tsp at a time if needed. Add shredded chicken, and heat through (about 5 minutes).

Place strips in bottom of bowl, ladle soup into bowls, and garnish as desired.

Bourbon Steelhead Trout

"Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: in water, in butter, and in wine."--proverb


Steelhead trout is another name for rainbow trout. And, if you like salmon, you'll love steelhead trout. It is very mild, delicate, slightly earthy and sweet. This recipe comes from the bestest good one. We buy whole steelhead trout filets from Costco, portion it into 4-6 ounce serving sizes, and freeze it in the marinade. 


Bourbon Marinade
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 orange juice (or pine-orange)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic minced
1 heaping tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper


Whisk above together and pour over steelhead trout filets. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but 3 hours or more is better. 


To cook the trout

Melt 1 TBSP vegetable oil and 1 TBSP butter in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the foaming subsides, place the steelhead trout filet skin-side down, and cook for about 5 minutes. (Don't worry if it gets dark, as you're going to peel this off anyway.) Turn the trout and cover, cooking an additional 3 minutes or so. The exact times depend on how done you like your trout (or salmon if that is what you are more accustomed to). Uncover, turn the fish again, and peel the skin off. You can then flip the fish one last time just to get some color on the now naked skin-side if you like.

Buttermilk Pancakes

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Benjamin Franklin

Rolling out of bed at about 5:20 this morning, unable to sleep a minute more (much to my disdain), I heard a faint request for buttermilk pancakes. "I can do that," I said. "Come and get me when they're done," was the reply. Off to the kitchen to mix up a little batch of breakfast heaven. These  pancakes are everything you love in a pancake: golden brown, light and fluffy, with just the right amount of tang. And, they really don't take much longer than using a mix. Sure, you say. Who has buttermilk? Next time you're at the grocery store, pick up a carton of instant buttermilk (located near evaporated milk). You add the powder to the dry ingredients, and the water to the wet ingredients. Store the opened carton in the fridge and you can whip up pancakes at a moments notice. You should get about 8 (4 inch) pancakes, just enough for the two of you.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 TBSP sour cream (or lite sour cream)
1 large egg
1 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Whisk dry ingredients together (including the buttermilk powder, if using) in a medium bowl. Whisk wet ingredients (including water for the buttermilk powder, if using) in a second bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined (batter will be lumpy). Allow, the batter to sit for 10 minutes.

While the batter was resting, the bestest good one and I headed out to the hot tub with a cup of coffee. (He was up grinding the coffee beans, and making me the perfect cup of coffee while I was mixing up the pancakes.) Another great way to start the morning. 

Back to the kitchen.....Heat a skillet or griddle until good and warm. Wipe the skillet or griddle with about 1 tsp vegetable oil (just ensures the pancakes are easy to turn). Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet or on griddle. Cook until edges are set, and bubbles are beginning to break.

Flip pancakes and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side. Serve immediately with warm maple syrup. Enjoy!

Spicy Cole Slaw

For a less spicy slaw, use only 1 jalapeno, and substitute chili sauce for the thai chili sauce. Salting the cabbage and allowing it to drain keeps the sauce from being too watery (according to Cook's Illustrated).

1 head of cabbage, cored and chopped fine
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded on box grater
1 sweet onion, peeled and shredded on box grater
2 tsp salt

Toss cabbage, jalapenos, carrot, onion and salt in colander, and set over medium bowl. Allow to drain for about 1 hour. Rinse mixture under cold water to remove excess salt, and dry with paper towels. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup thai chili sauce
1/4 cup mayo (or lite mayo)
1/4 cup sour cream (or reduced fat sour cream)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp celery seeds
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Bring above ingredients to a boil in saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Pour over cabbage mixture (yes, it sounds odd, but it works), and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve and enjoy.

Slow Roasted Boston Butt with Thyme-Peach Sauce

There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves.  ~Thomas Wolfe

Although this meal requires pre-planning, it is worth it. Made on a Saturday, there will be more than enough for you and your better half, leftovers, and a brown bag lunch on Monday. Also called a Boston butt, a bone-in pork shoulder is the best choice for slow roasting (according to Cook's Illustrated). Rubbing the roast with a mixture of salt and sugar, and letting the meat rest overnight, enhances the juiciness of the meat, and creates a crackling crust to die for. For a side item, consider my spicy cole slaw. The bestest good one once added thai chili sauce by mistake, but the resulting tangy heat made it even better than the original.

Slow-roasted Boston butt
6-8 pound bone in pork shoulder, 1 inch slits cut in crosshatch pattern in fat cap
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Rub salt and sugar mixture over entire pork and into the slits, cover with plastic wrap, and

refrigerate over night (12 to 24 hours).   

The next day, allowing for at least 5-6 hours of roasting, and an additional 1 hour to rest, preheat oven to 325 degrees, and drop oven rack to lowest position. Unwrap pork and brush off excess salt/sugar mixture. Season well with pepper. Spray v-rack with no-stick spray, then place pork shoulder in rack and place inside roasting pan. Add water to reach the bottom of the v-rack (there won't be a lot of juices that escape, but you do want to capture those juices and not let them burn).

Cook pork, basting every two hours (and adding additional water to bottom of pan if needed to prevent scorching the jus) until meat registers 190 degrees with an instant read thermometer. It will take approximately 5-6 hours. Remove pork from the rack, and tent with foil for 1 hour.  Transfer drippings to fat separator and let separate. Discard fat, pour off 1/4 cup for the thyme-peach sauce, and reserve the rest for another use (consider making a gravy for mashed potatoes for a meal variation the next day).

While the meat is resting, make the following sauce:
Thyme Peach Sauce
20 ounces frozen peaches, thawed. Process 1/2 of peaches until thick but still slightly chunky.
         Cut the remainder into 1 inch chunks.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 TBSP unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups white wine (I used a riesling)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 TBSP coarse mustard

Bring the peaches, sugar, 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar, wine, reserved 1/4 cup jus, and thyme to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook until thickened and slightly reduced (about 30 minutes). Stir in additional TBSP vinegar and the mustard. Remove thyme stalks and serve.
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Remove the bone from the pork butt (using a paring knife to trim around the bone if needed). Slice, or pull (if your from the south), and serve with the thyme-peach sauce.

Today, I started a blog.

I was watching t.v. the other day, and happened to catch the cooking show of a woman who was a wife, a mother, a photographer, a blogger, and so on and so on. Basically, she was just a mom who cooked for her family. She cooks. I cook. I said something along the lines of "I could blog about cooking" to my little one. Later, she called the middle one.  The next morning, texts with ideas for blog names came scrolling across my phone. I texted the big one, and asked her what she thought. I've been a wife and a mom who has cooked for my family for the last 27 years. She said to go for it. I tucked it away, thinking, "Yeah, I could do that". Lo and behold, the next day, middle sends me my very own blog.


My husband and I took turns cooking while the kids were growing up.  Be it after practice, or a game, or a meet, we would take turns eating around their schedules so they always had someone to talk to. It was our unwritten rule. But now, we are empty nesters. Just me and the best-est good one. We still cook, but we cook differently.


The premise of my blog is simple. Empty nesters who don't hit the early bird specials. We cook. Sometimes it's COOKING, and other times it's just cooking. Regardless, I have decided to share my stories and my recipes. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Do one thing every day that scares you."


Today, I started a blog.