Spring at the Market: Real + Fresh= Delicious

It's been more than a month since I last went to the Halifax Farmers Market. Trips to Toronto, a bad cold and...I don't remember, but the last time I was there, I found way more artisans than I did food producers. And since it's been so long, there were three mistakes I made:

One: I went a bit later than I usually go and it was already very busy at 7:30 a.m. (I like to go before there the crowds show up. It seems that everyone in Halifax is way more social than I am in the morning!);

Two: I forgot my camera!!! Insane, I know, but I did manage to take a photo of my bounty when I walked in the door;

Three: I've grown accustomed, over the winter, to find relatively few vendors, so I didn't do my "walk around" to find the "best of" ...which really didn't matter because everything looked great and I still managed to spend $60 for fantastic local goodies, like....

Little Dorset organic ground beef for tonight's barbecue (you'll have to come back tomorrow to hear the whole story);

Indian Point Mussels for last night's fantastic dinner. I've been dreaming about these locally farmed mussels ever since I saw the recipe in Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone. And it was just as delicious as I'd hoped it would be.

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo & White Wine

Ran-Cher Acres fantastic goat cheeses and Julien's baguette, croissants & pains chocolat, because...well... my Honey would be very disappointed if I didn't...and after all that foraging for food, I love Saturday afternoons, spent watching a movie, flipping through my latest stash of food magazines and munching on some of my market score;

Riverview Herbs for fresh mint and basil (for the roasted potato salad and chimichurri sauce for the burgers...you WILL have to come back tomorrow);

Last but definitely not least, the veggies...beautiful baby beets & greens, more very local fiddleheads and asparagus and the first rhubarb. Too bad the strawberries aren't out yet. That's my favorite combination this time of year and perhaps I will actually make my own strawberry rhubarb pie....or....you guessed it, pick one up at the market next week!

There is nothing like fresh, locally grown food, I hope you have the opportunity to explore your local markets.

Best Thing About Fridays...Presto Pasta Nights.

It's Friday...and you know how we all love Fridays. Personally, I love them not because the week is over, but because the week is just starting. What I mean is...it's time for Presto Pasta Night Roundups, which means to me...a new week of pasta treats to savor.

Sara of I'm a Food Blog was our awesome host for this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. She did an amazing job with great commentary, check it out.

Thanks to all the terrific contributors for sharing your tasty treats with us. For the first-timers out there...hope to see you back often. For the regulars (notice I did not say "old-timers") thanks for making this a perferred place to be every Friday.

Next week it's my turn, so send your entries to me: ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Some guidelines if you're a first time PPNer and if you're interested in hosting, check it out and drop me a line. Some spots in July & August are still open. Everyone loves the chance to host and meet new food bloggers...join the fun!

Eating for the Season

I have to admit that I occasionally eat fruit and vegetables out of season...okay, probably more than just occasionally. That said, there's nothing like the first fruits and veggies that herald in each season.

I've already mentioned fiddleheads and asparagus and I'm anxiously awaiting local strawberries. My grocery store options are still carrying California berries...giant, glorious red and ... tasteless. To my California friends...I know they're fantastic right out of your strawberry patches...they just don't travel well.

Which is my segue to talking about the Eat Real Eat Local Panel Conference I attended last weekend. I promised I'd share some very interesting discussions and facts presented. The most eye-opening was a survey conducted by the Harris/Decima Group for Hellmann's asking Canadians, from each of the provinces, which ONE food from their local ecosystem they would choose to support.

No surprise that Alberta would pick beef or that Prince Edward Island would choose potatoes, but the rest of the provinces surprised me. I mean, here in Nova Scotia, you'd think (well I did, anyway) lobster or other fish/seafood, but no...apples 21% followed by beef 16% and potatoes 6%. In fact, across the country ...apples won! 14%, followed by beef 13% and potatoes 11%. I realize that the survey was taken in February-March of this year when most of Canada is still cold and still eating lots of soups and stews and that most farmland is under a gazillion feet of snow. Still...we all found the results surprising.

And I'm pleased to say that Nova Scotians ranked higher than the National Average when it came to these questions:
I prefer to eat locally grown food...NS = 94%; NA= 86%
I pay attention to the origin of the food I eat...NS =71%; NA-68%Locally grown food tastes better...NS=76%; NA=68%
and my fave...
Do you try to eat more locally sourced food now than you did 2 years ago? ...NS=77%; NA=59%

On that note...I can't wait to head out the Halifax Farmers Market this Saturday and see what's fresh from the fields. Not sure what my chances are for strawberries, though. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Mixed Greens with Strawberries & Caramelized Nuts

Super Strawberry Tart

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar & Basil

Pictured at the top of the post, and frankly...what's better at the end of a meal or a snack?

What's local in your neck of the woods this week?

Food Blogger Heaven in Toronto - Great Food & Great Discussions

The first, and possibly the last post with no pictures...still worth the read folks!

This past weekend Hellmann's Canada invited nine foodbloggers from across the country to discuss their 2009 Eat Real Eat Local Program...and I was one of them...very lucky and very honored to be included, I might add...and, full disclosure here...they paid to bring us in, put us up at the very chic Pantages Hotel, wined us and dined us (awesome and more about that at another time), but had no expectations of us...no hidden agenda, no contracts to sign, just to spend the weekend and share what they learned from Canadians over the last few months and gain our insights as well. It was a fantastic experience.

Before I begin to tell you all that I've learned...and it's a lot... They shared some very interesting stats with us, from surveys taken by Canadians across the country who were asked about their thoughts/feelings/understanding about what eating local means, where their food comes from...and that's just the tip of the iceberg that was the weekend. Did you know that 9 out of 10 said they would prefer to eat locally sourced foods but that in the last 15 years, the population has grown by 15% but our food imports have risen more than 160%!? ...but I digress for now.

I really wanted to introduce you to the very cool bloggers I spent so much time with ...talking...eating...talking...eating...more eating...lots of laughing.

Starting on the West Coast...

Robin lives on Vancouver Island and is the editor/publisher of Our Big Earth with lots of wonderful ideas for those of us who want to make less of a carbon footprint. The focus is on families and sustainable living and there is so much information, you'll be reading for weeks and then coming back for more.

Kate lives in Vancouver, works in the software industry by day and writes her about her kitchen experiments on her blog Daily Unadventures in Cooking by night...with some great photos and delicious recipes.

Andree writes from Calgary and travels as often as she can...as her blog Are You Gonna Eat That? reflects with her take on life...with a focus on food...is there any other focus, people!

Charmian hails from Guelph, Ontario...in the Niagara Fruit Belt. Lucky her, close to all those peaches, cherries, berries, wines....I'm drooling and green with envy - although we do have our own Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia...it just starts much later. Her blog Christie's Corner (and her banner says it all) shares her adventures and misadventures in the kitchen with fantastic photos to illustrate everything.

Andrea is an Ottawa based blogger and you can find her here... A Peek Inside the FishBowl - more fabulous photos and excellent musings...and here at Savvy Mom (for great resources for the Canadian Mom).

Pierre has developed a fantastic, breakthrough, bilingual meal and grocery planning service S.O.S. Cuisine that provides smart menu suggestions based on local fresh products (very seasonal!) and weekly supermarket specials (how cool is that - fresh AND inexpensive!).

Angelique writes the blog for Bitchin' Lifestyle TV starring Nadia G (check out the videos, not your frumpy, boring take on food, by any means). I have no words. "Trendsetting" and "hilarious" come to mind, but you really do have to check it out for yourself. And she brought cookbooks for us...You KNOW I'll be talking more about that over the next while.

Blueberries + Chocolate Chips = Delicious

Since my last bit of "poetry" was such a hit....

"Good, better, best

Never let it rest

Until the good is better

And the better...has chocolate"

I really do try to cook and bake nutritious dishes, using local ingredients when I can, and opting for healthy grains rather than all purpose flour. And a number of my new cookbooks seem to focus on making healthier versions of the good old fashioned ones I grew up on.

Norene's Healthy Kitchen is one such book that I turn to often. I love her very easy, quick and delicious dishes and since I just got back from a fantastic weekend in Toronto spent with some other food bloggers from across the country (more about that in another post), I didn't have much on hand, nor much time to prepare something to munch on at my 9a.m. meeting.

And I HAD to make something...after all, food feeds the brain, doesn't it? And breakfast is the most important meal of the day, isn't it? And, my associate has come to expect it (as is her husband who will definitely be waiting for a care package). Start to finish, these tasty treats took less than 20 minutes.

Naturally, because delicious, is never delicious enough, and I always have to add more to a recipe...I added chocolate chips to Norene's Blueberry Corn Muffins and made...

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins

I remember the days when using whole wheat flour was for those strange tofu-eating hippie types in Birkenstocks (no offense to tofu, Birkenstocks or hippies). Not today though. The only "flour" in this batter is cornmeal and whole wheat flour and they are simply delicious.

Another huge change in our eating is being able to find excellent frozen fruit, grown locally and flash frozen so it's tasty all year round...and mine come from The Annapolis Valley, just an hour or so from my door. That said, I can't wait to pick fresh blueberries later in the summer. I'm already envisioning the purple stains on fingers, lips and ... right...note to self...wear something old.

What's your locally grown favorite fruit? And how long are you going to have to wait for the real deal?

Spring Has Sprung....

When I was a kid my dad used to say this little ditty when Spring finally showed up....

"Spring has sprung

The Grass is riz

I wonder where the birdies is.

There one is up in the sky...

Gee I'm glad that cows can't fly."

...and we'd all groan. My dad passed away ten years ago, but he's always around and this time of year, that ditty pops in my head and makes me smile.

Some other things that mean Spring is finally here and also make me smile...

sunshine, birds singing and my favorite vegetables...asparagus and fiddleheads ...are fiddleheads actually a vegetable, I wonder. I know the fiddleheads are really local and the asparagus label did say product of Canada, I'm just not sure where in Canada exactly.

Tonight's dinner is very simple...Frederick's Garlic Steak with Sauteed Asparagus & Fiddleheads. Just follow the recipe with the following tips regarding the asparagus: once you've removed the fiddleheads from the boiling water, add the asparagus and blanch for 1-2 minutes. This time I cut the asparagus into thirds, on a slant for presentation, but also quicker cooking. Remove from the boiling water and add to the ice bath the fiddleheads are in. When it's time to saute ( that would be once you've turned the steaks over), saute both vegetables together as directed. It only takes a few minutes, so have everything ready while the steaks grill on the first side.

And, of course you have to bear with my whining just a little...sigh...no BBQ, so I have to use my Griddler. Still...."spring has sprung, the grass is riz...."

Another Hit - Presto Pasta Night #114

Presto Pasta Nights had another great week. And check out the cutie who needs to be hosed down with a fire hose after his pasta fix. He does look happy though. The wickedly funny and creative Kitchenetta of Got No Milk really captured the fun this week. And thanks everyone for the delicious entries! I can't wait to try them all out when I get back to Halifax.

Next week the hosting baton...or make that pasta paddle, goes to Sara of I'm a Food Blog , another excellent food blog. Send your entries to her at - sara (at) imafoodblog (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com
by Thursday, May 28th...where has the month gone!

Some guidelines if you're a first time PPNer and if you're interested in hosting, check it out and drop me a line. Last week in June and some in July are still open. Everyone loves the chance to host and meet new food bloggers...join the fun!

Saltscapes Expo

There's a wonderful Maritime Magazine called Saltscapes that has something for everyone - adventurists, gardeners, hikers, foodies and more. And recently they held their annual Saltscapes Expo. You can read about my adventures over at Foodtv's blog. But I thought I would share some of my photos.

My favorite event was the Culinary Countdown - think Iron Chef but with relaxed Maritime feel. Chef Renee Lavallee of The Five Fishermen(where we took out of towners before Joanna & Ezra's wedding) which won the overall competition . Here she is with here very delicious and easy Two Salmon Tartar Canapes. She had to make multiple batches to feed the audience who patiently waited for a taste.

So many fantastic vendors...I loved these Kiln Art glass platters and plates. Aren't they beautiful.
I heard that there were 16 breweries and wineries represented. Here's a new one for me to check out. Lunenburg County Winery not only makes wine from grapes, they also make blueberry and other fruit wines too. Anyone up for a trip to Lunenburg with me? It's only about an hour and a half from Halifax.
And one of the things that makes the Maritimes so special is the music...
It was a great event and I can't wait until next year. What's your favorite expo or fair?

She Takes The Cake - Another Toronto Gem

It's often my daughter Sharron who introduces me to wonderful food treasures. I found out about Tangled Garden herbed jellies long before I moved to Halifax (they're just an hour's drive from here and we visit often during the summer). But I digress....

Not surprising, my last visit to Toronto was no different. After a mouth-watering dinner at Pho Phuong Restaurant right around the corner from her on Dundas West, we crossed the street to She Takes The Cake Bakery & Cafe. "Just to look, Mummy" turned into a wonderful chat with Adrienne Weinberg, owner and inspired baker who started out baking for others from her home eleven years ago....

and a box full of goodies to take home. True, a little blurry and the lime tart was already scarfed by the time I took the photo, but just look at those heavenly delights. Lime tarts are my favorite dessert ever, so you know I have high standards and am always comparing them. This one was superb (you'll just have to go and buy your own to see what they look like)...just the perfect amount of tang - not too sweet, but sweet enough and a flaky crust that melts in your mouth....sigh....I'd love another right now.

That's the signature lemon square. Now I'm not a lemon square fan usually. And truth be told, it was the last thing I tasted, going for lime tarts and the fantastic chocolate delight (I forget what she called it), cakey on the outside and truffly, rich chocolate on the inside. As my aunt used to say "To die for!!!" Everything was delicious, but it was only after I tasted the lemon square...I was only going for a tiny sliver, but once those wonderful flavors and silky texture hit my tongue...well, let's just say I have a new appreciation for lemon squares and understand completely why it's their signature dessert and why Sharron will have to go back and get her own.

I couldn't take all of the pastries home, but take a look at these delightful confections...

Pupcakes, I mean...how seriously adorable are they! Notice the open, sparkling, stainless steel kitchen in the background. We arrived just late in the day so all the baking was done, but I would love to get there earlier and watch all the kitchen action...next time, and trust me, there WILL be a "next time"!Cutest carrot cakes ever

Dulce de Leche Hearts - if you're a dulce de leche fan...these are definitely for you

Individual Apple Tarts almost too pretty to eat.

Burnt Sugar Brown Butter Cakes...for my next visit.

And now you understand why I'm back to eating salads like this one....

Roasted Chimchirri Salmon on Mixed Greens....

I'm already planning my next trip to Toronto and guess where I'm headed first.

Fettuccine Making Tutorial Long Overdue

Way back in March I received my KitchenAid Pasta Maker that included the pasta attachment (initial kneading and flat broad noodle making - think lasagna or free form large ravioli) and one for fettuccine noodles. It sat on my counter for most of March until I finally got it together to make some fettuccine on my own.

I've been sou-chef to my daughter on many an occasion, but this was my first solo event. Plus Joanna's old school...like little old Italian mamas, she uses muscles to knead the dough and a simple pasta press here.

Finally - beginning of April , I got my "first-time jitters" under control and was amazed at how quickly and easily it all came together. In fact, I promised a more detailed "how to" for the rest of you thinking this might be too complicated and challenging a project.

Finally, I published it last week (2 months after getting the attachments and more than a month after actually using them!) but somehow, I forgot to send it in to Presto Pasta Nights. How weird is that! So this week I'm sending it over to Kitchenetta at Got No Milk. She's hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup.

Hopefully you're planning on sending a dish of your own. Just email Kitchenetta: tfree123 (at) comcast (dot) net and cc me - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com See you all at the roundup on Friday!

Back Home & Salmon For Dinner

Toronto was...well...TORONTO! Which means (for me, anyway) lots of delicious food...lots of delicious ethnic food...seriously easy access to every kind of food imaginable...plus a scrumptious over-the-top dinner at my cousin Arlene's. I've already mentioned my favorite desserts and then got too busy having fun, wandering around, drooling and meeting up with friends and family to write more.

One of the things I really miss about Toronto is the LCBO Food & Drink Magazine. Imagine the most beautiful foodie magazine complete with stunning photos, wonderful articles about wines, cocktails, interesting places (at home & abroad) and the recipes that go with them. Then...wonder of wonders...it's FREE!!!! You heard me. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario publishes these gorgeous magazines at least five times a year and you can only find them at local LCBO outlets. They run out quickly, so one needs to be checking often. If you live in Ontario (I can only assume that you can find them in all Ontario cities with LCBO outlets), take advantage!

If you're like me, and live away, you can still take find the recipes for food , drinks and even "mocktails" (no liquor) but it's not quite the same as curling up with a paper issue I can bookmark with lots of little papers waving out at me. Lucky me, Arlene usually picks up a copy for me and this time I had two to take home. I'll be sharing many a recipe with you. To start things off here's the dinner that Arlene made...(LCBO photos are better, but...hey, I was in a hurry to eat!

Pork Chops With Exotic Mushroom Sauce (slurpingly delicious - we were almost prepared to eat the left over sauce with a spoon)
Green Beans with Browned Butter & Pine Nuts (the aroma of the butter browning...awesome)
And a sinfully delicious dessert that I think comes from Martha Stewart, but we'll have to wait until Arlene emails the link or the recipe.

Update: Arlene sent the link and it's not Martha it's Rachel Allen's recipe for Pink Merigue and Raspberry Cream

The recipe was with strawberries and actually had another cookie on top - sandwich style, but Arlene got creative and made it with blueberries and we decided one over the top sweet meringue was more than enough. Just look at how cute the base of this confection is...I could eat it all by itself.
So what does all this have to do with the photo of the Roasted Chimchirri Salmon on Mixed Greens at the top of this post? Silly you...if you haven't guessed already...it's time to retreat to a little The South Beach Diet Supercharged ...at least before I head back to Toronto this weekend for a very special foodie visit. I've been invited to participate in Hellman's Real Food -Eat Local Project and I'll be sharing much more about that next week. I'm very excited - and that's a giant understatement.

This week, expect lots of healthful meals and exercise...keep your fingers crossed that I can fit into my gorgeous new dress!

Another Great Presto Pasta Night

This week's Presto Pasta Night was hosted by Patsy of Family, Friends & Food. Great job Patsy!!! Thanks for putting it all together. And thanks everyone for the delicious entries! I can't wait to start working my way through them....where to begin? It seems that's always my dilemma.

Next week Kitchenetta of Got No Milk will be our wonderful host. Send your entries to here at - tfree123 (at) comcast (dot) net and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com
by Thursday, May 21st...where has the month gone!

Some guidelines if you're a first time PPNer and if you're interested in hosting, check it out and drop me a line. Last week in June and some in July are still open. Everyone loves the chance to host and meet new food bloggers...join the fun!

Toronto Visit - Foodie Friends & Family

I'm in Toronto for a quick visit with some Foodie friends and family, so not much time to write.

One thing I really love about the city is the diversity. On a fifteen minute streetcar ride to the the Yonge subway line from my daughter's house near Dundas & Brock in the West End, I passed through Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Argentina and parts of Asia - mostly China, Vietnam and a bit of Japan.

I love convenience stores in Toronto...fresh produce, ethnic baked goods and fresh flowers stand out among the usual chips, soft drinks etc. And they are everywhere. The photo above is a block from my daughter and there's another one just like it on the opposite corner of the intersection! And, might I add....that's the norm!

After a day of visiting, it was back to my daughter's with a stop for a bit of Vietnam (two kinds of delicious Spring Rolls) and Thailand (awesome shrimp pad Thai) and take home a little bit of Portugal (these gorgeous custard tarts). And because my daughter had to show me the cutest pastry shop across the street from the restaurant (a block and a half from where she lives...which is dangerous)...She Takes the Cake is filled with wonderful, fanciful cakes, tarts and cupcakes, and I will be writing more about them once I'm back in Halifax. But for now....here's a look at what we took home....

Dolce de Leche Cake (fits in the palm of your hand)

their famous Lemon Square

Apple Crumble

Now I'll sign of so I can munch on a custard tart before I shower and head out on more food adventures.

Happy Mother's Day & Breakfast

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!

Anybody served breakfast in bed? Both my daughters are in Toronto today and so it's just my Honey and I for breakfast. Don't feel bad for me though. Before I share today's delicious breakfast, I want to walk down memory lane and share my first memorable MD breakfasts in bed.

Flower Girls at my cousin's wedding

First Ever Mother's Day Breakfast in bed...the girls were probably 4 & 6 and too little to be allowed to make anything hot. So I got chocolate milk (their fave but not mine) and cold cereal. They were both so proud. How could I tell them that...
1. My mouth doesn't really like food at 6 am
2. I'm a coffee kind of girl and chocolate milk is never my idea of a great beverage (unless of course it has some ice cream and kalua in it and is served by the pool or beach.
....so I didn't and for the next few years...this was my treat. Best part...having them eat their breakfast with me in my bed...and yes...the sheets needed to be changed.

First hot Mother's Day Breakfast in bed...Joanna, then 8 or 9, wrote down the "recipe" for instant coffee the night before and served it with toast. Awesome! Even if it was still served three hours too early.

In case you still haven't eaten breakfast yet...here's a treat..."left overs" frittata (lots of options here). The one pictured above was made with the last of our dinner the other night - steak & roasted potatoes with some Sauteed Mushrooms & Spinach.

And ...no....today's breakfast was served at the table with freshly ground, freshly brewed Just Us! fair trade Rise Again coffee.

I can't wait to hear the stories about the breakfasts my grandsons will be making. Currently they're a little too little to even be thinking about it...

Boaz age 2 and almost a half (playing dress-up)

Dov age five months taking it all in

Hope all you mothers, daughters and sons are having a great day...and you dads too!

Presto Pasta Night #112 Get Your Forks Ready

Hooray! Another fantastic Presto Pasta Night Roundup - #112 in fact, hosted this week by Tigerfish of Teczcape who did a brilliant job - thanks for the great commentary. I'm so glad you finally decided to jump into the hosting arena!

The dishes have me drooling and I don't know where to start...I might even have to combine a few! I finally saw some local cavolo nero - that inky dark kale - at the market and I can't ever have enough shrimp. Now I just have to decide on what type of noodle and do I bake or stir fry....choices, choices, choices.

A giant Thank You to all for playing this week. It's unbelievable that even though we've been at this for 112 weeks, there are still surprises and brand new ideas.

So put on your thinking caps and keep sharing with the rest of us. Patsy of Family, Friends & Food will be our gracious host next. Don't forget to email your links to Patsy_k (at) verizon (dot)net and ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday, May 14th...where has the month gone!

Some guidelines if you're a first time PPNer and if you're interested in hosting, check it out and drop me a line. Last week in June and some in July are still open. Everyone loves the chance to host and meet new food bloggers...join the fun!

An Inspired Garlicky Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I love my latest cookbook find... Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone...

You can read all about it, but the bottom line is - all the recipes are gorgeous, delicious and simple to prepare. Even more to my liking is the fact that there are few ingredients required and each recipe inspires your own creativity.

I had every intention of making Fresh Linguine with Garlic Shrimp & Homemade Pesto exactly as he did, but...

...although I love pesto in everything from scrambled eggs, to frittatas, soups, roasted & grilled fish and chicken,...pasta of course! After all, a dollup of pesto over some pasta is a complete meal in just the time it takes to boil water...okay, perhaps five more minutes for the pasta to be al dente and a salad whipped up... sorry, I digress... Living in Halifax means that fresh basil is hard to come by, especially at this time of year. Little bundles, already beginning to brown, cost $2-3 per bunch and you'd need at least 3 bunches to make a batch of pesto. So, until later this summer, I'll be trying out different pestos from a jar...not quite as wonderful as my own, but good enough.

...although I have my own wonderful pasta making attachment for my KitchenAid Mixer sitting on my counter...I was lazy and went for some healthy multigrain fusili sitting in my pantry instead.

...although the recipe calls for beautifully roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine to be served along side...I left them in the oven too long, sidetracked by one thing or another, and, somehow charred cherry tomatoes are not appealing - call me crazy.

...and because I can never leave well enough alone, I had to add some pancetta that was sitting in my fridge, along with some white wine and a pinch or two of dried red chili pepper flakes.

So here's my own version inspired by Curtis Stone...

Garlicky Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I'd love to know your favorite cookbook...the one that inspires you to be creative.

And don't forget that Tigerfish of Teczcape is our gracious host for this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. Send your entries to her - tigerfish1101(at) yahoo(dot)com (dot)sg cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Guidelines to share your pasta dishes.

And if you'd like to host a Presto Pasta Night Roundup yourself, just send me an email. There are still some open slots for June and lots of dates in the summer. What are you waiting for...it's great fun and a fabulous way to get introduced to other awesome bloggers.

Presto Pasta #111

It's my turn to host this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup, but first I want to thank Hillary of Chew on That for her second wonderful time as host. And a huge thanks to all who sent in their tasty dishes last week.

As for this week's entries...only a dozen, but each one is fabulous. I was drooling from the first to the last! So let's just get started so you can drool too.

Nic of Lemon & Cheese served up this Spaghetti Carbonara...see what I mean about drooling.


Sara of Cupcake Muffin made this quick and gorgeous Rotini with Asparagus in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.


Patsy of Friends, Family, Food shares this simple dish Linguine with Red Sauce...even sounds simple and looks fantastic.


Petra, Food Freak extraordinaire was kind enough to share this gorgeous dish...more drool factor...Penne with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Arugula.


Dharm, Dad, Baker & Chef was very inventive this week...Red, White & Green - a pasta flag to eat, no less.


Kitchenetta of Got No Milk is back from vacation with this stunning Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Pine Nuts. I want some right now!


MsMeanie of Chocolate Chip Trips is a PPN first timer - welcome and thanks for sharing homemade whole wheat pasta with the rest of us.


Ferdzy of Seasonal Ontario Foods is back for the second week in a row...hoorah! And don't you love the name of this cute dish...fasta pasta salad. Now we have to wait patiently for her asparagus to really shoot up. I wonder what kind of pasta dish that will star in.


Marye of Baking Delights is back. She too, made some homemade fettuccine to go with her Easy Stroganof..lucky us.


Deborah of What's In My Kitchen tricked her mom. I said it...and her couscous tabbouleh was a big hit. So who will you trick with it?


Cook Katie, went to the local market (I do love the experience myself) and came home with ingredients for her Lemon Pepper Pasta. Thanks for sharing with us and when are we going back?


And finally it's my turn to share. I had planned on making chocolate pasta (it's a dessert from my latest cookbook find - Chocolate for Breakfast), and hopefully I'll get to it for next week's roundup over at Teczcape, but for now I'll share the heavenly dish of Sacchettini with Romesco sauce (from the same book)...no chocolate...not for breakfast either but absolutely heavenly.


Well that's it for this week and a big thank you to all the fabulous cooks for joining in the fun.

Next week Tigerfish of Teczcape will be our gracious host. Send your entries to her - tigerfish1101(at) yahoo(dot)com (dot)sg cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Guidelines to share your pasta dishes.

And if you'd like to host a Presto Pasta Night Roundup yourself, just send me an email. There are still some open slots for June and lots of dates in the summer. What are you waiting for...it's great fun and a fabulous way to get introduced to other awesome bloggers.

Thanks everyone for a truly wonderful roundup this week. Couldn't do it without you all!