Hunger Awareness Day

Those of you who know me, know that I'm always thinking, talking, cooking food. Even my email signature is "it's all about the food...isn't it?" and you'll be hard pressed to find even one entry on my blogs that is not food related. It's hard for me to imagine an activity that doesn't somehow include food - finding it, cooking it, eating it, enjoying foodie books, magazines and TV shows. Even hiking in the woods, has me noticing mushrooms and fiddleheads (and wondering which are poisonous - but that's another story).

When I was a kid in Montreal, the standard "mom" expression when we didn't eat what was on our plates - "there are children starving in Biafra!" and we, would answer..."well, you can mail them mine", not understanding in the least what "starving" meant. Even today, we see images on TV asking for help for those in war torn, impoverished nations and for areas suffering from one natural disaster or another, and it breaks our hearts. But we don't think about those living in this lush and food rich land, who are in the same situation. The truth is, hundreds of thousands of Canadians use food banks because they do not have enough money to feed themselves or their families. Children. Seniors. People with disabilities. People who have jobs and still can't make ends meet.Instead, we say "I'm starving!" when what we mean is "When is dinner? I haven't eaten since lunch."

Tomorrow is Hunger Awareness Day in Canada. Last year, close to 800,000 Canadians visited local food banks every month...18% higher than the year before...37% of them were children...3,252,134 meals were served. You can check out some other shocking statistics here, and while I will definitely be counting my blessings, I'll be finding out how I can do my part to change this sorry, sorry state. As the old saying goes..."the longest journey begins with a single step."

So tomorrow, I'll be joining in a local Halifax event - Hunger Lineup to collectively acknowledge that hunger exists in communities across this great land and to learn more about their challenges and what I can do to help. There are three hunger lineups in the province, so if you're a Nova Scotian, check out the one nearest you.

Thursday, I'll be meeting with Dianne Swinemar, Executive Director of Feed Nova Scotia to find out more about local programs. I urge you to do the same in your neighborhood. And for those of you in the USA. Here are some links - Feeding America's site will tell you how to get involved in your community and here's an eye-opening article from the NY Times, November 2009 to read.

What will be your "first step" to making a difference?

Skirt Steak, Worth the Effort

Without a doubt, skirt steak is one of the sorriest looking pieces of meat. It's a long thin piece of the diaphragm and has a thick membrane on either side that needs to be removed before cooking. But you'd be hard pressed to find a tastier steak anywhere. (More info here) And, given that there is only one diaphragm per animal, it's hard to find. I get mine from Getaway Farm, at the Saturday Halifax Farmers Market.

I was tempted to put this photo first, but figured you'd all groan, turn your noses up and click to somewhere else. But now that I have you hooked...this is what a skirt steak looks like at the butcher.
With very little effort, using a sharp paring knife to start separating the meat from the membrane
and then gently pulling them apart with your hands, the whole process takes no more than 10 minutes, and once you do two (and trust me, once you've eaten it once, you will definitely be back for more), it won't take more than 5 minutes to look like this...
Then all it needs is a simple marinade to tenderize before grilling, five minutes to rest after grilling and cutting across the grain to serve. This time I made a Lemongrass & Ginger Marinade that was awesome. For a different taste, this Balsamic Vinegar Marinated version was also delicious.

Awesome Trip to the Market - Green Garlic is Here!

It really is too lovely here today to spend much time indoors, writing ...but I did have to share my bounty at today's Farmer's Market trip. After a long winter of mostly root vegetables it's wonderful to see all the green.
And I have been envious of all my foodie blogger friends who have been flaunting their green garlic - Katie of Thyme for Cooking - especially you, and thanks for sharing some great recipes for me to try out this week - including this gnocchi recipe for Presto Pasta Night and (since I'm doing without pasta this week, this Asparagus & Bacon Quiche that will still be delicious sans crust and bacon (just temporary - South Beach Diet Phase One prevails).
Just check out this beautiful chive flower on my spectacular bunch of chives. The green garlic and chives got me so excited, I don't even remember which farmer brought them to the market.

The next bunch of exceptional greens comes from one of my favorite market vendors - Ted Hutton Family Farm, with Ted always willing to give a little lesson on what's unique and interesting, and more important, whether or not to cook them or eat them raw in a salad.
How about these glorious mustard greens that are already starting to flower and are perfect for sauteing with a little fresh garlic and grated ginger root and a splash of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.
This mizzuna is a wonderful mild green, great to mix with other spicier greens, but this particular bunch is 28 days old and, according to Ted, has a little more kick to it. Toss with a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and it's a great salad on its own.
And for those days when I can't decide which taste of greens I want, his bag of mixed greens is a perfect choice.
For stir frys, Ted always has a variety of Yukina Savoy- Asian cabbages, and actually, I'm not sure which variety this is, but I know it will be wonderful - it always is.
Check out this bunch of oregano - so aromatic, so perfect for all the salads I'll be making and to go with some of the fish I picked up at Mike's Fish Shop .
Fresh sea scallops
Salmon fillet, grilled with a spritz of lemon and chopped oregano -perfection!
Smoked Mackerel - I couldn't resist it. Imagine a salad with some. And, of course, what would a trip to the market be without something fantastic from Getaway Farm (this time skirt steak, which won't be pretty enough for a photo until it's cooked) or Wood "n Hart (last week's lamb loin steak was so terrific, I had to do it again...perhaps this time I will even take time to photograph it before wolfing it down.
Last but not least...free range organic eggs...and now I'm off to enjoy the weather.

Another Great Presto Pasta Night Roundup

Every couple of years I go back to South Beach Diet - Phase One, which means no pasta for two weeks. so I'm going to have to bookmark this particular Presto Pasta Night Roundup's selection of great pastas for later.

Rachel, The Crispy Cook did an awesome job of hosting with great commentary. And I'm drooling over each of the entries. I supposed I could do Lemon & Anchovy's awesome Arugula & Herb pasta salad without the pasta and Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice's totally decadent Mac 'n Cheese to celebrate the end of SBD.

Thanks to everyone for such fantastic entries this week. And, Rachel, thanks for putting it all together for us.

I'll be hosting next week's PPN - even though I won't be making any myself. Just send all your entries to me so I can live vicariously and drool, drool, drool. Just send the link to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by next Thursday. And have a great pasta eating weekend.

Presto Pasta Night #165

This week Rachel, The Crispy Cook is hosting Presto Pasta Nights and I'm delighted. You can send your fantastic pasta recipes her way - oldsaratogabooks (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com before midnight tonight (Thursday, May 27) and then check back at The Crispy Cook on tomorrow for the roundup.

In fact, Rachel already has her lasagna done and it looks wonderful. I, on the other hand, started doing South Beach Diet, phase one - so no pasta for me, this week or next...which won't stop me from living vicariously through all of yours.

Cooking with Simon on CBC Radio

I told you all that I was going to be on CBC Radio with Simon Thibault. Well, the interview was aired this morning, and if you missed it....you can catch it right here. The hanger steak was from Getaway Farm and was delicious. We made it with my Latin Flank Steak recipe, but another fabulous marinade is courtesy of Simon -

1/4 cup Kepac Bango (Asian ketchup that I'm sure I'm spelling wrong, but will fix it as soon as I visit an Asian grocery store). This particular ketchup is thick, with the secret ingredient being molasses. Simon likes Lion Brand
1-2 tbsp Korean chili powder - potent, so know your limits.
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 large cloves garlic, minced
roasted peanut oil - just enough to thin the kepac

So what new cut of meat will you try? It is BBQ season after all. Skirt steak, flank steak and hanger are perfect for the grill.

How Big is Your Kitchen?

The seeds of this post were actually planted months ago when I was fortunate enough to attend the Savour Food & Wine Show which was spectacular. Thirty-five teams of chefs from various restaurants around Nova Scotia and just as many wine, beer and spirit purveyors all doing a fantastic job at giving 700 people the opportunity to taste and sip, over and over for more than two hours.

All of which got me thinking about the almost invisible staff of the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel where this awesome event was held. There were stations beside each booth with sparkling dishes, wine glasses and cutlery, that never seemed to run out. Lovely bar style tables were scattered about for friends to socialize over their treats and then leave dirty dishes, glasses, etc, so they could head off and start grazing all over again.
What impressed me most about the hotel banquet facilities (remember that each restaurant brought their own food to showcase) was this...as soon as people left the tables or went away from whatever flat surface they could find to leave their empties...someone, magically and almost invisibly whisked them away. I couldn't get it out of my head so the next morning, at a delicious Press breakfast, at the hotel's signature restaurant - 44 North (with a spectacular view of the Halifax Harbour) I had the opportunity to chat with their Executive Chef , Trevor Simms and asked for a behind the scenes tour.

Before I share some head-spinning statistics, I want to put things in perspective- the average home kitchen - I just reviewed a great little book called Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens, BTW, and I've had my share of tiny kitchens to work in - has one stove, one sink (perhaps you're lucky enough to have two), one fridge, maybe a dishwasher & microwave, with little room to maneuver. You'll be cooking typically, at most three meals on any given day, for 1 to 4-6, counting the kids with an occasional party for a few more friends. Oh...and usually the only meal with a choice is breakfast "Do you want eggs or cereal?"

I've visited, a few restaurant kitchens, the smallest being in Toronto, years ago. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you see on the left is the kitchen, open for all to view...and no bigger than some walk-in closets. It was smaller than any tiny kitchen I've been in, with, physically, room only for the chef. Frankly, I'm not sure where all the prep was done for the day. Impressive, but then, the restaurant only seated 20 max.

And the other end of my personal kitchen spectrum, is the kitchen at Camp Kadimah, the summer camp where my daughter is Director. This is what a barbecue looks like. And although it is serving up a meal for 300-400 at one sitting per meal, there are no choices - other than the salad bar.

Which leads me back to Chef Trevor's kitchen. Actually there are two kitchens and this photo is just a small section of the one for the banquet halls - which is 80% of their business - utilizing 20,000 square feet of entertaining space and can accommodate up 1200 guests. Since the halls can be divided, that means that you might find ten different functions, each with their own menu requirements on any given day.

Check out the nerve center complete with menus, schedules, and everything else one would need to keep everything moving seamlessly. The day I visited there were 300 different menus for the week - and it's not high season yet! My head was spinning.

On any given day there is about $60,000 worth of food in 6 fridges, 20 cooks and many more servers, make it all happen seemingly effortlessly. And just FYI - The Savour Food & Wine Show...at least 4000 plates and 20 almost invisible servers on hand to keep it flowing so smoothly.

The kitchen isn't the only incredible part of the banquet business. I got a tour of the storage rooms - like the chairs and tables or all those silver cutlery and serving pieces.
It is a small city, hidden away from happy guests who have no idea how much planning, coordinating and effort goes into making their event nothing but perfect.
Restaurant 44 North (with a fantastic view of Halifax Harbour) serves up 250 breakfasts & 150 each for lunch and dinner, plus room service (one of my favorite pampering moments on any trip) for 360 rooms, share another kitchen. Chef Trevor's superb team of chefs and servers pay attention to the pulse of things, and let the phone and front desk staff know of any impending issues.

Check out this gorgeous shellfish bowl - no wonder it's so popular. The Fife & Drum, open for dinner only, has its own kitchen. But let's leave the kitchen for a moment and find out a little about the man behind the action...Chef Trevor Simms.

• His first cooking experience...age 4, making jello with his mom and he's never looked back. Although he was debating between cooking and becoming a mechanic. I'm glad he chose cooking.
• He graduated from The Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, PEI and worked in small establishments in St Martins, and in New Brunswick. Then he worked at Casino Rama in Ontario, when it opened, starting at the bottom and ending up as Sous Chef before working at a number of Marriott properties.
• He actually just came to Halifax to head a two week task force when the Marriott Harbourfront opened and never left.
• His wife is Chef de Cuisine at another great Halifax eatery - CUT Steakhouse & Urban Grill, keeping it all in the family.

His biggest challenge - balancing the demands from the restaurant and room service. He and his fantastic team work together to make sure that whether you're ordering from your room or your table with a view, you get the perfect meal in a timely fashion. Oh...and a good omelet chef for the breakfast buffet is worth his or her weight in gold.

His advice to those thinking of becoming a chef - don't rush the process. You need to build a strong foundation and learn as much as you can along the journey. It certainly worked for him.

Thanks, Chef, for a wonderful peek behind the scene.

CBC Radio Information Morning Interview

Usually, I'm the one doing the interviewing, but this time Simon Thibault did all the work and interviewed me for a segment of his Assis-Toi series for CBC Radio Information Morning. You can hear the interview live tomorrow (Wednesday, May 25th) at 8:15AM Atlantic Time and I'll link to the pod cast once it's up.

We made flank steak and a mixed greens salad and Simon brought a very tasty cranberry cobbler that he made. All in all it was a very tasty chat!

Easy Long Weekends in Nova Scotia

Long weekends are always nice, but particularly wonderful when the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm...and even better if great road trips are only minutes away. The difference between living in Toronto and heading out to for a country-side adventure is all about the time it takes to get there...and the ocean, of course (That's Queensland Beach above).

This weekend was the Annual Indian Point/Mahone Bay Mussel Festival and under an hour from Halifax on the loveliest ocean route, passing quaint fishing villages, artistic centers and lots of beaches (at least 10) along the way. The Lighthouse Route is my favorite day trip, as you can see here. You are in the country, on windy country roads within 15 minutes of downtown Halifax and the views are spectacular - Atlantic Ocean view on the left and lakes and mountains on the right. But I digress and you check out my earlier raves by just doing a search here.

Saturday was an attempt to spend the day at Queensland Beach, but the winds blew us toward a more sheltered picnicking spot down the road.
And yesterday it was a jaunt to Mahone Bay to participate in the Mussel Festival and for a lunch of delicious mussels. Frankly it was hard to choose - every restaurant was selling them and every restaurant had at least three options. We ended up at the Gazebo Cafe (a charming spot with lots of patio space and lots of wonderful dishes) and ate some Spanish styled with Chorizo and, my favorite, these Provencal with shrimp in a Pernod cream sauce.
Today is still a lovely day, and to give us some quick energy...or rather, energy quickly...I made this tasty

Asparagus & Cheese with Spicy Walnut Pesto Omelet

with local asparagus - here at last!

I'm not sure where our adventures will take us today, but I am sure it will be wonderful.

Dinner with Friends Deserves Brownies

Yesterday was perfect for an outing with the family and what better ending to the day than dinner with friends - especially when they're doing the cooking so I can still spend as much time outdoors as possible.

But how can I show up with nothing to add to the table but a bottle of wine, no matter how delicious it is? So I thought I'd whip up brownies and although I have several recipes in the dessert section, and I love my Katherine Hepburn brownies more than you can imagine, I still always find myself looking for something even better.

I've mentioned before about going through my old foodie magazines and cutting out those recipes I can't possibly live without and I've mentioned that Epicurious.com and fineCooking.com both have recipe boxes where you can store your favorites. This time it was fineCooking that won with a delightful sounding best fudgy brownie. But if you know me, then you know that I can never leave well enough alone - and I'm sure that the basic brownie is great, but...well, let's just say that adding dried blueberries, toasted pistachio nuts and chocolate chips took it way over the top.

Better Than Best Fudgy Brownies with Pistachio Nuts & Dried Blueberries

These really do give my other brownie recipes a run for their money.

First Beach Day 2010

We were all so excited! The sun is shining brightly, the temperature hit 18 degrees C/64 degrees F so, what do hardy Nova Scotians do...we head for the beach. Okay, not quite true, because Queensland Beach on the Atlantic Ocean today only had a few other foolhardy people. That's my son-in-law, Ezra, pretending it's shorts weather, Boaz, & Dov and their mommy (my daughter, Joanna) are huddled together. The stay...a record five minutes. Just long enough to get everything out of the cars and then back in again.

Check out the awesome cooler basket that held all my President's Choice Goodies. This time it was filled with some spectacular wins at the market: Ran-Cher Acres, goat cheeses & curds; That Dutchman's Farm Dragon's Breath Blue and wasabi gouda; El Gallo Mexican Food's awesome guacamole and corn tortilla chips; Pamela McPherson's red pepper hummus and naturally some fantastic bread products from Julien's Patisserie - baguettes, olive foccacia and...for dessert...pain chocolat. The fruit (juicy pears) and peanut butter sandwiches for the little ones was provided by their parents.

In the end, we packed up and headed down the road to a playground in Hubbards and had our picnic without the wind.

That's Dov, heading straight to his favorite - guacamole and chips.
And Boaz, scarfing down a peanut butter sandwich so he could go off and test out the slides And that's Poppa (AKA my Honey) helping Dov keep up with his big brother.

We had a lovely time, and I'm already planning the next picnic. What's your favorite picnic food?

Presto Pasta Night #164 Done, but More to Come

Poor Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook and our Presto Pasta Night #164 host has done a heroic job, given that she's had dental surgery - Yikes! But trooper that she is, the roundup is ready for viewing and she'll add commentary soon. Thanks Susan for making it all happen.

Thanks to all of you for your awesome entries. Problem is, where to begin?! Well, the obvious, is to carefully review them all.

Don't forget to start thinking about your entries for PPN #165. Rachel, The Crispy Cook does some amazing glutten free cooking and will be our host. You can send your entries to oldsaratogabooks (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

It's Almost Presto Pasta Night Time

Tick, tock, tick, tock...don't be too impatient, Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook and our illustrious host for this week's Presto Pasta Night will have the roundup ready for viewing some time later today...so keep checking back with her for the total list of entries (I've had a sneak peak and they're wonderful). Thanks everyone for all those wonderful dishes.

Next week, in case you've already got your dish lined up, Rachel, The Crispy Cook will be taking over the hosting reins. Just email your entry to oldsaratogabooks (at)gmail (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by next Thursday.

Risotto Without Rice - Think Orzo

As I mentioned before, we're moving to the burbs at the end of July and people are already asking me if I've started packing. Seriously folks, we've only been here three years, and ...yes, it's true, we've got more stuff than we started with, but I don't think we need that long to live with boxes everywhere.

That said, I have started to cull my prized foodie magazines, ripping out recipes I actually might make and recycling the rest. Kudos to Epicurious.com for a very cool feature. First of all, 99% of the recipes I love from Bon Appetit and Gourmet are on the site, and what's even better, you can save your favorites to your own online recipe box that's actually searchable...much more searchable than the box on the top shelf of my bookcase. The box of recipes I culled before moving to Halifax...the same box I'm ashamed to admit, I've never opened.

Which leads me to tonight's dinner. Gourmet Magazine, May 2009 had an awesome looking risotto recipe. Well...it's Thursday and the only pasta we've eaten this week was Sunday's delicious creation of leftover Baby Bok Choy & Shitake Stir Fry & Pasta. So what could I do but change up Gourmet's risotto and used orzo instead, which makes my pasta version of risotto perfectly acceptable for a Presto Pasta Night Roundup entry.

I'm in just under the wire, but I had to share this Lemony Orzo with Shrimp & Asparagus because it was too spectacular to keep to myself. I'm sending it to Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook, who's this week's fantastic Presto Pasta Night Roundup Host.

See you all at tomorrow's roundup!

BloggerAid Changing the Face of Famine & President's Choice

Usually when I get review books and packages, I send a thank you note and then it takes me a while to write about the goodies. This time, I was so excited I even took this photo as soon as it arrived - without any makeup!

But let me back up a bit, before I share my awesome haul. I've written before about my involvement with BloggerAid Changing the Face of Famine.
It's a wonderful way to do good for those less fortunate around the world. Not to mention the other benefits to belonging - fast friends with other food bloggers ; contributing to a terrific project like the cookbook (that you can find out about & how to buy it - well worth it, since it's filled with great recipes for foodbloggers everywhere - including me); and one of my favorite perks - getting to review cool products and cookbooks. You can find out about joining in the fun here.

President's Choice is one of our fantastic sponsors. And even if you don't live in Canada, I bet you can find some PC products near you. In fact, when my younger daughter moved to Chile for a couple of years to teach English, she called in amazement because PC products were on the shelves there! But if you can't find any of their great products (I really love their sauces and salsas, but don't get me started - at least not yet ) you should visit their website. There are recipes galore and articles about ...well, everything by season, including BBQing tips. Which leads me to my fantastic gift of goodies celebrating BBQ season.

But where to start?! Well there's a very cool and funky insulated cooler (in my world, make that picnic basket)

• a 4 pack of 100% sparkling fruit juice - this time orange tangerine - I've purchased many of their sparkling juices and they are delish on their own - add a little white wine and you have an awesome, light Spritzer;
• maple bacon marinade - which will be wonderful on pork, poultry or fish - just a slather on the meat and let it sit a bit before you grill or roast and your friends and family will think you've slaved for hours;
• Grilling & Roasting Spice Mix in its own grinder - sea salt, peppercorns, mustard & coriander seeds, plus a lot more. Just a grinding or two on your favorite meat or fish and I know the results will be excellent;
• a New World EVOO from Chile- frankly, of all the store brands out there PC is my favorite for olive oil- so I'm very excited about trying this one;
• glaze with balsamic vinegar from Modena in a squeeze pack - I had to taste it - and even on my finger, it's delicious. It will be perfect on everything - first that comes to my mind is grilled shrimps, but you decide for yourself;
• the cutest little slider thin mini-burger buns that would also work well to sop up your favorite dip (and if you don't want or don't have time to make your own - well PC has lots of choices like this Masala Hummus;
• a box of chocolate chip Pecan cookies (my favorite nut) - yummy as I write, getting cookie crumbs on my keyboard;
• and last but not least, a perfectly spectacular BBQ apron - how did they know my favorite color is red?!

And because this is their BBQ Event Promotion they even sent a $10 gift card to buy some Angus sliders and some PC Ice Cream Shop Flavours Ice Cream for dessert.

If you're like me, then unfortunately you won't be barbecuing any time soon because you have no backyard, no patio, no deck, not even a balcony. But don't despair, because the folks at President's Choice are going to be out celebrating BBQ season with a BBQ Tour that goes all across Canada. Lucky me, there are at least five events coming in or around Halifax. I am a little ahead of myself, but next week you will find your closest BBQ event in next week's PC Insider's Report. Not to mention their terrific BBQ contest where you could win a party plus a backyard makover with design consultation by HGTV's Paul LaFrance and $2500! Keep checking here or become a fan of President's Choice on Facebook.

Now I'm off to plan a picnic - cross your fingers for great weather this weekend!

Most Adaptable Meal(s)

The truth is, Friday was a little crazy, as a day with Boaz often is. We were so busy playing that there wasn't a lot of time to prepare dinner. We would be nine around the table, so I needed to think of something that wouldn't be too demanding. For all those busy mothers out there...and grandmothers too...or fathers for that matter....here are two simple pointers that make cooking dinner less stressful.

1. Prepare all the ingredients earlier in the day - I did a lot of chopping and measuring before my angel showed up (nap time works too) and set them aside by recipe.

2. Keep things simple.
A) I roasted some Steelhead Trout with a Hoisin Teriyaki Marinade/Glaze. Just pop the fish on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet, slather with marinade/glaze, let rest on the counter for about 15-20 minutes and then pop in the oven about 20 minutes before serving.
B) Put a large pot of water up to boil about the same time. Turn it off once it comes to a boil and then back on when you're ready to cook the pasta (about 10 minutes before serving).
C) Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Toss with some Asian Dressing and taste for seasonings. Keep warm.
D)Stir fry the boy choy (or whatever vegetables you prefer) - takes less than 5 minutes
E) Throw some packaged mixed greens in a large salad bowl and toss with Asian Dressing just before serving.
F) Take the fish out of the oven and place on a platter.
G) Get some of your guests to help with the serving while you do the stirfry.

Who says rush hour has to be crazy hour? What do you put together to feed a crowd easily? Naturally there wasn't time for photos, but I did a little recreation of sorts. That's a Mixed Green Salad with Asian Dressing at the top of the post with some Roasted Steelhead Trout in a Teriyaki Hoisin Marinade & Glaze. Naturally, no photo of the multigrain spaghetti that we tossed with more of the Asian Dressing.
And the vegetable was Baby Bok Choy & Shitake Mushroom Stir Fry.
This is what the left overs looked like... a perfect pasta to share with Presto Pasta Nights.

This week, Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook is hosting and the roundup will be awesome, I'm sure. To share your fantastic dish - and I know you all have it in you...write it up, mention Presto Pasta Nights and The Well Seasoned Cook and then email your link to thewellseasonedcook (at) yahoo (dot)com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com