Presto Pasta #102 and Request for Hosts

Theresa of Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine was a most gracious Presto Pasta Night host. The roundup is fantastic - so thanks to all who contributed. As usual, I have the dilemma of which gorgeous dish to try first. It will be a challenge since they all look awesome. Check it out.

It's my turn next week so don't forget to email your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Sorry about the duplicate posting (on Presto Pasta Nights) but I really do want to get this request out to as many as possible.

Hard as it is to believe, that last June (2008), Kevin of Closet Cooking was our first guest host. In the spring, I asked for volunteers to host Presto Pasta Nights, hoping that at least a couple of people would want to host. The response was overwhelming. There are still some names on the list, and I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you. It seems that some emails no longer work, some people have fallen off the blogging train and others are just too busy.

So if you'd like to host (March is all taken care of) from April onward, please email me and I'll put together a new updated list. Here are some guidelines, but the bottom line is that it's a fun way to meet new bloggers and connect with some who've been around for a while.

Porcini Stuffed Tortelloni -Who Could Resist?

First of all, let me explain why I would be making a "last" minute pasta at 8:30 in the morning.

It's Thursday and tomorrow is the big Presto Pasta Night Roundup, hosted this week by Theresa, The Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine, so it should be wonderful.

It's Thursday and I still haven't made pasta this week!

It's Thursday and I have a date with a very busy two year old, so I won't have any time to cook one up, take a photo or write about it here. Any time someone heads over to the computer, the expectation is that we play Thomas the Train games.

I have a package of gorgeous fresh Trentino-Alto-Adige Porcini Tortelloni that President's Choice sells. If you know me, you know I love mushrooms, love to eat stuffed pastas, but not so in love with making them unless I'm spending time with my daughter. The bonding is worth it all. We actually made our own Mushroom Ravioli with a Creamy Mushroom and Sherry Sauce one Sunday afternoon.

So you can imagine how happy I was to discover these ready made treasures. And today I did a slight variation so that hopefully my lunch date - Boaz, will enjoy it too. I left out the sherry, sauteed cremini & shitake mushroom slices, and added some frozen peas, because I know he likes those...at least he did last week.

Don't forget to email your entries for Presto Pasta Night to theresa (at) foodhuntersguide (dot) com and a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Shepherd's Pie - Solid Or Soupy?

I admit it, I love my shepherd's pie to really just be solid meatloaf of ground beef with a mashed potato topping. It's what I grew up with, and what I want when I'm craving comfort. My younger daughter has told me (more than once) that it's one of the few dishes of mine that is really not a favorite. She prefers her shepherd's pie soupy. She'll really love this one.

As promised, I'm on the second pot pie dish from this month's Bon Appetit And for those of you who come back here time after time, you know that I'm all about fast and easy, so be warned. This Lamb & Eggplant Shepherd's Pie is certainly not difficult, but I did spend much of the day preparing it yesterday.

The flavor and texture was worth the effort and, according to BA you can prepare the filling (think stew) ahead and then it's just time to boil the potatoes and do the final baking - 45 minutes. It's so different to my mother's - lamb cubes instead of ground beef, adding salty chewy cheese to the potato topping, eggplant and diced tomatoes really keep it unique...there's no need to even try to compare.

Another caution...well two....1) the recipe calls for a lasagna sized baking dish 13x9x2", and that's what I used, but had to ladle off a couple of huge spoonfuls of sauce before topping with the potatoes and good thing I put the dish on a lined rimmed cookie sheet as it overflowed; 2) this serves 8-10 and I didn't even try to figure out how to cut it in 4-lots of ingredients and I'm math challenged. So we'll be eating this for a while and I will probably freeze the filling as stew and perhaps can salvage the topping and make some potato pancakes.

All that whining aside...it was awesome! Go ahead, broaden your horizons...but first...really which shepherd's pie to do favor...solid or soupy?

Winter is Not Just for Soup

Don't get me wrong, I love soups and stews and the bazillion options are really what get me through the winter months. But this month's Bon Appetit magazine has added a new dimension to my winter cooking...the pot pie.

The photo at the top of the post, does not do The Shrimp & Seasoned Sausage Pot Pie justice...then again, without video how does one capture the heavenly moans around the table? I used local Lunenburg Lamb Sausages rather than the Andouille sausages the magazine recommended and so it was a milder, softer dish than the Cajun inspired BA version. One word....AWESOME!!!

Admittedly, I grew up on frozen St Hubert chicken pot pie and these days I swear there isn't a better store bought chicken pie anywhere than the one from Costco...it's worth the trip even if you don't get side tracked by everything else in the store. I'm ashamed to say, that the truth is...I've never made a chicken pot pie of my own. It always seemed like too much work, not to mention my intimidation at making pie crusts.

But something about the cover of this month's Bon Appetit - the comfort food issue (it's the Shepherd's Pie with Cheesy Potato Topping that's on tap for tonight) had me drooling before I even turned the pages.

If you're like me, you have some favorite magazines and even though you love them, there are some months when there aren't really a ton of dishes that you'd want to try. Then again, there are some months which are not long enough to cook everything that make you're mouth water.

So tonight we'll be having Lamb & Eggplant Shepherd's Pie and later this week, Moroccan Style Chicken Pie...not what I grew up with, but the phylo pastry and glorious Moroccan spices will definitely transport me far from winter.

Sunny Vacation Spot Right Here at Home

It's true that today is sunny...make that brilliant....sunglasses definitely required...but it is still winter and cold...bone chilling cold. It's that time of year when northerners especially dream of warmer places to escape to.

But what do you do when travel is really not an option? Well here in Halifax you can head over to Mezza Mediterranean Grill. (Turn up the volume when you check it out). It leaves winter at the door and brings in the Middle East warmth instantly. I just wrote about it for Foodtv's blog and thought I'd share a few more photos.

After much difficulty in deciding on the ONE thing to order from their menu, my daughter chose this Kafta kebab plate - minced local lamb, mixed with fresh vegetables, Lebanese herbs and spices creating an extraordinary Lebanese traditional Kafta skewer.

I had the lamb kebab, both are served with fatouch salata, pita bread, rice or batata and very tasty dips - garlic or chili. If you can't make it to Halifax, you can make my version of Fatoush - my favorite Mediterranean style salad - with chunky vegetables, sumac, fresh mint, pita "croutons" and a very lemony vinaigrette.

So where do you go or what do you do to help put winter behind you?

Presto Pasta Night is Really Presto This Week

Thanks Wiffy, Noob Cook and PPN host extraordinaire! Your presentation of this week's Presto Pasta Night roundup is beautiful. I love it! Thanks so much for a job well done. And congratulations! This is the earliest roundup ever.

Thanks everyone for all your tasty pasta dishes. The hard part is choosing where to start! Perhaps the best way is to just shut your eyes, and point.

Remember that next week's fabulous host will be Theresa, The Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine. Send your entries to theresa (at) foodhuntersguide (dot) com and a cc to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

You can check all the Presto Pasta Night Roundups for some inspiration.

Sigh....No Pasta In Sight - until Tomorrow

I am still keeping to my bargain of no pasta this week - given I made my Honey pasta every night last week and sometimes for lunch too. It was the big Presto Pasta Night #100, after all, which was awesome! Huge thanks to everyone for all those tasty treats.

Admittedly, I'm only just starting to feel withdrawal...good thing Wiffy of Noob Cook is hosting tomorrow's roundup and I'll get something pasta this weekend. Don't forget to send her your entry - just email to ppn (at) noobcook (dot) com and cc me, please ...ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

In the meantime, last night my daughter made a very spicy tasty roasted salmon with mango mint salsa from Bonnie Stern's Essentials of Home Cooking - one of my favorite cookbooks. (I've shared many a great recipe from one of several of her books - just do a search within the blog) ..and I will be sharing this one very soon. It was delicious. Joanna served it with the cutest, skinniest asparagus ever and portobello mushroom caps stuffed with feta and mint all roasted along with the salmon.

Tonight we're having a phenomenal looking Hoisin Roasted Chicken from the latest Joan Nathan cookbook The New American Cooking . Joan's another of my favorite cookbook authors. The bird almost looks too good to eat - a gorgeous dark mahogany coat, the most mouth watering aroma all afternoon that had me hungering for it way before it was done!

I served it with broccoli spears roasted with some oyster sauce, olive oil and roasted sesame seeds...declicious and give a whole new meaning to "roast chicken".

What's For Breakfast

Before returning to The South Beach Diet Supercharged (with all that pasta last week, I'll be on Phase One forever), I rarely ate breakfast....just some coffee and good to go. No wonder I had headaches, no wonder that spare tire around my waist. You'll have to read the book for the scientific explanation, but breakfast, as we all know is the most important meal of the day.

While I do love hard boiled eggs...they get boring after a while; frittatas...take too long for weekdays; and omelets...too much concentration at 6:30A.M..., I thought I'd share my new favorite - the scrambled egg wrap. Multi grain wraps slightly warmed in the microwave, surround eggs scrambled plain, with goat cheese, feta crumbled or shredded provolone; a little something spread on the wrap like roasted red pepper pesto, classic basil pesto, or what you see peeking out in the photo...Puerto Rican Ajilimojili . Something green like baby arugula or spinach adds a nice texture and flavor too.

Seriously, breakfast will never be boring again.

Amazing - a Dinner Without Pasta

I know it's hard to believe, but I actually can cook a meal that does not have pasta as the star. Last night my Honey asked if we could...just for a little while...NOT have pasta. We happened to be near Pete's Frootique which I'm talked about before. I also knew that their meat, fish, produce...well everything is of excellent quality and you know what they say..."you get what you pay for"... a bit on the expensive side. But, after a week of pasta twice a day, I thought to treat us to some delicious steaks.

There at the meat counter were these beautiful lamb rolls, stuffed with feta and lots of herbs and perhaps spinach. I couldn't resist and the reality....the $15 lamb roll actually fed four! Not terribly expensive and very, very tasty.

I served it with a side dish I saw Chef Michael Smith make on Foodtv's Chef at Home.

Roasted Star Anise Carrots

Don't make a face, they were awesome and went perfectly with the lamb roll. I actually used some of left over mushroom & spinach pasta sauce (without the sausage) to braise it.

Tonight's dinner will be roasted salmon (not sure which one I'll choose) with roasted cauliflower and steamed baby lima beans...because sometimes there's nothing like a simple to do, old favorite.

That said...I'm already thinking about what to make for this week's Presto Pasta Night. Wiffy of Noob Cook is hosting so don't forget to send her your entry by Thursday. Email: ppn (at) noobcook (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Presto Pasta Night Hits 100!

All I can say is....WOW!!! What an awesome week. And first I must apologize for using words like awesome, delicious, gorgeous, glorious, spectacular over and over...even the thesaurus couldn't help me. Same goes for "shares", "brings", "makes"...but I hope you overlook my vocabulary weaknesses and just enjoy the treats.

Kuchenlatein said "wouldn't it be great if you got 100 entries for Presto Pasta Night?" and while we did fall a bit short- 49, this is the most EVER! It was wonderful to find out that for quite a few people , Presto Pasta Nights was their first food blogging event and they still love it. And it was very moving to see so many long time friends here right beside almost as many newbies. I certainly never expected it to take off... and stay up in the air, I might add...the way that it did. So a very special thanks to all of you.

Because you all came for the pasta and not for me doing a Sally Fields..."You like me! You really like me!"...here are the real stars of Presto Pasta Night #100.

Kitchenetta of Got No Milk, a long time supporter of Presto Pasta Night had her entry in before #99 was more than five minutes old. I always love her dishes and, even more...her followup posts announcing the week's roundup to all her readers. This week, she shares a very tasty looking Roasted Butternut Squash & Bacon Pasta.


Abby of Eat the Right Stuff, is another PPN Lifer. Her posts with delicious dishes have helped make this weekly event such a success. Just look at her Pancetta, Radicchio & Lemon Linguine.


Juliette of A Little Foodie is a food blogging newbie and I'm proud to say that this post for Roasted Squash, Leeks & Onions with Goat Cheese is actually her third post PERIOD! So welcome and I do hope that joining the fun here becomes a habit.


Norene Gilletz, one of my favorite Canadian cookbook authors, and a great lady, shared her Penne Al Pesto Jardiniere with us. So easy, so quick to put together, so healthy...what's not to try.

Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen "threw" this Leftover Pasta together to clean out her fridge before her vacation. Looks like she has a perfect fridge for foraging! Have a great vacation!


Aqua of Served With Love, made a great Pasta for One. Unfortunately her hubby is not a pasta fan...hard to believe, I know.


Liz of Sauced whipped up a spectacular dish of Spicy Duck Ragu - serious celebrations in practically no time!


Ulrike of Kuchenlatein and great PPNer over the years shares this fantastic, gorgeous AND easy Pasta with Leeks, Peas & Pesto.


Mikky of My Finds is a relative PPN newbie, and hopefully will show up for some of the next 100 roundups. Check out this fantastic Baked Creamy Penne with Shrimp & Spinach.


Joelen and her Culinary Adventures brings a lovely, healthy Whole Wheat Ricotta Gnocchi to our party...excellent!!!


Pam at Sidewalk Shoes is back with a very fancy party dish. Don't you think Pasta with Anchovies, Currants and Fennel sounds festive and look at how gorgeous.


CY at Eat First Diet Later doesn't think this is "real" pasta...but who's she kidding. Her version of Pad Thai sounds and looks amazing.


Gilli of So So Simple is simply awesome. She actually took time out of her vacation to share a perfect party Orzo & Beetroot Salad with us. Now I think all of us should catch up with them and join in the fun.


Ivy of Kopiaste made a very intriguing dish of Fettuccine with Chicken in Chocolaty Mastic Gum Sauce. It looks excellent and now I'm so curious I have to hunt down mastic gum. I wonder where I might find some.


Becke, the Columbus Foodie has come to many a Presto Pasta Night and this time around she shares a droolingly delicious looking Chicken Pasta Skillet.


Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast another great regular over the last 100 roundups. This dish- Pasta With Chicken & Spinach in Red Wine is perfect.


It is lovely to see so many regulars, here. Gay, the Scientist in the Kitchen is finally in her own place and her first meal...Pasta with Crazy Cut Tuna Sauce...just for us. How lucky is that!


Newbie blogger Sarah of Taste My Plate joined in the PPN fun with her first (of many more to come, I hope) Mediterranean Pasta Bake. It will certainly transport me away from our cold and crazy winter.


Wiffy of Noob Cook - and next week's host, made a wonderful looking Fried Bee Hoon with Stewed Pork with stepped out photo instructions to make a simple dish even simpler to prepare.


Marija of Palachinka is back with a fantastic looking casserole - Acini di Pepe with Saffron Bechamel...very party food!


Katie of Thyme for Cooking always starts my day with a smile and ends it by serving up a very delicious meal. Check out this comforting and glorious looking Risotto Style Orzo and Prosciutto.


Joanne of Eats Well With Others made a heart-stopping, breath-taking, very grown up Caramelized Sweet Potato Mac 'n Cheese. See for yourself.


Avra of I've Got Food on My Brain has been sending in pastas since her first roundup...always tasty. This week it's delicious looking Greek Pastitio.


Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska made these fantastic looking Oxtail Ravioli in Mushroom Broth from scratch. They look amazing and apparently not that hard to make, either...my kind of dish.


Kevin, my favorite Closet Cook, shared a heavenly dish of Wild Mushrooms & Double Smoked Bacon Pasta for the big bash. His pastas always make my mouth water.


Melissa of Alosha's Kitchen has shared many a tasty dish with Presto Pasta Nights and this one looks awesome...a heaping portion of Skillet Ziti with Chicken & Broccoli anyone?


Dharm, Dad, Baker & Chef comes to PPN parties often. This one...whether you call it Fried Mee Hoon or Chow Mein looks terrific.


Sara of I Like to Cook and a very long time food blogging friend, cooked up this Fettuccine with Lemon, Feta & Basil that made me think of Mediterranean mac 'n cheese. Can't wait to try some.


Marye of Baking Delights (another long-time blogging friend) shares a very tempting Cajun Black Bean Fettucine with us. All that's missing is some Cajun music and perhaps a table in the French Quarter of New Orleans!


Glenna of A Fridge Full of Food always brings something fun and healthy. This week she shares a dish I haven't had in years...Alphabet Soup with vegetables. Definitely one to make when my little grandson comes over. He's two and already knows his letters. Now let's see if he'll eat them too!


Holler, of Tinned Tomatoes is back with a timely, tasty (I'm drooling right now) dish of Herbful Pasta with Mushrooms to help us think of Spring...and when is that coming, exactly?


KC of Kit's Chow said her first food blogging event ever was Presto Pasta Nights and I'm glad she's shared a number of great dishes since then. I particularly love how her leftovers become a delicious Baked Tortiglioni.


Maria, of Kali Orexi a fairly new PPNer made a great dish of Chicken Baked with Orzo. She shares my view that there can never be enough variations on any given dish.


Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe is my kind of girl...making easy to prepare, colorful, healthy and of course tasty pastas. So glad she brought her Painless Pasta. Check out the cute little sprouts.
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Sylvie of Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener made this very Presto Garden Buckwheat Noodle dish that looks just right for a quick meal.


Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything , yet another long time foodie friend and she often makes gorgeous and tasty treats for us. Her Orzo Paella looks awesome!


NOE over at The Dog Eats The Crumbs (and after seeing some of the recipes, I understand why) made this mouth-watering Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce. I just bought some fresh porcini mushroom stuffed tortelloni and this is the sauce I'll be making! Hope I didn't drink all the vodka.


Colleen of FoodieTots is back with a wonderful Hearty Baked Ziti. It reminded me that I learned the art of camouflage when my own girls were little. They still love my green chicken soup - made so lovely by the spinach they normally thought was poison.


Daphne Su of More Than Words made a very festive pasta dish for the big party...Honey Roasted Pumpkin RAvioli. It sounds as wonderful as it looks.


Anna of Morsels & Musings made this stunning and exotic (at least here in Halifax) dish of Lemongrass Scallops with Kaffir Vermicelli. The hunt begins for kaffir leaves...


Sailaja of Kidzone made this very kid friendly (make that kids of all ages) Cheesy Vegetarian Lasagna.


Katie over at One Little Corner of the World is back with a terrific weekend of cooking. Her Beef & Noodles is for Presto Pasta Nights...but I will be doing the grilled shrimps soon too. Works fine over garlicky pasta don't you think?

I feel terrible. Ben of that fabulous blog What's Cooking created an absolutely perfect celebration dish for the big 100 and it got lost in the ethernet. Fortunately he left a comment so here is his fantastic Spicy Tilapia over Champagne Pasta.


Michelle of Big Black Dog made a dish I can never resist...I'm really slobbering here...Shrimp in Garlic Cream Sauce.


And finally, the five I made this week (and that's not counting the one I did last night, surrounded by cute little boys who needed my attention- Pasta with Sweet Fennel Sausages & Mushrooms). I could make it in my sleep. Six pastas, crazy, but true...some days I even made two pasta dishes!
First was the leftover Tortellini Fritatta

Then there was my own Mediterranean inspired Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Preserved Lemons, etc...so good.

Probably my favorite...Farfalle with Garlic Butter Shrimp & Pancetta.

Up next lunch of Yemenite Red Lentil Soup with Spaghetti

and supper of Persian Saffron Spiced Yellow Split peas and Ground Lamb - truly - meatsauce like you've never tasted.

A very special thank you to all of you for taking part this week. A giant round of applause for each of you.

Don't forget to think of something wonderful to share for next week's Presto Pasta Night. Fabulous Wiffy of Noob Cook will be hosting and you can send your entries directly to her at ppn (at) noobcook (dot) com so that she'll be sure to capture them all. Please cc me: ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot)com as well.