Nurturing my inner... warm cookies & cold milk

These overcast skies have got to go!  And quick like.  Mother Nature must be in a very bad mood this year.  Thus, she has now put me in a bad mood today when at 5 o'clock it looked like 10 pm.  Misery!

True to my Mediterranean heritage, when one wants to cheer oneself up from the lagging winter-ish doldrums, one eats.  (Or cooks, then eats.  That's on ambitious days.  Or on days when one has no ready made treats to indulge in because one has not made it to one's grocery store in several days.  I'm annoyed with one.)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cranberry Walnut Cookies

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

My view on cookies is that they should be like junk drawers.  You should cram into them as much stuff as is humanly possible.  So where two main ingredients would normally do, I made sure to have twice as much.

At first I wasn't quite sure what the mystery fourth ingredient should be, but seeing as the outdoors thinks it's fall again, I decided to use a common autumn fruit to liven up a standard oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  The tart and chewy cranberry was to be a last minute guest to the party.  (I say "party" as I'm a no makeup, hoodie wearing shut in on a work from home day with no desire to leave the house until sun up.  Did I mention I have on these obnoxious lime green stripped socks with lemons on them?  It's best I don't have a web cam.)

So, oatmeal, chocolate chips, walnuts and dried cranberries were all going into this little package.  But without brown sugar, where would we be, I ask you?  (No place I'd wanna hang out.)

Equal billing for all.

Before I get too far, I must tell you what gave me the idea to make these cookies.  It was very practical.  Left over ingredients from previous postings.  I had oats from making the Anzac biscuits a few months ago, chocolate chips left over from the cookie dough truffles, extra cranberries from the sweet potato casserole and walnuts from something I haven't actually posted.  I knew I needed to use this stuff up and with my kitchen sink philosophy, I figured it all would taste pretty great together.

First, the dry ingredients went into a good sized bowl.

Make sure to get the right oats or your cookies
will be unchewable.

I added in the chocolate chips, cranberries and walnuts.  (And took a picture while it was still looking lovely.)

Pretty much granola at this point.

On top of that went the less attractive baking soda and flour.

Remember in "Close Encounters" when the guy
is obsessed with building the mashed potato
pile? That's what this looked like! Ooh, creepy.

Into another bowl, a larger one, I put in the wet ingredients and the sugar.  Softened butter, eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla and brown sugar.  Then stirred it lightly with a spoon to get it going.

Only two bowls, easy cooking.

Out came the hand mixer because I wanted well blended butter and to fluff up those eggs.  A little air beaten into the batter will make the cookies light and airy.

Ooey and gooey. Two of my favorite words.

I added the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and then used the wooden spoon to blended them well.  It will be a little challenging, because the batter is pretty much like cement, but with some elbow grease, it all bends to your powerful will and comes together.

Looks evenly distributed to me.

The easiest way to scoop up into all equal cookies is to use a scooper.  This is a smaller one, but you can make the cookies any size you'd like.

Super fast, uniform cookie measuring.

I filled each scoop to a bit overflowing and then placed them about two inches apart on a couple cookie sheets lined with Silpats. (You have to buy some. They are about $20.00 - $25.00 each, but you use them over and over and they prevent your cookies from burning and sticking. That is SO worth the initial parting with your cash.)  I lightly patted them down a little flatter before putting them into the oven.

Looking delicious already.

Into a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges and bottoms brown.  It made about three dozen cookies.  (Just one shy, truth be told.)  The first two sheets went in on the two racks.  For even cooking, I turned them around and changed racks five minutes in.  Not sure if I really needed to, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Who doesn't like a lumpy-bumpy cookie?

On to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  (In theory.  Because I couldn't wait for them to cool before chomping into one.)

The grid cooling racks are nice because the hot
cookies don't bend and fall through the rungs.

I topped off my scrumptious, warm, gooey cookie with a glass of cold So Delicious coconut milk.  Because I'm lactose intolerant, I have to get creative and explore other milk-like options.  This was the latest purchase I made.  I liked it, but think I prefer rice milk best.  (Have yet to try almond milk.  How does one milk any of these non-cow items anyway?)

It's no real glass of milk, but hey,
no intolerable side effects of
disaster works for me!

I planned on eating just one.  But really now, right out of the oven, warm and chewy - irresistible!  That mandates a two cookie eating minimum.

This is why you want to cram a bunch of stuff
in there.

My friend just IMed me.  It's hailing at her house 40 minutes west of here.  Ugh.  It's almost April!  Guess I'll have to hunker down with my cold coconut milk and maybe just one more cookie.  (Well, they won't be warm forever now will they.)

Nurturing my inner... wallet friendly take out

Time for a beer around the world update.  This stop: China.

There are TONS of Chinese places in every town.  I try them all.  (To be fair to all.  I love the research.)  But I keep going back to my local fav.  It is the least fancy place of anywhere I've been, but I like the food the best.  (And the prices are fantastic!)  So what it may lack in upscale atmosphere, it makes up for in other key areas.  (What's the good of gorgeous interior design if the food is subpar.  If I can't have both, I'll take the superior food over decor any day.)

That place is China King.  There is one in the Herndon clock tower plaza and probably a lesser known China King II location off of Spring Street, tucked in an industrial park.  (I'm no snob.  That one is closer to me, so I frequent it.)  Pretty much I get the same thing every time: chicken & broccoli.  (Like an old, soft sweatshirt on a cold day, it never disappoints.)  The take out container is jam packed and I think it's about $6.00.  So, who wouldn't be thrilled.  The hot stir fry goes on the bottom and they put a generous scoop of rice on top.

Hot peppers in the back. You have to ask for
them, but IMHO, they are a MUST have.
Adds a little heat and flavor.

The serving size is so generous that for me, it takes me two (sometimes three) days to polish it off.  I has lots of crisp broccoli and sliced, white, lean chicken.  The brown sauce is wonderfully flavorful and just the right amount.  Does not drown the other ingredients.

Once you unpack a serving from the box, you
will see how much is really jammed in there!

The complementary beer is Tsing Tao.  (Which I just learned is pronounced "Ching-Dow.")  It's a lightly malty lager that lends itself perfectly to stir fry.  It does not leave a heavy coating on the palate, so the mild sauce flavor can really shine through.  Very agreeable.

Popular for a reason. You can trust the name.

I must admit, it's exciting to try all these different beers, not knowing what they'll taste like, and make comparisons.  My findings so far lead me to conclude already that every culture must create their beers with specific flavor profiles to go perfectly with their foods.  Which makes absolute sense, I just never thought of it that way.  Food and drink belong together, working as a harmonious team.  The Yin with the Yang.  My advice to you, don't just order your same old familiar American beer when you are out having cuisine from around the world.  Go ahead, be adventurous and order their featured beer.  Like you would do when ordering the regional table wine with dinner if you were in Italy.  You'll be nicely surprised.  Plus your friends will think you are well-cultured and cool. (If you're kinda nerdy, you may need this more than others.)

Nurturing my inner... campfire

If I find that groundhog, I'm going to have a few words with him about his failed ability to accurately predict the weather.  (If I don't make him into a hat first.)  Whatever possessed that fellow to say "Nope, no shadow here," this year?!!  There will be no early spring, oh furry one.  It's freezing out.  Thus, I was inspired to make a fire...

Seeing as I live in a condo and 1.) have no built in fire place and 2.) it's illegal to have an open fire, I had to come up with a more reasonable solution to my warmth dilemma.  (Besides a blankie, which I was wrapped in while working on ideas.)

Gas stove.  You need it.  If you have an electric stove, I pity you.  I grew up with that.  It's functional, sure, but can be limiting if you really love to cook.  I made sure when I bought my home five years ago this week, that my stove was gas.  I used to really like the way it heated up and cooled down quickly when my Nana would cook on hers.  Great way to control the temperature.

Toasted marshmallows are a simple, fat free, easy decadence.  Reminiscent of fun, childhood summer camp experiences.  All you have to do is remove the grate off of one burner.  Turn it on high.  And put two large marshmallows on a fondue fork.

50 calories in two.

At first, I don't put the marshmallows too close to the flame.  I try to warm them up a little so they get soft and heated some inside.  Then I edge them closer to the flame and twirl.  Of course, because they are made of sugar, they will catch on fire.

Round and round it goes.

I just blow out the flame on the marshmallow like a candle and turn to another side and repeat until the entire marshmallow is perfectly soft and toasted.

As good as the real summertime, outdoor
campfire deal, and you don't even have
to leave your house.

You don't have to wait until the next time you go camping to toast marshmallows - if you have a gas stove.  This is an easy improvisation.  And if you're really adventurous, grab a little graham cracker and piece of chocolate bar and make a s'more!  (Might I mention that cinnamon graham crackers add a little extra flavor to those.)  I was a good girl today and went for the low calorie snack version, but didn't feel I was missing out at all.  Sticky, crunchy and flavorful, these toasted marshmallows made me all toasty warm inside on this bitter cold "spring" day.  (Phil, I'm coming after you!)

Nurturing my inner... innovator support

Ever hear of sorghum?  Yeah, me neither.  But apparently you can pop it just like popcorn and it comes out in a miniature version.

Popped sorghum = Popghum.  (I think the name needs a little work.)  They are local.  You can buy Popghum (still sounds weird) at Whole Foods.  Of course.  Land of odd edible things.  Comes in (or will be coming in) different exotic flavors like berbere and cajun creole.  I got the Southwestern Chili & Cheddar.  On the bag they tell you your purchase helps some endangered animal of some kind.  This one featured the Black-Footed Ferret.  Despite the fact that I detest ferrets of any color foot (oh yes, I met one years ago and we did not get along at all) I still bought the snack.  (Seems that I am willing to bend my principles for new and exciting food items.  I'm not proud of this.)  I just hope they support those ferrets on a continent far far away and I never have one end up on my doorstep thanking me for my financial contribution.

The bag had some classy design
work. Matt finish. Very hip.

I realized that you wouldn't quite understand the tiny quality of this baby popcorn-ish treat unless you saw it relative to something familiar.  So, I put a bit in a teaspoon.  Yes, it is that small.

Each popped kernel was the size of a small pea.
You'll think you're 10 feet tall when you eat it.

I took a small bowl and served myself probably half a serving.  It was flavorful and that was enough.  Nice spice and a little kick from the heat.  There was a grey sea salt one at the store as well that would probably taste like regular salted popcorn, so they're not all spicy.  And there is no hull.  Your gums will like that a lot!

So wee, they are. Just look at them.

I first was exposed to other popped grains at that organic restaurant I like.  That's when I learned it could be done.  They had it as part of the dessert.  Novelty or not, I think it's really neat how some crazy people are willing to try popping a grain otherwise we never would have such an interesting snack food as a result.  Hats off to the innovators!

Nurturing my inner... taking inventory

1.) I have no cute clothes in my closet.
2.) I have a closet FULL of clothes.
3.) There are people all over the world who have no clothes and I'm an ungrateful little brat.
4.) Knowing this does not make my clothes any cuter.

I prefer, oddly enough, to lay out my faults to you.  (For reasons other than it gives me gobs of writing material.)  It's so you can know we're on equal ground and I hope that connects us across our PCs as you venture out and take risks.  I need you to know that I am not particularly super gifted at anything.  Everything I do takes effort and practice.  That's the truth.  For example, I didn't even know I could cook at all until I embarked on this electronic recipe documentation adventure.  Sure, I always made bits here and there, but not at this caliber, nor with this level of bravado.  Repetition, I will say, has afforded me some level of competence.  But it's more than that.

With this small molecule of confidence as a building block, somewhere in the past months/couple of years I've managed to offload all fear.  I've learned to embrace my failures in life, work, cooking, running, relationships or otherwise, with a hearty dash of humor and a better helping of self absolution than I ever could have mustered in my torturous 20s.  (I recommend everyone turns 40 because it's completely liberating.)  I've learned that humility and forgiveness settle the spirit like nothing else.  But most importantly I know this: for all good character traits I possess and coexisting bad behaviors I'm working to eliminate, I like who I am.

Back on point.  My closet crisis.  And ingratitude.  (Lest you think I've grown too much.)

In honor of cultivating my seemingly lost ability to appreciate all that I have, I decided to do pantry cooking.  And only use what I had at home.  No new stuff.

Pesto Cream Sauce

2 heaping tbsps fresh pesto
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Dash of pepper
1/2 lb tagliatelle or wide pasta
2 tbsps toasted pignolias (pine nuts)
6 reconstituted sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Sprinkle of Parmesan

I'll start with the pasta.  Good pasta.  From Durante's in CT.

Homemade and nothing's better.

The noodles I chose for this were exceedingly wide.  Much wider than fettuccine noodles.  If you can find it, pick it up!  If not, any long, flat, wide noodle will do.

This stuff really is indescribably good.

I think I may need to get a taller pot for cooking pasta like this.  But within a few seconds, it all softened and fit in there.  I make due with the cookware I have and it's just fine.

Salt the water.

Seven minutes and the pasta was perfectly al dente.  Which is how I prefer mine.  Then I drained it.

How can anyone not love these generously
wide noodles.

I made pesto from scratch a few months ago and put two heaping tablespoons in snack size baggies, flattened and froze.  Then I have single serving size pesto on hand to use at any time.  I took this right from the freezer, broke it up and put it in a pan on medium heat.

In pieces.

It only takes a couple minutes and it will melt back into its original state.

Ready to go in a matter of moments.

I had just a bit of left over heavy cream in the fridge from making macaroni and cheese recently that was going to have to get used up before it expired.  So why not kick up regular pesto to a higher level.  In the pan went the cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper.  Stir together.

Mmm, rich.

I let it simmer for a bit until it thickened.  Whisking to keep it creamy and smooth.

Darkens up a little.

Into a large bowl I tossed the pasta with the pesto cream sauce.  I'm sure I could have stopped right there and been done, but there were just a couple more things to make it even that much better.

Resist taking a bite! Not quite done yet!

I toasted the pignolias until they were just lightly golden.  And put them in the bowl.

Crunch factor! Gotta have it.

Earlier I had reconstituted sun dried tomatoes and chopped them up.  I gently tossed everything together with kitchen tongs.

Mmm, tart, acidic element.

That did it!  Perfect magic.  Just a little bit of Parmesan on top and the dish was complete.  And all from what I already had in the house.  No shopping necessary.

Twisted and piled up in the bowl.

If I don't like what's in my closet, then it's time to do two things before I even consider buying anything new: 1.) Go through every last thing and get rid of any item I don't love, is worn out (in the trash that goes) or doesn't fit.  (Farewell to that which is too big or too small - after my bowl of pasta, the second option is more likely.)  Good Will has late donating hours, so I have plenty of time on weekends to drop off the good pieces so they can get a second life with new owners.  (I sometimes even donate pieces that are new with tags that I never wore!)  2.) Inventory what remains, which should be easier to see in that space, and really ask myself if there is anything I "need."  That should help me so when I'm out, I don't just buy a bunch of random stuff and end up in the exact same place again in six months.  Contrary to my whimsical clothes buying attitude, I don't have to walk out of the store with everything that catches my eye.  (And as of right now, it's been four months since I've bought any clothing items at all.  I haven't even purchased so much as a sock.  I want to see if I can last six months.)

Once I've done a thorough cleansing of my walk-in, only then can I reasonably consider something fresh being allowed into my home.  (Out with the old, THEN in with the new.)  Plus, after having done that in-depth assessment, I'll know exactly what I'm looking for, instead of buying a fifth pair of black slacks I don't need and still being left with a conspicuous lack of grey ones.  I'll also then have the opportunity to see existing pieces in a different light and combine them in new ways as well.  Sometimes you can get what feels like a new wardrobe just from mixing and matching what you already have in ways you never thought of before.

We have such an excess of "stuff" here in America that we buy, buy, buy, only to come home and often find we already had what we needed.  (In triplicate!)  Spring is here and the perfect time to clean, sort and donate.  (Works for your pantry too!)  Make sure that what's left, you absolutely love and will use.  Might make you change your thinking about that next purchase.

Nurturing my inner... oh my shumai

One day a convenient store, the next a dry cleaners.  In my area of the country, who can keep up with the frequent change in ownership of the many revolving establishments.  When a neighbor recently invited me to lunch, she said she was in the mood for sushi, then suggested a name I hadn't heard before.  I said, "What place are you talking about?"  I mean, I know nearly every place in my entire town and I did not recognize it at all.  She was describing how to get there to me and yet, nothing was clicking.  Until she said the magic words, "It used to be a McDonald's."  Oooooh.  Now I know where it is.  McDonalds are overly abundant, familiar landmarks that are everywhere.  But at least there is one less now.

Ariake sushi near Hunter's Woods Plaza.  Opened up a few years ago.  A little shadow of Mickey D's architecture was left on the outside, but they did have a nice patio and an outdoor seating area for use in warmer weather.

I think they did a good job converting it.
Nothing golden or arch-like anywhere.

We went for a late lunch, so I was able to get a nice clear shot of the interior after all the people left.  It was simple and elegant.

Intimate. When we first got there, it was full.

I went in with a plan.  That plan was an appetizer (which I don't always do) and a couple sushi rolls.  I saw a friend bring shumai to her house the other day from another place and it had been on my mind ever since.  So that was the inspiration for my appetizer choice.  When it came to the table, I never saw shumai like this.  It was chopped shrimp the size and shape of a large marble, wrapped in a thin wonton and quickly deep fried.  Incredible!  The hot mustard swirly in the corner was such a complement to the shrimp as well.  Yum, perfection!

Lightly crispy and fresh.

I want to go back this week if only for the fried shrimp shumai alone.  But then there was the sushi.  I went for a Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cucumber, cream cheese, and caviar) and a California Roll (imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, salmon roe).  Both were just delicious.

Super fresh and high quality.

I've already scoped out the menu and I'm totally getting this roll when I go back the next time: Super Dynamite Roll (BBQ eel, avocado, crab, and cream cheese).  So much more to try there.

Granted, this new place was still "fast food," but of a higher quality and certainly healthier than its predecessor.  Anytime they want to overhaul a McAnything, I'm for it.  Especially when they make shumai like this place!  Oh my!!

Nurturing my inner... freebie

Why do I not find out about these things sooner?!  While I do enjoy a good kids-in-the-bathtub pic posted by my friends on that ever popular social networking tool, they need to get their priorities straight and post the REALLY important news like this: Starbucks 40th Anniversary Free Sweet Petite Celebration.

Thank goodness I turned on the TV and caught the commercial for it.  In the very nick of time, as it was only good on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 2-5 pm.  And it was already SATURDAY, the last day of the promo, at 2:45!!!  Egads!!  The pressure.  I put on my shoes as quickly as possible and hopped on down to the nearest Starbucks.  I have seven to chose from in my town.  A bit ridiculous I'd say.  (I do want to note that I did unselfishly think of all my friends and posted the news for them on that social networking site, so there, I shared the love!  And promise of free sugar.)

When I arrived in that all to familiar storefront, there was an unusual line for that time of day.  I stood there impatiently, and I'm certain with annoying foot tapping, hoping they didn't run out of the one thing I came for.  Please oh, please oh, please make that guy in front of me choose the cake pop!  (Me having a complete meltdown like a cranky two year old in public was not on my agenda for the day.)  See, Starbucks just launched a line of mini desserts.  And to celebrate their milestone day, and as I read in a recent article on how they are trying to revive our previous addictive love for them, they were giving away one mini treat of your choice with a coffee purchase.  (I'm so in!)  And what was my poison that day?  The red velvet whoopie pie.  (Which, funny enough, a friend responded to my post that I should get exactly that AND it had already been my plan!  So I knew it would be a great choice.)  You can relax, they had one when it was my turn and I didn't have to lay on the floor flailing and crying about the bitter unfairness of life.  (This time.)

I'm really glad I ran that morning.  Though this "under 200 calories," three-biter pretty much negated the first mile in the 10 seconds it took me to devour it.  (Why does it take SO long to burn off calories, but it's so super fast to eat them?  I take issue with this mad design of the human body.)  Yet that was a scrumptious three bites and completely worth it!  The cake was moist and chocolaty and the creamy center was smooth and well proportioned.  I'm all about proper ratio.  I would definitely get another one.  Well, on another day.  Though, I will tell you I was EXTREMELY close to going to a different Starbucks and ordering another coffee beverage just to get yet another free sweet little treat.  (Shameless!)  I literally was plotting my errand running route to make it happen.  But, in the end, I didn't do it.  Talked my greedy self out of it.  I felt it would be morally wrong to go twice in the same hour.  Gosh, who needs a conscience when the chocolate peanut butter mini cupcake looked divine!  I see a new temptation ahead of me every time I go to pick up a half caf/half decaf tall skim caramel macchiato with whip.  (I figure the skim negates the whip.  Please, do not burst my safe and warm bubble of denial.  I like it here.)

Yep, that's my lap in the car. I'm very urban.

I just love a free anything edible.  For some reason, it makes me feel like a big prize winner.  Getting something for nothing, sort of.  Because I get coffee from Starbucks sometimes anyway.  (That's how they getcha.)  And this way, I didn't overindulge after working out.  (Uh, just because you exercise doesn't mean you automatically get skinny.  It's all about burning more calories than you consume, and let me let you in on a little something - running will make you ravenously HUNGRY!!!  Sometimes I feel like the caterpillar in that book we used to read in grade school who eats his way through all the pages.)

Next time, I want you all to tell me about these things the SECOND you hear about them.  Forgo posting current events, vacation pics or a video of your baby's first steps.  This is the kind of critical thing I simply must know about the moment you know!  I'll forgive you this once, but don't let it happen again.  To think, I nearly missed out on my lovely, perfect-sized, post run, no cost, coffee companion of a delicious snack treat.  *Shudder* to think it.

Nurturing my inner... good neighbor

All you need, is a starting point.  Sometimes it's your own; sometimes you piggyback on to someone else's.  This time, I borrowed inspiration.

I was elbow deep in Quicken yesterday, paying bills, balancing my finances and listening to Five Ingredient Fix on Food Network TV in the background.  Good thing I started to pay attention at some point.  Claire was making a pea and ricotta ravioli.  She has limited herself to five ingredients, hence the name of the show, but I do not.  So... I made it even better.

Pea Ricotta Ravioli

4 tbsps lemon-infused olive oil, preferably homemade (don't freak out)
1/4 lb of proscuitto, sliced thin
8 ounces part skim ricotta
1 1/2 cup fresh peas, blanched (1/2 cup aside for garnish)
1/3 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
1 large clove garlic, sliced and sauteed
2 tsps Parmesan, grated
8-10 leaves of fresh Tarragon, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
40 Won Ton wrappers

On my quest to make this dish, I ran into a fast issue.  Three stores and no lemon olive oil.  That was going to be a problem.  I didn't want to use fresh lemon juice because that wasn't going to be right.  So I decided I would make my own.  (Yes!  I was going to tackle making an infused olive oil.  And it couldn't be easier.)

Lemon-Infused Olive Oil

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 strips of lemon zest



Olive oil and lemon. That's it.

I took a sharp peeler and lightly peeled off the outermost layer of lemon.

A knife can't do it as well.

The peeler will make sure you don't get the pith, which is bitter.

The oils are in the yellow part.

Add the olive oil to a pan and turn on very low.  Add the zest and when the oil warms, do not boil, you let sit there on low for 10 minutes.  If you want a stronger flavor, you can add more zest.

Intensely aromatic.

Take off heat and let cool.  Place in jar or bottle.

Told you it was easy.

Next item to prep is the proscuitto.  The deli should slice it and lay it on sheets like this for you.

Nearly paper thin.

Into a saute pan on medium and flip until lightly browned on both sides.  Remove from heat and set aside to crisp up.

Smokes a little when you cook it.

I'm sure you can use frozen peas to make this, but I wanted to go all out fresh.  You can buy shelled fresh peas in some grocery stores.  Last time I got them at Trader Joe's, this time I had to go to Giant.

$3.50 a package, but worth it. Who wants
to have to shell them all themselves.

They cook in a flash.  Drop them into boiling water for four minutes.  They'll float when they are done.

Cooked, but not mushy.

To maintain the bright green color, drop them into an ice bath to shock them.  (The alternative is to tell the peas about the current gas prices.)

Ooh, chilly.

And it really does work.  The bright color stays put.  Like white on rice.  (Or in this case, like green on peas.  Hmm, not quite as poetic.)

My cup runneth over.

Into a food processor they go.  I have a small processor, so this was going to get filled up the whole way.

A good start.

Claire's recipe was a nice base,  but I knew I wanted more depth of flavor.  In a pan put one garlic clove sliced with a couple teaspoons of the lemon-infused olive oil.  On medium it goes, until the garlic has lightly toasted.

Just enough to mellow the flavor of the garlic.

Ricotta has lots of moisture.  It's good to reduce that in order to make the filling thicker.

Only a small container was necessary.

They said to drain it in a fine mesh strainer.  Uh, I did not have a fine mesh strainer.  I had only a strainer.  A friend had given me some reusable mesh produce bags for Christmas though, and I got an idea.

Good to have reusable things handy.

I put my regular small colander over a bowl and put the (washed, of course) mesh bag on top.

Just like cheesecloth. They were right about
that saying. Necessity is the mother of
invention!

I wrapped up the top of it and let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes to drain.

Patience. Gravity does the rest.

After that time had passed, I gave the bundle a final squeeze, and there were a couple tablespoons of liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Just enough to make the cheese a little
more solid.

I unwrapped the cloth and it worked perfectly!  How's that for quick thinking.

Patterned and all.

I must say, I've never used fresh tarragon in my life.  I am sure I've had it, but not in my own cooking.  It has slight anise notes to it.  But faint, not overpowering.

Long leaves.

Take about 10 and give them a quick chop.  The processor will do the rest later.

Yet another layer of flavor that someone
might not expect.

The ricotta, garlic, tarragon salt and pepper all get added into the processor.  And blend.

Pretty darn smooth.

Scoop all of it into a glass bowl, so just a couple other things can be hand mixed in.

Almost looks like guacamole.

This I didn't want to get chopped up into tiny pieces.  A bit of Fontina cheese.

Pretty easy to find these days.

Fontina is a soft, creamy cheese sort of like provolone.

Large shred on the grater box.

That and a little Parmesan are last to be added and the filling is done.  Mix it all and put into the fridge to cool.

Chill out!

Today was not a day I wanted to make pasta dough.  I wanted to focus on the filling.  So I took the advice of the TV show host and used Won Ton wrappers.

Easy and effective.

This package came with 60.  The square ones.

Floured and stacked.

Get ready, all your hard work is coming together for the moment of assembly.  Grab your filling from the fridge.  Take a wrapper and add a hefty dollop.  You should find a perfectly-sized spoon like I have.  Then you can be easily consistent.

Love this color.

Lightly wet the edges.

Not too wet.

Fold corner to corner.  Work your way around the filling, making sure the air is out, and then seal up the edges tight by pressing your thumb and index finger together.

A simple triangle shape.

Repeat about 40 times and you'll have used up all the filling.

Over three dozen green pillows.

Into a pan of boiling water, drop in about three to five.  Depending on your appetite.  They cook super fast.  Two to three minutes.  They are done after they float.

The dough is so thin it cooks up super fast.

Since I didn't use egg, there are no raw ingredients inside to cook.  You just want to heat up the inside and not overcook the noodles so they burst open and you lose that delicious filling.  (Which would be a total tragedy.)

That beautiful green color never gets old.

Fish out gently with a spider, as they are delicate, and place on a plate.  A few ravioli, then some of the extra peas you had cooked and set aside earlier, crumbled, crispy proscuitto and drizzle with the lemon-infused olive oil.  Serve quickly.  One word to describe - outrageous!  The crazy combo of fresh peas, salty proscuitto, cheeses and lemon collide together with each and every perfect summery bite.

Such a light, fresh flavor. Not heavy at all.

Yeah, so 40 is a lot of ravioli for one person. And they were super fresh right at that very moment. So I called up a friend to see if she was around. She had just finished some yard work, hadn't really planned what she'd be having for dinner and quickly said, "I'll shower.  Come on over!"  I packed up some ravioli, proscuitto, extra peas, lemon olive oil and was there in seven minutes.  (Yes, I am faster than any pizza place.)  In her kitchen, I recreated the dish for her and her husband.  To great reviews.

It will surprise people how good it is! Just try it.

I think it's a sweet thing for someone to bring you dinner.  (Someone who doesn't drive a car with a red and blue light up sign on it and hands you a cardboard box saying, "That will be $19.50," and expect a tip as well.)  A friend who will come to your house with everything they need and cook fresh for you right on the spot.  Such a wonderful way to serve a pal who keeps a busy schedule, often doing kind things for others. Besides, what fun is it to keep a meal this good, and gorgeous, all to yourself.

Next time you make something wonderful, and plentiful, you might want to pick up the phone and call a friend who really could use a home cooked meal and a little visit. Share the bounty. Trust me, if they hadn't had time to plan their own dinner, it will totally make their day. And yours too!  (And then you can call yourself a personal chef!  Well, unofficially you can.)