You say pesto, I say pistou

Is it just me, or does everything sound better in French? My favorite magazine, Cooking Light, had Penne with Zucchini Pistou in this month’s issue, and with a few tweaks, it’s what’s for dinner tonight.

I already know this dish rocks; my friend Shannon made it for me last week. Tonight I’m trying it with a few tweaks (of course) – sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, plus a little wild arugula to add a hint of heartiness to the dish.

I haven’t cooked with zucchini before – here’s to trying something new.

Loving la vida leftover

Almond-Rosemary-Rotini-Lisa-Dearen

Buried deep in the lore of male-female relations lies a legend, one that makes home chefs everywhere shudder in fear, shake their heads in disbelief and mutter inappropriately with great regularity.

Tis the legend of he who hates leftovers.

The first time I heard of such a creature, I felt that surely I was hearing a lie. Did this mythological creature really exist? A person who, when presented with a perfectly fine, albeit day old, hot meal merely says, “Nah.”

People, it’s time to stand up and convince your loved ones to embrace leftovers. They are the workhorse of the time-pressed home chef. After a long day at work or at home, sometimes there’s nothing better than a meal prepared the day (or two) before.

It’s a little known fact that some foods actually get better the older they get. Take last night’s Rotini with Almonds & Rosemary. Tonight, the rosemary flavor stood out, nearly rendering it a different dish altogether. And the chili I heated up for my husband which had languished for nearly a month in the depths of my freezer? Declared a success.

Don’t despair if your loved one refuses leftovers. Be clever. Heat it up and plunk down a fresh salad or steamed veggie on the side; a nice glass of wine never hurts, either. To fully convince him/her that this is indeed a new meal, you may have to linger longer in the kitchen, as if preparing a full meal from scratch. Use this time to read a magazine or get caught up on your favorite reality TV show. Your better half will never know….

Almond Rosemary Rotini

Almond Rosemary Rotini

Almond rosemary rotini. Those three words may not say “love at first sight,” but this recipe is always going to be a family favorite. When my husband and I were first dating, he made meals from elaborate to simple, but he always cooked with passion. Almond Rosemary Rotini, an earthy, woodsy dish, inspired by the recipe “Walnuts and Rosemary” from Pasta Sauces From the Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library, was one of the first meals he ever made for me.

Continue reading Rotini with Almonds & Rosemary >> “Almond Rosemary Rotini”

Welcome to The Gonzo Gourmet!

Hi, I’m Lisa! I started this blog as a way to travel through food. Oh, and because I’ve got nearly 200 cookbooks and a bazillion recipes that I’ve collected over the years from newspapers, magazines, memoirs, food packages, Williams-Sonoma catalogs…you get the idea. Yet I still make the same thing, week after week. Join me as I chronicle my attempts to work through my massive cookbook and recipe collection while exploring new tastes, textures and techniques in the kitchen.

Growing up in Northern California, our family always gathered around a table filled with fresh, regional dishes. My mom was an early proponent of California Cuisine and taught me the importance of local, lean ingredients that could be simple or complex, but always delicious.

Following in her footsteps, I focus on healthy, easy, everyday dishes that anyone can cook. My goal is to demystify the cooking process, breaking down the steps so that even a beginner can gain confidence in the kitchen. These are recipes I hope you’ll turn to again and again, recipes you can build on and make your own. You’ll find my kitchen features (mostly) healthy, seasonal recipes that encourage you to expand your skills while improving your palette.

So the madness stops now! Join me as I explore new tastes, textures and techniques in my quest to go from ho-hum to man, this is good!