How did you (or will you) celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo 2007? whether you got a purple bar or not, the experience was meaningful and valuable and worthy of celebration!
My MC Chick is not an author or even a writer (for a change)
However we do share certain tastes ;-) and I know she would have celebrated finishing NaNo 2007 much the same way I did -- by popping a bottle of Proseco and indulging in a decadently rich bowl (or three) of pasta ai quattro formaggio [fontina, telaggio, gorgonzola, and parmesan, to be precise)
May I just say, YUM! decadent and delicious.
My Chick, of course, would have had the pasta prepared and the Proseco popped by her new lover, Domenico, the Italian photographer, who is also decadent-and-delicious. After the feast he would be enthusiastic in helping her to, uh, work off the extra calories. :-p
Me, I'm off for a long walk and a session on the Stairmaster....:-D
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50,512 / 50,000
Dic 1, 2007 - 11 02
I'm celebrating tonight and tomorrow night at events organised by our wonderful local San Diego NaNo folks.
My Chick hasn't actually got round to celebrating yet - well, I've left her dangling rather since I crossed the 50,000 line, and I have yet to get her together with the Main Love Interest. But I'll get back to her when I've cleaned the house up a bit and come to terms with the real world a little!
I'm proud to say my Chick is a painter, not a writer/journo/editor/publisher! And she's in her 50s ... but she does have a HOT Italian lover!
It's been such a riot doing this - I loved it!
51,384 / 50,000
Dic 3, 2007 - 09 29
Me, I went shopping, dinner at Olive Garden, and a glass of wine. It's nice. I've gone back to reading and watching some television and rewriting the beginning that had been bugging me the whole time.
My Chick, well I've kind of left her dangling too, but not for too much longer. She would have gotten drug out dancing with her friends and not getting drunk (she's learned better than that), but wound up curled around her new (maybe) boyfriend that night, maybe watching a movie.
I've got to get back to the action of the novel, though. Hope everyone's having fun getting their lives back!
50,191 / 50,000
Dic 4, 2007 - 19 11
My MC Chick is not an author or even a writer (for a change)
However we do share certain tastes ;-) and I know she would have celebrated finishing NaNo 2007 much the same way I did -- by popping a bottle of Proseco and indulging in a decadently rich bowl (or three) of pasta ai quattro formaggio [fontina, telaggio, gorgonzola, and parmesan, to be precise)
May I just say, YUM! decadent and delicious.
My Chick, of course, would have had the pasta prepared and the Proseco popped by her new lover, Domenico, the Italian photographer, who is also decadent-and-delicious. After the feast he would be enthusiastic in helping her to, uh, work off the extra calories. :-p
Me, I'm off for a long walk and a session on the Stairmaster....:-D
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Thanks to the friends 'n' family whose support makes my Night of Writing Dangerously possible! http://www.firstgiving.com/dmacsf
My chick didn't celebrate because she came down with a really nasty flu on the 29th, but she's feeling better and would like a recipe for this delectable pasta you speak of... Puh-leeze!!!!!
54,246 / 50,000
Dic 5, 2007 - 11 19
What a great combo! talented, creative, sexy -- that's one classy cougar ;-0
54,246 / 50,000
Dic 5, 2007 - 12 04
Sure! It's sinfully rich, but if you love cheese...and pasta....definitely a worthy dish for celebration ;-p
It's fast, easy, and delish.
**** Pasta ai Quattro Formaggio [4 cheeses pasta] ****
ORIGINAL RECIPE
-- serves 6 (appetizer or primi course) 4 (main course)
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
4 oz *each* Fontina (cubed)
Bel Paese (cubed)
Gorgonzola (crumbled)
1/2 cup Paresan (grated)
1 cup heavy cream
freshly ground pepper
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1. Boil pasta water while you cube and crumble the cheeses.
Put the pasta in the water when you start melting the butter and cheese -- pasta should be cooked when all the cheeses have melted.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add cheeses and pepper. Blend well, stir constantly.
3. Toss pasta with the sauce
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MODIFICATIONS
PASTA -- I'm not a family of 6 so I don't cook a pound of pasta unless I've got company.
I usually make this recipe using 1/2 pound pasta, for me and a friend,...or for me and leftovers for me ;-)
You can use any kind of pasta you want -- this is a thick sauce, tho, so I wouldn't use anything skinny (like angel hair or spaghettini) I like to use something with nooks and/or crannies so the sauce isn't merely *on* the pasta, but oozes into it as well ;-p Penne or any tube pasta; shells, chiocciole, cavatappi, raddiatore, orchiette....
As a concession to Good Health, I'll often use whole wheat pasta.
BUTTER -- I never use as much butter as in the original recipe -- maybe a tablespoon or two.
I love butter but it just isn't necessary b/c this dish is plenty rich and flavorful without gobs of butter.
It's main purpose is to be the vehicle to melt the cheese so it doesn't stick to the pan
CREAM -- Some heavy cream or at least half 'n' half s required, but I'll often cut it with skim milk. Amount varies depending on how 'saucy' you want it to be.
CHEESES -- You can vary the cheeses, use only 3 (tho then obviously it's Pasta ai Tre Formaggi ;-)) Basically you need
one or two good melting cheeses for texture (Bel Paese, Port Salut, Tallegio, Fontina, Asiago)
a blue cheese (like Gorgonzola) for the pungent flavor
and Parmesan of course, b/c what's an Italian dish without Parmesan? I like to grate from a chunk of fresh Parmagiano-Reggiano, b/c this is a treat, after all. But, I've made this dish with (shhh!) Kraft grated parma, and no one complained ;-)
I wouldn't use mozzarella b/c it's too stretchy.
I've seen recipes that use Grueyere and/or ricotta, but I've never tried those.
ADDITIONS -- mushrooms, broccoli, parsley, tomatoes, zucchini; chunks of sausage, turkey, chicken; whatever you think tastes good coated in cheese.
PREP -- I just cook the pasta while I'm cutting/crumbling the cheeses. Then I drain the pasta and while it's sitting in the colander I melt the cheeses in the same pot. It only takes a minute or so. Then I return the pasta to the pot and mix it all up.
Why wash 2 pots instead of just 1!
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The actual TGIO Celebration Recipe was (if I remember correctly -- I did wash it down with copious sips of Proseco ;-)):
1/2 pound of penne (whole wheat and regular mixed)
2 Tbl butter
1/2 cup heavy cream + approx 1/4 cup low-fat milk
approx 2 oz each of Taleggio and something called "Fontiago" (from Trader Joes -- a mixture of fontina and asiago)
1 oz Gorgonzola
1/2 cup grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
I also sauteed a cup of sliced mushrooms, and an Aidells portobello sausage, cut into thick slices.
And I added a big handful of broccoli florets to the pasta water while it was cooking, so there would be something green and healthy in the mix. (I figure if I add broccoli to something, it magically cuts the calories of everything else by, oh, half ;-p.
Plus it does look kind of pretty, and tastes good with all that gooey cheese on it )
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Enjoy!
51,384 / 50,000
Dic 5, 2007 - 13 23
I might just have to try that tonight (the TIGO recipie since my boyfriend is on a low fat diet). This might make a good replacement for his oh-so-good-but-calorie-ridden alfredo (it starts with a pint of cream and a stick of butter for four serving.)
I might suggest trying the Grueyere. We put some in our four cheese mac-and-cheese and it's fantastic! It really makes the dish, but it has a really strong taste (and melts so pretty) that you don't really need that much to get a good punch to the dish.