Holy dinner, Batman!

Y'all, if I did not make a fabulous dinner tonight, I simply knew I would perish. I was hellbent, HELLBENT!, on cooking for my T and then eating well together. He has been working awfully hard during the busy season. As an aside, the "busy season" appears, to my novice eyes, to span approximately 49 of each year's 52 weeks, but I am not in finance, so how am I to know.

#wifealwaysknows

Anyway, dinner. Because of a recent sale on Brussels sprouts, aka a direct-line siren song to my heartgutmind, I realized tonight that I was slightly inundated by them. Like, they were overflowing the crisper drawers and trying to free themselves from the too-full fridge. I roasted some last night but those didn't totally do it for me.

So tonight? My pasta with caramelized shallots, Brussels sprouts and speck. Do y'all know of the magnificence that is speck (pron: spaik)? It is similar to prosciutto but, in my humble opinion, infinitely better. I have never cottoned to prosciutto, but speck? It's like shaved, perfectly cooked bacon. 

Hailing from the sudtirol, aka South Tyrol or Alto Adige, region of northern Italy, speck was created as a means of preserving pork; making it incorporates smoking and curing techniques. I first tasted it in Tuscany and have bought it regularly in the States since, at Whole Foods or farmers markets.

Because just yesterday I'd made some fresh pumpkin puree and today thought I'd perish not only if I didn't make dinner but also if said dinner didn't include a spice cake of some sort, a spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.

I cannot even tell you how delicious dinner was. And, frankly, continues to be as I cannot stop eating this cake.

More delish food

www.em-i-lis.com

Peeps, our meals of late have reminded me that maligning winter produce is quick-tongued. The panoply of citrus alone, a bounty of multi-hued jewels, could sustain the pickiest eater for a month. And, forget scurvy! Much can and should be done with these delicious treats. My salads of last night and this evening were made that much better because of their additions of orange: last night the Minneola; tonight the blood orange.

I figured my Italians would be yearning for some pasta by now so made my Brussels sprouts, shallot and speck with long noodles (mafaldine this time) which is always lovely!!

www.em-i-lis.com

This afternoon, the boys and I watched the first third of Raiders of the Lost Ark. What a fun, adventurous film. Harrison Ford was so ruggedly dashing, and within ten minutes of the opening scene, Jack had donned all clothes that could possibly resemble Indy's and fashioned a whip from Zoobs. I love that kid's creative bent. A costume always makes things more real, a belief he and Oliver subscribe to completely. Here is young Indy, sans hat and chest strap, attempting to put excitement behind him so as to do homework.

www.em-i-lis.com

Isn't he handsome?! Look at that tussled hair and rosy lips, eyebrows and lashes any woman would kill for.

Slow Sunday, haircuts, deliciousness all around

Although I was delighted to be up until 2am and then sleep with J in the basement for some inexplicable reason, I paid for it today y'all. Just call me space cadet Em. I fell asleep in the middle of Oliver telling me a story and later, at the market, forgot one of my bags at the checkout counter. It is with immense relief that bedtime is nigh. How cute is Mr. O at the barber? Usually Tom cuts the boys' hair, but it just wasn't happening, so... Doesn't he look like a blanket mountain with a head?!

J had a stomach ache all day, and was asleep by 6:20 tonight; he turned down the jelly doughnut I brought him -unprecedented- and we only read one chapter of 20,000 Leagues before he said, "That's good for today, Mom." It is such a great book so far! I hope J's not sick but simply in need of a great night of sleep. Poor kid has been calling out, loudly!, from bed for the past two hours. He's out like a light but dreaming? hurting? Fingers crossed for a healthful Monday.

This evening I made the Brussels sprouts, shallot and speck pasta again because I wanted to write up a recipe for it. It was delicious again and the recipe is posted now, in Pastas.

You're welcome! ;)

Other fab food from the past week...