FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

A Marinara Non-Recipe

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Spaghetti Plate

Over the weekend, I filmed a video describing why I love Italian food for the Michael Angelo’s “Share Your Taste for Italy” contest.  I couldn’t believe how long it had been since I got in front of the camera!  But what I couldn’t believe even more was that I have never really posted my go-to, non-recipe for marinara.

I say non-recipe, because it varies slightly every time I make it.

Sliced Tomatoes

FoodFash Marinara

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

6 tomatoes, cores removed and pureed in a blender or food processor

salt and crushed red pepper to taste

fresh basil and parmesan cheese

Pour olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat.  When the olive oil is warm, add the crushed garlic and let cook until it’s just starting to brown.  Add the pureed tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper and let boil for about 40 minutes.  Pour over a bed of pasta and top with basil and parmesan.

Boiling Marinara

I really love how fresh this sauce tastes and how it lightens up a pasta dish.  It also goes really well with spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs.  And I bet it would be super wonderful over some homemade gnocchi!

Being Playful

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I had a completely different plan tonight.  One that went something like skipping a workout, heading to Sound & Cinema at the Long Center, and braving a crowd.  And then I didn’t want to do it.  I wanted to swim.  And then I wanted Dickie’s spaghetti and the comfort of their house in our neighborhood.  I filled him in on the plan I planned and walked the long way, stopping at my favorite gas station to pick up some tall boys to go with dinner.

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I thought a lot of thoughts during this walk.  I thought about why we stop playing and, specifically, when I stopped playing.  I thought about how the younger kids on my block would knock on my door after school and I’d let the dog out and we’d all run around through our yards until we were Florida sweaty.  And then I thought about the point in which that became unappealing and I began to say no.  The point when I had other things to do, fourteen year-old things to do.

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And then I thought about my life since moving to Austin and the friendships here that have become the strongest.  And until this long thinking walk, I thought we’d all become so close because we’re dreamers and do-ers and we find joy in one another’s dreaming and doing.  But tonight it became so, so clear why I’ve fallen fast in love with my friends in Austin and the city itself – I started playing again.

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And Austin makes a darn good playground.

Happy Memorial Day!!

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Bastrop River Company

What a weekend it’s been so far!  From group dinners to 90s rap dance parties to hitting baseballs in the park to eating the best chicken wings and pizza in town – one might have thought we accomplished it all by Saturday night.  But as the clouds in Austin cleared out and made way for super Sunshine on Sunday, we packed our coolers and headed southeast to the Bastrop River Company.

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In addition to coolers filled with beers and snacks, we also brought a couple Dickie Boards.  Four people floated on tubes and two of us paddled most of the way.  At one point, Brett (a paddler) roped himself to all of the tubes and toted our herd down the river.  I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to be back on a board!

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When we arrived back on land, we made sure to get plenty of pictures of Justin’s ridiculous America outfit Dickie Boards in the park.  And after lots of photo wonderfulness and hanging with the Bastrop River Company guys for a bit, we headed back to town.

I hope everyone’s Memorial Day is filled with lots of family, friends, and appreciation for what this day represents!

So. Much. Food.

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This past weekend, a few of us gathered at Green Pastures here in Austin for Lauren‘s babyshower.  I had never heard of Green Pastures and, in a very un-me fashion, I didn’t even look the place up before heading that way.  But as I pulled through the gravel parking lot and saw a beautiful early 1900s home with a lush lawn and wraparound porch, I knew that this brunch was going to be something special.

We gathered in a semi-private dining room and caught up on Lauren’s latest pregnancy news.  Some of us heard the baby’s name for the first time.  Some of us learned a thing or two about birthing centers.  But mostly, we sat around the table in our Sunday finest anticipating the all-you-can-eat buffet.  Oh and milk punch.  We slurped up milk punch, a divine mixture of ice cream, bourbon, brandy, and rum, before heading into the main dining hall.

When we set eyes on how extensive the buffet actually was, we were overwhelmed.  Big time.  They had everything from quiche to gaspacho to ahi tuna to kale salad to chocolate covered bacon to eggs benedict.  I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say there must have been 200-ish dishes to choose from.  And then the sneaky servers that filled up your milk punch while you weren’t looking.  It was glutton to the max, but it was wonderful glutton.  This was the kind of brunch you left feeling happy full, spoiled full, not why-did-I-eat-that full.

And then we sat our full-bellied selves around the table and watched miss Lauren open up presents that she and Matt will soon share with their precious little boy.  A little boy who is already so loved and who all of us are so excited to finally meet!