Green [Book] is good, episode IV

Mom and I have finally been hitting our stride as empty nesters the past few weeks. We went for dinner twice during Restaurant Week, to Bizou (pretty good) and Junction (excellent). We've also been out to lunch twice, to Iron (for Mom's benefit) and Kanak Indian Kitchen, which just opened and is already one of the better restaurants in C'ville and super convenient for us at 5th Street Station. We've also been to two UVA basketball games at John Paul Jones Arena; the first against Florida State was one of our better all-around games of the season, while the second, an overtime win against Notre Dame, was the worst game I've ever had the misfortune of seeing in person (the only thing that could've made it worse was if we'd lost that stinker). We went back to the JPJ for V-Day, which we spent with Trevor Noah, who was very entertaining. We also saw Just Mercy at the Violet Crown (Mom sobbed through most of it) and Green Book at the Paramount, which screened the movie on the one-year anniversary of its Oscar win for best picture.

Because it was Academy Award day, the Paramount ran a special contest: the entrant who picked the most winners in 10 separate Oscar categories would get a prize package consisting of a Paramount tote bag, the Paramount's Green Book poster, and two free Paramount movie passes, with two free popcorn and drink vouchers. I ended up winning the contest with 8 correct answers out of 10, which may be the first thing I've ever won in my life. Which is hilarious because I'd seen exactly one of the films nominated for any of the Oscars—Marriage Story—and that one only because it was showing on Netflix. I do have a secret to my success, but I can't tell you because then I'd give it away to my vast UaKS readership and wouldn't be able to double down on my achievement next year. Sorry.

One of my prizes

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I've made this kale pesto using both the food processor and a NutriBullet, and the NutriBullet is far superior. You can see from the photos below that the food processor is unable to break the kale down completely, whereas the NutriBullet yields a very smooth (and much brighter green) puree. The NutriBullet is also a breeze to clean, unlike the food processor, so it's a win-win to make the kale pesto that way, if you have a NutriBullet. Mom and I both love this stuff, which lets you add more kale to your diet in a tasty way, if you're so inclined.

Spaghetti with kale pesto made in the food processor

Fusilli with kale pesto made in the NutriBullet

Food doesn't get much greener than this

Kale Pesto with Whole-Grain Pasta

Adapted from Chris Morocco via bon appetit (Dec. 2019) (with video)

Time: 33 minutes

If you’re using a NutriBullet, you can grate the Parmesan in there before you start on the pesto. Cut a 28-gram chunk of Parmesan into a few pieces, stick it into the blender cup, and let ’er rip. The cheese will be grated to the right consistency in just a few seconds. Remove the cheese from the blender cup before starting on the pesto.

1 medium garlic clove
79 grams (⅓ cup) water, more as needed
53 grams (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
40 grams (⅓ cup) raw pistachios
kosher salt
1 bunch (~200 grams) dinosaur (aka Tuscan or Lacinato) kale
1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound whole-grain pasta, such as brown rice, whole wheat, spelt, or farro (but you can use regular durum wheat pasta if you like)
28 grams (½ cup) finely grated Parmesan cheese (see note), plus more for serving
28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Put 4 quarts of water on to boil over high heat in a large, covered stockpot.
    2. Meanwhile, zap the unpeeled garlic clove in the microwave for 15 seconds. When it’s cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and cut it into rough chunks or thin slices. Place the garlic, ⅓ cup water, oil, pistachios, and a pinch of kosher salt in a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade or a powerful blender (the large cup of a personal blender like a NutriBullet works great for this job). Blend until very smooth. 
    3. De-stem the kale. This is easy to do by hand (see 4:05 into the video linked above), but you can use a knife, too.
    4. The water should be boiling by now. Stir in the fine sea salt (I used the full amount) until dissolved, then the kale leaves. Cook until the kale is just wilted, about 30 seconds. Using tongs or a spider, transfer the kale to a bowl or a large plate. Keep the water boiling.
    5. Add the pasta to the large pot of still boiling water. Stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook until al dente, reserving a large mugful of the pasta cooking water.
    6. While the pasta is cooking, use your hands to firmly squeeze excess water out of the blanched kale (make sure it's cool enough to handle first). Add the kale to the food processor or blender with the 28 grams grated Parmesan. Blend until very smooth, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning.
    7. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Stir in ~⅓ cup of the pasta cooking water, kale pesto, butter, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until the butter is melted and the pasta is coated with the sauce, adding more pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to achieve the desired consistency (I usually need a few more tablespoons). Serve promptly with more Parmesan and pepper at the table. Serves 4.