A flophouse in Duluth

When someone in our family catastrophizes (which is not all that infrequently), Brad thinks of Dan Harris in 10% Happier, whose catastrophizing always ended up with him in a "flophouse in Duluth." For example, if someone scored an assignment that Harris wanted while he was still working at ABC News, he would think the executive who made the assignments "dislikes me → My career is doomed → I'm going to end up in a flophouse in a Duluth." Or he noticed some thinning in the back of his basically full head of hair (Hello!) and imagined a future that looked like this: "Baldness → Unemployment → Flophouse in Duluth." I think this is a funny image to keep in mind when your catastrophizing gets out of hand to calm things down.

 

*********

 

While we were in Seattle, we made one dish and one sauce that each got several votes for posting on the blog. The first is yet another pesto (you can never have too many!), this one using peas. Brad thinks it's a good idea to have some basil-less pesto recipes up your sleeve for the winter months, and I agree. This one is especially good since it's based on frozen peas that you can stock in your freezer and trot out for an easy, emergency dinner when you're in a rush and low on ideas.

 

The chimichurri sauce was Dylan's idea to use up some of the massive quantity of parsley he and Moriah have growing in their garden. This particular recipe actually doesn't use all that much parsley (¼ cup; I've seen recipes using at least a full cup), but that may be why Brad and both liked it, too, since we're both generally not huge fans of parsley. We served it with a simple meal of a frittata and focaccia, but it's versatile and is often served with eggs or grilled vegetables, fish, chicken, or meat.

 

This is my new favorite pasta!

Bucatini with Pea Pesto

Adapted from Deb Perelman via Smitten Kitchen (June 23, 2011)

Time: ~40 minutes

285 grams/10 ounces frozen peas
1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt, plus a rounded ¼ teaspoon, plus a pinch
454 grams/1 pound bucatini or linguine (Trader Joe's Organic Bucatini Pasta is the best dried pasta out there; stock up when you can!)
1 small garlic clove, nuked for 10 seconds in a microwave, then peeled
2 tablespoons (15 grams) pine nuts
25 grams (~⅓ cup) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
70 grams (⅓ cup) olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

    1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in a good pinch of salt until dissolved. Add the frozen peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water until cool.

    2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil over high heat in a large, covered pot. Stir in the 1 to 2 tablespoons of fine sea salt until dissolved. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a large mugful of the pasta cooking water.
    3. Meanwhile, set aside ½ cup of the cooked peas. Place the rest of the peas in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade. Add the garlic, pine nuts, ⅓ cup Parmesan, and rounded ¼ teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the processor running, drizzle in the oil through the feed tube. (This works in a bullet style blender too.)
    4. Return the drained bucatini to the pot. Add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and set over medium-low heat. Add the pesto and remaining ½ cup of peas and toss until heated through, adding more pasta water as needed to get the right consistency. Serve promptly with additional grated Parmesan and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

 

 

Chimichurri

Adapted from Michelle Bernstein via Food & Wine (Apr. 15, 2023)

Time: ~15 minutes

You can serve chimichurri sauce on all sorts of things, including eggs and grilled vegetables, fish, chicken, or steak. The recipe calls for you to make the sauce using a food processor until the addition of the olive oil, but I don't think it's worth breaking out the food processor given the small amount of chopping involved.

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, tightly packed
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (substitute 1½ teaspoons dried oregano)
45 grams (3 tablespoons) red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more of less to taste
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
105 grams (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Finely dice the parsley and oregano leaves. Transfer to a small bowl with the vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Let stand for at least 20 minutes. The sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Serve at room temperature. Makes ~¾ cup.