Google and Pasta.... and Walmart
I'm tired of debating with folks on FB about this that and the other thing so I thought I would update my blog today with my latest recipe. I'll get to the subject in a bit but first a few public service announcements. Mostly because you're probably wondering why I have the word Walmart in the subject.
I mentioned to my boss the other day that Walmart is really making it hard for me to dislike them. A) because of their generosity we were able to put over 300 kids to work this summer and B) because they're sponsoring the show MasterChef this season and I won't not watch it because of Walmart! So what's a girl to do? Deal with it I guess, so deal with it I shall, but I don't have to like it and here are my reasons why:
First of all I do shop at Walmart, but mostly for household goods for that kind of thing it really is the best prices, because honestly there aren't many local department stores if any. So I don't feel as though I'm not supporting local community when I go to Walmart for towels and dishes and things of the like. Food however is another story. We have here in Arizona a local family owned supermarket chain. I've watched with sadness sometimes at yet another neighborhood market close its doors and with it all of its employees in search of gainful employment. Where are these people going to go? To Walmart? In some cases some of these people have worked at these markets for years and are probably at the top of their earnings scale, so to go to work at a mega mart is a giant pay cut at best, not to mention they can no longer be that special person someone goes looking for when they need something at the market, they just become one of the drones you see in Walmart every day. To be fair though, I've noticed a step up in customer service at Walmart. It used to be that you'd go in there and if you looked like you needed help with something, all of the sales associates would scatter to the four winds like cock roaches in search of a cube of sugar. I love my little local store Bashas' I know I can always count on a smiling face with many employees that know my name. I have the meat department number saved in my cell phone for when I get a whim of something I want to do, all I need to is pick up my phone and call the manager and tell him what I'm thinking, and within a half an hour I can go to the store and it is waiting for me in the back with my name on it. I don't really need them to put my name on it, because he always brings it out to me when he sees me coming. I ask you kind readers, where in this day and age do you see that? Yes it costs me a little bit more, but not enough to put me into the poor house. Oh, and lest I forget they still use paper bags. I can't tell you all the things I make use of with paper bags. Mostly they've replaced the trash bowl I used to keep on my counter when cooking, to collect all my rubbish until I was done. Now instead of washing another bowl, I just pitch the bag in the trash. Now before someone gets their knickers in a twist and points out that it isn't me who does the dishes, I'll recant and say "instead of Chuck having to wash another bowl" HA! beat ya to it. *kiss* So I am aware of the global impact Walmart has on the economy over all keeping lots of Americans in jobs, I am also aware of the impact of the little markets being stomped out. So I do what I can to help my local economy. I guess though that MasterChef isn't looking to me as their target audience because most foodies which I am told by a good friend, are one of the smallest segments of audience they have. Yet you can bet we're the ones who are most vocal! So if you're reading this, and you shop at Walmart for your food I implore you to consider that Bashas' down the street, I promise you you won't be disappointed.
Okay
Now I shall begin why this blog is written. My journey through one of Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks. I know I know I said I wanted to do it in a year, but who has that kind of time? I will get it done when I do, and enjoy myself along the way as I have done. This weekend it was a dish called "Tagliatelle with Stilton and Mushrooms" Well I just got back from a trip to Oregon where I visited my aunt and she took me to some really nice places, one of which was a place called "The Blue Herron Cheese Company" I found a really nice wedge of stilton, and I knew I had a recipe in the book for it, so I bought it and brought it home.
I don't know why my first step with any Gordon Ramsay pasta dish has to include Google. With the exception of spaghetti I've had to look up ever single pasta in this book! The bright side is, I get to act all snooty with my new found information and sound like I actually know what the hell I'm talking about when I am out amongst other foodies. "Oh tonight I think I'll have some farfalle with some browned butter cream sauce" sounds so much snootier than "Oh tonight I think I'll have some bow-tie pasta with some sorta sauce" See the difference? I knew you would. Its the same way with computers, I know the language more than I do the actual work, but please don't tell anyone, I still have to work. (Pam if you're reading this, this is really just for comedic effect in my blog, I really know all there is to know about computers, really I do)
So tagliatelle is really just some sort of fettuccine, but if you really want to try and find the fancy names for pasta, Barilla is really about the only brand I've come across that calls them the same as the book in most cases, and its pretty good pasta too for boxed stuff. I don't make my own pasta, someday I might, but for now as I've said in earlier posts this journey is about learning new things about my cooking ability, knowing that I'll throw the pasta across the room with a few f bombs isn't learning anything new, that's just sort of a fact, like pie crust.
Over all the dish came out really nicely. I wasn't sure how well I would like it because blue cheese is a very rich flavor, but it was a very nice blending of complimentary flavors, the oregano and parsley mellowed out the sharp of cheese. Cremini mushrooms were mild in flavor and gave a really pleasant meaty feel on the tongue. I decided to stretch myself a bit with the protein for this meal and grill some swordfish steaks that were on sale at Bashas' for $7.99 a pound, I say stretch because with my family it is hit and miss with fish. I'm getting tired of the stand by pasta protein of chicken or shrimp and in some cases scallops. I marinaded the fish in some soy sauce, garlic, extra virgin olive oil (thank you Rachel Ray with your perky little face that has ruined EVOO for me) and some Old Bay seasoning. It was stunning, everyone liked it so much there were requests that we try more fish. SOLD!
What would I have done different? I don't really know. Unlike a lot of things I do in the kitchen this went really smoothly, I had all my tools, didn't have to run out for something because I was out and forgot.... it was a nice dinner. Topped off from a visit from my daughter and her boy friend and a shared glass of pear wine, the night was a great success.
Oh wait.... Chuck did break one of my wine glasses on the end table sitting right next to me. It shattered into a million pieces of glass dust! Thank goodness I wear glasses or I'd be blind.
The Journey Continues...
(Bashas' does not endorse my blog or compensate me for my opinions)
I mentioned to my boss the other day that Walmart is really making it hard for me to dislike them. A) because of their generosity we were able to put over 300 kids to work this summer and B) because they're sponsoring the show MasterChef this season and I won't not watch it because of Walmart! So what's a girl to do? Deal with it I guess, so deal with it I shall, but I don't have to like it and here are my reasons why:
First of all I do shop at Walmart, but mostly for household goods for that kind of thing it really is the best prices, because honestly there aren't many local department stores if any. So I don't feel as though I'm not supporting local community when I go to Walmart for towels and dishes and things of the like. Food however is another story. We have here in Arizona a local family owned supermarket chain. I've watched with sadness sometimes at yet another neighborhood market close its doors and with it all of its employees in search of gainful employment. Where are these people going to go? To Walmart? In some cases some of these people have worked at these markets for years and are probably at the top of their earnings scale, so to go to work at a mega mart is a giant pay cut at best, not to mention they can no longer be that special person someone goes looking for when they need something at the market, they just become one of the drones you see in Walmart every day. To be fair though, I've noticed a step up in customer service at Walmart. It used to be that you'd go in there and if you looked like you needed help with something, all of the sales associates would scatter to the four winds like cock roaches in search of a cube of sugar. I love my little local store Bashas' I know I can always count on a smiling face with many employees that know my name. I have the meat department number saved in my cell phone for when I get a whim of something I want to do, all I need to is pick up my phone and call the manager and tell him what I'm thinking, and within a half an hour I can go to the store and it is waiting for me in the back with my name on it. I don't really need them to put my name on it, because he always brings it out to me when he sees me coming. I ask you kind readers, where in this day and age do you see that? Yes it costs me a little bit more, but not enough to put me into the poor house. Oh, and lest I forget they still use paper bags. I can't tell you all the things I make use of with paper bags. Mostly they've replaced the trash bowl I used to keep on my counter when cooking, to collect all my rubbish until I was done. Now instead of washing another bowl, I just pitch the bag in the trash. Now before someone gets their knickers in a twist and points out that it isn't me who does the dishes, I'll recant and say "instead of Chuck having to wash another bowl" HA! beat ya to it. *kiss* So I am aware of the global impact Walmart has on the economy over all keeping lots of Americans in jobs, I am also aware of the impact of the little markets being stomped out. So I do what I can to help my local economy. I guess though that MasterChef isn't looking to me as their target audience because most foodies which I am told by a good friend, are one of the smallest segments of audience they have. Yet you can bet we're the ones who are most vocal! So if you're reading this, and you shop at Walmart for your food I implore you to consider that Bashas' down the street, I promise you you won't be disappointed.
Okay
Now I shall begin why this blog is written. My journey through one of Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks. I know I know I said I wanted to do it in a year, but who has that kind of time? I will get it done when I do, and enjoy myself along the way as I have done. This weekend it was a dish called "Tagliatelle with Stilton and Mushrooms" Well I just got back from a trip to Oregon where I visited my aunt and she took me to some really nice places, one of which was a place called "The Blue Herron Cheese Company" I found a really nice wedge of stilton, and I knew I had a recipe in the book for it, so I bought it and brought it home.
I don't know why my first step with any Gordon Ramsay pasta dish has to include Google. With the exception of spaghetti I've had to look up ever single pasta in this book! The bright side is, I get to act all snooty with my new found information and sound like I actually know what the hell I'm talking about when I am out amongst other foodies. "Oh tonight I think I'll have some farfalle with some browned butter cream sauce" sounds so much snootier than "Oh tonight I think I'll have some bow-tie pasta with some sorta sauce" See the difference? I knew you would. Its the same way with computers, I know the language more than I do the actual work, but please don't tell anyone, I still have to work. (Pam if you're reading this, this is really just for comedic effect in my blog, I really know all there is to know about computers, really I do)
So tagliatelle is really just some sort of fettuccine, but if you really want to try and find the fancy names for pasta, Barilla is really about the only brand I've come across that calls them the same as the book in most cases, and its pretty good pasta too for boxed stuff. I don't make my own pasta, someday I might, but for now as I've said in earlier posts this journey is about learning new things about my cooking ability, knowing that I'll throw the pasta across the room with a few f bombs isn't learning anything new, that's just sort of a fact, like pie crust.
Over all the dish came out really nicely. I wasn't sure how well I would like it because blue cheese is a very rich flavor, but it was a very nice blending of complimentary flavors, the oregano and parsley mellowed out the sharp of cheese. Cremini mushrooms were mild in flavor and gave a really pleasant meaty feel on the tongue. I decided to stretch myself a bit with the protein for this meal and grill some swordfish steaks that were on sale at Bashas' for $7.99 a pound, I say stretch because with my family it is hit and miss with fish. I'm getting tired of the stand by pasta protein of chicken or shrimp and in some cases scallops. I marinaded the fish in some soy sauce, garlic, extra virgin olive oil (thank you Rachel Ray with your perky little face that has ruined EVOO for me) and some Old Bay seasoning. It was stunning, everyone liked it so much there were requests that we try more fish. SOLD!
What would I have done different? I don't really know. Unlike a lot of things I do in the kitchen this went really smoothly, I had all my tools, didn't have to run out for something because I was out and forgot.... it was a nice dinner. Topped off from a visit from my daughter and her boy friend and a shared glass of pear wine, the night was a great success.
Oh wait.... Chuck did break one of my wine glasses on the end table sitting right next to me. It shattered into a million pieces of glass dust! Thank goodness I wear glasses or I'd be blind.
The Journey Continues...
(Bashas' does not endorse my blog or compensate me for my opinions)