Spaghetti and Peas | The Girls in the Garden

The book tour stops here today for the latest novel by Lisa Jewell called The Girls in the Garden. Set in a communal garden square tucked away in the city of London, we're thrust immediately into the the climax of the story, leaving us in the dark about the cast of characters seen through a haze as Pip discovers her sister Grace's unconscious, bloody body near the edge of a rose garden.

The book is then divided into two parts, "Before" and "After, the former making up the bulk of the story which is told mainly through the voice of three characters—tweenage Pip, her young, timid mother Clare, and the beautiful, slightly older, bohemian-style Adele (mother of Willow, Fern and Catkin, wife of handsome, charming Leo).

Chrissy Teigen's Cheesy Jalapeño Tuna Noodle Casserole

So, I'm the kinda girl who goes to the library and comes home with a stack of cookbooks so high they'd be dangerous if they fell on somebody. When I can carve out some time, I'll grab a pad of sticky tabs and start paging through. Every once in a while, I come across a book that I must (MUST!) have in my personal collection pronto. Chrissy Teigen's cookbook, Cravings, was one of those books.

I'm not going to go into depth about the book...yet—but that's because I want to do a dedicated review post on it (in fact, I'm so enamored of it that I'm contemplating a Julie and Julia-style cook-through). But I did think that this month's Fish Friday Foodies theme, fish in a dish, was the perfect opportunity to try one of the recipe I had bookmarked in it.

Spaghetti di LaRusso | The Karate Kid

Well, hello 2018. Here I am sidling up to you, and almost a whole month has already gone by. And just because I can, now that I've officially welcomed you, I'm gonna go ahead and slip back into the past—34 years in the past to be exact, because it's time for another round of recipes inspired by 80's movies from me and Kimberly at Coffee and Casseroles.

Spaghetti Bolognese | The Silent Fountain

Welcome to the TLC Book Tours stop for The Silent Fountain, the latest novel by author Victoria Fox. Chapter by chapter, The Silent Fountain ebbs and flows over a period of four decades, introducing the reader gradually to its two main characters, Vivien and Lucy. Both women experienced life-altering events growing up, and both find themselves in a less than ideal situations at some point in their young adult life.

Fusilli w/ Raw Tomato Sauce | The Sweet Life

Welcome to the TLC Book Tours stop for the latest novel by Sharon Struth called The Sweet Life. This is a sweet story, if somewhat predictable. Mamie Weber is offered the chance to join a bus tour of Tuscany (sound familiar?), and though it's a covert assignment for work, she looks at it as a chance to try and move forward in the aftermath of a tragic accident that took her husband and daughter's lives 5 years ago.

Smoked Oysters, Clams, and Cockles Linguine | Game of Thrones

OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND COCKLES!

I can feel the excitement in the air—we made it to premiere day! In case you missed it, Evelyne of CulturEatz and I teamed up to bring you Game of Thrones inspired recipes all week long in anticipation of the new season. We started Monday, and traded off days, creating 3 recipes apiece, and culminating with both of us sharing a recipe today with our chosen theme.

Italian Rice Pilaf + The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook Review

I've always said that everybody should learn to cook a handful of dishes really, really well and keep them in their back pocket. Then they call pull them out when family or friends come over and everybody will be impressed by their cooking prowess. But what about all of the other days, when you still have to have dinner on the table, but your family is threatening to walk out if you make your famous cheesy baked pasta one more time?

That's when it pays to have a solid cookbook arsenal at  your fingertips, like the one that I'm sharing with you today, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. Written by fellow blogger Mary Younkin of Barefeet in the Kitchen, this book is packed from cover to cover with no-frills recipes that are simple to make and delicious to eat—any day of the week (because your family deserves that cooking prowess every day).

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese w/ Prosciutto & Leeks inspired by The Big Chili

One of my favorite types of books to read are cozy mysteries (or cozies). Although I've enjoyed almost every cozy I've read, I tend to gravitate towards the foodcentric ones. Weird, huh?  I credit Diane Mott Davidson and her Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series for introducing me to the genre. A few more of my favorite culinary cozy series are the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke, the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle, the Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby, the Savannah Reid Mysteries by G.A. McKevett, and the Gourmet Girl Mysteries by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant. I also enjoy the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries by Jane Cleland, but they are't culinary centered.

Obviously I love the foodie-type ones. I mean, have you read the title of my site? Anything that combines two of my favorite things (food and books) is a-ok in my book...did you catch my post about joining the Foodies Read Challenge this year? Well, as a part of that, I'm hoping to introduce you to even more reads for you or the foodie in your life over the course of 2016.

Salmon Meatball Carbonara

I often mention that I am a huge fish and seafood lover, often teetering on the edge of being able to label myself a pescetarian. Seafood is so versatile, it cooks quickly, and it has tons of health benefits, it's available year-round—oh, and it tastes good. If you're unsure which way to turn when you're looking for seafood, a good place to start is by looking for the words Alaska seafood.

Alaska's cold waters and natural environment produce seafood with lean flesh, a firm texture, and superior flavor. Plus, those health benefits I mentioned earlier? Alaska seafood is full of high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and oils, plus it's one of the best sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, it is low in saturated fat and sodium.

Did you know that just like produce, seafood has a season? You can find Alaska seafood year round either fresh, frozen, canned or smoked, but here's a look at when the certain varieties are harvested, so you can keep an eye out for your favorite fresh seafood at the market.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac and Cheese

I know today is the first day of Spring, but since it doesn't officially start until 10:45 pm tonight—I'm going to slide in one last comfort food dish. Okay, I can't actually guarantee it's the last one; you never know when the mood may strike. But you know, in the spirit of the weather turning warm(ish) and all...

So yes, this dish. It had been dancing around in my head for quite some time before I actually made it happen. I'd been thinking back to some of my favorite foods growing up. There were certain meals that I always looked forward to. Chicken a la King, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Cordon Bleu...and I loved it when I heard my dad pounding out some chicken in the kitchen. That meant we were having either Chicken Cordon Bleu or Pepperoni Chicken Rolls. Hmmmm, I sense a theme here.

The funny thing is, even though these are some of my favorite childhood meals, I don't find myself making them very often for my own kids. What's wrong with me? I mean, chicken noodle soup and chicken pot pie are fairly regular, but none of the others. When I mentioned chicken cordon bleu, my kids looked at me without recognition registering on their faces. I mean, surely I'd made it once or twice before. Right? I racked my brain and think the last time I made it, my 17-year old was about 3 or 4. That meant that he didn't remember, and my two younger ones had never tried it. #momfail

Alphabet Veggie Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Frozen Food Foundation. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I waste fruits and vegetables. I buy them with the best of intentions. Beautiful little potato orbs just begging to be made into some warm German potato salad wind up looking like a science experiment. Spindly hairs shoot from what were recently bold orange carrots clamoring to be roasted and pureed into some creamy hummus. Crunchy celery stalks once destined to become the log to some peanut butter and raisins now lie soft an limp and neglected at the bottom of my crisper. Cartons of berries that formerly held the promise of summer sunshine, only to wind up cloaked in a fuzzy blanket. Name-calling and insults fly; head-smacking ensues. It's not pretty.

If only nature had a pause button. Oh wait - it does! Freezing fruits and vegetables is a simple way to reduce spoilage and waste. It also saves money, because while I love a rich compost pile, I wouldn't intentionally buy a fresh load of fruits and veggies from the market or farm stand and deposit them directly into it. I wouldn't shred my dollar bills and throw them in. Yet, I sometimes feel like that's exactly what I'm doing.

So, while I'm guilty of these infractions sometimes, I'm not all the time. Because I actually do keep several bags of frozen fruit and veggies in my freezer at all times. Not only are they a convenient option, they're a healthy one since our bodies need the essential nutrients fruits and veggies add to our diet. Did you know that eating a diet rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is more important than ever (eat the rainbow) given the increase in chronic disease rates among age groups!? Sadly, that's because nearly 80 percent of American fail to actually consume the daily recommended amounts of fruit, that percentage rises to 90 when we're talking vegetables. Crazy!

Veggie Lovers Lasagna

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dreamfields. All opinions are 100% my own.

Today I'm partnerting with Dreamfields Pasta to celebrate National Pasta Month. I can think of no better way to celebrate than with a pan stacked with wavy lasagna noodles that are layered with tons of veggies, and accented by a light cream sauce that has been flavored with sundried tomatoes. I'm pretty sure that even the carnivores in your life will be sated after eating a slice of this meatless lasagna.

So, I know lasagna sort of seems like a weekend dish. A dish that you need some time to prepare. But really, once you have all of your components ready (noodles cooked, sauce stirred, veggies chopped)—it's just a matter of layering things into the pan. Hands-on time is only about 20 minutes. Once that part is complete, the oven does all of the work while you finish up some homework, throw in a load of laundry, or set the table and wrangle everybody to the table. I'd say it's very possible to make lasagna a weekday meal.

Since this week of National Pasta Month with Dreamfields is all about vegetarian meals, I left out the meat sauce and loaded up on the veggies. I wanted to use a white sauce, but drenching it in Alfredo didn't seem quite right, so I chose a light Alfredo (if you're making it at home, use skim milk) and then fortified it by swirling in a little sundried tomato pesto; basically a creamy flavor-bomb.

Shrimp Fettuccine in Creamy Hard Cider Sauce

I have this lofty goal of streamlining my liquor shelves. Although I've always cooked and baked with booze without a second thought, I started making a point of doing so a while back. You see, one of the benefits of being a food and beverage writer is that oftentimes, free bottles of booze show up at your front door. The (very small) downside of that is that those bottles can start to take over.

So yes, adding the booze to the food I'm making has become quite deliberate. Yet, the amount of bottles seem to be increasing instead of decreasing. Of course, the fact that I also buy booze of my own accord doesn't help. But you can hardly blame me for not being able to resist a good deal.

The grocery store that I go to most often will sometimes have a cart near the check-out that is filled with marked down bottles of wine or beer. Would you be able to pass up a 6-pack of Hard Cider for $5.00? Crisp, bubbly, and refreshing...yeah, obviously I'm not.

Pasta w/ Black Garlic, Kale, and a Poached Egg

I know that I must sound like a broken record when it comes to my #WeekdaySupper posts. Simple, real food is the best food. Especially when you're in a hurry. Of course, I also talk about preparation, but today's meal can be made without advance preparation and still be on the table in far less than 30 minutes.

I always have pasta in my pantry and eggs in the fridge. With the addition of only a few simple veggies, herbs, spices, and some oil, I've always got a great meal.

I recently bought a pound and a half of black garlic. That's a lot, by the way. So, I've been using it like crazy. Sliced very thin, and tossed sauteed with a bit of oil, a few red chile flakes, and a huge handful of baby kale, it made the perfect flavor-packed, yet super simple meal when added to some pasta.

Spicy Chili Mac

The Tao of Chili Making

Chili will have a list of ingredients so long that it makes your head spin. It can't be helped. 

Don't even try making a small batch of Chili. It is impossible.

No matter how hard you try, two batches of Chili will never turn out the same. 

Learn it. Practice it. Embrace it. Hey, you can't make this stuff up. Except I totally did. But that doesn't make it any less true.

I mean it when I say embrace it, though - I've never met a (giant) pot of chili that I didn't like. From mild to fire-breathing, from shredded beef to ground chicken, from 15-bean to no-bean, from green to white to red...I like 'em all.

Butternut Squash and Prosciutto Bucatini Carbonara #12WeeksofWinterSquash

A few days ago, an overwhelming desire for Carbonara came over me.  I needed that silky sauce like plant needed rain.  In the middle of a drought.  With enforced water restrictions.  I don't know what made it burrow into my psyche, but it was so deep that I knew I wouldn't feel settled until I had a big plate of it.  So, I set to work rummaging through the fridge and pantry.

I had eggs and cheese.  Oh, and even better, I had a package of Bucatini - my favorite noodle.  There's something about that long, slender, hollow tube that I can't resist.  I think it must be its ability to trap the sauce inside.  I didn't have bacon, but I had prosciutto.  That would work.  For a good Carbonara, that's really all you need.  Maybe some black pepper to grind over the top.

But, while I was rummaging, I found a good chunk of butternut squash.  It was a third of one that I roasted to use for infusing vodka (more on that next week).  I decided that while I'm in the throes of the 12 weeks of winter squash, I would add it to the dish.  However, I did not want to wait for the oven to preheat and squash cubes to roast, so I thought I'd try grating it instead.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Tuscan Kale Pasta {Cook the Books + 12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

I first read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, 5 or 6 years ago.  I think it only took a couple of pages to kick-start the longing for my own parcel of useful land.  An area where I could plant not only row after row of vegetables to sustain us throughout the growing season (and beyond), but also an orchard with fruit trees, a few rows of grape vines tucked behind the house, and plenty of room for free-roaming hens, roosters, and turkeys that would produce not only eggs, but meat.

I can still picture an open room with exposed beams dripping with braids of garlic and onions, bunches of herbs and flowers; heavy sunflower heads with bags tied around the end to grab the seeds.  Shelves lined with random mason jars and re-purposed tins.  A root cellar stocked with potatoes and tubers that still have earth clinging to their skins.  Bejeweled jars of jams and preserves lining the shelves of the pantry, alongside tomatoes, purees, and pickles to carry us through the winter.

Half of me is drawn to a "simpler" (yet infinitely more satisfying, I imagine) way of life.  A life where all the food we need comes from our own hands, or the hands of those nearby.  A life where we give up the things that aren't a necessity.  A actual necessity, not a perceived one.

Creamy Penne w/ Chicken & Smoked Sausage {HUNGRY book tour}

HUNGRY: What Eighty Ravenous Guys Taught Me About Life, Love & The Power of Good Food

author: Darlene Barnes
genre: Memoir
publisher: Hyperion
source: TLC Book Tours
"foodie" elements: YES
hard cover: 272 pages

random excerpt:  Some of what made that year hard for me was me.  I was becoming like the women relatives I remembered from my childhood who would spend all day making Thanksgiving dinner and then get mad at the diners who were done in ten minutes, not nearly as thankful as they goddamn well should have been. (p.86)

summary/synopsis (from the TLC website):  Newly arrived in Seattle, Darlene Barnes stumbles on a job ad for a cook at the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity on the University of Washington, Seattle, campus, a prospect most serious food professionals would automatically reject.  But Barnes envisions something other than kegs and corn dogs; she sees an opportunity to bring fresh, real food to an audience accustomed to “Asian Surprise” and other unidentifiable casseroles dropped by a catering service.  And she sees a chance to reinvent herself, by turning a maligned job into meaningful work of her own creation: “I was the new girl and didn’t know or care about the rules.”

In HUNGRY: What Eighty Ravenous Guys Taught Me about Life, Love and the Power of Good Food naively expecting a universally appreciative audience,  Barnes finds an exasperatingly challenging environment: the kitchen is nasty, the basement is scary, and the customers are not always cooperative.  Undaunted, she gives as good as she gets with these foul-mouthed and irreverent—but also funny and sensitive—guys.  Her passion for real food and her sharp tongue make her kitchen a magnet for the brothers, new recruits, and sorority girls tired of frozen dinners.

Laugh-out-loud funny and poignant, HUNGRY offers a female perspective on the real lives of young men, tells a tale of a woman’s determined struggle to find purpose, and explores the many ways that food feeds us.

Caprese Pasta Salad

So, I don't know if you'd noticed or not, but...it's still hot outside!  Summer is in full-swing, and between cook-outs and bonfires, potlucks and camping trips, baseball games and pool parties, there are plenty of opportunities for mindless eating.  However, that means equal opportunities for conscious eating!

(Most) People naturally gravitate towards fresher options in summertime, since they abound between gardens, farmer's markets, and roadside stands.  It's hard to resist the allure of a rainbow, no matter what form it shows up in.

A great way to get that beneficial rainbow into your system is by adding fresh vegetables to your meals, alongside (and in) your usual dishes.  Think eggs, rice, grains, pasta, and the like.  Speaking of pasta, pasta salad shows up at summertime functions all the time...and a fantastic way to "healthify" those offerings are by adding those fresh fruits and veggies, as well as switching up plain white pasta for a whole wheat variety such as Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat pasta.

One of everybody's favorite summertime salads is a Caprese Salad.  Am I right?  I know it's one of mine.  Well, I wanted to take the flavors of Caprese and combine them with the whole wheat pasta for a simple, fresh take on a pasta salad.  By turning bright green basil into a pesto, which is perfectly cupped by the whole wheat bow ties, this takes the place of a heavy mayonnaise-based sauce.  The mozzarella component comes in the form of those irresistible little "pearls" of cheese.  The tomatoes?  The bright, sunny taste is concentrated by slow-roasting some juicy vine-ripened cherry or grape tomatoes.  Now, not everybody likes the addition of Balsamic vinegar, but if you do, drizzle a  bit on right before serving up this salad.

What's that?  Did you say something?  I thought I heard somebody scream SUMMER!

Oh wait, that was just the Caprese Pasta Salad...

Caprese Pasta Salad

This recipe for Caprese Pasta Salad is a welcome twist on everybody's favorite summer salad containing tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes (active) | 30 mi

Cook Time: 7-9 minutes

Keywords: simmer side entree salad vegetarian sugar-free soy-free basil cheese pasta tomatoes July 4th Labor Day Memorial Day summer

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1 (10 ounce) box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Ties
• 1/2 cup Basil Pesto, storebought or homemade (recipe follows)
• 1 cup Slow-Roasted Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, storebought or homemade
• 8 ounces Mozzarella Pearls or Bocconcini
• Aged Balsamic Vinegar, optional
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling, salted water, 7-9 minutes. Drain pasta, shaking to remove excess water, and then place the pasta into a medium-sized bowl. Add the basil pesto, and toss until the pesto coats each and every piece of pasta. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature, 30-40 minutes (you don't want to melt the mozzarella).

Once the pasta has come to room temperature, add the slow-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella pearls. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

You can serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (it's good cold or at room temperature). If you like, drizzle the salad (or the edges of the plate) with a little Balsamic vinegar to taste, just before serving.

notes:

I recommend using a good, aged Balsamic Vinegar here. Balsamic that has been aged for at least 8 years will be thicker and sweeter (and pricier, but you only need a tiny bit). If you don't want to buy the expensive stuff, you can take a little shortcut by reducing a young Balsamic on the stove top.

Add at least double the amount of Balsamic that you want to use to a small pan over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, adjust heat to keep a steady simmer going. Let simmer until reduced by at least half, it should be thick enough to sit on top of the pasta salad when you drizzle it (as opposed to seeping in). You really want to babysit the vinegar, because the reduction process happens pretty fast, especially when you're just doing a small batch. Let cool completely before using.

equipment needed:

large pot (for cooking pasta)

colander or strainer

medium bowl

large spoon

food processor, any size (if making your own pesto)

baking sheet (if slow-roasting your own tomatoes)

making Homemade Basil Pesto (about the amount you'll need for this recipe):

4 ounces fresh basil leaved, rinsed gently and patted dry

2 tablespoons (or so) extra virgin olive oil

1 fat cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

few grinds of black pepper

scant 1/2 cup (scant 1 ounce) finely shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lightly toasted, unsalted pine nuts

Combine basil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on low speed while drizzling in the olive oil. Process until everything has come together, stopping to scrape down the bowl once, if needed.

Add the cheese and pine nuts, process again until everything is just combined. Taste, and adjust lemon juice and seasoning, if needed.

I was provided with 6 boxes of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pasta. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions stated here are 100% my own.

Spaghetti w/ Almonds in Cinnamon Honey Butter {cook the books: How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher}

"...since we must eat to live, we might as well do it with both grace and gusto."  ~MFK Fisher

Our latest Cook the Books selection, How To Cook A Wolf, was originally published in 1942, and concerned eating in a time of war and the food and money shortages that inevitably accompany it.  Author MFK Fisher (some say the first of the food writers) revisited and revised it in 1951, adding notes and additional recipes.

You can tell from chapter titles like "How to Be Cheerful Through Starving", "How to Be Content with a Vegetable Love", and "How Not to Be an Earthworm", that humor is as much a part of Fisher's writing, as is practical advice.   Both simple recipes and techniques for frugality run rampant through the pages, but nary a recipe for braised wolf or wolf's head stew, as the wolf is simply a metaphor for hunger.

When deciding what dish I wanted to make to represent this book, I flipped back through all of the recipes and marked a few.  Ones that had ingredients which I had readily available.  I thought it would defeat the purpose of cooking the wolf if I had to go out and spend money to make something.  I've made Fisher's Tomato Soup Cake several times, and (oddly enough) it is always a hit - plus I get to play "guess that secret ingredient".

But instead of using one of the recipes in the book, I decided to pull a passage that I'd made a note of from the chapter on "How to Distribute Your Virtue".  This chapter has to do with making things stretch...be it by adding half the sugar as you normally would to the pot when making a jam, baking things in the oven for future meals at the same time that you're baking tonight's dinner (saves energy), or by cooking double the amount of rice, potatoes, or pasta that you normally would since you already have the water boiling.

So, when I made Spaghetti with Pesto the other night, I decided to use a larger pot and cook double the noodles.  I separated them after I drained them, and rinsed the "extra" in cold water so that they wouldn't stick together.  I then tucked them away for the following day.

In some of the [notes added in 1951], Fisher mentions the things that you can do with those extra starches that you've cooked and saved on heat consumption...

"Ah, rice pudding, rich with raisins!  Ah, spaghetti baked with honey and shaved almonds in a buttery dish!  Ah, potatoes any way at all but perhaps especially mixed with egg and cheese and fried!  Ah."

Hmmmm.  Spaghetti with honey and almonds and butter. YES!  I kept tossing that idea around in my head, and decided that I would not be satisfied until I tried it.  Now, I didn't skimp on the butter, so this dish seemed almost decadent.  Naughty, even.  But lawdy, was it a delightful little splurge!  But a splurge that I didn't have to hit up the market for, everything was either in my pantry, fridge, or freezer.

"I believe that one of the most dignified ways we are capable of, to assert and then reassert our dignity in the face of poverty and war's fears and pains, is to nourish ourselves with all the possible skill, delicacy, and ever-increasing enjoyment.  And with our gastronomical growth will come, inevitably, knowledge and perception of a hundred other things, but mainly of ourselves."   ~MFK Fisher

Spaghetti w/ Almonds in Cinnamon Honey Butter

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes (using pre-cooked sp

Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

Keywords: breakfast entree pasta almonds

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

for the Cinnamon Honey Butter:

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
• ~1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

for the spaghetti:

• 2-3 ounces Cinnamon Honey Butter
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 12 ounces cooked spaghetti

Instructions

making the Cinnamon Honey Butter:

Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined. Plop the butter mixture onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and roll into a small log. Refrigerate until ready to use.

making the Spaghetti:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add about 2 ounces of the cinnamon honey butter to the pan. As soon as the butter melts, add the almonds. Toss and stir until the almonds are coated in the butter, and they have started to turn golden, 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and toss in the cooked spaghetti noodles.

If you like, place another small pat of the cinnamon honey butter into the bottom of a baking dish (just large enough to hold the noodles). Dump the entire buttery noodle and almond mixture into the dish. Slide into preheated oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until hot all the way through, with a few golden bits here and there.

Enjoy warm!

notes:

You will have extra Cinnamon Honey butter left over. Use it to spread on warm biscuits, or something along those lines.

If you like, fish out a spoonful of the toasty almonds before tossing in the pasta. Reserve and sprinkle over the top before serving. This is purely for aesthetic purposes.

I'm utterly enamored with and utterly confused by this dish all at the same time. When I read the line "Ah, spaghetti baked with honey and shaved almonds in a buttery dish!" in How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher, I knew that I'd never eaten sweet-ish pasta...and that I needed to remedy that immediately.

The scent reminds me of those stands at the fair that sell warm, freshly sugared nuts in cones. I can't resist those, either. Therein lies the confusion. Spaghetti is dinner (or lunch). Sweets are dessert (or a snack). But I couldn't stop eating it. So, I don't know how to classify it, but I look forward to inviting the chaos into many more meals...

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Our selection for this round of Cook the Books, How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher, was chosen by Simona.  Submissions are due today for this round (due Monday, July 29th), so if you're fast...you can still get in on the fun!

And if you want to join us, but haven't read the book or don't have time to post this time, we'd love to have join us in our next round, which I'll be hosting, with one of my favorite novels, The Baker's Daughter by the beautiful, kind, funny, amazing writer Sarah McCoy.  Seriously, I adore this woman as much as I adore the book!

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