Al Dente Pasta — Four Ways

A Virtual Pasta Party

A couple of weeks ago, the nice folks from Al Dente Pasta got in touch with the G3 via this blog and asked if we’d be interested in hosting a pasta party and writing about their product. I was interested in trying the pasta, but I had two reservations about this. First, as you might infer from the sparse posting around here, we are three really maxed-out women right now. Work has been non-stop, we’ve been on the road, dealing with domestic life and all that other stuff that makes it hard to cook, let alone write about it. We can barely get ourselves in the same room for coffee for fifteen minutes let alone have a party. The second is that I worried that well, I wouldn’t like the pasta. And then what would I say?  To solve the first problem, we decided on a virtual sort of pasta cook-off. We’d all make our pasta as part of our daily lives, but then compare notes and photos. As for the second issue, I decided that if the pasta was unremarkable, we could just maintain a polite silence.

Guess what?  It’s good! Really good. I have to tell you, I’ve been staring at Al Dente bags for years and never thought about them. So when a case of the stuff showed up on my porch I was surprised to see on the label “since 1981.” Really? And it’s made in Whitmore Lake? Who knew? There’s a nice information page on the company site explaining the history and growth of Monique Deschaine’s company from a one woman operation to a business with national reach. I’m glad to know she’s sending her pasta all over the country, but I’m more glad to know I can get a high quality pasta made only a few miles away.

But I bet you want to  know what we did with it. Well, lot’s of things.

Maria's Mushroom Fettucine

The wild mushroom fettucine was a natural pair with those Michigan mushrooms I’ve been going on about. I diced up some trumpet mushrooms and shallot and did a quick sautee in olive oil. When the mushrooms had taken on some color, I added some green garlic (local green garlic has been in stock at our food coop lately) sliced into two inch lengths and a little bit of diced preserved lemon that had been hanging around in the fridge.  While  this melded together, I tossed the fettucine in boiling water. It cooks fast, so be vigilant! Just before the pasta was done, I added a little cream to the sauce and let it warm. Then I drained the pasta, saving out a bit of the water, added the pasta to the sautee pan and bound it all together with the pasta water and a couple of tablespoons of butter. It resulted in a silky tangle of noodles and a flavor deepened by the earthy undertones of the mushrooms. Quick, easy and delicious. Four thumbs up around here, although certain younger members of my household patiently picked out their mushrooms and laid them on the side of the plate.

Shana's Spicy Whole Wheat Pasta

We thought Shana had drawn the short straw when we made her take the whole wheat fettucine. But she’s an enterprising young woman, and not only made the best of it, but made the rest of us feel like wimps for having been afraid of the healthy stuff. Here’s what she has to say:

I used the whole wheat (and flax) fettucine, and I modified this recipe –  – subbing chard for kale, and making my own harissa. I follow a recipe similar to this one in Saveur . (As an aside, I can’t stress enough how great it is to keep a jar of harissa in the fridge at all times. It turns what could easily be a loser dinner — scrambled eggs, or some leftover potatoes and greens—into something very nearly quite special.)

I was skeptical of whole wheat pasta, which I always thought tasted like wet cardboard. I thought that people only ate it to be virtuous, and I for one always put taste before virtue.  But the pungent garlic, harissa, and olives, really stood up to the hearty pasta and the meal was well balanced and delicious. I wouldn’t have wanted to make this dish with non-whole wheat pasta, in fact, because the flavors would have overwhelmed the pasta.  It was a good combination.

I was surprised that the pasta cooked so quickly – like 4 minutes or something — and that it tasted really fresh.

Anne's Spinach Feetucine

Anne went in a spring direction with  spinach pasta with leeks, garlic, asparagus, peas, lemon, prosciutto, parmesan w/a little bit of cream added. She says “We liked it a lot – it was very light and delicate – very close to tasting like fresh pasta. I still have to try the spicy sesame – I was planning to do it maybe with tofu and a peanut sauce.”

Nick's Pick: Squid Ink Pasta With Swordfish

My final Al Dente experiment was the squid ink pasta tossed with olive oil, capers, kalamata olives, green garlic and parsley, topped with grilled swordfish (I’d like to say it was fancy, but it was frozen and from Trader Joe’s and just fine.) That meal is best described in three year old Nick’s words:

“Mama, are you serious this is octopus noodles?

( a couple of minutes later) ” I LOVE octopus noodles.”

(extending hand with caper held gingerly between thumb and forefinger) “what’s this??”

(a minute later) “Capers are GREAT. Can I have some more noodles?”

And about a week later while staring at his plate of Barilla penne. “Where are those octopus noodles?”

Al Dente pasta is available by mail order, and locally at both Sparrow’s in Kerrytown and the PFC. I believe I’ve seen them carried at Zingerman’s and Busch’s as well.

Still looking for a Mother’s Day gift?

This is a quick note to say that the good folks at Zingerman’s are sharing a family & friends discount code to friends of The Gastronomical Three. So if you want to send your sweet mama something sweet from Ann Arbor, here’s your chance to do so and save a little dough.

Use the secret code LOVEMOM and get 20% off your order.

Check out the details over at Zingerman’s Mail Order.

Saturday Shopping Report

Sourcing in A2

(Too busy taking pictures of flowers to take any of my food . . .)

In my current being awake, paying more attention mode, I spent a lot of time noticing as I tooled around town on Saturday doing my errands. And I spent a lot more time tooling around town too, what with the warm weather and all. My head was suddenly up rather than  looking down, shoulders hunched against the cold. And I discovered all sort of exciting little bits of news for those of us who love to cook and eat in Ann Arbor. I came home and babbled to my household about my finds. The members of said houshold met my news with reactions ranging from polite enthusiasm to inattention (well, the dog might have been excited about prosciutto ends). So, forthwith, I share them with my perhaps more interested readers

Hollander’s Kitchen and Home is open for business.  The space formerly occupied by the much lamented Everyday Cook and Lunch at Everyday Cook has been taken over by the Hollander’s enterprise and is filling up with simple hardware, everyday cooking utensils and high-end small kitchen appliances. The variety of  spatulas, lettuce spinners, pretty dish towels and kitchen stand mixers (the Viking mixer makes a girl’s heart beat faster . . .) is reminiscent of the old Kitchen Port inventory. The arrangement tilts toward abundance rather the elegant minimalism of Everyday Cook, and while not as easy on the eye as that store, it’s probably more likely you’ll find the, say, candy thermometer you’re looking for. A quick survey of the prices looks like things run a couple of percentage points higher than you might get at the big box stores, but I’m so grateful to have another source for kitchen supplies somewhere I can get to on foot that you won’t find me complaining. (Young Nick, however was VERY disappointed that “the cookers” were not back at the stove and declared “I am very sad. I miss them very much.” As do many of us.)

A much more specific need is being met downstairs, where Monahan’s is now selling homemade coleslaw at $4.95 a pound. And you know, sometimes when you’re grilling on a warm Friday night and there’s not much left in the house, some good coleslaw is just what you need.

You might need it too, if you stop by Sparrow’s and get a look at the Berkshire pork shoulders Bob has stocked in the case at $2.95 a pound. They’ll make most carnivores think longingly of pulled pork. A big pork shoulder, a slow smoking, twelve hours and some of that coleslaw, and you’ll have yourself quite a Saturday supper.

Meanwhile, continuing the pig theme, around the corner at Tracklement’s, T.R. is making his own bacon now (in four flavors to boot).  I had already bought bacon before I noticed this, so I can’t vouch for it, but given the skills at Tracklement’s, I have no doubts. If someone checks it out before I do, please report back.

It must have been a carnivorous kind of day, because I was also pleased to find that Morgan and York are selling pasture raised lamb and pork now.  There’s a decent selection in the cooler, but you can apparently also order what you need/desire.  And as a special bonus, I learned that if you want some prosciutto for pizza, the nice guys at the counter will shave the prosciutto ends into lovely little curls and you can walk away with a whole pizza’s worth for less than a dollar.

All that after having been the proud brewer of coffee for 123 at Selma Cafe on Friday morning and before a dinner of halibut braised with preserved lemon (lemon sourced from Morgan and York), capers and pistachios with a side of fingerling potatoes and flash-sauteed pea shoots (local pea shoots sourced from the PFC) and a brunch of asparagus frittata with tomatilla salsa, couscous and blueberry muffins (great brunch sourced from Jim and Aimee. Thanks guys!) followed by a walk in the woods where garter snakes were caught and many kinds of wildflowers spotted and streams paddled in . . . Life feels pretty good. Ann Arbor, spring, my kind of town.

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Seoul

I will not vouch for the authenticity–the “Korean-ness”–of this soup. I will, however, vouch for its being the the thing to make for the person you love who loves spicy food and is suffering from a terrible head cold. The very head cold that you gave him.

It’s also the perfect way to say “thank you” for off-the-chain-delicious chocolate chip cookies he made for you last week when you were the one who was sneezingcoughingrunnynosesick.

While ambitious for a weeknight dinner, a shortcut version of this soup could be dashed off with some store-bought broth, or doctored-up stock from the fridge, and some poached chicken breasts.

Korean Chicken Soup
Adapted from Food & Wine

One 3-lb. chicken
3 1/2 quarts water
1 medium unpeeled onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large unpeeled garlic clove, smashed
1 t. whole black peppercorns
3 1/2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
A bunch of fresh herbs, like thyme and parsley
Kosher salt
8 oz. thick udon noodles (I buy them pre-cooked in a package from Asian grocery stores, but you could use dried)
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. shiitake (or other) mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. finely julienne peeled ginger
One 12-oz. block firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 c. (or more) kimchee, thinly sliced
2 T (or more) Asian fish sauce
1 t. Asian sesame oil

In a stockpot, combine the chicken with the water, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, and herbs and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Discard the skin. Pull the meat off the bones, cut it into 1/2-inch pieces (if you feel like it) and refrigerate.

Return the bones to the pot, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the broth is richly flavored. Strain the broth into a clean heat proof bowl and rinse out the pot. Return the broth to the pot and boil over moderate heat until reduced a bit, about 20 minutes. Season with a generous amount of kosher salt.

If using dried noodles: in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the udon until al dente. Drain and cool under running water. Drain again.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scrape the mushrooms into the stockpot and add the udon, ginger, tofu, kimchee, fish sauce and sesame oil. Season with salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer until just heated through. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Spring Cleaning

More on getting my kitchen mojo back . . .

The winter had its charms, but, as always, ended up deadening, enervating, driving me beyond necessary hibernation and into immobility. But now, I read the Zuni Cafe Cookbook and the weather warms (sunburn! In April!) and there are those greens in the market, and I wake once more into consciousness, That’s the thing really, the key to my pleasure in the kitchen. Being aware of my choices, of the thwack of the knife, of where the food comes from.

So I begin with the pantry. Reminding myself what’s there; taking out the bottles of oil, the vinegars, and wiping away the accumulated grime; throwing out the fancy little sauces and potions that are beyond possibility of use; making transfers from crumpled plastic bags to clean glass jars. A brief illusion of order.

The scarlet runner beans will pair well with the ham bone left from Easter. The can of Italian tuna in oil should move to the front and go into a salad “soon” (only a year or so after it entered the cupboard). I can not bear to discard the unopened and perfectly fine, if aged, jars of ginger preserves and orange marmelade, so they go back onto the shelf. I may become a jam eater yet, or learn to do clever things involving glazes, tarts and sauces. Right now, these are mostly decorative.

I confront the conflicting desires of abundance and minimalism. I want the pulses and legumes ordered in matching jars, promising delicious meals produced from air and a few staples, but I don’t want their silent reproach as they gather dust and that particular bean density that it will take days to cook to tenderness. How can I keep quinoa so I can say any given night that quinoa will be the perfect complement for the pork chops and at the same time not feel oppressed by the quinoa always on the shelf?

At the same time as I toss out, I plot new acquistions, think about the need for oatmeal and more dried fruit, wonder why there are no roasted red peppers in the cupboard, debate the wisdom of having only jasmine rice.

I know I’m absurd. If I want to create and maintain the perfectly ordered pantry, the perfectly stocked larder, I would have to die because I would have to stop eating (or just go out all the time . . . there’s an idea). Really, after all, both the tyranny and beauty (the terrible beauty) of food production is that it never ceases. Two, three times a day, it is demanded of us that we step up to the plate, belly up to the bar, start chopping. Again. There’s always another chance. Damn. Hallelujah.

No matter how tidy we are, cooking is always kind of a mess. We run out of things, we make do, there are always left-over odds and ends that dog us until we abandon them and move on or, on a lucky day, combine into something new in moment of inspiration and grace.

From the highest shelf, I have pulled half a box of bow tie pasta left over from a Christmas gift basket. There are unevenly cut scraps of ham still lagging from Easter dinner. They might be redeemed with a careful dice. I have two beautiful trumpet mushrooms, each bigger than Nick’s fist. I know the ratio for an Italian cream sauce, learned in the restaurant where I put in my time between college and Europe: 1/2 cup warmed cream, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, I T butter, per serving, all in a pan swirled over a medium flame. The jar of artichoke hearts rescued from a dark corner of a bottom shelf has potential. These things together might be a dinner. Or they might be a disaster. If so, tomorrow brings yet another chance for redemption.

Photo by Timothy Valentine; used under a CC license.

Spring Cleaning Supper: A Variation on Paglia e Fieno

Amounts are person, multiply as necessary and possible given ingredients on hand:

Farfalle pasta (or other reasonably surface-rich pasta to hold the cream sauce)

Butter for cooking

1/2 cup diced ham

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 jarred artichoke hearts

1/2 cup cream

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T Additional butter to finish sauce

Traditional Paglia e Fieno is made with egg and spinach fettucini (thus the “straw and hay”) and with prosciutto. But I am sure thrifty Italian homemakers would not be ashamed to use farfalle and ham.

Prepare about a quarter pound of pasta per person according to your standard method or the package directions. While cooking, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a saute pan. When the butter is melted, add mushrooms and saute until soft and lightly browned. Add ham and diced artichoke hearts, stirring until warmed through. Pour in the cream and let bubble over medium heat until slightly thickened (about five minutes). Add an additional T of butter per person. When it has melted, toss in Parmesan cheese. Although I learned to do this on the heat, it works just as well to turn the flame off and add cheese immediately. Salt and pepper to taste (a healthy grind of black pepper perks this up quite a bit). I also drizzled some of the oil from the artichoke hearts on top to intensify the flavor a bit.

Take out to the deck and enjoy, with company, while marveling there’s still light out at supper time.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that while the sauce was quite satisfying, the farfalle had probably been hanging around in my cupboard for so long because it was pretty low quality and wouldn’t cook evenly (mushy wings and chewy centers). And the scarlet runner beans are on their 12th hour of cooking and are still hard. But, hey, tomorrow is another meal. And the kitchen smells good.

Michigan Mushrooms and More

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

You all have been very patient as we have either been not posting at all or writing about wonderful things to eat in places where you’re not. It’s high time to bring it all back home.

March kicked my butt. So many (so many) years of winters, and I still don’t really believe that March is the worst month. I let myself believe that February is hardest and then March will come and it will all start to get better. But it doesn’t. And it always hurts, because I expected something more. In March, I’m tired of braises and root vegetables and wadded up kleenex and sensible footwear. But there are no reasonable alternatives

Except.

The light stays longer. At the market there are a few glimmers of hope; a table full of spinach, a few handfuls of radishes, the soft brush of pussy willows.

And eggs. There are more eggs, as the chickens begin to wake up to the faint possibility of spring. At this house. we’ve been eating a lot of Dragonwood eggs. Paul drops them by the house, the kids fight over the prettiest ones (the speckled ones are particularly prized), I marvel at the intensity of the yellow in the yolks and before you know it, we’ve whipped through another dozen.

Well, ok, eggs, rebirth, we get that. But the promise of coming alive again into the growing season comes in more unexpected shapes as well. Mushrooms, anyone?

Shana brought me a bag of these beauties from the Selma Cafe a couple of weeks ago (she and Anne and I entertained and perhaps mystified our colleagues by spreading out a mixed pound on a table at work and dividing them up while we oohed and aahed appreciatively). The next Saturday I was literally first in line at the market to make sure I got a half pound before they were gone. The first batch went into a deep, rich sauce for a grilled leg of lamb made in honor of the first day of spring. The second round went into one of my single girl suppers (well, not quite single; young Nick was keeping me company, but he doesn’t hold with fungi and ate his scrambled egg unadorned). Leftover polenta, chilled and sliced and lightly fried in olive oil, layered on top of some hoop house arugula. Dragonwood eggs, softly scrambled. Mushrooms sauteed in butter, with a touch of cream.

(hey, I made that bread; I’m overcoming fear of yeast)

Polenta, eggs, mushrooms, supper. Nothing much, but a moment where I needed to believe that the world would be warm again someday, it was oh so much more. And in its down-deep localness, it helped remind me that I love the place I live in. Even though its winters are damn long.

Culinary Highlights of my Mexico Trip

Just returned last week from a much-needed vacation (9 days!) in Mexico. It’s been years since I have been on a “real” vacation (meaning no family members, as much as I love them, were with us) and I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this relaxed.  After a relatively smooth re-entry week, I think my mind (and my tastebuds) have only halfway returned.  So, before I lose my motivation (as I did earlier this winter with my San Francisco trip) I want to share a visual tour of some the culinary high points with G3 readers.

We stayed in Puerto Morelos, a small low-key fishing village on the “Riviera Maya” (about 40 km south of Cancun), but happily, there was nothing Riviera-like about the town other than the abundant sea and sunshine. We met a lot of American expats and wanderers along with (mostly) loyal repeat visitors, mainly from Northern US, Canada and smatterings of places in Europe and South America. PM is not necessarily a foodie destination, but the local offerings were fine enough (right on the square is one of the best Chinese places we’ve tried in a while – seriously!) and we found it to be a good base for venturing  off to experience more serious Mexican culinary and historic treasures. We visited the ruins at Tulum, and luckily were able to locate the hard-to-find restaurant “Oasis” with some help from the locals and a post on Chowhound – several blocks off the main road in the town. We also ate well in Playa Del Carmen, which we once considered as a vacation spot several years back but now it is REALLY crowded and touristy – not like I imagine Cancun, but kind of – a Riviera-Maya-take on South Beach – definitely not my thing. But luckily, we had some fun shopping for beachy surfer stuff and we had an amazing lunch at a place we read about in our guidebook called La Cueva Del Chango.

In Puerto Morelos we enjoyed Rosie’s Juice Bar (even with the s-l-o-w pace – it helped get us on Mexican time!), Dona Triny’s, as well as some of the traditional/familiar offerings at a restaurant on the water called Paneros, and other fine enough local finds (e.g., Caktuz for Argentinean/amazing grilled beef, Cafe Habanero, the expat hangout, Spagettino for great pasta, El Pirata for local fare). Since Lenny speaks fluent Spanish I decided to turn my brain to zero and not try to speak at all, which helped even more with my relaxation state – but he obviously was able to engage more with the locals who don’t speak English (and sometimes not even Spanish as a lot of the locals only speak Mayan). Anyway here is his mini-take on Rosies:

Rosie is not from the Yucatan but another part of Mexico (Guerrero?), and is sometimes too overwhelmed with customers to provide quick service, but it was vacation so we relaxed. Rosie’s featured a Super Green Juice as well as other fresh fruit smoothies, but we opted for the super green which included radishes, chaya (a local plant similar in some ways to spinach), pineapple, and orange juices. It was large, inexpensive, and delicious, and set us right for the rest of the day (see the photo below).

In Valladolid, where we stopped for lunch on the way to the ruins at Chichen Itza, we had our (well, my)  favorite meal at the Meson De Marques, on the main square. It was the most typical Yucatecan fare (although definitely a more sophisticated take) we were able to try and we thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the setting.

So without further ado here is a “taste” of what we were lucky enough to experience on our trip.

Rosie’s Eggs Mexican Style

Rosie’s Magical Green Detox Drink (w/Chaya)

Dona Triny’s Tortilla Soup

Oasis Restaurant

Oasis Seafood Quesadillas

Oasis Conch Ceviche

Oasis Garlic Shrimp

Oasis Chips and Salsa

Paneras Sopa de Camarones

Cueva Del Chango – Playa del Carmen

Cueva Del Chango Poblano Soup

Cueva Del Chango – Sopes

Hotel El Meson De Marques Exterior – Valladolid

Hotel Meson Marques Cochinita Pibil

Hotel Casa Marques Queso Relleno

Special Gift for G3 Readers at Zingerman’s Warehouse Sale

I’ve long wanted to write a post about how to shop at Zingerman’s on a shoestring budget. At times, this felt like trying to write about how to fill your closet with Manolo Blahniks while working at Target.

Now, however, they’re making this task very easy for me: for the next 20 or so weeks on Fridays from 11am – 7pm, Zingerman’s is holding a Warehouse sale at 610 Phoenix Drive [Google Map] in order to move some inventory at generous discounts, which you may have already heard about it in The Ann Arbor Chronicle.

Tomorrow — Friday, March 20–everyone who stops in will receive a free gingerbread coffeecake. And best of all: there will also be a free gift–with a purchase–for readers of this blog. Just mention that you heard about it on Gastronomical Three.*

Ann Arbor, our affordable gourmet-grocery-dreams are coming true.

The stock will be different each week, but to keep up with what’s on offer, you can send an e-mail to warehousesale@zingermans.com.Here’s what will be available tomorrow for purchase:

• English Farmhouse Cheddar – C-EFC – reg. $38/lb, sale price $20/lb.
• St. Marcellin – C-STM – sale price $5 each
• Jowl Bacon – M-JWL – reg. $10, sale price $5
• Marina Colonna Orange oil – O-COL-ARA – reg. $25, sale price $12
• Moutere Grove olive oil – O-GRO – reg. $35, sale price $15
• Vosges Mini Book of Bars – P-9VS – reg. $35, sale price $15
• Anchovy Paste – P-ANP – reg. $7, sale price $5
• Mathei Biscotti – P-BIS – reg. $14, sale price $5
• Michel Cluizel 85% bar – P-CLU-85 – reg. $9, sale price $5
• D. Barbero Torrone – P-DBT – reg. $60, sale price $21
• Al Dente Land & Sea pasta – P-LSP – reg. $9, sale price $5
• Tutto Calabria Miscela Esplosiva – P-MIS – reg. $15, sale price $8
• Bagna Cauda Warmer – P-MKR – reg. $15, sale price $10
• Il Mongetto Spicy Marmalade – P-MSM – reg. $15, sale price $8
• Pomodoro Chivaso Jam – P-OMO – reg. $11, sale price $5
• John Macy’s Cheese Sticks – P-PUF – reg. $6, sale price $3
• Keemun Tea – T-KEE – reg. $24, sale price $12
• Zing label Horseradish Mustard – sale price $3 each
• Rustico Red Pepper Cheese – $7/lb

*G3 is not benefiting from this promotion in any way; we’re just spreading the foodie love. We will always be transparent about relationships between local businesses whose food and services we’re promoting.

I Just Waddled in From Seattle

And boy is my stomach tired . .

You know, there just weren’t enough meals in the day. Places to go, food to eat . ..

Armandino Batali’s Salumi. Forty-five minutes to get to the front of the line and worth every one of those minutes. Cured meat heaven, bottles of wine on the table for glasses poured on the honor system, and the porchetta . . . big, fat succulence. The best part was actually the juice-soaked, crusty roll. I couldn’t stop eating it. A 1.5 pound finnichiona salami came home tucked in suitcase.

Breakfast (twice!) at Le Pichet. Quintessentialy French, sunlit, spare and lovely. With killer coffee to boot. I wanted to live there. Right there in the cafe. This European style yogurt with honey and walnuts was just the right lead in to fresh bread, butter and jam.

Lunch, sadly only once, at The Baguette Box which serves French-Vietnamese style sandwiches. Pork belly with hoisin sauce anyone? In this case, the sweet unctiousness cut a bit by fresh cilantro and cucumber. Just right with a locally brewed ginger ale.

Also, it was spring. Which may have contributed to my dazed euphoria as I wandered around town. That or the Le Pichet coffee. Well, both.

But I was glad to get back to Ann Arbor where it turned out it was also spring, and I was glad to find local chard, kale, beets and spinach at the Co-op. And there were a few people (and one dog) waiting that I was very glad to see. I’ll let them live at Le Pichet with me.

Other lovely Seattle eating experiences, sans photos: Boat Street Cafe where I devoured an entire pickle plate by my own self and Assiago Ristorante where the staff is much given to hugging and the brussels sprouts were a revelation. Yes, four people shared a brussels sprouts appetizer and fought over the last one.

cook-book-marks

I’m on a bit of a tear lately to organize my digital life. I’m really into the social bookmarking site, del.icio.us, which is where I save and tag all manner of things relating to my work: reports about scholarly communication, blog posts about ebooks and e-readers, links to open source publishing tools, and other such geekery. I tend to keep that space pretty much free from cooking- and food-related distractions. Instead, I’ve been saving recipes I’d like to try to a folder called “eatme” in my Firefox browser bookmarks. But you know what? It ain’t working. I bookmark and forget. And I haven’t yet come up with a plan B.

So while I figure out what to do with my bookmarked recipes to make them more useful and available to me, I figured I’d clean out that virtual folder and share them with you. I even categorized them for ya, because I’m feeling so darn organized. Perhaps working with in a library for the past three years is rubbing off on me.

In the comments, I’d love to hear how you organize the recipes you find online.

Breakfast

Breakfast Polenta
Apartment Therapy – The Kitchn

Dessert

Red Velvet Cake
The New York Times

Chocolate Swirl Gingerbread
design*sponge

Hamantaschen
Smitten Kitchen

Oven Crespella with Nutella Sauce
Epicurious

Chocolate Chip Cookies
The New York Times

Poached Pears with Asian Spices
Bitten Blog – The New York Times

Brandied Dried-Fruit Bread Pudding
Gourmet

Fish

Steamed Cod with Coconut Chutney
The New York Times

Meat

Smoked Paprika Roasted Chicken
Simply Recipes

Guiness Braised Short Ribs
The Jewels of New York

Roasted Marrow Bones
The New York Times

Mock Porchetta
Married With Dinner

Mustardy Braised Rabbit with Carrots
The New York Times

Pork Belly Sandwiches
Bitten Blog – The New York Times

Veg

Beet Chips with Curried Sour Cream
Gourmet

Fennel and Celery Salad
The New York Times

Noodles

The Best Pad Thai
Seattle Post Intelligencer

Addictive Mac and Cheese
Bitten Blog – The New York Times

Rice Noodle Salad
The Wednesday Chef

Brothy Shrimp Noodles
Last Night’s Dinner

Snacks

The Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts
Nigella Lawson – The Food Network

Halloumi Cheese with Chiles [Youtube]
Nigella Lawson

Drinks

Cocktails (General How-To)
New York Times