Pickles

When I was in college upstate, I had a rather unhealthy obsession with the cafeteria pickles. They had these pickles out next to the sandwich station only during weekday lunches (and not at every lunch either), and lunch was one of the more difficult meals to get to during a day of running from one class to another. So if I had a chance, I would stock up on the pickles, ideally to store in my mini-fridge for another time (although I would inevitably eat them all with whatever sandwich I'd just gotten).

Using pesto

Tagliatelle with shrimp

• Shrimp quickly marinated in some pesto and pan-fried
• Dollop of pesto added to pan
• Heat off

• Mix in noodles
• Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

• Garnish with lots of grated pecorino

Mmm.

Pesto

I have re-visted using fresh basil. I just could not resist buying a bunch at the greenmarket. And although I said I was reluctant to make pesto because I could not find enough uses for it, I made it anyways. I also just wanted to use my new food processor.


This is actually the second batch of pesto I've made this summer. The first batch I used regular garlic but for this one I tried some roasted garlic I had leftover from making oven-roasted tomatoes. Other usual suspects: pine nuts, olive oil and salt.

Toasting is key

I've been on a bit of a sandwich kick lately, which started with my first banh mi. I know, I'm so behind the times. Actually, until fairly recently, I did not have very easy access to banh mi, but now there's a place just a few blocks away. Besides the fact that I love pickled veggies and cilantro, I've determined that these sandwiches are good because the bread is toasted just so--not too crispy, not too soft.