Dinner - Mini bow tie pasta with spinach and mushrooms

Tonight I cooked! And it was easy peasy lemon squeezy. I wanted pasta and some nice veggies because meat eating can be overrated (I take it back, I love meat!!!). This meal still did not have any meat in it and that's OK.

I picked up some baby portobello mushrooms, spinach and some mini bow tie pasta (which may or may not have been advertised to children under 10).

It was an italian meal and I cannot start any pasta meal without.....CAPRESE: Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, topped with olive oil and vinegar. The directions on this are self-explanitory. Remember to add salt so that the olive oil sticks!

On to the main course:

First, I washed and chopped up my mushrooms. They just need to be roughly the same size, so they can be cooked evenly. I add olive oil (feel free to use butter!) to a saute pan and let them cook down on medium to low heat.

Don't you dare SALT them! If you do, the juices from the mushrooms will come out. Salt them after the natural juices have come out and they are a pale brownish color. I like to taste a few to make sure. This mainly because I cannot control myself around mushrooms.....These look cooked.

 Next, I cooked my spinach. You can salt and pepper these whenever you want. I don't really care. They will look big in the pan, but they will wilt down and disappear to a manageable size. Seeeeeee, this is about a pound of fresh spinach.

Once, my veggies were cooked, I got started on my pasta.  I threw a handful of salt (should take like ocean water) and my pasta into a pot of boiling water. 7 minutes and counting.

I made my pasta sauce and few nights ago and didn't tell you. I'm sorry. I have been keeping secrets from you, and that ain't right. It's just so yummy and stolen from Emeril Lagasse/ Food Netowork. I can make it from memory these days, so it still feels like mine....

It is essentially yellow onion and garlic sauteed down in some olive oil, a can of peeled chopped tomatoes, basil, a crap-ton of black pepper and chicken stock (I add a little wine too!). Piece of cake. The recipe is on Food Network.com, but any of your favorite pasta sauces will work with the dish I am making. This is the finished product!! I added some parmesan cheese too.

This was delicious and very satisfying. I strongly encourage trying it yourself as it took all of 25 minutes. Note: I am including the work for the pasta sauce in this time, however I would suggest a 3 arm.

Lunch - Cafe Lutecia

That's right. I took pictures this time....kind of. Cafe Lutecia is one of my FAVORITE lunch spots. It has a Parisian country feel and delightfully french food.

I will probably always recommend trying their soup or quiche du jour. Both are lovely and reasonably priced ($8 for both).

I dined on the green lentil soup with saffron and coconut milk. It was light (which is tough for the french) and wonderfully seasoned. The saffron added a luxurious depth to the lentils without being overpowering.

As recommended, I also had one of their quiches; which was tomato, basil and goat cheese. It was OK, but I think I would have preferred a sun-dried tomato. I needed a little more tang to go with the goat cheese. The crust seemed to overpower the strong flavor I was hoping for.

Don't worry, I will be going back. They have wonderful sandwiches as well. I can't wait until winter when their ham, cheese and BECHAMEL goes back on the menu. YUM.

This was the aftermath:

I award 3 Jicamas today.

Roberto's Cafe - BYOB

It was Branzino night and boy was it delicious!

Roberto's Cafe is a cute little Italian spot down the street from me. I normally don't like to eat at Italian restaurants (although I cook it all the time) because I feel like it can be heavy. But, on occasion I find a really good one that is able to deliver a balanced meal.

I got pretty lucky tonight too, because I have been wanting to try Branzino and it was one of the specials. Branzino is a strictly Mediterranean mild white fish. Roberto's was serving it whole and I decided I could not pass it up.

The fish came out on a plate and our server filleted it with a spoon in front of the table. It was a wonderful presentation and a whole lot of fish. It was served with some balsamic coated zucchini and roasted potatoes.Although the sides were forgettable, the fish was the real star. It was coated in balsamic and olive oil and it melted in your mouth. It's a great fish for people who say they don't like fish.

The ambiance is really cozy in Roberto's as well. It is small and quiet and the staff makes you feel like you are the only people in the restaurant, without being overly attentive. Our server allowed us to feel at home, which I really appreciated.

Therefore, I give Roberto's 3.5 Jicamas. I hope to dine there again soon. Yum!

I guess you could say I stood you up. I'm sorry.

My first meal as a blogger was cooked by me. Mainly because I am poor and I could find no one to dine with tonight. However, I will gladly critique my own creation. It was mediocre at best and I award myself:

1 Jicama, out of a possible 5. Whomp whomp.

My intentions were for a peppery and rustic tomato sauce with chicken and cous cous. YUM. Unfortunately, there is only one grocery store in walking distance and their basil was less than satisfactory (pretty sure it's supposed to be green). I knew I had some things in the house I could work with, so I grabbed a few items from the market. I spent about $8 total.

1. Chicken Breast - About $5 worth  (I like leftovers)
2. 1 Yellow Onion
3. 1 Green Pepper
4. Garlic

I had some "spanish" rice at home that I wanted to jazz up with the peppers, onions and garlic. The "spanish" rice was one of those $3 bags you get at the grocery store that includes all the seasonings etc. Makes things super easy, but I also like to add my own touch.

First I cooked up my onions, green pepper and garlic in some olive oil. I removed the veggies from the pan and after slicing and seasoning (salt and pepper...obviously) my chicken, I sauteed it over med-low heat. I got my rice started and waited for both to took. After some chicken flipping and veggie adding the meal was complete.

Ta da! Arroz espanola con pollo.....Just kidding. The Spanish would be embarrassed. Plus, I may have over peppered the chicken. I said "season" not ruin.

Well I appreciate you sharing this meal with me. I'll post pictures when my meal is not a train wreck.

P.S. I ate it all anyways.

I suppose my first official blog should explain my position: I am a 24 year old who loves food and loves food that is just as good for me as it tastes (don't worry I eat the bad stuff too!!!...just in moderation).

I am a certified food explorer and will try most anything once. However, I will never claim to be anything close to Andrew Zimmerman. I have no interest in drinking cow blood, as I am 99% positive it just tastes like iron.

I currently live in Philadelphia, PA and am making my way around the city trying new foods.

I would love to enjoy my first (blogged about) meal with you.

****Addition 9/20/2011
I should probably explain what JICAMA is. Pronounced: (HIK KAH MAH....he come a hungry....get it?) It's a starchy fruit from Mexico. It is generally served raw and I think it tastes delicious. It will be the basis of my ratings. 5 possible Jicama's can be awarded for overall food experience. It's a rather arbitrary rating scale, but it'll have to do. I can't just give out stars. That's lame.