Food can be wonderfully romantic; nothing says “romance” quite like a candlelit dinner for two! And there’s nothing sexier than a man in the kitchen. Food engages all five senses and makes us feel alive like nothing else . . . well, maybe there’s one other thing. *wink* That’s why when I sat down to write a contemporary romance, the pairing of chefs and love stories was so natural and fun for me””and, overwhelmingly, people tell me it’s what makes my books fun to read! And so the Recipe for Love novels were born: Can’t Stand the Heat, which debuted last September, and this month, On the Steamy Side.
There’s more to dinner than a seduction scene, though. Part of the resonance of food is that it brings people together in all kinds of ways. On a recent trip to Florida to give a workshop to the lovely STAR chapter, I had the opportunity to eat and cook with two of my closest writing friends, Kristen Painter and Roxanne St. Claire. We drank Chardonnay, laughed like hyenas, danced around the kitchen like wild women, and made some of the most delicious pasta I’ve ever eaten in my life.
The best part? We made the recipe up together, pulling ideas from our different kitchen and dining experiences, and mixing them into a glorious blend of influences from French cuisine to rustic home cooking to health food.
The results were glorious! I’ll never forget that meal””the nutty bite of al dente whole wheat spaghetti enhanced by beautiful brown butter, sweet roasted tomatoes and asparagus, and livened up with tart lemon juice and salty feta. Undeniably scrumptious . . . but it was the laughter and friendship we enjoyed as we cooked that added the perfect spice to this great dish.
Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Brown Butter
1 pound whole wheat thin Barrilla spaghetti
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved crosswise
2 bundles asparagus, blunt ends snapped off
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 sticks butter
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the vegetables and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the tomatoes begin to caramelize and the asparagus is tender, stirring occasionally.
Cook the pasta to al dente (not to shill, but I recommend Barrilla as the best whole wheat pasta I’ve tried), following the instructions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Brown the butter slowly; watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. It will stay yellow for a while then turn golden almost in the blink of an eye, so keep an eye on it! Shake the pan back and forth frequently to keep from scorching the butter on the bottom.
Chiffonade the basil leaves (stack the leaves, roll the stack into a cigarette shape, then slice thinly crosswise). Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables, the brown butter, the basil leaves, and the feta. If you’d like it saucier, thin with some of the reserved pasta water.
Enjoy with a simple green salad, plenty of white wine, and your best friends!
Share some of your favorite dishes to cook and eat with friends for a chance to win an autographed copy of On the Steamy Side, an environmentally friendly Farmer’s tote and a Tastebook (recipes from Louisa and her chef friends).
Hi Louisa! I have to go to work but wanted to stop by and officially welcome you to our Coffee Time Blog! Hope your blogging goes great.
One of the best meals we had with a group of friends wasn’t anything fancy. We made Pizza from scratch. IE dough from yeast, flour etc. The guys got into a competition about whose base was best – or whose had the least holes. We had to throw and pull the dough because I didn’t have a rolling pin – (holiday home)- until we thought about using a bottle of beer to flatten it. We all had different toppings to suit and when some came out flat and others were like donuts, none of it mattered because we’d had such fun making them.
😯
I had no idea you were a foodie until someone told me recently about your culinary novel, Can’t Stand the Heat. According to Amazon, that will be on my doorstep tomorrow! I’m so excited, I LOVE books about chefs and cuisine.
And a new one? Ooooh. You’re feeding my soul! Thanks!
~ZAM~
😉
WOW, you’re making me drool. Now I have to cook that wonderful recipe. Do you have recipes for low cholesterol meals?
Hubby’s got high cholesterol and I’m trying to retrain our eating habits.
Grrrr.
Hugs
Franny
Hi! I don’t know but whenever I feel down, nothing is better than old mac and cheese. It’s a great comfort food for whatever ails you. I don’t have a lot of recipes, I’m afraid, because my mom was the one who cooked in our family and suddenly died taking her secret spaghetti sauce to the grave.
HI AND SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SMILE!!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Irish soda bread with raisins is an all-time favorite:
4 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup raisins.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and raisins in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and mix ingredients until blended. Knead dough on a flat surface. The soda bread batter should still be lumpy after kneading. Place into a round baking pan. Slit the top to allow the bread to rise evenly. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until the bread is a golden brown.
Our best impromptu summer get-togethers often feature roll your own Vietnamese style salad rolls.
Cook and cool a package of rice vermicelli noodles.
Cut into matchstick pieces Cucumber and Carrots.
Wash and trim tails off of beansprouts.
Wash some delicate lettuce leaves and tear into small pieces.
Have cleaned basil, coriander and mint leaves.
Sliver cooked chicken or beef or use whole shrimp.
Have a package of round rice paper wrappers.
*optional-chopped peanuts*
If group is large set a couple of large dinner plates and pot of boiling water in different spots of table. Ladle the water onto a plate and dip a rice paper for a second or so and lay on a plate for a diner. Repeat until the water is too cool to soften the wrappers, discard cool water and ladle more hot water to plate. Diners fill the wrapper like a burrito using a bit of everything.
Eat with the following dipping sauce:
•½ cup water
•2 tbsp sugar
•1 Persian lime, juiced
•2 big garlic cloves, finely chopped
•2 bird’s eye chili peppers, finely chopped
•2 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce
•8 stalks scallions, sliced into rings
•2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
It is a light and healthy meal but bursting with flavors especially with the combination of herbs. Enjoy!
There is nothing better than drinking a bottle of red with my buds and eating a plate of spaghetti & homemade meatballs & laughing our butts off. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
Hi Everyone! Thank you, Danielle, for having me here–I’m looking forward to chatting with this fun group!
Barbara – That is EXACTLY what I’m talking about; sounds like a total blast. And homemade pizza can be wonderful!
ZAM – I know who told you! *grin* Seriously, I hope you like the books. Yours have given me so much pleasure, it would be awesome to return the favor. 🙂
Franny – I’m not the *best* at cooking low fat/low cholesterol meals. Sorry! 🙁 Although I’m really enjoying Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone right now, and it’s full of tasty, healthful recipes!
Laura K – That’s so sad! Maybe you can recreate the magic spaghetti sauce one day. But I agree, mac n’ cheese is a classic for a reason.
hotcha1 – Thanks!
Eva M – You win the prize for most holiday-appropriate recipe! I’ve been looking for a great soda bread; thank you for posting.
Little Lamb Lost – Ooooh, some of my favorite flavors! Those rolls sound scrumptious. And healthy! Where’s Franny?
Pam – You and your friends sound like a group I could hang with! LOL
Louisa, the pasta sounds wonderful!
I didn’t cook this meal, but recently the hubs and I got away for lunch at a local BBQ joint. We had merlot marinated, smoked tri-trip that was out of this world. The company was pretty out of this world too 🙂
Hi Louisa
I love to cook and this week I’ve been in my element. My middle daughter & her boyfriend came up for 2 days so I made some of her favorites, Chicken Kiev and Seafood Alfredo over angel hair. And we had my favorite wine Twisted Sister Cranberry & Raspberry I had been saving
I love macaroni and cheese but nobody else does. This sounds like a great meal.
Sounds like a great recipe. I make a taco salad that everyone seems to like.
Janel – Wow, that sounds awesome! Bbq with the husband is a great night, guaranteed. : )
Liz – I bet Middle Daughter’s boyfriend proposes soon–who wouldn’t want a mother-in-law like you?
Patricia – I can’t believe you don’t know anyone else who loves mac ‘n cheese! You can come to my house and cook it for me. LOL
Stacy – Ooh, taco salad–is it the kind with Doritos in it? I love that!
That really was some of the best pasta I’ve ever had. Man, that was good. The company made it even better.
Hi Louisa,
You’re a new author to me, so saying HI and enjoyed your post. 🙂 Cute title.
Desserts. I am all about the desserts! I don’t think I”ve meet one I haven’t liked yet.
Oh wait, there was the lemon pie….but that was the recipe, or perhaps the lack of a recipe used by my cousin that was the problem because I do love lemon pie.
Louisa – that pasta sounds fabulous! Except, eek *two* sticks of butter?! :X
I love chicken piccata. It’s so simple, and nice for stress relief because I pound the chicken breasts flat. Dredge in some flour, pan fry in olive oil (and some butter if desired), lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, done! Delicious over rice or pasta.
Otherwise… I’m a huge fan of fried rice. Fry an egg, break it up, dump in left over rice, make sure every grain is separated, and add mixed frozen vegetables. Pour some soy sauce over, and done! 😀 Easy comfort food.
Hi Louisa,
I love Tiramisù!
Ingredients:
500gr Mascarpone cheese (approx. 1 lb.)
6 pasteurized eggs
2 packages savoiardi lady fingers
120 gr sugar
1 shot (1 oz) Rum or Marsala
8 espresso sized cups of coffee (about 14 oz)
4 Tablespoons powdered unsweetened cocoa.
Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Make the espresso and poor it into shallow flat-bottomed bowl. Add one shot of rum, one teaspoon cocoa, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Separate egg yolks and whites.
In the first mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and 60 gr sugar until creamy white. Add mascarpone and mix until blended.Leave this mixture in the bowl.
In the second mixing bowl, beat eggs whites until fluffy with a pinch of salt. Add 60 gr sugar. Fold beaten egg whites into mascarpone mixture. Mix only enough to blend. Over mixing will deflate the egg whites.
Quickly dip a savoiardi in the espresso bowl. To get the right amount of espresso on the savoiardi, lay the finger flat in the bottom of the bowl sugared side UP and immediately pull it out. Place each finger flat in the bottom of the pan sugar side DOWN. The savoiardi will quickly absorb the espresso. If you soak the savoiardi in the espresso you will end up with soggy savoiardi instead of moist savoiardi.
Build a layer of dipped savoiardi across the bottom of the pan. If some of the savoiardi do not look ‘dark’ from the espresso, spoon a few more drops of espresso on the savoiardi. Any espresso left in the bottom of the pan will be absorbed by the savoiardi. Too much espresso will turn the fingers into a soggy mess.
Spoon a layer of egg/mascarpone mixture across the layer of savoiardi. Use about 1/2 of the mascarpone mix. The layer should be about 1cm. (3/8in.) thick.
Dip another layer of savoiardi and lay them on the mascarpone mix. Layer them as before, sugar side down. Drip espresso on the savoiardi that don’t look dark from the coffee.
Sift cocoa on top of the second mascarpone layer. Scoop a tablespoon of cocoa into a small sieve. Hold the sieve over the tiramisu and tap the sieve on the side with your finger. The cocoa should sprinkle down in an even layer. Use this technique to cover the tiramisu with a very thin layer of cocoa.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. The Tiramisu will taste quite good for several days if refrigerated.
Buon Appetito!
Hello, Louisa! Thanks for a fabulous post. Earlier this year, on your own site, you wrote about your enjoyment of visiting the wonderful Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. The Homestead is very close to my own home, and it has a lot of family memories for me. I hope you will enjoy this simple recipe:
Comfort food from Gran herself : )
Gran’s Mac & Cheese
Boil 16oz elbow macaroni in large pan of salted water until slightly undercooked. Drain pasta quickly so that it will not continue to cook in hot water. Butter a 13in by 9in baking pan. Layer pasta with at least 16oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (sharper the better). Feel free to be very cheesey! Pour one pint of half-and-half or heavy cream over pasta and cheese. Add some whole milk if needed to bring liquid to top of pasta and cheese. Dot with slices of real butter and a very light sprinkle of coarsely ground black pepper. Liberally top off with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let Mac & Cheese set in covered pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Kristen – I have to wonder if the pasta would be as good without you and Rocki there to enjoy it with me…
Dina – Thanks! And thank you for commenting.
Keri – LOL, I love lemon pie, too! But if it’s not lemony enough, I get cranky.
Limecello – Nice! I’ve never made fried rice since the Thai place near me does such a lovely job, but you make it sound so seductively easy…
Giada – I won’t lie; I’m a little afraid to try to make tiramisu! It’s my husband’s favorite dessert, so the pressure is high. Your recipe looks great, tho–maybe I’ll finally get up the courage to give it a try!
This is my mother’s recipe and everytime I make it lasts only one day! It’s not difficult at all and I’m sure you’ll make a delicious tiramisù! 😉
I love to go to friends for dinner, the food is usually much better than a restaurant. We have one friend who makes yummy Italian food from scratch. He is such a good cook; his wife works late so sometimes he is the cook.
A good quick recipe I call The “Mixture” – saute your choice of meat, fish, chicken in fry pay in olive oil. Remove from pan; saute fresh spinach, mushrooms, sun dried or fresh tomatoes, black olives, grated zucchini or whatever veggies you like with some fresh garlic. Add a little chicken broth and return meat to mixture and service over noodles, rice or pasta. Top with grated cheese.
I absolutely adore looking thru cookbooks with color photos, and reading books with food and cooking in them. Sometimes there is even a bonus of yummy recipes in them.
Thanks for your books.