Paris Resto and Culinary: October 2010

Daily Photos

We park our car in the car park that surrounds the village church, about 1oo meters from our front door.
Yesterday, as I was getting out of the car, our neighbor called me over to the church's entrance and pointed above the door. These four darling, little baby swifts were there, ready to take their first flight.

Sugar Snap Peas with Caramelized Onions, Thyme, and Mint

I had to make this twice today, because the first time around I had it in my head to make this recipe with the pods as well. Maybe it's because it's a little early in the season for snap peas (they are best eaten late spring/early summer), but the pods were neither crispy nor tender, just somewhere uncomfortably in the middle. So the second time around I removed them from the pods and I'm much happier with what came out! If you decide to make this more into the snap pea season, perhaps you can throw the whole pods in and be happy with the results, something to think about for the future.

This is really easy, as you know I like my recipes to be, and only requires 5 ingredients. I think you could also chop the onions finer, to make consistency taste a little different; in that case, you will probably need to sautee the onions for about 10-15 minutes, rather than 20-25 minutes as stated in the recipe.

Happy easter, happy Sunday, hope you're sharing it with the people you love!

Sugar Snap Peas with Caramelized Onions, Mint, and Thyme - serves 1

12-15 sugar snap peas

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp fresh chopped thyme (dried is ok too)

1 tbsp fresh chopped mint (dried in not as ok here, but you could probably use it too)

1. Using a knife or your fingers, pop open the snap peas, remove the peas inside, and put them in a small bowl. Discard the pods.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium (8- to 10-inch) skillet over medium heat.

3. Add the onion and thyme; sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sautee onions until softened and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

4. Add the peas and sautee until peas have turned bright green in color, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the mint. Serve.

نوش جان!

Champagne Fizz - iSi Whip

On the way home from our recent day-excursion to the Champagne region, with not a single bottle of champagne in hand, I wondered what would happen if I took an ordinary white wine and charged it up with N2O (nitrous oxide) in my iSi Whip cream canister. Wouldn't it be great if we could get some sort of blanc de blanc (bubbly wine) out of it? Let's give it a try, I said with total enthusiasm.

What do you think might have happened?

It starts off promising. And then the fizz disappears with such rapidity that it's almost scorning me, "What were you thinking? Did you really believe you'd get a sustaining bubble out of me? It's taken centuries to develop a perfect méthode champagnoise (champagne method) that requires not just one but two fermentation steps and several months of stockage..., and you want to do it in a matter of a few hours and with two cartridges of pressurized nitrous oxide*? Ha."

(* nitrous oxide = commonly known as laughing gas)

Take a look.

Ah yes, a total flop. But fun to try nonetheless. You never know when you might just get lucky testing out a crazy idea. So that leads me to wondering what might happen if I added a little crème de cassis to the wine first. Crème de cassis is a black-currant-flavored syrup usually mixed in small quantities with Bourgogne Aligoté to make an apéritif called un Kir. I'm wondering if I need a liasion of some sort to help suspend and sustain the bubbles. Any thoughts out there? (Personally, I'm guessing it will work equally as bad as my first attempt...! ) Or maybe I need a cartridge of CO2 (carbon dioxide).....would that work??? Endless questions, endless possibilities! I can't wait for one of these crazy ideas to actually work!

Photo du Jour

Moules de Bouzigues at the market.

Bouzigues is a charming little village along the Etang de Thau that has been a center for oyster and mussel production since the time of the Greeks.

SF Station

I am very pleased to announce that I have just begun writing for SF Station. SF Station has been bookmarked on my computer since it launched. It's a great site for finding out what's going on in the City, and also offers the giveaway where you can sign up to win free passes to museums, clubs and bars, movies, theater etc. SF Station will be reprinting some past restaurant reviews from Cooking with Amy as well as new articles so stay tuned.

The restaurant review I wrote for Lotus Garden has been reprinted on the front page of SF Station click here if you would like to read it.

More about SF Station:

SF Station is San Francisco's independent online information source for Arts & Culture, Entertainment, Food, Shopping, and Urban Lifestyle. SF Station provides in-depth and up-to-date coverage on SF Bay Clubs, Music, Film, Theatre & Dance, Events, Galleries, museums, Restaurants, Bars, Fashion, and more.

Celeriac and Potato Soup with Garlic, Ginger, and Thyme

I've been kicking myself into high gear when it comes to making meals and dishes that feature foods that are local and seasonal. The value of doing so is obvious not only for health reasons but for sustainability purposes - let's all save some gas and money by eating foods that haven't travelled very far to reach us, and to boot let's make food that's the freshest we can get our hands on.

It was with this mentality that my soup featuring celeriac, otherwise known as celery root and belonging to the celery family, came to fruition. I have no qualms in admitting that until this week celeriac intimidated me, mainly importantly because celeriac resembles what I imagine the inside of a brain to look like. I picked one up a few days ago at the Marché Saxe-Breteuil, which was covered in dirt and whose numerous folds and canks made me nervous, anxious, and uneasy about what was contained inside. Below is a photo of celeriac after its porous and wrinkly skin had been sliced off.

As soon as I came home, I began to play around with the celeriac - I smelled it, touched it, tapped it, tossed it in the air, all to gain a better sense of its weight, texture, and overall composition. This root vegetable which grows abundantly during the winter months and which bears a strong resemblance to celery holds itself beautifully in soups, gratins, mashes (with potatoes or without), and as bases for stews. Something in its smell made me think it would go beautifully with ginger, and of course ginger and garlic always make a lovely pair. Toss in some fresh thyme and thicken it all up with two little potatoes, and you have yourself a deliciously easy, tasty, and hearty soup which can be sopped up with some bread.

Please enjoy not only this soup but all the pleasures that eating can bring you.

Celeriac and Potato Soup with Garlic, Ginger, and Thyme - serves 1

This soup only calls for 1/2 of a head of celeriac, making enough soup for one meal. If you'd like to make extra and store it in the fridge for up to a week, use the whole head of celeriac and double the other ingredients.

Also, if you have soy sauce on hand, add 1 tablespoon of it at the same time as the celeriac, potatoes, and water to add an extra dimension of flavor.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 shallot, chopped, or one small onion, chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

about 2 cups water

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2-head of celeriac (I'll tell you how to cut and peel it)

2 small yellow potatoes, such as yukon gold or charlotte, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

about 2 cups water

1. Cut off the root and stem of the celeriac. Using a chef's knife or a cleaver, cut the celeriac into 2 pieces cross-wise. Use a sharp knife to peel off the skin and any large dark spots or holes. Cut one of the halves into 1-inch pieces; store the other half in the fridge for another use.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallot (or onion) to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until garlic and gigner become fragrant and shallot softens, 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes, celeriac, and thyme leaves. Sprinkle liberally with salt (about 1 tsp) and a pinch of pepper. Pour in enough water so that everything is covered by half of an inch, about 2 cups. Bring to a boil, and simmer until celeriac is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

5. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to the saucepan and heat until hot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Cream of Broccoli and Pesto Soup: Recipe

I often skip online blogging events these days. But the idea of inviting bloggers to dinner is a very nice one indeed. Too bad my apartment is so small and my table virtually impossible to get more than three chairs around. Truth be told, other than house guests I haven't had people over in ages.

So what would I serve? That is a tough question. Of course it would very much depend upon which blogging friends were to dine here. For vegetarian friends I would probably make my eggplant lasagna. For meat eating friends a roast chicken and crispy roast potatoes because, really, who doesn't like that? For seafood eating friends I would make a luscious oniony risotto with shrimp and peas or asparagus and a drizzle of lemon oil.

For a starter, I would make a cream of broccoli soup with pesto. Why? Because I made it this weekend and it was a real hit. I'd be curious to see if they like it as much as I do! I would pair it with a nice Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. For dessert it would truly depend upon the season, but I'm guessing a pear tart which I would serve with a late harvest Riesling.

Note: I will link to a few bloggers when I hear back from them, so far Catherine of Albion Cooks has agreed to the challenge. A special thanks to brand-new food blogger, Julia of A Slice of Cherry Pie for inviting me to participate.

Cream of Broccoli and Pesto
serves 4 as a first course

1 Tablespoon oil or butter
1/2 onion chopped
1 big bunch broccoli, stems peeled and chopped, florets broken into small pieces
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetarian broth ok)
2 cups milk
1 heaping Tablespoon pesto

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot. Saute the onion until golden, but not very brown. Add the stems and cook for another minute or two then add the florets. Cook for another minute then add the chicken stock. Place lid on the pot and cook for a few minutes, until the broccoli is just tender but still bright green.

Add the milk and pesto and stir to combine. Simmer for five minutes, until reduced slightly, remove from stove. Puree in batches, in the blender until very smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Enjoy!

FOOD

Photo du Jour - Climbing

There are always surprising scenes like this to discover on walks around the village.

A Day Out in Béziers

We go to Béziers a lot.
It is the "big city" where we go to run endless bureaucratic errands, visit the hairdresser's, for doctor's appointments, to buy impossible-to-find-elsewhere Asian groceries at an Asian épicerie, to drool over shoes and purses at little boutiques (that would be me, not my husband), to buy any necessary DIY stuff at Castorama, to eat some delicious crêpes or Chinese food and to browse at a wonderful little English bookshop, named, appropriately, Le Bookshop.

My ideal day in Béziers would begin around 10:30 in the morning. From our village it takes about 45 minutes to get there once you wind your way into the center and find parking. There are some charming little café's in the old part of town where I like to have a noisette and a pain au chocolat before running errands and window shopping.
First to Monoprix to see what's new and buy any make-up or hair products before heading down the Allées Paul Riquet to Galleries Lafayette to browse their shoes, purses and clothes.

Crossing les Allées, I head into the maze of little streets in the old quarter where I browse in shops like l'Occitane en Provence, Mango, paper shops, a shop full of wonderful kitchen utensils, pet shops, shoe shops and chocolatiers.
Le Bookshop is tucked away on one of these little streets. The owner, Deborah Bragan-Turner, sells English language books and greeting cards and the upper floor of the shop is a sweet little children's book section. Browsing through books is one of my favorite things to do, so I could easily spend an afternoon here!
Just up the street is les Halles, the covered food market. This noisy, smelly place is a fabulous French food shopping experience.
The ideal day also includes lunch. Partly because most shops are closed from noon to 2 pm so it's either eat or go home, and partly because there are some great little restaurants in Béziers.

Before I know it, my day comes to an end and it's time to have one last little coffee and head home.

We're going to Béziers again this Thursday. I got a letter in the mail on Friday that requires yet another trip to deal with bureaucratic incompetence. One benefit of our trip will be lunch at La Table Bretonne, a little crêperie with a beautiful, sunny terrace that looks out on the Gothic Cathedral Saint Nazaire. The savory crêpes are made using blé noir (buckwheat) and dozens of sweet crêpes are offered for dessert. The owner's, Jean-Pierre and Agnès Ponthieux, are a delightful, friendly couple and the restaurant is one of our favorite's.

La Table Bretonne
21, rue Viennet
34500 Béziers
04.67.49.00.66

Le Bookshop
18, rue des anciens Combattants
34500 Béziers
04.67.36.67.82

Spring Omelette: Recipe

The addition of fresh herbs breathes life into dishes. Herbs are vibrant, bright and introduce flavor that is so startlingly different from dried herbs that I can never understand recipes that imply they are interchangeable.

In Italy I learned to make spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chile flakes and parsley. It wasn't just the color contrast but the lively springiness of the parsley that made this simple dish so wonderful. Likewise sage leaves crisped up in butter or olive oil lend intensity and crunch, a handful of cilantro in a tossed green salad gives it a lemony zing and a sprinkle of chives on smoked salmon adds a delicate, almost sweet oniony flavor.

I have a little herb garden and I do mean little. A harvest of herbs from my window box is roughly equal to a generous garnish, so I have to keep raiding my mother's herb garden and buying herbs if I want to cook with them. Last week I got a chance to try Daregal fresh frozen herbs and found them to be surprisingly convenient and fresh tasting. I made a lovely omelette filled with asparagus and Jarlsberg cheese and a couple of pinches of Daregal frozen dill. This filling combination feels very Scandinavian to me though I have no idea if it really is...

Spring Omelette
serves 1

2 eggs
3-4 asparagus, a couple tablespoons sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon shredded Jarlsberg cheese
pinch of dill, frozen Daregal works great

Beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy. Thinly slice the tips and about half of the asparagus stems, about 1/3 cup total. Heat a non-stick pan and add a splash of water and the asparagus; simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and set aside. Wipe the pan clean. Add the butter to the pan and heat over medium low heat until melted. Pour in the beaten eggs, swirl to cover the pan with the beaten eggs and let set slightly. Sprinkle the asparagus, dill and cheese on the eggs and cook until barely dry, then flip onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy!

Off the Shelf

Off the Shelf is a monthly event, in which I invite a blogger to guest post about a cookbook of his or her choosing. It might be an old favorite, something they're working through at the moment, or a book of interest to the food community in general. Off the Shelf bloggers contribute their own write-up and photos of their recipe, which are then featured on Cooking Books. Feel free to browse through pervious editions of Off the Shelf, which are listed below chronologically. Suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy!

October, 2008:

Lisa, of Lisa is Cooking: Roast Pheasant and Lentil Scallion Salad, from Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking

November, 2008:

Deborah, of Taste and Tell: Shrimp Fra Diavolo, from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

December, 2008:

Micha, of Scraping the Skillet: Red White and Green Lasange, from Kurt Beecher Dammeier, Pure Flavor

March, 2009:

Amy of Eggs on Sunday: Pinto & Black Bean Stew, from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen

April, 2009:

Mari of Once Upon a Plate: Gnafron, Savory French Flan, from Peggy Knickerbocker's Simple Soirées

May, 2009:

Camille, of Croque-Camille: French Fruit Tart, from many wonderful sources!

Photos du Jour

The marble floor in the Duomo in Milan was just stunning!

Objects/Design

2modern

r. wood studio ceramics

Steptoes Dog Antique & Vintage

Photo du Jour

Looking up at Saint Louis Cathederal and the Louisiana State Museum in Jackson Square on my last day in New Orleans. Hard to believe it is already two weeks since I left!

Sausage & Vegetable Kebabs

I love kebabs! I don't know why eating food on a stick is so much fun, but it is. The best kebabs I ever had were in Istanbul, the meat sizzled on the outside but was juicy on the inside. Luckily kebabs are easy to make at home even for those like me, without an outdoor grill.

I'm amazed at how versatile kebabs are and how they always manage to stretch whatever I'm cooking. It must have something to do with surface area and spacial relations. When food is served on a stick, it just seems like there is more of it. Two slices of eggplant, two small zucchini and just under two Italian sausages somehow made a huge dinner for two. It also gave me the feeling of Summer, even though it was cooked and eaten indoors.

When it comes to kebabs, skip the bamboo. The best kind of skewers are metal--I have two sets, flat metal which are particularly good for meat and vegetables and double pronged which are perfect for seafood. With either one you choose, the food won't slip and slide. In my experience food also cooks faster and more evenly on metal skewers than on bamboo. Buy 'em once, use them forever.

The secret to this recipe is the marinade. Most recipes call for putting a sauce on the vegetables after they cook, but this marinade has nothing in it that will burn and the eggplant in particular soaks up lots of flavor. The smoked paprika adds great smoky flavor and color. I also find that the sausage is salty enough that you don't need to add any additional salt. I used spicy sausages, but I think you could use sweet ones if you prefer. Don't be tempted to cut the sausage and vegetables into larger chunks, keeping the vegetables and sausage slices small allows them to cook quickly and evenly.

Sausage & Vegetable Kebabs

Makes 2 servings

3/4 lb mixed eggplant and summer squash
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika--hot or sweet
2 Italian sausages, about 1/2 pound
Fresh basil or sage leaves, optional

Slice the eggplant and squash into small cubes, about 1/2 inch. Make the marinade by combining the lemon juice, olive oil, galic and smoked paprika. Place the marinade and vegetables into a zip top bag and let marinate for up to 3 hours. Most of the marinade will be absorbed by the vegetables.

Preheat broiler then slice the sausage into about 12 - 15 slices. Slide the cubes of squash, eggplant and sausage onto skewers, preferably metal, with sage or basil leaves on top of each piece of sausage. All the meat and vegetables should be touching with no spaces in between.

Place skewers on a foil lined broiler pan and broil about 7 minutes on each side or until meat and vegetables are cooked through. Serve with couscous.

Enjoy!

Contest Winners

What American city is also the site of one of the largest salt deposits in the world?

Because I didn't say major American city or the largest salt deposit both Detroit and Hutchinson are correct answers. For the record, Hutchinson has the largest salt deposit in the US, however Detroit's is pretty large too, some estimates suggest that there is enough salt in the Metro Detroit underground to last 70 million years--and that's a lot of salt! Here's a link to a great map of major salt deposits in North America.

Congratulations to Amy, Shane and Andrew you have each won a copy of The Seasoning of a Chef.

IMBB 22 Use Your Noodle Part 1, 2, 3 & 4

(click on the photos to see the post or read the descriptions below)

Babe in the City whips up Udon in Chinese Herbal Soup with mostly what she had in the house. Nice one.

Fanny of FoodBeam was inspired by the recipe of a food blogger she calls "the goddess of yummy healthy food" to make Sunshine Pasta. Can you guess which blogger that is?

The Part Time Pro Bono Baker is in Beijing, so it's no surprise to see scrumptious looking Rice Noodles.

Cook Almost Anything at Least Once recreates a childhood favorite inspired by a trip to Italy, Linguine with sage burnt butter sauce and sauteed Sweet Potato.

A Veggie Venture makes Orzo and Spinach a personal favorite and I can see why.

Barbara at Tigers and Strawberries makes a favorite of her family, Chicken Lo Mein with Greens and Mushrooms and even explains what "Lo Mein" means.

Asian noodles are popular in Germany too where Kuchenlatein shows us in terrific photographs, step by step, how to make an Asia Crispy Noodle Cake.

For some, pasta is all about texture, but for Delicious Days it's all about color. Check out the beautiful bright pink pasta that makes it's way to become not just tagliatelle but also Pink Curd Ravioli in Butter Brioche Crumbs.

For Green Eggs and Spam noodles bring to mind Tampopo ramen, but the ultimate decision is to make something different Chinese BBQ pork salad with shattered glass noodles. Salad, noodle and entree all in one.

Maki of I Was Just Really Very Hungry makes udon noodles, from scratch! She uses a family recipe adjusted so it can be made in the food processor. The final dish is Kitsune Udon with fresh udon noodles. Very impressive indeed!

Slurp & Burp also shows us a very detailed step by step process to make Fettucine Rapini and Lardons and in the process a way to make the most of a bitter green vegetable.

Another step by step recipe is Blog from our Kitchen, who shares Chicken Noodle Soup Asian style with homemade noodles. Check out the length of those noodles!

Weekly Dish comes up with a unique combination, Avocado and Sun-dried Tomato Fettucine, and it's got bacon in it so you know it must be good.

Chubby Hubby's recipes and photos always make me hungry and his Roast Duck Noodles were no exception. And to think this was only the fifth course of a family reunion dinner! To say I'm impressed is an understatement.

Zorra misses Summer and I do too. 1 x umrühren, bitte makes Spaghetti Summer Memories with the flavors of that season, tomatoes and basil.

Necessity is the mother of invention for Alice of My Adventures in the Breadbox. Her soba recipe got a last minute switch when the cupboard revealed udon noodles. The result? Udon Noodles with Asian Vegetables and Peanut Sauce.

On her very first IMBB entry Gerda made two discoveries, one that a tart could be savory not just sweet and that at Cooking for One, using children's cookware makes a perfect serving for one of Spaghetti Tart.

All the way from New Zealand The Laughing Gastronome cooks up a traditional dish with a newfangled name, Lappardelle , can you guess what that is?

Grommie at The Power of Cheese makes a fusion of Chicken Sate and Linguine and why not? In my experience, peanut sauce is good on just about anything.

Giniann of Salt & Pepper made surely the most unusual noodle dish of all, Idiyappam a delicate rice flour noodle made for breakfast and served with egg curry or black channa curry. Yum!

Gattina is the sole entrant to not only make her own noodles but then fry them into a beautiful basket. Cool.

(click on the photos to see the post or read the descriptions below)

Brett of In Praise of Sardines couldn't resist the tiny turnips with greens and what better way to use both than with little ears of pasta, orecchiette? Orecchiete with Baby Turnips and Greens is also a healthy dish for those of you looking for good tasting and good for you noodles.

The Crazy Gaijin of Cooking in Japan blogs about that Japanese specialty that is really Chinese noodles, Ramen . It looks so good that I don't care where it comes from, where it should go is in my belly.

What would you call a tortilla filled with vermicelli, mozzarella and mixed vegetables? Notes from the Cape calls it a Mexican & Chinese Tortilla Wrap. I call it ultra creative.

Anne of Anne's Food pulled out the pasta maker to create Chocolate Noodles. Served with cream and raspberries it looks like a perfect Valentine's Day dessert.

Ilva of Lucullian Delights also pressed her pasta machine into service in her very first IMBB event. The result? Two recipes, one for pasta and one for sauce in her beautiful Tagliatelle D'erbe con Salsa di Peperoni e Olive (herb tagliatelle with red pepper and olive sauce)

It's hot in Melbourne where Esurientes made Sake Steak and Soba Noodles. While based on a recipe that called for basmati rice, soba noodles are a perfect substitution and turn it into something even more special.

Boo-licious at Masak-Masak was celebrating Chinese New Year's with family and incorporated Cold Marinated Angelhair Pasta with Abalone into a reunion meal. Abablone was a great way to incorporate some "luxury" into the dish which made it all the more appropriate for celebrating the holiday.

Nupur at One Hot Stove shared her wonderful noodle memories from college and like Giniann she also made Idiappam , but used a packaged noodle and concentrated on a spicy coconut curry stew to serve with them.

Can you believe it? A second chocolate tagliatelle recipe? This one is Chocolate Tagliatelle with Cardomom Orange Custard from La Tartine Gourmande. A very creative effort and a nice combination of flavors that are a winning match.

Sam really used her noodle in creating noodles out of leeks in her Top-a-Leekie Brunch with Crispy Spring Garlic Ribbons. A nice way to incorporate "noodles" into brunch, at first glance these look like spinach noodles, but a lot fewer carbs!

From Too Many Chefs, two noodle dishes. From Meg, Sweet Potato Pasta with Sage and Butter, this one has the sweet potato right in the dough, ingenious and I won't tell Marcella. And from Barrett a Pasta Egg, as opposed to an egg pasta, this one has to be seen to be believed!

Foodatista created a noodle with more "p's" than I thought possible. It's called Black Pepper Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Pancetta but it also has parmigiana. Heidi calls it a pasta that "bites back".

Dreka of Little Fancies shared a Slovak recipe for noodles with Four Toppings, sweet crumbs, jam, sweet quark, sweet cabbage and sweet poppy seeds. This could be served for dinner or dessert, either way it sounds like a definite comfort food.

Alberto of Il Forno promised me a special post for this event and I sure got one. A most romantic story about the power of noodles to bring two souls a little bit closer...over a plate of Tuna and Sundried Tomato Pasta no less!

McAulifower of Brownie Points is often pushing the boundaries of cuisine and she does it again with Beet and Orange Swirled Pasta. The swirls are pretty as a picture.

At A La Dilek, a recipe for Simple Su Boregi that has layers of noodles, phyllo dough and feta cheese. Very ambitious and delicious looking!

At Je Mange la Ville, one of my college favorites, Mushroom Stroganoff with Homemade Spinach Noodles. This was inspired by needing a comfort meal after some over-indulging.

Travel down the Silk Road for a very exotic sounding and hearty looking Gulya Pinkhasov's Sjurpa Lagman at The Wednesday Chef. And yes, this did come from a newspaper food section, read the post to find out more....

Discovering Hungry in Hogtown was one of the joys of hosting IMBB. In one post you'll find recipes for Bavette with Pistachio Pesto and Shrimp, Pink Spaghetti with Anchovies and Bread Crumbs and a diatribe against the latest attacks on pasta and no it's not Atkins.

Over at Hecticium a cold means Thai Noodle Soup is just the thing. A little trip to market and yummy soup quickly followed.

(click on the photos to see the post or read the descriptions below)

Spiceblog makes soba from scratch and adds a luxurious ingredient, to make Handmade Soba with Crab, Anthony recommends using dried soba to make this a quick and easy dish.

Is Absolut Pasta aka Penne alla Vodka obscenely delicious? ToastPoint thinks so and I'm inclined to agree, thought I'm not sure it will get you drunk.

Love and Cooking shares Weeknight Tomato Sauce which is just the kind of satisfying dish everyone should have in their repertoire.

The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans presented a Filipino version of noodles called Mami Style Miki as in "I want my mami!"

The Happy Sorceress includes Longevity Noodles in a Chinese New Year menu. I think the noodles are as long as this post!

Ambrosia offers up Bird's Nest Noodles. The noodles are fried to a crispy, making a nest for chicken and vegetables. This is a dish I like to order in restaurants but I doubt I could get my noodles as crispy as Aoife did.

Cooking with the Headhunter made the classic noodle dish, lasagna and did it with homemade noodles, bravo!

Linda of KayakSoup was inspired to make Homemade Black Pepper Pappardelle with Braised Lamb but with no pasta machine! Her arms might be tired but it looks like it was well worth the effort (she was too shy to repost her picture but you can find it on her post)

Over at Baby Rambutan for Chinese New Year, a husband takes over as chef and the result is Daddy's Beef and Pepper Noodles, what a lucky little rambutan!

Like to Cook makes Chicken & Macaroni Salad with fruit, veggies and cheese, I bet it would be good on a sandwich.

Undulant Fever is suffering through a cold so his noodles needed to be spicy and easy, what did he come up with? Tofu Noodles with Spicy Sardines (In Praise of Sardines take note!) the only entry so far to use tofu noodles.

At Bucaio miki noodles are pressed into service again in a dish that is not inspired by a cookbook but rather something served at the office. Lomi is a thick Filipino soup filled with "comforting things" like seafood and snowpeas.

Boots in the Oven has joined the Noodly Brotherhood and made pasta in a restaurant kitchen, the final Spaghetti alle Vongole looks restaurant quality good.

The Cape Gooseberry introduces us to "Ira" also known as sourdough starter. Pressing Ira into service our Gooseberry came up with a most unusual sounding Buttery Sourdough Noodles, how come no one else thought of that?

"What kind of food is Mahanandi?" according to one quiz, Italian! Her recipe for Pasta in Chili-Red Bell Pepper Peanut Sauce is a fusion of flavors that sounds and looks delightful.

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