Easter Update

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

 
  

 

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food"--George Bernard Shaw.  This really says it and so did the Easter dinner I told you I was attending last week.  I also said I would print a retraction if I was wrong.  Well I was a little wrong but I'm not posting a retraction.  Here's why.  In my post last week I said the following would be served:

crepes, 

Easter pie

calzone

salad

potatoes

 a pasta dish of some kind

 baked ham

 rolls

 assorted breads

 an antipasto tray

cheese tray

Easter cookies

 candy

pies 

 brownies 

Technically, this is what I got wrong: salad and a pasta of some kind.  However, there were plenty of other things to make up for those two omissions:  

Deviled Eggs

Potato Salad (yes,in addition to the gratin potatoes)

Cole Slaw (not salad)

Meatballs (without the pasta)

Beef au Jus

 Cannoli

Cheesecake

Not just Easter cookies, oatmeal, chocolate chip and chocolate too

Peeps everywhere

So was I wrong?  Yes, in that I had understated it completely.   I swear I think Mr. Shaw must have dined with one of my friend's ancestors.  I also said there would be doggie bags--more like bushel baskets to take home.  My husband is known as the adult cookie monster and I now have seven pounds of leftover cookies sitting on my counter.  

Why all this food?  It is because of the joy that you get when you see people sit down, eat, laugh, talk and have a good time together.  It also has something to do with all the fasting that goes on during lent.  

So I stick with my statement about Italians and food and I half suspect that somewhere in George Bernard Shaw's family tree an Italian is lurking.

 Italian Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste
• 1/2 cup red cooking wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces small seashell pasta
• 5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat, and cook and stir the chicken and garlic until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the wine and diced tomatoes with their juice into the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat while scraping any browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
2. Stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the shells have cooked through, but are still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Spread the spinach over the top of the pasta, cover, and simmer until the spinach leaves are cooked, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the skillet, and simmer until the cheese has melted and the pasta is bubbling, about 5 minutes.