the art of simple food

my alice waters books finally arrived! i attempted three recipes for dinner last night: pesto with fettucine; a tomato basil salad; and portobello mushrooms sauteed in a cream sauce.

it was crazy delicious! and really easy. while the recipes are pretty standard fare, waters' commitment to fresh ingredients without any processed elements comes through in her book. she's also chock full of very practical and memorable advice. for example, did you know that basil leaves blacken when crushed? you should handle the leaves very carefully and when using fresh basil on food, try to keep them as whole leaves. if you must use smaller pieces, do not chop -- chiffonade [fun word to say :)]

I literally sat at my desk reading and flipping through various pages of her books. it was too much fun. more photos and recipes to come.

fresh pasta, homemade pesto, parmesan grated minutes before serving

a tomato basil salad will taste better come summertime!

chris made this portobella mushroom in cream dish. it doesn't photograph well, but it was so good.

three cheers for real, simple food.