My Name Is Glutton

I find that when it comes to party guests, there are three general types of people. The first and least interesting is the mingler. This is the person that is actually at the party to schmooze, and while that may be the point of a party for some people, to me mingling is the least of my worries. This type of guest is only interested in making connections and tends to bore me to tears. The second and slightly more lively type of guest is the boozer. This person can always be found in the general vicinity of the bar, is never without a drink, and is more often than not, double-fisting an assortment of free beverages. The boozer will get significantly more interesting over time and generally makes an excellent party companion.

I have, for years, been a card carrying member of the third type of guest, which I like to call the glutton. Armed with a killer smile and a napkin, the glutton can be seen firmly planted outside of the swinging doors that the party servers use to make their way into the party space. After all, when it comes to party food, it's all about location, location, location. Just ask those of us that find a way to remain beside the snack table for the duration of a party and manage to look as if we're mingling (although we're probably not fooling anyone). All these years of filling the role of the gluttonous guest have led me to love absolutely anything resembling an hors d'oeuvre.

From tuna tartare to fois gras on toast points, I have managed to spend the last few years completely ignoring the people at parties and focusing solely on the tiny, delectable dishes being served. That's why, when the temperature skyrocketed to a balmy 91 degrees after a few gloriously cool late summer nights, I got to thinking about making hors d'oeuvre. After all, I must be an expert after all of the research I've done on the subject (i.e. pigging out on free treats over the years). So, when I got home to a humid apartment after a sweaty walk from the office, I decided to keep things simple for dinner and take a page from my experience as a seasoned snack table dweller.

I had some lovely country bread left over from yesterday's pan tumaca, so I decided to make a refreshing and super easy artichoke spread. It was a completely no-cook dish, and all I needed was my food processor, microplane and a can opener. I combined a few of my favorite things with the artichokes (which were canned, unspiced), including some Manchego cheese, soft brie, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. I topped the spread with leftover Serrano ham, arugula, a few pine nuts and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It turned out the be a great light dinner, not to mention something I would definitely serve for the snack dwellers at my next party.

Artichoke Toast

1 15 oz can of artichokes (drained, artichokes cut into quarters)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup grated Manchego cheese (you can use Parmesan in a pinch)
1/2 cup soft brie, rind removed (any soft, mild cheese will work)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves
extra virgin olive oil
Optional toppings: Arugula, Serrano ham, prosciutto

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Slowly stream in olive oil while pulsing until mixture becomes thick and spreadable. Season with salt to taste and pulse mixture twice to combine. Serve on rustic style toast and top with grated Manchego, Serrano ham and arugula. Enjoy!

-Laura

It's Easy Being Green

It's been a while since I've become obsessed with an ingredient, but the time has come yet again for me to use something a hundred different ways. There's nothing I like better than a multi-tasking ingredient that can be kept in the fridge or pantry and used in a variety of different applications. My current obsession is spinach, which does double duty not only as a multi-tasker, but earns bonus points for being incredibly good for you. There's a reason Popeye ate his spinach by the canful, although it's rumored iron content has been inflated over the years. It certainly has more iron than the average vegetable, but isn't really brimming with it. Spinach is actually super rich in vitamins like A and C, and a really great source of antioxidants. The less it's cooked the more its health benefits are preserved, so if it's cooked, steaming or quick boiling are the way to go in order to preserve as many nutrients as possible.

I always go organic when buying spinach (which is in season in spring and fall) since it's been rated as one of the most pesticide contaminated produce products out there. This weekend I decided to use some baby spinach in a pasta dish from Great Food Fast that I'd been dying to make for the past few months. It's a spinach pasta dish that manages to be a really easy and delicious one pot meal with two types of cheese and minimal effort. The dish fuses spinach with pine nuts and Parmesan, two of it's favorite partners in crime, and throws in a big spoonful of ricotta for good measure. A few glugs of good olive oil rounds out the last of the ingredients. The nutty aftertaste of the spinach plays really well with the pine nuts and the sweetness of the ricotta. The Parmesan is perfect for adding a bit of saltiness and depth to the dish, and the fruitiness of the olive oil brings it all together and really helps it glisten.

The whole dish was done in less than 10 minutes and was absolutely delicious. I did change the recipe a bit, for example, I used tagiatelle instead of penne (which I find hard to pierce with the fork), and I also used more olive oil than the recipe's 2 tablespoons (there was no other liquid called for). I also reserved a bit of the pasta water and added it to create more of a sauce and for a bit of added moisture. It was perfect because the ricotta melted into the warm liquid but still stuck nicely to the pasta once mixed in on the plate. Here's the recipe as I adapted it:

Spinach Tagliatelle with Spinach, Ricotta and Pine Nuts

1/2 pound spinach tagliatele
3 cups spinach
1/3 cup pine nuts (toasted in the oven until just browned)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1. Cook tagliatele in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions. Add spinach to pot during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to pot.

2. Add olive oil to pot and mix well. Add pasta water a few drops at a time until the pasta looks moist, like it's covered in a thin sauce and stir to combine.

3. Plate pasta and spinach and top with ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan and pine nuts. Enjoy!

-Laura