Paleo Scallion Pancakes
I doubt I’m alone in this little admission: I’m always looking for that perfect healthy meal. You know, the one that’s healthy AND delicious AND filling AND cures diseases AND makes my skin glowy AND ends wars AND …
Why is that so much to ask?
Taco Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
School starts tomorrow. Pls send help. And earplugs. And Pringles. And easy weeknight meals.
Okay, okay, I’ll provide the easy weeknight meals. I promise more stories soon, when I recover from the whirlwind that is this week. In the meantime, please accept this recipe for amazing, low-carb, excruciatingly easy Taco Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
And don’t forget to send the earplugs!
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Sometimes you wake up feeling depressed and heat up some frozen macaroni and cheese for breakfast, schlep to the couch to watch America’s Test Kitchen reruns, and don’t move for hours except to refill your Coke Zero. Around 2 pm, you start to feel lazy and that compounds your bad mood, but you’re also paradoxically too tired to do anything. So you take a nap. Then you wake up too late, having wasted the whole day, eat more food, and watch more cooking shows.
(Right? This happens to you, right?! Or at least something similar?)
And then you look at a friend’s Facebook profile or Instagram feed and notice they woke up at the crack of dawn; canned 18 tons of blueberry jam; renovated their bathroom; fed their beloved backyard chickens, who all have carefully chosen names like “Huckleberry;” took their kids to the botanical gardens; went for a 14-mile run; enjoyed a green smoothie for lunch; and are now heading off to the farmers’ market to buy some squash blossoms for the dinner party they’re hosting tonight next to their gorgeous outdoor fire pit.
I wrote this post as part of the Plugrá Butter Brigade. Thanks, Plugrá, for sponsoring this post and for making my favorite butter!
I think I’ve figured out the problem. You know how everyone always wonders out loud why people are so rude on the internet? And how we speculate that it’s because under the veil of anonymity, folks tend to ditch their filter and say all the rude things they’ve been thinking but are too polite or embarrassed to say in person?
That might be true, but it’s never seemed like a complete explanation to me. Are you trying to tell me that everyone’s really that rude, but they’ve just been shamed quiet? That’s so discouraging. And no one I meet really seems that rude. Everyone seems pretty nice. I think there’s another component to this rudeness equation: the internet doesn’t just permit rudeness. It encourages it in the name of engagement.
I could talk a lot about this slippery slope into unkindness: how I feel like popular, once-respectable news outlets have begun, essentially, trolling their readership and sensationalizing content in order to encourage views; how celebrity gossip sites exploit human beings relentlessly in order to fulfill the our base, voyeuristic desires; how reality television plays a role in (mis)shaping our perception of how interpersonal relationships should operate.
But for now, I just want to focus on this narrow sliver of an observation: companies and organizations want engagement from their audience (on social media and websites) because that increases their visibility and therefore their income. I know this because I am a (teensy, one-person) company and I try to increase my engagement all the time. I encourage people not just to look at my recipes (but thanks for that, too!) but to comment. I ask fun questions on my Willow Bird Baking Facebook page, share tempting photos on Willow Bird Baking’s Twitter page, pin awesome recipes on Pinterest that I hope you’ll like, and share fun times on Instagram.
If you’ll notice, I actually bothered to link to all my social media pages in that paragraph: just another example of how I’m funneling you toward engaging with me. And I mean engage: I want you to tweet, comment, share, like, pin. When you engage, you see my content MUCH more than if you’re just a passive observer. I do this in part because I love interacting with you, but also to reach you more; more people engaged means more people visiting and more income to support my work.
Obviously, I don’t believe that encouraging you to engage is a bad thing or I wouldn’t do it. But I do think it has unintentional consequences. People are constantly being asked to give their unvarnished input online. Clothing companies ask, “Would you wear this dress?” Food magazines ask, “What’s your favorite condiment?” You’re asked to weigh in on celebrities’ outfits and hairstyles — and parenting choices, and marriages, and after-hours activities. Trolls (which studies suggest might actually be people dealing with certain mental illnesses) have a field day egging people on, so comments get indignant and dicey fast. See this article for a hilarious example of how absurd things can become. An Australian radio station posted a funky recipe to — you guessed it — encourage the engagement and interest of their listeners, and boy did it ever do so.
No wonder that even when we’re not asked to engage or give advice, we feel comfortable sharing our nastiest opinions out in the open. No wonder unkindness and kindness both feel like perfectly reasonable methods of engaging; after all, controversy and comment-fights spur MORE engagement! To businesses that prioritize their bottom line (so, most businesses) that’s even better! No wonder when a dear friend’s cookbook was reviewed on a popular food website, strangers commented things like, “That looks like crap,” and, “Not even remotely appealing,” as if it were as natural as breathing.
I think the answer is to make this phenomenon transparent. If you know you’re being encouraged to engage and that it’s inspiring unkindness, you can make some personal rules to govern yourself. My rules are no zaps (no snarky one-liner comments designed to put someone in their place), and to only engage in a positive or neutral way unless it’s productive to disagree (for instance, I’ll challenge a racist statement, but not someone’s cake, for cryin’ out loud.) I use the THINK acronym to evaluate my comments in this way:
* * *
Hopefully this summer pasta won’t inspire any snark! I can’t imagine anyone having anything bad to say about this dish. I love it because if you start with fresh ingredients, you’ll end up with a gorgeous meal. The parsley and basil along with the bite of Parmesan in the buttery sauce create the perfect balance. And nothing says summer like a dinner that’s this easy to toss together. As usual lately, I recommend you find a great outdoor spot to enjoy this recipe!
What do you think? What personal rules govern how you comment online?
One year ago: Gooey Chocolate Coconut Cream Skillet Cake
Two years ago: Sweet Orange Florentines
Three years ago: Itsy Bitsy Berry Cream Pies
Four years ago: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Creamy Coleslaw, and Summer Bean Salsa
Fresh Summer Pasta with Plugra Ricotta Sauce
Recipe by: Adapted from Chef Kevin Kidd
Yield: 4 servings
Start with super fresh ingredients to create this simple, fresh pasta dish! I love how quick and easy this recipe is.
Ingredients:
28 ounces fresh OR 19 ounces dried tagliatelle or fettucine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
1/4 cup white wine
2 ounces unsalted Plugrá European-Style Butter, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
8 spears asparagus, sliced into 2-inch chunks
8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, rough chopped
lemon juice, salt, freshly ground pepper, Parmigiana Reggiano as needed
Directions:
Prepare an ice water bath in a medium bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and blanch the asparagus for 2-3 minutes before plunging them into the ice water to stop cooking. Drain the asparagus and set it aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat and add fresh or dried pasta. Cook 3 minutes (fresh pasta) or according to package directions (dried pasta). Going to Italy made me realize I’d been overcooking my pasta my whole life: al dente means your pasta should have a definite toothiness to it when bitten. Be careful not to overcook! Drain the finished pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water for the sauce later.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shallots and cook for a minute before adding garlic and sautéing for close to a minute or until lightly caramelized but not burnt. Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Whisk in Plugrá butter until it’s melted and blended into the sauce. Add the green onions and asparagus and stir to heat them briefly before reducing the heat to low and adding chunks of ricotta cheese. Salt this to taste — for me, this meant a LOT of salt, because it has to salt all the pasta as well. So don’t be shy.
Add the pasta into the pan (and a little of the pasta water if you need it) and toss it in the sauce over low heat. Add most of the parsley and all of the basil and toss. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the top. Now comes the adjusting: taste your pasta and add salt, more olive oil, a healthy grating of Parmigiana Reggiano, freshly ground pepper, a spritz of lemon juice, etc., as needed to balance the flavors. You should end up with a bright, flavorful, fresh tasting pasta.
As you read this, I’m in Florence, Italy, hopefully eating pizza or basking in the glow of the Renaissance or doing something decidedly Italian. If you get a moment, head over to my Instagram to see my Europe photos (presuming I ever found Wi-Fi)! In the meantime, let’s talk waffles . . .
During my school years, my dad was the kid wrangler. He woke me up every morning, popped frozen waffles in the toaster for me, and brushed my hair into a ponytail. I know what you’re thinking, but as dads go, he was actually a pretty decent hair stylist. He would even add a cutesy, curly hair bow at the end.
Those mornings are a special memory for me now, including piling into the car with my sisters and listening to country music on the way to school. Every now and then we’d get into the early 90s jams; my dad said that this song was written for me.
The frozen waffles, in particular, are a vivid memory doused in butter and maple syrup. I remember when I got to school every day, I could still smell the faint trace of maple syrup emanating from me. I had brushed my teeth and as far as I know, I hadn’t dipped my hair in it or anything, but somehow, it was always there.
This past weekend, I bought the first box of Eggo waffles I’ve owned in at least 15 years, but no maple syrup made it into my cart. I decided that waffles weren’t just for breakfast. Instead, I schmeared rosemary butter onto these waffles and toasted them until they were golden. While they toasted, I made a quick and easy tomato sauce with a few of the best ingredients (San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, hot Italian sausage from Hickory Nut Gap Farm, and a splash of red wine). I ladled the meat and sauce over each waffle, topping it with melty provolone. If you love meatball sliders, these are like meatball sliders’ sophisticated cousin.
The only thing I miss? That maple syrup smell reminding me of breakfast with my dad.
Tell me one of your favorite memories of childhood.
One year ago: Lobster Roll Salad (and salad tips!)
Two years ago: Blueberry Scones with Maple Glaze
Three years ago: Coffee Mousse Filled Doughnuts
Four years ago: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
Open-Faced Sausage Sliders on Rosemary Waffles
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 4 servings
Waffles aren’t just for breakfast anymore. These meatball slider-style waffles were sophisticated and delicious, but quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
2 heaping tablespoons julienned sundried tomatoes in oil
1 tablespoon red wine
3 basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 links hot Italian sausage
4 frozen Homestyle Eggo waffles
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
4-8 slices provolone cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook for around 30 seconds. Add in canned and sundried tomatoes and red wine. Raise the heat to high to bring the pot to a simmer before lowering it back to medium. Stir occasionally as it simmers for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, brown the sausage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat and then add it into the sauce. After the sauce has simmered for around 30 minutes, add in the basil and stir to combine.
Mix softened butter and rosemary in a bowl until combined. Prepare 4 waffles by smearing each with equal amounts of rosemary butter. Bake the waffles on prepared baking sheet for about 10 minutes, adding a slice of provolone to each for the last minute. Remove them from the oven and top each waffle with a heaping ladle of sausage and tomato sauce. Serve sprinkled with basil or with more provolone on top.
