N - Noodles

Have you ever had to make fresh pasta? It’s awesome. You should. So easy. Really. I’m not leading you down some dark alley just to nail you over the head with a 2x4. Honest.
Even easier if you have a bread machine with a “Pasta” setting...which we do. Anyway.

One of my first jobs, out in the “real world’ was at a, well, they liked to think of themselves as an Italian restaurant...and for the purposes of my story we’ll go with that. One thing they did do right was make fresh pasta. By hand. With a hand crank machine. Every. Fucking. Morning. They truly believed that running it through an electric pasta roller (such as a Kitchen Aid) would harm the flavor of the pasta. I can’t make this shit up. The restaurant sat 240. This was my job. I had KILLER biceps.

Ahhh. The memories....

 On my right arm.
 
The best way to have fresh pasta? Drizzled with a beautiful olive oil, shaved Asiago cheese, diced fresh from the garden tomatoes, and a chiffonade of basil. Cracked pepper and possibly kosher salt if needed. That’s it. Maybe a few olives. 

It’s so easy to make amazingly beautiful food. All served on the deck of my Tuscany Villa that overlooks the vineyard estate that I just purchased … wait...what were we …Damn it.

As much as I hated making the pasta every day, it was nothing compared to slicing five cases of green tomatoes for fried green tomatoes. Every day. By hand. Because the slicer “Messes up the seed packets”. Seriously.

H - Herbs

Welcome Back! A - Z Bloggers Unite! In continuing with my theme (every other post culinary / writing) Today we're on a Culinary Theme...enjoy and thank you for visiting!

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I have a secret. Lean closer and I'll tell you. Just a little closer. Now listen closely...I’m only saying this once, and I trust you won’t tell anyone...I totally SUCK at gardening. Flowers. Veggies. All the useful stuff that a chef should be growing in abundance. I see all these chefs that are doing the farm to table thing and all I can think is "Good God, Why?" There is So much (rewarding) work involved in cooking amazing food to begin with, why…WHY do you want to throw the ridiculous chore of gardening on top of that?  *shakes head*

However. I Do have the most incredible herb garden. Indeed. Tomato blight 4 years running. But herbs. Oh yes. I can grow sage so that it's knee high. Oregano? Two feet long! Thyme? No problem! Spreads like Mint! Oh and my Mint? Of which I have six varieties…(Get some chocolate mint and stick it in your Earl Gray tea…trust me)! Not that Mint is especially hard to grow, but my mint is Out Of Control! Waist High and the leaves get to be as big as my thumb!

Sage, Oregano, and Thyme in Early Summer.

My special project, though, is my Lavender. It started out as a pathetic one sprouted wizzely little thing that I got on sale at the farm stand. I picked it up and said, "Oh look! Charlie Brown Christmas Lavender!" It’s a good ingredient in chicken and stews and stuff. Not to mention headache pillows. Now? Two years later? I have to move some silly day lily things to make room for the lavender that is taking over that corner of my garden. Apparently it likes the abuse of never being watered.

Oh waiiiiiiiit.....

Maybe I should have watered the Tomatoes...  

Lavender after 2 Years