Pasta e carciofi.

I pick my artichokes young, when their outer layers can be simply slipped off, their slender bases easily peeled. I cut them in half, ignoring the unformed choke and  drop them in boiling water acidulated with wine vinegar for a total of five minutes. Then, I drain and save the artichokes to serve immediately or place in a mason jar, fill with oil and save in the refrigerator.

Fresh artichoke hearts can be added to salads, pizzas, torta, pasta.

Today, I want them  with spaghetti.

I  saute green onions and garlic in a big pan with good olive oil and some pepper flakes,  add the drained artichokes, cut bite-size, and season with salt and pepper. Voila', a simple sauce for pasta and artichoke hearts.
If you have fresh peas or fresh fava, they will go great in this sauce,

You can take a shortcut and use a jar of artichoke hearts for a similar taste.

Home-cooked just like Mother's.

Have you craved for food you had as a child, and have not found any restaurants preparing them?
I do. I crave for simple fare, like this dish, beans and greens, for instance.
I crave for home-made pasta, little orecchiette with a simple tomato sauce.
I want to sit down to eat a big bowl of home-made soup.

To have any thing I really want I must take time to prepare the dish myself.

Beans:
I buy bulk beans from bins in the local grocery store. (This year I may purchase heirloom beans and plant them) You can soak the beans overnight, and the cooking will be lessened. Or, rinse your beans in cold water and place them in a big pot, covering with water, two inches above the beans.  Add four cloves of garlic, with skins on and a bunch of herbs tied with a string. Rosemary, thyme, oregano and bay leaves, for instance.  Bring to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for a couple of hours at the simmering point, and watch the pot. When the water has been absorbed, test the beans by pressing one of them against the pot. If it squishes easily, it is cooked. Now taste. If cooked, add salt and pepper to taste and squish out the garlic from their skins.  If not cooked through, add a cup of hot broth and continue to simmer until cooked. Remember, do not add salt until the beans are fully cooked.

You now have a pot of beans to use in a couple of dishes.
The one in the picture is beans and chard.  Saute' the chard leaves until soft, in olive oil, chopped onion and garlic and hot pepper flakes. Add a cup of beans, and let the flavors meld.  Eat as a thick soup.

Or, add a cup of cooked rice, and you now have Minestra di riso e fagioli.
Or, add a cup of cooked pasta and you have Minestra di pasta e fagioli.
Add carrots and celery to the olive oil saute', cook until soft, then add chopped tomatoes, cook some more, add chopped cabbage and the beans with broth, and you now have Minestrone.

I hope you make a home-made meal from scratch for your mother this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mostaccioli: Chocolate nut Cookies

My mother used to make these cookies around the time La Befana came to town, the ugly old witch who brought presents to good children on Jan. 6th, to correspond with the Feast of the Epiphany.

She called them Mostaccioli.  For years, I tried to remember and recreate the recipe with no success.  This year, thanks to blogging friends all over the world, I found this recipe and I made a batch of Mostaccioli in time to save a few for La Befana. 
My cookies are almost gone! The recipe is easy, and can be adapted for vegan! Yes!

Mostaccioli Cookies

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
2T cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 C blanched, toasted and crushed almonds
Rinds of 2 lemons, grated
2T olive oil
3/4 to 1 C warmed milk or warmed soy milk
1/2 lb dark chocolate bits to incorporate in the cookies
1/2 lb dark chocolate to melt and coat the finished cookies

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and chocolate bits.
Stir in the vegetable oil.

Make a well, add milk and mix with a fork. Then, shape until a soft but manageable dough, adding more milk as needed.
Cut in half. Roll each into a log. Wrap and refrigerate for 30' or one hour.

Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut a slice and then cut each slice in half.
Bake 15-18'.
Cool completely.

You may want to melt more chocolate and dip the cooled cookies in it.  I didn't. There was plenty of chocolate/nutty taste to satisfy me.

Enjoy! Watch that your dog stays away from these!

Food Rule Number Three: Eat smaller meals, often.

Say Hello to Jason, my daughter's husband, the other Comforter.  If you have not visited their web-site and listened to their music, you are missing a major .music treat.

(but, i digress....)

Jason and Pia have designed their lives carefully, so they can spend their time creating and making music when they are not working to pay the rent.

 They are vegan. 

Back in June, I wrote about cooking vegan meals when I visited them.  They became vegan by way of elimination.  They eliminated foods that would cause them distress, or medical problems in the long run.  Now, their eating style supports their busy life beautifully.
Visit sixtyfivewhatnow ,  the June posts,  if you wish to read about my experiences .

They eat small meals, often, mainly stuff they get from their farmer's market or grow themselves.  Their friends  bring them eggs from their coops, and they buy legumes and nuts in bulk from known sources.

They work outside the home, their busy lifestyle is the same as yours.  They  pack healthy snacks to have before and after shows, after work, during work.Eating often keeps us fueled evenly throughout the day. Big meals would actually slow us down.

When I confronted vegan cooking in June, I was skeptical and anxious. I knew I'd be hungry and cranky.  I was never hungry.  I actually lost five pounds in those three weeks, and have kept those pounds off, just by having smaller meals.