Sunday, February 7, 2010

Squid Ink Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms


One of the beauties of making pasta is that you really don't need to worry too much about proportions and measurements. By having a general understanding of cooking (ie knowing things like a pinch of garlic goes a long way) you can really just throw everything together however much you have!

I came across a book the other day, called "Relaxed Eating" - food from a bowl. Pasta is definitely one of those foods where you can feel good about indulging in a hearty serving straight from the bowl.

Here's our recipe for a delicious squid ink pasta dish (note the lack of measurements. Just throw it altogether):
Ingredients

Pre made Squid Ink Pasta (you can make your own if you're feeling daring!)
Semi dried tomatoes
Oyster mushrooms (cut into hearty chunks)
Anchovies (anchovies are strong so we just added about 1 small jar)
Minced Garlic
Chilli (Our first chilli harvested from our chilli plant!)
Olive oil (plenty of it)
Oregano - finely chopped
Method

Boil the pasta to cook and drain. In a medium sauce pan add the oil and garlic and chili and saute to release the flavours. Add mushrooms and semi dried tomatoes and saute for about 1-2 minutes to soften

Add pasta and stir through to combine well. Stir through the anchovies and oregano so that they break completely apart and the pasta is evenly coated. Serve in large bowls for a relaxed meal.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Eataholics - what's your food phobia?

Been watching the ABC documentary about Eataholics - guys who have eaten nothing but chips for 20 years. Or a guy who has lived on a diet entirely of chips and beans, and doesn't even chew his food.

We all have our food phobias - and weaknesses. I'm Asian and absolutely love noodles - especially the instant kind. When I was younger, my parents wouldn't let me eat them because of their MSG...sometimes, my dad would let me have ONE single noodle out of his bowl. So to date, even though I know it's bad for me, and they actually taste pretty awful at times, I still find myself craving them. I guess it's like a comfort food - like mac and cheese.

Meanwhile, I'm not really a huge fan of chips and fried foods. Nor chocolate for that matter. Which I guess makes me pretty odd -especially the chocolate part.

Anyways, I'd love to hear what other comfort foods and food phobias people have. Leave a note - let me know! (Let me know if I can create something out of it...)