Basil Tomato Mozzarella Pasta

Oh, look, James made pimento cheese and thinks he's cool, you may be thinking to yourself.  Well, in fact, you're damn right, but I want to stress that I am not a one trick pony.  In fact, I am of Italian descent, and enjoy the Italian fare when done right.  If you are reading this,saw that sentence, and then in your head said "I love Olive Garden too", please exit out now and drop a plugged in toaster into the bathtub while you are in it.  Real Italian food doesn't come from a chain restaurant.  It also doesn't come from my kitchen, but I am trying really hard to change that.  

So what four things could be more Italian than basil, tomato, mozzarella, and pasta?  If you said nothing, then you are correct.  This is something I thought of that would be good for a light summer lunch or even a side item to a more robust dinner.  Being the single man I am, i'll eat it by itself, because if I made it as a side, then that means I have to make a main course as well.  I just don't have that kind of dedication.  So, here's what you need to make this wonderful dish:

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 Pound of Tomato (I used tomatoes from the local Hub City Farmer's Market. Aren't you hippies just proud of me?)

8oz fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

12oz penne pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

First, go ahead and cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces.  Be sure to core them, of course.  I cut some of the tomatoes into 1/8ths, some into quarters.  Just mix it up.  Then, take the mozzarella and cut it into bite size pieces as well.  Put both of those into a medium size bowl.  Chop the basil coarsely, then add olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix up gently and let sit at room temperature while doing the rest.

Boil 4 quarts of water with salt.  Once it comes to a boil, put in the 12oz of penne pasta.  I am sure you can use some other pasta, but don't be a smart ass.  Just do it.  Bring it back to a boil, stirring frequently.  I am going to let you in a little secret right here if you didn't know: add a few drops of olive oil to the water to prevent sticking of the pasta.  There.  A family secret passed down for ages.  Don't say I didn't ever give you anything.  Boil 10-12 minutes, or until al dente.  I'll let you figure out what that means, smarty pants.  Once done, pour into a colinder.  I then run cold water over the pasta to cool it off a bit.  Put the pasta back into the original pot and then add the tomato mixture from earlier.  Gently toss, then it's ready to eat.  I personally eat it cold, you can eat it warm if you want.  Whatever floats your boat buddy.

This is how it should look, although I am sure yours won't be so nice, because i'm a freaking artist:

Now, for the music, I listened to dubstep the entire time I made it, and I am sure you won't like that at all.  Either way, listen to this.  If you don't like it, go back to listening to Taylor Swift and eating McDonald's, you uncultured freak.

Benny Benassi - Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

Hello Everyone...Have Some Spicy Pimento Cheese

So I have to start out by giving a shout to my friend Sarah Riley, who runs the blog lovebirdfoodies.com, for she is the one that has inspired me to publish my rantings and also recipes.  The general setup of her blog is the food that she and her fiance enjoy.  It's a fantastic read, and the recipes look amazing.  Taking from her lead, I decided to do my own, but from the single person point of view.  I am going to concentrate on simple, awesome, amazing recipes that work well for someone who is just cooking for one.  Also, when available, I am going to pair the recipe with some music, whether its music that I think goes well with the food or just whatever I am listening to at the time.  Now that you have a general idea of what this is going to be, let's get started shall we?

First off, a little background:  I was a cook off and on for over 7 years.  I cooked for a home cooking place in South Carolina, where I learned how to cook soul food, and I cooked for an organic cafe in Nevada, where I learned how to make food that was as beautiful as it was good.  Both of those skills I attribute to my two influences: Tom Chapman and Derek Clinkenbeard.  I hope that with this blog I do those two justice.

Now, for my first post, I want to show you my rendition of the classic southern comfort food:  Pimento Cheese.  Funny story, for years I thought the only kind of pimento cheese was Ruth's spread that you find in those small plastic tubs at the local grocer.  In fact, I almost turned down the opportunity to try REAL pimento cheese while attending some sort of gathering at the Hill residence.  If any one of you reading this has ever attended a Hill family get together, you know there is food a plenty.  The matriarch of the family, Mrs. Jackie Hill, offered me some pimento cheese, and I kindly declined, thinking in my head that I didn't want any of that sweet orange spread that I see in Bi-Lo.  She insisted, so of course, I gave in, and had some of the most amazing home made Pimento cheese ever.  The rest is history.  Now, this isn't her family recipe, but one that I have been using for a couple months.  In fact, there aren't any pimentos in it at all, which is kind of misleading, but I don't know what else to call it.  I also add a good kick to it, hence the spicy in the title. So, there ya go.

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese

1/4 cup jalapeno sour cream

1/4 cup Duke's mayo (there is only one kind of mayo, and it's Duke's)

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups jack cheese

1 can habanero Ro-Tel tomatoes (make sure it's Ro-Tel... I tried to cheat once and use another brand... not a good idea)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, put the cream cheese in the bottom and spread it out, allowing it to warm up sufficiently to spread.  This step is extremely important.  At this point, I add the salt and pepper, jalapeno sour cream, (which, by the way, who knew such a thing existed?  i'm in love) and the Duke's.  Seriously, if you make this at home, don't you dare sully my beautiful cheese with some other imitation mayo.  Of course it's bad for you, and I don't want to hear it, because anything in moderation is fine.  Just don't eat this cheese every day for a week and you will be fine.  So, with those ingredients in the bowl, stir them up and make sure there are no chunks of cream cheese anywhere.  Next, take the habanero Ro-Tel and drain the entire can as well as you can.  It's imperative to the consistency to have as much liquid out as possible.  This obviously is the pimento replacement, but for those of you who haven't caught that yet, now you know.  Mix that into the mixture well.  Now when I say mix, I use a fork or rubber spreader (what the hell do you call those things?).  Don't mix it with a hand blender or anything like that.  It's messy, and I don't own one, so don't act like you're better than me by whipping yours out and showing off.  Once that's done, mix in all 4 cups of cheese.  Mix together, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes.  Put onto your favorite cracker, even if it is me, and enjoy!

Obviously, you don't have to make it spicy.  Just replace the jalapeno sour cream with regular and use 4 cups of sharp cheddar instead of half and half.  If you do that, please mail me your man card as well, since you are now a woman.

I hope you enjoy my ramblings and this recipe.  Try it out, it seriously is fantastic.  As for the music, the entire Mumford and Sons album is perfect for eating angry, spicy stuff, and here is one of my favorite songs on it. 

Mumford and Sons - Winter Winds

Launch

Ok, so, this page is really blank.  I plan on changing that very soon.  I have one recipe done with pictures taken, and am gathering more to make soon.  All in all, I want to launch this thing on August 1st.  So be on the lookout around then!