Vegetable Lasagna

Not the best photos, but my, oh my, this was really delicious ... meatless, but with cheese and plenty of hearty vegetables and good spice.

Vegetable Lasagna

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

1- 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 c. vegetable broth or water

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 tbsp. Thai chili garlic sauce

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram leaves, crumbled

1 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, cut to ribbons

Combine the above ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently to blend flavours. Cover, remove from the heat after 20 minutes simmering and set aside.

Two Words ...

Crumbly Crust

Pressed Firmly

Boozy Bath

Shirred Eggs with Potato Puree

A few years ago, I did a melancholy post that revolved around my forced retirement from teaching. It involved the economic downturn, the slashing of teaching budgets, my age and reduced chances of getting hired to a teaching position in New Hampshire's slow economy and the angst at 'letting it go' and embracing a new chapter of life.

Reading Ruth Reichl's memoir/cook book, My Kitchen Year, gave me much the same feeling that I had as I posted that earlier post here at The Spice Garden.

Bourboned Cherry and Walnut Rugelach

The last of the holiday parties rolled around last Saturday evening, so off we went through fog and over slick, rain-misted roads to gather at Cathy and Harold's house for one last Bacchanalian food fest! My goodness, what a lot of wonderful tidbits! Cathy always asks that folks share a savory or sweet platter of small bites. There were little shrimp skewered with pineapple and grapes, salty mixed nuts that were perfectly roasted, tiny egg rolls with dipping sauce, spicy kielbasa bites on skewers, hummus and veggie spears, warm meatballs and sauce, decadent brownies, copious Christmas cookies in all their spangled glory, small cheesecake bites, and these perfectly golden and sugar glazed rugelach.

Semolina Gnocchi ... A Perfect Pasta Palette

So ... the last time I made gnocchi I made small spinach and ricotta gnocchi. They were small, loose cheesy pasta dumplings the size of a walnut. These semolina gnocchi are each quarter cup sized pillows that are fluffy and light. Infinitely easier to make, this gnocchi recipe is a keeper.