It's all about the Pici (well, actually the Bucatini)

You all saw the last post, yes? Doing the happy dance over finding fresh Pici? Well, actually what I bought was Bucatini. It's really really similar to Pici, close enough I don't really care that much about the difference.
(Pici is from the Tuscany/Siena area, Bucatini from Rome. Bucatini has a hole in the center, and Pici is hand rolled)

Both the pasta and marinara were incredible. And EASY!! Most labor intensive part of the meal was grating some Pecorino to throw on top!
MJ and I both agreed it was outstanding. The pasta was perfect and the Homemade Marinara was just amazingly flavorful and bursting with fresh tomato-y goodness.

I specifically went to the Manhattan Beach farmers market on Tuesday because I had to have more and couldn't wait until Saturday when they would be back at the Torrance Market.

I highly highly recommend you check out this wonderfulness. The company is Domenico's Foods. If you aren't near either farmer's market, all the products are carried at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, and available on their website.
Domenico's Foods

Not only love the products, but the guys that run the booths at the farmers markets have been so very nice. They even gave me one of their ice packs on Tuesday to keep the sauce cold because I wasn't going home right away.

Pici! Pici! Pici!!!

THEY HAVE FRESH PICI PASTA AT THE TORRANCE FARMERS MARKET!!!!!!!

So excited, it had to be shouted in all caps.
I fell in love with this pasta when we were in Siena a few years ago. It's kind of like a really fat spaghetti. Chewy, yummy, carb addict heaven.

I'd never seen it anywhere in LA, then several months ago found a mail order company for the dried Pici. Which was awesome, but expensive. And the fresh pasta is so much better.

What a happy way to start the day! Can't wait for dinner tonight!!!!

Healthy (er) Mashed Potatoes

Emotional Eater doesn't even come close to expressing how much a yummy starchy, buttery dish can improve my day. It's been a "need some mashed potatoes NOW!" kind of week. However, I also have to head home in a few weeks and fit into a dress to meet about 150 of my mother's friends at a reception for her. So, I didn't feel it was a great idea to whip up my usual mashed potato recipe. (boil potatoes, add multiple sticks of butter, then add some more butter, then some cream, and salt. )

Now, I know there are those of you who have convinced yourself that substituting veggies for yummy stuff is JUST as satisfying because they are the same general color or shape. Spaghetti squash with marinara is the same as pasta!! Pureed cauliflower tastes just like mashed potatoes. um, yeah, no.

So, inspired by Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious (which I haven't actually read, but BFF and my lovely cousin have both told me some basics) I came up with a compromise.

I started with some Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut and boiled them. (about 3-4 cups of cut potatoes)

Steamed a head of cauliflower, then pureed it with a little of the steaming water.

After draining potatoes, I added about 3 Tablespoons of butter and started mashing. Then added the pureed cauliflower and kept blending. The moisture of the cauliflower was perfect for replacing the cream.

Pretty good at this point, but a little bland. I REALLY wanted to add more butter, but that would kind of defeat the purpose. So, a little salt, some Parisien Bonnes Herbes from Penzey's, and some olive oil. (the costco brand is amazingly tasty - fragrant and fruity!)

I'm not a fan of cauliflower and felt like these just tasted like potatoes. And MJ - who hates cauliflower couldn't even tell it was in there.  The texture was a little gelatinous on day 2 however.

The moral of the story. If I cook like one would for a 3 year old, maybe I'll actually learn to eat my veggies.