I remember reading a gothic horror novel when I was 13 years old, and it is one of my earlier memories of food being a great "character" in a novel (another was the Old Black Witch making Blueberry Pancakes in her tearoom).
In the horror novel, the protagonist had rented a big scary mansion in Tuscany for the summer and of course all manner of miserable things happened to her, but, in between hauntings, she described her meals in great detail. The first meal she made in her big Tuscan kitchen, surrounded only by her cardboard moving boxes, was spaghetti with butter and pepper. She didn't have tomatoes or basil, but thought "Just a little browned butter and ground pepper will do." I remember thinking "What? That's just buttered noodles." But you know, it made me realize that a simple recipe is still a meal, and I made myself buttered noodles when my Mom was out of eyesight and couldn't stop me.
Fast forward to the past ten years, one of my present-day favorite "simple pasta dishes" was a simple dish from an always-reliable but not terribly chi-chi pasta restaurant in California -- "Old Spaghetti Factory" in California. They toss spaghetti in browned butter and just top it with shredded mizithra cheese, a very dry greek cheese. There is a copycat recipe here, although, I think the quanties called for are wayyyy off. I barely need any butter or cheese. Just enough to dress the pasta, topped with ground pepper. The method is pretty dead on, however.
In the horror novel, the protagonist had rented a big scary mansion in Tuscany for the summer and of course all manner of miserable things happened to her, but, in between hauntings, she described her meals in great detail. The first meal she made in her big Tuscan kitchen, surrounded only by her cardboard moving boxes, was spaghetti with butter and pepper. She didn't have tomatoes or basil, but thought "Just a little browned butter and ground pepper will do." I remember thinking "What? That's just buttered noodles." But you know, it made me realize that a simple recipe is still a meal, and I made myself buttered noodles when my Mom was out of eyesight and couldn't stop me.
Fast forward to the past ten years, one of my present-day favorite "simple pasta dishes" was a simple dish from an always-reliable but not terribly chi-chi pasta restaurant in California -- "Old Spaghetti Factory" in California. They toss spaghetti in browned butter and just top it with shredded mizithra cheese, a very dry greek cheese. There is a copycat recipe here, although, I think the quanties called for are wayyyy off. I barely need any butter or cheese. Just enough to dress the pasta, topped with ground pepper. The method is pretty dead on, however.
Anything with brown butter HAS to be good!
ReplyDeleteI think my kids would love this too! I'll have to give it a go.
ReplyDeleteBy any chance can you remember the title or author of the horror book?
ReplyDeleteWas it adult or juvenile fiction?
Marion
Nope, no clue as to the title, but it was adult fiction. In my typical fashion, I only remember the food, and that it wasn't a terribly good novel. It was during a period when Mom was always pissed at whatever I was reading, because it wasn't high-brow enough.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate I enjoy your blog so much I picked you for an award. See here. http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/04/blogging-with-purpose.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your recipes and one of my favorite things to eat is noodles with butter but next time I will brown the butter, sounds richer and more grown up that way!
I have spaghetti, butter and mizithra cheese often for a quick lunch or dinner, but have never done it with browned butter. I'm having a "duh" moment right now!!
ReplyDelete