What is good food?

This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. Obviously there is no one answer to this question and that perhaps makes it an interesting question to really delve into as a personal exploration.

I suppose for me, good food is food that we enjoy making and sharing with people we care about. I really love simple food, that does not have a lot of ingredients, but those few ingredients are fresh and delicious and (this is cliche) warm.

That's probably how I would put it.

I will always associate pasta with warmth and home. Even more so now that I am preparer of the food at my home. Pasta is a loving food.


And spaghetti is my favorite pasta, hands down.

1 box of whole wheat spaghetti
10 oz of cooked white beans
16 oz or so of chopped tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
oregano
3-4 chopped kalamata olives
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan (optional)

Great with a Columbia River Valley(OR/WA) Riesling or a Willamette Valley(OR) Pinot Gris.

Whole Wheat Pizza

It's snowing outside. But inside it's as warm as an Italian summer afternoon. Thanks to this pizza.

This is a bare bones pizza. The dough is my basic flat bread dough (my whole wheat naan bread dough). I baked the crust for 6 minutes in a 410 degree oven and then pulled it out and topped it with some chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt and some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. I popped it back in the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese and get a brown crust.

Yum.

*Pair with your favorite pale ale and a crisp salad.

Simple Pasta Supper

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with tomatoes, onions, garlic and white beans. Yup, that's a whole clove of garlic just sitting there on the plate.


(and a very nice glass of red!)