June 1, 2009
Not too long ago I was gabbing on the phone with my sister Livia, when she asked if Roger was home yet from work. I said that he would be home pretty soon. She then asked if I was making dinner for my husband. Uh...well...no. The thought of cooking for my new husband never occurred to me and it got things turning in my head that maybe I should start using all that fantastic new kitchen stuff. Let me clarify something though - I don't mean cooking period but actually cooking during the week.
As a single gal I got into the habit of cooking on Sunday nights and making little meals to last me the week. This was done because after a long day, I could never muster up the strength to make something for myself. It seemed easier to just heat up some leftovers and since I was never a creative or comfortable cook this was the best idea for me. As I have become a little bit more comfortable around the kitchen and recipes have begun to get more simple and easy to follow I have started to gain just a little bit more confidence.
So after my conversation with my sis I made the announcement to my husband that I would be cooking a couple of meals during the week. This would give me the opportunity to have more time and practice in the kitchen; create a yummy meal for two; and have some down time catching up with my husband.
The first meal I cooked for Roger was Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food June 2009..... I need to admit something funny here, but I've never had gnocchi. I've never prepared it and I've never eaten it. This particular recipe called for frozen and to cook according to the package. Well I had a couple of questions while cooking: 1) after the water boils you're suppose to empty the contents into the water and cook 4-5 minutes in boiling water. Well when you dump frozen gnocchi into boiling water the temperature drops and it stops bubbling. So do you start the 4-5 minutes of cooking when it hits the water or when it starts boiling up again? I chose the latter, which brings me to my next question...2) how do I know when it's done? What is the consistency of cooked gnocchi? It was soft to the bite and "doughy" but firm in that it wasn't mushy and did not fall apart. I did ask my co-workers, Shilpa and Anna and they have confirmed that it should be soft but still hold it's shape. Whew! I cooked it correctly.
I followed the recipe pretty closely and made my own interpretations on a few things:
- I used a garlic press instead of mincing (I don't know if there is a huge difference between the two)
- I watched the squash and grape tomatoes carefully since I like the veggies to still be firm and not overcooked and soggy
- Used a tad bit more basil and probably used a tablespoon of lemon juice instead of the 1 tsp.
Between prep and cooking it took 30 minutes to make. My husband was happy with his meal and we have some great leftovers. We'll see what my next meal has to offer.
