Eat Like a Rabbit

The powers-that-be in my office must really like this place because this is the third year in a row that our office Christmas party has been hosted here. It also has a good reputation in the city for quality. This is my first year being able to attend the entire Christmas party because of my church choir ironically always seems to sing at Disney on the same day as the party.

Too dark for pictures.

I was invited to a dinner by a drug rep. The speaker as he stood up said he couldn't believe the turnout. He said the restaurant must be good. The 60-ish number of medical professionals laughed. A waiter came around asking our orders. There were three options, but being a vegetarian, I didn't catch what they were. I simply requested a vegetarian plate. Some time later, a waiter came by with salads and atop mine (just like all the others) was a nice strip of crispy bacon. By this point, the lecture had started and I quietly whispered a request for a bacon-less salad. The waiter very kindly obliged, but failed to remove the offensive salad. I suppose if I had thought about it, I would have just passed it down to the next individual. Instead, I shoved it toward the center of the table and out of my line of sight.

This pasta recipe comes at the end of a number of fall recipes. I read in "Reader's Digest" last week that prices on produce actually go down when the product is hot and in season because there is plenty of the product, and they have to move quickly before they spoil. I found this to be true with apples because last week they were $0.44 higher at Costco than they were this week. So, be on the lookout for produce in season. You will save money and enjoy richer flavor.

I was so proud when I created this recipe. Because our wedding was mostly pink, I had wanted a "pink" pasta sauce. I wish now I had made this creation, then. This sauce was absolutely perfect. I think this recipe is a more elegant alternative to spaghetti sauce, but is healthier than straight fettucini sauce. Also, the mixture makes it great with vegetables. Paul told me to remember how I made it. I hope I always do.

The tubular pasta is a favorite of Paul's called Rigatoni. Because it's larger and hollow, you eat less than you think you do because there is so much air.

It's been many moons since we've been to Cheesecake Factory. One reason is because our waistlines can't take it. Another reason is because we like the restaurant more for a group activity. Also, because there is so much food, we'd prefer to go for lunch, but generally are too busy on the weekends to take time to dress up for the activity. We may have to arrange to go back sooner.

This was the first time we took Paul's parents, sister and brother-in-law to Ethos. I decided to try the pesto pasta with vegetables and pumpkin seeds. Paul chose the Pecan Encrusted Eggplant served with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and asparagus. The eggplant was drizzled with a berry sauce. Both meals were served hot and appealing to the eyes.

My sister-in-law brought me some fabulous fresh crushed red pepper from Italy. The recommendation was to soak the flakes in olive oil, remove the flakes after one hour, and make a slightly spicy pasta sauce. I loved the idea and couldn't wait to try it. I used it the very next weekend.

I recommend eating at a newly opened restaurant with a market attached. Half of the space is a classy, eclectic restaurant, while the other half is an upscale market for wines and cheeses.

The first course was a salad of mixed baby greens, golden raisins, artichoke hearts and unsalted pistachios topped with a feta-honey-yogurt dressing. Naturally, the dressing was quite sweet, but matched the mixture of the flavors quite well. Fairly monochromatic, the salad was large enough for two, and Katie (the waitress) had kindly divided it into separate square-shaped bowls for sharing.