Creamy Mushroom & Prosciutto Pasta

From Bill Granger Everyday, p 180

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND PROSCIUTTO PASTA

SERVES 4

400 G (14 OZ) TAGLIATELLI OR PAPPARDELLE
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
1 GARLIC CLOVE, CRUSHED
4 SLICES PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED
200 G (7 OZ) BUTTON MUSHROOMS, SLICED
80 ML (2V2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CHICKEN STOCK
80 ML (2i/2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CREAM
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

TO SERVE
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

Cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3—4 minutes, or until the prosciutto is crisp. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, or until they are light golden. Add the stock and let it reduce by half, then add the cream and simmer for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve immediately with grated parmesan.

Being very naughty in scanning and posting copywritten material... however... made this recipe for dinner and it was soooo good, I wanted to share. An easy weeknight dinner. Not bad for someone who doesn't like to eat pork, and up until a couple of years ago, wouldn't touch mushrooms!

Tobiano Clubhouse

Tobiano Clubhouse - Tobiano Golf

The handout brochure in the folder with the bill for lunch read; Celebrated Executive Chef creates gastronomic delights that highlight local ingredients.

What a complete insult to the lunch I had just ingested! I had just been bemoaning the fact that BC seems to be the last place for the revolution of fresh food to hit. Sure, we have some great food here... but more often than not, we have a lot of bad food as well.

I was in Tobiano for work, and had been looking forward to my lunch at the clubhouse on the golf course. It is such a stunning location on the hill overlooking the lake. I had envisioned a plateful of fresh food whilst taking in the scenery. I ordered Roasted Turkey & Swiss on Sourdough & Creamy Cranberry Mayo with a side of Caesar Salad... dreaming of fluffy piles of turkey on a crusty sourdough roll. When the plate arrived, I could tell just by looking at the bread that it had been made in a factory in Mississauga and was three days the other side of fresh. The turkey was a small pile of cold cuts... the thin, slimy kind. In short, it was a sandwich you’d find in a plastic triangle at any number of gas stations dotted around BC. The Caesar salad was gooped up with dressing, and topped with bacon and sundried tomatoes. I’ve never seen a sundried tomato atop a Caesar salad in my life. I was so disappointed. I’m not a fan of going for meals when you know you could have made it better yourself. They had the nerce to charge $12.50 for it. To top it off, I ended up with tummy cramps all afternoon from the sheer amounts of preservatives in my lunch.

It’s so easy to do fresh food... BC has such an abundance of great produce. Tobiano itself is situated in the middle of a farming area, 20 minutes outside of Kamloops on the road to Cache Creek. So why do so many places continue to get it wrong? This isn’t the first time I’ve been promised gastronomic delights and then have been presented with a plateful of processed garbage. It’s such a shame, as the Tobiano Clubhouse is a gorgeous piece of architecture... with a summer patio right on the green. If you do happen to be in the area, it is worth taking in the view. I’d recommend a nice glass of wine, and an appetizer or two... they shouldn’t go too wrong with a plate of pita bread and hummus!

A Good Egg

Boiled Eggs

I'd been cooking for a long time before I learnt how to boil an egg. Turns out, you don't actually boil the egg, but instead, place the egg in boiling water, cover and remove from the heat.

From Martha Stewart... you'll get perfect eggs every time.

Instructions:Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, and immediately remove from heat. Let stand approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for soft-boiled, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for medium-boiled, and 12 to 13 minutes for hard-boiled. Remove eggs from water.

Soft- and medium-boiled eggs should be served immediately in egg cups -- perfect for cracking and scooping the egg right from the shell.

Hard-boiled eggs should be removed from the pot and plunged into a bowl of ice water. This prevents the yolk from discoloring due to overcooking and facilitates peeling. Let stand for 2 minutes, then crack by gently pressing the egg against a hard surface. Peel under cold running water. Serve.

Pretty Cushions

Fresh fabric from the Canadian retro fabric site, Tonic Living, brightens up the white slip-covered couch. I love the buttons I found for the back, they reminded me of seaglass.

Recipe Card Art

Canadian House and Home - October 2008 - I would love to turn one of my mom's recipe cards into wall art for my kitchen... except I don't have wall space for it. One day I will find a wall somewhere where I can add recipe card art like this article: Photograph the front and back of the recipe card photographed, then have an image house digitally brighten the ink and enlarge the card and hang as artwork.

Paris Apartment

Someone posted a link to airbnb on my Facebook wall. It's a really cool site for vacation rentals. I was looking through Paris accommodation and found this great little spot. I think I'd feel quite Parisian and chic staying here!