I am rationing my Trader Joe's (TJ) buying for reasons that I am too embarrassed to write here at this moment (perhaps after I have had more wine), so I only bought crimini mushrooms for this recipe (that I made up today while I should have been writing or reading or something).
Everything else I had in my pantry or wine refrigerator.
I am afraid this post will be full of TJ ingredients. My secret is found out.
[As a funny aside, I have to say, that my cousin calls Trader Joe my sister's boyfriend because everything is Trader Joe this and Trader Joe that... I am guilty as well, though I am not claiming Trader Joe as mine.]
I was worried about getting enough protein... and my body has been craving meat, but I don't care for cooking meat.
I checked my pantry, and there was what I needed: anchovy fillets.
Of course, I did previously buy these for the pantry from TJs.
[I couldn't find the exact tin, but picked this one because it's pretty.]
With those two ingredients decided, the only thing left to decide was pasta or barley or quinoa.
I am learning to like quinoa, but so far I only like it as a salad (someday I will share).
So, whole wheat penne rigate from you guessed it!
I let these bad boys cook while I chopped green onions and garlic... I was going to use regular onion when I realized there were left over green onions (these were also bought at TJs only because my friend and I were taking one too many trips to TJ while she was stopping over on her way to Florida).
Back to my pantry cooking... I quickly sauteed the onions and garlic with some chili pepper flakes (my usual secret ingredient ... oops, not a secret anymore) in EVOO, as Mr. Ray would say.
I am so grateful to all the people who take pictures of their TJ products and upload them somewhere on the internet. Can you believe the shots I found? I didn't take any of these.
After I added the mushrooms and anchovies (and spiced with salt, pepper, oregano and parsley), I had a thought: what if I add some wine to this little creation.
Afterall, I have a wine refrigerator still pretty full of all the wine I collected when I had a job. I sifted through the wines that might *expire* in the next year ... yes, I have them all marked so that I can drink them appropriately.
Look, you would do things like catalogue your wine, too, if you had millions of papers to write and more books and articles to read. Seriously, do you think I would do this kind of stuff if I didn't have things I was supposed to be doing??
I chose the Nebbiolo in part because it is not my favorite to drink... I can admit that I was sort of saving it in order to gift it to just the right person. Nebbiolo is just a little light for me. I am sure that a more refined palate would appreciate this one. [The one I used is actually the 2004, the 2006 is still in the wine refrigerator.]
It is from Sunce... it is the first winery whose wine club I joined. I have a ton of their wine which suits me fine because I have a super soft spot in my heart for them. In fact, I am looking forward to at least one trip to wine country while I am in California this winter! And they will be on the top of my list for sentimental reasons along with the fact that it is FREE and they have at least 20 wines to taste and a beautiful deck where you can have a picnic lunch... their wines are divine, too.
I used a little in the sauce and I poured a glass to go with my meal. I was hoping it would help me write.
I am happy to say I made enough for lunch today, though, I will not be also partaking of a glass of wine. Perhaps, though, I should...
Back to writing.
Photo credits: all swiped from the internet... thank you, oh helpful photographers!
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