Sunday, June 21, 2009

I have a new toy!

In addition to getting my hair cut yesterday (I love my hairdresser; I'm really happy with the cut), I picked up something I've had on my wish list for quite some time now.

Yes, a pasta machine! I love it! I've made noodles in the past and I've made crackers that would have been much easier to make with one of these. John and I have talked about getting one of these for a while now, but yesterday was the day and I'm thrilled!


The first thing I made was the Seedy Crisps, an Alton Brown recipe. I've made these before and wished I had the pasta machine. This time, they were done in no time! What a difference! These are a seedy cracker (hence the name, huh?), made with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. I didn't have sesame seeds, but I did have wheat germ, so I substituted. They're good with cheese or a spread of some kind. No, they're not like store bought crackers, but I know exactly what's in them and there's much to be said for that.


The next picture is a bit blurry, but I think you can see that it's a tray of fresh pasta. I've been wanting to do this for a seriously long time! Even though it was only 10:30ish (a.m.), I couldn't resist cooking up a bit of the pasta and tossing it with 2 cloves of garlic sauteed lightly in butter, with a couple slices of filatti salamme (sliced and sauteed, too) and a bit of freshly ground pepper. It was a quick, tasty snack/brunch; John loved it! I must admit, it did taste pretty good.

I've put the rest of the noodles into baggies and have them in the fridge. I'm thinking they'll make a real quick lunch: toss the noodles into boiling, salted water for about 4 minutes, saute some onions, garlic, fresh tomato, some basil... whatever else I might like and toss it all together for a quick lunch dish. When it's time for lunch, I'll throw it into the microwave until it's hot and I'll have a quick, fresh, homemade lunch. Sounds yummy and quick, yes?

If you have any suggestions or favourite fresh pasta recipes, pass them on. I love new to me recipes and I'm definitely open to suggestions.

All in all, a good investment! We'll be having some fun, John and I!

5 comments:

  1. Funny what turns us on as we get older.
    I guess I'll get my kitchen stool out and climb up to the top shelf and get mine out and try your crisp recipe.
    happy day,
    sm

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  2. Everything sure looks tasty. I'm glad you finally got your pasta machine, and I hope you have many years of enjoyment and tasty treats from using it. :)

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  3. Can we see a picture of the haircut?

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  4. What make of pasta machine did you buy? I bought one from London Drugs and had to return it because it didn't cut the pasta into noodles - it just marked them, and you had to separate the noodles by hand. Loved the homemade noodles, though - they taste so different. Will definitely give the crackers a try.

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  5. I love my pasta maker, I got it when I got married and use it at least once a month.

    I love spinach pasta.
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Unique-Spinach-Noodles/Detail.aspx

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