The headline describes me to a tee, but it is also the name of a book I’m featuring in my Cookbook Corner column Saturday.
Even though “A Passion for Pasta” by Polly Clingerman is 20 years old, it contains some great recipes and since I didn’t have space to include all of my top picks in this week’s column, am including one below I thought blog readers might find interesting.

“It is rich, silken and pure heaven on the tongue,” the author noted. “Serve it in bowls so you don’t lose any sauce.”

Pasta with Four Cheeses

• 1 pound spinach linguine, small bow ties or fusilli

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 3 ounces Fontina cheese, cubed

• 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cubed

• 3 ounces Bel Paese cheese, cubed (Monterey Jack may be substituted)

• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

• 1 ¼ cups whipping cream

• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta as package directs, al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter or margarine. Stir in Fontina, Gorgonzola and Bel Paese cheeses, and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheeses have melted. Do not let the mixture boil. Stir in cream and Parmesan cheese. Heat through.

Gently stir the hot pasta with the hot sauce until completely coated. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

It is not unusual for me to have breakfast fare such as bacon, eggs and hash browns for dinner. In fact, I am far more prone to that than actually having such a meal when I first get up.

One of my favorite breakfast-type dishes is a recipe from an old cookbook titled, “Cooking With Bon Appetit: Breakfast and Brunches.” The recipe below is one I’ve fixed often and always seems to be a hit with guests.

This is especially good when tomatoes are in season and picked fresh from your own vines.

Tomato and Sausage Tart

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage

• 2 to 3 tomatoes, peeled, cored and thickly sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Spread mustard over pastry and bake 5 minutes. Cool.

Remove sausage from casings. Sauté in small skillet, crumbling with fork, until cooked through. Drain and let cool.

Sprinkle sausage over pastry. Cover with tomato slices and sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil and parsley.

Combine cheese and mayonnaise in small bowl and blend well. Spread over tomato slices, sealing completely to edges. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

4 to 6 servings.

Since cabbage has been on my mind the past week, perhaps because St. Patrick’s Day is Wednesday, thought I would share yet one more recipe that is a particular favorite of mine and also easy to prepare.

The recipe comes from a cookbook I featured in my Cookbook Corner column about thee years ago titled, “Grace Lutheran Church Centennial Cookbook.” The church members put out this dandy little cookbook to commemorate its 100 years serving the community of Potlatch.

If you like cabbage as much as I do, am sure you’ll want to try this recipe.

Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage

Ruth Ulinder

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening

• 4 cups red cabbage, shredded

• 2 cups unpared apples, diced (optional)

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup vinegar

• ¼ cup water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• dash pepper

• ½ teaspoon Accent

Heat fat in skillet; add remaining ingredients. Cover tightly. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. For crisp cabbage, cook 15 minutes. For old-fashioned kind, cook 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 4.

I thought I would end the week with a great dessert recipe from last year’s August/September issue of Taste of Home magazine. I had made this tasty recipe for my brother when he was down for a visit last summer and he loved it. Since I’m going to Spokane for this weekend, he emailed that if it wasn’t too much trouble, would I mind bringing that “wonderful” cake with me.

It took awhile for me to remember just what Taste of Home magazine it was in, but I finally tracked it down Wednesday and will honor my brother’s request.

Since the recipe starts with a cake mix, it doesn’t take long to put together.

Recipe contributor Jeannette Hoffman of Oshkosh, Wisconsin wrote, “the caramel topping adds moisture and yummy butterscotch flavor to this popular cake, topped with crunchy toffee candy.”

Toffee Poke Cake

• 1 18-1/4 ounce package chocolate cake mix

• 1 17-ounce jar butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping

• 1 12-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 3 Heath candy bars, 1.4 ounce each, chopped

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cool on wire rack.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake. Pour ¾ cup caramel topping into holes. Spoon remaining caramel topping over cake. Top with whipped topping. Sprinkle with candy. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 15 servings.

Before I put my February/March issue of Taste of Home magazine in the stack, thought I would share one more recipe the from current magazine billed as the “ultimate comfort food issue.”  Since it contains cabbage, it might also be considered for a St. Patrick’s Day meal when you planning Wednesday’s menu.

Renee Leary of Citrus Springs submitted the recipe, Florida who wrote that one day when she didn’t have time to make her favorite cabbage rolls, she “threw together this soup and loved it!”

Another plus, this soup can be put together in 30 minutes or less.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 ½ cups shredded cabbage

• 1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 18.3 ounce carton ready-to-serve sweet red pepper soup

• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add the cabbage, zucchini and mushrooms, cook and stir 8 minutes longer.  Stir in the soup, tomatoes, pepper sauce, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Yield:  6 servings.

Broccoli salad is one of my favorites and I often find myself craving it, regardless of the season.  This week was one of those times so I bought a container at Safeway’s deli.  It wasn’t the best I’ve ever tasted so decided the next time I was in one of those food moods, would make my own.

To that end, I have a broccoli salad recipe that is tops.  It is from a cookbook titled “Pawsitively Clemson:  Taste of the Tigers,” that once belonged to Harriet Hughes of Moscow.  She purchased it when she attended her 25^th class reunion at Clemson University in South Carolina.  It ended up in a rummage sale at Moscow’s St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and was purchased for me by my old friend Kenton Bird.

I sharing this recipe with readers and as the titled suggests, it is the
best ever!”

Best Ever Broccoli Salad

• 1 bunch broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces

• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1 cup shredded cheese

• ½ cup raisins

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• ¼ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons vinegar

Toss the broccoli, bacon, pecans, cheese and raisins in a bowl.  Combine the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar in a bowl.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the dressing mixture over the broccoli mixture and toss well.  Refrigerate, covered, until chilled.

Yield:  6 servings.

I am featuring the new “2010 Food and Wine Annual Cookbook in Saturday’s Cookbook Corner column and since there were so many good recipes in this current publication, decided to share some on the blog.

I have gotten this annual cookbook for years and usually the recipes are a bit sophisticated.  But this is not the case in the current issue and one in particular caught my eye since I love Chinese noodles.

With the recipe below, chef Joanne Chang noted that when she was in college, far away from any Chinese markets, she discovered party staples like spaghetti and peanut butter were perfect stand-ins for traditional ingredients.

Try this recipe and see if you agree.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

• 1 pound spaghetti (cook a few minutes longer than the box advises to give the soft texture of Chinese noodles)

• ¾ cup smooth peanut butter

• ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

• 6 tablespoons soy sauce

• ¼ cup water

• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

• one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1 large garlic clove

• 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced

• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stem

• lime wedges for serving

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until tender.  Drain and rinse under cold water until drained.  Drain well.

In a blender, puree the peanut butter with 6 tablespoons of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger and garlic.  Transfer ½ cup of the peanut dressing to a bowl and toss with the noodles.

In another bowl, toss the celery with the cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Transfer the noodles to bowls and drizzle with the remaining peanut dressing.  Top with the celery and serve with lime wedges.

Note:  The peanut dressing can be refrigerated for 2 days.

6 servings.

Although the recipe I’m sharing today came from the March issue of Bon Appetit, it was on a page advertising Newman’s Own® Pasta Sauces.  Even though it calls for chicken, not one of my favorites, I thought it sounded good.

The other reason I thought it was a good recipe to share with readers, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook, making it a perfect main dish for a weekday supper.

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces

• salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon dried or fresh tarragon or thyme (optional)

• flour for dredging

• 2 to 3 cups Newman’s Own® All-Natural Alfredo Sauce

• 10 ounces cheese tortellini, prepared according to package directions

• chopped parsley for garnish

Over medium heat, sauté onion in butter until soft and set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  Add tarragon or thyme if desired.  Dredge in flour and sauté in pan used to sauté onion for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add onions, Alfredo sauce, and prepared tortellini.  Stir together, heating thoroughly for 5 to 10 minutes.  Garnish with parsley and diced peppers if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

While I’m on a seafood kick, thought I would share a recipe I received Thursday from the Burrell Group Ltd., a New York City-based media group.

The fajita recipe sounded good to me, unusual in my case since it also appeared to be healthy.  I like fish crispy and this one appears to accomplish that goal by breading and roasting on high heat rather than frying.

Hope readers find this fajita recipe tasty as well.

SHAKE-BAKE FISH FAJITAS

• 1 pound flounder fillet (or other mild firm fish such as cod or tilapia), cut lengthwise in ½-inch wide strips 

• 1/4 cup fine, unseasoned bread crumbs 

• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper 

• 1 medium onion, sliced 

• 1 large red bell pepper, cut in strips 

• 8 tomatillos, husks removed, then quartered (or 1 cup chopped green tomatoes) 

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 4 large 10-inch flour tortillas

• 4 ounces Jarlsberg (or reduced fat version) cheese slices, cut in strips

• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, mixed with squeeze of lime

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

In plastic bag, gently shake fish to coat with breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and place on non-stick baking pan.  Spray fish lightly with oil and roast 15 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily.  In large non-stick skillet, sauté onion, pepper and tomatillos with cumin until just tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.   Transfer vegetables to warming plate. 

Heat tortillas according to package directions.  Divide cheese evenly between tortillas; top with vegetables, fish and cilantro.  If desired, serve with traditional tartar sauce or make a Tex Mex version, combining 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo with 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Serves 4. 

When we go out to lunch or dinner as a family treat, I often order something I can share with Henry. But sometimes I want something spicy or strange or (I admit) unhealthy, so I want to get something separate for him.

The bummer thing is that when we share, it doesn’t cost me a dime extra, but when we order a grilled cheese and fruit cup off the kids menu, it bumps the bill up, even if just by a few dollars.

How to save for little eaters like mine?

Sometimes, if my meal isn’t quite “complete” enough to feed to Henry, I order a small side of steamed veggies or chopped fruit to round out his meal — some restauarants will just do this for free for toddlers, which is great, but even paying for a small side is often less than paying for a kid’s meal.

There’s also the magic of Kids Eat Free.  A friend shared  this link recently with a list of chain restaurants at which small kids can get a free meal every day or on certain days of the week. (Bonus: It includes a list of birthday freebies!)

Some of those restaurants can be found right here on the Palouse, so next time you’re hankering for a family meal but wanting to save a little money, why not try one of these places?

I don’t know of any specific deals that local non-chain restaurants offer for kids, though from experience I can say that every local restaurant I’ve taken Henry to has been super friendly and accommodating. But if you know of a great deal, please share it in the comments!