a hella busy weekend for the ladies of television dinner.
through b's place of employment, we were able to score pro passes to new york comic con, the annual mecca for east coasts geeks of all varieties.
and while we scored some sweet swag and spotted some badass costumes, we were too poor to pay the $100 that mark hamill was charging for his autograph and left the con feeling the need for gastronomical satisfaction.
lo, and behold, just 10ish blocks away, the food mecca known as EATALY!
eataly is chef mario batali's part-market, part-restaurant, part-smorgasbord of overwhelmingness that opened right across from the flatiron building last year.
there might as well have been a montage à la the karate kid as we sampled eataly's wares and waited to be seated at birreria, eataly's rooftop beer garden.
while waiting for the hostess to text us that we could go up to beer heaven, we came up with this delicious menu:
THE DINNER
fancy comfort food: eataly stuffed shells with pancetta
eats:
- medium-sized pasta shells stuffed with
- fresh basil and parsley ricotta
- served with sweet marinara with pancetta
beverage of choice: yellow tail cabernet sauvingon (too tired to pick out anything fancy)
how to:
ingredients
Not huge, but not mini shell shaped pasta (~36 shells)
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 lb of pancetta, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 small-ish (like a pint?) container of fresh ricotta
1 large bunch of basil
1 medium bunch of parsley
1 cup of finely grated low moisture mozzerella
salt and pepper
make your sauce:
1. Over medium heat, render pancetta until crispy. Remove from pan, and set aside.
2. Leaving only about 2 teaspoons of pancetta fat in pan, and saute garlic until fragrant. Add sauce and pancetta.
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
shells:
1. Boil shells until al dente. (Better to be less cooked than more cooked because they will be cooking again in the oven.)
2. Finely mince basil and parsley, mix into ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Strain shells, and rinse with cold water.
shells assemble!
1. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. Using a teaspoon, fill each shell with ricotta mixture.
3. Lay shells in pan evenly, and cover with sauce.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese has melted, or you're just so hungry you can't wait anymore.
the results:
i wish we would have taken some more pictures to do this delectable pan of melty cheese and basil awesomeness justice because this was truly fantastic. the fresh basil inside the ricotta gave a fresh zing to the traditional italian flavors of red sauce and mozzerella.
and, can i say, how fairly easy it was to put together? i am always of fan of sticking something in the oven and walking away.
and, can i say, how fairly easy it was to put together? i am always of fan of sticking something in the oven and walking away.
THE TELEVISION
show: parks and recreation
season: 4
episode: 4
title: pawnee rangers
source: hitfix / credit: NBC
now, to fully appreciate how much this episode spoke to us, you must know that b + d met at girl scout camp, where they were both camp counselors. we've both been dirty girl scouts, as we are wont to call ourselves, for over a decade and have a special place in our trefoil-shaped hearts for the gsusa.
not to mention that b's boyfriend is an eagle scout, and there is oft a discussion on whether boy scouts or girl scouts are superior. in fact, b and her beau went on a camping trip this summer which involved an ultimate battle for scout supremacy. girl scouts won yet again, if only because HE HAD NEVER HAD S'MORES BEFORE. boy scouts are truly the worst.
and although the pawnee equivalent of girl scouts was the clear winner of leslie's perceived competition with ron, both the a and b plots of p&r came out on top. last week's foray into joan calamezzo's place and the reveal of leslie's eagleton origins had fallen a little short of parks' usual brilliance. it was just a bit too mean and a bit too sad.
not the case with "pawnee rangers"; i can't say which plot i liked better, the freakin' awesome gender battle or the glorious treat yourself day with tom, donna and ben.
i gotta say that donna and jerry are way underused and i am so glad to see the series featuring them more.
the only thing i could have done without chris trager's complete obliviousness in attempting to score jerry's daughter. it just was way too off even for his eccentric character. and WHAT IS UP WITH HIS HAIR?
highlights:
- uh oh, batman's crying. ben's splurge on the batman suit. and then him crying in the batman suit.
- and then a puppet show about the bill of rights set to "party in the usa" by miley cyrus. followed by lasso training and a smores off.
- the swansons: this will be no fun at all. leslie made right by creating a space for those outdoor kids who really do like to make shelters out of tarps.
- ann's sad cornhusk dolls. ann's keeping us warm. and that's important.
memorable lines:
-- pawnee goddess lauren, the perfect mixture of ron and lesleyi made a gertrude stein!
tom: once a year, we spend a day treating ourselves. what do we treat ourselves to?
donna: clothes.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: fragrances.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: massages.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: mimosas.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: fine. leather. goods.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: it's the best day of the year.
episode mvp: retta. "t-mobile!" "oh lord, is he eating soup, on a bench, alone?" the character of donna could be just an enjoyable character, but retta's portrayal of donna's kindness towards others makes you want to be her friend instead of just listen to her jokes. also, her facial expressions. brilliant.
this is definitely the best episode this season. it makes me smile just thinking about it. in fact, let's just watch this video over and over and over again until we fall asleep.
treat yo self
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ReplyDeleteOh my God, I may have to start watching Parks and Recreation. STAT.
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