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Comfort Food on a Budget ~ Gemelli Pasta with Salame

So it happens, today is Sunday and the paycheck doesn’t arrive until Thursday. There’s a bit of this and that left over to expand into enough meals for five days. Winter has arrived in the Northeast and on this cold, sunny day, we make the best of it.

PREPARATION
Always, be sure the hands, surfaces, knives and kitchen ware are clean.
Always, allow the ingredients to come to room temperature prior to cooking

Recipe: 30 minutes to cook and serve

The leftovers include:
1/3 Columbus Chorizo salame
2 ounces BelGioioso Four Cheeses (Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan, Provolone)
1/2 bag frozen Hannaford brand peas
1/2 box Hannaford brand Gemelli macaroni
Herb Blend Salt Free Frontier All Purpose Seasoning

As the peas and pasta are cooking on the stovetop, mince the salame. In a bowl, combine salame, cooked peas and garlic (to taste).

The pasta is cooked al dente. It should be firm to the bite. Save some of the pasta water and drain into a collander. DO NOT RINSE. The secret to good pasta is to not rinse. While it is still hot, blend in cracked pepper, herbs and cheese. Stir until combined. Blend in the salame and peas mixture. Blend the two well.

Columbus Chorizo salame has a bit of heat to it with smoked paprika and garlic. The salame is fresh, gluten and msg free. BelGioioso Four Cheeses are lovely blended into any pasta or on pizza. The taste is smooth and melts beautifully on hot macaroni. No salt is added to this recipe. There is no need. Frontier Salt Free Herb Blend provides excellent flavors to compensate.

This meal will have some heat to it and be flavorful on the tongue.

For a single person, it’s meals for several days. For a family, it’s one fantastic comfort food dish. What looked like a small amount of foods became an abundant one dish meal.

Serve on a warmed plate with a dry red Italian wine. At the last minute, squirt on some lemon juice. È delizioso!

Celebrate Each Day with a Song ~ “You and Me Against the World”

The Queen of 70’s Rock, Helen Reddy, released this song, “You and Me Against the World”, in 1974. What a delight it still is four decades later. How can it be the voice and lyrics can still enchant the ear and soothe something deep inside. Ms. Reddy is a personal childhood heroine. She is the rare artist who lived the words of her songs. No wonder it feels like an old friend to visit this song again. Reddy always put something of herself in each recording. She sang from her heart with connectivity and confidence in every note.

How pretty is the melody and flow of words written by Paul Williams. The endearing voices at the end of the song of Reddy and her daughter Traci declaring their love for each other on the original recording lifts this songs emotional appeal.

Comments by fans on YouTube often mention the fond memory of a beloved husband, friend or companion animal when they pause to listen to this song. The person remembers the care, the unconditional support of another presence. Someone is there who cares. Someone will remember these moments. Someone loved me when I was young.

Hail the blessed hearts who stayed by our sides in times of trouble. Here is Helen Reddy making a guest appearance on the popular Muppet’s Show. so welcoming and friendly to artists. The memories of these days are precious.

Lyrics

You and me against the world,

Sometimes it seems like you and me against the world,

When all the others turn their backs and walked away,

You can count on me to stay.

Remember when the circus came to town

How you were frightened by the clown,

Wasn’t it nice to be around someone that you knew,

Someone who was big and strong and looking out for

You and me against the world,

Sometimes it seems like you and me against the world

And for all the times we’ve cried I always felt that

God was on our side.

And when one of us is gone,

And one of us is left to carry on,

Then remembering will have to do,

Our memories alone will get us through

Think about the days of me and you,

Of you and me against the world.

Songwriters: Kenneth Lee Ascher / Paul H. Williams

Divine Tiramisu Mascarpone

Every once in a while, an accident happens with the best of consequences. The Hannaford Market weekly flyer advertised Bel Gioioso brand mascarpone cheese for sale at $3.69 per eight ounce container. Several years ago when all things Italian became popular in my household, I gave this product a try. This soft cheese is spread on toast, bagels and mixed into dessert recipes. The flavor is light and creamy. The texture is silky smooth on the tongue. It’s never too sugary and has half the fat and calories of butter. It is truly soft in the container and can be easily spread with a butter knife. The taste is similar to half and half made into a cheese.

The specialty cheese section at the end of the produce aisle and near the deli counter is where the item is found. I picked up the container and went on with shopping. Later in the afternoon, tea time rolled around and a chance to enjoy a treat. A pistachio walnut muffin warm from the oven will be perfect with mascarpone. This is the moment I noticed the label was different, it’s not the plain variety. It’s called Bel Gioioso Tiramisu. Oh! The ingredients include coffee.

I am the odd American that never picked up the habit of drinking coffee. While on vacation in Italy, I had a few sips of espresso, but otherwise, don’t indulge. I trust the brand so I opened the package and let my senses lead the way. The soft cheese is a beautiful shade of palest cafe au lait. The aroma is delicate and hinted at hazelnut. The texture is soft and light as expected. But, the flavor is not what I expect at all. It’s a light, light hint of coffee, almost cocoa in taste. This is yummy! Beyond yummy! It’s absolutely a divine combination of cream, milk, citric acid, coffee and sugar.

Mascarpone Bel Gioioso Tiramisu is perfect to spread on cookies, cakes and tiramisu. The majority of coffee flavored anything often tastes too strong and metallic. This tastes different. What a delightful mistake! This recipe reminds me right away of Italy and the superb way flavors are blended together. No ingredient overpowers the other. The balance is well-crafted. I’d love to know what brand of coffee is used and how it is folded into the cheese. A query has been sent to the chefs. In response, “the coffee is a concentrated liquid coffee that is blended with the cheese during the cheese making process.” So, the brand stays a chefs secret. It’s got to be Italian coffee.

The label says it is made in Denmark, Wisconsin, but the cheese making technique is from Italy. Founder Enrico Auricchio from Naples came to America to start the cheese making business in 1979. Two expert cheese makers from Italy, Mauro Rozzi and Gianni Toffolon, were brought into the business to put the craftsmanship into their product. Auricchio says, ” the art of the cheese makers is what makes the cheese different.” Agreed, the taste is clean, fresh and beautiful. As the name says, Bel Gioioso, or beautiful joy and it most certainly is.

The website for Bel Gioioso is user friendly and provides a display of their award-winning cheese products and recipes. Click on the link to explore the product selection. Every once in a while, an accident happens with the best of consequences. È delizioso.