One of my favorite things about being a foodie is explaining my passion to a curious friend. I love answering questions like, "What pairs well with this?" and "How can I improve this to intensify the flavor?" Scrolling through my text messages, I saw one from a friend asking me to give my thoughts on how to make a super garlicky garlic pasta (LOTS of fresh garlic, a hint of salt, and garlic infused olive oil).
I was inspired to create a delish pasta creation for my own supper and I came up with this. It's my standard recipe: al dente recipe with whatever I have on hand. But this time I cracked open something extra, extra special. My jar of sun dried tomatoes from Crete, Greece. Yes, I've been saving these suckers for almost 3 years and no, they hadn't gone bad. They'd been vacuum sealed in olive oil. Oh my gosh were they amazing. I added some pecorino, chicken, and a few torn leaves of basil and had me a sinfully decadent dinner. While preparing my dinner, my roommate commented on how incredibly delicious my dinners looked and I thought about how just one ingredient can add so much complexity and elicit such buzz amongst others in the kitchen.
And that made me really excited because it means - with a well stocked pantry, you can be the talk of the town. By understanding how to fully highlight an ingredient, you become a wealth of knowledge for friends who've been cooking for years, and ones who are just learning. And that, my friends, is a wonderful thing.
