Fantastic pasta and a few more laughs

Tonight, tired from all the yoga and pilates in the world because #electionstress, cold because #fall, and hungry because, well, #hungry, I wanted a quick, hearty dinner. I'd bought a lovely rotisserie chicken from the market earlier, knowing the boys wouldn't eat it all and so I'd have some leftover bird. On a hunch, I put a tub of mascarpone and a box of whole wheat spaghetti in my cart too, just in case. 

And so became dinner. I forgot about the originally-called-for fennel but subbed a celery heart with great results. Likewise, I didn't recall recently using up my stash of currants and so used chopped sultanas. Also a terrific sub. Lastly, I was again reminded that the best outcome for any pasta dish really depends on a salt-loving heavy hand. Go big or go home, be flexible, enjoy.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Chicken, Fennel, Currants and Mascarpone. 

In addition to all the yoga and pilates, I have drowned my election depression in my garden. Somewhere out there I lost my favorite pair of Fiskars clippers, but I planted a couple dozen tulip bulbs and trimmed away two garbage bins of yardly detritus.

And I have greatly appreciated the proliferation of more Biden-against-Trump jokes. A few more for you. God I'm gonna miss these two!

Food, glorious food!

I am feeling pretty excited abut the fall produce rolling in. The lima beans have continued to hit the spot, and yesterday I roasted some gorgeous carrots and rutabagas. They looked nearly neon, and I love the prominent rings decorating the carrot interiors. Root veggies drive me wild. Last night's dinner was a recipe of mine that has been going gang-busters on Pinterest for the past month: Caribbean Sea Bass. Chilean Sea Bass (I always get Marine Stewardship Council-certified because for a while the future was looking bleak for these fishy friends), which is not really a bass at all -but rather the Patagonian Toothfish, a cod icefish- nor necessarily from Chile- is so delicious. It's buttery and delicately steaky and holds up nicely to a range of seasonings.

This simple recipe utilizes honey, pineapple, habañero, scallions and avocado, a pretty, fragrant, zingy combination that pairs nicely with the fish's texture and flavor. Healthy and delicious!

I roasted salmon with whey, salt and pepper for the boys and then topped it with capers: they went nuts, and I can see that we've passed the point of a half-pound being sufficient to feed them. While they ate, I finished up the apple strudels that Jack wanted to bring to his class today. They were so pretty, and I'm sad to say that the photos of them were erased from my loaner phone when I returned it today. My iLemon was irreparable, so they gave me a new one. Not a 6, folks; they're not that generous. But I'm pretty darn satisfied with a new phone. In any case, no pics of the strudels unless you follow me on Instagram or Facebook. I also managed to give away the rest of the olive oil cake; it was so good, but I needed to part ways.

Look at this cat- he is so handsome and curious and charming.

Tonight, dinner starred another uncomplicated dish: Chicken with Garlic, Capers and Oregano. My sister made this for us in Florence and we devoured it so enthusiastically that she sent me the recipe. Grazie, grazie. Mamma mia, it's divine. We had leftover veggies and I also made one of T's favorite recipes, Couscous with Celery, Parsley and Red Wine Vinegar. It's an Amanda Hesser recipe that I discovered while reading Cooking for Mr. Latte when we lived in Amsterdam. For many years, it was a staple side dish. Then, for no good reason, I stopped making it and tonight decided to remedy things. It's fab!

Barley, chicken and broccoli Asian-style, Bill and the debate tonight

I think Ann Coulter might consider suing Bethenny Frankel, because Ann herself is the original Skinny Bitch. Whoa. She's like a blond, horsey, mean, skewed mini-Rush or Sean. She is crazy. We're watching Real Time from Friday night, and she's the opening act. She thinks there isn't much in the way of racism anymore, that child pornography and abuse is a bigger problem. The latter is definitely horrible, but there is surely racism alive and present - MOST unfortunately- today. Also, she's a dodge artist of the most serious type. Answer a question? No. Be honest? Never. She's got her talking points down, that's for damn sure. But she is pathetically and scarily and despicably dishonest. Darrel Issa makes me furious. What a condescending, coiffed bulldog.

In the meantime, our dinner was definitely good. I made roasted broccoli with a glaze of ginger, soy, sesame oil, rice vinegar and garlic, and a barley salad with chicken, cucumbers, scallions, and peanut sauce. Fab!