Pleasing pasta, RomNO

I have been on a real tear to clean out the pantry lately so tonight we bid arrivederci to all available paccheri. Bye bye fat, tubular Italian yumminess. To top it, I used up the rest of our Cibola Farms sweet Italian sausage (seriously, head to some DC-area farmers market and visit Cibola Farms; wowzers!), the rest of my Tuscan kale, some mascarpone, Parm and red pepper flakes. This was not out of this world but it was good and was an easy, satisfying dinner.

You guys, is Romney pulling a Palin, by which I mean he's going down in flames and thusly avoiding the media at all costs? He cancelled his campaign event in Kettering, OH, by "suspending" it -John McCain redux anyone?- only to host another event in the same spot in Kettering, OH, during which he offered the Red Cross canned goods his campaign bought and which they (the Red Cross) don't want.

What is wrong with Donald Trump? Why is he orange? Why is his hair like it is? Why doesn't Melania do something about said hair? Why is he trying to pay off our President? And is he serious that he extended his offer because of Hurricane Sandy? Who keeps his/her passport application? Don't you have to surrender that when you apply?? Mother of god.

Go Chris Christie! NJ, I am so sorry.

Wednesday adieu

What a whirlwind was today! Good but whew! Coffee with a friend I see too rarely, a long talk with my sister which is also too infrequent an occurrence, 5 quarts of sour cherries pitted, the quickest trip to the gym you ever did see, a date with each of my dear sons, and some dinner. You cannot(!) go wrong with this simple watermelon salad: steaky slices of fruit, feta, mint and aged balsamic. Perhaps a little fresh pepper but otherwise nothing more, nothing less. Simplicity at its best! In addition, this kale and sugar snap salad was delicious, a solid riff on a recipe from today's NYT Dining section as we didn't have the two primary dressing ingredients. Kitchen improv! Whoo-hoo! Did you know that the umami in ground dried mushrooms makes them a solid substitute for miso paste? Nice! Isn't it positively alive with glow and health?! And what a beautiful evening, yes?