Project Logic Ga

Why is my friend J.W. halfway to the century mark and not hip to one dish cooking?  Americans of means are hitting the kitchen and chilling with friends on the porch again—that’s a good thing in this economy.  While I won’t be on the Food Network anytime soon, let’s me school J. W. in the kitchen like I schooled him on the tennis court in D.C. (He never won a game against me in a zillion sets.)

One Dish/Multi Meal Penne or Ziti:

1. Boil water in a 5 quarter pot…..after boiling starts, add salt and olive oil; then add one box of pasta…penne, ziti, wheat or white…maybe bowties and cook for 12 to 15 mins….pre-heat oven at like 300.
2. Chop Fully cooked Beef sausage and microwave in casserole dish (actually, you want to m-wave a little to start if fozen..so you can cut them)
3. Put warmed sausage in casserole dish into oven to get that browned effect…after sausage is browned, add half of one jar of pasta sauce (or get the big jar with the lid and use only as much as you like)  Cover dish because the sauce will bubble in your oven.
4. Open one can of green beans or peas and m-wave in a bowl for 1 or 1.5 mins after peppering.
5. Drain the pasta water out and put the pot back on the stove with reduced heat..add a little Promise or other butter substitute to keep the pasta from sticking together and sticking to the pot…stir around and add pepper and a little salt.
6. Put the rest of the sauce on the pasta after adding your warmed green beans or peas while the pasta is on low heat…watch as the combination warms up.
7. Mix the pasta from the stove with the warmed pasta/sausage from the oven so the meat is mix into the whole dish.
8. Turn the heat in the oven down to warm…put any cheese into and across the top of the dish and give it a few mins in the oven to melt the cheese.
9. Bam…you are done…put a few slices of bread (regular wheat bread or whatever) into the warm oven with a little Promise spread and maybe some garlic salt, olive oil and/or cheese….cut bread diagonally to be fancy. 

This basic pasta meal should be served to a nice lady with candle lights and melodic jazz—get “the Gentle Side of John Coltrane” cd. You can change the dish up in the future by using white or alfredo sauce and chicken, fish or turkey.  You can use seafood—just cook it in a sauce pan on the stove and put it on top of the pasta…trey chic.

Your country cutie will be impressed big time. “Did you work at Applebees in college or something.”  She can’t figure out that there was no Applebees when you were at U of South Carolina and they would not let the bros in that spot back then anyway.  J. W., if you were in school a few years earlier, you could not eat a slice of pie at Woolworth’s in Columbia or Greenville.  And now our sister is the first lady of these United States…my goodness.    

While the economy is down, stay out of those Capitol Hill eateries and eat at home.  Good friends, moderate wine or brew and people will start economically interacting again—doing my part of help President Obama help the nation.  After the recovery kicks, stay out of those eateries and save that cash.  If doll doesn’t like eating in sometimes, move on to a sensible sweetheart—remember, retirement is right around the corner and if you work after 70 it should be because you are bored; not because you need the coin.

All kidding aside, thanks for your tutelage when I was green on the Hill.  My daddy always said “pin my flowers on me while I am alive.”

http://www.gomeat.com/sitecontent/dinner/archive/2007/11/02/baked-penne-smoked-sausage.aspx

And get some matching plates and things from Wal-mart at least —you are slacking with that mixed-matched stuff.  It’s like you are still in the Peace Corp in Honduras.

http://www.microwavecookingforone.com/Corelle/