Shout-outs to My Momma

Does your mom cook? Is she a baker, maybe? Do you depend on her for help with recipes or did she teach you to cook?

My mom is a fabulous cook. She's not a chef and she's not a baker, but she's a damn good, everyday cook. She can cook just about anything. My fondest memories as a kid are of her and then inevitably, the whole family in the kitchen. When she's in there the scene is music, beers, wines, bourbons, laughter and happy, chatty family members. It creates a contagious buzz. She's happy there and she does some of her very best work in the kitchen. She certainly rubbed off on my brother. He is a wonderful cook. More on the chef side than my mom. A bit more gourmet, but nonetheless, I think he got it from her. Me on the other hand, I try, but it doesn't come as easily to me. It's more of a chore. I have to lean on her a lot for ideas, help and tricks to make it all come together.

I called her today for help with dinner. I wanted something pretty basic, light, healthy and full of veggies and chicken. I had a craving for some pasta, so I gave her the must-haves and asked her to make-up something for me. She did and the email went like this.

"Okay, let me think on this a minute. I make a pasta salad by the seat of my pants, so it's never the same two times. Try this, I think you'll like it.


Small Pasta Salad


Pasta of choice, I suggest Penne

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini

Grape Tomatoes

Small can of sliced black olives

Small red onion thinly sliced (as much or as little as you want)

Chopped Asparagus

Salt and Pepper

A touch of Garlic Powder

Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing

Grilled Chicken marinated in the above Dressing

Chop the zucchini, squash and asparagus as you please and blanch for a few minutes. Then dunk in an ice water bath for a few minutes. You can put whatever you want in there, but this is just how I like it. Cook the pasta, drain and add all above ingredients minus the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Chill. Grill the chicken and add to the cold pasta salad. Voila.

What I love about this kind of pasta is that it will last forever. Not at my house though, Doug will eat Pasta Salad practically for breakfast."

I followed this pretty closely. I did forget the purple onion and the garlic powder. The first on purpose and the latter just because I forgot. Purple onion gives me outrageous indigestion. Pass.

It came out looking like this. Exactly what I wanted.

The dressing looked like this.
It was a hit around here. Most people could probably come up with this on their own, it wasn't a hard or complicated dish. I just needed a little help from the moms. So, thank you mom. You saved the day!

In other Cinco de Mayo Eve News, it's my fabulous friend's, Meredith, birthday! Happy 29th Mere Mere! I hope it's a great one...live it up in the last year of the 20's!