house on the mind

husBen and I are pretty obsessed with this house thing right now. We both signed up for Pinterest (sorry to expose you, husBen) and have been sending each other ideas throughout the day: leather couches and industrial lighting, covetable ranges and beautiful showers. We are dreaming and we know it, of the carrot at the end of a long stick (like several years long, eh, maybe a decade).

Fixing up this house to be our home is going to be quite the project. This is that time of our life wherein we should share a Blizzard from Dairy Queen (well we would if we could even find one in the loop) and call it “date night,” wherein I get really creative with leftovers, and wherein we pare down our wants for the sake of our needs. This is that time when young marrieds bond over paint colors and ramen and yard work.

I realize these periods of life might be more valued in retrospect, like once we survive the stress of being house-poor and we can look back at our youth and think how far we’ve come since those days of “walking uphill both ways in the freezing snow” type thoughts, but I want to remain thankful for this time while I am in it! While I am sitting in my very own first house, inside walls that we will have painted ourselves! I am truly excited, can you tell?

All that said, I was in a different place a few weeks ago when I got a little indulgent with food and decided to make a rack of lamb and homemade pasta for dinner. Sometimes the difference between wants and needs is just so blurry to me!

sometimes the effort is worth it

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

1 rack of lamb (8 bones, frenched)

kosher salt and pepper

olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons total)

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons capers (drained)

¾ cup Panko bread crumbs

1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 F. Score the fat covering the meat on the lamb rack in a crosshatch pattern (careful not to slice all the way down to the meat). Season the lamb on both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat and place the rack fat side down in the pan. Sear until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a roasting pan.

Now for the crust: combine butter, 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and capers in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until roughly combined (there should still be small chunks of capers). Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and add the panko, rosemary and parsley and fold the mixture together until small clumps form. 

Gently press the crust mixture evenly over the lamb (on the seared fat side). Roast the lamb in the preheated oven, for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 128 degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow the lamb to rest for 20 minutes (it will be medium rare) before serving.

slice between the bones for individual servings

Orecchiette Carbonara with Charred Brussels Sprouts

From Bon Appétit

½ lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, leaves separated

12 oz. fresh orecchiette (see Fresh Pasta recipe below)

Kosher salt

2 oz. pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped (about ¼ cup)

½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

⅓ cup grated Pecorino plus more

2 large egg yolks, beaten to blend

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add brussels sprout leaves and cook, tossing occasionally, until charred in spots and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente (about 5 minutes for fresh pasta). Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale and cook, stirring often, until slightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Add pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to keep pepper from burning; reduce heat to low and gradually add butter, swirling skillet and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until a thick, glossy sauce forms. (Taste as you go and switch to hot water once sauce is adequately seasoned.)

Add pasta to skillet and toss to coat. Add Pecorino; toss to combine. Remove from heat; mix in egg yolks. Add reserved brussels sprout leaves; toss, adding pasta cooking liquid (or hot water) as needed to thin sauce.

Serve pasta immediately, topped with more Pecorino.

Fresh Pasta

From Bon Appétit

just do it

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour

Combine AP flour and semolina flour in a large bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to a bare simmer. Add ⅔ cup hot water to flours and mix with a fork until mixture just comes together. Turn out dough onto a surface lightly dusted with AP flour and knead until smooth and elastic, 8–10 minutes (alternatively, using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix on low speed, about 5 minutes). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; let sit 1 hour at room temperature.

Next, form the pasta into orecchiette by pulling off a small chunk, rolling it into a thin snake (about 1 cm in diameter) then slicing it into small disks. Flatten each disc by dragging the flat part of a knife over it in a fluid motion towards you (or you can smash each piece with your thumb then crimp it in half).

Alternative…buy fresh pasta at the closest grocer!