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March 06, 2011
Really? Green beans this good?
We threw our plans for the weekend's cooking adventures out the window. Because we received a last-minute invitation to a dear friend's milestone birthday party in Lansing, we didn't cook Saturday's dinner as planned. Instead we headed north in freezing rain. We left early so that we could eat at the only Lansing restaurant worth a 90 minute drive, El Azteco. If you're ever there, you must stop for a bite. Ignore the split upholstery on the booths and focus on the food. Great authentic Mexican.
We had a nice time visiting with our friends and their friends, then drove home thru heavy snowfall. What normally takes an hour and a half to drive took us two and a quarter hours. We saw five spun-out cars along the way. We got home safely, though.
Then Sunday, Doolia had a concert with the Dexter Community Orchestra. We played a piece called "The Watershed" by a local composer, Evan Chambers. And before the concert, we enjoyed some winning short films from the Millers Creek Film Festival, about the Huron River. And then Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, and finally, Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A major. The concert ended about 40 minutes later than usual, and with the reception afterward and breaking down the stage, we didn't get home until after 8 pm.
So we made Spagetti ala carbonara (again), and green beans almondine, both recipes from The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, as usual. While Dooley made the Spagetti ala carbonara, Doolia made the green beans almondine. This recipe for green beans was TO DIE FOR! I actually liked it better than the pasta dish. It uses only slivered almonds, butter, fresh green beans, a little water, salt, and lemon juice. It was phenominally delicious, quick to make, and looked so elegant with the pasta. We ate by candlelight and had a delicious, romantic dinner together.
Posted by jdooley at March 6, 2011 09:42 PM