The Original Fettucine Alfredo...not the pasta dish with heavy cream sauce that you're thinking of. Turns out, the dish was invented by a Roman, Alfredo di Lelio, for his wife, who lost her appetite after the birth of their son. In an attempt to make an ordinary dish more lavish, he increased the amount of butter used in his traditional fettucie al burro (pasta, butter and parmesan cheese). The result was a dish his wife could not resist.

Thanks to the most recent edition of Saveur, I was able to learn the history of this American favorite and get a fantastic recipe. This is amazing! Absolutely, positively, delicious! Worth every calorie, even if it does mean new bloomers.

The Muse Gourmet

I didn't have much time to make dinner tonight, so having recently taken a Thai cooking class and having Pad Thai still on the brain, I thought I would mke up a batch of the tasty noodles.  Then I realized, I didn't include any pictures of the dish in my previous recipe post.  So, here they are.  :)  Photos of the noodles soaking as well as the finished entree. 

The hardest part with this recipe is cutting everything up.  Once you get that done, cooking is a snap. 

Greek food.  Mmmmm.  One of my favorites! 

Why is it so hard to find a good Greek restaurant?  It would seem to me that for the ease with which an authenthic Greek meal can be prepared, there should be a Greek restaurant on every corner.  Yet, no matter how hard I try, I can't find a restaurant that can serve me a better Greek cuisine than I can prepare at home (with very little time and effort). 

Before we get started, let me say this.  We're not going to make homemade pita.  If you're in this for the pita recipe, move on...it's not coming.  I have this philosophy about NEVER MAKING MY OWN PITA BREAD.  So...go to the store and buy the best pita bread you can find.  Make sure it's fresh.  Then, read on...

Today is all about Grilled Pork Souvlaki(pronounced soov-LAH-kee).  Essentially, souvlaki means something cooked on a skewer. My preference (of course) would be tender cuts of meat.  If you need to add a few veggies, tear yourself up.  :)  Pork souvlaki is a traditional "fast food" in Greece.  It is often served with fried bread and potatoes.  I prefer to serve a skewer of grilled pork souvlaki on warm pita bread with tzatziki and sliced onion (and a side of oven fried Greek potatoes). 

Chicken Mulligatawny is a varied soup of British origin, introduced to India in the 1800s.  Mulligatawny refers to a stew that is cooked in peppery water. 

The particular variety that I prefer combines a blend of Thai and Indian flavors (ginger, cilantro, coconut, curry, red pepper) and is best served with steamed Basamati rice or coconut rice (see my earlier recipe).  I like this version because it uses a healthy variety of vegetables that aren't always popular on a stand alone basis (spinach and tomato).  Add another chopped jalapeno for a spicer blend. 

As a side note, any left over ginger can be stored in the freezer.  Just peel the entire root, wrap it well and store in an air tight container.  It will last in the freezer up to three months and can be used in another recipe.

This is a budget friendly meal that serves 6-8 people.  If you're not familiar with Indian cooking, give this one a try.  It's easy to prepare and doesn't take a lot of time in the kitchen.     

Be well.

The Muse Gourmet

The best coconut rice I've ever made. And sooo easy too! The first time I made this, I was so impressed with the texture, rich flavor and perfect amount of spice to keep your tastebuds interested; I immediately made another batch. If you like coconut rice, you won't be disappointed.  

Now I just need to come up with a good recipe for some type of Hawaiin Pork to serve with the rice. Hmmm...reminds me of something I had for lunch once at the Tahitian Noni Cafe. Gotta work on that one. 

...music thyme while you cook?