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

Went for a walk today and saw two bluebirds.  A female, with the most beautiful midnight blue feathers.  And a male, who's tail feathers were less impressive but who was determined to not to be ignored.  How apropos on this, the 14th of February. 

I managed to fumble my phone out of my pocket and get the camera out just in time to capture the birds completely hidden in the bushes.  :)  My husband swears up and down the birds flew away before the camera snapped.  So, for your viewing pleasure, I have attached that very shot.  Also, because there may be some of you wishing you had received some flowers today...I've attached a pic of some daffodils that just started blooming.  Spring is in the air!

I dedicate today to my favorite herb, Basil.  A little history lesson thanks to Wiki.  There are several different kinds of basil (sweet, Thai, lemon) all of which are used in Asia.  Basil comes from the Greek word for King and is believed to have grown in the place where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. 

The basil most readily available in grocery stores is sweet basil.  Along with pine nuts (yes, they are actually the edible seeds of a real pine tree), basil is the main ingredient in pesto (a northern Italian sauce comprised of pine nuts, basil, garlic, olive oil and a few others seasonings). 

I rarely used pesto before I started making my own.  Well, let me say that a little differently.  I was never impressed with store bought pesto.  I used it, I just didn't find the results to be memorable.  The flavors weren't ...Wow!  So, I say uneuivocally, that you cannot find a store bought basil pesto better than this homemade version.  Give it a try! 

One quick tip about purchasing sweet basil.  The leaves should be bright green in color.  If the leaves are turning dark and wilty, the basil isn't fresh.  I took a pic of two different leaves below so you know what to look for in the store.  To get 2 cups of basil, you can either purchase two of the small fresh herb packets or one large packet.  If you have any Vietnamese grocery stores near you, that is usually the most inexpensive place to purchase fresh basil.