Are You Ready?

7/1/09

MY BEST PESTO


DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

You know, I have lived on my own for many years now. When I first moved out on my own and started cooking for myself, I could never figure out why my chili, [check my archives for my very first posting] never quite tasted like my mothers. I had watched and helped her prepare this dish hundreds of times over the course of my life, but still it was never really quite like hers. Oh! and the garbanzo beans she used to fry in butter in her cast-iron skillet... mine never tasted like hers either... I can not recall where this notion came from for me; but I now do believe it is her very own magic that made all of those dishes from my childhood special!

So, let me talk about my brother for a quick moment. Michael, who in his own right, has no problem maneuvering his was around the kitchen - is and always has been a very picky eater!!! If I am not mistaken - green beans and maybe one other green vegetable are the only "green" things he will eat!


Enter baby brother, [that would be me!] and "THE PESTO"

I had come home for a visit and decided that I would make dinner for my family. I had just recently been exposed to pesto and loved it very much. Cooking for my family wouldn't be a big deal... we will eat anything... except for Michael! Starting to sound like the cereal commercial??? Really, I don't know how my mother kept him, [the picky eater] alive all those years! I go to the store, get in the kitchen, and start doing my thing! Michael, who is sitting on the other side of the counter in my mother's open kitchen proceeds to do nothing but harangue me the entire time I am preparing the meal. "Who is gonna eat that shit!" he would say. Quickly followed by, "Yuck, that looks gross !" It goes on and on and on...


I am not really sure how it actually went down, but at one point he must've gotten really sick of hearing how great it was, (from everyone there!) and picked up a piece of baguette smeared on a little pesto, tried it and actually liked it! Let me be more clear. HE LOVED IT!!!


From then on he would have me prepare mammoth batches of pesto that he would freeze in ice cube trays and he would transfer into large Ziploc bags, so he could ration himself out. I have taught him how to make it several times, but he says it just isn't the same! It must be my magic!

... so, for my brother, Michael...

My best pesto

3 cup packed fresh basil (leaves and tops only)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup nuts*
5-10 medium cloves of fresh garlic


Place all ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and pulse. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the feed a little at a time until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. This is where your preference come into play. Because I like to to use my pesto for many things, I tend to like it a little on the thick side because I can always add a little more olive oil to loosen it up if needed. I eat it on everything from pasta to omelets to sandwiches. I hope you enjoy this as much as my brother, who I love very much, [even though he harangued me to death that day long, long ago!]


* I like to use walnuts because of their oil content and what the do for the consistency and flavor of the pesto. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts.

3 comments:

  1. Yes green beans are just about the only green Veg i'll eat! Hey remember green beans & scrambled eggs, YUM YUM YUCK! Michael

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  2. Funny you should say that... I was just talking about it yesterday!!!

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  3. On My Bro's last visit home just two weeks ago 2010, He forgot to bring his cooking skills! His "Magic" with Pesto, Presto! it vanished, I was left with a large green salt lick... Quote "It was the parmisan" You know he did the same thing with hair cuts, at first i looked GQ, a few cuts later, Matches and a Wet Towel........ No LOL

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