Things have been a little weird lately. I feel like I can’t string together a story to save my life. Is it possible that after nearly five years of blogging I’ve finally run out of things to say? Maybe. But there is definitely weirdness to me in not sitting down regularly and writing.
We are knee deep in our adoption home study. Reports are being written, facts are being gathered, referenced are being interviewed. It’s a lot of hurry up and wait to get to the next part of the process. And frankly, there’s not a lot of anything I can actively manage about this part of the experience. I can’t plan, or make, or do anything in a physical sense. So there’s weirdness in the sense that I feel like I “should” be more engaged and excited about this than I am right now.
There’s also been house weirdness. Just in the last few days our doorbell has started ringing at unexpected moments. As a matter of fact, about halfway through the previous paragraph, it rang. I didn’t bother to check and see who was at the door though. That’s because for the last six months or so our doorbell has been sitting in a dish on a bookcase. It’s one of those remote systems that has a battery operated button that sticks to your door frame and a ringer that hides away somewhere inside your house. The adhesive on the button gave out last summer and I kept finding it laying on our front porch. So I brought it inside and dropped it in the dish where we keep our keys, meaning to find some stronger adhesive and reinstall it outside. Over the weekend, the bell just started ringing.
I figured maybe the keys were pressing the button and activating the bell so I moved things around a bit in the dish. The bell rang again. Then I took the button out of the dish and set it face up on the bookcase. That was yesterday. Today the bell has gone off three times. I know the reasonable solution is to take the batteries out of the thing but I kind of like the idea of someone’s energy finding a way to let me know they came by to say hello…as long as they don’t do it in the middle of the night.
What does any of this have to do with pappardelle with mushrooms? Not a damn thing. But like I said, the storytelling is giving me fits.
Pappardelle with Mushrooms
Adapted from Mache Magazine
BAH Note: I am terrible timing my dishes so that they are all done at the same time. So while my water came to a boil, I started on the sauce. When I got to the point where the chicken broth had reduced by half, I turned off the heat and let it sit until the pasta had gone into the water. I then finished off the sauce and kept it on a low flame until it was time to introduce it to the pasta.
- 8 ounces pappardelle pasta
- 1 pound mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package’s direction.
While the water heats and the pasta cooks, combine the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced mushrooms, italian seasoning, and salt to the pan and cook until they have released their liquid and begin to brown, stirring often. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Slowly stir a few tablespoons of the reduced pan sauce into the heavy cream to temper it. Then add the tempered cream to the frying pan and whisk to combine. Stir in the lemon zest and taste for seasoning. Add additional kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the sauce. Stir to allow the pasta and sauce to combine and then stir in the grated parmesan if using.
Bon Appetit Hon 
I like random Wendy stories. Glad adoption process is going along nicely. And I’m with you on the doorbell, it would probably be like that for a couple of days in my house until I finally go to take the batteries out! I’m making pasta with aspargus and tomatoes tonight, going to be yummmm.
I still haven’t taken the batteries out and the doorbell has gone off a few more time since I wrote this. For now I’m happy to just let it do its thing.
I’m having leftover tonight. Not nearly as exciting as what you have planned.
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That sounds delicious. I might even be able to get the Carnivore to eat it if I threw in a few chicken chunks.
As for the doorbell, that’s really weird. During the power outage after Snowtober, our house alarm went off in the middle of the night. That would be the alarm that was left behind by previous homeowners that we don’t use or set or subscribe to or have a code for. Yeah. My husband had to actually yank wires out if the wall to make it stop. I’m not sure what the Universe was trying to tell me that night other than WAKE UP! HA HA HA! PSYCH!
Damn lady, not sure how you ticked off the Universe to get that kind of payback ; ) By all means, add some protein for the carnivore.
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Sounds Yum, I made a lighter no cream version a while back and posted it on my blog. If you feel like trying to ake it let me know how it turns out. Ciao
http://mythineats.com/2012/02/11/try-this-delicious-tagliatelle-ai-funghi-tagliatelle-with-mushrooms/
Your lighter version sounds lovely. I’ll have to keep that version in mind since I don’t usually have heavy cream in the house.
I don’t think you’ve run out of things to say. And these random Wendi stories are fun. Keep it up lady. And make me some more jargaritas, pronto!
I promise there will be jargaritas for #crabcakecrawl. I need to clear out some freezer space in order to hold a double or triple batch! I imagine there might be some great stories after that weekend.
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Anything that involves mushrooms, pasta and heavy cream I am a fan, you just can’t go wrong with these ingredients!
I’m also a fan of the lemon zest. That packs such a bright punch.
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You have a doorbell poltergeist? That is so odd? The pasta sounds wonderful, though.
We do have a spirited doorbell ringing guest from time to time. I maybe should be a little more freaked out about that than I am. Now, if they start leaving meal orders when the doorbell rings….that will be a whole ‘nother story.
i’m not going to lie, it scared me to read about your doorbell ringing un-pushed. but you don’t seem fazed by it so be it!
dw made a mushroom + balsamic vinegar & pasta dish monday, very similar to what you made. we also did not get pix, it was too good to wait!
The first time it happened I was all “what the hell”. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Long Island Medium and Ghost Hunters but I decided to just roll with it.
DW’s pasta sounds divine. But then again, I don’t think you can go wrong with that list of ingredients.
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Random is great. Whatever’s on your mind, just put it out there! The burden of coherence can be quite dampening to a writer’s spirit at times.
The burden of coherence….that might be the best phrase EVER. Maybe during my next yoga class I can set my intention to relieve myself of that burden.
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I came for the pasta, I stayed for the story. I liked this: . . . but I kind of like the idea of someone’s energy finding a way to let me know they came by to say hello…as long as they don’t do it in the middle of the night.
Best wishes with the hurry-up-and-wait of the adoption process.
The bell has been quiet for a few weeks. I find that I miss it a bit. That unexpected “hey, I’m here” is comforting in a way that I would not have imagined.