Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Fahrenheit 450 (Four Five Zero) or A Bradbury Dinner.

450F is perfect for three dinner elements:

Roasting meat : Spicy Chicken Drumstick
Roasting a bean and vegetable combination: Spanish Cauliflower/Chickpeas with Green Olives.
Baking bread in a dutch oven: No Knead Bread.

Time it right, and you've three for one saved energy, and got yourself a great feast to share with friends.Good red wine, and voila.

Fahrenheit 451 (four-five-one)  was one of many great books by Ray Bradbury. In it, firemen lit fires, burned banned books, and  "4-5-1" referred to the burning point of paper.  This was indeed a horror film --- beloved books curling up in wisps of smoke and ash. It was a perfect companion to Animal Farm, Soylent Green, and all the speculative fiction of that era depicting the totalitarian future.

Pesto: Arugula, Walnut, Garlic, Reggiano and Olive Oil.


This arugula pesto is an early spring alternative to basil pesto. It will taste spicy, even peppery. Unlike basil pesto which discolors on exposure to air this pesto stays bright green and tastes great even a week after you make it. 
Like regular pesto, you can chop together the hard ingredients first: a cup each of walnut and reggiano chunks, and perhaps five garlic cloves.  Add maybe seven cups of arugula and 2/3 cup of olive oil to make a pesto. Quantities are approximate, but the order holds.

Buon appetito.