Pasta with Scallops, Beurre Blanc, and Chive Buds

Sometimes life has a funny way of inspiring me. 

Last weekend, I had planned to make some smoky shrimp kebabs for a friend's birthday barbeque, so I headed down to Catalina Offshore.  I was hoping to score some nice large shrimp (about the 16-20 per pound size) that I could marinate and use for juicy kebabs, but it turned out that they had everything but what I needed.  Since I was there anyway (and they sell the most sustainable seafood in San Diego) I decided to pick up some of their bay scallops - I didn't really have a plan for them, but at $6.25 a pound, they were an inexpensive indulgence.   

Catalina Offshore bay scallops, sourced from sustainable fisheries in Mexico.

Now my problem was, I was excited about getting awesome scallops, but I still needed those shrimp; I had bought some pretty nice tiger prawns from the Asian market before, so I zoomed over there to continue my quest.  

(At this point I should probably mention that this was all happening early Saturday morning, at which time the Asian market is packed with families, old ladies, and generally no white girls like me.  I consider myself pretty fearless, but let me tell you, no matter how small he is, when an ancient Chinese man gives you a stern look that says, "What the hell are you doing in my market," it can make you shake in your boots.)  But I was on a mission, so I got in line, found exactly the shrimp I wanted, and headed to the checkout.  

On my way, I was (predictably) distracted by one magical treat after another, until I found I had wandered over to the produce section.  Immediately, these chive buds caught my eye because I had never seen them sold like this before.  I impulsively bagged them and added them to my cart, figuring some internet research would clue me in on how to cook them.   

Bundled Chinese chive buds from the Asian market.

Stems of the chives aren't hollow - making them a bit stiffer - and the flower buds are white.

Mediterranean Pasta with Hummus and Charred Tomatoes

I make cookies and cakes for my co-worker's birthdays.  I fry chicken and make coleslaw because it is Labor Day.  I stop at Golden Spoon on my way home from work because I accomplished a goal.  I create beautiful trifles for bridal showers, and pressed sandwiches for picnics with friends.  I make myself a white chocolate latte (with foam of course) every Sunday, just because it is the weekend and I deserve it.  I am the type of person who loves to celebrate both the little and big things in life, and I always want to celebrate them with food.  

So you can imagine, that when there is an real occasion to celebrate, that I love to go all out.  And...since it is my birthday this week, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't celebrate EVERYDAY!  Don't you agree???  (If you don't agree, just please politely leave this page and refrain from raining on my parade.  It's my birthday and I will eat if I want to.)  

I will be celebrating here on The Cilantropist ALL WEEK with a new post each day from today through next Sunday.  I will share a breakfast dish, a quick and easy lunch, main dishes, sweets and treats, and even a cocktail!  And of course, we can't forget the birthday cake... And the best part is that all these dishes feature my favorite foods, because if you can't have your favorite foods for your birthday, when can you have them?  Aside from the actual food, I will be guest posting on the Chobani site, I will have a CSN giveaway, and share my 100th post.  This will week will be jam packed, so I hope you are excited!!!

Easy Lemon-Garlic Kale Pasta

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So I had planned to have a new post up for you last Thursday or Friday, or even Saturday at the latest...and now it's already Sunday!  Last week was busy and stressful for me, and life gave me my share of lemons.  So you know what they say: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  (Is it appropriate to add a number of vodka shots to that lemonade?) 

But lets be honest, no matter how many lemons life pummels you with, no man can survive on lemonade alone (even if it is spiked with alcohol).  So instead take your lemons and make an easy, healthy meal of Lemon-Garlic Kale Pasta.

This pasta relies on what I use as an old standby for weeknight meals: Plain boxed pasta dressed up with infused oil.  I try to have a box or two of Barilla pasta in the pantry for nights when I want a filling meal but don't feel like making pasta from scratch; however, boxed pasta with store-bought pasta sauce is a less-than-appetizing meal, on both a taste and nutritional level.  It is for this reason that I keep frozen homemade pasta sauce on hand, or that I make a sauce with high quality extra virgin olive oil infused with whatever strikes my fancy.  

Spinach Ricotta Pansottis

I will share a secret with you; I absolutely love pasta.  Actually, this might not really be such a big secret. The evidence: I think the Atkins diet is a travesty.  My best-loved restaurants are Italian.  At any given time my pantry contains pastas of various shapes and sizes, and in the past I used to keep jars and jars of pasta sauce on hand.  I enjoyed everything from roasted garlic to arrabiata to kalamata olive and onion, my selection knew no bounds.  Now, I only keep fresh or frozen stocks of my favorite homemade sauce based on an absolutely mouthwatering family recipe.  Really, you would want to eat this sauce with a spoon, it is that good.  In any case, this love of pasta goodness had me eating the stuff at least 2-3 times a week for a while. 

Over time, my proficiency in the kitchen expanded, as did my tastebuds.  I allowed more time for cooking at home, and created a larger variety of more exotic dishes.  Consequently, my nights of pedestrian carbohydrate consumption dwindled drastically and I began to appreciate the finer aspects of quality Italian food.  Around this time, I traveled to Italy where I feasted on freshly prepared pasta.  Ah… a culinary revelation! Although I am not an Italian grandmother, I obviously needed to attempt to prepare this deliciousness at home.  I sensed a pasta maker in my future…