African Vanielje on Oct 18 2007 at 11:19 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
I’m not really sure why, as Italian is the one gene pool that my family haven’t been swimming in, but my daughter’s favourite food is pasta. She has loved it in all its various guises for as long as I can remember. Her favourite is almost any sort of pasta from spaghetti to linquine, or penne to conchiglieni (?), with plain roasted tomato sauce. I used to blitz up a load of vegetables to ‘hide’ in the sauce, but I’ve come to realise it’s not really necessary as she is pretty good about all the variations I come up with to include as many veggies as I can. I am blessed with a daughter who seems to have been born loving superfoods: spinach, yoghurt, brocolli, pawpaw (papaya), tomato, beetroot…and the list goes on.
I’m sure all this has something to do with when she was in the womb and I ate so healthily. No hold on, wasn’t that when I lived on beetroot and rich tea biscuits for 9 months? That may explain the beetroot, but what about the pasta? I’m a rice girl myself, although I love making pasta. Okay, it must be the fact that her godmother is Italian, well, not technically but she speaks some Italian and when travelling in Italy after Grad School, was given a t-shirt by an Italian friend saying:’Life’s too short not to be Italian’. Does that count? No, well maybe she just feels Italian. No, that’s not it either. I know for a fact that despite being born in London and living in the UK for most of her life, she feels African through and thorough, and has done from her first visit to the Dark Continent when she was 5 months old. I remember that visit. It was her first meeting with her Great Grandfather and they struck up an instant friendship. I have a fabulous photo somewhere. All that remains of him along with some wonderful memories. I wonder where that picture is…?
Stop day-dreaming and just cook already!! I’m staaarving mom. Okay, for supper tonight, at the beginning of the half term break, something quick and easy yet filling, using up the last few spinach leaves from the garden, an old Dakota favourite : Spinach Linguine with Crispy Bacon, Poached Freerange Egg and Parmesan.
Looking at the plate I remember sitting in our first little basement flat in London, watching a cooking show with my mom (this is over 15 years ago) and ranting about how the Brits thought balancing a poached egg on top of everything made it Haute Cuisine. Well, I’ve obviously gone native because there is something intensly comforting about a perfectly soft poached egg leaking gently into hot spinach and bacon pasta. Aaah, perfect.
So perfect that I’m entering it into the Presto Pasta night food blogging event hosted by Ruth of Once upon a Feast, which I have often read but never got my act into gear to enter.
So perfect that it’s gone already. Seconds included. Wow. that was fast.
‘Thanks mom. You’re the best mom in the world ever!’. And my crown is safe, as long as the pasta rolls. I fork the last few mouthfuls out of the pot and into my mouth rather than throw them in the bin. Mmm. Maybe she loves it because it is always so delicious…?
Linguine with Spinach, Crispy Bacon, Freerange Poached Egg and Parmesan
Oooo – this does look satisfying and comforting. You are lucky your daughter is an omnivore, but then she has a good example.
I sense stories from your past starting to roll out of you! I like it.
I have lurked on your blog from time to time, but today I read your comment on Charlotte’s Web and decided it was time I linked to you, hope thats ok?
Inge, your daughter seems to certainly have picked up many of her food preferences from you, and now, perhaps, some of her favorites are rubbing off on you in return. Pasta is always a good thing.
I love that – plop a poached egg on top and it’s haute cuisine… If I make that a quail egg is it ‘tres haute’?
Love the pasta, yum!!!!
PP. we have a rule in our house. You can’t be rude about food when so many go hungry. YOu have to at least try something and if you don’t want to eat it you may say :’I'm not so keen on that’. It’s amazing that my daughter now eats such things as venison, rabbit, pigeon amongst others. She’s not so keen on some seafood. Doesn’t like oysters but loves mussels. Setting a good example for her has broadened my palate too.
Herschelian, lurkers welcome. Will pop around to you to say hi too.
Belinda I agree, pasta is a good thing. I particularly like making it and have put a pasta roller for my kitchen aid on my christmas list. you never know…I’ve been very good this year (sorta)
Only if it’s been infused with truffles fresh from this week’s Alba truffle festival Katie. Yep the pasta was rather yum.
The dish and the writing take my breath away. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
Certainly an exceptional entry for PPN!! My daughter is 20 now and is at university studying to become a nutritionist. There has been no junk food or anything even remotely unhealthy on her plate for years. I still have cravings for junk food sometimes and then mom gets a lecture on what she is eating. The tide has turned!!!This is a child who loved spanakopita and everything veggie since the age of 2!!! We are so lucky in that respect.
Yes Valli, we are lucky, but I also think we can take some credit, because after all, we are teaching them to listen to what their bodies need. Wish I was as good at it as they are.
Ruth, so glad I finally got to enter.
I love poached egg over pasta – but I thought I was the only one.
this looks so yummy
You are funny! Great post. Being English and never having put a poached egg on top of any food other than toast, I’m now feeling slightly lacking!
I forgot I did put one on top of some salad once. See I can do haute cuisine.
bc, there’s a great big nation of us on this little island
Thanks sassy
Amanda, you had me panicked for a second there, but see, national genetics run true. Nothing to be ashamed of, I’m converted.!!!
Yummmm. NOt sure what my excuse for loving pasta is. My brother married an Italian?! But I do love it and this incarnation looks superb. A poached egg may not turn everything into haute cuisine, but it sure can be damn tasty… particularly if you’re using those fab free-range eggs you brought me!
You can give me this any time…pasta, spinach, poached egg…whether it is Italian or African…wholesome food is good food.
Ronell
Jeanne & Ronell, I so agree with both of you. ’nuff said really.