Couscous Soup at 101 Cookbooks

Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks has a great site and I visit often. This post particularly caught my eye because it stars couscous. Heidi says this is a "not-noodle" soup, and while couscous may not be a long and slurpy noodle, it certainly is pasta.

Here's the link to her deliciously easy Couscous Soup. It's only 7:30 AM as I write this, but I can't wait until lunch time. As soon as I make mine I'll update this post with a photo...but for once, I think having your own vision in mind is even better. So close your eyes and ....what does yours look like.

Don't forget to send your pasta dish to Melissa The Cooking Diva who's hosting Presto Pasta Night Roundup this week. Send your entry to her at cookingdiva (at) gmail (dot) com.

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #86

Another great roundup from all over the world.

I wonder what your favorite dish will be...personally, I can't bring myself to only choosing one.

Next week's fabulous guest host will be Melissa The Cooking Diva. You can email your entries to her directly - cookingdiva AT gmail DOT com.

Plus...Don't forget to check all the Presto Pasta Night Roundups dating back to March, 2007, see who's hosting for the next four weeks and check out guidelines and tips for entering and hosting.

If you have any ideas for a topic for Presto Pasta Night, let me know. Facebook members, please visit the Presto Pasta Gang on Facebook

Mark Bittman's Kasha Varnishkes

I love my Wednesday "dates" with Mark Bittman in the NY Times. This week he not only served up an old favorite, he reminded me of my own mother's variations. In fact, I never knew the term Kasha Varnishkes until recently. To me, the dish was always just Bow Ties and Kasha. It always accompanied slow roasted brisket with lima beans for "fancy" family get togethers... holiday festivals, family and friends in from out of town...just to name a couple of occasions...nothing sops up the gravy like it. I know you must be raising your eyebrows..."sops up gravy??? better than mashed potatoes??? Not possible!!!", you say. And, in the traditional sense, you are correct. But it's the textures of the kasha...which does get soft, and the noodles...whether you call them bow ties, farfalle or varnishkes... that make an interesting feeling in your mouth.

But I digress...I also remember a mid-week meal my mother would make....add some sauteed ground beef and peas and you had dinner. It was a favorite with us finicky eaters, a way for my mother to feed us some green vegetable, a win-win for everyone. I did the same with my girls and soon, I guess Joanna will be doing the same for Boaz. In fact, perhaps I'll whip some up next time he's over.

What's the pasta/noodle dish that most takes you back to being a kid?

And don't forget, I'm hosting Presto Pasta Nights this Friday. If you have a dish you'd like to share, here are the simple guidelines:

• Mention Presto Pasta Night and a link in your post
• Specify the name you go by on your blog
• Include the name of your blog and a link
• Include the name of the dish and a link to the post
• email all the details to me at ruth@4everykitchen.com

If you don't have a blog, just email your recipe to me and I'll post it on Once Upon a Feast.

Presto Pasta Night #85 Direct from Italy

Judith of Think On It in Umbria, Italy did a wonderful job on this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. I do wish I was there, harvesting all those spaghetti trees with her. As for the roundup...it all sounds fantastic. Wouldn't it be awesome if we all could actually come together and sit around one huge table to enjoy it together.

Oh well...but I can't wait to dig into each and every plate!

And don't forget, next week it's back to me. I haven't made all this week's dishes and yet I can't wait to see what you all come up with. You can send your entries to ruth@4everykitchen.com

And starting in November, I'm happy to say, due to all the interest in guest hosting...I'll be hosting once a month and having other people do it for 3 weeks. You can check here for details if you're interested.

Upcoming Presto Pasta Night

Just a gentle reminder that this week's fabulous guest host will be Judith of Think On It . You can email your entries to her directly - decobabeone AT yahoo DOT com.

And next month starts the new scheduling...I'll be hosting at the beginning of each month and then three wonderful hosts will have fun the rest of the time. I'm just working out the details, but I'll keep you posted.

Plus...Don't forget to check all the Presto Pasta Night Roundups dating back to March, 2007, see who's hosting for the next four weeks and check out guidelines and tips for entering and hosting.

If you have any ideas for a topic for Presto Pasta Night, let me know. And, if you're a Facebook member, please visit the Presto Pasta Gang on Facebook

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #84

Finally, this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup is done! I apologize for being so late...don't know where the week went, but this week's roundup was definitely worth the wait.

Next week's fabulous guest host will be Judith of Think On It . You can email your entries to her directly - decobabeone AT yahoo DOT com.

Plus...Don't forget to check all the Presto Pasta Night Roundups dating back to March, 2007, see who's hosting for the next four weeks and check out guidelines and tips for entering and hosting.

If you have any ideas for a topic for Presto Pasta Night, let me know. And, if you're a Facebook member, please visit the Presto Pasta Gang on Facebook

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #83

Ulrike did a great job hosting Presto Pasta Night #83. We even have a map showing where all the fantastic pasta dishes come from this week.

Thanks a million Ulrike!

Next week it's back to me. You can send your entries to ruth@4everykitchen.com

And starting in November, I'm happy to say, due to all the interest in guest hosting...I'll be hosting once a month and having other people do it for 3 weeks. You can check here for details if you're interested.