May 12, 2014: The Monday Meal

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and it was the perfect way to start off my week of cooking...because my daughter did all the work.  (Well, I had to do clean-up...but still).
But let me begin with the important thing...my champagne cocktail:

It's a perfect cocktail to make on a day where you really want to feel properly spoiled and ever so slightly elegant.  And it's an absolute breeze to make as long as your get these three simple ingredients:
Champagne (has to be good stuff...no cheap Prosecco will do, here)
Angostura Bitters (if you don't already own these, you should)
Brown Sugar Cubes (mine are from Mauritius!  I had to look it up...)
The preparation is simple...
Place a sugar cube on a plate, and soak it with a few drops of the bitters...it will turn a pleasing shade of reddish-brown.  Now, drop that cube in the bottom of your champagne flute, slowly (patience is key here) pour the champagne over it...and voilà, you have made yourself a lovely little cocktail.

Now, back to the cooking part.  One of the advantages to having a 13 year old daughter (who I have been teaching to cook for about 4 or 5 years) is that she can cook FOR me...and she actually likes doing it.
My Mother's Day dinner was one of her favorite dishes...and I had her double it so that I'd have Monday's meal made.  (Insert satisfied grin here).
This is a quick and easy dish that pleases a particularly picky palate (see aforementioned 13 year old daughter).  As long as you have a food processor, you can make this meal in under 30.

Lemon Parsley Parmesan Pesto from the prolific Martha Stewart:

A few minor modifications:  we use Farfalle as the pasta, and I tend to use a little less oil (it comes out a little too oily for me when the full amount is used).  I really like the addition of sun-dried tomatoes (not the oil-packed ones), diced and tossed in at the end...but I'm the only one who appreciates that  in my house.