kitchen notes

I found live basil plants at WinCo on Monday. I bought two, and put the in mason jars with water on my kitchen ledge. They are supposed to keep producing lots of nice basil for me to use, but I doubt they will last that long. So, last night I made pesto. I spread the pesto (the leaves were thin, and one bunch made only a tiny amount of pesto) on top of polenta, topped that with fresh mozzarella, and then topped the whole thing with tomato sauce that I made with extra garlic. I baked it for 30 minutes at 450, and it was sooooo good! I also made asparagus sauteed in browned butter,balsamic vinegar, and a splash of soy sauce. For dessert we had a Piedmontese Hazelnut Cake. Good stuff! I know some people hate cooking (which I totally get) but for me, it is like an art. I love creating delicious food, mixing flavors and textures the way an artist mixes colors. I love to see my family enjoying a meal I have made, and I like the fact that my kitchen is almost constantly in use. I still enjoy eating out, (we have a great Asian restaurant named Super Pho here, and I love that place!) but I enjoy cooking even more!