I was craving two things this weekend: cooking and movies. With temperatures in Chicago not rising above 20 degrees, satisfying my cravings was an easy feat because they both involved staying inside and being warm.
On the menu? Linguine with shrimp and crab in a clam sauce and crusty sourdough bread perfect for sauce dipping.
Sidebar: I popped in Williams Sonoma on my way home from work on Friday. Lo and behold, the universe rewarded me for my stressful (but successful) work week with the serving dish and salad plates I had been eying that matches the pasta bowls I got for Christmas…ON SALE. Like, seriously on sale. As in, I got the serving dish, salad plates, a sauce and pink cupcakes holders all for the original price of the serving dish. AND it happened to be pay day too! A Friday Miracle, I say!
FYI: Life’s too short to use garlic that comes from a jar.
After chopping, sautee’ing, and simmering tomatoes, onion, fresh parsley, fresh basil, clams and Prosecco, then tossing in shrimp and crab, Ryan and I feasted on this:
I didn’t overcook the shrimp (which usually happens), the pasta was perfectly al dente, and we got to spend the evening together. It was exactly the date night we needed AND exactly what I needed to give me my cooking fix. Cooking makes me feel like myself; it’s another way to be creative and productive and do something for people I love. Plus, I love wine and jazz and cooking usually ends up involving both when I’m at the helm.
The movie portion of the weekend? Country Strong. I’m not a huge country music fan and I really, really enjoyed it. Gwyneth Paltrow was fantastic and the music is great. Totally worth seeing.