This year as I began considering what I wanted to start off cooking on this blog, I found myself perusing my cookbooks. I gravitated to the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook and began flipping through it. I have been wanting to make some dishes out of it, so now felt like a great time to give it a shot. It’s called The Pioneer Woman Cooks and is absolutely fabulous!
One thing I love about this cookbook is that it’s so reminiscent of Ree’s website. With great stories that make you feel connected to her, and step by step pictures (even in the cookbook!), you just know you can make these dishes. Plus the photos are absolutely mouthwatering. (See link at the bottom of this post for more info.)
I was in a pasta mood. When am I not in a pasta mood?! So when I flipped to her recipe for Linguine with Clam Sauce, I immediately made a face (not a good one), yet I was still drawn to this recipe. I’m guessing some of you may have done the same thing when you saw what I was cooking up this week, but fear not, my friends! This dish is fabulous and easy to make. It may not hit the spot for all of the men in your lives, but go ahead and make it anyway…it’s that good!
I used canned baby clams that I gave a quick chop to, so there weren’t big pieces of clam with each bite…Plus #1. Linguine is the pasta of choice, and there is something so elegant to me about this ingredient…Plus #2. For those of you who know and love Ree Drummond, you won’t be shocked to hear that cream and butter make an appearance in this dish, resulting in a velvety and rich clam sauce…Plus #3. Finally, the finished product is topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (yum!)…Plus #4. With all of these plusses, you can’t go wrong. You won’t find an overly “clammy” taste, because it’s nicely balanced with the garlic and lemon flavors in the sauce.
It was important that I challenged myself starting off this year. I feel like it’s the theme of how my year is beginning, and I knew that if I put this challenge in front of me (cooking with clams and enjoying it – who knew?!) and knocked it out of the park, then it would set a great tone for 2012. Life is full of obstacles and roadblocks, and I am happy to try something totally out of my comfort zone both in the kitchen and in life. I hope this encourages you to do the same!
Happy New Year and trust me that you’ll want to click here and check out this recipe and step by step instructions!
What I was cooking up one year ago: Meet My New Friend, the Pomegranate. Pomegranates were featured in several recipes, and these dishes were out of this world good!
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