LINGUINE!

shoutouts to busy days with large tattoos on enjoyable people.

yeah!

...that sounds awesome, right?

i think so, too.

and at AMPERSAND TATTOO, that's all we really want.

although, when the day draws to a close, and this might make me seem greedy,

i also want a clear plan for an amazingly satisfying supper, too. 

i mean,

a good day is exactly that, but a good night is essential for maxxximum decompression

after all that back-bending hand-cramping finger-destroying tattblasting.

i work too much.

that's a fact.

and all i have to look forward to most evenings is dinner.

awwwww.

real talk, though, neighbors- the mealtimes are the highlight 

of my after-hours interactive participation.

which is why i spend so much time and energy thinking about dinner.

and that's why even when i want something fast, 

i just can't bring myself to take it easy.....

i wanted linguine.

man, i dunno why.

i never want linguine, except when suddenly, by surprise, i do.

so i did that.

and it was expert.

i'm not going to be the reason i have no post-work joy, boy.

that's the truth.

check the teleport:

SUMMERY ZUCCHINI IN FULL EFFECT!!

shoutouts to delightful diane for the garden veggies!!

i gave 'em the ol' oil-brushed grill-up, with some red onion, and a few tomatoes,

for all that summertime flavor packed tight for my fat F*ing face!

word.

i mean, really, zucchini, olive oil, salt, and heat?

you can't eff that up. but, don't stir it a lot, or you get mush.

and squashed squash should only apply to winter hard-skin varieties.

that's my opinion, and i'm pretty set on it.

...decreed, duders. that's it.

i have fried garlic sprankles in there, to activate it with savory sexxxiness.

and those chick peas took a tour around a hot pan for a few, 

just to let the leftover garlic-infused oil go to good use.

i love that. and i love working with purpose, and i love repurposing useful stuff.

lovely.

parsley sprankles, too?

yup, rules is rules, kids- don't intentionally make an ugly-looking plate.

c'mon.

it's all pretty straightforward.

al dente firm boiled linguine, in salty water....

and, of course, a super-deluxxxe tomato-based SAUCE!

woooooo!

-

*

SAUCE!

-

i'll be honest-

this was an amalgam of three kinds of tomato magic.

i used:

1 cup crushed fire-roasted tomatoes;

1 cup detroit-deep-dish exxtra-garlicky chunky sauce;

12 oz. onion & garlic marinated finely diced canned tomatoes-

and:

1 tsp ea GPOP; 1 T nootch; 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper;

1 T white wine vinegar;

parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil;

2 T fire-roasted tomato flakes;

simmered on medium low heat for as long as it took to bring a pot of water to a boil,

and then make the 'guine good to go.

-

the thing is, that sauce was F*ing TIGHT af.

and i added in two huge handfuls of baby spinach towards the last few minutes,

just to put some leafy nutrients into it,

and subsequently into me.

-

neighbors, 

in a way, it was just linguine- 

but, like, in all the ways i needed, it SO wasn't.

it was MORE than that.

and that was my bright spot for friday night.

not bad at all.

***********

i'll let you guys in on a little secret-

i've got pizza dough in the fridge, 

bulking slowly in anticipation of tonight's high-heat oven-lovin'.

mmmhmmm.

you already know i love pizza,

but did you also know that i love knowing that there's going to be pizza?

yeah.

today is officially good.

just. like. that.

not everyone loves pizza.

that's true.

some people are the worst, and can't hang out.

that's fine, because those people aren't invited, and that means more pizza for me.

it's saturday, it's warm outside, the sun is shining,

and tonight has pizza on the menu.

what else do we need?

i can think of maybe one or two things,

but i can wait, and let pizza tide me over in the meantime;

never quiet, never soft.....