GNOCCHI!

potatoes or pasta?
starches, man.
they love me, and i love them, and i just want all of them all the time-
so, what's the answer?
potatoes or pasta??
c'mon, neighbors-
you already have the solution-
potatoes AS pasta-
mmhmm.
too much is the right amount,
and what's more awesome than some from-scratch starchy hottness
from the Folk Life & Liberty Fortress test kitchen laboratory?
...nothin'.
homemade tastes better, and that's especially true of these gnocchi.
yup.
check the teleport:

EVERYTHING expert ALL THE TIME!!
woooooohooooooo!!!!!!
dudes,
all the things on the plate are F*ing awesome,
and all together, they're an altogether remarkably excellent meal.
that's no joke-
*
y'got broccoli rabe, a.k.a rapini, a.k.a. broctor robert,
chopped, rinsed, and blanched for exactly two minutes in salty boilin' water,
drained and sizzled for a short spell in a hot pan to activate all the big dark green goodness.
*
y'got blackened itty-bitty babiest-baby'd up grape tomatoes, seared with a dab of olive oil,
and tossed into a pan with a spoonful of melted vegan butter and a pinch of minced onion.
*
y'got some new-new homemade wheatless meatless gluten-free from-scratch vegan sausage,
sliced and browned and add into the big action.
*
and y'got that nootch-boosted russety love, fork-lined and boiled like a boss, boi.
yes. the gnocchi were perfection, and i love a perfect plate, mate.
-
so,
gnocchi are pretty freakin' simple to make.
f'really-real-
for just me, all by myself,
i boiled one peeled cubed medium russet potato for fifteen minutes in salty water,
tossed it into a mixin' bowl with 1 T nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, a little shake of GPOP,
and i shredded it exxxtra-finely with a fork, before adding 2/3 cup of flour,
and kneading it all until a play-doughy consistency was achieved-
i rolled out four snakes of dough, and cut one inch chunks off each-
i got thirty something gnocchi all told,
and i did the fork-thing.
y'know?
to make the lines, you roll them across a fork's tines, and make 'em pretty-
- they'll float after a short stint in boilin' water,
and i spider'd mine into the pan with the oniony butters and sausage and tomatoes-
mmhmm.
all the flavors seep into the surface of those suckers,
and make them into heavy-duty burly bombs of fresh-to-death flavor.
that's real.
-
the new-new sausages?
bro, they're pretty heckin' good.
-
*
TEMPEH-CHICK-PEA-RED-LENTIL SAUSAGES!
-
in a saucepot,
saute:
1 T olive oil;
3 T minced onion;
2 cloves crushed garlic;
1/2 block shredded tempeh;
2 T nootch;
pink salt and black pepper.
soften the onion, then add:
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes;
2 T red lentils;
a heavy shake of GPOP;
oregano, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, fennel, and crushed red pepper to taste;
2 T white wine vinegar;
2 T tamari;
1 1/4 cups warm water-
simmer until ALL the liquid is absorbed into a mushy mass,
and stir in 1 cup chick pea flour.
boom.
that's your base.
roll out some sausages when it's cool enough not to burn you alive,
or some meatless balls, or both ( i did both- i'm all about that sort  of thing),
and that's it-
they need like, fifteen minutes in bubblin' sauce,
or four minutes per side on medium heat in a pan,
and they're ready to rock your F*ing socks off.
that's real.
-
and when it's all set up on the plate?
man, look:

YES.
radicchio ribbons and fried garlic, turn it up to eleven.
that's right.
homemade tastes better.
that's just a thing.
and these were quick af to make, and as filling as winter food could be.
i'm satisfied on all fronts.
***********
tattooing is cool,
but, like, have you ever wrapped a stack of presents?
i'm talking color-coordinated metallic-foil crispy-edged boxes, all piled high?
it doesn't last as long as ink in skin,
but damn if that doesn't make my bells jingle, buddy.
i need more wrapping paper.
i do.
five kids is more than double the demand on the usual supply chain.
that's real.
so, i guess i gotta get crackin' on that.
this year has been a real bummer for gifty clothes buying, too-
my kids are big, and their styles have evolved into something all their own-
no more of my input is required.
it's sad, for me, but i'm psyched for them.
and my sweet lady?
well,
i'm not an authority on the matter, but i'm pretty much positive
that maternity clothes are NOT invited to XI-mas.
so, that's off the table-
i'm still gonna need bows and baubles, though-
rules is rules;
and the colors and the shapes are already taking form in my mind,
so now it's just translating that into the undertree presentation.
it's all really happening-
the holiday spirit and memory-making,
the lights and the warmth,
and the overlapping concentric circles of gratitude and generosity from
which the time and space we span together take shape-
that's how it goes, and it's going according to an invisible secret universal plan
i know exists but can't quite touch;
never quiet, never soft.....