All better

Jack, being two, has probably bonked his head, oh, let's say, a million times. He actually doesn't cry that much, unless it's a really good one. Lately, he'll come crying to me and point to where it hurts, demanding a kiss. Then he declares "all better!" and will often let me cuddle him for a bit longer before running off to inevitably bonk his head again.

Tonight, as we cuddled, I thought how fantastic it is that this little amazing person finds the most comfort and most security in the whole wide world in my very own arms. I just love being someone's "all better."

Soup's on

After a weekend of eating, tonight it's soup for us. Our good friends Emily and Steve are making the same soup in St. Louis tonight (Emily, please post your thoughts!).

Kid sidebar: I gave Jack a handful of dried pasta and it's kept him busy for at least 15 minutes so far - he's been stirring and pouring it into different bowls with various spoons and measuring cups. It's a welcomed relief to Jeremy: Jack's previous activities this afternoon have been putting on my old make-up (he still has brown eye shadow streaked on his baby cheeks), walking around Flashdance-style in one of my pink tank tops and trying on my heels. (I implored him to try flats instead).

But I digress. 

We made Ina's Italian Wedding Soup with what we had in the house. I used whole wheat dried bread crumbs and whole wheat pasta, and it was fine and a tad bit healthier:

Italian Wedding Soup

Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

The key is "rustic"

It’s Saturday night, and friends are coming soon for a glass of wine before we all head out to dinner. I happened upon this recipe online – crisp rosemary flatbread. It is simple and quick and will be great with a bit of cheese and glass of white wine.  Also, I’m a big fan of “rustic” fare – no perfect lines here.  And, gentle reader, they are good! If you make them, be sure to roll them out very thin for a cracker-like consistency. 

Honestly, the toughest part of this recipe has been trying to keep Jeremy from eating them all before our guests arrive at 7.

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread

From Gourmet, July 2008

Active time: 15 minutes; Start to finish: 45 minutes

Think of it as a cracker version of rosemary-flecked flatbread. But these are the easiest crackers you’ll ever make: Rather than cutting the dough into small pieces, you bake three large pieces, then break them into smaller ones to serve. The jagged edges invite nibbling.

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing

Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Note: Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.