Whitney Gaskell's Blog, page 4

Heard Around the House, Part 79

An email conversation with my sister, after she saw yesterday’s plant killer post.



HER: That was a sad little succulent. Try sansiviera, or mother-in-law’s tongue. Also cool looking, can’t kill – I had one in college when I had the attic room, never watered it – still alive nine months later. I have several now that I’ve had for years.

ME: I’ll send you a picture of the one I killed.

HER: That’s really not possible.

ME: Want to bet??

Roll on, deep and dark blue ocean, roll

Black Thumb

I kill plants. Indoor, outdoor, it doesn’t matter. No plant is safe with me.

But thanks to Pinterest, and the plethora of beautiful plant pictures found there, I decided to persevere, and bring some green into my house. This time, I thought I’d try out a succulent. They’re supposed to be hardy and idiot-proof, plus they’re cool looking.

This is how it started:

And, this is how it looked after living with me for six weeks:

Oh well.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Some readers have been asking for the recipes that appear in TABLE FOR SEVEN. While I can’t claim Gordon Ramsay status in the kitchen — other than shouting, “You DONKEY!” to Zoe in a passable English accent — I do like to cook, especially when it’s something unhealthy and delicious.

This spaghetti carbonara recipe is featured in the second January chapter in TABLE FOR SEVEN. Pasta is my ultimate comfort food. This dish is starchy, and cheesy, and bacony, and exactly what I crave on terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

What can go wrong with pasta, cheese, wine and pancetta? Nothing, that’s what.

For a 2-person serving, here’s what you’ll need:

12 oz spaghetti

1/3 lb. pancetta, diced

2 shallots, diced

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup grated pecorino romano

3/4 cup grated parmesan

2 eggs, beaten

Cook the spaghetti, as per the box instructions, until it’s al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile . . .

Mmmmm, bacon.

Saute the pancetta over medium heat until the fat begins to render. Add the shallots, and cook until golden. Then add the wine, and let the whole thing simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

This will smell delicious. If you have a pug, she will appear and stare at you.

Please, please, please drop some of that fancy bacon on the floor.

Ignoring the dog, add the pasta and, using tongs, toss the spaghetti with the pancetta/shallot mixture.

Then add in the cheese, and toss some more.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Most carbonara recipes say that at this point, you should remove the pan from the heat, add the eggs, and let the heat of the pasta cook the eggs. Then they add all sorts of dire warnings about how the eggs won’t be fully cooked, and there’s a possibility you will contract salmonella, the plague, etc, so if you do, don’t contact their legal department.

I usually leave the pan on the burner, and toss the eggs with the pasta over a low heat. Gordon might not approve, but hey, I’ve also never gotten sick, so I’m okay with that.

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Dish out into two shallow bowls, and pepper to taste. You can also add salt to taste, but I find that the pancetta and pecorino romano add enough salt to the dish, so it doesn’t really need more.

Serve and enjoy. With the remaining white wine, of course.

Release Day

My new book, TABLE FOR SEVEN, goes on sale today!

You can purchase it in bookstores, or order it online from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It’s also available to purchase for your Kindle or other e-reader.

The success of most books hinges on word-of-mouth, so if you enjoy TABLE FOR SEVEN, please take a minute to leave feedback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads.

The Art of Procrastination, April 23

Good stuff from around the web.

Want to learn how to slice ‘em and dice ‘em? Here’s how.

Grilled Corned Beef and Fontina Sandwiches. Perfectly delicious even when it’s not St. Patty’s Day.

A primer on how not to kill your houseplants. Advice I won’t be able to follow, but hey, maybe it will work for you.

Texas forever, ya’ll.

Of course Nate Berkus’s Manhattan apartment is stunning.

Today’s the last day to enter for your chance to win a Le Creuset 3½ quart French Oven!

Table for Seven

Only four days until the release date of my new book, TABLE FOR SEVEN!

Here are some of the great reviews TABLE FOR SEVEN has received:

“Gaskell’s engaging novel is a high-wire artist’s performance as she spins a highly entertaining tale of a monthly dinner party.” — Booklist



“Gaskell has mastered the art of putting the fun in dysfunctional.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Gaskell’s novel is a fun and delectable journey of love, friendship and delicious food.” — Romantic Times (four stars)

The book will be available in book stores on Tuesday, April 23rd. You can also pre-order it online from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or download it to your Kindle or e-reader.

And don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a Le Creuset 3 1/2 quart Dutch oven!

The Fountain of Youth is Full of Salmon

I decided to try the Perricone 3-day facelift diet. Basically, you eat nothing but fruits and vegetables and lots and lots and lots of salmon, and at the end of three days, your skin is supposed to look gorgeous.

It went down like this:

Monday:

Breakfast – oatmeal, 2 hard boiled eggs, half grapefruit

Lunch – canned salmon, green salad, slice cantaloupe

Dinner – salmon, asparagus, berries

Tuesday:

Breakfast – oatmeal, 2 hard boiled eggs, half grapefruit

Lunch – canned salmon, green salad, slice cantaloupe

Dinner – salmon, spinach, berries

Wednesday:

Breakfast – oatmeal, 2 hard boiled eggs, half grapefruit

Lunch – canned salmon, green salad, slice cantaloupe

Dinner – Pizza, Chardonnay, Peppermint Patties

I’m starting to think that maybe I’m not cut out for this low-carb crap.

Also, not one single person has told me I look ten years younger than I did three days ago. Huh.

The Art of Procrastination, April 16

Good stuff from around the web.

What’s your state cocktail? Apparently, Florida’s is something called the Ginger Swizzle. That seems odd coming from the state that inspired Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

It IS weird seeing Game of Thrones actors doing normal stuff. Like, how did Arya and Sensa get their hands on a cell phone??? And did they use it to find each other, because it’s been, like, two seasons since they were separated by those meanie Lannisters.

Yeah, I’d live there. Although the display of vintage tennis racquets in the teen boy’s room cracks me up. I wonder if Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the inspiration.

This book completely freaked me out when I was a kid. That, and the one about the kid who had to help slaughter his pet pig, which scarred me.

I’m confused about what exactly Coachella is, and why the celebrities that go there dress so weirdly.

Only one week left to enter for your chance to win a Le Creuset 3½ quart French Oven!

The Art of Procrastination, April16

Good stuff from around the web.

What’s your state cocktail? Apparently, Florida’s is something called the Ginger Swizzle. That seems odd coming from the state that inspired Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

It IS weird seeing Game of Thrones actors doing normal stuff. Like, how did Arya and Sensa get their hands on a cell phone??? And did they use it to find each other, because it’s been, like, two seasons since they were separated by those meanie Lannisters.

Yeah, I’d live there. Although the display of vintage tennis racquets in the teen boy’s room cracks me up. I wonder if Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the inspiration.

This book completely freaked me out when I was a kid. That, and the one about the kid who had to help slaughter his pet pig, which scarred me.

I’m confused about what exactly Coachella is, and why the celebrities that go there dress so weirdly.

Only one week left to enter for your chance to win a Le Creuset 3½ quart French Oven!