Red Wine Leftovers, Santa Monica Churro Spot, To-try Pancake Mix

  The wine dyes the pasta a fun shade of pink- in fact, this recipe would be perfect  for Valentine's Day!

Recipe:

 Leftovers...the word inspires joy (day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches!) and simultaneous dread. Especially as a budget-bound college student I hate throwing away food so creative use of leftover ingredients is quickly becoming an integral part of my choices while cooking. Lauren, one of my 5 roommates, had a 1/3 bottle of red cooking wine collecting dust on the top of our fridge, in desperate need of use. Although pouring yourself a glass may be a temptingly simple way to dispose of these leftovers, consider making this unique pasta dish.

Red Wine Pasta with Romano

Yield 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

-1 pound dried linguine

-1 tbsp. kosher salt

-1/2 bottle (1 1/2 cups) red wine

-1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

-1/3 cup (2 0z.) shaved Romano (the cheese really makes the dish! Canned powdered cheese won't cut it here. Trader Joe's has some great cheeses that are pretty cheap.)

-1/2 tsp. black pepper

-1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine and salt and cook for 7 minutes.

As the linguine cooks, bring the wine to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Drain the linguine and return it to the pot. Pour the wine into the pot with the pasta and place it over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the wine is almost completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the oil, and toss. Divide the 

linguine among bowls and sprinkle with the Romano, pepper and lemon zest.

From Real Simple magazine, May 2007

Our plate of xooros bring joy to Marissa's face!

Something New...
Place: Xooro
Sometimes, simplicity is key. Other times, it should be thrown out the window. The latter philosophy directs this fairly new burgundy, orange and cream toned outpost on Broadway St. in Santa Monica that's serving up outrageous twists on the classic Spanish churro (and in fact the owner's grandfather is from Northern Spain). My friends and I enjoyed sampling the Mississipi (peanut butter filled and coated with chocolate and chopped peanuts), Turkish Hazlenut (hazlenut filling paired with white chocolate drizzle) and the Nutella (Nutella filled and white-chocolate coated). The churros themselves aren't greasy (due to being fried in rice bran frying oil, one of the healthiest edible oils on the planet!) and are a welcome new and unique addition to the mélange of boardwalk snacks in Santa Monica.

*Where to find... 125 Broadway St., Santa Monica (310-260-2919) www.xooro.com

Product: Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Monday morning MLK weekend was the perfect pancake morning with drizzly skies that encouraged staying in PJs and enjoying a lazil

y late bfast. With Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" backdropping our apartment's lively chatter we mashed up some bananas and added walnuts to this fantastic mix my friend brought over. These pancakes are slightly denser and heartier than the normal fluffy white variety and have a more complex flavor with toasty nutty flavors.
*Where I buy...Ralphs, $2.55 according to Hodgson Mill's website