Starch vs. Starch

"I'm thinking Subway for dinner tonight...is there anything to eat in the fridge besides a little of leftover chicken?"

"Yea, there's orzo with pesto in the fridge. You could add some tomato sauce from the freezer and top with some fresh mozzarella, that would be yummy."

"Woah, that was way over my head."

"Take the tomato sauce out of the freezer. Nuke. Save half. Put on orzo, top with cheese."

"Is the orzo in the pyrex or the tupperware?"

"It's in the pyrex. Risotto is in the tupperware."

"Got it."

is it like this in your house? :)

There's no wrong way to cook

Really, there's no such thing as a wrong way to cook.

Yes, there are some exceptions to this rule. Baking is far fussier than cooking, and it's best to follow a recipe as precisely as one can manage (or at least to follow one of many successful wet-to-dry ingredient ratios when improvising).

But in cooking, this is a truly important rule of thumb. It occured to me this morning while scrolling through the comments that were posted on an entry by one of my favorite bloggers, Danielle over at Habeas Brulee. While most commenters offer compliments and thanks for posting any given recipe, there are always those who offer "corrections" to make a recipe just a bit more perfect.

That's fine and good -- aren't we all looking to perfect that apple pie recipe or really nail that tomato sauce? -- but the "corrections" offered are really nothing more than alternate methods. To one, the latter method may yield a better texture, a finer consistency, a more robust flavor -- but as we all know, these things are really matters of individual taste. My favorite chocolate chip cookie may seem to you too crumbly, hard, not big enough, too heavy on the cholocate...and on. But it's my favorite. Get my drift?

So when it comes to cooking, where proportions are flexible and the food can withstand a fair amount of tampering, a recipe is merely a suggestion. To my very recipe-loyal friends: remember that the cookbook isn't a rulebook. It's a guidebook. Change anything you like.

Just label your sugar and salt jars conspicuously.

Happy cooking!

Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin

This dish is rich and satisfying without being super heavy. The butternut squash lends sweetness, while Parmesan cheese gives it a salty, crunchy bite. It's also good-to-go for gluten-free folks. Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin adapted from Gourmet

3 pounds fresh spinach, stems discarded, or 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed 5 tablespoons unsalted butter plus additional for greasing pan 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 small) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 3/4 teaspoon black pepper Rounded 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup heavy cream 4 pounds butternut squash (2 large), peeled, quartered, and seeded 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

If using fresh spinach, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over high heat. Add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Thoroughly squeeze cooked fresh or thawed frozen spinach in small handfuls to remove excess moisture, then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to spinach along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream and stir to combine.

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches; not glass).

Cut squash to separate bulb section from solid neck section, then cut pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer or sharp knife (with knife, slices will be slightly thicker -- which is fine).

Layer squash and spinach mixture in baking dish, using about one fifth of squash and one fourth of spinach for each layer, beginning and ending with squash. Sprinkle top layer of squash evenly with cheese and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then cover directly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Bake until squash is tender and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove paper and bake gratin until browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, or broil 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes.