Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Dining with the Bloggers - March 23rd



I hate to rush through this post - the recipe I found this week is really wonderful. And just look at that lovely Dining with the Bloggers logo that Zarah made. It's just that it's late and I really must get to bed...

Our chosen theme this week is Rice. I looked all over and for some reason had a little difficulty finding something that appealed to me. I think part of the problem was that my criteria extended beyond taste...I wanted easy too. I knew I wasn't going to fit the cooking in this weekend, since I had other cooking projects planned, so I needed something quick and easy. When I get home in the evening (usually around 7:30 or so) I'm ravenous and if I can't get dinner together quickly I start stuffing my face with whatever munchies I can lay my hands on.

Fortunately, when I came to Deb's blog, In My Kitchen, a search for "rice" turned up a simple and delicious recipe for Asparagus & Rice Soup with Pancetta and Black Pepper (and I just realized that I completely forgot to put in the black pepper!). Besides sounding yummy and being easy, this soup had asparagus in it. I had just been admiring the asparagus this weekend at Whole Foods - seeing those slender little sprouts only served to further whet my appetite for Spring. So Monday evening after work I made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some asparagus and then rushed home to whip up some soup. I'm not exagerating when I say I had dinner on the table 45 minutes after I got home, and before starting the soup I went through my mail, checked my email and fed my cat. The soup couldn't have been easier - but do pay heed to Deb's warning about overcooking the asparagus. It happens fast!

So I had my first dose of Spring and it was good. It was very good!

Don't forget to stop by Zarah's to see what she found. Good night!!

4 comments:

Nic said...

I had this recipe bookmarked for a while and never got around to it. Good to hear that it's a good one, Cathy. I mentioned this on Zarah's blog, too, but I really look forward to seeing both of your posts on Dining with Bloggers on Wednesdays. Keep up the good cooking/work!

Cathy said...

Hi Nic! It is good and it's so easy! Thanks so much - I'm glad you're enjoying Dining with the Bloggers. I just wish there was time to try more of the recipes out there!

Anonymous said...

I am thrilled that the soup turned out well for you! I am always nervous about posting recipes for fear that they wont turn out well for others. I had asparagus for dinner last night, roasted with olive oil and garlic. I love that spring and springs bounty are finally arriving, albeit slowly but still coming! Cheers!

Cathy said...

Hi Deb! I really did enjoy this soup - I just had some leftovers last night and even though the asparagus was a little softer, I think the soup tasted even better the second time around. I tried roasting asparagus once, but I think I overcooked it - I've heard it's really delicious, so I'll have to try again. Thanks Deb for a really great recipe!