Cooking quandary

[desperance]

Well, I don't know. I'm sitting here torn on the horns of a dilemma.

See, I have fresh broad beans from my veg box this morning, which I have boiled lightly and double-podded (because the English are the only people of whom I know, who will eat the nasty thick grey outer skin of the broad bean and think that they ought to; and in this at least I am not English); and I have a shank of boiled ham to pick over, before the cats do; and I thought that broad beans and ham and pasta would go extremely well together, and I believe that I am right. The big question is, though, do I keep it that simple - the beans, the ham, the pasta, a splash of good olive oil, a scatter of parmesan? Or do I construct a sauce with cream and shallots and garlic - which I also have, and the shallots & garlic are home-grown - and the beans and the ham? And the cheese?

Simple, or fancy? If I had a paid account, I'd make a poll of it (tho' only on condition that I could ignore what you said, if your decision made me suddenly fancy the alternate).

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I'd go for simple, myself.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

At this point in my life, my only thought would be "How hot is the weather?" because the hotter, he simpler, IMO.

People eat those pods?

[ramurphy.livejournal.com]

I'm with mizkit. 'course, I'm her mother, so it's not that surprising.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Simple. Spanking fresh beans? Don't cover them up.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Be easy. They went naked to my pleasure. As it were. And were fabulous.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Coo, golly. mizkit's mother. *worries*

But you were right, and she was right, and all of you were right, and so in the end was I. Yum-yum...

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Actually it's grim cold just now - in August, and my cats don't understand why the heating's not on, and sometimes neither do I - but nevertheless we went with simple, and it was scrummy.

And yes, the English do indeed eat those pods. I was, oh, mid-thirties? before I understood that it wasn't necessary, that indeed no one else did.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

As did I. And we were right. Yay!

(Did you know your mother reads this thing? Yikes!)

[handworn.livejournal.com]

"And some chopped shallot
Which he never forgot
And some sage and parsley too.

"And he stirred it 'round and 'round and 'round
And he sniffed at the foaming froth
When I ups with his heels and smothers his squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.

"And I eat that desperance in a week or less
And as I eating be
The last of his chops, why I nearly drops,
For a wessel in sight I see."

[desperance.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold,
And the mate of the NANCY brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig."

- but did you know that 'Punch' rejected it? For being, ahem, too cannibalistic?

[handworn.livejournal.com]

I did not know that; thank you!