Monday, July 31, 2006

the last day of july

Today is the last day of July. The sound of summer, here in Japan, is the screeching/chirping (actually I'm not sure what to call it) sound from the semi (cicada). Now, coming from Hawaii, I'd never seen a bug as big as a cicada (except for the flying cockroaches that we have in Hawaii), or as noisy. Talk about noisy! If you want to sleep in, and are a light sleeper, forgettaboutit! These guys get up at the crack of dawn...

Satoshi says that they live only for a week or so. In that time, according to Cicada Mania, they are mating! Some sound more like a space craft hovering or a sprinkler watering the lawn, some even sound like the milk steamer on an espresso maker! Satoshi says that it is the male cicada that is making the noises--trying to get the attention of the female cicada.

One summer, we had one perched on our glass window and the whole window shook! The photo of the cicada was taken back in 2002.

Changing the subject, I had some leftover penne & farfalle from the party the other day--so, I decided to try a new recipe from "The Silver Spoon": Penne All'Arrabbiata (page 295). It was a really easy recipe.

Here it is: 6 T oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 fresh chile, seeded and chopped
1 pound 2 oz. canned chopped tomatoes, drained
3 cups penne lisce
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the garlic cloves and chile and cook until the garlic browns, then remove the cloves from the skillet. Add the tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and cook for about 15 minutes. Cook the penne in a large pan of salted, boiling water until al dente, then drain and tip into the skillet. Toss over high heat for a few minutes, then transfer to a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley.

Enjoy!

Notes: Read the recipe thoroughly--I didn't, and didn't drain the tomatoes--talk about dangerous splashing when the tomatoes met up with the heated oil! Yipes...Still, it was really delicious!

Have a nice week!

4 comments:

  1. Wow! A photo of a cicada!! I've been trying to have a look up close at one, but I dunno, the ones here are shy or something. They are certainly not shy about making noise.

    You beat me to the punch on penne all'arrabbiata. I had a recipe drafted that's been waiting for ages to get posted, but there was always something else. Now I can delete the thing and be done with it! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Rowena,

    The cicada is sometimes hard to see, they kind of blend in with the trees and the leaves.

    Hey, you should still post about the penne!

    You have a great week.

    Kat

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those cicadas are loud!

    Great pasta dish ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Ivonne,

    Yes, those critter are loud!

    I didn't realize this pasta dish was so easy to make! Will have to try it again!

    Take care and have a nice week!

    Kat

    ReplyDelete

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