I need another hit!!

The meals for this week have been "eh" at best. I made my pasta (angel hair, my favorite) with fresh tomato & basil on Monday. Note to self: When doubling the amount of pasta, you are also required to double the sauce ingredients! The flavor, when you got some, was good, but overall I felt it was dry. That said - the leftovers were really good!! So, either more sauce on the outset or just make it the day before you want to serve it! Everyone, including my mother, seemed to enjoy it, so perhaps I am judging myself too harshly.

Last night, it was my plan to make the Lemon & Basil Chicken, but I now tutor on Tuesday nights, and I think last night proved that whatever I make on Monday better darn well be enough to feed everyone on Tuesday, too. So, I made the Lemon & Basil Chicken tonight instead. It was decent. Good even. But not great. Possibly a "keeper" recipe because it was easy, but it won't stay at the front of the list.

I put off tonight's meal until tomorrow, so we will see how that goes. I was so excited by the reviews from my biggest fans/critics over last week's meals, that I'm now a "positive reaction" junkie.

I will say, it is fun, this cooking gig. I've also realized exactly what I need in my kitchen, so if ever I need to start from scratch, I will know exactly what to get. Historically, I've been known to amass a few (thousand) kitchen gadgets that look wicked cool in the demonstrations, only to let them fester and gather dust in my cabinets or drawers. I think I have whittled down what I really need to this:

~Several good wooden spoons. Like, maybe 5. Or 6. Different sizes.
~Good kitchen shears & Spatulas
~My 8qt sauce pan. Maybe its really a frying pan?? Anyway, it's HUGE, has a nice long handle, is non-non-stick, or STICK surface (what IS the right terminology for that?) and has a lid. I can make everything from braised beef to sauces in it.
~Spaghetti pot (with internal fitting colander)
~2qt sauce pan, again non-non-stick
~Whisks of various sizes.
~My Williams-Sonoma multi-chopper thingy that has a name I am sure. Several blade styles, make everything from cored apples to french fries. It works wonders on onions!
~Good knives.

I'd love to learn how to use cast-iron and have several pieces, or at least, one nice big Le Crueset dutch oven. (Christmas list, perhaps!!??)