Friday, October 01, 2004
Politics Trumps Pesto
We made a potato pesto pizza last night. The inspiration was equal parts 'unlikely combinations that work' and 'use the basil before it dies.'
I like to make pesto with mortar and pestle--the way purists like Corby Kummer do. But I could spend the night pounding basil, pine nuts and garlic into a paste...or I could whirl it all together in a blender and have time to watch the Kerry-Bush debate.
The tug of presidential history won over culinary authenticity. We topped our dough with our machine pesto, quickly blanched slices of purple creamer potatoes and a light brush of olive oil. We paired our spicy little pizza with a chilled bottle of 2001 Simi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, a bright and slightly herbal wine. Glasses in hand, we settled in for a 90-minute exchange of ideas.
Or so we thought. Being Kerry partisans, our decision certainly wasn't hinged on this debate. But the candidates barely engaged each other, as they were committed to their prepared talking points. There weren't even any 'you're no Jack Kennedy' moments. The two could have saved a trip to Miami and done this by videoconference.
And I could have spent some quality time with mortar and pestle.
I like to make pesto with mortar and pestle--the way purists like Corby Kummer do. But I could spend the night pounding basil, pine nuts and garlic into a paste...or I could whirl it all together in a blender and have time to watch the Kerry-Bush debate.
The tug of presidential history won over culinary authenticity. We topped our dough with our machine pesto, quickly blanched slices of purple creamer potatoes and a light brush of olive oil. We paired our spicy little pizza with a chilled bottle of 2001 Simi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, a bright and slightly herbal wine. Glasses in hand, we settled in for a 90-minute exchange of ideas.
Or so we thought. Being Kerry partisans, our decision certainly wasn't hinged on this debate. But the candidates barely engaged each other, as they were committed to their prepared talking points. There weren't even any 'you're no Jack Kennedy' moments. The two could have saved a trip to Miami and done this by videoconference.
And I could have spent some quality time with mortar and pestle.
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