La cucina povera.

                                                              

Last week, we finally reached our goal of a clear pantry (and refrigerator... and freezer).  Of course with a few random items- hot fudge that my grandma bought for us (in light of Monday's post- just what I need), an extra can of cherries, lots of booze, and a few other must-have staples, like Ovaltine, Nutella, and gourmet hot chocolate.

We were overstocked and overspent, and it was time to get creative, get resourceful, and get cookin'.  And, it felt good.  Thanks to Stephanie and Jora, Shauna and Molly, Kim and Sharon, and I'm sure many others- lentils were stewed, bread was pulled from the the freezer, cubed and toasted, tomatoes were simmered... nuts, dried fruit, and coconut were spiced and roasted into granola.

I couldn't quite put into words just why it felt so good- until I saw Jora's post, which introduced me to the phrase, la cucina povera, or "cooking of the poor"... "embracing constraints and discovering the delicious creativity that can spring from making do with what you've got."  I was left with not only a clear pantry, but a clear mind.

And now, in good conscious, I am off to do a bit of stocking up.  I've got apple-filled pop-tarts to bake, Taco Soup to toss into the slow cooker, and lasagna to layer and freeze.  {The tarts turned out amazing (combined both recipes) and were incredibly simple to make, but I only used up ONE large apple!  Looks like there will be more tarts (and all things apple) in my very near future.}

* If you'd like to do a little slow cooking yourself, make sure you check out today's recipe... Mediterranean Pot Roast... Mmmm.