Food Control and Family Patterns and Pasta

My little brother Geordie has moved in with us.  I love my little brother and am totally delighted that he is here, especially the way his presence exposes the family patterns so quickly and easily.

It was around 3:30pm and Eric had come home from the grocery store with the fixings for a smoked white fish dip and the ingredients for roasted tomato sausage pasta.  I was excited to make a nice meal for the 3 of us.

Geordie emerged from the office and announced he was hungry and was going to go out and get something.  I mistakenly suggested he wait cuz I was going to make dinner.  I jumped up and prepped the whitefish dip.  When it was gone within 2 minutes, I realized that maybe I had underestimated (or worse, not even acknowledged) his hunger.  And that the appropriate response would have been, "Great, see you later."

But I was attached to our having dinner together, and so I navigated incorrectly, not receiving the fresh information.  And as most of us do when we are hungry and not being allowed to do what we want to do, he got angry.  (A mild soft angry with a slight agitated and accusing raised voice).  And I felt like my mother with my father.  One wanting the freedom to satisfy his needs and the other trying to satisfy hers, corrupted with the illusion that her plan was superior.

And so he left to get food, and I laughed and saw what had happened.  And when the invitation came in to go to a housewarming party from 6 to 7, I accepted cuz now I was off the hook for dinner.  Geordie returned with beer and peanuts still under the assumption that I was cooking dinner.  Hahaha.  Trick or treat has been the theme for me with my SELF this week and she keeps winning.

1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice open the collection of tomatoes you have from Steve and the Sunday Farmers market.  (Tonight we had romas, heirloom, vine ripe and cherry).  Lay out on a baking sheet.  Smear with olive oil, crack some pepper and put in oven.  Set timer for 30 minutes.

3. In a heavy enameled cast iron pot, add some olive oil.  When hot, cook up turkey sausage.  Tonight Eric came home with spicy and mild.

4. Meanwhile, mince up 1 or 2 carrots and 2 stalks celery and 2 shallots.  When meat is done, remove with a slotted spoon.  add more oil if necessary and add carrots, celery and shallots.

5. Mince up some rosemary and add to herbs along with some dried thyme and other desired herbs or spices.  Eventually add about a cup of wine and allow to simmer and evaporate.  By this time the tomatoes are done.  I poured the entire tray of tomatoes with juices in.  If I had paused, i might have drained them a bit, cuz the sauce seems more watery than i would have liked.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer.  (Even though the sauce did not need any more liquid, I added a little beef broth to enhance the flavor.)

6. Meanwhile, start a large pot of salted water to boil.   Cook pasta, drain and serve with sauce.

7. Delight in the revealing of that which is no longer serving you.