Buttered & bettered, past & present

          If you know me, you know my embarrassing past with buttered noodles. Specifically, I am talking about small shells and butter and absolutely nothing else. You may know that I survived off of them through college. You may also know that I had them every year, specially cooked by my mother for my special birthday feast.
          For the past decade, I have felt embarrassed by my simple palate and narrow-minded past. But not anymore, I have learned to embrace my roots thanks to recipes and commentary found on food blogs like the Wednesday Chef and Lottie & Doof.  I've learned that lots of people love the guilty pleasures of [truly] simple cooking. And I see it all the time - a fried egg on toasted bread with a smear of mayo, or toasted rye with sliced salt&peppered tomatoes, or leftover rice with broccoli and sriracha. Everyone has there go-to 5 minute meal when they don't feel like making a fuss.

Well here is mine: buttered noodles, all grown up.

• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet, add garlic, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Once egg noodles are al dente, add to skillet and toss. Eat with plenty of parmesan. My only regret is that I didn't have any frozen peas or fresh herbs on hand, but it was definitely good enough for me.

I may need to invest in some white tableware for future food photos, don't you think?

* http://www.thewednesdaychef.com
* http://www.lottieanddoof.com