Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Olives, and Tomatoes

Taken from Martha Stewart, this recipe is pretty easy and my boyfriend said it was quote: 'delicious!'

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Medium onion, thinly sliced
2 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered lengthwise
1/3 Cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1 Pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese or Soy Cheese
1/2 Cup Basil Leaves, torn

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in artichokes and cook until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives and half of the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes start to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet. Stir in remaining tomatoes, oil, cheese, and basil. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the spaghetti. Serve with additional cheese.

Click here for the original recipe, the only difference is the dry white wine which would've made this dish brighter.

Cooking Shows vs. Home Cooking

This is old news but, NPR had a little segment featuring this guy Michael Pollan who just wrote a new book called Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch. I've been a huge fan of Michael Pollan ever since I heard him on Terry Gross back in 2001. He's an NPR regular and very prolific writer who focuses on food. He examines food culture, food history, and of course the food industry. His recent NY Times article was really interesting. I found it appropriate to post because he examines why more and more Americans are tuning into reality cooking shows. And the irony is that Americans are cooking at home less and less. It was fascinating to me because I'm secretly obsessed with watching The Food Network even though most of the time the chefs are cooking meat. I think it's because I'm under the impression that I'll learn something relevant. Check out his article here.