besame, béchamel.

i don't know if i'm trying to make up for my slackitude or something, but i'm all about cooking stuff i should have made long ago. not because i've missed out, but because that's kind of what recipe testers are supposed to do. as soon as i figure out what it is i should plead to excuse myself, i'm going to draft some affidavits and try to clear my good name. truth be told, i think i'm just more interested in food now than i've been for some time - a fact my waistline can attest to.

tonight, i was relishing my early evening - home from work, dogs walked, shoes off, all right with the world - when the regular what's-for-dinner quandary hit. i'd never really been interested in making this béchamel before, but i knew i had some fresh shiitake and cremini mushrooms in the crisper and, well, it just seemed like the right thing to have for dinner. i hesitated for a bit, since last night's meal was pasta heavy, but i was already craving some delicious grilled mushrooms, so there really wasn't any turning back.



the béchamel cooked up really easily and i was able to keep an eye on the funguses while i was making it. though i love my chambers range, i was really wishing i had a fourth burner to get the spaghetti going toward the end, but i guess a commitment style comes with a price. no matter, it all came together perfectly in the end. the sauce was really good and i have the feeling it's going to creep up on me, so that eventually i'll wake up in a cold sweat and feel compelled to whip up a batch. also, it's official: i am a mushroom lover. i think what turned me off about mushrooms when i was younger was the kind of brown-grey appearance of the canned variety. i can't remember ever seeing fresh mushrooms on anyone's plate before i was an adult. oh, well, better late than never, or so they say. i'm psyched that i realized how awesome those little poop flowers can be.