Spaghetti with Basil Marinara Sauce, White Bean and Kale Soup, Salad with Crispy Shallots

Dinner 3/27

Spaghetti with Basil Marinara Sauce

White Bean and Kale Soup

Salad with Crispy Shallots

Tonight's meal courtesy of a guest chef -- our son.

Every Christmas, my sister-in-law gives me a huge box of cookbooks from various regional library sales. Some are duplicates, some are dated ("Robin Leach's Healthy Lifestyles Cookbook: Menus and Recipes from the Rich, Famous, and Fascinating" anyone?) and some are cookbooks that we would never have picked up on our own -- these are often the most interesting. Case in point: "Rao's Cookbook" from 1998. Our son caught a bit on cable about the famous old-school Italian restaurant and realized we had the cookbook in the library. It was a good primer on that most basic of red sauce: marinara with basil. So, we picked up some San Marzano tomatoes and let him pick the rest of menu -- and as you can see, he did a great job!

Tags: san marzano, tomatoes, spaghetti, cannellini beans, kale, salad, shallots, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666