The Trotting Gourmet

I think I've been watching too much of the Food Network. I'm planning dinner and decide I just want some spaghetti-but I'm just going to have it with the fresh garlic I got from the farmer's market and the shallots from my garden with a little bit of wine. So I start the water to boil and chop my garlic, then the shallots. So I'm cutting, but soon I'm crying my eyes out. I didn't think shallots were supposed to do that! Well, I started getting worried as I'd already put the garlic in the pan with some olive oil and I didn't want to burn that (YUCK!) so, between tears, I dumped the shallots in the pan and stirred. The garlic was starting to turn color-must hurry. Meanwhile I'd already put the pasta in the boiling water and I started thinking of a recipe I did making a sauce with Parmesan and cream cheese. So in the pan of garlic and shallots I add the rest of the cream cheese I had. I'm whisking away, but something's not right...the CHICKEN STOCK! So I run to the fridge, get out some leftover stock and dump it in the pan. Whisk Whisk Whisk. Wait a minute-I wanted wine. Another dash to the fridge and dump some wine in the mix. Whisk Whisk Whisk. Uh oh...too watery. FLOUR! That thickens things up. Reach to the canister, grab a handful of flour and toss it in the pan. Whisk Whisk Whisk. Oh yea, Parmesan cheese! Shake some of that in. Uh oh. Now it's looking like glue. More chicken stock. Whisk Whisk Whisk. Now that's looking better. Spaghetti's nicely al dente, so I drain that and then put some in my sauce pan. Toss it around to coat and plate it nicely. A little salt and pepper and I'm done. Amazingly enough, it came out pretty tasty. It was even better the next day with some leftover chicken. I may not be the galloping gourmet yet-but I've got a nice working trot going!