Last night, for Sheighleigh's birthday, we met up with Shannon's Sister's family at the Pizza Hut near adventureland, where they spent their day. Shannon and I both had their over-advertised New Tuscani Pastas. Their advertisements generally go that they have a nice restaurant, and then surprise! it's really Pizza Hut. Though I suspect they may have taken a bit more time on each of those pastas, the ones they served us, suffer the same problems that most chain restaurants suffer from (and places like Spaggetti Works, here in Des Moines), far over cooked pasta. Beyond that, the food wasn't offensive, but it wasn't exactly something I'd go out of my way for. I could certainly tell the difference between that and what I would be served at Lucca, Centro, or Proof (and if eating lunch at proof, the bill probably would've been smaller, which, in my mind, is pretty pathetic, Pizza Hut).

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas (p9 Cook's Illustrated July/August 2009)

Fairly easy, but time consuming to make, but ended up really good. Thought the garlic mayo that I made with it, I think did not set up properly, though the mixture still tasted good.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes (p23 Cook's Illustrated July/August 2009)

They weren't kidding, these pancakes were down right, stick to your ribs, please your senses fantastic. I think I may have found a new standard pancake recipe...though I do like the cinnamon infused pancakes that I make from time to time.

Spicy Chicken Peperonata with Lime and Mint Dressing (p36 Bon Appétit July 2009)

This wasn't that spicy. Chicken done on a non-stick pan kinda makes me want to shrug... I think it would've been better to create a proper chicken crust in a regular pan, rather then non-stick. Though it made clean up easier I suppose. I served it over basmati rice. Though we had some leftovers and because of that, I put some hot sauce over it, and that, actually made it pop the next day...

Manchego Cheese and Garlic Dogs (p77 Bon Appétit July 2009)

mmm...roasted garlic. I started out with a Hebrew National hot dogs (hot dogs are now officially off my life time ban, though I guess that depends on the quality) and went from there. The combination of the cheese, roasted garlic relish and other deliciousness it made for a very good dinner. Though I need to remember more often that Shannon's not a huge fan of the olive, so I need to avoid the pasta salad that has a whole lot of olives in it...