“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.”

Isaiah 55:1-2

Evidently I am past overdue (and I draw that conclusion after reviewing my collection of recent postings) for a “foodie” blog. Granted, life has been rich and complex of late, but I always like to include the occasional collection of food photos along with some commentary.

Not that I have been practicing much in the way of the serious culinary arts. It is still a goal of mine to – at least at some point this year – resurrect my commitment to more inspired creations in the kitchen. But not yet. I am still too far behind on a few other huge projects.

So today’s post will feature one hamburger, one night out at a really good restaurant, and one reinvention of my most excellent spaghetti.

I only include the hamburger because I still maintain that the combination of simplicity and the highest quality ingredients is the best way to great food.

So I picked up some ultra expensive, but on sale, Wagyu ground beef and grilled 1/3 pound burgers, topped with mushrooms, Gruyère cheese and sautéed onion, served along with french fries. Simple. But most excellent.

Cape Fear

The dinner date was during our visit to Wake Forest. Rebekah and I love the Cape Fear Seafood Company and, as per usual, they did not disappoint. Rebekah’s Mahi Saltimbocca was amazing, and my Seared Lemon Pepper Sea Scallops with Risotto Cakes and Asparagus even better. The risotto cakes were, by the way, a notch or two beyond wonderful.

We bookended our entrées with fried okra and Key-lime pie. So good.

Can’t miss spaghetti

Finally, my spaghetti was only really really good and not great. Why? Because this time I did not make my own pasta. Believe it or not, homemade pasta makes a huge difference.

Also, for me it’s all about the sauce, and time, and company. Taking the time to sauté the onions along with celery and garlic and mushrooms, then adding the ground beef, then a little white wine till it evaporates. Getting the balance of oregano and thyme and basil right, giving the tomato sauce enough time to percolate.

Good food requires time. Good eating requires time too, and also great company. Rebekah is perfect company – not only that but she love love loves my spaghetti. I don’t honestly think I would cook with such care – could cook with such care – if it were just for me. Dining is by definition a communal event. Without Rebekah I would not dine, I would simply eat.

I am sure that the balance of March will offer some wonderful food experiences, and I will likely share a few of them in this space.

We started this post with an appropriate scripture, so here is a great author quote – like dessert – to round off today’s thoughts.

You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too.

Kurt Vonnegut