Is it just me, or does anyone else have song lyrics stuck in their head on repeat? This week, thanks to a New York Times podcast featuring a hilarious essay about Weird Al Yankovic, Don Henley’s classic hit “All She Wants to Do is Dance” has been my mental soundtrack. But with a twist. Instead of “dance,” my brain keeps singing, “all she wants to eat is carbs.” Specifically: She wants potatoes! Ooh! She wants focaccia! Ooh! All she wants to eat is… all she wants to eat is carbs!
And honestly? It’s hitting a little too close to home. There’s a part of me that thinks I should be using any downtime to become a culinary master, whipping up exotic dishes every night. And sure, I’m experimenting a bit. But mostly, I’m leaning hard into comfort food. Pasta? Yes, please, even if I had it three times last week. Carbs are calling, and I must answer.
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The Week’s Culinary Highlight: Ricotta Bliss
Working from home has its perks, especially when it comes to food photography. Recently, I got to photograph Alex Delany’s “signature side,” which is essentially a dreamy pile of creamy ricotta swimming in a vibrant moat of garlicky broccoli rabe. It’s meant to be a side dish, but in my world, it was begging to be dinner.
So, dinner it became. I quickly cooked up some linguine, reserving some of that precious pasta water. Then, the magic happened: I swirled the ricotta into the hot pasta, using the starchy water to create a ridiculously easy, yet incredibly flavorful sauce. No heavy cream, no butter, no fuss. I tossed in chopped broccoli rabe, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some zest for brightness. Simple perfection.
And the leftover ricotta? Definitely turning into a batch of ricotta gnocchi for future carb cravings. Because, let’s be real, all I want to do is… eat carbs. Just like Don Henley (almost) sang.
