San Marzano pomodoro tomatoes with red pepper flakes. Simmered with chicken sausage, then fusilli pasta added. A great classic. The pepper flakes give this dish a nice kick.

Sort of out of order, but here is a shot of last night. Whole wheat pasta with pancetta, shallots and parmesan cheese. This is becoming a staple of the husbands. I love it.

My huge fan base has requested more photos of dinner, so I’ll oblige. I didn’t have the camera around for tonight’s dinner (though if you were to take a look at this pasta dish, you can get a sense of what we ate tonight).

Last night: Baked salmon seasoned with salt and pepper, a little bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. On the side, pear and gorgonzola ravioli; plus a garden salad with Metropolitan Market croutons, and dressed with Paul Newman Sesame Ginger Dressing (Low-Fat). The salmon was perfectly cooked, and tasted delicious. The husband purchased the fresh wild-caught variety.

Let me start by saying the husband has gotten used to me photographing nearly everything we eat.

Spaghetti with chicken and lemon; chunky mushrooms, fresh tomatoes (from the side garden) and shallots, sauteed in vermouth. Crusty bread drizzled with olive oil on the side. Simple but elegant.

The weather is beginning to turn here in Seattle. No Indian summer this year, although I sort of dressed like it was summer (wishing it’s summer doesn’t make it so) today. It’s a great feeling to come home to a warm and comforting meal like this one. Yum.

The husband presented a grand dinner for me to photo and discuss on the blog. Improved from a previous dinner presentation. First, lemon-pancetta biscuits. Again, the ‘double-fold’ method, with pancetta in the middle. Lemon zest and lemon juice flavor the biscuit dough. Light and fluffy, made from Heart-Healthy Bisquick. Parmesan cheese was baked atop the biscuit. Yum.

As for the pasta dish, as reported by the husband: Tomatoes, onions and pancetta was sauted, then wine (sake, actually) and butter was added. The sauce simmered, then parmesan was melted into it. It was a texture and flavor of a cream sauce, without a cream sauce. Rich, but not too rich.

In a word … dee-lish.

Hmmm. 70 minutes stuck in traffic thanks to a stalled car on the 520 bridge. Grrr… Luckily I came home to a dinner already cooked, thank to the husband. Chili mac with lemon-pancetta biscuits. Annie’s Shells and Cheddar, with Amy’s Organic Chili, combined with fresh cherry tomatoes (tomatoes from the side garden, of course). The husband also added in a little bit of pancetta, and, for kicks, some vegetarian brats. The biscuits are Heart Smart Bisquick with some lemon zest and a small slice of pancetta in the center as a surprise. The trick to fluffy biscuits …roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick, per the instructions. Fold the rolled-out dough over so it’s double the size, then cut out biscuits using a cutter. Otherwise the biscuits look kind of flat (For the surprise pancetta, you can add the slice in the fold).

For years – years – I’ve been looking for the perfect Mac & Cheese recipe. I’m not quite sure what I’m looking for. I figure I’ll know it when I taste it. One hint, Cooking Light does not have the perfect recipe, and I was subscriber for a l-o-n-g time. Until then, I really enjoy Trader Joe’s Macaroni & Cheese (the classic, currently in a blue box). Annie’s is also tasty.

If you do have the recipe for the perfect Macaroni & Cheese, please share the love.