August 24, 2022

3:30 p.m. Pacific

4:30 p.m. Mountain

5:30 p.m. Central

6:30 p.m. Eastern

Patti will be sharing her love of cooking and her unique style. She believes that with a good technique and a master template, a recipe can become a platform for multiple iterations or substitutions, if you're out of one thing or another, and cause inspirations.

Patti's thoughts on Pesto:

Most cooks have a favorite recipe for a classic Pesto Genovese, pesto made with fresh basil, pinenuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Pesto can be made in many different combinations, especially when herbs and other fresh greens are found in summer markets in large quantities – or better yet, from a patch or a pot in your own backyard.

Late in the spring I started thinking of what sort of recipe or technique would be good to share with our group. I had been playing around with different types of pesto to top vegetables and simple grilled meats, to make ciabatta toasts, on poached eggs, and of course with pasta! One of my favorites became Carrot Top Pesto, which may have come into fashion when the 'no waste' kitchen movement was in vogue. Carrots have become stars in their own right of late. We had a wonderful first course of braised whole carrots with Carrot Top Pesto and a beautiful ball of burratta cheese at Gjelina (in Venice, California) a few years ago and I've never thought of carrots as only a supporting act since then.

Just this summer pestos of many types seem to have entered the on-line culinary zeitgeist. Some are more appealing than others. Kale pesto was too overpowering for me, while a parsley and mint pesto was a subtle accent on several dishes. To the frustration of my family I am not a recipe person. I go with techniques and what I have on hand. This recipe can serve as a template for further innovations by substituting herbs, oils, nuts and cheese. Look for fresh garlic and more isn't always better. It can overwhelm the other, subtler flavors.

Your imagination is the limit and Patti will be our inspiration.