Dog Alfredo - Pinch Hitting in the Kitchen with a 12 Year Old

We weren't seriously contemplating eating the dog but it was a good joke. I was operating in a 12 year old's humor zone. Snowed in up at the cabin with my 12 year old grandson - a kid, tall and skinny who ends each meal asking what is for the next one - we did some fridge, freezer and pantry raiding to keep him happy the last couple of days. It's quite amazing what you find on those raids and the kind of meals you can pull together. Reminds me of a comment made by my mother many years ago. Flush with a new cookbook I was essentially showing off. "Ha", she sniffed. "Anyone can follow a recipe, buy the ingredients but it takes a cook to look in the pantry and create a dish". Her war-time rationing thinking coming out but it was a jibe that has stuck with me.

The standing joke when the family is gathered is that given my penchant for stocking the pantry with offbeat ingredients ( truffle oil, aged Balsamic, Thai chili paste) - well, offbeat for a hamlet with a year round population under 100 - when we pull together a meal we say "I bet no one else in Nutrioso is having this for dinner."

Ben and I got to the Bistro Escudilla for Sunday lunch - he was craving the Fetucinni Alfredo featured on the dinner menu - no joy, kid - he had to settle for a luscious looking Kobe beef burger. Given his usual train of thought he asked if we could make the Alfredo for dinner. "Depends on what we can find at the cabin" I told him.

We found heavy cream, butter, aged parmesan, frozen peas, fresh yellow sweet peppers, and, yes - fettucini. A dish was born! Fettucini Hamish - named for the dog who thanks to my squirreling skills survived to lick the plates! NO, not the fettucini plates - his own where his dried food was laced with gravy leftover from the Christmas roast.

Fettucini Hamish

• Put the water on to boil, salt it , add enough of the fettucini for two portions and cook according to package direction.
• As the fettucini cooks, add 1/4 stick of butter and 1/2 Cup heavy cream to a small pan and heat gently until butter is melted and the mixture is close to simmer point.
• Grate the cheese in big flakes - about 1 Cup
• Toss 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas into the sauce pan
• Drain the pasta, immediately toss it with the flaked cheese, add the cream and peas, season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.
  
• Serve in wide pasta bowls. Top with thinly sliced sweet pepper and pass more cheese.