We got sick of delivery pizza and started cooking even though I for one remain almost completely busy. I spent new year's eve first going to work all day and then doing two gradschool applications; I spent new year's day doing two more plus writing a book review. Somehow I ended up cooking two or three full meals at the same time. Ok, probably afterward. Still.

Olive pasta:

garlic, mixed olives, olive oil, pasta, parsley, parmesan if you want.

Chop garlic and olives roughly. Soften in olive oil. Maybe add a pinch of cayenne.

Olives hiss and spit a lot, so be careful.

Boil and drain pasta. Dump it into the olives. Add some torn parsley leaves and stir it all up. Oil will get everywhere. This is good: it is tangy spicy garlic and olive-flavored oil.

Eat plain or with lots of hard grating cheese. If I weren't doing cheese, I might do some toasted pine nuts.


Purple potato fries:

purple potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, paprika, mustard powder.

Chop potatoes into appropriate chunks. Toss with olive oil and however many spices you like. Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F. Check at about 15 minutes; shake the pan and see if you can get them all to come loose. If the undersides are brown, turn them. Bake another five minutes or so, then eat with whatever ketchup or malt vinegar concoction you desire.

Green green salad:

butter lettuce, green beans, vinaigrette, optional feta

Top and tail green beans and chop into nice little pieces. Boil for two to three minutes, then drain and cover with cool water.

Wash and rip up some butter lettuce; dry it by putting it into a kitchen towel, gathering and holding the corners of the towel together, going out in the backyard, and swinging the towel violently in a circle. All the water will spray everywhere, but the lettuce will stay in the towel. Now you never need a salad spinner.

If you need to make vinaigrette: put a little wine vinegar and a bit more olive oil in a cup with lots of pepper, a little salt, and some torn parsley and mustard if you want. Mix with a fork until emulsified.

Put lettuce and beans in a bowl. Cover with dressing and stir to coat.

If you want feta, add some feta.

Eat it all.