We’ve officially completed the first leg of our Mediterranean excursion. During the first month of A Taste of the Mediterranean, bloggers from around the world submitted their own spins on the classic pesto Genovese.  The entries were creative and unique, all while keeping true to the concept of what an authentic pesto should be.  Choosing one pesto from the entire bunch was not easy (but it was an enjoyable process). Here you’ll find a list of all the pesto variations that were submitted.  

The winner for this month calls herself a “newbie food blogger,” but she is certainly no newbie in the kitchen.  Erinn, a fourth generation Cali girl and blogger for Sunday Dish, shared her spin on the recipe by making a Basil, Sun Dried Tomato & Hazelnut Pesto.  It was out of this world!  For some reason I had never thought to use hazelnuts in pesto, but the flavor combination was spot on.  The nutty undertone from the toasted hazelnuts complemented the other ingredients, and presented a sophisticated take on the usual pine nuts or walnuts.  The tiny bit of lemon juice that she added was just enough to heighten the freshness of all the ingredients and tie all the flavors together.  I can continue to tease you with luscious descriptions of her recipe, but the best description you’ll get is by whipping up a batch yourself.  Erinn also went on to show how versatile pesto can be by making three different dishes centered around her ultimate sauce: Fusilli Lunghi Bucati Con Pesto, Grilled Chicken Marinated with Pesto and Pesto Crostini.

Congratulations again, Erinn!!

Cheers, 
Tony

Click on the stamp to find out more information about this event and how to enter to win this month’s prizes!

event: A Taste of the Mediterranean

deadline: July 15, 2008

recipe: Hummus

Festive green, nutty and full of fragrance; Pasta alla Zarina is my spin on the classic pesto Genovese. This dish is fresh, modern and was inspired by my fashionista friend, Zarina (and her love of spinach).

Zarina and I met at an internship one summer and were practically joined at the hip. Between our Shakira-tuned car rides to work and our late-night mint chocolate chip sessions, there wasn’t much we didn’t do together. This pasta dish is her absolute favorite (or so she tells me) and the least I could do was name it after her… and blog about it.

The tiny pearls of slightly melted mozzarella cheese cling to the penne and envelop your taste buds with creamy goodness. There is a science to the mozzarella, though: if you add it too soon, you risk the mozzarella melting completely into the sauce (no good). And, if you add the mozzarella straight from the fridge, you’ll just have hard cubes of cheese in your pasta (also, no good). The trick is to cut up the mozzarella first and add it last, after it’s reached room temperature. The rest is up to you!