I love beets!: C Stands for Choker

Or Celtics.

Potato, potatoe.

My dad's words...not mine, but can't say that I disagree. Although, I may have some other choice words for the C's. Cry baby? Just a thought.

Celtics were leading for most of the game...and the majority of the second half. And then! Kobe...injured finger and hurting ankle and all saved the day once again! I know...he's always such a hero, but I never get tired of his amazingness. I don't think anyone does.

The fun starts around the 1 minute mark.

A shot to the heart as Yahoo! says. Seeeee?? He's amazing. Try watching just once. It's not possible. It's like Oreos. Can't eat just one. Or maybe that's just me.

Inspired by Kobe's awesomeness, I decided that I had to make something in kind. Can't let Kobe down. So I made...

Spaghetti and meatballs.

Now...I know that you must be totally unimpressed. Not very different from the way I feel about the Clippers. But this spaghetti and meatballs...or fusilli and chicken meatballs far surpasses the Clippers. It's like the Lakers! In a yummy tomato sauce!

Calm down! They're just onions! Even though they look like...well...you know.

So this wonderful tomato sauce is simply a can of San Marzano tomatoes, 1 onion and 4 Tablespoons of butter. Simmered for 45 minutes and seasoned with salt and pepper. And I like to add a teaspoon of sugar...but that's me. And I sprinkled in the eensy-est bit of red chili flake. Because when cooking Italian food, I often ask myself a highly important questions: W.W.M.B.D. aka what would Mario Batali do. And being the Italian that he is, I think Mario would like some red chili flake. And I sprinkled thusly.

45 minutes later...the onions are soft and can be tossed. And what you are left with is a wonderfully smooth and fresh tomato sauce that really defies everything we know about tomato sauce. There's no garlic. No olive oil. No Parmigiano Reggiano. No blend of herbs. But it is wonderfully mild and tomatoe-y, and I will make it again and again and again. I suspect it would be just lovely on pizza. Grilled pizza, perhaps?

And it was just the thing to coat my little meatball army.

Ok, so it's just 50. But aren't they adorable? And they're baked! And mini.

One had to be sacrificed for taste testing. Well, 2. Meatball rolling makes me hungry.

Fusilli with mini chicken meatballs. And whole wheat pasta. I feel healthier already.

So then I was off to make some chocolate cupcakes. With a vanilla bean and mascarpone frosting. Because sometimes you feel fancy, and just need to use a real vanilla bean.

But sometimes...

The little vanilla seeds like your fingers more than the bowl. I must have about $3 of vanilla residue on my fingers. Sighhhh. Sometimes feeling fancy doesn't pay off.

But eating fancy can have it's rewards. On Friday, I ventured to Pizza Ortica in Costa Mesa. Being somewhat of a pizza fanatic, it's nice to see a more authentic pizzeria nearby. The pizza is sort of your standard thin Neapolitan style pizza, complete with a charred and blistered crust. But I think where the restaurant really impresses is in its antipasti and desserts. I had the most tasty bruschetta topped with lamb sausage and creamy white beans. And also the most amazing chocolate-y chocolate tart with vanilla gelato and candied orange. Amazing.