Today's hot lunch

I normally stuff my face with steaks and rashers on Ash Wednesday, but as an experiment that was unbeknownest even unto myself until a few minutes ago when I suddently realised, this week I have become a vegetarian. Since Saturday night last, I haven't eaten any meat. God knows why... Now that I think of it, I'm feeling quite weak.

Anyway, today's hot lunch was Wednesday's hot dinner. A homemade tomato sauce concoction with fresh organic, free range pappardelle pasta. The sauce was started with onions, celery, a few carrots and a good hunk of garlic sweated in the sausepan for a few minutes with the aid of a dart of salt and pepper. Into this steaming pile of crisp flavour, I lashed in a couple of cans of tomatoes, followed by a chopped bunch of fresh basil and a few other herbs that have been hanging around the kitchen. For good measure I added half a red chili (chopped), some red and green peppers, a healthy squeeze of tomato puree, those brown-capped mushrooms you get in M&S (much nuttier than the white shite we're accustomed to), a glug of wine and few olives that were floating in a lonely looking jar at the back of the top shelf of the fridge. A spoon of brown sugar and further seasoning and away with it for an hour or so.

Served with fresh pappardelle pasta, parmesan shavings, and a quickfire baby leaf salad with basil, olive oil, salt and peppa, and a squeeze of lemon.

As Jack struglled with his forthcoming marriage, flashbacks to his recent shooting and his feelings for ex-wife Martha, and as Amanda's young fella nearly shot the doctor who looks like one of the O'Halpin brothers, I washed it all down with a cup of coffee and a lump of Toblerone.