The return of New Recipe Night!

One of my favorite things about being between semesters is having time to cook meals from scratch instead of falling into the old "boxed dinner with a sauce packet" trap. I'm revisiting some old cookbooks, photocopied recipes, and Vegetarian Times in hopes of reviving new recipe night. And by reviving I mean beginning ... it was always more of a good idea than a reality. Anyway, on a recent visit to the library I discovered Giada's Kitchen, the new cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis. Giada was never a particular favorite of mine when I had access to the Food Network, but the recipes in this new cookbook look phenomenal. Particularly tempting items include Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Corn Muffins, Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto, and Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas. Almost all of the recipes are also on www.FoodNetwork.com. It looks like the Baked Orzo will be the first item on the New Recipe Night Menu next Sunday ... at long last I have a use for that container of Panko breadcrumbs languishing in my cupboard. And peas are chock full of F-I-B-E-R!