Sparklers and Fagioli

 

Well, today is my sweet man's birthday. April 25, 1956, the day his mother gave him his first breath of life. His journey has been long and often tiring, but he has finally crossed my path and my heart sang a song I have not heard while walking my journey. Today Mr. Macrae turns 67 and he crossed that threshold at 3:56 this afternoon. Happy birthday to my friend, my love, and the light that rests in my soul. 

We started the evening off with Terry's favorite dinner, pasta fagioli. For anyone who has never eaten this dish, it is a delightful Italian soup typically, but Terry's dad used to make it as a pasta dish. It's the same design, same ingredients although the dish his dad made is more along the lines of a tomato-based pasta dish that is both spicy and sweet. Whatever the definition, whatever the official name of the food is, it is amazing. 

Tomato sauce, roasted garlic, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil, parsley, and oregano simmers for about a half hour, marrying the spices with the tomato base. Add a large can of baked beans to give the meal a light sweet taste against the spicier kick of the red pepper flakes. But the deliciousness doesn't end there. We pour it over ditalini, a very shot length of pasta tubes. 

(Ditalini pasta, www.bestfoods.com)

As the beautiful sauce cooks, the spices begin to marry into each other and the tomato canvas. Sweet and spicy always pair well and the fagioli partnership is no different. But the aroma was captivating. You couldn't help but almost drool at the thought of its completion. Finally, the half hour was up, and it was time to serve. 

We had both grown hungry and could not wait to eat! The fagioli is simple to make, but the simmering is time consuming yet so worth it. But if you're hungry, it feels like forever! We plated up and headed for the TV room. 

Serving up Terry's requested birthday dinner dish, pasta fagioli, I realized it had been a while since we last had this. His mother left him with a chili over rice recipe and his dad the fagioli. Terry loves them both and they leave him with the memory of both parents. This adds to the reason why I love making this for him. 

He loves pepper on food, so that is the black, white, and grayish colored flecks on top, as seen in the photo. I like my fagioli with parmesan and Romano cheese sprinkled on top. Can't help it. Even my spaghetti swims with the fishes in an ocean of the shredded cheese mixture. Pasta on plate, check. Coat the pasta with tomato sauce base, check. Half a jar of cheese sprinkles, check, double check. Good to go. 

After watching an episode of one of our favorite cop shows, The Mentalist, we kick back in our chairs for a bit to let the digestion process begin. Ugh. Always too much food eaten when carbs are involved. The sleepy feeling and overstuffed sensation begins within a few moments.  The meal was so good. 

Relaxation is inevitable, then there is the cake. Beautiful, sweet, German chocolate cake. The cake that soaks your tastebuds in scrumptious chocolate and finishes it off with the crunch and delectable coconutty flavor residing on top of the creamy ganache. Heaven. Pure, unadulterated heavenly tastes, blended together to create one amazing, sweet treat. Top it off with a maraschino cherry and we're good to go. 

I used the sparkler type candles, hoping to get a cute photo but they didn't "sparkle" as they should have. I was very disappointed in them. I don't think I will ever purchase those anymore. If anyone has a suggestion of great candles, please let me know!

The birthday boy blew out the candles and the "party" began. We sliced and plated each piece with delicate concern. The idea of wasting one crumb of this cake was inconceivable. Plating the typically forbidden celebratory dessert perfectly was important. It's not often we get to dive into a cake that isn't sugar free! 

Eating the cake was like a silent ceremony of sorts. Neither of us spoke but the scraping and "tinging" of the fork against the plates had a rhythmic nuance that replaced our speech. As I glanced across the room at my sweet man, he was in a utopian space, one that I dare not disturb. We were both closing our eyes at each bite, every delightful mouthful, as if sealing the memories of cake in our brains. Of course, I knew my final toast to the birthday celebration would be the downing of a Metformin cocktail. Terry's finishing performance would be Metformin with a chaser of insulin. But it was worth every single crunchy piece of coconut on top of the base of dark, rich chocolate ganache. Life is good, at least for tonight. Back to salads, veggie trays, and proteins tomorrow. 

Terry loved his cake. I guess the old saying of keeping your hubby happy by keeping his tummy full is true. Maybe this is the secret to happiness ladies? He went back to reading his Kindle after eating his piece of cake but this time he had a smile on his face. His day has ended and it's almost time for bed, but his memories will last for the rest of his life. If we can put a smile on someone's face, it's well worth the time spent doing so. Sharing your light, your laughter, and your love is why we are all here. I wish everyone a great week and please, make someone smile if you can! 

 I love you, sweet man. Happy birthday!