And away we go

SoCal, we're coming for you

Welcome to Let’s Get Lost! I’m Rebecca, a recipe developer, food photographer, passionate people watcher, and chaser of new experiences. You might know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot.

My husband and I are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. I write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.

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This week’s issue is short and sweet, my friends, because I’m writing this on Thursday and I’ve got some packing to do because tomorrow morning we start the drive San Diego!

As most of you know, we’ve been in Colorado for a month longer than we had originally planned while we waited for our truck to be repaired. The truck is not repaired, but it is drivable, and we finally got a guarantee that driving it from Colorado to San Diego will not void the warranty.

So off we go! Fingers crossed that next week’s issue will include at least one photo of a sunset on a beach and a couple of palm trees.

Next week is Valentine’s Day (here’s how I feel about that) and I know not everyone wants to go out (myself included). But maybe you still want a delicious meal, eaten in comfy clothes, with a few lit candles or, even better, on the couch while watching your favorite movie?

This recipe is from Let’s Get Lost, Volume 1 and it’s perfect for an at home date night. It feels kinda fancy but only takes about 30-ish minutes to make and is one of those creamy, saucy, comforting, flavor-packed meals that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy. I’m into it and I have a feeling you might be too.

Fettuccine with chicken and tomato cream sauce

3-4 servings

• 6-8 ounces fettuccini noodles (I used homemade fresh pasta that I allowed to dry overnight)

• Salt

• 1 pound asparagus

• 2-3 tablespoons canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 ounces total), cut crosswise into slices that are about 2 inches thick

• 3-5 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and chopped

• One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

• One 8-12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts

• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want it

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or full-fat coconut milk

• Grated parmesan and ground black pepper, for serving

1. Add just enough water to a large saucepan or stock pot to comfortably cover the pasta. Add enough salt to make the water taste salty. Cook pasta until it’s slightly underdone then drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop their cooking and set aside.

2. Break the asparagus spears in half, allowing them to snap wherever they naturally want to. Discard the bottom half of the spears. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet, saucepan, dutch oven, or cast iron braiser (this is what I used) and set the pan over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the asparagus. Cook, tossing them around in the pan every now and then, until they are partially blackened. Sprinkle them with salt and remove them from the pan.

3. Lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the chicken. Spread the chicken out into an even layer so that each piece is laying on the bottom of the pan. (Do this in two batches if necessary.) Allow the chicken to cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces over and allow them to brown on the other side.

4. Add the chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, chopped fresh parsley, about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Stir everything around to mix and bring the liquid to a simmer. Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through. This will only take a few minutes.

5. Pour in the cream, stirring it to mix, then add the pasta. Toss the pasta around in the sauce and let simmer until the pasta is cooked through. This will only take a couple of minutes. If the pan looks dry at all, add more of the reserved pasta water. You want it to be quite saucy.

6. Stir in the asparagus. Taste the sauce and add more salt if desired.

7. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and plenty of ground black pepper.

Recipe notes:

• Add just enough water to the pot to cook the pasta - just enough to cover the noodles and give them some room to move. This will ensure that plenty of starch from the pasta makes it into the reserved pasta water. The starch in pasta water helps thicken the sauce.

• My preference is always for homemade fresh pasta. If you’ve never tried your hand at pasta making, perhaps this recipe will give you the excuse to give it a go. To easily fit pasta making into a busy week I usually make the dough on the weekend, when I’m doing other meal prep stuff for the week. Then I wrap it up and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. The night before I want to cook the pasta, I use my pasta machine to roll out the dough, cut it into noodles, and hang them on a pasta drying rack. The pasta is now ready to cook whenever I am.

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Chocolate Pudding Parfaits for Dessert

Rich, chocolatey, comforting, and nostalgic, but also fancy when you serve them in a coup glass.

This recipe is for members of the Lost Supper Club (paid subscribers). This newsletter would not exist if not for the members of The Lost Supper Club, who show their support with a paid subscription thus ensuring that the vast majority of readers can keep reading this newsletter for free. As a thank you, I try to provide those paid subscribers with some cool stuff, including some exclusive recipes. Find out more about becoming a member of the Lost Supper Club.

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The February Cooking Club!

Hey there, Lost Supper Club members, join me and Betty Williams on Wednesday February 25th for the February Cooking Club!

What is the Cooking Club? Live Zoom classes held once a month just for memebers of the Lost Supper Club (paid subscribers).

Last month we made Chimichurri Steak Fries and Apple Cobbler and this month we are making…

Salmon Bowls!

These salmon bowls are fresh and flavorful and come with plenty of options to customize them as you wish. So, just like we like it.

When: Wednesday, February 25 at 5pm PST (7pm CST, 8pm EST)

Register here: The February Cooking Club!

*The February Cooking Club is open to all members of The Lost Supper Club (paid subscribers). Watch for a shopping list coming your way next week!

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Recommended Reading

If you’re not a subscriber of The Atlantic, it’s worth getting a free trial just to read this article by Jonathan Rauch: Yes, It’s Fascism

“When the facts change, I change my mind. Recent events have brought Trump’s governing style into sharper focus. Fascist best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse. That is not because of any one or two things he and his administration have done but because of the totality. Fascism is not a territory with clearly marked boundaries but a constellation of characteristics. When you view the stars together, the constellation plainly appears.” Keep reading.

Or, if you’d rather listen to Jonathan Rauch talk about the article, check out the latest episode of the Making Sense podcast from Sam Harris.

American Fascism (Ep. 456)

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For all of you who work for yourself.

“Working for myself means that I have the flexibility to create my own schedule, not that my schedule is the result of whatever is left when no one needs my attention.”

Your Work has Value; Put it on the Calendar

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For everyone who has felt lonely and depressed. So, for everyone.

“I’m no poor Portuguese migrant, but I am lonely in Portugal. I was lonely in Scotland, in Ethiopia, and in Slovenia. So maybe I’m just meant to be lonely. There are times when one of my few Portuguese friends invites me to do something, and I turn it down because I’m depressed and feel like I’d be no fun. Is this a self-fulfilling prophecy? And is writing this here another sign that I am a loser? I feel a strong urge to tell you about the exciting parts of the weekend I had here in Barcelona where I am writing this. Do I leave out the part where I procrastinated on purchasing the gallery tickets for so long they were sold out? And instead of seeing a potentially fabulous exhibit, I spent a couple of hours in the middle of the day feeling utterly sad and sleeping in my hotel room.”

Small Lies We Tell About Our Lives

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I recently finished reading the The Outlaw Shuffle, and it was absolutely delightful. All of the book’s characters are full-time RVers and the entire story takes place in areas we are familiar with. So that was fun!

But you don’t need to be an RVer to enjoy this story which is filled with quirky characters, some you love and some you love to hate, and a crazy story that will capture your attention from the first page.

This was my second book by Kurt Johnson. I read his most recent book, Rough Diamonds, last year and it was one of the most enjoyable books I’d read in a while. Next up is The Barrens, winner of the Minnesota Book Award and a 2022 Great Group Reads Selection!

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