My passion for food was sparked when I was younger and we got a DIRECTV package that included the Food Network. Even to this day, shows about food are my default background noise. One of my favorite shows is Top Chef– in fact, when my husband and I are at any sort of new restaurant or food event, we always pretend we’re judges critiquing a Top Chef challenge. One of the staple challenges in Top Chef asks the chefs to reimagine the dish that inspired them to become a chef. This week, I gave that challenge to myself and was really happy with the results.
The dish is Penne ala Vodka. It is the first dish that I made with my best friend growing up. I still have memories being in her kitchen with our recipe– sometimes making the dish WAY too spicy, and other times nailing it. This dish has also been something I have carried with me throughout the years. Seriously, I used to have the recipe on an index card in my wallet. I made it for my high-school boyfriend on his birthday. I made it as a thank you for one of my first bosses. I even made a dairy free version for a close friend in college who had an allergy.