Can all the Bostonians/New Englanders/Northeast Corridorites agree that the rain is getting just a tad old… I’ve only been back for 3 days and it’s already wearing on me, so I can’t imagine what it’s doing to those of you that have been enduring this for a week now.

Which is why, I thought that a little summery, sunshiney pasta dish would be just the thing to make us all feel, if not believe, that the warm weather really is right around the corner.

I know I say this about a lot of things, but Aglio e Olio really is my to-die-for dish. It easily makes the list of top 5 foods I would take with me to a desert island, not to mention the fact that it holds a bit of sentimental nostalgia for me.

This post is dedicated to my friend, CS. Ever since I added kale to the Oven-Poached Halibut recipe, she has constantly reminded me of how healthful it is, and that we all must eat more kale. And, the thing is, she’s right. Kale is a health super food. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods website, kale has “more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around.”

It is off the charts for Vitamins K, A & C, and provides a substantial amount of a number of other nutrients, including fiber, calcium, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, and potassium. In short, I’m fully banking on the inclusion of kale in my diet to mitigate, if not negate, the presence of less-virtuous elements in my diet and lifestyle.

As I was making dinner the other night, PT jokingly suggested that I start Cooking Heavy magazine, the yummier, more diabolical counterpart to Cooking Light magazine.

Shocked, I stood before the vat of scalding oil, ready to drop the battered chicken in, and asked what would have given him such an idea. “Oh nothing,” he smirked, kissed me on the head, and retreated to the living room.

Now, I will admit that I have a slight predilection for cooking foods that contain cheese, butter, cream, chocolate, more butter, crème fraîche (definitely, crème fraîche), and home-frying does send me into a bit of a frenzy. There’s nothing quite like that first hiss and sizzle, as the food hits the near-bubbling oil, that tells you that you’re in for a treat.