Updated

Breakfast: Cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese and a chai latte

Instead of going to the BOURNE SUPREMACY premiere and partying afterwards on closed off streets in Hollywood, I cooked dinner for a friend. I overdosed on Hollywood stuff the other weekend when I read a Hollywood book in two days. I was trying to finish Generation Kill, but it wasn’t good beach reading. Funny how I can read it before bed but not on a boat. I rarely have the chance to cook because I don’t have an oven or stove in my cozy apartment. I had to compromise to live in a great location that wasn’t really affordable. Currently I am housesitting. Anyway, my dinner was very successful.

This was the menu:

Tangy Tomato Sauce

Here’s a sauce that is fresh-looking and fresh tasting. The carrot adds bright color and sweetens the sauce so you don’t have to add sugar. This is an excellent sauce for medium-wide or thin noodles, vermicelli, or ricotta-filled pastas. (Sunset Pasta Book)

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
1 can (about 1 lb.) tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dry basil
Salt and white pepper

In a wide frying pan over low heat, cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in oil for 15 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes, then add to pan with their liquid, as well as basil and salt and pepper to taste, simmer, covered for 30* minutes.

Remove about ¾ cup of the sauce and puree it in a food processor or blender; return puree to sauce. Reheat to serve. Makes about 2 cups.

*I find the sauce needs to cook for another 10-15 minutes after returning the puree to it. The sauce shouldn’t be too watery.

My starter was a small spinach and arugula salad tossed with imported Greek feta cheese and Italian salad dressing. Pinot Grigio (Gaetano D’ Aquino)was the perfect compliment. Use Santa Margherita for a higher-end Pinot Grigio. I used fresh spinach fettuccini and garlic bread. Lemon bars were for dessert. I’ll have to print that recipe later.

Coming soon: My Sunday brunch at Geoffrey's in Malibu with ?
Coming soonish: a TV review of ? per Robofrost's request

BTW: Film critic and journalist Anne Thompson has a blog here at JS. Why isn't she posting regularly?

FYI: Pepito Smith is yet another anonymous blogger worried about being outed. Turns out he doesn't really work out of his parents' basement--I for one am shocked. At one point, Pepito somewhat sanitized his blog, though I'm not sure why. I liked him before he became all self-conscious and PG. Well, and after I realized he wasn't stalking me.