spaghetti with shrimp

Aglio e olio, the beloved Italian dish  traditionally out of Abruzzo that swept across the length Italy and remains to this day that county's secret weapon agains all that dare challenge it. It is a comfort food and I have made it myself at least a thousand times, or maybe it was twenty times. Okay FINE. Ten times. The point is, it never comes out exactly the same way because there is always some slight variation, and it has never ever failed to satisfy. 

Here's the thing. I must be honest about this. Sometimes those Aerogarden seed kits are not completely reliable. Here and there a seed pod fails to germinate. Each pod only contains two or three seeds after all, so anything can happen. The company is good at recognizing this and they are responsive when you call and tell them what is happening. The company is excellent as far as customer satisfaction goes. But you know, sometimes it is a real bummer when one or, God forfend, two pods fail, because that means those two will be weeks out of sync with the other seed pods. Well, this last herb seed kit had five seed pods fail out of seven. That means there was something terribly wrong with the kit. Perhaps it had been returned and stored improperly during the term it was in the hands of a customer and away from the careful tender care of the company. Whatever the case, my kit was completely bolloxed. I actually have two Aerogardens, the super-duper kind, with brand new lights. The other garden was started at the same time. It is growing garden greens and that one is doing  fine. Those seeds germinated in three days and it has been growing like mad ever since. I told Aerogarden about this but instructed them not to send me another kit because my trust in the herb kits is wrecked and I was in a bad mood that morning.  I can be a real ass hole sometimes.  I bought seeds from another company instead. They haven't arrived yet and one type is back ordered. :-(  So now this round of herbs is really REALLY out of sync. 

The basil from that kit is growing as it should. The mint is also growing, but much more weakly. Since the basil is growing ahead of everything else, it had to be trimmed back. This is going to be very goofy. 

Grana Padano per un cambiamento -- for a change because variety makes -- il mondo andare in tondo. 

The aglio part of aglio e olio is garlic, obviously, but alas, for I am forlornly garlic-less.  I should have marched right out there and got some garlic but I was too lazy, and since I am so lazy I should be punished by not being allowed to even make aglio e olio which calls for fresh ingredients. There are so few ingredients they must MUST be fresh. But what do I do? I use garlic powder instead. I know, I know, I hate myself, that is a sin. 

Father, please forgive me for I have committed sin against Nature. I await your smitation.

I didn't use much. Leeks are milder than onion, and much milder than garlic, but a lot of leek is stronger than a little garlic. So I used a lot of leek and very little garlic powder to minimize my malfeasance. Just don't let your kids see you do this or their childhood will be ruined. It could take decades to recover the respect that is forfeited.