Summertime and the living ain't easy. At least not for the inhabitants of this fair Southern city. The black tar of the pavement, and lack of trees on many of the city's streets makes for an unbearable climate. Coming in from the sweltering heat of a hot early September day in the unforgiving city streets of Atlanta, I am met by a cool rush of air and a veritable din of noise. I have left behind the tinny sounding rattle of g-boys in their tricked out cars, the enclosed casement feel of being surrounded by skyscrapers, and the early afternoon sun. I am met with a sea of bodies. A fairy here, a pirate there, a...I pause...I don't even know what that is. Have I just walked, unassumingly, through a portal to another world? A world where all of this is not met with gasps and gawkers, but rather with smiles, nods, and the flash of photographers littered through the crowd like tiny dying stars? Or am I just at Atlanta's biggest convention of the year? Dragon Con!
Dragon Con is four days of decadence, debauchery, and dancing. At least that is my experience. I realize that in far corners of places I have not wandered is a multitude of rolling dice and traded cards, and nope I'm not referring to gambling. But my four days, and in fact my life, has never revolved around the intangible art of the game. I have never understood its pleasures, but that is a conversation for another time. My four days are filled with beautiful music and the grinding rhythm of my body as the music takes me away, lovely costumes, shopping, drinking, partying, and general debauchery. Have I just enjoyed myself without regard to tomorrow, my knees, and my liver? Why, yes, yes I have, and thank you for asking.
Monday night rolls around, and then Tuesday and I am still recovering from my extended weekend. My recovery takes the form of Arden's Garden juices and shots, and very healthy food. No, don't go! I promise that my version of healthy is still infused with plenty of flavor. Come on haven't we, dear readers (reader count=3...and numerous unnamed faces), learned that I don't bother with anything that doesn't make my senses zing?! Although I promise that the following recipe is healthy, it will still delight your taste buds.
Enjoy,
The Epicurious Gypsy
Ingredients:
1lg can of albacore tuna packed in water (if you'd prefer to make tuna steak go for it, but after this weekend that is not in my budget)
1 bottle of kalamata olives packed in olive oil and pitted
1 lemon (zest and juice will be used)
Parmesan (spend a little extra for the good stuff, there is a difference)
flat leaf parsley
1 box/package whole wheat rotini (if you can find it I highly recommend Tinkyada's brown rice pasta instead)
1 tsp minced garlic (you can use the jarred kind for this recipe)
tiny bit of salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp (or more if you like) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Boil the water for pasta according to package directions. Salt water prior to putting in pasta, then boil pasta according to package directions. While pasta is boiling, mince flat leaf parsley, garlic, and kalamata olives (you can rough chop these). In medium metal mixing bowl mix parsley, garlic, olives, tuna, and evoo. place over boiling water and allow to heat while pasta is working. When pasta is al dente (firm to the tooth, or just not mushy....ewwww), drain pasta and immediately rinse to remove any extra starch. Place pasta back in bowl along with ingredients in metal mixing bowl. Mix everything together, allowing for more evoo as needed (if it is too dry you'll know). Zest lemon into pasta and juice between fingers into pasta, add fresh ground black pepper to taste. Mix all well, and top with paremesan when served.
