Promised Photo

One day shy of 26 weeks:

Pregnancy Post

I haven’t written much on this blog about our pregnancy. Well at least I don’t think I’ve mentioned it much but it’s possible I’m becoming one of those people who is oblivious to any conversation that doesn’t involve pregnancy. I hope not, but the bigger my stomach gets and the harder and more frequent Toro’s kicks get, the more it becomes the focus.

Truly, at times I feel that we haven’t been able to concentrate on this pregnancy enough. Nate and I have thrown ourselves into so many changes, unknowns, and lots of extra work that most days we don’t get to sit and spend a minute talking about baby names or dreaming about a year from now or watching him kick. The fact that I’ve had a relatively easy pregnancy has been a God-send with all the other balls we are juggling, yet sometimes I feel a little bad that we aren’t able to focus on this unique time as much as I’d like.

So far pregnancy has included many of the clichés: at just two weeks pregnant I started waking up 4-5 times a night to go to the bathroom (didn’t even know the cause!). At about 7 weeks I started to wake up with a funny feeling in my tummy and feel the need to eat a continual stream of bland carbohydrates until noon. Chicken and other meat became highly unpalatable except on rare occasions and if I pulled pork chops out of the freezer in the morning to make Rosemary Brined Pork Chops for dinner, that was a sure-fire guarantee that by nightfall I wouldn’t be able to even think about pork chops for a month. At the beginning all I could think about was spicy, Mexican food. I couldn’t get enough of it and Nate was in heaven with all of the tacos, gorditas, and chimichangas coming out of our kitchen.

One weekend I discovered that the Slurpee was the ultimate solution to an upset stomach. We quickly identified two 7-11s within 3 blocks of our house for frequent Slurpee runs. Fortunately for all of the people against Red Dye Number 40 or whatever it is, I didn’t discover this until shortly before my stomach settled down for the most part. At somewhere around 14 weeks I spent 5 days thinking about nothing but Lay’s barbeque potato chips … despite my life-long hatred of anything barbeque flavored. After five days I finally gave in and ate the whole big bag of chips in two days. Now the idea of barbeque chips as delicious seems like it came from someone else’s brain.

I’ve always had a sensitive nose, and being pregnant didn’t help that at all. Entering my work building felt like torture as I have to walk through the line of smokers right outside the door without vomiting from the smell. I couldn’t use the A/C in my car because it just smelled wrong to me. And my poor husband, who I have always given positive reinforcement for good breath and dental hygiene, was suddenly pushed away at the slightest hint of toothpaste smell. It turns out that mint does NOT cure every type of upset stomach. Fortunately my first trimester symptoms were light. I experienced some of what pregnant women go through without being on the horrifying end of the spectrum, and for that I am very glad!

Now I’m in the second trimester (nearing the beginning of the third) and that comes with a whole other set of symptoms. Figuring out what to wear to work has some days become a 15-minute process of putting a shirt or pair of pants on, throwing it off, and scrambling through 5 more wardrobe changes for something that works on this changing body. Leggings became my new best friend before the maternity pants started fitting. For the longest time the most frequent comment I got was, “You’re not showing at all. You’re really small.” That has now subsided. I believe it was right at the halfway mark, week 20, when Nate officially announced that my stomach was sticking out further than anything else, ahem, on my profile.

Standing and walking for long periods has been the biggest challenge of this trimester … and that’s just set to get worse. I’ve had the energy to just keep going, pushing, getting as much done as possible in a day but my body isn’t cooperating. A stiff pelvis and achy legs and back are always the result of a full day. My sister got to experience this firsthand when she came for Thanksgiving and by the end of the weekend I was hobbling around like an old woman. She also got to experience the decreased bladder of her sister who was once famous for “holding it” for 3 days on a trip to the jungle. There was one painful walk from the restaurant where a stop off at McDonalds for the bathroom was a necessity and made me find my pregnant friend completely normal when she told me she had peed in a cup a few days prior because it had gotten “that bad.”

My newest symptom as of the last two weeks is that I’ve become a “snorer.” Yes, apparently this happens to 25% of pregnant women as all of the tendons and ligaments in their body relax. It’s been bad enough that Nate has bought me breathe right strips and spent a number of nights in the other bedroom. Please someone tell me that this goes away when I give birth. Oh and please someone also tell me that the slight waddle in my walk that I am beginning to develop will also go away after I give birth. I mean, do I need to relearn to walk when this is over?

Other than my own symptomatology, there are the responses of people around you. I have been asked if I’m getting fat and told that I’m glowing. I’ve been chastised for wearing heels and for walking too fast or carrying a box. No one cares that I’ve looked this stuff up and I’m supposed to be wearing 1.5 -2 inch heels as opposed to flats or high heels … or that I’m allowed to lift up to 30 lbs. I’ve been told I’m carrying a boy by everyone and their mother for reasons such as craving salt instead of sweets or what my stomach looks like or the fact that I’m looking good and therefore I do not have a little girl inside sucking out all my beauty. Turns out they were all right as Baby Toro is decidedly male, but I’m still not giving credence to the reasoning.

Possibly one of the more surprising aspects of pregnancy has been my husband. Who knew that he would become an absolute fount of knowledge about what is going on with my body? I’m constantly saying, “Why is this happening …” or “Can I do this …” and he most often has the answer that he just read in his “Dad” book or heard on a Pea in the Podcast. Oh yes, this podcast exists and it is perfect for my husband who loves podcasts of any kind. And it’s perfect for me because he has saved me a lot of time doing my own research. That hasn’t come without side effects, such as a sense of overprotectiveness that we’ve had to negotiate. Everything from being banned from bleu cheese to insisting I hold his arm while walking to constant admonitions to get up slowly or sit down and relax. I appreciate his willingness to be as involved as he can.

I meant to take a monthly picture to catalogue my growing body but it turns out I haven’t taken one since 20 weeks and I’m not just shy of 26 weeks. I’ll try to add one soon to this post. Watching my body grow and change has been a constant challenge. Last night I dreamed I had gained 11 pounds in one night. I woke with this thought in my head several times throughout the night, telling myself it was just a dream and I couldn’t possibly have gained 11 pounds … only to fall back into sleep and jump back awake thinking , “I gained 11 pounds last night.” When I finally woke, I weighed myself to ease my mind and found out I’d lost a pound since yesterday. Clearly packing on pounds has been one of the harder adjustments!

Upside-Down Orange French Toast

Now remember those delectable little pumpkin rolls?  You know, the recipe that yielded 36 whole rolls?  Well, I promised you that they could come in handy later on.

Like later on when you are getting ready for a Saturday morning brunch and you realize you have EVERY ingredient on hand to try out a new Upside-Down Orange French Toast recipe … except the french bread that is called for.  Well, I’ve never met an orange flavor that couldn’t handle a little bit of pumpkin so the solution was simple and the results just tasty.  As most overnight french toast recipes are, it was simple to put together, flavorful and filling going down.  And using up freezer fare and eliminating a trip to the grocery store makes me just downright giddy.

Upside-Down Orange French Toast
From Taste of Home, December/January 2010, p. 78
Servings: 6

1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 T. grated orange peel
2 t. ground cinnamon
12 slices French bread (3/4 inch thick) OR 12, torn pumpkin rolls
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
8 eggs
1 c. orange juice
1 T. orange licqueur, optional
1/2 t. butter flavoring

Place butter in 9×13 baking dish.  Combine sugar, pecans, orange peel and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over butter.  Arrange bread in the dish.  Dot with cream cheese.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oj, liqueur, and butter flavoring; pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 25-30 min. or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  To serve, invert slices onto plates.

Christmas Festivities

This weekend was filled with Christmas-related celebrations.

Friday night I spent a short hour dropping in on a Christmas get-together with my old co-workers from the ad agency.  Many of us hadn’t seen each other in 3-4 years.  From there I went straight to the Runyans for our Christmas dinner and gift exchange.  Just as with Thanksgiving, I love that a Christmas tradition has been created to celebrate with friends as well as family.   Em and Eric did a good job of creating a cozy atmosphere and the group did a good job of greatly increasing the noise level!

(Sorry Em, no good pics this time)

On Sunday afternoon Nate and I hosted our first-ever Christmas Cookie Open House.  In the past, we’ve made dozens of Christmas cookies (often with friends) and then spent time delivering platefuls to friends and family.  But the perfectionistic side of me always ends up frustrated when the cookies shift and crumble on the plates or the flavors of eggnog, chocolate, and sugar cookie start to meld.  The Open House was my solution for this, as people could come and enjoy intact, fresh cookies …. and we’d all get more of a chance to chat this way too.  It was a fun afternoon without a lot of extra prep and rushing around before hand.  And we set our own record for number of babies and kids we’ve ever had in this house at one time!

I took pictures of some of the cookie selections

(Dark Chocolate Truffles and Mocha Fudge)

(Lemon Angel Wings … but they are just like little “orejitas” from my childhood with a lemon twist)

(Gotta have some classic sugar cookies at Christmas)

(The Coffee Bon Bons packed the perfect amount of coffee punch)

(Chocolate Mint Cookies and Gingersnaps)

(Part of the living room crowd)

Monday night was our last Christmas event … of the week at least!  Because most of the “Taube kids” end up split up for Christmas, we generally end up holding an early celebration together.  This year Laura & Matt are headed to Argentina, Mark & Kora have Kora’s family coming in, and Nate & I are headed to Idaho.  As in past years, we draw names and do a gift exchange.  Matt had picked me and I was very impressed at his creative artwork and packaging.  He ordered me two sets of boots online so he had boot cut outs that he pasted to the back of a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal box.  Very classy and I loved it!  We celebrated at Mark & Kora’s with Pad Thai and Christmas Cookies.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

I almost forgot to photograph these yeasty crescents of goodness.  Almost.  Fortunately, not all 36 rolls were eaten on Thanksgiving and thus I was able to photograph a few ones I had frozen.  Just picture them even better fresh.  Because they are.

The pumpkin flavor is very light.  You might even get them past a pumpkin-hater.  But the textural difference that the pumpkin adds makes these a perfect Thanksgiving pleaser.  Dotted simply with a bit of honey butter they are a side.  And just wait until you see what the leftovers can become! (Because who eats 36 rolls at once?)

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
From tasteofhome.com
Yield: 36 rolls

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the pumpkin, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and whole wheat flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three portions. Roll each portion into a 12-in. circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end and place pointed side down 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

Lately, I’ve got a few too many people in my life calling me a food snob.  Okay, so maybe I do believe a wedge of quality brie, camembert, or port salut will top a slice of American EVERY day.  And maybe it’s true that I’ve been known to say something along the lines of, “People who consider lasagna a company meal must live sad, culinary lives.”  And maybe I’ve turned up my nose at many a greasy burger or gravy covered chunk of meat.  Well, OKAY, maybe I do like the finer side of food.

But for those who put me undeniably in the category of food snob I give you this.  Bear with me because I know you are thinking that stuffed mushrooms with good cheese are not example of the down-homeness needed to prove my point.  And normally it might not be.  But last night I had some regular button mushrooms and some leftover brie.  What I did not have was fresh parsley or any green onions.  And if I didn’t have either of those two things, why should I bother dirtying a pan just for some fresh garlic?  So you know what I did?  I made these anyway.  I went straight back to the 70’s and pulled out my onion powder, garlic powder, and dried parsley.  And after I had sautéed the mushrooms in butter and a splash of white wine I sprinkled these sad little substitutes all over my mushrooms.  And then I ate them.  And I liked them.  So there.

These were good, but really, truly I’m pretty sure they would be about 10x more delicious if you made them the right way.  You know, the fresh herbs and aromatics released in the pan instead of out of the can way.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie
Originally from thepioneerwoman.com/cooking

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.

In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.

Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.

Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.

Cream Scones with Whipped Cream and Raspberry Preserves

Wow.  Just wow.  When I took my first bite of my first dreamy scone I wanted to cry it was so delicious.  And then when I took my second bite of this flaky goodness and thought about the fact that I’ve been holding out on trying this recipe for almost exactly three years I wanted to cry all over again.  But I didn’t.  I just kept eating to make sure that I got my fair sure of Saturday scones before the Hoover Vacuum next to me successfully inhaled both his share and mine.  (It’s nice when you can blame any bulging stomach on the baby.)

There’s not much I can say, except to echo Smitten Kitchen, in knowing I will never need to try another scone recipe again in my life.  These were the perfect amount of lightness and air, pastry flaky unlike many crumbly, harder scones, and perfectly, lightly sweetened.  (*Made these again already and even my brother-in-law said it was the best scone he had tried … even though he prefers to eat cheese for breakfast.)  The basic recipe can be used to perform any number of scone feats from marmalade swirled to chocolate chunked to dried fruit fillings.  I don’t know that I’ll ever find anything better than the real whipped cream and preserves combination, though.  The aforementioned Hoover Vacuum has already requested that this a). be made again, like immediately and b). become the base for his birthday Strawberry Shortcake come July.

I’d go on to tell you that on top of their inherent fantastic-ness, these are super simple to make … but I’ve been told that my idea of simple and that of others who read this blog are quite different.  What I can tell you is that these ingredients come together quickly and bake quickly.  The only thing non-simple about it is ensuring delicacy in the hand of the cook in not overworking this dough and eliminating all flaky delight.

Dreamy Cream Scones
Adapted from and found on smittenkitchen.com, originally from America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream

Whipped heavy cream (for serving)
Raspberry Preserves (for serving)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned that the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine.)

6. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Top with a small dollop of whipped heavy cream and raspberry preserves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

22 Weeks

A week ago we went in for our latest ultrasound and got some good glimpses of what Toro looked like at 22 weeks:

This next picture is one that possibly only a mother could find charming (or not):

I think the exact phrase I used when I saw it was “That is such a creepy eye.”  And here is the underside of our child, because everyone should have a viewing of that!

Yep, if you were reading closely you read that right.  We’re having a boy.  So now we can officially start calling him Toro until Nate and I quit fighting about possible life-long names.

The ultrasound was fun and so far everything looks healthy and on track.  Nate had fun watching this kid give his mom a direct hit from the inside.  Just wound up his little leg and swung it with all his might for everyone to view.

Thanksgiving 2009

From now until Christmas is all about tradition.  Even though it’s always a packed season, I love that this time of year brings people together in ways that we don’t always prioritize the rest of the year.

As always, we started out our Thanksgiving celebration early, with a Thanksgiving dinner with friends.  This has become a tradition over the past 3 or 4 years that I love.  Generally, holidays are reserved for family  and I love that this tradition allows us to celebrate with friends who are really meaningful to us as well.  Eric and Emily did a great job of hosting, with cute little Thanksgiving decorations all around and a laid-back atmosphere.

We then hosted Thanksgiving Day at our house.  It’s always been a big blessing that all of Nate’s siblings live in the area.  We don’t get together as often as we might like, but it means that family is near when the big stuff comes.  And as my sister and her husband have done in the past, they were gracious enough to drive 11 hours from Oklahoma to spend the long weekend with us as well.

(Almost ready for people to arrive, before the chaos starts!)

(Kimber and Nate handled the turkey beautifully, while I stayed mostly on the raw poultry sidelines.  Nate has become quite the proficient carver, from our first Thanksgiving when I remember cleaning shredded turkey meat off the walls and cabinet for a week.)

(Dinner together)

Kim and FP were able to get here earlier this year than in the past.  Usually they roll in at about 3am on Thanksgiving morning.  It was really nice to have them show up at 7pm the night before and have a little time together before an exhausting day of cooking, hosting, and cleaning.  It was still an exhausting day for me and I appreciated Kim’s help a lot.  It’s nice that she’s my sister and I can depend on her to just take charge of something when I need it.

We spend Friday doing what every crazy American does: shopping.  However, we decided to forgo the early bird rush.  Instead we woke up at our leisure and didn’t actually get out to the mall til 12pm.  Still, we had some definite shopping success for Christmas gifts, house items for Kim, and maternity clothes for me.  Seven hours later, we headed back to the city and I rewarded all of my standing and walking with dinner in front of a movie.

Saturday we spent the morning at Trader Joe’s and a gourmet grocery store.  (Yes, this is considered a fun event in the Jordan family.)  We then came home and made a big brunch before heading downtown for more sightseeing and walking.  We planned to do the Sears Tower Sky Ledge, but skipped it after finding out it was a two-hour line.  We headed to the Christkringle market, a German Christmas market packed with kitschy items no one should buy and way too many people.  After that it was, yes, more shopping on State Street followed by an early dinner in the West Loop at an Indian Restaurant.  FP loves naan so he was happy.  Nate and I both confirmed that we really don’t like Indian food, but I was glad we gave it one more try!  Dinner led to a walk up to north Michigan Avenue for beignets and cheesecake for dessert overlooking the Mag Mile.

In total, we walked about 5 miles on Saturday and I determined that is the last time I’ll do that for the next 4.5 months.  Nobody told me that pregnancy makes you feel like you have the body of a 100-year-old.  If you push too hard, you can’t just sleep it off.  The next day you just wake up 100 or like a brand new cowboy on his first cross-country ride.  I’m realizing that I’m going to have to slow down now, yet I’m not sure how I can do it without letting things drop.  Oh and let me note for now and any other time I decide to be pregnant that I should never, ever plan a trip to a foreign country during that time.  This weekend, I spent more time than I care to count waiting in bathroom lines.  I can’t imagine how much worse it would be in a location that has far less commodities readily available.

Despite feeling like a Grandma, it was a great weekend and I so appreciate Kim and FP making the effort to come and see us semi-regularly.  Because we have lived so far apart since Kim’s marriage, we have never had an extended period to get to know FP well.  Our trip to Panama was the most time we’d ever spent with him.  I liked realizing this Thanksgiving our time in Panama and their effort to come our way and spend time when we can is paying off and now he just feels like “one of us.”

Orrechiete with Brussels Sprouts, Brown Butter Pecans, and Gorgonzola

Happy Thanksgiving!  (And a non-Thanksgiving dish for you …)

I’m in love with orecchiette.  Something about then looks so much more elegant and enticing than say elbow macaroni or mostaccioli.  It’s possible that I choose recipes just for their inclusion of this sweet little ear-shaped pasta.  I don’t know why I do this, though, because I have NEVER once found orecchiette at any of my grocery stores.  They are simply nonexistent.  There is cavatelli, shells, linguine, fettucine, and angel hair.  And even sometimes campanelle, which is what I substituted with in this case, but never my beloved orecchiette.  Oh I know they exist.  They exist at those little, kitschy gourmet food stores for $8/lb. but I’ve got principles that keep me from that ludicrousness.    And so I pick recipes for their cute little orecchiette and end up with pasta made from campanelle.

I’d give this recipe mixed reviews.  I liked that it highlights some lesser-used ingredients for pasta.  It’s got all the elements needed to pack some major flavor punch.  And yet it just didn’t quite get there.  I expected an explosion of flavors in my mouth and what I got was good pasta instead of great pasta.  I don’t think this recipe is dead, though, so if it appeals to you I’d encourage you to play around.

I think if I tried it again I’d do two things differently.  First, I would not mince the shallots.  I’d keep them in long stringy strips and sauté them until thoroughly caramelized.  (I don’t even eat onions, but I love the flavor enhancement that they give and know that many others consider them a real treat.)  Second, I would greatly enhance the lemon flavor.  Adding some lemon zest to the cream sauce and then upping the amount of fresh lemon juice at the end.

Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts, Gorgonzola, and Brown-Butter Pecans
From Fine Cooking 102, pp. 107
Serves 4-6

Kosher salt
20 oz. Brussels sprouts, trimmed (4 cups)
3-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. dried orecchiette
1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 large shallots, minced (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled (1 cup)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, set a heavy rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

In a food processor fitted with the medium (4 mm) slicing disk, slice the Brussels sprouts. Transfer them to a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with 1-1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, and toss until well coated. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and spread the Brussels sprouts on it in a single layer. Roast, stirring once about halfway through the cooking time, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and flecked with charred bits, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette according to package directions until just al dente.

In a medium heavy-duty skillet, melt 1/2 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter is deeply browned and the pecans are toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, add 3 oz. (3/4 cup) of the Gorgonzola and stir until melted.

Drain the orecchiette and return it to the pot. Add the Brussels sprouts, Gorgonzola sauce, and lemon juice and toss well. Serve, sprinkled with the pecans and the remaining Gorgonzola.