Pesto.

Last night Joey had to write a paper for his Greek class so I did my best to keep myself busy and out of the way, thereby minimizing distractions so he could finish as soon as possible.  Henry and I went for a short walk (but it was dark and I got scared because these two guys with seriously bushy beards rode by me on their bikes and said things like "did you get it" and "almost there" - but they were harmless) and then I decided to go Somewhere to purchase Something for Joey's upcoming birthday.  (It's Monday and he'll be 25, in case you didn't remember.)

I got home about 8:15 and, fortunately, I'd remembered to bring along a paper sack in which to stuff the purchases I had just made to keep Joey's prying eyes away from them.  He's exceptionally good at figuring out his presents because he's a sneak, so I have to take precautionary measures.  Anyway, he still wasn't done with his paper.

Lame, I thought, and stapled shut the paper sack containing his presents and stuffed it in a closet where he is likely to find it but will hopefully behave and not peek.

This left me with two hours to fill. 

I wandered into the kitchen to see if I could do any prep work for dinner on Wednesday.  I'm making calzones and this particular recipe calls for pesto.  I have never made pesto but I do enjoy the odd Pesto Crusted Halibut or Chicken dish when the caterers bring it in to work.  And so, like any adventurous cook, I decided I'd go ahead and leave the Pesto in the calzones and cross my fingers that Joey thought it was delish (since he's been begging me to make calzones for...almost three years.)  And Pesto, it turns out, can be made ahead.

The ingredient list was kind of daunting.  Sometimes it's better to not know what is in something, and I think Pesto (at least regular old Pesto) might have been that way for me.  But I sucked it up and began toasting my almonds until they emitted a nice, soft, nutty smell.  Then I chopped them up fine in my coffee bean grinder and set them aside.

Next I toasted garlic - no problem there.  I like toasted garlic.

Then parmesan, olive oil and - lastly - 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, packed.  I dumped them all into my blender and pushed the button.  Everything sort of oozed together into this green, pasty compound that smelled like freshly cut grass.

I felt sick.

Do not make any comments or Joey will never eat the calzones, I told myself firmly.

I took the lid off my blender again to smell the pesto and hopefully catch some of the garlic and change my mind about its awesomeness.  Again - it smelled like chlorophyll and turned my stomach.  I quickly dumped it into a container and set it in the fridge. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

"What's that?"  Joey asked, wandering over to the kitchen.  "Smells good."

"It's Pesto," I told him.  "It's going in the calzones for tomorrow."

"CALZONES?!"  Joey gasped.

"Yes, I'm trying a new recipe."  I added, hesitantly, "They probably won't be like your mom's..."

I hope this Pesto turns out to taste good or I will ruin his worldview.