Trying to reinvent recipes you’ve cooked for years is not an easy task. But if you’re someone who gets bored easily (read: me) with food (subtext: routine, life, work, etc…) it’s up to you to find ways to bring those recipes back to life.

Sometimes it works organically and you get divine inspiration to make a totally new and inspring dish that wows. Other times (read: now) it doesn’t. But now that I have a cooking blog that more than nine ten people actually read (thanks guys!) I’m faced with a double whammy: writer’s block and cooking block.

Experts say you should take a break when faced with writer’s block.

Okay, I’ll take a break.

Wow, looking at those curtains on Overstock.com really inspires me to…buy curtains. So not only did that not work but I’m out $125 for curtains that I don’t need. How the hell does Madonna do this? She’s like what, 60 and still wowing audiences in their teens? I want to be her. I want to be Madonna. Now that’s realistic. Let’s reel it in here. Not gonna happen. Fine, I won’t be Madonna but can I have another glass of wine while I try to figure out how to reinvent this pasta?

I know, I’ll Google some quotes about reinventing yourself to see what comes up. Let’s see…

I do not think I reinvent myself. Wearing my hair differently or changing my style of dress is playing dress-up. I don’t take it too seriously. - Mariah Carey

Oh god. Really? That woman should go away. Next.

We’ve been fortunate to be able to make music as Depeche Mode for 20 years. – David Gahan

This is the second quote about reinventing yourself that comes up in Google? Maybe Google needs to reinvent itself. For those who aren’t well versed in 80′s rock music, this is the guy from Depeche Mode who hasn’t put out an album in like, 100 years. So, clearly who’s in the need of reinventing himself here?

It is smarter to borrow from nature than to reinvent the wheels. – Philip Emaegwali

Who the heck is Philip Emaegwali? Wait a minute…I’m liking Google again. Oh, should have known. Philip Emaegwali is a computer scientist known as the Bill Gates of Nigeria. Duh.

Well at least he makes sense. Borrow from nature. I can do that. Where’s the basil for crying out loud? I’ll borrow some of that. I’ll throw in some mushrooms and some frozen broccoli (nature created it, Green Giant just froze it so that counts). Where’s the garlic? The wine? The butter? All natural. Wine comes from grapes and I’m on my second glass which is a natural thing for me to do around this time of day so shut up.

Can you tell I’m headed toward a big birthday? One that may just call for reinventing oneself? All that 30 is the new 20 and 40 is the new 30 crap…yeah, that’s a bunch of hooey. 30 is not the new 20. 30 is 30. 40 is 40. I learned that in first third grade. Let’s call a spade a spade. But heck, if Madonna can do it, so can I. I’ll be back later to let you know how. But for now Philip Emagwali has saved my dinner and my blog. I have finished an entry and made a pasta that actually tastes pretty really good. And I just discovered this cool cross-out tool in my blog’s word processing page which makes me feel like Mark Zuckerberg with my technology savvy. Both of my kids are taking a little “time for themselves” after having a heated discussion over a piece of chocolate and I’ve ignored five calls from my client’s son who now feels that he can call me twenty times a day. I feel like a new woman. I’ve reinvented myself. Okay, not really. But at least the pasta is ready…and different.

Oh, and to pay homage to today’s Royal festivities, if you read this blog with an English accent you’ll get extra credit.

Linguini with Broccoli, Mushrooms and Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

• Box of fresh linguini (in the refrigerator section)
• Butter (just hack off a chunk, don’t measure…it’ll depress you)
• Bag of frozen broccoli or fresh, if you have it
• Box of sliced white mushrooms
• Splash of white wine
• One garlic clove (minced)
• Handful of fresh basil
• Chicken or vegetable stock
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Parmesan cheese

Tags: Basil linguini, Linguini with broccoli, mushrooms and garlic