The Food Charlatan has THE BEST RECIPES! Of course I don’t always follow them to the letter, because The Food Charlatan ain’t the boss of me. I highly recommend her recipe for Sheet Pan Gnocci With Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella.

So, first, she specifies that the mozzarella should be packed in oil, NOT IN WATER and guess who couldn’t find mozzarella packed in oil out here in the sticks. Rhetorical question. So I bought the ones packed in water, drained out the water, and replaced it with olive oil, Italian dressing, and dried basil. I also didn’t have fresh basil at this time of year, hence the dried basil. I let that marinate for a few hours and pretended it had come that way.

I also added halved mushrooms, because we are all about the mushrooms. And I scattered chopped baby spinach over the top of the hot, baked food because it looked pretty and I like spinach.

Too much oil, but nothing I couldn’t drain off as I transferred the stuff to a serving bowl. Parmesan cheese on top, OF COURSE.

So make it The Food Charlatan’s way, make it my way, or make it your way. I think you’ll like it!

A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: Somebody is not the boss of somebody else.

MA