“I did a thing…”
After years of wanting one and even more years of having absolutely no idea what I wanted, I finally got my first tattoo.
And not just any tattoo… an on-brand tattoo.
A fork wrapped with long strands of pasta.
Completely me. Slightly ridiculous. Absolutely perfect.
The end result was exactly what I had pictured in my head: a simple, non-fancy fork with pasta twisted around it and ready to eat. The pasta part was easy. Pasta is basically my favorite food group. But I wanted the fork itself to stay simple too, because to me, Italian food is uncomplicated. It’s not about foams or edible smoke or deconstructed nonsense. It’s about technique, ingredients, and doing simple things exceptionally well.
So last Saturday, I headed off to downtown Somerville.
Armed with the reassuring words of Gabby, the first tattooed member of the family echoing in my head:
“It really doesn’t hurt.”
Now, in hindsight, taking pain tolerance advice from a former gymnast may not have been the most medically sound decision I’ve ever made, but paired with my own alarmingly high tolerance for pain, it was enough confidence to get me through the door of Artisanal Tattoo on Division Street.
Artisanal has been there as long as I can remember Division Street actually being walkable, which, longtime Somerville people know, wasn’t always the case. I’ve walked past that shop probably a thousand times, and every single time I’d think, Maybe today’s the day.
But I could never quite figure out what belonged on me permanently.
The moment I walked in, though, the place immediately felt welcoming. From the young woman at the front desk to the artists joking around with each other and their clients, there was this easy, almost family-like atmosphere. You could tell right away they took their art seriously while somehow managing to make the whole place feel relaxed and approachable at the same time.
My appointment was with Amanda Hidalgo, who came highly recommended by Gabby after doing her tattoo a few months ago. Since Gabby’s came out exactly the way she envisioned it, going to Amanda felt like a no-brainer.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo, seriously, go see Amanda.
She was personable, funny, patient, and incredibly detail oriented. Since it was my first tattoo, she walked me through the entire process, making absolutely sure the fork was the right size, in the right place, and looked exactly how I wanted before anything permanent happened. That says a lot about a professional, especially when the work literally lasts forever.
As she spent the next hour and a half turning my leg into a pasta-themed art installation, it honestly felt more like hanging out with a friend than sitting through a tattoo session. We talked about everything: her journey into tattooing, why I had decided to permanently attach spaghetti to my body, and the fact that, like my kids, she’s also a Somerville High School graduate.
Since then, my fork has apparently become something of a hit. It even ended up featured on Amanda’s Instagram and the shop’s page too. @baxter.tattoos @artisanal_tattoo
I truly can’t say enough good things about the experience.
And don’t tell Maria… but I’m already planning tattoo number two.
The very next day was Mother’s Day, and Maria—who is unquestionably the CEO, CFO, and COO of this family—deserved a good one. I’m essentially middle management with nominal authority over the children.
We are, by the way, actively trying to recruit her to the tattoo side of the family. She’s not there yet, but if you’re reading this blog, feel free to help us push her gently toward the dark side.
I started the morning with breakfast: French toast topped with homemade pistachio cream, whipped cream, fruit, and breakfast sausage.
Then we spent a surprisingly nice low-key afternoon in the backyard trying to undo the damage of winter. I also finally got my herb garden planted, including a gigantic pot of basil that will almost certainly become an irresponsible amount of pesto over the course of the summer.
For dinner, we tossed around a bunch of ideas before Maria landed on a favorite: French Onion Chicken.
Normally, I make it with thin chicken breasts lightly pan-fried and topped with caramelized onions in a rich beef broth sauce.
But then the gears in my brain started turning.
“What if I turned it into pasta?”
And just like that, a French onion soup-inspired pasta dish was born.
I started with sweet onions sliced down and cooked low and slow in butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven. This part requires patience. Real patience.
Good caramelization takes time because onions contain a tremendous amount of water and natural sugars. As the water slowly cooks off, the sugars begin breaking down and browning through something called the Maillard reaction, creating that deep, sweet, savory flavor. Adding salt too early pulls moisture out faster through osmosis, which can steam the onions instead of browning them properly.
In other words: don’t rush the onions.
While those cooked down, I cubed chicken breast and browned it separately with seasoned salt until cooked through and golden.
Then came the pasta choice: orzo.
And honestly? It worked perfectly.
Orzo behaves almost like risotto when cooked this way. Because of its small size, it absorbs flavor aggressively while creating a creamy, cohesive texture without needing heavy cream. It essentially bridges the gap between pasta and soup, which made it ideal for something inspired by French onion soup. Next time, I may try an actual risotto, but on Mother’s Day, I didn’t have the emotional energy to babysit Arborio rice correctly.
Once the onions were deeply caramelized, I added the orzo directly into the pot and toasted it for about a minute before pouring in roughly half a cup of white wine.
After that cooked down, I added beef bone broth, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.
And let me stress this:
Fresh thyme matters here.
Like… REALLY matters.
Bring everything to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts looking too thick or clumpy, just add more broth or water as needed.
Once the orzo was cooked, I killed the heat and stirred in the chicken, Gruyère cheese, extra black pepper, and more thyme to taste.
It was rich, savory, cozy, and somehow tasted exactly like French onion soup and pasta had decided to become best friends.
The only thing missing was the bread that I absolutely forgot to buy.
I know the dish was a success because Gabby went back for thirds, and she rarely even goes back for seconds.
We capped off Mother’s Day with ice cream cake, complete with Olivia’s elegantly piped icing message:
“Happy Mother’s Day!”
Simple. Perfect. And honestly… kind of the theme of the whole weekend.
French Onion Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 16 oz orzo
- 2–4 sweet onions, sliced thin (3 is probably the sweet spot)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine (use one you’d actually drink)
- At least 4 cups beef broth (I used beef bone broth)
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
- (Yes, you can substitute Swiss… but don’t cheat yourself if you can help it.)
- Fresh thyme, to taste
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions
In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and caramelized. This takes time—usually 30–45 minutes depending on the onions. Resist the urge to salt them early. Salt pulls water out of the onions and slows good browning. Patience wins here. - Cook the chicken
While the onions cook, season the chicken pieces with the seasoned salt. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken until browned and cooked through. Set aside. - Add garlic and toast the orzo
Once the onions are caramelized, stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the orzo directly into the Dutch oven and stir for about a minute to lightly toast it. - Deglaze with wine
Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced. - Add broth and seasonings
Stir in 4 cups of beef broth along with fresh thyme, black pepper, and additional salt if needed. Bring to a gentle boil. - Cook the orzo
Let the orzo cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture starts getting too thick before the pasta is cooked, add more broth or water as needed. - Finish the dish
Once the orzo is tender, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked chicken and Gruyère cheese until melted and creamy. - Taste and adjust
Add more thyme and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.
A Few Notes
- Fresh thyme is not optional in spirit, even if technically optional in cooking.
- Gruyère gives the dish that unmistakable French onion soup flavor.
- Crusty bread would be ideal alongside this dish… assuming you remember to buy it unlike I did.
- Serves approximately one family plus one TCNJ athlete going back for thirds.
Adopted By Pasta 
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