I would have to say that pizza is in my top three favourite foods. Rare is the time when I have uttered, much less thought, the words “Don’t really feel like pizza right now.”

And it’s unlikely that you’ll be hearing me say that anytime soon. In fact, probably never.

I don’t know if it’s a beautifully blistered, thin crust, the tangy sweetness of simple tomato sauce, the creamy texture of mozzarella or the beauty of a basil leaf laid gently atop a just-cooked pie, but pizza is a thing of beauty to me. (In case you’re wondering, in Toronto, as far as I’m concerned, this is the only place to go for really really really good and worthy pizza.)

I think what I like most about pizza, though, is that you can make excellent pizza at home rather easily and for very little money.

Prior to Christmas, I treated myself to a copy of Jim Lahey’s stunning cookbook My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method.

Over the weekend, I delved into the pizza section and made the Pizza Patate (Potato Pizza). I had intended to save the pizza for a write-up about the book (will definitely still do one) but then I realized that there was an on-line source for the recipe, albeit a slightly different version.

You can find the recipe here but just note that it’s not the exact same recipe as the one found in his book.

This is a slightly unusual entry for me for Magazine Mondays as it’s technically not a recipe I found in a magazine, but hey, I’m the creator of MM so I get to do what I want!

I hope this will be a bigger and better year for Magazine Mondays. I have a lot of plans for the “non-event” and hopefully I can see them through. Mostly I hope to stick to one of my resolutions for 2010 which is to purchase fewer magazines and instead focus on cooking from the ones I already own.

Here’s hoping!

And here’s who joined me for the first edition of MM for 2010:

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made an Apricot Orange Coffee Cake from Cook’s Country and Hawaiian & Mushroom Pizza.

Janie of Panini Girl made Mediterranean Rice-Stuffed Escarole from Gourmet.

Tamy of 3 Sides of Crazy made Sour Cream Dutch Apple Pie.

Poppyseed of Poppyseed and Tiger Lilies made Hazelnut and Currant Baked Apples with Sticky Marsala Sauce from Issue 38 of Donna Hay.

Chaya of Sweet and Savory Says it All made Honey Ginger Chicken with Peppers from Food Everyday.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Ciao!

What is it about this time of year that makes us look back and wonder?

What was the most important event of the year? Best song of the year? Favourite movie? Biggest discovery? It goes and on. In the days before the new year makes itself known, it seems we spend endless time evaluating the year that was.

Myself, I don’t really like to do that. This is partly because I have always viewed the new year with a mixture of both excitement and trepidation. Perhaps, when I was younger, I was a bit more optimistic but as the years go by, and life reveals itself both good and bad, I can’t help but feel both happy and anxious at this time of year.

What does the future hold?

Who knows.

Probably the only exception to this is books, and more specifically, cookbooks. Because they are my greatest pleasure, I seem to have no qualms in looking back. At the beginning of the month, I had a 12-day series highlighting my 12 favourite cookbooks of the year. But what I left out was the book that was, in fact, my absolute favourite of 2009.

While it wasn’t written in 2009, I was lucky enough to receive a copy and even luckier to read it.

The book I’m talking about is Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family.

Of all the books that I read in 2009, cookbooks included, this was my very favourite one.

I read it in early October, not long after I had returned from my trip to Italy.

Maybe it was the fact that I was missing my Italian family. Or maybe it was the fact that I was missing the food that my Italian family cooks. Whatever it was, from almost the very beginning, this book struck a deep chord with me.

Schenone’s book is primarily about her endeavour to discover the origin of her family’s beloved ravioli recipe. The deep need she has to uncover this recipe puts her on a road that takes her to Italy, but far more importantly and far closer to home, it takes her through the neighbourhood we all know as “family”.

Unabashedly, honestly and lovingly, Schenone tells us the story of her Italian-American family’s life in a new country, including the triumphs and pitfalls. I was struck at how open she was in her book and how she laid bare not just the good times, but the bad as well.

But I was most struck by how eloquently Schenone captures the reality of the immigrant experience.

We tend to romanticize the past. In my own family, as a first-generation Canadian, I can look around quite happily and say that we’re a success. My parents bought a home, built a business, acquired all the modern comforts and are really nice people to boot. The same goes for my aunts and uncles and for my grandparents, the first to immigrate to Canada.

What is not so visible is the struggle. The harshness. The pain. The hard work. The alienation. The adults in my family kept that from us when we were children. But now that I’m grown, and privy to the real history of my family, I see that my grandparents and parents had plenty of suffering mixed in with the success.

Schenone captures all of this in a way that is compelling and sometimes, hard to read. It’s like witnessing a difficult scene in real life. Just as you want to look away then, there are times I wanted to avert my eyes from the page because the emotion was so palpable.

And just as in life, in the midst of the challenges, there are successes and newfound joys. I especially loved reading about Schenone’s trips to Italy and how she made so many friends and learned so much there.

Mostly, though, I loved reading about her singular, intense and passionate drive to perfect pasta and ravioli. Just brilliant. I love how she reveals herself in her book. How she very honestly shows herself in transition in the midst of her life and how that affects not just her, but her children, her spouse and her extended family.

This treasure of a book came to mind again during the Christmas season. For Christmas Day, my mother made her pasta recipe and then made ravioli. They are not really based on anyone else’s ravioli recipe but rather are a Mamma Cream Puff original (my mom rocks the house!).

I didn’t help my mom much this year. We had a very small gathering on Christmas Day so she had everything under control.

Instead, I watched her from afar. And at one point, I saw her working away and noticed her ravioli press and rolling pin on the counter. I suddenly thought of Schenone’s book and realized that this is my little legacy. That little press and rolling pin, the fresh pasta, and my mom in the kitchen, they all came together in a snapshot that is frozen in me.

I don’t know what 2010 holds. I hope it holds health and good food and happy family and some nice surprises. And beyond that, who knows.

All I know is that I hope I never ever forget, in any of the years ahead, that picture of my mom making ravioli.

Ciao!

I will always say that my mom’s fresh pasta recipe is the best. Here it is.

I sincerely hope you will pick up a copy of Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family. It is worth it in every way.

Last month I posted about a cooking group called Cooking Italy, started by Angela of Spinach Tiger. The idea behind the group is that each month, you prepare a set of pre-chosen recipes from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

I loved the idea of the group as soon as I heard about it because I am a huge fan of Hazan’s and don’t use her book nearly as often as I should.

One of the things I told Angela, right off the bat, is that it would be very unlikely that I’d be able to make all of the recipes each month. These days, I’m having enough difficulty getting to the Daring Bakers/Daring Cooks challenges, much less anything else.

Add to that the fact that the past month-and-a-half has been brutal at work. I’ve barely been home and the idea of cooking has been just that … an idea.

Thankfully, work has eased up and I can begin to contemplate some return to normalcy. The very first thing I did this weekend was to make one of the Cooking Italy November recipes: Amatriciana.

Amatriciana is a sauce that originated in Amatrice, Rome, where one would usually eat the sauce with a type of pasta called bucatini. I have other recipes for this pasta dish, Bucatini all’Amatriciana, but many of them do not include tomatoes, which I find interesting.

I believe that it is more authentic to include tomatoes, as Hazan does in her book. Essentially, Amatriciana is a sauce of onion, pancetta, tomato and chili pepper. In my opinion, the spicier the sauce is, the better it is.

Another reason why I wanted to finally try this recipe for the cooking club is that several weeks ago, we went to one of our favourite restaurants and unfortunately, I had a most disappointing dish of pasta with Amatriciana sauce. The pancetta had no flavour (which to me means that it must have been very old) and the pasta was literally lost in a plate full of sauce. Way too much sauce. Worst of all, the pasta was overcooked. I was so disappointed that I vowed to make a good plate of Amatriciana as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

When Angela chose Amatriciana as part of the November schedule, I was thrilled!

This sauce was so good. It was bright, spicy and flavourful. I especially loved the finishing touch of Parmigiano Reggiano combined with Pecorino Romano, two of my favourite hard cheeses.

While I couldn’t find bucatini at the store, I did find spaghettoni which are a thicker version of spaghetti.

I absolutely loved this pasta. I’ll be honest, my eating habits haven’t been very good for the past month or so. Late nights at work mean lots of pizza and take-out. It was lovely to have a simple, yet robust plate of good ol’ home-cooked pasta.

I altered the recipe slightly so here’s my version, but Marcella’s version is on page 157 of the book.

Check out the Cooking Italy page for more information on the group and also to see the monthly schedule.

Ciao!

Spaghettoni all’Amatriciana

Note: If you can’t find bucatini, try another thick, long pasta or try a larger small pasta like rigatoni. An authentic Amatriciana should use fresh hot chili peppers but I didn’t have any and surprisingly, our local grocer didn’t have any either. I substituted red pepper flakes. This dish will serve 4 people very generously

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small piece of pancetta, finely diced (you want between a 1/4 cup and 1/2 a cup of diced pancetta)
1-1/2 cups of chunky tomato puree (either use whole canned tomatoes that you chop up yourself until you have a chunky/juicy blend or, when they’re in season, use fresh tomatoes that have been coarsely chopped in a blender or food processor).
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes (yes, that’s a lot, but we like it spicy)
salt, to taste
3 to 4 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
3 to 4 tbsp. Pecorino Romano, grated
1 pound of the pasta of your choice

Prepare the sauce:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, shallow pan that is big enough to accommodate the pasta. Add the onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, over medium heat.

Add the pancetta and continue sauteeing for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the red pepper flakes. Let the mixture come to a boil and then salt to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. You want the sauce to reduce considerably. You should have a thick sauce when you’re done.

Prepare the pasta:

While the sauce is simmering, boil the water for the pasta. About 10 minutes before the sauce is ready, boil your pasta according to package directions.

Assembling the pasta:

Once the sauce is done, adjust the seasoning and then lower the heat until the pasta is ready. When you’ve drained the pasta, add it to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat.

Immediately add in the Parmigiano and the Pecorino and mix well. You may need to add a bit more cheese, but that’s up to you.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

It has been a jam-packed couple of weeks for the Cream Puff. Work has been incredibly busy and there’s been lots going on with family and friends between the Thanksgiving holiday and other events.

This is going to be a quick Magazine Mondays post but I definitely wanted to take the time to share with you a pasta dish that I made quite some time ago. I’d actually forgotten about these little beauties until recently, when I read a beautiful book that I’m looking forward to talking about very soon on this blog. You’re just going to have to wait for the details.

In the meantime, the pasta triangles you see above are my attempt at making pansotti, also often spelled as pansoti. I didn’t know what pansotti were until I saw a recipe for them in Issue 1 of Taste Italia magazine. They’re basically large ravioli stuffed with a filling of cheese and often bread soaked in milk. As far as I can tell, they’re not filled with meat.

I was happy to try them but I can’t say I was blown away by the recipe. It seemed like a lot of work to make the filling and I wasn’t happy with the pasta as it ended up being a bit on the touch side. Still, though, I’m hoping to try them again soon.

As you know, Magazine Mondays is an opportunity for everyone to dig into that magazine pile and try some new recipes. Here’s who’s joined me for this week’s edition:

Tia of Buttercream Barbie (cute name!) made a Marbled Mocha Cake from Gourmet magazine.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made some gorgeous Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from Canadian Living magazine.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Chicken Club Stuffed Potatoes from Southern Living Magazine.

Erica from the charming Cooking for Seven made a New York Cheesecake from Martha Stewart Living.

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made Cranberry Nut Rolls from Bon Appétit.

Allison of LemonBasil brings us a beautiful triburte to Gourmet magazine.

Emily of Sandmuffin made a gorgeous Applesauce Cake.

Janie of Panini Girl made an Eggplant, Zucchini and Fennel Casserole from Taste of Italia.

Thanks to everyone that took part. Remember that Magazine Mondays is a very informal event. You can participate any time. All you have to do is send me the link to a post you’ve done about a magazine recipe.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

You can find the recipe for Pansoti with Walnut Sauce here.

The NHL season has already begun but tonight, for the hockey fans out there, is the unofficial beginning of the real hockey viewing season as it’s the first Saturday night transmission of Hockey Night in Canada.

Regular readers will know that I’m a huge hockey fan and that my heart belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I’ll give you a moment to make the usual assortment of Leafs’ jokes.

[pause]

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m happy to announce that in honour of this season’s first HNIC broadcast, Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and Mary of The Sour Dough have joined me in preparing a hockey fan’s meal to be enjoyed throughout the game.

Mary is in charge of Appetizers, I’m in charge of the Main and Peabody, of course, is in charge of Dessert.

This idea came about as a result of several different conversations between both Mary and Peabody and myself. Peabody, of course, is my soulmate in both baking and hockey. I never have to worry that she won’t understand when I gripe about why people don’t like to bake and she totally hears my pain when it comes to the Leafs.

Mary and I share an undying love for Steve Yzerman. Enough said.

So what am I bringing to the HNIC potluck? Good ol’ baked macaroni and cheese! On Saturday nights, when the hockey game is on, I do not want to be in the kitchen all night. I do not want to be cleaning up for hours. I do not want to be anywhere but in front of the television and baked macaroni and cheese is the perfect dish. You can make it earlier in the day and just heat it up when you’re ready to eat (first intermission, after Coach’s Corner).

Baked macaroni and cheese is a very easy dish. It essentially consists of a cheese sauce, macaroni and a breadcrumb topping. You can add anything you like to those basics from ham to mushrooms to tomatoes. I’m a bit of a mac and cheese purist so I don’t add anything to my dish but you are certainly welcome to experiment.

The recipe that I use originally comes from Fine Cooking. The only difference in my version is that I don’t use Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, and I don’t use a sharp white cheddar, but rather a sharp yellow cheddar. I also bake the macaroni and cheese in smaller containers that I can freeze so that whenever I have the craving for mac and cheese I can just defrost and warm it in the oven.

So this is what we’re having as a Main tonight. I can’t wait to see what Mary and Peabody have in store for us!

Have a good game, everyone. Go Leafs Go!

Ciao!

Peabody made Hockey Puck Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut Brownies with Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche Sauce.

A trio of appetiziers from Mary of The Sour Dough.

For a great baked macaroni and cheese recipe, click here.

It’s Daring Cooks time and the August 2009 challenge was hosted by the gracious Olga of Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes.

I’m always a bit in awe of people who have not one blog but two so I tip my hat to you, Olga. Of course I would tip it to you anyway for this incredibly delicious challenge.

The challenge date was, of course, August 14th, but I was having some issues and couldn’t post.

I’ll get right to it. This is just delicious. From start to finish it was a lovely recipe to make that was actually surprisingly quick (considering some of the Daring Bakers’ challenges take … like … four days!).

Without question my favourite part of the recipe was the sofregit, which was a thick, almost paste-like mixture of tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and garlic, used to enhance and flavour the rice. I loved the sofregit so much I ended up spreading some of it on bread and just eating it that way!

I loved cooking the rice in the rich liquid consisting of some white wine, water (you could have also used fish stock) and a bit of the sofregit. The cuttlefish was delicious in this dish and the artichokes and mushrooms were also very good (confession: I used artichokes canned in water.).

The only element of the challenge I didn’t make was the allioli, which is a thick, custard-like sauce meant to accompany the dish. I really wanted to make the traditional allioli, which would have required a mortar and pestle. I don’t have those. Yet.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. I really hope you try this recipe out as it’s scrumptious.

Thank you so much for broadening our horizons, Olga!

Ciao!

If you’re interested in the recipe, you can find it here.

I love walking.

Next to baking, there is no act for me that is as calming and therapeutic as walking.

I’ve been walking a lot lately. Summer is the season to walk, after all. Despite the odd weather we’ve been having, most nights have been clear and cool, which are the perfect conditions for a walk.

When I head out, I don’t meander. I live in a busy neighbourhood and while there is a park nearby, I wouldn’t venture there by myself. Instead, I stick the main roads and while I wouldn’t say I strike out on a mission, I do walk purposefully.

My purpose is to talk to myself. No. I don’t mean actually have a dialogue with myself out loud. What I mean is that the purpose of my walk is to think, to feel, to sort out tangle of thoughts at the end of another day.

Over the course of my walk, I will think about many things, some good and some bad. I might think of a problem at work or at home, or about a task I have to accomplish, or maybe about the groceries that I need to pick up the next time I’m at the store.

I like to walk alone. Part of me feels badly writing that, because I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I don’t enjoy their company, but of all the activities in my life, walking is the one I prefer to do alone.

On my own, I’m free to follow my mind’s course, whatever that may be. Mostly, I’m free to think about any subject, something you can’t always do when others are around.

Invariably, as I make my way back home, my thoughts turn to food. It’s this quiet time, where I am by myself, that I think most about what I want to cook and bake. There’s very little as pleasurable to me, as scanning my food horizon, waiting for a glimpse of what’s there.

In these last few weeks, as I’ve found myself in the doldrums, my walking has been a constant source of relief. And lately, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about food, and less and less about other things. That’s good.

I’m not sure why, really, but about a week ago, I thought of arancini. For those of you that are unfamiliar, arancini are rice balls that are breaded and fried. Depending on what part of Italy you’re in, the arancini might be plain or filled with some sort of mixture ranging from cheese to meat and vegetables.

Strangely, arancini are not part of my family’s cooking tradition. My mother never made them and as far as I know, no one on my father’s side of the family prepares them. Growing up, I’d often hear some of my Italian friends refer to them, but I was always a bit mystified.

I was probably in my 20s before I finally tried arancini, and the first ones that I had weren’t very good. I would have had them at some restaurant or another and they were probably the size of soccer balls and filled with horrid frozen peas and who-knows-what-else.

Since then, I’ve tasted some very good arancini, thankfully. I think I’ve made them once or twice before but recently, while walking, I was gripped with the urge to make them again. It was like I had this deep, deep need to get into the kitchen and make these little treats.

Strange. But I’ve learned not to question what comes of my walks. I just go with the flow.

Ciao!

This is a recipe that I created myself, so if it is unlike any traditional arancini recipe, or if I offend any arancini purists with it, I apologize in advance. I’ve assembled a photo journal of the process, with the recipe following.

I start the process by quickly sauteeing some arborio rice in a few teaspoons of olive oil to toast the rice slightly.

I use chicken stock to make the rice base, and I cook the rice in the same way I would a risotto. I begin by adding enough hot stock to the uncooked rice to cover it, and slowly let it simmer until absorbed.

Once absorbed, I repeat the process by adding more stock. I continue doing this, adding stock, until the rice is cooked.

Unlike risotto, I let the rice cook a bit longer so that the liquid is completely absorbed.

I gather some rice and form a ball in the palm of my hand and then I make a small indentation.

I place a cube of fresh mozzarella in the indentation.

I carefully close up the ball (use some more rice if needed) and mold it gently with my hands until I have a round rice ball.

Once all the rice balls are done, I bread them by dipping them first in egg and then in bread crumbs. I line all my rice balls up on a tray lined with waxed paper.

Using canola oil or vegetable oil, I fry the rice balls, browning them until they are golden on all sides.

I drain them on paper towels, making sure to sprinkle just a bit of sea salt over them as soon as they come out of the frying pan. I let them cool slightly, and the I dig in.

Arancini, My Way
Makes 20 to 25 arancini depending on how big you make them (mine are about 2 inches in diameter).

Note: I always use homemade chicken stock, which I salt. As a result, I do not put salt in the rice as I cook it because the stock is salty enough. I usually make the rice the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator. I find the cold rice much easier to handle. I also make these relatively small (never larger than 2 inches in diameter). When forming the rice balls, I find it’s a good idea to keep a large bowl of water close by to rinse your hands. The starch in the rice can sometimes make your hands very sticky. Some people like to serve these with tomato sauce but I like them simply, on their own. Leftover rice balls can be kept well-wrapped at room temperature or you can store them in the refrigerator and reheat them.

8 cups prepared chicken stock (homemade is best, of course)
1 cup arborio rice
olive oil
20 to 25 1/2-inch cubes of mozzarella (preferably fresh)
3 eggs
2 cups bread crumbs
sea salt, to taste

Place the chicken stock in a pot and heat gently so that it’s hot, but not simmering or boiling. Make sure that the pot is close to the pan that you will cook the rice in.

In a wide, shallow pan, drizzle in a few teaspoons of olive oil and then heat over medium heat for a minute or so.

Add the uncooked rice to the pan and sauté for two minutes, stirring constantly. You don’t want to burn the rice but you do want to toast it slightly.

Add two cups of chicken stock to the rice. The rice should be covered by the stock. Keep the heat on medium, unless you notice that the stock begins to boil. If that’s the case, lower the heat. You want it to simmer gently, but not boil.

Stir the rice occasionally, ensuring that it doesn’t stick. Keep doing this until the rice has absorbed almost all the chicken stock.

When the rice looks almost dry, add another two cups of chicken stock and repeat the process. Stir occasionally to ensure that it’s not sticking.

At this point, taste the rice. It will still be slightly firm, but you should notice that it’s beginning to soften.

Once it looks dry again, add two more cups of chicken stock.

Cook until the stock has been absorbed. Taste the rice again. By this point it should be almost cooked. At this stage, you want to ease up on how much stock you add. If the rice is still a bit undercooked, just add another cup of stock and keep cooking.

Once the rice is done (it’s soft and plump), cook it until the liquid is absorbed (but be careful not to burn it).

Take the rice off the heat and let it cool to room temperature (or refrigerate overnight).

Once you’re ready to make the rice balls, have your mozzarella cubes in a plate close to where you’re working.

Form the rice balls by gathering a bit of rice in your hand and forming an indentation in the centre. Place a mozzarella cube in the indentation and close the rice over it. If necessary, pick up some more rice to cover the mozzarella cube. Place the rice ball in a plate.

As you form the rice balls, if your hands get sticky, just rinse them in a bit of water and continue.

Once all the rice balls are formed, beat your eggs in a large, shallow plate. Place the bread crumbs in another plate and begin breading by dipping the rice balls first in the egg and then rolling them in the bread crumbs.

In a large frying pan, heat about two inches of canola or vegetable oil. When it’s hot enough (test it by throwing in some bread crumbs - if they start to sizzle you’re good-to-go), place four or five of the rice balls in the pan. Don’t overcrowd them or they won’t fry up nicely.

Gently turn the rice balls so that they fry evenly on all sides. This should take four to five minutes.

Once they’re done, remove them to a plate lined with paper towel and immediately sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt.

Serve these hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Magazine Mondays returns with a perfect recipe for this time of year. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh asparagus and peas available, I urge you to consider this pasta from the April 2009 issue ofFood & Wine: Penne with Asparagus, Sage and Peas.

Not much to say about the recipe beyond that it was delicious, easy and seasonal in every sense. I urge you to give it a try!

I have some MM submissions this week. Remember, if you post a magazine recipe, send me the link and I’ll add it to my next MM round-up. You don’t have to post your recipe on a Monday, you can post it any day of the week.

Andreas of Delta Kitchen made Asparagus Pasta from essen&trinken Für jeden Tag 06/09.

Biz from Biggest Diabetic Loser made Tofu Kebabs with Cilantro Sauce from Everday Food.

Alisa from One Frugal Foodie made a Scrumptious Sesame-Orange Salad Dressing from Cooking Light.

Di from Di’s Kitchen Notebook made Ginger-Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream from Fine Cooking.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Hamburger Buns from Gourmet.

Megan of Delicious Dishings made Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce from Bon Appétit.

Tany of 3 Sides of Crazy made a Pineapple Casserole.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Last week, in a fit of pique, my PC decided to have a little break. Of course the fact that said break clashes horribly with this whole blogging thing I have going meant little to my PC. She was miffed, and that was that.

After several days of cajoling, bribery, the PC equivalent of a luxury manicure and pedicure and of course, some money, my PC is back to behaving.

Thank goodness!

I never quite realize how much I miss my blog until I can’t have easy access to it.

I’m back and happy to be so.

When last I left you, it was the 14th of May, which was quite the glorious day for those of us that belong to The Daring Kitchen for that was the day that newly launched Daring Cooks revealed their first ever challenge.

Hosted by my partner Lis and myself, The Daring Cooks were challenged to make ricotta gnocchi.

Let me begin by saying that making ricotta gnocchi is very different from making the better known potato gnocchi. A different process and different ingredients obviously yields an end result with a very different texture.

Ricotta gnocchi are soft and almost creamy (but not to the degree that they should fall apart). They’re mild in taste, unless of course you flavour them strongly or you use a sharp sauce or cheese with them. Well-made ricotta gnocchi should be light but with enough substance to hold their shape.

As our go-to recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi, we decided to go with the best of the best and used a recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco’s Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rodgers. Both Lis and I are tremendous fans of this books so were excited to give the recipe a go.

I have a photo journal of my Ricotta Gnocchi procedure below, so I won’t bore you with the details, especially since I’m sure that you’ve read more than enough posts about this dish in the past few days.

But what did I think of the Ricotta Gnocchi?

I found making them to be fairly straightforward. I cooked half of the gnocchi as soon as I made them. I gently placed the cooked gnocchi in a pan of sizzling butter and added lemon zest and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to the mix.

Everyone, myself included, loved them. They soaked up the butter sauce beautifully and held their shape nicely, although they did puff up considerably. They were light, but not insubstantial.

Are you sensing a “… but”?

Here it is.

I froze the second half of the gnocchi and prepared them for dinner about a week later.

Sadly, they were awful. First of all, they puffed up considerably more than the first batch when boiled. Secondly, while the first batch was compact and relatively dry after cooking, the frozen batch took on a sponginess that was unpleasant. They looked kind of icky, too.

I know icky isn’t exactly the best word to use when describing cooking but have pity on me, that’s the best I can think of.

To be honest, I ended up dumping out the second batch as we just couldn’t eat them.

So what’s my final verdict?

Making these and serving them fresh was worth it, but I’d never freeze them again.

I am glad, though, that we tried the recipe and I’m happy to see how The Daring Cooks embraced the challenge.

As The Daring Bakers approach two-and-a-half years of life, it’s exciting to see the birth of a new group. Here’s hoping that it will be just as successful!

Here’s my photo journal of my efforts in making Ricotta Gnocchi:

The strained fresh ricotta.

The ricotta gnocchi mixture, prior to forming the gnocchi.

Scooping the mixture into the flour.

Gently forming the gnocchi.

The formed gnocchi.

Dropping the gnocch into the boiling water.

Watching the gnocchi boil.

Cooking the gnocchi in the butter and lemon sauce.

The final product.

Ciao!

Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi
Source: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco’s Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rodgers.

Yield: Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6)

Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take approximately 1 hour.

Tips:

- If you can find it, use fresh ricotta. As Judy Rodgers advises in her recipe, there is no substitute for fresh ricotta. It may be a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it.
- Do not skip the draining step. Even if the fresh ricotta doesn’t look very wet, it is. Draining the ricotta will help your gnocchi tremendously.
- When shaping your gnocchi, resist the urge to over handle them. It’s okay if they look a bit wrinkled or if they’re not perfectly smooth.
- If you’re not freezing the gnocchi for later, cook them as soon as you can. If you let them sit around too long they may become a bit sticky.
- For the variations to the challenge recipe, please see the end of the recipe.

Equipment required:

Sieve
Cheesecloth or paper towels
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Tablespoon
Baking dish or baking sheet
Wax or parchment paper
Small pot
Large skillet
Large pan or pot (very wide in diameter and at least 2 inches deep)

For the gnocchi:

1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (½ ounce) unsalted butter
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)
½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)
about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)
all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce:

8 tablespoons (227 grams/1/4 pound/4 ounces) butter, sliced
2 teaspoons water

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.

If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.

To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible.

Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.

Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture. Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt. Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.

Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp. In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep. With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour. At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump. Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes. If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success. Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them. Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour. You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.

Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside. In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other. Once the water is boiling, salt it generously. Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi). When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking. Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Freezing the gnocchi: If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them and freeze them. Once they are formed and resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag and place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.

Well, it just figures that at the same time that we’re supposed to be presenting the very first Daring Cooks challenge, my PC decides to misbehave.

It hates me. I know it does. Maybe I have to bake for it more … sigh.

Anyway, for those of you that don’t know, The Daring Kitchen now officially includes The Daring Cooks, the partner group to The Daring Bakers.

June 2009 marks our very first challenge, which just happens to be Ricotta Gnocchi based on the amazing The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco’s Beloved Restaurant.

The challenge is being hosted by myself and my DK partner Lis.

If you have some time today, I hope you’ll check out all the ricotta gnocchi posts you’re likely to be seeing in foodblog world.

Once my PC has calmed down and decided to behave like a proper PC (hopefully in a few days), I will have my ricotta gnocchi post up.

Until then … I hope you have happy dreams of ricotta gnocchi!

Ciao!

Whenever I tell people that I have no idea how many cookbooks I own (I never count them!), I usually get a surprised response. Most people I know might own a handful to ten cookbooks. I own well in excess of 100 (and counting).

The inevitable question is: Why do you have so many?

And the answer is: Because … cookbooks make me happy.

For me, cookbooks are a source of inspiration and a source of pleasure, particularly when I’m stressed out or preoccupied. If I sit down with a cup of coffee and a cookbook, it’s an opportunity for me to focus on what makes me happy and in the process, clear my thoughts.

So it goes without saying that I will never turn down a cookbook. Never!

I was so happy when I was given the opportunity to review The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection for Today’s Home Cook.

I won’t lie. I’m a Williams-Sonoma junkie. I have access to not one but two Williams-Sonoma stores and I regularly make a pilgrimage to worship at the altar of expensive kitchenwares.

Yes. I know. You don’t need any of that stuff to be a good cook. Blah blah blah.

Me likey. And if I want to weep over multi-coloured melamine nesting bowls that’s my business, not yours!

On to the book at hand. As I mentioned, I had the chance to review this book and as one would expect from a cookbook featuring the Williams-Sonoma brand, it’s polished, thorough, accessible and pretty to look at.

The book has almost 400 recipes so it’s definitely value for the price. The recipes range from classics to more modern fare. If you’re familiar with Williams-Sonoma cookbooks then you won’t be surprised by this one. The recipes are clear, clean and precise and never daunting. And they all have that same quality that you sense in the retail outlets: it all just seems so easy.

I would have loved to try about half of the recipes but I had to get my review up so instead I settled on two classics: Banana Bread and Macaroni and Cheese. Both easy enough, but I’ve seen and tried many a recipe for both dishes that greatly disappoint. So I thought I’d put the book to the test.

I wasn’t disappointed.

The Banana Bread was easy, quick and completely satisfying. I actually threw in pistachios for the nuts because I’m on this pistachio bender at the moment and the results were lovely. The cake was moist, not too sweet and made all the banana bread lovers happy.

The Macaroni and Cheese made me really happy. I like old-fashioned macaroni and cheese where you take your time and make a cheese sauce and pretend that cholesterol counts don’t matter. Too many macaroni and cheese recipes nowadays cut corners or try to get you to believe that a few measly tablespoons of cheese will satisfy you. This recipe is pure macaroni and cheese at its finest. I wish I could be more eloquent but really, there’s not much more to than it was really really really good.

If you’re a fan of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook collection, this is one to add to it. If you’re looking for an excellent general purpose cookbook, then this is one to invest in. If you want to live in a Williams-Sonoma store, this cookbook is the next best thing.

Ciao!

Unless you happen to live in Emilia-Romagna, in whose towns and cities there are still a few shops selling pasta made by hand, you can make far better fresh pasta, either by the rolling-pin method or the machine method, than you can buy or eat anywhere.

– Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Truer words were never written than those above. Homemade pasta is the epitome of creating beautiful food at home. And contrary to what many people thing, making pasta at home is not difficult, even if you make it entirely by hand and roll it yourself!

The Daring Bakers had the opportunity to do this thanks to our March hostesses.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

These lovely ladies threw down the pasta gauntlet by challenging us to make lasagne typical of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; a region renowned for its citizens’ abilities to make the most beautiful homemade pasta..

To see the challenge recipe, you can visit The Daring Kitchen and view the recipe archive, or you can visit Mary, Melinda and Enza.

The recipe, the main challenge being hand-rolling the pasta, was for a spinach dough, a country-style ragu and a bechamel.

So I should tell you right off the bat that I had to make amendments to each section of the recipe. Normally, I love all of these elements but Famiglia Cream Puff has been struggling with various forms of flu and the thought of a heavy, albeit delicious, lasagne didn’t sit very well with the stomach.

Instead, I made a basic pasta dough, a plain tomato sauce and a bechamel that I used for a mini-lasagne. I used the rest of the dough to make a larger and plainer lasagne that was enjoyed throughout the week for work lunches.

I began by creating my dough. Using the method Mama Cream Puff taught me, I created a ring of flour and dropped in my eggs. Using a fork, I slowly incorporated the flour into the egg until I had a thick mixture that I gathered into a ball. I kneaded the dough for about 10 minutes (by hand) until it was nice and smooth. I then let it rest for about an hour.

I used the longest rolling pin that I had to begin rolling out my dough. It was tough work, especially because at a certain point I had to divide the dough in half. Our counters are very small and there was no way that I could roll the dough out thinly without cutting it into two pieces.

At a certain point, I will admit, I gave up. It was hard work rolling that dough and I probably could have gone a bit thinner, but I was satisfied so I cut my dough into segments, floured them and placed them on a baking sheet to dry out a bit.

I then went ahead and made a half portion of the bechamel. Because I couldn’t stomach the idea of eating bechamel since I was under the weather, I made a mini lasagne with the bechamel. I began with a layer of bechamel, followed by a layer of cooked lasagne noodles topped with sauce and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

I repeated these steps several times and ended with a slathering of bechamel on top.

The end result looked lovely. While I didn’t try it, my family ate it right up, which is, of course, the best compliment a cook can get.

I went ahead and used the rest of my dough to make a simple lasagna of noodles, sauce and grated Parmigiano, which was also delicious.

My mother’s lasagne is the standard by which I judge all others. While this lasagne was good, it’s certainly not Mama Cream Puff’s, although I did take many liberties with the recipe.

I do want to thank Mary, Melinda and Enza for challenging us to step out of our comfort zones and get rolling!

Ciao!

This past July, the Daring Bakers lost one of our dearest members with the sudden passing of Sherry Cermak, known to many of us as Sher of the blog What Did You Eat?

To say that I was shocked when I found out would be an understatement. Only weeks before, I had been chatting with Sher via e-mail about the October 2008 Daring Bakers’ challenge as she was to be one of the hosts.

After I started blogging, way back in December 2005, Sher was one of the first food bloggers that I “met”. I read her blog regularly and quickly grew fond of her. Her attitude in both her blog posts, her e-mails and her comments was always a positive and open one. She was funny and sweet and always brought a smile to my face.

Over the last year or so, unfortunately, I haven’t made much time to do a lot of blog reading. Often, finding time for my own blog has been a chore. As I began to read other blog posts less frequently, I also began to visit Sher’s blog less frequently. While she was always on my radar, I didn’t spend as much time visiting her blog and so, when she agreed to be the host of the October 2008 Daring Bakers’ challenge, I was thrilled. Mainly because it meant I’d be in contact with Sher again. I was so very shocked and saddened to find out that she had passed on.

In the weeks after her passing, Lis and I wondered how to proceed with handling the hosting of the October challenge. Out of respect to Sher’s cohosts Glenna (one of Sher’s closest friends) and Rosa, we decided to leave it up to them and let them decide how best to see through the DB challenge.

In the end, Glenna decided to take time to dedicate to her friend. I just want to say how supportive we are of Glenna and that we stand by her. And if you didn’t know Sher and want to know what an incredible person she was, then read Glenna’s tribute to her. You’ll understand why we miss her so much.

So it came to be that our dearest Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yums took the reins of the October 2008 DB challenge and we are forever thankful to her. It’s not easy hosting a challenge by yourself when that challenge involves over 1,000 bakers. Yes. You read that right. Over 1,000 bakers!

But Rosa has been unfailingly patient, polite, sweet and generous and has done an amazing job. Her choice for the October challenge is one that I’m sure Sher would have approved of: pizza.

And as part of the challenge (I know Sher would have loved this!), we actually had to toss our pizzas like an honest-to-goodness pizzaiolo standing in front of a wood oven in some Naples alleyway would toss a pizza.

Here’s what I can tell you about pizza tossing: I will never be a champion pizza tosser and Mama Cream Puff, who helped take the photos whilst I was tossing the pizza, is unlikely to become a photographer any time soon.

Still, though, it was tremendous fun.

The recipe we followed comes from the always reliable The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart (you can find the recipe on Rosa’s blog). I made six 8-inch pizzas, in the following five variations:

Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil (I made two pizzas with these toppings):

Herb-infused olive oil, caramelized onions, shiitake mushrooms, blue cheese:

Herb-infused olive oil, Yukon Gold potatoes, mozzarella, sage:

Tomato sauce, black forest ham, preserved tomatoes, Cambozola:

Butter, brown sugar, bittersweet chocolate, sea salt (sometimes you need something sweet):

I had so much fun making this pizza. I got to use that pizza stone that’s been sitting in the basement for years. My mother and I had quite a few laughs as we “tossed” our pizza.

But I also had fun because I thought a lot about Sher.

You know, sometimes I find myself scanning the DB blogroll or going through comments left on DB challenge posts and I think to myself, “How did all these people get together?”

Do you ever wonder that?

How did so many of us find each other? And I don’t just mean in terms of the Daring Bakers but in terms of food blogging and blogging and just life itself, how do we make these incredible connections?

And they really are connections. I get angry sometimes with people who suggest that you don’t really know anyone through blogging. That somehow sitting behind a computer screen insinuates a barrier that no human can get across, no matter how long you’ve been reading someone’s blog posts.

But I don’t believe that.

If that were true, then people all over the world, calling themselves daring, wouldn’t get together once a month to bake something.

If that were true, then a woman named Sher from California would never have impacted us the way that she did.

What we do is real and special and worthwhile. And I just know that when my mother tried to toss a pizza and it landed against the window and then dropped to the window sill, Sher was looking down and smiling.

Because that’s what it’s all about.

Ciao!

It’s been a very long time since I last talked about my mother’s cooking. A very long time!

Truth be told, I could talk about Mama Cream Puff’s cooking everyday. So today, allow me to tell you about my mother’s cannelloni.

What are cannelloni you ask? In our family, cannelloni are plump bundles of meat and ricotta-stuffed crepes. Traditionally, cannelloni are made by filling a pasta sheet and then rolling it into a tube that’s then baked (usually with sauce). In our family, however, we prefer the lighter crepe version.

As with all treasured family food, the emotions evoked by this dish run deep. In fact, I most closely associate cannelloni with my maternal grandmother whose cannelloni were things of beauty. They were somehow both light and substantial and they were perfect every time. In fact, she knew that her cannelloni were my very favourite dish and would often make them just for me. The joys of being the first grandchild!

In the years since my grandmother’s passing, my mother’s cannelloni have taken on a new significance and are as dear to me as my grandmother’s. I’ve always said that my mother is a crepe master. I don’t know anybody that makes a crepe as perfectly as she does.

Her filling is my very favourite one: veal and ricotta. You can fill cannelloni with a multitude of different fillings but that combination is my favourite. Annointed with beatifully red sauce the cannelloni go into the oven to be baked through and come out perfect every time.

And when I eat them, I have the same reaction every time. There is pure satisfaction over the food. More importantly, there is pure comfort because of the memories.

Ciao!

Cannelloni

Note: Once you’re ready to make the filling, it’s good to have a pot of tomato sauce ready to go as you will need it for the filling. You can use your favourite tomato sauce or you can use a family favourite of ours. You can make your cannelloni the day before and refrigerate them or you can make them and freeze them (unbaked) for as long as a month.

For the crepes:

3 large eggs
1 cup milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a bowl whisk eggs. Add milk and mix. Gradually add flour and blend until the batter is smooth.

Heat a non-stick frying pan (about 6 inches in diameter) on medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter and pour in about ¼ cup batter. Tilt the plan in a circular motion so that batter spreads evenly across the surface of the pan.

Cook for one minute and then flip the crepe over to cook on the other side. Cook for about half a minute longer. Remove the crepe to kitchen towel spread on the counter or a piece of waxed paper spread on the counter.

Once cooled, cooked crepes can be stacked one on top of the other. Crepes can be made the day before and kept well-wrapped.

For the filling:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced onion
1 pound ground veal
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup ricotta
¾ cup shredded mozzarella
¾ cup Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese
¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and ground veal and brown for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add the tomato sauce, black pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Cook for another five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Once meat mixture is cool, add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmiggiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and bread crumbs, mixing lightly after each addition. Add egg and mix well.

The filling should have a soft consistency so that it can spread easily. Add more bread crumbs if it’s too soft or a little water if it’s too dry. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Place one heaping tablespoon of filling on a crepe. On half the crepe, spread the filling to within an inch of the border. On the other half of the crepe, spread the filling to the edge. The part of the crepe that has the filling spread to the edge will end up as the centre of your crepe.

In other words, when you roll the crepe, begin by rolling the half of the crepe that has filling spread all the way to the edge. As you roll, that part of the crepe will form the centre.

Once all your cannelloni have been rolled, prepare your pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large roasting pan or baking pan (approximately 12 inches x 14 inches), add about 2 cups of tomato sauce. The tomato sauce should not be too thick. Place cannelloni side by side in the pan leaving a tiny space between each cannelloni. Cover with additional tomato sauce (about 1 ½ cups to 2 cups).

Bake the cannelloni for about 1 ½ hours.

Let the cannelloni stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

And just like that, the full force of spring hits us.

We went from chilly, rainy weather to “where did I put my flip flops” weather in the blink of an eye.

This morning I woke to the sound of birds singing and my Italian neighbours, two doors down, discussing the layout of this year’s garden (they’re very loud talkers …).

Wanting to take advantage of the beautiful weather, I decided to take an early-morning walk through the neighbourhood. Almost every house I passed had bags of old leaves and garden waste lined up at the curb, beside neatly stacked piles of trimmed twigs and branches.

A few people I passed were getting an early start on some home improvement projects.

One man was methodically sweeping his driveway clean.

The bocce court at one of our local parks has been cleaned and is ready to go.

I smiled.

Spring has sprung!

Ciao!

Note: On Saturdays, we usually don’t have a big breakfast. Instead we like to have a nice lunch, usually right at noon, that will tide us over until the evening when we most often go out. While it may seem that baked pasta is a dish for the fall or winter, this is a quick one that I made for a recent Saturday lunch. It’s simple with some very classic flavours. The original recipe calls for ziti but I used tortiglioni instead.

Baked Tortiglioni with Cream and Pancetta
Adapted from On Top of Spaghetti … by Johanne Killeen and George Germon.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 to 2 slices pancetta (about half an inch thick), chopped up into tiny pieces
1-1/4 cups heavy cream (35% cream)
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggianio, grated
1/2 cup Pecorinio Romano, grated
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 pound dried pasta (I used tortiglioni)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the pancetta. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the pancetta is golden. Be careful not burn. Remove the pancetta to a plate and reserve the oil and fat in the skillet.

When the water is boiling and you’ve salted it, add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Meanwile, heat the oven to 500 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the cream, salt and pepper. Stir in the pancetta and a tablespoon or two of the oil/fat left in the skillet (flavour flavour flavour!)

Once the pasta has cooked for 6 minutes, drain and immediately add to the cream mixture. Stir well to ensure that the pasta is coated in the cream and cheese.

Pour the mixture into a deep baking dish and bake in the oven for 12 minutes. The pasta should be golden on top and the cream should be bubbling. If it’s not, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

Remove the pasta from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

“On top of spaghetti,
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball,
When somebody sneezed.”

I really struggled to pick a cookbook from The Overburdened Bookshelf to feature as the Flavour of the Month for April 2008.

As much as I love my baking, I wanted to focus on something other than sweets. The gardening bug is starting to get to me but while it is spring, we are still at least a month or so away from even considering going out into the garden. It will be awhile before we’re harvesting any local vegetables or fruits so I didn’t want to pick a cookbook that focused on fresh goods from the garden.

Stumped, I perused my stacks of cookbooks again and again until I finally decided on a book written by Johanne Killeen and George German called On Top of Spaghetti… .

Killeen and Germon are the famous chef/husand and wife team behind the restaurant Al Forno in Rhode Island. The couple has been featured on television and in print and their restaurant is quite famous (note to self: must visit one day).

I bought their cookbook last year and kept promising myself that I’d try some of the recipes. We’re big pasta eaters and while we have a fairly steady repertoire of pasta recipes, it’s always nice to augment the usual with something new. As well, I’ve been promising myself that I would spend more time making homemade pasta.

I’m lucky to belong to a family of master pasta makers. On both sides of my family, there is no shortage of skills when it comes to creating great pasta dough. I stand by Mama Cream Puff’s pasta recipe and firmly believe that my mom is a true master and I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom.

Having chosen the book, I decided to dive right in and head straight to the chapter on fresh pasta. Using my mother’s pasta recipe as a basis, I decided to try making ravioli for the first time on my own (no help from my mammina).

I thought it best that I try a fairly straightforward filling so I went with a filling of ricotta, egg, Parmigiano Reggiano and a touch of nutmeg.

Here’s a little photo essay of my journey into ravioli land:

Like most Italians, we have a hand cranked pasta maker that we used for years. However, about a year ago we invested in the pasta attachments for our Kitchen Aid mixer and haven’t looked back!

Using my mother’s recipe as a guide, I prepared the dough and then rolled out the pasta sheets to the second last level of thinness on the pasta roller. I then laid out my pasta sheets to await their destiny.

After making a simple filling of ricotta, beaten egg, salt, Parmigiano Reggiano and a touch of nutmeg, I mounded spoonfuls of filling at equal intervals on each pasta sheet.

I carefully folded one half of the pasta sheet over the mounded filling and then pressed down in between each mound to remove any trapped air and to secure the filling. Before folding the dough over, I dampened the edges of the dough with a bit of water to help the dough stick together.

Using a decorative roller, I trimmed the edges of the folded pasta sheets.

I then used the roller to cut out the individual ravioli.

I prepared a very basic tomato sauce, which I used to adorn my ravioli after boiling them. I was so anxious about the boiling process and keeping an eye on my ravioli to ensure that they didn’t open that I didn’t take any photos. At that point, I then became so eager to try the fruits of my labour that I didn’t bother with any photos of the finished product.

They were good.

They weren’t as good as Mama Cream Puff’s, but they were good. And I know she was proud of me.

Now I don’t want anyone fretting. There will be lots of sweet things on this blog during the month of April including some long overdue cookbook reviews. But there’s also going to be a lot of pasta.

Carbs, here I come!

Ciao!

For a pretty darn good pasta recipe, click here.

For the filling: Mix together 1 cup of ricotta with 1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, beat in one lightly beaten egg, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg (optional). Set aside until you’re ready to use as a filling.

Finally!

For the first time, I am finally participating in one of the most famous events in foodblogworldom, Hay Hay it’s Donna Day! created by our dear Barbara of Winosandfoodies.com.

This month’s event, the 17th installment, is hosted by sweet Joey (whom I love) of 80 Breakfasts. And Joey has very wisely chosen the theme of pizza.

Who doesn’t love pizza? I have yet to meet a person that doesn’t love the idea of baked dough with topping on it. If you do know someone who doesn’t love pizza, feel free to send them my way for an intensive course in the beauty and glory of pizza.

I’ve been eating the stuff for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my mother would make pizza almost every week. Occasionally, when we were really lucky, we’d get taken out to one of the local Italian restaurants that made a good version of the famous thin-crust Italian pizza. And of course once I went to Italy and had my very first taste of the real deal, I was even more in love than ever before.

I finally decided to put my mother’s teachings to good use in my 20s and started making pizza on my own. Once you get the hang of a basic pizza dough, it’s almost impossible not to make incredible pizza.

Seriously.

And of course the best part is experimenting with toppings. My favourite pizza is still the simplest one imagineable. I like it with a bit of tomato sauce, a light sprinkling of mozzarella, a drizzle of hot oil and some fresh basil.

For the event, Joey provided a pizza dough recipe from Donna Hay’s Modern Classics (Book 1). I’m a huge Donna Hay fan. Her magazines are like little of works of art. I enjoy buying them simply for the pleasure of leafing through them. I also appreciate the clean, fresh approach to food that her magazine embodies.

Since this is my first time participating in HHDD, and since I’ve made savoury pizza so often, I decided I’d go out on a limb and use the pizza dough recipe to create a sweet pizza!

Almost immediately, I decided that I would use a technique I learned when I was reviewing Carol Walter’s incredible Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More. While looking through that cookbook, I found a recipe for a Dimpled Sugar Cake that was made by creating dimples in risen dough and then filling those dimples with a bit of brown sugar and butter. During baking, the butter and sugar caramelize to create a sugared topping that’s lovely.

I wanted to do this with the pizza but I wanted more in terms of flavour so I decided to add almond. I did this in two ways: first by rubbing some pure almond extract into the brown sugar that I used for the pizza and second by sprinkling some sliced almonds over the top halfway through baking.

Once I’d decided what flavours I wanted for my pizza, I started thinking about presentation. Do I want another pizza cut into wedges? Nah!

Instead, I settled on the idea of pizza sticks that could be dipped in something and of course that something had to be chocolate! I had some lovely dark chocolate on hand so I simply melted a bit and placed it alongside the pizza sticks for dipping.

What a delicious treat! And further proof that pizza must be considered one of the most adaptable and versatile foods out there.

Happy HHDD everyone!

Ciao!

For the pizza dough recipe, visit Joey’s blog.

Technorati tags: HHDD, pizza

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve fallen in love with Judith Barrett’s cookbook Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy. If I could take a week off and cook my way through the book from cover to cover, I would.

Today’s recipe is a dish that I’ve wanted to try for many years. I’d heard about pasta with beans long before I bought Barrett’s cookbook. Now I’m not talking about the familiar pasta e fagioli, which tends to be a soupier dish. I’m talking about pasta with a sauce made of beans. This type of dish is not common in the regions of Italy where my parents are from, but Barrett includes a recipe in her book for pasta in a red bean sauce and I just couldn’t resist.

As with almost all the recipes in the book this one begins with soaking beans overnight. I used red kidney beans as the recipe instructed but I’m sure you could try this with a variety of different beans. After their overnight soak, I simmered the beans for about two hours with some bay leaves and some garlic cloves. Barrett explains in her recipe that the beans should almost be falling apart. This will help create a creamier sauce for the pasta.

I set the beans aside and went ahead with the rest of the recipe. I sauteed pancetta, onion and celery in olive oil while I cooked my pasta. The recipe calls for tagliatelle but I had penne on hand and decided to use those. Once the pancetta was browned and the onion and celery had softened, I drained the beans and added them to the sauce. I flavoured the sauce with pepper flakes and salt. Once the pasta was cooked, I added it to the sauce along with some parsley and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano.

It was delicious! The beans broke down enough to create a thick, creamy coating for the penne and the pancetta added a lovely flavour to the pasta as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Ciao!

Pasta with Red Bean Sauce
Adapted from Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett.

Note: This recipe will make 4 servings.

1/2 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight (at least 8 hours)
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
4 slices pancetta, about a 1/4 inch thick, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
penne (or the pasta of your choice)
a few tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
chopped parsely (optional)

After having soaked the beans overnight or for at least 8 hours, place the beans in a large pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Add the bay leaves and the garlic cloves.

Bring the beans to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low, keeping the beans at a simmer.

Simmer for an hour and a half, stirring frequently.

Once the time is up, turn the heat off and set the beans aside. Leave them in the water with the lid on.

Set a large pot of water to boil for your pasta. While you wait for the water to boil, prepare the rest of the sauce by heating the olive oil in a large, wide saucepan.

Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and add the pancetta, onion and celery, stirring often. Be sure not to burn the mixture. Cook until the pancetta is browned and the onion and celery have softened. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes.

Drain the beans and add them to the pancetta mixture. Discard the bay leaves but add the garlic cloves to the mixture as well. Mash them up so that they flavour the sauce. Add the red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes and then turn the heat off while you cook your pasta.

Once the water for the pasta has boiled, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bean and pancetta mixture. Turn the heat on low as you combine the pasta with the sauce. Add the parsley and the Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

As much as I love the fall, I inevitably find myself shaking my head at this time of year as I find it harder and harder to believe that it actually is the fall.

True, the leaves are slowly changing colour and the nights are noticeably cooler, but the days are still warm and for the most part sunny. Where it’s hardest to believe that fall is here is the garden.

There are still tomatoes ripening on the vine and we still have peppers waiting to be picked. The herbs are going strong and our celery plants are a sight to behold!

Are you sure it’s still not summer???

I think part of the reason why it’s still so hard to believe that it’s fall is that I seem to have fallen in love with a little cookbook that just happened to be the Flavour of the Month for August and September 2007: Viana La Place’s My Italian Garden.

There are a few authors whose cookbooks I will buy simply because their names appear on the cover. Tish Boyle and Dorie Greenspan are probably foremeost among this group. But I would have to say that Viana La Place is now also a member of that club. Her cookbooks are lovely and I’m happy to say that I own many others: La Bella Cucina, Unplugged Kitchen, and Desserts and Sweet Snacks.

Her latest cookbook continues in the tradition of her previous books in that the emphasis is on simple ingredients of the highest quality prepared in ways that highlight the beauty of the ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor or any of the other electronic gadgets that seem to accompany the modern kitchen, that’s not a problem.

This book is the story of La Place’s garden from a barren piece of earth in her yard to a well-organized piece of cultivated land that is a constant source of inspiration. What I especially love is that La Place built the garden herself. She learned from her mistakes and wasn’t afraid to document some of them in her book.

And while there are no photographs, the book is filled with pretty sketches that give it an almost romantic feel. La Place very clearly evokes how much peace the garden gives her and how much she loves it.

Of course, the recipes are the centrepiece. The book is divided into four chapters based on the four seasons beginning with summer and ending with spring. The organization of the book is a reminder that gardens can produce in many different ways regardless of the season. It helps,
mind you, that La Place lives in San Francisco where the climate is milder. We certainly don’t get very much from our garden in the middle of winter. However, many of the ingredients used in the recipes for the fall or winter are readily available in colder climates so that shouldn’t be a deterrent to trying those recipes.

In the end, I just loved how this book felt. It was like reading a novel about a very personal mission to build something beautiful. And it had the added bonus of recipes and lots of them.

I tried several recipes from the book but the one I want to highlight is this very simple, yet satisfying pasta. The original recipe from the book calls for the zest of Meyer lemons but I substituted regular lemon zest and the dish was wonderful.

Whether you have a garden already or are dreaming of having one day, I cannot recommend Viana La Place’s My Italian Garden more highly. It’s what garden dreams are made of!

Ciao!

Pasta with Basil and Lemon
Adapted from My Italian Garden by Viana La Place.

Note: This recipe will serve 2 to 3 people quite generously.

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (you may need some extra olive oil if the pasta appears too dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of basil leaves, cleaned and torn into pieces
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
salt to taste
spaghettini pasta for 2 to 3 people (or whatever pasta you like)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic over a very low flame.

After 2 to 3 minutes, you should begin to smell the garlic but be very careful not to burn it. Add the basil leaves and lemon zest and stir for a few minutes.

Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the basil and lemon.

Sprinkle on the Parmigiano and toss to coat. Taste the pasta for seasoning and adjust accordingly. If the pasta is too dry for your liking, add some olive oil.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: pasta, viana la place

Well, it’s finally here! The party that Lis and I like to call the biggest patio party in the world has finally arrived.

Bloggers from all over the world are streaming in bringing with them all sorts of captivating offerings. For those of you arriving a bit late, not to worry, there’s still plenty of room on the table.

Besides my mother’s peperonata, I’m bringing one of my very favourite dishes: Linguine with Cherry Tomato Sauce. It’s a dish of my own invention, not that there was really that much to invent as this couldn’t be an easier dish to make.

Take some ripe cherry tomatoes and slice them in half. Toss them in a pan with lots of olive oil and Maldon salt. Add a clove of garlic, some hot pepper and pletny of fresh basil. Cook for about 20 minutes until you have a creamy sauce. Toss with your favourite pasta.

Okay! It’s time to eat. Dai! Tutti a tavola!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: la festa al fresco

Tonight, my family and I will be watching the final episode of the program The Sopranos. After all these years, it finally comes down to one episode.

We’ve always been a television family. While many lament the television as causing the breakdown of so many family values, I’ve always found that in my family, it’s been a gathering point. We’ve spent countless nights gathered in the living room watching television.

While much of what we watched was Italian programming, like most immigrants we became quickly versed in the traditions of a new country. We all became hockey fans watching Hockey Night in Canada. And who among us didn’t spend the summer wondering who really shot J.R.?

But the one aspect of film and television that always posed a challenge was the portrayal of Italians.

My parents worked hard to ensure that we had the best of both worlds. We were taught about Italian music, food, history and culture, all the while being encouraged to appreciate the advantages and values of our new country. Being born in Canada, my brother and I grew up with the benefits of two very different yet equally rich environments.

We were always warned to avoid stereotypes about Italians, or any cultural group for that matter. This explained my parents’ unease with mob jokes or the more and more common use of words that were a hybrid of English and Italian dialect. While others found this amusing, my parents frowned upon it and regarded as disrespectful to both our Italian heritage and our Canadian culture.

And yet, there was always a strange attraction to certain films about Italians. I’d be lying if I said that The Godfather wasn’t a classic in our family. And I’d also be lying if I said that we didn’t think that Goodfellas was one of the best moves ever made.

As I got older, and began to think through my identity as an Italian Canadian, I was often confused by this. How could we disdain any association with many of the stereotypes associated with Italians and yet wax poetic whenever someone mentioned the name Corleone?

It didn’t make much sense to me.

So when The Sopranos first came into being, for my family it was just another show about Italians in the mob. Granted we didn’t have access to The Sopranos at first. As an HBO program, we weren’t able to view it in Canada and when it finally was available, it was a considerable amount of time before we watched our first episode to try and figure out what the big deal it was.

And what a big deal it turned out to be.

From the first, the show about a crime family in New Jersey was captivating in a way that few shows have ever been. Part of its appeal was the writing and acting to be sure. Say what you want but the cast of The Sopranos have put in some of the best performances ever seen on television.

We’ve had many family discussions about The Sopranos and why the show resonates. Someone once made the point that The Sopranos, as with all films and shows on the subject, depict Italians in a position of power, albeit violently gotten power. And for the Italian immigrant who may have suffered so much, it’s a sort of revenge fantasy. It’s a chance to stick it to the society that wasn’t so welcoming when they first arrived.

Maybe.

I know for myself, I find the show unbelievably compelling. I don’t think I’ve seen another show that has me thinking and reflecting as much as this one. Through all the violence and humour, I would always find myself thinking, “I can’t believe I’m watching this.”

I’d laugh at all the jokes that my parents would never allow us to utter and think, “I can’t believe I find that funny.”

I’d identify with all the stereotypes of the immigrant Italian and think, “I can’t believe I recognize elements of my own family in what I’m seeing.”

It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing a distorted reflection that you never thought could possibly be there. To a degree, I think I both love and hate The Sopranos.

I love the show because it’s just so damn good. But I hate it because no matter what, it reinforces all the stereotypes that I know to be wrong.

But I can’t stop watching.

And why in the world do we care so much about what happens to Tony Soprano? A character who has committed such ghastly acts as he has should be hated, reviled and punished.

But I would be lying if I didn’t say that there is some small part of me that doesn’t secretly hope that he somehow escapes the bullet that is surely destined for him.

In today’s Toronto Star, there is an excellent article by Vinay Menon about the final episode of The Sopranos. One of the interesting points that Menon makes is that perhaps what is behind Tony Soprano’s appeal is the perception that his crimes notwithstanding, Tony Soprano can be redeemed.

Maybe. Maybe not.

All I know is that I am hardpressed to think of another character so completely compelling. He’s repulsive and horrid, to be sure. But no matter what, you still want to know what happens to him.

As the final episode of The Sopranos loomed, I found myself thinking about it quite a bit. I’ve had many discussions with friends and family about how we think the show will end. Unsurprisingly, I even found myself picking up a copy of The Sopranos Family Cookbook at the bookstore.

I’d initally written this cookbook off as a farce. Having never looked through it, I just thought it was a bit of marketing and promotion - like The Sopranos hasn’t made enough money for all involved.

But a few weeks ago I finally did look through it and what I found was a clever, humourous book that is just another example of how well planned out The Sopranos is. For this reason its creator David Chase must be recognized for his talents.

Written from the point of view of the actual characters, The Sopranos Family Cookbook is both serious and tongue-in-cheek. It’s both a cookbook and a piece of satire. It’s funny but not lighthearted. It’s the perfect capture of The Sopranos in book form.

And right off the bat, there is a recipe for “Sunday Gravy”. Those of you familiar with Italian cooking may know that for many, Sunday mornings means a pot of tomato sauce bubbling on the stove. In my family, we call this sugo, which is the Italian word for sauce.

When I first heard the term “gravy” in reference to tomato sauce, I shuddered. I have no idea why it would be called gravy. I can’t help but picture goopy, grey sauces when I think of gravy. I do not associate it in anyway with the sugo that my grandmother and mother would make every Sunday morning.

Our sugo is a brilliant producton of olive oil, meat (most often a piece of veal shoulder with the bone in), garlic, hot pepper, salt, tomato paste and our very own raw tomato that we preserve each year. Cooked slowly for several hours, it is the hallmark of virtually ever Sunday for as far back as I can remember.

In the spirit of The Sopranos, I decided to swallow my revulsion at the word gravy and give it a go. While the “gravy” I made is a hybrid of what my mother usually makes on Sunday and the recipe in the book, it’s still sugo to me.

As for Tony and the gang, who knows what will happen. Will tonight be his end or will he continue on the violent road he has travelled for so long?

Either way, it’s arrivederci, Sopranos.

Ciao!

Sunday Gravy, My Way
Inspired by The Sopranos Family Cookbook and Mama Cream Puff

Note: This is a combination of the way family’s way of making sugo (sort of) and the recipe for Sunday Gravy from The Sopranos Family Cookbook. If my mother reads this (she’s in Italy), I apologize in advance for any no-nos. You have to understand that sugo is a big deal in Italian family’s and messing with the recipe is generally frowned upon. You will undoubtedly have lots of sauce left over so let it cool and then store in the refrigerator. The sauce should keep in the refrigerator for a week. You can freeze tomato sauce, but I don’t like doing that. It’s always best to make a fresh pot.

3 tbsp. olive oil
pork ribs (small segment)
bone-in veal shoulder (about a pound, cut into pieces)
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
raw tomato sauce (I use my family’s raw tomato sauce. I measured the amount and it works out to about 60 fl. ouces. You can buy plum tomatoes in a can and run them through a food mill.)
1-1/2 to 2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
red chili pepper flakes (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot.
Add the pork ribs and saute until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Remove the ribs to a plate.
Add the veal shoulder and brown on all sides (about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the pieces). Remove to a plate.
Drain off most of the fat and oil in the pot. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden. Discard the garlic.
Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute.
Add the raw tomato sauce and 1-1/2 cups of the water. You may need to add more water as the sauce cooks.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the chili flakes if using.
Return the ribs and veal shoulder to the sauce. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat and partially cover the pot. Simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin with a bit of water.
After two hours, test the sauce. If it’s deep red and no longer water, it’s ready. Remove the meat and serve along side the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Enjoy!

Technorati tags: the sopranos, sunday gravy, tomato sauce

I’ve heard rumours that the Easter Bunny has been seen hopping around our neighbourhood.

Perhaps.

What I do know, is that it’s Good Friday and that means fish and seafood in our household. I’m often asked why it is that we eat fish on Good Friday and to be honest, I don’t know the precise answer although I suspect it has much to do with this being the day that, in the religious context, Jesus was crucified. For as long as I can remember, Fridays were reserved for fish. It was a nice way to end the week, especially in preparation for the very large (and meat-filled) lunch we’d usually have on Sundays.

While we do enjoy our fish on Good Friday, it’s not quite the same as the celebration on Christmas Eve. Good Friday has a more sombre tone to it and the food we eat tends to be simple. Usually, my mother will make a pasta sauce with skate and a few mussels and clams thrown in at the end. But for this Good Friday, I wanted to try something new.

Flipping through Jamie’s Italy, I came across a recipe for spaghetti with shrimp and arugula. The picture made me stop. I love shrimp and pasta and the sight of the two of them with colourful bits of arugula had my mouth watering.

Preparation for the pasta was quite easy. Instead of using dried chili flakes, I decided to use fresh red chile peppers. The recipe calls for sundried tomato puree, which I didn’t have. So I improvised and made my own by soaking a handful of sundried tomatoes in boiling water for about twenty minutes. I drained them and put the softened tomatoes in the bowl of the food processor. I added a few cloves of garlic and processed them until everything was finely chopped. Then, with the processor running, I poured in about a quarter cup of olive oil through the food tube. I ended up with a dark red puree that had a very concentrated tomato taste.

While the spaghetti boiled, I sauteed garlic and the red chile peppers in olive oil. I added the shrimp and then some white wine and the sundried tomato puree. Once the spaghetti was cooked, I added the pasta to the pan with the sauce and shrimp. I added lemon juice and arugula and then mixed until all the spaghetti was coated in the fragrant sauce. Before serving, I sprinkled the spaghetti with a bit of lemon zest for colour and flavour.

What a delicious plate of pasta! On this sombre Good Friday, we had a bit of sunshine inside.

Ciao!

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula

Adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

Note:  I used spaghetti as in the original recipe, but you could try this with any long pasta. While the original recipe indicates that it will serve 4, you could probably stretch it to serve 6.

• 1 lb. spaghetti (I used fresh spaghetti)
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tbsp. sundried tomato puree
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 cup arugula leaves, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook your spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook according to package directions. While your spaghetti is cooking, prepare the sauce.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and then add the garlic and chile pepper. Saute for about 20 seconds, don’t let the garlic burn.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for about a minute, until the shrimp have turned a pinkish/orange colour on both sides.
4. Add the white wine and the sundried tomato puree. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, until the sauce has reduced a bit.
5. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the pasta and then add it to the pan. Add the lemon juice and the arugula and begin mixing the pasta until it is completely coated in sauce and the arugula has begun to wilt.
6. Plate the pasta and sprinkle a bit of lemon zest on top before serving.
7. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pasta , spaghetti, shrimp, arugula, jamie oliver

Hello, April!

I see you’ve brought a new Flavour of the Month with you:  Jamie’s Italy. I received a copy of this book to review and as soon as I picked up, I knew I’d like it. Who wouldn’t want to be sitting in Italy with a plate of pasta and a glass of wine?

I never get tired of cookbooks on Italian cuisine. I’m not sure if it’s the promise of Italy that they hold or the fact that the food just looks so good. Either way, I look forward to travelling through Italy with Mr. Jaime Oliver this month.

And while I expect you will bring some flowers, April, that’s fine. I’ve got my pasta e ceci to comfort me!

Ciao!

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

Note:  Pasta e ceci is one of those recipes that can be adapted to suit any tastes. You can make it as thick our as soupy as you like. Feel free to add whatever herbs you like. If you’ve got fresh rosemary or basil on hand, they are an excellent addition to the soup. This soup will serve 4.

• 2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
• 1 sprig rosemary or 1 tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1-1/2 cups chickpeans (use canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed)
• 2-1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 cup dried pasta (I like to use tubetti which is a tiny tubular pasta)
• 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil with the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, hot pepper flakes and rosemary. Cook over very low heat until the vegetables are soft and translucent (about 10 to 15 minutes). Be careful not to burn the vegetables.
2. Once the vegetables are soft, add the chickpeas and the chicken stock or water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring often.
3. Remove half the chickpeas and place in a bowl. Set aside.
4. With an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor, process the liquid and chickpeas in the stockpot until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
5. Return the remaining chickpeas to the pot and add the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Let cook until the pasta is ready (about 10 minutes). If the soup gets too thick, add some water.
7. Once the pasta is done, stir in the parsley and taste again for salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning accordingly.
8. Serve the pasta e ceci with lots of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
9. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pasta, chickpeas, pasta e ceci, jamie oliver, jamie’s italy

It has been a beautiful Sunday.

After too many weekends spent at work, I find myself returning to the routine of the Sundays that I love. Late mornings, the newspaper, coffee, catching up with my mother, time with my cookbooks and most importantly, food.

Today was an especially beautiful Sunday thanks to the sunny skies and the incredible dinner we enjoyed at Oyster Boy for a belated celebration of my mother’s birthday.

But what made it most beautiful was the pizza. I was supposed to make this pizza for an article for Paper Palate covering the March issue of Bon Appétit magazine. I’m behind with my Paper Palate writing (my apologies to Andrew), but I’ll catch up. In the meantime, if you can still find the March issue of Bon Appétit than do pick it up as it’s a good one.

Of particular interest is the basic pizza dough recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. We have a family pizza dough recipe that is our standard, however, I’m always game to try a new one. Giada’s recipe is very easy and quick to make. I mixed it all by hand but you can use a food processor as the original recipe indicates. Also, there’s only one hour of rising time required before you shape your pizza and bake it. That means you could come home from work, start your pizza and serve it with dinner an hour and a half later. Not bad.

I tried the three-cheese pizza recipe also included in the issue and judging by how quickly it went, it’s a good one.

Enjoy what’s left of Sunday and have a wonderful week!

Ciao!

Three-Cheese and Mushroom Pizza

Adapted from the March 2007 issue of Bon Appétit magazine.

Note:  Here’s the original pizza dough recipe and the recipe for the Three-Cheese Pizza with Pancetta and Mushroom Pizza. I omitted the pancetta and made my own marinara sauce.

• 1 batch of pizza dough
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 cups tomato puree
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup fontina cheese, grated
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• handful of basil leaves, torn

1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes.
2. Saute over medium heat until the onions and garlic soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
6. While the sauce is cooling, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F.
7. Divide the pizza dough into two and shape each half into a rectangle that’s roughly about 13 x 8 inches. The dough will be very thin. Transfer the dough to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
8. Divide the sauce between the two pizzas spreading it evenly but leaving a border of about an inch all the way around.
9. Sprinkle the fontina, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano evenly over the two pizzas.
10. Sprinkle the mushrooms evenly over the cheese.
11. Divide the torn basil and sprinkle evenly over the two pizzas.
12. Bake the pizzas for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and the cheese has melted and is very bubbly.
13. Remove from the oven and let the pizzas cool for a minute or two before slicing and serving.
14. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pizza, marinara sauce, giada de laurentiis

Forgive me.

I know the title of this post must seem unbelievably lame. But I can’t help it. It’s all my warm, fuzzy brain can muster after eating this delicious rice dish and then sinking back onto the couch, under my favourite blanket in the world, in our cozy little living room in our cozy little house. Outside, winter rages.

Well … okay … maybe not rages, but it’s definitely winter. It’s snowy and cold and all the things that winter should be.

But in here it’s warm and fuzzy, thanks in good part to a dish that was made for a night just like this:  baked rice.

I’ve been thinking about rice a lot lately. Just a few weeks ago I was pondering the relaxing qualities of making risotto. It’s practically a recipe for virtue and meditation. Think about it. Cooking the tiniest grains of rice, slowly slowly slowly. Pouring in ladle fulls of hot broth, one ladle at a time, slowly slowly slowly. Waiting for the little grains to swell, almost to bursting, slowly slowly slowly.

No wonder everyone loves risotto!

But imagine if you could make a risotto, but not have to stir it all the time. Imagine that you could put all the ingredients together, pop it into a warm oven, and then curl up on the couch for some well-deserved beauty sleep?

"But my rice would burn!" you exclaim.

Not so.

For the aroma of this dish will pull you out of your slumber as soon as it’s ready. It’s that irresistible!

I have Patricia Wells to thank for this rice dish. Looking through her cookbook, Trattoria, I came across this recipe and remembered having baked rice often when I was much younger. But we don’t seem to eat rice as much these days. After work dinners tend to be quick and Sundays, especially in winter, seem to be reserved for more elaborate dishes often featuring fresh pasta.

Those poor little grains of rice get so lonely.

But Ms. Wells has helped me to rediscover them. Her recipe for baked rice with tomato sauce and pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) seemed like just the thing. So I mixed it all up, put it into one of my prettiest baking dishes, popped it in our little oven and then snuggled up on the couch for a nap.

And all the while it baked, slowly slowly slowly.

And in the end, it was yummy yummy yummy.

Ciao!

Baked Rice with Tomato and Pecorino Romano

Inspired by Patricia Wells’ Trattoria.

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups chicken stock (you can use water if you don’t have stock, but be sure to season the rice well before putting it in the oven if you do use water)
• 1 cup cooked tomato sauce
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated (Pecorino Romano is an Italian sheep’s milk cheese)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 to 3 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 to 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and then add the rice.
3. Stir the rice for about a minute, until it is coated in oil.
4. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. (If you’ve used water, you may want to add a bit of salt or pepper.)
5. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add half the Pecorino Romano and stir.
7. Pour the rice mixture into a large baking dish (mine is oval and roughly 12 inches by 6 inches). Sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino Romano. If your dish has a lid, cover it or cover the dish with aluminum foil.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, check on your rice just to be sure that it hasn’t dried out. When the rice is done, it will be creamy, but not soup or too dry.
9. When the rice is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a minute or two. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano and the parsley and then serve.
10. Enjoy!

Note:  This dish will serve 3 to 4 people.

Technorati tags:  rice, baked rice, tomato sauce, pecorino romano

On my last night in Vienna, I slowly made my way back to the hotel after one final walk around the Burg Ring. And just as I turned down the narrow street that led to my hotel it hit me:  an overwhelming urge for pasta. Now where did that come from? Vienna gifted with me with so much good food. I was stuffed beyond belief. And yet there I was, at 10:00 p.m. on a Monday night, craving pasta. And not just any pasta, but penne alla vodka.

To explain my fondness for this pasta dish, I must give you a bit of Cream Puff history. When my closest friends and I reached university, we didn’t embrace the usual activities that young people that age usually turn to. I wasn’t particularly interested in drinking as I’d been drinking since … oh … about the age of 4. Both my brother and I were regularly given wine with water or ginger ale at dinner. I wasn’t into clubs or bars so those activities never really intrigued me.  And having gotten my fill of poetry reading in class, try as I might I just couldn’t get into poetry readings on Saturday nights. Instead, my closest friends and I began to explore what really interested us:  the restaurant scene.

Having grown up in an Italian Canadian family, I ate very well but I ate very well at home. While my parents enjoyed going out to restaurants and would take us with them, we didn’t do this sort of thing often. So now that I was young, free and employed on a part-time basis, I reveled in my newly found interest.

We went to lots of different restaurants. Some good, some bad and some really bad. But without question, if I had to pick one dish that defined those years, it would be penne alla vodka. To my inexperienced self, the very first taste of creamy tomato sauce flavoured with pancetta was enchanting. At home, we didn’t eat a lot of cream-based sauces as they didn’t feature prominently in the regional cooking of Calabria (my mother’s birth place) or Le Marche (my father’s birth place).

I thought I was in heaven and I just couldn’t get enough of the stuff. Everywhere I went, if I saw penne alla vodka on the menu, I’d order it. Mostly what I was eating was really bad pasta. But that didn’t seem to phase me at the time as there was something about that sauce and that faint hint of booziness that had me hooked.

I tried many times to recreate the dish at home, but it just never worked. At the time I didn’t know that if you added cold cream to hot sauce it would curdle so mostly I ended up with a very unappetizing dish. The recipes I tried would end up too salty, too cheesy, not boozy enough or just plain bad. I gave up my attempts to create penne alla vodka at home and eventually … thankfully … I realized that there are actually other pasta dishes. I left my first love behind and moved on. There are, after all, many other fish in the sea.

But do you ever really forget your first love? I guess not. So as time passed, I would occasionally find myself searching this brand new thing called the Internet for that elusive recipe. One day, I came across a recipe that was very different from any other that I’d tried because the base for the sauce was, of all things, tomato paste.

Tomato paste?

I was intrigued, but also a bit put off. Isn’t making a sauce with just tomato paste cheating … sort of? Eventually though, I was more intrigued than put off so I tried the recipe.

Wow!

An Internet search and a recipe later, I had managed to recreate the penne alla vodka that I’d come to love so many years earlier. I still felt a bit guilty about making a sauce out of cream and tomato paste, but what can I say … I got over it.

That original recipe, which I have since lost and am unable to find on-line anymore, called for onions, pancetta, vodka, brandy, tomato paste and cream. Over the years, I altered the recipe and paired it down to the basics of vodka, tomato paste and cream. Oh yes and I kept the brandy. I also began adding hot pepper. The onions were unnecessary and the pancetta always seemed to dominate the dish so I just took it out.

This recipe became the comfort go-to dish whenever we needed a quick pasta fix. Then one night, in a rush, instead of adding brandy I mistakenly added cognac. Realizing what I’d done, I shrugged my shoulders and added the brandy as well. The resulting dish was so good that we then renamed it Drunken Pasta.

I still make my Drunken Pasta. While I’ve actually documented the recipe for the purposes of this post, I usually don’t measure any of the ingredients. Sometimes I add a bit more vodka and sometimes I go really heavy on the the pepper. It all depends on my mood.

I still feel guilty about the tomato paste, but then as soon as I put the pasta in my mouth, the memories of my first pasta love wash all the guilt away.

Ciao!

Drunken Pasta

• 1/2 pound (250 g) dried penne pasta
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chili pepper flakes or 2 small fresh red chili peppers, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 tbsp. brandy
• 1 tbsp. cognac
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
• salt to taste

1. Put a large pot of water to boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add a few tablespoons of salt and stir to dissolve. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. As soon as the butter has melted, add the chili pepper flakes or fresh chili pepper and saute for 1 minute. If using the pepper flakes, be careful that they don’t burn.
4. In a bowl, combine the tomato paste and warm water and stir to loosen the tomato paste.
5. Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan and stir. Turn the heat to high and let the mixture come to a boil. Stir it constantly to ensure that the tomato doesn’t stick and burn. If it appears to thick, add a bit more water.
6. Once the tomato mixture comes to a boil, let it boil for 1 minute.
7. Add the vodka, cognac and brandy and stir. Let the mixture come to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
8. Lower the heat to medium, and add the cream. Stir and let come to a gentle boil. Let the cream simmer while your pasta continues to cook. About a minute before your pasta is ready, add half the Parmigiano Reggiano to the tomato/cream mixture and stir to combine. Taste the sauce and if you feel that it needs salt, season accordingly. (But remember, you’ll be adding more Parmigiano Reggiano to the sauce.)
9. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it (reserve some of the cooking water) and add the pasta to the sauce pan. Begin mixing the pasta into the sauce, adding the rest of the Parmigiano Reggiano to be incorporated as well.
10. If the sauce appears too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking water and continue mixing until the pasta is coated and you have a rich, creamy sauce.
11. Serve the pasta with a bit more Parmigiano Reggiano on top.
12. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will yield two generous pasta servings. It can easily be doubled to serve 4 to 6. I like to use dried penne pasta for this recipe because the sauce gets trapped in the small tubes of pasta. But you can use whatever pasta you like. If adding salt to the sauce, keep in mind that the recipe calls for a whole cup of Parmigiano Reggiano so don’t over salt your sauce.

Technorati tags:  pasta, penne, vodka

Quite awhile ago, I received an e-mail from Tiel, a regular reader of this little blog. Tiel asked if I could share a lasagna recipe. What Tiel wants, Tiel gets!

As it happens, lasagna is a dish near and dear to my heart. When I was small, I had the pleasure of enjoying my grandmother’s lasagna on a regular basis. Hearty and bold, my grandmother’s lasagna featured a rich tomato sauce, tiny meatballs and chopped egg. A piece of Nonna’s lasagna was a meal unto itself.

At a certain point, my grandmother stopped making lasagna as regularly. My mother, thank goodness, inherited the lasagna gene and began making it often. As with everything she makes, my mother’s lasagna is flavourful and delicate. While not as rich or substantial as my grandmother’s lasagna, my mother’s has an airy quality to it that makes it unforgettable. It also makes it possible to have more than one piece at one sitting!

As with all great lasagna, my mother’s begins with fresh pasta dough. It is possible, today, to buy some very good quality prepared lasagna noodles. Even so, I recommend using fresh pasta. For those of you already making fresh pasta, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. For those of you that are uninitiated, look at this as an opportunity learn a new life skill!

Once you have the pasta down, the next step is the tomato sauce. Both my mother and grandmother use a tomato sauce that is cooked slowly, over a low flame. The sauce is cooked with meat, usually veal, which gives the sauce depth and richness, but you can certainly use a more basic tomato sauce. Either way, make the sauce yourself as there is nothing better than homemade tomato sauce. At this time of year, you can take advantage of beautifully ripe local tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use canned tomatoes which are usually of a high quality as the tomatoes are canned at their ripest.

With the pasta and tomato sauce at the ready, the other key ingredient for a perfect lasagna is the cheese. My mother uses two kinds of cheese:  mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. Both should be fresh and grated just before using. We are fans of whole-milk mozzarella, which you should be able to find in well-stocked grocery stores and of course in specialty stores. Parmigiano, often referred to as the "King" of cheese, should be also be fairly easy to find. If it’s not already a staple in your house, consider making it one. A few shavings of Parmigiano on pasta, soup or even salad is heaven. With these three basic elements (pasta, tomato sauce and cheese), you have all that you need to create the best lasagna you’ve ever had.

My mother’s lasagna, for me, is the very best. I hope you enjoy her recipe!

Ciao!

My Mother’s Lasagna

Treasured family recipe.

For the tomato sauce:

• 5 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds veal shoulder, bone in, cut into pieces (about 3 to 4 inch pieces – if you don’t feel comfortable cutting the meat yourself, have your butcher do it)
• 1 large onion or 2 smaller onions, sliced
• 8 cups tomato puree
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the veal and brown for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meat has been seared on all sides.
3. Add the tomato puree and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture just to a boil and then add 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. (If you want to add less salt or pepper, feel free to do so. It’s entirely up to your own tastes.)
4. Stir the sauce well after adding the salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for an hour and a half. As the time goes by, your sauce will reduce considerably. If your sauce reduces too much, or is too thick, you may want to add a bit of water. What you’re looking for is a sauce that is smooth but not too thick. It should be deeply red in colour.
5. After the hour and a half is up, remove the veal from the sauce. Set aside. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings according to your own tastes, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the pasta dough.

For the pasta:

1. Use the pasta recipe in my post about Tajarin. Follow steps 1 through 14.
2. Once you have rolled out all the pasta sheets, lay them flat on floured waxed paper. Dust the tops with flour and cover with a cloth.
3. Set a large stock pot, filled with water, to boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously and begin boiling your pasta sheets, one or two at a time.
5. Boil each pasta sheet for 2 minutes. With a large spoon, remove the pasta sheet and place in a colander to drain for a few seconds. Immediately pick up the pasta sheet and lay flat on a plate. Repeat with all the sheets of pasta.
6. Once all the pasta sheets have been cooked, you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

To assemble the lasagna:

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a rectangular baking dish or pan (use a pan that’s 12 x 15 with sides that are at least 3 inches high or a similar-sized dish or pan), spread 1 cup of tomato sauce across the bottom of the pan.
3. Using the cooked lasagna noodles, create a layer over the tomato sauce. If there are any gaps cut off small pieces of from a piece of lasagna noodle that you haven’t used yet to fill in the gaps.
4. Spread 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce over the noodles.
5. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella and 1/3 of a cup of grated Parmigiano over the sauce.
6. Repeat with another layer of noodles.
7. Repeat with 1/2 a cup of sauce and then the mozzarella and Parmigiano.
8. Continue repeating steps 4, 5 and 6 until you have used your last layer of noodles.
9. Spread a cup of sauce over the final layer.
10. Sprinkle any remaining Parmigiano over the sauce (do not sprinkle mozzarella on the final layer).
11. If you’re using a metal pan, bake the lasagna for 1-1/2 hours, our until the sauce starts to bubble and it becomes golden on top. If you’re using a baking dish, the baking time will likely be less so you’ll only need to bake it for 1 hour or so.
12. Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before digging in. This will allow the lasagna to settle.
13. Enjoy!

Note:  This lasagna will easily serve 8 to 10 people. You can make it in smaller, disposable pans and then freeze them before baking. To prepare, simply defrost the lasagna and then bake following the directions listed above. Alternatively, you can bake the lasagna, let it cool down completely and then freeze it. To serve, let the lasagna defrost for half an hour at room temperature and then place in a preheated, 325 degree F. oven until heated through.

If you have tomato sauce left over, it can be frozen and used for pasta or pizza. Or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Technorati tags:  lasagna, pasta, tomato sauce

Viva l’Italia!

Viva i Campioni del Mondo!

Ciao!

Pasta with Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes and Bocconcini

Treasured family recipe.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 3/4 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• strozzapreti or pasta of your choice (enough for 4 people)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup bocconcini, diced

1. Set a pot of water to boil. Once the water has come to a boil, cook your pasta according to package directions.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the basil leaves, garlic cloves, walnut pieces, salt, pepper and parmesan. Process until combined and the basil leaves and walnut pieces have been chopped up finely.
3. With the machine running, through the feed tube of the blender or processor, slowly add the olive oil. Add enough so that the mixture becomes creamy and cohesive. It should not be liquidy.
4. Pour the pesto in a large pan. As soon as the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan with the pesto. Over low heat, mix your pasta until it is completely coated with pesto. Add the tomatoes and bocconcini and mix well. Serve immediately.
5. Enjoy!

Technorati tags: basil, pesto, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, pasta, world cup 2006, Italia

Sometimes a girl just needs her plate of pasta!

Have a great day …

Ciao!

Rigatoni con Aglio Arrostito, Funghi e Peperoncino (Rigatoni with Roasted Garlic, Mushrooms and Chili Pepper)

Adapted from Truly Madly Pasta by Ursula Ferrigno.

• 2 heads of garlic, with the tops trimmed off
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (you may need a bit more)
• 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (if you don’t like you’re food spicy, use less … or, if you like it on the spicy side, use more!)
• 10 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped (whatever mushrooms you like … I used a combination of portobello and oyster mushrooms)
• rigatoni to serve 4 people
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• freshly grated parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place each garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and then wrap loosely in the foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and soft. Let the garlic cool for 20 minutes. Grasp each head of garlic at the base and squeeze out all of the roasted garlic. Resist the urge to grab a loaf of bread, smother on the roasted garlic, and eat it all right then and there! Set the roasted garlic aside.
2. Set a pot of water to boil for your pasta. Be sure to salt the water once it’s boiling.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté (medium heat) for about 10 minutes. Add the chili pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the roasted garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Lower the heat slightly and add the cream to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. While you cook the mushroom/cream mixture, cook your pasta.
5. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and immediately add it to the mushroom/cream mixture. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of parmesan over the pasta. Stir well to ensure that all the pasta is coated. Serve immediately with additional parmesan.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This pasta will serve 4.

Technorati tags:  pasta, rigatoni, mushrooms, roasted garlic

So … in case you hadn’t noticed … I’m cheering for Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Hosted by Germany, this event promises to be a month-long celebration of "the beautiful game." The most popular sporting event in the world, the World Cup unites men, women and children in their passion for football (don’t call it soccer!).

How did football come to be called the beautiful game? Naive Cream Puff that I am I always assumed that it had something to do with the fact that generally speaking, football players are hot. Apparently this is not the case.

According to Wikipedia, football’s moniker as "the beautiful game" came about thanks to the autobiography of the man who is widely considered to be the greatest soccer player ever: Pelé. In 1977, Pelé’s autobiography was published with the title My Life and the Beautiful Game. So who’s going to argue with the greatest ever?!? Personally, I still like my "football players are hot" theory. But that’s just me.

In my family, football holds a place of extreme honour and the World Cup is considered an event so grand that regular life is justifiably put on hold.

Italy’s playing but you have to have a filling replaced? Learn to live with the pain of a toothache.

There’s a debate about which goalkeeper the Italian coach should go with but there’s no milk? Calcium is overrated.

The match Italy played three days ago is being repeated for the tenth time at 2:00 in the morning but you have to get up early for work? The boss will understand.

This is the sort of thing that goes on in my family … and we love every minute of it!

As I pondered how best to show my support for my Italian brothers, I remembered a dish that I used to prepare when I was a teenager. At that point in my life my mother was just teaching me how to cook so my repertoire was limited to dishes like chicken stock and tomato sauce. But one day, when I was 13 or 14, my dear Uncle C presented me with my very first cookbook called Vogue Entertaining:  Lunches, Brunches, Barbecues, Elegant Dinners & Cocktail Parties.

Printed in large format with full colour photos on every page, I had never seen anything like this book. In one shining moment I was hooked on cookbooks forever. As talented and brilliant a cook as my mother is, the gatherings evoked in this cookbook were like nothing I’d ever seen before. Enormous floral centrepieces, silver flatware, tall ivory candles, crystal pedestal stands, luxurious linens … I memorized every page in the book constantly amazed that people dined in such beautiful settings. One hundred plus cookbooks later, I have only Uncle C to blame … or thank!

In any event, one of the very first recipes that I was drawn to in this book was a recipe for Risotto Tricolore (Tricoloured Rice). Admittedly, the idea of colour coordinating food may seem a bit over the top nowadays.  Yet somehow, in the 1980s, this dish struck me as the height of sophistication. It is one of the very first dishes that I can recall preparing on my own. At that time, to be allowed to cook unsupervised in my mother’s kitchen was truly momentous. I remember feeling grown up and proud. And best of all the rice, although somewhat garish to look at, was delicious.

So today I wave my proverbial flag in the form of a rice dish. I send all my best wishes to the Italian team and hope that as in 1982, we can celebrate the championship of the most beautiful game on earth.

Forza Azzurri!

Risotto Tricolore

Adapted from Vogue Entertaining.

• 7 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated parmigiano
• salt to taste

1. In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add the onions and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the onions.
2. Add the rice and stir several times to coat with the butter and onions.
3. Add the white wine and stir constantly until the wine has evaporated.
4. Increase the heat to medium and slowly begin adding the chicken stock, one cup at a time. I found that 6 cups of chicken stock was more than enough but be sure to have extra on hand should you need it.
5. As you add each cup of stock, stir the rice frequently to ensure that it doesn’t burn or stick. As each cup of stock is absorbed by the rice, add the next cup.
6. Once the rice is cooked, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of the grated parmigiano. Mix well.
7. Divide the rice into three portions. Keep one portion in the skillet, and put the second and third portions in two separate pots.
8. Add the chopped parsley and basil to one portion, mix well.
9. Add the tomato paste to another portion, mix well.
10. Taste all three portions and adjust seasoning accordingly. If necessary, add more grated parmigiano.
11. Arrange the rice on a serving platter so that you have the green rice, then the white rice and then the red rice, which represent colours of the Italian flag. Serve immediately.
12. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4-6. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated the next day.

The lovely Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz has invited me to participate in From My Rasoi #6.  From My Rasoi, initially created by Meena of Hooked on Heat, is an event where people share food and stories from their own kitchens. How could I ont participate?!? This post is my entry for that event. Thank you Paz and thank you Meena!

Technorati tags:  risotto, Italy, Italian food, World Cup 2006, from my rasoi

Is it wrong to crave Saturday on a Tuesday? I cannot help myself. It is turning into one of those weeks and I simply cannot wait for the weekend. But how to get through the next three days?!? I was pondering this very question on the subway ride home and, as often happens, the proverbial light bulb switched on. I decided I would deal with my overwhelming desire for the weekend by participating in my very first Weekend Herb Blogging, started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and currently hosted by Cate of Sweetnicks.

Three days early.

My herb of choice is common garden sage or salvia officinalis. Sage is a Mediterranean herb that has been cultivated for thousands of years both for culinary and medicinal purposes. I am lucky enough to have a thriving sage bush in my own garden. Our sage bush positively drinks up the sun and loves dry, well-drained soil. The beauty of sage is that once it is established, it requires very little care beyond regular pruning. The added benefit of common garden sage is that it flowers. Each spring, I will glance out from the kitchen window and be pleasantly surprised by the lovely purple flowers that will suddenly appear. It’s a sight for sore eyes tired from a long, Canadian winter.

Used widely across Europe, we tend to use sage most in butter sauces or in roast potato or meat dishes. But recently I decided to snip a few of the young sage leaves to use on a pizza that I have been wanting to make for quite awhile.

Several months ago I finally bought a copy of the cookbook Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza & Calzone by Alice Waters.  I have been in love with Chez Panisse since I was a little girl and an uncle gave me a copy of Chez Panisse Desserts. Even at a young age, I was impressed by the spirit behind Chez Panisse and instinctively identified with the philosphy behind the restaurant and the cookbooks. Having secured my copy, I took it home and immediately fell in love with virtually every recipe. But the one that caught my eye most was a recipe for pizza topped with caramelized onions. Knowing that I had a little sage bush waiting to bloom, I bookmarked this recipe and waited patiently.

And finally, the first young sage leaves appeared and I knew the time had come. As I wrote in one of my first posts, I have a tried and true recipe for pizza crust that I turn to all the time. But I was excited to try a new recipe. This particular recipe for pizza dough involves preparing a starter of yeast and rye flour. After mixing the starter and giving it time to develop, the rest of the recipe was fairly straightforward. I was pleasantly surprised at how much higher this pizza dough rose than my standard pizza dough recipe. I’m guessing that the starter gave the dough an extra lift.

While I waited for the dough to rise, I caramelized several onions and garlic cloves that I had sliced thinly. I added dried sage to the onion mixture. When the dough was ready, I shaped it. The dough was a joy to work with and easy to handle. I spread the onions on the pizza, along with some olive oil and sea salt. I decorated the pizza with fresh sage leaves. About halfway through the baking process, I sprinkled the pizza liberally with grated parmigiano and pecorino cheese.

The pizza was heavenly with a crisp exterior and a light interior. The rye flour gave a pleasant, almost tangy taste to the dough. This is without question a pizza dough recipe that I will turn to in future. And the caramelized onions and sage were delicious … a perfect combination.

I leave you with this final thought:  the word salvia, in salvia officinalis, comes from the Latin "to heal". I’m happy to say that I’m feeling better and that maybe the coming three days won’t be so bad after all!

Ciao!

Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Sage

Adapted from Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza & Calzone by Alice Waters.

For the starter:

• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup rye flour

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let rise for 20 minutes.

For the pizza dough:

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients with the risen starter. Mix with a wooden spoon at first and then turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead with your hands.
3. The dough may be a bit sticky but kneading lightly with flour will make the dough easier to handle.
4. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough and allow to rise again for 40 minutes.
7. Shape the dough.

For the pizza topping:

• 3 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon, dried sage
• 8-10 fresh sage leaves
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 cup parmigiano, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup pecorino, freshly grated

1. While the pizza dough is rising, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions and garlic. Add the dried sage.
2. Cook on low heat until the onions and garlic have caramelized (about 20 minutes). Don’t burn the onions or they will become bitter.
3. Let the onion/garlic mixture cool until your pizza dough has been shaped.
4. Once the pizza dough is shaped, spread the onion/garlic mixture over the top. Drizzle with the olive and sprinkle with the sea salt. Lay the fresh sage leaves over the onions and garlic.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Half way through baking, sprinkle the pizza with the parmigiano and the pecorino. Continue baking until the crust is golden.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe yields one 9 x 11" pizza or two smaller ones. Instead of sage, you can use rosemary.

Technorati tags:  pizza, sage, weekend herb blogging

For several years now, shorty after spring arrives, I’ve been hearing about ramps. I’ve heard that ramps are delicious. I’ve heard that they’re one of the gems of the spring season. And most of all I’ve heard that they let off a very pungent and strong aroma. But I’d never seen ramps or tasted them. Naturally, I assumed that this mysterious member of the onion family was something that grew elsewhere and that I’d be doomed to reading about it in magazines and cookbooks, without ever having the chance to actually taste a ramp.

This rather cynical outlook changed dramatically three weeks ago when I stopped by the St. Lawrence Market on my way to baking class. I noticed one stall in particular that had throngs of people in front of it. Initially I thought that these were excited Torontonians trying to get at all that fresh Ontario asparagus. But as I got closer, I realized they were interested in something else. It appeared that all these people were trying to snag what appeared to be, from a distance, green onions. Except they weren’t green. They were leafy with a bulbous end that was white and pink in colour.

Could it be?!

I moved in for a closer look and read a sign that said, "Wild Ontario leeks for sale". Wild Ontario leeks? But they looked an awful lot like ramps.

I looked at my watch and saw that I was running late for class. I should have taken more time to investigate but that was time I didn’t have. Instead I put all those skills learned at the mercato in Italy to good use. I made a mad dash through a line of people, slipped in through a tiny opening in the crowd (I’m surprisingly nimble for a Cream Puff!), grabbed two bunches of wild Ontario leeks, paid for them and dashed off to class. My family in Italy would have been so proud!

Once home, I compared my purchase with several photographs of ramps that I’d seen in some magazines. Sure enough, what I’d purchased as wild Ontario leeks were also known as ramps!

Excited, I immediately began to figure out a way to prepare my new discovery. Should I grill the ramps? Should I chop them up and use them in a quiche? Should I steam them and enjoy them with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt?

Hmmm … too many choices.

In a quandary, I left the ramps alone and decided to sleep on it. The following day, as so often happens, I was looking for one thing and ended up with another. While searching the LCBO’s site for a cocktail to serve on Mother’s Day, I instead found a recipe for Linguine with Wild Leek Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes.

Perfect on all counts. I had a purpose for my ramps and I got to include roasted tomatoes. I know, I know … it’s not tomato season in Ontario yet. Never fear. I have not forgotten my commitment to eating locally grown foods. As luck would have it these tomatoes were the last ones that remained in our freezer from last summer’s harvest. We always plant a few extra tomato plants so that we can harvest those tomatoes and then freeze them. Then, throughout the winter and early spring, we enjoy them roasted or added to our stocks for colour.

To be quite honest, I didn’t find the ramps let off that pungent of an aroma. You can definitely smell them, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. The pasta was quick to make with the most difficult part being the roasting of the tomatoes … if you can call that difficult.

The pasta sauce was spicy and strong-tasting but the roasted tomatoes added a lovely touch of caramelized sweetness. Quite simply, it was delicious! Add some sunshine and you have the perfect pasta dish for a lovely spring day.

Ciao!

Pasta with Wild Leek Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

Adapted from www.lcbo.com. You can find the original recipe here.

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• pasta for 4 people
• 1 cup chopped wild leeks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup parmigiano, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons pasta cooking water

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and spread on a baking sheet, cut side up, and combine with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the tomaotes have softened and browned. Once done, place the tomatoes and any juice in a bowl; set aside.
3. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve two tablepoons of the water the pasta water.
4. While the pasta is cooking, place leeks and olive oil in a food processor and process until chunky. Mix in 1/4 cup of the parmigiano.
5. Once pasta is cooked, toss the leek pesto with the pasta. Add the cherry tomatoes and the reserved pasta water. Mix well, adding more parmigiano as necessary.
6. Serve with an extra sprinkling of parmigiano.
7. Enjoy!

For more information on ramps, read this article, "A Unique and Delicious Spring Jewel" by Diana Rattray.

Technorati tags:  pasta, wild Ontario leeks, eat local challenge

This is the recipe for a plate of lemon happiness:

Cream.

Lemon zest.

Butter.

Parmigiano Reggiano.

Fettuccine.

So what are you waiting for?

Ciao!

Creamy Lemon Fettuccine

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 1 cup heavy cream (35% cream)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the cream in a small pot until it’s just about to come to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the cream through a sieve to remove the lemon zest.
2. Put a large pot of water to boil; once it comes to a boil add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions.
3. As the fettuccine cook, melt the butter in a large pan (large enough to accommodate the fettuccine). Add the lemon cream and bring to a boil; add a bit of salt and pepper (taste to make sure that it’s to your liking; add more salt if necessary). Lower the heat and let the cream simmer; it will reduce slightly and thicken.
4. As soon as the fettuccine are cooked add them to the cream mixture. Immediately add the Parmigiano Reggiano and toss gently until all the fettuccine are covered in the sauce. As you toss the pasta, the melting Parmigiano and the starch from the pasta will combine to thicken the sauce further. Serve the pasta immediately with additional Parmigiano.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will serve 6 to 8 people. You can cut it in half. The original recipe does not include Parmigiano Reggiano, but as I am of the belief that Parmigiano makes everything taste better, I added lots of it!

Technorati tags: lemons, cream, pasta

So we have come to the end of Day 10 of the 2006 Winter Olympics. How wondrous this journey has been! Piemonte, unfolding before our very eyes. Revealing her food to us in such a magnificent way!

As I look back at the last ten Olympic days, I am struck by the sheer beauty of these Games. The drama, the victory, the defeat … the food. And I know, deep down, that very soon I will be coming to the end of this Olympic menu. Already I see the main course on the horizon. What will it be? Meat? Game? Fish?

But before I get there … before we get there … I wanted to watch the sun set over the Alps in the company of what is considered comfort food in Piemonte:  Gnocchi alla Bava.

In a place where fresh pasta and rice are royalty, gnocchi are loyal servants. Reliable to a fault, gnocchi will never let you down. Like so many other dishes, the Piemontesi like to dress their gnocchi simply, usually with butter and cheese. And what bounty of cheese in this land! We have already tasted the Robiola … but there is also the Fontina.

Made of cow’s milk, Fontina is a semi-hard cheese that is aged in caves for up to seven months. Do not confuse Italian Fontina with what you will often find in the supermarket. While Fontina is produced in other countries including Denmark, Italian Fontina is unparalleled.

Like all great food, Fontina is best at its very simplest. And no dish in Piemontese cooking can be simpler than Gnocchi alla Bava. In Italian, bava means drool or dribble … not exactly the most appetizing of images! But in fact the gnocchi are called "alla bava" to describe how the they look after they have been tossed with the Fontina. With each forkful the luscious cheese pulls away from the gnocchi in long strands, the sight of which would make anyone drool!

There are several ways of preparing this dish. I am sure that every Piemontese cook has his or her favourite version. The method that I chose is perhaps the simplest:  potato gnocchi are removed from their cooking water and immediately tossed with diced butter and Fontina. As the ingredients are mixed the butter and Fontina melt into an incredibly creamy sauce.

Another popular method is to layer the cooked gnocchi in a greased baking dish with butter and Fontina. The dish is then popped into the oven for a few minutes to allow the butter and Fontina to melt. The dish emerges from the oven and what you end up with is a bubbling mass of golden gnocchi crusted with butter and cheese. Whichever method you choose, the Piemontesi have ensured that you cannot go wrong.

So with my bowl of Gnocchi alla Bava, I sit in my alpine perch and watch the sun as it sets on Day 10. In the distance I can hear the cheers of Canadians as they … as I … celebrate the gold medal won by the women’s hockey team. While I am blessed with Italian heritage, I am proudly Canadian.

With the sound of my national anthem around me, I dine on the simple food of the land that has embraced all the world.

Ciao!

Gnocchi alla Bava

Recipe adapted from The Silver Spoon and The Essentials of Italian Cooking.

For the gnocchi:

• 2-1/4 pounds potatoes
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached), plus more for your work surface
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. With a sharp knife, make a cross in each potato, but do not cut through to the bottom. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender (about 1 hour).
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool until you are able to handle them.
4. Peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer. Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes with a fork or a potato masher.
5. Add the salt, flour and egg to the potato mixture.
6. With your hands, incorporate the ingredients until you can gather the mixture into a ball.
7. Transfer the gnocchi dough to a well-floured work surface.
8. Knead until you have a soft dough that is not sticky. Be careful with how much flour you add as you do not want the dough to be hard. Add only enough flour so that your dough is not sticky.
9. Once you have the dough at the right consistency, break off pieces of dough that are roughly the size of a tennis ball.
10. Flour your hands and begin rolling the balls of dough until you have long ropes that are roughly an inch in width.
11. With a sharp knife, cut the ropes of dough into gnocchi that are one inch in size.
12. Take a fork and hold it at a 45-degree angle against a work surface. Take each gnocco (the singular form of gnocchi is gnocco) and roll it down the back of the fork. As you do this you will see that the gnocchi take on the ridged impression of the fork.
13. As you roll the gnocchi, place them on a tray that has been covered with a dish cloth and sprinkled with flour. Once all your gnocchi have been cut and rolled, place the tray in the refrigerator.
14. Put a large pot of water to boil. Once it comes to the boil, salt the water generously. Remove the gnocchi from the refrigerator and cook them all at once or in batches, depending on the size of your pot.
15. The gnocchi are cooked when they rise to the top of the water.
16. Serve the gnocchi with the sauce of your choosing.

Note:  This recipe serves 4.

Many Italians will protest that authentic potato gnocchi should never be made with egg. They should only be made with potato, flour and salt. The fact is that many people in Italy use egg or egg yolk in their gnocchi dough. While I usually make gnocchi without egg, I decided to publish the recipe that includes egg for those that have not made gnocchi before. The egg helps bind the dough.

If you want to make gnocchi without the egg, omit the egg and for every 1-1/2 pounds of potato, use 1-1/2 cups of flour. 

For the Gnocchi alla Bava:

• one recipe of potato gnocchi
• 6 tablespoons butter, diced
• 4 ounces Fontina cheese, diced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese (more if you really like parmigiano!)
• salt to taste

1. Place the butter and Fontina cheese in a pan large enough to accommodate the gnocchi.
2. As soon as the gnocchi are cooked, drain them and put them in the pan with the butter and Fontina. Sprinkle on the parmigiano.
3. Carefully toss the the gnocchi until the butter, Fontina and parmigiano have melted and the gnocchi are coated. Taste the gnocchi, add salt if necessary.
4. Serve immediately and sprinkle with more parmigiano if desired.
5. Enjoy!

It is beautiful to start a meal with a little tidbit, something to awaken the palate and prepare the mouth and stomach for what is to come. But if you’re like me, you always want the meal to start in earnest. The bagna caôda was delicious and I don’t think I would turn down a bit of bread with robiola, but I was ready for a first course. And in the little menu in my mind, I knew that there was only one option:  pasta.

Italy is a pasta nation. This is no surprise. Also not surprising is that every Italian takes the subject of pasta most seriously. For every house you come upon and for every family you meet, you will find a favourite type of pasta, a secret ingredient for the best pasta dough, a little trick to ensure that your pasta is cooked al dente … everyone’s an expert!

Every region, every city, every mountain town is known for its special pasta dishes. If you had to pick the pasta that Piemonte is best known for, there would be only one choice: tajarin (tah-jah-REEN).

Tajarin are long, flat noodles made of flour, eggs and water. The best pasta makers in Piemonte will often make their tajarin with egg yolks only, and sometimes even add a bit of parmigiano to the dough. While tajarin is the Piemontese word for these noodles, they are also often referred to as tagliatelle.

The Piemontesi have many opinions as to the appearance of tajarin, but they do agree on one vital detail:  tajarin must be cut by hand! How wide you cut them is up to each individual family. Some Piemontesi like their tajarin finely cut, but most will cut them between a quarter of an inch and half an inch wide. The tajarin are usually served in one of two ways:  with a butter sauce flavoured with truffles or herbs or with a sauce made of roasted or stewed meat or game.

But if I wanted to eat tajarin, I would have to make them myself. Now some of you may already know that I have never made fresh pasta dough. This is due mainly to the fact that I have a mother who, at the risk of sounding arrogant and vain, makes the best fresh pasta I have ever tasted. I simply have never had the need to make it.

This time around, however, I was going to have to make the pasta dough on my own. While my mother would be there to guide me, I realized it was time to take that first baby step towards learning how to make fresh pasta.

For the dough, I used the recipe that the women in my family have been using for years. With my mother’s guidance, I piled the flour onto the counter, made the requisite valley and dropped in my eggs, one at a time. With much trepidation I began incorporating the eggs into the dough.

This was followed by kneading. Now being a modern girl, I have come to rely on kitchen equipment doing all the hard work. Sure I’ll knead my pie dough and pizza dough a few times. But kneading something a few times and kneading something for ten minutes are two very different things. While I managed to do it, I discovered that my upper body strength is virtually non-existent! (Note to self: hit the gym!)

So after the spilling of much flour on the floor, I ended up with a ball of pasta dough that, as my mother said, looked pretty good. Now it was time to roll it out. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as complicated as I thought. While the pasta became more delicate the thinner it got, it was quite easy to work with. And before I knew it, I had sheets of smooth, silky pasta dough waiting to be cut into tajarin.

For instructions on how to cut the tajarin, I turned to a book that I have owned for awhile, but have not used nearly enough:  The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. In her precise way, Hazan described how to cut the sheets of thinned pasta properly. They were to be folded lengthwise so that they were three inches wide at the base. Then, with a sharp knife, they were to be cut into strips that were a quarter of an inch wide.

Because I was overly-cautious at the beginning, some of my cuts were not smooth. This resulted in some of the tajarin looking a bit ragged. But as I became more confident, the tajarin began to look smoother. Towards the end of the cutting I became a bit impatient so the tajarin were a bit wider than a quarter of an inch. But hey … who’s measuring? Incredibly, I ended up with a tray full of beautiful tajarin. I had made pasta on my own for the first time!

While I considered more complicated sauces for this pasta, I decided on a version from Patricia Wells’ Trattoria:  Tajarin al Burro Aromatizzato (Tajarin with Rosemary-Infused Butter). Patricia explained that she had eaten this pasta at a little trattoria near Torino.

So here you go my friends! As Day 7 of the 2006 Winter Olympics fades away, we find ourselves enjoying tajarin at a little trattoria outside of Torino.

Who knows where our Olympic travels will take us tomorrow?

Ciao!

Tajarin al Burro Aromatizzato

Adapted from The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan and Patricia Wells’ Trattoria by Patricia Wells.

For the tajarin:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour (use unbleached if you can find it), plus more for rolling out the pasta
• 4 large eggs

1. Place the flour on a work surface. Pile the flour into a hill, and then make a valley in the centre, wide enough to hold the 4 eggs.
2. Carefully put the eggs into the valley you’ve created in the flour.
3. With a fork, begin beating the eggs (gently) and slowly incorporating the flour.
4. Once you have incorporated as much flour as you can with the fork, begin working the flour/egg mixture with your hands.
5. If the mixture feels too wet, add a bit more flour keeping in mind that it’s easier to add flour than it is to deal with dough that has too much flour in it.
6. Once the mixture comes together in a ball, and no longer sticks to the counter, you are ready to begin kneading.
7. Flour your work surface and begin kneading by pushing forward on the dough with the heel of your hand. Fold the dough in half and then repeat the pushing forward motion. Fold the dough in half again. Keep repeating this step. Every time you fold the dough in half, turn your dough slightly either to the right or left. Keep pushing forward, folding and turning.
8. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it has become smooth and soft. If at any time your dough becomes sticky, sprinkle some more flour on your work surface.
9. Once you have completed kneading your dough, you are ready to put it through the pasta machine.
10. Cut the ball of dough into small portions, 6 or 8 equal parts.
11. Spread towels on a nearby surface so that you can lay the pasta sheets down as you complete them.
12. Beginning on the lowest setting for the thinning rollers, flatten out your portion of dough slightly, brush on some flour, and put it through the thinners. Fold the dough in half and put it through the thinner again. Repeat this step two or three times until you have a fairly smooth, flattened piece of dough.
13. Move the setting for the thinning rollers up a notch. Pass the dough through the thinners. Fold the dough and pass it through again. Repeat this step two or three times.
14. Repeating the basic rolling steps, continue to thin the pasta by working your way up to the thinnest setting. Once this is done, lay the pasta sheet on the cloth. If your pasta sheet gets too long, cut it in half.
15. Once you have prepared all the pasta sheets, let the pasta dry for about 10 minutes.
16. Once the pasta has dried for about 10 minutes, fold each pasta sheet lengthwise so that it is three inches wide at the base. With a sharp knife, cut the pasta sheets into 1/4-inch strips. Unfold the strips and lay the pasta on a sheet or tray.
17. If you’re not going to use the tajarin right away, cover with a cloth and set aside.

For the Burro Aromatizzato:

• 6 tablespoons (2-1/2 ounces or 75 g) unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves (you can also use sage)
• salt
• 1 pound (500 g) fresh tajarin (you can also use fettuccine)
• freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. In a skillet, melt the butter with the rosemary.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat off, cover and let infuse.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and stir.
4. Add the tajarin and cook until tender. The pasta will cook very quickly, it should take no more than 5 minutes. But keep an eye on the pasta to ensure that it does no overcook.
5. Once the tajarin are cooked, drain them and add them to the butter/rosemary sauce. Turn the heat back on and slowly combine the tajarin and the sauce. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste, and continue combining until the tajarin are coated in butter and cheese.
6. Serve immediately with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.
7. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4 to 6.

Of all the different types of nuts available to us, my very favourite are walnuts. The fruit of the walnut tree, walnuts are widely available and relatively inexpensive when compared to other nuts such as macadamia nuts. They’re good for you too. Walnuts are among the nuts that are highest in monounsaturated fat … that’s the "good fat" in case you’re into labelling fat as "good" or "bad".

While I appreciate the health benefits that walnuts may offer, for me, it’s all about the taste. I love the buttery quality of walnuts. I love the texture of a walnut half both in my hand and in my mouth. One of my favourite ways to end a meal is with fresh walnuts in the shell and dried figs. In fact many Italian tables, at the end of a heavy meal, will feature this combination alongside a bowl of fruit and a tray of cheese. But I would have to say that my very favourite way of enjoying walnuts is with pasta.

That’s right … pasta with walnuts!

If you’ve never heard of or tried this combination, I highly recommend it. Popular throughout Italy where walnuts are cultivated (i.e., Liguria, Campania), walnut sauce is luscious and rich. While there are many variations of this sauce, my favourite version involves butter and olive oil to start, followed by the addition of cream and finely chopped walnuts, and is finished off with parmigiano. Some cooks will use herbs such as sage or basil in their sauce, but I prefer mine with a sprinkling of parsley.

Easy-to-make, this sauce leaves you with the satisfied feeling in the belly that you want from a pasta dish in winter. It may pack a few extra calories because of the cream, but it’s worth it. The cream, in this case half-and-half cream, compliments the walnuts so well. Half-and-half cream is usually 10 to 12 per cent milk fat. It’s a mixture of equal parts milk and cream.

As for the pasta, I like to use conchiglie when I make this dish, partly because the recipe it’s based on uses conchiglie and partly because the conchiglie are the perfect little receptacles for the sauce. Conchiglie (which means shells in Italian), is a type of pasta shaped like a shell or conch. It is the perfect type of pasta to use with a creamy sauce because it holds the sauce very well. If you cannot find conchiglie, use a short, tubular pasta like penne or rigatoni, which will also trap the sauce.

There’s not much more that I can write about walnut sauce. With every bite your mouth receives a little gift of cream and nuts and parsley. It’s a combination that I cannot resist.

I hope that you will find it just as irresistible.

Ciao!

Conchiglie con Salsa di Noci (Pasta Shells with Walnut Sauce)

Adapted from Truly Madly Pasta by Ursula Ferrigno.

• 12 ounces (three-quarters of a pound) dried conchiglie pasta
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped (do not use a food processor as it may overprocess the nuts causing them to become oily and pasty)
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (use less if you’re not a garlic lover)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1. Put a large pot of water to boil.
2. As you wait for the water to come to a boil, in a bowl, stir together the walnuts, cream and garlic.
3. Once the water is boiling, add salt and then add the conchiglie. Cook according to package directions.
4. In a pan large enough to accommodate the pasta, heat the olive oil gently over a low flame. Add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the walnut/cream mixture.
5. Raise the heat to medium-high and let the mixture come to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture thickens (about 3 to 4 minutes).
6. Once the mixture has thickened, adjust the heat to low and then add half the parmesan and half the parsley and mix well. Keep stirring the sauce, on low heat, until the pasta is done cooking.
7. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it (reserving some of the cooking liquid) and add the conchiglie to the sauce. Add the remaining parmesan and stir well. If the pasta sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. If the pasta sauce is too liquidy, add some more parmesan and keep stirring until you have a sauce of creamy consistency.
8. Turn the heat off and and plate the pasta, sprinkling the remainder of the parsley on each serving.
9. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4. The facts on walnuts for this post are from The New Food Lover’s Companion.

It is one of life’s little truths that the simplest dishes are usually the most satisfying.  While I often dream about elaborate feasts consisting of all sorts of exotic dishes and breathtaking desserts, the recipes that I come back to again and again are the ones that were introduced to me as a child.

A paper-thin slice of veal flash-fried in a bit of olive oil with garlic and oregano. Creamy arborio rice served with a pat of butter and a handful of freshly-grated parmiggiano. Apple or peach slices dipped quickly in homemade wine and then gobbled up.

Simple yet completely satisfying, these are the dishes that guided me through childhood, and guide me still. I’m not sure what it is about these dishes that makes them so important to me. Maybe it’s that these dishes remind me of home. And maybe it’s that they are the dishes that I associate with the people that have had the greatest impact on my life: my parents and grandparents. Somehow, I am comforted knowing that these are the foods that they ate as children.

Yet of all the dishes that have a special place at my table, none is more special than pasta e ricotta (pasta with ricotta).

This pasta dish consists of four ingredients:  ricotta, water, olive oil and pasta. It is done in the time that it takes you to boil a pot of water and cook your preferred pasta. In our family, we prefer penne for this recipe. Penne are a tubular pasta that are usually cut on the diagonal. They tend to come in two textures: penne lisce (smooth penne) or penne rigate (ridged penne). This type of pasta is perfect for a creamy sauce, like ricotta, because the sauce becomes trapped within the pasta tubes. As well, using the ridged penne allows the sauce to cling to the surface of the pasta. This results in a burst of sauce with every bite.

The ricotta (ricotta means twice cooked) is also an interesting ingredient. Ricotta cheese is usually made from the whey that drains off during the making of either provolone or mozzarella. Ricotta is characterized by being somewhat firm and very fresh-tasting. It is an excellent cheese for fillings and dips, and also eaten on its own. We would often have ricotta and honey as an after-school snack.

In this particular recipe, three-quarters of a cup of ricotta is put into each individual pasta dish. About a minute before you are ready to remove the pasta from the boiling water, a few spoonfuls of the pasta water are added to the ricotta and then mixed in. The hot water serves to loosen the ricotta and the starch in the water, which comes from the cooking pasta, helps to naturally thicken the ricotta sauce. A few drops of olive oil are added to the sauce for flavour. Once the pasta is cooked, it’s added directly to each pasta dish. Mix well and serve.

Over the years, I have seen many variations of this recipe. People will often add the first fresh peas or fava beans of the season. I’ve also seen variations where milk is added to loosen the ricotta and the sauce is then flavoured with a sharp cheese such as Pecorino Romano.

Regardless of how you choose to flavour the sauce, this dish is the epitome of home cooking. So simple. So comforting. So beautiful.

Ciao!

Pasta e Ricotta (Pasta with Ricotta)

Treasured family recipe

• penne rigate (or whichever pasta you prefer)
• 3/4 cup of ricotta (per serving)
• 2-3 tablespoons of pasta water (per serving)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (per serving)

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt.
2. Add the penne rigate and cook according to package directions.
3. About a minute before the pasta is ready, put a 3/4 cup of ricotta into each serving plate.
4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta water and mix well. The ricotta should loosen and become creamier.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each serving dish and mix well. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain and portion out the pasta directly into each serving dish.
6. Mix well so that the pasta is completely covered in the ricotta sauce.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Note:  The incredible Sam of Becks & Posh recently posted about making ricotta at home. Why not give it a try? If you do, let me know how it turns out!

This past Christmas I vowed that unlike previous years, I would actually make use of all of my gifts as soon as possible. This is, after all, the girl who received a Cuisinart food processor for Christmas two years ago and proceeded to leave it in the box for an entire year before taking it out and finally using it. I know, I know! I don’t deserve the food processor. But what can I say? It is now an indispensable part of my batterie de cuisine and no you can longer confiscate it from me on the grounds of neglect.

So with this vow in mind, I eagerly set about unveiling my brand new pizza stone, which was a gift from my mother.

Now I do not for one single moment believe that a pizza stone is required to make great pizza. My mom has been making incredible pizza at home for as long as I can remember. But for me, there is some sort of deeper bond to the pizza stone. I think it has to do with my yearning for a wood-fired oven.

The first time that I ever saw a wood-fired oven, much less ate food cooked in a wood-fired oven, was as a little girl in Italy. My father’s family lived there so we would visit often in the summers. Those days were usually spent with my paternal grandparents who still lived in their home in the hills outside of Ascoli Piceno in the region of Le Marche. It was there, in my grandmother’s rustic kitchen, that there lived a small but very effective wood-fired oven.

I’m not sure why that oven has such a hold on me.  Maybe it’s the memories of watching the fire being slowly built, the smell of the food cooking almost instantly in the oven’s chamber, or the way everything looked as it emerged crisp and golden. All I know is that I have always wanted one.

At the moment, my modest home kitchen does not have the capacity for a wood-fired oven, although a girl can always dream! Until that day comes, I will content myself with my pizza stone, which is a much smaller, more lightweight and easier-to-clean way for me to reconnect with those summer days.

For the pizza dough, I used the recipe that has now become a classic in our family. I am not exaggerating when I say that we have tried at least a hundred different pizza dough recipes over the years. But I always come back to this one. Reliable and easy, it has never failed me. It’s a recipe from a book called Pizza by Lorenza De’ Medici Stucchi. If you have a favourite pizza dough recipe, however, by all means go ahead and try it out on a pizza stone! If you don’t have a pizza stone, never fear, just use regular pizza pans or rimmed baking pans.

While I usually make two large pizzas from this recipe, I decided to make smaller pizzas, about eight to ten inches in diameter. In all, I was able to make six pizzas.

As for the toppings, well, therein lies the greatness of pizza. It’s like a canvas waiting to be painted  on. This time around, I chose three different versions:  Yukon gold potatoes with blue cheese and rosemary; tomato sauce with roasted garlic, mozzarella and chili oil; and tomato sauce with artichokes and goat cheese.

While I still yearn for that wood-fired oven, for now I shall content myself with pizza from my own hearth!

Ciao!

Basic Pizza Dough

adapted from Pizza.

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working and rolling the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt
• olive oil (to grease the bowl)
• cornmeal (if you’re using a pizza stone)

By Hand

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand until slightly foamy on top, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour (2 3/4 cups) and the salt. Form into a mound and make a well in the centre.
3. Add the yeast mixture and either with a fork or your hands, slowly begin incorporating the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue mixing until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
4. Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the surface.
5. Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
6. Form the dough into a ball and then place in an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and also a tea towel. Place the dough in a draft-free place and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
7. Once the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. (If you’re using a pizza stone, follow the manufacturer’s directions for heating the stone.)
8. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
9. Roll the dough to fit the pan that you are using.
10. Top the dough as desired (see my variations below). (If you’re using a pizza stone, be sure to sprinkle some cornmeal on the pizza peel or whatever instrument you’re using to transfer the pizza from your work surface to the pizza stone, and on the pizza stone.)
11. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pizza crust is golden and the toppings are cooked. (If you’re using a pizza stone, transfer your pizza to the stone and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.)

With the food processor:

1. Follow Step 1 above.
2. Place the flour (2 3/4 cups) and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
3. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube.
4. Combine until the dough begins to form clumps around the processor blade. If the dough is too sticky, add flour.
5. Remove the dough from the processor bowl and knead 5 or 6 times to form into a ball.
6. Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and also a tea towel. Place the dough in a draft-free place and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
7. Follow Steps 7 through 11 above.
8. Enjoy!

For the pizza with Yukon gold potatoes, blue cheese and rosemary

• 4 Yukon gold potatoes
• blue cheese (as much as your heart desires)
• a few sprigs of rosemary
• olive oil
• sea salt (optional)

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes. Slice into 1/4-inch slices.
2. Brush the prepared dough with olive oil.
3. Lay the potato slices on the pizza.
4. Crumble the blue cheese over the potato slices and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt.
5. Bake as directed above.

For the pizza with tomato sauce, roasted garlic mozzarella and chili oil

• your favourite basic tomato sauce
• roasted garlic (as much as your heart desires)
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup of shredded mozzarella depending on the size of the pizza
• chili oil (for drizzling)
• sea salt (optional)

1. Brush the prepared dough with chili oil (or olive oil).
2. Spread tomato sauce on the dough and then add roasted garlic.
3. Top with shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Bake as directed above.
5. When the pizza comes out of the oven, drizzle with chili oil for added flavour

For pizza with tomato sauce, artichokes and goat cheese

• your favourite basic tomato sauce
• canned artichokes, drained and sliced
• goat cheese (as much as you like)
• olive oil
• sea salt (optional)

1. Brush the prepared dough with olive oil.
2. Spread tomato sauce on the dough.
3. Arrange artichoke slices and goat cheese on the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Bake as directed above.

Note:  If you are using a pizza stone, be careful not to sprinkle too much cornmeal on the stone before baking the pizza. I speak from experience when I say that there is nothing worse than burnt cornmeal!

There are certain ills that only pasta can cure. Bad day at the office? No chocolate in the house? Sore feet?  Never fear.  These are all curable with a plate of pasta. Don’t believe me? Try it.

It’s no wonder then that after a particularly stressful day, not too long ago, I had pasta on the brain. But not just any pasta dish … pasta al forno. Baked pasta.

In the dead of winter, when spring seems like a wish that will never come true, nothing comforts quite as much as baked pasta. Yes, buttery mashed potatoes can help. And I’ll admit that a well-made rice pudding will set off a warm glow inside the belly. But neither come close to a plate of creamy, buttery, cheese-enrobed, crusty-topped pasta that calls to you the way the lighthouse calls to the lost ship. Come to me, it says, as it opens its arms wide to envelop you in its warmth.

For quite awhile I ignored the siren call of one baked pasta dish in particular. But last week, resistance was futile. I succumbed to the temptation of penne with five cheeses (actually six cheeses as I fiddled with the recipe). 

This particular pasta dish, from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook, had been giving me "come hither" looks for at least six months. It was around that time that I first saw the Barefoot Contessa episode where she prepared this dish. Now you must understand that when I watch Ina Garten, I am usually torn between two emotions: envy because I want her kitchen so badly and admiration because I admire her kitchen so badly.  Much of the time, the food takes on the role of supporting actor to the Barefoot Contessa’s leading lady.  But not the penne with five cheeses.  Sorry, Ina, but you faded into the background like all those lovely copper pots on your stove. 

Armed with my cookbook, I set about to prepare the pasta dish that would offer me so much comfort. I tweaked it a bit. I added Parmigiano Reggiano because if you have five cheeses you might as well have six. And I didn’t bake it in individual gratin dishes. I baked it in a rectangular ceramic dish that held all those lovely little penne together as one. I must also admit that I broke one of my own little food rules:  I used an ingredient out of season. Basil. You see basil isn’t exactly flourishing in Canada at this time of year. But I had to do it. It’s as if that little package of basil promised that summer would soon return and bring with it all the glories of the garden.

When I finally removed the pasta from the oven, I set it gently on the counter and let it cool slightly before I greedily dug into it. As expected, the bad day was forgotten. I suddenly remembered a secret chocolate stash in the kitchen cupboard. My feet were no longer sore. And like the lost ship struggling to make it home, I saw the light and made it to dry land.

Ciao!

Penne with Six Cheeses

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook.

• salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes in a thick puree
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup shredded imported Italian fontina
• 1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola
• 3 tbsp. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced thinly (use fresh mozzarella if you can’t find buffalo mozzarella)
• 3 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano (add more if you like!)
• 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pound of penne rigate (you can use regular penne or rigatoni)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

To make the pasta

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add salt; stir.
3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the penne and the butter. Mix well so that the cheeses and cream are combined
4. Drop the penne into the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the penne and immediately add to mixture of cheeses and cream. Toss to combine making sure that the pasta is completely coated in the mixture.
5. Pour the pasta into a large baking dish. Dot with butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

Note:  I have an older oven that isn’t well-calibrated so it took a bit longer (about 15 minutes).