Gnocchi, Lofty Fare Or Peasant's Delight?

Basic gnocchi, as pictured, are comprised of a handful of kitchen staples.  As daunting as they may seem, gnocchi can be whipped up in virtually no time  and require no special equipment to make.  As I was rolling them out last night, I was musing to myself how inexpensive and relatively easy they were to make.  If you have eggs, flour and a couple baking potatoes on hand you're 99% there.  Below, please find my basic gnocchi recipe.  I like to serve these with red sauce, buerre blanc or even pesto.  They're very versatile!




Rachel's Basic Gnocchi

Two large russet potatoes (approximately two pounds total)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes.  Pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife all over and bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Alternatively, you can put them in a microwave safe baking dish with 1/4 cup of water and microwave on high for about 10-15 minutes until soft and cooked throughout.  Let the potatoes cool until they can be handled and peel off the skins.  If you have a potato ricer, food mill or even a colander with large holes, push the warm potatoes through the holes in to a medium size mixing bowl.  If you do not have one of these tools, no worries.  You can skip this step and use a spoon to gently mash the potatoes.  The key here is to eliminate as many lumps as possible without over-processing the potatoes.  Mix the egg yolks, salt and pepper in to the potatoes.  Add the cup of flour and knead.  The dough should come together but be soft but not sticky. Add up to another 1/4 cup of flour until it is not sticky.  Start a large pot of salted water to boil.   
 
On a floured surface roll the dough in to a single rope about 3" in diameter.  Cut the dough in to six even sections.  Roll each section in to it's own rope about an 1" in diameter and cut at 1" intervals.  Gently roll each of these pieces off the back of a fork and allow to dry on a floured surface for 20 minutes. Have your sauce ready.  Begin to cook the gnocchi in three batches.  The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pot of boiling water and then rise to the top.  After about 2 minutes they're done.  With a slotted spoon, remove to the serving bowl.  Once all the gnocchi are finished, sauce them in the serving bowl.  Serves 4.           

Super Buttery Pecan Toffee Recipe

2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
12 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate in chip form or bar form chopped fine.

Line two large sheet pans with foil.  Spray with non-stick spray or grease with butter.  In a large (6 quart+), heavy pot or sauce pan add all the ingredients except for the chocolate and pecans.  Bring to a steady boil stirring constantly.  Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot.  Continue to boiling stirring constantly until the thermometer reads 305  which is the hard crack stage.  Remove the pot from heat and add the nuts stirring briskly to distribute.  Immediately pour the hot candy, distributing it evenly between the two baking pans.  Using a heat proof spatula, spread the candy as thinly as possible without  breaking it.  After about two minutes, sprinkle the chocolate bits/chips evenly over the top of each sheet of hot toffee.  Allow to sit for another minute or two and with an offset spatula, gently spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top.  Spread to the edges.  Allow to cool at room temperature until chocolate is solid and toffee is completely cooled.  Break in to pieces and store at room temperature.  Makes approximately 3 pounds.  

Malbec Wine Poached Fuyu Persimmons

Malbec Wine Poached Fuyu Persimmons With Star Anise, Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean and Orange Zest.

Recipe as follows:

6-8 medium Fuyu persimmons

3 cups red wine

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole star anise

1 vanilla bean

2" strip of orange zest

Peel, stem and quarter the persimmons. Add all ingredients to a heavy, large pot. Simmer on over low heat until the persimmons are tender and the wine mixture has reduced by half. Serve persimmons and syrup over ice cream, puddings, pancakes, oatmeal, or enjoy them by themselves. If you have a Fuyu persimmon tree: 1. I am jealous. 2. this is a great gift to jar and give away.  Cheers!

Crisp & Chewy Double Chocolate Chippers

Fudgy in the middle and crispy on the edges, these extreme chocolate cookies can satisfy both texture camps.  My husband and one of my sons likes a crispness to their cookie.  My other son and I like the chewy fudginess.  Until now I've been forced to go back and forth making crisp cookies in one instance and chewy the next.  

Crisp & Chewy Double Chocolate Chippers

2 Cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 Cup good quality cocoa

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 larges eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter

12 oz. white chocolate chips

8 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter brown sugar and granulated sugar together for about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla.  In a seperate medium bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in to the bowl of the stand mixer.  Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds more.  Add  the chips and mix well.  Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon on a well greased cookie sheet, or one covered in parchment paper.  Space the cookies at least 1" apart.  Bake for 12 minutes until the edges and bottom are lightly browned.  Remove to a rack to cool.  Makes 4 Dozen      

Grapefruit White Balsamic Jelly

This morning I finished formulating a new grapefruit white balsamic for my company.  I liked it so much, I brought home the test sample and began to think of ways to use it.  I began to muse on its' sweet-tart, citrusy goodness.  I began to imagine what it would be like to toast a crumpet, slather it in butter and then spread the flavors of this tart golden balsamic over the lot.  Immediately, I realized I could make that a reality.  Almost as quickly as the thought popped in my head, I gabbed a pot and jelly jars and set to work.  Just a short while later I had made exactly what I had envisioned in my mind.  A tangy citrusy jelly that begs to be spread oven warm baked goods.  Behold, the first ever, White Grapfruit Balsamic Jelly.  Recipe to follow, although I should add that you'll need to get a hold of Delizia's new White Grapefruit Balsamic when they roll it out if you intend to make this amazing treat.      

Gimme S'more Please!

Here is the culmination of my vision of  s'mores, made entirely from scratch, sans chocolate as per the directions of the S'mores From Scratch Challenge.  I toasted the cajeta marshmallows with a torch and the heat from the melting marshmallows in turn melted the Dagoba 59% chocolate.  I split this puppy for my kids last night before bed.  Why, you ask?  Because, I am a glutton for punishment and a pushover when it comes to my kids.  I'm in the kitchen shooting the picture above and my kids are just out of the shot, swooning in anticipation.  "Do we each get one?" they stammer.  Good thing I'm not legally insane.  Please stay tuned for my cajeta marshmallow recipe.

S'mores From Scratch Challenge: Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Home made graham crackers:  Uber comfort food that will make your house smell amazing.  Dip these puppies in mik or do what I'm doing and take the S'mores From Scratch Challenge.  Tonight Grahams.  Tomorrow I'll be putting it all together with toasted cajeta marshmallows and warm Dagoba Chocolate. 

Thick Crisp Cinnamon Grahams

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup graham flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablepoons molassas
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut in cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350.  Put the flours, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and brown sugar in to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.  Add the chilled, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.  Mix together the milk and molassas and add to the food processor and continue processing until a ball forms in the bowl.  Remove the dough and between two layers of parchment paper, roll it in to a large rectangle approximately 1/8" thick.  Peel off the top layer and with a fluted pastry wheel or a pizza cutter, score the dough in to individual crackers and dock each cracker with a fork.  Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together.  Liberally sprinkle on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.  Cool on a cookie rack.  Once cool, break in to individual graham crackers.  

Dinner With Friends & Rachel's Butternut Squash Ravioli Recipe

Menu:

2004 Rioja Reserve (courtesy of Ed and Julia)
Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts With Shallots and Bacon
Butternut Squash Raviolis With Sage Brown Butter
Home made Deep Dish Apple Pie With Vanilla Gelato

Rachel's Butternut Squash Ravioli Recipe

Filling
1 butternut squash
5 oz. fresh goat cheese
6 fresh sage leaves
2 large shallots sliced thin
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sage Brown Butter Sauce
8 oz. or two sticks salted butter
5 sage leaves
2 large shallots sliced thin

Pasta Dough
Two cups all purpose flour
3 large eggs
(You can skip this step and use wonton wrappers instead)

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the butternut sqash in half lengthwise.  On parchement paper or directly in to a non-stick baking pan, place the squash cut side down.  Roast for 30 minutes or until the sqash is easily pierced with the tip of a knife.  Allow the squash to cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan.  Add the sage leaves and sliced shallots.  Saute slowly over medium low heat until the shallots are golden brown and sage leaves are crsip.  Scoop out the butternut squash flesh discarding the shell.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the squash, goat cheese, butter - shallot - sage leave mixture.  Pulse until well combined and you don't see any large pieces of shallot or sage.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper and refrigerate covered.  Make your pasta dough using the well method or the food processor method.  If using the well method, simply mound your flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center.  Pour the beaten eggs in to the center of the well and gently work in the sides of the flour mound without breaking the walls of the well until all the flour is tacky.  Knead until a smooth mass forms.  If the mixture is too dry, add a 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time until it's cohesive.  It should not be tacky, however.  Make the dough in to a smooth ball and wrap with plastic.  Set it aside to rest while making the brown butter sauce.  Using a large saute pan over low heat, melt the butter.  Add the sliced shallots and sage leaves to the butter and allow the butter to slowly brown the shallots and crisp the sage leaves.  This process should take around 20 minutes and will also brown the butter so watch it carefully to ensure that it doesn't get too dark or burn.  Over high heat, start a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cut the pasta in to four equal pieces covering the pieces you are not using.  Roll out one piece of the pasta dough at a time.  Each piece should make two sheets.  If using a pasta machine, roll to level five.  If you do not have a pasta machine, roll the pasta out as thin as possible with a rolling pin.  The dough made with a rolling pin will be thick but good.  Drop taplespoons of the butternut filling an inch apart making two columns of five per sheet.  Around each mound of filling, moisten the pasta dough with a little water.  Cut the raviolis in to squares using a sharp knife or a fluted pastry wheel.  Make sure the edges of each ravioli are sealed well before dropping them in to the pot of boiling water.  Drop the raviolis in to the boiling water for around a minute each.  Gently scoop them out, draining well and place in to a serving bowl.  When all the raviolis are cooked, pour the warm brown butter sauce over the top and serve immediately.  Serves 6      

In Honor of My Grandmother, My Culinary Mentor

My grandmother is/was the single most influencial person in my life when it comes to my culinary passion today.  As a child, she would let me help her roll homemade pasta on her wide kitchen table.  We'd knead impossibly thick biscotti dough together.  She would set up a stool so that I could gently stir an enormous pot of her famous "all day sauce".  My memories of these loving experiences and  the amazing flavors resulting are poignant and  extremely relevent in my kitchen today.  It's as if she places her hand gently on mine as I prepare ingredients and stir my own humble version of her sauce. 

When she passed away, I was honored to inheret a shoebox full of her handwritten recipes.  There must be hundreds of index cards meticulously written in her graceful script.  These recipes remain one of my most prized possessions.  It's slightly difficult for me to open the box 12 years later and my throat still catches every time but I simutaneously acknowledge that her memory is intrinsically entwined with the contents of this box.  Therefore, for the next two weeks, I will be posting for you her most memorable recipes.  I hope you appreciate these gifts as much as I have. 

Rachel's Grandmother's Eggplant Parmesan

Even if you or your family are not fans of eggplant, this recipe is artful in its' ability to compel the staunchest eggplant opponents to reconsider.  The secret to success is the sauce.

Rachel's Grandmother's Eggplant Parmesan

2 large globe eggplants sliced in to1/2" thick slices

2 cups of bread crumbs

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups grated mozzarella

1 1/2 cups flour

salt & pepper to taste

enough extra virgin olive oil to pan fry the eggplant

Sauce

3 cups canned or fresh crushed tomatoes

1 large onion diced fine

1 large bunch fresh basil

1 tsp. dried oregano or a sprig of fresh oregano

4 garlic cloves diced fine

1/2 cup white wine

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

Start by making the sauce.  Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Saute the onion until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute without letting it brown.  Pour in the wine and allow to reduce for a minute.  Add the tomatoes, half of the basil leaves torn or roughly cut in to pieces, the oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Allow the sauce to simmer gently over low heat until nicely thickened.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Add the rest of the basil leaves to the sauce just before assembling.     

Eggplant

While the sauce is simmering, salt the eggplant slices and put in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes.  Pat the slices dry.  In a wide bowl, mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh pepper to taste.  In a separate wide bowl mix the bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and another teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk the eggs together in a third wide bowl.  Heat about a 1/4" of olive or vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  First dredge the eggplant into the flour, then dip in to eggs, then dip in to bread crumbs being sure to coat thoroughly each time.  Preheat the oven to 400.  Without overcrowding the pan, fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides set aside on paper towels until all slices are browned.  Lightly grease a a 13"x9" baking pan and ladle 1 cup of sauce in to the bottom layer eggplant slices in the bottom without overlapping.  Ladle another cup on top and sprinkle with 1 cup of Mozzarella.  Repeat the layers two more times, ending with mozzarella on top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden.  Serves 6.      

Poulet Grand-Mère (Grandmother's Chicken)

This is a tasty, simple recipe that makes a great weeknight dinner while being easy on the pocketbook.

Poulet Grand-Mère

One cut up free range organic chicken or a combination of your favorite parts with skin on

2 pounds small new potatoes quartered

2 large carrots roughly chopped in to 1/2" pieces

2 onions peeled and cut in to wedges about 1 inch at the thickest part

10 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cup of white wine

a few spigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Toss all of the prepared vegetables with two tablespoons of olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place them in a roasting pan and arrange sprigs of thyme over the vegetables. Pat the chicken dry and season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1/4 cup of oil a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Without overcrowding the pan, thoroughly brown the chicken parts starting with the skin side down and then flipping to the other side. (I'm talking deep, dark brown, not light gold!) This is a critical step as it par cooks the chicken, crisps the skin and creates an important layer of flavor, so do not skimp. When all the chicken pieces are well browned, arrange them skin side up over the vegetables which will serve as a roasting rack or base. Pour the white wine in the still hot skillet with the chicken drippings and deglaze scraping up any browned bits. Reduce for a minute or two and pour the whole thing over the chicken and vegetables. Place the roasting pan, uncovered in the preheated oven and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the largest pieces of chicken register an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve the amazing pan juices over noodles, quinoa or rice and make sure you have plenty of crusty bread on hand to sop up the juices with. This is could also be a one dish meal. Serves 6.

Rachel's Weeknight Chili Colorado En Crock Pot Recipe

2-3 pound top round cut in to 1" pieces & patted dry
2 large fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded & diced or 1 can diced in juice
1 large onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup good quality chili powder (I like Penzey's Brand)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 dried bay leaf - optional
6 cups chicken stock or (1 - 48 oz. can chicken broth)
2 tablespoons grape seed oil or vegetable oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

*Be sure to pat the meat dry - top round gives off a lot of liquid and it will not brown properly if you do not dry it before adding it to the hot pan. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Brown the meat over medium high heat, in the oil. Make sure to brown it thoroughly on all sides. Once the meat is browned, remove from the pan and set aside. In to the same pan with the drippings, add the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir the mixture making sure the onions and garlic do not burn while scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. When the onions are soft and translucent and just beginning to brown, add one cup of stock to the pan to deglaze it scraping any bits up. Add the entire contents of the pan (scraping well to get all of the goodies in there), the remainder of the stock, the meat, bay leaves, and tomatoes in to a crock pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set on high for 8 hours. The meat will be gorgeous and falling apart. Serve with black beans, and or rice, tortillas, cheese, guacamole, etc... Serves 6 Generously with leftovers and is even better the next day. Also wanted to mention that top round is very lean, especially if you buy free range and grass fed, making this dish relatively low in calories with high-def flavor. Photos to follow.

Autumn is the Season for Cheese and Sausage Making

As the day light dwindles and the weather turns cooler, I will begin to put aside the bounty of the season by curing meats and making cheeses.

This centuries old practice is no longer driven by necessity, but has remained popular simply because it yields delicious results. We still cherish the old world flavors associated with salumi making yet there are very few true artisans left who practice the craft.

Autumn is conducive to cheese and salumi making, which both require strict temperature and humidity control. I have a couple of refrigerators which have been converted in to a cheese cave for aging cheeses and a curing room where I can hang sausages and cured meats. My first salumi (cured sausage) of the season will be a Finnochiona Salami. I will then move on to make home cured pastrami, pork loin (Canadian Bacon), American Bacon, Coppa and others which I have not decided on yet.

On the cheese front, I'll begin work on my first Fall cheese by procuring four gallons of raw, organic cow's milk from Organic Pastures which will yield two, two pound wheels of Teleme cheese. I'm also smitten on several types of fresh goat's milk cheeses. The choices are endless but my rule of thumb is to start off by making the sausages and cheese which take the longest to age and or cure.

Rachel's Racey Root Beer Recipe

Do you love root beer? Do you love root beer floats? Here's a super easy and delicious root beer recipe that you kids can help you make.

1 cup raw or Turbinado sugar

1 tablespoon Zatarains's Root Beer Extract

1/4 teaspoon powdered baker's yeast

cold fresh, chlorine free water

You'll need measuring cups, spoons, a funnel and an empty 2 liter plastic bottle. In this exact order, add the ingredients to the 2 liter bottle: 1. sugar 2. yeast *now shake the bottle to disperse the yeast in to the sugar* swirl the bottle to try and get a slight well or indentation in the mixture before adding 3. root beer extract 4. fresh un-chlorinated water to fill bottle half way. *swirl the bottle gently to help everything dissolve. 5. more water to fill to the top leaving about an inch of head space. *swirl again to mix all ingredients* Keep the bottle at ambient room temperature for 3-4 day until the bottle feels tight when squeezed then move to refrigerator. DO NOT LEAVE BOTTLE IN A WARM ROOM INDEFINITELY OR IT MIGHT EXPLODE! Serve your home made root beer chilled and enjoy!

Home Made Moisturizing Balm for Lips & Hands

I take simple but deeply gratifying pleasure from brushing up against aromatic herbs planted in my herb gardens which then release their delicious perfume in to the air. When I walk through the garden paths, the smallest brush or gentle breeze sends lemon scented geranium, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary and lavender wafting through the air. For me it is a genuinely calming and soothing experience. In light of this, I've been researching a way to encapsulate or bottle this experience. Below is a recipe for home made, all natural, moisturizing balm which can be used for skin and lips alike.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups organic olive oil
1 cup herbs
20 or so drops of all natural essential oils
1 cup grated beeswax, packed
A double boiler
Containers for balm

My first batch was made from pineapple mint and lemon verbena. It was heavenly. In the process, the herbs are strained out of the mixture after infusing it so the end product is smooth and creamy light yellow. You can add color, but why? By using the essential oil, I added a small amount of flavor but really, I could have simply used the herbs and it would have been mild and pleasant. I happen to like a more robust fragrance so I added just a hint of all natural lemon verbena essential oil. I purchased small lip balm tins and pretty little glass ointment jars to pour the mixture in to. Once it's in the container, it sits for two hours and congeals becoming creamy and solid.

Almond Butter

Last night I made a batch of fresh roasted almond butter. I started by blanching and roasted four pounds of top quality California almonds to a uniform golden-brown. Once the almonds cooled, I placed them in the bowl of my food processor and processed the almonds in to a thick ball of almond paste. I continued processing, adding one tablespoon at a time of high oleic, GMO free, expeller pressed safflower oil until the paste became smooth. Safflower, a heart healthy oil, is high in antioxidants and low in saturated fat. In fact it has a very similar chemical composition to olive oil but with a completely nuetral flavor. In the end, I only added about 3 tablespoons of safflower oil to bring about a nice creamy consistency. I also added a pinch of sea salt to balance the natural sweetness of the almonds.

Roasted almond butter is absolutely heaven! It beats the pants out of peanut butter both in health properties and in flavor. Almond butter at the store can cost as much as a dollar an ounce... ouch! My almond butter cost me $9.00 for four pounds AND my kids prefer it in their sandwiches and to dunk their vegetables in as well. I have replaced peanut butter with roasted almond butter in many of my recipes with great results.

In The Garden

Tomatoes, nectarine, swallowtail caterpillar on fennel, artichokes, canterbury bells in lavender and dark purple beside rosemary, more canterbury bells, pink flowers, and lettuce.

In The Kitchen

From top to bottom: Hungarian Sausages, Michael honing his knife skills by cutting strawberries for the strawberry rhubarb pie, a picture of my all natural 3C Granola which contains cranberries, coconut and cashews, Michael pretending to nosh on freshly made papardelle pasta, braised short rib ragu to sauce the fresh papardelle, home made calzones fresh out of the oven, the strawberry rhubarb pie before and after

More Garden Pics.

The raised beds are really bursting forth. Each week there is significant growth and fruit development. I have baby tomatoes on each tomato plant and lots of berries popping up everywhere. I will continue successive planting of greens and lettuce until and through June. I've decided that the new raised beds which are in the works will have Fall plantings. If they're done in time, I might even do some serious pumpkins in at least one. These beds will add another 72 square feet of vegetable growing space which will be designated as Fall and Winter crops. I figure that the addition of colorful kale, swiss chard, cabbages, lettuces and Asian greens will be cheerful Winter focal point when everything else has lost it's Spring/Summer luster.

Spring Vegetable Bed & Garden

Garden May 09'