Valerie's Food Ramblings

Gingersnaps!

2011-12-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

I don't bake much. But for some reason, around Christmas, I feel the urge to get in the kitchen. The other night, I decided to make some gingersnaps. They came out pretty well, although I think they could be even more ginger-y. A coworker suggested fresh ginger, which I just might try next time - yes, there will be a next time, as they are almost gone already!

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar (most recipes call for dark, but all I had on had was light, so that's what I used)
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp crystalized ginger
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
Sugar for coating (about 1/2 cup is enough)

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.
Combine sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix about 2-3 minutes, till well incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add molasses, egg, and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy.
Incorporate flour mixture on very slow speed and mix until just combined.
Place bowl in refrigerator for about 1 hour so dough is easier to handle.
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll dough into 1" diameter balls, or use a small scooper (this way your hands will not get all sticky!)
Drop balls into small bowl of sugar and roll around to coat.
Place on silicone baking sheet, or parchment paper, on a cookie sheet.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes (I took mine out at 12 so that they were still a little soft - leave them in longer for a crunchier cookie)
Cool on a wire rack
EAT!

*note - I returned the bowl of dough to the fridge in between batches to keep it from getting too sticky.

Crackers

2011-11-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Parmigiano Rosemary Crackers

I have recently discovered the joy of making crackers at home. Worried that I was eating too much processed food and too many salty snacks, I set out to find a recipe for homemade crackers. I found one that tasted good, but was missing that crunch of a store bought cracker. Then I found these on a blog - I could not believe how easy they were, and how crispy they turn out - just like a real cracker! I've made some slight adjustments, and have tried several versions with different things added. For the ones I made last night, I added some grated parmigiano reggiano, chopped fresh rosemary, and cracked black pepper to the dry ingredients. For a Spanish themed dinner, I made some sprinkled with Spanish Pimenton before baking. They are sooooo yummy! Here's the basic recipe - I usually cut it in half because it really makes a lot.

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk together the flour and salt (and any other dry ingredients you want to add for flavoring) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the water and olive oil. Mix at medium speed for about 7 minutes (or knead by hand if you don't have a stand mixer). Dough should not be sticky, but not too dry either. It will feel a bit like a pizza dough. Divide the dough into 8 balls, coat each ball lightly with olive oil, cover, and let rest for about an hour.

Heat oven to 450. Flour a cutting board or other surface (I simply use my granite counter top). Take one of the dough balls and flatten out into a disc. Run through a pasta machine on setting number 1 (if you don't have a pasta machine, you can just roll out the dough, but try to get it as thin as you can - about 1/16 of an inch). Continue to pass through the pasta machine until you get to number 3 or 4. I have a great pasta attachment for my stand mixer - makes the rolling much easier than a manual machine because it leaves both hands free to handle the dough. Once you have a very thin sheet, add any additional toppings you wish to add (I usually use a flaked sea salt), prick all over with a fork to prevent puffing up of the dough, cut into squares, rectangles, or whatever shapes you want. I use a ravioli cutter to give them a fun edge, but you can just use a knife, a pizza cutter, whatever. Carefully transfer to a floured baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with a Silpat liner. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully, as they can go from golden to burnt very quickly. When they are a beautiful golden brown, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. They will cool down very quickly - usually by the time your next batch is done baking.

Back again!!

2011-11-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

So much has happened since I last posted here. One big change is my new job - I'm now working for Veritable Vegetable, the nation's oldest Organic Produce Distributor. As you can imagine, this has given me access to all sorts of wonderful produce. I'm organizing my life in many ways, and one of those is to try again to post regularly on here and make this into something.... so here we go.

One thing that I was thrilled to find at work were these - fresh Cranberry Beans. I've often used the dried or canned variety, but had never even seen them fresh like this. So I recently brought a bunch home and made a soup.

Cranberry Beans in their pods

I sat down with this bowl full of beans, and an empty bowl, and the Food Network on TV. Much like shelling peas, you just snap one end and expose the pretty beans inside:

After an episode of Anne Burrell, here's what I ended up with - about 4 cups of shelled beans.

Shelled beans

Unfortunately, after cooking they loose their unique coloring, but the creamy texture more than makes up for this. So then it was time to start the soup. With no real recipe to go by, here's what I did:

Mirepoix

All of my soups start with a mirepoix (2 parts chopped onion, 1 part chopped celery, 1 part chopped carrots) and a large, heavy soup pot. My favorite is a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset that I got for my birthday one year. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the pot, add the mirepoix, a little bit of salt, and cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Then I added the shelled beans, about 1/2 can of chopped San Marzano tomatoes (I had some leftover from the previous night's dinner) and about 4 cups of chicken stock, and a sprig of sage. Oh, and I tossed in some parmesan cheese rinds that I had in the fridge. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. No salt at this time because it can make the skins of the beans tough. I cooked the soup for a couple of hours, occasionally adding more water if the level got too low. Once the beans were super tender and all the flavors had time to really come together, I decided to add some Rainbow Chard that I had in the fridge. After washing, I cut out the stalks and chopped them up - added to the soup and cooked for about 10 minutes. Then I chopped up the leaves and added them and cooked for 5 more minutes. Then season the whole thing with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and drizzle with some good quality olive oil. Here's the finished product. This made enough for dinner that night, dinner for me and Creg the next night, and another night, and one more serving in the freezer (how much is that total? 6?) Of course, we accompanied the soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, which I did not photograph.

Cranberry Bean Soup

Tortilla Soup

2010-08-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks, I was fighting off a cold, and yesterday I lost the battle. So when I got home from work today, I whipped up a batch of spicy tortilla soup. Felt like I needed more than a traditional chicken soup. Here's what I did.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 can stewed tomatoes (check labels - some have high fructose corn syrup)
6 chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
8 cups chicken stock or water, or combination of both
Salt
1 avocado
tortilla chips
Mexican crema

saute onions, carrot, celery, and garlic in olive oil in a heavy soup pot till soft, about 8 minutes.
add chipotle and ancho chili powders, and tomato paste and cook about a minute.
add zucchini, corn, tomatoes, chicken, and stock. season with salt
bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 45 minutes.
remove chicken thighs, shred meat, and return to pot
ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, avocado, and Mexican crema.

Coconut Curry Chicken

2010-08-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

The other night, I made a tilapia "en papillot" with some coconut milk instead of wine. Came out really well... but I forgot to take a photo! So, I had about 3/4 of a can of coconut milk leftover and decided to try and make a coconut curry chicken. Been on this Indian food kick lately.... it came out pretty well for a first attempt, and I have a bunch of leftovers to take to lunch this week! Here's my "rough" recipe.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size cubes.
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 cinnamon stick
4 dry red chiles
2 potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 (or 1) can coconut milk
1 28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
water or stock as needed
salt
pepper

Heat olive oil in a wide heavy skillet. Add onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook another minute or two.
Add chicken to skillet and brown over high heat.
Add curry powder, paste, cinnamon and chiles and cook for about a minute.
Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes, and extra water or stock if it seems like it needs more liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with plain or coconut rice.

Coconut Rice

2010-08-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

This simple, tasty rice is a great side dish for Indian food (see my Coconut Curry Chicken recipe).

olive oil
2 cups basmati rice
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
6 oz. water
salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
toasted sliced almonds

Heat oil in pan. Add rice and toast for about 3-4 minutes.
Add coconut milk, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove lid, fluff with fork, and add scallions. Cover for another 5 minutes
Serve topped with sliced almonds

Latin American Ingredients

2010-08-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

I recently "discovered" a great store in the Mission that carries all sorts of imported Latin American products. It was all I could do not to buy everything there! They have all sorts of packaged foods, fresh meats, and vegetables. I'll definitely be going back there to check out more stuff. The store is called Evergreen Market.
Pictured are two of my purchases. The one on the left is Aji Amarillo, which is a Peruvian Yellow Pepper (in paste form). This is used in many Peruvian dishes, including my last recipe, Aji de Gallina. So happy to find it, as I've been searching for the paste form for quite a while. Should have known to look in a small Mission store all along!
On the right is Dulce de Leche, from Argentina. Takes me right back to my childhood. This has recently become a little more known here, as it is now a Haagen Dazs flavor, but this is the real thing! I will try to find a good recipe for Alfajores, the Argentine cookies that my grandmother used to make. An Alfajor is a sandwich cookie consisting of two shortbread cookies with Dulce de Leche in the middle, and the whole thing is covered in powdered sugar. Yum!
They also have Empanada shells - I will be sure to make those soon (they're in my freezer for now) and will post the results here.

Aji de Gallina

2010-07-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to try making this typical Peruvian dish. I've had it before in restaurants, and always wanted to try making it. After researching some recipes, and finding dried Aji Amarillo (not an easy task - I finally found it at Rainbow Grocery. I've heard it's also available at some Latin markets in the Mission) this is what I came up with. It turned out well, although I didn't add enough of the Aji Amarillo, as I was worried I'd make it too spicy... but bring on the heat! It was very mild, and I'll be adding more spice to my leftovers.

Aji de Gallina

1 whole chicken, cut up

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 onion

1 bay leaf

salt

black peppercorns

about 6 slices of white bread

1 cup milk

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin

2-3 tbsp Aji Amarillo

1 tbsp tumeric

¼ cup walnuts

1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

4 hard boiled eggs

4 boiled potatoes

· Make a chicken stock using whole chicken and gizzards. (Place chicken, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a large pot of water – bring to a boil – reduce to simmer – cook for about 45 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top)
· While chicken cooks, soak bread in milk.
· Meanwhile, sauté diced onion with a little salt in olive oil in a large pot till soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and tumeric and cook for another minute. Add the soaked bread and Aji Amarillo and cook for a couple of minutes.
· Transfer mixture to a blender, add walnuts, and blend till smooth (you may need to add some of the stock).
· Return to pot.
· Strain chicken, reserving stock. Discard vegetables and shred chicken.
· Add chicken and about 4 cups of the stock to the pot.
· Add Parmigiano, season with salt and pepper, and heat through.
· Serve with quartered potatoes, quartered eggs, and white rice.

The "Fruits" of my labor

2010-05-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

I spent the day in my garden today, putting in some new plants and thinning out my herbs. The oregano and sage were growing so much that I trimmed, pruned, whacked, and still there is a lot left. I guess some good has come from all of the rain this month!

Anybody have any favorite recipes using sage and/or oregano? For the sage, I'm contemplating a pizza with caramelized onions, w/ sage and goat cheese. Mmmmmmmmm! Who wants to come over tomorrow?

Savory Bread Pudding

2010-05-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've neglected my blog... but now I'm feeling inspired again so here's a new recipe. I made this last night and it was soooo good! Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo, but might try to get one of the leftovers later today. Stay tuned! So here's the recipe for a savory bread pudding. You can add pretty much anything you want to it. My inspiration was the bread pudding at Serpentine, which is to die for. They change the ingredients depending on the season, and so should you. You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the sausage, but I'm afraid there's just no way to do this vegan or carb-free. The first bread pudding I made was in my class at Tante Marie (we made one with wild mushrooms) and I was hooked. It's really very easy to do, just takes a bit of time. This one I made with some Acme bread, but you can also use challah or brioche, in which case you could leave the crust on.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

1 acme bread sweet batard, crust removed and cut into 1” cubes
1 italian sausage
1 leek, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup white wine
8 asparagus spears
½ bunch swiss chard
1 cup swiss cheese, grated
1 cup fontina cheese, grated
½ cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1-2 cups milk
thyme
rosemary
salt
pepper
small grating of nutmeg
chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss bread cubes with olive oil and some chopped thyme and rosemary. Spread on a baking sheet and put in oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and sauté in some olive oil till browned. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Add leeks, fennel, and red pepper to pan with a bit of salt and cook till softened, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in a pot of salted water for about 2-3 minutes till just tender. Remove and spread out in one layer to cool. Remove stems from swiss chard and blanch in same water. Drain and chop, add to leek mixture.

Add wine to leek mixture and cook till reduced.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, add cream, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chives, swiss, fontina, and half the parmigiano. Chop asparagus and add. Add leek mixture. Add bread cubes and stir well, press down and let soak for 10-20 minutes so that milk is well absorbed into bread, pressing down every now and then.

Butter 6 ramekins and set into a baking dish with high sides.

Fill each ramekin with bread mixture, pressing down and doming a little at the top. Top with a sprinkle of parmigiano.

Bake in water bath for about 40 minutes, till set and the top is golden brown and crunchy.

Remove from water bath, let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Celery Root!

2010-01-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Celery root - my new favorite vegetable!! this gnarly looking thing, once peeled and cooked, is really yummy. My experimentations so far: mashed with potato and a yummy cream of celery root soup, which was even better the next day. I plan to try lots of other preparations, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here's my recipe for the soup. (and send me any suggestions you might have)

Cream of Celery Root and Potato Soup

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 strips of bacon

4 large celery roots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

1 potato, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

6 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 cup milk or cream

Olive oil

Sat & pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

• Coat the bottom of a heavy pot with olive oil. Turn on medium heat and

add onion, carrot and celery. Cook till softened, about 8 minutes.

• Add bacon and cook about 2-3 minutes.

• Add celery root, potato, stock and rosemary. Season with salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, till

vegetables are very tender.

• Turn off heat and put soup through a food mill to remove any fibrous

pieces.

• Return to soup pot, add cream and cumin, and blend with an immersion

blender till smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

• Serve with garnish of crispy bacon bits and/or garlic croutons.

Chili

2010-01-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

Drizzly winter days call for warm foods, like Chili! I decided while at Whole Foods that I needed to make chili, even though, surprise, I've never made it before. I knew I had all of the appropriate chili powders at home, since I do use those fairly often, so it was off to the meat counter to chat with the butcher. I had him cube some beef chuck for me and I also got some ground buffalo, for a different texture. I searched FoodNetwork.com, and combined a few recipes (a lot of Bobby Flay plus some others) and came up with this. It was a big hit! I served it with the guacamole on the side, and topped it with a heap of cheddar, and a swirl of cumin flavored sour cream.

Chili

Olive Oil
2 pounds beef (chuck), cut into ½ - 1 inch cubes
½ pound ground buffalo
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
½ tablespoon chipotle chili powder
½ tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 ounces dark beer
2 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
1 (28-ounce) can san marzano tomatoes, with their juice put through a food mill
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
1 tablespoon honey
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and sauté until browned on all sides. You may have to do this in batches – do not crowd the meat or it will steam instead of browning. This should take about 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer the meat to a plate. Add ground buffalo, season w/ salt and pepper and cook 3-5 minutes till browned. Transfer to the plate with the meat.

Add the onions, pepper and celery to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ancho powder, chipotle powder, chili powder, and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the beer and cook until completely reduced (about 15-20 minutes). Return the meat to the pot, add the chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotle puree, honey and chocolate, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the beans and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, and adjust seasonings.

Serve with a swirl of Cumin Crema, guacamole, grated cheddar and corn bread.

Cumin Crema:

1 pint creme fraiche, Mexican crema or sour cream
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted & ground
1 tablespoon fresh lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
½ - 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
½ red onion, finely diced
juice of ½ lime
1 tsp chipotle chili puree
Mash the avocado in a bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients.

A New Year

2010-01-14T21:36:00.000-08:00

First cooking class of the year: Winter Roasting. Of course, nobody remembered to take photos, so you'll just have to take my word that the food looked great! It tasted great too, and everyone had a good time. We had a full house, 6 people, which is always fun. Good conversations, 3 regular students, and 2 new ones. I hope that this trend will continue and will try to do two classes a month this year.

Here are the recipes from last night's class:

Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken

Serves 4-6. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

1 5lb organic chicken

1/4 stick butter, softened

1 tbsp chopped sage, plus one bunch whole

1 lemon, sliced

1/2 onion, quartered

Salt

Paprika

Preheat oven to 450°
Combine butter, sage, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl
Pat chicken dry with paper towels
Sprinkle inside and out with salt
Loosen skin on the chicken breast and put some of the butter underneath
Spread remaining butter all over the chicken
Put sliced lemon, whole sage, and onion inside chicken cavity. Tie legs together with twine.
Place on roasting rack in a shallow pan. Sprinkle with a little bit of paprika.
Roast for 40 minutes, then baste, reduce oven temp. to 375° and continue cooking, basting every 15 minutes until internal temperature taken at thigh reaches 165 or juices run clear. (about 45 minutes – 1 hour more for a 5 lb chicken – 15-20 minutes per pound)
Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 45 minutes.

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets

1 head of garlic, broken into cloves

Olive oil (just enough to coat cauliflower)

1 tsp chopped rosemary

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 375°
Preheat baking dish while you prepare the cauliflower
Toss all ingredients except the cheese in a large bowl
Arrange in baking dish into one layer
Cook for about 15 minutes, stir, then sprinkle parmigiano reggiano over top
Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly

Roasted Pears with Mascarpone Cheese

Serves 6. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes.

3 Bosc pears

1 container mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup sugar

juice from one lemon

1/4 cup honey

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup port

1 vanilla bean, halved

2 cinnamon sticks

peel from one lemon

leaves from one sprig of rosemary

Preheat oven to 375°
Peel the pears, slice in half, scoop out core with a melon baller. Toss pears in lemon juice to prevent discoloring.
Combine juice, port, vanilla bean (scrape the inside of the bean), cinnamon sticks, lemon peel, rosemary and honey in a bowl.
Toss pears in the mixture, then arrange in a baking dish. Pour remaining mixture over the pears.
Bake pears, turning once halfway through, for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer to reduce.
Combine mascarpone and sugar. Serve one pear half with a dollop of mascarpone on each plate. Drizzle cooking liquid over top.

Guacamole!

2009-07-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about being single is that if I feel like having guacamole for dinner, I can! And that's exactly what I did the other night. Yes, avocados are high in fat, but it's good fat! I love to pair it with Garden of Eatin Blue Corn Chips. Here's the "recipe", although there's really not much to it.... If you're making this for more people, just increase the quanitites.

1 Ripe Avocado (ripe when just soft to the touch, not hard as a rock, not mushy)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 jalepeno, finely chopped (depends on how much heat is in the pepper - they all vary a bit, so taste it to see)
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tsp. "Art of Chipotle" paste (some Whole Foods stores carry this, but if you can't find it, you can substitute 1 chipotle, seeded and chopped, plus a bit of the adobo that it is packed in)

Cut avocado in half, and twist halves in opposite directions to open. Set side with pit cut side up on a cutting board and remove pit by tapping a sharp knife into it, then twisting the knife. Scoop out avocado flesh into a bowl. Smash with a fork, add all other ingredients, and stir to combine. Serve with chips.

Grilled Chicken with Ratatouille

2009-07-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to eat healthier for several reasons. The obvious: to be healthy in general. The second reason: Mexico in 5 weeks! I've been saying for a while now that I want to get rid of that mysterious layer of flab that appeared shortly after my 43rd birthday...now I really, really need to do it. It's just grossing me out! So in addition to the regular exercise that I started a few months ago, I'm really trying to eat less cheese, cream, and fat in general. With this in mind, I've been grilling more. The weather has been great for it, and I've figured out that it's pretty easy to throw something on the grill when I get home from work. I don't have too much of a recipe for the chicken, but it is basically this (I used a combination of spices that I happened to have, but any spices you like, that you feel go together would work equally well):

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I prefer the air-chilled organic from Whole Paycheck)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric (helps give that nice golden color)
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
dash of cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for grill

Mix together all spices and olive oil on a plate
Pat chicken dry, then coat with spice mixture
Set aside while you prepare the ratatouille, or other side dish
When ready to grill, preheat grill for about 10 minutes on high.
Place chicken, presentation side down, at a 45 degree angle to the grates on the grill. Close grill lid. After about 3 minutes, rotate chicken to get grill marks (optional). Flip over and repeat for about 2 minutes per grill mark.
Turn heat down and continue to cook till temperature at thickest part of chicken reaches about 160.
Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve!

Julia Child's Ratatouille

(note: this is Julia Child's recipe, which I always stray from a bit. I will add my comments as I go along)

1/2 pound eggplant *I used one eggplant*
1/2 pound zucchini *I used 3 small*
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl *I use a colander for this*
1 teaspoon salt
A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet *I use my ScanPan Chef's pan for the entire preparation*
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions *I used one large onion*
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers *I used red, since that's what I had*
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp) *I used 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes*
Salt and pepper
A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep *see above*
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.
One layer at a time, sauté the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.
In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.
Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. *My variation: I add the eggplant and zucchini on top of the onions and peppers and continue cooking in the same pan - no layering*
Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more *Here I mix all together, and mix occassionally instead of basting*, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole. Set aside uncovered.
Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold.

2009-07-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I haven't posted anything in a really, really long time. However, I am newly inspired due to several things. First of all, the upcoming release of the film Julie and Julia. I'm even tempted to start working my way through Jacques Pepin's Cooking Techniques, the same way Julie worked through "Mastering". Of course, there is the problem of time... no way I could do it in a year, and the problem of being single. I have no spouse to cook for like she did. And while I really don't mind cooking for just myself, that would just be too much food for me! I'll have to start drumming up regular dinner guests.

The second thing that has re-energized me is that I have been taking some cooking classes. As you can see by the photo, I have done a weeklong "cooking camp" (kind of the opposite of my boot camps) at Tante Marie here in SF. I have also signed up for a new series of 6 night classes called "cook like a chef". It's been so much fun, and since I can't enroll in culinary school (not right now anyway), this will do for now.

Finally, I really need to concentrate more on what makes me happy and what I have...food, good friends, a great house; and less on the things that I don't have...money, a significant other, a job that I enjoy...

So, I have a new determination to stay updated with this blog, to promote it more, and to give more attention to my cooking class on Meetup.com. I'm planning to grill some chicken tonight, and maybe make a Ratatouille... Stay tuned!

Beef Stew

2009-02-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Rainy San Francisco days call for stew (even if my father doesn't like stews - sorry Father!). Perfect for when you are house bound for hours, a stew will warm up the house and fill it with wonderful slow-cooked smells. Not the best photo, and I forgot to picture the piece of cornbread that went with it, but you get the idea.

Beef Stew

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 3 hours

2 1/2 lbs cubed chuck roast
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 bag frozen pearl onions
6 carrots, cut into 1" pieces (more or less)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 bottle good quality red wine
4 cups organic beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary
4 russet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" pieces (more or less)
1 cup frozen peas
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy pan over medium high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown, working in batches (if you crowd the beef, it will steam), about 15 minutes. As pieces are browned on both sides, remove to a plate.
When all beef is browned, remove all but 2 tbsp. of the butter and oil, add onions and carrots, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and cook for about 5-7 minutes till nicely browned. Add garlic and cook for about a minute more. Add tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
Return browned beef to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add wine, broth, bay leaf, rosemary, and about 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer very slowly for about an hour and a half.
Add potatoes and continue to cook uncovered for about an hour and a half. About 5 minutes before it's done, add peas.
Serve with corn bread, or a crusty bread to soak up juices.

Serves 6

As with most stews, this is even better the next day, and will freeze very well too.

Pasta e Fagioli

2009-02-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Another cold, rainy day; another soup! Tonight, I had a craving for one of my favorites, Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). Thick, hearty, satisfying, this soup is easily a meal by itself. There are many different regional versions in Italy - here is mine.

Pasta e Fagioli

1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
olive oil
4 slices bacon
2 sprigs of fresh sage
4 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes
6-8 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
Pasta (one handful per person). I like to use campanelle, but any short pasta will work - use your favorite!

Heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a heavy soup pan
Finely chop onions, celery and carrot and saute in oil for about 5-7 minutes, till onions are translucent. Add whole slices of bacon and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.
Crush tomatoes in their juice with your hands (or you can chop with a knife).
Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and stock to pot. Season with salt and simmer slowly for about an hour.
Remove the bacon and sage and discard. Take about 1/2 of the beans and pass through a food mill, then return to soup. If you don't have a food mill, you can use a food processor, but a food mill will remove the tough skins of the beans.
If you are serving all of the soup, add pasta to the soup and cook till done (you may need to add some water) If you are serving only one or two people, cook the pasta separately, then add to individual bowls of soup. Drizle bowls of soup with a bit of good quality olive oil and serve.

If you haven't added all of the pasta, this soup freezes very well. If you add the pasta, you will want to serve it right away since the pasta will continue cooking and get mushy if you leave it in the soup too long.

Serves 6-8

Split Pea Soup

2009-02-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

This rainy day put me in the mood for soup, so I made a big pot of Split Pea comfort. One of my first memories of Pea Soup is of my father having to feed us when my mother went off to a conference. He had not yet learned to cook at that point in his life, so he gave us Campbell's Pea Soup, which I loved at the time. Now that I'm all grown up, here's my more "adult" version. Simple, quick and satisfying, plus leftovers freeze well.

Slit Pea Soup with Ham

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 onion, finely diced

2 ribs celery, finely diced

2 carrotts, finely diced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Salt & Pepper

1 1/4 lbs. split peas

2 ham shanks

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Heat olive oil and butter in heavy pan, add onion, celery, carrotts and a sprinkling of salt and cook till tender, 5-10 minutes.
Rinse peas well and check for any small pebbles or particles.
Add thyme, chili powder, peas, ham shanks, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Turn down to simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until peas are tender. Skim off any foam that comes to the top in the first 15 minutes of cooking.
When peas are cooked, remove ham shanks, trim off meat, chop, and return to soup. Add cream if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Easy Appetizer

2009-01-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

I always make this appetizer (the one on top) for Thanksgiving, and I made it again on a smaller version for the cooking class last week. Here is the "recipe", although it's really just assembling, no cooking!

Pesto, Olive and Sun Dried Tomato Torta

3 packages Boursin cheese (or other garlic&herb spreadable cheese)
2 tbsps pesto (either homemade [two cubes from the freezer] or store bought)
1/4 cup finely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes

line a bowl with plastic wrap large enough to overhang sides
spread a layer of pesto in bottom of bowl (this will be the top when you unmold) or one of the other ingredients - it doesn't matter what order they go in... experiment and play with whatever ingredients you like! In the version pictured, I think I started with the tomatoes....
spread a layer of Boursin, followed by a layer of olives, another layer of Boursin, a layer of sun dried tomatoes, and lastly a final layer of Boursin.
fold plastic wrap over the top and press down slightly.
refrigerate till ready to unmold (1 hour or up to 2 days)
when you are ready to unmold, peel plastic wrap back from edges, set a plate on top, and turn upside down. Use plastic wrap to gently pull torta out of bowl. Lift bowl off, discard plastic, clean up edges of plate and serve with sliced baguette or crackers.

To make a smaller version, use a ramekin instead of a bowl, and cut down on the ingredients (one package of Boursin, 1 tbsp pesto, and about 1/8 cup each of the other ingredients.

Recipes from my January Meetup

2009-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night was my first cooking class Meetup of the year. We had a great turnout with some regulars and some newcomers. The food was delicious, and we had a great time eating and watching the innaugural balls while we ate. We made Chicken Cacciatore (a la Valerie), Creamy Herb Polenta, and Fennel & Apple Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes

1 whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
Flour for dredging
Olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock

Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and dredge in flour. Brown in oil on both sides, then remove to a plate.
Add onions to pan, season with a little salt and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, juice, olives, wine and stock and bring to a boil. Nestle chicken pieces into sauce with any juice on dish, and about a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper
Cover and simmer very gently for about a half hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. If sauce is too thin, remove chicken and reduce sauce over high heat for about 5 minutes. Serve with creamy herb polenta.

Creamy Herb Polenta

Serves 6-8 Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

1 1/2 cups polenta
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bunch sage
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring stock to a boil in a large pot, then add salt. Make a whirlpool in center with a whisk and slowly pour polenta into center. Turn heat down to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20-30 minutes until tender to the bite.
While polenta cooks, gently heat cream and herbs in a small pot.
When polenta is done, strain herbs out of cream and stir cream into polenta. Stir in butter and cheese. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Fennel & Apple Salad

Serves 6 Prep time: 15 minutes

2 Granny Smith Apples
1-2 Fennel bulbs
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 small shallot, chopped very fine
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Put lemon juice, zest, shallot, salt and pepper in a salad bowl. Whisk in olive oil.
Slice apples and fennel on a mandoline on a very thin setting (or slice very thinly with a sharp knife) and place immediately into vinaigrette to prevent discoloration. Add cheese and pecans and toss to combine.

Pesto with no photo

2009-01-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

After being home for a week, I finally started cooking again. I made pesto one night, but I didn't take a photo or write about it because I figured it was too simple.... I have now been told otherwise, so I'll post the recipe and my tips here. Next time I make it, I promise to take a photo!

Basil Pesto

Prep time: 10 minutes. Serves about 4

1 large bunch basil, stems removed
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Put basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Blend till combined, then add olive oil through feed tube until desired consistency is reached. Stop once and scrape down sides if needed. Put in a bowl and stir in cheese. Serve over pasta of choice (I like pesto with thin spaghetti).

If you have leftovers, put them in an icecube tray and freeze. Pop the frozen cubes out and put in a plastic freezer bag. They will last in the freezer for about 6 months. To thaw, just put in a small bowl for about 10-15 minutes, or if needed faster, microwave for 5 seconds. Because of the olive oil, these will defrost very quickly. I always have these pesto cubes on hand in my freezer to use for a quick dinner, or as a spread on sandwiches, or for my "pesto and olive torta" appetizer (see my next blog!).

Last Supper

2009-01-07T18:01:00.001-08:00

Tonight is my last night in beautiful downtown Potomac, so I made a Polenta "lasagna". Seemed like a good night for it, since it's been cold and rainy all day. It came out quite well, and may even make its way back to the table (even though leftovers are frowned upon in this house...) Here is my recipe:

Polenta "Lasagna"

1 1/2 cups Polenta
6 cups water
1 tbsp salt
1 cup tomato sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup ragu (recipe follows)
Parmigiano Reggiano (for sprinkling on top)
about 1 tbsp olive oil

Boil water and add salt. With a whisk, form a whirlpool and slowly pour polenta into the middle, stirring constantly. As soon as it comes back up to a bubble, turn heat down to a low simmer, and continue to stir occasionally for about 20-25 minutes, till polenta is cooked. (it should be tender to the bite).
Meanwhile, butter a square baking dish and preheat oven to 375.
When polenta is cooked, spread about 1/3 in the bottom of the baking dish.
Spread tomato sauce over polenta.
Spread second third of polenta over sauce.
Spread ragu over polenta.
Top with remaining polenta, parmigiano, and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

This is a fairly quick dish to make if you have the sauces prepared ahead of time. I almost always have some in the freezer, as these both freeze very well. If you don't have the ragu, and don't have time to make it, you can double the amount of tomato sauce and add some crumbled sausage to it. If you're in a real bind, you can buy a jar of sauce, but it's just as easy to make it while the polenta cooks (that's what I did tonight!)

Quick Tomato Sauce:

1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (these are tomatoes that are grown in the south of Italy, but if you can't find them, any canned plum tomatoes will do)
salt & pepper to taste plus any dried herbs on hand such as oregano and basil.

Heat oil, add onion and garlic, and saute till soft, about 5 minutes.
Put tomatoes through a food mill into the pan (including any liquid from the can).
Season with salt, pepper and herbs and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Ragu a la Bolognese:

1 onion, very finely diced
1 carrot, very finely diced
1 rib of celery, very finely diced
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large sauce pan, add onion, carrot and celery. Season with a bit of salt and saute till soft, about 5 minutes.
Add ground meat to pan and cook till no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon (do not brown).
Add wine and cook till evaporated.
Stir in tomato paste until well combined, then add about 1/4 cup of the stock.
Cook covered for about 1 1/2 hours over a very low heat (just simmering), adding stock a little at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add cream and heat through (if you are planning to freeze the sauce, omit the cream and add it when you re-heat).

Soufflé Success (sort of...)

2009-01-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at a soufflé! Somewhat successfull, although I think they were overcooked a bit - I forgot to take into account that the time in my recipe was for one large one, not six small ones. But still, it tasted good, and was a nice light dinner with a side salad of arugula and tomatoes.

Here is the recipe (from Joanne Weir):

5 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
6 eggs, separated, room temperature
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated gruyere
salt and pepper

Use 1 teaspoon of butter to grease a 2-quart soufflé dish. Dust the interior of the dish with Parmigiano, tapping out the excess. You can also make 6 small individual 1 to 1 1/2 cup ramekins (but don't cook as long - Valerie's note)

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes. Place the half and half in another saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a scald. Add the hot half and half to the flour and butter mixture, stirring rapidly with a whisk. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add salt to taste.

Add the yolks, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add the gruyere and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat to stiff peaks. (I took the easy way and used a Kitchenaid). Fold half of the whites into the cheese sauce with as few strokes as possible. Fold in the remaining whites. Turn the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Bake in the middle of the oven until well browned and a skewer inserted into the center is just slightly moist, 30-40 minutes. Serve immediately.

As far as I can tell, most soufflé recipes are very close to this. Some add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar to the whites (maybe to stabilize?) but they are basically a bechamel sauce to which you add the cheese (or other flavor.... spinach would be good...), and egg yolks, and to which you then fold in egg whites and bake. Not too hard really, just takes a bit of courage! I think next time I will try one large one. Ina Garten suggests smoothing the top of the soufflé and then drawing a circle with the spatula to help it rise evenly - I will try this and report back!

Veal Scaloppini w/ Saffron Cream Sauce

2009-01-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

After a night off visiting my college roommate Kristin in Frederick, the cook has returned to Potomac. Thought I'd use my parents as guinea pigs for a recipe I had been wanting to try out. It turned out very well, although next time I think I would serve it with mashed potatoes, or polenta, or something else to soak up the yummy sauce with. Also, the veal available at the Whole Foods in Rockville wasn't the greatest, but at least back home in SF I have a good butcher! The recipe is from Giada De Laurentis from the Food Network.

1 pound veal scaloppini (about 12 slices)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
About 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter with 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy large frying pan over high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the veal and saute until just cooked through and golden, about 45 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer the veal to a platter and tent with foil to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining veal, adding more butter and oil to the pan as necessary.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the wine, broth and saffron, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add the peas and return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

By the way, I have to mention the great food I had in Frederick. First, we had lunch at Isabella's, our favorite (and probably only) tapas restaurant there. Ceviche, paella, and albondigas. YUM! And for just $10.99, a great bargain. For dinner, we went to Acacia, where I had a wonderful Venison tenderloin with butternut squash and parsnip puree. A good winter meal, made even better by the bottle of 7 Deadly Zins that we had with it. Kristin had a yummy sea bass.

My first post - Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

As I finish out week one of my visit at my parents' house in the suburbs of Washington, DC, I have decided to start a blog. Seems like the thing to do on this first day of 2009. New year, new beginnings, new projects, etc. I have taken the opportunity over this past week to cook every day, something that I rarely have time to do in my real life. Dishes have included my first encounter with crepes (much easier than I expected, but then again, I had my mom by my side showing me how...and taking photos),

a wonderful stuffed pork tenderloin and fennel puree (still working out the kinks of the puree - it was a bit thin), and a New Year's Eve lasagna.

Today is gnocchi w/ cognac cream sauce w/ spinach. Here is the recipe for the gnocchi:

3 large potatoes (I use baking potatoes)

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper (use white pepper if you don't want the black spots to show)

1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour

Fill a large pot with cold water. Add unpeeled potatoes and bring to boil. Cook till tender. Drain and cool till you can handle, and then peel. Put through a food mill or ricer, and allow to cool completely. Once cool, form a mound and make a well in the center. Put egg, salt and pepper into center of well and stir into the potatoes. Once combined, add flour a little at a time until you have a nice dough (it will still be a little sticky, which is ok because more flour will be incorporated as you roll them out). Knead with your hands for another 3 minutes or so Do not overwork or add too much flour or dough will become heavy.

Cut dough into about 8 sections and on a well floured surface, roll each one out into a 1/2" thick log and slice into 1/2" sections. Roll each little section onto the tines of a fork, making an indentation with your thumb as you roll. You may need to dust the fork with flour so that the gnocchi don't stick to it, and also keep your hands well floured. Spread gnocchi out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper that has been sprinkled with a little flour.

At this point, gnocchi can be frozen on the cookie sheet and then transferred to a freezer bag once frozen.

If you are cooking them right away, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add a good amount of salt, as if you were cooking pasta. Drop about 1/2 of the gnocchi in and stir immediately to make sure they don't stick. After about 2-3 minutes, they will begin to rise to the surface. Cook for about 1 more minute after this happens. Once they have been floating on the surface for about 1 minute, fish them out with a spider or large slotted spoon. Put on a plate with a little butter and cover to keep warm while you cook the 2nd 1/2.

Serves 4-6 (refrigerate any leftovers [without sauce] and serve for lunch the next day sauteed in a little butter until just golden brown)

Cognac Cream Sauce w/ Spinach:

2-3 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup cognac

1/2 cup heavy cream

3-4 handfulls of baby spinach, well washed and dried
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add shallots and garlic and saute till soft, 2-3 minutes. Add cognac and reduce. Add cream, salt and pepper and let it come to a simmer. Cook very gently for about 5 minutes. (you can be cooking the gnocchi while the sauce cooks) Add the spinach, which will wilt down in about a minute. Once the gnocchi are plated, spoon sauce over and serve with parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Serves about 4