Sicilian Almond Lemon Cake
I guess it's no longer much of a secret that we're putting the house on the market and moving west. It's been a fun run, but 19 years on the east coast is enough. Vancouver, Washington, here we come!
Vancouver is just across the Columbia River from Portland, where we have a lot of family. For uis, it's more affordable than Portland, and Washington has no state income tax - an important consideration when you're old and on a fixed income.
For both of us, this is the longest we have lived in one place - ever. 19 years. We even had the longest jobs we've ever had. As I said, it's been a good run, but time to move back.
Of course, uprooting after 19 years has its own set of issues and stress. First and foremost, of course, is making sure Nonna is taken care of. After another stroke in December, she had to go into long-term care. She's happy and complacent - and the home is just a few minutes away from us. Great facility, really good staff... We worked out the financials, powers of attorney, the care schedules, et al, and Victor's brother and sister will take over once we're on our way.
Then, of course, we have to sell here and buy there. Fortunately, we have the best Realtor around - Sharon Sharpe - who is making this as painless as possible. Our Realtor out west - Kenneth Johns - was recommended by a family friend and has been great in helping us narrow down our search and steering us in the right direction.
And then there's the added stress of actually having to keep the house really clean and organized for showings! Let's face it - we're much more Oscar than Felix, Blanche leaves wads of fur everywhere, and I really don't understand how cobwebs can reproduce within minutes of cleaning.
And then there's the whole foreign concept of having to keep the kitchen clean. I mean... really...
And getting rid of 19 years of clutter. While Victor is a purger, I'm more of a packrat. And it never fails... whenever I decide to start tossing stuff, I find out I needed something. The local GoodWill store has been our favorite destination - after calling JDog Junk Removal for stuff even I could get rid of... They were great guys and we'll be calling them, again, for the final clean-out after packing.
The stress, the stress.....
So... to try and ease the stress a bit, Victor headed into the kitchen to bake a cake he saw on Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito. We have not baked a cake for 18 months - but it was definitely time.
Sicilian Almond Lemon Cake
adapted from Mary Ann Esposito Ciao Italia
Equipment: 9-inch spring form pan, buttered, lined with buttered parchment paper and set aside.
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 3 large lemons, washed and left whole (Meyer lemons preferred)
- 2 3/4 cups finely ground blanched or sliced almonds (The easiest way to measure the almonds is by weight. You will need 3/4 of a pound or 300 grams.
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Confectioner’s sugar
Glaze:
- 1 cup or more of confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fiore di Sicilia extract (mix 1/2 orange extract and 1/2 vanilla extract)
- a few drops of milk
Directions
Cake:
Place lemons in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook just under the boil for about 45 minutes. Drain and when cool, trim the ends, cut them in half widthwise and remove the seeds. Chop the lemons and place in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the sugar and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over and a bowl and strain the lemon mixture.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Divide blanched peeled almonds into three batches and whirl them in a food processor until they are powdered. Combine the batches and set them aside. (Or: buy fine almond flour at the supermarket!)
Beat the egg yolks and remaining 1 cup of sugar in a medium bowl until they are pale yellow and frothy looking, and then beat in the drained lemon mixture and the powdered almonds. Stir in the salt and baking powder.
In a separate bowl with clean beaters, whip the whites into soft peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the lemon mixture and pour the batter into the pan.
Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out dry. Be careful not to let the cake brown too much; it should be golden brown.
Cool slightly then release sides of the spring pan, remove the sides, and let the cake cool. Dust it with confectioner’s sugar or make a confectioner’s glaze with:
Glaze:
Mix all glaze ingredients until the glaze consistency forms then drizzle over cooled cake.
Talk about an excellent way to break our cake fast! Moist and lemony, it was perfection on a plate.
We each had one slice and then wrapped it up tight. The following day we sliced it up for the Realtor Open House. I hope they loved the house as much as they loved the cake. There was nary a crumb left...
So...
2020 is bringing new adventures...
We're ready!
Happy New Year
The meal is different but this is a reprint of last year's New Year's Eve post... I can only wax poetically about new years so much...
If my mom ever cooked anything special for the new year, I really don’t remember it. The first time I recall hearing about good luck New Year’s foods was when I was in the Navy. Working with lots of guys from down south, Hoppin’ John entered my vocabulary. As I got older and moved around the country, more traditions arrived.
When I lived at Lake Tahoe, working for the Hyatt, I worked with a lot of Mexicans. They made tamales and brought them in for everyone to share. Somewhere, I remember King Cake – that was probably Boston. Black-eyed peas and cornbread followed me around the USofA, and landing in Pennsylvania, it became Pork and Sauerkraut. Victor would divorce me if I ever made pork and sauerkraut – so much for good luck.
After years in the restaurant and hotel business, the very last day I want to be out is New Years Eve. It’s even worse than Mother’s Day. I don’t know if you can even imagine the horror of delivering pizzas on such a night, or dealing with drunks throwing glasses in the general vicinity of a casino fireplace. We were still finding shards of glass for weeks after that one…
Other than a few small house parties, First Night in Boston was probably the most fun of the New Year festivities I’ve experienced. Definitely the most unique. Outdoors in a cold, snowy Boston with performances ranging from classical to contemporary in a score or more different venues. And the crowds were relatively well-behaved.
We had bullets raining down on us when we lived in San Leandro – why people think it’s a good idea to shoot guns into the air boggles my mind. We flew across the country on New Year’s Eve 1999 to bring in the year 2000 with Victor’s family – on a near-empty flight in deserted airports. And being locked out of Times Square after seeing The Producers with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick less than a half-block away was pretty aggravating. We ended up heading back to our hotel and had a champagne toast with the bartender, the Beverage Manager, and a couple from Norway as the clock struck twelve.
Normally, I eschew crowds – especially the throngs out on a New Year’s Eve – but I do think I’d like to ring in the new year in a European city, Rome, London, Paris, Florence, Barcelona… I dunno… Outdoors in a huge plaza, somewhere – and within walking distance of wherever we were staying. The biggest stipulation being within walking distance of where we would be staying. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with any sort of transportation. And I could definitely envision a moonlit walk through Paris at 3am…
It's nice to dream...
But what I didn't have to dream about was last night's dinner... Victor made a egg yolk-stuffed ravioli that was simply out of this world.
It was one of those meals that simply could not be improved on. It was perfection on a plate.
The pasta dough is based on a recipe from Alon Shaya. The filling is pure Victor!
Pasta Dough
- 1 1/4 cup 00 flour
- 1/2 cup semolina
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp olive oil
Mix flours. make a well and add the eggs, egg yolks, and oil. Slowly mix in the flour and knead until smooth. Let rest 30 minutes before rolling to desired shape.
Ricotta Filling
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- pinch garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 egg yolk per ravioli
Mix all ingredients – except final egg yolk – together. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble:
Roll dough through pasta roller or roll out by hand. Cut into rounds - one slightly larger for the top.
Place a scoop of cheese mixture on top and make an indentation for the egg yolk.
Then add the egg yolk...
... and top with a pinch of shredded cheese.
Moisten edges and place second round of dough on top, gently pushing out the air and sealing well.
Cook in lightly boiling water about 4 minutes, give or take.
Serve with your favorite sauce...
And then cut into it and watch that lovely yolk run out...
It's even better if you have a loaf of fresh-baked bread to sop everything up.
This is a loaf Pane Pugliese - one of my favorite breads to bake. Pane Pugliese is a rustic bread from Puglia – in Italy’s heel – and comes from The Italian Baker by Carol Field.
This bread requires a starter – biga – that needs to be made the day before you want to bake the loaf.
Pane Pugliese
Biga
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or 1/10 package fresh yeast)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/4 cup water (room temperature)
- 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until creamy – about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, one cup at a time.
Mix with the paddle attachment on the mixer at the lowest speed about 2 minutes.
Remove to a slightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at cool room temperature for 6 to 24 hours. The starter will triple in volume and still be wet and sticky when ready. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pane Pugliese
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 cups water; room temp
- 1 cup biga
- 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt
Proof the yeast in the warm water. Add 1 1/2 c water and the biga, mix till blended. Add flour and salt, mix till dough comes together and pulls off the sides of the bowl. Knead 3-5 minutes in a mixer, longer by hand. Dough will be very soft and elastic. Let rise about 3 hours, shape into 2 small round loaves or 1 big flattish one. If you have baking stones, place loaves on baking peel or on baking sheets sprinkled corn meal. Let rise about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°, and 10 minutes before baking flour the loaf tops and dimple them with your fingers. Bake 50-60 minutes for big loaves, 30-35 minutes for small. Tap the loaves to test for doneness (hollow=done) and cool on a rack.
The perfect bread for the perfect pasta and a perfect end to the year.
Salmon Patties
I love it when Victor heads to the kitchen to cook dinner. It means something fun and different will be had.
I tend to do variations on a theme - Victor gets an idea and runs with it. When making something different, his modus operandi, generally, is to read five or six recipes for something and then take the pieces and parts he likes from them and make something his own. It's a great system.
Tonight, it was salmon patties.
Crispy on the outside delicate on the inside salmon patties topped with a sun-dried tomato aioli, and aleppo pepper and garlic roasted potato wedges It does not suck to be me!
He purposely didn't add a lot of filler or binder so we could actually taste the salmon. It made for a much more delicate patty with perfect taste and texture.
Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 tbsp pimento, chopped
- 2 tbsp celery, minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 12 oz fresh wild salmon, poached and cooled
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch Florida Pepper
- panko bread crumbs for coating
Cook onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper in hot oil until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in chopped pimento.
Add capers and cook until fragrant. Cool.
Stir salmon, onion mixture, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, garlic, mustard, cayenne, Florida pepper, salt, and ground black pepper together in a bowl until well-mixed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm and chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
Form salmon mixture into four 1-inch thick patties and lightly dredge in panko.
Fry patties in hot oil until golden and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Top with aioli, if desired.
Sundried Tomato Aioli
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2/3 cup neutral oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sundried tomatoes, in oil
- 3/4 tsp oil from the tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Combine the egg yolks, dry mustard, salt and lemon juice in a blender and process for 20 seconds.
With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in the oil in a thin stream. It should take about 2 minutes to pour all of it in.
Add the tomatoes, oil, and garlic and process another 20-30 seconds to incorporate completely.
Perfection on a plate!
Sunday Dinner
Sunday Dinner.
I feel like Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof singing Tradition - except I'm Irish eating Italian. I guess it's the ultimate in cross-cultural recognition.
As a kid growing up, we'd have Sunday Dinner now and again - usually a roast or something that could be stretched into several meals in the coming week. My mother was a professional food-stretcher.
Victor's family, on the other hand, did the whole Italian pasta, meatballs, and lord knows what else eat for hours starting early in the afternoon...
Over the years, I've come to embrace that.
Granted, we no longer start early in the afternoon and eat all day, but a homemade pasta with a homemade sauce and homemade meatballs with a homemade loaf of bread sure makes for a great dinner!
Victor’s Pasta Sauce
- 2 – 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 – Sm can tomato paste
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (or to taste if you like more) chopped fine
- Olive oil
- Dried Italian seasonings
- Hot red pepper flakes (a tsp or more or less to taste)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Red wine (always cook with a decent wine, never “cooking” wine) about a cup or cup and a half
- Meat – such as Italian sausage or some nice beef or pork ribs or pork chops
Ok…I ALWAYS make my sauce with meat, so start with a deep, heavy pot and add about 3-4 TBS of olive oil. On high heat, once the oil is hot, start frying the sausage or pork, Let the meat get good and caramelized although you don’t have to cook it all the way through because you’ll add it back to the sauce to finish. Once the meat is browned take it out of the pot, put it on a plate and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and sauté the tomato paste for a couple of minutes until it begins to “melt”. Add the chopped garlic and sauté with the tomato paste for just a minute (no longer or it will burn). Then add about a cup of the red wine and deglaze the pan with it, scrapping up all the good bits that stuck to the bottom when cooking the meat.
When the wine reduces by about ½ start adding the canned tomatoes. Add one can of hot water for every can of tomatoes you use.
Now start adding the dried Italian seasonings. I eyeball it but I would guess a good 2 TBS is fine. Add about another ½ cup of red wine, with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir everything into the sauce. It will be very thin at this point.
Add back the cooked meat. Now this is important….at the bottom of the plate you let the meat rest on will be some of the oil and juices that seeped out. Pour that back into the pot. It has a lot of flavor in it.
Bring the sauce back to a boil then turn the heat down low and let it simmer for at least 1 and a half hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes to keep it from burning. It should reduce by about a third or a little less and get thicker. The meat will absorb the sauce and get very tender.
When I make meatballs, I don’t fry them, I bake them on a sheet pan. When I do, I add them to the simmering sauce when they’re done so they also absorb the flavor.
I usually make the sauce early in the day and after it’s done, just let it sit on the stove until dinner then I re-heat it. This should make enough sauce for a couple of dinners or good sized lasagna.
Fresh Pasta
- 1 cup tipo ’00’ flour
- 1/3 cup semolina flour
- 2 eggs
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp water – maybe
Mix flour, salt, and eggs until fully combined. Knead on a floured board until smooth, adding a drop or two of additional water, if needed.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, and then roll out using pasta machine. You can roll this with a rolling pin, but a pasta roller is so much easier!
Lightly dust and then fold the pasta strips.
And then cut to desired width.
Unfold and place on a floured sheet pan.
Cook in lightly boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Then add to sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Aleppo Tomato Bread
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 pgk dry yeast
- 2 tbsp aleppo pepper
- 1 cup tomato juice and pulp from 3 or so fresh tomatoes
- 4 cups flour
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 1 tsp salt
Place yeast and warm water in mixing bowl. Let proof about 5 minutes.
Add juice, salt, 3 cups flour, and aleppo pepper. With dough hook, mix well, adding softened butter a bit at a time to make a soft but not too sticky dough. Mix for about 10 minutes.
Turn dough out to a floured surface and knead briefly.
Roll into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled.
Punch down and form into a round or oblong loaf. Place on a well-floured or corn meal-covered bread peel – if using a baking stone – or onto a floured or corn meal-covered sheet pan and let rise again, until doubled. Make a slit across the top about a half-inch deep.
Place into a 350°F oven and bake about 45-55 minutes.
We were reasonably good - we didn't eat nearly as much as we wanted to - but every bite was perfection.
Viva la Sunday Dinner!
Tomato Galette
The garden tomatoes are slowly coming tpo an end, but while they're still around, we're coming up with more ways to eat them.
Tonight, Victor made a Tomato Galette - layers of sliced tomatoes under crisp and crunchy croutons. It was pure perfection!
He took a bunch of yellow heirloom tomatoes and sliced them and then layered them in a small casserole dish with thinly-sliced shallots, a bit of shredded quattro formaggio cheese blend, salt & pepper, topped with homemade croutons from the Italian Bread I made yesterday.
The croutons were bread cubes mixed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder - baked in the oven until crunchy and toasted. Since toast is one of my most favorite food groups, he made enough for me to snack on, as well!
It all went into a 350°F oven for 45 minutes.
Crispy crunchy croutons atop perfect tomatoes - seasoned simply, because they're so delicious on their own they don't need a lot. And the homemade croutons made the dish!
I made the bread to go along with a beef stew I had made.
I make stew based on a Boeuf Bourguignon recipe I've been making for years. It started off as a quick version of Julia Child's classic and has just morphed over the years. The constants are beef, bacon, brandy, a bottle of red wine, and beef stock - the rest changes to suit what's in the kitchen at the time... It slow-cooks in the oven for several hours and comes out great every time.
This really has been the year of the tomato and I'm going to be sad to see it end.
But it ain't over, yet!
Eggplant, Ravioli, and a Seven Minute Egg
I always know when Victor asks if I have planned anything for dinner that he has a plan for dinner. And I ain't no fool - I let him go for it!
His plan, tonight, was based on a soft-cooked egg he had seen on Milk Street - steamed for exactly 7 minutes.
Dinner based upon a simple egg?!? You betcha!
Of course, one needs something to put that egg upon - and he did not disappoint!
First, he made ravioli. Perfect little pillows stuffed with ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, egg, and parmigiano.
Our eggplant did not produce as it has in past years, but we were able to make some cutlets and freeze them. A couple of them came out and went into the oven with his sauce and the same ricotta filling in between them.
When they were ready, the ravioli went into the sauce and the eggs went into the steamer basket. And then everything went onto the plate.
Absolute perfection!
It was one of those texture sensations - the silkiness of the ravioli, the crunch of the eggplant breading, and that perfectly cooked egg.
It was heaven on the end of my fork.
Baked Cod Gratinée
The Year of the Tomato continues...
I canned another 8 pints of tomato sauce, today, and then set Victor loose in the kitchen for dinner.
Kitchen tag-teaming is an art in our house! We had cod, we had sweet potatoes, and we had tomatoes - the perfect combination for a fantastic dish!
He started with a small casserole dish - buttered. Into that went thinly sliced sweet potato, a bit of sliced onion, and sliced tomato on top of that. A bit of salt and pepper, of course, and then a sprinkling of bread crumbs and just a bit of parmigiano reggiano.
It was covered, and then into a 350°F oven for about 35 minutes.
The cover came off and the fish went on. He drizzled the fish with aleppo oil - a mixture of aleppo pepper and oil. Onto the entire dish went a covering of bread crumbs and grated cheeses, mixed with a bit of S&P and oregano.
Since everything else was cooked, it went under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to cook the fish.
To serve, it was topped with chopped tomatoes - because we have lots of tomatoes.
It was a very uncomplicated dish - and just exploded with flavor. The sweet potatoes were perfectly soft, the tomatoes almost disintegrated, the fish was perfectly firm and moist...
Crusty cheese and crumbs added texture and flavor.
Perfection on a plate!
Homemade Fettuccine and Home-Grown Tomatoes
Homemade pasta with a fresh sauce made from tomatoes out of our garden. It does not suck to be us.
Some meals are over-the-top because of their exotic ingredients. Others are over-the-top because of their simplicity. Tonight's dinner was definitely of the latter.
Fresh pasta is flour and eggs. It does not get much more basic. We use Italian flour, but all-purpose will do. We also add semolina - but you can still make a good pasta without it. Don't let the lack of a specialty ingredient keep you from making this.
Fresh Pasta
- 1 cup tipo ’00’ flour
- 1/3 cup semolina flour
- 2 eggs
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp water – maybe
Mix flour, salt, and eggs until fully combined. Knead on a floured board until smooth, adding a drop or two of additional water, if needed.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, and then roll out using pasta machine. You can roll this with a rolling pin, but a pasta roller is so much easier!
Lightly dust and then fold the pasta strips.
And then cut to desired width.
Unfold and place on a floured sheet pan.
Cook in lightly boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Then add to sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
The sauce was another lesson in simplicity.
Fresh tomatoes - not peeled or anything - with fresh leeks, green onions, a bit of anchovy paste, tomato paste, wine, garlic, zucchini, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper.
Some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano on top.
Rich and silky-smooth, bursting with flavor. Absolute perfection.
And while we're talking about tomatoes from the garden, we added to our sauces...
We now have sauce from Black Krim tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, Green Zebra tomatoes, and Brandywine Yellow tomatoes. Hopefully, we'll get another dozen or so quarts before we head to California mid-month.
Pretty awesome...
Roasted Tomato Soup
When the garden gives you tomatoes, it's time to make tomato soup!
The vines just keep on giving, so Victor took about six pounds of them and made a big batch of roasted tomato soup - and it is outrageously good!
This is one of those soups that you really want to just keep on eating. And eating. And eating...
Sweet from the tomatoes, spicy from the peppers, and a roasted rich flavor from the onions, peppers, and garlic.
Sheer perfection.
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes
- I whole head garlic, roasted
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 hot peppers, chopped
- olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs - basil/parsley/oregano
- marinated chopped tomatoes and basil for serving
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese optional garnish
- 1/4 cup uncooked rice, optional for thickening
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Wash and cut tomatoes (cut in half for smaller sized tomatoes, cut larger tomatoes into quarters or eighths).
Place tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, hot peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs on a large pan.
Roast 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil and broil 3-4 minutes or until some of the tomatoes get a little bit of char color on them. Roast garlic separately.
Bring chicken broth to a boil, add tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fresh herbs. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth and creamy.
Top with marinated diced tomatoes.
We thought the soup was thick enough as it was, but if you're looking for a heartier soup, add up to a quarter cup of uncooked rice and cook in the broth.
He used up the last of the paprika oil he made a few days ago and mixed it with the chopped tomatoes and basil for a great topping. You could add just about anything - from croutons to sour cream, pepitas... Or keep it simple and don't add anything at all.
Roasting everything is the key - so have at it!
Sunday Pasta
Sunday pasta. What a treat - especially when it's homemade!
Victor has been making pasta for years - and every batch just seems to be better than the last.
There's something about homemade pasta that just can't be compared to the fresh pasta you buy in a grocery store - and it's fathoms away from dried. The lightness, the silkiness, the flavor - the way it takes up sauce.
It's pretty awesome stuff.
I love it!
Tonight's pasta is a tagliatelle made with Victor's favorite recipe.
Fresh Pasta
- 1 1/4 cups Tipo “00” flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semolina
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp olive oil
Mix and mound the flours on the counter and make a well in the center.
Add the eggs and oil to the center and slowly start incorporating flour into the eggs.
When it becomes cohesive enough to start kneading, begin by pressing the heel of your hand down and pushing the pasta, fold it over itself, and repeat. The process will take about 10 minutes. The dough will become rather stiff, but smooth. The more you do it, the more you will get the feel and the more natural it becomes.
Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Take pieces of the dough and roll through a pasta machine or by hand,
and form into your desired shape.
This is half of the recipe. The rest has gone into the freezer for another day...
The sauce was chunks of pancetta, fresh fennel, asparagus, garlic, and fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden. The tomatoes are our San Marzanos from Italy. Unbelievably good.
Part of the beauty of this is its simplicity - just a few good-quality ingredients. The favors all come through and compliment one another rather than something overpowering the dish or cancelling something out. You get to taste everything.
Make some pasta. Roll it out with a rolling pin if you don't have a machine. Cut it with a knife. The strands don't all have to be the exact same size.
Dress it with some fresh vegetables. You don't need a heavy sauce.
You'll be really happy you did.
Really happy.
Gazpacho
Summertime, an' the livin' is easy...
And cold soup on a hot day is perfection - especially since most of the ingredients came out of our garden!
There are as many recipes for gazpacho as there are people making it - some chunky, some smooth, some cooked before chilling, some completely raw. This one was raw and moderately smooth - but it still had texture. And lots of stuff chopped on top right before serving.
These were the basic ingredients - there are no amounts listed because you put in as much - or as little - as you wish. It can also be as chunky as a pico de gallo or as smooth as tomato juice. There is no right or wrong way or amount.
Gazpacho
- tomato
- cucumber
- bell pepper
- onion
- garlic
- red wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- basil
- oregano
- tomato basil pesto for serving
Chop all of the ingredients together, reserving some tomato, cucumber, and onion for serving.
Mix well and blend with a immersion or standard blender, if desired, for a soupier consistency.
It's a great way to use up bits and pieces and odds and ends...
And it tastes spectacular!
Chicken Soup for the Soul
I still have a cold.
It still sucks - and I am not a good patient.
But I will be a good boy and eat all of my soup when it's freshly-made by Victor. I may not be the best patient in the world, but I am certainly not stupid.
This was some awesome soup!
It was a bit of a clean-out-the-'fridge affair - our most common type of soup. Vaguely familiar, always slightly different, and always really good.
Tonight's soup included:
- chicken broth
- chicken
- carrots
- onion
- celery
- garlic
- beans
- alphabet pasta
- corn
All simmered together to perfection - and then topped with homemade pesto to serve.
Perfection in a bowl.
I really am hoping this cold leaves me, soon - but in the meantime... I'm eating well!