It's Cold and Wet Outside, Let's Get Gnudi

I woke up to a miserable day in front of me. I drew open my bedroom drapes only to find most of the leaves that hung on the tree in front of our house had fallen overnight and wrapped our car in a soggy auburn blanket. Rain lashed at our windows and the wind howled and shook the remaining leaves from the trees. Today was not a day to venture outside but to hide away from the world with a cozy rustic lunch.

Pumpkins and autumn go hand in hand. When I walk down our street and see all the pumpkins sitting on our neighbors' porches, I think about pumpkin in all its delicious edible forms: pie, soup, ravioli, muffins, risotto, etc. I had have a craving for pumpkin ravioli these days but I was not in the right frame of mind to wring out my own pasta or run out and even pick some up.... today was the day I made a meal out of the contents from my fridge. After a quick perusal, I decided I could make pumpkin gnudi (pronounced: nude-y) instead.

Gnudi is an Italian dish very similar to gnocchi with the exception of one key ingredient: fresh ricotta instead of potato. The difference is all texture: instead of a dense, hearty bite of a gnocchi, a gnudi is a light and pillowy cloud. Think of it as ravioli filling without the pasta exterior. It is delicious and light tasting but is quite filling and satisfying especially on a rainy autumn day.

Pumpkin Gnudi with Brown Butter



Serves 4 as a side or 6 as an appetizer
1 lb fresh ricotta
2 large eggs
1.5c packed pumpkin
1 c freshly grated parmesan* (plus more for garnish)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground sage
1.5c all purpose flour

1/4 c unsalted butter

Mix ricotta with eggs and pumpkin, parmesan, salt, nutmeg, and sage until fully incorporated and batter is a soft orange colour. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (Keep in mind that you will be cooking this in salted water.)

Add flour bit by bit & stir until batter is firm but not stiff. (You may need to add more flour, if necessary.)

In a pot of boiling salted water, spoon batter into water. Though time-consuming, I usually test the first one for flavour and make any adjustments before I proceed further. With the incorporation of flour, the flavours sometimes fade and only through cooking will you know for sure.

Continue to add gnudis, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Resist against making large drops into the water. (I found the larger the gnudi, the longer the cooking time and it is certainly possible that the gnudi is not fully cooked, resulting in a floury, pasty taste.) The gnudi takes only several minutes to cook (allow it to float to the top and allow for another two minutes or so.) Drain well.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it butter turns into a nutty brown colour. Carefully add drained gnudi to the pan and toss gently. Cook for another five minutes until crisp on the outside.

Garnish with parmesan shavings and serve immediately.

...Read more

If You Dare...

Note: Please forgive the tardy postings these last few weeks... we have been in the final steps of our major basement renovation and we've been scrambling to get our house in order and our weekends are spent moving furniture, and cleaning. Not fun.

The inspiration for this week's recipe came from a huge craving I have had for one of my favourite types of cheeses. Stilton. Gorgonzola. Roquefort. Cambozola. Blue cheese - it's a type of cheese you either love or you hate. It is assertive & distinctive and usually, ahem, pungent. There are people out there who are absolutely mad for a veiny, craggy bleu and I am one of those people.

While there are milder forms of this type of cheese, I prefer the verbose & in-your-face flavours for this appetizer. It's meant for just a few bites to set the stage for dinner and is not meant to serve as a portion for a main dish. If you would prefer a larger portion, I would recommend a milder blue cheese such as dolcelatte. This pasta has flavour!


Gorgonzola Pasta with Roasted Mushrooms & Pine Nuts

serves 4 appetizer sizes

1/2 lb small pasta (such as penne or shells)
1 tbsp butter
5 large button mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
80 grams Gorgonzola crumbled
1/2 c light cream (or milk - if using milk, I used abit extra & allow it to boil down a little)

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of boiling salt water.
2. Over a high-medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter to a large skillet. Once butter has melted, toss in mushrooms. Spread evenly along the skillet and allow to roast off.
3. In a medium saucepan, add cream (or milk) and crumbled cheese over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and allow to cheese to melt.
4. Once mushrooms have browned off and given up considerable moisture add to cheese/cream mixture.
5. Drain off pasta and add to sauce. Stir to incorporate.
6. Adjust seasoning and top with toasted pine nuts & serve immediately.

...Read more

Something to Nibble On...

Happy Thanksgiving Canada.

Sorry for not posting last week.... I had intended to post, but the recipe I had in mind didn't fare well under my camera. The photos weren't appetizing enough so the recipe sits on my computer until a drool-worthy photo can be captured.

For this week, I was trying to come up with a quick snack for NFL football this afternoon. I thought I might make something with pumpkin since it is Thanksgiving but, then I saw an unopened container of walnuts and thought, "Who doesn't like candied nuts?"

If you aren't familar with making your own candied nuts, you are in for a treat. They take no more than 15 minutes of active time and can easily be made ahead so they are the perfect make-ahead dish to buy you a little time when your guests arrive and you are still prepping dinner.

Personally, I like a mixture of toasty almonds and buttery walnuts but you probably have your favourites, too. This recipe creates a sweet and warm flavour that's perfect for the fall. The secret ingredient here is the inclusion of smoked paprika. While I have seen other candied nuts recipes that include cayenne (which is great but lends some heat), I prefer smoked paprika because of its mysterious dark but subtle flavour without the added heat.

While these nuts are highly suitable for football snacking, I like also like them topped over a spinach salad with dried cranberries, crushed and sprinkled on top of steamed broccoli or as a part of a cheese board with gorgonzola and dried apricots.


Candied Nuts

4 c walntus, almonds, hazelnuts, etc
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried ginger powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice

1. Toast nuts for approximately ten minutes in a 350 degree oven until golden & fragrant.
2. Melt sugar, spices & salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
3. Working quickly, carefully add toasted nuts to sugar mixture and stir to coat.
4. On parchment paper or a Silpat, pour mixture onto a large cookie sheet.
5. Spread nuts out quickly to break up any large lumps and allow to cool completely.
6. Once cool, break apart nuts and store in a dry container.

...Read more

My Birthday Meal

Birthdays only roll around once a year and regardless of how you choose to celebrate it, I believe on the day of your birth you should have a special meal. It doesn't have to be at restaurant and it doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be something special.

For my birthday this year, I had a real longing for mac and cheese, not the instant, out of the box kind but the al dente pasta smothered in a sharp but creamy cheese sauce with a crusty, crisp exterior. I have been craving it for months but couldn't really justify the calories except on this day. Since it was a birthday meal, I decided to go all out by creating something rather splendid, full fat flavour to be enjoyed hungrily without a moment’s regret. A meal that I could recall throughout the rest of the year and think to myself, "Now, that was dinner!" It had to be a version of macaroni and cheese that was not just indulgent but also exquisite.

The "something" I added to this mac and cheese for my birthday meal was lobster. It isn't something I get to eat very often and its inclusion really brings something special to this humble dish. If you don't want to use lobster, I think this would work well with lump crab meat, or bay scallops. (Or no seafood at all! It's still delicious!)

There are two secrets to a good mac and cheese. The first key to success is using the right cheese for this dish… I pondered what might pair well with lobster, and I thought a nice sharp white cheddar might fare well, and perhaps some nuttiness from a Gruyere topped with some Reggiano Parmesan.

The second key is just the right amount of time in the oven to deliver a creamy, smooth interior with a crunchy, crisp exterior. To achieve this, sprinkle with panko flakes (beautiful Japanese breadcrumbs)on top and bake in a large shallow pan for maximum crust. A fifteen minute bake finished with a little broiler time yields this is perfect balance. But if you prefer a firmer mac and cheese, you could leave it in the oven for a little while longer.


Lobster Mac n' Cheese

200 grams small pasta - such as shells or macaroni

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 c whole milk
2 c shredded 2 year old Cheddar
2 c shredded Gruyere
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch paprika
1.5 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt & pepper

2 lbs lobster
1 tbsp butter

1/2 c panko
1/2 c grated Reggiano Parmesan

1. Heat water for pasta. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat water for lobster. Once boiling, add lobster. Cook for a minute until the shell turns bright red. Pull lobsters out and dunk in an ice water bath. Once cool enough to handle, remove meat. Chop roughly into bite size pieces and set aside. The lobster will still be uncooked - which is fine as it will continue to cook in the oven.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk. Allow flour to cook, turn down heat to avoid burning, if necessary. Add 1 c of milk and whisk well. When fully incorporated and thickened, add a second cup. Repeat with the remaining two cups.
4. Once milk is fully incorporated, add 1 c of cheese at a time. Continue to whisk until all the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Add nutmeg & paprika (use freshly grated nutmeg if you can), and salt & pepper to taste.
5. Add pasta to water and stir. Cook until about 2 or 3 minutes away from being al dente. (It continues to cook in the oven so we want this nearly cooked not perfectly cooked.) Drain and return pasta to pot. In the same pot which is now off heat, stir in lobster chunks and dill. Pour sauce on top and stir to mix.
6. In a large buttered casserole dish, add the pasta and lobster mixture. Sprinkle panko and Parmesan on top.
7. Bake in oven for fifteen minutes. Move to the top rack and brown top.
8. Allow the casserole to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
...Read more

If You Can't Beat'em, Join'em...

While it may be hard to say goodbye to summer, I like autumn for a couple of reasons: the fiery, vibrant colours of the fall leaves, apple-picking, and now, NFL football.

My husband is a big fan of the sport but I always thought of football as something that delayed the start of Sunday evening television. It wasn't interesting to me - a two groups of really big men pushing toward each other while a guy in the back tried to throw a ball before being crushed. But, several years ago I stepped into the light and embraced football as my own. Now I love it. And yes, our Sundays are planned around the games we are going to watch....

For Sunday lunch then, we needed something delicious but relatively easy to put together for our 1pm Patriots v. Jets game. So how about a hearty fall soup accompanied with slices of crisp chewy baguette for dipping? With flecks of brown, green and orange, the soup reminded me of fall colours. The addition of bacon (leave out if you don't like it) adds a nice salty and smokey flavour that makes it such a great hearty soup.

The soup takes about 45 minutes to put together from start to finish but could be even faster if you used canned lentils. It reheats well so it is perfect for lunch the next day and for freezing if you wanted to make a large batch for later.


Lentil & Smokey Bacon Soup

2 c dried mixed split lentils, rinsed well
1 small onion diced
2 large carrot, peeled & sliced into rounds
2 bay leaves
1 liter chicken broth
1 liter water
6 slices of streaky bacon

1. Cook lentils with onions, and carrot with bay leaves, chicken broth, and water. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook bacon until slightly crisp.
3. Drain bacon. Finely chop and add to soup. Cook another 5 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until desired consistency.
5. Serve. If reheating, you may have to thin the soup out with a little broth or water.

...Read more

Stir Fry Beef with Coconut Rice

When you feel under the weather, comfort foods soothe the belly and the soul. I have had a cold now for four weeks (!). Due to allergies, I can't take any medication so I have to wait it out. So I took a couple of days off work, watched Season 2 of Bones and tried to get some rest.

When I don't feel great, I reach for the foods I grew up eating: those comforting meals my mother made that made me feel better when I was feverish, tired & curled up in bed. (It's amazing no matter how old you get, you are always your mother's child.)

One of the foods I long for when I am under the weather is the soul-satisfying stir fry beef. A venerated a Chinese restaurant staple, this dish is so simple & deliciously easy to make it at home. It's very flavourful, so comforting and quick, you'll be diving into a steaming bowl within minutes.

This is not exactly my mother's recipe as the marinade for the beef is enhanced by a touch of malt vinegar. This addition came from one of my favourite cookbooks, Simple Chinese Food, by Kylie Kwong. Her cooking is simple, accessible and wildly delicious. In her fabulous cookbook, she has a recipe for stir-fried beef where she adds a dash of malt vinegar. When I tried adding malt vinegar to my regular stir fry beef, I knew I could never go without it again. The malt vinegar adds a zippy, perky flavour that enhances the umami of this dish.

Coconut rice isn't exactly something I grew up with, but for some reason, I had a craving for it. The rice has is lightly fragranced with a faint hint of coconut flavour. It is a nice match for the stir fry.


Stir Fry Beef with Coconut Rice

1lb beef - sliced thinly (sirloin or flank work well)
1/4c + 1 tbsp light soy sauce, separated
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp water
3 green onions - sliced thinly
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled & finely sliced into matchsticks*
1 large red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

Coconut Rice
2 c white rice
1 c coconut milk
1 c water
1 tsp salt

optional: 1 tsp sesame seed

1. Marinate beef with soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside (in your refrigerator) for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 2 hours. Overnight is fine as well.
2. Meanwhile prepare rice by rinsing rice until water is clear. Put rice, coconut milk, water & salt into a rice cooker. Set on. (If you don't have a rice cooker, use a medium sized sauce pan with a well fitted lid. Bring ingredients to a boil without lid on, then cover & reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Reduce to low and cook until all the liquid is absorbed about another 5 minutes.)
3. Drain meat from marinade. Reserve marinade liquid.
4. Heat a wok or a large fry pan, add vegetable oil and watch for vegetable oil to shimmer but not smoking. Carefully add meat in batches and allow meat to sizzle and brown - about a minute or two. (Depending on the thickness of your beef.) When you have cooked all of the meat, remove and set aside. Turn down heat to medium-low and add ginger and red pepper to the pan (add a tsp more vegetable oil if the pan is dry.) Stir after about a minute. Toss in green onions. Return the beef to the pan alongside any liquid that may have accumulated. With reserved marinade, add 3 tbsp water, 1 tbsp soy sauce & stir re-incorporate the marinade and add to pan. Turn up the heat slightly.
5. Remove from wok/fry pan when the liquid transforms into a clinging sauce. Serve over coconut rice. Add sesame seeds if using.

*if you find ginger too spicy - try using half of the amount or try ginger powder which is far less "warm"
...Read more