Gnocchi

The first time I ever ate gnocchi is one of the most memorable meals of my life. The Mister and I had just moved to New York City, had just moved into our first apartment, and were getting used to our new lives. His parents had come out for a wedding and we went out to dinner with them and his cousins at this little Italian bistro in Brooklyn. It was a beautiful June night and we sat on the patio and talked and drank wine and had a great time. And I ordered gnocchi.

I've spent the two years since that night (two years! holy crap!) working on making gnocchi as light and airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the ones I tasted that night. So far, I haven't gotten it right, but this recipe is the closest I've gotten. I've found that baking the potatoes is the only way to cook them - boiling, while faster, doesn't yield the same fluffy results. I don't have a potato ricer so I've used a hand mixer almost every time with great results.


Gnocchi

Adapted from here

8 medium Russet Potatoes

2 eggs - beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
3-5 cups of flour
handful of fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
salt/pepper


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into the oven and bake for until fork tender. Rest until cool enough to work with them and then remove skins. Mash with a hand mixer.

Transfer the potatoes to a clean, lightly floured surface and add the eggs, Parmigiano, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Begin kneading together, adding more dough until you have a ball of dough.

Cut the dough into small manageable sections and roll each of the sections into logs. Cut the logs into small 1″ sections.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the gnocchi into the water and allow them to cook until they rise to the top and swell up.

When gnocchi are done. Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the sauce pan, toss gently with sauce to combine. Garnish with additional basil and Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

Bubble and Squeak

I first found Bubble and Squeak thanks to a good friend. We have a Thursday tradition of meeting at a small pub in AZ for trivia, karaoke, and cider - and now food. One night I had come without eating dinner first, and though I wasn't thrilled to have to eat typical English Pub food, I think I made out quite well.

Bubble and Squeak is a traditional English dish that's generally made from leftovers and served with a big breakfast. (I like mine best late at night and after a few drinks - its great drunkfood.) Its silly name reportedly comes from the sounds it makes while frying cooking. Oh, yeah - its not health food :)


Bubble and Squeak

1/4 head cabbage
2 cups mashed potatoes
Butter for frying
Salt and Pepper to taste

I started with leftover potatoes and a wilting head of cabbage.

Bring small pot of salted water to boil. Roughly chop the cabbage into bite sized pieces and boil until soft, about 6 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frypan. Saute potatoes and cabbage together with seasonings until edges are crispy. Some make small patties and fry like latkes; I like mine in a mash. Either way its yummy.

Gnocchi with Pesto

Gnocchi and pesto are two of my favorite recent discoveries. I had gnocchi for the first time last summer at a little cafe in Brooklyn - unbelievable. How had I never tried them before is beyond me. A few months later I decided to try to make them on my own with pesto, and now I can't imagine my life without pesto. I seriously can eat it by the forkful. It grosses the boyfriend out, but yummmm. I kinda wing it when I make gnocchi and pesto. The recipes are pretty easy and very very tasty - and I love eating the leftovers for the next few days!




Gnocchi

Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

4 big potatoes
2 eggs
Flour

Wash the potatoes and chop into big pieces so they will cook faster. Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, the potato skins should peel off easily.

After the skins have been removed, mash the potatoes however works best. I use my hand mixer but if you have a ricer or a masher that should work too, as long as you get rid of all the chunks you possibly can.

When the potatoes are smooth, crack in 2 eggs and some flour (I start with a cup or so). Knead until everything is incorporated. The mixture needs to get to the point that its not sticky any more, so keep adding flour by the cupful and kneading in until your mixture is not sticky.

When the mixture is smooth, grab a big handful and roll into a rope just like you used to to with Play Doh when you were a kid. I like big fat gnocchi so i roll big fat ropes - but not too big, because you want them to cook through. Cut into bite sized pieces. Drop by the batch into a pot of boiling water; the gnocchi will sink. When they rise to the top they are done; remove with a slotted spoon.

This recipe makes a LOT - enough for dinner and 2 lunches for the 2 of us PLUS more to freeze. Adjust accordingly.




Pesto

1 pack basil
Garlic (I used the chopped stuff)
Olive oil
Parmesan Reggiano cheese

I don't use pine nuts because they are too expensive. I grab a big sharp knife and chop everything together until its a nice paste. Garlic to your taste; I like lots of it. Add enough olive oil so that you form a coherent paste, but not so much that its oozy. Enjoy!!