Swine Myology

So, we're having a friend over for dinner tonight and I decided to do a bone-in pork loin roast. They look so great in pictures. The guy at the meat counter had no clue what I was talking about when I said I wanted to do a bone-in pork loin roast. (The language barrier didn't help and my ESL teaching skills didn't seem to work in this interaction). I ended up pointing to the bone in pork loin chops and told him I wanted 8 of those in one big piece. He pulled this giant side of pork out of a box and cut it up for me. When I asked him to clean the bones of the cartilage he had no idea what I was talking about. Anyway, I brought this huge side of pork home with me and trimmed the cartilage (and what looked like meat) from in between each bone. There was a flat bone that ran along the bottom of the roast that I hammered off, yes hammered, I don't have a hack saw. There is still a bone that runs along the base that I couldn't do anything with that I'm hoping is going to break when I go to slice the chops to serve them. Sounds like deja vu with my previous Guess Who's Coming to Dinner entry. But, we'll see what happens. Here's a picture of what the roast looks like now. I'll do a recap of the meal later. I'm doing a mish-mash of recipes on the pork loin but planning on doing a high temperature roast with it.

Oh by the way, while I was panicking about how to clean this pork I was Googling different phrases, you know, things like "Oh my God, help me clean a rack of pork" and "howtocleanarackofpork.com" etc. I stumbled upon this website dedicated to Bovine Myology with a butcher chopping up cows, you can even rewind and fast forward and pause. Can't you hear the cows on BovineCNN with a panicked report that there are "how to slaughter videos" being posted on the internet? It's just mooooooo-rtifying!. Pretty cool and creepy all at the same time. Check it out....

My Pizza Journey - Could Semolina be the Answer?!

I've been making homemade pizza for about 2 years now and it's been an odyssey to make the perfect pizza. My quest has been to have the pizza of the perfect thickness (perfect for me being not too thin but not too thick) and the right level of crispness, evenly cooked. I've taken my tips from lots of different sources. I started out cooking my pizzas with a dough recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook They taught me if I didn't have a stone to cook the pizza on an inverted cookie sheet or pizza pan that has been preheated in a 500 degree oven would help with crispness. This was definitely an improvement over just cooking the pizza in a cold pan and placing it in a pre-heated oven. I ended up going out and buying a pizza stone at Williams-Sonoma. This brought me a bit closer to my holy grail. When the stone is pre-heated at 500 degrees the pizza ends up being crisper than with the inverted cookie sheet trick. I guess in some ways after the pizza stone purchase I hit a wall. The consistency of my pizza is kind of unpredictable. Sometimes I'm happy with them, sometimes not. I still make my own dough but more often than not I use purchased dough from Trader Joe's. I do like to make my own dough when I have time and it's not that difficult. It also freezes well.

This past week I made pizza twice. The first time I used store-bought dough and made a pizza with speck ham. Speck has also been a quest for me. I've had speck in Italy and never been able to find it in the US. I've checked for it in more upscale butcher shops and delis and never had any luck. A couple of weeks ago I was in Costco and found speck in their deli case. The speck is very similar to prosciutto but has a stronger smoky flavor. It tastes great over pizza. I didn't really do anything special with this pizza, I used bagged mozzarella and jarred sauce and it was great. The pizza itself was crisp but not as evenly crisp as I had hoped for. I made some adjustments to the temperature in my oven after I made this pizza and had some better luck with the pizza I made tonight.

Tonight's pizza recipe came from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. Yes, alas, I am watching my weight. This is a great cookbook for lighter versions of favorite recipes though and they have a good chapter on pizzas. And thanks to this cookbook I think I'm one step closer to my perfect pizza. They suggested replacing 1 1/2 cups of flour in the standard dough recipe below with semolina for a crispier pizza. I tried it and it came out great. They suggest rolling the dough out to a 12-inch round, which I did, but the pizza was a little too thick for my taste. The next time I make it I think I would roll it out into a larger pie or use less dough. They also called for 2 cups of tomato sauce, but I used only about 1 cup. I tend to not like pizza that is too saucy. The recipe is light on the cheese (only 3/4 cup of mozzarella) but is jazzed up a bit with some Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Cristian and Hannah brought us a beautiful 2lb block of it last week so we are set for a while! Thanks Cristian and Hannah!).

Basic Pizza Dough

(from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)
Makes 2-12 inch pizza crusts

• 1 1/2 cups warm (105-115 degree) water
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of semolina flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. In a 2-cup measuring jug, combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.

2. In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.

3. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close freezer bag at this point or use as directed in the recipe.

I topped this pizza with 1 cup of marinara sauce (Trader Joe's from a can) and 3/4 cup of part-skim mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmegiano-Reggiano. This went into a 500 degree oven on a pre-heated pizza stone (for 1 hour -- am I crazy?). For those of you counting points cut the pizza into six slices and 1 slice is 3 points. The hardest part is not eating the whole pizza -- but just think you'll have leftovers!

"Kafka-esque" Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Apple Compote

Barbara Kafka is an award-winning cookbook writer who has written amazing books. Some of her best are a book about cooking gourmet foods with a microwave (Microwave Gourmet), a fabulous cookbook about roasting (Roasting-A Simple Art), and a great book about cooking vegetables (Vegetable Love). I was first turned on to Barbara when I ate a roasted chicken made from one of her recipes that tasted like I never imagined chicken could taste. My mom, who is an excellent cook, has never quite got the hang of cooking chicken. Maybe it was the fear of E.Coli, but when Mom would cook chicken she would throw it in a pan and put it in a 350 degree oven until it was dry as a bone. Her roast beefs and steaks and turkeys are perfect, but chicken is not her thing. (Don't anyone tell her - thank God she doesn't use the internet)!

Kafka is an advocate for high temperature roasting (500 degrees) which leaves the meat amazingly tender and juicy. I made her Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Apple Compote last weekend (from Roasting-A Simple Art) and it was good. I say good because I've been dealing with getting used to a new oven in the house I just moved into. I noticed that things seemed to be taking longer to cook than I am accustomed to so I purchased an in-oven thermometer. It confirmed that my oven was running cooler than the setting. I figured out how to adjust it the day I roasted the pork loin. I think I adjusted the temperature too high though because the pork was cooked a little more than I was expecting. Nonetheless it was delicious, and the roasted apple compote on the side is amazing. This is a really easy meal to make with a big-flavor pay-off in my opinion. I served it with a simple salad and some boiled fingerling potatoes. I did mix the optional cream and mustard into the roasted apples and it was amazing! Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Apple Compote
serves 6

• 2 1/4-pound boned and rolled pork loin (7 inches long)
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 4 large (2 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil or other neutral oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Place rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place loin in a 14x12x2-inch roasting pan. Rub salt all over loin. Smear mustard over top of loin. Roast for 20 minutes. Move the loin around with a wooden spatula so it won't stick. Roast 15 minutes more. Add the apples coated with lemon juice and oil, and collected juices. Spread out around the loin. Roast 10 minutes. Turn apples gently as they are soft. Roast 10 minutes more. In total the loin should roast for 50 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. The meat might still be slightly pink, but this is fine. Don't overcook the roast, or it will be dry and unappealing. The apples will be dark brown and will have absorbed all the good juices.

Remove loin to a platter. Snip off strings. If using cream and mustard, combine and stir carefully into apples. Let meat rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Carefully remove apples with a metal spatula and place around roast. Deglaze the pan just to clean it as all the good bits are in the apples.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

Lele's boss Cristian & his wife Hannah came to dinner last night. I sat down in the morning on the sofa and piled my cookbooks around me trying to decide what to make. Lele suggested that I make the baked pasta that I made a few days ago and posted here. It seemed too ordinary so I was looking for something in my books. I turned the TV on and my DVR had a recent episode from Tyler Florence's show Tyler's Ultimate on Food Network. Tyler was making a Summer Minestrone and a Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto and Ricotta. It sounded perfect and Tyler made it look oh so simple. I had made Gnocchi once before a few years ago and vaguely remembered it coming out like balls of flour. But I also remembered my fondest memory of gnocchi; the first time I ate it actually, at my friend Rita's house in Queens, New York my freshman year in college. Her beautiful Italian nonna served us gnocchi and it was heaven. Tyler's recipe promised light as a feather gnocchi! My Italian guests would love it. Fantastico! I made my shopping list and hit the stores.

I'm not sure what possessed me yesterday but I really took my time - I stopped by the homeless pet adoption at Petco and looked longingly at the homeless puppies - a call home to Lele who was cleaning the house snapped me back to reality -- "but they're so cute," I said --"get the hell out of there now Stephen, get into the car now and drive. You better not come home here with a puppy or you're going to have to return it!" he said. A couple of hours later I made it home with all the makings of a feast, minus the cute retriever mix in the cage that wanted to come home with me. After getting home I decided to go out again and buy some wine, that killed another hour or so and I finally made it home at about 5:00 p.m. The guests were due at 8:30 p.m. Plenty of time!

Well....the summer minestrone came together fairly quickly, other than the fact that I sliced the side of my fingernail off cutting vegetables. I whipped up the basil/mint pesto for the garnish. The potatoes were baking (yes baking, not boiling) in the oven. By the time they were cool enough to be peeled the panic set in. It was 7:30, the guests were due at 8:30 and I hadn't even started the dough for the gnocchi. Oh my God! Before I knew it there was flour everywhere, all over our new wood flours and me. Lele was yelling in the background but I had to tune him out if I was going to make this gnocchi. I vaguely heard him say something to the effect of we're never having guests over again. This feeling of dread hearkened me back to my theater days when opening night would come upon you and you weren't close to being ready.

I had horrible visions in my head of not being able to make the main course and calling for a pizza. The recipe was on my laptop and I was frantically running back and forth from the island in the middle of the kitchen to the counter where my laptop was. The screen saver kept turning on and I had to tap the keys or swipe the mouse pad to see the recipe. The keys and mouse pad now had a gummy, sticky potato and flour coating on them. I screamed to Lele who had retreated upstairs and asked him to call Cristian and Hannah and tell them to come at 9:00 p.m. There was no way I would be ready. Thankfully, they hadn't left. I calmed slightly. By this time I was rolling out the gnocchi and cutting them into "little pillows" as Tyler called them. I don't think I did a very good job ridging them with the tines of a fork so that they would hold the sauce but I did my best. After they were cut and ridged I layed them out on baking sheets and put them in the fridge. There wasn't much left for me to do until the guests arrived. It was now close to 9. Lele came into the kitchen to tell me there were fresh towels and clothes in the bedroom upstairs.

"I'm not taking a shower," I said.

"You're not?" he said incredulously?

"No, I'm fine."

"No you're not, Stephen," he said. "Take a shower."

I figured at this point I better take his advice, a glance in the mirror proved the fact I looked like hell. A closer look revealed a starchy film on my face and in my hair from the fight with the dough. I felt like I had been through a storm. The shower did me good. Hannah and Cristian had arrived by the time I came downstairs. We had wine, olives, cheese and crackers in the living room. The wine did me better than the shower. I slipped away to plate up the soup. When it was plated and garnished I called everyone to the table. They loved the soup! I was relieved. If the gnocchi didn't work out and I had to call for a pizza at least I had one success.

Timing was perfect. Lele brought them for a quick tour of the house while I boiled up the gnocchi. This was the moment of truth - Tyler's recipe said...if the gnocchi break apart in the water you didn't use enough flour, if they don't float after 2 minutes and are heavy, you used too much. What good would the knowledge do me at this point? I prayed for a good outcome. Miraculously, they floated after about 2 minutes. I was thrilled. I finished making the sauce stirred the gnocchi into it and topped it off with some Parmeggiano-Reggiano. The next step was to dollop the lemon ricotta on the plates and top it off with the gnocchi. I had everything plated and on the table when they came back from the tour. The final moment of truth was the tasting and they loved it! I was very happy with the results. Thanks Tyler!

Summer Minestrone

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode: Ultimate Gnocchi

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 celery ribs, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups young green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups shelled English peas (or substitute frozen)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock, enough to cover
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Basil and Mint Pesto, recipe follows
• 1 bunch watercress or parsley

In a large, heavy pot add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, marjoram and basil. Saute gently until fragrant. Add the vegetables and cook a little of the moisture out, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in the chicken stock and heavy cream bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 so the flavours can come together - do not let it boil hard. Remove half of the vegetables from the pot and puree and add back to the pot to thicken. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Serve each bowl with a spoonful of basil and mint pesto on top, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with watercress or parsley.

Basil and Mint Pesto:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until just combined and the pesto still has a lot of texture.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto and Ricotta
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode: Ultimate Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi:

• 2 pounds (about 4) russet potatoes, or similar starchy/white variety
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg white
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Grated Parmesan
• 2 cups Lemon Ricotta, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Scrub potatoes, pierce the skin with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and salt and place on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are easily pierced with a pairing knife. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly then peel the potatoes while they are still hot and press them through a potato ricer. Put the potatoes in a large bowl with salt, nutmeg, baking powder, grated cheese and egg white. Add the flour a little at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a rough dough. Do not over-work the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking.

Break off a piece of the dough and roll it back and forth into a rope, about the thickness of your index finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece down the prongs of a fork while pressing a small dimple with your finger in the back. The gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges. This will allow the pillows to hold sauce when served. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Boil the gnocchi in batches in plenty of salted water. The gnocchi are done about 2 minutes after they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water. If not cooking immediately, place the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan dusted with flour.

Note: If the gnocchi start to feather and fall apart in boiling water, you need more flour. If the gnocchi don't float after 2 minutes and are hard, you used too much flour.

Blanch peas in hot water and set aside.

Place 4 strips of prosciutto on a sheet pan and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven. Cook until the bacon is crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add chopped shallots to a pan over medium high heat with 2 counts of olive oil pan of and gently saute until fragrant and translucent. Dump in the peas and toss gently to coat. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add boiled gnocchi to the pan and gently toss. Add a ladle of gnocchi water to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crispy prosciutto and a scoop of fresh lemon ricotta. (Optional: finish with a drizzle of white truffle oil)

Lemon Ricotta:

• 2 cups good quality ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Salt

Place the ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl and add the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and serve with the gnocchi.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Pesto Porkchops With Basmati Rice and Asparagus

Last night we prepared one of our favorite new standards, Pesto Pork Chops. This recipe is quick, inexpensive, easy and really tasty. We served the pork chops with basmati rice and asparagus spears, dressed in lemon and pepper.

Pesto Pork Chops

3/4 pounds pork chops (bone in, 3/4 inch thick
3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. pesto (we made a homemade Thai Basil pesto, but regular basil pesto will be just fine)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Put flour, slat and pepper on a plate and combine.
2. Dredge both sides of pork chops in flour, and shake off any excess.
3. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and preheat on medium-high.
4. Add the chops and brown on each side for two minutes. (you will be tempted to cook it a little longer, since you will still see some red in the meat. Don't be tempted, and it will turn out moist and juicy)
5. After they are browned, spread the pesto sauce over the chops and put lid on the skillet.
6. Continue cooking for an additional two minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Blue, got a new camera. We took pictures, but the software hasn't been downloaded. We will have a pic soon.

Tonight=more asparagus experimentation

Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant & Grape Tomatoes

I opened the refrigerator tonight to find a container of ricotta cheese, just about to expire, some grape tomatoes and an eggplant. I thought about roasting the tomatoes and putting them over pasta (I also had some fresh basil). A Google search for "roasted grape tomatoes over pasta" brought me to a recipe for Castellane with Mascarpone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Almost perfect...I modified the recipe with what I had and created this Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant & Grape Tomatoes. It was delicious (if I do say so myself)!

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• crushed pepper flakes
• 2 TBSP or more of chopped fresh basil
• 1lb of short or shell pasta (I used whole grain cavatappi - or corkscrews - with flax)
• 1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of finely grated Parmigianno-Reggiano (or more)
• 1 medium sized eggplant

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch disks and slice the tomatoes lengthwise.

2. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it with olive oil

3. Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, and the eggplant in the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and the chopped basil. (I actually roasted the tomatoes with the basil in one batch and the eggplant with olive oil in a second batch. The eggplant needs to be turned half way through cooking). Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are plump.

4. Take the tomatoes and eggplant out of the oven and allow to cool.

5. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta well and transfer to a bowl with the eggplant and tomatoes. Mix the reserved water in a small bowl or measuring cup with the ricotta cheese. When smooth pour into the bowl with the pasta, tomatoes, and eggplant. Stir well. Add 1/2 of the parmesan cheese.

6. Lightly oil a 13x9 (3 quart) baking dish. Toss the pasta mixture again and then spoon into the dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top. Bake pasta in a 400 degree oven until golden and bubbly, 18-20 minutes.

YUMMY!

Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad

I didn't quite have all the ingredients needed for this salad. I think the salad would have been spectacular with them -- but I trudged on and used what I had. A quick search on the internet for baby beet recipes brought me to the website for Whole Foods Market and a recipe for Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad. I didn't have any shallots and I didn't have Roquefort. But, the beets were just fantastic and the dressing was delicious. I had some Parmegianno-Reggiano and shaved some over the salad in place of the Roquefort. Not a perfect substitute but it was delicious. Here's the original recipe from the Whole Foods website.

• 1 pound baby beets, stems trimmed to 1-inch
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste
• 3–4 cups washed and dried spinach leaves
• 1/4 pound crumbled Roquefort cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beets then wrap in parchment-lined aluminum foil and roast in center of oven until tender, 45-60 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut in half. Whisk together shallot, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Toss beets in a little dressing. Place spinach on a large platter, top with beets then cheese. Drizzle lightly with dressing. Serve remaining dressing on side.

I saved the beet greens to use with dinner tomorrow night.

Baby Beets

Here's today's project. I picked up these beautiful baby beets yesterday at the farmer's market. I was thinking of making them with an orange glaze. But, I have a bag of spinach in the fridge and just came across a recipe for a roasted beet and spinach salad. I'll save the tops and do something with the beet greens tomorrow. I'll post my results later!

Love is Love Lettuce

Lele and I went to the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market today. Of course, we didn't get there early enough, but picked up some things for a delicious lunch this afternoon. Sometimes I wish there were farmer's markets for people who like to sleep in on a Saturday!

We bought a huge bag of beautiful mixed lettuce from Love is Love Farm. They are from Douglasville, Georgia. We also bought two different types of cheeses from another vendor. Both were cow's cheese one with truffles in it. There was no bread to be had so we picked up a crusty sourdough baguette on our way home. We had a delicious salad with the lettuce from the market and some grape tomatoes. I've been addicted to a vinaigrette that I found in Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka (with some variation). Here's my modified recipe for the vinaigrette.

Everyday Vinaigrette

• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup (or a little less) of olive oil

Barbara's recipe also calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I don't know, I can't bring myself to even tasting it that way. I'm not sure why? Am I crazy? Anyway, this was a delicious spring (feeling like summer in Atlanta) lunch. We also bought 2 bunches of baby beets and a bag of mustard greens which I'll do something with tonight!

Living and Eating

Now, you know your girl Christine loves herself some London cookbooks! I stop at Troubadour used book store in Hatfield to get my fix of these wonderful finds. At the last Troubadour book sale, I picked up a copy of Living and Eating by John Pawson and Annie Bell. They have a fabulous recipe for caesar salad. I made the salad about six times over the last two months at Blue's request and persuasion.

Here is the recipe:

Caesar Salad

2 medium eggs
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped (but we can always use a little more garlic :) )
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, black pepper
2 oz. parmesan cheese, (preferably freshly) grated, 2/3 cup.

Bring a small pan of water to boil and cook the eggs for 1 minute, then remove and cool them under cold running water. Immediately shell the eggs into a blender, scooping out the cooked white that lines the inside of the shells. Add the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan and whiz to a pale and creamy emulsion.

To serve the salad, pour the Caesar salad dressing over chopped romaine and lightly mix in the Parmesan. This should be mixed right before sitting down at the table. We like the addition of anchovies, and you can always add a few croutons.

Yummy!

Mafalde Alla Gorgonzola with Asparagus

On Sunday, we found a use for the chunk of gorgonzola. The recipe of choice was Penne Alla Gorgonzola from Gourmet magazine with some twists. It involved a bit of Asparagudrama. We started at Serio's on State Street in NOHO, looking for a bunch of local asparagus. They didn't receive a delivery, so we went with their suggestion and stopped at Fido's veggie and flower stand. Alas, Mr. Fido said he was all out-with the rain, the asparagus didn't grow enough and he wasn't able to pick any new asparagus the night before. His stand is at Mom's and his farm is in Hadley. Blue knows all of the suspect asparagus farm stands in Hadley, so I picked her up for our Hadley jaunt. Fortunately, we found the asparagus at our first stop, what I will call Blue Umbrella Farm due to the blue umbrella shading the cooler on which the asparagus perched.

The recipe was a success, so here you go with my adjustments: mafalde substituting for the penne and the addition of asparagus spears.

Mafalde Alla Gorgonzola and Asparagus

12 oz-1 lb. Mafalde (looks like a skinny lasagna)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp dried sage, crumbled or thinly sliced fresh sage
1 cup whole milk
1/2 lb. gorgonzola cut into pieces 1.5-2 cups
1/4 c. black pepper
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Cook pasta in 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente
While pasta boils, heat butter in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook sage, stirring 1 minute. Add gorgonzola and cook, stirring and breaking up cheese, until sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes (sauce will be thin). I found that it took a little longer than the two minutes for the sauce to become smooth. Reduce heat to low and stir in pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
You (or a cooking partner) should start steaming the asparagus as you begin preparing the sauce. Once the asparagus is a bit tender, remove and cut into four pieces at the diagonal. Set aside.
Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain pasta. Add pasta and parmesan cheese, stirring to coat. Add in the asparagus in at the last moment. Serve.

Enjoy!

Orecchiette (Basic Recipe)

from The Silver Spoon (2005 Phaidon Press Limited)
Serves 4

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, preferably Italian type 00
• generous 1/2 cup of semolina
• salt

Combine the flour, semolina and a pinch of salt and heap into a mound on the counter. Make a well in the center, add a little warm water and mix to a firm, elastic dough. Knead well, then shape into long rolls 1 inch in diameter. Cut into sections and drag them, one at a time, slowly over the counter using the tip of a knife to form small shells. Put each shell upside down on the tip of your thumb and press it down on the counter to accentuate its curvature.

Corny!

The Omnivore's Dilemma Corn Facts:
-Salmon=corn
-Beer=corn
-Toothpaste=corn
-Diapers=corn
-batteries=corn
-the shine on the cover of your magazine=corn
-joint compound, wallboard and fiberglass=corn
-fuel=corn
-The origin of the term "corn hole" is that corn used to be stored in outhouses as a toilet paper alternative.

Bush's Food Faux Pas

Bushey has enraged the east today with his statement that India is the source of our food crisis. He says, "the more prosperous the world is, the more opportunity there is" and "it also, however, increases the demand." As Indians get wealthier they want nutritious quality food. I believe that not only is food a basic human right, but real, tasty, nutritious food is a basic human right. Bush still refuses that the fact that we are putting food in our gas tanks has anything to do with the food shortage. Maybe his disapproval rating will skyrocket from its current 71%.

A long time coming

Finally, Its here! After 12 years of effort the River Valley Market cooperative has opened. It opened on Wednesday with not a lot of fan fare so they could work out the kinks. The grand opening is coming soon. I took an hour off of work to be there on the first morning. I only had a half an hour, so mostly I strolled through the aisles and examined the prices. A touch high, but as a member owner I'll get special discounts. Highlights: fresh fiddle heads-I need to figure out what to do with these bad boys, beautiful squid, and a great selection of regional cheeses. Soon we will see more local veggies-I can't wait!

Hadley Grass

I'm like a kid in the candy store when it comes to the first appearance of Hadley Grass (asparagus). The best-after all, it is exported to Paris and Germany and makes its way to Queen Elizabeth's spring feast. Since I have been doing my best to only eat asparagus local and in season, I'm even more verklempt upon its arrival. I usually get the cravings come October. Well, Hadley Grass is here. We had it on Wednesday night, prepared simply.

Ways to celebrate Hadley Grass this season:

-Have a bacon and asparagus sandwich

-Stop by Flayvors of Cook Farm and try the asparagus ice cream (It is delicioius!)

-Go to the Asparagus supper at the First Congregational Church in Hadley on the 3rd Sunday in May

As one local farmer says, "Asparagus is a labor of love. It is in your blood, if people want some of our grass, it is worth a trip to the valley."