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