Gnocchi has a permanent place in my repertoire. On average, I have it once or twice every six weeks. I usually make ricotta gnocchi because it’s lighter and lends itself to more dishes than the usual potato kind. There are variants made with chestnuts, semolina and corn meal but these are less-known, not to mention I’m unfamiliar with a couple of them.
Ricotta gnocchi with corn and heirloom tomatoes
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Recipe and demo after the jump.
When you’re making an omelette, you want two conditions: enough cooking fat and a thoroughly heated skillet.
This is about 1 tablespoon butter. If you don’t have enough cooking fat, your eggs will stick to the bottom of the pan. If they stick, the omelette can break apart and lose its shape.
Ideally the pan should be hot enough but not so hot that the butter begins to brown. If your pan isn’t sufficiently heated, the eggs won’t set and it’ll take longer than usual to cook. On the other hand, if you wait too long, the butter will burn. As you can see in the bottom pic, I waited 30 seconds too long before adding the eggs. A perfect omelette should be light and golden throughout without any visible browning.
Allow the butter to sizzle and the foam to subside, then add 2 to 3 beaten eggs and let them sit for about 30 seconds to a minute. With a fork or spatula (assuming you’re using a nonstick pan), draw the lightly cooked egg toward the center of the pan. As you do so, tilt the pan so that any uncooked beaten eggs flow into the bare part of the pan. Repeat this process as you work your way around the pan. After a few seconds, there should be just a little moist egg remaining. Add your filling, if any, then tilt the pan away from you. Tap the handle lightly; the far edge should fall back on itself, then turn the pan over a plate so that the folded omelette falls out.
For the pan-glazed tomatoes: Take a handful of small grape or pear-shaped heirloom tomatoes and toss them onto a hot pan along with some melted unsalted butter or other cooking fat. Cook until the tomatoes wilt slightly and/or begin to burst, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat; garnish omelette and serve immediately.
Omelette with peperonata filling, pan-glazed heirloom tomatoes
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When Nicole mentioned that she found it difficult to poach an egg, I knew what I wanted to make for dinner tonight. 
And I also thought to myself, what a perfect opportunity to do a demo.
This isn’t THE definitive method on egg-poaching. However it’s a method that works well for me. Hopefully it’ll be of use to you too.
Add 1 t. white wine vinegar to a pot of barely simmering water.
MUY IMPORTANTE!!!: The water shouldn’t be boiling. Bubbles should just barely break the surface.
It’s helpful if your egg is in a ramekin or similar container. Prior to slipping the egg into the water, stir the water vigorously in order to create a “mini-vortex”. This [in addition to the vinegar] should force the egg to coagulate quickly.
Poach the egg for about 2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon when done.
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This is a variation of one of my mainstays — vegetables and cheese served with a poached egg. In the spring, it’s often asparagus tips and shaved Parmesan. In the winter, roasted turnips and carrots with fromage blanc. Fall equates to squash or pumpkin with mascarpone. Midsummer brings to mind roasted tomatoes with feta cheese.
Here, beet greens were sautéed with garlic in extra-virgin olive oil, then tossed with chopped heirloom tomatoes and served with a poached egg and some crumbled ricotta salata. Pour a glass of pinot gris and you’re set.
Back before Mario Batali became a big star on The Food Network, he owned a restaurant named Po, located on Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village. One of Chef Batali’s signature offerings was white bean bruschetta — cannellini beans kissed with a touch of garlic, balsamic vinegar and herbs and spooned atop hunks of toasted Italian bread. I remember having dinner there shortly after my 25th birthday. It was the first time I had had bruschetta, and it was a taste revelation.
According to Wikipedia, bruschetta is a food the origin of which dates to at least the 15th century from central Italy. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.
One of the more familiar and popular recipes involves tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil. For myself, I prefer tomatoes, salt, pepper, some kind of herb (mint, tarragon, basil or even celery leaves), some acid (a teaspoon or two of white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or lemon juice), shallots or Vidalia onion and good quality extra-virgin olive oil. No cheese — I feel it throws off the balance of the dish. Ditto for garlic.
One other thing — when you make bruschetta, you should strive to use the best and freshest ingredients possible. You’ll definitely taste the difference in the end.
Heirloom tomato bruschetta
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3 small to medium ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
pinch of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mint, cut into a chiffonade (1)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Italian bread or sourdough bread, sliced
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread. Mix well.
Toast the bread until lightly golden. Spoon the tomato mixture atop the toast and serve immediately.
(1) — Chiffonade is a cooking technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.
Recipe and demo for the oyster stew after the jump.
Radish, tomato and red onion “bruschetta”
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Radishes and red cippolini onions were roasted in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes, then combined with halved Sungold cherry tomatoes and garlic chives, and spooned atop slices of toasted sourdough bread. If this were true bruschetta, I’d have used Italian bread or perhaps a baguette, but I didn’t have that luxury this time around.
Main entrée was a plain French omelette and salad greens with a white wine viniagrette.
Rather than describe how to make an omelette, this is one of those times where the best explanation is something you can view, preferably by a true master:
This blog post seems appropriate given that Julie and Julia was released last week.
Wild mushroom and smoked bacon risotto
Mushroom stock ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, roughly 1/2 cup
2 T. olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
4 to 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 leek, sliced (green and white parts)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
parsley stalks
sage leaves
2 bay leaves
a generous pinch of salt
6 cups water
Risotto ingredients
1/2 cup smoked bacon, diced (1)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 cup wild mushrooms, sliced (2)
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup warm water
1 cup Arborio rice
5 cups mushroom stock (3)
1 cup white wine (4)
2 T. unsalted butter
pinch of salt
cracked black pepper, to taste
chopped parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the mushroom stock:
Shake the dried mushrooms in a sieve to loosen any dirt. Heat oil in a soup pot, add the onion, carrots and celery and saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is well-browned, about 15 minutes.
Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any juices or browned bits, then add the dried mushrooms and soaking liquid, the remaining ingredients and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes to one hour. Strain and set aside. Can be made one day in advance.
For the risotto:
Have the stock on a low simmer prior to beginning the risotto. Strain the reconstituted porcini; add the mushroom soaking liquid to the stock.
Saute onion and bacon in a large sauce pot, along with a little olive oil. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and bacon is partially browned.
Add the rice and mushrooms to the bacon mixture. Stir around for a minute or so to coat the grains with the bacon drippings. (Never rinse the rice or you’ll lose the starch that’s essential to the dish.) Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the porcini and stir to incorporate.
Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until each addition has been absorbed before adding the next. When the rice tastes done, add the butter and a handful of chopped parsley. The risotto should have the consistency of thick oatmeal. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, passing grated cheese and parsley at the table. This recipe makes roughly four to five servings.
Notes:
1. I used smoked bacon ends from Flying Pigs Farm in upstate New York, but you can substitute regular bacon, smoked pork sausage, kielbasa or even ham. Remember to adjust any salt that you add towards the end.
2. I used oyster mushrooms, crimini and regular white mushrooms from the supermarket. Feel free to substitute anything from shiitakes to portobello or morels.
3. If you don’t feel like making mushroom stock, you can substitute chicken stock but the flavor profile will be different.
4. Any regular white wine will do from a purchase at Trader Joe’s to a $15 bottle at your local wine shop. For tonight’s dinner I used some leftover pinot gris that I had picked up last week. A rule I usually follow (and this is especially true of stuff like risotto) is “if you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it”. Why? Because the end product will be greatly affected by what you put in.
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