tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12694486843454570832024-03-12T17:22:27.985-07:00A Serious BunburyistUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-55812755338015849262023-12-14T12:49:00.000-08:002023-12-14T12:49:43.330-08:00Best Cookbooks of 2023<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireQ7qerT4QQuJOZOWNp4NXOjScHtzQRQge_T-t50544OnKcODGlNB7E-lqyb6YkRrW6IHN0KJh92ueY32kZ7vLrxqxEtie7mJF_CeCooJ7Yr1C0dEItbjab1EyieR6GX6F96kuyvwhL4qzxPuUkR90r1-GlGdtX-I0rLpCzVEntv5yeGnYnWnADirQZU/s3882/IMG_2223.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2911" data-original-width="3882" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireQ7qerT4QQuJOZOWNp4NXOjScHtzQRQge_T-t50544OnKcODGlNB7E-lqyb6YkRrW6IHN0KJh92ueY32kZ7vLrxqxEtie7mJF_CeCooJ7Yr1C0dEItbjab1EyieR6GX6F96kuyvwhL4qzxPuUkR90r1-GlGdtX-I0rLpCzVEntv5yeGnYnWnADirQZU/w400-h300/IMG_2223.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I read a lot of 2023 cookbooks. My takeaway: what a great year for Japanese cookbook fans! In alphabetical order, I share my picks for the five best cookbooks of 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook</i> by Nancy Singleton Hachisu (Phaidon)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen</i> by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel with Gabriella Gershenson (Ten Speed Press)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Pasta: The guide to the most loved Italian food</i> by ItaliaSquisita<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Rintaro</i> by Sylvan Mishima Brackett with Jessica Battilana (Hardie Grant)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden</i> by Nichole Accettola with Malena Watrous (Ten Speed Press)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook</b> When I survey Hachisu’s oeuvre—from <i>Japanese Farm Food</i> to <i>Food Artisans of Japan</i>—it strikes me that she consistently presents simple and refined Japanese food. Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook treads this same path with dishes distilled to a featured ingredient’s essence. She organizes her latest cookbook into these chapters: Prep; Before the Meal; Dressed; Vinegared; Deep Fried; Steamed & Simmered; Stir-Fried & Grilled; Soup; Pickled & Preserved; and Sweet. Recipes that standout: Spring Cabbage Soup; Yuba and Sesame Salt Nori Rolls; Simmered Turnips with Negi; and (surprise!) Potato Chip Salad with a curry vinaigrette. Phaidon produced a lovely book with beautiful, elegant, wow photographs by Aya Brackett.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen</b> Okochi and Israel own a Brooklyn restaurant called Shalom Japan. Love Japan covers the food that they cook for their family, primarily homey Japanese dishes sometimes with a nod to Jewish cuisine (e.g., Rolled Cabbage in Dashi). What a wonderful cookbook! Almost all the recipes tempt, but especially the classic poultry offerings: <i>Tsukune</i> (Chicken Meatballs); <i>Karaage</i> (Japanese Fried Chicken); and <i>Oyakodon</i> (Chicken and Egg over Rice). The chapter on Sandos covers making <i>Shokupan</i> (Japanese Milk Bread) and then shares recipes for a majestic Veggie Deluxe Sando with Shiso Pesto and for a Tamago Sando. If you want a cookbook on Japanese comfort food enhanced by two chefs, then buy this excellent book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Pasta: The guide to the most loved Italian food</b> In April 2023 the English-language version of <i>Pasta</i> arrived, so this newly translated cookbook makes this year’s Best Of list. Technically two separate books, entitled Fresh Pasta and Dry Pasta, these paperback volumes fit cheek by jowl in a bright yellow open-sided book sleeve. Pasta contains “more than 100 recipes by the great Italian chefs”. Its publisher, ItaliaSquisita, asks and answers “among the pasta dishes by chefs in Italy today, which are the most interesting and celebrated?” Pasta presents an Italian pasta masterclass with recipes geared to cooking professionals and advanced makers. The Dry Pasta volume explores some really interesting cooking techniques rarely covered, such as Infusion and Passive Cooking. What’s Passive Cooking? “This technique, also known as ‘off-fire cooking’, has origins as early as 1700 when Benjamin Thompson—one of the founding fathers of the principles of thermodynamics—declared that pasta reached its cooking point not for the water boiling, whilst the more for the continuous heat (between 70 and 80C) it managed to keep for a prolonged amount of time even after reaching a boil.” If this type of knowledge floats your boat, you will love ItaliaSquisita’s Pasta. Yes, this collection is not for everyone, its translation wonky and it’s certainly not cheap at $75.00 (especially for two thin-ish paperbacks), but I’m glad to add it to my cookbook library and recommend it to advanced pasta makers and anyone interested in high-level Italian noodle craft. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Rintaro</b> Brackett subtitles his restaurant cookbook “Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California”. The Golden State subtly informs rather than transforms the cookbook’s collection of classic Japanese dishes. <i>Rintaro’s</i> recipes mostly play friendly in a home kitchen. Brackett divides his cookbook into ten chapters: Dashi; Sashimi; Dressed Dishes; Tofu and Eggs; Yakitori; Fried Dishes; Simmered Dishes; Rice; Udon; and Desserts. I’d rather Rintaro the restaurant source pristine seafood for sashimi, but I’m game for making Brackett’s udon noodles (and I have, based upon a udon recipe that he shared in Sunset magazine in 2014). I recently wrote about tsukune-inspired meatballs (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2023/11/tsukune-inspired-chicken-meatballs.html">here</a>). Brackett provides his restaurant’s recipe (which includes skin-on whole chicken legs for the perfect ratio of meat to fat). Finally, I love Rintaro’s fun, bold graphic design and handsome photographs by...Aya Mishima Brackett.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden</b> I’m always on the hunt for a great baking book. This year I recommend Nichole Accettola’s <i>Scandinavia from Scratch</i>. Accettola’s book focuses on bakes and <i>smørrebrød</i> from mostly Denmark, but also Norway and Sweden. Don’t expect the breadth of Magnus Nilsson’s epic <i>The Nordic Baking Book</i> (2018) which, in addition to Scandinavia covers Finland and Iceland. Rather, Accettola penned a home-baking friendly book that includes recipes from Kantine, her Scandinavian bakery and café in San Francisco. She divides her book into six main sections: The Cookie Tin; Simple Cakes and Celebration Desserts; Let’s Fika!; Rise and Shine; Rye Bread and Smørrebrød; and Winter Therapy. To my taste, the Simple Cakes and Celebration Desserts chapter stands out with offering like Coconut Dream Cake; Lemon Moon Cake; Blackberry Tosca Cake; and Royal Party Cake. The open-face sandwiches look amazing, too, especially the Egg and Shrimp Smørrebrød. Lovely, clean design and type selection add to the cookbook’s appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For want of diversity, I left Emiko Davies’s <i>Gohan – Everyday Japanese Cooking</i> (Smith Street Books) off the list, but think it a beautiful book and highly recommend it if you want a book on Japanese home cooking. I also enjoyed reading Paul Fehribach’s <i>Midwestern Food</i> (University of Chicago) and share his Chicken and Noodles recipe (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2023/12/pembroke-2021-soft-red-winter-wheat.html">here</a>). <i>The Simple Art of Rice</i> by JJ Johnson with Danica Novgorodoff (Flatiron Books) warrants a look. And I like <i>The Food of the Italian Island</i> by the self-proclaimed prolific (and, in the case of this title, self-published) Katie Parla.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And that’s nearly it for 2023. Looking forward to 2024! If I don’t get another post up, here’s to A Merry Christmas and A Healthy and Happy New Year. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-62682151944779408622023-12-03T13:15:00.000-08:002023-12-03T13:15:02.374-08:00Pembroke 2021 Soft Red Winter Wheat<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgOBBOTY5AdN5gSPWX1cHEeZRDSYmvbfsWz8b_gLiuoMOkIokoLGUNU7urSw6AkpDeP41I3yyKolUkuRwNpa-6fdlj1cdvLV5csQNv3WYO5h4YQifFuzI_Wo2Zm76HOY2NtiVfRf5B4zuq5yvGfGwHikI5bBo-q32XuJmVbKq6wzvxnKa5_pAwt9nLK0/s4032/Grain%20Bin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgOBBOTY5AdN5gSPWX1cHEeZRDSYmvbfsWz8b_gLiuoMOkIokoLGUNU7urSw6AkpDeP41I3yyKolUkuRwNpa-6fdlj1cdvLV5csQNv3WYO5h4YQifFuzI_Wo2Zm76HOY2NtiVfRf5B4zuq5yvGfGwHikI5bBo-q32XuJmVbKq6wzvxnKa5_pAwt9nLK0/w400-h300/Grain%20Bin.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most flour milled for pasta, whether fresh or dried, comes from hard wheat. However, in pasta making, exceptions prove the rule. Certain soft wheat varieties and even seeds (e.g., buckwheat) also make delicious pasta (e.g., Red Russian soft red wheat (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2020/08/red-russian-wheat-pasta.html">here</a>) and buckwheat (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2020/02/buckwheat-bigoli.html">here</a>)).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69j7Ohyphenhyphen3ptYkardl_mNkdh8tc2Tcbk_AU5JQUuUTB4pbPib_PloPKP7ysmgKJNnot5LumIMSuITYgI2Q91r-EQ12DyJxT32G1qpyd-AtxVnWTnElf9u4NOoxjwgSFgKBFc7xUCs4wekOUcjQSte8k95ESwuKZk9T2B0ZkjPNeObmb4GFu0oPJhyMZU7s/s4032/Pembroke%20Grain.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69j7Ohyphenhyphen3ptYkardl_mNkdh8tc2Tcbk_AU5JQUuUTB4pbPib_PloPKP7ysmgKJNnot5LumIMSuITYgI2Q91r-EQ12DyJxT32G1qpyd-AtxVnWTnElf9u4NOoxjwgSFgKBFc7xUCs4wekOUcjQSte8k95ESwuKZk9T2B0ZkjPNeObmb4GFu0oPJhyMZU7s/w300-h400/Pembroke%20Grain.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I recently received a large bag of Pembroke 2021 soft red winter wheat from my good friends at the Manley Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Pembroke 2021 takes its name from the Pembroke silt loam soil series prevalent in the main wheat-producing area of Kentucky. Because regional farmers often grow wheat in rotation with corn and soybean, their wheat and corn crops become susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease that overwinters in corn stubble. Researchers developed Pembroke 2021 to resist FHB yet have high yield potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Manley Farm’s Pembroke 2021 wheat berries make great flour for pasta. I milled 300 grams of Pembroke 2021 in my Komo mill set to fine. I then sifted the ground berries with a No. 40 and No. 50 screen producing approximately 100 grams of flour. I used a medium egg and a little milk to bring the dough together and kneaded by hand for 8 minutes. After resting at room temperature for 30 minutes, the soft wheat dough easily rolled out with a pin with no spring back.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8de6ik1bsP0iVPlc2NJgCRZkPHGwKxQSc4u3RaqenA-tPOFYdDX5staWBRUkRKzNr6NslQBRQDMuWRaBFpKP_xoNaGhuxnSRttr83MCHG2tSo5E40ZK1y7xmdonj7lkH86ykZn-atsYl1fo9nLU-yM5WjVVbVMNt1O9pFGzBkcOtqrMbJJm4abV-0i8/s3867/Komo%20fine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2900" data-original-width="3867" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8de6ik1bsP0iVPlc2NJgCRZkPHGwKxQSc4u3RaqenA-tPOFYdDX5staWBRUkRKzNr6NslQBRQDMuWRaBFpKP_xoNaGhuxnSRttr83MCHG2tSo5E40ZK1y7xmdonj7lkH86ykZn-atsYl1fo9nLU-yM5WjVVbVMNt1O9pFGzBkcOtqrMbJJm4abV-0i8/w400-h300/Komo%20fine.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGYCD0ah-aQ4hmXYEgCy47YsjAX2_OCAcm7RppkwTJspazwWZIEkkxxF4dikGTBPkSy61w1T381mlc9kNcjSdS57vkUOOZZUaQPUo3fB3KZfmXxvIskzMS6NTgjtmI7_ghNbORbSkC9WEc1YS9c20QMdCeFu-Ubak1vnF5XkwtKs7aS7t6YU734OAdlE/s4032/Milled.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGYCD0ah-aQ4hmXYEgCy47YsjAX2_OCAcm7RppkwTJspazwWZIEkkxxF4dikGTBPkSy61w1T381mlc9kNcjSdS57vkUOOZZUaQPUo3fB3KZfmXxvIskzMS6NTgjtmI7_ghNbORbSkC9WEc1YS9c20QMdCeFu-Ubak1vnF5XkwtKs7aS7t6YU734OAdlE/w300-h400/Milled.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cYMdlt3f4flI6hC5Be9QxBp787mGFFWASHYMIMUZzbssIkruNksDp4eR4DwxGrURXFNQdgCgPMSEURxhDsZNejF3aco-_15QgyLu7RyVRH_w9Iy4cyFRG1plbs1yS4vP4wuLJqDvV03H6nj8HuWGN2K02z-9YySdGaEJoUtyPY0nKtOxK8guMYxCsgQ/s4032/Dough.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cYMdlt3f4flI6hC5Be9QxBp787mGFFWASHYMIMUZzbssIkruNksDp4eR4DwxGrURXFNQdgCgPMSEURxhDsZNejF3aco-_15QgyLu7RyVRH_w9Iy4cyFRG1plbs1yS4vP4wuLJqDvV03H6nj8HuWGN2K02z-9YySdGaEJoUtyPY0nKtOxK8guMYxCsgQ/w300-h400/Dough.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_dvFcpop_HGTdKEtxfPJUSGsbLAky0KpqtUu8BdoN6HYjd8B_-nvsADQInz8rfmFXjZ2kpPuzTyK3F9Bjs7_E23lUYYiUJzSc_fckcgWHx46ajPodl83odEUIR5SjZ3k_HZxTV9FKaXf1dd-l0LrbgpH05OBG8Z9DRr_uAUNZ9CPk5B_gjgEPioh2gg/s4032/Rolled.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_dvFcpop_HGTdKEtxfPJUSGsbLAky0KpqtUu8BdoN6HYjd8B_-nvsADQInz8rfmFXjZ2kpPuzTyK3F9Bjs7_E23lUYYiUJzSc_fckcgWHx46ajPodl83odEUIR5SjZ3k_HZxTV9FKaXf1dd-l0LrbgpH05OBG8Z9DRr_uAUNZ9CPk5B_gjgEPioh2gg/w300-h400/Rolled.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynOai0K6yGpEWBYdESDw2a9QRm80YdZZ9C_C3rAk8BPg6-IGiaR4HaaalCYGKvQ4LKXwpV5C3vgpbpN82EAoRskxr2lulEK5FCxxSzoiL0bgadDgOTvhD6WeS4DYOVe7VVzLSqkX92FqDCM4jrfLQx_ajH0wLDY-dn1kNrLo-71lTFkgMY9-Ps0vbWLk/s3971/Noodles.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="3971" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynOai0K6yGpEWBYdESDw2a9QRm80YdZZ9C_C3rAk8BPg6-IGiaR4HaaalCYGKvQ4LKXwpV5C3vgpbpN82EAoRskxr2lulEK5FCxxSzoiL0bgadDgOTvhD6WeS4DYOVe7VVzLSqkX92FqDCM4jrfLQx_ajH0wLDY-dn1kNrLo-71lTFkgMY9-Ps0vbWLk/w400-h256/Noodles.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I used my hand-cut noodles to make Chicken and Noodles based upon a recipe in Paul Fehribach’s new cookbook <i>Midwestern Food</i> (2023). The soft noodles had a yielding texture and mild wheat flavor in this homey, comforting dish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here’s Fehribach’s recipe that makes between 3 and 4 quarts serving 6 to 8.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 medium fryer chicken, about 3½ pounds<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 to 3 quarts water<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 tablespoons whole milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. Rinse the chicken under cold running water in a clean sink. [See note below.] Place in a 4-quart sauce pan or small stock pot and add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam or scum that rises. Once it boils, immediately reduce heat to medium or medium low to maintain a low boil. Cook for 1 hour or more, until the chicken is starting to fall apart. Remove from heat and use a spider to remove the chicken to a platter and allow to cool for a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. While the chicken is cooling, make the egg noodles. Place the flour in a medium mixing bowl, and make a little well in the center big enough to hold the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well, along with the milk and 1 teaspoon of salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs, then gradually begin pulling flour into them little by little. When the mixture becomes too thick to work with a fork, finish mixing with your hands. Continue mixing until all the flour is incorporated, then knead inside the bowl, adding small amounts of flour if need to prevent sticking, for a minute or two until you have a smooth ball. No need to knead any longer than that. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. On a well-floured surface, roll out the noodles to the desired thickness; about 1/8 inch is usually ideal. Use a pizza cutter to cut them into the desired shape. I usually cut them about ½ inch wide and the full length of the rolled dough. But make them any width and length you like. Leave them liberally floured to prevent sticking while you pull the chicken and finish the broth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. Pull the meat from the chicken bones, removing and discarding the skin as well. Shred the chicken with a fork and reserve on a platter. Return the cooked broth to the heat, making sure you have 2 quarts or slightly more. Add a little extra water if needed. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and pepper, and bring to a rolling boil. Drop the noodles in at once and give a quick stir to make sure they don’t clump. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot. Steam the noodles for 5 minutes, add the chicken, stir, replace the lid, and steam for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir, and allow to steam off heat, covered, for 10 more minutes. Then serve!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Note: The Food and Drug Administration recommends against washing raw chicken due to the risk of transferring dangerous food-borne pathogens through splashed water. Another warning: even though Fehribach clearly writes “steam the noodles” and not boil the noodles, I advise not turning your back on a covered pot of cooking noodles, even whilst on a medium low heat. The starchy mixture might choose to boil over.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I plan on using home-milled Pembroke 2021 flour to make other pasta shapes suited to a soft wheat dough. Oretta Zanini De Vita’s <i>Encyclopedia of Pasta</i> (2009) offers some suggestions. One piqued my interest: <i>ciriole</i>, a long noodle made with soft flour and water, hand rolled into a sheet, cut into strips that are rolled again by hand to form “long irregular <i>spaghettoni</i>”. Zanini De Vita writes that <i>ciriole</i>, “an old name for a small thin white eel”, is found in Tuscany and Umbria and served with local sauces. In Terni, find the noodles served in a sauce of <i>pioppo </i>mushrooms. Butter-cooked mushrooms, by-the-way, make a delicious additional ingredient in Chicken and Noodles.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o3QGO8ZDSuCSohXCpBYCwptJOXliYSJaE6NHzGIp2mpxnxZcccAr5ZM-TT2zqm3T2fjTi0Wq3wMseJbqUpvglIh3Hj8U6ykVlcTovUN6cU9Mk3fyNCZ5PtRQlLSUxrXBP-qAdSnKKcWROjVDBfYlHi0NMJnO-evSeTOE0-BNqKm-znNLci1poNN8czg/s4032/Hydrate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o3QGO8ZDSuCSohXCpBYCwptJOXliYSJaE6NHzGIp2mpxnxZcccAr5ZM-TT2zqm3T2fjTi0Wq3wMseJbqUpvglIh3Hj8U6ykVlcTovUN6cU9Mk3fyNCZ5PtRQlLSUxrXBP-qAdSnKKcWROjVDBfYlHi0NMJnO-evSeTOE0-BNqKm-znNLci1poNN8czg/w400-h300/Hydrate.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-33272986378023899622023-11-21T08:47:00.000-08:002023-11-21T11:34:14.497-08:00Tsukune-inspired Chicken Meatballs<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc10vXd1crZJOxQEG2gVjZVbVYEChaiAjLQg1koXes-ZsciMKKNdFWcnSlzef1IEsOpNYnQHipRPnBWUdg5bXV-KzSJ5KRw9UZR7m07dT9AQegwMT1vkHk3n_8kUTcxoT28NCUwTxEBH9_GLgL6YzWBmaewLrcZPSfrs0qgqx0haTvm5jgjqdJtLfRMM/s4032/Donabe.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc10vXd1crZJOxQEG2gVjZVbVYEChaiAjLQg1koXes-ZsciMKKNdFWcnSlzef1IEsOpNYnQHipRPnBWUdg5bXV-KzSJ5KRw9UZR7m07dT9AQegwMT1vkHk3n_8kUTcxoT28NCUwTxEBH9_GLgL6YzWBmaewLrcZPSfrs0qgqx0haTvm5jgjqdJtLfRMM/w400-h300/Donabe.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This post does a quick dive into the world of Japanese-inspired chicken meatballs. We’ll look at Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli’s recipe for Mortadella & Chicken Meatballs in <i>Italian American: Red Sauce Classics & New Essentials</i> (2021). Then I’ll share a recipe that I developed incorporating Rito and Tacinelli’s use of a cooked sausage to improve the flavor and texture of a chicken meatball. Definitions first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In <i>A Dictionary of Japanese Food </i>(1995), Richard Hosking defines <i>tsukune</i> as meatballs. Although associated with chicken, <i>tsukune</i> includes ground or minced fish, fowl or other meat served grilled, simmered or fried.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Even when using wing, thigh or leg meat, chicken meatballs often benefit from additional fat and other ingredients to increase flavor and improve texture. When I make meatballs—whether pork, beef, chicken or shellfish—I typically add a number of ingredients to increase richness, such as finely minced onions sautéed in butter, grated cheese and whole milk. I add breadcrumbs for texture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Even with these additions, I’ve never made a ground chicken meatball that tasted exceptional. To get better results, I tried incorporating traditional ingredients used in <i>yakatori</i> recipes. For example, Matt Abergel’s <i>tsukune </i>recipe in <i>Chicken and Charcoal</i> (2018) includes minced cartilage from the chicken’s soft breastbone. Other recipes add ground chicken skin (sometimes along with cartilage). In my household, these ingredients and their texture met resistance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Then I came across Rito and Tacinelli’s <i>tsukune-</i>inspired mixture. Rito and Tacinelli turned chicken meatballs into something exceptional. They introduce their recipe in <i>Italian American </i>like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“We developed this dish as part of a special-occasion Japanese-inspired pasta omakase menu, feeling inspired by <i>tsukune</i>, the juicy ground chicken skewers popular as a drinking snack in izakayas. But it was so delicious that we now make these meatballs all the time, mixing ground chicken (ideally dark meat) and mortadella, the Italian-American version of bologna, which adds an extra dose of fat and flavor.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here’s their recipe for Mortadella & Chicken Meatballs, which makes about 28 meatballs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 cups nickel-sized chunks bread, crust removed (from about half an Italian-style loaf or baguette)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 cup whole milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ pound mortadella, roughly chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Puree (on page 300 of <i>Italian American</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 tablespoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, whites only (4 to 6 scallions)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 large egg<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. In a medium bowl, combine the bread and milk and soak until the bread is thoroughly saturated, about 15 minutes. Squeeze the bread in a clean kitchen towel to wring out as much milk as possible and discard the liquid. You should have about 1¼ cups of wrung bread.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the mortadella into small pieces, the same size as the ground chicken.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, mortadella, bread, roasted garlic puree, parmesan, salt, black pepper, cayenne, scallion whites, and egg and mix by hand until well incorporated. Form into 1½-inch meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on the lined baking sheet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. Bake the meatballs until golden brown and firm, and a thermometer poked in the center reads 160°F, about 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Leftovers keep, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, as delicious as these meatballs are, to my taste, they boarder on being almost...too rich. I’ve made Rito and Tacinelli’s recipe four or five times but now dial back the amount of mortadella. To my palate, the meatballs taste better with less added fat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMvp5NFn6xUW_3k3DKwo7gccuSXNd52z4eaOQxXMzOijfJCcRsYBLf2xyVt4VUKjsXcdfate3flf-uS-4KHUvMei3YPy71eN4a4y10fyMsz49_H4mgU04OVfHhj3DO2epqppyZ8LYcpK93Su944iTrZnksI4PLzCSNrvZMROMUqemHT5kPRIUee0ZiFs/s4032/Meatballs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMvp5NFn6xUW_3k3DKwo7gccuSXNd52z4eaOQxXMzOijfJCcRsYBLf2xyVt4VUKjsXcdfate3flf-uS-4KHUvMei3YPy71eN4a4y10fyMsz49_H4mgU04OVfHhj3DO2epqppyZ8LYcpK93Su944iTrZnksI4PLzCSNrvZMROMUqemHT5kPRIUee0ZiFs/w400-h300/Meatballs.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This made me wonder: what if, instead of mortadella, I made a chicken meatball kneading in a slightly leaner, lightly smoked, coarsely ground Japanese-style sausage called arabiki? I gave it a try and really liked the result. The pre-cooked arabiki sausage added just enough extra fat and a subtle, smokey flavor. Adding a cooked sausage with an almost crunchy bite to ground chicken also helps with the meatball’s texture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After a lot of fine tuning, here's my take on a Japanese-inspired <i>tsukune</i>. You’ll see I use a few timesaving shortcuts. Replacing fresh bread with finely ground panko does away with the need to wring out milk-soaked bread with a kitchen towel. And hand-mincing the pre-cooked sausage eliminates the need to use (and clean) a food processor. The finished mixture weighs approximately 325 grams, which I use to form a dozen meatballs weighing about 27 grams each.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">40 grams finely minced white onion<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">15 grams salted butter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">20 grams panko, finely ground<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">57.5 grams whole milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5 grams finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5 grams tomato paste<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 grams mushroom seasoning powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 gram toasted onion powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 gram garlic powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5 grams white sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 gram ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">.35 gram yuzu shichimi togarashi<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">160 grams ground chicken, preferably leg meat<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">25 grams finely minced arabiki sausage<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. In a small pan, sauté the minced onion in the butter adding a pinch of salt to season. Put the cooked onions into a small bowl. Place the bowl into the freezer to quickly cool.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. Put the finely ground panko into a medium size bowl and mix in the milk to make a slurry. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the cooled onions to the mixing bowl and knead the mixture by hand until well incorporated. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. Take a small amount of the ground chicken mixture and fry in butter or oil to judge for seasoning. If necessary, adjust the mixture by adding salt or sugar to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. Form the mixture into small meatballs. I keep a small bowl of ice water at hand to help form the approximately 1½-inch meatballs. Place on a small tray or plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or longer) before cooking. This refrigerator rest improves the meatball’s flavor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRKYesAZDI0YFYt4rHOJtcf2GsLgxe_CBgbfSiAXDafP3C-OIo_1-1KXs2nUzp1-KtBa3FDQR93ouYYATFb21DK45iyIO8BJKWgRSizuNnovW5ocW8pEP5C0aaxGxIi3R-y0s029mVzne31UnoqY18ZsDUfwJkxdBBM5r2vAB-iDcBkNwnOWAvED2_CU/s4032/Pilaf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRKYesAZDI0YFYt4rHOJtcf2GsLgxe_CBgbfSiAXDafP3C-OIo_1-1KXs2nUzp1-KtBa3FDQR93ouYYATFb21DK45iyIO8BJKWgRSizuNnovW5ocW8pEP5C0aaxGxIi3R-y0s029mVzne31UnoqY18ZsDUfwJkxdBBM5r2vAB-iDcBkNwnOWAvED2_CU/w400-h300/Pilaf.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rito and Tacinelli bake their mortadella and chicken meatballs in an oven. I’ve never tried oven baking meatballs, but I see recipes that suggest this. Usually, I sauté meatballs. However, I’ve cooked these chicken meatballs in other ways (e.g., poached in a tomato sauce for pasta or simmered on top of rice and dashi in a Japanese <i>donabe</i>). I even pre-cook the meatballs by poaching them in chicken stock or dashi and adding the cooked meatballs into my dish of choice, such as an Italian <i>timballo</i> or lasagne. One constant: When using ground chicken, I always use an instant read thermometer to test a cooked meatball to make certain its center reaches 160°F. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdvX65dTSSShsbBjA6OIao4UzM-piu-A1xziZmboEn6wX_oH6IueON6S0Y3I6wGOOAB7tnFbT7WHsMkJPXCGGTbv8CCq9Y9fpy6W05qc7BE5Z20-2zaJBEhPekcDQJhn166hW8xSSMGcAhZcZUnQDNP1c_NqfT_y1jKq080RExjPl7hCGWTsSi32ynsY/s4032/timballo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdvX65dTSSShsbBjA6OIao4UzM-piu-A1xziZmboEn6wX_oH6IueON6S0Y3I6wGOOAB7tnFbT7WHsMkJPXCGGTbv8CCq9Y9fpy6W05qc7BE5Z20-2zaJBEhPekcDQJhn166hW8xSSMGcAhZcZUnQDNP1c_NqfT_y1jKq080RExjPl7hCGWTsSi32ynsY/w400-h300/timballo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A little information on the ingredients.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJjacyA3VaR40ulPfVEkfbKOedvSAVRCVTZvIqQ9T89Y6ESbojVHfXcQhIUZFpiTmpsnVOmOv5IAykY2dLj6j4RYM14ZWR_BeOCzj9CEZEB0cYMI_n-SXsg-0effTjwn18nlmULXdmqSYqaEa9Vy31gt3l9a9uLAkX7C4pkSoQsVGY8m_ynpXts86MhY/s3420/Chicken%20&%20Sausage.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="3420" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJjacyA3VaR40ulPfVEkfbKOedvSAVRCVTZvIqQ9T89Y6ESbojVHfXcQhIUZFpiTmpsnVOmOv5IAykY2dLj6j4RYM14ZWR_BeOCzj9CEZEB0cYMI_n-SXsg-0effTjwn18nlmULXdmqSYqaEa9Vy31gt3l9a9uLAkX7C4pkSoQsVGY8m_ynpXts86MhY/w400-h300/Chicken%20&%20Sausage.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: x-large; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">I buy this brand of arabiki sausage at a friendly Japanese grocery called Yaoya-San on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, California. Berkeley Bowl West also carries these sausages. (Look for them across from the meat counter.) These lightly smoked pork sausages come pre-cooked and one sausage weighs 25 grams. Yaoya-San also, conveniently, sells ground chicken and all sorts of sliced pork and beef for Japanese dishes like sukiyaki and shabu-shabu.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The recipe for the mushroom seasoning powder comes from Danny Bowien's <i>Mission Vegan</i> (2022). To make a half recipe I blend 21.25 grams dried shiitake mushroom powder; 44 grams MSG; 16 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt; and 2.5 grams granulated sugar. I use this powder whenever I want to add extra flavor. The mixture keeps for a month or so at a cool room temperature.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoki23QRUEQlzcZ91d-kYQ8nr91bv1B_rjzgRVS7ZnK5tv37gE5WXF_EA8FKhRTELjjsAr0Wj3qHA-B4SHLTGEDyLWo9Ts9R7Di209SLLJ0Z63aHw3N7V8YXEMaMHfsdS-Hi0DMwpBjVlRfeWFgnSB-Fm7FMI6jewPUtWlMuDOv33a9HNot5HtkOsxUc0/s3948/Spices.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2961" data-original-width="3948" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoki23QRUEQlzcZ91d-kYQ8nr91bv1B_rjzgRVS7ZnK5tv37gE5WXF_EA8FKhRTELjjsAr0Wj3qHA-B4SHLTGEDyLWo9Ts9R7Di209SLLJ0Z63aHw3N7V8YXEMaMHfsdS-Hi0DMwpBjVlRfeWFgnSB-Fm7FMI6jewPUtWlMuDOv33a9HNot5HtkOsxUc0/w400-h300/Spices.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Queens-based Burlap & Barrel sells an excellent quality toasted onion powder and garlic powder. It also offers an interesting selection of hard-to-find spices and ingredients. (If you enjoy cooking Indian food, check out their Wild Hing powder.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And finally, I am truly addicted to the yuzu shichimi togarashi mixture imported by The Japanese Pantry and made by the Yamatsu Tsujita Co. Ltd. located near Osaka, Japan. It’s fantastic to finish ramen, udon and <i>tamagoyaki</i>. It is also delicious on a fried egg sandwich. As I type this post, The Japanese Pantry is out of stock of this blend, but look for it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I find these chicken and arabiki sausage meatballs as versatile as they are delicious. If you cannot find arabiki sausages, try the recipe with mortadella à la Rito and Tacinelli. This version tastes rich but not as decadent as a 50/50 mortadella/ground chicken blend. Of course, always feel free to adjust a recipe to your personal preference. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uswPtl7vDyRb3VREH6jtGSdkRzUKqQKRCtQmHnBA6F7FMpgivZVH60DBueXPZKqAGPH3AIAzSZzjMJcMEColFVV2E-8VGP1U1epd5jbgg4_nUZm8C4vZ6zV7U_coxnI99iiFVkOFM904_oir6K_sZEkEXgKdWFAQuCSthDH0ZVRGgW68D-XCrLdPCGk/s4032/Cooking%20Donabe.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uswPtl7vDyRb3VREH6jtGSdkRzUKqQKRCtQmHnBA6F7FMpgivZVH60DBueXPZKqAGPH3AIAzSZzjMJcMEColFVV2E-8VGP1U1epd5jbgg4_nUZm8C4vZ6zV7U_coxnI99iiFVkOFM904_oir6K_sZEkEXgKdWFAQuCSthDH0ZVRGgW68D-XCrLdPCGk/w400-h300/Cooking%20Donabe.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-73258426564050431342023-11-11T14:08:00.000-08:002023-11-12T09:04:59.211-08:00Armenian Arsig<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sLcPbeaHTgZ1bhOOvh1nwUTnuKi1IUPCyIISyoueRA3RwVbNVz6YnOgUmnj0Yzinf53TxsEyfDln6EYx69Mf1OenP-qHTB1J70Cg5GZT6t4O64WYkdslDXuS796Wxt6yKKP7g6b-Q6DPH9YP-7Azp7iaDe9OjRHPRc-MN2wAGvza_XLZBz3UaYQJlFc/s3814/Arsig%20Recipe.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="3814" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sLcPbeaHTgZ1bhOOvh1nwUTnuKi1IUPCyIISyoueRA3RwVbNVz6YnOgUmnj0Yzinf53TxsEyfDln6EYx69Mf1OenP-qHTB1J70Cg5GZT6t4O64WYkdslDXuS796Wxt6yKKP7g6b-Q6DPH9YP-7Azp7iaDe9OjRHPRc-MN2wAGvza_XLZBz3UaYQJlFc/w400-h300/Arsig%20Recipe.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I found the two recipe cards pictured above among my mother’s cookbooks.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I asked my mom about these recipes written out by her sister. My mom recalled eating both dishes as a young girl. She especially enjoyed <i>Arsig</i>, which the card spells phonetically. My material grandparents came from Chunkush (aka Chunkoosh), so my mother thought that recipe traveled from the region between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea to Chicago, and ultimately, to the San Francisco Bay Area. Being curious about family recipes, I set out to learn more about <i>Arsig</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I searched my Armenian cookbook collection for a similar lamb and grape leaf stew recipe. No luck. I consulted Musa Dagdeviren’s outstanding <i>The Turkish Cookbook</i> (2019, Phaidon) which contains a host of recipes that I recognize as Armenian, but I didn’t see a dish comparable to <i>Arsig</i>. Nothing turned up when I tried various internet searches. Then fortune smiled upon me: I had <i>Armenian Cuisine</i> (2011) by Aline Kamakian and Barbara Drieskens sent from the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture (GLAC) to my local library. This cookbook contains a recipe for <i>Gertembourt</i> that the authors translate as Vine Leaf Stew. Although not identical to <i>Arsig</i>, the recipe for <i>Gertembourt</i> looks pretty darn close. When I google <i>Gertembourt</i>, my search returns a single hit: Kamakian/Drieskens’s cookbook on eatyourbooks.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCDWoRzeowQ0g-RZ5FK5YxhxmFkQPgYdsSBeboZp7Y2ObjK2cK-iSqyOOOlAbepYzGFFalMteAfmO0S6g4suARsx3ROUes0gcvBNTvAGu_fYyOpQ0ERDZ7sDImeiCs_mcdn4M_1e8CSrSwc135aETFUBhEDK3DYdtGeR21UQ-tImPlvYMYl4-_Tzp6og/s3893/Vine%20Leaf%20Stew.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2920" data-original-width="3893" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCDWoRzeowQ0g-RZ5FK5YxhxmFkQPgYdsSBeboZp7Y2ObjK2cK-iSqyOOOlAbepYzGFFalMteAfmO0S6g4suARsx3ROUes0gcvBNTvAGu_fYyOpQ0ERDZ7sDImeiCs_mcdn4M_1e8CSrSwc135aETFUBhEDK3DYdtGeR21UQ-tImPlvYMYl4-_Tzp6og/w400-h300/Vine%20Leaf%20Stew.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The found <i>Arsig</i> recipe card lacks detail. I’ve cooked the dish, which serves 6 to 8, a number of times now. Here’s how I make <i>Arsig</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1.4 liters / 48 ounces lamb stock<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">454 grams / 16 ounces brined grape leaves, cut into ¼-inch slices<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1000 grams / 2.2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder stew, cut into 1½-inch cubes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">794 grams / 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, cut with scissors into ½-inch pieces<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">0.5 grams / ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kosher salt to taste<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">120 ml / ½ cup lemon juice from 2 large lemons<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">400 grams / 14 ounces bulgur wheat<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a 7.25 quart round Dutch oven, add lamb stock, sliced grape leaves, lamb, tomatoes with juice, kosher salt and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce to low heat, cover and cook. After 15 minutes, add lemon juice, cover and continue to cook at a low simmer for 2 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After 2 hours, bring contents to a boil over medium heat, add bulgur wheat while stirring. Return to stew to a simmer over a low heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes, turn off heat, season to taste and let stew rest, covered, for 10 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNdqHbjWy0mIQwTNBXObpHhEo1ubEi1hOd8l9uPLhZGWzGX0dGERIeqewzXMYVfbcbLGMvl5XnAHj8VcQHP1miz75xl_ll1ShoQ_uyhXsU3XWHlnPRnLnRPsFRn_TJpq9B2ed2Dev-g_3SzRps59XEImiQcw3N4-lj-6DhCKc1nQBftEUaUHwGUdaIzM/s3787/Grape%20Leaves.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2840" data-original-width="3787" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNdqHbjWy0mIQwTNBXObpHhEo1ubEi1hOd8l9uPLhZGWzGX0dGERIeqewzXMYVfbcbLGMvl5XnAHj8VcQHP1miz75xl_ll1ShoQ_uyhXsU3XWHlnPRnLnRPsFRn_TJpq9B2ed2Dev-g_3SzRps59XEImiQcw3N4-lj-6DhCKc1nQBftEUaUHwGUdaIzM/w400-h300/Grape%20Leaves.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some notes. I use Karkazian Ranch Fresno Grape Leaves to make this dish. I sometimes use grape leaves imported from Armenia and from Bulgaria but think the Karkazian Ranch leaves tastier and much easier to handle. I do not rinse these leaves before slicing them for <i>Arsig</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Food manufacturers grade bulgur wheat by size (e.g., extra fine, fine, medium, course and very course). In this recipe I often use Bob’s Red Mill Bulgur, which the company grades as medium. I also like Duru stone-milled bulgur from Turkey.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJDj6xiJjR7O4V3GpWzvHyUXOBLqC2LT_4wNgk4T7Wv1t_dg43G6eUYv_Zu7h4u0e8R5acLa8KXuw8kpTmroYIGOgkgb1uTbuWS9CdTDNZ9uKB1G_3cHskO1hg7o6SPNhytuVlnEICIwQfVX1sgEJxVyFlIquUthLr_YJro9h3g_sTk_H056g-m3pynE/s8368/Lamb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJDj6xiJjR7O4V3GpWzvHyUXOBLqC2LT_4wNgk4T7Wv1t_dg43G6eUYv_Zu7h4u0e8R5acLa8KXuw8kpTmroYIGOgkgb1uTbuWS9CdTDNZ9uKB1G_3cHskO1hg7o6SPNhytuVlnEICIwQfVX1sgEJxVyFlIquUthLr_YJro9h3g_sTk_H056g-m3pynE/w400-h268/Lamb.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I buy both my lamb shoulder and lamb stock from The Local Butcher, located near the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Cedar Street in Berkeley. I’ve purchased a lot of lamb for Armenian dishes from this shop; its butchers do a great job sourcing and cutting meat. The Local Butcher sells frozen lamb stock that makes <i>Arsig </i>much faster and easier to prepare. I prep the cubed lamb by sprinkling them with a heathy amount of Crystal Diamond kosher salt and placing the meat on a rack and tray to sit overnight, uncovered, in the refrigerator. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As grandparents and parent pass away, it can become increasingly difficult to save a family’s food history, especially of people forced into diaspora. Through serendipity I stumbled upon these two cards. Otherwise, my family’s history of these dishes would have vanished. When I spoke with my mom about <i>Arsig,</i> she remembered her family eating it with lavosh bread and thinly shaved red torpedo onions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG4EylpfDZY9xFE7XYUDhqABWCWDGohL4HZ9oyd88HwLKscuFQMXeu7ZEWjPr0A9JhOVNBPjTY-CrHdn5DxwhLw_LPnKF7ZYS2cnJ7lddcRHn85-DDiF3bsd5clizS-9WGu50vae3lrEdexldRAsRoNY03d1DA0URLJGdktfn1PtthaVEQ9-l6YwTHuE/s3133/Arsig.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2350" data-original-width="3133" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG4EylpfDZY9xFE7XYUDhqABWCWDGohL4HZ9oyd88HwLKscuFQMXeu7ZEWjPr0A9JhOVNBPjTY-CrHdn5DxwhLw_LPnKF7ZYS2cnJ7lddcRHn85-DDiF3bsd5clizS-9WGu50vae3lrEdexldRAsRoNY03d1DA0URLJGdktfn1PtthaVEQ9-l6YwTHuE/w400-h300/Arsig.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This lamb and grape vine stew deserves to live on. <i>Arsig</i> tastes bright and delicious. I made a vegetarian version of the stew for my daughter using chickpeas in place of lamb and 4 cups chickpea stock (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2021/05/chickpea-stock.html">here</a>), 2 cups water and 40 grams of butter. This version tastes delicious, too!</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlDpz3GIiiLxaOSaSzhRz0vQv1oq9si5av-mkjMFpTVqnoU4ROCKU-VdTzLa-2oHIXkyGL9IMtfeTh-6dw3C3vXhLDgBRTLqKCpDWXEyFRvmGPKk1Wq7WSA9PxZ58h-kFJiLz5L11CJ-Gf5XDfg0egxdIalJxrFksda8I67MvfMFTLdiwdalGclMaSQ4/s4032/Chickpeas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlDpz3GIiiLxaOSaSzhRz0vQv1oq9si5av-mkjMFpTVqnoU4ROCKU-VdTzLa-2oHIXkyGL9IMtfeTh-6dw3C3vXhLDgBRTLqKCpDWXEyFRvmGPKk1Wq7WSA9PxZ58h-kFJiLz5L11CJ-Gf5XDfg0egxdIalJxrFksda8I67MvfMFTLdiwdalGclMaSQ4/w400-h300/Chickpeas.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-83582451171073523372023-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:002023-10-17T09:09:15.741-07:00National Pasta Day 2023<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNR4dfYk0kcusuCt5-J8d5Q554hLHTUveUkfuS_lxnEksCqi5BLTfrkc6qyv1auCk3J50hqZ9zui-N4zEKjk6xvBpb_2J9FzJFsxnRa3lgzSCRvdUZgNzp5J3FWeLpu32xb1HJUezISoeRGC2JNB8EWnii4v2-g6NZYVlRYQnyLxjLjmYfu0V3RCg0uM/s5760/Pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNR4dfYk0kcusuCt5-J8d5Q554hLHTUveUkfuS_lxnEksCqi5BLTfrkc6qyv1auCk3J50hqZ9zui-N4zEKjk6xvBpb_2J9FzJFsxnRa3lgzSCRvdUZgNzp5J3FWeLpu32xb1HJUezISoeRGC2JNB8EWnii4v2-g6NZYVlRYQnyLxjLjmYfu0V3RCg0uM/w400-h266/Pasta.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">17 October 2023 is National Pasta Day! And World Pasta Day quickly follows on 25 October 2023. The good people at Emiliomiti are offering 20% off standard pasta dies from 11 October through 25 October 2023. Definitely worth checking out if you have an extruder. Go to Emilio’s PastaBiz site <a href="https://pastabiz.com">here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To mark National and World Pasta Day, here are some photos from A Serious Bunburyist’s pasta vault. Enjoy some pasta today, everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8kuD4r8G8E7u5XT51WtyiWpgWlFn4J5V2O6jovMgPKRBPpUHRjDrp-lmmZnCvBZCJO_bF9WqFujLLvIx86ibDZ8L8Cmuneh94Wtojq2budsoOsOHKH8vxFdsZ1tPsjPF-4O0fXjR51rXsiGfGL1OmqlaSUyiNeTtMhiqNSboi5fBGK7xsSmYJvoG2OI/s5760/Z31A4747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8kuD4r8G8E7u5XT51WtyiWpgWlFn4J5V2O6jovMgPKRBPpUHRjDrp-lmmZnCvBZCJO_bF9WqFujLLvIx86ibDZ8L8Cmuneh94Wtojq2budsoOsOHKH8vxFdsZ1tPsjPF-4O0fXjR51rXsiGfGL1OmqlaSUyiNeTtMhiqNSboi5fBGK7xsSmYJvoG2OI/w400-h266/Z31A4747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-39489859005382099302023-09-16T09:28:00.002-07:002023-09-16T09:29:45.806-07:00Baked Macaroni and Cheese<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV25yArp0myY_apSctTq_0D3zSfNK9Boy79SGWYfneiqnMAdKoYLuj_qwVOhB71cSedzqtnl5CHpNkc2NMQNdtjHCGsfuayA1nmzIW86i4gX4nz7W_4_LXfmEEIZDF-8bKJ4ouQ3V8mGtWwFewyoyER2YkYG2qMiXLEnWmUoWFl5LdB3etaK96Trio_I/s8368/L1000066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV25yArp0myY_apSctTq_0D3zSfNK9Boy79SGWYfneiqnMAdKoYLuj_qwVOhB71cSedzqtnl5CHpNkc2NMQNdtjHCGsfuayA1nmzIW86i4gX4nz7W_4_LXfmEEIZDF-8bKJ4ouQ3V8mGtWwFewyoyER2YkYG2qMiXLEnWmUoWFl5LdB3etaK96Trio_I/w400-h268/L1000066.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">In my 11 February 2023 post, I promised to share a quintessential American recipe with historical ties to the Venetian</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i style="background-color: white;">torchio</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">pasta press. This recipe for</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i style="background-color: white;">Baked Macaroni and Cheese</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">comes from</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i style="background-color: white;">Jubilee – Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">(Clarkson Potter, 2019) by the Julia Child Award winning author Toni Tipton-Martin.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the recipe’s introduction, Tipton-Martin highlights James Hemings’s role in establishing macaroni and cheese’s American roots. She writes:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“Hemings was an enslaved chef in Thomas Jefferson’s home who mastered the sophisticated techniques of French classical cooking in Paris, including the operation of a ‘maccaroni’ press. As Monticello’s <i>chef de cuisine</i>, Hemings handwrote his recipes; the ones whose records have survived include fried potatoes (French fries), burnt cream (crème brûlée), and ‘<i>Nouilles a maccaroni</i>’ (macaroni noodles). It’s known that he prepared a ‘macaroni pie’ for a White House dinner in 1802. The macaroni recipe turns up topped with grated cheese following its publication in <i>The Virginia Housewife</i> published in 1845 by Mary Randolph, a Jefferson relative.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tipton-Martin goes on to document macaroni and cheese’s development by Black chefs, but for our pasta-making purposes, let’s peel off here. To create <i>Nouilles a maccaroni</i>, Hemings used a <i>torchio</i> that Jefferson purchased in Europe. The Library of Congress holds Thomas Jefferson’s drawing of a macaroni machine and instructions for making pasta, ca. 1787.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGrzyaq4Cmf_YfGnWsDeCdbeq7EVols3Vsi5bZ3OhTh8u1GlGOcHGVA2nwLy30HXXWR-WlGmrYEiY32Jh3igriPSZ0S3qCd6mBtZD9I8OFhqAec54F3HzUpiXsgHAkHMLumwt4l-97cDzaU-4kKuF3Ekh2lYu2fH42vMipkOW16ExCzDFWQh2vMPNwPk/s1409/iiif-service_mss_mssmcc_027_0001-full-pct_50-0-default.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1409" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGrzyaq4Cmf_YfGnWsDeCdbeq7EVols3Vsi5bZ3OhTh8u1GlGOcHGVA2nwLy30HXXWR-WlGmrYEiY32Jh3igriPSZ0S3qCd6mBtZD9I8OFhqAec54F3HzUpiXsgHAkHMLumwt4l-97cDzaU-4kKuF3Ekh2lYu2fH42vMipkOW16ExCzDFWQh2vMPNwPk/w400-h349/iiif-service_mss_mssmcc_027_0001-full-pct_50-0-default.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is an image of an antique <i>torchio </i>attributed on Flickr to the collection of the Museo di Serravella.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsbKadmUlq30UrH7uKq1PQVMwUbWFQZVrOzXpVrS3AhsMhH9qBONmGKx0vQUSla79Z1gNyIX_xcAD6Ur0fINMZskqQoHwXjcXnh0uPte99QS2W4bDxpW6n0ZI1PIqHGFztZG7ypc_vom_TkKIqce1W36kziMTwQ_3JlKovp7OPK0lWPlTFH2d6Almyxk/s1392/antique%20torchio.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="1012" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsbKadmUlq30UrH7uKq1PQVMwUbWFQZVrOzXpVrS3AhsMhH9qBONmGKx0vQUSla79Z1gNyIX_xcAD6Ur0fINMZskqQoHwXjcXnh0uPte99QS2W4bDxpW6n0ZI1PIqHGFztZG7ypc_vom_TkKIqce1W36kziMTwQ_3JlKovp7OPK0lWPlTFH2d6Almyxk/w291-h400/antique%20torchio.png" width="291" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And, finally, <i>Bugialli on Pasta</i> (1988, Simon and Schuster) contains a photograph of the great Giuliano Bugialli using an “antique Bigolo”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S73chYaoP2MffBZ4lPJMZo211KZ1Cp_Mhmygy9_-j8O8N1fFruydj8kORpE3FKGqUL0slNmDscYQ6Is9KJYDLqxuDKuGpYEdsECCavYxWW8aBzHTYGls1uvlD1XXOB5YX5LnGlP1gneTmMd6g2BfXqiUYnzLaZvipE2WBOBhmaHdxyCO0cVN4zljzOI/s3160/IMG_1952.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3160" data-original-width="2734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S73chYaoP2MffBZ4lPJMZo211KZ1Cp_Mhmygy9_-j8O8N1fFruydj8kORpE3FKGqUL0slNmDscYQ6Is9KJYDLqxuDKuGpYEdsECCavYxWW8aBzHTYGls1uvlD1XXOB5YX5LnGlP1gneTmMd6g2BfXqiUYnzLaZvipE2WBOBhmaHdxyCO0cVN4zljzOI/w346-h400/IMG_1952.jpeg" width="346" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tipton-Martin’s recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese serves 8 to 10. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Softened butter, for the baking dish<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 pound elbow macaroni<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 cups shredded Jack cheese<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 stick (4 ounces) butter, melted<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ cup sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3 large eggs, well beaten<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">¼ teaspoon white pepper<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Paprika<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: repeat white;">1. Preheat the oven to 350</span><span style="background: repeat white;">°</span><span style="background: repeat white;">F. Generously butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. Bring a large pasta pot or saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. In a large bowl, combine the Cheddar and Jack cheeses. Measure out 1 cup of the cheese mixture and set aside for the top of the dish. Layer the remaining combined cheeses and macaroni in the buttered baking dish, beginning and ending with the macaroni.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, evaporated milk, ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste), white pepper, and cayenne. Pour the cream sauce over the macaroni and cheese. Top with the reserved 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle generously with paprika. Place the dish on a rimmed baking dish to catch any juices that spill over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and the top is browned and crusty, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Using dried commercial pasta speeds up the dish’s preparation. However, if you own a <i>torchio</i>, you can make approximately one pound of pasta using the following ingredients: 300 grams “00” flour, 2 medium eggs, and 2 medium egg yolks. (I weigh the eggs and egg yolks shooting for a total egg mixture weight of approximately 150g.) Back in 2019 I wrote about a bronze 6mm ridged macaroni die (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2019/11/6mm-ridged-macaroni-die-no-169.html">here</a>) that I bought from Emiliomiti during its World Pasta Day sale. Although a little on the small side, this shape definitely works in this dish. I’ve also made this recipe using pasta from my <i>lumache</i> die.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WFwrIilVXUXxeISJKVNtSb66W1NSRgtIvApjAT1p6maxLlHK2JERk_FwwnQzvBniyCDSKiE3v3ByPLF-GFdsyDYIz7FEDKiiPQtowId5qBwnkkA5tDl2QzJfBuxh_3SXUgGG5v09Y740otRFLPM5nkNh0WIdF0s2HRjBE82ct7i-RhkRKLl7kT_zHl0/s8368/L1000064.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WFwrIilVXUXxeISJKVNtSb66W1NSRgtIvApjAT1p6maxLlHK2JERk_FwwnQzvBniyCDSKiE3v3ByPLF-GFdsyDYIz7FEDKiiPQtowId5qBwnkkA5tDl2QzJfBuxh_3SXUgGG5v09Y740otRFLPM5nkNh0WIdF0s2HRjBE82ct7i-RhkRKLl7kT_zHl0/w400-h268/L1000064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-85523139048109019282023-02-11T16:02:00.003-08:002023-02-11T16:02:26.407-08:00La Monferrina's Dolly III<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS0Ff2jjG_B7B5gL-3xveSXbcqGpDAm5v82B8ezW21UO8Ld31zHTtlPolvkXgXjCM0WUG7vNfMOVGc7n5YwUxK2BTjY0iiyPsGI84SeW08VbTaVDvzQUkYOOBmPRczW2WM1E5jg-NYohUcqHzkAUcujG-KPiqcDCN5efFjShBrFeWKNfH6of2mFQv/s8368/L1000061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS0Ff2jjG_B7B5gL-3xveSXbcqGpDAm5v82B8ezW21UO8Ld31zHTtlPolvkXgXjCM0WUG7vNfMOVGc7n5YwUxK2BTjY0iiyPsGI84SeW08VbTaVDvzQUkYOOBmPRczW2WM1E5jg-NYohUcqHzkAUcujG-KPiqcDCN5efFjShBrFeWKNfH6of2mFQv/w400-h268/L1000061.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my last post of 2022, I wrote that I recently purchased an electric pasta-making machine from <u><a href="https://www.emiliomiti.com">Emiliomiti</a></u>: La Monferrina’s Dolly III Pasta Extruder. What is a Dolly? La Monferrina’s website says:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“DOLLY is a small ‘counter top’ machine, compact and reliable; it is suitable both for restaurants and for people who like good home-made pasta. DOLLY can knead by using any kind of flour and it produces long and short pasta shapes by simply changing the die. The machine can be supplied (on request) with a rotating cutting knife for short pasta shapes.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought about buying a Dolly for—as the patient and helpful folks at Emiliomiti can attest—a very long time. Did I need an electric extruder when the <i>torchio</i> has served me well for over 12 years? Ultimately I decided that the electric Dolly augments rather than replaces my <i>torchio</i>. The Dolly will allow me to explore a range of pasta shapes, especially buckwheat noodles which can be extremely hard (i.e., physically difficult) to extrude with a handpress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Dolly will also speed up pasta making when feeding a crowd. I typically use my Kitchen Aid standing mixer to make my <i>torchio</i>-bound pasta dough. After mixing, I transfer the dough to the press to extrude and hand cut. The Dolly combines a mixing/kneading bin with an extruder and a cutting attachment. Making pasta with a <i>torchio</i> to serve 8 or more people can take some time (and, if your dough is hard, muscle). What the Dolly lacks in charm, it makes up in brawn. Push a button and the electric Dolly creates up to 6 Kg of pasta (i.e., a lot of pasta) in an hour. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHsl3huhoLVWKOwAYVeigxz9ttSKfEWNxgJloCbLvj0xR0sATK0jTclPgQsq-Ewj_YsJXg7Nn1W0FuJOCvVbUUdlvazvekPxfWFKUPRNoX5RYghn7pfWFJu9c-JZA-NqjsObqLsma4-_YkgO0kvJEq3MiMvSYI3B2dCkLiicopnMaz8P4tlGKYoPE/s7036/L1000060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4695" data-original-width="7036" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHsl3huhoLVWKOwAYVeigxz9ttSKfEWNxgJloCbLvj0xR0sATK0jTclPgQsq-Ewj_YsJXg7Nn1W0FuJOCvVbUUdlvazvekPxfWFKUPRNoX5RYghn7pfWFJu9c-JZA-NqjsObqLsma4-_YkgO0kvJEq3MiMvSYI3B2dCkLiicopnMaz8P4tlGKYoPE/w400-h268/L1000060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m very excited to work with the Dolly and write about it in this year’s upcoming posts on pasta making. And speaking of pasta, my next post will feature a recipe with historical ties to the <i>torchio</i>: <i>Baked Macaroni and Cheese</i> from Toni Tipton-Martin’s excellent cookbook, <i>Jubilee – Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking</i> (Clarkson Potter, 2019). Stay tuned.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-31241724502300540922022-12-04T12:05:00.004-08:002022-12-04T12:05:37.174-08:00Best Cookbooks of 2022<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRSN3A_etDRyDBVJEriZAlbpneQOR--U3gi7IuRW7FR-XV7vtIWKNRqLfZ3pRPMcomTEo5JMqmSKvbAp7BIQipAJdWjAFFKBjA3r-WeA62DChzjIoJq20uVmPiJrg0aU1JS6wm8pV4bM_Q6iI27T5XeskWiEgJBEVN8R6VLTjTf9-m33oOtOYFqY2/s7471/L1000019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4985" data-original-width="7471" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRSN3A_etDRyDBVJEriZAlbpneQOR--U3gi7IuRW7FR-XV7vtIWKNRqLfZ3pRPMcomTEo5JMqmSKvbAp7BIQipAJdWjAFFKBjA3r-WeA62DChzjIoJq20uVmPiJrg0aU1JS6wm8pV4bM_Q6iI27T5XeskWiEgJBEVN8R6VLTjTf9-m33oOtOYFqY2/w400-h268/L1000019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Boxing, moving, unpacking and shelving my library only slightly tempered my cookbook purchases this year. Looking back over 2022, publishers released several outstanding titles. I share, in alphabetical order, my picks for the five best cookbooks of this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Arabiyya-Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora</i> by Reem Assil, Ten Speed Press <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Gâteau-The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes </i>by Aleksandra Crapanzano, Scribner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I Am From Here-Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef</i> by Vishwesh Bhatt, Norton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mission Vegan-Wildly Delicious Food for Everyone</i> by Danny Bowien with JJ Goode, Ecco<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pasta Grannies – Comfort Food</i> by Vicky Bennison, Hardie Grant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A little about each of these books.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I find the food presented in Reem Assil’s <i>Arabiyya</i> both tempting and familiar to many of the Armenian dishes I grew up eating. <i>Ruz Arabi</i> (Spiced Rice with Fried Vermicelli) reminds me of Armenian Pilaf (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2012/01/armenian-pilaf.html" target="_blank">here</a>), save Assil’s recipe incorporates a Seven-Spice mix instead of a mere pinch of cayenne, and calls for oil, not butter, to brown the vermicelli. Her <i>Lahm Bi Ajeen</i> (Crispy, Spiced-Meat Flatbread) closely resembles Armenian Lahmajoon. Assil jokes that “..if the Arabs and Turks are fighting over their claim to [a certain food], chances are, it’s Armenian.” But what I really love about <i>Arabiyya</i> is Assil’s consciousness of identity and place, before and after her diaspora. Hospitality and remembrance brightly glow in each of the book’s five parts: How to Host Like an Arab; The Arab Street Corner Bakery; The Arab Table; An Arab Finds her Vegetable Roots; and An Arab Finds her (Food) Way. I hope Assil follows up this excellent cookbook with a deep dive into baking.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And speaking of deep dives into baking, Aleksandra Crapanzano’s <i>Gâteau</i> opens with nine takes on yogurt cake and 50+ variations on pound cake. In <i>Gâteau’s</i> Introduction, Crapanzano writes “[t]he French bake at home far more than we imagine. But, maybe more important, they bake far more simply than we imagine, and mostly from a range of classics that lend themselves to seasonal riffing and improvisation.” This truth plays out in the 150 or so recipes that Crapanzano shares in this tight, well-written cookbook. Chapters include: The Simplest of the Classics; Regional Classics; Chocolate Cakes; Cakes to Layer; Madeleines, Financiers, Visitandines; Holiday Cakes; and Savory Cakes. I’ve earmarked Crapanzano’s recipe for <i>Rouleau Fraise-Rhubarbe, Glaçage au Citron</i> (Strawberry-Rhubarb Rouleau, Lemon Buttercream) to bake when spring arrives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like Reem Assil’s <i>Arabiyya</i>, Vishwesh Bhatt’s <i>I Am From Here</i> shares how an immigrant transforms heritage recipes with newly found ingredients. Bhatt further adapts the classics recipes of his chosen home (i.e., America’s Deep South) with the flavors of his birthplace. Born in the Indian State of Gujarat, Bhatt settled in Oxford, Mississippi, and identifies as a Southern chef. His cooking earned him the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South (2019) and induction into the Fellowship of Southern Farmers, Artisans, and Chefs (2022). Bhatt divides his fabulous cookbook into thirteen chapters: Rice; Peas and Beans; Okra; Tomatoes; Eggplant; Corn; Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes; Peanuts; Greens; Shrimp; Catfish; Chicken; and Pork and Lamb. Sounds pretty Southern, right? In part! Flip through the Rice chapter and find his grandmother’s <i>Khichadi</i> recipe along with recipes for Dirty Rice Grits and for Jambalaya. The Okra chapter has Bhatt’s take on Okra Chaat and, recognizing the diversity of his American South, a Lebanese Lamb, Okra, and Tomato Stew dish called Bamia (which, if you take out the cinnamon, allspice and cloves, closely resembles my favorite Armenian lamb, okra and tomato stew also called Bamia, which means okra in Armenian). I really love <i>I Am From Here</i> and predict it will win critical acclaim.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A new cookbook by Danny Bowien is exciting news! I find his <i>The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook</i> (2015) massively interesting. <i>Mission Vegan-Wildly Delicious Food for Everyone</i> continues Bowien’s creative evolution. The book shares recipes from his Mission Chinese Food restaurants that just happen to be vegan. Of the Asian offerings the book skews toward Korean. Bowien writes “[e]ating and cooking has long been my way of exploring who I am. My identity, like the food I make, is constantly evolving. Which is why in this book, you’ll find pasta pomodoro in the same chapter as chewy Korean buckwheat noodles topped with dragon fruit ice, tofu skin in the style of cumin lamb, and green tea noodles that taste like Vietnamese pho.” I particularly like <i>Mission Vegan’s</i> chapter on Sauces and Seasonings. I made Mushroom Seasoning Powder and use it whenever I want to add deep richness to a dish. <i>Mission Vegan’s</i> photographs pop off the page and are as intense and bold as Bowien’s food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Vicky Bennison’s <i>Pasta Grannies – Comfort Cooking</i> makes my list of 2022’s best cookbooks because nearly every single recipe tempts me to cook it. I especially love the book’s numerous baked pasta recipes, like <i>Adi’s Anelletti al Forno alla Palermitana</i> (Baked Pasta from Palermo) and <i>Iginia’s Princisgras </i>(Porcini and Prosciutto Lasagna from Macerata), that, for me, epitomize comfort food. Another baked pasta I want to try: <i>Enrica’s Torta Verde Con Prescinsêua</i> (Cheese and Chard Pie from Genova). Each well-written recipe in the book includes a QR code that, when scanned, takes the reader to a video showing the <i>nonna</i> making her dish. If you love Italian cooking, you will want to check out this excellent cookbook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I conclude my list with a few of the 2023 cookbooks on my radar. In March, Phaidon offers <i>BAO</i> by Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung and Wai Ting Chung, and in May publishes <i>Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook</i> by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Katie Parla has a new cookbook due out in March titled <i>Food of the Italian Islands </i>that I plan on checking out. I’ll report on any other interesting offers as they arise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUh0VXejgGSAJISCvBoFgECoB2BwcqRh4ru6WW1O-oLCcz0mWBXZ5mkEswcCNDn0SzhFjzoTySKO3kx8ZEk8ZBWEAu9BRAbkeiy3RRpSV0Izda7ZCw1fvW54cDAMYIkDuc_l7n4O0-BmV_n1OotnnVti_jWp7sbuSe2keljM-7JsVGB7EcU4NQzbZM/s4032/IMG_0683.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUh0VXejgGSAJISCvBoFgECoB2BwcqRh4ru6WW1O-oLCcz0mWBXZ5mkEswcCNDn0SzhFjzoTySKO3kx8ZEk8ZBWEAu9BRAbkeiy3RRpSV0Izda7ZCw1fvW54cDAMYIkDuc_l7n4O0-BmV_n1OotnnVti_jWp7sbuSe2keljM-7JsVGB7EcU4NQzbZM/w400-h300/IMG_0683.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now that my move is over and I feel more settled, I hope to post more often in 2023. I look forward to exploring my old stomping grounds and making a lot of pasta. I recently took the plunge—finally—and purchased an electric pasta extruder from Emiliomiti (<a href="http://www.emiliomiti.com" target="_blank">here</a>) in San Francisco. We’ll say hello to Dolly in 2023.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dcUhKmLXx8ciS9GnhUNgQ4pB3hocKOmeMQj-YxEhYlkmWxRUY4YRuUS9shuo2jRrIVCV2B9b4iM-YELoLZBVD7adZ7f_13AejtgfXEu9llQxRe2YfUO22etJp3LL82E0ySTIMsSyHxKqeclcYj2IPpAetPfB05kxP9OZqjQtY-MyY2u_9sTYfsC1/s7285/L1000010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4860" data-original-width="7285" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dcUhKmLXx8ciS9GnhUNgQ4pB3hocKOmeMQj-YxEhYlkmWxRUY4YRuUS9shuo2jRrIVCV2B9b4iM-YELoLZBVD7adZ7f_13AejtgfXEu9llQxRe2YfUO22etJp3LL82E0ySTIMsSyHxKqeclcYj2IPpAetPfB05kxP9OZqjQtY-MyY2u_9sTYfsC1/w400-h266/L1000010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-84319736446245060352022-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:002022-04-19T13:11:06.464-07:00Nettle Powder Pasta Revisited<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYq6zdV2x2QvUHml7BaYoSL6KJPwcAJ8_IFpBOZJ3arEkOjLb_-PU_SrGaUL3t_bMUMnRrUZ7qkYmYyD9mJhsBKCLVDK_0Br8kffkBDW1smGA6UbrvIac6s4vcJQgr2UIA2PSPQKnta7cPqRAUYxXIvyva39GF1uJ06hAybZQMyJO68COHwANQJei/s8368/L1000254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYq6zdV2x2QvUHml7BaYoSL6KJPwcAJ8_IFpBOZJ3arEkOjLb_-PU_SrGaUL3t_bMUMnRrUZ7qkYmYyD9mJhsBKCLVDK_0Br8kffkBDW1smGA6UbrvIac6s4vcJQgr2UIA2PSPQKnta7cPqRAUYxXIvyva39GF1uJ06hAybZQMyJO68COHwANQJei/w400-h268/L1000254.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For the last few years I’ve made <i>paglia e fieno </i>(“straw & hay’) pasta (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2017/10/straw-hay-gramigna.html">here</a>) for Easter dinner. I used 2 grams of stinging nettle powder (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/stinging-nettle-powder-pasta.html">here</a>) to make the green pasta. This year I wondered: how many nettle leaves do I need to pick to make 2 grams of nettle powder? Answer: between 15 to 20 young leaves.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifr3lyBziQSzjrxR6JPzrvMOlI37CVyERNeIvYhPeOgrZxK5Zu-vwEi-Doc6iEWLwwIXdRFrudSK8QSNpFQ85tP6GX0E2GoCcPhvzIYXnP2dpb6Kv_8HSHC8JlQ8x4z8uT2uv_JpW7Yw2SRTSbxgEFX6ZTwmLEqsLwrzoy44MrFwvYPgMouLs7pvrk/s5760/Z31A2560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifr3lyBziQSzjrxR6JPzrvMOlI37CVyERNeIvYhPeOgrZxK5Zu-vwEi-Doc6iEWLwwIXdRFrudSK8QSNpFQ85tP6GX0E2GoCcPhvzIYXnP2dpb6Kv_8HSHC8JlQ8x4z8uT2uv_JpW7Yw2SRTSbxgEFX6ZTwmLEqsLwrzoy44MrFwvYPgMouLs7pvrk/w400-h266/Z31A2560.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When foraging for nettles, I carefully snip off the top third of young, medium-sized plants. I wash the nettles to remove any grit and insects, cut the leaves from the stems, and then gently pat the leaves dry before placing them in a dehydrator for 8 to 9 hours at 95</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">°</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">F/35</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">°</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">C.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLEsQnekyTmi-hksKjih-oCdx-VwDlyVm3-TMtRWaLCgPhRYkhbW-_pgBavfdtX4AmL3sV6Mg-f1pe4UX2SqgHHynchF6UhQs0sSCExB8RQTlEUrYRoPfs3Y4jazuz0DmNrYq5FwCytusdWmuFTneHTN4x4K0VotpLWedQAj-yw8A7y6HMl6lOk4H/s8312/L1000242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5546" data-original-width="8312" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLEsQnekyTmi-hksKjih-oCdx-VwDlyVm3-TMtRWaLCgPhRYkhbW-_pgBavfdtX4AmL3sV6Mg-f1pe4UX2SqgHHynchF6UhQs0sSCExB8RQTlEUrYRoPfs3Y4jazuz0DmNrYq5FwCytusdWmuFTneHTN4x4K0VotpLWedQAj-yw8A7y6HMl6lOk4H/w400-h268/L1000242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This year I rolled my pasta with a <i>mattarello</i> (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2019/03/mattarello.html">here</a>). I used 100 grams of Central Milling 00 Normal flour, a medium egg and 2 grams of nettle powder to make the green pasta and the same amount of flour and egg to make the yellow. I found the green pasta a bit harder to roll out than the yellow, so next time I might play around with the green’s ingredients.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCddSMU8HgmI45cLx4i-qRlHqzMkTzhTr78E0YwZaKdgXeT-firbFuRg--RT1yvzSDjJo0ypQ6xpO6yKmsxhPynj6D8W1VmMM6hyg9SUq4PvS8_99XiGm-8Qt6slFCMiBeEm-hE3lbbhTvpIFcIL8C7LZ3xXWFsETcoaeoDhbIhlLiDVg_pZrCUg1F/s5814/L1000258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3880" data-original-width="5814" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCddSMU8HgmI45cLx4i-qRlHqzMkTzhTr78E0YwZaKdgXeT-firbFuRg--RT1yvzSDjJo0ypQ6xpO6yKmsxhPynj6D8W1VmMM6hyg9SUq4PvS8_99XiGm-8Qt6slFCMiBeEm-hE3lbbhTvpIFcIL8C7LZ3xXWFsETcoaeoDhbIhlLiDVg_pZrCUg1F/w400-h268/L1000258.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Things will be quiet here at A Serious Bunburyist for a while as my wife and I move. I packed up all my pasta gear and hundreds (and hundreds) of cookbooks. Stay tuned for new posts, hopefully soon.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_tM6zsFzw-v7Uik249Nd7SsfcxsGUQvsgNzXdTAPCh305J9kBJ8GpH_ErdJsCp_9DmSNZanII-hafEUF1Tm9cQ-Q4midJoo7iQMCXNXTXhi7UeWd-NMucy5tfhXtRans86i9Jw1cosqv4t_s1SYY1ijs7V1fDlA3mQf5B9j8Hy5glaC4pJ_jNm8x/s8368/L1000244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="8368" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_tM6zsFzw-v7Uik249Nd7SsfcxsGUQvsgNzXdTAPCh305J9kBJ8GpH_ErdJsCp_9DmSNZanII-hafEUF1Tm9cQ-Q4midJoo7iQMCXNXTXhi7UeWd-NMucy5tfhXtRans86i9Jw1cosqv4t_s1SYY1ijs7V1fDlA3mQf5B9j8Hy5glaC4pJ_jNm8x/w400-h268/L1000244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-524876614556332522022-01-28T13:28:00.001-08:002022-01-28T15:04:06.355-08:00Bronze Pasta Dies Revisited<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDQfnLm76XprI4yg0abNGh66WR5IMKABuqJktg3yZWrMuS0NpCSYycTgyR4ojRUOMS2KIx5eUmeemYmaQIWaJrwbD1OqghYCpS2-hnuF25MFlhq77Yln5i6nlwUGMAyNiqm6TKpUAmEMNgrKjDJwLZac4tbqLaA5eSuku3lnSig-JlIXTboyJO4yEe=s5184" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDQfnLm76XprI4yg0abNGh66WR5IMKABuqJktg3yZWrMuS0NpCSYycTgyR4ojRUOMS2KIx5eUmeemYmaQIWaJrwbD1OqghYCpS2-hnuF25MFlhq77Yln5i6nlwUGMAyNiqm6TKpUAmEMNgrKjDJwLZac4tbqLaA5eSuku3lnSig-JlIXTboyJO4yEe=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I recently corrected a couple of my old blog posts that focus on bronze pasta dies, specifically dies that work in Bottene’s Torchio Model B manual pasta press. Here’s why.</span> </p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Back in 2011, I contacted Emiliomiti (<a href="https://pastabiz.com" target="_blank">here</a>) to inquire whether it sold additional dies for a Bottene Torchio Model B that I purchased in 2010. My Model B came with two dies, one to make <i>bigoli</i> and another for <i>gargati</i>. Emiliomiti replied that although it occasionally receives different dies made specifically for the Model B, heavier bronze dies made for an electric extruder should also work in my hand cranked torchio. To test this out I purchased a No. 464 <i>Casarecce</i> die (here) and—<i>yes</i>—the die worked perfectly in my torchio<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFz-C1aOAK5bwl0UfuYG54XZOJA2cqBtPbLKlCioIo3WFKZVYQV_t4ollBQMjLsdNkR-SJ8VCHQElMxVGlXTPs9SEymG03naWW8J_cPgakLd569iBiuVuMtHqK4qVtuiuAPYkDP3gx-goejblj5MSAbiCkVMB_NkEeK5eE6BnokLsIUpzyoV8om00O=s320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFz-C1aOAK5bwl0UfuYG54XZOJA2cqBtPbLKlCioIo3WFKZVYQV_t4ollBQMjLsdNkR-SJ8VCHQElMxVGlXTPs9SEymG03naWW8J_cPgakLd569iBiuVuMtHqK4qVtuiuAPYkDP3gx-goejblj5MSAbiCkVMB_NkEeK5eE6BnokLsIUpzyoV8om00O=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my 2011 post about this experiment, I wrote that this No. 464 die was designed for La Monferrina’s Dolly electric extruder. In fact, the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">die I received was designed for Bottene’s Lillo electric extruder and not the Dolly.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With hindsight, this makes perfect sense because Bottene makes both the electric Lillo extruder and manual Torchio Model B handpress (and not the Dolly). I should have picked up on this sooner because back in 2017 I bought a No. 171 ridged macaroni die (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2017/05/torchio-pasta-die-dimensions.html" target="_blank">here</a>) that didn’t quite fit my torchio. I know now that I inadvertently received a Dolly-compatible die instead of a Lillo die. No big deal: Emiliomiti replaced the Dolly die with a Lillo/Torchio Model B-compatible die.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All this die information came to light this January 2022 when I spoke to Emiliomiti about buying an electric extruder. I’m looking at La Monferrina’s Dolly III and Bottene’s Lillo Due. I learned that one benefit of buying the Lillo Due is that this electric extruder can use<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span><u>certain</u> dies that that I already own and use in my Torchio Model B, specifically any die that has a round hole drilled into its back like the die picture below.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHObVn9nbcBtLNYcdNqqI01kHshwXUOs1TBB3cbol3ctxkvqX8v5GG8hALkKl62ZwFLX7Kma_x6tK1Rvgpcgd7eo5GDYpkEeSepf9xiPgMcKPPwhLS6kSlIvJBpOTkwHqvy-aO-OKyurnX5IO6i_H9jlSrINxdqivdSqWN7djKG5S3D2lEIOqMD85d=s320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHObVn9nbcBtLNYcdNqqI01kHshwXUOs1TBB3cbol3ctxkvqX8v5GG8hALkKl62ZwFLX7Kma_x6tK1Rvgpcgd7eo5GDYpkEeSepf9xiPgMcKPPwhLS6kSlIvJBpOTkwHqvy-aO-OKyurnX5IO6i_H9jlSrINxdqivdSqWN7djKG5S3D2lEIOqMD85d=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>This hole seats the Lillo’s motor-driven auger. A Torchio Model B die that</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>does not</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span>have a similar hole drilled out in the die's back</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>will not work</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span>in the Lillo even though the die works in the Torchio Model B.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq-NGQSakRM2fj6gK244UuV7EoAoTgSIn8DK-aJofBOsrXhmgoVP6RBpK8ORqme955QZJwtvn9pVmNXkPS2QNWisOv8eAeMbSy_sS1WFmamhQ7zrrngneMMJSZ_Y_dRT2uDzI1i__qqzx91hY5Pn9bKl_djgkzCEh3eaQ61ZysXTJSwyb_zlwIRSIF=s5723" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3815" data-original-width="5723" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq-NGQSakRM2fj6gK244UuV7EoAoTgSIn8DK-aJofBOsrXhmgoVP6RBpK8ORqme955QZJwtvn9pVmNXkPS2QNWisOv8eAeMbSy_sS1WFmamhQ7zrrngneMMJSZ_Y_dRT2uDzI1i__qqzx91hY5Pn9bKl_djgkzCEh3eaQ61ZysXTJSwyb_zlwIRSIF=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Simply stated, Bottene made it possible to use any Lillo die in its Torchio Model B, but not every Torchio Model B die will work in a Lillo.</span><span class="gmail-apple-converted-space" style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Finally, dies made for La Monferrina’s Dolly extruders will not fit in either the Lillo Due or the Torchio Model B. The face of a Dolly die is too wide to seat properly in Bottene's Lillo and Torchio Model B die holders.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipjJ0iE_a2R_rawrJN9rCrwnZTilDflnlxlj93CjWWWRXRL9Hlq_b3lh_UCh_ljI5lI7GI_3QQfvfttfnsSSbpoFsRANqaLJFp5muOVR8tGV3PBdcdASpT4CyRP7y9VhDzT_StrXKvNtgqbsJ_YBah5Y1yMj-vAy0yvf1fnB3NDT50bQWgZJ8L0X1q=s5760" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipjJ0iE_a2R_rawrJN9rCrwnZTilDflnlxlj93CjWWWRXRL9Hlq_b3lh_UCh_ljI5lI7GI_3QQfvfttfnsSSbpoFsRANqaLJFp5muOVR8tGV3PBdcdASpT4CyRP7y9VhDzT_StrXKvNtgqbsJ_YBah5Y1yMj-vAy0yvf1fnB3NDT50bQWgZJ8L0X1q=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEJyGaije9uH5ApGNHBaJFKAymrDkgL685z-gwFsxidoRi_KmaErlczgY3ZgmNbkB25S8zqafN71Nfe0YyR5gRrTRuCtuqLqmOixhWwWbOfkPivHiCzfXSXpIfEUFCKgKaW5A_Xb4yR6VVlPYaq5Dce-OEx77l7e109j6GnGI78CarM0B1cF4lDy8m=s5760" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEJyGaije9uH5ApGNHBaJFKAymrDkgL685z-gwFsxidoRi_KmaErlczgY3ZgmNbkB25S8zqafN71Nfe0YyR5gRrTRuCtuqLqmOixhWwWbOfkPivHiCzfXSXpIfEUFCKgKaW5A_Xb4yR6VVlPYaq5Dce-OEx77l7e109j6GnGI78CarM0B1cF4lDy8m=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-90468723917595582852021-12-15T12:34:00.001-08:002021-12-20T09:12:20.682-08:00Pasticcini di mandorle<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP0nUVIHZ-Zao2ZdQ1RQrshQ5SfmscStkpUyz0zVtO858mYD6fRGDbxS2Bt-0gQNJt6WnV-VeMRPEBWvowmgiJntw6Q8S8Uu0clNOeBF6KHdRKv1XB1ctxl1MfwjFlq3_9y4DfANpgY-I_h-_pswNJMlnqcSzPR0LyDmyKP7xGNoXJFzMDR4fDILAU=s6839" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4564" data-original-width="6839" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP0nUVIHZ-Zao2ZdQ1RQrshQ5SfmscStkpUyz0zVtO858mYD6fRGDbxS2Bt-0gQNJt6WnV-VeMRPEBWvowmgiJntw6Q8S8Uu0clNOeBF6KHdRKv1XB1ctxl1MfwjFlq3_9y4DfANpgY-I_h-_pswNJMlnqcSzPR0LyDmyKP7xGNoXJFzMDR4fDILAU=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Let’s finish off 2021 on a sweet note. The recipe for these soft, chewy almond cookies comes from Rachel Roddy’s outstanding first cookbook,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Five Quarters</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(2015). She also covered</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>pasticcini di mandorle</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">way back in 2010 on her food blog, Rachel Eats.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These <i>pasticcini di mandorle</i> contain only four ingredients: ground almonds, icing (aka powdered) sugar, lemon zest and egg. Roddy sampled the cookies while in Sicily, although versions exist across Italy. Carol Field’s <i>The Italian Baker</i> (1985, 2011) has a similar cookie recipe that hails from the Italian Alps. <i>Bolle di neve</i> (“Snowballs”) contain ground candied orange peel instead of lemon zest and egg whites in place of whole egg, but otherwise these Alpine and Sicilian cookies are kissing cousins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here’s Roddy’s <i>pasticcini di mandorle</i> recipe, which makes 15 to 20 cookies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">350g ground almonds<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">200g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 eggs, gently beaten with a fork<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Preheat the oven to 180</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C/160</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and, using a fork or your fingers, bring the mixture together to form a soft, sticky dough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dust your hands with icing sugar and scoop out a walnut-sized lump of dough, then gently shape and roll it between your palms into a ball. Dust the ball with more icing sugar and put it on the baking tray. Continue until you have used up all the mixture. Make an indentation in the centre of each ball with your finger so that they cook evenly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown underneath and cracked, crisp and very pale gold on top. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. They will keep in an airtight tin for up to a month.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I converted 180</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C/gas mark 4 to 350</span><span>°</span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;">F and baked without issue. Roddy writes that the “mixture will spread from walnut-sized balls into 5-cm biscuits, so space them out accordingly….” The photo of <i>pasticcini di mandorle</i> in <i>Five Quarters</i> definitely look flatter than my bake, but I sort of like the looks of the rounder version better. I used Bob’s Red Mill super-fine almond flour, so maybe that accounts for the difference. Or I didn’t shape gently enough? Or…who knows.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuESt747aqDF6H6rNF4HpRqRL0iZ_94cxx5BN3i9TdxLqNA39icxG0_LyZfywo-Zp6unNFjqind98HBttOnhAuVo6RWwwfh5Fe-jiHYPieVoemj5s-ttR9jNeUHHLXGbKXf24ymvEgPJY_P6cQfaZHSGE_TRbyOh5380Lcv2xcZYc8v9Z0soQIzpPR=s7459" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4978" data-original-width="7459" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuESt747aqDF6H6rNF4HpRqRL0iZ_94cxx5BN3i9TdxLqNA39icxG0_LyZfywo-Zp6unNFjqind98HBttOnhAuVo6RWwwfh5Fe-jiHYPieVoemj5s-ttR9jNeUHHLXGbKXf24ymvEgPJY_P6cQfaZHSGE_TRbyOh5380Lcv2xcZYc8v9Z0soQIzpPR=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Make sure you follow the recipe and dust your hands with powdered sugar to roll the cookies. This dough is so incredibly sticky! But employing a little powdered sugar takes the fight right out of the dough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Wishing everyone A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year. Fingers crossed that 2022 turns out better than the last few years.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-89461170201829842792021-12-05T14:13:00.000-08:002021-12-05T14:13:45.545-08:00Best Cookbooks of 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1btfgLChHyHqIBPAiL3dFrCmZ_2Bo69PYp0gDLMeExIYh-8aiO1TiZVTwONWufDA3OXgDM5UzR4hZV1LxxErk_P6BWR68pMDm7fQp6AZ4XYpuL6aJnjpWVg6yBRMAYd3WM210XUvcbM/s2048/L1000135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1btfgLChHyHqIBPAiL3dFrCmZ_2Bo69PYp0gDLMeExIYh-8aiO1TiZVTwONWufDA3OXgDM5UzR4hZV1LxxErk_P6BWR68pMDm7fQp6AZ4XYpuL6aJnjpWVg6yBRMAYd3WM210XUvcbM/w400-h268/L1000135.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Well, as we near the end of 2021, I guess this year felt a little better than 2020, so that’s something. And, thankfully, a number of excellent cookbooks dropped this year. Here’s my list of the five best cookbooks of 2021.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">An A-Z of Pasta - Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes </span></i><span style="color: #333333;">by Rachel Roddy, Penguin Random House UK.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">The Latin American Cookbook</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> by Virgilio Martínez, Phaidon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown – Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> by Brandon Jew and Tienlon Ho, Ten Speed Press.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">Pasta-The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi, Ten Speed Press.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">Rice</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> by Michael W. Twitty, The University of North Carolina Press.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here’s the why.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Of the hundreds of Italian cookbooks in my collection, Roddy’s three works—<i>Five Quarters </i>(2015), <i>Two Kitchens</i> (2017), and now <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i>—are among my favorites. She has a knack of compiling recipes that deliver simple yet satisfying food destine to become household standards. <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> ably covers the pasta basics, but the fantastic recipes that accompany her A to Z of pasta shapes are the real reason to buy this cookbook. I previously shared a baked Sicilian pasta recipe (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2021/08/maccheroni-ncasciata.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I cannot wait to cook her <i>Spaghetti alla chitarra con pallottine di pollo in bianco</i> (Spaghetti alla chitarra with tiny chicken meatballs and white wine). Roddy has written yet another great Italian cookbook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A theme in my Best of 2021 selections: comfort food. I found chef Virgilio Martínez’s compilation of recipes full of delicious, comforting dishes. Intended to serve as a snapshot of Latin American food, Martínez writes “[t]hrough the process of creating this…cookbook, we carefully observed what we Latin Americans have in common: the meals we serve at home, the foods made in the streets and in our markets, and what an emblematic neighborhood restaurant has served for decades.” Martínez and his team divide the hundreds of recipes into eighteen chapters: Breads and Baked Goods; Sandwiches; Grains, Quinoa and Amaranth; Roots and Tubers; Corn; Garden Vegetables; Beans and Lentils; Fruit; Dairy and Eggs; Fish and Seafood; Beef; Pork; Poultry; Native Meats and Insects; Lamb and Goat; Sweets; Drinks; and Salsas and Condiments. Fans of Maricel E. Presilla’s <i>Gran Cocina Latina</i> (2012) will definitely want to check out Martínez’s exciting new cookbook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ten Speed Press originally slated <i><span style="color: #333333;">Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> to debut in 2020 but pushed publication to early 2021. Although many of the recipes in this restaurant cookbook may sound familiar—Orange Chicken Wings, Pot Stickers, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Lion’s Head Meatballs—expect sophisticated preparations worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Brandon Jew writes that “Mister Jiu’s came out of my desire to pay homage to my family traditions and my food memories of growing up Chinese American.” Super exciting recipes populate every chapter of this topnotch cookbook. I started with an easy one for Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms from the book’s chapter entitled The (New) Chinatown Pantry. The mushrooms taste awesome thinly sliced and eaten with steamed rice. Jew shares techniques to dry shrimp and scallops, to make <i>char siu</i>, and other pantry essential items like Fermented Chile Paste and Hot Mustard (using Chinese beer). Extra bonus: so nice to read his nod to the talented Jon Smulewitz who ran both Dopo and Adesso in Oakland, CA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I recently wrote about Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi’s <i>Pasta-The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes</i> (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2021/11/spaghetti-with-colatura-garlic-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>). In a nutshell: <i>Pasta</i> belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with a desire to elevate their pasta-making skills. The cookbook shares recipes for dishes that you might find on the menu at either of Robbins’s Brooklyn restaurants, Lilia and Misi. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Finally, I loved reading and cooking from Michael W. Twitty’s <i>Rice</i>, a Savor the South cookbook published by the University of North Carolina Press. I own four other cookbooks in this collection—<i>Chicken</i>; <i>Gumbo</i>; <i>Okra</i>; and <i>Pie</i>. Mr. Twitty’s work feels weightier especially after watching the transfixing documentary <i>High on the Hog – How African American Cuisine Transformed America</i>. In Episode Two of the show, Twitty and Stephen Satterfield cook Okra Soup over an open fire at a former plantation. <i>Rice</i> contains a version of this soup. Although a thin volume, the book is full of simple recipes to makes delicious food: <i>Wanda Blake’s Jambalaya</i>; <i>Red Rice</i>; <i>Limpin’ Susan</i>; <i>Shrimp Rice</i>; <i>Oyster Pilau</i>; <i>Pork Chops and Rice</i>; <i>Chicken and Rice</i>; <i>Shrimp Pilau</i>. Treat yourself and loved ones to a special meal by buying a bag of Carolina Gold rice from Anson Mills and cooking one of the many excellent rice dishes in this important resource cookbook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-1rIgUZ9ij2MWIWnrbAAg9giC4JONY7ubHZK3aLXLouaRbmpgvYado8XQN7yNeqUDJeDCXmMZ3urRE3MOQRr8IsS5XGKdAjnl4Z11VdnjJsJ3-SsJEdyFfc82WA0ULgLrJY-pJZp_mI/s2048/L1000132.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-1rIgUZ9ij2MWIWnrbAAg9giC4JONY7ubHZK3aLXLouaRbmpgvYado8XQN7yNeqUDJeDCXmMZ3urRE3MOQRr8IsS5XGKdAjnl4Z11VdnjJsJ3-SsJEdyFfc82WA0ULgLrJY-pJZp_mI/w400-h268/L1000132.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I want to end this Best of 2021 with a bow to a cookbook that I really, really enjoyed reading: <i>Monk – Light and Shadow on the Philosopher’s Path</i> by Yoshihiro Imai (Phaidon). Monk is a small 14-seat restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. It has a woodburning oven. The owner/chef, Yoshihiro Imai, makes pizza and other beautiful food from ingredients that he gathers from local farms. Why pizza? Because he loves pizza. He writes “[p]erhaps it could have been sushi, pottery, or maybe even computer programming. But pizza was what I encountered, and as I continued to make it, I fell in love with it even more, and that love continues to this day.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Imai’s latest book resonated with me during this time of uncertainty because of his spirit and his passion for craft. Most of <i>Monk’s</i> recipes call for ingredients I cannot source and employ a cooking method I cannot easily replicate. But I really enjoyed reading this lovely cookbook cover-to-cover. If you check out <i>Monk</i> and like it, look for Imai’s previously self-published cookbook, <i>Circle</i> (2014).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn80-JTzLUSD1pXSBQLqHsCWcABm-a8t372SPc7juWLFUhUI7rQK3kilPyZZtGuMxLZK9BSwPSztTKeI-IemdeSD43pJyIU-OaSirT6c-yjcjNnc_UySkdYygl_CdJ_hqVfk-xcCDGcw/s2048/L1000130.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn80-JTzLUSD1pXSBQLqHsCWcABm-a8t372SPc7juWLFUhUI7rQK3kilPyZZtGuMxLZK9BSwPSztTKeI-IemdeSD43pJyIU-OaSirT6c-yjcjNnc_UySkdYygl_CdJ_hqVfk-xcCDGcw/w400-h266/L1000130.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I hope to share one more post this year, but if I don’t, Merry Christmas and A Happy 2022. Let’s be hopeful!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-59710943999260888012021-11-27T13:11:00.003-08:002021-11-27T17:21:47.650-08:00Spaghetti with Colatura, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg_G_3i6js_6cEm9cr9Z_NJAtM2_8po-_tPKKLyJ56q-u30XywAoY2yXDOVDNYpnzUbx2Rv_MUrXvjrt5no1kiimumwtaK828fE5eIyBuShEe0EBjVTCQbJ7OYOhtdwaOV6Cbs3C7P6c/s2048/L1000117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg_G_3i6js_6cEm9cr9Z_NJAtM2_8po-_tPKKLyJ56q-u30XywAoY2yXDOVDNYpnzUbx2Rv_MUrXvjrt5no1kiimumwtaK828fE5eIyBuShEe0EBjVTCQbJ7OYOhtdwaOV6Cbs3C7P6c/w400-h268/L1000117.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>New York Times</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">reported in October 2021 that global supply-chain issues affecting the publishing industry will cause release delays and book cancellations. But happily for Italian cookbook fans, two eagerly anticipated works recently debuted…mostly on schedule:</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Pasta-The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi (Ten Speed Press), and</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Italian American-Red Sauce Classics & New Essentials</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">by Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli with Jamie Feldmar (Clarkson Potter).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today’s post focuses on Robbins’s <i>Pasta</i>, but a quick word on Rito & Tacinelli’s excellent cookbook. <i>Italian American</i> explores the food that traveled to the United States with Southern Italian immigrants and continues to evolve in Rito & Tacinelli’s New York restaurant, Don Angie. <i>Italian American</i> reminds me of a personal, chef-focused version of Nancy Verde Barr’s 1996 <i>We Called it Macaroni: An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking</i>. Rito & Tacinelli’s Lasagnas & Baked Pastas chapter especially shines in an outstanding cookbook. But on to a review of <i>Pasta</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pasta<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Both coasts of the United States boast talented chefs exploring pasta. Here on the west coast there’s Michael Tusk, Thomas McNaughton, David Nayfeld and Evan Funke. On the east coast, Missy Robbins ranks as one of the great pasta practitioners. So, when Missy Robbins pens a cookbook on pasta, it’s news. Robbins currently owns two New York restaurants, Lilia and Misi. Both serve handcrafted pasta, but Misi’s focus is pasta as evidenced by the restaurant’s slick glass-walled pasta-making studio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In General<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Pasta</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> contains a wealth of pasta-making information. This is a big (400 pages), heavy (1.5 kilograms) cookbook. <i>Pasta’s</i> seven main sections suggest a primer: How to Make Pasta; The Shapes; How to Cook Pasta; Italian American Classics; Regional Classics; Modern Classics; and Contorni.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Pasta</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">, however, offers a lot more than basics. It’s Robbins’s discourse on how <i>she</i> makes pasta. Expect restaurant-level recipes. For example, her version of Fettuccine Alfredo calls for both buffalo milk butter and cow milk butter, along with 2-year and 5-year-old Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. In a recipe note Robbins shares that if you cannot find the 5-year-old product, the dish still tastes great with any Parmigiano-Reggiano aged a minimum of 2 years. And if you cannot lay hands on buffalo milk butter, Robbins says using “…all cow’s milk butter [totaling 10½ tablespoons] still yields a great dish.” Like her Alfredo, Robbins’s cookbook celebrates richness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Consider Robbins’s egg dough recipe that calls for nearly equal weights of egg yolks and <i>tipo</i> 00 flour, specifically 454 grams of egg yolks (i.e., 24 to 26 egg yolks) to 500 grams flour. Although this amount of egg yolks may seem shocking, Robbins’s egg dough generally conforms to the yolk-to-flour ratios in other restaurant/chef cookbooks. For comparison:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 22pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Standard Egg Dough recipe in Thomas McNaughton’s <i>flour + water pasta</i> mixes 300 grams egg yolks (18 to 20 yolks) with 360 grams 00 flour along with 1½ teaspoons EVOO and 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 22pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Fresh Pasta Dough Recipe in Sarah & Evan Rich’s <i>Rich Table</i> cookbook combines 12 large egg yolks (approximately 240 grams) with 210 grams of all-purpose flour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 22pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Egg-Yolk Pasta Dough recipe in Paul Bertolli’s <i>Cooking by Hand</i> mixes 8½ ounces of egg yolks (about 14 large egg yolks) with 10 ounces (or 283 grams) of flour and ½ ounce water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Robbins states in her How to Make Pasta chapter: “This is my way of showing you how I make pasta so you can find out how you do it. The recipes are here to say ‘this way’ and to guide you for as long as you need until you know your way.” Whether a 26-egg yolk dough recipe represents a practical guide for a pasta-making neophyte warrants debate. But I suspect that the people interested in buying Missy Robbins’s pasta cookbook really want to know how Missy Robbins makes <i>her</i> pasta and <i>her</i> egg dough. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After covering How to Make Pasta and presenting a chapter on the ins-and-outs of crafting 45 pasta shapes, Robbins turns her attention to How to Cook Pasta. This chapter, especially its Rules to Cook By, stands out in a book full of insightful cooking instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Robbins shares ten rules that, if followed, will result in better tasting pasta. All ten rules deserve attention, but especially “do not put too much sauce in the pan”. Robbins points out: “One of the most common mistakes that home cooks make is adding the pasta to the full volume of sauce they have prepared.” I read this to mean that adding too much sauce to cooked pasta throws a finished dish out of balance and prevents the cooked pasta and sauce to properly marry. Robbins notes that “…the recipes [in my book] will often yield excess sauce because they are best made at a specific volume, and because they are labor intensive. Refrigerate the surplus for later in the week or freeze for a future dinner. Whoever complained about too much leftover bolognese?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pasta Recipes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So on to the pasta with sauces. Robbins divides her recipes into three sections: Italian American Classics; Regional Classics (from Italy’s north, central and south); and Modern Classics. The Italian American Classics feature different red sauces, including Robbins’s famous 30 Garlic Clove sauce and her fiery Diavola. She also includes a chef’s version of <i>Penne alla Vodka,</i>Spaghetti Meatballs, and Cannelloni.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The recipes in the Regional Classics section rival the Italian American Classics as the book’s best. Standouts include: <i>Agnolotti dal Plin</i> filled with brisket and caramelized onions; <i>Timballo alla Te</i>ramana made with crepes; and <i>Maccheroncini di Campofilone al Sugo Tradizionale</i> (Pasta with Short Ribs and Tomato Sugo).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All of Robbins’s pasta recipes evidence her mastery of marrying flavor and texture. A great example comes from <i>Pasta’s</i> chapter entitled Modern Classics, which contain recipes Robbins developed or adapted to her tastes. Her recipe for Spaghetti with Colatura, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs blends briny anchovies, rich olive oil, spicy chile flakes and bright lemon juice. Add the crunch of fried breadcrumbs and a shower of fresh chopped parsley and you have a perfect portrait of Robbins’s cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spaghetti with Colatura, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs calls for 624 grams of extruded spaghetti using Robbins’s extruded dough recipe on page 41 of her cookbook. If you own an electric extruder, use Robbins’s recipe. If you own a <i>torchio</i> and a spaghetti die, make your own <i>torchio</i>-friendly dough for the recipe. But if you do not own either of these extruders, a good quality manufactured dried pasta can stand-in. When discussing ingredients, Robbins recommends these pasta brands: Rustichella d’Abruzzo; Faella; Monograno Felicetti; and De Cecco. The following recipe, according to Robbins, yields 4 (very generous) to 6 servings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spaghetti with Colatura, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bread Crumbs<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">30g/ 1 piece fresh country bread, crust removed and bread torn into pea-sized pieces<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">28g / 2 Tbsp olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To Finish<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">624g / 1lb 6 oz extruded spaghetti (page 123)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">42g / 3 Tbsp olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">15g / 3 gloves garlic, finely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">40g / 6 to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">15g/ 1 Tbsp colatura [Italian anchovy fish sauce]<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">20g / ¼ cup finely chopped parsley<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2g/ 1 tsp dried red chile flakes<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 lemon, cut in half and seeds removed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. To make the bread crumbs, spread the bread on a sheet pan. Let sit at room temperature until crunchy on the outside with a bit of give in the interior, 2 to 3 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. Line a plate with a paper towel. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. Transfer the bread crumbs to the plate and let cool.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. To finish, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. Add the spaghetti to the water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until al dente.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">6. While the pasta is cooking, place a large sauté pan over low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and gently cook until aromatic but without color, 10 to 15 seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">7. Add the anchovies and stir to break them up. Add 2 to 3 ladles (115g to 170g/ ½ to ¾ cup) pasta cooking water and stir to combine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8. Using tongs or a pasta basket, remove the pasta from the pot and transfer to the sauté pan. Turn the heat up to medium. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes to marry the pasta and the sauce. If the sauce begins to tighten, add a splash of room-temperature water to loosen and continue to toss to marry. (Colatura and anchovies have a high level of salinity, so adding too much pasta cooking water during the marriage can tip the sauce into too-salty territory. Feel free to alternate between pasta water and fresh water or use only fresh water.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">9. Remove from heat. Add the colatura and toss to incorporate. Add the parsley and chile flakes and continue tossing. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves and toss again to combine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">10. Divide the pasta into bowls and garnish with the bread crumbs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Apart from the dish’s interplay of flavors and textures, I love the recipe’s attention to detail. How do you loosen a salty anchovy sauce but still take advantage of the emulsion made with the starchy (but also salty) pasta cooking liquid? Splash in fresh, room temperature—so as not to arrest the pan’s heat—water as necessary.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79W5XAa7fAX7j0BRwdH7P9bzatRL9qWlIzaZ_Ns6KSZvUZTL8rQQo8pQ1lo0tI90DI9weSX82qzsVV7C7tSHzhDBmL6-uWQ4KWRVSbFSxEryLT9JyAFrg7Bm_a0fVRukJ7bQH9X55o6Y/s2048/L1000126.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79W5XAa7fAX7j0BRwdH7P9bzatRL9qWlIzaZ_Ns6KSZvUZTL8rQQo8pQ1lo0tI90DI9weSX82qzsVV7C7tSHzhDBmL6-uWQ4KWRVSbFSxEryLT9JyAFrg7Bm_a0fVRukJ7bQH9X55o6Y/w400-h268/L1000126.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Robbins’s <i>Pasta</i> joins a crowded field of recent pasta cookbooks, but with its own merits depending upon your interests. <i>Pasta</i> eschews the molecular science of gluten and the fresh-milled flour that Marc Vetri embraces in his <i>Mastering Pasta</i>. Compared to Thomas McNaughton’s <i>flour + water pasta, </i>Robbins goes deeper into pasta-making and covers more pasta shapes. If you prefer <i>nonna-</i>like pasta recipes (e.g., those in Vicky Bennison’s outstanding <i>Pasta Grannies </i>or in Rachel Roddy’s recent <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2021/08/maccheroni-ncasciata.html" target="_blank">here</a>)), then I suggest flipping through Robbins’s cookbook to see if it is your cup of tea. I recommend <i>Pasta</i> because it offers insightful, expert information to improve one’s pasta-making and overall cooking skills.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-20937220698681346542021-08-23T13:17:00.005-07:002021-08-30T07:24:46.544-07:00Tunisian Orange Cake<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJkYppQYN0M3zIJKiGUw5lItR7P8hMFgabUnHQevcnfWnvVRrFHM4PuME6PWKiR9nVa4L7dsOb3laJvkEwS5GvIIks1DrCjOpf11JHhfSWsZ41CZ-1Sv4tezWQYmBH5rgNzhnRycbBzQ/s2048/L1000086.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJkYppQYN0M3zIJKiGUw5lItR7P8hMFgabUnHQevcnfWnvVRrFHM4PuME6PWKiR9nVa4L7dsOb3laJvkEwS5GvIIks1DrCjOpf11JHhfSWsZ41CZ-1Sv4tezWQYmBH5rgNzhnRycbBzQ/w400-h268/L1000086.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A few months ago, I shared a recipe (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2021/05/ciambella.html" target="_blank">here</a>) for</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Ciambella</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(aka Marbled Breakfast Cake) from</span><i>The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">. Here’s another breakfast worthy cake. This Tunisian Orange Cake recipe comes from an outstanding cookbook,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>This Is Camino</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(2015) by Russell Moore and Allison Hopelain with Chris Colin. In addition to its deliciously nutty yet bright taste and perfect moist texture, the cake takes very little time to make (especially if you have breadcrumbs in your pantry and use almond flour as a shortcut).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This Is Camino<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Back in 2015, I wrote about <i>This is Camino</i> and shared the cookbook’s recipe for Red Lentils (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2015/10/red-lentils.html" target="_blank">here</a>). In <i>This is Camino’s</i> introduction, Hopelain describes the restaurant she owned with Moore: “At its heart, Camino is about an approach to food, one that can happen anywhere. Neither Russ nor I are grandmothers, but fundamentally ours is grandmotherly cooking. Specifically, a frugal grandmother who grew up in the Depression, had plenty of style, kept a sweet vegetable garden, and could shake a good cocktail.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One can’t miss Moore and Hopelain’s resourcefulness when cooking from <i>This is Camino</i>, and the Tunisian Orange Cake recipe is no outlier. Moore writes that he came across the cake recipe in Darina Allen’s <i>Ballymaloe Cookery Book</i>. He calls the Tunisian Orange Cake a “…perfect Camino cake—it uses breadcrumbs (good use of leftovers, plus the added bonus that you can’t overwork the gluten) and the zest AND juice of the citrus, and if you make two cakes, you won’t even have any leftover random half a lemon.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The recipe makes a 9-inch cake. If you prefer weighing ingredients, I provide a few helpful metric weights that I use when I make this delicious cake.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2/3 cup (135g) olive oil, plus more for the pan<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3/4 cup whole almonds <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup (70g) Breadcrumbs (see page 33), ground fine<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1½ teaspoons baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 cup (200g) and 1/3 cup sugar (67g)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 orange, zest and juice<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1/2 lemon, zest and juice<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 whole cloves<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 cinnamon stick<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Plain yogurt, for serving<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dates, for serving<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Preheat the oven to 350</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, then brush the parchment and sides of the pan with olive oil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they are a shade darker, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Grind in a food processor until fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sort through the breadcrumbs and pick out any particularly big pieces. Mix together the crumbs, ground almonds, baking powder, and 1 cup of the sugar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, and the zest of the orange and lemon. Pour the egg mixture into the breadcrumb mixture and stir, then scrape the batter into the cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes, until evenly brown and set. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, make a citrus syrup by combining the cloves, cinnamon, juice of the zested orange and lemon and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens, about 3 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and poke a bunch of holes through the top of the cake with a skewer. Drizzle about half of the citrus syrup over the cake—this will help it keep for a few days. Serve each slice of cake with dates, a spoonful of yogurt, and a drizzle of the syrup. It’s also good with any stone fruit or citrus segments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you don’t finish it all, it is best to store it at room temperature covered in foil, not plastic. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5hOwGFV9vKDmjohxvwX7dIuaAbPkJ0BRAxSSxuG53L2p2uYYzXpMYvEqmrAu1RGJ4yTmWNY6O40X0o14I_PtsK_yowR9jLhDnIgeyRYyLNFiMT6_pneDyyiOtO3SDHHwVs1O0uEYKwE/s2048/L1000068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5hOwGFV9vKDmjohxvwX7dIuaAbPkJ0BRAxSSxuG53L2p2uYYzXpMYvEqmrAu1RGJ4yTmWNY6O40X0o14I_PtsK_yowR9jLhDnIgeyRYyLNFiMT6_pneDyyiOtO3SDHHwVs1O0uEYKwE/w400-h268/L1000068.JPG" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Breadcrumbs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, what about those Breadcrumbs on page 33? Again, pure Camino: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“I’d rather you didn’t make any of the recipes in this book that require breadcrumbs if it means you are going to buy fresh bread just for that one recipe. Please make breadcrumbs with leftover bread!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cut up whatever ends or slices you have, put them on a baking sheet, and dry them out in your oven heated just by the pilot light. Depending on the ferocity of your pilot light, the bread should be rock hard after a day or two. Grind it in a food processor and store the crumbs in one of the many empty yogurt containers you have lying around. Don’t refrigerate. If somehow you don’t use them, and the crumbs begin to get moldy, throw them out—you gave it a good shot!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">P.S. Use any kind of bread that you have.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">(One day I plan on making semolina bread just to use in this cake.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here’s the easy shortcut I mentioned, above: use 107 grams of almond flour instead of roasting and grinding the whole almonds. I use Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour and like the results.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kHtirqX6MN5aUG6giT8HvlpkrTbqGSd4zG9vOKv2pW0l-egQD_VDVtKrZupAo7T95SXNGaMxGUgH6p-uVVJvOL7lTND7nI6l60kauI2Zg8mnG43KthgT2mgx4KjDyxeGWAlHvWek8j0/s2048/L1000074.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kHtirqX6MN5aUG6giT8HvlpkrTbqGSd4zG9vOKv2pW0l-egQD_VDVtKrZupAo7T95SXNGaMxGUgH6p-uVVJvOL7lTND7nI6l60kauI2Zg8mnG43KthgT2mgx4KjDyxeGWAlHvWek8j0/w400-h268/L1000074.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All good things must come to an end, and after running Camino in Oakland for 10 years, Russ and Allison decided in 2018 to retire their successful restaurant. The silver lining is that one of Camino’s Monday Night special menu items, kebabs, became the star of Allison and Russ’s new restaurant, The Kebabery. I understand that The Kebabery is moving from its original Market Street location to 2929 Shattuck in Berkeley, California. Check it out! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a slice of Tunisian Orange Cake for dessert or breakfast.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-2834058682011341402021-08-01T14:00:00.002-07:002021-08-30T07:24:58.486-07:00Maccheroni ‘ncasciata<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u0osWdFxTKKCf6CYFHb5OlnWfaYKxOld0X0ZMiZpZ0pZL6uX65PI7x-byHSX5_JmYiG7oq-QJdIMxvXYhPurnsIG6qo4u1CupsjRL4X0IYMHvEmM__pXn-8eS5WemqA46iZiuHWapok/s800/D986FBD8-FFC6-4778-A800-0EE073BDFF9F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u0osWdFxTKKCf6CYFHb5OlnWfaYKxOld0X0ZMiZpZ0pZL6uX65PI7x-byHSX5_JmYiG7oq-QJdIMxvXYhPurnsIG6qo4u1CupsjRL4X0IYMHvEmM__pXn-8eS5WemqA46iZiuHWapok/w320-h240/D986FBD8-FFC6-4778-A800-0EE073BDFF9F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Penguin Random House UK recently published Rachel Roddy’s third cookbook,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>An A-Z of Pasta - Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes </i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(2021). Many of my favorite Italian recipes come from Roddy’s old food blog,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Rachel Eats</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">, and from her first two cookbooks:</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Five Quarters - Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">; and</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Two Kitchens - Family Recipes from Sicily and Rome</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">. In her latest cookbook Roddy turns her focus to pasta.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>An A-Z of Pasta</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">shares a trove of simple yet excellent recipes that will likely become family favorites.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Roddy opens <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> with a refreshingly short Introduction and then dives right into presenting different pasta shapes in alphabetical order. Missing is the current cookbook trend of a long personal narrative and extensive ingredient/equipment section. Instead, Roddy successfully weaves essential information about ingredients and pasta making into her survey of the shapes beginning with the letters A, B and C. By the time she covers <i>conchiglie</i> and turns to <i>ditali</i>, Roddy communicates a lot of basic information about pasta while also sharing illustrative and appealing recipes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Whenever I get an exciting new cookbook, I read it cover-to-cover and then pick out the recipe I want to try first. <i>An A-Z of Pasta </i>gave me a long list of possibilities: <i>Spaghetti alla chitarra con pallottine di pollo in bianco</i> (<i>Spaghetti alla chitarra</i> with tiny chicken meatballs and white wine); <i>Quadrucci alla romana</i> (<i>Quadrucci</i> and peas Roman style); <i>Pappardelle al ragù di cipolle </i>(Pappardelle with onion ragù); and <i>Mezze maniche con gamberi e zucchine</i> (<i>Mezze maniche</i> with courgettes and prawns). In the end I went with a Southern Italian eggplant-spiked baked pasta called <i>Maccheroni ‘ncasciata</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Roddy writes that “<i>Maccheroni n’casciati</i> is a generous and rowdy dish of pasta, small meatballs, cheese and fried aubergine.” Like a <i>lasagne</i>, this dish takes time, but the finished bake warrants the effort. Roddy says her version serves 4 to 6, but I think it will sate a few more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">800g tomatoes, ideally fresh but you can use tinned<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 onion, peeled and sliced<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">a sprig of fresh basil<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">300g ground beef<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 slice of crustless bread, soaked in a little milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">a sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">75g Parmesan, grated<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 aubergines, diced into 2cm cubes<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">500g maccheroni<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">200g mozzarella or caciocavallo<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">butter and breadcrumbs, for dish<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 hard-boiled eggs<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If the tomatoes are fresh, peel by plunging them into boiling water for 60 seconds, then into cold water, at which point the skins should split and slip off easily. Chop the tomatoes roughly, separating away most of the seeds. Chopped tinned ones with scissors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In a large pan, gently fry the onion and garlic in some olive oil until fragrant, add the tomatoes, basil and a pinch of salt and allow to simmer away for 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Make the <i>polpette</i> (meatballs): use your hands to mix the ground beef, bread, egg, parsley and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and mould into walnut-sized <i>polpette</i>. Allow them to rest if you can, then fry in a little olive oil until brown and pour in the tomato sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Either deep fry the aubergine or spread on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt, toss with hands and bake at 180</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C until golden—about 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Boil the pasta in well-salted water until very al dente. Drain and toss gently with the sauce and <i>polpette</i> and the mozzarella.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Butter and breadcrumb a large baking dish about 25 x 30cm, 2 litre capacity. Pour in half the pasta/<i>polpette</i> mix, make a layer of aubergine and sliced hard-boiled egg, then cover with the rest of the pasta mix. Top with the remaining grated Parmesan and bake at 200</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C for 20 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzM3-CCMywnfQcj95m-MGllW18LSUu_oCnL_pKMV2GRQT-L0cBeiPCf9G4CQdkXWh8jq8XLlar5AV8QgpX74Q9q37rIBWmgDpdjrZrgS7PkTVPtLDzhgvbst68n2xXgZpIOyWJOym2Ek/s2048/L1000035.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="2048" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzM3-CCMywnfQcj95m-MGllW18LSUu_oCnL_pKMV2GRQT-L0cBeiPCf9G4CQdkXWh8jq8XLlar5AV8QgpX74Q9q37rIBWmgDpdjrZrgS7PkTVPtLDzhgvbst68n2xXgZpIOyWJOym2Ek/w320-h210/L1000035.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPE7sN76QDlyd7TKyVjCmGLJILqwW9Ot99iV9zRgP5Buzbb2Ca8aEiYxnOurrwJYOVapUT_V7kupi7AMlq2_mHWjgnuWSpnBTG9jmpODNZ4yvq8s3V25Ex7PLQVWsW0jZtvdN1C18RoYU/s2048/L1000036.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPE7sN76QDlyd7TKyVjCmGLJILqwW9Ot99iV9zRgP5Buzbb2Ca8aEiYxnOurrwJYOVapUT_V7kupi7AMlq2_mHWjgnuWSpnBTG9jmpODNZ4yvq8s3V25Ex7PLQVWsW0jZtvdN1C18RoYU/w320-h214/L1000036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My copy of <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> came from my favorite Seattle bookshop, Book Larder, which slipped a handy little temperature conversion card into my book. For us Americans 180</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C equals about 350</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">F, and 200</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C converts to 400</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">F. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I made my first pot of <i>Maccheroni ‘ncasciata</i> without any problems. I used a 28oz (794g) can of Bianco DiNapoli whole tomatoes that top any fresh tomatoes I could find on my island in July. I also relied on my own <i>polpette</i> mixture, which is a little more involved than Roddy’s, but remains a family favorite. The oven baked eggplant cubes tasted great. I don’t use a lot of dried pasta, but I am happy with how the <i>rigatoncini</i> from Rustichella d’Abruzzo worked in the recipe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I am happy to add <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> to my cookbook library even though the work recalls two other books in my collection. Its ABC organization and classic pasta/sauce pairings resemble <i>The Geometry of Pasta</i> (2010) which features outstanding recipes from Jacob Kenedy. But while Caz Hildebrand’s black and white graphics share center stage with Kenedy’s recipes, <i>An A-Z</i> is all about words and stories. Roddy’s writing craft seems as elemental a part of her book as the recipes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">An A-Z of Pasta</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;">’s subtitle, “Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes”, cannot help but call up <i>Sauces & Shapes – Pasta the Italian Way</i> by the great Oretta Zanini De Vita and Maureen B. Fant. <i>Sauces & Shapes</i>, however, feels more instructive and focuses on how Italians do pasta. <i>An A-Z of Pasta </i>strikes me as more personal. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5KkPUdSBfZErvN7F_wFPYAPHQDNXChdQQ8_Ki61UaBsdICIfeMj1YUHD1qR_62QkheD0I-hv-uPYoIFJXqtVSwxZhArq6Na5hAQH1npZPIJSxovGZP-PR0Wmp4iXICrlnt0kiytaSiI/s2048/L1000048.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5KkPUdSBfZErvN7F_wFPYAPHQDNXChdQQ8_Ki61UaBsdICIfeMj1YUHD1qR_62QkheD0I-hv-uPYoIFJXqtVSwxZhArq6Na5hAQH1npZPIJSxovGZP-PR0Wmp4iXICrlnt0kiytaSiI/w320-h214/L1000048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Finally, I want to acknowledge Jonathan Lovekin’s handsome photographs that add so much to Roddy’s book and its home cooing vibe. Likewise, Saffron Stocker’s book design beautifully marries text and images.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-7007305831908847002021-05-26T17:49:00.002-07:002021-05-26T17:49:40.442-07:00Ciambella<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDLBRrIq3CDo4-B6c0Do0Ymt7Yi6Xo9r3kwnxQ-kaMTW000n2wENv8wJVI1OJ0WUn7CzAkhORCzDE8eqjgqMjuLyzHvLw0OtlH4wfOlERmADqHnKi5dK-J3HpheGA7w9fB5M0HhcF2qw/s2048/L1000025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDLBRrIq3CDo4-B6c0Do0Ymt7Yi6Xo9r3kwnxQ-kaMTW000n2wENv8wJVI1OJ0WUn7CzAkhORCzDE8eqjgqMjuLyzHvLw0OtlH4wfOlERmADqHnKi5dK-J3HpheGA7w9fB5M0HhcF2qw/w400-h268/L1000025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers wrote a number of excellent cookbooks. The one I use most often is the UK edition of <i>The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook</i> (2009). In its Introduction, Gray and Rogers write of their travels all over Italy and the friendships they formed. They met Italian cooks who shared their passion for family dishes passed down from generation to generation. Based on this theme of timeless, local Italian fare, the book’s recipes produce straightforward, comforting food.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A favorite recipe from <i>The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook</i> is a simple ring cake (<i>ciambella</i>) that Gray and Rogers call a Marbled Breakfast Cake. I like this cake because it tastes great and yet not too rich or sweet. Here’s the recipe with my parentheticals notes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For 6-8; makes a 23cm cake<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">butter and flour for the tin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 medium free-range organic eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">200g caster (superfine) sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">100g plain (all-purpose) flour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">200g blanched almonds, finely ground<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">zest of 1 lemon<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 tablespoon baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">40ml extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 medium free-range organic egg white<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">a pinch of sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3 tablespoon 100% cocoa powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 tablespoons full-fat (whole) milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and flour a 23cm (9-inch) round ring tin or loaf tin measuring approximately 22 x 11 x 6.5cm (8.5 x 4.3 x 2.5 inches). Separate the 4 whole eggs, whisk the 4 whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar and yolks until thick and pale. Sieve the flour into the mixture, fold carefully to combine, then add the almonds, lemon zest and baking powder. Finally, stir in the olive oil. Whisk the extra egg white with a pinch of salt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Divide the mixture in half, then add the cocoa powder and the whisked egg white to one half. Fold gently to combine, then stir in 2 tablespoons of milk to slightly loosen this mixture. Both the mixtures should be of the same consistency.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spoon half the pale mixture into the cake tin, blob the chocolate mixture on top, then cover the chocolate with the remaining pale mixture. This should fill your tin. Use a table knife to cut round the tin 3 or 4 times to marble the mixtures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Place the cake in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until done. Test by inserting a skewer, which should come out clean. Turn the cake out of the tin on to a rack while still warm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT4y7Q0cDo2h90ggM5QtKYhkKtT7RC8IIeU99mFM0cMSWyLWsNZmE_mcjhhz4MzBTduZmcq_9S0CtNHrgTOYlKTaySJtntSMjy7C4N0QNpgceS8yFD8fkRg0sRYoFLZ9NA4ynzfda5ZI/s2048/L1000024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT4y7Q0cDo2h90ggM5QtKYhkKtT7RC8IIeU99mFM0cMSWyLWsNZmE_mcjhhz4MzBTduZmcq_9S0CtNHrgTOYlKTaySJtntSMjy7C4N0QNpgceS8yFD8fkRg0sRYoFLZ9NA4ynzfda5ZI/w400-h268/L1000024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Apart from the awkwardness of coaxing a thick-ish batter into a narrow ring pan, this marble breakfast cake doesn’t take a lot of effort. The finished cake makes up for the trouble of using a ring (instead of a loaf) pan: The <i>ciambella</i>, although simple, looks special. If your marbling doesn’t turn out, take solace that the cake pictured in the cookbook doesn’t look very well-marbled either. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IDSyP7bWj2pvtsExO53cEgJTiUIA9Q7qa0A6G63QzORqOA58HezQLcNMGd6m2050x5HNLsC36C4yQEhLvgekLqNbQCJ9jylK04PJdQQS0dGHXVDfxkedcwY97DgOTmIsyEGf4h1aX84/s2048/IMG_9288.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IDSyP7bWj2pvtsExO53cEgJTiUIA9Q7qa0A6G63QzORqOA58HezQLcNMGd6m2050x5HNLsC36C4yQEhLvgekLqNbQCJ9jylK04PJdQQS0dGHXVDfxkedcwY97DgOTmIsyEGf4h1aX84/w400-h300/IMG_9288.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One last note: To save time and for convenience, I use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour instead of grinding the blanched almonds.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3zWUfTWHhm2YULeh0XmNy_RdnFYiBVUW62wwsZ6ET7O5RJP-D8Ii3MgZAv6e7aeM57peTw_6-ymftlN07yBM0UTX23eQESGA2Qa-lTjfVGbjI8GMBlDxgqcFn43xd6GQAKKpR-5loGs/s4032/IMG_9289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3zWUfTWHhm2YULeh0XmNy_RdnFYiBVUW62wwsZ6ET7O5RJP-D8Ii3MgZAv6e7aeM57peTw_6-ymftlN07yBM0UTX23eQESGA2Qa-lTjfVGbjI8GMBlDxgqcFn43xd6GQAKKpR-5loGs/w400-h300/IMG_9289.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I highly recommend taking a look at <i>The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook</i> if you want to add a volume to your cookbook collection. The chapter on Pasta & Gnocchi contains 23 recipes and this section, alone, warrants the book’s purchase.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-29676503717588330632021-05-05T18:20:00.001-07:002021-12-31T08:59:04.379-08:00Pixar's Burrow: Easter Eggs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY2e8jA4kNr2JSOQub3w19zmZ_5yyu0mPek8qV4SfF7JXxrgMOwIeOzFaxrIijt29TubIFBeBL33-tB-NlvB5fJvOAFLw9D9z2PoTjTH0hmmH7QxCW8cX5X0rAamG-ATmWAu6DAiWlr8/s1080/EwhS6EuVcAQCxmH.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY2e8jA4kNr2JSOQub3w19zmZ_5yyu0mPek8qV4SfF7JXxrgMOwIeOzFaxrIijt29TubIFBeBL33-tB-NlvB5fJvOAFLw9D9z2PoTjTH0hmmH7QxCW8cX5X0rAamG-ATmWAu6DAiWlr8/w400-h400/EwhS6EuVcAQCxmH.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Who doesn’t love hunting for movie Easter Eggs, especially in a Pixar film? My youngest daughter, Maddie, works at Pixar and directed the animated short, Burrow. If you watched the film on Disney+ (or in a theatre overseas), you know that a lot goes on in the film’s cutaways and backgrounds.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdZIjz0jMVixojoVaAwOOMYMbcE7_n1G9hXMZOEJm2W6DWSFgwoJ5bjaorTwon5FNKmToF6z9yLz_fhJBzcCMpEGGd_7TQHzoZ5-Mq3FcQO3-4m5X7VaxbutbIs-rW0TEMZR7bdRNt_k/s1024/Ei2miE8XsAU26vw.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="663" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdZIjz0jMVixojoVaAwOOMYMbcE7_n1G9hXMZOEJm2W6DWSFgwoJ5bjaorTwon5FNKmToF6z9yLz_fhJBzcCMpEGGd_7TQHzoZ5-Mq3FcQO3-4m5X7VaxbutbIs-rW0TEMZR7bdRNt_k/w259-h400/Ei2miE8XsAU26vw.jpeg" width="259" /></a></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Some of the Easter Eggs, like the stuffed Kitbull toy, fly by but are in plain sight. But others may not be as obvious and might be harder to spot. Want a few Easter Egg hints?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">WATCH the TVs. Recognize the two scenes from a 2013 short film?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA67AID0EGc9ePdv6_y8EFzQxQZQBDwP6NJaiJ4tFYRaqMkVavcpdj3F2qbHSqeMwb-tyPGB9jj4R2RU3OnfTTgTzr8Vaey4_Wz-qFg3Xh0TdqYX0ss-zZY2X6BGKp3162KKzKLLpzGM/s2048/IMG_9122.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="2048" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA67AID0EGc9ePdv6_y8EFzQxQZQBDwP6NJaiJ4tFYRaqMkVavcpdj3F2qbHSqeMwb-tyPGB9jj4R2RU3OnfTTgTzr8Vaey4_Wz-qFg3Xh0TdqYX0ss-zZY2X6BGKp3162KKzKLLpzGM/w400-h278/IMG_9122.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl61su2115Ifp_qKiN1KAobw4o8Pw1M5OzH1EZkC-4bcpDZWbigKo0egDntxTYyqlUyFn8zA4oGzyMipbJEOdC6mYYGIOOpq6w5qOsJ0UNrEIcF4tH1P-GoFDKa6OMLorOySrZ38gb38/s2048/IMG_9126.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl61su2115Ifp_qKiN1KAobw4o8Pw1M5OzH1EZkC-4bcpDZWbigKo0egDntxTYyqlUyFn8zA4oGzyMipbJEOdC6mYYGIOOpq6w5qOsJ0UNrEIcF4tH1P-GoFDKa6OMLorOySrZ38gb38/w400-h300/IMG_9126.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">SEE the restaurant? It’s based on a real one and you can find a recipe from the restaurant’s cookbook on this site.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxb01R9M9iADarzWNkZp-7N8KQaFotLf5FSK8B_uCRskmO1nk81ujDtHRZL1j4gbDWIC3vaMcCg4IIXrJjn-2qXauuCdDikTh5nWBrO2_4XHDyJ5Yhjfag0Xfq0rbm7YmSLx8PVIxEO8/s2048/IMG_8871.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="2048" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxb01R9M9iADarzWNkZp-7N8KQaFotLf5FSK8B_uCRskmO1nk81ujDtHRZL1j4gbDWIC3vaMcCg4IIXrJjn-2qXauuCdDikTh5nWBrO2_4XHDyJ5Yhjfag0Xfq0rbm7YmSLx8PVIxEO8/w400-h231/IMG_8871.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">SPOT the Bedlington? Like Kitbull, it’s stuffed, but this dog is real.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYuEXRElXFAhXih6MQPB4WJmrEFoy_5ntMRzf2ca6wKF5U72KgTmjU2n1c162milE7hp1HpL_ebqTSc7sqOxMS1kw7r9fhgPrENJKVRZriF7bzm6rLMUqq7npgpAEaAPPYX71hXfHer0/s4032/63978410894__CFAB7BB5-B651-4BF3-AEF5-7AAB08D31300.fullsizerender.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYuEXRElXFAhXih6MQPB4WJmrEFoy_5ntMRzf2ca6wKF5U72KgTmjU2n1c162milE7hp1HpL_ebqTSc7sqOxMS1kw7r9fhgPrENJKVRZriF7bzm6rLMUqq7npgpAEaAPPYX71hXfHer0/w300-h400/63978410894__CFAB7BB5-B651-4BF3-AEF5-7AAB08D31300.fullsizerender.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Burrow contains a host of other references that have special significance. Many of Rabbit’s co-stars represent family members. The best Easter Egg is the hidden matriarch that doesn’t live in a burrow but makes a brief cameo appearance. And see those two mice jumping on the bed? Don’t ask about that….</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good luck with your Easter Egg hunting! And speaking of eggs, you need them to make pancakes (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2012/08/pancakes.html">here</a>) and, of course, an Omelette.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixr9hS6gytCuk_aHo4o_TNLUxq8JVQSyVy2bCy0TTD6_hlS0iMfpPdrqJlEW91yoRfpBaIAzJjf0HDaGkmayKCE3ZZbvR4VAnVftoZmytWigghdkmpy01283TKzPFVFVBxH1jYQmvPMZY/s2048/Ep7_rOOXIAIuIbo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixr9hS6gytCuk_aHo4o_TNLUxq8JVQSyVy2bCy0TTD6_hlS0iMfpPdrqJlEW91yoRfpBaIAzJjf0HDaGkmayKCE3ZZbvR4VAnVftoZmytWigghdkmpy01283TKzPFVFVBxH1jYQmvPMZY/w400-h225/Ep7_rOOXIAIuIbo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">p.s. David Lally did <u>not</u> write Burrow's music. Mozart did (not counting the bossa nova tunes, of course). </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-55646662380869992732021-05-01T13:11:00.005-07:002021-05-01T13:11:43.228-07:00Chickpea Stock<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiw-POgswbNh6DF7lb-sencJlpAkSxgVuK_o2_PGq2wI5Ao3nKf1UgiAZEsrYVUR2WCuZyYsKXgInoCU_Xk5S4uGNXfpxA1ScHnadNxQiQdkFpJHz-W7SQv3Hb_UzwdLcFfw6zQfj2sA/s2048/L1000013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiw-POgswbNh6DF7lb-sencJlpAkSxgVuK_o2_PGq2wI5Ao3nKf1UgiAZEsrYVUR2WCuZyYsKXgInoCU_Xk5S4uGNXfpxA1ScHnadNxQiQdkFpJHz-W7SQv3Hb_UzwdLcFfw6zQfj2sA/w400-h268/L1000013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ten Speed Press recently published David Kinch’s new cookbook entitled</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At Home in the Kitchen</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Written with Devin Fuller, the book stays true to its subtitle: “Simple recipes from a chef’s night off.” Kinch, the executive chef at the Michelin 3-star Manresa, spends Tuesdays unwinding and cooking the comfort food featured in his new cookbook. Sourcing pristine ingredients, like sushi-grade fish for his Salmon Rillettes or Sashimi-style Raw Fish with Sushi Rice might prove a challenge depending upon where you live. But for the most part, the book’s 120 easy-to-make recipes are supermarket-friendly (even though my local market will probably never offer butter as deep yellow as the photogenic stick on page 12).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnX5MoWbLPtspVKu7Tq_v1FJPsC0W4Uyzm1_HYgdfiJHAhDq4fKMWCy13s3WABwC5mtD_H91E_0L4bqHEq3_yX9SYzmZZpr5io-TFWV1cZrsexWCNcbNkemdNYpIKuA7f70ekO5Sgp4k/s2048/DO01000014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnX5MoWbLPtspVKu7Tq_v1FJPsC0W4Uyzm1_HYgdfiJHAhDq4fKMWCy13s3WABwC5mtD_H91E_0L4bqHEq3_yX9SYzmZZpr5io-TFWV1cZrsexWCNcbNkemdNYpIKuA7f70ekO5Sgp4k/w400-h268/DO01000014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And speaking of butter, Kinch opens <i>At Home in the Kitchen</i> with a short observation called “Butter the Size of a Walnut”. He writes how recipes from his grandmothers and “some of the most austere French cookbooks I’ve studied as a chef” call for inexact quantities (e.g., butter the size of a walnut or half a glass of white wine). These descriptions forced him to cook with his eyes. Modern recipes, although often exact to the gram, still require cooks to adapt. Kinch writes: “[w]hen it comes to using [<i>At Home in the Kitchen</i>], everything is an estimate—albeit a thoughtful one. A potato will roast differently depending on how thinly you slice it and how hot 400</span><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">F actually is in your oven. So, if I say about 30 minutes, and the potatoes crunch when you take a bite, put the pan back in the oven and keep checking until they’re cooked through.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This caveat came to mind after trying Kinch’s recipe for Mushrooms al Horno with Crusty Bread. He writes that the baked mushrooms “kick out their water, which combines with the wine, garlic, vinegar, and herbs to make a very flavorful sauce.” My mushroom medley must have attended the Garo Yepremian School of Kicking and Passing because the baked mushrooms came out of the oven stone dry—but still delicious. Next time I will try a different mushroom combination.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In keeping with Kinch’s theme of Tuesday is my night off, <i>At Home in the Kitchen’s</i> eight chapters focus on hospitality-friendly dishes. Chapter 1, entitled “Small plates to cover your table + condiments to fill your pantry”, stands out by offering outstanding stocks and other pantry items. I made Kinch’s Parmesan Stock recipe and used up all the leftover cheese rinds I had hiding in my refrigerator. I used the stock, which keeps for 3 months in the freezer, to make pilaf.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another favorite recipe from this first chapter is one of the humblest. Kinch’s Chickpea Stock gives the cook both a flavorful stock and cooked chickpeas. Here are Kinch’s introduction and recipe, which makes about 8 cups of stock and 4 cups of cooked chickpeas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“If you find yourself wondering why soups and sauces at restaurants taste so much better than the ones you make at home, it’s probably because restaurants use house-made stock. Stock is the foundation of a dish, and particularly good stock can be the jumping-off point that takes a home-cooked meal to the next level. This is a wonderful, versatile stock that happens to be vegetarian. Perfect for Date-Night Risotto with Crab (page 147) or Chickpea Minestrone, Genovese Style (page 214), this stock, in particular, can also be widely used in place of water for just about any recipe to add complexity of flavor. This recipe also leaves you with 4 cups of cooked chickpeas. I recommend using them for the Raw Fava, Chickpea & Tahini Hummus [on page 35].<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups dried chickpeas<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 bay leaf<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 pieces star anise<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 sprigs thyme<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 head garlic, bottom root trimmed, head halved horizontally, skin on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon black peppercorns<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 medium white onion, halved<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 carrots, ends discarded and peeled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a large pot, immerse the chickpeas in water and soak for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can soak overnight, but decrease the cook time to around 1 hour in total so as not to overcook the chickpeas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drain the chickpeas and discard the water. Wrap the bay leaf, star anise, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie shut with string to make a sachet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a large pot on high heat, bring the chickpeas and 10 cups water to a simmer. The pot will form a scum resembling soap suds. Skim off the scum and turn the heat to low. Add the onion, carrots, herb sachet, and sugar and bring the stock back to a simmer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After 45 minutes, stir in a couple pinches of salt. Avoid the temptation to add salt at the beginning because this toughens the skin of the chickpeas. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the chickpeas have cooked through, about 45 minutes more. The chickpeas are finished when they no longer taste dry but still remain some of their texture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chickpeas cool completely in their broth, ideally overnight. This allows the final extraction of flavor, and the results will merit the extra time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remove the herb sachet, carrots, and onions and discard. Strain the chickpeas over a large bowl to reserve the stock. Both the stock and the chickpeas can be used immediately or stored separately in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the things I like about this particular Chickpea Stock recipe is what I like most about <a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"><i>At Home in the Kitchen</i></a>: the advice that Kinch shares throughout the cookbook. In the case of his Chickpea Stock recipe, I learned to infuse the cooked chickpea stock with its ingredients overnight to extract extra flavor. <i>At Home in the Kitchen</i> includes a treasure-trove of these culinary gems, especially on how to increase the flavor of a dish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nMZM-fPkSD-5z85MKk9HXWb-HC3P9RqXjMWDc_6EEqDLwEwKIJ5rOH_8FzqoSpHty_6xNU1iDpsoli3D8j9tqkHjNLgOMmJMeHmrJzIVXu_SitQDfRfSAxYKMDjl3lWgbapvTvVc_Vg/s2048/L1000010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nMZM-fPkSD-5z85MKk9HXWb-HC3P9RqXjMWDc_6EEqDLwEwKIJ5rOH_8FzqoSpHty_6xNU1iDpsoli3D8j9tqkHjNLgOMmJMeHmrJzIVXu_SitQDfRfSAxYKMDjl3lWgbapvTvVc_Vg/w400-h268/L1000010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of late I’ve noticed a number of cookbooks with some nice chickpea recipes. Jeremy Fox’s <i>On Vegetables </i>(2017) has a recipe for Chickpeas in Broth, Lots of Olive Oil & Black Pepper, Pan con Tomate. (Fox worked for Kinch at Manresa.) Nancy Silverton’s <i>Chi Spacca</i> (2020) includes a Whole Roasted Eggplant with Chickpea Purée and Zhug recipe. And Eric Ripert’s brand new cookbook, <i>Vegetable Simple</i> (2021), features a super simple<i> </i>Chickpea Salad (page 73). All these recipes start with dried chickpeas. A chickpea variety that I really like is called <i>sultano</i>. Gustiamo, an on-line retailer, imports these special dried chickpeas from Italy. Although pricey when compared to the dried chickpeas that often reside on the bottom shelf of supermarkets, these small, organic Italian chickpeas have a pronounced nutty flavor. They make great falafel, too. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0sLk6dsJi21lacGAe8Bqs98S5spi9KC9pCbsCYcsuD8ZNYYaTndfzcKB42wSaVD2Atj16kR6T4Z9qXgJCmUVo9G8EZ_RX1V9iQlGuzKSuvGPnEWgol4lP7X4N2UEIM4-nvSpzrKkTC4/s4032/IMG_9118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0sLk6dsJi21lacGAe8Bqs98S5spi9KC9pCbsCYcsuD8ZNYYaTndfzcKB42wSaVD2Atj16kR6T4Z9qXgJCmUVo9G8EZ_RX1V9iQlGuzKSuvGPnEWgol4lP7X4N2UEIM4-nvSpzrKkTC4/w400-h300/IMG_9118.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I religiously follow cookbook reviews and I am not sure why <i>At Home in the Kitchen</i> isn’t getting a lot more press: I think it is one of the best spring 2021 cookbooks along with <i>Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown</i> by Brandon Jew and Tienlon Ho. I have a long list of recipes from <i>At Home in the Kitchen</i> that I want to try: Farinata; Jambalaya, New Orleans Style; Roast Chicken; Oyster Stew; and Almond Granita. Adding to the entertaining/party vibe of <i>At Home in the Kitchen</i>, Kinch recommends a musical pairing with each of his recipes. What tune pairs well with <i>Chickpea Stock</i>? “Cadillac Lane” by Buck Owens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-18509458318916515182021-04-10T14:34:00.004-07:002021-12-12T17:37:41.874-08:00Kokostoppar<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtWVAEUzmrVGtxo_-ZoWuKatZDZwlMgiDcSWEAzKEnxjsRTCThSuX197mwb0UBRUNKeUFOCzsPwN_dI_gVGuJm2qRAzKrMJz4_KcBNuZTejajANpkTuAu9htGVw0i0JvJFbItTn2jZQQ/s2048/L1000187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="2048" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtWVAEUzmrVGtxo_-ZoWuKatZDZwlMgiDcSWEAzKEnxjsRTCThSuX197mwb0UBRUNKeUFOCzsPwN_dI_gVGuJm2qRAzKrMJz4_KcBNuZTejajANpkTuAu9htGVw0i0JvJFbItTn2jZQQ/w400-h249/L1000187.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In the weeks leading up to Easter, I baked a lot of different cakes and cookies. One simple cookie stood out. The recipe comes from Magnus Nilsson’s</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>The Nordic Baking Book</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(2018). Nilsson calls the cookies Coconut Pyramids. In Danish, they go by the name</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>kokostopper</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">, and in Swedish,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>kokostoppar</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">. If you like coconut macaroons, then you will love these buttery cookies. The recipe makes about 20 pyramids.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">90g sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">200g desiccated coconut<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">good pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">75g butter, melted and cooled to room temperature<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Preheat the oven to 175</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">C/345</span><span>°</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">F and line a baking sheet with baking (parchment) paper.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk until mixed. Add the desiccated coconut, salt and the butter and stir until fully combined. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes so that the coconut can absorb a bit of the moisture and swell, this makes shaping the pyramids considerably easier.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spoon 20 piles of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and shape them into pyramid shapes using your hands or a spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes. They should be golden on the edges of the pyramid but blonde on the flat sides. Coconut pyramids go dry if overcooked. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool.”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPzdFQlUx6iBdykFC3bP0Bjud1ZmJ8ng6nHNzcJM5tNnBwNVCWW2dO12cYn9zWfWRXV8rxx0KiZcOPZzLF44L_ZThxPCbUyJT4GWP8xOzcPwwOtcVVLdhOyse73PCdynTsevAjmarksI/s2048/L1000169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPzdFQlUx6iBdykFC3bP0Bjud1ZmJ8ng6nHNzcJM5tNnBwNVCWW2dO12cYn9zWfWRXV8rxx0KiZcOPZzLF44L_ZThxPCbUyJT4GWP8xOzcPwwOtcVVLdhOyse73PCdynTsevAjmarksI/w400-h266/L1000169.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDgZGgq6u9Ok18dX7dnRKyp8wMPjSwGaciYpitBM2ct8_d_4XbpBoFlw0S1wf_zP6ovZ7umMCQsktuNpyoXMa9ezv2NqjBPlrxHU69g5eX8ht0LY6q8V4-DCG_PGRgEQIKGx1EzsqKio/s2048/L1000170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDgZGgq6u9Ok18dX7dnRKyp8wMPjSwGaciYpitBM2ct8_d_4XbpBoFlw0S1wf_zP6ovZ7umMCQsktuNpyoXMa9ezv2NqjBPlrxHU69g5eX8ht0LY6q8V4-DCG_PGRgEQIKGx1EzsqKio/w400-h266/L1000170.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">This might be one of the tastiest—and certainly the easiest—cookies I have ever made. When I first read the recipe, I wondered if shaping the pyramids might be tricky, but it’s not. I used my hands to form some of the pyramids and a spatula to make others. I think hands work best. In his introduction to the recipe, Nilsson writes that “[t]hese pastries don’t have to be shaped like pyramids, I just like them that way. It works just as well to simply spoon them out onto the paper in rough piles before cooking them.” I like the pyramids, too. The shape makes for a fun cookie.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">What makes <i>kokostoppar</i> special is the rich butter and coconut flavor. Many of the coconut macaroon recipes that I have collected do not include butter and use only egg whites. I have eaten plenty of these versions and some are great. Personally, I like the option of making a rich coconut cookie. I also like that these <i>kokostoppar</i> aren’t too sweet. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGvOSXefsufpUuZKUWAwKfLowQWUN6b_sWWjveyuVOlQUKNDnnjIIPUsPOlVDcWLSUoGqDvCT2g3R3QOKTA1gPtwhf5apwM5wdnTAN24lm4yzNKIRtObbquWx2f48_6WmzqHNhRPL1I4/s2048/L1000172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGvOSXefsufpUuZKUWAwKfLowQWUN6b_sWWjveyuVOlQUKNDnnjIIPUsPOlVDcWLSUoGqDvCT2g3R3QOKTA1gPtwhf5apwM5wdnTAN24lm4yzNKIRtObbquWx2f48_6WmzqHNhRPL1I4/w400-h266/L1000172.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-1792380645927798932021-01-31T12:38:00.001-08:002022-02-05T12:59:56.522-08:00Fortissimo Durum Flour<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg1ajQC3appBKsVKwL7mKsGJgO1GRPKs-1XvkPgRP-I3MwA5kSgCd1Rs6SDHBAgYYULhWqjvM3vGIrZu0UyNkcw3zJTvhwh1gY1OwTJaoGLV5CJ9637JyLr8uUYr5hkflbG1r6g7Gs9U/s2048/L1000135.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg1ajQC3appBKsVKwL7mKsGJgO1GRPKs-1XvkPgRP-I3MwA5kSgCd1Rs6SDHBAgYYULhWqjvM3vGIrZu0UyNkcw3zJTvhwh1gY1OwTJaoGLV5CJ9637JyLr8uUYr5hkflbG1r6g7Gs9U/w320-h213/L1000135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I recently purchased a bag of Fortissimo durum flour from <a href="https://cairnspring.com">Cairnspring Mills</a> in Burlington, Washington. According to the North Dakota Wheat Commission, “[d]</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">urum thrives in a climate characterized by cool summer nights, long warm days, adequate but not excessive rainfalls and a dry harvest….”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Although California, Arizona and North Dakota produce the majority of US-grown durum flour, Fortissimo, developed in 2006, performs well in certain Pacific Northwest regions. Cairnspring’s Fortissimo grows in Washington’s Skagit Valley.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Fortissimo is a very hard variety of durum wheat. Cairnspring claims that during its early milling trials, the wheat broke its mill stones. Durum’s protein content can range from 9 to 18%. Fortissimo has a protein level between 10-11.5%, which is just a tick below average. Cairnspring mills and then sifts its Fortissimo to a Type 90 flour, which has slightly more texture than Central Milling’s Extra Fancy Durum. Neither Cairnspring’s Fortissimo nor Central Milling’s Extra Fancy Durum flour resemble traditional semolina, which is a granular flour composed of evenly sized endosperm. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXM9uhbz0esGis3C26nBpDsfHO2q4UHgd6zFaHXldfpQTlDDR_2QSq_yqyEflT8p08KPk8TdG3FpC_fmLtlg9eUao4j5jixBzT8IlQ-hEkZMUtXjkT-UpC9k40iOE_WCuMdmLYKG6CDf8/s2048/L1000142+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXM9uhbz0esGis3C26nBpDsfHO2q4UHgd6zFaHXldfpQTlDDR_2QSq_yqyEflT8p08KPk8TdG3FpC_fmLtlg9eUao4j5jixBzT8IlQ-hEkZMUtXjkT-UpC9k40iOE_WCuMdmLYKG6CDf8/s320/L1000142+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When I first came across Fortissimo on Cairnspring’s website, the mill only had 50-pound bags of the durum available for pick-up in Burlington. As I write, Cairnspring now offers 2.2-pound bags that it will ship (but, per the website, supplies are limited).</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I’ve made a number of batches of pasta blending 60 grams of Cairnspring’s Fortissimo durum with 90 grams of Central Milling’s Organic Type 00 flour. To hydrate the flour, I add one whole egg and two egg yolks, which together weigh just under 100 grams. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, I slowly add the egg mixture to the flour blend until the dough just comes together. I then tightly wrap the dough in plastic film and let it hydrate at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling the dough out in my Imperia R220. I plan on using the same flour blend to extrude pasta with my <i>torchio</i>, but will cut back on the amount of the egg mixture to make a harder dough.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YkqNZdm1nMkfxOXnzfD7iWITwZIarpF7LeBxmNfKSaDGw7llRObB72gub8HY_eZwi3_DTUam2hs6AqnQSNMIoCODZg26h7wvYy-z127oztan8OYCwfau_Mdjm2UM7t1lsforf8XAXpI/s2048/L1000148.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YkqNZdm1nMkfxOXnzfD7iWITwZIarpF7LeBxmNfKSaDGw7llRObB72gub8HY_eZwi3_DTUam2hs6AqnQSNMIoCODZg26h7wvYy-z127oztan8OYCwfau_Mdjm2UM7t1lsforf8XAXpI/s320/L1000148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I try to support my local Pacific Northwest food industry, especially newer ventures like Cairnspring Mills, which started in 2016. Its Fortissimo durum flour feels like the freshly milled and sifted flour that I grind with my Komo grain mill. The pasta I made with Fortissimo using my preferred 2:3 ratio of durum to Type 00 flour had a balanced, firm texture and lovely yellow hue. Although not traditional, I especially like to use this 2:3 flour blend when making </span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">pappardelle </span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">destined for a hearty sauce.</span></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-35760204752897027052020-11-29T12:30:00.005-08:002021-05-12T07:31:18.548-07:00Best Cookbooks of 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdljanQU-lm8VJWYvb-U9KKSugNqMdQqtXYbOS1N5infrKiktDJnQlCE9X7XXHpAd7BoTnL9AHYxn-yh94QLR7itd4ePqIeEQbMLgl3kMeORUIGeNFfxFsSc3kiCv2DlWFZ-lxAXp5v4/s2048/2020+Cookbooks.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdljanQU-lm8VJWYvb-U9KKSugNqMdQqtXYbOS1N5infrKiktDJnQlCE9X7XXHpAd7BoTnL9AHYxn-yh94QLR7itd4ePqIeEQbMLgl3kMeORUIGeNFfxFsSc3kiCv2DlWFZ-lxAXp5v4/s320/2020+Cookbooks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What a year. Maybe we—and when I say “we”, I mean The Whole World—can dare to hope for a safe, sane and boring 2021. We shall see. In the meantime, I carry on with my routines, which include sharing my year-end picks for 2020’s five best cookbooks. In alphabetical order, here’s my list.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Baking at the 20<sup>th</sup> Century Cafe; Iconic European Desserts from Linzer Torte to Honey Cake</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> by Michelle Polzine, Artisan Books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Chaat; Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets and Railways of India</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy, Clarkson Potter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A Good Bake; The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Breads at Home</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> by Melissa Weller with Carolynn Carreño, Knopf.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Good Book of Southern Baking; A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> by Kelly Fields with Kate Heddings, Lorena Jones Books / Ten Speed Press.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Pasta Codex; 1001 Recipes</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> by Vincenzo Buonassisi, translated by Natalie Danford, Rizzoli.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Why did I pick these cookbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Michelle Polzine’s outstanding <i>Baking at the 20<sup>th</sup> Century Café</i> pays homage to Austro-Hungarian desserts. Located in San Francisco, Polzine’s 20<sup>th</sup> Century Cafe often showcases West Coast produce like Meyer lemons and other seasonal fruits. Polzine shares recipes for <i>Streuselkuchen</i> (Viennese Coffee Cake with Raspberries) and a Huckleberry-Pecan Upside-Down Cake, which strikes me as being uniquely American. Although Honey Cake is probably Polzine’s claim to fame, it’s her <i>Kókusz Torta</i> (Coconut-Marmalade Torte with Chocolate Glaze) that I really want to try.<i> Baking at the 20<sup>th</sup> Century Cafe</i> is a well-executed, smart cookbook destined to become a baking classic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I bought my copy of Maneet Chauhan’s <i>Chaat</i> from Spicewalla, an awesome spice merchant located in Asheville, North Carolina. Chauhan defines chaat as “…the iconic snacks of Indian cuisine. A literal translation of the Hindi word <i>chaat</i> is ‘to lick,’ and chaat have therefore come to describe almost anything that is so good you find yourself licking the palm leaf or banana leaf that it was served on.” Chauhan organizes her cookbook by dividing India into compass points. Under the chapter entitled “The North”, she includes a recipe for Green Chutney made with pan roasted <i>chana dal</i>, that tastes bright, hot, minty, smoky and delicious. Chauhan often ties her recipes to stops along India’s railroad lines. For example, her introduction to a recipe for <i>Ros Omelette</i> (Omelet with Tomato Gravy) begins: “Upon disembarking from the train and entering the Vasco da Gama train station, the ros omelette prepared near the station entrance are too enticing to pass up. The aroma of the omelet begins to waft through the air from the vendor stalls throughout Goa when the sun begins to set and doesn’t stop until well after midnight, after the tourists and locals alike have satisfied their cravings.” Chauhan has penned a unique, entertaining guide to authentic Indian comfort food.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Melissa Weller’s <i>A Good Bake</i> gets my nod as the best cookbook of 2020. Weller, who served as head baker at Roberta’s in Brooklyn and at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and Bouchon Bakery in NYC, brings her professional expertise to this thick, well-organized cookbook. I particularly like her eclectic mix of recipes. The Savory Bread chapter includes two recipes for <i>Khachapuri</i>, a traditional yeasted flatbread from Eurasian Georgia, and recipes for Hot Dog Buns and Soft Pretzels. In the Laminated Pastries chapter, Weller shares recipes for Salted Caramel Sticky Buns, <i>Kouign Amann</i> and New York Cheese Danishes. The first recipe I tried, Spelt Bull’s-Eye Scones with Raspberry Jam, turned out tender and flavorful. My family baked Weller’s Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving. The pie had a creamy and light—yet not too soft—texture. Weller uses orange juice and zest to brighten a perfectly-spiced, rich Garnet yam filling. What a great tasting holiday (or breakfast) pie!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I prefer cookbooks that use metric weights rather than volume measurements, especially in baking recipes. So when I received Kelly Fields’s <i>The Good Book of Southern Baking</i>, I felt a little letdown because Fields only includes volume measurements. I know: Millions of glorious bakers got on and get on perfectly well with teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. I, however, generally value precision over tradition. But once I started flipping through Fields’s cookbook, her recipes won me over. She includes classics, like cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet, and more modern bakes like a Glazed Lemon-Cornmeal Cake that is both simple to make and delicious. Fields shares her secrets for making great biscuits in her Baker’s Biscuits recipe, then goes on to include six other biscuit variations: Rolled; Angel; Drop; Beaten; Sweet Potato; and, finally, Dog Biscuits. If you like hand pies, <i>The Good Book of Southern Baking</i> contains recipes for three different types of hand pies (blueberry, apple, and strawberry-rhubarb) and for peach turnovers (plus cheese turnovers!).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I wrote about <i>The Pasta Codex</i> (<a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-pasta-codex.html">here</a>). In a nutshell: Published in Italy in 1973, the Codex contains 1,001 pasta recipes collected by the late Vincenzo Buonassisi, a lawyer, journalist and passionate food writer who authored over 40 cookbooks. Natalie Danford translated Buonassisi’s tome into English for Rizzoli, a publishing house that excels at bringing important Italian cookbooks to an English-speaking audience. If you love Italian cooking, especially pasta, I highly recommend Buonassisi’s <i>The Pasta Codex</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I bought a lot of cookbooks this crummy year because I found them a source of solace and I wanted to support my favorite independent booksellers, like Seattle’s Book Larder and New York City’s Kitchen Arts & Letters. A number of welcome cookbook acquisitions in no particular order: Olia Hercules’s <i>Summer Kitchens</i>; Magnus Nilsson’s <i>Fäviken</i>; Cortney Burns’s <i>Nourish Me Home</i>;<i></i>Blaine Wetzel’s <i>Lummi Island Cooking</i>; Nancy Silverton’s <i>Chi Spacca</i>; Rich Shih and Jeremy Umansky’s <i>Koji Alchemy</i>; Evan Bloom and Rachel Levin’s <i>Eat Something</i>; and Jason Wang’s <i>Xi’an Famous Foods</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What looks exciting in 2021, cookbook-wise? I already placed my pre-order for Brandon Jew’s <i>Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown</i>. Tom Kerridge’s <i>The Hand and the Flowers</i> arrives Stateside in the first part of the year. Eric Ripert’s <i>Vegetable Simple</i> comes out in April. And, hopefully, the pasta fairies will sprinkle some magic <i>Tipo 00</i> flour on us and we will enjoy one or two good pasta-centric cookbooks. Rachel Roddy's <i>An A-Z of Pasta</i> looks promising. I hear from my grapevine that another good pasta cookbook might arrive in 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And, of course, here’s <i>really</i> hoping that 2021 offers us a respite from the </span>dangerous craziness of 2020. Stay safe and well, everyone!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj828wvXlMSb-CFWhsq10ueIa8RyVKR1DJmBv9InB3Ey4FGjg3mgqJ8WjFP-ZDbH98urRi5IwkceBAR0RPymrOKnJG4ec8m9_lBXZlHu12ScBe8pICuyhrEcOCxZVXBmS6TPVNvmmjqwyo/s6000/Spicewalla.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj828wvXlMSb-CFWhsq10ueIa8RyVKR1DJmBv9InB3Ey4FGjg3mgqJ8WjFP-ZDbH98urRi5IwkceBAR0RPymrOKnJG4ec8m9_lBXZlHu12ScBe8pICuyhrEcOCxZVXBmS6TPVNvmmjqwyo/s320/Spicewalla.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-83798894242292090222020-11-11T15:16:00.005-08:002022-02-05T13:01:39.818-08:00The Pasta Codex<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1dI-55BxDqjGwlxZLD_soNpZmV_-ym2-NkTWTSdKaErz92akCjX2bXLYueEh18WSAObVlDsuY3Xva1WuFgcANNzWqLnzmxFqlJ7X46bT4SJdGlstVGr5EzTf-ryezvtGzCqRQ0zu4Mc/s2048/DO01000017.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1dI-55BxDqjGwlxZLD_soNpZmV_-ym2-NkTWTSdKaErz92akCjX2bXLYueEh18WSAObVlDsuY3Xva1WuFgcANNzWqLnzmxFqlJ7X46bT4SJdGlstVGr5EzTf-ryezvtGzCqRQ0zu4Mc/s320/DO01000017.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Rizzoli just published</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>The Pasta Codex</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">, an English-language version of Vincenzo Buonassisi’s 1973 cookbook</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><i>Il Codice della Pasta</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">. Like the Italian original, this new translation contains 1,001 pasta recipes. Buonassisi writes: “The main purpose of this book…is a practical one: to collect recipes that can be used every day to enjoy variety on a single theme.”</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In her Translator’s Note, Natalie Danford writes that <i>The Pasta Codex</i> “is a book representative not only of Italy, but an Italy of a particular time, namely the early 1970’s.” Perhaps because the <i>Codex</i> primarily memorializes timeless Italian pasta dishes, the 47-year-old cookbook still feels fresh and relevant, save for a few curious standouts. A classic recipe for <i>Cappelletti in Brodo</i> follows an offbeat <i>Tagliatelle with Chicken, Apple, and Banana</i>. Buonassisi includes another recipe called <i>Pasta with Bananas</i>: fried bananas topped with grated sharp cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Pasta Codex</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> contains eight chapters: Pasta with Vegetables; Pasta with Vegetables and Dairy Products; Pasta with Vegetables, Dairy Products, and Eggs; Pasta with Fish; Pasta with Poultry, Lamb, and Various Other Types of Meat; Pasta with Red Meat; Pasta with Pork; and, finally, Pasta with Game. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Within each chapter “…there is a progression from simple dishes to the more complex.” The chapter on pasta with fish opens with <i>Pasta with Anchovies</i>. Buonassisi writes “[t]his humble dish is simply delicious.” It’s also extremely simple to make: dissolve salt-cured anchovy fillets in warm olive oil, add chopped parsley, and toss with cooked pasta. His Pasta with Fish chapter ends with <i>“Zembi d’Arziglio” con Salsa di Arselle</i> (<i>Branzino-filled Half-Moons in Wedge Clam Sauce</i>). Buonassisi introduces the recipe like this: “Teresa and Emanuele Viacava of Nervi won the Agnolotto d’Oro prize in Turin with this recipe. Zembi is a reference to the shape of the pasta, while arziglio is the foamy seawater that beats against the shoal.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Given my website’s torchio-centric focus, I want to end this post with a bigoli recipe from <i>The Pasta Codex</i>. Buonassisi includes nine different bigoli and sauce pairings. Entry No. 932, <i>Bigoli with Pork and Veal Sauce</i>, introduces the pasta’s shape and serves as a nice example of Buonassisi’s prose. Disclosure: I have not made this dish yet (because my vegetarian daughter came home for the holidays).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 cups buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About 1 cup whole milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 ounces ground pork<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4 ounces ground veal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">7 ounces tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips or minced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Beef broth<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Salt and pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Grated nutmeg<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">¼ cup olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">½ yellow onion, minced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 small carrot, minced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 rib celery, minced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Minced fresh basil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bigoli are a renowned homemade pasta from the Veneto, similar to spaghetti, but made with a special press and traditionally made with buckwheat flour, though recently whole wheat bigoli have become very popular. If you have a bigoli press, make a dough with the buckwheat or whole wheat flour, the eggs, the melted butter, and as much milk as needed to make a firm dough. Process with the press to extrude bigoli. You can also purchase bigoli, either fresh or dried. If you are making your own, let them dry at room temperature for several hours before proceeding. For the sauce, in an earthenware pot off the heat, combine the pork and veal, the tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of broth and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 1 hour, adding more broth if the sauce gets too thick. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and basil. Season with salt and when the mixture is golden, add to the tomato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, to combine. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, drain, and top with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmigiano on the side.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Variation</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> If you cannot find bigoli, use spaghetti or another type of dried pasta.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Given Buonassisi unprejudiced palate, it’s no surprise that his <i>Codex</i> advocates a decidedly open-minded approach to substituting one type of pasta for another. In his Introduction to <i>The Pasta Codex</i>, Buonassisi writes that the “golden rule is that pasta is largely interchangeable.” Compare Buonassisi’s flexibility with the (somewhat) tongue-in-cheek dogma of <i>Sauces & Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way</i> by Oretta Zanini De Vita and Maureen B. Fant: “‘Live and let Live’” does not apply to the service and consumption of Italian pasta….”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Buonassisi’s bigoli pasta dough recipe reminds me of what I uncovered in my bigoli research more than 10 years ago when I purchased my new torchio pasta press. Most of the recipes I found include eggs, milk and butter. Often flour selection differentiated the recipes with some calling for all-purpose, others for whole wheat, and a few for buckwheat flour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I really like <i>The Pasta Codex</i> and highly recommend it to anyone interested in Italian cooking. Rizzoli deserves warm praise for bringing English translations of essential Italian-language cookbooks, such as Vincenzo Buonassisi’s <i>The Pasta Codex</i>, to a wider audience.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-19601434302426019262020-10-18T14:23:00.007-07:002021-05-01T13:12:42.663-07:00The Japanese Pantry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U79I5Z7sjkNfN3wc-ziPVXNVzFpF4e34JNHuAqqOyPWpBD4-uTWGhyrwa2iLVfhJDxmEW70nzzGjcDpXk0cpZc3qAAiR22PXXQy1c42VkzFGRnjAqZ7Qg8GavnIkXK4fgnKqWXqIFxg/s2048/L1000226.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U79I5Z7sjkNfN3wc-ziPVXNVzFpF4e34JNHuAqqOyPWpBD4-uTWGhyrwa2iLVfhJDxmEW70nzzGjcDpXk0cpZc3qAAiR22PXXQy1c42VkzFGRnjAqZ7Qg8GavnIkXK4fgnKqWXqIFxg/s320/L1000226.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Here’s another short post on a source for excellent ingredients.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://thejapanesepantry.myshopify.com">The Japanese Pantry</a> imports and sells outstanding artisan-quality Japanese ingredients to restaurants, merchants and home cooks. It offers miso, soy, tamari, vinegar, kombu, sesame-based products and seasonings that far surpass the quality of ingredients that one finds in even well-regarded specialty food stores.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Japanese Pantry recently added Donko dried shiitake mushrooms to its offerings. With these world-class dried mushrooms from the island of Kyushu and other Japanese Pantry staples, you are set to make dashi using the following David Kinch recipe that appears in <i>Umami: The Fifth Taste</i> (Japan Publications Trading Company, 2014). This dashi is a component in his recipe for Summer Clams, Peas and Beans in a Pine Mushroom Broth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">1.8 liters filtered water<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">12 grams dried shiitake mushrooms<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">15 grams dried kombu<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">25 grams dried tuna flakes (magurobushi)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">4 to 5 tablespoons white soy sauce (shiro shoyu)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">1. Combine water, mushrooms and kombu in a large pan and heat to 140F/60C. Turn off heat, cover, and steep for 1 hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">2. Remove and discard kombu. Heat mushrooms and broth to 175F/80C. Add tuna flakes, stir for 15 seconds and immediately strain through a linen cloth. Discard the solids and season the dashi to taste with white soy and salt. If making ahead, reserve in the refrigerator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbCLeMd14wCmQe9BLqGjHOxyTBmWvQLM68nbVW9NzznebjvhYU1pqvT1nXNtMi7DMQ0QwyC8vl60tMWOPSlttiXI1R67q_qpaeAXs3P7tFUz2Y3CgfXMbdiMpCltrq5f1RAMAKynwO2U/s2048/Z31A8853.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbCLeMd14wCmQe9BLqGjHOxyTBmWvQLM68nbVW9NzznebjvhYU1pqvT1nXNtMi7DMQ0QwyC8vl60tMWOPSlttiXI1R67q_qpaeAXs3P7tFUz2Y3CgfXMbdiMpCltrq5f1RAMAKynwO2U/s320/Z31A8853.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I don’t follow Kinch’s recipe to a T; I use my fine PNW water for filtered. I also don’t discard the mushrooms. Rather, I save and cook with them. For the sea salt, I use 1.25 grams Amabito No Moshio.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Japanese Pantry currently sells three different types of kombu: Ma, Rausu and Rishiri. I use what I have in my pantry. I mostly swap out the recipe’s white soy for 75 grams of white tamari that The Japanese Panty sells. Made with 100% wheat, the Japanese government prohibits its manufacturer, Notto Jozo, from calling this sauce soy. However labeled, this light sauce tastes fantastic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Regrettably, one cannot buy dried fish and shellfish from The Japanese Pantry—at least not yet. I’m told it wants to offer these products, but it’s difficult for the small artisan companies that it promotes to navigate certain import regulations. But, hopefully, one day soon we can also find dried seafood and fish at The Japanese Pantry.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-11817815216040949512020-10-11T14:00:00.001-07:002020-10-11T14:00:13.585-07:00Japanese Rice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8Xuz-7Z-vH1NQYGdoS8Cneuhi4Bvrnu-1uuE-Y3tiUTlbyTknykeHwL4n1CMRziXy_3eeNUlUomxaUMptMR0yo4BnFS5cZf2KY_6Cwk9_vS2UBZ7q0diyy6cvNynZYnwCDWONjVuO1g/s2048/L1000224.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8Xuz-7Z-vH1NQYGdoS8Cneuhi4Bvrnu-1uuE-Y3tiUTlbyTknykeHwL4n1CMRziXy_3eeNUlUomxaUMptMR0yo4BnFS5cZf2KY_6Cwk9_vS2UBZ7q0diyy6cvNynZYnwCDWONjVuO1g/s320/L1000224.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I often enjoy sourcing ingredients as much as cooking, especially if the ingredients come from people committed to quality. During these tough times, these merchants and suppliers can use our support. To this end, I’ve penned a series of posts that feature my favorite sources for excellent cooking ingredients. First up, a near everyday staple food in my household: Japanese rice from The Rice Factory.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Rice Factory, located in Scarsdale, New York, imports Japanese rice varieties that it sells in its shop and on-line. Its website lists its seasonally available varieties—some offerings sell out very quickly—and classifies the rice on a chart with 4 quadrants divided by two axes: (1) sticky to smooth, and (2) tough (i.e., firm) to soft. After choosing a rice variety, you select your desired quantity (5, 10 or 15 pounds) and a mill rate (e.g., brown, 50% milled, 70% milled, or white). The rice is then milled-to-order and, to those of us scattered across the country, shipped.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve tried almost ten different rice varieties from The Rice Factory. I’m about halfway through a 10-pound bag of <i>Tsuyahime</i> rice from the Yamagata Prefecture. Per The Rice Factory, <i>Tsuyahime </i>has </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #313133; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">excellent sweetness and umami and “has a good reputation for its good looks, such as whiteness and gloss after cooking….”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #313133; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My favorite rice—so far—is <i>Nanatsuboshi</i>, which is slightly more firm than soft and more smooth than sticky. I’ve ordered this rice milled 70% and white. However milled, this rice tastes absolutely delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I count The Rice Factory as a culinary treasure here in the United States. I enjoy supporting the company and the Japanese rice they sell is fantastic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1269448684345457083.post-25959049661568008182020-09-15T16:38:00.010-07:002020-09-15T17:32:19.006-07:00Spelt & Kamut Pasta<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiykqQGs3sByBENucj9_9fPog9H_npXMrhGaeUjcIg25I02BabYpSlw2TRSZB4UgAcYlf7nw9S6kD2FzkUcNqa-ns8xB0avrIHPSIzQJDIZ-hJJ3CNdo0i5hcgJG1IFFMjpCBKzLzEOVQ/s2048/no1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiykqQGs3sByBENucj9_9fPog9H_npXMrhGaeUjcIg25I02BabYpSlw2TRSZB4UgAcYlf7nw9S6kD2FzkUcNqa-ns8xB0avrIHPSIzQJDIZ-hJJ3CNdo0i5hcgJG1IFFMjpCBKzLzEOVQ/s320/no1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I take and keep notes when making pasta with a new flour blend. I often shoot a reference picture of the recipe with the finished pasta. If the dish turns out, I store the photo on my computer and the recipe in my pasta journal. (Sometimes it takes me a while to move my notes into my journal.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFhVsT5CBp_JDCMehSNNy9n6hBU5VbtBKU61_Alx1z48oO4GB4gz2AcnHYCvEF9dZHqeJa85BVNrwDaskCF820U3zuepvr02BfsRl7R1915ll1_EcfY0LTQwG4vWVqgsyfsWWU0bW8T0/s2048/no2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFhVsT5CBp_JDCMehSNNy9n6hBU5VbtBKU61_Alx1z48oO4GB4gz2AcnHYCvEF9dZHqeJa85BVNrwDaskCF820U3zuepvr02BfsRl7R1915ll1_EcfY0LTQwG4vWVqgsyfsWWU0bW8T0/s320/no2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZU6tQXbEUiWwW2gXYFHclmrW-2pa-FRXqnmrEaNTeA7VE4tFldrMJ9n1yEY2ZEFSK7adzbga5p49xG-xe9FKvtbRSnkPoVNb1JCJ8ugIeqkusXE1inKzCnzkbiSF3f2Ts_Yw_YtstV4/s2048/no3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZU6tQXbEUiWwW2gXYFHclmrW-2pa-FRXqnmrEaNTeA7VE4tFldrMJ9n1yEY2ZEFSK7adzbga5p49xG-xe9FKvtbRSnkPoVNb1JCJ8ugIeqkusXE1inKzCnzkbiSF3f2Ts_Yw_YtstV4/s320/no3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">About week ago, I came across a photograph of an emmer and Kamut pasta that I made back in 2016. I wanted to try out the recipe again, but couldn’t find any emmer grains in my pantry. I did, however, find a bag of spelt. I decided to improvise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYheeONNkEJ_TdX-dtHTPsbDprOdYUwrJ6eLPll-bCYSijvCaxyjwOgsBqfPGFdZ2lb4TjS0uw7k1xMTiW7ovH4uKPnovFfiKaKgWKRnLSgQyLrxBOAC_v45Zx8YSr88HDvsmGuaa-j9A/s4032/no4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYheeONNkEJ_TdX-dtHTPsbDprOdYUwrJ6eLPll-bCYSijvCaxyjwOgsBqfPGFdZ2lb4TjS0uw7k1xMTiW7ovH4uKPnovFfiKaKgWKRnLSgQyLrxBOAC_v45Zx8YSr88HDvsmGuaa-j9A/s320/no4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If you root around on The Internet, you will find a lot of conflicting information on…well, a lot of things, but, for purposes of this post, on emmer, spelt and einkorn grains. Each is different, but these grains often get lumped together as farro. Although mixing-up emmer, spelt and einkorn is easy, it’s hard to confuse these grains with Kamut, which is a trade name for Khorasan wheat. I love cooking and baking with Kamut. I often blend this ancient durum wheat with other flours to make pretty much everything taste better. When I received my first bag of Kamut from Montana Flour & Grain, I understood why some call it “Camel’s Tooth”. If you have not worked this grain, I suggest you give it a try. Finding Khorasan wheat gets easier with each passing year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OxNkkpFOQTTgBGFdtARrQWjWJcbnBMvbH4pKlKELmcwdehGrELH5xg8PT6jx9JC4QvidTgnqP5HHIiOYpS-XLkVTUIuvH3gAAvVo2ZhzGzFbStLNNlgfkRNL1KRRczk3P4_iWKNWeK4/s2048/no5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OxNkkpFOQTTgBGFdtARrQWjWJcbnBMvbH4pKlKELmcwdehGrELH5xg8PT6jx9JC4QvidTgnqP5HHIiOYpS-XLkVTUIuvH3gAAvVo2ZhzGzFbStLNNlgfkRNL1KRRczk3P4_iWKNWeK4/s320/no5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Per my 2016 notes, I used 75% emmer and 25% Kamut flour. I wanted to keep close to these percentages with my spelt and Kamut pasta. With a goal of making 2 serving portions, I started with 250 grams of spelt that I milled and sifted through a No. 40 and No. 50 sieve. (More on bolting flour <a href="http://ibunbury.blogspot.com/2018/07/bolting-flour-for-pasta-making.html">here</a>.) This produced 75 grams of spelt flour. I then milled 150 grams of Kamut grain and similarly sifted the flour achieving 32 grams of Kamut flour. I wanted 115 grams of total flour, so I added 8 grams of Central Milling Organic Type 00 Normal to my flour mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8svjJr6FfYlFZtXxQGmBmwLsHc8idAeq7ivUgbE0sXx4oEyBoK3ov-ZaS_k9CzSIZbCOmpNw8Rqi7J1zQMtgty22jWEMwO_vRH5hr9VFpaoXC9TnbWdwVBGIPxAuX9XMoK3PYWrT9MQ/s2048/no6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8svjJr6FfYlFZtXxQGmBmwLsHc8idAeq7ivUgbE0sXx4oEyBoK3ov-ZaS_k9CzSIZbCOmpNw8Rqi7J1zQMtgty22jWEMwO_vRH5hr9VFpaoXC9TnbWdwVBGIPxAuX9XMoK3PYWrT9MQ/s320/no6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I usually add an egg and a yolk to 115 grams of flour when making pasta. In this case the egg/yolk mixture weighed 78 grams. After mixing the flour and egg together by hand in a shallow bowl, I kneaded the dough for 8 minutes, wrapped it in plastic, and set the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwDX38bCbuno31rfz1EU9f8J-cd0zQm8y5JBeb4_g-e-YLTLK8uc0olalfOwbQvQ5_khR2cuukwZwx3mYjHLw4MM86dkb6F75NgM_rl7OUlXCFxMDDcucndD6uGW7_LcGWNcFZ5dM7x8/s2048/no7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwDX38bCbuno31rfz1EU9f8J-cd0zQm8y5JBeb4_g-e-YLTLK8uc0olalfOwbQvQ5_khR2cuukwZwx3mYjHLw4MM86dkb6F75NgM_rl7OUlXCFxMDDcucndD6uGW7_LcGWNcFZ5dM7x8/s320/no7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqKoJWmknvt8TotHPRvBMlgZKDABZ8mY1y-eMTFvNxC8pHAhR3SFdJb5je2XYyA0zZBm695PoXt8LoJhfQHlfCfUbPCqdF87qsvHUTZLGoBrHQH7aw4Nm_FMXgg3whiru3GnMjmF-Tfk/s2048/no8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqKoJWmknvt8TotHPRvBMlgZKDABZ8mY1y-eMTFvNxC8pHAhR3SFdJb5je2XYyA0zZBm695PoXt8LoJhfQHlfCfUbPCqdF87qsvHUTZLGoBrHQH7aw4Nm_FMXgg3whiru3GnMjmF-Tfk/s320/no8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">After resting, the dough felt soft so I decided to make a laminated noodle using my Imperia R220 manual pasta machine. After multiple passes through the rollers, I stopped at the machine’s number 3 setting. The pasta still felt a tad soft. I cut the pasta into 4 sheets, dusted it with semolina and let the sheets air dry on my kitchen counter for about 15 minutes per side. Because I planned a sauce of fresh borlotti beans and razor clams, I cut the pasta into <i>tagliatelle</i>. I wrapped the cut noodles in a kitchen towel and let them sit for about 45 minutes as I made my sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMBdiqy6ehnbKWijk-eylXfazqGnQd_4vjwVgzXdLm4gcKDq4ARZua9w6bk-zox2JyOmjpVMAo2udqXA82ZrGo6wwNVAVb84BFj-aExJRPADDjNg8OVt9BPL7yRyOphTmtNOqEisCGcg/s2048/no9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMBdiqy6ehnbKWijk-eylXfazqGnQd_4vjwVgzXdLm4gcKDq4ARZua9w6bk-zox2JyOmjpVMAo2udqXA82ZrGo6wwNVAVb84BFj-aExJRPADDjNg8OVt9BPL7yRyOphTmtNOqEisCGcg/s320/no9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrzNQ2xHGIb8-9ObLj_HW32ZIt-BXc6QRSqhOIN0FHcC4gHiWK2eHbFAMYRn7dBghdshy1FBCaBxXjiBTSXqbCMiIu6f13r7JbwZ23QqPKQ2T92teStH4YF3hKuCKZHrE-dO8S102iDI/s2048/no10.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrzNQ2xHGIb8-9ObLj_HW32ZIt-BXc6QRSqhOIN0FHcC4gHiWK2eHbFAMYRn7dBghdshy1FBCaBxXjiBTSXqbCMiIu6f13r7JbwZ23QqPKQ2T92teStH4YF3hKuCKZHrE-dO8S102iDI/s320/no10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I taste my fresh pasta while it cooks. Although the pasta felt soft after rolling, the cooked spelt and Kamut pasta had a firm bite to it. After about 2 minutes in salty, boiling water, the pasta achieved the right texture to finish cooking for another minute or so in my sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Spelt pasta has a lovely mild wheat flavor. Bolted Kamut flour helps the noodle’s strength. Conclusion: Switching out the emmer for spelt worked out great. For the last couple of years I have experimented with making an extruded Kamut pasta using my <i>torchio</i> pasta press. After a lot of fine tuning, I’m getting closer to a recipe that I can share with you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8zTCppudGT3R0SuYSE9QL5Gr4_vDGElFgZknA3Ohgrrqr6X2qaycojN5L0oUYCD18cfVDaxEwGbOQ5dDZ9RbPDf8_xzWNwRymyq8uYVWoXVaqwSot3Hu0j1UIrbmMbl7IBYYu2fKLDk/s2048/no11.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8zTCppudGT3R0SuYSE9QL5Gr4_vDGElFgZknA3Ohgrrqr6X2qaycojN5L0oUYCD18cfVDaxEwGbOQ5dDZ9RbPDf8_xzWNwRymyq8uYVWoXVaqwSot3Hu0j1UIrbmMbl7IBYYu2fKLDk/s320/no11.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com