Cacio e Pepe

We thrive off of cheap and easy dishes here at the ‘Nosh. Here is one where I immediately fell in love with it. I am not responsible for this one but it comes from the Pasta Queen. She is a native Roman and this is right in her wheelhouse. Here we go…

1) Toast 1-3 tsps of cracked pepper in a deep skillet

2) Take some hot pasta water and mix with Pecorino Romano, grated. 30g per person in a separate bowl. This will allow the cheese to mix smoothly without clumping.

3) Add al dente pasta, spaghetti is traditional, to the skillet. Now, OFF HEAT, add your Pecorino Romano mix and gently, with love of course, toss your pasta. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thicken your sauce. It should be creamy. Serve immediately. That’s it! Yes, I am not kidding..

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Mayonnaise - Food Processor Method

So many food items in today’s world have been homogenized to the point where we don’t know what homemade is supposed to taste like. One of those is mayonnaise. That go-to dressing for your sandwich and a base of so many sauces or marinades. The important thing to remember about mayonnaise is that it is an emulsion. It is a careful and chemically sound blend of oil and egg. Egg has an ability to draw in about 1/2 to a 3/4 C. of oil. I do not make this from hand, I use the power of my food processor. Here is my recipe that I use and alas another great one from Julia Child.

ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS

1) Gather 2 egg yolks, 1 egg, 1 tsp of salt, 1 TBSP of lemon juice and mustard. And the most important ingredient of all, oil; 2 Cups. You can play with the mixture of olive oil and other oils but think about how you will use your mayonnaise. If you want a less aggressive taste, use mostly a neutral tasting oil. For a more flavorful one, you use a high quality extra virgin olive oil.

2) In the food processor, add the first 5 ingredients. Mix.

3) With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 C. of oil. This is the beginnings of your emulsion. Now, you can drizzle in another 1 C.. At the 1 1/2 C mark, take an assessment of your mayonnaise. If it is too thin, slowly drizzle in more oil. If too thick, you can add more lemon juice or vinegar. Remember, you eggs can only draw so much oil in, so be careful.

You are done! 5 minutes you will have great tasting mayonnaise. Remember that this does not have the same shelf life as commercial mayonnaise. Count on it being good for about 4-5 days in the fridge.

Nosh Tips: You can use vinegar in place of lemon juice. Have fun with the options. Also, experiment with your oil. I haven’t tried a duck egg mayonnaise yet but might have to.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Ragu Bolognese

Ah, the meat sauce, the Sunday Gravy… So many variations and so much debate over what is a proper Ragu Bolognese. In fact, there is an official designation protected by the Italian Academy of Cuisine. Well, this is America and we often stretch things, don’t we? You can even play around with my play around of a recipe. I suggest that this sauce is a great way to use up extra scraps of meat and bones that you have lying around. Here goes!

1) Make a sofrito or mirepoix which is 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and 1-2 onions, diced. Cook slowly in a fat of your choice, I like to use diced pancetta or bacon. Make sure it is soft and translucent. Add a small can of tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.

2) Add 1-2 cups of wine, and cook down a bit to concentrate. Now add 1-2 pounds of meat. Most people will use ground beef or a meatloaf mix here. Cook down a bit to where there is little liquid left in the pot. What about seasonings? I omit the salt and pepper until the end as I want to make a determination then.

3) Add 2 28oz cans of San Marzano or plum, whole and peeled tomatoes to the pot. I use a potato masher to crush them a bit. My secret ingredient is to add a few beef bones and 1-2 cups of beef or chicken stock.

4) Simmer uncovered for about 2-4 hours. The longer the better, TRUST ME!!! The sauce will concentrate beautifully over that time. Serve with penne, ziti or shorter pastas.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Cioppino - One Version

Here is an awesome fish stew especially if you love those tomato-based broth ones. A loaf of crusty bread to sop up the broth is really recommended. I have made many versions over the years but this one that is an offshoot of Ina Garten’s, works well. It really comes down to the stock here. This works well for 6 people.

1) Heat 1/4c. of olive oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add 2 C. of chopped fennel and 1 1/2 C. of chopped onion. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp of fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. For that added boost, add 2 anchovies or a TBSP of fish sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes

2) Add 4 C of really good seafood stock. I use lobster broth and add shrimp shells to amp up the flavor. Add a 28oz can of San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes. and 1 1/2 C. white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc). and a little salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and lower heat to barely simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to concentrate the broth.

3) Add about 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of seafood, mixed. I like haddock, squid and shrimp here. Mussels and clams add a little fun to the eating so about 2 dozen of those. Add the fish first then the items that need a little less cooking next. Bring to a simmer, cover and then cook for about 8-10 minutes. You can add an optional liquor here like Pernod, Ouzo, Sambuca but I think the fennel is enough licorice for my tastes. Throw out any shellfish that hasn’t opened.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Marinara Sauce

Pasta sauces are quite variable and every time I make them, they change. But it is always good to have a base recipe to whip together quickly. You can experiment all you want. I make this one a lot and it works. If you have reservations about anchovies, don’t worry. They disappear in the sauce and really add a mouthfeel, a umami if you will, that is heavenly. If I still can’t convince you, try adding 1-2 TBSP of finely minced mushrooms.

1) Take 2 TBSPs of olive oil and put in a saucepan. Medium to low heat. Once it starts to shimmer, add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add 2 anchovies, minced, 1-2 sprigs worth of oregano leaves, 1-2 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1 TBSP of basil leaves, dried.

2) Add a 28oz can of whole , peeled tomatoes, preferably high quality plum tomatoes. I use the San Marzanos as they add a level of sweetness vs. the heavy savory type tomatoes. Take a potato masher and breakdown the tomatoes.

3) Cook for about 20 minutes on low to medium-low heat until it thickens. Depending your preference, you may puree the sauce in a blender but I prefer a chunkier sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Main Sauces: Bechamel

Having the ability to quickly make a sauce is so valuable. There are a few base sauces that you should have in your knowledge bank. As you all know, I am a nut about gravy. Gravy, in my view, is a version of a base sauce called Veloute, but I digress. By adding cheese to this Bechamel, you basically have turned it into a Mornay sauce, but enough of the French variations. Here is my base Bechamel sauce that makes about 3 1/2 cups:

Rule of Thumb: 2 TBSP of Flour per cup of Liquid is a Thick Sauce. For a thinner sauce, do a 1:1 or 1.5:1 ratio.

1) First you need to make a roux which is your thickener. Equal parts of butter to flour, so in this case 4 TBSP of butter to 4 TBSP of flour. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low/medium heat. Now, I like to sprinkle the flour in to incorporate evenly, whisking while you are doing this. Some methods advocate the dump all at once but this method avoids dealing with clumps. I cook this for about 5 minutes to get the flour taste out of the roux and add a bit of nuttiness. Don’t let it brown.

2) 3 C. room temperature whole milk. Now, slowly dribble in 1 C. of the milk into the roux and whisk while you are doing this. Slowly add the other 2 C. of the milk and whisk the whole time. Keep the heat to a low simmer, you don’t want to boil and scald this. Cook for another 5-10 minutes and it should thicken up pretty well. If it is too thick, add more milk. Now bechamel is quite bland so aggressively season it with salt, pepper and other spices as you see fit and cater to how you plan to use.

3) You can keep bechamel for about 3 days in the fridge.

Nosh Options: Change the milk to cream or change the whole milk to skim. Use Kerry Gold Irish butter instead of US domestic versions to make it a little richer.

If you want to make this a cheese sauce, take the pot of the heat and add about 1/4 C. of cheese. Adjust accordingly. I like using Gruyere or an aged Cheddar for my Mornay sauces.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Meat Lasagna - A lighter version

Please review my Base Meat Lasagna recipe for reference. I modified that recipe to take the super heaviness out of the dish. Please experiment! Cooking is about trying stuff to see if it sticks (pun intended). In this recipe, I made the pasta sheets, so fresh pasta vs. commercial boxed dry. My pasta was 50/50 semolina to 00 flour with 5 eggs and some water. Also, I don’t precook my pasta sheets. Here we go!

1) Spread about 2 C. of Ragu’ Bolognese sauce on the bottom of a deep roasting pan. Lay pasta sheets side by side on top of the sauce. Try not to overlap as you want those layers of sauce and meat and cheese to intermingle and bubble up during cooking.

2) Here is the key to keeping the dish light vs. heavy: there is no need to build out a inch of sauce, cheese etc. for each layer.

3) Here is the order of battle:

1 ladle of Bolognese sauce dotted or dribble over the layer of pasta (have 4-6 cups on hand)

1 ladle of Bechamel sauce (look for my base recipe) dotted or dribbled over the Bolognese (have 4 cups on hand)

Spread little pieces of Mozzarella over the Bechamel sauce. I slice Mozzarella and tear tiny pieces (2 balls of Mozzarella on hand)

Grate some Parmesan and Pecorino Romano on this layer. (Blocks of cheese, fresh tastes so much better)

4) Repeat until you run out of fillings, pasta or sauce or room in the roasting pan. I typically have about 4-6 layers when I am all said and done.

5) Put in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You can put foil on but you don’t need to cook much here as you have fresh pasta. For 10-20 minutes, crank up the heat a bit to add some crust for those how love those crunchy corners. Once done, let cool 10 minutes minimum prior to cutting and serving. Put a ladle full of Bolognese sauce on each portion and maybe a dash of cheese.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Base Meat Lasagna

My Italian cuisine and cooking skills are evolving. I am not of Italian descent and only have been exposed to this great food through friends. I have worked with this recipe of Emeril’s over the years. When I would cook food for our family vacations ahead of time, I wanted something that could be frozen and make plenty of leftovers. I also wanted a recipe where I didn’t have to precook the noodles. Warning! Some Italians will scoff at the use of ricotta here.. so be warned.. I will have another version up without it. This recipe yields 12-16 servings depending on your guests. Here is my version after many modifications.

1) In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 C. ricotta, 6 ounces grated Provolone, Mozzarella and Pecorino-Romano, an egg, 1/4 C. half/half (or milk), 1 TBSP minced basil/thyme/oregano, 1-2 TBSP chopped garlic. In reserve, have 1 1/2 lb of grated Parmesan and a package of lasagna noodles ready.

2) Meat Sauce. You can make your own but for ease of use, buy quality pasta sauce with meat. If you want to jack it up, brown a pound of meat (beef/pork/lamb etc.) I’d have enough sauce for about 6-8 cups. If you have extra, you can use it elsewhere.

3) Assembly. In a deep baking dish/lasagna pan, spread about 2 cups of sauce on the bottom. Sprinkle a quarter of the parmesan on. Cover this layer with dried lasagna noodles. Repeat. You’ll likely have 3-4 layers. The last layer is sauce unless you want it to be cheese but it may burn, so watch it.

4) Cook in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool about 10 minutes, minimum before serving.

Nosh Options: You can add more cheese into the mixture but it may be overkill. For the meat sauce, you can do a meatloaf mix for the meat. A homemade Ragu’ Bolognese is highly recommended for tremendous flavor.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta

This recipe comes courtesy of Milk Street. It is an adaptation of a recipe from Diane Kochilas. I can’t claim credit to this one. Historically, I have struggled to make something edible and good from cauliflower. Usually, it is being cut into steaks and grilled and/or roasted like I do with broccoli. In this case, I can report that this option is one worth looking into. This serves 4.

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees, oven rack in middle. Trim a 2 pound head of cauliflower of leaves and stem. Leave enough stem so the cauliflower can stand upright.

2) In a bowl, whisk 1/2 C oil, 2 1/2 TBSPs Dijon mustard, 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 2 TSP honey, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 TSP salt and 1/4 TSP pepper until creamy. Take 1/4 C of this mixture and set aside. Place cauliflower on a baking pan (foil or parchment paper recommended on the pan). Brush the mixture onto the cauliflower.

3) Roast cauliflower until a skewer can go through the head with no resistance. Skewer tender.. It takes anywhere from 40 mins to an hour depending on the size of the cauliflower. While the cauliflower is cooking, mix 2 OZ of feta cheese, crumbled and 1/4 C. of chopped parsley.

4) When cauliflower is done, remove from oven and brush 1 1/2 TBSPs of Dijon mustard and cover with the feta parsley mixture. Return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to set the coating and melt the feta.

5) Cut cauliflower into 4 equal wedges and give them a squeeze of lemon. Serve extra mustard mixture on the side.

Options: Wine mustard, maple syrup, gorgonzola and cilantro. You can maybe play with tahini sauce here too. A great dish to experiment with.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Roast Chicken - Weeknight

Someone asked me one time, “if you had me over to your house for dinner, what would you serve me?”. I answered without thought, “Roast Chicken”. For me, it is the ultimate comfort food. Complimented by a starch, a veggie and some gravy, it can’t be beat. One thing I have learned is that each cook is different and it is best to keep that in mind. With the variables in play, I focus on this: 165 degrees internal temp on the breast and anything above 180 degrees for the thighs. Cook time can be a problem especially during the week. Here is what I do to cut my cook time to 45 mins - 60 mins:

1) Take out (or have the butcher do it) the backbone of a chicken with a knife or shears. Spread out the bird and turn it over. With your hands and force, crack down on the breast (this makes cutting easier but it is only an option). Cut the breast in half. Season as you wish or dry brine if you are doing this ahead of time.

2) Turn your oven on to 450 degrees. In a rimmed baking/roasting pan or how I do it with a skillet, take an onion and cut into wide slices. Put slices down and put the chicken halves, breast side up on top of the onions, sort of a food roasting rack.

3) Cook and watch the internal temps. I like to arrange the pan in the oven with the legs toward the back as it is warmer in the back. If the skin is getting too brown, cover with foil. If the legs are done before the breast but the breast is higher than 155 degrees, I take it out as there will be carry-over cooking and the temps will exceed the USDA recommended 165 degrees if you let it rest for 20+ minutes. Resting is important here. I have a blog post about it as well.

4) Now, once the chicken is out and resting on a carving board, you have the option to make gravy. Yes, that is why the onions are there.. to flavor the gravy….

After a rest, start carving your bird and serve. The skin should be crispy and bird delicious. You can play with the oven temps and time.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Creamed Corn

We call this the C cubed.. Chloe’s Creamed Corn. In my youth, there were so many foods in need of culinary help. In this case, the awful creamed corn from a can. Here is one that we found not too long ago from All Recipes but, of course, have modified to our liking. The original recipe does this all in one pot (skillet) but you can overcook the corn easily as thickening takes time. Recipe serves 8.

1) Make a bechamel (white sauce) ; 2 TBSPs butter, 1 C whole milk/half&half, 2 TBSPs of flour. Melt the butter slowly over low/medium heat, start sprinkling in the flour and blending. Cook (stir to avoid burning) until the flour is light brown (smells nutty) and the flour taste is no longer there. Start dribbling in the milk/cream until fully whisked in. Get to a simmer then add to:

• A skillet with 20 ounces of frozen corn kernels (thawed), the sweeter the better, 1 C. heavy cream, 1 TSP salt, 2 TBSP of sugar (like light brown sugar here).

• Mix well and slowly cook over low to medium heat until it thickens to your liking. If you don’t mind a few cooked, brown kernels, you can really thicken it up. A Nosh add: a TBSP or 2 of Madeira or Port wine.. really adds complexity to the dish.

• I love this part: Off heat, add 1/4 - 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese. I like Gruyere (Swiss) or Pecorino Romano as well.

Eat.Drink.Savor.