Gnudi with Wild Mushrooms

Gnudi (new-dee) may sound like the description for a magazine featuring the scantily clad, but in fact it refers to naked pasta.  It is like the inside of a cheese ravioli without its protective outer layer.  Gnudi was just recently introduced to me while I was browsing ideas on how to make gnocchi, the delicious Italian potato dumpling.  Gnudi is the same idea as gnocchi, but with fresh ricotta instead of potatoes.  The result of a little love and patience is a wonderfully pillowy pasta-like dumpling that melts in your mouth.

Gnudi:
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg plus one yolk
1 lb fresh whole milk ricotta
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup white flour
2 cups semolina flour

Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of cheese, is not what you find in the green shakers at the market.  This regal cheese is much more flavorful and is actually protected under law.  Look for the stamp of authenticity on its rind to ensure it was made and aged in Northern Italy.  I always feel as though I have a secret prize in my bag when coming home from the market with a giant wedge of this nutty, grainy cheese.  I also cannot say "Parmigiano-Reggiano" without adding a thick Italian accent.  In this recipe, I use it in the gnudi batter and also as a finishing salty touch to the dish.

The easiest way to grate Parmesan is to pulse it in a food processor.  You can also do this by hand.

Whisk all the ingredients except the flour until fluffy.  Then, add the flour one tablespoon at a time until the batter can form slightly sticky balls.  Coat the bottom of a large glass dish with semolina flour.  Scoop balls out using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop and lay in the dish.

Then, cover the gnudi in more semolina and start another layer.  Repeat this until all the batter is rolled.  Cover the entire pan with the remaining semolina and place in the refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to unearth the gnudi from their semolina grave, dig them out and let them sit at room temperature for about an hour.

The gnudi will look misshapen, but that is what gives them beautiful, rustic character.  Letting them sit out for a bit allows them to come to room temperature, making for a gooey inside with a slight bite on the outside.  Now, boil a large pot of salted water and drop the dumplings in until they float to the top.  Gently retrieve them with a slotted spoon and lay them to rest on a paper towel lined plate.  From here, you can sauce them any way you please.  A vibrant marinara, or a simple brown butter sauce would work beautifully.  I chose to coat them in a rich truffled wild mushroom sauce.

Truffled Wild Mushroom Sauce

1 1/2 cups wild mushrooms (I used shiitake and portobellos)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup chicken stock or white wine

1 cup half and half or milk

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

My friend Travis and I were recently in Denver and had dinner at a fantastic little Italian restaurant called Luca D'Italia.  Their signature dish is a decadent fusilli pasta with mushrooms and truffle cream.  Truffle oil has become widely used, and you can find it on anything from fries to pizza on restaurant menus across the country.  I usually shy away from anything truffled, as I feel it is overly used and overpowers the other flavors in the dish instead of enhancing them.  We took a chance and ordered this signature dish.  After one bite, I glanced at Travis and could only see the whites of his eyes as he was savoring every exquisite sensation happening in his mouth.  I immediately promised him I would try and recreate the sauce at home.  I have a desire ingrained in my soul to make those I love happy through delicious food and drink, and this definitely was making him blissful.  The recipe here is a bit lightened up from that rich heavy cream sauce we had at the restaurant.  If you are feeling luxurious, you can substitute the chicken stock and milk for 2 cups heavy cream.

Saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat in the butter and oil.  Add pepper.  After about 5 minutes, add garlic and a pinch of salt.  Immediately add flour and stir for one minute.  Whisk in stock and milk slowly until combined.  Once the sauce comes to a bubble, add truffle oil and cheese.  Taste for seasoning.  Gently add gnudi to the sauce, using a rubber spatula to fold the sauce over the delicate dumplings.

Finish with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  I hope you will summon your inner Italian voice and make this fun and versatile dish in your home. 



Tomato Basil Bisque

Soup is one of my favorite things to make.  Soup can be made from almost any ingredient, allows for endless creativity, and warms the souls of those I love.  It was a particularly good summer day to make soup. The dark clouds threatened a storm, the breeze almost fall like.  With the air conditioner on full blast, it was actually a little chilly.  Perfect.  The farmers' market had a wonderful selection of gorgeous, locally grown tomatoes, so I picked up a bunch along with some fresh basil.  There is something special about looking into the eyes of the person who grew the food you are about to prepare.  This Kansas farmer had deep smile lines in her sun kissed face, and she was the happiest person I met all day.

My inspiration for this recipe is my love for tomato bisque combined with my fascination with French Onion Soup.  French Onion Soup is the only soup that comes with a crispy, buttery crouton topped with gooey, bubbly cheese.  That is usually reason enough for me to order it at my favorite restaurant, as opposed to the soup of the day.  I combined the ideas and gave my tomato basil bisque a cheesy hat of its own.  I use Farm to Market sourdough bread and fresh buffalo mozzarella to make this soup a fantasy come true.

Tomato Basil Bisque

6-8 large, fresh tomatoes (sub canned tomatoes if desired, or when not in season)

1 lb carrots, peeled

Olive Oil

4 tbl butter

1 large sweet onion, chopped

6 celery ribs, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbl tomato paste (use good Italian brand)

1 32oz box chicken stock (sub veggie stock to make this recipe vegetarian)

Cholula hot sauce to taste

1/2 C half & half or milk

1/2 C fresh basil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

First, preheat oven to 400°.  Slice tomatoes in half and toss with carrots on sheet pan in olive oil, a good sprinkling kosher salt, and cracked pepper.  This is the time I start putting love into my food.  I believe it is important to touch your food, be a part of the dish.  People can taste love in a dish, and it starts with choosing the freshest, best ingredients I can find.  I continue to infuse love at this step by coating the juicy tomatoes and firm carrots in olive oil with a light massage.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.  While the tomatoes are releasing their sweet juices in the oven, cook onions and celery in butter and a splash of olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste, cook one minute.  Add stock and hot sauce.  I use about 2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce.  Once the tomatoes are done, slip their withered skins off and add to the pot along with the carrots.

Next, puree the soup with your chosen method.  I use my immersion blender, but you can use a blender or food processor.  Once the soup is smooth, add half&half and basil.  I chiffonade the basil, which is just stacking the basil leaves, rolling them tight, and cutting into thin strips.

Ladle the soup into oven safe crocks.

You can stop here, and eat this delicious soup with a hunk of crusty bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich.  Or, you can follow on to my soup fantasy world, in which all soups wear cheesy crouton armour.



Cut slices of bread about the size of your soup crock.  Drizzle with olive oil and toast in a 400° oven for 10 minutes.  Slice fresh mozzarella into thin rounds.  Buffalo milk mozzarella is wonderful, but you may substitute cow's milk mozzarella if desired.  Place crouton on top of soup, and arrange mozzarella slices on crouton.  Place crocks on a sheet pan and surrender them under the broiler until brown and bubbly.

Serve this soup to those you love.  You will fill their souls with comfort and they will love you back.

Limoncello Icebox Pie

When faced with the task of bringing dessert for my family's Mother's Day celebration, I wanted something quick and delicious.  Since I work mostly nights, anything I can whip up after work that finishes making it's magic overnight in the freezer is a perfect choice.  Limoncello Icebox Pie is one of my favorite desserts to bring to spring gatherings.  It is simple to make and lemon is the perfect refreshing flavor for the promise of warmer months ahead.

Every good pie starts with an amazing crust.  I get bored with the usual graham cracker crust, so I used peppery, slightly sweet gingersnaps.  They give an additional layer of flavor to the pie and complement the citrusy tang of the creamy filling.  I have always been under the notion you cannot have too much buttery, crumbly, sweet-salty crust, so I usually double all my pie crusts.  The perfect crust gives a crunchy snap when fortunate forks seize a bite.

Preheat oven to 325°

For the crust:
12oz gingersnap cookies
7 tablespoons butter, melted

Add cookies to a food processor and pulse until crumbly.

If you do not have a food processor, just place cookies in a plastic resealable bag and smash with a rolling pin or pulverizer of choice.  I sometimes do it this way anyhow to take a little stress out on unsuspecting sweet things.  Add melted butter and press crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch spingform pan.

For the filling:
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice (from about 6-8 large lemons)
Zest from 2 lemons
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
8 large egg yolks

The best way I have found to juice lemons and other citrus is to cut the lemon in half, make two cuts either way across the flesh, and squeeze your heart out.  You can also use a citrus reamer or juicer, but I prefer this method for it's hands on approach.

Before you juice the last two lemons, zest the yellow part of the rind with the smallest holes in a box grater, or with a microplane if you have one.

Add limoncello to the lemon juice to make 1 1/4 cups of lemony liquid.  Combine this in a medium bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

There is something about separating eggs that I love.  It is the firm crack on the side of my favorite coffee cup, the wonderful sliminess of dipping my fingers in and capturing the bright yellow yolk, and the patience of letting all the egg white drip through until finally the yolk is isolated.

Place yolks and zest in a stand mixer and beat until pale, about 3 minutes.  If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on high speed. Beat in milk and lemon mixture until smooth.  Pour into prepared crust and place on a sheet pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  The center will still jiggle a bit when you take it out of the oven.

Cool for about an hour and then loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

I finish this pie off very simply with just a touch of whipped cream and a gingersnap on top.

This quick and simple pie is a hit for any gathering and tastes like you spent all day baking.

Wondering what to do with the leftover egg whites?  Make a delicious scramble...