Creamy Pasta with Tomato Confit and Fresh Goat Cheese: Results

When I first looked through the list of ingredients, I felt confident we would have no problem finding everything. Well, it turned into a dish full of substitutions, and yet, it still turned out absolutely fantastic. We both really loved this one. Nice work!

Substitutions as follows:
-no plum tomatoes here, so we worked with small vine ripened and used 5 instead of 3.
-completely forgot to get the chicken stock, so ended up using a veggie bullion cube. ew.
-couldn't find Ditalini in the 4 grocery stores we went to, so we opted for Gobbetti, which basically look like little worms, but were chosen for their size and non-ribbed surface.

We started with the tomatoes: blanched first to get the skins off easily and and cooked them with the oil and herbs as instructed.




Next we sauteed the onions and butter and added the dry pasta and garlic until they started to toast a little.




We added veggie broth, one ladle at a time until thoroughly cooked.

Next we stirred in the chopped tomatoes and cheeses. And finally the fresh basil and chives.




So easy!

As I said, we were really thrilled with the results, but there were a couple things we weren't so sure about. We found the tomatoes, especially for the work that went into them, disappointingly subtle. They added a hint of color, which was nice, but that was about it. Even when you singled out a piece to eat on it's own, I didn't think the flavor different enough to warrent the work (and the olive oil!). The cheeses were by far the dominant flavor, which I thought also concealed perhaps how the pasta was cooked. What the risotto style did perhaps give it was the flavored 'sauce' that the goat cheese could blend with. I've done a goat cheese pasta before and was incredibly dissapointed at the texture - no moisture to keep the pasta slippery. It was dry and unapatizing. I'm realizing now, that it needs something else to keep it moist, and that's what this process must be doing. The fresh basil and chives really added a lot to the final product. I think they are key ingredients not to skip. In fact, I would say they're more important than the tomato!

CD Challenge 2: Creamy Pasta with tomato confit and fresh goat cheese.

This challenge was surprisingly easy and fast. Rachel Ray might have it on 30 min meals pretty soon. I really think poaching the tomatoes brings out some excellent flavors. I'm also excited to use the reserved oil, it may make some great salad dressing. Last time we poached something in oil, it turned out to be the best salmon we ever had - but that one entailed some constant temperature surveillance. However, I'm really starting to think this oil poaching thing has something to it - like a little Magic!

We started by peeling and chopping the tomatoes, seeds are on the right. I just peeled the tomatoes with a knife, but it might be easier to score them and dunk in boiling water for a few seconds.

The tomatoes in the oil

This was the smallest pasta we could find. I'd be curious to see how different it would have been had we been able to find the recommended pasta.

Here's a picture of our well-browned, as opposed to "golden" pasta. We were worried that it might taste a little too toasted, but it turned out to be fine.

And the final product. S thought the sauce was maybe a little too tangy, but I liked it. It was definitely an interesting way to make pasta, and maybe the easiest way to ensure that the pasta stays al dente.

Spätzle (pronounced 'Spaitz-le'). Better than mac and cheese??

This past weekend J's and my attempt to hike in the mountains outside Munich was thankfully thwarted by bad weather. I guess we're not the only ones that think we shouldn't messing with nature. In it's place, we spent the day in Augsburg (who's U.S sister city is Dayton) wandering the streets, 'hiking' through the woods in the rain, and meeting new people connected to J's mentor here. The best part was finding ourselves in all these apartments, and seeing how people live, and of course, how the eat. That night, we were invited to a friend's house, along with 10 other people for a simple communal dinner or shared ingredients on hand. I jumped at the chance, particularly when I heard the main course was going to be homemade spätzle. I've only had this once at a restaurant in Heidelberg, and it was so bad I was prepared to leave it be, but I figured if 10+ people were prepared to plan a Saturday night around it, they must be good at making it. Let's just say it made up for that hike through the rain!

S, sad to say, I couldn't make this one a challenge due to the key role onions play. They really are crucial to the final product. But I'm convinced if you were EVER going to like onions, it would be in this dish! That night we also made a mushroom cream sauce with mushrooms we had found on the hike. (I'm using that 'we' liberally, as one of the guys with us was a forester and knew which mushrooms were edible, and I did not in fact, do any of the actual mushroom picking). BUT, combined with salt, pepper and cream after being sauteed in a closed pot for a half hour, they made an amazing sauce for the 'noodles.' So maybe you could try this?

We started by combining the incredibly simple ingredients to make the dough. When I think dough, I think something that should be kneaded, but this was more like a batter it was so soupy.



At the same time we began to saute the onions in butter. Lots of onions.

After the dough was ready, we scooped two scoops worth into this fun little spätzle contraption, sort of like a mandolin, that pushed the dough drops into a boiling pot of water below. I was told this device is unnecessary - you can easily use a collander and push through with a wood spoon.



The dough rises to the top in 1-2 minutes, at which point you remove the spätzle with a slotted spoon and place into a small buttered lasagna pan. As the dough takes a few batches, you can keep it in the oven on warm in between. After each batch, layer with sufficient amount of grated gruyer and bergkäse (or emmanthaler) and pepper.




Repeat this process until you've used all the dough.

Spread onions on the top layer and place back in the oven until cheese is melted.

The sooner you serve, the better, as the cheese is still nice and soft.




Ingredients:

Spätzle dough (serves 4)
-500 ml flour
-1/4 liter water
-5 eggs
-1 tbs salt

1 cup grated gruyer
1 cup grated Emmanthaler
pepper
3 onions (a total guess)

J says this is his favorite meal he's had since he's been here. Just to give you an idea!

Peach Ice Cream

A week ago, before the unseasonably cold weather set in, M and I made ice cream with the last of the season's fresh peaches. Since the weather's been in the 40's and rainy, peace ice cream seems out of place. Last Sunday, though, the sun was still shining and the weather was warm. The ice cream allowed us to carry a little bit of that through the cold week.

To start, we skinned the peaches and sliced them up, in preparation for maceration with sugar.



The peaches macerated for several hours in the refrigerator, while we set about making the custard base.



Once the custard base reached the appropriate temperature, we placed that in the refrigerator to cool. After several more hours, we removed the peaches, and blended half of them. The blended half were added to the custard, while the other half remained, to be added into the ice cream after it finished mixing in the ice cream maker.

This is what it looked like when it went into the machine



and this is what it looked like when it came out.



And here's what it looked like when we added in the chopped peaches.



Of all the ice cream we've made so far, this has been our favorite. It was creamy and sweet, yet tangy. It was the perfect conclusion to summer, and with the cold weather finally here, we're ready to transition into fall flavors.

Peach Ice Cream*

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe peaches
• 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Directions

Cut an X in bottom of each peach, then blanch in boiling water 15 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel peaches and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with lemon juice and 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar in a large bowl. Let macerate, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.

Whisk together cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Add cream and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Add to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly, to temper, then pour mixture back into saucepan.

Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl and stir in extracts. Chill custard, its surface covered with parchment paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 4 hours.

Transfer 2 cups peaches with slotted spoon to a bowl.

Purée remaining peaches and liquid in a blender until smooth. Add purée to custard and freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to a bowl and stir in reserved peaches.

Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 2 hours.

*from the June 2008 edition of Gourmet magazine

Culinary Drift Challenge #2

Creamy Pasta with Tomato Confit and Fresh Goat Cheese

This pasta dish is cooked risotto-style, which sounds intriguing. I hope you don't have any trouble finding the ingredients. Feel free to make substitutions where necessary.

Ingredients

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for poaching
3 plum tomatoes—peeled, quartered and seeded
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
1/2 pound ditalini or other small-cut pasta (1 1/2 cups)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup soft fresh goat cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup tightly packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2 1/2 ounces), plus more for serving
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons snipped chives
2 tablespoons finely shredded basil leaves

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil with the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and half of the garlic and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat until the tomatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a work surface and coarsely chop them; reserve the olive oil for another use.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until golden in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining garlic; cook for 1 minute.

Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock to the pasta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until it is nearly absorbed between additions. The pasta is done when it is al dente and suspended in a lightly thickened sauce, about 17 minutes total.

Stir the tomatoes into the pasta. Off the heat, add the goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the chives and basil and serve right away, passing additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

Source: Food and Wine, October 2008

Official Post Date: October 31, 2009, 11:59 pm.

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

I loved this. I really did. Of course, we hadn't just had it in Italy, so there was nothing to which I could compare our gnocchi. They were delicate and subtle, and there was a relaxing comfort to the repetitive formation rather than tedium. M and I learned that gnochhi are not actually something to be feared - and in a lot of ways, these were simpler than ravioli.

We started with 3 baked potatoes.



We scooped the flesh out of the baked potatoes.



And then set about to make the dough.



Once the dough was formed, M shaped it into 3 logs.



These three logs where then segmented and rolled out into snakes. Each snake was cut into approximately one-half inch pieces. I rolled each piece on the back of a fork, creating ridges that are intended to catch the sauce.



We ended up with enough gnocchi to freeze some before cooking. Ever since eating the ones we did cook, I've been looking forward to eating the rest.



We cooked the gnocchi in small batches that took only a minute or two. The small batches kept the water at a constant boil.



While the gnocchi were cooking, we set about making the gorgonzola cream sauce. A combination of gorgonzola, cream, garlic, and mozzerella, the sauce was the perfect balance between salty, creamy, and pungent.



Then we ladled the sauce into the bowls atop the gnocchi. For a finishing touch and a little bit of color, we added a little chopped parsley.



Thanks Lindsay and Jason for a perfect first challenge. This is definitely something we will be making again!

Potato Gnocchi: Results!

Oh what good intentions we had! The entire process went as well as we could hope. At every step, I was impressed that I hadn't screwed it up thus far. The dough was relatively simple to make, and came together quite well. But this is also where we really got hung up: that line about making sure the dough doesn't stick to your hands...We used the full two cups of flour and then kept adding, a dash at a time, until it got a little dryer. Oh and the other unfortunate part - we couldn't find any fresh thyme at the store (make that any fresh herb...) so we were forced to used dry thyme. We rolled, cut and fork pressed (so hard to make it look decent!) our cute little dumplings and cooked as directed.

The result? Well, as J stated that night - they were a bit more like tightly rolled sleeping bags than pillows. And that dry thyme turned out to be a big mistake; while the flavor was great the texture of a dry herb that hasn't had enough cooking time to soften, was an unwelcome surprise. Looks like we've got more work to do.

On a positive note - we both loved the sauce. And that's no small thing considering J's aversion to blue cheese! It's especially nice that it's so simple to make. I'm not sure it would work as well with other pastas, as the intensity requires a denser medium, but I'd like to find something else I can smother with this stuff.

We served the gnocchi with a simple arugula and Parmesan salad with lemon vinaigrette, which worked really well to cut the creaminess of the pasta dish.

The NY Times just reviewed a new book that's just been published in English (4 years ago in Italian), called 'The Encyclopedia of Pasta'. It gives a basic recipe for the entire catalog of Italian pasta and a history. Sounds pretty cool.

Vietnamese Pho 1512

M and I were unbelievably excited when we learned that this month's Daring Cooks' challenge was Vietnamese pho. Could we really create something as amazing as the pho we've had in restaurants in our own kitchen?? The short answer is yes, thanks to Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, the host of this month's challenge. Provided that we plan in advance, we can now skip the lines that snake down the block from our neighborhood pho restaurant.

Jaden offered us the option of doing a quick version, or doing the longer, more authentic version. Because we wanted to see how closely we could replicate our favorite pho restaurant, we opted for the longer version - for both the chicken and beef versions. That's right, we did BOTH chicken and beef. You can take a look at the recipes on the Steamy Kitchen website.

First, we tackled the chicken. Working with chicken is certainly more familiar and comfortable for me than beef, so it seemed like a good place to start. We charred the ginger, toasted star anise, coriander seeds and cloves, and roasted garlic since we wouldn't be using onion, which was meant to be charred along with the ginger. Mike hacked up a chicken and threw that in a pot with water, sugar, fish sauce, and the toasted spices. That simmered away until we had an unbelievably fragrant and authentic tasting pho broth.

Next, we addressed the beef. Jaden recommended using leg and knuckle bones for the best tasting pho. This required going to an asian grocery store, where we found everything we needed and more. We got beef bones like I never thought I'd buy. I'm glad we did, though, because we made some of the best tasting beef broth pho we've ever had. While both the chicken and beef pho were delicious, M and I preferred the beef pho. The chicken pho had a delicately flavored broth, whereas the beef was more robust and flavorful. With the colder weather just around the corner, I know we'll appreciate being able to eat pho without having to put on our coats this winter.

We made one tiny change to Jaden's recipes in that we used smaller noodles. I don't know if it's an east coast versus west coast thing, but pho restaurants in DC/Northern Virginia use smaller noodles than the ones that Jaden recomended, which are comparable to the noodles used in pad thai. While I'm sure the pho is equally delicious with the wider noodles, for us, the smaller noodles were the more authentic option, and I think our pho turned out pretty close to pho 50/pho 75/pho 14.

First Official Culinary Drift Challenge: Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

So now that I've moved into an actual apartment, with an actual kitchen, the challenges can begin! I'm throwing out the first challenge based on mom and my recent trip to Italy where we ate, unsurprisingly, some fantastic food, this dish included:

Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce:

For the Gnocchi:

2 lbs. baking potatoes, cleaned and pierced with a fork

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place baking potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for approximately 1 hour, until potatoes have softened.

Once finished baking, cut potatoes in half to slightly cool. Scoop out flesh and run through a potato ricer, or mash by hand-make sure it is not lumpy. Add the egg,thyme, salt and pepper, stirring with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. Add the flour 1/2 c. at a time, and knead together with your hands. The dough will be somewhat sticky, but will come together after a while.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a log. Cut the log into three equal pieces, then cut those pieces into three equal pieces. Taking one piece at a time, roll out dough to create a rope about a 1/2 inch in diameter. I like to go from the middle outwards. Cut the roll into equal pieces, about 1/2 inch intervals. Roll each piece on the back of a fork to create indentations(this helps it to hold the sauce better.) Place cut gnocchi on a floured baking sheet. Once finished cutting and rolling, let gnocchi set for about 20 minutes to dry out a bit.

In a large saucepan, boil 6 or so quarts of salted water. Add gnocchi in batches of a dozen at a time. Scoop out using a slotted spoon trying to get most of the water off of them, and put on a warm dish. Salt and pepper, to taste.

Heavy Gorgonzola Sauce:

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 c. milk

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 c. gorgonzola cheese

1/4 c. mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan, bring the cream and garlic to a simmer. Turn off heat and let infuse for 1/2 hour. Strain cream and discard garlic cloves. Place cream, milk, salt and pepper over medium heat just until bubbles form around side of pan. Remove from heat and add the gorgonzola and mozzarella, stirring with a wooden spoon. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add more milk.

Place cooked gnocchi on a plate and drizzle with the gorgonzola cream sauce.

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The recipe comes from absolutelyappetizing.wordpress.com, and I have no idea if it, or more likely I, can duplicate the pillow-y perfection mom and I discovered in Milan, but it's worth a try, or 10. We also have a family history of homemade pastas (shout out to Ravioli Day!), and have always steered clear of these little dumplings, because of their supposed difficulty. Just like the Italians to create something so simple it's difficult!

So bring it on Simone! Let's see how we fair.

Official post date: Sunday, October 18th. 11:59 pm.