I Sugges this Recipes

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Ricotta Gnocchi with Fresh Peas and Morel Mushrooms – A Tale of Two Recipes

This lovely bowl of spring is a perfect example of when recipes are, and are not, important. The ricotta gnocchi part of the plate requires a fairly precise formula. If any of the three main ingredient amounts are altered, you could be looking at quite a mess. Thats certainly not the case for this sauce.

If I made this same combination of ingredients 100 times, each version would be different, which I how I believe these things should work. When I buy peas at the farmers market, Im not thinking I need 2 cups, Im thinking I need to buy some peas. The same goes for the mushrooms. Grab a handful and keep moving.

Heres the recipe. Take some mushrooms, preferable wild morel, and saute in olive oil until they smell meaty and delicious. Add some garlic and cook for a minute. Add some vegetable broth, about a 1/2 cup per person, and bring to a boil. Add some peas and cook until tender. Season, add a little cheese and fresh herb, and use as a sauce for the gnocchi.

Besides a general guess at how much broth you need, theres no reason to measure anything else. You could halve or double what I used and argue either way that your sauce is better than mine. Of course, wed both be right.

Theres a common belief that chefs never use recipes, which in the case of the sauce is totally true. But, when a specific texture, density, or viscosity is required in a dish, like for these delicate dumplings, chefs have no problem whatsoever following a formula.

Whats my reason for pointing all this out? I dont really have one. You should make this. It tastes good. Enjoy!

For the ricotta gnocchi:
1 pound really good ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of fresh nutmeg
Makes enough for about 6 servings

For the sauce:
Splash of olive oil
handful of mushrooms
some fresh peas
few cloves of garlic
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
about 3 cups of vegetable broth
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
chopped parsley, mint, and/or basil

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

A Fishwifes Tale

Being so close to the sea had me craving a nice thick steak, but after checking Yelp for dining recommendations in Seaside, California, I decided to go for some fish instead.

I ended up at a cute little seafood place called either "The Fishwifes Turtle Bay Taqueria," or "Fishwife Seafood Café," depending on which sign you believe.

I started with a cup of Ciopino, which is usually a stew, but this was in soup form. It was pleasant, and filled with bay shrimp, clams, halibut, and faux crab.

It was hard not to get the New England clam chowder, which looked great at the next table, but geography won the day.

My main course was a small, but very fresh and nicely cooked piece of wild Pacific salmon. It was topped with a zesty habanero pepper butter sauce. The rice and black beans are always welcomed on my plate, but it was the cold broccoli salad that was the side dish star.

The perfectly cooked broccoli florets, dressing with a simple vinaigrette, topped with diced tomato and onion, have me planning a video recipe attempt very soon.

It was a very nice meal, and extremely reasonable for the location. Im headed to Spanish Bay in the morning, so stay tuned!