sequim

Wow, just read the last installment. So much good stuff. Thanks for all this Moby. I am so behind in this class since I've just made my regular pasta, never mind the stuffed. I have to ask this - when you were putting together this class, did you already have these photos taken or did you really have all these plates of pasta in your kitchen for the week, cuz I sure would have liked to have flown over for some of your leftovers! The raviolo of artichoke confit really caught my eye, thinking of veggies that are starting to show up in the market. Plus I love artichokes. I guess what this class has really taught me is that you can make pasta dishes with everything - it opens up a new world of creativity. And the ingredients are just so simple and so available. Now I have a question about plating. That is, dishes for pasta. I don't have any. My sister got some for Christmas and we have all loved them. In fact, I had to borrow them recently. Does anyone have a good source (online or wherever) for them? I've seen some online and they're wildly expensive.

We have a winner, folks, it's Mr and Ms LEdlund! I guess I will have to live vicariously once again....

I have a friend who's flaking out on me for our dinner tomorrow (Wed) at Union at 6pm. If there is someone out there who wants a rez for two, or if there's a single (heh, not as in unmarried, married single welcome) out there who wants to join me, that would be great. I have to cancel today if I'm going to give this rez up, so thought I'd throw this out there in case there's someone reading.

I'd be happy too, Elie. However, I haven't tried the ricotta recipe yet. I did try the mascarpone recipe, however, and used in a sauce with my spinach pasta last night and it was delicious. Like a very soft cream cheese or clotted cream with a hint of buttermilk, but overall creamy tasting, not sour at all. Ricotta: 4 quarts whole milk 1 qt cultured buttermilk salt, pepper, sugar(optional) Combine milk and buttermilk in 6-8 qt pot. Place over medium heat until 180 on candy thermometer, about 40 minutes. Cook for about 20 mins for a very soft-curd cheese or about 35 mins for a firmer curd (1 to 1-1/4 hrs total). Do not stir while cooking as it yields poor texture. Recipe says a small scorched part on the bottom will develop but this is just part of the ricotta flavor. To test curd, use back of spoon to gently press top of clot that forms, should feel like custard and the whey will surround it. Finally, line a colander with cheesecloth dipped in cold water, wrung dry and pour cheese in, then cover. Do not scrape pan. Let cheese drain for 40 mins or longer, serve warm, sprinkled with salt, pepper or sugar. Cover and refrigerate for as long as a week. Makes about 1 qt cheese (2 pounds).

That's too hysterical. For me it happened the other night. My mom made a mess in the oven from her homemade pie leaking. She was going to clean it up manually. Oh no, we've got a self-cleaning oven I told her. Turned it on. Maybe an hour or two later I start smelling something funny - at first I thought it was normal. Then all hell breaks loose when all our smoke alarms go off and they are so incredibly loud. I get the ladder out (we have cathedral ceilings - just what you want at a time like this), struggle to get the battery undone, no luck. Give up on that idea and open all windows and doors. I check the stove and there's a plastic bottle of oil on the stovetop by the pilot light. Although the bottle didn't melt, it must have gotten hot enough that the oil boiled up, all over the stovetop and down the burners. What a mess, although not as bad, I'm now thinking, as burned plastic.

That's a mahvelous idea Abra but if word got out, everyone would want to go. DeLaurentis is a treat. They have all these great cheeses, too. But it is across the pond from you. I would think Central Market would have '00' flour though. Have you checked? Damn, I don't want to be at work, I want to be working on my pasta!

Thanks Moby. That's interesting that in place of buttermilk which my recipe uses, his has fresh lemons. Salumi is fantastic and an eGulleter hangout...

Actually Abra and I live in the same part of the country - Seattle and environs. We have DeLaurentis Italian food store downtown and when I went there checking on the pasta flours, they said semolina is different from durum so I got a bag of each. Plus they also had '00' flour. I did notice that semolina gave a different feel to my pasta than using the durum which made a very soft pasta. The semolina/ap mix had more gritiness in it.

Actually here in Seattle, we have Mario B's own father's restaurant to go to and the other day some of us eGulleters went to a lunch there and at the end he brought out a huge bowl of homemade ricotta that we put on the slices of bread with some chestnut honey. Oh heaven! So when I came upon the two recipes for mascarpone and ricotta in my book and saw how easy they were, I have to try them. If you are able to share the ricotta recipe you have, I'd love to see it. My recipes only involve buttermilk and whipping cream. I'll get my recipe at home tonight for you tomorrow. It's quite simple involving pine nuts and basil. I think I kneaded my pasta quite a bit as I not only did about 10 minutes by hand, but then ran it through the machine several times. Perhaps I did overcook it a tad which is quite easy to do if you're used to the very dried out store pasta.

"ravioli-eaters to help" you out? I know someone.... Yikes, is roasted coffee going to be next, espresso machines, foamed milk...where does it all end? Actually this weekend I got out my well worn Sunset Italian cookbook and found a recipe for spinach pasta that uses homemade mascarpone for its sauce. So I decided to make the mascarpone, putting the ingredients together on Saturday, and after waiting and waiting for it to thicken, I got up this morning and got it out of the oven and lo and behold it had finally curdled! I think it just hadn't been warm enough. So tonight will be spinach pasta with the mascarpone sauce. I'm going to use a higher proportion of semolina than I did before, in order to try and get more texture and flavor in the noodles. It's funny how one thing leads to another. The making of pasta leading to the making of mascarpone - and this would naturally lead to the making of ricotta for which I have a recipe as well.

Thank you very much LEdlund for the night's recap! I'll also be happy to hear what wines were drunk and enjoyed. That's what I love about the eGulleters - they may have an aversion to something but they're always willing to give it a second chance.

Thanks Moby, for all that. Wow, lots to think about and getting into dangerous geek-obsessive territory, kinda like those espresso folk who roast their own beans. I can go there, but I'm afraid of what it leads to. Yes, sigh, I better get a proper scale and not the cheesy little thing I bought at the thrift store either. You're right. Now what exactly makes the dough tender - the egg or the flour? I have experimented with different flours insofar as I tried all-purpose, then partial all-purpose and semolina (50-50) and then all durum. I couldn't really tell much difference in taste but the feel of the semolina dough was like taking the hand of a very old person! Not sure about the difference between durum and '00' flour or if they're the same. As far as eggs, no I just used what I had. I should try organic or even farmer eggs. I understand that if I want the base product, ie pasta, to taste exceptional, I better use exceptional ingredients. And I am an Italian food freak.

I've been making pasta as you know, Moby, from my posting on another thread. It's going well for me (making enough for one plus leftovers) using a proportion of 1 C flour (whatever kind I happen to be using) to 1 large egg with splash of olive oil, salt and water as needed. I felt like the addition of oil added to the pliability of kneading the dough and less stickiness. My pasta has turned out extremely tender, almost overly tender, and I think I'd like to add alittle more something to it - more texture, more flavor. Any suggestions? Rather than as a bed for the sauce, I'd actually like my pasta to taste well with a minimal addition of other ingredients. Thanks for the course and I can't wait to move on to stuffed pastas.

I got one for Christmas from my sister and b-inlaw. It's called Al Dente. I know this isn't one of the ones mentioned but it is an Italian made one which I heard it had to be to be any good and it seems to work just fine with 7 levels of refinement and two cutters. There's no way I could get my dough thin enough without it. I'm sure they didn't pay over $40+.

Just an update on a newbie making pasta - let's see, this is about Take Four. I had my sister's birthday party last week at which I made Tom Douglas's Linguine with Clams and Pancetta and Chiles and it turned out great. Took alot of work making pasta for 5 people though, but I made his recipe for 4 and there was plenty, even for leftovers. Plus we had lots of other courses. I used all durum flour and although I can't tell much difference in taste from my previous all-purpose and semolina attempts, it was highly tender. In fact I may have rolled them too thin as once I had them dried on my clothes rack then tried to take them off, some were breaking. I was freaking out thinking they would all break but the majority were okay. Now, onward and upward. I'd like to start making ravioli as that's really my favorite - the filled pasta. And that's why I quoted Hathor - oh could you pretty please share any of your ravioli recipes? They sound so good! I'd love to be at your house when you have a ravioli-making session.

I'll reply to #2 to praise Tulio as I simply love that place. However, I've never been there for dinner, just lunch as over the past few years I've always worked in the vicinity. I've never had a bad plate there. The only bad thing was one waitress who's just terribly slow and clueless. I hope she doesn't work there anymore. The last time I was at Tulio I had their pea vine and gorgonzola tortelli (the ravioli type pasta so not sure if I spelled it right) - it was awesome and came with a pea vine broth. I've only been to Serafina once and found their service was really bad although the food was good. Never been to Assaggio.

That sounds wonderful, I wish I could have been there! Does anyone have time to post what you had?

Ooh whee, I just got a rez for the last day of the month's $25 special at Union! I've never been there and after reading everything I'm very excited to go. If anyone else is thinking of going next week, their times have gotten very limited, mostly just 5pm and then after 8pm.

Yes, me too. I'm up for whatever on that side. Third weber here.

This isn't Kitsap or Bainbridge, but is anybody going to this event this Saturday? http://www.stmartin.edu/alumni/vendor_list.htm It's the Capital Food and Wine Festival at St. Martin's College in Olympia. We went last year and at only $12 ($10 if you preregister) and then $$ for coupons, it was a really fun event and some decent wine/food/beer plus music. It's a nice festival that hasn't become "known" yet.

I haven't been to either of those, but then good Thai is so common in Seattle. However, there's Banh(sp) Thai in Silverdale that is pretty good.

Now where is Casa Rojas? Is that mexican place on that side street off of Main still there - they had lots of mole dishes. It was a short walk from my apartment when I lived there and had good margueritas, also cozy decor for rainy nights. Boy, there are lots of new places in BI - they seem to go in and out of business very quickly. I haven't been to BI in over a year though.

Oooh I am so jealous of you. All we have nearby is that Freddie's which annoys me so much when they're out of stuff or don't carry things I want, like kumquats!

Exactly. Since I'm in Seattle during the week I have access to lots of good food. So on the peninsula I do alot of cooking. Boy, I sure wish I lived closer to Central Market. Thanks Abra, I was trying to think of which sushi place in Silverdale was supposed to be the good one. Oh there is Port Townsend. There's good food up there if we include the Olympic Peninsula. I like the Salal Cafe for breakfasts they serve all day!

That's great Foodie-Girl is from Poulsbo. I have to say that I'm partial to BI restaurants as the rest of the area on that side seem to be lacking....except maybe for Gig Harbor but I haven't eaten there much. On BI I've liked Moon Fish, Ruby's, some of the cafes downtown(can't remember names ), and Four Swallows. Haven't been there lately though and so maybe there are some new places. I know Moon Fish is no longer there. Have also been to The Beach House in Purdy and had a very good meal there. It's a nice little place on the water.