Plan: eGullet Pasta Feast

[Varmint]

You're in charge of the timpano, Mike.

[Al_Dente]

You're in charge of the timpano, Mike.

If I can get there for the dinner, I could pre-make the sauces, meatballs, and any other prep stuff that can be done. But, I could use help in the dough department. I made it once before and learned that pastry dough ain't my gig.

It would pretty much just be a matter of boiling some eggs, frying up some chicken livers, making the pasta, and then assembling the mostrosity from there.

We have the technology-- we can build it.

[Varmint]

Ah, hell, we've got it made. Phlawless is a pastry chef, you know!

Let's start having a discussion on dates for this. Valentine's Day is still my first choice, although February 7 could work. It's probably too late to do it on MLK weekend, which is less than 2 weeks away. I could do it on January 31st as well.

And of course, Al, you're welcome to use the couch, or an air mattress instead! Hell, you can sleep in Benjamin's top bunk.

[phlawless]

I'm good with the 7th, or the 21st, I just need a week to get ingredients from work.

So are we just going to do pasta? And are we going to limit it to fresh? Do we want to have a set number of courses and assign them to those willing to cook? Should we think about antipasti? I'm willing to host, but I live in the 'hood, and my table will only accomodate about 8. I also think rolling out dough during the dinner will turn it into an all night affair. Sorry to bombard you guys with all the questions...

I've got at least one other person interested in participating, might have a couple more.

[herbacidal]

Ah, hell, we've got it made. Phlawless is a pastry chef, you know!

Let's start having a discussion on dates for this. Valentine's Day is still my first choice, although February 7 could work. It's probably too late to do it on MLK weekend, which is less than 2 weeks away. I could do it on January 31st as well.

comment from the peanut gallery:

as a pastry chef, i can see why phawless can't do the 14th. but wouldn't the 7th also be busy, prepping what she can of the rest of the week's stuff so the rest of the week she can work on v-day stuff?

i would imagine between the 7th, 14th, and 21st, the 21st would be best for her.

sorry for the intrusion. pulling my nose back out of where it doesn't belong now.

[phlawless]

I appreciate the concern herbacidal, but my schedule is pretty organized: I work only days so my nights are free, for the most part. Funny that we're planning this pasta feast, today Mr. phlawless challenged me to make the best lasagna in the world ( we had pretty crappy stuff this week-end) and I just stuck it in the oven a few minutes ago. I have to say, it's going to be pretty damn good: veal and pork meat sauce with caramelized fennel and roasted red pepps, 4 cheeses, and fresh pasta I rolled out only an hour ago. It will be served with a traditional caesar, a decent sangiovese, and anise panna cotta with poached grapefruit segs. Yummy!

[Varmint]

I'm good with the 7th, or the 21st, I just need a week to get ingredients from work.

So are we just going to do pasta? And are we going to limit it to fresh? Do we want to have a set number of courses and assign them to those willing to cook? Should we think about antipasti? I'm willing to host, but I live in the 'hood, and my table will only accomodate about 8. I also think rolling out dough during the dinner will turn it into an all night affair. Sorry to bombard you guys with all the questions...

I've got at least one other person interested in participating, might have a couple more.

Good questions.

I'm hoping that we can have a bunch of different people make the sauces and fillings in advance. I'd like this to be a dinner where it's not just phlawless and me in charge of everything. I can make lots of sheets of pasta in advance, and we can make more once folks arrive. The dough can be made in a processor and I have an electric attachment to my Atlas pasta maker. If we want to do anything other than regular pasta, then that may make things a bit more difficult. Making ravioli will be a breeze.

I can see us making about 6 different pastas. One or two stuffed ones, gnocchi, a meat ragout, a seafood pasta, etc. Nothing need be difficult, unless Al really wants to make the timpano. Everything must be flavorful. I think simple desserts would be perfect. Antipasto would be fine if some wants to take responsibility for it.

Phlawless, if we don't get many people offering to make things, then we can scale this back.

[Al_Dente]

Well, if I can make it, the pasta for the timpano need not be fresh. In fact, I think it would be preferable to just use dried tubes of some sort. Though I have seen recipes using lasagna sheets which would make things slightly simplified. I'd be happy to help out in whatever way I can, I don't want to complicate things though by trying to put together what is, admittedly, a labor intensive work or staggering genious. For the kind of company I anticipate hanging out with, I'd eat Kraft Macoroni and Cheese.

I just hope I can make it. How far is the Amtrak station from your pad, Mr Varmint?

[Varmint]

How far is the Amtrak station from your pad, Mr Varmint?

Close enough for me to pick you up. It's really, really close to phlawless' place.

[Random Alias]

I can probably make something.

Let me know what and I'll tell you for certain.

Also can provide transportation and/or pick stuff up.

I have lots of free time (i.e. no job) and don't mind driving around.

[phlawless]

I'm willing to make up a bunch of dough as well, and with the inherent heaviness of the main courses, my suggestion would be to have VERY simple desserts, i.e. fruit, some spiced nuts, a couple of traditional italian cookies, espresso...I could also have the opportunity to show off my grappa collection...I'm usually alone in my appreciation of italian brandies, and would love to have some willing tasters.

I have no problem with picking Al Dente up, it's about two blocks from my house.

[Varmint]

I agree, phlawless -- the desserts should be very, very simple. Maybe a light sorbet as well.

So, the 7th or 21st??

[curlywurlyfi]

Go timpano, go! am deeply jealous and drooooling all the way from London. Have a Maltese grandmother who makes this (though it's called 'timpana' in Maltese) and my GOD it's good stuff, though it would equally well work as ballast for deep sea divers as it is seriously not light nor fluffy (pasta wrapped in pastry? I spit upon your Atkins head!) She saves the drippings from the bottom of the roasting tin to put into the tomato sauce when she makes hers... and roasted aubergines also feature. It's very good cold for picnics, too. Your pastificio sounds like a great idea generally, in fact!

Fi

[Malawry]

If it's Valentine's weekend, I can go. Otherwise, probably not.

Against my better judgment, Mr. Dente, you are welcome to a ride if it is indeed V-day weekend.

[Al_Dente]

Against my better judgment, Mr. Dente, you are welcome to a ride if it is indeed V-day weekend.

[Malawry]

Gee, I was expecting something more along the lines of "thank you..."

Don't worry, like Varmint and Dr. Mrs. Varmint, Malawry and her esteemed partner do not observe Valentine's Day most years.

[Al_Dente]

Gee, I was expecting something more along the lines of "thank you..."

Thank you. I was just being a smart ass after your "against my better judgement" comment.

[Malawry]

I guess I deserved it for that one.

[Varmint]

Hmmmm. Well, phlawless would prefer it not be on Valentine's Day, and after eating her cooking from the Mexican dinner, I think we want her there. But Malawry coming from DC, with Al Dente in hand makes this difficult. Come on, phlawless, celebrate with a romantic dinner on the 13th. Celebrating on the 14th is for tourists!!

[phlawless]

the only problem being is I work on the fourteenth: how romantic can it be when I have to get up at 4:30 Sat a.m.? And it's one of the few occasions when Mr. phlawless cooks for me. I don't think the other 'tourists' I know who are interested in attending would be able to make it either. (We're all unjaded DINC's who still believe in love!)

[edemuth]

I'd love to be part of the DC contingent, and can chime in on the date discussion once I receive feedback from my sis on her schedule. (If we're now deciding between the 7th and 21st, though, I provisionally prefer the 21st.)

I have no experience with making pasta dough, but would be glad to contribute fillings and/or desserts--and elbow grease, of course.

Al, I'd be happy to give you a ride as well (in the interest of full disclosure, though, I should note that like Malawry I'm also a smart-ass).

[Malawry]

You have to be a smartass to live here. Edemuth wins the advantage because she drives a sexier car, though.

Varm, it's up to you...I'd love to meet Phlawless myself but you know I'll be back in NC to say hi some other time if I don't come down for the pasta feast. Erin will be attending a conference that weekend which is why it works for me...I have other plans every other weekend in Feb.

[Varmint]

I think we're going to have to do it on the 21st. Sorry, Malawry. I'll owe you one. There is one minor hitch, but one we can take care of if need be. I'm meeting with a guy tonight about doing a minor renovation of my kitchen. We might have everything completed by that time, as the job shouldn't take much more than a couple of weeks. However, I don't know when the start date will be. Nevertheless, if we can't do it at my house, I can get dibs on the in-laws dee-lux kitchen.

[Malawry]

Wa! I'll survive though...ya'll have fun.

I hope your kitchen renovation doesn't follow the same schedule as the ones the Perlows, and later Vengroff, suffered. That kitchen needs some renovation fer shure, though, yeah boy. Though all that counter space sure would be helpful for setting out pasta dough...

[Varmint]

It's going to be a minor renovation. I'm trying to open up the "maze" a bit by removing some counter space and lower-level cupboards. I'm switching the location of the sink and the cooktop. I'm getting a 6 burner DCS cooktop and an island hood over it. I may get new ovens, but I'm not sure about that. I'm removing the tile floor and replacing it with cork. I'm changing the lighting a bit, removing the incandescent track lights and probably adding some halogen Helix lights. We're replacing the doors on the cabinets so we can have new hardware. The red tile countertops will remain. So will the marble slabs, but they will be a bit smaller. I'm taking out the wood grain panels in the Sub Zeros and replacing them with brushed stainless. That's about it.