Hand Made Pasta
In our cupboard there are usually two or three kinds of dry pasta at any given time. Always at the ready, but so are the base ingredients to make pasta from scratch.
I have seen TV chefs make it, but I always thought that they were leaving out a key step - that trick that makes the recipe work. They also all had those shiny pasta roller machines clamped to their countertop, and the whole process just seemed so inconvenient.
Then last fall we were shooting in Hong Kong, and during an interview with Chef Gianni at the Isola restaurant he made pasta while we talked. The process just seemed so natural, I was inspired to finally try it myself...
Now my question is: why did I wait so long?
The recipe in it’s most basic form just needs a countertop, flour, eggs, oil, a rolling pin, and a knife. No special gadgets, mixers, or rollers are needed. Your results will be ‘rustic’ and everyone at the table will be able to see that you made the pasta, they will also know from the flavour that this is not your ordinary dry spaghetti.
It’s a bit like making bread, and don’t worry about getting your hands and counter messy. Just mix the egg into the flour with your hands until you get a ball of dough. From that point you just knead it until smooth and velvety.
In order to get the shape you want, after you roll it out roll the sheet back up and cut it with a knife. Unroll the pieces and you have a wide flat noodle (could be called Tagliatelle).
I have to admit, for a quick after work dinner I still will be using the stuff from our cupboard - but for a weekend meal or time with friends and family, this will always win out.
We may break down and buy a pasta machine (roller) just so I can make sheets for lasagne, but for now I’m happy with the hand rolled, knife cut noodles. They work extremely well with big meaty sauces, like this Braised Beef Pasta Sauce.
Visit here for this pasta recipe with video directions and download-able pdf recipe card.
Cookbooks
Cookbooks are something that I enjoy, and I have lots of them. Some are old and worn with notes in the margins and ingredient lists; that let you know that it really needs more time in the oven, or a giant X which I presume my Great / Grand / Mother meant to say “This is awful”. There are also little bits of paper stuck into the pages and between the covers, these have a list of ingredients and an instruction that says “cook for 3 hours” nothing more.
These older books, are less about method and more just an ingredient list with a couple of directions. Most don’t have pictures, and all accept it as fact that the person reading the book knows how to cook - I mean really cook, not follow a recipe.
At the other end of the bookshelf are the newer cookbooks from the last 10 years or so. These are filled with glossy pictures, and minute detailed instructions on method. Most of these books are based on the presumption that the art of cooking has been lost and we now need to follow a recipe very closely if there is any hope of it turning out. These books are great, but I feel constrained and it’s not the way I cook. In fact I struggle a bit with writing out my methods here on the site, because I usually don’t cook the same dish the same way twice. Or I substitute ingredients based on what I have on hand, or because it’s raining...
This is a cookbook that actually allows you to cook, not follow recipes and that is an important distinction. If you love cooking, and creating you could make these recipes over and over again; each time would be new. Not radically new, after all I tend to do certain things the same way and lean on some ingredients more than others.
Since the publisher was so kind and sent us two copies, we’ll be giving one away. Head on over to our contest page and enter between Aug 12 2009 and Sept 12 2009, one entry per household per day.
Summer Bean Salad
Summer bean salad, or Italian bean salad is a staple around our house in the summertime. Easy to make, full of fabulous flavours, and travels well to family pic-niks, gatherings, and BBQ’s.
Our recipe for summer bean salad is pretty basic, something I do love is the chicken stock in the dressing. It adds a depth and dimension that is missing if you only use oil and vinegar. The rest of the ingredients follow that theme of basic, and are items that are always in our pantry. We use Red and White kidney beans, but there are no bean recipe police out there so use whatever canned beans you like! Chickpeas would work really well, just mix and match with whatever is in your cupboard.
And like so many things we make in the kitchen, this recipe is best made a day ahead to let all the flavours meld together.
So take a look at our video recipe, and give it a try for your next weekend BBQ.
Shiraz Grilled Flank Steak
Flank steak is one of those often overlooked cuts of meat in the suburban supermarket. It was a cut I always avoided when thinking about grilling, until I found out how to grill it properly. If you treat this piece of meat with a long marinade, a really short grilling, and slice it really thin; you’ll have a winner every-time.
In our Shiraz soaked grilled flank steak recipe video, I give you one way to prep and cook flank steak.
First up - what wine to choose? Well a shiraz is an obvious choice, and will give you great results, in the video we used a shiraz from Wild Horse Canyon a great wine for both marinading the steak and drinking with the finished meal.
Next up - all the other ingredients for the marinade, you need a salt and an acid and while there are lots to choose from; we went with some that have a really earthy feel - soy sauce and Balsamic vinegar. Put your flank steak into a sealable container, pour on the marinade and place in the fridge. Now once in the fridge, don’t forget about it... make sure to flip the steak over a couple of times and make sure that the marinade reaches every part. Two hours will give so-so results, overnight is best.
When it’s grill time, be sure to dry off the steak before it hits the coals! This way you get those nice grill marks, and the meat grills rather than steams.
Now I like my flank steak rare to medium-rare, the texture is just right and the flavour is great. Number one mistake people make when grilling with this cut is over-cooking; it ends up dry, and very tough. You also need to slice it very thin and against the grain.
Enjoy this with a glass of the wine you soaked it in, and place over a salad, with a plate of vegies, or even on a sandwich.
Here is our video recipe for marinated flank steak in Shiraz.
Check out our other Grill and BBQ recipes.