Ricotta Gnudi with Pomodaro Sauce: Recipe 4

I really should have prefaced this ENTIRE series with:
You remember, right, that I'M NOT THE PIONEER WOMAN, REE DRUMMOND?!?
Now that you know that I know that you know, there will be a lot less pressure with the photographs.
That's all.

Something else we need to clear up right away before you put in the time reading this post...
I have no idea how to pronounce "gnudi".  I say it with the "g" sound, because if I don't, it sounds a little...risque, if you know what I mean.  If my kids ask, it's "g-nood-ee" or as I told them last night, cheese dumplins with red sauce.

And that's basically all they are!

Here's the Bon Appetit photo, so you know what they SHOULD look like:

Aahhh, yes....charming and rustically elegant.  

Makes you want to turn on some Boccelli and pour a glass of Cabernet, doesn't it?

That's what I wanted to do, when I started the recipe!

I also reminded myself that if it seemed wrong, measure or ingredient-wise, to make my own judgement call.

In the magazine, they give you the gnudi recipe first, but after looking through the whole thing, I realized it would be more logical and calm to make the sauce first and have it simmering, waiting for those dear little dumplins to arrive, so that's how you're going to get the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt

Preparation

• Pulse tomatoes with juices in a blender to form a coarse purée. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and sugar and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/quick-pomodoro-sauce#ixzz2JaXqWg4h

It smells cozy, it looks impossibly Italian....

you'll want to pour another glass of wine before you continue, in celebration of your brilliant sauciness and also to fortify you for the dumplin' process. 

(I was generous with the salt and it was a good thing; otherwise, the pomodoro is sorta...flat.  Also, and this is my own judgement call, it would have been a little richer with a glug of red wine, but I was trying to follow the spirit of the recipe.)

Here's the recipe for the ricotta gnudi:

Ingredients

• 16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more
• 3 cups Quick Pomodoro Sauce (click for recipe)
• 
  

Preparation

• 
  Mix ricotta, egg, egg yolk, pepper, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add 1/2 cup flour; stir just until combined and mixture forms a ball (mixture will be soft and moist with some bits of ricotta remaining; add more flour by the tablespoonful if it feels wet).  
• Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Using 2 large soup spoons, shape heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into football shapes; place on baking sheet and dust with more flour (you should have 30).
• Cook gnudi in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender, 5-6 minutes (gnudi will quickly float to surface; continue cooking or gnudi will be gummy in the center).
• Using a slotted spoon, divide gnudi among bowls. Top with Quick Pomodoro Sauce and more Parmesan.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/ricotta-gnudi-with-pomodoro-sauce#ixzz2JaZ9fGHh

I used the Parmesan cheese and ended up adding quite a lot more flour.  I think they should say, "The dough will be the approximate consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough, before you add the chocolate chips.", but I'm guessing that would be (and may have been) edited out.  Pity.  

Also...here's a little something you should know...it's IMPOSSIBLE to make football shapes of gnudi dough with two tablespoons.  Spare yourself the frustration and just plop the portions on the cookie sheet; you can go back and roll them between your palms as you drop them in the boiling water.  

These are the little dumplin's after having been mixed, plopped and rolled.  They're waiting their turn in the hot bath!

They look happy, don't you think?

They made ME happy, because I could smell warm cheese, noodles and brilliant Italian red gravy...mmm!

I served them as they cooked, so everyone could have fresh love in a bowl!

The Farmer gamely ate his bowl, then dug around for the leftover cinna-ribs in the refrigerator. Can you believe it?

Maggie ate ONE and requested the leftover homemade chicken noodle soup from lunch. Ouch!

Angus...dear boy...could tell this was not turning out the way I had pictured it, so HE tried it...

...ate it all gone and asked if I'd please put some in his lunch tomorrow because he liked it that much!

(Turns out, he was being a good sport, too.  The kid has a future in politics, I'm afraid...)

I loved the gnudi and the sauce.  And I'm not just saying that!  

It was warm, cheesy, peppery and soft, covered with sauce that is deceptively simple but tastes very authentic.  I sent some to my friend, Joni, and we'll see what her verdict is....

Jenga Ribs: Recipe 2

I decided to do the ribs for our evening meal so the kids could join us (Maggie's a first-rate carnivore), and afternoons are better for slow, easy cooking in the oven.  I could imagine them coming in the door after school and smelling the ribs...mmmm!

It was a good plan.
Sadly, it was a faulty recipe...for our household.

Here's the recipe...see what you think:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 racks St. Louis-style pork spareribs (4-4 1/2 pounds total)
• Prepared barbecue sauce

Preparation

• Whisk garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, pepper, cumin, onion powder, cinnamon, and coriander in a small bowl to blend. DO AHEAD: Spice blend can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 300°. Rub ribs all over with spice blend and wrap each rack individually in foil, crimping seams to seal tightly. Place both racks on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake ribs until fork-tender, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Ribs can be made 2 days ahead. Open foil packets and let ribs cool completely. Rewrap tightly and refrigerate on same baking sheet.
• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Divide ribs between 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets and bake until heated through and golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
• Layer ribs on plates in alternating directions, 3 ribs per layer. Serve ribs, passing barbecue sauce alongside

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/jenga-ribs#ixzz2JTIJXIzh

The only modification I made was to use beef short ribs instead of pork.

Did you see that?

"The only modification I made..."

Several friends are wondering if I changed medication or something, because I ALWAYS modify recipes!

I prefer to think of it as "enhancing"...

In this case...this ONE CASE!!!...I should have followed my instincts and changed what I thought was an iffy amount of cinnamon in the rub.  

I could see a hint of cinnamon, perhaps a dash, just to make you think, "What IS that flavor...I can't quite place it...?"  It would drive my friend Traci nuts, because it would be familiar, yet out of place.  (I like to mess with her that way.  She's an incredible cook and usually identifies every little subtle ingredient in a recipe when she tastes it. It's SO FUN to stump her!)  

I'm hoping the recipe had a typo...a teaspoon measurement when there should have been a 1/2 teaspoon...because the rest of it was great! I felt like I was concocting some sort of secret dry potion, there were so many various seasonings in the works.  And the ribs looked very sexy after their rub down, don't you think?

I wrapped them each individually, like the recipe said, again ignoring instincts that said, "Grill them a little first, idiot! Smoke 'em up for flavor, THEN bake 'em!" but I was determined to FOLLOW THE RECIPE!  (Have I pointed out that I didn't deviate from the instructions at all??  This is huge, folks...and costly, as it turns out.)

Weather like this helped me make the decision to ignore instincts and blindly follow Bon Appetit's instruction:

We'll try it their way, just this once...

The little foil packets were tucked into a 275 degree oven around noon, all cozy and spicy, and left to tenderize and tantalize.
About an hour in, I could tell something was dreadfully wrong...it smelled like a garam masala meat from India roasting!  If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was in a marketplace, waiting for a street vendor to dish me up some lamb and rice.
YIKES!
That was NOT the flavor I was hoping for!
But it's the one we got.

I didn't take pictures of the finished product, all cooked up and ready to serve, because it was VERY unappetizing...even in color.  Sort of a dark brownish-grey.  I KNOW.  Ick!  The meat was very tender, but we couldn't taste it at all, for the intense cinnamon-ness.  Even Maggie, who loves most any meat set before her, pushed it aside and ate more oven fried potatoes and coleslaw.  It was unsalvageable, even with barbeque sauce.

I don't think it's a bad recipe...I just think it's unbalanced the way it is published!
As for me and my experiment in closely following directions in a recipe and respecting its boundaries?
I don't think I'm a bad cook....I just think I'm a little unbalanced the way I was created.
And the balance is in the favor of good cooking instincts.  I'll know better and trust that, next time!

Chorizo and White Bean Stew: Recipe 1

The stew was amazing!  The Farmer ate THREE bowls, with sourdough artisan bread.  We both agreed that it could use a little more zing for us, but the flavors were warm, subtle and comforting, not bland.  It's truly a comfort soup!  Who would've thought?

I had thyme, but no fresh spinach, so I had to make do with some frozen spinach...not the best, but it worked.  (I know.  Who has thyme, but no spinach?  The same person with two bottles of clam juice in her pantry, that's who...)

Angus looks a lot more enthusiastic in this picture than he actually was.  In fact, he was highly suspicious. And the sourdough bread had to be doctored with butter and honey before it was deemed edible.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage links
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)
• Smoked paprika (optional)

• Ingredient info

  Smoked paprika can be found at most supermarkets.

Preparation

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Slice chorizo and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

• Nutritional information

  4 servings, 1 serving contains:
  Calories (kcal) 570
  Fat (g) 33
  Saturated Fat (g) 9
  Cholesterol (mg) 65
  Carbohydrates (g) 41
  Dietary Fiber (g) 11
  Total Sugars (g) 4
  Protein (g) 29
  Sodium (mg) 1640

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2013/02/chorizo-and-white-bean-stew#ixzz2JIdptZ9p

Missoula Children's Theater 2013

The kids were involved in the Missoula Children's Theater again this year, and the play was "The Tortoise vs The Hare".  As usual, it was very cute and all the kids did a great job.  They practice EVERY NIGHT for a week, from 3:50-8:15, stopping only for a 20 minute supper break...it's brutal! Tougher for country kids because they have a drive home, too.

Here are some photos of the play.  I didn't reset my camera for low light, darn it, so they're not the greatest!

Both Angus and Maggie were bunnies and the costumes were adorable....

Angus's pants were too big, so when he hopped, they threatened to fall down and expose his Captain Marvelous underpants; this was very concerning to him, and he took itty-bitty hops and spent much time readjusting wardrobe.  

The reptile costumes were fascinating...soft and shiny!  The tortoise was perfectly cast...he wasn't going to be rushed in any way, and the hare blew me away because I've known that girl since she was a baby and she's NOT the bad walking, punk talking character she played so well on stage!

Bonnie Bunny had a part that required her to sing a solo, and she performed it wonderfully!  We were so proud of her for being brave and learning the lines and songs.

We were proud of this bunny, too!

Okay, this is terrible, but every time I looked at this sign I saw "Welcome to Wet Sandy Bottoms"...

If you come to visit us, we'll be happy to pull out the video highlights for you!

(THAT oughta take care of the drop-by visitors....)

Pictures for Grandparents without Face Book!

Very serious about pirates...

Maggie was sick and Molly was being uncharacteristically sympathetic to her!

Very serious about cowboys...

Ice fishing with PopPops in the reservoir with about 3 feet of water!

Maggie LOVED it and was very competitive about catching fish!  Angus thought we should put them back so they didn't die.  He didn't last too long with the project and spent most of his time in the warm pickup, planning cookies and cocoa for the POST-fishing party with Grandma.

Perfect little trout!  We caught seven and then pulled out, because the sun went down and we got COLD!

Disgraceful!

There's no way I'll make up for lost blogging time, so I'll just start here and work backward.  Yes, I'm supposed to be doing 30 more important things, but if I don't take 15 minutes this morning to catch you all up, it'll never happen!  Besides, I just poured a big, ugly cup of coffee with half and half, and THAT shouldn't be wasted while I fold clothes.

So, you all know I get Bon Appetit magazine, right?  My friend Sara subscribes to it for me and every month I bless her generous, foodie heart as I wear the pages out, turning them down on the corners where I want to try a recipe or found a significant wine note.  

This month was a doozy!

Check out the cover:

Seriously...it starts out with PASTA, then the creamiest chocolate mousse, followed by gourmet nachos and a nod to one skillet dinners.

And inside, it's even BETTER!

So, I got the idea that I would profile this month's Bon Appetit magazine this week in my menu for the family.

(Like they care...)

That's right.

I do a weekly menu.

It seems a bit too....organized and well-thought out for a flake like me, huh?

Here's the thing, though; because I'm easily distracted, I often find myself in a panic at 11:20 a.m. wondering what in the world I'm going to feed the guys at noon and how fast bologna might thaw in the microwave! (Not the preferred method of thawing lunchmeat, by the way...)

A weekly menu saves my life.

And my friends and family's life, too.

(You'll note that Sundays are the Farmer's day to cook.  That's because I'm watching football.)

Please don't judge the nutritional balance or lack thereof...it's just a kick off for the main dishes.  I can "accessorize" with sides, later.  

I decided to try one recipe a day, beginning with Chorizo and White Bean Stew, today.  

I bought the artisan bread, and we'll probably have a salad on the side (that the Farmer will slice a steak over), but other than that, it'll be the B. A. recipe.

I'll take a picture and let you know how it turns out!

Next week, Food and Wine profiled!