White Figs, Manchego + Mozzarella with Raspberry Vinegar

It doesn’t bother me to spend hours and money preparing food for myself. In fact I love it. I cannot think of another activity that is more self-nurturing.
Cooking for one allows you to cater to your own personal whims and tastes, without the worries that come when you cook for others. You can eat exactly what you want, when you want and as much as you want.
A friend of mine who happens to be single told me he couldn’t be bothered cooking for himself. What is the point cooking for only one person? It saddens me to hear such a statement. Its as if he doesn’t feel worthy of a decent meal because he is alone. Life without a partner is hard enough, let alone living a life denying yourself the pleasures of good food. Personally, I could not imagine anything worse.
Even when I was single, I went to the trouble of preparing lavish dishes for myself and I ate ceremoniously at the dinning table every night. My pantry and fridge were always full with delicious foods waiting to be eaten at any given opportunity. Food gave me a sense of comfort, reassurance and security. It still does. Through cooking I discovered about myself and became a confident person. I guess in a way, cooking kept me busy, and kept my mind of my loveless life.
As much as I enjoy cooking for my partner, I think I get more pleasure cooking for myself. When he disappeared for a well deserved vacation to northern Australia last week I saw it as an opportunity to create without restriction. The following recipe is one I whizzed up then. It doesn’t require any cooking and is ready in minutes. This is a good example how easy it is to prepare a dish for yourself, minus the fuss. I am dedicating this recipe to my friend Greg, and wish to thank him for his kind words and support. A plate of high quality fruit and cheeses is definitely better than a life spent eating bland microwave meals and unhealthy junk.

Ingredients
15ml raspberry vinegar
15g sticky brown sugar
1 buffalo or cow mozzarella (about 250g)
Manchego cheese (or mild pecorino)
4 white figs
Tiny basil leaves
A handful lightly toasted pinenuts
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil (peppery)

Method
Mix together the vinegar and brown sugar. Slice the mozzarella into thin slices. Use the mozzarella slices to cover the entire surface of a large plate. Using a vegetable peeler, shave slivers of manchego all over the mozzarella.
Halve the figs and place over the two cheeses in an attractive fashion. Scatter over basil leaves and pinenuts. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Finally, drizzle over with the raspberry vinegar and olive oil.
Serve with rocket leaves tossed with a fruity extra virgin olive oil, to contrast with the delicate nature of the mozzarella and figs.
Serves 1 lonely but brave hearted soul.
Note- Manchego is a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk.

Ricotta-esque

Cheeses making has always intrigued me. I find it fascinating that milk can be turned into a product of so many flavours and textures. So after reading a brief recipe somewhere (I can’t remember where) and watching an Australian/ Sicilian woman make cheeses on television I decided it was time to give it a try.
Ricotta is the simplest of cheeses and this recipe is very easy to do. The only thing involved is separating milk! And how many times in my life have I done that by mistake?
I have now done this recipe five times. It has been successful every time even though I have not been consistent with quantities and varieties of milk. I have experimented with cows milk, goats milk and with cream added in various proportion. The best results were with cows milk Adding cream (no more than half) will result in a very creamy cheese more like marscapone, but not as smooth. Cream or no cream, I have to admit that this cheese tastes far better than any ricotta I have purchased. Even better than the ’freshest’ ricotta available in any shop. And freshness is the whole point with ricotta. The homemade version is incredibly sweet and nutty, with all the flavour of fresh milk.
As long as I have the time, I will make my own ricotta from now on. I can’t wait to try it inside fresh ravioli. I love culinary moments like this. Beautiful food will never cease to amaze me.


Ingredients
2 litres of milk (cow or goat)
Lemon juice, strained through a fine sieve

Method
Bring the milk to the boil. Turn off the heat. Now begin to add the lemon juice. Add 1 tbsp to begin with. Stir the pot very briefly to mix the lemon through. Do not stir after this initial stage. Simply move the pot around gently, to assist the formation of the curds. If the curds are not forming, add more lemon and turn the heat to low. Watch it carefully and adjust accordingly. Once the curds have begun to form, turn the heat off. I leave it for about 15 minutes.
Pour gently into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a clean fine-meshed cloth, set over a bowl. Fold the cloth over the top surface of the cheese as well. I put a small plate with a light weight, to help release the whey and set the curd.
Place in the fridge and leave for 1-2 hours. From time to time drain the bowl of excess whey.
When the cheese has set, unmould the ricotta onto a plate. Your ricotta is ready to eat or use in whatever dish you choose. This amount will make a ricotta of approximately 700g.

Note: I realize that this recipe is not for true ricotta, but the result is so close, that I have taken liberty to call it so. Luckily there is no Appellation of Origin, otherwise I would be in trouble right now! It would be more correct to say that this is a ricotta style cheese.

Beet Leaf & Cheese Ravioli

I made this particular filling for ravioli, the other day and my partner described them as divine. I think they are more on the robust side than the divine side. But I have to admit - they were very tasty and definitely have their place, here on this blog.
Just a note on quantities: I never plan how much of an ingredient is going to go into my ravioli fillings. I just ask for a piece of ricotta and then work with whatever amount the shop assistant gives me. And the same goes for the other ingredients. If I could only salvage 100g of leaves from the beetroot bunch, then so be it. It isn’t the end of the world. Just adjust as you go along. Taste, taste, taste and make sure the filling is well flavoured. Remember - pasta is bland.
I am only providing the recipe for the filling here because I have written about ravioli twice before. Check the recipe archive for assembly, cooking techniques and the sage butter recipe (I would leave out the anchovy for this dish though).
The following recipe will make enough filling for about 50 ravioli. Enough to feed four.



Ingredients
The leaves from a bunch of golf ball size beetroots
300g freshest ricotta
1 tsp of dried greek oregano
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
30g Pecorino cheese, grated
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
A splash of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt

Method
Sort through the beetroot leaves. Keep only those leaves that are healthy looking and tender (there is no point cooking with rubbish) I managed to get about 100g.
Cut of the stalks where they meet the base of the leaf. Discard the stalks.
Soak the leaves in a sinkful of water, to dislodge any dirt.
Remove the leaves from their bath and chop them roughly.
In a saucepan large enough to fit the leaves, wilt them over a high with a few drops of water, then remove them to a sieve and allow them to drain and cool.
Chop the leaves finely by hand and combine with all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. The red juices from the leaves will stain the ricotta a delicate pink colour. Taste to make sure it is well seasoned.
Refridgerate until you are ready to assemble your ravioli.

Calorie Counting...

This is another recipe in following with yesterday’s theme, “light and easy”. You see summer is just around the corner (despite the wintry Melbourne weather we have been experiencing) and I am afraid I may turn into a fat pig (or butter ball, as my partner calls me). Its time to lighten up with the diet and hit the gym…That’s enough of my weight issues, this is supposed to be a good food blog, and diet food rarely fits into that category. I suppose just like every other human being who enjoys their food, there are times when one needs to make a few changes to his diet. And that’s not a nice thought at all. Maybe I can run 20 kms every day so I can continue with my rich diet! The idea of exercising seems more appealing than giving up the foods I love. Anyway diet or no diet, here is an elegant dessert that is light on sugar but delicious nonetheless.

Strawberries and Ricotta

Ingredients
1 punnet of strawberries, washed and hulled
2 tsp honey (not honey from the supermarket. These are a poor quality. Try the healthfood store. They usually have a far better range)
2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
Ricotta

Method

The most important aspect of this dessert is the Ricotta. It must be super fresh. Buy from an Italian deli or a cheese shop. Get them to cut it for you in one big hunk. Ricotta is delicious when really fresh, and just plain boring when not so fresh. Let your eyes guide you when buying, its easy to tell if it is fresh or not. The fresh stuff will look glossier and firmer. Ricotta that has sat for a week will look a little dry and a bit sunken. If you cannot find fresh ricotta don’t bother with this. And please do not use ricotta from tubs, at the supermarket.
Mix together in a small bowl the balsamic and honey.
Pour over the strawberries and mix lightly. Leave to macerate for 15 minutes.
Serve the strawberries tumbled over the ricotta.
I serve one punnet of strawberries per 2 people.

Potato Gnocchi with Spinach & Gruyere sauce

There are two ways of preparing Gnocchi. One way with potato, flour and egg. The second way, with potato and a touch of flour. I cannot decide which I prefer. I like them both. So today I will post the egg enriched version, and the other method, sometime in the future. This recipe is pretty much foolproof - You do not need to worry about delicate handling, like the eggless version and the final result is still light and fluffy. This is like eating little clouds of potato (how poetic). Use Desiree potatoes for best results. The following recipe is my grandmothers.

Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients
1 kilo Desiree potatoes
150 g flour
2 eggs (organic and free range)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
Fresh white pepper
Fresh black pepper
About 1 Tbsp of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
A generous scraping of nutmeg

Method
Cut the potatoes into halves, or quarters (if they are large) and steam them over boiling water. They will be tender in about 20 minutes. Steaming the potatoes will preserve their natural flavour. Boiling the potato will result in bland sogginess.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, tear away the skins. Push the potatoes through the fine disk of the mouli. (I must mention here that I would be an unhappy person without my mouli. I know they are old fashioned, but I find the result better than using a masher. Even for other purees I almost always prefer the mouli, over the food processor. It is much easier to clean too).
Add the flour to the potato puree and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Mix the eggs in a smaller bowl.
Add the egg gradually to the potato.
Add the remaining ingredients and give it a final mix. The mixture will resemble choux pastry, but not as stiff. It helps if somebody else holds the bowl down, as you mix.
Cover the bowl and set aside.
When you are ready to poach the gnocchi, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Add a generous amount of salt.
There are two ways of assembling the gnocchi:

1. Take two long handled teaspoons (sorbet spoons). Using one spoon take a teaspoon of the mixture and with the other spoon, slide it in the simmering water.
   


2. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and as you squeeze the bag over the water, cut the gnocchi with scissors so it falls gently into the simmering water.
   

Continue forming the gnocchi into the saucepan. Do not over fill the pot (you will need to do this in batches. Keep them warm in a low oven, as you poach the rest). Make sure the water remains at a constant simmer, rather than a fast boil. The gnocchi are delicate and will break if the water boils too hard. Serve the gnocchi with a sauce .
Enough for 4 people.
Note-Prepare the mixture on the day you need it. The mixture will turn a murky grey colour on standing.

Spinach and gruyere sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
250g baby spinach leaves
250ml organic cream
Fresh black pepper
40g gruyere cheese, grated
100g bacon, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Method
Melt the butter over a low heat, with the oil and garlic. Cook this gently for 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to colour.
Add the spinach leaves, turn up the heat to high, and cook the leaves turning them over constantly. The spinach is ready as soon as the leaves have wilted. Don’t over cook the spinach-You want retain the fresh flavour and a vivid green colour.
Add the cream and let it bubble for a few seconds.
Puree the lot, using a hand blender or a food processor.
Pour back into the saucepan and leave it for a moment.
Saute the bacon, with a touch of oil, until crispy.
Add this to the spinach puree.
Add the gruyere.
Heat gently, melting the cheese into the sauce.
Finish with pepper.
Spoon over the gnocchi and drizzle over a touch of extra virgin olive oil.

I must say this sauce is lovelier than the usual tomato sauce often served with gnocchi.