Taglierini al Pomodoro (Food of the Angels)

It would only be natural to follow up yesterdays post with a recipe for fresh ”taglierini”. There is so much drama written about making fresh pasta, but the simple truth is that it is easy and a child could do it. In fact I helped my grandmother do it every Sunday of my childhood. Perhaps that is why it is not daunting to me. But lets face it, you mix flour and eggs, knead for a few minutes and pass the dough through a machine that does all the hard work for you. Its not rocket science. A little time consuming, but worth the effort. My partner and I enjoy making fresh pasta together, and without trying to sound too corny, it is a bonding experience and gives us both a sense of satisfaction that only gorgeous food can provide.
There are many formulas for fresh pasta. Ideally you should use fine Italian “00” flour, which is milled especially for home made pasta. It is available from supermarkets and specialists food stores. (Tip- buy it from the supermarket, they charge half the price for exactly the same brand). Some recipes use whole eggs, while others egg yolk only. I have also seen recipes that use only egg whites. I have never tried the egg white only method, but I think I may as I currently have about 10,000 egg whites in the deep freeze!
My preferred formula is with egg yolks. I find it has a better flavour and texture, and looks a prettier shade of yellow (like blonde angels hair!).

Ingredients
200g fine Italian flour (Tipo “00”)
6 egg yolks (the absolute freshest and best eggs you can afford)

Method
Put the flour and egg yolks in a bowl. Mix until it comes together, to form a dough. If it seems a bit dry, add a bit of water. Or you can add more egg yolk. For this amount of flour, I have read you can add up to a total of 10 egg yolks. Obviously the more egg yolk you add the richer your pasta will be. And if it seems too sticky, add a bit more flour. Let your eyes and hands be the judge.
Knead the dough on a flat surface, until it is smooth, like a babies bottom (about 10 minutes) Wrap in cling film and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Cut it in half and keep the portion you are not using immediately wrapped in cling film to prevent it from drying out.
Clamp your pasta machine down to the bench and get someone to help you- one person can crank the handle and the other can feed the dough through the rollers.
Feed the dough through the thickest setting of the machine 10 times. Fold it into threes, each time, so it is easier to put through the machine. Add a bit of flour from time to time to prevent the dough from sticking.
Now you can reduce the machine settings and begin to thin out the dough. Don’t fold in threes this time though. You may need to cut the sheet in half as it gets longer and thinner, so it is easier to handle. I roll mine to the second last setting. Lay the pasta sheets on a well floured surface, and repeat the above rolling procedure with the remaining dough.
The pasta is ready to cut into “taglierini” once the edges have begun to dry a little. Trim the edges and ends of the dough with a sharp knife, so your pasta is nice and neat. Now feed it through the taglierini cutters (finer) or tagliatelle cutters (thicker). Roll the strands into little nests and leave them on a floured tea towel, until you are ready to cook.

Taglierini will only take 1 minute to cook in boiling water. Drain them and toss gently with butter and extra virgin olive. Serve this delicate pasta in a large serving dish dotted with tomato sugo and homemde ricotta . Sprinkle over basil leaves, parmagiano and black pepper. I like to keep all the elements whole and separate, rather than combined, so you can taste all the flavours individually and not mask the delicate nature of the fresh pasta. This is definitely food of the angels. This amount of pasta is enough for 2 people. The recipe can be easily multiplied.

My Sugo (Pure and Intense)

I don’t care what any Italian nonna tells you, this is the best and only way to make your own “sugo”. You wont find any garlic, onion, carrot, celery, wine, stock etc in this sauce. But it is truly important to use the best tomatoes. The ones pictured here were from the communal vegetable garden in my apartment block.
If you have never bothered to make your own sugo, I beg you to try. You will be very pleasantly surprised. In fact making this beautiful sauce is probably the only thing I look forward to in the summer.

Ingredients
2 kilos of beautiful red ripe tomatoes (not those insipid things from the supermarket)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Sugar
A few basil leaves

Method
Preheat the oven to 200c.
Lay out your tomatoes onto a roasting pan (or two) and drizzle over some oil.
Bake them for 30–45 minutes until the skins have split and they are tender within. Under any circumstances do NOT allow the tomatoes to caramelize! This is not the flavour you want your sugo to have.
Allow them to rest a little and cool down. Remove the blistered skins and discard. Place the tomatoes into a wide pan, along with any of the sweet juices.
Mash the tomatoes, I just use a potato masher, and over the lowest heat allow them to reduce to sauce consistency, about 30-45 minutes. It is really important to cook the sauce on the lowest heat because tomatoes have a high sugar content, and these sugars will burn if cooked over a high heat.
Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Throw in the basil leaves and a generous amount of olive oil.
You will be amazed of the purity and intensity of flavours this sauce has.
A divine balance of sweet and sour. Use it for pasta, pizza etc. Can be stored in the fridge for a few days

Carrot Puree for Veal Schnitzel

Veal Schnitzel and carrot puree sounds like a strange combination, but it really works and I love it. This puree is more fluid than usual and it is meant to be served as a sauce to dip your schnitzel into, rather than a solid vegetable puree.
I am not going to give a schnitzel recipe here, but I like to coat my veal steaks in a mixture of seasoned flour and mustard powder, egg and Japanese breadcrumbs. I fry them in peanut oil until golden and give them a quick drain on paper towels.

Ingredients
300g carrot
200g dutch cream potato (or other suitable mashing potato)
1 clove of garlic
300ml vegetable stock (fake is fine)
1 tsp cumin
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
3 heaped tbsp cream (35% fat)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25 ml lemon juice (or to taste)
Fresh chopped parsley

Method
Peel the carrots and potatoes. Cut them into chunks.
Steam them over boiling water until they are tender (about 20 minutes). The rest is a breeze.
Place the veggies with the stock, garlic, cumin and cream into a saucepan.
Using a hand blender, whiz everything to a fine and fluid puree. It should almost be like cream of carrot soup.
Reheat only for a few seconds (you want to retain the raw garlic flavour).
Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
I like to serve this in small bowls alongside the schnitzels, for dipping. Serves 2.

Blackberry and Caramel Jus

This recipe was actually a failed attempt at making blackberry jam. Unfortunately I caramelized the sugar and the fruit did not set. The result however was a sublime dessert sauce and perfect to serve with pancakes and vanilla icecream. Or with French toast made with challah bread. My favorite way is to serve it with pannacotta. See my Honey Panacotta recipe substituting sugar for the honey, and cointreau for the fortified wine. Amaretto, kirsch and grand marnier would work well too. Make this in summer, when blackberries are plentiful and inexpensive. This sauce should keep indefinitely in the fridge, so it can be enjoyed throughout the cooler months when blackberries are not in season or too expensive.

Ingredients
500g blackberries
500g sugar

Method
Preheat your oven to 200c.
Put the blackberries in a dish just large enough so they fit snugly.
Place the sugar into another dish. The dish for the sugar should be about 20cm across, any larger than that and the sugar will burn.
Bake both for 30 minutes. The blackberries will release their juices but still remain whole. The sugar will have dissolved to a light caramel.
Pour the caramel over the berries and stir gently. Try to not break up the fruit as you mix.
Pour into a sterilized jar and seal. Store in the fridge.
Makes about 500ml.

Peach, Cinnamon and Ginger Dressing

I don’t usually make oil free salad dressings but this one is wonderful sweet and fragrant, and goes particularly well with peppery rocket leaves.
You could use other fruits instead of peaches. The choices are endless and limited to your imagination. Apples, pears and cherries would work well. Try different varieties of spices, vinegars or sugars to complement your chosen fruit.
Store this dressing in a sterilized glass jar in the fridge. It should keep indefinitely.

Ingredients
2 yellow peaches, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
15g ginger, sliced into thin coins
100g brown sugar
125ml herb infused red wine vinegar (or just use plain red wine vinegar)

Method
Place all the ingredients including the peach stones into a small saucepan.
Bring very slowly to a simmer and cook for 15-20minutes.
Strain and store in a sterilized jar. Makes about 100ml.

Mushrooms Baked with Thyme and Butter

Food writers often complain cultivated mushrooms lack flavour and body. And to an extent this is true. These mushrooms are definitely delicate in taste compared to their wilder cousins, but here in Australia, we don’t have much choice when it comes to funghi. Certainly there are limited amounts of Slippery Jacks and Pine mushrooms available during autumn. Cultivated Truffles from Tasmania are available during winter (I await in anticipation), and wild Morels during spring. They are all expensive and you need to know where to find them or be acquainted with an informed supplier. Otherwise the options we have in Australia are to use dried Italian porcini or canned Chanterelles from France. Trompettes de mort and Girolles are available in the dried form, and numerous European oils infused with Cepes and both black and white Truffle.
In the meantime, I don’t mind cooking with the cultivated version. Patience is a virtue, and that is the beauty of cooking with seasonal produce. Good things come to those who wait, and I look forward every year for these culinary delicacies.

Ingredients
6 large flat mushrooms
120g cultured unsalted butter
Fresh thyme
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Method
Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Freeze the stalks for stock. Lay the mushrooms in a baking dish.
Place 20g of butter in the center of each mushroom.
Lay a few sprigs of thyme over each mushroom and scatter the baking dish with the cloves of garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 200c for 45min to an hour or until tender.
The mushrooms will decrease in size, and thus improve in flavour, whilst absorbing all the luscious butter.
Serve immediately. Enough for 2 people as a side dish.

Figs, Balsamic, and Parmesan Oil

As today is Valentines Day, I thought a recipe starring figs would be appropriate. Perhaps I have a naughty mind, but I can’t help to think of Adam and Eve, frolicking in the Garden of Eden, wearing nothing but fig leaves.
Biblical banter aside, there is something definitely erotic about figs (in the culinary sense, please!) I love how the soft flesh and sticky seeds combines with fragrant and sweet “Aceto Balsamico”. Serve this simple dish with a plate of fresh goats cheese, thin slices of prosciutto, and crusty bread. A bottle of Pinot noir will complete this gastronomic love affair.
For anyone out there who has found themselves dateless tonight, do yourself a favour- prepare yourself this meal and all feelings of desperation will vanish. The flavours are so divine, you will forget all about your broken heart. I promise. And if that doesn’t satisfy you, then drink the wine until you pass out….

Ingredients
Black figs
Aged Balsamic vinegar (see note below)
Parmesan oil (see note below)
Fresh black pepper

Method
Choose figs which are soft, but not mushy.
Slice them in half and arrange attractively on a plate.
Drizzle over with parmesan oil. Spoon over balsamic vinegar, making sure you get some of the fragrant vinegar in the centre of each fig.
Grind over some pepper and serve immediately. Accompany with a fresh goats cheese and a plate of prosciutto

Note- True Aceto Balsamico is expensive and by Italian law must carry a stamp of approval from the “consorzio”. Prices can fetch up to almost $500 for a bottle aged 100 years. I have tasted such vinegars and the complex flavours bear little resemblance to those vinegars which are sold in supermarkets. I use the authentic product for uncooked dishes and the fake version for cooking. I realize most people would not be able to afford such a luxury condiment, so here is a little trick I learned a few years ago. Dissolve equal amounts of supermarket balsamic with sticky brown sugar. The sugar will add complexity and viscosity to what would otherwise be a flat and lacklustre vinegar.
To make Parmesan oil, steep the rinds of Parmagiano Reggiano in extra virgin olive oil(I cannot bear to throw out any part of this cheese, it is too expensive!) The cheese will scent the oil delicately and it is wonderful to drizzle over finished dishes. If you cannot be bothered with this step, substitute with plain extra virgin olive oil.