Fresh Pasta with a Simple Tomato and Basil Sauce

Another night of in-room dining thanks to the mini kitchen in our room!  All the ingredients came from Eataly, a gourmet food and wine market from Turin, Italy opened in Manhattan August 2010 with multiple restaurants plus a cooking school housed in 50,000 sq.ft. of pure food fun! For a foodie like me, this was one giant culinary playground.  As I walked through the different areas of the massive space,  my mind kept racing as to all the things I could make for dinner and then the voice of reason pulled in the reins as this would be my last dinner in the room.   My husband and I had dining plans for the other nights.  As I made my way around I came back to the fresh pasta counter and decided to buy ravioli (stuffed with veal, pork, mortadella, parmesan) and angnolotti (stuffed with goat cheese and ricotta).  This pasta really only needed good extra-virgin olive oil, freshly ground pepper and Parmesan but I couldn't find olive oil in a bottle small enough.  In the end, I decided on a simple tomato sauce that my friend, Francesca (Erbapepe Eventi in Cucina), taught me many years ago.  I had some of the Vermont cultured butter left over and decided to use that in lieu of the oil (needed that to sauté the garlic).

Serves 2

small can of either plum or cherry tomatoes
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, chopped (Francesca said to use a whole clove for a subtle flavor and not chopped - guess there are some things hard to change!)
a big handful each of the ravioli and angnolotti
fresh basil leaves, torn
olive oil (in this case, I used butter)
Reggiano Parmigiano

Melt butter and add garlic.  Sauté until the air is perfumed with the scent of garlic (1 minute) and then add tomatoes.  If using large tomatoes, break up with a knife and cook for 5 minutes.  Toss in basil.   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes or according to packet instructions.  Drain pasta and add to the tomato sauce.  Gently stir.  Serve immediately and top with grated Parmesan.

The Culinary Chase's Note:
I made a simple antipasto of Reggiano Parmigiano chunks of cheese, soft olive oil bread and 18 month aged prosciutto purchased from Eataly.  They had older aged prosciutto but I bought this instead to try and let me tell you it was the best I've tasted outside of Italy!  Silky soft and sweet when you smell it...heavenly!  The stuffed pastas could have passed for homemade they were so good! The meal was complimented by a bottle of Alpha Zeta Soave.  Does in-room dining get any better than this?  Cheers!

Wagyu Beef and Sautéed Vegetables

My husband and I have been away from home for nearly 3 weeks and I am gagging to cook!  We are currently in NYC and the place we are staying has a mini kitchen and so I decided to prepare dinner in our room.  I had to think of something that was easy and didn't require much in the way of herbs and spices.  It's been 2 years since we last ate Wagyu beef and to my surprise I found some at the Grand Central Market in New York's Grand Central station.  I love stumbling upon these places and take great delight as if I am the only person ever to discover it! 

Wagyu beef (in Japanese "wa" means Japanese-style and "gyu" cattle) has to be the king of beef and it's also very expensive.  Wagyu originated in Kobe, Japan where the cattle were brought in to help cultivate rice during the 2nd century. In America, Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred to Angus cattle to create a crossbred animal that would be more able to survive the U.S. climate and ranching methods. Both pure Wagyu and cross bred cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets. Not to confuse the issue, but Kobe Wagyu is bred in Japan under strict regulations (like designation/appellation). Kobe is the Rolls Royce of Wagyu beef (think of it as beef foie gras).

Wagyu is genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a higher percentage of unsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle known in the world. Because the finely marbled fat melts quickly and burns easily (it cooks 35 percent faster than choice or standard prime beef), special care is required when preparing it. Think of quick-sear cooking techniques for things like rare tuna and foie gras. But not like your average steak; too rare and the fat will not have had a chance to melt and impart its flavor. Too well-done and the fats will have been cooked out of the meat.  Remember I said Wagyu is expensive?  I asked for the smallest piece as the steaks were at least an inch thick and Wagyu is rich in flavor so I didn't want a big piece otherwise our whole meal would have consisted only of the meat.  The price tag for the steak was $32.39 ($44.99 per pound)!

Serves 2

Waygu beef
asparagus spears
Cipollini onions (pronounced chip-oh-lee-knee), sliced
fennel, sliced
patty pan squash, sliced
Vermont cultured butter with sea salt crystals
tomato, chopped
splash of white wine

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add onions.  Sauté for a couple of minutes and add fennel.  Cook until fennel is al dente before adding sliced squash.  Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes and add asparagus and tomato.  Add a splash of white wine to enhance the flavor of the veggies as well as keeping them moist.  Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly soft.

To cook the Wagyu, sear it on a Teflon coated grill pan one and a half minutes per side, reduce the heat and cook for a further 2 minutes each side. We could have easily shaved 30 seconds off each side without it being too rare. I salted the grill pan with sea salt flakes before adding the beef.

The Culinary Chase's Note:  Don't even think about putting Wagyu on the bbq!  The marbling in the Wagyu under high heat causes the fat to quickly melt which results in flare ups and charred meat. This makes the meat bland and tough.  Wagyu is so delicious rare and I like my beef medium rare.  The cultured butter brought back memories of when I was a child as this is how real butter should taste!

Prosciutto, Brie and Peach Salad

Summer cooking for me means less time hovering over the stove and more with my family and friends.  A perfect dish for easy entertaining as it can be prepared ahead of time before your guests arrive. Peaches originated in China as far back as the 10th century and are rich in vitamin A and potassium. They are more than 80 percent water and are a good source of dietary fiber, making them good for those trying to lose weight.

Serves 4

4 handfuls of rocket
2 peaches, sliced
100g double cream Brie cheese, sliced
handful dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate seeds
8 or so slices prosciutto, torn up
extra-virgin olive oil
cranberry pear balsamic vinegar
freshly ground pepper and sea salt

Arrange rocket on a platter and scatter prosciutto, peach sliced, brie and cranberries. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Beautiful!

The Culinary Chase's Note: You can also use other stone fruit such as plums, apricots, nectarines. Use your favorite flavored balsamic vinegar if you can't find the cranberry pear and try, if you can, to choose a white balsamic vinegar (for esthetic purposes).  Serve with fresh bread to mop up the juices from the salad and enjoy with a glass of Prosecco!

On Holiday!

va·ca·tion
(vey-key-shuhn)
a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday. 

Steamed Mussels with Yellow Curry and Coconut Milk

I've been following the culinary adventures of Rick Stein along with his cute dog Chalky, for over a decade and my husband bought me the complete food heroes collection in 2004. It was a BBC mini series which aired in 2002.  Rick went on a quest to search out the very best of all British products from bread to beer and lamb to cheese. His food heroes were the men and women who had a passion for their trade giving quality and taste the highest importance above the desire to make a profit!  His latest book, Far Eastern Odyssey, features authentic recipes and the cooking styles from that of a Far Eastern kitchen.

Serves 4
adapted from Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
400ml (14 oz.) coconut milk
1.75kg (4lb) fresh mussels in their shells, cleaned
4 kaffir lime leaves (can use lime zest)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar (can use brown sugar)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
large handful fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Curry Paste:
50g galangal or ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
40g garlic, roughly chopped
8 fat lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
100g (4 oz.) shallots, roughly chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 strip pared lime zest
2 teaspoons fermented fish paste or shrimp paste (can omit if not available)
1 medium-hot red or green chili, chopped

To make the curry paste, place all of the ingredients in a food processor with about 2 tablespoons water, to get the paste moving, and process until smooth. You can also use a pestle and mortar but omit the water and pound ingredients until smooth (don't worry about the small rough bits).

Heat oil in a large, deep pan (a wok works perfectly if you have one) over medium heat. Add curry paste and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it smells aromatic. Add coconut milk and simmer 2 minutes. Toss in the mussels and lime leaves to the pan, cover and cook over a high heat 3 to 4 minutes until the mussels have just opened. Remove from heat and add the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Scatter over the coriander and serve in bowls.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Gorgeous aromas in the kitchen when the curry paste hits the heat! If you find lime leaves (aka kaffir lime leaves), don't worry about what to do with the leftovers as they freeze well. They are highly aromatic and add their own citrusy flavor to stir-fry, curry, salad and fish cake dishes.  According to Dr. Weil, coriander is considered a healing herb.  It is traditionally used in India as an anti-inflammatory agent and studied in the U.S. for its cholesterol-lowering properties.  I had some of the broth leftover and used it the next day in a pasta sauce...yum!

Rosemary and Olive Bread

As much as I enjoy making bread, I don't make it on a regular basis not like my Mom or grandmother used to. I don't think my grandfather even knew what store-bought bread was! This recipe is from a friend of mine who absolutely loves to cook and bread making is a ritual for her. As Michelle points out, making bread isn't as difficult as it seems and planning your time around it isn't as though you need to be in the house the whole day.  I made this bread a week ago and then decided to make it again Saturday morning but this time I kneaded the dough in my kitchen and finished baking it at sister's place which was a 4 hour drive away! Yes, you read correctly. The bread raised while we were in the car (bread on the run?). The raising times vary depending upon humidity etc. but usually you can count on at least 1 hour to raise the bread, punch it down and let it raise again before shaping into loaves.  No reason now not to give this a go! 

Makes 2 loaves
adapted from Bite

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
250ml (1 cup) warm water
250ml (1 cup) warm milk
Stir milk and water together and add yeast and allow to stand 5 minutes.

1st punch down!

2 tablespoons sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) semolina
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
5 to 6 cups bread flour

Add sugar, semolina, butter, onion, rosemary, olives, salt, 3 cups flour to water/milk mixture…mix well. Add the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter top and knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky.


Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel (I use plastic wrap) and allow to raise until doubled. Punch dough down and turn over…allow to raise again until doubled. Punch dough down again, divide in half and shape into round loaves. Place loaves on a baking sheet and allow to raise until almost doubled.

Preheat oven to 200c (400f). Place baking sheet in oven and bake loaves for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

 

The Culinary Chase's Note: Fresh homemade bread never lasts long and I love how the house smells of newly baked bread...bliss!  The first time I made this I used fresh thyme as that was in the fridge and thought I had better use it before it goes off. A simple way to test if the bread is done, simply tap the bottom of the bread.  If it sounds hollow, then it's done.  If you are a novice at bread making or just aren't sure, a fully baked loaf of bread will have an internal temperature of about 200f (or 94c).  Insert a meat  thermometer into the center of the loaf and check the temperature. If it’s not quite up to 200f, leave it in the oven for another few minutes.  Enjoy this bread with extra-virgin olive oil on its own or dipped in dukkah.