Making Pasta During a Denver Snowstorm with Pat and Sue

 Pasta with friends during a whopper of a snowstorm in Parker, Colorado!

Steve and I planned our western and northern trip so we could break out of our pandemic quarantine and see parts unknown. His old college roommate hosted us for a couple of days in their spacious home and then it started to snow. And snow. And snow. 28 inches!  Luckily Pat had a pasta machine and some flour. What fun!  

RECIPE FOR THE DOUGH

2 Cups flour (if you have 00 flour then it makes it silky)

1 cup Semolina flour

3 large egg

1-3 teaspoons of salt

Olive oil. Maybe 1 tablespoon to start but I added more. It depends on the feel

Process in a food processor initially then drop onto a board or counter top and knead. If it’s too stiff add water or olive oil a little bit at a time. Work it until it comes together and maybe let it sit for a few minutes. 
Slice off a piece and press it down till it can get through the pasta rollers. Also you can use a rolling pin to get it smaller. 

When you run it through the pasta machine start with a wide opening then take the width down on subsequent feeds to create some thinner, silkier processed dough. Then cut it or run it through the blades that cut it. 

Salt water in a pot to boil.  Cook only a minute or two.  You can dry the extra in a pan or a rack and package for freezing.  

Pepperoni and Greens Soup from Doris Saienni adapted by Diane Saienni Albanese

This was adapted from a handwritten recipe from my mom. She actually added that you had to "defrost and drain" the spinach. Also, I changed the spinach to escarole because it holds up better.  

I adapted this to reflect how I make it. 

Ingredients 

• Stick of pepperoni, skin removed and sliced in small bites (you may boil this in water and skim off the excess fat). May add more pepperoni if you'd like! I do! 
• 2 cups or more of fresh, chopped kale, escarole or some hearty green leafy 
• 1 can, 15 oz. cannelloni beans drained
• 32-48 ounces of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 to 1 cup hot/spicy V8 Juice or 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce or paste
• 6-12 cloves of peeled garlic
• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of thyme, parsley or whatever you like
• Parmesan for garnish

My mother made this differently. Here's my take.

Boil the pepperoni then discard the water to get rid of fat. Add olive oil to a big pot and cook the garlic and onions for about 10 minutes. Add spices.  Mix together the chicken soup broth, tomato sauce or V8, pepperoni, drained cannelloni beans in the pot.  Simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.  When the beans are done, add the escarole (or whatever green you're using).  Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with parmesan and some Italian bread.

 

Cioppino from Ina

 

Cioppino Seafood Stew Recipe

THIS IS FROM A BLOG 

You don't have to be a chef to make this recipe for the Barefoot Contessa's authentic cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew loaded with shrimp, cod, mussels, and clams.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cioppino

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 373 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups fennel bulb white part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cup yellow onion 1 large, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 garlic cloves pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cod fillets skin removed, cut into 2-inch dice
• 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deviened
• 1 pound sea scallops halved crosswise
• 1 dozen mussels scrubbed
• 1 dozen littleneck clams or other small clam
• 1 tablespoon anise flavored liqueur such as Pernod or Pastis
• 3 tablespoons parsley minced

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and sauté for 10 minutes, until tender.

2. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.

3. Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 

4. Add the seafood in the following order: first the cod, then the shrimp, scallops, and finally the mussels. Do not stir. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the seafood is cooked and the shellfish open.

5. Stir in the liqueur, being careful not to break up the fish; cover and set aside for 3 minutes for the flavors to blend. Discard any mussels that have not opened.

6. Ladle into large, shallow bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve with slices of sourdough baguette. 

Recipe Notes

• To make this cioppino even faster to cook on weeknights or for an easy get together, prepare the soup base up to 2 days before, refrigerate, then reheat and add the seafood before serving.
• Recipe by Ina Garten, Cook Like a Pro. Reprinted by permission Clarkson Potter/Publishers.
  

Eggplant Parmesan from Ina Garten

 Eggplant Parmesan

Diane notes:  This was great! I made it for Niv's birthday as a request from Lindsay. I don't like goat cheese so omit it next time and add maybe ricotta?  2 big eggplants were barely enough for the casserole dish. The slices of eggplant shrink in the oven when you bake them.  Increase to 3 eggplants.  Don't cut the pieces too thin. 1/4 inch is best. Do not peel them.  Don't over-salt them.  Increase the amount of garlic.  Use the big sheet pans next time.  

Ina Garten 

2 1/2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick

3/4 cup good olive oil 

1 tablespoon dried oregano 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce, such as Rao's 

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves 

1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced 

8 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet 

1½ cups freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

For the Topping:

1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs from a country loaf

4 garlic cloves, minced 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves 

1/4 cup good olive oil 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange three racks evenly spaced.
2. Lay the eggplant in one layer on three sheet pans and brush both sides with olive oil, using all the oil. Sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it lightly in your hands, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices and rotate the pans in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until tender. Leave the oven at 400 degrees F.
3. In a 10 by 14 by 2-inch ceramic baking dish, spread a third of the marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of the basil, a third of the mozzarella, a third of the goat cheese, and a third of the Parmesan on top. Repeat twice, starting with the marinara and ending with the Parmesan, making sure each layer is evenly distributed.
4. For the topping, place the bread crumbs, garlic, and basil in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse to moisten the crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

 Thanksgiving Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Food Network

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel the potatoes and rinse them in cold water. Chop the potatoes in fourths. Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes, and then return them to the pan. With the burner on low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher; the more steam that's released while you mash, the better. Mash for about 5 minutes. Turn off the burner.
4. Add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, and seasonings. Stir to combine, and if the mixture needs thinning, add milk. Check the seasonings, adding salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Pour the mashed potatoes into a large casserole pan. Dot the surface with butter. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

Deselect All

5 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes

1 1/2 sticks softened butter, plus more for baking

1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Milk, if needed, for thinning

Sausage Stuffing Ina Garten

 Sausage Stuffing 

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.
4. In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.
5. Add the chicken stock and cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)

2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup dried cranberries