Yup, it’s that time of year again when everyone needs to figure out what to do with squash. Strangely enough, because I’m breast feeding my little baby Hettie Rose, I crave zucchini like nobody’s business. I have no idea why. But it’s a mighty powerful craving. I literally made my husband go find the nearest farmer’s market and get me some summer squash this last week! During pregnancy I had absolutely no cravings – go figure.

This is going to sound really boring, but one of the best ways to cook zucchini and keep their fresh look and flavor, is to cut it thin, salt lightly and zap in the microwave. I know, I said it: mi-cro-wave. Do you know that even at Le Bernardin we zap stuffed zucchini flowers with mini courgettes attached in the microwave with a little butter overtop? Why? Well, because zucchini is delicate! Yes, a microwave can be great for quickly cooking/steaming veg.

I love squid ink pasta, and I enjoy making it from scratch too but cuttlefish ink is messy and it stains and I have a 3-year old and a 6-month old and I’m just not that cool I guess. Layla would love to make this, but I have to establish major trust before I let her open a jar of black ink. Does the squid ink give a lot of flavor to the pasta? I’m going to say: no. Maybe others will argue with me, but no, I find it’s more about the color. If you want to make it from scratch I really like this recipe from Love and Olive Oil.

So, by this point you’ve realized that this is an easy recipe. YES! It is! Isn’t that wonderful? But, at the same time, it’s about quality of ingredients right? The sea scallops I used were fresh – a rarity to find in markets in Northern California. And, the shrimp were wild and enormous. The squash was just picked and the pasta was artisanal.

Let’s discuss how to cook scallops. Are you still cutting hatch marks across the top and searing them thinking that design is oh-so-cool? You are? Okay, you need to stop doing that. It’s out. When I see that I cringe. The same way when I see duck breast fat cut all criss-cross I want to send it back to the kitchen or throw it at the chef. You just aren’t going to get a better sear by doing it so STOP IT!

The best way to cook big ol’ fat fresh sea scallops is to sear them on high heat on a non-stick surface with a little olive oil along their edges. That’s right, not on their faces but on their edges. What I do is I stack all the scallops I’m using together and make a cylinder and then slowly roll them on their edges on the non-stick lightly oiled surface, allowing them to brown and sear on all sides. This will give you a perfect medium rare.

Shrimp you just throw in the pan with a little olive oil and sear. Don’t over cook those little guys though.

So what else is in the recipe? The pan you just seared the seafood in you’re not going to clean. Instead add some more olive oil and sauté a little minced garlic, then deglaze with white wine, add some cream and toss your barely al-dente spaghetti into the mix and give it a few up and down sauté shakes to coat through.

Next: throw in some Parmesan and again flip the pasta around in the pan to coat. The Parm will tighten up the sauce quickly. Season with salt. Twirl that gorgeous squid ink pasta into a cone with your tongs and place that heaping black pile of deliciousness on the just-microwaved zucchini carpaccio. Put a scallop on the plate and a large shrimp. Dust your pasta with some fried bread crumbs, a little chopped parsley and a few chili flakes. Give your whole plate a squeeze of fresh lemon, a scattering of finely chopped chives and send it on out to your family!

Done. Easy meal. 20 minutes max. Seriously!

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It has been eye opening to see what a toddler can do in the kitchen without preconceived notions as to what may or may not be challenging. It has definitely been a wake up call for me as a parent to not pre-judge my child’s intellectual capabilities or interests.

For example, Layla takes pâte brisée and rolls it out and flips it about like a pro and for this pasta recipe, I thought for sure it would be too difficult, but she got right up on her chair and helped make the dough by hand and then guide our finished product out from the pasta roller . And she had no problem helping me stuff our little half moons – or “pockets” as she calls them – pressing gently around the filling to release air bubbles. She punched the pasta out and then dusted it with a little flour to prevent sticking and neatly placed her pockets with no overlap on a plate. Honestly, I don’t know where she channeled this from. I’ve never made homemade pasta for her.

The only caveat to making great ravioli is that you do need a pasta roller of some sort. Thanks to my dear foodie friends Ivan and Nadine, I have a professional KitchenAid with every attachment known to mankind (best house warming gift ever!). I also have an old-school counter mounted hand crank type pasta roller, and this one is not easy to use because it doesn’t stay attached to the counter. My only warning to parents making this recipe with kids is: young children should not be allowed to work an electric pasta roller on their own because their little fingers could potentially get caught and crushed – ‘yes’ on catching the pasta from the bottom and ‘no’ on feeding it into the roller.

This recipe came about because I’m working on how to get orange foods past Layla’s pursed lips. Orange foods (sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc) are disgusting in her mind and they get shoved far across the plate and sometimes just thrown to our pup – who doesn’t like them either.

I am a true believer that it becomes easier to eat things you hate if you spend time cooking and preparing them in the kitchen. For me, my time cooking on the Meat Station at Guy Savoy in Paris helped me to get over my disdain for thymus glands, liver, and brains. I still won’t go out of my way to eat those things, but I’m not as grossed out as I used to be by offal. For Layla, that’s just orange veggies.

In order to face her orange fears, we roasted a whole butternut and then puréed it in the VitaPrep. We made nutty smelling brown butter and added it to our butternut purée base. She did try it. Twice. It didn’t totally pass muster but at least she tried it. We added half of our purée to a cupcake recipe topped with a salted caramel whipped cream frosting and she decided that maybe – just maybe – butternut was okay.

To the other half of the purée we added parmesan and ricotta and she tasted it and her response was: “Layla doesn’t like it” (she refers to herself in the third person still). But then she tried it again and there was no response so I could tell she was thinking about it. I was hopeful that her silence meant: “hmmm, maybe I like this”.

But no, the finished product was a no-go. Even with the seriously yummy maple Parmesan cream. She did eat the pasta around the ravioli. My husband and I wolfed the ravioli down and we ate her portion up too! This is a delicious recipe perfect for the cold weather and if you’re making it for some one special on Valentine’s Day, then they are going to love you forever (unless it’s for a two-year-old named Layla).

What’s the moral of the story you might ask? Well, here’s my Mommy take away: if you want your toddler to just eat something they aren’t sure about, sugar coat it in a cupcake. But if you want your Little One to gain appreciation and understanding of something they dislike, show them up close that their fears are unfounded by introducing them personally to the source – they will eventually come around. Oh, and making ravioli is easy, even a two year old can do it.

The post Brown Butter Butternut Squash Ravioli with Maple Parmesan Cream, Bacon and Radicchio first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Squash Blossom and Walnut Pesto Pasta

I normally like to stuff squash blossoms and deep fry them, but I wanted something quick and fresh this time around. I sautéed the blossoms in a little olive oil with sea salt until slightly browned. Make sure to remove the yellow stamen inside the flower – it’s bitter tasting.

Squash Blossom Pasta with Walnut Pesto and Shaved Summer Squash

Freshly made basil pesto is the best. If you think pesto is played out, then blend up a big bunch of farmer’s market basil with olive oil, garlic, walnuts and real Parmesan and see if that changes your mind. Super market pesto just doesn’t have the same freshness or flavor and often skimps on the expensive ingredients. Pine nuts are traditional with pesto but I prefer the bite of walnuts and they are much cheaper – they’re also local so that’s an added bonus. For a pesto recipe check out one of my older posts: BASIL PESTO!

Basil and Walnut Pesto

I’ve always wondered why zucchini flowers are so expensive in the markets because they are so ridiculously abundant on just one single plant. The flowers I pick from my garden hold up for at least a week and I’m not overly conscientious when I pick them, often storing them in a bag in the fridge. Farmer’s markets should be carrying flowers over the next few months at reasonable prices. Or befriend a zucchini grower in your neighborhood! (but beware, you will be up to your eyeballs in zucchini throughout the season – I always pawn off tons of zukes to whoever will take them!)

Squash Blossoms

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Like when this idea for wheat berry pilaf and artichoke, which I basically adapted (stole) from David Lebovitz, just popped up magically in my inbox. There I was in the middle of a farm to table dinner going: now what am I going to do with wheat berries that I have not done before? (Because I use these a lot at Pie Ranch). And there his message was glaring at me – a recipe for freekeh which is a wheat berry pilaf of sorts with artichokes!

Woodfire Roasted Artichokes with Wheat Berry Pilaf

And there I was with a box of artichokes and a granary of wheat berries! Yes, sometimes I feel very lucky to have inspiration hit my inbox at just the right time. Our recipes are different due to different cooking circumstances, conditions and raw ingredients but I’m ever so thankful for the idea! Thanks Chef!

I normally make risotto with wheat berries but due to the large number of lactose intolerant people at the party I served a side for my side dish – I put out nettle pesto to mix in with the pilaf for those who were so inclined. However I did use a ‘risotto’ method in preparing the wheat berries minus the end steps which involve cream and cheese.

First I toast the berries lightly in an enormous high sided pan with olive oil and a handful of shallots stirring vigorously, then I deglaze the pan with a half bottle of wine again stirring the wheat berries vigorously until all the vino is absorbed (this stirring vigorously is said to get the starch rockin’ and give a silky texture to the risotto, although please note with wheat berries it is pretty much a lost cause to try and get any sexy texture goin’ on). Then I add the rest of the bottle of wine and again let the tough little suckers drink their fill while “rockin” the risotto.

Nettle Pesto: a side dish for my side dish

Lastly, I cover the wheat berries with chicken stock stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, and adding more stock as it gets absorbed. Normally freekeh is made with cracked wheat berries, but I use whole wheat berries at Pie Ranch and they do take about an hour to fully cook. The nutty flavor and high protein is well worth the effort. I figure on a ratio of 1:3 of wheat berry to stock with extra on hand. They will absorb a lot of liquid!

Turning artichokes is my nemesis. I used to do about 15 crates of these every other day in France until my hands were stained black permanently and constantly swollen from invisible tiny thistles sticking in my fingers. Try grabbing a sauté pan and cooking over the fire when your hands are in that kind of pain! However, for the right crowd I can be convinced to go to town on a box or two. I used both large artichokes and baby ones for this recipe. The larger artichoke bottoms are diced small and hidden throughout the pilaf, the baby artichokes are in the limelight.

The trick to keeping artichokes from oxidizing is acidulated water. After I peel and/or cut off the leaves of the artichoke I rub it all over with a lemon half and toss it into a container of lemony water. If I am cooking the artichokes in water over the stove I use what is called a “blanc” which is acidulated water with a few tablespoons of flour. I don’t know why the flour aids in stopping the oxidation process but it does work. (That’s what you get when you train in France – a lot of rules and not a lot of explanation as to why things work the way they do).

For baby artichokes I peel off the outer leaves, cut them in half and scoop out the inner little fuzzy choke reserving the stem and the soft light green leaves. For mature artichokes, I take a serrated knife (a good strong long serrated knife – not a little flimsy steak knife) and saw off all the leaves at their ends down to the base. Then I scoop out the choke and rub lemon all over.

Woodfire Roasted Artichokes

I know you’re thinking: but all that waste! All those good leaves! (You must be from California if that even crosses your mind because Californians practically grow up in artichoke fields!) Pigs love artichoke leaves. If you have pigs feed the leaves to them! If not, compost or steam separate.

Cooking the artichokes is easy peasy: coat with olive oil, season with sea salt, place on a roasting tray like the one pictured above with lemon slices and toss in the wood fire pizza oven until they are soft – about 15 minutes. Yes, you can do this in the oven too at 450˚F. And yes, the artichokes will turn a little black in the wood fire oven but that’s okay. The smokey flavor is fantastic. I do not par boil the chokes before roasting unless I’m BBQ’ing them.

The final finish to this wood fire roasted artichoke and wheat berry pilaf is of course the addition of bacon and perhaps a side dish for your side dish like nettle pesto. David likes to throw in a handful of parley which is a nice idea.

Thanks again David for the inspiration!!!!

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Lobster Ravioli with Smoked Paprika Cream Sauce & Pea Shoots

This is not the quickest dish especially if you start from scratch, but it’s extremely tasty. I picked up my live lobsters from my fish monger, butchered them, barbecued the bodies and poached the claws for presentation. Then I made the filling (while trying hard not eat all the lobster) a tasty mixture of: pancetta, lobster meat, tarragon, spinach and lemon zest with enough ricotta & parmesan to bind it together.

I rolled out the egg pasta with the ol’ hand crank pasta machine. Boy, isn’t that fun. Especially when it won’t grip the granite.

Five hours later I put filling and pasta together to form ravioli resembling the shape of agnolotti. Technically agnolotti are stuffed with meat, cream, and cheese. But I like the little fluted half circle pillow shape, so I used lobster. And yes, agnolotti come square in shape too . (I know one of my former chef’s is going to email that correction to me, so I might as well mention it upfront.)

Lobster Agnolotti

The red sauce gets its flare from the smoked paprika and the lobster roe which dots the plate in  little red pearls. The base is cream and parmesan – my fav. If you get a lobster with roe, by all means use it! When you remove the head from the thorax if a blob-like dark green jell-o substance spills out, that’s what you are looking for. When cooked the roe changes color from green to red.

Not to be confused with ‘lobster butter’ which is grey-ish green in color and located towards the front of the head. (wish I had photographed the parts here). I stir a tablespoon of roe into the sauce right before serving because it can give an amoniated taste if boiled too hard. The roe will thicken the sauce, keep this in mind when making the cream sauce and don’t reduce it too much beforehand. And, it will add a lovely lobster stock flavor. A little roe goes a long way.

Spring has finally started to sprung (does that make sense?) and I think pea shoots are a festive way to celebrate the season. They pair nicely with tarragon and lobster which is generously mixed in the ravioli stuffing.

Lobster claw on Lobster Agnolotti

Cut the 5 hours prep time to something more manageable if need be, and buy frozen lobster tails (the presentation claw could be ix-nayed) and pre-packaged sheets of pasta which are sold in such reputable stores like Whole Foods. Check the date on the pasta. Egg pasta should be very fresh otherwise it’s no good.

If you do want to butcher the lobsters here’s how I do it. And I’m pretty darned fast after killing about a million a day at Le Bernardin. Chef Eric Ripert is adamandt about fish/shellfish sustainability and also that they are processed humanely. This is his technique for the quickest death (we do not boil them alive or twist thorax from body while they are alive even though it’s faster).

Put lobster on cutting board. Taking a big heavy sharp chef’s knife place the tip right above the eyes in the center of the head. With a quick and sharp movement press straight down through the head (kills lobster instantly) and pull forward with the knife blade splitting the frontal lobe in two right between the eyes. Pick up lobster, turn it over, and make a quick jab right above tail and through body (under legs).

From here it depends on what you want to do with the lobster. It is easy to twist the thorax from the tail and the claws from the thorax. I like to split the tail in half (using my extra heavy sharp chef’s knife) and barbecue it shell side down with lots of butter – yummmm. The claws can be cooked in salted water (like the sea – I mean salted!) water on a strong simmer for about 3 minutes.

Cracking the shell off the claw and keeping it in tack is difficult and hard to explain in words. But I’ll try: pull the smaller lower pincer off by gently shaking it loose with an up and down movement. A cartilidge disk will come out with the pincer. It is very important to get the whole lower pincer out in one piece or some one can choke on that invisible little disk. To get the remaining claw shell off I take the back of a heavy knife (not the blade, don’t ruin your nice sharp knife!) and whack the claw on the top and then on both sides. The shell should pop off. Then I pull out the meat gently!

(Good luck with that, the claws can be tricky).

Some day I’ll get around to making a lobster butcher video, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this recipe!

The post Lobster Ravioli, Pea Shoots, & Smoked Paprika Sauce first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

If chanterelles are scarce in your area, look for hedgehog mushrooms which start to replace them this time of year. They have a similar taste and look with little spikey gills under the cap, hence the name. These gills should be scraped off before cooking because they have a fuzzy mouth feel.

Whole Foods now sells egg pasta sheets which cuts down on the prep if time is a consideration. If not, I have my tried and true recipe here. There are lots of shapes and sizes to experiment with. I like the one pictured below, which looks like a big plump wonton. Dumplings are cute and sexy and make a great starter for a romantic dinner – ahem – Valentines day?

Cut pasta sheets into perfect squares, stuff with a teaspoon of filling, fold into a triangle sealing edges with a little egg wash, then fold again into a triangle sealing two of the tips together with more egg wash. Refrigerate if using immediately or store in an air-tight container and freeze.

It’s the little garnishes that make an easy dish exciting. Although there is kale in the filling along with mushrooms and leeks, the addition of kale chips adds a nice light crunch. Brush leaves (de-stemed) with a little olive oil and season with salt. Bake in a slow oven at 175˚F for 30 – 40 minutes until crispy. They will keep for a few days.

The spice caraway is more often used in rye bread or sauerkraut then for sauces. But I love its anise-like flavor that elevates parmesan and cream to earthy rich goodness.

This sauce steals the show and is one of the best flavor combos I’ve had for awhile. And it’s easy…

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It is much easier to make pasta in a restaurant because of the space and professional equipment available, but with the help of a hand crank machine I can make it at home. This is an egg pasta…

Place flour on countertop and make a well. In the well add liquid ingredients. Use a fork to blend together until dough starts to form

Knead the dough to help the gluten form and get stretchy. This can take awhile by hand. About 7 minutes. The dough needs to rest before rolling out. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate.

Take dough out of fridge and set up pasta machine. I begin placing dough in machine at the widest setting and make the rollers smaller and smaller each time I pass the dough through until it is thin enough that I can just see my fingers through it.

I used ricotta, parmesan, and a pinch of nutmeg to make a light cheese filling and then experimented with different pasta forms. The first batch was similar in shape to cannelloni, long and tube like. The next were oversized agnalottis (pillow shaped pastas). With a filling as light as ricotta a heavy sauce would ruin it, so I opted for some colorful sautéed rainbow chard with garlic and red pepper flakes. And garnished the pasta with fresh Early Girl tomatoes and finishing olive oil from Spain.

Free Form Cheese Ravioli with Sautéed Rainbow Chard and Tomatoes Serves 6

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/4 cup of water (add little by little)

2 cups ricotta, drained

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt, pepper, nutmeg

8-10 leaves of rainbow chard, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 garlic clove, mined

2-3 tomatoes, seeded & diced olive oil red pepper flakes

Place flour on countertop in a mound and create a well in the middle. Pour egg yolks into well. With a fork mix the yolk with the flour working from the inside out. Once the dough resembles rough cornmeal add water little by little and knead the dough until it is pliable and elastic, about 6-7 minutes. Press dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap to let rest at room temp for at least 5 minutes.

Set up pasta machine. Follow manual instruction and roll out pasta into sheets. It should be thin enough to see your fingers through it. Lightly dust with cornmeal or flour if folding the sheets so they won’t stick together

In a bowl combine ricotta with parmesan and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Cut pasta to desired shape and place up to 2T of filling in each form. Seal edges of pasta by pressing firmly with fingertips. If dough is a little dry brush a tiny amount of water on one edge. Cook in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes until al dente.

Heat 1 T of olive oil in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Sweat garlic. Add chopped chard and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Plate sautéed chard in a bowl with pasta on top. Spoon tomatoes over pasta and finish with a drizzle of nice olive oil.

The post How to Make Ravioli: Ricotta Ravioli with Rainbow Chard & Tomatoes first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Unfortunately, the lamb recipe didn't make the cut because this simple side dish way out shined it. Israeli couscous is pasta, similar to Italian orzo, but spherical in shape. Add some toasted pine nuts and fresh corn kernels and you have a warm salad with nice textures and subtle nutty-sweet flavors.

Couscous itself is bland and steaming it in vegetable or chicken broth will add flavor. The couscous will soak up all the cooking liquid, so make sure it is flavorful and well seasoned to begin with and you won't have to adjust later. Toss in some cilantro at the end for color and extra kick.

More Couscous recipes from around the blogosphere:

Israeli Pesto Couscous salad by East Village Kitchen

125 Couscous recipes by Bohemian Revolution

Couscous recipe by Couscous Recipe

Curried Apple Couscous recipe by 101 Cookbooks

Fresh Corn Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts & Cilantro serves 4

3 cups Israeli couscous

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 bunch cilantro, leaves minced

Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & pepper

Bring broth up to a boil in a medium sauce pot. Make sure it is well seasoned if broth is sodium-free. Add couscous, stir, place lid on top and turn down heat to low. Steam for 15 minutes or until pasta is al dente.

In a non stick skillet over medium high heat toast pine nuts until golden brown. Set aside. In the same pan add 1T olive oil and the fresh corn kernels. Toast until slightly charred and tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. When couscous is cooked, add 1 T of olive oil and adjust seasoning. Add corn and pinenuts. Toss with fresh cilantro. Serve

The post Fresh Corn & Israeli Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts & Cilantro first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Couscous is a pasta that is made from semolina or, in some regions, from coarsely ground barley or millet. The semolina is sprinkled with water and rolled with the hands to form small pellets. It is labor intensive to make by hand and used to be done by groups of women. Glad we have machines today! It’s origins can be traced waaaay back to North Africa and later it’s migration to Provence and Brittany around 1359.

Of course, you don’t have to get all fancy with the ring of cucumbers and shrimp on top, but it does give it that je-ne-sais-quoi. Recipe to follow…

Technorati Tags: couscous, salad, vanilla, vinaigrette

Couscous Salad with Shrimp and Vanilla Oil

Ingredients
20 shrimp cooked and de-veined with tail on if possible
1 Medium cucumber
1 Cup small grain couscous (tabouleh can be used too if desired)
1 Red bell pepper
1/2 Bunch mint shredded fine
1/2 Bunch chives minced
1 Lemon
1 Orange
1/ 4 Olive Oil
1/2 cup neutral oil like vegetable or peanut
2 Vanilla bean pods whole
4 Star anise
Ring molds with no bottom in individual sizes or one large one for a party

Instructions
1. Cook couscous according to package instructions. Normally you boil the right quantity of water, dump the couscous in, put a lid on it, turn off the heat under the burner, let it steam for five minutes and then fluff up with a fork. Simple. Nothing to it. Set aside.
2. For the vanilla oil: in a small pot heat vegetable oil on low heat – not hot – just to warm it. Split vanilla pod in two vertically and using the tip of a paring knife scrape all the little bean seeds and add them to oil. Add the pods too and the star anise. Let infuse off heat while preparing the rest of the salad.
3. Buy shrimp cooked and de-veined unless you can get fresh shrimp. In that case, de-vein and boil quickly until they turn pink. Remove and refresh under cold water. Set aside. Take most of the tails off the shrimp but reserve some whole for decoration if desired.
4. With 1/2 of the cucumber brunoise into tiny cubes 1/4″ X 1/4″. Don’t use the seeds. Reserve. Repeat small brunoise with red bell pepper.
5. Zest orange and mix with juice of one lemon and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add chives and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Using a fork or your hands mix the lemon/herb dressing and brunoised vegetables with couscous. Add more olive oil and lemon if necessary.
7. Take remaining cucumber and slice one side of cylinder off lengthwise. This way, after cutting the individual slices, you can place them in a ring mold and they will lie flush with the plate. Using a mandolin (be CAREFUL of your fingers!!!!) slice the cucumber 2mm thin.
8. To make cucumber ring take a ring mold of desired size and rub inside a little with vanilla oil to keep the slices from sticking. Layer cucumber slices overlapping all the way around mold and refrigerate until ready to use. It is best to do this on the plate you intend to serve the salad on. You will have trouble transferring it otherwise!
9. Fill cucumber ring with couscous salad to the height of the cucumber slices. Mix shrimps with vanilla oil and layer over the top however you want. Make it pretty!
10. Decorate with vanilla pods, mint leaves, or a tomato rose if desired and refrigerate until right before serving. Gently slide the ring mold up and off before bringing to the table.

The post Crazy for Couscous first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.