La Pasta in Casa

I thought it would be nice to make pasta and I bought 00 flour.  Some considerable time later I thought, "Must get on to that pasta making" and I bought a pasta machine.  More time passed and I thought, "Must get that pasta machine out of the box".  So at last the flour and machine were introduced.  It transpired that some years had passed between the initial thought and the action.  The flour was no longer viable and the pasta was not a success.  Undeterred I bought another bag of flour and this time it all came together.
Making pasta really is quite simple.  Just make sure your flour is fresh!  I consulted Marcella Hazan, her son, Giuliano and the New York Times.   This is what worked for me.  Start with 1 egg per 100g flour.  You need at least two eggs to get a quantity you can work with and you can dry it and store in an airtight container so there is no issue with having more than you need.  Before you begin, clear your work surface because you will need plenty of room once you start rolling.  Pour the flour into a mound on the work surface.  Note that marble is too cold and won't work.  Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs one at a time into the well.  Beat the eggs gently with a fork until the yolks and whites are mixed together - actually this proved a bit hard and I resorted to whisking the eggs first before pouring into the well.  With the fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the egg until the egg is no longer runny.  Work from the inside wall of the well.  If the egg escapes onto the bench it is not easy to recapture.  Once you've reached the stage where you have quite a viscous mixture, quickly bring the remaining flour over the egg mixture and scoop it up, mixing with your hands until you have a moist but not sticky dough.  Wrap the lump of dough in cling film to stop it drying out at all and clean the work surface and your hands ready for kneading.  Knead the dough until it is very smooth and silky - this only takes a couple of minutes if all is well. Rewrap in cling film and rest for at least 20 minutes.
Set up your machine for rolling and get out lots of tea towels to lay out the rolled dough.   Cut a three-egg dough into six portions and keep the ones you are not working with wrapped in cling film.  Flatten the chunk of dough in your fingers and start to feed the dough through the machine starting at the widest setting.  Feed each portion through this setting three or four times, folding into three after each roll.  Then, reducing the rollers by one notch each time roll all the pieces through the machine and lay them out on dry tea towels.  Leave to dry a little so that it feels a bit leathery but not brittle.  Maybe 10-20 mins.
When they are ready, shape your pasta.  We made fettuccine according to the instructions on the machine.  To store the ribbons, wrap them loosely around your hands to form nests then leave to dry on a tea towel before storing in an airtight container.  They will keep for months.
To cook drop the pasta in a large saucepan of well salted boiling water and boil with the lid off for a few minutes until al dente; 2-3 mins will be enough on the day of making. 
I rediscovered the classic tomato sauce for pasta.  Put two tins of tomatoes in a saucepan with a halved onion and 100g butter.  Simmer over a low heat about 40 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced and slightly separated from the butter.  Discard the onion and either use the sauce immediately, set aside to reheat later or freeze. This sauce is indescribably good.   It will keep for a few days in the fridge. Serve this on any kind of pasta including filled shapes, which is our next project.  I served the first batch with cauliflower florets that I had lightly steamed then roasted in olive oil with a sprinkling of chilli flakes.  Just top with the sauce and some grated parmesan.
We used the reserved fettuccine with chicken and mushrooms with tarragon, which is a dish well worth trying.  We have made this two or three times and it is nice with any of the suggested accompaniments.
We  made some pappardelle by loosely rolling the sheets and cutting by hand about two centimetres wide.  We served this with my go to Bolognese recipe.  This sauce with pappardelle is one of my favourite pasta dishes and the home made pasta just made it better.
This experiment has been worth the effort and we will be keeping it up. Next we will be trying stuffed pasta.  If you have any suggestions about making pasta at home please share.  All ideas welcome.

Chinese greens

Along with the new job we have got into a new routine in the kitchen. Now that we're walking both ways, there is less time to spend on dinner during the week & I need to accommodate study. Wednesdays & Saturdays, when Phoebe works, we try to do something with fish or something else she's not so keen on.

On Saturday night we had something I've been meaning to try again for ages. I saw something on a tv programme but being unable to remember what it was & never writing it down, it was probably nothing like the meal I am about to describe. The key ingredient is a Chinese green - the leafy one with thin stalks & yellow flowers - Choy Sum.

Finely chop the stalks from a bunch of choy sum & soften in a pan in a little peanut oil, with some grated ginger (the grating plate is good for this), sliced spring onion, garlic & a little celery if you like it. Add sliced mushrooms & cook down a little. Then add a splash of soy sauce & stir through the choy sum. Add some baby spinach leaves if you have some to use up. Serve with pork cooked your favourite way and rice or noodles. A chop is good. In this instance, we had pork fillets which had been marinated in a mixture of vegetable oil, soy sauce & honey in a roasting dish. (For 2 servings use about 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp soy, 1/2 tbsp honey) We roasted the pork at 180 about 15 mins, turning once, then rested about 10 minutes. I am not a huge fan of Chinese flavours or Chinese greens but I just love this.

We didn't eat it all, so for Sunday lunch fried up the left over rice, veg & meat with some shredded carrot, pumpkin from an earlier meal, some ham that needed to be eaten & a plain omlette sliced on top. This was delicious.

On Sunday we had a busy afternoon in the kitchen. Phoebe baked cup cakes for an SPCA fundraiser & I made tomato sauce (ketchup type).

A Bit of Everything

On a busy week night make a quick and simple spicy bean stew. Soften red onion, carrot, capsicum, garlic with some chilli flakes in a large frying pan. Stir in 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and cook for a minute or so before adding a squeeze of tomato paste, a tin of chickpeas and a tin of kidney beans, drained, 1/2 cup vegetable stock and a tin of crushed tomatoes -I sometimes use a cup or so of homemade tomato sauce (see below). Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or so then add a cup of frozen sweet corn & cook a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. Serve on its own or with couscous.

I bring a cup of water or chicken stock to the boil, add a cup of couscous (try Tipiak) and some roasted garlic, tightly cover and leave for 10 minutes or so. Then fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in good olive oil, toasted pinenuts and some finely chopped parsley. Sometimes I use Casbah roasted garlic & olive oil but I still add extra oil & pinenuts at the end. I just like pinenuts.

Leftovers of the beans will freeze well and you could serve as a side dish with a plate of old fashioned beef sausages and mash, or add some chopped chorizo.

Follow with rice pudding. I've always used Edmonds and we like the skin on, in our family, but last week I tried something different. Put 1 1/2 tbsp washed short-grain rice, grated zest of 1 lemon, 45g butter, cut into small pieces, 45g sugar, 500ml milk, 400ml cream, 1/2 tsp cinnamon in your ovenproof dish. Bake at 120C for 2-3 hours, stirring every hour or so. Then stir well, add juice of a lemon & serve with dried fruit compote. Put 100g each of 4 kinds if dried fruit - I used apricots, figs, prunes & sultanas - in a saucepan just covered with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, cover & stand.

Last night we had a pork fillet with a roasted vegetable salad. For 300g pork, combine 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 clove of crushed garlic, 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary, zest of half a lemon in a bowl & season with salt & pepper. Rub over the pork & set aside.

Combine 2 parsnips & 2 carrots peeled & sliced on the diagonal, 1 red onion peeled & quartered, 4 cloves of garlic, (skin on, tops cut off), in a roasting dish, toss in a little olive oil & season. Roast at 200C about 40 mins.

Make a dressing for the veg of 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard and some finely snipped chives. Brown the pork on all sides in a hot pan then roast for 12 minutes. Just pop a small roasting dish along side the vegetables. When done cover loosely with foil & rest for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are done add some chopped spinach leaves to the pan and let wilt down for a few minutes then toss with dressing and add the sliced pork.

I served with Puy lentils which are pretty much my standard accompaniment to pork. Soften a shallot , a clove of garlic, half a celery stick , half a carrot & a rasher of streaky bacon, all finely chopped. Once softened a cup of Puy lentils and stir until slick with oil, then add a bay leaf, a tsp grainy mustard and a cup of red wine. Cook down, then add 2 cups water, bring to the boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary. I do this with most pork dishes, roast chicken and it is delicious with a garden salad, especially with left over cold pork or chicken sliced in & feta cheese. A few years ago Harriet had a friend whose household did not run to garlic or soy sauce. Puy lentils were new to him and his friendship was obviously the year of the Puy lentil. He asked if we ate them at every meal because his visits always coincided with a meal that included them. I probably do them around once a month and I always make enough to have cold with a salad for lunch. In summer I cook them up after work to take for lunch the next day.

This afternoon I made a batch of fresh tomato sauce to freeze. I use a 2550g tin which makes the equivalent of about 6 bought jars and costs less than half. Start by softening 3 finely chopped onions and 9 cloves or garlic with about 200g finely chopped streaky bacon. Add 3 finely chopped carrots, 300ml red or white wine and the tin of chopped tomatoes. Bring rapidly to the boil and after about 10 minutes add some dried oregano & season with salt & pepper. I add sugar as well because it brings out the tomato flavour. Simmer a further half hour & leave to cool. I blend it a little either in the blender or with the stick thing and freeze in about 1 cup portions. I often use this when a recipe calls for a tin of tomatoes. It will keep around a week in the fridge. The giant tins of tomatoes are really good value. I also use them to make homemade tomato ketchup.

This week we brought the olives out for inspection. When we opened the jar we were greeted with a rather unattractive furry covering which told us they were ready. Phoebe was somewhat alarmed but apparently this is what helps to preserve them. You rinse them well before the final bottling. Put them in sterilised jars & cover with a brine - ratio 1 L water to 75g salt, add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar the gently pour a layer of olive oil on the top. Seal & refrigerate once opened. We opened & served to Harriet who is an olive connoisseur. She gave them the thumbs up.

And lastly you must get some Clevedon Valley buffalo yoghurt. This is delicious. It has a wonderful sharpness. I am using the mozzarella this evening with a pumpkin cannelloni so will let you know how I get on.