Live the Live ™

When it comes to new dinner dishes, my daughter and I often look on line for inspiration. She found a recipe that featured gnocchi and prosciutto in a garlicky cream sauce with a splash of truffle oil. We came up with two similar dishes based on our individual preferences.

I had cured my own guanciale a while ago, and I had a few slabs of it in the freezer, so we decided we’d use that as our salty pork instead of the prosciutto. And we weren’t in the mood for gnocchi, so we went to the local market and found frozen raviolis from Venda, a well-known shop in Providence’s Federal Hill (our little Italy.) My daughter went the cheese ravioli route…I opted for porcini mushroom raviolis.

We boiled 2 separate pots of salted water for the raviolis, and we had 2 separate pans to make our cream sauces. They started basically the same, but ended up different and delicious in their own ways.

Like many first time recipes, it’s not about measurements. It’s about the ingredients. As long as you’re familiar with what goes in, add as much or as little of it as you like.

Ava’s dish: Cheese ravioli with a Parmesan garlic cream sauce with guanciale, chicken breast, peas and truffle oil.

Package of cheese ravioli
1/2 head of roasted garlic
4 oz chopped guanciale
Light cream or half-and-half
Chopped fresh parsley
Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
Chicken breast pieces, fully cooked
Frozen peas
Truffle oil
Fleur de Sel

My dish: Porcini ravioli with a Parmesan garlic cream sauce with guanciale, chicken breast, peas and porcini mushrooms.

Package of porcini ravioli
1/2 head roasted garlic
4 oz chopped guanciale
Light cream or half-and-half
Chopped fresh parsley
Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
Chicken breast pieces, already cooked
Frozen peas
Dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
Reserved porcini liquid, strained and reduced
Fleur de Sel

Both dishes: I start by roasting an entire head of garlic. I slice the top off of it, drizzle some olive oil on it, and wrap it in foil, placing it in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. I unwrap it and let it cool a bit so it’s easier to handle.

In a pan, I heat up some olive oil and cook the chicken breast, which I cut into 1/2” pieces that I seasoned with salt and pepper. I stir the pieces in the pan constantly until they’re cooked all the way through. I set the chicken aside.

I start the 2 pots of salted water for the raviolis over high heat.

My dish: I rehydrate some dried porcini mushrooms in hot water. I chop the mushrooms up and set them aside. I strain the liquid, and reduce it to 1/2 cup or so.

I put the 2 pans on medium heat, adding a little olive oil, and then cooking the guanciale until it’s crispy, but not burned. I remove the guanciale from the pans, but leave the fat.

I squeeze half of the roasted garlic head into each pan, stirring, and then add the cream. I sprinkle in the parsley and the cheese. I add the cooked chicken pieces. A little freshly cracked black pepper.

When the raviolis are even firmer than al dente, I remove them from the boiling water and place them in the individual pans, stirring well.

Ava’s dish: I add the peas, stirring to warm them up, and add back the guanciale. Truffle oil, to taste, at the end. When serving, I season at the very end with Fleur de Sel.

My dish: I add the peas, the mushrooms and the mushroom liquid, and let the sauce reduce until it thickens a bit. I add back the guanciale. When serving, I season at the very end with Fleur de Sel.

I’ve probably got a dozen really great barbecue sauce recipes. But these days, it seems I’m always gravitating toward this one. It’s sharp and vinegar-based so it has that acidic kick, and goes great with beef and chicken, but especially pork.

I’ve used this sauce when making tacos with ground beef, pulled pork, ribs, and grilled chicken, as well as a whole roasted bird. Lip-smackin’ good!

Let’s make it…

2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons white vinegar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until until the flavors have blended and it has thickened a bit–about 20 minutes.

If you store it in an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep for weeks.

With gluten-sensitive people in my family, I have always been on the hunt for the best gluten-free pizza crust recipe. I’ve tried everything from ready-made crusts with cauliflower, to a variety of gluten-free flour recipes. But I finally found a gluten-free pizza crust that tastes–and smells– like real pizza should!

In some ways, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the gluten-free flour comes from an Italian company based in Naples that has been making regular 00 pizza flour since 1924. The company is Caputo, and they are the standard when it comes to pizza flour.

What sets the Caputo gluten-free flour apart from all the others that I’ve used in the past is that the main ingredient is gluten-free wheat starch, a slightly controversial ingredient. Only a trace of gluten remains after the removal process, so it’s considered gluten-free, and those with gluten sensitivities, even those with Celiac, can use it. Those with a wheat allergy (not the same as a gluten allergy) should still stay away (or check with their doctor) because wheat starch is, after all, a wheat product.

But what a difference the wheat starch makes in flavor and texture!

As it turns out, the makers of my Ooni pizza oven also recommend this flour for making gluten-free pizzas.

There are several versions of this recipe, so I took what makes sense to me from all of them, and created my own.

Accurate measurements are important, so I use a kitchen scale to weigh out everything. I got a really inexpensive one on Amazon, and it has become an essential tool in my kitchen. It’s totally worth the investment.

540g Caputo Fioreglut Gluten Free Flour
430g warm water, about 110 degrees
17g salt
10g instant dry yeast
15g olive oil

Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and mix it into the flour.

Pour the water into a Pyrex measuring cup and place it in the microwave for 60 seconds on high. How much longer it will need after that will depend on your microwave oven, so measure the temperature carefully. You want the water to be no more than 110 degrees, or you’ll kill the yeast.

Pour the yeast into the warm water and stir. Add a pinch of sugar (optional) to feed the yeast. It should foam up in 5 to 10 minutes.

Connect the dough hook to the mixing bowl and set it on slower speed.

When the yeast has foamed up, add the olive oil to it, and then pour everything into the mixing bowl.

Increase the speed of the mixer and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes, making sure it grabs all the flour that might be clinging to the sides of the bowl.

When the dough has combined, stop the mixer and remove the dough hook. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm area for 1 to 2 hours.

When the dough has roughly doubled in size, divide it into 2 equal portions, rolling them into balls. It may collapse on you, but that’s normal. Dust your hands with flour to keep it from sticking.

Place the 2 dough balls into a well-floured airtight tray (individual bowls covered with plastic wrap work well, too) and let them rise again for at least an hour. You can let it go up to 5 hours, if needed.

Pre-heat your oven (whether it’s in your kitchen or outdoors) to its highest temperature. If using the kitchen oven, invest in a pizza stone. It goes into a cold oven and needs time to heat up.

Grab your pizza peel and flour it liberally. Take a ball of dough out of the container and place it on the peel. Rather than stretching it and tossing it like regular pizza dough, you need to be gentle with gluten-free dough, so simply press down on it with your fingertips, stretching it out as you go. Form a higher edge for the crust, if you like. If you push down too hard, or stretch too much, it will tear, so be careful.

When the dough is stretched to a 1/4” thickness, pick up the pizza peel and give it a gentle shake to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to the peel. (If it is, carefully lift up one side of the dough and toss some flour under it. Do the same on the other side, then test-shake the dough again.)

Put the toppings on the dough only when you know it’s not sticking to the peel!

The standard pizza margarita is great, but one of my favorites was this one…

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz mozzarella, grated
4 oz prosciutto
Fresh baby arugula
Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved slices

The bottom layer of the toppings is a béchamel sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until it’s combined. Keep whisking, and add the heavy cream. When it thickens, take it off the heat and set it aside. If it’s too thick, just add a little water to it and whisk again.

To build the pizza, stretch out the dough on the peel, making sure it doesn’t stick to it. Spread the bechamel sauce over the dough, stopping at the edges, just like you would tomato sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Slide the pizza into the oven and bake it until golden brown. (In the case of gluten-free dough, it’s better to bake it a bit more than a bit less.)

As soon as you pull the pizza out of the oven, scatter the prosciutto over the top of the hot pie, then sprinkle the arugula on top of that. Finally, top with the slices of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

The fifth almost-annual “Boys’ Weekend” at my house is coming up next weekend, and when we’re doing a lot of drinking, we need a solid breakfast the following morning! My home fries have become a staple, crucial for our recovery.

Home fries are a simple thing. But we’ve all been to a diner where the home fries they served tumbled out of a bag of frozen pre-cut potatoes, and tasted like cardboard. It’s time home fries got the respect they deserve.

Let’s get one thing out in the open from the very beginning: home fries were never meant to be low in calories! Mine are definitely not diet food! So, as you read this blog, if you’re shaking your head at the fat and calories, know that I know that you know!

3 lbs. Yukon gold or yellow potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2″ cubes (optional, see below)
1 lb. bacon, chopped
2 Vidalia onions, finely chopped
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

I like my potatoes with the skin on, so I remove any blemishes on the skins, then cut the potatoes in approximately 1/2” cubes. Some can be larger, some smaller, and they don’t have to be perfect squares. The smaller pieces will cook and soften faster, while the larger pieces will retain their shape and texture.

Place the cut potatoes in a pot of clean, cold water over high heat on the stove. (If using sweet potatoes, boil them in a separate pot. See below.) Add a little Kosher salt to the water. Let the potatoes cook until they are a bit al dente…a bit underdone. They will cook some more later in the pan. Drain them and set the potatoes aside.

While the bacon is frying, finely chop the two onions. Add the onions to the pan when the bacon has cooked completely. Now, here’s where eyebrows are often raised: Leave all the bacon fat in the pan!

Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent.

Now add the drained potatoes to the pan, mixing well, coating the potato pieces in the bacon fat.

Lightly season the potatoes with the Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Remember: there’s a lot of salt already in the pan from the bacon.

Cook the potatoes, mixing well, and then add the butter in small pieces, scattered around the pan. Keep mixing until the potatoes brown a little.

One option that I really like and started doing only recently: I add a pound or two of sweet potatoes to the mix. I keep the measurements of all the other ingredients exactly the same. I boil the sweet potatoes separately from the regular potatoes, because they cook more quickly. I drain them and set them aside and then mix them with the regular potatoes in the pan.