Spicyicecream

Very Excited

I was very excited to learn about the Daring Cooks, a new group added to the Daring Kitchen family. Based on the same guidelines as the Daring Bakers, but diving headfirst into the wonderful and amazingly varied area of cooking. I signed up right away and couldn’t wait for the first challenge to be announced. However, when I found out it was Ricotta Gnocchi, I felt a little unsure. Ricotta is one of those foods I am trying to like, but I’m not quite there yet. It didn’t help that last year I made similar ricotta dumplings to go into a vegetable soup and I disliked them so much, I never blogged about it!

But, in the spirit of the Daring Cooks, I decided to give the recipe a go anyway. I am not one to back away from a challenge! I am so very glad I did because it was great! It is a nice thing to be surprised at how well a recipe turned out, far better than all of your expectations, and that is how I felt with this dish. The whole process was very simple and only took about an hour of actual hands on time.

Pushing the ricotta through a sieve gave it a lovely smooth texture. I flavoured it with fresh thyme because I wasn’t able to find sage, and it’s one of my favourite wintery herbs. I imagine that this mixture would also make a great filling for ravioli. I decided to lightly pan-sear my gnocchi and made a simple butter and thyme sauce based on the recipe given. I also threw in a handful of walnuts for some extra crunch.

Next time – and I think there will be a next time – I will make the gnocchi a little smaller as they expand while cooking and try to shape them a little more uniformly so they all cook evenly. I really enjoyed this challenge, much more than I originally thought I would, this is a killer recipe that can be tinkered with in so many ways. I am already thinking about what I’ll do differently next time, but that is a story for another day.

Ricotta Gnocchi
Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rogers
Serves 4-6

• 450g fresh ricotta
• 2 cold eggs, lightly beaten
• 15g unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pepper, to taste
• Plain flour, for forming the gnocchi

Brown Butter Sauce
• 8 tablespoons butter, sliced
• 2 teaspoons water
• Thyme leaves
• ¼ cup walnuts

1. The day before you made the gnocchi, test the ricotta. If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. Line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
2. To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible. Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.
3. Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the thyme. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt. Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).
4. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.
5. In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep. With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl. Using a teaspoon, scoop up some batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your fingertip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.
6. You can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.
7. Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes. If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.
8. Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them. Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour.
9. You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.
10. Bring the water back to the boil and drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
11. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add about half the gnocchi and fry until lightly golden. Remove from the pan, and repeat with the other half of the batch. Set aside.
12. Add the butter, water and thyme to the frying pan. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts and the butter starts to brown. Add the walnuts, and return the gnocchi to the pan, swirling to cover them with butter. Serve immediately.

Slow Food

I was lucky enough to be invited along to MuMu Grill’s first ever ‘Take It Slow’ night recently – a celebration of slow food, with matching wines by the Mr Riggs Wine Company. Mumu Grill is an upmarket steakhouse and grill located in Crows Nest. Owner and chef Craig Macindoe believes in using sustainable produce but still being able to offer affordable prices, and his knowledgeable and passionate is evident in everything he says and does.

A major incentive to arrive early was the promise of a kitchen tour. It was exciting to see behind the scenes of an event such as this one. Craig showed us the lamb in the cool room, and explained a little about how the Arcadia Saltbush lamb was raised and how hanging the meat makes it more tender. We were invited to mingle in the bar, and to try the 18 month Jamon served on Catalan Bread with tomato oil.

Graham Strong from Arcadia Saltbush Lamb expanded on what Craig had explained earlier, telling us more about the diet and lifestyle of the lambs. The Old Man Saltbush is a plant with deep roots into the soil that give the animals the minerals they need and in turn helps to reduce the salinity of the soil. The leg of lamb is slow roasted for 13 hours, and the cutlets from the mid-section are cooked medium-rare. This produces the most spectacularly tender meat you can imagine. It is served with a tasty minted eggplant and white bean puree, green beans and beetroot jus. The flavours all work well with the lamb and this is an absolutely delicious dish.

Ben Riggs chatted to us about the wine being served tonight, and his long and fascinating history in the wine-making business. Proceeds from ‘The Gaffer’ Shiraz (that was served with the lamb) go to acquiring a patent for breast cancer research that could be revolutionary in treating one of the most prevalent diseases in Australia.

I was so looking forward to trying the 2 ½ hour double roasted duck. Having been cooked in it’s own juices, the tender meat literally fell off the bones, and had a gorgeous crispy skin. I loved the cute poached pears and the bok choy; the flavours all went beautifully together. It was served with Mr Riggs Shiraz Viognier, a blend of white and red grapes to create more delicate red wine. It was an extremely generous serving and I wondered how I was going to fit in any dessert!

But when this beauty was set in front of me, I was tempted to lick the plate clean. I’d never had a brown sugar pavlova before, but the taste was amazing, and the pineapple and seasonal fruit was delicious with the whipped cream. I also fell in love with the Mr Riggs Sticky End Viognier, a zesty yet sweet dessert wine made with air-dried, hand picked grapes. It was a wonderful night, and a great chance to share an excellent meal with old friends and new. Check out Lorraine’s, Howard’s, Arwen’s, Jen’s, Steph’s, Simon’s, Shez’s, Anna’s and Trina’s blogs for their posts about the night!

MuMu Grill, Shop 70-76 Alexander St Crows Nest

Strawberry Picking

Port Macquarie is a picturesque beachside town, almost 400km north of Sydney on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. It’s where we spent most of our family vacations during my childhood and the home of many fond memories. Settled in 1821 as a convict settlement, it has a rich history present in the architecture of many surviving buildings and even the lobby of our hotel was built with hand made ‘convict bricks’ each with unique markings. It had been quite a few years since my last trip up to Port, but I decided to join my family when they came up this year for a few days of rest and relaxation after Easter. Unfortunately the weather was not as nice as usual, in fact I think there was some record amounts of rain in the time we were up there! The beach was admired from afar, and I was more likely to put on a scarf than a swimming costume.

The highlight of the trip though, was going strawberry picking. I have long been wanting to pick my own fruit, and I know there are several places outside of Sydney to pick apples and cherries at different times of the year but I don’t drive, which makes things a bit more difficult. I was excited when I found out that there was a pick-your-own strawberry farm nearby and because the strawberries were grown in large greenhouses, you can pick them all year round. There is also a café and a small market where other fresh vegetables are available, including gorgeous vine-ripened tomatoes.

Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries are located about 10 minutes north of Port Macquarie. Entry is free and you only pay for what you pick. When you arrive, you are given a bucket that holds about a kilogram and a pair of scissors, then you’re sent on your way to the greenhouse where you’ll pick as many gorgeous red strawberries as your bucket will hold. It was so satisfying to scan the aisles and aisles of strawberry plants and come across a perfectly ripe strawberry to add to the bucket, and soon it was full. Even the air smelled wonderful.

The strawberries were tiny and sweet. I wanted to do something special with them, perhaps make some jam or to adorn a pavlova, but we ended up eating them either plain or for dessert with some nice vanilla ice cream. The kilo we picked disappeared surprisingly quickly, and we considered going back to pick some more but unfortunately there wasn’t time before we came home. We also bought some lovely tomatoes, which were absolutely perfect on some crusty bread with oil, vinegar and fresh basil for an appetizer. Strawberry picking would be a great activity to do with kids, but we all loved it too, and would definitely do it again!

Higher Calling

Sometimes a girl just needs cookies. It’s a very specific and completely non-negotiable craving, and you just can’t go past the prolific chocolate chip. They are comforting and familiar, and exactly what I needed last Saturday. That, and a pair of cookie pants! Conveniently, they were also the choice for April in the Tartine Cookbook challenge that Mark and I have been doing this year, and I’m happy to say, another successful Tartine recipe.

The thing that interested me most about Tartine’s version of the chocolate chip cookie was the addition of oats and walnuts. It sounded like a winning combination, and I assure you it was. But they are a completely different species to the ones I proclaimed as my favourite ever last year, the famous New York Times cookies. It’s such an incredibly subjective thing, but I’d have to say my heart still lies with the New York Times beauties, because the perfect cookie has to have substance and just a little bit of crunch. And lots of chocolate. That’s a given, really.

Tartine’s were the flat and chewy variety, but this isn’t a bad thing. I think I’ve found their higher calling – an ice cream sandwich. Inspiration struck on the train home one evening and I was thrilled. I was also tempted to eat cookies for dinner, I won’t lie. This time I used vanilla ice cream, but my mind spins with the many flavours that would work especially well – white chocolate, espresso, and caramel just to name a few. Also, make sure you go and check out Mark’s blog too, he has just posted some delicious looking double chocolate cookies!

Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Cookies
Makes 24
Recipe adapted from Tartine

• 340g bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 225g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons golden syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk (I used soy milk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Coarsely chop the chocolate into pieces. Chill in the freezer until needed.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flower, baking powder, baking soda and oats. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the treacle and beat until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition before adding the next egg. Beat in the milk, vanilla and salt and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well incorporated. Scrape the sides again and fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts with a spatula.
5. Have a small bowl of water ready. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet with an icecream scoop. Dip your fingers into the water and press out each scoop into a thin, flat, 3-inch circle.
6. Bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers remain pale, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Real Treat

I had a bit of a love affair with pears last winter, maybe you remember? I thought that maybe after a few months of berries and mangoes I might have moved on from this obsession. But to be completely honest I couldn’t help myself, and snapped up the some of the first pears I saw at the markets. It gave me the same kind of rush as buying a fabulous new coat. This is what they turned into – a pear, vanilla and cardamom lattice pie for the annual Easter lunch with the whole family at my Nanna’s house.

I often make a dessert for these rather large gatherings and I love making something different every time. It’s nice to have a panel of willing taste testers, who I know will be honest with me! In the past there has been Red Velvet cake for Christmas, cheesecake last Easter, and I’m already thinking about what I might bring to Mother’s Day lunch! This pie went down a real treat, with only one slice left at the end of the day.

I loved that it wasn’t too sweet, the pastry was buttery and flaky and I even managed a proper lattice pattern, unlike last time! The original recipe from the beautiful blog Milk Eggs Chocolate suggests using agave nectar in place of raw sugar in the filling. I didn’t have any handy, but this substitution would make the pie entirely sugar free. The only thing I might change for next time is to possibly experiment with a little brown butter infused with the vanilla bean in the filling, or to add a splash of brandy or pear liqueur. That would turn this pie from something special to something extraordinary.

Pear Vanilla and Cardamom Lattice Pie
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Milk Eggs Chocolate

Crust
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 220g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1cm cubes
• 8 tablespoons (or more) ice water
• 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Filling
• 4-5 medium size pears, cored and thinly sliced
• ¼ – 1/3 cup raw sugar
• ¼ cup plain flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

1. To make the pastry, blend flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms.
2. Add 8 tablespoons of ice water and the vinegar and blend until moist clumps form. If it looks too dry, add more water one tablespoon at a time.
3. Gather dough together and turn onto a work surface. Divide in half and flatten each into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes – 1 hour.
4. In the meantime, combine pears, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cardamom and vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Toss to blend well and let stand for about 30 minutes, or until the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. To assemble the pie, lightly grease your pie dish with non-stick spray. Roll out one disc of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to a 35cm round. Transfer to pie dish and line bottom. Roll out the second disc to the same size and cut 2cm wide strips. Arrange strips in one direction across top of the pie, spacing apart. Working with one strip at a time, arrange more strips in opposite direction, lifting and weaving to form a lattice. Gently press ends of strips to edge of bottom crust to adhere. Trim overhand.
6. Bake pie for 35-45 minutes or until filling bubbles thickly and lattice is golden brown. Cool on pie rack. Serve warm or room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

Devil’s Food White Out Cake

When I asked my sister what kind of birthday cake she’d like, she said, “surprise me.” She was turning 16, and I wanted to do something a little bit special for her. I looked through several cookbooks for inspiration, but for some reason, I kept coming back to Dorie Greenspan’s Devil’s Food White Out Cake, the one gracing the cover of ‘Baking From My Home To Yours’. A rich and dark Devil’s Food cake covered with fluffy snow-white marshmallow frosting and topped with yet more cake? It was meant to be.

You may notice that my cake has only two layers. Yes, because I don’t own an 8-inch cake pan, I baked this in a 9-inch one, which meant that the cakes were just a little to thin to cut them in half again for a third layer. Nevertheless, this cake was absolutely delicious.

I think the secret to a really great chocolate cake is buttermilk. At least that is the common factor in all of the best chocolate cakes I’ve made in recent times. The cake was moist and rich but became beautifully fudgy in texture after being in the fridge. The icing was a nice balance to the cake, it was sweet without being too rich, and gorgeously fluffy.

Beth helped me decorate it, by sprinkling the cake crumbs over the top and sides of the cake. She absolutely loved it, which is the most important thing. And I loved making her smile. At 16 years old, she’s already considerably taller than me. She has a big personality but an even bigger heart and I love her to bits. Happy Birthday Beth, my little-big sister.

Devil’s Food White Out Cake
Recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 12

Cake
• 1 1/3 cups plain flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 150g butter, room temperature
• ½ cup (packed) brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 55g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• ½ cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature
• ½ cup boiling water
• 115g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Filling and Frosting
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, and line with non-stick baking paper.
2. To make the cake, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, and then add the vanilla extract.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted chocolate. When fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point the batter will be thick, like frosting.
4. Mix in the boiling water on low speed, then with a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the baking pans and smooth the tops with the spatula.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans at the halfway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool to room temperature.
6. When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers, level them off and cut each cake in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer. Set the crumbs aside.
7. To make the frosting, put the egg whites in a clean dry mixer bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand. Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a medium size saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow to syrup to boil until it reaches 117ºC (242ºF) on the candy thermometer.
8. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the eggs. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to love and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup between the beaters and the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating until the egg whites are room temperature, about 5 minutes. It should be smooth, shiny and marshmallowy.
9. To assemble, place the bottom layer cut side up on a cake plate. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down and frost the sides and top of the cake. Then cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing into the filling with your fingers. Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving.

My Favourite

Last week was exhausting. Between working back, a few late nights, feeling the beginnings of a cold and then having to work on my day off, by the time the end of the week came around I really, really understood the meaning of the age-old saying “TGIF!” But on the way to work on Friday, I had a little stickybeak at the Rocks Markets and found figs – gorgeous dark purple figs, which I bought without a second thought.

I usually try not to impulse buy fruit and vegetables without a clear idea of what I’m going to do with them, but I just couldn’t resist these figs. It was especially exciting because Nanna’s fig tree had a poor yield this season, with the wet, humid weather and the birds who got to them before we could! So I wanted to show them off in the simplest way possible, and what better than a seasonal salad, just perfect for this time of year.

Figs and hazelnuts seem to be best friends, and they are one of my favourite flavour combinations. I simply roasted the nuts in the oven for a few minutes so I could easily remove the skins. The recipe that inspired the salad had a balsamic reduction, in which you cook down some balsamic vinegar until it’s thick. I skipped this step, but next time I might try it. I also couldn’t find any hazelnut oil so I substituted with macadamia oil, which is more readily available.

I feel a little silly actually giving a recipe for this, because it’s so simple, but it’s more a set of instructions for assembling it. You could serve this on it’s own as a light lunch or a starter, or as I did as a side dish to a gorgeous prosciutto and quince paste wrapped chicken breast, which was delicious.

Fig and Hazelnut Salad
Recipe inspired by Notebook magazine
Serves 1 (but easily scaled up)

For each person
• Large handful of mixed greens or watercress, rinsed and patted dry
• 2-3 figs, torn in half
• 5-6 hazelnuts
• Macadamia Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Place hazelnuts in a shallow metal baking dish and roast for 5 minutes. Place warm hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub with your hands to remove the skins. This is more easily done when they are still warm.
2. In a bowl or on a plate, assemble the lettuce and the torn figs on top. Scatter over the hazelnuts, dress with macadamia oil and balsamic vinegar and serve.

Fig, Ginger and Macadamia Cookies

These cookies were inspired by some very pretty specimens, waiting in jars at the counter of the Fine Food Store in the Rocks. I go there for lunch quite often, because it’s a nice stroll from my office and I’m in love with their roasted vegetable sandwich. I am often tempted by the incredible variety of gourmet products, and of course the delicious cupcakes and other sweet treats in the glass cabinet. Fig, ginger and macadamia sounded like a delicious combination – so perfect for this cooler autumn weather we’ve been having – that I vowed to try making them myself.

I love the concept of ‘slice and bake’ cookies. They are not only incredibly easy to prepare but can be customised in almost any way you can dream up. They can even be frozen in logs for baking later! I used a recipe I’ve had success with before and simply added chopped dried figs, macadamias and candied ginger. The result is just delicious, with a variety of flavours and textures in every bite – crumbly, crunchy and chewy – and just perfect with a cup of green tea on a cool, rainy afternoon.

Fig, Ginger and Macadamia Cookies
Adapted from Cookies
Makes 48

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ cup rice flour
• 1/3 cup cornflour
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ cup dried figs, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup macadamias, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons candied ginger, roughly chopped

1. Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the sifted flours in two batches, and then add the milk. Beat until just combined.
2. With a wooden spoon stir in figs, macadamias and ginger until evenly distributed.
3. Divide mixture in half. Knead each half on a floured surface until smooth, then roll each half into 25cm long logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 160ºC (320ºF). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
5. Cut the logs into 1cm slices and place about 3cm apart on oven trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

Daring Bakers: March

March was a very big month in Daring Bakers land. The highly anticipated new website finally went live, and it’s a beauty. Even if you’re not a Daring Baker, there is still lots that will take your fancy, so go and check it out. There is also a brand new set of icons, you can see the sassy ‘Miss Measure’ over in my sidebar. Another addition to the Daring Kitchen community was announced – The Daring Cooks, and I am looking forward to hearing more about that and participating soon. And last but not least, this month’s challenge once again found me trying something I’d never done before – making fresh pasta.

The March challenge consisted of:
– Making fresh spinach egg pasta (pasta verde)
– Making béchamel (white sauce)
– Making a ragu
– Assembling the lasagne

I have to say, I really liked this challenge. I found kneading the pasta to be almost like a cardio workout, but rolling it (with the help of a pasta machine) was quite relaxing, and with all the separate elements prepared in advance, assembling the lasagne was a breeze. Even though I followed the pasta recipe to the letter, I found that I needed to add another egg but this helped immensely and I was very happy with the result. I definitely want to try making ravioli in the future as well, and experiment with other pasta flavours, though the spinach used here was delicious.

I used an alternate recipe for the ragu, using veal and pork that we had minced ourselves using the mincer attachment for our stand mixer. It was delicious and meaty, and after simmering for a few hours, it had a great depth of flavour. The béchamel recipe given was also very easy to prepare, though we had the option to use our own. On the five-hour plane trip to Perth earlier this month, I was watching the cooking channel and heard a tip about infusing the milk with some garlic and onion before adding it to the butter and flour mixture, which could give it a very interesting flavour, and may be something I’ll try in the future.

To make things a bit easier, I split the process up – making the sauce one day, and then making the pasta, béchamel and assembling it the next. The whole process was quite time consuming but I would have to say it was completely worth it. The sauce can even be made in advance and frozen which cuts down the preparation time significantly.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna
Serves 8-10

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
• 2 jumbo eggs (I found that I needed 3)
• 300g fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and finely chopped
• 3 ½ cups unbleached plain flour

Béchamel Sauce
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g unbleached plain flour
• 2 2/3 cup (570ml) milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Ragu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 800g mixed beef and veal mince
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 x jars tomato paste
• ¾ cup red wine
• Finely chopped rosemary, to taste
• Fresh red chilli, finely sliced, to taste (optional)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmigano Reggiano

1. To make the ragu, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan until hot. Add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring, until slightly browned. Add about 1/3 of the mince and continue to cook until mince is well browned. Transfer to a large saucepan. Cook the next 1/3 of the mince, transfer to a bowl and repeat for the last third.
2. Set the saucepan with mince over the heat, add tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, olive oil, rosemary, chilli (if using), salt and pepper. Stir until it reaches the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours.
3. To make the pasta, mound the flour in the center of your work area and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach, and use a wooden spoon to beat them together. Gradually start incorporating flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last of the flour into the dough. It should look like a rough, messy lump.
4. Start kneading the dough, using the scraper to scoop up any unruly pieces. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, knead for about 3 minutes. It should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, satiny and very elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it relax at room temperature for 30 minutes – 3 hours.
5. Cut off about a quarter of the dough, and re-wrap the rest to prevent it from drying out. Roll into a roughly long and thin rectangular shape. Set your pasta machine to its thickest setting and roll the dough through the machine. Continue rolling through each setting, cutting the dough into sections if it becomes too difficult to handle, until it becomes as thin as possible without tearing. You should be able to see your hand through the dough.
6. Repeat with remaining dough, and either use immediately or dry at room temperature and store in a sealed container or plastic bag for 1 day.
7. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Sift in the flour and whisk until smooth, stirring without stopping for at least one minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg.
8. To assemble the lasagne, have all ingredients on hand. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Layer the ingredients repeating in this order – pasta sheets, béchamel, ragu, Parmigano Reggiano, and finishing with a layer of pasta, béchamel, cheese, salt and pepper. Cover the baking dish with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake for 40 minutes or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. When cooked, turn the oven off and let the lasagne rest inside for a further 10 minutes, then serve. This is not a solid lasagne but one that slips a bit when cut and served.

Buttermilk Scones

I find that the urge to bake sometimes strikes me at the strangest times. But some weekends, as soon as I wake up, I know I must get my hands into some flour and bake up something delicious. That was the case on Saturday morning, although a quick walk to the supermarket was needed before I could go any further. It was gorgeously sunny at the time, although within a few minutes of stepping in the front door again, the sky clouded over and it began to rain hard. I love rainy day baking.

The recipe I picked for March in the Tartine Cookbook Project I’m doing with Mark was the Buttermilk Scones, which make an absolutely perfect morning or afternoon snack with a steaming hot cup of tea. These are not the kind of scones I am used to making – usually they are made with whipped cream and a little milk instead of butter and buttermilk, but I loved these all the same.

They seemed more rustic and hearty than the light and dainty cream scones. Originally I was going to substitute dried cranberries for the black currants, but this time I decided to stay true to the recipe. There is no reason that you couldn’t substitute other dried fruit such as apricots, cherries or chopped dates and figs.

I used to be nervous about making scones, but I have learned that the less you work the dough, the more tender and delicious they will be. In this recipe, being able to see some of the butter pieces is important because they will make the scones nice and flaky. The scones are at their absolute best when still warm from the oven. Also, make sure you go and check out Mark’s post about the delicious looking Banana and Date Teacake!

Buttermilk Scones
Adapted From Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson
Makes 12 scones

• ½ cup black currants
• 4 ¾ cups plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 250g unsalted butter, very cold
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated

Topping
• About 3 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
• Raw sugar, or granulated sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
2. To make the dough, first combine currants with warm water in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until the currants are plumped. Drain well.
3. In the meantime, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Cut the butter into 1cm cubes and scatter over the dry ingredients. Turn on the mixer, and pulse until you have a coarse mixture with pea-sized lumps of butter visible.
5. Add the buttermilk, lemon zest and currants and mix on low speed or with a wooden spoon until the dough just holds together. If the mixture seems dry, add a little more buttermilk. You still want to see some of the butter pieces at this point, which will add to the flakiness of the scones once they are baked.
6. Dust a flat work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Using your hands, press the dough into a rectangle about 45cm (18 inches) long by 12cm (5 inches) wide and 4cm (1 ½ inches) high. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Using a chef’s knife, cut the dough into 12 triangles and transfer to the baking sheets.
8. Bake the scones for 25-35 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

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