Well, it’s cold today!
It was bound to happen eventually - the inevitable day in October where temps dip below 50 degrees and I begin plotting mental health trips to warmer terrains.
To take our mind off the inevitable plunge into winter and seasonal depression, let’s talk about good things like dumplings and pasta. But before we do, a little housekeeping:
October cooking class
Next week’s pasta cooking class is now going to be on Wednesday, October 26th @ 7pm (instead of Tuesday as originally scheduled). I could make up a super serious reason for this last minute change but I’m going to be honest and say my good friend Brian (@briancantstopeating) invited me to be his guest for a super epic San Pellegrino event during which time I will be in Stanley Tucci’s presence and while I love you guys, I am not passing up the opportunity to meet Stanley Tucci
By popular demand (“demand” is a strong word but you know what I mean) we will be making my white lamb bolognese. It’s a cozy one and I can’t wait to share some tricks of the trade about how to make it extra decadent and delicious!
Did I mention this class is open to the public? As in all of you here reading this may participate so long as you are subscribed to this newsletter? All the details you need will be sent straight to your inbox in the next few days.
Lastly, did you listen to last week’s interview with Jordan Andino? Whenever I get together with someone like Jordan who is extremely talkative and hyper like I am, it’s a toss up - we either clash miserably OR (such as in this case) we have the best, most energetic and fun convo. I hope you listen to it and enjoy.
On that note - if you’re somehow reading this newsletter and are *not* subscribed, hit the button below to do so! Free and paid subscriptions are available and while I appreciate ANY subs, paying allows me to fund my work and ensure the future of this newsletter.
Xx,
Em
WHERE I’M EATING
B&D Halal: 263 W 30th St #3, New York, NY 10001
I recently had my first experience with fufu, a starchy West African dumpling of sorts. My definition of “dumpling” up to this point would not have classified fufu as a dumpling because it’s not filled - fufu serves as more of a vehicle for sauces and stews rather than existing as a self-sufficient, all-encompassing unit like most dumplings I’ve experienced in my lifetime. That said, it’s widely referred to as a dumpling in much the same way that the classic southern “chicken & dumplings” dumpling is (which I suspect owes its origin to fufu to begin with).
B&D Halal on West 30th street is a West African buffet serving an unimaginable variety of soups, stews, meats, rice, sauce, etc. I was incredibly overwhelmed because, in all honesty, I don’t have much experience with African food! But the cashier kindly made my plate for me, adding okra sauce to a pint container to be eaten with the fufu and instructing me to add some meat on top (I added lamb). She also gave me a side of hot sauce which was more like crushed vinegary peppers and it was VERY spicy and VERY delicious. Fufu doesn’t taste like much on its own - it provides more of a textural experience: stretchy, sticky and starchy. It does, however, do an amazing job of mopping up the okra sauce or whatever soup/stew it is eaten with. Thanks to Chef Lola I found out you’re supposed to rip off a chunk of the fufu, shape it into a disc-like thing, create a dent in the center to serve as a well for sauce, and then dip. My fufu technique needs some work but it has potential.
WHAT I’M COOKING
This squid ink raviolo with a bright, oozy orange egg yolk is my attempt at being festive - something I am inherently not. Not on purpose - I just didn’t grow up in a “let’s make food and decorate the house to be in alignment with the season/holidays” household. So given this information, I think I did pretty well because a bright orange egg yolk oozing out of black pasta gives strong Halloween vibes. Plus, of course, it is delicious because over here in the FLD kitchen we do not cook for the sake of the ‘gram, we cook things that taste good. The recipe is a *process* but it’s super fun and I hope you make it. Oh, and the bright orange eggs I use come from Happy Egg Co - they have a store locator if you’d like to buy some!
Squid ink Raviolo al Uovo
(makes about 8 raviolo)
WHAT YOU NEED
Filling:
2 cups ricotta, strained
Pinch of allspice
Zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
Salt + pepper to taste
8 eggs
Dough:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tbsp cuttlefish ink
Sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
1 stick butter
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Basil leaves + lemon zest for plating
WHAT YOU DO
Make squid ink pasta dough following my basic pasta dough recipe.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, make your filling: add ricotta*, allspice, lemon zest, basil and salt + pepper to a bowl. Mix then add to a piping bag (if using). If not, simply cover and refrigerate.
Work with ¼ of the dough at a time, replacing the rest in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Roll out the dough until it’s thin but not see-through - a level 6 on the KitchenAid pasta attachment. Place the pasta sheet on a well floured surface with the longest side closest to you. Cut the sheet in half horizontally so you are left with 2 rectangular pasta sheets. Place one of the sheets under a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.
We are making 2 raviolo at a time.
If using a pastry bag, pipe the ricotta mixture onto the pasta sheet, forming a nest for the egg yolk. Repeat a few inches down. If you don’t have a piping bag simply add 2 dollops of ricotta mixture (about 2 tbsp each) a few inches apart from each other on the pasta sheet. Use the bag of a spoon or an egg to create a nest for the yolk in the center.
Separate the yolk from the white and place the egg yolk in the ricotta nest. If the egg yolk breaks, don’t use it! If it breaks after you’ve placed it inside the well, do your best to scoop it out and use a new one.
Using a small bowl of water (or leftover egg white) and a pastry brush, dampen the area surrounding each dollop of filling. Place the second rectangular pasta sheet on top of this sheet and gently use your fingers to fuse the pasta sheets together around the mounds of filling and yolk. Use a small bowl, a large mug, or a cookie cutter to cut out 4 large, circular ravioli. I use a plastic pint container as my circumference and cut the raviolo out with my fluted pastry wheel for some pretty ruffled edges.
Place the finished raviolo on a floured sheet pan and repeat for the second. Repeat with the remaining dough, filling and eggs.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, add olive oil and sliced garlic to a skillet over medium heat. Once it becomes fragrant lower the heat and add lemon juice.
Drop the raviolo (or I guess technically the ravioli, plural), however many you’re making, into the water and set a time for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Up to 3 minutes should be fine but you want to avoid overcooking the yolk as it should be funny.
While the pasta cooks, add butter to the sauce skillet along with some salt to taste.
Plate each raviolo individually, drizzle with garlic butter sauce, and garnish with lemon zest + basil leaves if you’d like.
*the ricotta shouldn’t be too wet otherwise it’ll soak through the pasta dough. Ideally you’d strain the ricotta by wrapping it in a cheese cloth and allowing the excess liquid to drip off but in a pinch I take a fine mesh strainer, line it with paper towel, add the ricotta and place it in the sink. I let the towel soak up the excess liquid for about 30 minutes until the ricotta no longer appears wet.
WHAT I’M DRINKING
We should all quickly check and see if hell froze over because not only am I making a hot cocktail (very out of character, I love my drinks COLD including red wine) but it is also pretty sweet (whoa there) and involves a brown liquor (I’m a tequila/vodka/gin girl).
I’m having the best time experimenting with cocktail-making - an aspect of my culinary education that’s been sorely lacking to this point. To be fair, this cocktail recipe is more about making apple cider than it is crafting a cocktail but I had a blast making it and if you’re not an imbiber, it tastes heavenly with no liquor at all.
Spiked apple cider with cinnamon brown sugar whipped cream
WHAT YOU NEED
Cider:
10 apples, quartered
2 tsp vanilla
4 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp allspice
½ cup brown sugar
1-2 oz whisky, scotch or rum
Whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar (or more to taste)
1 tsp vanilla
WHAT YOU DO
Add apples, spices and brown sugar to a large pot of water - enough water that they’re submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours.
Use a potato masher to mash up the apples (which should be super soft at this point), then return the pot to a simmer for 30 minutes or so.
While this is happening, make your whipped cream: add all whipped cream ingredients to a mixing bowl and either whisk by hand or use a hand mixer to whip it until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Back to the cider: using a fine mesh strainer, strain the spices/apple bits from the liquid. This is apple cider! And if you’re anything like me you’ll be exorbitantly proud of making it for the first time from scratch.
Make sure the cider is hot. Pour into a mug, add 1-2oz liquor of your choice, topped with whipped cream, and maybe get fancy and garnish with a cinnamon stick and star anise.