gnocchi di nonna paola

Potato Gnocchi with Tomato-Porcini Sauce [Via Chow] [Video recipe] [Photo by Chow] 4 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes (about 8 large potatoes) 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring work surfaces About 2 cups Tomato-Porcini Sauce 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish Heat the oven to 450°F. Fill a large pot with about 9 quarts of cold water and bring to a boil. Stir in enough salt so that the water tastes salty, about 6 tablespoons kosher salt or 3 tablespoons fine salt. Keep warm until ready to cook. Set potatoes on the oven rack and bake until tender...

heston’s perfe...

I’m a big, big fan of Heston Blumenthal. I don’t think he’s crazy, snob, pretentious or anything like that. In fact, the accountant-turned-amazing chef (precision, anyone?) not only inspires me to do things the best way, he also makes me feel quite normal as I give in to many...

homemade spree: Baba...

Being married to an Italian-Lebanese man, I’ve learned to know, appreciate and fall in love with the Lebanese cuisine (I’m Italian myself, so I was born in love with anything Italian already). We try to eat Lebanese as often as we can – it’s healthy, full of flavor with...

Homemade Nutella

Obsessing about food is pretty much what I do all the time, let alone the days when I’m on a diet. Like today. In such cases, watching cooking videos, reading Michelin starred menus and remembering of old recipes is mandatory to keep the cravings under control – at least in my case, that is. So today’s homemade recipe is brought to you by an intense craving of chocolate. And sweetness. And gorgeous texture to spread on a thick slice of bread. And bread, for that matter. You get the picture: I’m talking about Nutella. Having tried Nutella again and again after I started turning health-conscious led me to one conclusion...

homemade ketchup

As much as I hate mayonnaise and am a little bit neutral towards mustard, I really, really, really heart ketchup. But as picky as I am, I normally have a pretty hard time finding a good ketchup that I don’t feel the need to “adjust” before serving. So, one fine day, we...

pasta carbonara, the Italian way

People say creativity in the kitchen is a must. I agree – but not every time. There’s something about the Italian cuisine that is priceless, totally admirable: Italians cook wonders with the poorest, fewest ingredients in the whole world. Most of the famous dishes made in Italy will ask for as little as 5 or so ingredients – and chances are the recipes will cost you very little money & time. Italian food is simple, genuine (we much prefer ingredients that are in season, not only for their price, but for their superior quality and flavor), easy to make, and definitely one of the most satisfying. I know very few people...

homemade spree: sush...

Sushi time! One might think… why make sushi at home when I can go to a nice Japanese restaurant and enjoy some of their finest creations without bothering to dip my hands into some sticky rice? Well, if you live in Italy, like me, you probably already know the answer – Japanese (or...

homemade spree: cand...

Lately I have been into anything and everything homemade. So much so that whenever I get the chance to cook something from scratch – something I’d normally find OK to buy ready-made, in a box, from a supermarket – I feel empowered. Like there’s nothing I can’t do...