#EdenCooks - Thursday, May 12th at 8pm EDT

Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
I've made it with parmasan cheese before, but the difference in taste wasn't so great that I felt I needed to continue doing it.
I don't know whether my Italian sauce composition / naming scheme is very orthodox, but usually when I add parmesan (to what I've called alfredo) it's almost more important in the texture than in the flavor.
05/12/2011
Contributor: BusyMe BusyMe
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
Now that the sauce is done, it should be time to move on to the potatoes. To make sure they are done, choose the largest potato and stick a fork into it. If the fork goes into the center with no resistance, you can be pretty assured that all the ... more
link mine has to be more I have about 30 pounds of potatoes right now..
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Hmmmm... that ricer's effects look difficult to approximate.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by wetone123
So you recommend this dish without the cheese?
It depends on your tastes. If all you have is the green cylinder of dried cheese, then yes. If you are using freshly shaved parmasan, then it's worth trying. It definitely doesn't need it to taste yummy.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by BusyMe
I want to put my face in it..+=
It would scald you, but be my guest.
05/12/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
It depends on your tastes. If all you have is the green cylinder of dried cheese, then yes. If you are using freshly shaved parmasan, then it's worth trying. It definitely doesn't need it to taste yummy.
Yes, there is a great difference in the 2. I find the dried cheese awful. Freshly grated is the only way to go!
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hmmmm... that ricer's effects look difficult to approximate.
If you pass it through a sieve or colander, you'll get something close. It won't be as coarse, but it will be more than satisfactory.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by BusyMe
link mine has to be more I have about 30 pounds of potatoes right now..
I start off the season with about 150-200 lb. worth of potatoes, but I'm down to the dregs now.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hmmmm... that ricer's effects look difficult to approximate.
Sometimes I talk like an android.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
I don't know whether my Italian sauce composition / naming scheme is very orthodox, but usually when I add parmesan (to what I've called alfredo) it's almost more important in the texture than in the flavor.
I agree. There is an addition to the flavor, but it is definitely on the subtler side.
05/12/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Sometimes I talk like an android.
You're so funny!
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Once all the potatoes are riced, it’s time to make the dough. Adding a little flour at a time, mix together the flour and potato with a spoon until all the flour is incorporated. After the first cup of flour add in the salt, then continue adding flour to the potato until it is all mixed together. Try to fold in the flour into the potato rather than aggressively mixing them together. The kinder you are to the potato-flour mixture, the better the consistency of your gnocchi will be. Many people addd an egg to the dough in addition to the potatoes, flour, and salt. This will firm up the dough a bit and give a slightly diffrerent flavor to the resulting gnocchi, but it isn’t strictly necessary.

Up to this point, everything has been pretty straightforward and has moved along quickly. However, this next part takes a long time to do. Count on at least an hour to roll out and cut the dough. It’s very simple, it just takes time.

Before starting, lay out several dish towels on which you can place your gnocchi. Preferably, this will be right next to your stove so you don’t have to move as far. Also, dust with flour the surface on which you will be rolling your dough so it doesn’t stick.



Fun Fact:Although there are maybe a dozen or so potato varieties that any of us are likely to see for sale in grocery stores, there are around 5,000 cultivated potato varieties around the world.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by wetone123
You're so funny!
Glad somebody appreciates it, sometimes I wonder why I open my mouth!
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Cool. The squeeze-through-a-Zipl ock-with-the-corner-sn ipped-off method is a little easier, but I'll bet the way you describe has much puffier results!
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Glad somebody appreciates it, sometimes I wonder why I open my mouth!
That's too easy a joke for me, and I'll have to pass on it.
05/12/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Cool. The squeeze-through-a-Zipl ock-with-the-corner-sn ipped-off method is a little easier, but I'll bet the way you describe has much puffier results!
I've never tried it like that!
05/12/2011
Contributor: BusyMe BusyMe
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
That's too easy a joke for me, and I'll have to pass on it.
spank it?
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Cool. The squeeze-through-a-Zipl ock-with-the-corner-sn ipped-off method is a little easier, but I'll bet the way you describe has much puffier results!
I do that with spaetzle, but squeezing this dough would drive air out of it, which is what we want to avoid.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by wetone123
I've never tried it like that!
I make flour-and-egg style gnocchi by a pate' a choux method, and that's how I portion it out. I think the texture of the potato version looks superior, though.
05/12/2011
Contributor: BusyMe BusyMe
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
I do that with spaetzle, but squeezing this dough would drive air out of it, which is what we want to avoid.
The method of forking .. surpasses me..
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
It's sooooo much fun hosting this meeting *and* getting dinner on the table for my family at the same time.
05/12/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
I do that with spaetzle, but squeezing this dough would drive air out of it, which is what we want to avoid.
I am definately going to try the spaetzle! Can you use pumpkin to make that also?
05/12/2011
Contributor: Alys Alys
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
I do that with spaetzle, but squeezing this dough would drive air out of it, which is what we want to avoid.
I love spaetzle, but I've only ever done it with a spaetzle-maker or by pushing the batter-dough through the bottom of a colander.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by BusyMe
The method of forking .. surpasses me..
It's too much work. It can be useful when you have a thin sauce, as the ridges will trap the sauce. Otherwise, it makes little difference other than in the presentation.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
I make flour-and-egg style gnocchi by a pate' a choux method, and that's how I portion it out. I think the texture of the potato version looks superior, though.
Flour and egg is "spaetzle" to me. It's much denser than this dough.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
It's sooooo much fun hosting this meeting *and* getting dinner on the table for my family at the same time.
Yeah, I've been typing one-handed for this whole meeting while giving my napping boyfriend a scalp massage with the other. You're all lucky you can even read what I've been able to peck out.
05/12/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
Are you following along pretty well up to this point? The next part is pretty important, so I want to make sure we’re all on the same page before I go there.
05/12/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
Are you following along pretty well up to this point? The next part is pretty important, so I want to make sure we’re all on the same page before I go there.
Up to date so far!
05/12/2011
Contributor: Alys Alys
Quote:
Originally posted by Vaccinium
Are you following along pretty well up to this point? The next part is pretty important, so I want to make sure we’re all on the same page before I go there.
Ready! (...set, GO!!)
05/12/2011