Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer

In addition to his love of Italian Cuisine, Chef Stitt was also one of the first restaurateurs in the city to focus on products produced locally and showcases them in many in his restaurants.  Fresh ingredients and simplicity are the key. 

Looking through Bottega Favorita there are so many dishes that will have you wanting to invite a few friends over just so you can show them off.  The Crespelle (see recipe below) is definitely one of those dishes.  Fresh pasta dough wrapped around a flavorful filling of mushrooms, herbs, and spinach. A masterpiece of simplicity just the way Chef Stitt intended. 

Crespelle

amazon.com

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Crespelle means "crepe," and the thin pasta dough and filling in this dish are similar in spirit to that traditional Italian preparation. Don't rush home from work and try to pull this recipe off; time and practice are required to get the pasta rolled just right (homemade pasta is mandatory unless you have a source for pasta rolled to request). But this special dish is stunning and certain to dazzle your guests. Imagine a jelly roll, but with cake and jelly replaced by a thin sheet of pasta dough and a delicious filling of ricotta, herbs, and mushrooms. To strengthen the crespelle's structure, we wrap it in a kitchen towel and secure it with twine before gently poaching it. Once it's cooked, the towel comes off, and we're ready to slice and sauce for serving.

2 cups ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps or 8 cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 thyme sprig
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cups chopped blanched spinach (about 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach)
Freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 recipe Pasta Dough (see below), chilled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small marjoram sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon marjoram leaves for garnish
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Line a sieve with dampened cheesecloth or a damp paper towel and set it over a deep bowl. Put the ricotta in the sieve and let drain for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and heat until hot, then add the mushrooms, shallot, and thyme and sauté for

3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden but still firm (they will continue to cook once removed from the heat).

Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat for a moment over medium-high heat, then add the onion.

Cook until it becomes translucent, about 6 minutes.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool.

Add the spinach and ricotta to the onion, season with a few scrapes of nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and mix well.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Lightly flour a work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough very thin into a 12-by-18-inch sheet. Transfer it to a baking sheet covered with a clean damp kitchen towel. Spread the spinach filling evenly over the pasta sheet, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Place the mushrooms lengthwise in a line down the center. Fold over the short ends by 2 inches. Using the towel to help you, roll up the dough, starting from a long side, to make a log 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Wrap the towel around the log and tie with kitchen string to secure. Add the crespelle to the boiling water, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pasta is thoroughly cooked and the roll feels firm. Carefully remove the crespelle and let cool so that the filing can firm up. Carefully unwrap the crespelle. Using a chef's knife, slice it into 12 slices. Divide the butter between two large skillets, add a marjoram sprig to each one, and heat. When the butter is foamy, add the crespelle slices, turning to coat on both sides with butter, and warm through. Place 2 slices on each serving plate. Garnish with a pinch of fresh marjoram leaves and some grated Parmigiano.

Pasta Dough

Makes 12 ounces dough

Making pasta forces you to rely on your senses, especially touch. The goal is a smooth, elastic, slightly tacky dough. Factors like humidity and egg size are variable, so you may get a different result each time. As with anything else, with practice you'll learn to make the necessary adjustments, such as adding more or less flour, to yield perfect results. Here I provide both a hand and mixer method for making the dough.

Fresh pasta keeps from 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator covered with a damp towel; after that, it oxidizes, darkening in color, and gets tough. If you don't plan to cook it right away, freeze it on a baking sheet in a single layer until firm, then transfer to freezer bags. When ready to cook, drop it into boiling salted water right from the freezer-do not defrost.

• 1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon salt
  9 extra-large egg yolks
  

To make the dough by hand, mix the flour and salt and mound on a work surface. Make a well in the center, like the crater of a volcano. Place the egg yolks in the well and, using a fork, mix them together. Start gradually bringing in a little flour from the sides, then continue adding the flour bit by bit until the dough comes together and all the flour has been incorporated. Knead the dough, flouring the work surface as necessary, until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes; it will be a bit sticky. Shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the dough in a mixer, combine the eggs and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook and beat to break up the eggs. Gradually add the flour and mix until the dough just pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should still be a bit tacky to the touch. Do not over mix the dough, or it will become tough. Press the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with a towel or plastic wrap. Sprinkle a portion of dough with a light dusting of flour, then pass it through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Lay the ribbon of dough on your floured surface and fold it in half, so that the ends meet, and pass it through the same setting a second time. Adjust your pasta machine down a setting and pass the sheet of pasta through. Fold it in half again and pass it through the same setting a second time. Continue in the same fashion until you have passed the sheet of pasta through the thinnest setting twice. When the dough sheet becomes too long to handle, cut it into manageable lengths. Transfer each finished sheet to a lightly dusted work surface and keep covered with a slightly dampened towel to keep the pasta from drying out while you roll out the remaining dough.

The pasta is ready to use.

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Photo by Petrina Tinslay

Although I've gone to culinary school, like most people, I can be a nervous wreck when it comes to entertaining.  So, imagine my delight when I discovered William-Sonoma’s Cooking for friends.  Put simply: entertaining just got easier.  The book offers sound kitchen advice, fantastic recipes, and photos you want to drool over.

I have over half of the recipes in this book earmarked to try, but the one I’m really enjoying right now is the Catalan flatbread (see recipe below). The flatbread's mild flavor is a perfect complement to any number of toppings. You've got to make sure you try the Proscuitto and Arugula topping, which is outstanding!

Catalan Flatbread with Three Toppings

amazon.com

• active dry yeast 1 package (2 1/2 tsp)
• bread flour 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp
• warm water 3/4 cup
• sea salt 1/2 tsp
• cornmeal 2 Tbsp
• extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• prosciutto and arugula topping (see below)

makes 4 flatbreads

In a small bowl, stir yeast and 1?4 cup flour into warm water. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a food processor, combine remaining flour, salt, and yeast mixture. Process until mixture comes together in a dough, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°F. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough until smooth and springy, 5-8 minutes. Divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball with your hand. Roll out 1 ball into a strip about 2 by 10 inches. Prick evenly with a fork. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Transfer dough strips to 2 rimmed baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with desired toppings.

Prosciutto and Arugula Topping

• flatbread dough (above left)
• prosciutto 6 oz, thinly sliced
• Parmesan cheese 2 cups shaved
• arugula leaves 2 cups
• sea salt and ground pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• makes 4 flatbreads

Prepare flatbread dough as directed. Bake flatbreads until crisp and golden, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter prosciutto, Parmesan, and arugula over top. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and serve at once.

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Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen (HarperStudio, 2009) is a 2010 IACP Cookbook awards finalist in the General category. For a list of all the finalists check out the Project Foodie IACP Finalists' Guide.

For those who fondly remember the hand-written Mollie Katzen books of the past, Get Cooking, brings a whole new face to Mollie Katzen - and cooking for that matter. 

Get Cooking aims at introducing cooking to those that don't cook.  As shocking as it may be to die-hard foodies, their is a whole generation out there that doesn't know how to cook. Even tasks we take for granted like boiling water for pasta can be unfamiliar.

Katzen digs right in and provides detailed directions, photos and tips for those aspiring to cook.  The recipes she showcases are not plain Jane, instead they highlight the variety expected by today's generation including this scrumptious Thai Green Curry.  So what are you waiting for? Get Cooking!

Thai Green Curry with Coconut Milk, Vegetables, and Tofu

amazon.com

As ethnic food products become more readily available in supermarkets, it's easier than ever to make quite credible simulations of our favorite restaurant dishes at home for a fraction of the price. In the Thai arena, Thai Kitchen is among the best- known supermarket brands. I love their curry pastes that come in little jars; you can use just a bit (and be advised, "just a bit" packs quite a punch) and then simply screw the top back on and stick the jar in the refrigerator for next time. This recipe uses green curry paste, which is complex, authentic-tasting, and surprisingly fiery. All you do is whisk it into a blend of coconut milk and vegetable broth, add a few other touches of seasoning, and simmer vegetables directly in the sauce, so it's a one-pot wonder. (Actually two pots. You'll need to cook some basmati or jasmine rice ahead of time-see page 181.) Thai Kitchen also makes a fermented fish sauce, called nam pla. It's pungent and salty-a thin, clear, amber liquid made from fermented salted fish (usually anchovies) that adds another layer of complexity to the flavor. It keeps forever in your cupboard. If you don't have fish sauce, or you want to keep this totally vegan-vegetarian, you can substitute soy sauce.

This recipe is vegan if made with soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

• 2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
  
• One 14- ounce can coconut milk, light or regular (about 1¾ cups)
  
• 1½ cups vegetable broth or reconstituted  bouillon
  
• 1 small slice lemon
  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
  
• ½ medium red or yellow onion, diced
  
• 1 small yellow crookneck or summer squash, cut into ½- inch- thick slices
  
• 1 small zucchini, cut into ½- inch-thick slices
  
• 2 heaping cups cauliflower florets
  
• 2 heaping cups chopped broccoli
• 1 medium carrot, diced
  
• ½ pound small white mushrooms, cleaned, stem ends trimmed, mushrooms halved or left whole, depending on the size
  
• Half a medium red bell pepper, diced
  
• ½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½- inch cubes
  
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  

1. Put the curry paste in a medium-large saucepan, add the coconut milk and broth or bouillon, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon slice.

2. Set the pan over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Between stirrings, keep the pan partially covered. About 10 minutes into the simmering, remove and discard the lemon slice.

3. Stir in the fish sauce or soy sauce, along with all the vegetables and the tofu. Bring it back to a boil. Then once again turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the cilantro at the very last minute, and serve hot, over rice.

GET CREATIVE

Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the sauce along with the curry paste. Or add two slices of ginger (about ¼-inch-thick; no need to peel it) along with the curry paste; remove and discard the ginger slices just before serving.
Add a handful of fresh basil leaves (regular or Thai basil), roughly chopped or sliced into strips, instead of, or in addition to, the cilantro.

Top each serving with whole or chopped toasted cashews or roasted peanuts.

Add other vegetables- for example, unpeeled slices of a long, thin eggplant, or some small chunks of peeled butternut squash or sweet potato.

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Photo by Deborah Jones

In this latest cookbook “Ad Hoc at Home” he celebrates the art of home cooking, his way. Ad Hoc at Home mimics the same philosophy that chef Keller put to use when opening the restaurant of the same name -  family style meals reminiscent of home.  I know I wish every home I step into would serve dishes like these. Chef Keller’s process is methodical and detail oriented, often times the recipes will take you far longer than you would expect, even for some of the simplest dishes, but the end results are breathtaking - his recipe for Beef Stew is by far the best I’ve ever made.

Since time is always of the essence I haven’t had a chance to work my way through too much of this cookbook, but one dish that I could make over and over again are the Grit Cakes with the Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce (see below).  My daughters and I love corn grits and make them frequently at home, but this recipe takes them to an entirely different level.  Home style cooking done right with one of the world’s greatest chefs, it doesn‘t get much better than that.

Win a copy of Ad Hoc At Home! - details

Grits Cakes

amazon.com

• 1 garlic clove
• Kosher salt
• 3 1/2 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
• 2 cups coarse stone-ground white grits
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• Freshly ground black pepper
• About 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Canola oil
• Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce (see below)
• Deep-fried oregano

Crispy polenta is an easy, satisfying dish, and it gave us the idea of trying a similar preparation using grits instead of cornmeal. When we make polenta, we sometimes enrich it with Italian mascarpone. For these grits cakes, we replace it with all-American cream cheese, and the result is crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. These will work as an appetizer as well, topped with a small dollop of Tomato-Basil Marmalade.

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or a quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. Cut a second sheet of parchment the same size and set aside.

Finely chop the garlic. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and work into a paste, chopping and scraping the garlic with the side of a chef's knife.

Combine the garlic paste and chicken stock in a medium saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the grits are tender with just slight resistance; when a spoon is dragged through the grits, the bottom of the pan should remain visible.

Stir in the butter until it has absorbed, then stir in the cream cheese until well combined and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the grits evenly in the prepared pan. Cover with the second sheet of parchment paper. With your hands, smooth and compress the layer of grits. Top with a second baking sheet, weight with cans or foil-wrapped bricks, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm, or overnight.

Remove the top pan and the parchment from the grits. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen them and invert the pan onto a cutting board. Peel off  the parchment paper. Trim the edges and cut the grits into 12 equal pieces.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Spread the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Combine the panko crumbs and parsley in a third shallow bowl.

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each cake into the flour, turning to coat and patting off excess, then dip in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, and coat well in the panko crumbs. Set on the baking sheet.

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large nonstick frying pan and heat over medium heat until the oil just begins to shimmer. Carefully add as many cakes as will fit in the pan comfortably and cook until golden on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the rack and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining cakes, adding more oil if needed. If at any point there are burned panko crumbs in the oil, discard the oil and replace it with fresh oil before continuing.

Coat a serving platter with some of the tomato sauce, arrange the grits cakes over the sauce, and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Additional sauce can be served on the side.

SERVES 6

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Excerpted from AD HOC AT HOME by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books). Copyright 2009. Deborah Jones photographer.

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup minced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Two 28- to 32-ounce cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 Sachet (see below)
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

This is a convenient tomato sauce because it's all done in the oven-you don't need to spend time tending the pot on the stovetop. Use San Marzano tomatoes, from the eponymous region in Italy that grows the best plum tomatoes for sauces. This version is excellent with grits, polenta, or meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the oil, onion, leeks, fennel, and garlic in a large ovenproof

Dutch oven or a baking dish and sprinkle with salt. Put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.

Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes and remove the seeds.

Coarsely chop half the tomatoes. Puree the other half in a food processor. Add the tomatoes to the vegetables along with the sachet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and return to the oven for 1H hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and have a full rich flavor. Run the side of a spoon through the sauce-if it runs back together immediately, it is too thin. Return it to the oven and cook until thickened.

Discard the sachet and let the sauce cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.

MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 CUPS

Sachet

• 1 bay leaf
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
  

Sachets are used to flavor cooking liquids. A cheesecloth sachet encloses small herbs and spices such as peppercorns and cloves, and works like a tea bag. Once the contents have added their flavors to the cooking liquid, the sachet can easily be removed and discarded.     

Lay out a 7-inch square of cheesecloth. Put the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic near the bottom of the square and fold the bottom edge up and over them. Roll once, tuck in the two ends of the cheesecloth, and continue to roll. Tie the cheesecloth at both ends with kitchen twine.

MAKES 1 SACHET

Win a copy of Ad Hoc At Home

The registered Project Foodie user that leaves the most memorable or creative comment below will win a copy of Ad Hoc At Home.  Keep the comments clean and relevant - tell us what attracts you to Ad Hoc At Home and/or what you feel makes this book award-worthy and we'll select one to be the winner of Ad Hoc At Home.

Please note that you must be registered to enter this giveaway and upon winning provide a US postal address for us to ship Ad Hoc At Hometo.  We'll announce the winner on May 2nd.

If you have not yet registered with Project Foodie, please take a moment to do so right now--it's absolutely free; and we promise never to share your email address with spammers or other unsavory types.

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Photo by Jennifer Martiné © 2009

Be sure to try out the crispy Yuba rolls recipe below at your next get-together your guests won’t believe that eating this healthy could taste so good.

*One thing to note, the recipe calls for Burdock root, if you are unable to track it down in your local Asian Supermarket you can substitute with water chestnuts.

Crispy Yuba Rolls with Lime-Mustard Dipping Sauce

amazon.com

Yuba, also called tofu skin, is sturdy and easy to work with. Its crisp texture when baked makes it an ideal wrapper for spring rolls. Find dried or frozen yuba sheets at Japanese food stores. 

Serves 4 to 6

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 large burdock root, peeled and julienned (see page 48)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cups firmly packed shredded napa cabbage
• Salt
• 10 sheets yuba, each about 6 by 4 inches, reconstituted according to package directions and drained

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the shiitakes. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add the carrot, burdock root, ginger, garlic, maple syrup, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and season with salt.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Spread out a sheet of yuba on your work surface. Spread a scant 1/2 cup of the vegetables on the yuba sheet in a line 1 inch wide along the long edge of the sheet. Tightly roll the yuba sheet around the vegetables, as if you were rolling sushi. Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the filling and yuba sheets. Brush the rolls with the oil mixture and bake until the rolls are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.

To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Season with salt to taste.

Serve the rolls hot, sliced in half on the diagonal, with the dipping sauce.

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