Holy Gnocchi!

Gnocchi....Fluffy Potato Filled Pillows of Perfection.

To say I am an obsessed pasta freak would be an understatement.

I constantly crave the buttery, starchy, melt-in-your-mouth experience of a quality pasta.

To me, there is nothing more heavenly then sinking your teeth into a 

perfectly shaped pillow of goodness with a delicious filling inside.

Whether it is my homemade raviolis with herbed lemon thyme ricotta filling;

or the sweet and saltiness of a delicate gnocchi laden with butter or marinara; 

 one thing is always certain in my opinion: 

a handmade pasta is the most simple decadence.

And from experience, there is nothing more personal and intimate then hand-creating a pure and savory pasta for someone you love.  
Especially when it happens to be a little Gnocchi.

Some of the most delicious Gnocchi (besides in Northern Italy) 

that this little Jewish-wannabe-Italian has ever tasted (oy vey!),

 just so happens to be at one of my favored culinary spots in NYC, 

Ouest on the Upper West Side, of course.

And ironically, Ouest is the same restaurant where my good friend Scott Varricchio (now at Citrus Grillhouse - Vero Beach, FL) was sous-chef for many years.
 

And they have the incredible, melt-in-your-mouth House Made Potato Gnocchi 

with Braised Short Rib & Herbed Ricotta on top!  

Insanely decadent and always one of my favorites.

Ouest NYC, Broadway @ W. 84th Street - Iconic Upper West Side

And other little Gnocchi dishes I dream of:

 This one I'm making ASAP. 

Soft Gnocchi pillows in White Wine, Lemon, Butter cream sauce 

with Thyme and Grated Parmigiano...Mmm!

 

 This is the very traditional way of making Potato Gnocchi by hand...

 

 However, you can find excellent quality Gnocchi already pre-made by hand *with love* at your local Italian grocer or gourmet market. 

And an impressive entree that is at the top of my to-do list 

(this would make for an excellent homemade dinner date idea 

that would surely win over any man's heart)..

Chicken Saltimbocca with Sage-Butter Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts

And of course life is not complete without a Gnocchi gratin dish..NOT for the faint of heart:

 Baked Gnocchi à la Parisienne with Truffle Oil! 

And now, for the main attraction...my dinner tonight! Gnocchi à la Jen...

Freshly handmade Gnocchi (from Citerella)

Now for The Sauce...

Chopped garlic, onion and fresh basil

The tomato base:  key ingredients I use. Be VERY careful opening that lid on the can everyone!

Simmering the sauce with love.

et Viola!

My classic Gnocchi with homemade Tomato Sauce

-------------------- 

Gnocchi with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Recipe serves 2.  Preparation: 15 min.  Cooking time: 45 min.

Ingredients

1 pound freshly made Gnocchi pasta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tbsp butter

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 can (28 - 35 ounces) Cento whole plum tomatoes, drained & crushed by hand   

1 box (26 ounces) Pomi strained tomato sauce

8 leaves of fresh Basil, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground salt & pepper

pinch of granulated sugar   

Freshly grated Parmigiano 

   

Preparation & Cooking instructions: 

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil & butter on medium high heat.

2. Add in the garlic and onion, salt & pepper to taste, saute until soft and lightly brown, stirring often.

3. Add in White wine and stir. Boil for 2 minutes.

4. Lower heat to medium. Add in hand-crushed plum tomatoes, saute for 1 - 2 minutes. Add in Pomi strained tomato sauce. and Basil. Stir to combine.

5. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally and adding more salt & pepper to taste.

6. Bring a large pot of salted water and a touch of olive oil to a boil for the Gnocchi.

7.  Once the Tomato Sauce is cooked, turn off  the heat, finish off the sauce by stirring in the pinch of sugar, and allowing the sauce to thicken and cool for 10-15 minutes.

8. Add Gnocchi to the pot and gently boil for 4-5 minutes until soft and slightly al dente.

9. Drain Gnocchi and serve with Tomato Sauce, Basil sprigs and freshly grated Parmigiano.

Enjoy! xoxo,

Jen   

 

Mon Petit Moule Frite

The Paris Brasserie: a haven for some of my most favorite European delights.

Probably one of my most favorite dishes in the world is one that evokes so many good memories... and that is Moules Frites.

Belgian derived, but oh-so French, this dish evokes fond memories 

of my days in Paris, as a student at the Sorbonne and The American University of Paris. 

 Europe to me meant cafes with close friends, relaxing and watching life slowly go by, and at times enjoying a ice cold pint of beer and a plate of Moules Frites.

And even to this day, when I am sitting at a NYC brasserie or bringing this dish straight to my kitchen, there is nothing in the world that can bring 

the Paris memories flooding back better.

Hanne, Katie & I (left); Paris, 2002.  Best friends taking a (long) break from our French studies...

By far one of the best brasseries I frequented when living in the 6th Arrondisement was (what used to be) a quaint cafe called Le Comptoir du Relais.  

Near Saint Germain des Pres and a neighborhood I called home, it was situated in a beautiful square called the Carrefour de l'Odeon.  The area was buzzing with students and locals.  The waiters knew you by name and they served you the best moules frites with Muscadet, escargot & fois gras, and to finish off the meal...a cafe creme of course. 

And then there was this one really handsome French waiter, Jean-Luc (sigh)... but we probably should save those scandalous details for another post :) 

But these days, my coveted place is a secret no more, Sadly I've been told there is a 

6 month waiting list for dinner reservations.  Still worth the wait.

Le Comptoir du Relais is close to numerous cinemas around the Odeon Theatre.

As a result, this 1950's bar is brimming with film fans, romantic couples and literary types debating some movie or another while sipping on a glass of something.  

It's cultural, artsy, and to me it is the epitome of the Left Bank.

Le Comptoir du Relais

 

And now that I've gotten completely off topic (Paris will do that to me).

 OK, The mussels.  When in NYC, my top recommendation for the best moules frites one can ever imagine is Bistro Cassis, right in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side.    

Coincidentally, this restaurant is close by to Lincoln Center theatres and is brimming with film fans, romantic couples, musicians and literary types...see a habit forming here?

Originally I judged this book by it's cover as the look from the outside looks tres faux french and is situated next to all the other tourist traps in the area.

Surprisingly however...

it delivers some of the most authentic French fare that is the closest I've come

 to Paris in NY in quite a while.

My favorite moules they serve are the Moules à la Creme Pernod (with Anise Cream)!!! 

This is TO DIE FOR.  Really.  It is that good.

And the Soup à l'Oignon is also an absolute perfection!

Bistro Cassis, Columbus Ave & W. 70th St.  Not Paris, but close.

Bistro Cassis, a little bit of Paris in NYC

And when I don't feel like dining out (or am just simply broke) 

and want to bring this classic 

& oh-so cheap dish right to my kitchen, it is this easy and flawless everytime...

MY very own Moules Frites à chez moi

-------------------- 

Moules à la Marinière et Frites

(Mussels in a White Wine cream sauce and Twice-Baked Crispy Fries)

Recipe serves 2. 

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh caught Mussels; rinsed, scrubbed & de-bearded

1/2 cup of light, dry white wine

1/2 cup minced shallots

3 tbsp fresh parsley

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

Grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 starchy medium Idaho potatoes

1/2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning 

 

Preparation & Cooking instructions:

My Twice-Baked Crispy Frites

Frites:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack placed in top 3rd of oven.

2. Peel the Potatoes lengthwise, leaving a patch of skin on each end of the potatoes.
3. Cut each potato into very thin fries lengthwise (no more than 1/4" thick).  The thinner they are the crispier they will turn out.
4.  In a large bowl, dress the fries very lightly with oil and season with salt & pepper. Arrange fries in single layer on a baking sheet - do not overcrowd the fries.  Place fries in oven and roast 30 minutes. Remove the fries, increase the heat to 425 degrees.  Toss fries in the bowl again with old bay seasoning and a pinch of chopped parsley.  Return fries to the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until very crispy and brown on the edges.

My Moules à la Marinière

Mussels:
1. In an enamel kettle or large pot, heat butter and a touch of oil on medium-high heat.  Saute the shallots and garlic for 3 minutes until golden and softening.  
2. Pour in white wine and heavy cream, stir, bringing ingredients to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes to evaporate alcohol and reduce volume slightly. 
3. Add mussels to the pot, stir and cover tightly with a lid, boiling quickly over high heat.  
4. Frequently shake the pot in an upwards motion, keeping the lid shut tight, to incorporate the mussels with the sauce.  In about 5 minutes the mussel shells will open and the mussels will be fully cooked. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
5.  Plate the mussels in a deep soup dish or bowl.  Allow the cooking liquid to settle for a moment and ladle the liquid over the mussels.
6. Sprinkle the mussels and fries with parsley and serve immediately.

*Suggestion: serve with a chilled Muscadet white or a Stella Artois and be prepared for a true Parisian (alright....Belgian) experience.

Enjoy!!
xoxo
Jen  

Restaurant Remake...Hurricane style!

Chef Apprenticeship, chez Jennifer Lublin (In Love At First Bite)

  Mediterranean Spiced Salmon with Toasted Couscous

and Cucumber Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette 

 I tried really hard to be reasonable when food shopping for 

Hurricane Sandy provisions this week.   

To some, the obvious essentials during a natural disaster are pretty basic:  

rice, beans, anything canned, pasta/sauce, protein bars, ramen, & bread for PB & J's.

 But of course somehow I justified that it made more sense to plan a phenomenal meal 

of culinary skills from scratch after putting in a full work-day with a horrid commute!  Typical.

"Hey, my ingredients are simple.  That counts as 'essential', right?", I thought shamelessly as I attempted to scavenger for the best ingredients one could find...

... in a rather ransacked NYC grocery store.

My theory was simple. If you cannot get to an open restaurant, 
why not bring one right to your home?

Citrus Grillhouse, Vero Beach, FL.  Italian & Mediterranian inspired.

For my inspiration for this dish, I must give proper credit for a dish that was created by a longtime friend and fantastic NYC-seasoned chef, Scott Varricchio, who now owns one of the top restaurants in Vero Beach (on the beach literally), Florida - Citrus Grillhouse.  

Alfresco dining @ Citrus Grillhouse

 Just the outcome itself and the refreshing, light Mediterranian flavors of this dish 

leave me wishing I were in Vero Beach dining alfresco @ Citrus, 

experiencing the food of Chef Varricchio once again....

Here is the unbeatable original (mine, a close second - Hey, I'm still learning!)

Executive Chef, Scott Varricchio's amazing creation

 

 However, I'm totally improvising on this one.   

I'll call this a Restaurant Re-make! Sorry Scott, couldn't resist.

-------------------- 

Mediterranean Spiced Salmon with Toasted Couscous

and Cucumber Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette 

Recipe serves 2.  Preparation: 20 min.  Cooking time: 20 min.

Ingredients

(Two) 1/2 lb. wild salmon filets

1/2 cup (dry) Pearl Couscous,  it's more plump than regular couscous

English Cucumber (with skin intact)

2 tbsp Thyme for Vinaigrette + 1 tsp for Salmon Rub

1/4 cup Grapeseed or Olive Oil

1 lemon

2 tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar

Spiced Salmon Rub  
**Chef Scott's version was more "mediterranian spice" based.  Here is my version:

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Smoked (or regular) Paprika

Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste

1 tsp Thyme

**Hint: I used the Tom Douglas "Rub with Love" Salmon Rub which has all these ingredients above.   

Preparation & Cooking instructions:

 
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack placed in top 3rd of oven.

2. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of water with 1/2 cup couscous and bring to a boil. Add salt and butter (optional).  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes.

3. For the Vinaigrette, in a food processor combine the Oil, Vinegar, 1/4 cup of chopped Cucumber, 2 tbsp of Thyme, and the Zest & Juice of a lemon.  Pulse all ingredients until blended to a puree. Set vinaigrette aside.

Thinly slice cucumbers for plating as well as grate lengthwise extra cucumbers for topping the Salmon.

4. In a small bowl, combine the Spiced Rub ingredients.  Rub all over the outside of the Salmon filets.  Very lightly brush the outside of the seasoned filets with a little bit of the oil.

5. Drain the couscous well once cooked and mix in a touch of oil to coat.

6. Place on a foil lined baking sheet the salmon filets to one side.  Also place on the baking sheet the couscous, spread evenly on the baking sheet.  Place in 450 degree oven until salmon is cooked medium rare - about 4 minutes each side.  After, turn oven on Broil and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until starting to brown.

7. Plate portion of the toasted couscous in the center of the plate, top with a Salmon filet and grated cucumbers.

Add sliced cucumbers around the plate and drizzle allover with the Vinaigrette.

This dish will be sure to impress! Enjoy!!

Jennifer