My dad's parents immigrated from Italy in 1915, he from Sicily, she from Calabria. Mom's people were here for years (English German). Never knew Mom's parents. Anyway, grandad was a helluva cook; made a Puttanesca that would make you come to Jesus. It was wonderful. Extremism runs in the family every other generation it seems.

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I'm a BAPTIST Sorry "

"Ricotta. But you won't say what you're gonna do with it....Ya didn't bite for lasagna or canneloni....
How about this: Campanelle with walnuts, ricotta and lemon

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound campanelle pasta
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley stems (from 1 small bunch)
2 heaping tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 large lemons)
4 ounces walnuts, toasted well and roughly chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, very thinly slice garlic with a mandoline (you should have 1/4 cup). Add to oil, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is pale golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain garlic chips in a sieve set over a large bowl (reserve oil). Spread garlic chips on paper towels; season with salt.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just barely al dente. Drain. Add pasta to oil, and toss. Partially cover, and let cool at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. Roughly chop parsley leaves, and add them with parsley stems, lemon zest, and walnuts to pasta. Toss to combine. Dot with cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine, being careful not to fully incorporate cheese. Garnish with remaining parsley leaves, and serve with garlic chips.
Serving Size

Serves 8 to 10"

"or Ricotta gnocchi on a bowl of homemade Bolognese sauce

Ingredients

For gnocchi:
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
1 pound ricotta cheese
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 ounces all-purpose flour - by weight - plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
1 bay leaf
2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds ground pork
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preparation

For sauce: Heat olive oil in large sauté pan until it just begins to smoke. Add pork and beef and sauté until golden brown and cooked through. Break large chunks with a wooden spoon. Remove cooked meat with a slotted spoon and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of liquid left behind.

Return pan to heat and when it just begins to smoke add vegetables and sauté until golden brown. Remove vegetables from pan and pour off remaining liquid.

Return pan to heat and add red wine, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking wine until it reduces to a syrupy consistency.

Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to pan and bring to a simmer. Add meat and vegetables and bay leaf to pan and return to a simmer.

Reduce heat to medium and let mixture slowly simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until liquid has reduced to a saucelike consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

For gnocchi: Peel the potatoes and simmer until they can be easily pierced with a small knife. Remove the potatoes from water and let them cool for 5 minutes. While still warm, pass the potatoes through a ricer and let cool for 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, mix ricotta, egg yolks, salt, pepper and grated Parmesan. (If the ricotta is too soft or watery, line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Set the bowl in the refrigerator and let it drain for 1 hour.)

Add the potato to the ricotta mixture and gently mix by hand. Be careful not to overwork. Add the flour in two portions, mixing by hand and being careful not to overwork.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour before portioning.

When ready, dust a clean work surface with flour and divide the dough into 4 portions. Gently roll the dough from the center outwards, stretching to create one long, ropelike piece. The dough should be about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick.

With a bench scraper, cut the gnocchi into individual pieces approximately 1 inch long. Remove gnocchi to a baking tray dusted with flour. To cook, bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add 8 to 10 pieces of gnocchi and cook until all the gnocchi begin to float.

Warm 3 to 4 ounces Bolognese sauce in a sauté pan.

Quickly remove from boiling water and add gnocchi to the pan with warm Bolognese sauce. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Serving Size

8 restaurant servings

You're killin me Scotty....those steaks for tonite just don't seem to cut it anymore"

"OUTLAND
You have reminded me of my grandmother making gnocci. I can see her cuiion little piedes of dough off the long rope like section and pushing them off a plate into boiling water.
Packaged store bought gnocci are terrible if anyone is thinking of trying some."

"Store bought spaetzel is also poison. I love zour brrratten undt shpaetzzzel. I love home made both. i have the equipment for both.

pastramis too mmmmmmmmm i think this site is a food website or do we have a food forum???"

"This is the corned beef before the rub and smoke were applied. Naturally this is just sliced corned beef for sandwiches.:)
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I just read your recipe. It seems excellent to me:)

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I like to do cheese without a kit. There are a couple of good books out there. I made a sort of cheese press but never made a hard/real cheese

The parts



The press--note, my friend straightened out my sloppy construction

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boy it would be great to get a recipe for the cheese wit pecans"