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Make Your Own Pappardelle Pasta

YumSugar — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 08:00:04 -0800

It's popular practice today for kitchens to focus on culinary traditions and heirloom techniques, and these days, chefs spend a lot of time extolling the virtues of slow produce and agriculture. But what about those prepared goods that are an essential component in our everyday meals, like ketchup, or pasta, or cheese?

That's why I'm starting a new series, Make Your Own, where I'll show you how to make homemade gourmet versions of ingredients that you normally but at the grocery store. My first project is pappardelle pasta. It's a crucial part of Italian cuisine, and the fresh version, with its toothsome bounciness, tastes worlds apart from the commercially packed, dried version. To see step-by-step photos and learn how to make it yourself - no pasta maker necessary! - read more.

Homemade Pappardelle
From Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup semolina flour, plus more for dusting
6 large eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

Directions

Make the dough: Sift both flours together on a large work surface and make a well in the center. Place the eggs, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then pour into the well; with a fork, break up the eggs, then gradually mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until combined.
Knead by hand. Gather the dough into 2 equal-size balls; flour the surface. To knead each piece, push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it counterclockwise. Continue pushing, folding and turning until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.
Rest the dough. Pat each piece into a ball. Flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. (You can freeze 1 ball for later, or roll out both and freeze the cut pasta.)
Roll out the dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Let dry about 10 minutes.
Cut the pappardelle: Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices.
Unwrap the noodles; dust with semolina and gently toss to separate. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook (or freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months).

Makes about 20 ounces pasta.

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Healthy Ways to Deal With Thanksgiving Leftovers

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:00:37 -0800

Thanksgiving never seems to be a one-day affair, at least not the food part. Properly stored, leftovers can last up to four days, beckoning you to eat more, more, and then some! This Thanksgiving, resist the urge to overindulge by finding healthier alternatives for your T-day leftovers. Here are a few of our ideas - share your own in the comments section below.

Get rid of them. Buy some inexpensive containers before your meal to pack up leftovers for guests and send friends and family home with the most decadent dishes.
Make a healthy salad. Turkey is packed full of protein and tastes great on a salad. Use leftover cranberry sauce to make a healthy dressing - mix a dab with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Make a turkey curry. Turkey is great in a curry because it easily soaks up the flavors of a sauce. Try using turkey instead of the tofu in our Indian-Spiced Chard recipe.

For more healthy leftover ideas, read more.

Make turkey stock. I always like to have broth or stock on hand because it adds a ton of flavor to my cooking and can be the base of a variety of dishes. Storebought broth usually has a ton of added salt, so I think it's best to make your own. Save the carcass of the bird and break it up into a large stock pot, then add mirepoix, garlic, and savory herbs. Cover the entire mixture by at least two inches of water and let simmer for five hours. If the water level falls below the ingredients, add more liquid to the mix. Cool quickly, store in the refrigerator, or freeze.
Use turkey stock to make a delicious soup. Cut up any extra veggies you have leftover from your T-day meal or ingredients, add some barley or brown rice, throw it in your stock, and you've got a simple, tasty soup.
Puree leftover vegetables. Healthy vegetable side dishes are great to have after Thanksgiving, but give them new life and puree them. A veggie puree can be the base of a soup or pasta sauce. Veggie purees can also add moisture to baked goods.
Make an open-faced sandwich. Everybody loves the day after Thanksgiving sandwich. Make your sandwich healthier by only using one slice of bread.

Yummy Links: From Homemade Peeps to Easter Centerpieces

partysugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:30:19 -0700

Learn how to make your own adorable marshmallow Peeps! - Twig and Thistle
Speaking of Peeps, would you use Peeps-scented lip balm? - Serious Eats
A guide to which sauces go best with which noodles. - Chow
Salads can be deliciously satisfying even if they don't have lettuce. - Self
What wines work with the hard-to-pair asparagus. - The Epi-Log
Must make: bacon-wrapped potato bites with sour cream dipping sauce. - The Kitchn
Stylish and modern centerpieces are perfect for the Easter table. - Hostess With the Mostess

Prevent Heartburn With These 5 Foods

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:00:25 -0700

If you suffer from heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the acid that's in your stomach comes back up through your esophagus, and results in burning and pain in your chest. It's often caused by the foods you eat, so here are some foods that will prevent these uncomfortable symptoms.

Oatmeal with bananas - Opt for this high fiber, lowfat food instead of a sugary, fried doughnut for breakfast since high fat foods often lead to symptoms. Bananas naturally fight stomach acid, so the combination is perfect.
Fresh ginger -This natural anti-inflammatory is an ancient remedy for digestive issues. Drink ginger tea, make your own ginger ale, suck on ginger candy, or grate some fresh ginger into your stir-fries.

To see the other foods, read more.

Whole wheat pasta with lowfat white sauce - Tomato sauce is acidic and a surefire way to serve you up some heartburn. So go for a light sauce made from milk, cheese, or broth instead. Choose whole wheat pasta over white pasta since high fiber foods can help alleviate symptoms.
Beans - They're not only good for the heart, but are also a good source of protein that's a great alternative to heartburn-causing meat.
Applesauce - Baking with oil or butter may trigger heartburn symptoms, so replace it with applesauce in your baked good recipes.

Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:15:55 -0700

You don't need to go all out with crazy decorations for a Gossip Girl season premiere party, but I do recommend cleaning your living room. A neat space will make you and your guests feel more comfortable. Give everyone their own folding tray table and floral-printed serving tray. Stripped dish towels make chic and eco-friendly napkins. Place the appetizer on a large platter, serve the pasta in bowls, and sip the bellini in champagne flutes.

A simple bouquet of red flowers mimics the pattern on the trays and completes the look.

Photo courtesy of The CW

How to Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:50:29 -0700

Making veggies a big part of your daily diet is a must because they're low in calories, high in fiber, and contain so many beneficial nutrients. Unfortunately, we don't crave broccoli like we do a big bowl of ice cream, so here are some suggestions from FitSugar readers on ways to sneak veggies into your foods without your taste buds knowing.

UrbanBohemian says, "I like to put my own veggies in marinara sauce when I eat pasta. Also, if I have a frozen pizza, I'll do the same for that. I like to put on frozen spinach or some mushrooms."
"Sneak them in sandwiches." - fleurdelispink
"I've added pureed beets and/or spinach to muffin batter or I bet you could to cake batter too - totally unnoticeable. I know someone who added pureed spinach to brownies, same deal." - Anonymous

For more ideas keep reading

School Year's Resolutions: Lunch Box Makeovers

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:00:34 -0700

You've moved from brown bagging munchies to an eco-friendly lunch bag, so now it's time to upgrade its contents! Get out of the everyday sandwich rut and start getting creative with what you pack to sustain your kids.

Shape up. Simply changing the shape of the food you are packing can make a big difference. Use cookie cutters to create sandwiches that will put a smile on your lil one's face.
Roll it up. Use creative "packaging" to put a sandwich together. Wraps and pitas can add some interest to the lunch box, as can turning an ordinary tuna sandwich into a sushi-style roll.
Put it on a stick. String some fruit and veggies onto a stick for a mini-kabob that looks more enticing than fruit in a baggie.
Repurpose dinner. Cook up some extra pasta at night and mix it with fresh vegetables and some protein to make a tasty cold noodle salad.
Build it up. Put the ingredients for a nutritious sandwich in the lunch bag and allow the kiddos to build their own creation, in the order they want.
Make it brunch. French toast and fruit salad can easily make their way into the lunch box for a fun alternative.

For some added inspiration, check out these books filled with lunch-bag-ready recipes.

Enter to win a $1,000 wardrobe for your child from Tea Collection!

Summer of Salads: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

partysugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:42:29 -0700

Mediterranean-style pasta salad has quickly become one of my picnic staples. It's super easy to make a huge batch and tastes better after the flavors have mixed for a few hours. When making pasta salad, I prefer to employ orzo. There's something about the small, rice-like shape that makes the salad seem modern and more glamorous. This recipe is my own invention: it uses two types of tomatoes, olives, green onions, and feta cheese. The dressing is a simple red wine vinaigrette. Feel free to look at the recipe as inspiration for your own pasta salad. Whatever you do, be sure to make a large batch because this salad is an ideal portable lunch! To check out the recipe, read more.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. of orzo
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
half of a lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small jar sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
1 bunch green onions, dark greens removed, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the package.
Drain well and rinse with cold water until the orzo is cool.
While the pasta is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil, in a steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a big bowl, combine the orzo with the tomatoes, olives, green onions, fresh herbs, and cheese. Pour on half of the vinaigrette. Season the salad generously with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Add more vinaigrette until the pasta is moistened to your liking. Chill until serving.

Serves 10-12.

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Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali Talk Italian Food

partysugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:44:44 -0700

At the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen over the weekend I was lucky enough to attend a demonstration lead by Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali. The duo are the masterminds behind a popular Los Angeles restaurant, Osteria Mozza. Silverton works most nights at the eatery behind the mozzarella bar. Batali, of course, is busy with lots of projects like a new line of tomato sauce and a pizza oven. When he hit the stage he dipped his hand in a pot of boiling pasta water and used it to slick back his hair! The two cooked, joked, and talked Italian cuisine. To find out what they had to say, read more.

To cook like an Italian, Mario insists on spending quality time shopping. "If you get good ingredients and don't really mess around with them, then you're cooking like an Italian."
When looking for ingredients, both Silverton and Batali seek out harder to find Italian specialty items like straticella (a type of fresh cheese), speck (smoked prosciutto), and guanicale (similar to bacon, but made from pork cheeks). Mario shamelessly pointed out that this kind of charcuterie can be purchased from his father's salumeria.

When making pasta, Batali undercooks it by two minutes. "When the box says it cooks in 10-12 minutes, I take it out after 8 minutes of cooking, then cook it for one more minute in the pan."
Like many Italian chefs, Batali said the "most crucial ingredient when making pasta is the starchy pasta water."
Instead of liquid honey, when she can find it, Silverton likes to use whole edible honey comb on cheese plates.
Let the pan do the work. Place meat and fish in a hot pan and leave it there. Don't mess with it, especially if it's fish.
Try making pesto in a mortar and pestle. Silverton, whose a huge fan of pestos, makes a variety including the classic basil, and other more interesting renditions like celery leaf, tomato, and caper pestos. While the elements may change, she makes pesto by hand in a mortar and pestle instead of a food processor. "The difference between male and female cooking is that men like machines and women like to be hands-on."
In Italy, they cook with everything from the head to the tail and from the leaf to the root, so make the most of your ingredients.
Unlike in French cooking, Italians (and Batali) don't worry about emulsifying sauces. Batali likes it when each bite is different and textured.
Lightly dress salads.
Spend the extra dollar on more expensive pasta. It will affect the overall flavor of the dish and is worth it.

The most important thing that Batali and Silverton stressed was that Italians are regionally focused. Each town has its own specific type of local cuisine. To truly cook like an Italian, look to your hometown for ingredients that are local and special to that region.

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Interview With Lori Loughlin: 90210 Star Dishes on Meals

LilSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Sitting down for a family meal is a time honored tradition that still exists - even in Tinseltown! We recently chatted with Lori Loughlin, the actress best known for her role as Becky Donaldson on Full House and more recently, as Debbie Wilson on 90210, about her partnership with Barilla pasta.

Loughlin and Barilla are encouraging families to involve tots in mealtime planning and preparation through the use of their Piccolini line of miniature classic pasta shapes. The mother of two daughters - Isabella, 10, and Olivia Jade, 9, - has long been a proponent of the family meal. She said:

"Dinner is a really important meal in our household, it is a time that we make a real effort, my husband and I, to be home. We have dinner every night with our kids. My mom cooked every night, his mom cooked every night and now I cook every night for my family. We do eat a lot of pasta in our family. Their favorite shape pasta is penne - we do penne with vegetables, broccoli, diced chicken. We also do turkey meatballs and penne, we do traditional marinara and penne and Bolognese sauce and penne. My kids love the lasagna that I make."

On both Full House and 90210, the actress' characters have made the family dinner central to facilitating conversation about the children's activities.

"At the time when Full House was on, family dinner was more common in America. As your kids are getting older and have their own lives like the teenagers on 90210 - where and when do you have the time to reconnect with your kids? Well, it's over dinner.

To see what Loughlin had to say about how she handles body image issues with her daughters amid rumors of eating disorders in her 90210 costars, read more.

The waif-like stars of the 90210 cast have led to rumors about eating disorders on the set. To instill healthy body images in her two tween daughters, Loughlin focuses on health over diet.

"I say to my kids that you have to really think about what you put in your body because it's your fuel. I always take the approach of health, not weight. We want to start eating healthy now to take care of our heart and our internal organs so we can be strong, so our brains can develop.

One thing I will say that I disagree with in LA, or some of the diets that are [out there] is people cutting out carbs. I don't think you should cut out carbs. I think you need to have that in your system. You can't just be protein and just vegetables. It’s not good for you.

The Piccolini Smiles contest invites parents to send photos of their kids preparing, or eating, their pasta as part of a meal, to see all the details, and learn how to win $25,000 in tuition money, visit www.piccolinismiles.com.