Pasta-less pasta?

Certain oreo-lovers eat the cream but not the cookie. Everyone has the friend who scoops the peanut butter out of their Reese’s. Some chefs skip the pasta and serve the filling. Enter Gnudi. Gnudi = Ravioli – Pasta. This equation yields a cloud-like nearly-gnocchi, generally composed of Ricotta and an herb or green and seasoning, then cooked ever-so-carefully. These little pillows pair wonderfully with seasonal produce like mushrooms, squash, bitter greens, and late-summer tomatoes.

Back in the Paladar Test Kitchen we’ll be conducting an experiment. Gnudi with homemade ricotta A (sheep’s milk) vs. Gnudi with homemade ricotta B (cow’s milk). My hypothesis is that sheep’s milk will take the prize given it often produces creamier texture (texture is king with Gnudi). That said, we’re planning to compliment the flavor of the ricotta with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper; there are few things that I prefer to a good, old-fashioned cow’s milk ricotta with EVOO and S&P.

Stay tuned for the results….

Favorite Findings in September’s Bon Appetit:

Pink pepper corns are actually berries – who knew? We’ll certainly be trying the Pink Peppercorn Panna Cotta with Macerated Cherries (shared on page 127 by Incanto in San Francisco).

Contributors recommend that discarded egg whites be whipped with salt to create a crust for roasting fish and meats. The Paladar fridge plays host to many a homeless egg white – this technique will be given a shot in our next test session.

Anchovy Chimichurri – Paladar loves chimichurri and we've been looking to incorporate Anchovis into our menu. The Smoke, Dallas recipe shared on page 32 offers a good starting point – we’ll expirment with the herb mix and heat.

On trend for fall...

You can expect to see dishes featuring pork belly popping up on all sorts of menus this season. At Paladar Boston we're particularly excited to use this ingredient for two reasons. #1 is variety of texture: It’s crispy, meaty, and succulent in every bite. #2 is richness of flavor. Layers of fat lend a complexity that works alone or in concert with sweet or savory seasonings. We would like to share some of our favorite tips for cooking this protein.

Keep it Lean: Too much fat will overwhelm the flavor and the texture of your meat, not to mention off put your dinner guests. Ask your butcher to focus on trim cuts.

Use Heavy Pans: Your lighter pans will heat too quickly and burn your meat. Opt for a cast iron pan or another heavy skillet.

Vary the heat: A good rule of thumb is roast then sear (low heat then high heat). Cook slowly to render fat and tenderize skin. Allow the cut to rest then sear on high heat to crisp outer layer and energize the meat.

Experiment with Flavors Combinations: Remember this is cut has a distinct and heavy flavor; start by adding something light and bright and go from there.