French Onion Soup: The Master Recipe

It's been awhile since I've posted, and life has taken a few turns...

I'm living in New York on my own now, and my favorite part is getting to cook all the time (gotta eat, after all!). To make it even better, my parents surprised me with an Instant Pot, which I've been wanting. It's opened up a whole new world of cooking to me!

The Instant Pot was a little intimidating at first--I imagined hitting the wrong button and the pot exploding from the pressure. But luckily, it's designed better than that (thank you modern technology). Ever since I got it, I've been playing with some new recipes, especially ones that are also cheap and small batch.

Last week I looked at the giant bag of onions in my fridge and knew that it was use them or lose them--I couldn't wait any longer. Not many recipes use up onions like good old French onion soup, so  out came the knife, the onions, and the tears. A few hours later...soup!

I call this recipe the master recipe because it's is based on a bunch of recipes I've seen--it combines them into one set of guidelines so that you can make French Onion Soup based on how you personally like it, and the ingredients and time you have. There are directions for a simple version, but of course, the more time and ingredients you put into it, the better it will taste. Note that fully caramelized onions, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and gruyere cheese are the most traditional options. Honestly though, it's hard to go wrong as long as you top it with a generous amount of toast and cheese at the end!


French Onion Soup
Serves: 4

Caramelized Onions:
2 lb. sliced onions (yellow, red, sweet, or vidalia)
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. butter

Broth:
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups water, beef broth, or chicken broth
4-6 slices French or artisan bread, toasted
3/4 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, swiss, mozzarella, provolone, gouda, jarlsberg, emmental, comté)

Optional additions for flavor:
1 bay leaf (step 2)
Sprig of fresh thyme (step 2)
1 - 2 Tbs dry sherry, dry white wine, or red wine (step 3)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (step 4)
Red pepper flakes (step 4)

Stovetop directions:
1. Melt butter in large pot. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. Stir onions. Leave 10 minutes, then stir again.
3. Cook onions for 40 more minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. If onions start to stick to pan, add a little water or the wine.
4. When onions are finished caramelizing, add water/broth, salt, pepper, and optional additions.
5. Boil; reduce heat. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Ladle soup into bowls and top with toast and cheese.


Instant Pot Modifications:
Step 1-3: On Sauté mode, melt butter, then caramelize onions for 10 minutes. Add wine, if using, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
Step 4-5: Add remaining ingredients and optional additions; pressure cook for 20 minutes on high; natural release (takes about 15 minutes).


Notes:
*If you are short on time: Cover onions and cook on stovetop for 10 minutes until they are tender. After adding broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
*Remember, the longer the onions are cooked, the longer the soup simmers, and the more flavorings you add, the better it will taste.
*Beef broth tastes best, but water or chicken broth are fine as well. Water is only recommended to use if you are fully caramelizing the onions, otherwise flavor will be majorly lacking.

Chicken Chow Mein

Living in Taiwan, we were bound to acquire a few Asian recipes—which we were happy to do, of course! Chicken chow mein is a more recent favorite in our house. We make it in large batches, because second helpings are an obvious necessity.

Chow mein originated in Northern China, and is commonly found in Chinese restaurants in America. "Chow mein" means stir-fried noodles, and it's just that: noodles stir-fried in a wok (or frying pan, if you don't have a wok—which you totally should!), made delicious with chicken, veggies, and flavorings.

Chicken chow mein is, of course, best eaten with chop sticks. I'm just not sure there's any other way to do it. If you don't know how to use chopsticks, now is a fantastic time to learn! It's really a very useful skill—I mean, what if you find yourself in the middle of Asia, with not a fork in sight? Not speaking from experience or anything...
But remember, when using chopsticks, never leave them sticking straight up out of your food! It's bad luck. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you ;)

If you need to clean out your vegetable drawer, here's your chance. Chow mein is a very versatile dish. Switch out the chicken for pork, beef, or fried tofu, or try it with some of these other vegetables:

-Bamboo shoots
-Bok choy
-Carrots
-Broccoli
-Snap peas
-Cabbage
-Scallions
-Mushrooms

I love having a variety of vegetables! My plate is always a mountain of chicken and veggies, with just a little bed of noodles. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!

Chicken Chow Mein
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Chicken & Vegetables:
300g (11oz) skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced
150g (5oz) bean sprouts
1 large spring onion, sliced lengthways

Noodles:
150g (5oz) dried yellow shi wheat flour noodles, or medium egg noodles*
dash toasted sesame oil

Marinade:
dash dark soy sauce
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1 tsp. chili sauce (optional)
1 Tbs. cornflour

Seasoning:
1-2 Tbs. peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Slice chicken and vegetables.
2. Marinade chicken: Coat chicken with dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, and chili sauce, if using.
3. Boil noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. Toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.
4. Mix cornstarch into the chicken to seal in the juices.
5. Swirl groundnut, sunflower, or vegetable oil around a wok (or frying pan) to coat sides of pan. Heat oil.
6. When oil is hot, add chicken. Cook until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add hardier vegetables first, cooking for one minute. Mix in more delicate vegetables (spring onions, bean sprouts). Stir in noodles.
8. Mix in light soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper.

*You're looking for noodles that are yellow and curvy. These noodles go by a few different names; you might see them as Egg Noodles, Ramen, or Canton Noodles, among others. Fresh or dried are both fine. Spaghetti will also work in a pinch.

Recipe from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxiR7gDDNU&feature=youtu.be

Basic Hummus

Happy New Year!

Actually, I don't really like New Years all that much. Shocker, I know.

It's just that it's an entire holiday revolving around staying up late, loud noises, and crowds. And if you know me at all, I can't stand any of those things. This year, I stayed up just late enough to go up to the near-empty roof of our apartment and watch fireworks go off at midnight, then I went to bed. That was enough to satisfy me.

Also, last complaint, it's pointless to make resolutions just to break them. Do you know how many people do that?! Plus, is one big decision to change really going to be very effective??

Ok, I'm done ranting. And I've got a recipe for those of you who made the resolution to eat healthier: hummus!
In case you haven't heard it before, this mediterranean food has fantastic health benefits including—but definitely not limited to—being high in fiber, protein, and iron, helping lower cholesterol, and even helping prevent some cancers. But remember, all things in moderation: it's pretty high in calories (I definitely don't take my own advice on this point...).

Hummus is surprisingly easy to make—basically, you just toss all of your ingredients into the food processor and BAM you've got hummus. This is a simple, basic hummus recipe that my family really likes. We've tried some more elaborate recipes that just weren't as good. But that's our tastebuds—yours may be different, which is why it's such a great thing that hummus can easily be adjusted to spice it up! And, have extra hummus? Just throw it in the freezer.

Plus, it's super versatile. Here's some ideas on what to eat it with:
-Dip pita bread, pita chips, or veggies in it
-Spread it on a sandwich or wrap
-Dollop it over your salad
-Put it on a burger

I've used Smitten Kitchen's whole wheat pita bread recipe a few times before, and it's turned out pretty tasty every time. Ours didn't puff up as much as the pictures, but that is probably because we skimped on a lot of the rising. We probably rise it for about an hour in a very warm place, then pretty much completely skip the second and third rises after they are shaped into disks. To bake, we use a baking sheet, sprinkle them with water, and do not let the oven reheat each time we open it. I don't have time to wait for pita to puff...so they may not be perfect, but they are tasty!

Isn't hummus just about the perfect food???

So, whether you've made a resolution to eat healthier or not, hummus is a good option!

Hummus
Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 1/2 cups

Notes:
-I have successfully used limes instead of lemons in this recipe.
-I have also successfully used homemade tahini (sesame seed paste) in this recipe.
-Do not confuse Mediterranean sumac with poisonous American sumac.
-There is a way to use dried chickpeas if you have those on hand.

Recipe from: http://altonbrown.com/hummus-recipe/

Nutritional information from: http://www.naturalnews.com/049453_hummus_iron_fiber.html

Homemade Poppyseed Chicken

You know when you have a TON of work to do, but you're so overwhelmed that you just sit there and scroll through instagram (or write a blog...ha...ha...ha.....)?

Yep, that's me right now.

The end of the semester is approaching way too quickly--I have tests, projects, and papers due soon, I've committed to going to four large events just this weekend (and more next weekend), and yet, I'm sitting here in my favorite comfy chair, writing a blog like I don't have grades to worry about.

I think that there's just so much to do that I can't face it right now, not after a full day of classes. The only thing keeping me sane is what's beyond all of the work--Thanksgiving break and then Christmas break! I'm beyond excited to fill my grandma's kitchen with yummy fall smells in a few short weeks. It's so close, yet so far...

In the meantime, I have some good ol' fashioned comfort food for you, perfect for these colder and shorter days.

Poppyseed chicken! My mom used to make this a few times a year, and it was always so good. Creamy, warm, flavorful. While she used a much simpler recipe, I wanted to eliminate the questionable cans of soup that the original recipe involved, and make it completely from scratch. And all I can say is, there were no leftovers! Probably helps that we hadn't had it in years, though, huh?

Homemade Poppyseed Chicken
Serves: 4-5
Total time: 30 min

Recipe from: http://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/11/poppy-seed-chicken-casserole.html

Brown Sugar Buttered Salmon

You'd think, Taiwan being an island, there'd be a lot more seafood around here.

And by seafood, I mean seafood that I actually want to eat.

And by that, I mean fish.

And, let's be honest, I just want salmon. Lots of salmon.

Salmon has always been my favorite fish. It has a naturally rich and slightly buttery flavor and a tender, flaky texture. And, as if it couldn't get any better, salmon is a nutrient-packed powerfood which magically erases all of the effects of the sugar and butter piled on top of it...oh, wait, it doesn't do that? Well, no matter — the amazing flavor of the sugar + butter + seasoning + salmon is definitely worth it.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, this salmon takes under 30 minutes to make! Take that, weeknights.

Brown Sugar Buttered Salmon
Prep: 10 minutes          Bake: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Butter, softened
Brown sugar
Salmon fillets or steaks

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
2. Lay salmon on prepared baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle salmon with Lawry's Seasoned Salt to taste (we like it pretty thick).
4. Using an offset spatula, spread butter thickly over the top of the salmon, covering all of it. Don't worry if the Lawry's gets a little moved around.
5. Sprinkle brown sugar thickly over the butter.
6. Bake for 4-6 minutes for each half-inch thickness. Check for doneness using a fork to pull a small section apart. Salmon is done when flaky.

Tortilla Soup

This soup is super easy. Like throw-it-together-in-5-minutes easy. And yet, I still managed to have an accident while making it the other day.

I'm not even really sure how it happened. One minute I was happily cutting up frozen chicken, the next, I was watching the measuring cup of chicken fall off the counter, almost in slow motion. My hand must have bumped it, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was on the floor. And then, as if to rub it in, my friend's cat came while I stood there staring at it, and my friend snapped a picture. Whoops. Into the trash that half cup of chicken went.

My family introduced our friends to tortilla soup last time we stayed at their house (several months ago), and they loved it so much that this time I'm here, we just had to make it again. It was a gooooood idea. My stomach thanks me. Unfortunately, that also meant I had witnesses to the chicken episode, but what's life without chicken flying everywhere?

When we were making this soup, Hannah and I were on a roll. So, after throwing together the ingredients for tortilla soup, we also whipped up some cornbread and mashed some avocados for guacamole. Oh, and made a cheesecake. Just sayin'. Then after smelling the soup cook for a few hours, of course I ate waaaay too much of it at dinner; I just couldn't resist.

I would consider tortilla soup Tex Mex since it has both American and Mexican influences—but call it what you want. What really matters is that it's easy, it's warm, it's soupy, it's cheesy, you can scoop it up on tortilla chips and eat it (that's the best way, the only way), you can add sour cream or hot sauce to your bowl (not to mine, though). Tortilla soup is a definite favorite in my family; it's much requested, all year round.

Slow Cooker or Stove Top Tortilla Soup
Feeds 5-6

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3/4 cup chunky salsa
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup boneless skinless cooked chicken, cubed
16 oz. can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or colby jack)
1 bag tortilla chips

1. In a large saucepan or a crock pot, combine all ingredients except cheese and chips.
2. Heat on stove until heated through, or in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours.
3. Add half of cheese. Stir until melted.
4. Serve soup in bowls, and top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and hot sauce.



Instant Pot Tortilla Soup

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3/4 cup chunky salsa
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup boneless skinless cooked chicken, cubed
16 oz. can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or colby jack)
1 bag tortilla chips

1. Pour black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, water, and chicken into the Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir.
2. Put lid on Instant Pot and manual cook for 10 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” When the timer beeps, release the pressure release for 10 minutes and then move the valve to “venting.”
3. Remove the lid and take out the chicken. Shred it on a cutting board then add it back into the Instant Pot.
4. Pour in the can of refried beans and 1 cup of the cheese, stirring until the soup is creamy and smooth. If necessary, use sauté mode to help melt the cheese.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and hot sauce.

Hobo Pies

I had the best of intentions to catch up on blogging this summer, but I've been busy enjoying my newfound free time in other ways. So, while I have baked, I haven't gotten to the blogging part yet. Until now, that is.

This is one of my favorite summer recipes: hobo pies. Every year I look forward to camping—the time that we usually make hobo pies—so that I can eat my fill. It's been two years since I went camping and I'm not going this year, so I was delighted when my aunt suggested making them in their fire pit.

In case you aren’t familiar with hobo pies, I’ll explain.

Hobo pies are grilled cheese sandwiches parading as campfire food. They are made in a hobo pie maker, which consists of two bread-shaped pieces of iron with long handles. Buttered bread and some choice toppings go inside the iron part. The hobo pie maker is put in the fire until the hobo pie is crispy on the outside, hot and melty on the inside.
Everyone looks forward to hobo pie night when we’re camping! We usually do pizza hobo pies for dinner, and blueberry marshmallow hobo pies for dessert. However, the filling choices are practically endless.

Neither I nor google is exactly sure where the name "hobo pies" came from (hobos sitting around a campfire making a simple dinner?), so, without further ado, here is the recipe.

Pizza Hobo Pies

Ingredients:
Sandwich Bread
Butter, for spreading on bread
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza toppings (ham, pineapple, pepperoni, ground sausage, onions, peppers, etc.)

Directions:
1. Spread butter on two pieces of bread. Put bread in hobo pie makers, buttered side facing the iron.
2. Spread sauce on one or both pieces of bread. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on one of the pieces of bread. Put desired toppings on top of the cheese.
3. Put the hobo pie maker back together—it works best if the iron with the piece of bread without toppings is tipped over onto the iron holding the bread with toppings.
4. Put hobo pie maker into the coals of a bonfire; after about 3 minutes (depending on how hot the coals are), check the piece of bread facing the coals, and check about every minute after that until the bread is golden brown. Once golden brown, turn the hobo pie maker over so that the other piece of bread is facing down.
5. Remove from fire when both pieces of bread are golden brown. Be careful with the hobo pie maker when dumping out the hobo pie; it will be extremely hot. Be sure to place the hobo pie maker where it won't melt anything or burn someone. Wait 1-2 minutes when it is cooler to eat the hobo pie.

Dessert Hobo Pies

Ingredients:
1 can of pie filling (blueberry, cherry, etc.)
Marshmallows or marshmallow fluff

Directions:
1. Spread butter on two pieces of bread. Put bread in hobo pie makers, butter side facing the iron.
2. Spread pie filling on one or both pieces of bread. Spread marshmallows or marshmallow fluff on the pie filling (marshmallows work better if they are torn up).
3. Put the hobo pie maker back together and proceed the same way you would make pizza hobo pies.

This process can be replicated with any fillings, such as ham and cheese.

Spaghetti Goo

I think I like spaghetti goo mostly because it’s fun to say.

Well, that and there’s spicy sausages in it (love!). However, times were not always so good. Way-back-when, our spaghetti goo was depressingly sausage-deficient. There were a few buried under the mass of noodles, but we all had to compete to be the first one to serve ourselves in order to get enough sausages.
Why didn’t we end this dark age by simply adding more sausages, you ask? Well, we did! And now, not only is our spaghetti goo no longer sausage-deficient, but we don’t have to use caveman manners.

So back to the name—why is it called spaghetti goo (besides that it is fun to say)?
First, it’s obviously mostly made up of spaghetti (and, now, sausages). Theeeeen we pour in lots of cheese, mix it up, and BAM! the spaghetti gets gooey. It’s spaghetti goo!

I’m not going to lie, my mom actually did most of the grunt work when we made this spaghetti goo. I just waltzed in, stirred some vegetables, strained some spaghetti, mixed in some cheese, put it all together, and (shamelessly) gobbled it down. Nevertheless, I enjoyed helping and taking pictures!

Spaghetti Goo

Ingredients:
1 package sausage (such as Eckrich pre-cooked breakfast links)*
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 small red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
16 oz. mixed fresh or frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
8-12 oz. spaghetti (about one box)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Slice sausages into bite-sized pieces.
2. Sauté sausages in butter and garlic. Add chopped onion, herbs and spices.
3. Add veggies and drained water chestnuts. Simmer until cooked.
4. Add spaghetti to veggie mixture. Add 1 cup cheese and sprinkle rest on top.
5. Put in 350ºF oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

*This is the amount of sausages that we use, but you may want to add more or less according to your sausage cravings.

Recipe from: Connie Petersen

Alton Brown's Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Do you remember those little foil pie tins filled with frozen chicken pot pie, that you would just pop into the oven for about a half hour for an easy meal?

We used to love those things—that is, until we made Alton Brown's curry chicken pot pie. Then, after several years of only eating this homemade pot pie with not one frozen pie in sight, my sister and I tried the frozen pot pies again.

And I must say, bleh—as a result of those little frozen pies shining so bright in our memories, we expected too much out of them; they tasted pretty flavorless to our now-enlightened palates.

Curry chicken pot pie has been one of our go-to favorites ever since we discovered it, and there is enough for the whole family. However, this chicken pot pie is different from others in a few ways: 1. It is crustless except for the puff pastry that is laid on top of the vegetables and chicken—which makes it easier to make, and 2. It contains curry for a nice, different flavor.

Like I said, this pot pie is pretty easy to make.

Just cook some vegetables until they're nice and golden brown.

Make your curry sauce by sweating your onions and celery in butter and cooking out the water, adding flour and curry, whisking in milk and chicken broth, and adding some salt, pepper, and parsley for flavor.

Combine the sauce and vegetables in a casserole dish.

Spread on the puff pastry.

Cut a whale, a cupcake, and two cats out of the extra puff pastry.
Just kidding—only if you feel like it.

Bake until a beautiful golden brown.

Enjoy!

Alton Brown's Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, carrots, corn)*
1 to 2 Tbs. canola oil

3 Tbs. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. curry powder

2 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package puff pastry

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Toss the frozen vegetables with canola oil to evenly coat; spread onto a jelly roll pan. Place under broiler on high until golden, about 3 minutes.

3. In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter, then add the onion and celery to sweat them.

4. In a small pot on medium heat, warm the chicken broth and milk.

5. To the celery mix, add 2 more tablespoons of butter; cook out the water. Add the flour and curry, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Whisk the milk mixture into the celery mixture and cook until thickened.

7. Add parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix in the browned vegetables and the chicken.

8. Pour sauce mixture into a large casserole dish. Lay a sheet of puff pastry over top as a crust.

9. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

*Various other types of vegetables may also be used. If using fresh rather than frozen carrots, they will need to be chopped into small pieces about the same size as the other vegetables being used, and will need to be baked for about 10 minutes at 350ºF before being broiled with the other vegetables to avoid crunchiness.

Recipe from: Alton Brown, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-chicken-pot-pie-recipe.html

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

We always make our pizza from scratch because there's just not that many other options in Russia. I try to make sure that we have a reasonably thick crust, but it comes no where near deep dish pizza in thickness or in flavor.

That's why when Elena and I both drooled over a new Chicago-style pizza recipe from one of my favorite bakers earlier this week, we decided that we needed to make it ASAP!

There are four types of pizza people, as I see it:

The thin crust people: You like your pizza thin and crunchy, just like the Italians.

The in-betweeners: You like your pizza not-too-thin, not-too-thick...why pick one when you can have both?

The thick crust people: You like thick, indulgent pizza that you can sink you teeth into—Chicago-style.

The pizza lovers: You like all kinds of pizza, and would rather die than have to choose one type over another.

This pizza is not for you thin crust people or you in-betweeners. No, no, this pizza is thick-as-can-be and super delicious in a buttery-kind-of-way. This is the kind of pizza that I like.

But then again, for me, flavor is the most important when talking about pizza; that's why I'm a pizza lover. I like pizza that has the best flavor, which just so happens to usually be deep dish pizza. But I can name a ton of other kinds of pizza that I like...just like I found out last summer that true Italian pizza (which is thin crust) is amazing.

When pizza came to the U.S., Americans Americanized it: added tons of toppings, thickened the dough...the list goes on, creating what we now think of as pizza. Now there are more varieties of pizza and more pizza lovers.

One of the much-loved ways that we've Americanized pizza is by creating Chicago-style deep dish pizza, which (obviously) originated in Chicago. This pizza's crust can be up to three inches high (meaning you have to eat it with a fork), and is delicious, buttery, and flaky. The pan is oiled so that the crust fries a little while the pizza is baking in the oven. Since the dough is so thick, deep dish pizza must be baked for a longer amount of time than regular pizza; this means that the toppings could be burnt. So, to solve this problem, the pizza is made in the order: dough, cheese, toppings, sauce.

When I told my siblings that we were supposed to put the sauce on top, they were completely opposed to the idea. I was barely able convince them to let me do it on the smallest pizza, but now I ask, did they really have that much say? They did not help me make the dough!

Half way through the baking time, I put tin foil on the pizzas that were not inverted so that when I pulled them out of the oven, perfectly golden cheese accompanied the delicious aroma.

When I bit into our inverted pizza, I discovered that I liked this strange new way of putting on the toppings! Using a fork, the pizza did not feel that much more messy even with the sauce on top; instead, the sauce prevented it from making me feel like I was getting an overload of cheese, like sometimes happens with pizza—rather, I was getting a nice combination of all the flavors.

All of that butter in the dough really made a difference: the crust was soft and flaky. We didn't oil the pans (we sprayed them with non-stick spray), but I would like to try oiling them next time to see if the crust will fry up a little bit.

I made a double recipe of the dough, and baked it all. We were left with one whole extra pizza (or about 1 1/2 9-inch pizzas, in terms of the recipe). Because the recipe is so well explained on Sally's Baking Addiction, I will not rewrite it here. Just click the link to get the recipe and awesome step-step photos!

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/12/31/how-to-make-chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/

Fresh Pasta

We went to the coolest store in Camogli... it was called Pasta Fresca (creative, right?). It was this place that made me really want to try to make my own pasta.
Behind the displays of different fresh pastas in the front, we could see a big room in the back where they made the pasta. There were piles and piles of noodles laying around. Bowls of homemade sauces were nestled between the differently shaped and colored fresh noodles. It was pick your pasta, pick your sauce, cook and eat. Simple and yummy!

There were so many interesting looking pastas – black squid ink noodles, pillowy gnocchi, stringy spaghetti, bulging cappelletti, perfectly filled ravioli, flat lasagna noodles, and some kind of pasta that looked like peas – I was sad that I couldn't try them all.

In the two times that we went to Pasta Fresca, we got gnocchi and cappelletti with marinara sauce, meat sauce, and pesto sauce. We took it home, cooked it up, and ate it beside some still-warm focaccia bread from the focacceria next door to the fresh pasta place. It was quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.

The gnocchi was a great consistency – nice and soft and creamy. It had a slightly sweet taste to it, so I liked it with the red sauces better than with the pesto. We make gnocchi at home sometimes, but are still working on perfecting that.

Cappelletti means 'alpine hats', and they do look a little like hats. Cappelletti is basically just ravioli in a different shape, and with more filling. Fillings include meat, cheese, or vegetables (we got vegetables). I liked the cappelletti with all of the sauces we got.

Pesto originates in the Liguria region of Italy (which Camogli is located in). I really liked Pasta Fresca's pesto – the basil wasn't ground too small like I saw in a lot of restaurants in Italy, and the flavor was delicious. It reminded me of my mom's pesto. I will say though, Pasta Fresca added a lot of olive oil to their pesto!

Focaccia bread also originates in Liguria. The focacceria we went to had a few different kinds, but we just got the plain one; it was so fresh, warm, and flavorful that it just melted in our mouths...let's just say we didn't miss all the extra toppings! It did, however, drip olive oil ceaselessly...those Italians love their olive oil.

The second time we went to Pasta Fresca, they didn't have the squid ink pasta so instead I had to get it at a restaurant later. It was fun to try and tasted good (there was actually no distinguishable difference in flavor between normal spaghetti and the squid ink spaghetti)!

In the fresh pasta store, they did have some different types of dried pasta on the shelves that looked very interesting. All different shapes and sizes, some (like simple, flat, disk-shaped ones) you just put some olive oil and seasonings on, or others (like the small grain-like ones) you put in soups.

When we got home we only waited a few weeks to try making fresh pasta because we were so anxious to see if we could make it just as good as the Italians...and ours was ONE THOUSAND times better than dried pasta! So, thank you Italy for inspiring me to make fresh pasta – and, for how good it is, it takes surprisingly few ingredients.

Just make a bowl of flour (literally).

Pour in some of your egg, water, salt, and olive oil mixture. Take two fingers and swirl it around, carefully mixing in the edges of the flour bowl little by little and adding more egg mixture.

Knead the dough and chill in the fridge.

Roll into sheets (this is a good work out) and cut into shapes – some easy ones are ravioli, fettucine, or tagliatelle.

Hang 'em up while you're busy so they don't stick together...we used a clothes rack, but anything works.

Boil for a couple minutes in water with a little olive oil, make some sauce, and you're ready to eat! A bonus of fresh pasta? It is much easier to get al dente (not crunchy, not soft, just firm) than dried pasta!

This method can be a little messy/time consuming/labour intensive, so there are some alternatives:

If you don't want to make a flour bowl, you can use a food processor.

You can use a pasta machine instead of rolling it by hand (in which case you have more options for shapes).

You can make a double batch and freeze some pasta for a quick meal later.

Maybe I should just start my own pasta store. I'm pretty sure it would be a big hit in America! All I would need are a few different pasta types, some sauce choices, some boxes, and a scale, just like Pasta Fresca...brilliantly simple and deliciously yummy.

Watch Alton Brown's video for more details on making fresh pasta...it's only 20 minutes and taught me so much!

Pasta

5 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 Tbs. water

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions :

By hand:

1. On a clean surface, make a well out of the flour; make sure the sides are sturdy.

2. In a small bowl, mix eggs, water, olive oil, and salt.

3. Slowly pour egg mixture into the well. Mix with two of your fingers. Gradually incorporate the sides of the flour well into the egg mixture. Continue mixing in flour until all of the egg mixture is used, but don't force the dough to take more flour.

4. Pasta machine: Make dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

5. By hand: Knead dough for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface. Make dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

By Food Processor:

1. In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times.

2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, water and oil.

3. Continuously pour egg mixture into flour while pulsing the food processor.

4. Continue pulsing the food processor until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Follow above directions for hand rolling or machine rolling.

After chilling:

Machine rolling:

1. Follow manufacturer's instructions to create the shape of noodle you want.

2. Boil the fresh pasta according to the directions below or freeze it for later.

Hand rolling:

1. Take 1/4 of the chilled pasta dough and on a lightly floured surface use a rolling pin to roll dough out into a 1/8" thick sheet.

2. Use a pizza cutter to cut pasta into desired shape. Hang noodles up so that they do not stick while other pasta is being cut.

3. Boil the fresh pasta according to the directions below or freeze it for later.

After rolling:

Boiling:

1. Boil some water in a large pot. Add a little olive oil (about 2 Tbs.)

2. Gently drop fresh pasta into water and boil until pasta floats on surface of water and is al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta or 3 minutes for frozen pasta.
3. Serve with sauce of your choice.

Recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ravioli-recipe.html?oc=linkback