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THIS RECIPE IS easily (and better-suited to be) made sans-Passover modification. Like most other gnocchi, it's better the day-after when the flavor of the tomato sauce has had a chance to soak in. That's also when I had planned to take a picture of the result. Unfortunately, forks flew too fast to be stopped.
This simple recipe calls for very little other than prep time:
2 large baking potatoes (about 12 oz. each)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour (Passover substitute: matzoh meal)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
If you have these, gnocchi could be yours!
Soften the potatoes (microwave or bake in skins until tender and scoop out, or peel and boil till soft), and while the potato is still warm use a fork to mash well. Stir in egg, salt, pepper, and sift flour over mixture, stirring until just blended. Scoop out a large spoonful of dough and roll into a rope. Cut at intervals, rolling each with a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set aside as you repeat the process. When finished, drop all into pot of salted, boiling water and boil until all have risen to the surface, perhaps 3 minutes. Immediately remove. For the love of Italian grandmothers everywhere, please do not overcook.
This is another excellent blank slate recipe. Try out different sauces. Try adding different flavors to the pasta--cheese, sweet potatoes, spinach. Try baking after boiling. Mess around with it. The Italian grandmothers ask only that you do not overcook--you're aiming for a soft, doughy, rich, filling pasta, which is why it's sometimes best to just cover with tomato sauce, chill, and wait for tomorrow.
NOTE: my grandfather, actually, has an interesting technique for shaping the pasta, which my mother (who originally passed along this recipe) promises to explain in detail at some point. As the story goes, years ago, he would shape the gnocchi with two hands as fast as his mother could cut them. Naturally, this needs to be attempted.
MAKING THIS RECIPE, I was well aware that the finished product was not going to be gnocchi in the classic Italian sense. First of all, there's no potato involved. Secondly, it involves baking the "pasta," which ain't quite right. Here's what you do:
14 oz. fresh spinach
3 cups milk
1 /1/4 cups semolina flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Grated nutmeg
Salt, black bepper
2 eggs
Blanch the spinach, drain, and chop coarsely (read: drop the spinach in boiling water for 15-30 seconds and then quickly douse it under cold water, drain, chop.) Heat the milk in large saucepan; when it's about to boil, pour in the semolina in a steady stream, stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep on heat for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in half the butter, most of the cheese, some nutmeg, and season to taste. Cool for 5 minutes. Beat and stir in the eggs.
Spread mixture on baking sheet to 1/2" thick. Cool, then chill until solid. Stamp out shapes using small, round cookie cutter (a shot glass works as well) and roll into balls or whatever small shapes you like. Grease a baking sheet, position "gnocchi" and brush with remaining butter and cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
The result is hardly the dense, doughy, filling pasta that any reasonable person would understand to be gnocchi. But make no mistake--this recipe is delicious. Just be prepared for small spinach puff pastry things. In fact, this recipe would be twice as delicious served as an appetizer, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with fresh tomato sauce to dip the little buggers into. Mmmmmm...
Katzinger's Deli
475 S. 3rd Street
Columbus, Ohio
(614) 228-3354
www.katzingers.com
I LEFT WARREN early enough to make the three hour drive to Columbus before Mint's flight arrived. After two days on the road and four days with my ma, it was time for my five or sixth city and phase two of my "Spring Break" trip: babies.
Specifically, friends' babies. We met up, first, with Mandy and almost five-month-old Stella at Katzinger's Deli in Columbus. Which is sort of an odd place to see your friend's baby for the first time, but we were all really hungry and Kyle, father of said baby, was still at work. That, and Mark, another friend, works at said deli.
How I managed to grow up in Columbus and never visit Katzinger's sort of surprises me. Yes, it's just a deli, but it's pretty flipping fantastic. I mean, just click on that link and read the menu. And Mark recommended some sandwich that wasn't even on it (you order by number, and numbers do come and go from the menu), which turned out to be piles of melted goat cheese with fresh spinach and olive spread. Mint's matzoh ball soup was reportedly great, and Mandy's sandwich was, as is often the case, enough for two meals.
Next, as if that wasn't enough for one day, we headed for dinner at my aunt and uncle's house (whose kids, Evan and Ellie, I have known since they were babies, if that counts towards my theme), where both Gloria and John are better cooks than I'll ever hope to be. My uncle's recipe for homemade gnocchi (NOTE: which is included in a later post) left us both wondering why we ever bother ordering the stuff when we're out to eat. Along with the fresh bread and Explorateur cheese Mark sold us from Katzinger's--more than enough for one day.
MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: And hopefully soon.
Winslow's Cafe,
at The Butler Institute of American Art
524 Wick Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44502
(330) 746-8600
Alberini's
1201 Youngstown-Warren Road
Niles, OH 44446
(330) 652-5895
www.alberinis.com
I UNDERSTAND YOUNGSTOWN might not be at the top of everyone's travel list. I know that Warren and Niles certainly aren't, unless you've got family there, in which case, why have we not met, or, are we related?
That said, chances are you've passed though Pittsburgh or Cleveland or will sometime in your future. If you do, and you've got a car, and you've got a day to spare, perhaps you'll make the trip. At least that's your justification for reading this.
Winslow's Cafe at The Butler Institute of American Art is nowhere near as pretentious as it sounds, I promise. You do not need a monocle, a cane, and a fur coat to enter, though, that would be hilarious. Winslow's, simply, is a food counter of sorts that serves the museum, albeit deliciously. It's quick, it's cheap, and it has an awesome black bean burger with soft chipolte cheese that goes well with their sweet, spicy corn relish.
The museum itself is pretty great too. My mom, who teaches Physical Therapy at YSU, and I always wind up passing through both Winslow's and the museum each trip I make home, probably because both are so thoroughly enjoyable. The Butler, for a small museum, has a sprawling collection of American art worth seeing.
For dinner, Alberini's actually sits in nearby Niles, about halfway between Youngstown and Warren on the appropriately named Youngstown-Warren Road. To say that Alberini's is the best Italian restaurant in the area is an understatement. To then note that the area is full of first and second generation Italian immigrants makes the prior statement a high compliment.
For me, I will admit, the family connection is strong--my grandfather sold Richard Alberini the land to build his restaurant decades ago. Since then, it has thrived; the two good friends remained so for many years. Richard passed away recently, though, and our dinner was my grandfather's first visit to the restaurant without his friend roaming its dining rooms.
To sum it up, the menu at Alberini's is Italian food at its most perfect. Everything you should expect--the sauces, the recipes, and gnocchi handmade and cooked like should be. In fact, it may be the only place I've ever eaten Italian food in this country that tastes like it does in Italy. High compliment, certainly. Of course, I'm entirely biased. But, if you make the drive and don't agree... well, the ghost of Richard will ruin your meatballs for eternity. I promise.
MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: I always seem to, yes.
