A Noteworthy Shopping Trip

Liz and I went to Costco the other day, each with our youngest child in tow, to shop together and split some of the plus size ingredients. I have to say, we were quite the sight to be seen in the parking lot, standing at our trunks, splitting our bounty. We forgot to bring grocery bags (which of course makes the task that much more organized) and were dividing up the loose items by the handful—bags of potatoes, garlic, apples, spinach, grape tomatoes and pears – and tearing staples like cheese (which conveniently comes in two packages), sausage links and Canadian bacon with our car keys, since neither of us had a pocket knife on hand.

This frenzied scene came after a comical time strolling (or rather running) down the aisles of the store, tossing items in our carts while chasing our energetic boys. We were thankful for the store samples, which enticed our kids to take a break and taste-test mini cups of Progresso soup and corn muffins. This gave our legs a rest and provided a moment to survey what we had thrown into the cart.

We managed to squeeze in an ever-so-brief conversation about what we should buy, what we could share and the kinds of meals we were hoping to make that week. Since Liz and I often make an enormous vegetable soup together at this time of year, we had our eye on the fresh veggies and containers of organic chicken stock. Liz was also on the lookout for chicken and shrimp to use for her cooking date Monday, when she and a friend would be grilling salad toppers to store in the fridge for healthy weekday protein fixes.

With only a minor debacle at the checkout line, when Liz’s bottle of wine shattered on the floor, we placed all our shared items on the conveyor cart and watched the savings add up. As we were wheeling the overfilled carts through the parking lot, grabbing our kids by their coat sleeves, we pondered whether we’d dare bring the kids with us again. But as they giggled and smiled their way to the car, it was obvious they had a blast. It was a rewarding outing for all of us. And now, Liz and I are set to cook with friends for the week to come.


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The Modern Family Dinner

Last Tuesday, I was over at Debbie’s house at around 5:30 pm as she started rummaging for leftovers and other end-of-the-week ingredients to make dinner. She was looking to feed six kids (mine and hers), not just her usual 3, which is pretty typical when we’re together at that hour. Sometimes I’ll remember to grab a handful of miscellaneous meats and veggies as I run out the door; other times I may show up empty handed, but I’m always eager to help prepare the meal. When we’re together, our kitchens become extensions of our own homes.

At first, Debbie began heating some pasta Bolognese from the night before, as I sat atop a bar stool keeping my friend company, watching her move from her counters to stovetop to sink. We chatted about which vegetable to serve alongside the pasta and she directed me to the broccoli on the bottom shelf of her fridge. The next thing I knew, I was drawn to the stove next to my friend, like a magnet to metal, making dinner the modern way: together, not alone, while talking, laughing and sharing stories about the snow day and all the fun that would soon come.

When you’re used to cooking with a friend, impromptu dinners are a common solution to the dinnertime struggle and the dilemma of what to serve. Two friends together can come up with a darn good healthy dinner to feed a bunch. And as kids sit next to friends, being reminded of manners not just from their own mother but their friend’s mother, the definition of family evolves. This communal way of cooking and eating, adds another dimension to the modern family dinner.

"Everything is Pastable"

This quippy saying, coined this morning by Lou, couldn’t be truer and in fact, describes my Monday perfectly. My day started at three in the morning with an excruciating ear ache. I was lying awake, wondering how I’d be able to juggle my 10:00 am ravioli-making date with a trip to the doctor. There was no way I’d cancel my cooking date—if anything, I’d postpone my doctor visit. My sugar pumpkin puree from the fall was like gold, already defrosted and waiting to be made into a ravioli filling. Plus, any time I cook with Lou, it’s a winning way to spend an hour or two, both rewarding and inspiring. And this cooking date, which happened to be scheduled the day before Lou’s knee operation, had to happen! Our next one could possibly be several weeks away.

So I squeezed in a quick trip to the doctor after dropping the kids off at school and as I suspected, was told I had an ear infection. The doctor couldn’t quite see as well as she would have liked (Lou knows why!) but sent me off with two antibiotics. I was a tad late to Lou’s, but since he’d already made the dough, and Debbie and I our fillings, we got to work right away.

Now Lou’s a pro at making ravioli, so everything went smoothly. If the dough started to crack as we fed it through his Kitchen Aid pasta attachment, he’d sprinkle a bit of semolina flour on top, fold it a few times, crank the motor and before we knew it, we had perfect ribbons of dough. It’s always a pleasure using Lou’s handmade pasta making tools, a board to press the pieces of dough together, another wooden tool to seal the edges. He has the process of ravioli making so down that we were able to make 120 pieces of ravioli in just over an hour. We even had a few minutes for a sampling!

My friend Emilie, who saw our cars in front of Lou’s house, stopped by to see what all the action was—just in time for a quick sampling. First we tasted Debbie’s delicious three-meat ravioli, then Lou’s fabulous mushroom ravioli, made with spinach dough (which he had tucked away in his freezer), and then my sweet and savory pumpkin ravioli. We enjoyed our tasting, course by course, each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Each type of ravioli was a distinctive combination of swoon-worthy flavors. It was an absolutely delicious interlude to a busy day. And as I ran out the door to pick my four-year old up from school and trot off to another lunch date, I realized “Everything is Pastable.”

And then, when I served my son the meat ravioli for dinner, he said it was the best ever.

Here’s our recipe for a Pumpkin Ravioli Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon kosher salt
pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
½ teaspoon molasses (thanks Lou!)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and use as filling when making ravioli.

A Little Gnocchi

One of the things I like most about Cooking with Friends is that I get to try cooking new foods all the time. Since my friends and neighbors have different cooking abilities and strengths, when I cook with them, I’m always learning something new! Cooking with friends provides endless ways to learn techniques, try new things and explore various cuisines. It’s also the cheapest cooking lesson out there! Plus I get to make new friends, strengthen relationships and have fun while I am doing it!

So, when Lou invited me and Liz over to make gnocchi, I instantly accepted his offer. Although I had never really been a huge fan of gnocchi, I knew that hand rolled gnocchi, under Lou (my extremely talented and accomplished neighbor) had to be good! So we set up a cooking date.

When Liz and I arrived at Lou’s house last Tuesday morning, we found two neat work stations for us to work side by side. We each had a bowl, a measuring cup, eggs and a hand carved (by Lou) gnocchi paddle. This was Lou’s stage to guide us through the steps of making home-rolled gnocchi.

He instructed us to make a well in a mound of three cups flour, add some salt, two beaten eggs and work well with your hands. Add one a half cups ricotta cheese, a third a cup parmesan cheese and spray a bit of water to keep the mixture moist. Once our dough was made, Lou demonstrated how simple it is to turn fist-sized balls of dough, with a bit of rolling, cutting and squeezing into perfect gnocchi. In less than an hour, both
Liz and I had a full tray.

He insisted upon cooking a sample for lunch, presenting it with his intensely flavored veal demi-glace and a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It was a sensational lunch and a wonderful reward for learning something new. I served some of my gnocchi to friends on Saturday evening, topped with a meaty marinara sauce and they marveled at how good the gnocchi tasted. These little flour dumplings made me feel so proud. And being able to pull them out of the freezer and serve them within minutes made me feel pretty darn gourmet.