A Night of Saveur...
I had been dying to go to a cooking class for five years. My birthday was in August, and this is when I received my first ticket to a cooking class. My mother bought tickets for she and I to attend a class together in the Fall. Unfortunately, we never had the chance to go to a class at home, but we were lucky enough to find and attend a class in New York in December. It was hosted by a part editor of the Saveur Magazine, Paul Vandewoude, also the head chef and Owner of Miette Culinary School. Following is a link to the school if you're interested in checking out here!
When I arrived, I was pleased to find that there were only 9 of us for the entire cooking class. We were up close and personal with each other in the kitchen and the dining room. My mom and I quickly discovered we were signed up for the "Italian Classics II" class, so we were going to be making gnocchi! And homemade raspberry sorbet! And pork loin! Oooooooh my mom picked a good class to go to. We would be leaving the class with a subscription to SAVEUR Magazine, as well as a Saveur totebag, and a magazine from the month of December. What a good deal! We started off with some cucumber water, and ended up with a six course meal, leaving our bellies almost uncomfortably full. We each teamed up with a partner and took on a different recipe. My mom and I raised our hands very quickly when the risotto stuffed tomatoes were up for grabs, and now I have the most delicious stuffed tomato recipe in the world. Luckily for you, I am going to share it with you. And luckily, I have the hunger of a tiger, so I was able to munch on leftovers late-night, and they were even left cold (which is usually on my "No-No" list).
As intimidating as a cooking class can be, these recipes were SO easy to do and SO yummy.
SIX COURSE MEAL...COMMENCE!
Bruschetta (Brus-ketta)
Ingredients:
2 slick slices country-style Italian bread
1 clove garlic, peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. Grill bread over medium-hot coals, or under a broiler, until browned and slightly charred in places
2. Remove bread slices from the grill, lightly rub each side with just enough garlic to perfume the bread
3. Brush with extra-virgin olive oil
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
8 firm ripe medium tomatoes
1/2 cup raw arborio or other risotto rice (I make beforehand)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil (The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but thinking of how much basil condenses, I put about 2 tablespoons per person)
2 cloves garlic, peeled (I put about 2 cloves per person, also, because I like garlic and a lot of flavor)
4 tablespoons of Parmesan, for a topping
For the risotto, I make it before hand. Most recipes don't mention to cook the rice beforehand, but if you don't, the rice at the bottom of the tomato can remain hard and uncooked. For a recipe to make simple risotto, click here
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Pull stems off tomato tops, then trim about 3/4 from bottom of each one and set ends aside
3. Working over a medium bowl, use a small spoon to carefully scoop out inner pulp without puncturing the walls of the tomatoes; reserve pulp (the tomato meat) but discard the liquid
4. Arrange scooped-out tomatoes open end up in a medium baking dish, set aside.
5. Pass tomato pulp through a food processor to a chunky puree, then transfer back into bowl
6. Add rice, parsley, basil, garlic, and oil to the processor, then season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
7. Spoon fillings all together in a large bowl, and then spoon into prepared tomatoes, and place a reserved tomato top loosely on top of each stuffed tomato.
8. Drizzle a little oil and Parmesan over tomatoes and bake until rice is swollen and tender and tomatoes are soft and well browned, about 40-50 minutes.
9. Remove from oven, let cool.
Gnocchi Di Spinaci Con Ricotta
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
1 bunch spinach, trimmed and washed
1 cup flour
2 1/2 cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
4 egg yolks
10 leaves fresh mint, minced
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons butter
10 small leaves fresh sage
Instructions:
1. Drain ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl in the refrigerator overnight (I made this gnocchi again at home, and some paper towels worked fine. I didn't let it sit over night)
2. Blanch spinach in a large pot of boiling water. Click here to learn how to blanch. Drain; cool under cold running water and squeeze out ALL excess water
3. Finely chop spinach, then crush with a mortar and pestle to fine paste. Transfer to a large bowl
4. Add 2/3 cup of the flour, 2 cups of the parmigiano, egg yolks, ricotta, mint, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well
5. Dust a work surface with remaining flour. Using 2 small spoons, shape 1 heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture into a ovoid, then gently slide mixture off spoon onto floured surface. Repeat with remaining mixture to make about 40 gnocchi. (I stuffed my whole gnocchi mixture into a large ziploc bag, cut a small hole at the bottom, and squeezed it out, as if I was squeezing out frosting from a frosting bag, and used a knife to slice the pieces as I squeezed them out into the hot water)
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook until leaves just begin to fry, about 3 minutes. Keep sage butter warm over lowest heat.
7. Add gnocchi to simmering water in 2 batches and cook, until they float, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi, draining briefly, to skillet with sage butter. Increase heat to medium and cook, spooning butter over gnocchi, until heated through, 1-2 minutes
8. Divide gnocchi and sage butter between 8 plates and sprinkle with remaining parmigiano.
Roasted Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
12 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 8-rib (6 lbs) center-cut pork tenderloin roast
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Your favorite dried fruit (I used dates, kiwis, and apricots)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Salt and pepper the whole tenderloin, rubbing both into the meat
3. Slice the tenderloin into 8 different filet-style pieces
4. Push the handle of a long wooden spoon through the center of one end of the roast, boring a hole though the roast and the to the other end. Remove the spoon and then push it in again through the same hole several times, moving it around in a circular motion to widen the hole to about 3/4 inches
5. Working with small amounts, push the dried fruit into the loin with the handle and your fingers, working first from one end and then the other, filling the cavity to the center.
6. Preheat a skillet with generous olive oil until hot, and place individual pieces of meat into the pan. Sear on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.
7. Put pork in a baking pan, and into the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes
8. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast until the internal temperature of the pork registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes more
9. Take out and let cool. Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When I arrived, I was pleased to find that there were only 9 of us for the entire cooking class. We were up close and personal with each other in the kitchen and the dining room. My mom and I quickly discovered we were signed up for the "Italian Classics II" class, so we were going to be making gnocchi! And homemade raspberry sorbet! And pork loin! Oooooooh my mom picked a good class to go to. We would be leaving the class with a subscription to SAVEUR Magazine, as well as a Saveur totebag, and a magazine from the month of December. What a good deal! We started off with some cucumber water, and ended up with a six course meal, leaving our bellies almost uncomfortably full. We each teamed up with a partner and took on a different recipe. My mom and I raised our hands very quickly when the risotto stuffed tomatoes were up for grabs, and now I have the most delicious stuffed tomato recipe in the world. Luckily for you, I am going to share it with you. And luckily, I have the hunger of a tiger, so I was able to munch on leftovers late-night, and they were even left cold (which is usually on my "No-No" list).
As intimidating as a cooking class can be, these recipes were SO easy to do and SO yummy.
SIX COURSE MEAL...COMMENCE!
Bruschetta (Brus-ketta)
Ingredients:
2 slick slices country-style Italian bread
1 clove garlic, peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. Grill bread over medium-hot coals, or under a broiler, until browned and slightly charred in places
2. Remove bread slices from the grill, lightly rub each side with just enough garlic to perfume the bread
3. Brush with extra-virgin olive oil
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
8 firm ripe medium tomatoes
1/2 cup raw arborio or other risotto rice (I make beforehand)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil (The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but thinking of how much basil condenses, I put about 2 tablespoons per person)
2 cloves garlic, peeled (I put about 2 cloves per person, also, because I like garlic and a lot of flavor)
4 tablespoons of Parmesan, for a topping
For the risotto, I make it before hand. Most recipes don't mention to cook the rice beforehand, but if you don't, the rice at the bottom of the tomato can remain hard and uncooked. For a recipe to make simple risotto, click here
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Pull stems off tomato tops, then trim about 3/4 from bottom of each one and set ends aside
3. Working over a medium bowl, use a small spoon to carefully scoop out inner pulp without puncturing the walls of the tomatoes; reserve pulp (the tomato meat) but discard the liquid
4. Arrange scooped-out tomatoes open end up in a medium baking dish, set aside.
5. Pass tomato pulp through a food processor to a chunky puree, then transfer back into bowl
6. Add rice, parsley, basil, garlic, and oil to the processor, then season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
7. Spoon fillings all together in a large bowl, and then spoon into prepared tomatoes, and place a reserved tomato top loosely on top of each stuffed tomato.
8. Drizzle a little oil and Parmesan over tomatoes and bake until rice is swollen and tender and tomatoes are soft and well browned, about 40-50 minutes.
9. Remove from oven, let cool.
Gnocchi Di Spinaci Con Ricotta
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
1 bunch spinach, trimmed and washed
1 cup flour
2 1/2 cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
4 egg yolks
10 leaves fresh mint, minced
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons butter
10 small leaves fresh sage
Instructions:
1. Drain ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl in the refrigerator overnight (I made this gnocchi again at home, and some paper towels worked fine. I didn't let it sit over night)
2. Blanch spinach in a large pot of boiling water. Click here to learn how to blanch. Drain; cool under cold running water and squeeze out ALL excess water
3. Finely chop spinach, then crush with a mortar and pestle to fine paste. Transfer to a large bowl
4. Add 2/3 cup of the flour, 2 cups of the parmigiano, egg yolks, ricotta, mint, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well
5. Dust a work surface with remaining flour. Using 2 small spoons, shape 1 heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture into a ovoid, then gently slide mixture off spoon onto floured surface. Repeat with remaining mixture to make about 40 gnocchi. (I stuffed my whole gnocchi mixture into a large ziploc bag, cut a small hole at the bottom, and squeezed it out, as if I was squeezing out frosting from a frosting bag, and used a knife to slice the pieces as I squeezed them out into the hot water)
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook until leaves just begin to fry, about 3 minutes. Keep sage butter warm over lowest heat.
7. Add gnocchi to simmering water in 2 batches and cook, until they float, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi, draining briefly, to skillet with sage butter. Increase heat to medium and cook, spooning butter over gnocchi, until heated through, 1-2 minutes
8. Divide gnocchi and sage butter between 8 plates and sprinkle with remaining parmigiano.
Roasted Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
12 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 8-rib (6 lbs) center-cut pork tenderloin roast
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Your favorite dried fruit (I used dates, kiwis, and apricots)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Salt and pepper the whole tenderloin, rubbing both into the meat
3. Slice the tenderloin into 8 different filet-style pieces
4. Push the handle of a long wooden spoon through the center of one end of the roast, boring a hole though the roast and the to the other end. Remove the spoon and then push it in again through the same hole several times, moving it around in a circular motion to widen the hole to about 3/4 inches
5. Working with small amounts, push the dried fruit into the loin with the handle and your fingers, working first from one end and then the other, filling the cavity to the center.
6. Preheat a skillet with generous olive oil until hot, and place individual pieces of meat into the pan. Sear on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.
7. Put pork in a baking pan, and into the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes
8. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast until the internal temperature of the pork registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes more
9. Take out and let cool. Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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