Ingredients

2 cups ricotta cheese (I like Bellwether Farms Sheep’s Milk Ricotta)

2 large egg yolks

½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 cup diced shallot

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups sliced Shiitake mushrooms

1 cup (or more) fresh or frozen peas

½ cup mascarpone cheese

½ cup vegetable stock

extra-virgin olive oil

Shaved Parmesan cheese & arugula for garnish

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Dust a large baking sheet with flour. Line another baking sheet with paper towels.

Stir ricotta, egg yolks, flour, basil, pepper and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Form the mixture into about 20 oblong dumplings using about 1 heaping tablespoon for each. Place them on the floured pan.  (Hint - use 2 spoons to form your dumplings into ovals. Scoop one tablespoon of the ricotta mixture from one spoon onto the other, until you end up with a smooth football-shaped dumpling.)

Carefully drop the dumplings into the boiling water and cook until they begin to float, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in large nonstick pan.  Add sliced mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally until water is released and they are slightly browned – about 6 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat another tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the dumplings and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with another tablespoon oil and dumplings.

Add shallot and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peas, vegetable stock and marscapone. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add reserved, cooked mushrooms and stir to combine.  Serve the dumplings with the sauce, garnished with Parmesan, arugula and more basil, if desired.

 

Serves Four

 

 

 

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We discovered this terrific dish when we attended the International Housewares Show in 2016 at a wonderful little restaurant called Osteria Langhe. It was recommended to us by a friend from our wine days, Brian Duncan and we'll be forever grateful. It was a major highlight of our trip and now the restaurant is a regular pitstop once a year when we visit Chicago. On returning home we were obsessed with how to make it and Walt immediately set to figuring out how. It helped a lot that our daughter knew how to make pasta. It is now a classic dish in our home. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do every time. 

For Pasta (Follow your favorite pasta recipe or cheat by using won ton skins)

Flour

Egg

Water

 

Filling

La Tur Cheese (Italian soft cheese somewhat like brie but in a little tub)

For Sauce

¼ cup     White Wine

¾ cup    Chicken Stock

1             Garlic clove (smashed)

3             Thyme sprigs

1 tsp      Thyme leaves

3tbsp     Butter

 

Directions

Make pasta and roll into thin sheets, then cut into three inch squares.  Alternatively, use square won ton wrappers.

Remove La Tur cheese from refrigerator and spoon about ½ tablespoon into center of pasta square.  Wet the edges and seal into a triangular package.  Please on a parchment lined, floured baking sheet.  Repeat until you have made the desired quantity. (5 is a good number per person for a hearty appetizer)

Boil six quarts of water to cook pasta.  Meanwhile heat white wine and chicken stock in a small saucepan.  Add smashed garlic and thyme sprigs and simmer until pasta water is ready.  If liquid evaporates too quickly, add more chicken stock as needed.  You will want about ¾ cup of liquid when finished.

When water comes to a boil, salt generously and cook the plin until they are al dente and rise to the top – about three minutes.  While this is cooking, strain the sauce into a clean bowl and return liquid to pan and simmer.  Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time until incorporated in sauce and remove from heat.

Drain the plin and divide evenly into small bowls.  Spoon the sauce equally over the top of each and sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Serve with something delicious - this past week we opted to enjoy it at the restaurant with a bottle of delicious Arneis from Vietti. 

 Word of note - this is Mr CapaBunga's version of the dish - the picture of the actual dish from the restaurant is above. 

 

 

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This delicious dish, I have to admit, was from a truly fantastic Valentine Dinner made by, non other than our resident chef, Mr CapaBunga, earlier this week! It was our first meal after a 3 day cleanse but still worked within a non sugar, carb, gluten diet (Plant Paradox) we've been trying. Walt, who can often make quite elaborate meals, tells me that this one is super simple so it seemed like a perfect one for our next blog post. We served it with a delicious Gobelsburger Riesling 2015  which really brought out the best in the wine and in the dish - ENJOY, I know we certainly did even though diet wise, we weren't meant to have the wine (well, it was Valentine's after all)

See recipe below. 

Ingredients

4             Wild caught California (not Alaskan) Halibut Fillets – 4 oz each (Substitute snapper if halibut unavailable)

4             Heads of baby bok choi, roughly chopped and washed

4             stems of green(spring) garlic

½ tbsp   grated ginger

½ tbsp   white wine

2 tbsp    French butter

               Olive oil

               Salt

               Pepper

Process

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Remove outer, slightly red portion of green garlic and chop only the white portion.

Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and drizzle with a small coating of olive oil.  Pat halibut dry and place on parchment.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium and melt one tablespoon of butter.  Add ginger and green garlic and sautée for one minute.  While this is cooking, put halibut in the oven and set timer for six minutes.  Add bok choi to skillet and sauté with the ginger and green garlic.  Meanwhile, heat white wine in small saucepan on medium-low until just simmering, then whisk in one tablespoon of butter and turn off heat.

After six minutes in the oven, turn on high broiler and cook halibut for two more minutes.  During this time, place bok choi mixture in the center of each plate.  When halibut is finished, remove from oven and place one fillet on top of each bok choi mix, then spoon the butter/wine “sauce” over the top of each piece of fish.  Sprinkle with salt and serve with a delicious bottle of Riesling - we chose Gobelsburger, a veritable bargain at around $15-$20! 

Serves 4 – Approximate time 20 minutes

 

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