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GLOSSARY / METHODS

FRESH PASTA

Ingredients:
300 g/10.5 oz “00” flour (see note), or strong white flour
3 eggs
pinch of salt

“00” flour
Flour is graded in Italy according to its coarseness, which designates its ideal use. It is marked “00”(very white and fine) to “04” (close to whole meal). Type “00” flour has a finer grain than commercial plain flours, resulting in light and airy bread and soft and delicate pasta.

Combine the flour, eggs and salt in a food processor until the mixture forms a dough.  Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.   When ready to roll the pasta, remove from the refrigerator and  bring up to room temperature.

WORKING WITH FRESH PASTA
Always allow pasta dough to come up to room temperature before rolling. It allows the gluten to relax which makes the dough much more flexible and easier to work with. Always keep the dough that you are not immediately working with, covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.

See Spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli for the method of rolling the pasta and making ravioli.

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.