homemade spinach ravioli

for our first christmas together a few years ago, jordan gave me a beautiful, authentic fire-engine red pasta maker.  we have gotten a lot of good use out of it, but i never remember to document the hours-long event that is making a homemade pasta dinner. a pasta maker is a great investment...you can really tell the difference between pasta from a box and pasta from scratch.  if you put the time in, you will see that it is worth it.

each time we have made pasta, we have always used either the spaghetti or linguine settings.  this time, we wanted to make homemade ravioli instead.  the results were magnificent, and now i'll share the process with you all!

making the dough is not as hard as you think...you just need semolina flour, salt, a little water, some olive oil and a couple of eggs (the best recipes are the simplest ones!)  we always use semolina flour from bob's red mill because it has the best recipe for pasta dough that we've tried.

combine 1 1/2 cups of semolina and 1/2 tsp salt and place on a flat, clean, dry surface.  make a well in the center of the flour and add 2 beaten eggs, 2 tbsp of water and 2 tbsp of olive oil to the well.  using a fork, gently begin to incorporate the flour into the well, starting around the edge of the well and making your way out.  once the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated, begin to knead the dough.

continue to knead for about 10 minutes or so, until the dough is elastic.  then set the dough aside after wrapping in saran wrap.  let rest for 20 minutes.  while the dough is resting, get to work on the ravioli filling.  we used frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well, combined with ricotta, garlic and salt.  easy and delicious.  combine to taste, and set aside.

once the dough is ready, roll it out flat and cut in half to begin to process through the pasta maker.

now comes the fun part!  first, roll each half of the dough through the widest setting on the pasta maker 10 times.  between each turn, sprinkle the dough with a little bit of flour, fold in thirds, then pass through with the open side facing downwards.

uno...

due...

tre!

once each half has been through 10 times, roll each half through again, changing the setting each roll from the widest to the thinnest.  (usually for cut pasta, we stop at the narrowest setting before cutting into the noodles.  however, since we were making ravioli, we wanted the dough to be a little thicker to be able to withstand the filling.  if you're in doubt, consult the instructions on your pasta maker.)

 since we didn't have a ravioli cutter (they do exist, however!) we used its bigger, more hulky cousin, a pizza wheel, to cut the dough into rectangles.

we put a little dab of the ricotta mixture in the center of each rectangle, then placed another rectangle on top.  using a fork we gently pressed the edges together to seal.

bring a very large pot of salted water to a gentle boil.  drop in about 5 ravioli at a time, and cook for less than a minute (they will float to the top when they're finished).  

look how precious they are!

 i was so pleased with how this little italian dinner came out.  we served ours with sauteed halved baby portobello mushrooms with red sauce, but i think it would be great with just a little drizzle of oil and some cheese on top too!

mangia!

califoodnia

hello, everyone!

i am FINALLY posting after over a month.  and happy 2nd anniversary, little blog!

2010 was a busy busy year for me, with lots of decisions, changes, and stresses that kept me from keeping up with my favorite little project.  it's fitting that i celebrate two years of blogging, and a new year of adventures, with a summary of some of the most delicious food i have ever tasted on my trip to california!

j and i hit the road with our dear friend, chris, and his trusty dog, blue, to explore the treasures amidst the golden state's beautiful landscapes.  while we were spendthrifts for most of the vacay (we paid for lodging for one night only, thanks to the kindness of friends, new and old), we weren't afraid to spend a little extra to fill our bellies.  what fun is traveling if you aren't down to sample the local fare?

and what wonderful sampling we did.

SAN DIEGO

azucar
4820 newport avenue

cafe au lait and a coco y piña scone.

want awesome coffee, beautiful baristas, and scrumptious scones?  hit up azucar, a local cuban bakery, and all your sugar and caffeine filled fantasies will come true.  in the morning, the small space that houses the bakery is filled with this beautiful light that reflects off the key-lime-mousse colored walls and white tables and chairs...a light that draws you directly to the glass case housing the most carefully crafted, glistening scones, quiches and cookies you've ever seen, tasted or smelled.  i had a latté with a coco y piña scone; the boys wet their whistles with azucar's signature quiche and black coffee.  and the mojito-lime cookie?  criminally delicious.

third corner
2265 bacon st, ocean beach

chris was excited to take us to the restaurant where he works.  third corner completely changed my expectations about wine bars.  i used to work in one in my hometown, and, as i found out, it was a very "east coast" kind of place.  third corner was different.  the rooms were laid out like you were in someone's home...the home of someone who has a hell of a lot of wine.  there were shelves of wine amidst the tables, and the diners are invited to peruse the thousands of wines available and select the perfect bottle to bring back to the table to enjoy with the meal.  chris suggested we try pétalos, a spanish wine, and a white bordeaux.  bottles in hand, we took a seat in a cozy room, where the walls were splashed with teal accents, in oversized couches surrounding a rustic, low-to-the-ground wood table.

i liked it already.

we started with the humboldt fog baked goat cheese, served with wild mushrooms and toasted brioche.  the cheese literally melted in your mouth, and its texture was almost like a brie, which was pleasantly unexpected.  we ordered the house salad and the goat cheese salad.  i preferred the former and ended up eating most of it myself, as i loved the basil vinaigrette over the too-sweet strawberry dressing accompanying the goat cheese salad.  sharing is great among friends, especially when it comes to entrees.  i ordered the pan-seared scallops, which were prepared with tomatoes, nicoise olives, green beans and roasted potatoes in a white wine and lemon sauce...however, jordan's salmon entree made me wish i had ordered what he was enjoying.  luckily, he was willing to swap, and we both ended up enjoying the other's dinner more than the dinner we picked for ourselves.  the salmon was perfectly tender, surrounded by a killer tomato fennel confit and a heavenly little puff of mashed potatoes. and for dessert?  wine, of course.  we stayed until midnight.


the blue parrot bar and grill
4993 niagra ave

$2 fish tacos?  yes please.  go for happy hour, get some beers, chips and guac, and tacos and you've had a great time (and it'll still be early when you're done!)  careful...if you're a spice-phobe, the blackened fish tacos are KILLER spicy.  but oh-so-rico.

SANTA BARBARA

sojourner cafe
132 e. canon perdido

the mediterranean nut burger

after a long day driving, trying to avoid classic california traffic, what sojourners we were.  we stumbled upon this cozy, veg-friendly spot after reading a good review in the lonely planet.  the staff was totally friendly; the charismatic host seated the three of us right away, and our super cute, so-cal waitress was patient with our many questions and ready with the right answer every time.  jordan tried the restaurant's specialty, the mediterranean nut burger, a totally earthy, all veggie patty that was crafted to taste like veggies, not like a burger.  each night sojourner features a special ravioli, which i tried.  the night we went it was spinach, artichoke and feta.  drizzled with a simple red sauce, it was hard to beat.  dessert was coffee ice cream, and it was just perfect.

BIG SUR

big sur river inn and general store

our second night in big sur, after a day of hard hiking, we made it to the inn just in time to replenish our bodies with a delicious made to order burrito.  get there before 7 pm...although the general store stays open until 9, the burrito bar housed in the back closes 2 hours before.  in big sur, untamed wilderness outnumbers the amount of five star places to eat, but for a group of hungry hikers, a seven buck burrito really hit the spot.

SAN FRANCISCO

the plant
3 locations around sf

the classic plant burger...hold the aioli

we headed to the "café organic" for lunch on our first day in sf.  i was blown away by the clean food featured on their menu.  all local, all organic, suitable for carnivores with consciences and vegans alike, and they even serve kombucha on tap!  if you go, you must get the plant burger, their signature patty made from lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews and bulgur wheat.  although it was too early for us to drink, they do serve organic beer and wine to quench the thirsty hippie.  leave it to us to find the least healthy thing on the menu for dessert...house made coconut macaroons!!

there was definitely some butter in those bad boys.  mmmmmmmm.

osha
5 locations around sf

with a lack of comestible asian food in the small wonder, we were instantly delighted when our san franciscan hosts, lisa and nick, suggested we have dinner at osha, a local restaurant with five branches throughout the city.  we arrived while their happy hour was still happening and enjoyed delicious $5 small plates (think scallops with lime, garlic, fresh chili, cilantro and ginger sauce; fresh spring rolls; mango prawns)...nothing terribly fancy, but for five bucks and hungry tourists, perfect appetizers.  little did we know we also happened to be there on a "merry monday", where the restaurant offers half price bottles of wine until close!  we were very merry indeed....especially when our entrees arrived.

i ordered pad see ew (pron. "you");  a stir-fried noodle dish with garlic, broccoli, and egg in a black bean sauce, there was nothing "ew" about it.  in fact, the whole thing was devoured and i was seriously considering licking my plate clean long after the last noodle was eaten.  jordan ordered a magnificent sea bass, cooked in an individual clay pot, simmering in a lemongrass sauce.  the flavors were light and harmonious, and the fish was cooked to perfection.

la boulange

displaying my membership in the clean plate club

we enjoyed breakfast here two days in a row because it was just THAT good.  the cafe au lait makes you want to hug someone, and the "la combo" gets you a delicious meal for only seven dollars (despite its fast-foody name on the menu).  choose half a tartine (there are 5 or 6 to choose from, and they all sounded unreal) and greens or soup.  on day 1 i enjoyed a portobello mushroom, goat cheese and red pepper tartine, fresh greens with a hint of olive oil and pepper, and fruit.  day 2 i tried their house made granola over a bowl of yogurt and fruit drizzled with honey.  they say sf is the most european city in the united states, and with places like la boulange, i believe it.

luna park
694 valencia st. (@ 18th)

sparkling rosé at the bar

during our last day in SF, we were hoofing it all over town, trying to see as much as possible before the trip home the next day.  our feet were hurting and our mouths were thirsty, so we popped into this real hidden gem in the very eclectic mission neighborhood.  the place was filled with beautiful san franciscans enjoying an afternoon cocktail sitting at cozy tables surrounded by lush curtains hanging from the high ceilings.  we took a seat at the long bar and the super-hip bar tender came to us right away.  since the place almost begged for me to, i ordered a glass of sparkling rosé.  it was perfect.  chris ordered the goat cheese fondue for us to share, which came in a little ramekin suspended over a tea light to keep the fondue warm.  smoky charred baguette and tart green apple slices were the perfect accompaniments to the warm, smooth cheese.  a great find for sure.

unwind on union

875 union st (between octavia and laguna)

after an exhausting day, and gearing up for an exhausting night, we popped into unwind in search of a drink and a quick bite to eat.  i was sad we didn't have time to linger over our meal in the totally cool layout of this new restaurant, because i absolutely loved it.  the owner was friendly, not because he was required to be, but because he wanted to be (and believe me, i can tell the difference).  he knew the menu like the back of his hand, and commended our selections.  i ordered the fish tacos; the dish came with three, and i devoured every last bit.  the fresh tomatillo salsa was outstanding.  chris, the recently-converted carnivore, was delighted with his mac-and-cheese sprinkled with smoked bacon and the ingenious lobster corn dog.  and the kicker?  a neato pyrex cube of filled with gummi bears at the host station on the way out.

california certainly knows how to cook and to eat.  here's a few more snaps from some memorable meals throughout the trip...

3 a.m. fries at mad dogs in santa barbara

jordan and chris enjoying their azucar breakfast

chris's macaroon face

the best coffee in san francisco is worth waiting for.

mini doughnuts!

happy 100th post!!

one hundred is kind of a big deal.  willard scott honors century-old folks every morning on the "today" show. the best cards for graduation gifts are the kind that are tall and skinny with a pocket that fits a crisp $100 bill.  you can stack 100 pennies on a countertop at walgreens and buy yourself a #2 pencil.  so, naturally, a 100th blog post is a pretty good thing, too.

some exciting things are on the horizon from this milestone forward...here's what's coming up very very soon:

restaurant reviews!

as my spare time is waning, so is my desire to prepare elaborate meals every night of the week.  because of this, jordan and i have been patronizing some new restaurants and have found some real gems so far!  be on the lookout for picks and pans...but probably mostly picks, because i am nice.

sexy pictures!

but not the kind you might be thinking of.  christmakkuh is going to come early this year, as i'm about to take the plunge into digital slr camera land.  that means no more blurry cell phone food pictures, but high quality photos that will make you almost try to take a bite out of your computer screen.

new (other) blog!

my tumblr blog is up and running!  its theme is a little bit different, but it lets me get my blogging ya-yas out when i'm too exhausted to cook.  be sure to check it out:  threethanks.tumblr.com

so, happy 100th post, blog!  and thanks to all of you for reading!  i'm always happy to discover friends new and old who take the time to read what i write...it makes it worthwhile.

xoxo,

mtr.

my seestor has joined the blogosphere!! yayyyy!!!

emma sue.: 1.: "'I should write that down' How many times has that particular thought run through your head? For me, all day, e'ryday. I have always aspir..."

friendship!

once upon a last weekend, three friends hopped in a car and embarked upon a thirteen hour journey to the sleepy little village of frienship, maine.

the trip started out strong as the friends powered through the first half of the drive with some beer (for the passengers), a bag of chips, plenty of string for friendship bracelets, an atlas, and a copy of "the adventures of huckleberry finn".

as the hours progressed and the miles ticked away on the odometer, the three delawarean travelers were quite literally on their way to becoming maniacs (no pun intended), battling terrible traffic, drizzly weather, and archaic windshield wiper blades.  however, as soon as this came into view, they knew it was well worth the 13 hour journey in the car:

SO worth it.

a sampling of the weekend's beautiful sights:

the poole's

periwinkles and pebbles

expert navigation to seal island

friendship jam

Add caption

blustery sunday morning

rachel

exploring the tide pools

handsome birthday boy!

seahorses.  forever.

learning to love martha

i have had it out for martha stewart since i was about nine years old.  she just rubs me the wrong way for some reason.  maybe it is her overarching, crippling strive for perfection.  her arrogant tone of voice.  her ability to go to prison for money embezzling and come out even more popular and adored than before she did hard time.

whatever the reason, i made it a lifelong goal to do everything anti-martha.  that is, until i stumbled upon this recipe from her "Food" magazine.  after re-creating this delightful quiche, i am slowly embracing my inner martha (that is my birth name, after all.)

leek, asparagus, and gruyere quiche

ingredients

one pie crust (store bought is fine...maaaartha suggests you make it yourself, but, psssh...)

1 tbsp butter

1 lb. asparagus, sliced thinly on the diagonal

1 leek, rinsed well, halved, and sliced thin

1 c. shredded gruyere

1 1/4 c. half and half

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste (a couple of teaspoons each, i guess...)

pinch nutmeg

method

preheat oven to 350.  line a 9" pie plate with the crust, crimping it along the edges.  fill the pie crust with the shredded gruyere.

melt butter in a large skillet.  add the sliced asparagus and leeks, and saute for 6-8 minutes.

in another bowl, combine half and half, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  whisk together.

to assemble the quiche, pour the asparagus and leek mixture over the shredded quiche, then pour the half and half mixture overtop.  bake for 50-60 minutes, until quiche is firm and crust is browned around the edges.

hooray!

wowee!  who knew that people would actually read this old blog and respond to posts?  i'm pretty excited about it, obviously.  so thank you for all the recipe submissions that have come in so far, and keep them coming!

the first two recipes i got pair very well together, in my opinion.  they are both so so simple, and they pair for a great tasting, no-fuss, comforting dinner and dessert.  

kidney bean stew

from katy 

ingredients

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

spoonful sugar

method

these three simple ingredients serve as the base for a wonderful, hearty stew that you can take in so many different directions.  after adding the beans, tomatoes, and sugar all to the same pot, you can add whatever other vegetables or meats you have handy.

try...

-sauteeing some garlic and onions in the base of the pot before adding the other ingredients.

-browning bacon, ground turkey, sweet italian sausage, etc. and adding to the mix.

-adding hearty spices, like cayenne, cumin, or chili pepper, to kick it up a little bit.

-throwing in some veggies (corn and red or green peppers help to make it extra hearty!) and using other bean varieties (garbanzo, black beans, and cannellini beans all work well together to bring different flavors and textures to the stew).

simmer for about 30 minutes or so, and then serve up a couple of warm bowls (with some sharp cheddar cheese grated on top, obvi.) 

gooey!  yum!  thanks, katy!

peanut butter chocolate chip muffins

from caitlin

(oh my god they make me wanna beatbox/dance party with my mouth full.)

ingredients

2 cups of self-raising flour*
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups dark chocolate bits
1 egg
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp of strawberry jam
2 oz butter, melted
1 cup milk

(*if you can't find self-raising flour, you can make your own!  to each cut of flour you use, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt*)

method

Preheat oven to 350.  Brush a 12-hole standard size muffin tin with melted butter or oil.

Sift flour into large owl.  Add sugar and chocolate bits; make a well in center.  Add combined egg, peanut butter, jam, butter and milk.  Stir until just combined.

Spoon evenly into every muffin cup.  Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Loosen muffins in the pan and let cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.