Pasta, Pasta and More Pasta
Episode 19: I took notes so you didn’t have to….We talked about the following in this episode….Today we are talking all about PASTA with the incredible, Laurie Boucher! And as she says, “There is always pasta hope!”
Laurie is the mastermind of the @baltimorehomecook on instagram! Check out all of her classes, etsy store (for her incredible Sardinian Pasta Cutters and Custom Pasta Boards), amazon store and pasta jewelry here!
I learned so much during our chat so let’s dive into this! First and foremost before you start anything…please make sure you’re in the mood to do this. I feel like when I am in the mood to do something everything works out so much better. You are making this dough by hand. Let’s get our hands dirty! Don’t be afraid to make a mess and get in there. It’s important to know what the dough should feel like.
Not all flours are equal when it comes to making pasta. Let’s find the best flour for the pasta of your dreams! The best thing to do is to start with what dish you want to make. If you are looking to make a noodle that is more silky that may go with a carbonara than you are going to make to use a 00 flour or a combination of 00 flour and All Purpose Flour. For a chewy pasta from Southern Italy that could possibly be hand shaped or not you would use a finely milled Semolina like this one. If you are in need of a gluten free Laurie recommends Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1.
Sometimes we can all use a little help from a friend. Maybe you’re comfortable with picking up a cookbook and diving in, like this one or this one. Or maybe you need a little more hands on guidance and you could sign up for one of Laurie’s classes here which still being held virtually. Or maybe you just need a little instagram pasta inspiration…Laurie’s page is great as is this one as well!
So you want to color your pasta. I don’t blame you! It’s BEAUTIFUL to look at and easier than you think to make. You can color your pasta with a dried vegetable/fruit powder like this one or you can use saffron oil, harissa paste, create your own herb or pea puree. Really, you can kind of use anything edible. Depending on the texture you would like to achieve in the end you may or may not want to strain out the puree. Totally up to you! And remember if you are adding in a puree make sure you reduce the amount of water you are putting in to the flour. And if your dough is too sticky, well, just add more flour until you achieve the correct texture.
You don’t need a ton of fancy tools to get started. Honestly! Depending on what type of noodle you want to make you may need a sheeter or pasta cutter. Or you might need a board to roll the dough on but you can also use a back of a fork or a grater. Honestly it doesn’t take a lot of fancy tools. Do they help? Yes but it’s not necessary. I love my kitchen pasta sheeter attachment which keeps my hands free to help feed the dough through the machine but that’s just me. A hand crank machine is great too like this one.
Pro Tip: When sheeting pasta start at the widest setting (it may be different on each machine, mine is 1) and work your way to the tightest setting (mine is 10). Go through each setting a couple of times until you achieve the thickness you are looking for with your noodle. I.e. for a stuffed pasta it may be 7, 8 or even thinner. For a noodle it could be 5 or 6. Really just depends on what you like. But don’t skip numbers.
For storing your beautiful fresh pasta…grab a sheet pan (whatever size will fit in your freezer) put a piece of parchment paper down on it and then dust it with some semolina. Place your pasta on the sheet pan and place it in the freezer. Once frozen, put in a ziplock bag and place back in the freezer. Use it within a few weeks and it’ll be PERFECT!
For a tortellini, make a plan. This could take a day or two so I would make these and plan to eat them another day and maybe enlist a few friends or family members to help because it’s a labor of love. Laurie’s tip, for a meat filled pasta, make your favorite meatball recipe (cook it) and then puree it into a meat paste (I know it sounds gross but it’s what you have to do and honestly it’s not gross so just go with it!). Make these little tortellini and then freeze them on the sheet pan with parchment with semolina, bag em and toss them in boiling salted water later in the week.
With fancy ravioli, say it’s an egg yolk or a beautiful stuffed pasta that’s in the shape of a rose…use a maybe a deeper skillet like pan. Enough water to cover the pasta but not super deep or if you only have a larger pot, no problem! Bring the salted water to more of a gentle boil instead of a hard rolling boil. I use a spatula to gently place the pasta in the water and shake the pan initially so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Then keep my eye on it and carefully lift them out once they are done. I also only do a couple at a time with this method because really it’s all about making sure they hold their shape and look beautiful in the end. Also to keep the bright and vibrate colors in the pasta Laurie recommends sheeting the pasta pretty thin which will help it cook fairly quickly. So “sheet thin and cook fast!”. Also with ravioli, when you are sealing them. You want make sure as you are getting the air out of them as you are sealing them up. That will help them not potentially explode in the water when you’re boiling them.
So you want to make some cut noodles with your pasta maker and you’ve made the dough. Great! So you’ve sheeted your pasta and now you’re going to let it sit out on a kitchen towel for like 5 - 10 mins until it’s a “fruit roll up” texture. Dust it with a little semolina and then put it through the pasta cutter.
Here’s a handful of recipes to get you going on your pasta journey!
https://philosokitchen.com/homemade-tortellini-traditional/
https://www.pastasocialclub.com/post/trofie-two-ways
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-pasta/
https://www.pastasocialclub.com/post/herb-laminated-pasta
https://food52.com/recipes/27825-simple-fresh-pasta
https://www.pastasocialclub.com/post/_pici
https://recipes.oregonlive.com/recipes/malloreddus-little-sardinian-gnocchi
https://www.pastasocialclub.com/post/candy-striped-caramelle
https://iamafoodblog.com/super-simple-two-ingredient-semolina-pasta-and-how-to-shape-lorighittas/
https://www.pastasocialclub.com/post/burrata-ravioli-alla-norma
Now go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
“Gather Your Ingredients!”
Episode 18: I took notes so you didn’t have to….We talked about the following in this episode….Today we are answering all of your culinary questions with my good friends Shari and Steve!
Oh man this is going to be a good one! Anytime I get to spend with these two is a total gift in my world! We have the incredible duo on today better known as, Shari and Steve! All I am going to say is be prepared to laugh. I mean face hurting laughing with these two and I promise we do try to answer your questions and dive into “the legend of Pu Pu Hot Pot”, Steve’s campaign for “Say So Long to Soup” as well as his popular “So Long to Salad” campaign back in 1993 and #samemushroom.
So where do we start?!? How about with Green Curry! When I am trying to recreate an authentic recipe at home I go straight to the source. I love going to all my local markets. For this one I would 100% go to my local asian market to grab everything I need. They are going to have more authentic curry pastes, galangal, palm sugar, great fish sauce and other ingredients that will make this recipe shine. The other thing I think is that a lot of home cooks shy away from putting a lot of sugar in recipes like this for one reason or another. I think adding a little extra sweetness makes a difference to give it more of an authentic flavor.
Veggie Noodles…Yay or Nay??!! Well for me…So if I am going to be honest, I love a cold cucumber or zucchini veggie noodle salad. When I cook them, they don’t do it for me. You can buy the noodles already spun for you from most major grocery stores at this point in time but I also like doing it myself with one of these. When I spin the veggies I do them first and like to put them in a colander to drain some extra water out while I’m getting everything for the recipe ready. If you need some veggie noodle inspiration here’s a recipe, oh and this one, wait this one ok last one. Oh and for spaghetti squash noodles, this is a great recipe and tips on how to make them with a more “noodle” like texture.
Alright let’s talk pizza and the “ca-chunk-a-chunk”….a good pizza dough recipe is a good start, the right flour is key, a pizza stone, a pizza peel and then you need a ca-chunk-a-chunk cutter, some know it as a mezzaluna cutter.
When I am looking for cooking inspiration I do a few things…I dive into my cookbook collection and just pick one, go through it with some post it notes and pick out at least one or two from a few books. Right now I am OBSESSED with Coconut and Sambal Cookbook from Lara Lee, like CAN’T GET ENOUGH of this cookbook. Highly recommend picking it up. I also love Padma’s cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet. And I also use this cookbook, this one and this one from Skinnytaste very often as well. I also love doing the rounds on my regular food blogs I look at, Food52, NY Times Cooking, Food and Wine, Skinnytaste, Spoonforkbacon…I can keep going.
Shari, Steve and I love the following recipes and highly recommend you try them!
Here’s a couple of Taco Recipes:
Some cooking tips:
When it comes to following rules and recipes, Steve is a great rule follower. And when it comes to flour use the right flour for the right recipe. Not Wondra.
Also Shari says, to get the whole tomato in a can for all your tomato needs and chop or crush them yourself. They have better flavor.
Speaking of flavor…FRESH BAY LEAVES PEOPLE!!! Use Fresh bay leaves. It makes a huge difference and I personally think they add a lot of flavor.
Shari feels like that a person can never have enough lemons in their household so stock up!
Shari also feels like that when tomatoes are in season EAT THEM ALL in everything you can!\
Get yourself a dumpling rolling pin, just because…it’s the best! And if you are going to dive into the bao bun craze (Which you should) grab yourself a bamboo steamer too!
And you should also make this…
When cooking mushrooms, LEAVE THEM ALONE in the pan and don’t season them until the end. And clean them with a wet paper towel verse under the sink.
When it comes to cast iron pans, I really like the Le Creuset Cast-iron skillets. I know they are a little more expensive and I am sure there are other great ones out there. But I love this one! It comes pre-seasoned and all you have to do is take care of it. I use this scrub brush, water and coarse salt and then REALLY let it dry good. DONE! Steve highly recommends NOT to buy a cheap one, especially from Amazon.
Birria Taco….This wasn’t a fan favorite for Shari and Steve but I LOVED them! This recipe from Gimme Some Oven was such a huge hit in our house that it will be in a monthly rotation for sure!! I say make them! Get some good oaxaca cheese, really good tortillas and just follow the recipe.
Steve’s Fun Facts:
The Green, Yellow and Red Bell Pepper are all the same pepper just picked at different times.
The white button, the crimini and portobello mushroom are all the same mushroom as well. I know!? Google that…
Now go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
Another Healthyish Episode, “There are so many different kinds of beautiful”
Episode 17: I took notes so you didn’t have to….We talked about the following in this episode….Today we are answering all of your health, fitness and food questions with Kristen Scontras!
We have one of my favorite people in the world, Kristen Scontras, on the podcast today!! She’s a certified nutritionist and fitness trainer. If you are in the Portsmouth, Kittery area and are looking for an incredible trainer or want to workout with some incredible women online…hit her up!
We talked about a lot of things in this episode and again we are not doctors and we both encourage you to speak to your health care providers to figure out what works best for you, these are only our opinions.
Sometimes it’s not always easy to be the only one eating healthy in a household. Maybe it’s your partner, spouse or roommates are on a different health page than you are. Small changes can make big differences without sacrificing flavors. For example with taco night in a household…switch it up to turkey instead of ground beef or try to throw in a salad instead of tortillas for you and everyone else can make the tacos. Honestly though the best thing you can do is have an open conversation with your partner, spouse or roommates and tell them what’s important to you and your health. Most likely they want to help your achieve your goals. They want to be on your side.
FOMO is real and studies show that we are very influenced by our friends, family and social media. It can be hard to “stay in your lane” but it’s not impossible. First try to unplug a little bit more.
Maybe set some boundaries with social media, before you go out to eat with friends look at the restaurant menu and maybe get a few ideas of things you want ahead of time.
Be the first to order at the table and don’t ask what other people are getting before you order
Meal prepping and planning can go a long way. Have some great ideas written down ahead of time of what you can make with what you bought at the grocery store that week and keep them out so when you are fatigued from a long day you don’t have to “think” too hard about what you are going to make for dinner.
And remember…even with all the planning, all the best intentions, things can go off the rails and THAT’S OK! It’s ok to eat a basket of fries with friends, it’s ok to get the burger when you want it, it’s ok to get take out and not cook even though you just spent $200 at the grocery store that morning. IT’S OK! There is always tomorrow which is a beautiful fresh start with new opportunities and tons of promise so don’t give up hope. I believe in you and your goals. You got this!
Diets…Kristen says," “Super restrictive diets….leave it! Leave all of it.” A healthy diet is all about balance and moderation for you. That might look different for everyone. Nothing should be off limits with food but consider moderation. If you want a piece of chocolate cake, have it, enjoy it and savor it. Then maybe you balance that with a salad for dinner or a healthier breakfast options for the rest of the week. Whatever it is and however it works for you go for it. Make smaller changes over time that you can sustain for the long haul. Workout a little more, eat a few extra veggies when you can and make time to sleep. Honestly again consult your health care providers for what would work for you.
Kristen loves to have healthy snacks in her bag because she’s always on the go. She loves dried figs, dark chocolate salted almonds or hot honey walnuts. She sometimes has a protein bar when she’s in a pinch like the Go Macro Bars.
She also is into sheet pan dinners. I love this cookbook from Skinnytaste. The cookbook is based on how you’re cooking it. Like one chapter is all sheet pan meals, another is the Slow Cooker or Skillet meals…I think you get the point. It’s a great cookbook!
Meal planning…I LOVE meal planning. I have been doing it for over 20 years now. Beyond having a list of go to recipes to make for the week it also helps me see in writing what I am eating. What I mean by that is that I can see that one day I am having a big salad and other day is pasta…moderation… I love sitting down with all my cookbooks and picking out recipes for the week, writing everything down and then making my grocery list. I always include a day of take out options or going out to eat. And I am gentle on myself if I decide to not stick to the list the whole time but it’s there for me when I can so wiped I can’t figure out what to make.
When it comes to sweets after dinner or in general. If you know you are going to dive into something sweet later in the day then budget your calories for it. Maybe eat one less snack during the day so you can enjoy something later in the evening when you know you are really going to want it. I also love to make cookie dough, scoop it out and put it on a sheet pan with some parchment paper, put it in the freezer and once the balls are frozen solid I put them in a ziplock bag and then bake them on demand later. For example after dinner sometimes my husband and I are craving something sweet and a warm cookie would hit the spot so I throw like two or three on a small baking sheet and then there’s no pressure to eat them all.
We talked about calories a lot throughout this episode, again please talk to your healthcare professional before making large changes to your lifestyle but here’s a calorie calculator from the Mayo Clinic if you want to take a look at it. But again please please please talk to your healthcare professional first.
Now go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth