Simply delicious cheese ravioli....

I spent Christmas with my mom and my brother. It was a miraculous few days because we were almost entirely without technology; the internet, phones, even the radio were all out of commission. The result was a luxuriously simple holiday.

We made a big Indian feast on Christmas eve (to enjoy all of the chutneys I'd made), and on Christmas day we went for a big hike and then my brother, David, and I made raviolis.
It was my first time making raviolis and they were so simple and turned out deliciously!

We used a pasta maker and a little ravioli crimping tool but I'm sure you could just roll the dough out and use a fork to crip the edges. The dough is simple and the filling is as well.

For the dough:

2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. As our directions said: Good dough never sticks to your fingers.

Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Meanwhile make the filling by combining in a bowl and mixing well:

1 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled chevre, at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it.). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed. You can also make these by rolling the dough with a rolling pin, but it's just a little trickier..

Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with the egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop the filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With a ravioli press or your fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with a fork or the ravioli press to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon.

We made a simple mushroom sauce to go on top.... just sauteed mushrooms and onions, a little flour, cream, white wine....I wanted white truffle oil (as I usually do!) but there was none to be had.

Cornmeal Orange Waffles with Hazelnut Butter

Corn and citrus are a magical combination. My first introduction to this splendid pair was the Corn Lime Cookies at Los Bagels in Arcata. The crunchiness of the cornmeal and the sweet tartness of the citrus is sublime.

This is my waffle incarnation....it serves two very hungry people or 4 more moderately hungry people.

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup spelt flour (or you can use wheat)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons rapadura sugar or brown sugar
2 large free range eggs
1 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

Hazelnut Butter:

1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup
tablespoons orange zest

First make the butter by toasting the hazelnuts in a heavy pan until lightly brown and fragrant. In a small bow mix the syrup and butter and beat with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Stir in the nuts. Scrape into a serving bowl. Alternatively you can heat the mixture and pour it over the waffles.

Then make the waffles....In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk in the eggs, yogurt and zest until well blended, then stir in the butter or oil.

Cook in a hot, greased waffle iron and serve piping hot with the butter.

Morrocan Curried Lentil Soup

This is a warming winter soup- make a big pot and keep it on the stove.....
It is delicious with a little creme fraiche on top (or yogurt or goat cheese- just anything creamy).

I used to have a philosophy that any soup was better with 3 universal toppings: avocado, goat cheese and cilantro.... So far, I have found that it works with most soups...


serves 6 or so....
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
6 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups red lentils
1 piece kombu
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
salt of course.... to taste
creme fraiche (optional)


Sautee the onions in large, thick bottomed pot....add the garlic after about 10 minutes or so....saute a bit longer. Add the ginger and saute a few minutes more. Before the onions or garlic start to brown, but are nicely cooked through, add the celery, carrots and continue to cook, adding more ghee or oil if necessary.

Stir in the tomatoes, stock, lentils, kombu and spices. Bring to a boil and then simmer....for about an hour or so, or until the lentils are nice and soft.....

top with chutneys or creme fraiche.... It would be delicious with a spicy glass of syrah.

Huckleberry Apple Tart

Last night I had the last of our tree's apples that I needed to use, and still a few huckleberries in the freezer from Thanksgiving. I decided to make a tart.
The crust I made with white spelt flour- and coconut oil and ghee. I added a few tablespoons of sugar to the crust as well as a 1/2 tsp or so of salt. I think the sugar in the crust made it extra crispy, which was nice.
The coconut flavor wasn't too overpowering and blended nicely with the apples. Sorry I don't have a more precise recipe- but tarts are so simple!

I just blended a cup or so of flour with the sugar and salt and then blended the coconut oil and ghee in in with my finger tips- just enough so it is well integrated- maybe 1/2 a cup of oil total. Then I sprinkled some cold water on- just maybe a tablespoon. It held loosely together in a ball- but not tight enough to roll out, so I just put it in a tart pan and patted it down. The less water you use the better the crust!

Then I just mixed the apples, and huckleberries and a few tablespoons of sugar as well and spread the mixture over the crust. I baked it at between 350 and 400 for about a half hour.

It was delicious- my roommate Annie called it a "tart orgasm" which doesn't sound the best, but I was flattered none the less...

Cumin Pecan Shortbread

My friend John and I made a version of these shortbread cookies for our teacher who was getting married last week.

Shortbread is endlessly versatile- you can experiment with many flavors- saffron, almond, cornmeal-citrus, cardamom and lavender are some of my favorites.

RECIPE:

2 tbsps cumin seeds

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 pound unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 275°F.

Dry roast the cumin in a heavy frying pan until fragrant, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients to form uniform dough. Divide into several balls and refrigerate for 20 minutes or so. Working one batch at a time, roll the dough out on a cutting board covered with parchment paper. Roll to about an 1/8th of an inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. The dough can also be rolled out in logs, then sliced into disks.

Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake until lightly golden, about l5 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly, then transfer to racks to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Christmas Presents!

So I had an idea....I have more jam and chutney than I know what to do with... After selling it to several friends for Christmas presents, I decided to offer that here- they make great gifts!

I will wrap, label and tie them with pretty ribbons, and send them wherever you'd like!

These are generally what I have right now, although this is always changing.......


-candied grapefruit plum chutney
-black pepper plum chutney
-goji berry pear chutney
-saffron apple chutney

-rum-poached plums (delicious as a dessert on icecream)
-plum cardamom jam
-vanilla quince jam
-orange spice marmalade

some of them I only have small jars, some I have big.... some I have both......

i also have infused olive oils, honey, salts and vinegars if you're interested.
let me know if you're interested.....
suzannedunning@gmail.com

Nectar of the Gods

Last summer I worked at the Slow Food festival in San Francisco for a friend of mine, Peter, who makes Ghee. Ghee is made from butter, which is boiled for several hours until all of the milk solids settle to the bottom and eventually burn off. What is left is ghee. It is lactose free, easy to digest and delicious. I was deeply immersed in ghee for 3 days- selling it, talking about it, cooking with it and eating it. In that time I learned a lot from Peter, who is an Ayurvedic doctor and a magnificent story teller. By the end of the festival I was so hooked on the magnificence of ghee I was eating it with a spoon!

"This is the secret name of ghee:
'Tongue of the gods', 'navel of immortality'.
We will proclaim the name of ghee;
We will sustain it in this sacrifice by bowing low.
These waves of ghee flow like gazelles before the hunter...
Streams of ghee caress the burning wood.
Agni, the fire, loves them and is satisfied." - The Rig Veda

For thousands of years in India life revolved around ghee. It was used in cooking to increase the flavor and nutritiousness of food, as a medium for herbs and medicines to make them more absorbable, on the skin as a moisturizer and protector, as an offering of grace to the gods, and in temple lamps, which are said to emit the most beautiful light in the world. The light of burning ghee is said to ward off negativity and evil influence. Throughout the texts of ancient India are stories of the gods fighting over this divine, life-giving substance. It is described in the Vedas how ghee is believed to be the source of the entire universe. Before the world was created there was only a vast sea of matter. It was only after this undifferentiated mass was churned, like butter, that the world took form.

Milk is considered divine because is made entirely from the sap or 'life blood' of plants- which are made entirely from sunlight. Milk is then condensed into butter- which is about 80% fat, and 20% milk solids and water. This is then condensed further to make ghee. So ghee is essentially condensed sunlight!!!

In Ayurveda, ghee is viewed as completely satvic, meaning that it is deeply cooling and balancing. It tonifies the tissues and organs and is slightly cleansing. It is the ideal cooking oil because it can be heated to high temperatures, but won't burn or turn into a trans fat the way olive oil will.

When ghee is massaged into the skin, it bypasses the digestive system and allows the qualities of ghee to penetrate directly into the deeper tissues. It is said that sixty per-cent of what is placed on the skin is absorbed into the body. We literally ‘eat’ what we put on our skin.

It is imperative that one eats only organic ghee. Non-organic ghee contains a concentrated amount of any hormones, or pesticides or antibiotics that were in the milk. The fat we consume becomes stored in our tissues and cells, therefore unlike for instance, non-organic lettuce, which may contain some pesticides, but will largely pass through the system, any hormones or pesticides in fats will be stored in the body.


Ghee is delicious in almost any way you would use butter. Look for ghee (or butter) with the brightest yellow color, because this will indicate how much green, fresh grass the cows had access to. Peter's ghee is Ancient Organics. It is made from Strauss butter- which was voted the best in world, (but I happen to know that the butter my father makes is actually the best!) Strauss's butter is excellent because they have mostly Jersey cows, which produce milk higher in beta-carotene than normal Holstein milk cows (the black and white cows). Also their cows are roaming around the hills of Marin eating grass, so you will notice in the winter the butter will be a slightly deeper yellow color because the cows are eating greener grass!

My dad uses Guernsey cows, which are even better than Jerseys. (The reason everyone doesn't use Guernsey or Jerseys is because, although their milk is better, they produce significantly less of it). He molds it in old, wooden butter molds and tops it with a clover!





You can make your own ghee if you feel inspired. It is important to use the best unsalted, organic butter you can find.
In fact you can make your own butter too.....or milk your own cow...but that's considerably more work....

RECIPE:

1 pound unsalted butter

Put the butter in a heavy, medium-sized pan. Turn the heat on to medium until the butter melts.

Turn down the heat until the butter just boils and continue to cook at this heat. Do not cover the pot. The butter will foam and sputter while it cooks. As it boils, moisture evaporates off and it will begin to clarify and the butter will turn from cloudy yellowish liquid to a more golden color. Whitish cloudy milk solids will rise to the top and sink to the bottom. Do not stir. After a half hour an hour your ghee will be ready. The ghee will be a clear beautiful golden color with a wonderful smell that some have compared to popcorn. The moment ghee is ready is critical and lasts only a short time. If the ghee is cooked too little, moisture will remain in the ghee and it will lack in exquisite taste and qualities. Also, because of the moisture, it will tend to spoil or sour. If ghee is cooked too much, it will burn, turn slightly darker and have a certain nutty flavor. After the ghee is ready, skim off the top light crust of whitish milk solids. Whitish curds will begin to form on the bottom of the pot. Keep a close watch on the ghee, as it can easily burn. After a while it will become a clear, golden color. You will have to take a clean, dry spoon to move away some of the foam on top in order to see if the ghee is clear all the way through to the bottom. Let it cool until just warm. Pour it through a fine sieve or layers of cheesecloth into a clean, dry glass container with a tight lid. Discard the curds at the bottom of the saucepan.

Ghee can be kept on the kitchen shelf, covered. It does not need refrigeration. The medicinal properties are said to improve with age. Don’t ladle out the ghee with a wet spoon or allow any water to get into the container, as this will create conditions for bacteria to grow and spoil the ghee.

Two pounds of butter will fill a quart jar with ghee.

Peter talked a lot about the atmosphere that the ghee was made in. He makes it in the traditional method- only on the waxing or full moon, while singing traditional mantras- you don't have to do this though!

Vata Kitchadi

With the post-thanksgiving sluggishness that seems to invariably set-in around this time of year, I thought I would post a recipe for kitchadi (pronounced "kitchari"). Kitchadi is a a simple, nourishing dish that is good for gentle cleansing, or whenever your digestion is a bit "off".

Ayurveda, the sister-science to yoga, teaches that there are three "doshas" or primary elements that manifest as mind-body types- vata, pitta and kapha. From the Ayurvedic perspective everything must be digested- everything we see, experience or in anyway take into our being, must be processed. If food isn't properly digested it creates what is called "ama"- or toxins. If an experience isn't properly digested, we call it trauma.

In order to properly digest our food, there needs to be a strong digestive fire burning. This fire which you feel when you're really hungry or when you eat something and feel full of energy afterwards because the fire is burning cleanly, can periodically become low, or even go out. This often happens after over-eating (i.e. after Thanksgiving!) In this case you have to build the fire back up slowly- starting with kindling and working up to bigger logs. Kitchadi is perfect kindling!

Kitchadi is complete comfort food- it balances all three doshas. It is particularly beneficial for the stomach, lungs, liver, and large intestine. Mung beans are also revered for their detoxification properties. It is very gentle on your system, and can be eaten for an extended period of time to gently detoxify your system (I recently ate pretty much only kitchadi for an entire month).

Here white basmati rice is used because it is easier to digest. Similarly, split-hulled mung beans are used. Unhulled green split mung beans are pretty readily available, but to find hulled, yellow ones, you usually have to go to Indian markets. The green ones work fine though.

Here is a basic recipe that will serve about 4 people. It is especially good at this time of year (the time when Vata is most imbalanced due to the cold and the wind).










RECIPE:

1 cup white basmati rice
1/2 cup yellow split mung dal
3 tablespoons ghee
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
black pepper to taste
1 piece of kombu seaweed (optional- helps make beans more digestible)
1 small handful shopped cilantro leaves
5 cups water

Wash the rice and the dal twice using plenty of water. If you want to make the kitchadi even more digestible, soak the dal for a few hours before hand adding some whey to the water.

Heat the ghee in a large saucepan with a lid. Add the cumin, mustard seeds and coriander and cook until they begin to pop. Then add the washed dal and rice, ginger, turmeric and pepper, kombu and water.
Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Turn down the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Cook until tender- about a half-hour. If you want the kitchadi to be thicker- cook it longer- or you can eat it more like soup.

Top with cilantro and add salt to taste (to increase the detoxifying properties add less, or no salt).
Enjoy and remember not to eat too much! It's just kindling after all!