pasta dough for Shelly

This recipe is for Shelly, my hair "guru".  The story behind this recipe dates back to the early 80's when I was working as a pantry chef at a four star restaurant in Washington.  I wanted to be a chef at that time with dreams of owning my own "cafe".  The dream and concept behind the cafe was to be a breakfast and lunch affair, with a "seated" dinner one night a week, set menu.  It was to be called "Chatty's Coffee Cup". 

So in pursuance of my dream I went to work at the above mentioned four star restaurant. In the end, I took away a few great recipes for my file from this experience, but I also became quite jaded by the behind the scenes kitchen behavior (from the chef and sous chef specifically).  At that time, chef-dom was predominately a "man's" world and the two men I worked with were sexist, both in language, behavior and general overtones. Needless, to say, I decided to follow another path.  Ah the life of a Femi-Nazi.

That all said, here is the tried and true recipe I use when making home made noodles.  I have used this recipe for fettucini, linguini, lasagna and ravioli.  Nothing beats home made noodles and this is a fun way to make dinner for a group of family and friends.  It is most fun to have each individual roll out their own "pasta".  I use an Atlas pasta machine purchased in 1981.

Classic fresh egg pasta
1 3/4 cup flour (semolina works great, but I have used spelt before as well)
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
water to moisten

*notes

• for the liquid (water) just as when making dough for pie crust, it works better when the water is chilled.  my trick is to put an ice cube or two into the liquid and let it chill for a minute or so.
• liquid suggestions include: half n half, or heavy cream (makes for a rich but lovely pasta), lemon juice or marsala wine also work well. 
• you can also add fresh spinach, garlic or sun-dried tomatoes for a twist and different flavor of pasta. 

Using a mixing bowl I use my Kitchen Aid) or food processor mix the flour and salt together. Add the egg/egg white, olive oil and other liquid. Incorporate above ingredients together, kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic and not too soft.

Refrigerate the dough for at least a half hour, to let it rest (it can go longer). Remove from refrigerator when ready to make the pasta and allow to set to room temp for ease in rolling

Roll out to desired thin (or thickness). Standard is 1/32 of an inch. For ravioli increase the "thinness"You can do this by hand with a marble rolling pin (make sure the surface is lightly dusted so the pasta dough does not stick).  If you are using an Atlas or pasta machine - follow the instructions of the tool you are using.

If I am not cooking the pasta immediately - I loop it into a figure eight onto a lined (with parchment paper) cookie sheet or surface that will fit in the freezer.

Enjoy this recipe and if you have questions - PLEASE feel free to ask away.

Most important~~ as Julia would say~~ "Bon Appetit"

What is a casserole?

A casserole, is taken from the French for "saucepan” and is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself being called a casserole dish or casserole pan. In British English, this type of dish is frequently also called a bake, coinciding with the cooking technique.


Based on my research, casseroles became increasingly popular as a one dish meal, in the 20^th century, following World War II - for several reasons, one being ease and another being that new forms of lightweight metal and glassware in cooking vessels became available on the market.


My “Mama” was not a big casserole maker, in fact, it is hard for me to remember ever having a casserole.  Mostly, because “Daddy”, did NOT favor any type of dish that remotely resembled a casserole, this as a result from the many ghastly meals he was served during his time serving in the US Navy during the War.


So, that all said, tonight I prepared a casserole dish (recipe) that my dear friend Pat Webber passed onto me more than a few years ago.  A casserole, if you will, with a bit of a modern spin. This dish is a good crowd pleaser but what I really like is that is features “used or tired” tortilla chips, those dregs at the bottom of the bag that one usually tosses.  It is a tasty and easy dinner, although I don't think it was one of Brandon's (my oldest son)  favorites and it also makes for great "used" food (aka leftovers),

Enchildada Casserole -

my version is vegetarian - but there is also a carnivore version

1 cup of mushrooms quartered

1 can of black beans (drained)

1 cup chopped tomatillos (about 4 - 6)

1 medium onion chopped coarse

¼ cup chopped peppers (I used a blend of jalapeno, red and yellow)

2 - 4 cloves garlic (or more depending on taste)

14 oz can green chile’ enchilada sauce (I make my own)

14 oz can roasted garlic mushroom soup

¼ cup of chopped/minced cilantro

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

At this point I use my kitchen aid to mix the above ingredients together  

1 bag (12 oz) of used tortilla chips (we save the tired /small chips to use for this dish)

2 cups (16 oz) of cheese

(I use a variety - today’s recipe consisted of fresh mozzarella and sharp white cheddar)

1 cup of vegetable broth

In a 9x11 baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray…

Layer 2/3‘s of the tortilla chips…

Layer the chicken/soup mixture on top of the chips.

Layer the cheeses on top

Sprinkle remainder of chips on top of the cheese

Garnish with a bit of cilantro

Bring broth to a boil and pour over the ingredients.

Bake @ 350 for ½ hour – let stand for 10 minutes to serve easily.

Can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated.  Note – add boiling broth right before baking if you pre-assemble.

 ** for the carnivore/meat lover  - you can add include 2 cups of cooked chicken breasts (in addition to or as a substitue for beans) and substitute 1 cup of chicken stock (for the vegetable stock).

And as always ~~ as Julia said " Bon Appetit!"