Home Cooked, A Beautiful Cookbook, But Not Functional in My Southern Kitchen

I really wanted to love Home Cooked. It's a beautiful cookbook with personal stories of the author, Anya Fernald. The premise, to use fresh ingredients to produce robust dishes, fits my cooking esthetic perfectly.

The problem is the majority of the recipes are too foreign in concept to implement in my southern kitchen. Ones such as squid and beans, simple seared beef heart, grilled pork belly with anchovies and anchovies two ways.

There are some recipes I will try. Asado potatoes looks like a fun dish using russet potatoes sliced thinly, dotted with butter, salt and pepper and cooked in a hot oven in a cast-iron skillet until crispy. A blood orange salad and a few other recipes looked delightful.

It is a pleasant cookbook just to sit down and read. It transports me to other regions and ways of life. But, as a cookbook, it won't prove very useful.

I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

THE EASIEST, BEST GNOCCHI EVER! Step-by-step Instructions

         

I love gnocchi!

The Italian Barrel, an authentic Italian restaurant on the corner of Chartres and Barracks in New Orleans, makes these little pillows of heaven with a parmesan Romano cream sauce.

I've tried many times to make them. They are basically potatoes and flour, right? How hard could it be?

However, after many attempts, my success ratio was bleak. Once, they were wonderful. From there, it's been a downhill slide. The last ones I made burst into tiny pieces when I put them in boiling water.

 

I recently came across a marvelous cookbook, Tasting Rome, by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill. Their recipe was foolproof and didn't take long to make. Amazing!

Here's the recipe:

1 pound dry, floury potatoes (I used russets.)
Sea salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For a great, simple sauce

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan


Put the potatoes in cold, salted water and bring to a boil over med-high heat until fork-tender. Cool slightly and peel with a fork and knife (peelings slide off easily). Should still be steaming when you peel.

Pass through a ricer onto a floured surface.

 

Form the riced potatoes into a pile and make a well in the center.
Add flour, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. With your hands, work from the
edges to the center incorporating the ingredients into a dough.
 

Knead the dough just until incorporated. Allow to rest at room
temp about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, form a fistful of dough into a log,
roughly 3/4" in diameter.

Using a knife, cut the log crosswise into 1/2" long pieces.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Add the gnocchi
in batches.

Cook for an additional 20 seconds after it floats to the top.



This is a simple sauce that is amazing. Warm the heavy
whipping cream in a thick skillet. Grate the parmesan over it

and stir to dissolve. Add the gnocchi and gently stir.




Put the skillet under the broiler until the sauce bubbles and
browns lightly, about 2-3 minutes.

So delicious!!!

 

The recipe is from the cookbook, Tasting Rome, by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill. It is also a beautiful book with full-color pictures, suitable for a coffee-table. The recipes are do-able, yet authentic and delicious. I have a lot of cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites.
I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. After reading it, it's a must-have.