what's cooking? part 5: 2017-2027

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copying that cacio recipe from the internet archive to that perpetual rock of stability, ilx:

80 g semolina flour, plus more as needed
20 g 00 flour, plus more as needed
+ kosher salt
1 large egg
1/2 t (1 g) crushed black peppercorns
40 g finely grated D.O.P. pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish
+ freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION
Blend the semolina flour, 00 flour, and a pinch of salt in a wide bowl and create a well in the center. Crack the egg into a small bowl set on a scale. If the egg does not measure 50 grams, top it off with a few drops of water until it reaches the correct weight. Beat the egg with a fork or whisk, then pour it into the well. Work the flour into the egg, bit by bit, bringing flour into the egg from the edges of the well. Once you have a loose, shaggy dough, set the fork aside and begin kneading the dough in the bowl. When you have a cohesive mass, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is smooth and does not crack or fray when gently stretched, about 8–10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Unwrap the dough and divide it into 3 pieces. Use a rolling pin to form each into an oval thin enough to be fed through the thickest setting of your pasta machine. Pass each piece of dough through the thickest setting several times, folding the dough in thirds and rotating it with each pass, until you have a uniform rectangle that is about 10 inches long and 1/8 inch thick. (If you need to move to a thinner setting to achieve this, feel free.) Dust the dough with semolina and let rest and dry for 10 minutes.

Affix the spaghetti attachment to your dough roller. (We’re actually making tonnarelli, not spaghetti, since the resulting noodle will be square at the end, not round.) Once the pasta sheets are leathery to the touch, pass them through the cutter. Gather the tonnarelli and dust them lightly again with semolina. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet in a loose single layer, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 2 days. (The noodles will be notably more springy and delicious after 1 day of rest in the fridge.)

When you’re ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, combine the crushed peppercorns with 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat; it should have reduced by about half. Let steep until ready to use.

Drop the tonnarelli in the boiling water and set a timer for 5 minutes.

When assembling the cacio e pepe, timing and heat are important. Place the grated cheese in a bowl. Pour the warm pepper broth over the cheese, leaving most of the peppercorns behind. Use a rubber spatula to mash the cheese and pepper broth together until you have a granular paste. Drizzle a spoonful or two of slightly cooled pasta water over the cheese, continuing to stir and mash and drizzle until you have a sauce the consistency of béchamel. Keep the sauce warm, but not over direct heat. When the timer goes off, check the pasta. Once it’s al dente, drain it into a colander, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Toss the pasta a couple of times to release some heat, and let it stand for 1 minute to cool slightly. (If the pasta is too hot when added to the cheese, the cheese will congeal into unappetizing lumps.) Add the tonnarelli to the pecorino sauce and toss, adding splashes of pasta water to create a creamy emulsion that clings to the noodles. Transfer the pasta to a warmed bowl and top with a sprinkle of pecorino and a few grinds of pepper.

call all destroyer, Saturday, 19 August 2017 17:48 (seven years ago) link

so it is written, so shall it be done

Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Saturday, 19 August 2017 17:53 (seven years ago) link

what is 00 flour?

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Saturday, 19 August 2017 19:00 (seven years ago) link

oh wait a sec, i need a pasta machine for this? nm, so not gonna happen

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Saturday, 19 August 2017 19:01 (seven years ago) link

Don't /have to/ make pasta from scratch. Double nought is a special Italian grind specifically for pasta dough. Regular ap flour works fine ime

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 19 August 2017 20:30 (seven years ago) link

otm making pasta bit is totally optional tho may change the cook time if you use dried

call all destroyer, Saturday, 19 August 2017 20:49 (seven years ago) link

Have freezer overflowing with ice cubes either way I guess is my takeaway

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 19 August 2017 21:05 (seven years ago) link

making pasta is fun and easy

gbx, Saturday, 19 August 2017 22:26 (seven years ago) link

I like making pasta ok but don't find it that easy :/

Gnocchi I find even harder in terms of getting the texture just right. But I find it more worthwhile I guess?

-_- (jim in vancouver), Saturday, 19 August 2017 23:54 (seven years ago) link

i skip to the part where it says make the sauce

dried spaghetti ride or die unless someone is serving/making me fresh pasta

Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 20 August 2017 00:18 (seven years ago) link

otm
making pasta from scratch may be fun for some people but i am not one of them

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Sunday, 20 August 2017 13:23 (seven years ago) link

i rarely do it, but the texture of fresh is SO worth the little trouble it takes if one has one of those hand crank machines. used to work in a place where coworker wld come in everyday and make it for pm service and it took her abt a half hour from start to finish. and it's fun to mess w/flavors. once made a beet pasta using a juiced beet for ravioli for a special valentine's day dinner and pasta was purty

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 20 August 2017 14:17 (seven years ago) link

i'm sure it's great if you enjoy it
fresh pasta is in the category of things i will gladly pay an expert to make for me. croissants, pasta, probably some other things.

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Sunday, 20 August 2017 15:13 (seven years ago) link

^^ agree

Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 20 August 2017 15:20 (seven years ago) link

filo pastry

Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 20 August 2017 15:20 (seven years ago) link

^^^ also agree (though I might make gnocchi or gnudi again, no equipment needed)

Sushi is in the 'pay to have it made' category for me.

I've started buying fresh pasta from the supermarket. It's not as good as the fresh pasta I had out the other week but a good little upgrade from dried. not as convenient though in terms of it lasting forever like dried.

kinder, Sunday, 20 August 2017 17:40 (seven years ago) link

I think of them as just different animals. Dried has a toothiness that u can't get from fresh and fresh is so delicate at it's best

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 20 August 2017 18:33 (seven years ago) link

disagree! It's easier to get an even toothiness with fresh. You barely have to cook it though. dried can get that slippery coating kind of thing. tbf I often have dried brown pasta which probably needs a bit more cooking than white.

kinder, Sunday, 20 August 2017 18:59 (seven years ago) link

Can I just say that the trend of overly patronizing instructions in online recipes is driving me bananas

The five-step method for an easy, tasty homemade enchilada sauce recipe turns into war & peace bc the author has to add all her concern-trolling
"now make sure you get all your spices measured before you start"
"heat the oil - dont walk away from the stove"

OMG. SHUT. UP.

Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 21 August 2017 01:31 (seven years ago) link

ugh that's even worse than recipes bloated with jokes
stfu

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 21 August 2017 12:29 (seven years ago) link

i finally unpacked my cookbooks after they were in attic storage for a year and it is so much more enjoyable browsing through them rather than food blogs and cooking websites

marcos, Monday, 21 August 2017 14:10 (seven years ago) link

two weeks pass...

What is the conventional ilxwisdom regarding preparing corn tortillas for enchiladas? Warm in dry pan? Warm over open flame? Quick dip in hot oil? Dip in sauce before rolling?

Enchiladas are a pain in the ass to make imo.

mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:04 (seven years ago) link

cheap fresh tortillas from masa harina, dip in sauce, and quick fry in oil on skillet imo

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:14 (seven years ago) link

it'd probably also work well making from better store bought masa. I just think fresh is best for avoiding tears, and a tortilla fancier than maseca probably won't make much difference in enchiladas.

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:19 (seven years ago) link

Dip before fry??? I assumed it was fry then dip.

mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:33 (seven years ago) link

yeah, i see that in recipes as well. my father-in-law has been making them for decades, and he dips in sauce before frying. it makes the skillet pretty messy.

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:40 (seven years ago) link

we also do not bake them, though. it looks like this may be a difference in assembly between enchiladas and enchiladas suizas

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:44 (seven years ago) link

i hate handling slimy sauced tortillas so i just make layered enchilada casserole now #lazy

Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 5 September 2017 23:46 (seven years ago) link

the method described in beloved ilx favorite the border cookbook is to heat 1/2" to 1" of oil in a small skillet till hot. dip the tortillas in until they go limp (happens almost immediately ime), then sauce them, fill them, and roll them.

this has worked great for me so far.

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 6 September 2017 00:28 (seven years ago) link

fry then dip imo

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 6 September 2017 12:29 (seven years ago) link

border cookbook is so great, could be my favorite cookbook tbh

marcos, Wednesday, 6 September 2017 16:06 (seven years ago) link

In Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen, he has recipes where he warms up the tortillas and then spoons sauce over, and then he has the "..."other" style of enchilada preparation: a cold tortilla is dipped in a robust red chile sauce, then seared quickly on an oiled surface. One taste and you'll understand why they're a favorite street food."

So I guess the dip-cold-and-fry method may be the street food style that is usually done with red sauce?

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 8 September 2017 00:14 (seven years ago) link

taking that book out led to creamy beet greens, potatoes, and poblano tacos, as it usually does

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 8 September 2017 03:25 (seven years ago) link

that pepper-infusion cacio e pepe method i reposted a little while ago worked pretty well. gradually building the sauce with pepper water and pasta water before adding the pasta seemed to prevent any major clumping. i will say that i would add pepper to finish much more aggressively than the recipe implies--the infusion is a nice backbone but it doesn't really kick your ass with black pepper like i want.

obv much better than any oil/butter method.

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 23:10 (seven years ago) link

I don't understand the "keep the sauce warm, but not over direct heat." part. Does that imply that you should turn on your oven?

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 13 September 2017 23:40 (seven years ago) link

honestly i didn't really do that part except for adding small amounts of warm pasta water until i was happy with the consistency

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 23:45 (seven years ago) link

xp double boiler I assume?

sleeve, Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:20 (seven years ago) link

double boilers technically are direct (conductive) heat, their max temp is just limited to the 100C

i usually take "keep warm but not over direct heat" to mean "put it in the oven" (convective) or just keep it close to something that's hot (radiant)

gbx, Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:25 (seven years ago) link

maybe directly heat a pot of water on adjacent burner?

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:29 (seven years ago) link

I would also normally put something in a low oven to "keep it warm". anyway cad skipped it and lived, so we are good.

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:30 (seven years ago) link

i have an induction range so radiant heat isn't really around, also the oven was in use roasting some asparagus. could've used the warming drawer i guess but it did work out ok.

call all destroyer, Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:41 (seven years ago) link

btw if you want to skip the pasta-making portion technique i just subbed the 150g of pasta the recipe makes for 5 oz. of dry pasta and the proportions seemed totally reasonable.

call all destroyer, Thursday, 14 September 2017 00:43 (seven years ago) link

thanks, gonna try this one.

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 14 September 2017 02:35 (seven years ago) link

was in the mood for soup a couple days ago when it was cooler and dreary outside. just getting around to making but i like the look of this recipe (w cumin and cinnamon for a soup sounded nice and warming) https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017980-mushroom-spinach-soup-with-cinnamon-coriander-and-cumin?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_ck_20170916&nl=cooking&nlid=73417899

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Friday, 22 September 2017 21:21 (seven years ago) link

made the popular NYT red lentil soup 2 days ago and it was perfect for the cooler, breezy afternoon yesterday. this one looks good to maybe try next. also pre-ordered that Soup Bible book somebody recommended in other thread. been making/freezing lots of stock. bring on the soup!

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 22 September 2017 21:45 (seven years ago) link

tomato jam seems to be very popular rn. a very fancy (overpriced) bakery is selling biscuit, egg, cheese, and tomato jam sandwiches for $8, which is insane. But I've been making my own tomato jam and putting it on nearly every sandwich I eat. Really gives them a "this is a fancy and expensive sandwich" feel.

you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 2 October 2017 16:22 (seven years ago) link

Tomato jam a staple at my regular, too. Surprised by how sweet it is!

Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 3 October 2017 10:42 (seven years ago) link

haven't baked any cookies in a few years iirc. saw this neat looking recipe where the pans get shaken while baking to create textural dynamics. they're in the oven now and are gonna rule. subbed guajillo chile mexican chocolate and reduced the amount of sugar in the batter by a fair bit to balance

freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Friday, 6 October 2017 00:09 (six years ago) link

that's cool!

I was a pastry chef for years so I burned out on a lot of that, but I still make cookies. Mostly chocolate chip, sometimes oatmeal raisin or holiday varieties when appropriate. I prefer the melted butter version, wife prefers whipped, we split the difference.

how often do you shake them?

sleeve, Friday, 6 October 2017 00:46 (six years ago) link


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