Dig in With Jewels

Pasta Stay-Cation Last year, AngelFood donated a gift certificate to the United Way of Warren County. The gift certificate was used at a silent auction in a combined package that added up to a Stay-Cation; things to be enjoyed at home instead of away. The winner of the package recently called to redeem her gift certificate and we decided that her Gourmet Meal for Two would be delivered the day she and her husband returned from their real vacation of scuba diving in Belize. (Talk about a hard act to follow!) The menu: Baby Spinach with Hearts of Palm and Toasted Pine Nuts with Citrus Vinaigrette, Fresh Rolls and Butter, and Lobster Ravioli with an Americaine-style sauce, Fresh Lemon Asparagus. All topped off with Strawberry Frangipane Tart drizzled with Chocolate Ganache. Taking time out of an otherwise non-cooking Saturday to cook an elaborate meal for two persons does have its downside. There are a bunch of dishes to do and there's a bunch of food prep to do. The upside is that it is a chance to slow down and create some beautiful food and the leftovers allowed my family to enjoy a stay-cation of their very own. You see, lately I have had a hard time with food. I feel weary of thinking of it, shopping for it, smelling it, eating it and dealing with using up what's left over. I don't even find myself hungry most days and that can lead to poor nutritional choices. The end of winter has seemed like an uphill food struggle. But, I persevered and got to making pasta! I almost always ONLY use semolina flour. I have, in emergencies, used all-purpose flour, but have found A.P. flour to produce a dough that is too soft. The key to pasta flour is having the correct moisture level. The flour must have enough moisture to allow the gluten (protein) to develop and that's what give it its stretch. Not enough moisture equals tough, crumbly dough. Too much makes a sticky mess that is unmanageable. I use the recipe on the bag of semolina from Bob's Red Mill. Here it is (the instructions are mine): Basic Pasta Recipe: 1 1/2 cups Semolina Flour 1/2 tsp. salt, optional (I think not optional. I always use it.) 2 eggs or 3 egg whites, beaten (I always use whole eggs for the fat and protein in the yolk) 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. olive oil Combine semolina and salt. Beat the eggs with the water and oil. Either in a mixing bowl or on a clean, dry table, make a well in the center of the flour. Add the wet ingredients and mix to make a stiff dough. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. If after 10 minutes, the dough still has a lot of flour grains and is not elastic, you probably need to add a bit more water, in DROPS. Wrap dough in a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface (I don't usually need extra semolina for this step), roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired. For the ravioli, I end up rolling to a thickness of 5 on the Atlas Machine (by hand-crank). This is a tough call. I would like to EAT ravioli rolled all the way to 6, but getting the ravioli to survive the process with that thin of a skin might not happen.

To fill the ravioli, I took two small lobster tails, removed from the shells-SAVED the shells, and made a forcemeat by pureeing in the food processor with seasoning and heavy cream until it was paste. I could have added a bit of white bread crumbs to lighten the texture and maybe an egg or even ricotta cheese. In this case, I did not. I take the pasta sheet and gently fold it in half. I then cut it. You'll see why. I then mark the first sheet with one of my many ravioli cutters. The pasta sheet needs to be very lightly brushed with egg wash so the pockets seal properly. GREAT TIP: Fill a pastry or plastic bag with the filling (cut corner off of plastic bag) and squeeze out the filling where needed. I put a dollop of filling on the marked areas of the pasta sheet. Don't overfill or the ravioli will burst when they are being simmered. Lay the other pasta sheet over (See, isn't that a nice fit?) and cut out. While the pasta was resting, I created the sauce. I took the lobster shells (I also save shrimp shells for this same type of sauce) and sauteed with butter, olive oil, shallots or onions, garlic and tomato paste.

I deglazed with Madeira wine. Cognac, brandy or even white wine would be fine. I add about 1/4 cup and scrape up all the tasty, colorful bits for intense flavor. The ingredients then got covered with water, I threw in some parsley stems and dill stems. After about 45 minutes of gentle simmering, I tasted the stock and finding it substantially flavored, I strained it. In the empty pot, I made a roux with butter and flour and returned the stock to the pot. I tasted the thickened sauce for seasoning. I adjusted the salt and pepper and hit it with a bit of lemon juice, a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon zest and a few fresh fronds of dill. A splash or two of heavy cream rounded out the sauce. Upon completion, I realized that my long-absent hunger had returned with a vengeance. The act of cooking a meal using classic, age-old techniques, no matter how detailed and intense those techniques are or how many dishes they create, transports my spirit to a comfortable, invigorated, excited place. A place my soul likes to call home. A perfect place for a Pasta Stay-Cation.