Back to real life
...and back to the grind
Post holiday blues are hitting me hard this week. It feels both strange and normal to get back into cooking, writing and filming. But I return to my day-to-day with a new wave of motivation and inspiration to create delicious things.
Our trip to Europe was such a welcome experience. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to travel. To wake up in a different city, a different country and step outside and into the unfamiliar. It truly does invigorate you. Definitely worth the holiday come down I am currently going through.
Back home again, it took me a few days to really get into the swing of things, and I spent most of the first week back at home doing a lot of recipe testing, rather than publishing. I like the testing phase of recipes, because there isn’t the pressure of making things look pretty, and I can also enjoy the dish fresh and hot, rather than cold, as I usually do post filming and photographing.
I tested this gnudi recipe a few times to make sure that the texture of the dumplings was right. I was looking for delicate and light, but firm enough to hold together and keep shape. Make sure you’ve squeezed out as much liquid as possible from the wilted spinach, and don’t add too much flour or they become a bit stodgy. A balancing act.
When I was in Italy, I really dived into the first course, second course structure of meals. The first course is usually something a little lighter: pasta, risotto or gnocchi followed by a meat or fish dish for the second. Gnudi is a common first course dish similar to gnocchi but made with ricotta instead of potato.
Gnudi is a Tuscan dish, and roughly translates to ‘naked’. Which is cute, because they are called gnudi (the G is silent). It is essentially the filling of ravioli, without the pasta clothes.
SPINACH & RICOTTA GNUDI
Serves 2
200g spinach
250g (1c) ricotta
2 egg yolks
70g (1/2c) plain flour
Pinch nutmeg
20g (2/3c) grated parmigiano reggiano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Semolina or semolina flour for rolling
Dip fresh spinach into a pot of boiling water for 15-20 seconds to wilt. Strain and rinse under cold water.
Squeeze out as much water as you can from the spinach (use a cheese cloth or new Chux cloth), and then roughly chop.
In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg yolks, plain flour, spinach, nutmeg, parmigiano reggiano, salt and pepper. Stir until just combined.
Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop mixture and form into a ball. Place on to a plate with semolina and roll around to coat. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Chill uncovered in the fridge for at least one hour.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add in gnudi and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to float to the surface. Pick them out with a slotted spoon and straight into your choice of sauce. I love butter and sage sauce or a simple tomato sauce.
🍷 Suggested wine pairing:
Something light to medium bodied pairs nicely with gnudi. Try a Chianti or Brunello, or if you prefer white, a Gavi or Soave would be my picks. Look for a wine that cuts through the richness of the butter (my sauce preference) but complements the delicate ricotta.
The Crumbs…
Catch up on what I’ve been doing this month:
📖 READ: We took many a flight while we were in Europe, which gave me a good chance to do some reading. Flying from Paris to Venice, I started Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men and let me just say this book is equally as infuriating as it is fantastic. Bordering on depressing, but enlightening nonetheless. Highly recommend.
🍽 EAT: The other day I tagged along with a friend as a guest to a brick industry event. Random, I know. In the gift bags was a bar of Ms Peacock chocolate - the birthday cake flavour. Vanilla infused white chocolate with toasted birthday cake crumbs and sprinkles. It was unbelievably good. I will be purchasing. Who would have thought I’d discover such a find at an event dedicated to bricks.
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A tip of the hat,
Andrea