Doughn't go breaking my heart: Fresh Pasta Dough

Fresh Pasta Dough in the making
Note: you might want to take any rings off... mine are currently full of flour and egg...

Like bread, making homemade pasta brings me back to rainy days stuck inside the cottage playing with the one thing my mom has always been an expert at making: homemade Play-Doh.  Somehow, when occasion would strike and we’d be stuck inside with a summers’ day worth of energy, she would turn a couple of packets of Kool Aid into this amazing smelling, brightly coloured dough that we could spend hours and hours playing with.

I, always being rather kitchen-inclined, would knead the dough and shape it into any sweet treat I could dream up while my brother sat next to me mashing every colour together until he was left with a big muddy looking mass…  We’re different, my brother and I, but there are a few very strong similarities that we do possess.  A doofy laugh, some cocktail knowledge, lanky limbs, and an undying love of pasta.

I, always being rather kitchen-inclined, would knead the dough and shape it into any sweet treat I could dream up while my brother sat next to me mashing every colour together until he was left with a big muddy looking mass…  We’re different, my brother and I, but there are a few very strong similarities that we do possess: a doofy laugh; ample cocktail knowledge; lanky limbs; and an undying love of pasta.

Making homemade noodles might seem a bit daunting and, yes, it is a bit more of an undertaking than tearing open a box of dry rotini on a Tuesday night but it is oh so worth the effort.  I've scaled this recipe to serve two as I find it's perfect for a date night meal but feel free to multiply the recipe to serve more.

If you can't find '00' flour in your grocery store, all purpose will work just fine.  The two flours have similar protein/gluten levels (between ~10-12%) and are therefore pretty interchangeable when used for fresh pasta.  The main difference between the two is that '00' has been more finely milled thus resulting in a slightly better texture.

Now, don’t be daunted by the length of the method below.  In addition to detailing a method using good old-fashioned elbow grease, I've also included a couple of different tactics for making the dough using a little help from some handy dandy kitchen equipment. 

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be posting some of my favourite sauces, fillings, and pasta shapes so stay tuned!  In the meantime, give this a whirl, roll it out thin either by hand or with a pasta roller, and cut into long, thin noodles – it’ll be perfect draped with carbonara or my favourite tomato sauce.

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Fresh Pasta Dough

Serves 2

1 cup + 2 tablespoons ‘00’ or all purpose flour, plus a bit more for kneading
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp olive oil

Dump the flour onto a large work surface and sprinkle with salt.  Using you hands, gently mix the salt through and create a well in the centre of the mound.  Crack the eggs into the well, being careful not to let them spill out over the edge.  Add the oil and, using a fork or the tips of your fingers, beat the eggs and oil together and begin to incorporate the flour by pulling it in from the inner wall of the well. 

Once the mixture becomes a bit shaggy and tricky to work with, start using your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive ball.  At this point, set the ball of dough aside and discard any scraggly dry bits and flour that is left over.  I typically have about 1 – 2 tablespoons of refuse at this point so don’t feel the need to try to incorporate everything. 

Bring the ball of dough back over to your work surface and continue kneading for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth, adding a dusting of flour when necessary.  Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, cutting, shaping, drying slightly, and cooking.

If you’re looking for a bit of a tidier method, feel free to use your stand mixer or a food processor. 

For the stand mixer approach, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer and create a well.  Crack the eggs into the well and add the olive oil.  Using a fork, whisk the eggs and oil together and incorporate the flour until a shaggy dough forms.  Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment and knead on low for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  As with above, if a few tablespoons of flour are left in the bottom of the bowl, no worries!  Cover the dough with plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before using.

For the food processor approach, toss the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Crack the eggs into a glass measuring cup, add the oil, and give it a whisk.  With the mixer running, slowly pour the egg mixture through the chute and blitz until it all comes together into a smooth dough.  Remove the dough from the processor, leave any scraggly bits behind, and give it a bit of a knead for about 4 or 5 minutes, adding flour when necessary.  As with above, allow the dough to rest covered in plastic for 30 minutes prior to using.

It’s a-BAO-t time! Quick and easy steamed buns

Clamshell Steamed Buns stuffed with sesame tofu, quick picked carrots, cucumber, and cilantro

It’s no secret that bread is my all time favourite food.  The only things that could possibly come close to that doughy love fest are butter, cheese, and salt and, let’s be honest, all of those things are just made better with the addition of a big old hunk of freshly baked bread. 

From watching the yeast wake up from its long slumber and kneading it into a big mound of powdery flour to digging into fresh and lofty loaves, my love affair with bread is totally and completely consuming.

Now, I can’t argue with the fact that a perfect golden brown crispy crust is a thing of pure beauty.  Whenever I pull a loaf from the oven or am out and about shopping for my starchy love, I can’t help but think of that scene in Ratatouille where Colette is trying to teach Linguini (and, in turn, Remy) about good bread:

How can you tell how good bread is without tasting it?  Not the smell, not the look, but the sound of the crust.  Listen… Oh, a symphony of crackle!

But what about bread that has never seen the heat of an oven?  When does it get it’s due? 

Enter the wondrous culinary invention that is the steamed bun!

No, it does not have a crispy golden crust but, boy oh boy, do I ever love me some steamed buns!  Not only is my recipe for steamed bun dough super simple, it cooks up in around 10 minutes so you can be digging in to some excellent eats in no time flat!  Another bonus?  These steamed buns (or bao) can be totally customized through shaping and stuffing so feel free to let your imagination run wild!

If you're looking for a little bit of help when it comes to shaping clamshells or stuffed bao, check out this segment I did with my gal Veronica Cham on Your Morning!

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Steamed Bun Dough

Makes 24 - 30 buns

1 cup + 2 tablespoons very warm water
1 tablespoon instant active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons dry milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening or lard, room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, if making clamshell shaped buns

In glass measuring cup, combine the warm water and yeast and give it a bit of a stir.  Set this mixture aside for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to develop.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, dry milk powder, and baking powder and make a well in the middle.  Once the yeast is nice and foamy, pour the mixture into the well, add in the shortening, and mix to combine.  Knead the dough on low for 8 – 10 minutes if using a stand mixer, or by hand for 10 – 12 minutes.  After kneading, the dough should gather into a ball and be soft but not sticky.

Lightly grease a large, clean mixing bowl with cooking spray and transfer the ball of dough into the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area for 1 ½ hours or until the dough had doubled in size.

When risen, punch the dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces. 

Now is the time to decide on the shape you’d like your steamed buns to be!  If you would like clamshell shaped buns, roll each piece of dough into a 4-5 inch-long oval with a rolling pin.  Lightly brush the ovals with vegetable oil, lay a chopstick horizontally across the narrow centre of the oval, and fold over onto itself to form a kind of taco shape.  Gently pull the chopstick out, place each bun on a small piece of parchment paper, and allow the buns to rise on a baking sheet, covered in plastic wrap, for 20 - 30 minutes.

If you are looking for a classic bun shape, just roll the pieces into tightly skinned little rounds, place on small squares of parchment paper (about 3” square), and allow the buns to rise on a baking sheet, covered in plastic wrap, for 20 - 30 minutes.  

If you want to fill your bao, flatten balls of dough into circles that are a little thicker in the middle, fill, and crimp.  Check out this video for a little demo of stuffing bao!

Set up your steamer and, working in batches to avoid crowding, steam the classic round buns for 13-15 minutes or clamshell buns for 10 minutes.  Serve warm with anything your heart desires!

If you have any extra buns, they are great stored and served at room temperature, reheated in a steamer, or can be frozen in a tightly sealed zip top bag for up to two months.

The fluffiest little 3-Cheese Omelette you ever did see

Three Cheese Souffled Omelette

We've all been there.  You've just woken up.  You're hungry.  You open the fridge and see a few perfect little eggs and a vegetable drawer filled with bits and bobs and inspiration strikes: "I'll make an omelette for breakfast!"

You grab some veg, maybe an onion, some mushrooms, a handful of greens, and hurriedly and haphazardly chop them all up.  You pop your pan onto the heat, crank it all the way up to high because, gosh darnit, you're hungry and want to dig into this bad boy as soon as possible!  

Fast forward to a warbly, flat-ish omelette filled with still-crunchy onions, sad and weepy mushrooms, wilted no-longer-green greens, and overcooked eggs.  

Less.  Than.  Appetizing.  And definitely not what the doctor ordered.

This here is my argument (read: recipe) for the most perfect omelette you'll ever have the joy of whipping up and gobbling down.  A souffled omelette not only looks spectacular from start to finish, it also cooks up in the blink of an eye and has the most wonderful, even consistency.

A soufleed omelette does not lend itself well to veg but, personally, I don't much care for them in my eggs anyway as I find that they are always under or overcooked.  I'd much rather dig into this cheesy lofty little number with a green salad or steamed asparagus on the side.

If the souffle aspect of this recipe seems a bit intimidating, believe me, it's as easy as anything!  Check out this segment on The Marilyn Denis Show where I prepare my Three Cheese Souffled Omelette to see just how simple it is!

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Three Cheese Souffled Omelette

Makes 1 - 7” omelet

3 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons grated extra old cheddar
2 tablespoons grated gruyere
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper, to season

Heat a 7” nonstick skillet over medium low, arrange your top oven rack about 6-8” below your broiler, and turn the broiler on to high.

Meanwhile, separate your eggs by placing the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites into a very clean large metal or glass bowl.  When separating your eggs, it is important to make sure that no yolk gets into your whites.  Even the littlest bit of yolk or fat can stop your whites from whipping up.

Using a clean metal whisk or hand mixer, whip up the egg whites until they are fluffy and hold soft peaks.  Set those aside and whisk up the egg yolks with a bit of salt.  The yolks need to be whisked for about 10 seconds or so, just until they lighten up a bit. 

Using a metal spoon or large whisk, gently fold the yolks into the whites just until combined.  The mixture will fall a bit and lose some of its fluffiness but be careful not to over stir as this will ruin the soufflé.

Pop the butter into your preheated pan, swirl around a bit so that the bottom and edges are nicely coated, and gently pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Cook the omelette over medium low heat for 1 minute, gently sprinkle the cheeses on top, and pop the pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese just begins to turn golden.

Remove the omelette from the oven and carefully fold it over on itself and transfer to a plate.  Top with a scattering of chives and a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.

Mushroom Risotto: Dinner with a real Fungi

Mushroom Risotto

First, let me just apologize for that horrendous pun.  Usually I am the first to roll my eyes when the hubs chimes in with a doofy little quip but mushroom-based humour in all of its forms always gets my number.

Mention the word ‘risotto’ to anyone who does not find refuge in the kitchen and I guarantee you their eyes will gloss over.  Yes, they may love that creamy, satisfying dish, but the idea of standing by a stove for 45 minutes constantly tending to what really amounts to be a pan of oddly cooked rice would make most roll their eyes, pick up the phone, and order a pizza.

But I am here to banish this myth that risotto is a tricky, time consuming dish to make!  It is truly a simple little one-pot meal that is much less finicky than many recipes would have you believe.

This rich and dreamy mushroom risotto only takes a bit of chopping, some heating, and an occasional stir or two upon the addition of some stock.  Finished with a little bit of vinegar to banish the stodginess that mushrooms sometimes bring and topped with a scattering of pecorino cheese, parsley, and tarragon, this little number will have you popping back into the kitchen for a second (read: third) helping.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 as a main, more as a side

4 – 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably low/no sodium
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp butter
½ medium cooking onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
12 cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 cluster oyster mushrooms, about the size of a softball, roughly torn
1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups arborio rice
2 tbsp + ½ cup dry white wine, divided
2 tsp balsamic, red wine, or white wine vinegar
½ cup finely grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for serving
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and keep warm on the back burner over low heat.  If you’d prefer, feel free to heat the stock in your microwave.  You’ll just want to make sure that it is very warm when you go to add it to the risotto so you might need to zap it a few times throughout the process.  If you are a lazy one today as I often am, don’t fret about heating the stock up at all.  The recipe still works perfectly fine.  It just might take a bit longer and be a bit more porridge-y which is an a-ok quality in my books.

When the oil is heated, add the chopped onion and season with some salt and pepper.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes or just until the onions start to become tender.  Turn the heat up to medium-high and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the butter, garlic, and quartered cremini mushrooms.  Season with a bit of salt and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the oyster mushrooms and thinly sliced portobello and cook until all the mushrooms have taken on a lovely golden colour.  When the mushrooms are done, deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of wine and cook until evaporated.  This will happen in the blink of an eye so stay with it.  Once all of the wine has evaporated, transfer the mushrooms onto a plate and spread into a single layer.  Set aside.

Place the pan back on the burner and reduce the heat to medium.  Pour in the final tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the arborio rice.  Continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes or until the rice begins to crackle a little and look a bit translucent around the edges.  At this point, stir in ½ cup of white wine and cook until it has all evaporated.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the stock 1 - 1½ cups at a time, allowing it to bubble away and evaporate before the next addition.  No need to worry about stirring constantly.  Just give it a good whirl after each new addition and allow the stock to bubble away.

Continue adding the stock until the risotto is al dente or cooked to your liking.  You’re aiming for a balance between tender and toothy but feel free to err on the textural side you prefer.

When the risotto is perfectly cooked, stir in the vinegar and about ½ cup more stock to loosen everything up, then add the mushrooms, pecorino, and your fresh herbs.  Taste the risotto and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Serve in shallow bowls topped with pecorino, herbs, and a good dusting of freshly cracked black pepper.