Mac ‘n Cheese

So what are the rules here really?  Some want it from the box, some need it baked, some need to have actual macaroni and some want lobster and truffles.  I’m somewhere in the middle.  I want rich, full flavor with appropriate texture and mouth feel.  That’s not to say I’m above the box…I  appreciate it for what it is.  A $1.00 meal that can cure a craving for the taste of yore and fill a belly.

Recently I cooked a “favorites” party and one of the requests was Mac ‘n Cheese.  As per the theme, I made an upscale version that contains all the necessary ingredients to induce moans and pull eyeballs up into the sockets.  Just so you know; I don’t ever bake Mac ‘n Cheese.  To me it is made in one pot, over the stove.  Baking it only accomplishes a browned crust effect, which is great and all.  But garnishing with souped up bread crumbs scratches the same itch with alot less effort.

Some recipes are below, even with the help of great tools and equipments like Power Whip.  The fatty McSinful version I did for the party, and a classic “old school” version that Good Eats did a wonderful job with.  The party version is a strain on the pocketbook as well as the heart, so keep it for special occasions and feel free to switch up some things if you don’t have an ingredient.  Make whatever version you like but remember,  texture will be your number one priority so don’t over heat it when stirring in the cheese.

My Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese

½ tsp fresh, course ground black pepper
3T butter
1T minced parsley
4T panko or sourdough breadcrumbs
½lb orecchiette
salt
3T butter
1½c heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
10oz shredded gruyere
1tsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp dijon mustard
1-2 lobster tails, shucked and cut in chunks
4oz mascarpone
black truffles or truffle oil

Heat a pan over medium high until hot. Add the pepper to toast until browned and fragrant. Add the butter, parsley and panko with a small pinch of salt. Stir and toast over medium heat until crispy, then remove to a bowl to cool.
Cook pasta to al dente with salted water, and reserve some pasta water when you drain. Return pasta to the pot and stir in the butter. Whisk together the cream and next 4 ingredients. Stir into the noodles with the lobster and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes, (If more liquid is needed, use the hot pasta water). Adjust seasoning and stir in the mascarpone. Plate, and shave truffles over the top (or drizzle with the oil) and sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs.

We ate the leftovers as breakfast with a fried egg a couple days later and it was a ridiculous breakfast.

IMG_0847

Good Eats Classic Mac ‘n Cheese

½ lb elbow macaroni pasta
4T butter
2 organic free range eggs
12 oz. evaporated milk
½ tsp southern hot sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 tsp dry mustard
10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return the pasta to the hot pot over low heat and melt in the butter: stir to coat.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta with the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Mandatory Sunday Salad

Eating salad should be done on any day ending in day; but Sunday salad just sounded right.

I’m not not going to extol the nutritional benefits of eating salad.  If you don’t think eating vegetables as often as possible is a healthy way to live, then I got nothin’ for ya.  But I do know it’s hard sometimes. We all crave the easy stuff when we’re tired and hungry.  Like all good cooking, there’s a little effort needed to make something wonderful, and as always, pre-planning will smooth out the process.  Here are three salad dressing recipes.  The vinaigrette will be your workhorse, and making a cup or two at time will make future salads lickety split.

Vinaigrette:

1/4c red wine vinegar

1/2c extra virgin olive oil

1/2tsp dijon mustard *optional

1tsp honey (optional)

1/2tsp kosher salt

1/4tsp fresh ground black pepper

Place everything in a jar and shake. Use as needed.

*Notes–You can use any acid, any oil, any mustard, any sweetener, any salt and any pepper you want. A couple shots of Worcestershire are great too. Feel free to add minced garlic, or shallot, fresh or dried herbs or a small pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon or allspice. Don’t have a jar? Use a blender, food processor or a bowl and whisk. Or…toss everything into the salad except the oil. Once everything is in, toss in the oil.

Caesar:

1 clove garlic

2tsp Thai fish sauce or 1 anchovy filet

2T fresh lemon juice

1/16tsp fresh black pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 egg yolk

2T finely grated parmigiano reggiano

2-3tsp mayonnaise

2T extra virgin olive oil

1/2c neutral oil, (avocado or grapeseed)

Peel and cut garlic in half. Puree in a blender with 2T of the olive oil and everything else. With the machine running, pour in the remaining olive oil. Season to taste and add more oil if too thin.

*Notes–No blender? Use a food processor or bowl and whisk. If bowl and whisk is your method; whisk everything together sans the oil. Start whisking in the oil in a very thin stream or just a small splash at a time (1tsp). Avocado oil is easily replaceable for the olive. You must use fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice and the best parmesan you can afford or procure. The mayo helps emulsify and adds creaminess.

Ranch:

2T fresh lime juice

1c sour cream

1/2c mayonnaise

1/3c milk

1tsp minced fresh parsley or 1/2tsp dried

1tsp grated onion or minced chives

1/2tsp minced garlic

1/2tsp salt

1/4tsp fresh black pepper

Whisk everything and let sit 15 minutes

*Notes–Add milk for desired texture and feel free to use cream, half ‘n half, or buttermilk. The higher fat the richer the flavor. Go easy on the raw onion and garlic, their intensity will build over time.

Salad making tutorial up next :-)

I Like The Holidays

Loving or at least liking the holidays can take some practice.  At times it’s draining with all the pressures of shopping and not having enough time for anything.  Don’t get me started on people being F’ing nuts in the parking lots and on the roads.  But what if there were no holiday season?  What the hell would we do to take up our time in these early winter months?  The only thing that pulls us out of the house during these colder months tends to have something to do with the holidays.  Thank goodness it’s automatically on all our calendars.  Otherwise, the scheduling conflicts to get everyone together would deem it impossible.

These are also the food focused holidays where rationality and good decisions give way to gluttony.  Which is great timing right before the new year; you get a clean slate, which is just great.   There was actually a study done at Harvard a few years ago that proved all caloric intake between Thanksgiving and New Years gets wiped away like it never happened on January 2nd.  It’s true…I would never make something like that up.

So, with all the food, there are usually leftovers.  Leftovers are great in almost any form and are quite a constant in this house.  For post Thanksgiving breakfast, there was enough to make some ridiculously good potato turkey cakes with gravy and a fried egg.  Here is the recipe:

Turkey Potato Cakes                                           

1 ¼c chopped turkey
2T butter or olive oil
2c mashed potatoes
1 egg
2T flour
2T butter and 2T olive oil
½c gravy
4 fried eggs

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the turkey and 2T butter or olive oil. Cook until turkey is crispy. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the potatoes, egg and flour. Form 6-8 pancakes and fry until brown on both sides with the butter and olive oil. (Adding oil to your butter when it cooks helps the milk solids not burn). Pre-heat the oven to 350 before you start just in case you want to bake the pancakes for a few minutes to finish them off.  Serve with gravy and a fried egg for extra pleasure.

By the way, if you’re hosting a holiday dinner and you tend to flip out, cool…flip out.  Just don’t flip out on the day of.  Light some candles, dim the lights, get everyone a drink and make sure to cook up some kick ass gravy.  The rest is up to the spirit of the season.  Here is a gravy recipe that will melt minds and souls.

Gravy

turkey neck, giblets and heart…no liver
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 ribs celery, chopped
2qt water.
1 bay leaf
2c sliced shallots
10 cloves garlic sliced
4T flour
1c brandy *optional
1T chopped thyme
1T chopped parsley
1/4-1/2c unsalted butter, diced

After the turkey is in the oven, combine the first 6 ingredients in a large pot. Bring it to a boil then turn down to a low simmer for 2 hours, skimming any foam as it rises. Strain the broth and chop the giblets and heart. You should be left with 4-5c of broth.
After the the turkey is done, remove it from the roasting pan and drain all but 3T of fat from the turkey roasting pan. Add the shallots to caramelize with a pinch of salt and some fresh pepper. Once browned add the garlic to sweat and cook through. Add the flour and stir about a minute, then deglaze with the brandy. Stir another minute and whisk in the broth one cup at a time. Add the herbs and let simmer for 10 minutes whisking a bit every other minute. Turn off heat and vigorously whisk in the butter. Taste for seasoning and strain everything off.

Spanish Coffee

My 30th

I had a wonderful and memorable 30th birthday. My wife and I were on our way up to Washington but we detoured into Portland to visit family. With high hopes of a debaucherous evening, we started our night off at a Portland classic, Hubers. We were taken there because I wanted to “experience” what Portland has to offer, (outside of their delicious tap water…which by the way, happens to be well water touched by the hand of our god almighty).

Enlightening Libation

At Pick and Brew, we did not go to Hubers for the turkey dinner, we went for Spanish Coffees. Spanish Coffee is a coffee libation made with elegant showmanship and and a rum punch to the face. The only reason for it to be deemed “Spanish” is the south American roots of Kaluha. It should be called “Get a Cab Coffee”, cause after it, you ain’t drivin’ nowhere.

This has been a favorite cocktail of mine since first taste and I highly recommend you make it at home. It takes some care and practice but always feel free to do it in a big metal bowl to take the stress out of it. Stress because of a flaming glass, that if not properly managed will crack and go terribly wrong. Oh…did I mention this drink gets lit on fire?

 Spanish Coffee

lime wedge
sugar
1tsp triple sec
3/4-1oz Bacardi 151
1½-2oz Kahlua
4oz fresh coffee
1-2oz lightly whipped cream
dash nutmeg

Lime the rim of the glass and dip into sugar to coat. Add the triple sec and rum and light on fire. Swirl constantly for 20 seconds or so and add the Kahlua while still swirling. Swirl another 20 seconds and hit it with coffee to douse the flames. Lightly spoon over the cream to float and garnish with nutmeg. Over ice = awesome milkshake.

Fish Is Good

Well…it should be at.

Albacore sashimi with crab, marcona almond chimichurri, yukon mashed potatoes and reggiano tuile

I have two rules for fish; if you follow them you will win.

How to

Step One:  Procure fresh fish.  Fish should smell like the ocean…not dead fish.  Find a good fish market and be a good customer like I am for Blue Water in San Diego.

Step two:  Don’t over cook it!  You paid sweet moolah for that fresh fish, now don’t kill it.

Broiling fish is a wonderful and easy way to cook fish if you don’t need a crust. It’s not only quick, but it’s quick clean up as well, and the fish wont stick to the pan.                                                                                  Here’s a recipe:

6 fresh fish fillets
1/4c Sambal Olek
1/4c honey
1tsp cornstarch
1tsp water
1tsp salt

Preheat broiler on high and position oven rack to the top. Whisk together the water and cornstarch, then whisk in remaining ingredients. Place the fish on an oiled sheet pan and top with the glaze. Broil until the fish is cooked and the glaze is browned, 5-7 minutes. If glaze begins to burn, turn off broiler and let sit in the hot oven for a couple minutes.

This recipe has a glaze, but you can do anything.  Season with salt and pepper, a little butter or olive oil and your good.  Want to throw on some spice or herb?  DO IT…do it.

Also; don’t feel the pressure to cook your fish.  If you’re paying $20-$30lb for fresh Ahi, Albacore or Salmon, just slice it up and make a dipping sauce.

Here’s a recipe:

1/2c soy sauce
1/4c rice vinegar
2T sugar
1T of anything (ginger, chile, green onion, sesame seeds, garlic, lemon grass, herbs, toasted coriander…whatever)

Whisk and let sit a few minutes to marry flavors and dissolve the sugar.

Fresh Pasta, DO IT!…do it.

Making fresh pasta is alot like making fresh bread.  It feels good man…feels good.  Eating it feels good and making it feels great.  Two ingredients, a little kneading and roll it out.  The machine is a fun option if you want something more refined then grandma’s noodles.  You know what I mean; those short, thick, chicken soup noodles that took up the entire kitchen table every other Sunday.

4 eggs and about 3 1/2 cups of flour is all ya need.  Don’t over think it, just do it; if you fail, you’ll only fail once because you’ll learn from your mistakes and you’ll learn “feel”.  I like using the table-top “well method” as opposed to a standing mixer or food processor.  Yes it’s more physical labor and takes longer, but as I said before; “feels good man.” Make a well/volcano with the flour and crack the eggs into the center.  Scramble ’em with a fork and start scraping the inside base of the flour into the eggs.  Bring it all together and don’t break your levee while the eggs are still runny.

–You can’t really over knead the dough.  If you can knead for 10 minutes then great, but you really only knead long enough that the dough is a homogeneous ball that is not sticky, tough or crumbly.  Knead by pulling the dough toward you and over itself; then push it away and into itself with the heel of your hand.  Use your body weight not your arms.  After you are done or bored, wrap it tight in plastic and let is rest for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling.

–Resting is important so don’t skip it.  Pour a glass of wine and get the sauce components ready.

–If the 4 eggs and 3 1/2 cups flour was too dry, add an egg yolk or a tablespoon of olive oil next time.  Too wet…add a little more flour.  If at any time the dough is sticky when your working with it, add a little flour.  If you have a scale, a more appropriate recipe is about 100g flour per large or extra large egg.

–I don’t salt my dough just the pasta water.  Enough to taste like sea water.

I Wonder If this Cow Had A Lisp?

I hadn’t had beef tongue in 15 years; last time I had it I remember it being dry and mineraly, neither of which I’m good with.  I’ve been telling myself to make it for years now but just never got around to it.  Had a buddy make it a few months ago so I realized I was far past due to get after this dish.

Not using any recipe; I just treated it like a big hunk of lean meat that needed to cook a long time,  alla something you’d throw in the crockpot.

Surprise pleasure

How much I enjoyed this ugly nasty thing was heart warming.  It was flavorful, tender and moist…and that was just the licker.  The base of the tongue where it attaches to the activating muscles and jaw; oh man…best food surprise in a loooong time.  Mouth coating collagen love, like the best short rib you’ve ever had or imagined.

Texture of the tongue itself I liken to really good beef tenderloin…but unfortunately, I was in the minority.  The image and thought of it was just too much for some to overcome. It was however, completely demolished when I breaded and fried it. lol.

Initially, it was poached in a court bouillon for about 8 hrs.  After it cooled a bit, the outer skin came off easily with no skill required.  I sliced it about 1/4-1/8 inch thick and tossed it into some Moroccan sauce I “must-goed”.  We ate it as tacos because…San Diego. Tacos are always the answer.  (Pictures will be put back up after technical difficulties)

Hitting The Reset Button

For some, it’s a bender in Vegas, others backpack into the wilderness with only what they can carry, for some it might be a cruise to Alaska. The one common thread with most peoples reset button is that it’s mounted somewhere away from home.

Of course you can have great weekends at home and run into Monday with a smile. Maybe you were able to find time to knock out a few chores that have been hangin’ over your head for a few months. That closet that’s increasing it’s real estate into the hallway, or a garden in need of some attention. We all do different things to relax, but finding a way to center your feelings, thoughts and emotions usually takes more then just relaxing.
My wife and I’s reset button of choice tends to hide somewhere in nature. No particular place; but we know if we just get there, things will usually come up roses.

It ain’t easy

Resetting yourself usually requires work of some kind, a struggle if you will. Take yoga as an example: The reward of a relaxed, clear mind and supple body doesn’t come from “stretching” for an hour. It’s about the mind and body coming together with an awareness of itself and it’s connection to the ground beneath your feet. It can be grueling and painful but it works, and is a great way to reset and center yourself—say’s the guy that doesn’t do yoga anymore 

I’m a firm believer that camping in wilderness without all the convenience and comforts of home can give you a similar feeling. A primitive sense of accomplishment and appreciation for the simple pleasures of life. Building a fire and cooking on that fire is not only rewarding, but delicious. Sitting and talking to loved ones without the TV in the background, and only the stars or a fire to avert your gaze.

The little things

We often wake up in the morning, pour some coffee and have a seat for a few minutes to read or watch the news to help us wake up. But when that warm cup of coffee comes with a crisp, chilly morning air and a calming silence disturbed only by a trickling river and the unzipping sound of a tent, there tends to be an accompanying inhalation and exhalation that only nature can provide. No to-do list, no phone, no computer, no microwave, no make-up (optional). Your choices for what to do and what to eat become narrowed in the most wonderful way.

Some camping trips have a specific activity planned for fun and adventure, and that’s great. Countless trips have been made with the idea of conquering a river or mountain, or taking the time to make an amazing dinner that makes you giggle cause you can’t believe your eating such good food with the limited resources you’ve forced yourself into.

Cooking in the wild

I’ve had countless mind blowing dinners in the woods; some easy, some complicated and some that are harrowing epic fails, but the funny thing is…I’m kind over it. I’m over the production, the extra packing, preparation and responsibility; the time taken away. All I want anymore when I’m camping is something in a bowl; soup, cereal, guacamole, whatever. Maybe because cooking is my job, I’m over it being part of my reset button…much to the shugrin of my friends I’m sure.
For those who haven’t cooked in the outdoors…do it. It really is fun if there’s a team effort, or if it’s relaxing. Not that I don’t want to cook anymore, but I only want to put out that extra effort for something we catch ON the trip. Such as fresh crawfish, trout, bass and catfish. To this day, my favorite shellfish dinner was a small pile of central California white water lobsters. Also known as crawfish. We just free dove for them and snatched em up with our hands. The massive headache from the fun was not Scottish. 2 hrs of diving 10-15 feet, with 10-15 Coors Lights in us didn’t help anyone, but it was certainly memorable.

B.A.R.F

“I’m my own best friend.”


My mog…I mean dog, is 5 years old. He has seen the inside of a vet 2 times. Once for shots and another for neutering. He has clean teeth, strong bones and a healthy coat that needs consistent brushing. Seriously, if I brushed him regularly, like once or twice a week. I’d only have to wash him 2 or 3 times a year. But I don’t…so sometimes he gets, “alone time.”

Why?

I’d love to believe this is because of his diet.
I feed my dog the B.A.R.F diet. (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or, Bones And Raw Food.)
Anything raw is open game and dinner leftovers that might go bad, he vacuums up with no sensitivity issues, ever.

Introduced to the diet by my buddy who has a chocolate lab (Scout). Scout was always so healthy, strong and clean. I was amazed at how little maintenance he seemed to need and how low his cost of care was. Vet visits, skin problems, mouth care, vitamin deficiency, washing, injury, bowel sensitivity, and food cost. All are either nonexistent or lessened, I swear.

I’ve met quite a few people that “cook” for their dogs. Usually some mixture of cooked meat, brown rice and vegetable…probably some kind of vitamin supplement for coat and health as well. That’s cool; ain’t knockin’ the hustle. But this alternative just wont happen with me; too much preparation and cost.

Step by step

Here is a basic breakdown of my dogs weekly diet.

We were really good for 3 years:
5 days of 1-2lbs of raw meat and bone, usually raw chicken scraps and or backs and necks.  Sometimes interspersed with a salmon head or salmon belly and skin…beef ribs, offal. Anything I see for 59-89 cents a pound. Eggs are used here and there as well; with shells. I feed once a day in the evening.

1 day veggies. Usually fruit and veggie pulp from our juicing, with added oil. (Olive or something leftover from cooking). Some friends do applesauce and canned pumpkin, but I like him getting greens. The oil is so he’ll actually eat it. Intermittently I’ll throw in all or one of the following costco human supplements. Which I used to take as well. Omeg-3 fish pill, flax oil pill, multi vitamin.

1 day nothing. Really, one day of absolutely nothing. Emptiness gives their bodies the opportunity to cleanse and use what is still inside. It’s called a starve day and is an essential part of the diet. Helps train their bodies to extract nutrients more efficiently. Even though you don’t have to worry about food that day. There is however some effort put in mentally. You’ll need to block the laser beams emitting from your dogs eyes. Especially when you’re happily stuffing your pie hole at dinner.
I usually don’t plan the starve day or the veggie day. When I happen to run out of meat or forgot it at the store. Guess what? Starve day.

The last two years

Poor guy:
5 days “Fresh and Easy” whole chicken legs. (88 cents a pound) They come with part of the backbone and some of the kidney/liver. A great buy as they are also clean and tidy in rectangular plastic containers…recyclable.

1 vegg…I mean leftover dressing sopped salad day. He’ll get an apple core if he’s lucky  We’ve been totally slacking on his veggies. Mainly cause we’ve been slacking on juicing for ourselves. And that’s how it tends to go with this diet; when we eat healthy so does he. When we workout, so does he. When we eat like crap and don’t exercise…unfortunately, so does he.

Even though I’ve been lazy

Five years later my dog is still healthy. His dreads can build up a mean bouquet but overall, he’s healthy.

Questions and Answers

Meat seems expensive?
Diet costs about $30 a month for my 135lb dog.

Aren’t bones dangerous, especially chicken and pork? Some bones become brittle and splinter when cooked. Raw bones are relatively soft and pliable to aid in brushing his teeth and massaging the gums. Plus, there’s a ton of nutrition in bones.
Giving a dog a bone. As in femur bone (big ol beef bone), is alot like doggy yoga and dentistry in one. It focuses and relaxes them, gets out nervous energy and cleanses the gums and mouth.

What about bacteria like salmonella and e.coli?
Originally this was one of my worries. Not because of how it can effect the dog…cause it doesn’t. They can take care of e.coli and salmonella no problemo. One time I found my dog macking down on a full liquid fly trap. The ones with the nasty smelling attractant that can collect hundreds of flys. *shudder

But what about that bacteria transferring from the dog to you?
Most of us have heard that a dogs mouth is cleaner then a humans. Well, it’s true, the enzymes in their saliva really seem to take care of everything nicely. I was skeptical but once again, Scout made me a believer. This dog was all over me all the time, I even got licked right after diner sometimes. Never, ever, ever…did anyone get sick. And after a few years of seeing situations I thought were bacterially dangerous. I was assuaged because nothing ever happened.

How do I know my dog is getting everything he/she needs?
Essentially kibble is fast food. How would you feel on a diet of only fast food. I’m pretty sure raw ingredients have a few more nutrients then kibble.  Kibble was designed around a dog having consistent, manageable poop, not perfect health.

You can find more literature to better edumacate yourself on this if your interested. But there is alot of info out there, so don’t get bogged down in the details. Also, if your dog is on kibble and you want to switch, there is no need to “ease” them into it. Just start, if he/she yaks a couple times or it’s stools look different. That’s all normal and will subside after a day or two.

Always remember

YOU HAVE OPTIONS!
Next time your vet recommends a certain brand of food. Check out how much advertising for that food is littered around the office. Of course this is a whoooooole nother topic, so I’ll just let someone else explain it this time. Plus, they actually site sources…unlike some people.

Jamaican Nutmeg Is Friggin’ Sweet

While cooking for a dinner party/cooking class. Actually a bachelorette party for 10 awesome women.

The story

Wendy, the bride to be, was Jamaican. She loved cooking and food, and had a wonderful collection of Jamaican cooking products from her home town; stuff like local wild honey, that had beautiful, grassy floral notes… reminds you honey should taste like more than just honey. And this Jamaican Nutmeg; which I thought had just an amazing look to it…like a piece of art.
I had pulled out my grated nutmeg seed to add a little sweet earthiness to the Gnocchi we were making, and Wendy just wasn’t havin’ any of it. She went straight to the cupboard and said “Here darlin’…use this…now you know.” Well, those weren’t her exact words, but you get the idea.

Not so common

Turns out (I can’t believe I didn’t already know this…or just forgot), that nutmeg is the seed of a fruit. I knew the outside shell (the aril) was mace; another common cooking spice, kinda like mellow nutmeg. Turns out the yellow fruit (see left pic) is totally edible and quite often made into tangy jams in India and Indonesia. Damn! That sucks…I want nutmeg jam.

We get tons of nutmeg seed imported into the states; how is there not a market for this yellow fruit and it’s fresh red mace? The fresh mace can also be steeped to add color to a dish. I wonder if the yellow fruit from the nutmeg in my cupboard was put to waste?

Just so many uses, and all I ever did was grate it…frugality fail.

Here’s that Gnocchi recipe

Truffled Gnocchi
3 medium russet potatoes (baked, peeled, and riced)
3 egg yolks
around 1½c flour maybe more
3T Parmesan cheese
1T white truffle oil
pinch of fresh nutmeg
salt
pepper

On a clean flat surface put the riced potatoes in a pile, 3/4c flour, egg yolks, cheese, oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lightly work together with your hands until a ball can be formed. It will not feel completely dry, but only add flour to add strength. If it feels to delicate, add more but not to much because you can’t take it away. Divide into smaller balls. Throw some flour on a clean surface and roll a ball out until it is about 1/2in. in diameter. With a knife, cut 1in. long segments; transfer to a floured cookie sheet and repeat the process, until all the gnocchi dough is cut up. Bring a large pot of water to a high boil and salt heavily. * do in batches and don’t over crowd the pot with gnocchi. Blanch until the gnocchi rise to the top, then give em another 20 seconds. Transfer to either a hot pan with a bit of oil and butter to crisp and brown. Or, transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process; then store in the fridge.