Italian luxury

10-12-2017 Wed. 


DINNER --- homemade gnocchi with bay scallop in garlic herb broth | burrata and tomato | speck with fig | salami with bread | wine 

Mediterranean, Spainish and French

5-04-2013 Sat. mild, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Norwegian pancake with apple and mango | bread | grapes 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- guacamole with chips | flat bread with romesco sauce | beer   DINNER --- truffle goose liver mouse | bread | duck confit | homemade gnocchi with romesco sauce | pan-fried baby artichoke with shallots | wine 

a family walk in M. Garden

 

• a fun and relaxed family gathering

homemade gnocchi

3-03-2013. cold, windy.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | cheese | bread | grapefruit 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea 
DINNER --- homemade gnocchi with tomato onion parsley sauce | sauteed mustard green | baked bronzini with fresh ginger, scallion and olive oil | bread | wine 

 

• gnocchi is fluffy, sauce has deep flavor. the fish is fresh and cooked with right timing.

compact dinner if you are on a sailing boat

9-07-2012 Fri. hot, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea  
DINNER --- (at Susann's) marinated shrimp and fennel salad | broiled pork with herbs | gnocchi with tomato sauce | bread | wine | ice cream and raspberries in a baked biscuit shell | espresso

 

• start of a new  season for the club, a set menu from a recent sailing trip 

Improving homemade gnocchi

3-03-2011 Thu. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried chive flowers
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed Swiss chard | homemade gnocchi with vegetable ragu sauce | wine

• gnocchi was made last night with egg, potato and flour. soaked in ice water immediately after cooked al dente in boiling water, then mixed with a little olive oil and stored in a covered bowl overnight. Before dinner time today, gnocchi was heated up in a sauce pan with ragu sauce. The texture of gnocchi is significantly improved and the shape is held better.
  

homemade magic

2-17-2011 Thu. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns | kumquats
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- homemade gnocchi with lamb ragu bolognese | toasted homemade rye bread | Lebanese green olive and egg salad | sauteed winter greens and button mushrooms | wine

• homemade cooking transforms foods in their original forms : one potato, flour, water, three eggs, handful green olives, mushrooms, a bunch of green leaves, vegetables.
  

Gnocchi with ragu bolognese

11-14-2010 Sun. warm, sunny.

WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette with goat cheese pan-fried little dumplings | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- smoked mackerel and roasted piquillo peppers with crackers | home-made gnocchi with vegetarian ragu bolognese sauce | fennel and radish salad | wine

mackerel and piquillo

ragu bolognese

gnocchi from scratch

• ragu bolognese using shiitake and fried tofu skin in the place of ground meat. diced garlic, tomato and onion are cooked in olive oil first like sofrito. finely chopped fried tofu skin and shiitake are sauteed with wine and spice. minced celery and carrots are slow cooked in olive oil and broth, then mixed and cooked with sofrito and shiitake/tofu skin. these ordinary vegetables cooked in this labor-intensive and time-consuming way tasted extraordinary, full of flavor and distinguish texture.
  
• home-made gnocchi are fresh and soft. experiment more with the proportion of potato and flour to get a slight chewier texture.