pasta with ragu sauce

1-17-2013 Thu. cold, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed shrimp 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | pasta with  beef ragu sauce | sauteed radicchio | wine 

 

• a good way to use leftover steak

chop and simmer: ragu Bolognese

11-29-2011 Tue. mild, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with Brussels sprouts and pork cutlet
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- Provencal garlic soup ( garlic, herbs, toasted baguette and poached egg) | pasta with homemade ragu sauce ( onion, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, cilantro, carrot, celery, red pepper and minced beef ) | wine

garlic soup


ragu pasta

• a lot of chopping and mincing in making ragu sauce.
  

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.
  

go fish

2-12-2011 Sat. cold wind, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | toasted Russian black bread | coconut cream bread | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | kumquats
DINNER --- whole fish (with a sauce of ginger, scallion ,fermented black bean and chili )| sauteed spinach | pasta with lamb ragu sauce | wine

• one more Chinese new year ritual : a whole fish, wish for a plentiful year.
  

ragu bolognese

2-02-2011 Wed. not as cold, fog and sun.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at H. G. Chinese restaurant) Kungpao chicken | vegetable and shrimp noodle soup | rice
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- clementine
DINNER --- egg drop soup with needle mushroom and cilantro | linguine fini with homemade ragu bolognese | wine

• used minced chicken in today's ragu bolognese.
  

fresh sauce, dried pasta

1-18-2011 Tue. cold, freezing rain


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- quinoa with winter greens
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Japanese green tea | apple
DINNER --- pasta with vegetable ragu sauce | smoked mussels | sauteed snow peas with Thai basil and garlic

pennoni rigati ( #39 De Cecco )

fresh vegetable ragu bolognese

• the ragu sauce was prepared yesterday for the quick meal this evening. it got thicker and tasted even better after 24 hours sitting. when it comes to pennoni rigati, dried pasta is better in getting " al dente " the toothsome texture.
  

full flavors from carrots and celery

12-19-2010 Sun. cold, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Norwegian pancake with brown sugar and apple | grape fruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- pasta with home-made ragu sauce | steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | roasted and pickled red pepper | smoked mussels | wine | chocolate from the French laundry

ragu sauce

chocolate

• everyone chopped and chopped for the all vegetable ragu sauce, and it tasted fantastic.
  

Vegetable ragu sauce

12-02-2010 Thu. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings | clementine
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Japanese green tea | LU chocolate cookie
DINNER --- steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | pasta with vegetable ragu sauce | wine

• five kinds of fresh vegetables in one sauce, done with fine chopping and low-heat simmering
  

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.
  

vegetable ragu sauce

• a bunch of celery, finely chopped
• a bunch of carrots, finely chopped
  
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup of tofu skin, finely chopped
  
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
  
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp pimenton
  
• fresh thyme
  
• 1 tsp lovage
  
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs rice wine or white wine
  
• salt and pepper
  

1. heat 2 tbs olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, add chopped garlic , cook for a minute
   
2. add chopped onion, saute till soft the onion turns sweet , about 10 minutes
   
3. add chopped tomato, bay leaves, salt, and pimenton, saute for about 15 minutes, till the tomato sauce is silky, not watery. set aside.
   
4. heat 2 tbs olive oil in another sauce pan over medium heat, add chopped garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
5. add chopped shiitake, and tofu skin, add 2 tbs wine, 1 tsp sweet soy, saute for 5 minutes
   
6. add chopped celery and carrots
   
7. add a little water, add thyme, lovage, salt, lower the heat to simmer till celery and carrots are soft but not mushy.
   
8. add onion-tomato sauce, stir and cook for a couple of minutes
   
9. turn up the heat to reduce the liquid, about 2 minutes, add salt and pepper if needed.
10. serve with garganelli or gnocchi