Pasta of the week
What a week it's been. Here at la tavola, we have much the same problem as Barbara over at winosandfoodies, both our birthdays fall within a few days of each other in the middle of July.
It's not a bad thing.. sometimes we share a cake, sometimes we (ok, I) make two, and we typically have a party (of varying degrees) on whichever date falls on the weekend. This year, not being overly significant ages (we're both past our 21st and nothing ending in '0') we kept it pretty low key. On Wednesday, had a nice dinner with a favourite bottle of wine and for the weekend birthday boy, a small backyard gathering featuring my favourite chocolate layer cake and Italian meringue icing.
The other half received a few nice bottles to accompany coffee and I received some lovely presents as well. I was delighted to be presented with a box of mixed goodies: a microplane, a Boos cutting board, a bottle of Ata Rangi Sauvignon blanc and a lovely wine journal.
Then, last week we were getting geared up for the Feast of San Giorgio Martire and San Giacomo Apolosto. Saturday was spent making sausages and running erands for last minute details and Sunday was the event day. We were at the church hall by 9am to preheat the ovens, dress the large sheet pizzas and get grilling the sausages. It makes for a busy weekend but it's wonderful to see the Saints paraded around like in San Giorgio Morgeto and also in Aosta.
In the middle of all this fun, I was also the recipient of some long lost/newly discovered ravioli moulds from the depths of the cantina. So for some kitchen therapy, I've been making pasta.
And I have to admit to being rather pleased with myself. I haven't done much cooking or baking with alternative flour and gum mixures before, so the fact that these turned out at all, passing both Mama's taste and texture test, was a bonus. The filling is a simple ricotta, pecorino sardo and egg mixture and we'll probably serve them with a basic fresh tomato sauce.
Ciao!
It's not a bad thing.. sometimes we share a cake, sometimes we (ok, I) make two, and we typically have a party (of varying degrees) on whichever date falls on the weekend. This year, not being overly significant ages (we're both past our 21st and nothing ending in '0') we kept it pretty low key. On Wednesday, had a nice dinner with a favourite bottle of wine and for the weekend birthday boy, a small backyard gathering featuring my favourite chocolate layer cake and Italian meringue icing.
The other half received a few nice bottles to accompany coffee and I received some lovely presents as well. I was delighted to be presented with a box of mixed goodies: a microplane, a Boos cutting board, a bottle of Ata Rangi Sauvignon blanc and a lovely wine journal.
Then, last week we were getting geared up for the Feast of San Giorgio Martire and San Giacomo Apolosto. Saturday was spent making sausages and running erands for last minute details and Sunday was the event day. We were at the church hall by 9am to preheat the ovens, dress the large sheet pizzas and get grilling the sausages. It makes for a busy weekend but it's wonderful to see the Saints paraded around like in San Giorgio Morgeto and also in Aosta.
In the middle of all this fun, I was also the recipient of some long lost/newly discovered ravioli moulds from the depths of the cantina. So for some kitchen therapy, I've been making pasta.
These are lovely old moulds, either brought over from Italy or bought at one of the many local shops that stocked popular Italian kitchen gadgets 30 years ago. No one quite agrees on the origin..
The pasta, on the other hand, is fresh. I've been making and freezing it for a family dinner next week. As well, some tiny ravioli (gluten free!) for my sister-in-law who suffers from a wheat intolerance.. made even more difficult with the temptation of a childhood favourite and the mainstay of the Italian table.
And I have to admit to being rather pleased with myself. I haven't done much cooking or baking with alternative flour and gum mixures before, so the fact that these turned out at all, passing both Mama's taste and texture test, was a bonus. The filling is a simple ricotta, pecorino sardo and egg mixture and we'll probably serve them with a basic fresh tomato sauce.
Ciao!
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