EpiCurious Generations

This was one of those fabulous appetizers that you order and when you put it in your mouth, you have to close your eyes to get the full effect of the combination of tastes and textures!

Inspiration:  The pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter sauce sprinkled with crushed amaretti cookies we had at Harry's Bar in Cernobbio , Italy (Lake Como).  

Inspiration:  Lunch at Harry's Bar , Cernobbio, Lake Como, Italy Make your own pasta (see below) or use wonton wrappers when pressed for time - both are great- create the shape you like! Served with an intensely rich mushroom broth and brown butter enoki mushrooms and pine nuts - so incredibly good! I have made fresh homemade pasta or used wonton wrappers, that you can find in the frozen section of your supermarket, to make these.  Both work well.  Don't be intimidated to make fresh pasta though.  Once you have done it once, you gain confidence and it becomes a great, creative way to spend a few hours.

I love to cook and the best days are those when I have hours to spend in the kitchen, trying new things and listening to music.   They say that living in the present moment is the way to find true happiness and if I am cooking, I can usually get there.   I think this is why so many people love to cook.  You have to be present and focused on what is happening; the smells, the colours, the sounds and finally the coming together of the end result.  A meal does not have to be complicated or expensive to be good.  But, I do think that it must be made with attention and love (of the people you are serving it to, of food, of simple pleasures, etc.) and this will invariably come through in the end.

With garlic Naan bread This is such good comfort food.  What makes homemade mac and cheese so good is that you can use any cheese that you like or a combination of cheeses to suit your tastes.  I am a big fan of jalapeno havarti and next time I will use it to make this recipe and give it some extra heat.

Served with a small mesclun salad and pepper Parmesan tuile This is a 2nd take on the mushroom pasta recipe from the last post mushroom tagliatelle .  It has a few more steps but is not overly complicated.  It's great as a weekend meal when you have more time in the kitchen to enjoy the whole creative cooking process.   Note:  The frothy sauce for this recipe is just a basic sauce which is whipped just before serving.  This allows you to keep the sauce light but give it a little more texture.  The cream (fat) ensures that it will stay frothed a little while, but it does not last long so it has to be done right before serving. 

Weekday version:  Mushroom Tagliatelle Weekend Version:   Mushroom, Pine Nut Rotondo with Pesto Parmesan Froth I am blessed to have many Italian friends and they represent generosity and passion for me.  Again, this is reflected in meals we get to share with them.  The food and wine are abundant and delicious and the conversation is always lively and spirited.  It is always a joy.