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May 17, 2011
 Dinner is served! Pasta, welcome back to our world after many years of the low carb lifestyle. A funny thing happened in Italy. Nearly three weeks of eating pasta and pizza every day. Somehow neither one of us gained much weight at all. It seems that walking all day long, and eating modest portions works like a charm. Good news for David, who has been pasta deprived for more than a decade. Things are looking up for him now that we’re back at home in Woodstock, Vermont!!!!
We’ve had lots of rainy weather for the last few days, not so conducive to spending time in the garden, but great for spending time in the kitchen. So, the other day I decided to make ravioli for dinner, which was an absolute blast. I can’t think of a nicer way to spend time – hanging out with my hubby in the kitchen, a nice glass of wine, and lots of flour.
 I love my Atlas pasta machine I made two batches of pasta dough, one with King Arthur all purpose flour, the other with King Arthur Italian-style flour. The Italian style flour is much lower in protein than all purpose. We learned about this flour at Mamma Agata’s cooking class in Ravello. She insists that it is the secret to nearly everything that she makes – light pizza crusts, gnocchi, pasta, her famous lemon cake, etc. The folks at King Arthur concurred. They assured me that it would produce incredible results for ravioli. I made the dough with the Italian-style flour first. I used three cups of flour, made a well, cracked in three eggs, and proceeded to incorporate the flour with a fork. Let me confess that this is the first time that I’ve made pasta in many years, so I am by no means an expert on the topic. I incorporated too much flour, and ended up with a pretty dry craggy mess. I added a little bit of water, proceeded to knead for about 8 minutes, and eventually ended up with a cohesive ball.
 My free form raviolis. I have a mold, what was I thinking? My second batch went much smoother. I stopped incorporating flour when I had a ball that was not so dry. I kneaded for about 8 minutes, adding flour to my hands when the dough felt a little bit sticky. This dough was far easier to roll and to fill.
I admit that I was a bit disappointed with my (very expensive) Italian-style flour dough. It didn’t roll as nicely, and it had a tendency to tear. But my disappointment ended when we cooked the raviolis – no question, the texture of the Italian-style flour made the most tender ravioli. The all purpose flour is great, but not nearly as melt in your mouth tender as the Italian style. I’m anxious to try making the dough again, making sure not to add too much flour. I have a hunch that better technique on my part will produce better results.
 My friend the ravioli form My filling mixture was inspired by some great local beets and spinach from the Woodstock Farmer’s Market, Maplebrook Farm ricotta cheese, and goat cheese from Vermont Butter and Cheese company.
1 pound of beets (mine happened to be golden)
1/2 pound baby spinach
1 Tablespoon each finely chopped garlic and shallots
1 pound ricotta cheese
4 ounces goat cheese
1 to 2 Tablespoons white truffle oil
Wash the beets, place in a pan just big enough to hold them, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, cover with foil, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Cool beets. Mince finely and add to a mixing bowl.
Sautee the spinach, garlic and shallots in a saute pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. No need to cook very long, just until the spinach is wilted. When cool, chop and add to the beets along with the cheeses and truffle oil. (My spinach was not wet, but if yours ends up with liquid in the pan, make sure to squeeze it dry before chopping.) Add salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to open a bottle of wine. Rolling and filling is going to take some time, so get ready to relax.
I rolled my pasta to the thinnest setting on my pasta roller, and had the prettiest results using the ravioli form shown below. After putting a little bit of filling in each pocket, brush the perimeter with a damp pastry brush. Top with another sheet of pasta, and use a rolling pin to seal and cut the ravioli.
 Dusting the form is a great idea - makes it easy to release the finished raviolis Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a liberal amount of salt. The water should taste salty like the ocean, this will flavor the pasta as it cooks. Cook the ravioli in barely simmering water for about 2 minutes. For the sauce, melt a few tablespoons of butter, add chopped chives. Drain the ravioli, top with the sauce, and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Would love to hear back from anybody that tries this recipe. I hope that you have as much fun as I did!
I re-rolled all of my pasta trimmings, and ended up with some lovely fettuccini noodles that are now in my freezer waiting for my next inspiration.
 Waste not, want not. Left over pasta dough & scraps put to good use.
May 9, 2011
 Lolo So we are back from an amazing spring break – three weeks in Europe. We spent our last three days in Venice, a place that I was so excited to see, but had heard was filled with restaurants that are mostly over-priced tourist traps. Determined to eat well, I read a lot about the Venice restaurant scene. A name that kept popping up was Loris Manna, better known as “Lolo,” owner of Al Fontego dei Pescatori restaurant. Lolo has over twenty-seven years experience in the mongering of fish, and served as President of the Rialto Fish Market for over nine years … where he still has a vendor operation.
 David and Lolo at the entrance to the fish market With the help of our host in Venice, we were lucky enough to arrange a tour of the Rialto fish market with Lolo. He doesn’t charge anything for the tour. His whole mission is to educate visitors to the bounty of food that Venice has to offer. He doesn’t require that you dine with him. Upon meeting him, I just about had to beg to eat in the restaurant – showed him my notes of dishes that he’s known for. He smiled, really seemed to appreciate that I had done a little homework. Finally allowed to have dinner with him, he still demanded that we would only pay for wine and water if we did not enjoy our meal at his restaurant. Such is the hospitality that we enjoyed in Venice.
I was completely blown away by what I saw. Superbly fresh fish, mostly from the waters just around Venice. (This came as a complete shock to both David and me. We have been somewhat unimpressed with the selection and quality of fish available in the Mediterranean both on this and other vacations in the past.) Lolo is passionate about terroir and quality of ingredients, using only native fish and produce in his restaurant. He pointed out the difference between Maine lobster and his native lobster. The local lobster cost more than twice as much as Maine lobster (46 Euros per kilo, versus 20 for the Maine lobster). His philosophy is simple – only buy the best. If you cannot afford the local lobster, then do not buy any lobster. Make frittata instead, use local zucchini and eggs of course.
 Native lobster and shrimp The shrimp was a revelation. He picked one up, pulled off the shell and handed it to me. I smelled it and agreed that it was indeed fresh. He said “yes, fresh, don’t smell it, eat it.” Now, I am a lover of sashimi and sushi, but raw shrimp with no seasoning at all scared me a little bit. Deep breath, get ready, eat shrimp. WOW, that is all that I can say. Sweet, delicate texture, clean taste of the ocean. I have never had a piece of seafood that was so beautiful. David, not a raw fish fan, was also handed a shrimp. I had a hard time keeping a straight face knowing his personal aversion to the raw. Surprise, he too agreed that it was wonderful. Hmmm. So much for our pre-conceived notions. More on this later, but Lolo’s restaurant was full of these kinds of wonderful surprises.
 More and less local artichokes The produce from the neighboring vegetable market was equally impressive. Lolo pointed out that the best artichokes are the ones on the left in the photo. They cost nearly twice as much as the others, and according to Lolo are the only ones worth using. The others are from an area considered less desirable in terms of the quality of produce that is grown there. It really amazed me that everything being sold at the market was grown locally, and that it was all just so beautiful. And Lolo’s definition of local really redefined local.
 Hangin' with the locals After we concluded the tour, Lolo invited us to his local bacari, All’ Arco, for a glass of wine. It was tiny, unassuming, full of Venetians. Just the kind of place that you hope to find, tucked into a tiny alley, no water view, people mostly standing because there are just a few seats to be had. Glasses of Prosecco and wine flowed freely, and the price was shockingly cheap – just 2 Euros per glass. Lolo knew the people standing outside, and was happy to introduce us to them – the one on the left is a vendor in the produce market, the one on the right is a currently unemployed chef, self-described as “loco”. We felt as though we had made friends in just a few minutes, such a warm and welcoming bunch.
 Cicchetti The company wasn’t the only great thing at All’ Arco. The bar’s counter was filled with a stunning array of snacks called cicchetti, all costing just 1.5 Euros each. We happily snacked on cicchetti and drank prosecco, feeling as though we had somehow stumbled into a fairytale. Luckily the day didn’t end there, check back another day to see about our dinner at Al Fontego that evening.
December 4, 2010
Change. Not always welcome, but inevitable. I usually resist, but am almost always thrilled with the outcome. In this case, it involves coffee – not just any coffee, but our beloved French Market Coffee from New Orleans that we have been serving at our Woodstock Vermont bed and breakfast for the past nine years. This change was in the works for some time.
For many years I would call French Market to order our coffee. A very sweet woman named Michelle would answer, ask me how life is in the village of Woodstock, Vermont, and then take my coffee order. One day Michelle was gone. There was much confusion. Eventually someone on the phone told me that French Market Coffee was sold to Reily Foods, a much bigger company.
 The famous Cafe du Monde Though it was difficult at first, eventually we were assigned a new sales rep. No more sweet conversations with Michelle, but at least we could still get our coffee. That is, until Reily Foods sent us a letter in late August -they would no longer ship us coffee. Not thank you for being a loyal customer for nine years, not sorry for the inconvenience, not call us if you have any questions. But, they did give us the name of another supplier, along with the owner’s phone number and e-mail address. Okay, I was a little bit annoyed, but I called the new supplier. The owner answered the phone “hello”, no company name, no introduction. I explained that I’d like to buy coffee. We had a very pleasant conversation, he said that he would send me a price list along with a product listing for everything else that he sells. He asked me to send an e-mail with my contact info. I did that – no response. I followed up with another e-mail – no response. Two more phone calls -neither were returned.
So, French Market is not the most famous coffee in New Orleans. We originally chose French Market just because it is what most of the old line restaurants in New Orleans serve. But, you already know how that story ended.
Enter Cafe Du Monde, the New Orleans institution on Jackson Square. I called them and was immediately transferred to Chris, their wholesale manager. We arranged to meet this past November. It was all quite nice, much like when we first arranged to do business with French Market. A small company, a face and a name that appreciate your business. A welcome change! And an awesome cup o’ joe. We hope that you agree, we’ll be getting our first shipment from Cafe du Monde in just a few weeks.
June 10, 2010
Let me just start out by saying that pickled eggs are not something that I grew up with, and don’t worry, we don’t serve them for breakfast at our Woodstock VT bed & breakfast. David, on the other hand did, and he has always loved the purple vinegary beasts. The first time that I tried one I couldn’t imagine what there is to like about this – a rubbery, vinegary, hard-boiled egg. David looked almost relieved that he wouldn’t have to share with me.
 Pickled deviled eggs Fast forward a few years. I still can’t figure out why he is so happy to eat these things, but I give it another try. The first bite intrigues me. Exactly as I remembered, vinegary, a little bit rubbery, but somehow I’m really into it. I’ve been hooked ever since. It used to be that David only got to have these at his Mom’s house (in Pennsylvania), where she would buy them from the Amish people at her local farmer’s market.
When we moved to Vermont, we decided to make them ourselves, which is really quite simple. We roast fresh beets, then make a pickling syrup for the eggs, add the beets, some onions, peppercorns, a little bit of allspice, and the hard boiled eggs. The eggs need to absorb the flavors, which takes a day or so. If you leave them in the pickling mixture longer, they get more flavorful, and the vinegar does in fact start the make the eggs a bit tougher. I no longer mind the texture if they get a bit rubbery, which I find funny, because rubbery is generally not a good thing in the food world.
This week we decided to try pickling just the whites, and making deviled egg filling out of the yolks, just for something different. Well, we both agree that this is the best of both worlds, really quite nice. They made a wonderful accompaniment to our dinner – farmer’s market Boston lettuce, tossed with vinegar and olive oil, tomatoes and red onions, topped with lobster salad that we made with David’s homemade mayonnaise. Give them a try for your next picnic, and let me know what you think!
Pickled Deviled Eggs
4 or 5 medium beets
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
big pinch allspice
1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced thinly
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, cut in half, whites separated from yolks
Wash beets, trim ends, place in an oven safe dish that will just fit them, rub with a little bit of olive oil, cover with foil and roast in a 450 degree oven until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 45 minutes. Let cool, peel, then cut into wedges.
Combine vinegar, water, peppercorns & allspice in a small non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves, then set aside. Put egg whites, beets and onions in a glass, ceramic, or stainless bowl (something that won’t get discolored by the beet juice), and pour the pickling liquid over. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, until the whites turn a deep rich pink color, about 24 hours.
Yolk Mixture
Yolks from hard boiled eggs above – mash in a bowl with a fork until fine. Mix with about two teaspoons of Dijon mustard (or more or less, according to your taste), a pinch of salt, a grinding of fresh black pepper, and enough mayonnaise (we like to use homemade) to make a nice smooth mixture. You can pipe the mixture into the pickled whites with a pastry bag, but we find that a bit fussy (not to mention messy to clean the bag), so we just use a spoon.
Garnish as you please. In the photo, we used chives from our garden, a chive blossom in the center, and sage flowers from our garden.
 Beautiful balconies in New Orleans Vacations evolve sometimes. For us this year, we were scheduled to leave for France in the middle of April, but then the volcano in Iceland erupted. We were visiting family in Pennsylvania at the time. The airline rescheduled our flight, but not until five days after our original departure date.
Not that we don’t love seeing family, but we were really looking forward to going somewhere, and we really didn’t think that we would ever get to France with the doom and gloom that was being put out by the newscasters. On the spur of the moment, we decided to take a little trip to New Orleans, a place that always inspires us from many perspectives – amazing food, beautiful gardens, courtyards and wonderful antique shops. To add to our fun, David’s brother and sister in law joined us, quite a great surprise!
 A wonderful little creole cottage in the garden district in New Orleans In New Orleans, we ate at many great restaurants. We particularly liked Restaurant Luke, owned by celebrity chef John Besh. They have amazing oysters and are known for their specialty cocktails. Three out of four of us chose the French 75, and we weren’t sorry. A great cocktail, bubbly, not sweet, wonderful cognac for depth of flavor, and lemon to really open up the palate. It is the inspiration for this month’s cocktail special. Here is the recipe:
2 ounces cognac
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
4 ounces champagne or sparkling wine
Combine the first three ingredients in a shaker, then fill with ice. Shake, then strain into chilled martini glasses and add two ice cubes per glass. Top each glass with two ounces of champagne. If you are lucky enough to be able to find Parisienne brandied cherries from France (as we have), put one in each glass. If not, a lemon twist is lovely.
 Beautiful gardens in Villefranche Our three days in New Orleans were filled with great meals, great company, and wonderful antique shopping. But alas, our time to leave was nearing. On our last night there, we watched the news, and a pundit on CNN assured all of America that no flights would be going into Heathrow (our stop over on the way to Nice) for at least a week. Needless to say, we were so glad that we went to New Orleans, since our vacation in Nice looked to be in peril.
 Terra cotta pots line the beautiful alleys in St. Paul de Vence When we got back to Pennsylvania the next day, we were surprised to find that British Airways did not cancel our rescheduled flight – mind you this is just one day after the dire news on CNN. So, already fat from New Orleans, back to the airport and off to Nice. Mind you, not complaining, Nice is another mecca for inspiration for us. Here are some photos of gardens that we fell in love with on the Riviera. Our inspiration for our terrace comes from both the gardens in Nice, the magnificent walled cities of the French Riviera, and the courtyards in New Orleans.
 Wonderful iris garden in Villefranche Rosé is the wine of choice for many locals on the Riviera, and it is our featured wine for the month of June. The fact that it is served chilled, and that you are in a warm place, seems to make this the perfect drink this time of year. It pairs wonderfully with the local cuisine, and it is also great just for sipping while doing some people watching! We hope that you’ll enjoy the same feeling here at our Woodstock, Vermont Bed and Breakfast on a nice summer day – relaxing on the terrace, watching the goldfish swim in the pond, and having a French 75 or glass of rosé.
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