Monday, May 1, 2006

Let's Break Bread

I have just been inspired by this post at Goose and Gander.
It's a recipe. I think of all the sex blogs I've been reading since last Summer it's the first time I've come across a recipe.
Now all you have to do is check my profile to see that cooking is on my list of Interests.

I've read about the intensity that food can add to a night (or day) of love making. I've probably put something about it in a post or two of my own. But I didn't include a recipe.
Breaking bread can bond people. Food has added something special on different levels when in comes to sex, as part of a 'romantic' evening; as a restorative after a hard, heated session; a breakfast in bed; actually being involved in foreplay (chocolate, whipped cream, strawberries, grapes, bananas, etc), not to mention that some foods are aphrodisiacs (oysters, figs, strawberries, etc)

So fellow readers, fellow people who delight in all that senses have to offer. How about you put a recipe on your site on in my comments that you find romantic or sensuous. Along with a back story, if there is one

Here's mine:

Back Story: Several years ago it became a tradition in our household that during the Olympics (Summer and Winter) that we make the food of the country and region that is hosting the games. During the Winter Olympics this year we searched for recipes from the Piedmont region of Italy (the site of Turin). This is one we settled on.

Dish: Ravioli Nudi (Naked Ravioli)

3 lbs fresh (or 4 lbs frozen) spinach
15 oz Ricotta
5 egg yolks
3 C Parmigiano cheese, grated
1/2 t nutmeg
2 C all purpose flour
8 T butter

Using fresh spinach, rinse it very well and cut off the lg stems. Place a stockpot containing a lg quality of salted water on the heat. When the water boils, add the spinach and cook for about 15 minutes, then drain and cool under cold running water. Squeeze very dry. For frozen spinach follow pkg. directions for cooking.

Chop the spinach very fine, then place in a bowl, along with the ricotta, egg yolks, 2 cups of Parmigiano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Refill the stockpot with a lg quantity of water and set on the heat.

While the water is heating, place a sheet of aluminum foil on the table and spread the flour over. Take 1 Tbsp of the mixture from the bowl and roll it on the floured foil surface into a little ball. Be sure the ball is uniformly compact, with no empty spaces inside; the outside should be uniformly floured.

When the water is boiling, drop the first ball in, to test it. It should retain its shape and rise to the top, cooked, after a min. or two (If it falls apart, you have allowed too much liquid to remain in the spinach. To save the dish, you can add 2 Tbsp of flour to the mixture. However this is a compromise and should not be done regularly; even that little flour will make the taste inauthentic.)
After testing, as described as above,continue making ravioli, rolling them in flour,until the contents of the bowl have been used up.

Melt the butter and pour into a serving dish; place the serving dish close to the stockpot.

Drop the ravioli into the boiling water, 5 or 6 at a time, and as they rise to the surface, remove them with a strainer/skimmer, transferring them directly onto the serving dish. They should be placed in one layer, not one on top of another.

When all the ravioli are on the serving dish sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and serve immediately.

2 comments:

Cigamybab said...

Wazz up

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Darkneuro said...

Debbie, I'm SO sorry it took me so long to get back to you on the comment you left for the Curry last week. This looks TERRIFIC! If you like, Goose and I tend to do 'Recipe Tuesday'. We've been doing it since just after the first of the year. I personally do it regardless of who else does, but if you'd like to join in the fun, you're MORE THAN welcome to.
Again, this looks TERRIFIC and YUMMY. I'm a sucker for pasta, and this looks to be more... dumpling-y than the usual "break out the pasta roller" ravioli, which is SO appealing. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this out.
--DN