The Great Snail Caper - Lumaconi con Cipolle Caramellate

It's been awhile since I have posted anything.... Partially due to being sick, but mostly because I have been so far behind on "stuff", that I have been playing catch up. Things like my poor neglected GT Cruiser which now has new Shocks and Struts (yeah, that was a pain in the butt), new Rotors and Ceramic pads as well as, FINALLY, a bumper and grille that are all in one piece.

The whole front end has been a mass of zip ties and prayers since some "stoopid head" in Torrence, CA backed into my poor little parked Cruiser and then took off like a bat out of hell, before I could get his/her license number. And, of course, my "full" coverage wasn't as "full" as it should have been, at least not in California... So I did it myself along with a little help from eBay and a very talented auto painter that my brother knows. So, now my "Trash" mobile, doesn't look so trashy anymore. (it still needs new fog lights, because the housings were broken, but I am still waiting on the parts; again, off ebay) LOL

Then there was the B-52's concert (which was completely, totally and utterly AWESOME!) and my cousin's wedding reception in Husum, WA... So I have been a little busy and not really eating all that well over the last couple weeks; which was probably part of how I got sick to begin with. But I am taking my diet back into my own hands. So without further babbling, here is "yet another" of my favorite Pasta dishes. LOL

One word of warning about this dish, cause I learned this the hard way, do not attempt using sweet onions, such as Walla Walla or Maui; they will be over-powered by the capers. You really need the pungency of good old White or Brown onions. This will work well with Trenne (TRAY-nay) also, though this triangular tube shape, as opposed to Penne which is a round tube shape, is kind of hard to find, so I usually opt for Lumaconi (Snail shells), but I have used Penne on multiple occasions.

Lumaconi with Caramelized Onions and Capers

1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 large White or Brown Onions, Sliced thin
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
16 oz Lumaconi, Penne or Trenne
2 TB Capers, rinsed
1/4 cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, minced
Kosher Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grated

Slice onions thinly (very thinly, they will caramelize faster)

And don't forget to drain and rinse the capers or they will be too strong.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium flame.

Add onions and saute until they begin to turn golden.

Reduce heat and continue to cook until deep brown and caramelized. (about 15-20 minutes)

Add Lemon Zest and Garlic, and cook 2 minutes more.

Deglaze the pan with Lemon juice, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add Stock and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, to reduce slightly.

Drop the Lumaconi into salted boiling water and cook about 12 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water, just in case.

Place pasta in a warm bowl

and add the onion mixture, tossing to incorporate the two.

Add Capers, Salt, Pepper and Parsley, then toss again.

The awesome part about using Lumaconi, is that during the tossing, some of the capers will hide inside the pasta, so while you are enjoying your caramelized onion sauce, occasionally you will get a surprise burst of caper.

Sprinkle with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss a couple times.

Serve immediately with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

MMMMMM; All carameled onion-y and Lemony with the bite of the occasional caper...

Mangia!!
~~

Curing a Cold and Other Winter Beasties - Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Cream

It's cold and flu season again in the northern states. Ah heck, I guess with H1N1 on the loose, it's really cold and/or flu season everywhere in the U.S. In response to these little invasive beasties, it's time to boost your immune system. One of the best ways I know of to boost the immune response is to consume massive quantities of that vegetable of all vegetables... Garlic.

(Please ignore the shallot)

Now I realize that most people don't really view garlic as a veggie, but lemme tell ya somethin' 'bout dat. I am a sufferer of strep throat. When I catch it, knock on wood, The infection moves into my jaw muscles and they lock almost completely shut. (Makes it kind of hard to talk and to eat, but it IS an effective weight loss regime) ;) What did the doctor give me? Augmenten. Which is a horse pill, literally, that is SO stinkin' large I couldn't even get it between my teeth, let alone swallow it.

I battled Strep Throat every 2-3 months over and over and over, did I mention over? for about 5 years straight while trying to swallow horse pills that worked for the current infection but didn't seem to kill it off completely, and it would come back again and again and again... (I think they were creating a super strain, but that is just me) Be that as it may, I have not had a soirée with Streptococcal Pharyngitis since November of 2002 when my temperature hit 105.7 and a friend had to drive me to the emergency room. (knock on wood again)

Funny, this is about the time I branched out of baking and started cooking on a more serious level. As a result, I started buying more of the basic staples such as Carrots, Celery, Onions and of course, Garlic... Lots and lots of garlic as a matter of fact. What's the significance of all this fresh garlic... Well, garlic contains 2 main components that I contribute to my lack of Strep. Diallyl Sulphides and Allicin.

Diallyl Sulphides or simply 'sulfides' (not to be confused with sulfites) in general have a tendency to boost the immune system and strengthen the blood while improving circulation. Some studies have even shown that they may even lower bad cholesterol (LDL). Pretty awesome, but it doesn't stop there. Allicin, though volatile, is an antibacterial/antifungal agent. Now granted it is a broad spectrum antibiotic, but every little bit helps, right? The best part is that your body does not build up a tolerance to it like synthetic man-made antibiotics. Mother nature at it's best.

Now I have to admit that while the Diallyl Sulphide is stable during cooking, Allicin is not and degrades quickly with both with heat and time. Raw garlic should be consumed to get a decent dosage of Allicin. So the following recipe is not really a wonder cure for the common cold, Swine Flu or Athlete's foot. But, I have noticed that since my garlic consumption increased, I haven't contracted Strep Throat, or anything else for that matter. OK, aside from the "Sinus infection from Hell", but that is another post that has nothing to do with cooking.

Whether or not the Garlic truly is responsible, I always say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", so I continue noshing on garlic bulbs as I would any other vegetable, just in case. Raw, sautéed or roasted, it's all kinds of good. I mean, you never know when a hungry vampire might be lurking in the shadows... LOL

Gnocchi in Roasted Garlic Cream

1 batch of Potato Gnocchi
2 heads of Roasted Garlic
3 TB Butter
1 Shallot, minced
Zest of 1 Lemon or 1/4 tsp Lemon oil (not extract)
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Vegetable Stock
Pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground green peppercorns
1 oz Grated Pecorino Romano

While you are baking the potatoes for the gnocchi, cut the top off of the garlic head.
Drizzle them with olive oil and wrap in Aluminum foil (Garlic Roaster, Schmarlic Roaster) ;)

Place in the oven next to the potatoes and roast for about 30 minutes.

Let the bulbs cool while you are making the gnocchi, then squeeze out all the roasted goodness for the sauce.

In a small saucepan melt butter over low flame.

Once foam subsides, add shallots with a pinch of salt and a little green pepper stirring until shallots soften.

Add roasted Garlic, Lemon Zest (or oil), Heavy Cream, and Vegetable Stock.

Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until thickened.
Add the Pecorino Romano and stir until smooth.

During all of this bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the gnocchi.
Once they begin to float, remove them to a bowl with a skimmer.
Pour Roasted Garlic Cream over the gnocchi and toss.

Serve with more grated Pecorino Romano.

Mangia!!
~~