Gorgonzola, Fontina and Truffle Macaroni & Cheese

Whilst wandering through St. Lawrence market, Sarah K and I came across one of our favourite cheese shops and after tasting some of the most beautiful Italian cheeses that either of us had found outside of Italy, it was decided that we would make a "grown-up" version of mac & cheese.

Gourmet comfort food has been a food trend that has been on the rise for quite a while now. I am all for it! I love the combination of soul satisfying familiar foods, heightened to food-for-the-gods by using the world's most beautiful ingredients.

Gorgonzola, Fontina and Truffle Macaroni & Cheese

1 lb fresh pasta (your choice, we used Gemelli)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch fresh thyme, chopped roughly

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t fresh nutmeg

3 T truffle paste (we used black truffle paste)

350 g Fontina Val d'Aosta cheese, shredded

300 g gorgonzola cheese

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, toasted in olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium high head. Add flour and stir until combined. Continue to stir over heat until roux is slightly browned.

Whisk in wine to combine. Whisk in thyme, milk and cream and continue whisking until mixture is very smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture almost comes to a boil. Sauce should thicken as it cooks.

Remove from heat and whisk in nutmeg, Dijon, truffle paste and fontina cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta for 2 minutes in salted boiling water. It should still have a bite to it. Drain well.

Combine pasta with sauce.

Crumble gorgonzola cheese into the mixture and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into well buttered baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is browned and pasta is bubbly.

Serve with a well-chilled Chablis!

Smoked Salmon and Chevre Quiche

I originally made this recipe with "Indian Candy" which is a somewhat derogative term for maple smoked salmon. However, this morning I found myself without. I did, however, have some sustainable smoked wild caught keta salmon on hand. If you want some veggies added, sauted spinach with nutmeg is a great addition.

I have used the pastry recipe that my mother used for years, however a butter based pastry recipe would be equally as good.

Indian Candy and Chevre Quiche:

Pastry:
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 t salt
1/2 cup shortnening
1/2 cup lard
1 egg
1 T white vinegar
2 T cold water

Sift flour and salt. Cut fats into flour mixture with pastry cutter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining liquids. Pour liquids over flour mixture and combine with fork until mixture just comes together. Pour out onto floured surface. Divide into two disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Makes two pie crusts or one double pie crust.

Filling:
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 T chopped chives
3 cups fresh baby spinach, wilted
1 shallot
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 t fresh nutmeg
250 grams smoked salmon
1 cup chevre
salt and pepper

Combine first three ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until well mixed. Saute shallots, garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil until soft. Roll out pie crust and fit to spring-form pan and chill for 20 min. Crumble the cheese, and salmon onto the chilled base of a pie crust.

Pour egg mixture over the crust. Cook in 400 degree oven for approximately 35- 45 minutes, or until centre is puffed and set.

Goat Butter Tarts = delicious!

I am a big fan of goat cheese. I could eat Chevre on my cereal. So, imagine my surprise when traveling home from Markham on Friday evening, on a road that has not been uncommon to me over the past few years, that I should happen to notice a sign for a farm store advertising fresh goat milk and cheese ... and it was open!!! I slammed on the brakes, pulled over to the side, turned the car around and pulled into the drive. I was met by two sweet little pups making my arrival known to the owner of the farm Ms. Wilman.

River's Edge Goat Dairy, located just East of Arthur, Ontario, is a working goat farm that produces the most beautiful fresh goat cheese (Mediterranean and Chevre), goat milk yogurt, fresh goat milk, goat meat, farm raised free range eggs, and, yes, goat butter tarts. They also produce a line of home-made goat milk soaps and moisturizing creams, including a fragrance free line for those of us with sensitive skin.
The farm is pesticide free and the goats are pasture raised with no growth hormones. They are beautiful little darlings. After purchasing my goods, about half of the store, I went out to the side barn to meet the baby goats. Most of them were only a few days old, and they were so cute.

The farm won the blue ribbon for their cheeses this year at the Royal Winter Fair and their accolades are well deserved as their Chevre is one of the best I have ever tasted: creamy, slightly sour, a little bit salty and incredibly smooth. I have to stop day-dreaming and driving ... I wonder what else I have missed?

Fresh pasta with spring artichokes, asparagus, pine nuts and goat cheese

As promised, here is my recipe for artichoke pasta with goat cheese. You can make it with store-bought fresh pasta, or dry pasta (white or whole wheat), but making fresh pasta is much easier than it sounds, and it can be quite comforting as kneading the dough can be quite a therapeutic way to work out the days stresses!

I have used multiple recipes over the years for fresh pasta, but the easiest (never fail) recipe is from Italian home cooking guru Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's book Lidia's Family Table. Here is the recipe:

Fresh Pasta
2 cups all purpose flour
2 jumbo free range eggs
4 T good quality olive oil
3 T cold water
pinch sea salt

Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add remaining ingredients to well.


Slowly mix egg mixture into flour. Incorporating sides of well into egg mixture until fully incorporated.


Kneed for 5-10 minutes or until pasta is soft and springs back when pressed. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rest, at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight if you are preparing in advance).


Divide pasta into three sections. Roll out pasta and cut into lengths according to your preference.



Pasta with Spring Artichokes, Asparagus, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese


Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 T butter, unsalted
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-7 baby artichoke hearts, quartered
5-10 sprigs of asparagus, bottom shaved and tough ends removed, cut into 2 inch pieces
zest of one lemon
1 large glass dry white wine or dry vermouth
1/4 cup free range chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
4 T goat cheese
1/4 cup fresh chives, minced
pasta recipe (above)
freshly ground pepper and sea salt

Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat until browned, remove and set aside. Heat oil and butter over medium high heat. Add garlic, artichoke hearts, asparagus and lemon zest. Saute until softened. Add wine and stock. Reduce by half. Add mascarpone and pine nuts and stir until cheese is melted. Adjust seasonings. Cook pasta for 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water. Reserve 1-2 cups pasta water and drain pasta. Add pasta to vegetables and toss. Add reserved pasta water if pasta seems dry. Serve sprinkled with goat cheese and chives.

Tarragon Lobster Pappardelle with Fior de Latte

On cold spring days, like today, I like to treat myself to something rich yet comforting. Usually pasta. I have made this recipe using homemade pasta, when I've had either the time, or the company! However, it's (almost) as good when I use fresh pasta sheets, cut into pappardelle strands.

Here is the recipe:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 lobster tails
1/4 pound fior de latte (fresh mozzarella), diced
1 pound fresh lasagna sheets cut into pappardelle strands (or homemade fresh pappardelle)
1 20 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1 glass dry white wine
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch chili flakes
1/4 cup tarragon, chopped fine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. remove lobster meat from tail shells, chop coarsely, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. add olive oil to pan over med-high heat and saute shallots, chili flakes and garlic until soft.
3. add chili flakes and saute for one minute longer.
4. add white wine and deglaze pan. cook until reduced by half.
5. add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until flavours meld to your liking.
7. add lobster and cook until lobster is pink (about 2 minutes)
8. add tarragon to sauce and stir to combine.
9. meanwhile, repare pasta in salted water, according to package directions.
10. when pasta is cooked, add pasta to sauce, add fior de latte and toss to combine.