Foodery!

On Sunday I drove north to visit Tom and Mykal at their stunning new abode. Their kitchen is a dream. It has more storage and counter space than any I’ve seen. There’s an island, great lighting, and a layout that provides plenty of room for three cooking people. They have a gas range and electric oven and with the kitchen sharing a vast open space with the living room and dining room, it’s a wonderful layout for entertaining.

Sunday’s theme was Italian. We decided to make some homemade ravioli, focaccia bread, and veal bacon wraps, served with italian soda and a tart and a layered espresso pound cake for dessert.

focaccia bread
The Focaccia Bread!

I’ve never made ravioli before. We made a ricotta and butternut squash fillings; the ricotta was served with a homemade tomato sauce while the squash was served with a homemade alfredo. Handmade Ravioli is a lot of work. The pasta dough and fillings are easy enough, but the packing folding and sealing goes slow. I think this was great for a special occasion, but I can’t say for certain I’ll do it again any time soon.

ravioli
Two Might Bowls of Ravioli

Part of the dessert was a simple yet elegant pear tart.

pear tart
The Pear Tart!

The pears were sauteed in sugar with a splash of balsamic vinegar. We added a touch of nutmeg and some cinnamon and then baked it in a tart crust that Mykal had prepared. The result was highly rewarding for the effort involved.

Our other dessert was an elaborate soaked pound cake layered with chocolate mousse and served with whipped cream. The espresso flavoring was perfectly potent and it made for a wonderful conclusion to the meal.

Special thanks to Tom and Mykal for sharing their wonderful new kitchen. One can always count on great times and great foods when Tom and Mykal are involved.

5 thoughts on “Foodery!

  • 2/17/2010 at 12:01 pm
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    What no mention of the beloved AlternaBread?! Also as a note we made sweet potato ravioli, not squash. So glad we could have you over we had tons of fun!

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  • 2/17/2010 at 12:11 pm
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    Oops! Mistaking sweet potato foe squash! How embarrassing!

    As for the AlternaBread… Mykal is referring to me thinking that the giant sugar bin was a giant salt bin and mistakenly sweetening the dough for our focaccia bread. Interestingly, despite the high sugar content, the bread came out great!!

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  • 2/18/2010 at 2:58 am
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    I’m also noticing that the focaccia has been neatly made one-third oliveless. Or caperless? I’m not sure which those are, but I guess you hate them both with a fury…

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