Pie Dough
Flour, cold cubed butter and ice water worked to coarse crumbs. Makes one base, and it is the difference between a good pie and a great one.
Tomato Jam
Six pounds of heirloom tomatoes cooked down with sugar, balsamic and lemon zest. Yields five jars and belongs on every cheeseboard.
Chicken Piccata
Chicken breasts pounded thin, seared, and finished in a lemon, caper and butter pan sauce over spaghetti.
Trapani Pesto
The Sicilian pesto: tomatoes, almonds, basil and garlic. Made for busiate, since both come from Trapani.
Port Sauce with Truffles
A bottle of red port reduced with shallots, mounted with butter and finished with carpaccio truffles. Made for steak or pork chops.
Pickled Shallots
Shallots sliced thin on a mandoline and quick-pickled in red wine vinegar with peppercorns. Five minutes for acidity you will use all week.
Spiked White Balsamic and Honey Lemonade
Honey lemonade with vodka and white balsamic condiment, served over a large cube with a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Fresh Pasta
Two ingredients, "00" flour and eggs, kneaded until smooth and rested. The foundation for every cut and filled pasta on this site.
20 Hour Braised Chuck Roast, Sauce and Pappardelle
Chuck roast braised for twenty hours until it falls apart, folded through tomato sauce and served over pappardelle. Long on time, short on effort.
Focaccia
Napoletana "00" flour, water, salt and a whisper of yeast. Hands-on time is short, but allow twelve to thirteen hours for the prove.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic and shallot with fresh herbs. Works as a dressing, a marinade, or a sauce for roasted vegetables.
Sauce Bolognese
Ground beef cooked down slowly with soffritto and wine over at least two and a half hours. Better still if you make it the day before.