Friday, May 12, 2017

You become. It takes a long time. (Ravioli Al Uovo)

Ravioli Al Uovo
If I could take a snap shot of just one moment of my life, it would be the moment when everything started to shift to spectacular. The divine hand seemed to decide that my patience and resilience was finally ready to vest.

I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. It took a long, murky, and painful road to get here. I once screamed to the heavens, "Just give me a man bun and a beard! That's all I want in life". The divine hand has a very funny sense of humor... (note: I'm not saying I grew a beard, but that's a story for another time).

I'm somewhat amused by the way things work out. The things you work hardest for don't pan out, and the things you don't work hard for, slip easily into place. Maybe what you are desperately seeking is also desperately seeking you.

I think pain is necessary, it will bring you to things that delight you endlessly, to people with more guile, and vigor than you could have ever imagined. Our next love profile is about a woman who I met on my travels to Costa Rica. She had found love once before, gained a beautiful child from it, but had to weather the challenges of being a single mother before the divine hand moved in her favor.

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A Profile of Love: Gigliola and Alessandro 

How did you meet Alessandro?

I met Alessandro on an Italian’s only chat. In order to be part of it you had to live in any italian city, so I chose Florence. I was in there because I wanted to practice my Italian not to meet people to date. Obviously, all my personal info was fake (name, city, e-mail, etc. [Gigliola was living in Costa Rica at the time])  So, when he contacted me for the first time... we began chatting every day.
    

How did you end up meeting in person?

One week later he asked me if I wanted to have a coffee with him, and I said: sure, the only thing is that you’ll have to travel almost 9000 km for a cup of coffee with me. Suddenly, he realized that I wasn’t living in his same city or country but in another continent! 
   
After 3 months he told that he had feelings for me and that he wanted to see me in person in order to be sure. At that point, the floor moved under my feet, because my mind was set on “friends-only mode”, and now I might had to change it to “possible-boyfriend mode”, but not only that, I also had to tell him my real name and that I was a single mom. 
   
Despite everything, he decided to purchase the airplane ticket and take his first-ever flight. 

What were you thinking when he first visited?

When he first visited, I had mixed feelings.  I didn’t know what to expect nor how to behave. He stayed at my place for a month and that gave us plenty of time for knowing each other better and to decide if we were meant to be together. 



When did you know he was the right person for you?

I knew it from the moment he showed me with both actions and words that he was a trustworthy person: he’s always kept his word, always talked to me clearly, directly and with the truth, showing real interest and affection for my son, as well as assuming a personal commitment (with all that entails) towards us as a couple and to my son as if he was his. 

How did he propose?

He never proposed, and I’m an old school girl so neither did I.  We just decided to get married. But, deep down inside of me I'm still hoping that someday he’ll propose and give me an engagement ring… Fingers crossed!! 

What did your past relationships teach you that made you realize your husband was the right person?

They taught me that when you have a person next to you that is willing to share his life and time, it helps you to grow as a person, a person who accepts and respects your whole being (strengths and weaknesses), and becomes not your better half but your perfect match, undoubtedly that person is the one. And my husband is my perfect match. 

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For Gigliola it had to be Italian, she and her son ended up moving to Florence and are happily settling in. For her, I made ravioli al uovo with a mushroom duxelle filling.

Ravioli Al Uovo
Serves One

Pasta:
1/2 Cup flour
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp water

Filling:
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1 Shallot, Diced
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Cup shitake and cremini Mushrooms, diced
1 Spring Thyme
Salt to taste
2 Egg yolks

Sauce:
Brown Butter
Thyme
Grated Asiago Cheese 

1. Sift together flour and salt, make a deep well in the center of the flour 



2. Beat egg and salt together pour into well, and slowly work the flour into the egg mixture with a fork 


3. Once the dough is easy to handle, knead until it forms a smooth soft ball. Cover in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes


4. Melt butter in a saucepan to begin working on the filling



5. Saute shallots and garlic for 5 to 6 minutes


6. Add mushrooms, thyme, and salt to taste


7. Saute the mixture until all the moisture evaporates, set aside to cool


8. Roll out the dough until it is really really REALLY thin, does it seem thin enough? Yes? ROLL IT MORE


9. Cut out four rounds. Fill two rounds with the mushroom mixture and carefully nestle an egg yolk in the middle, top the egg yolk with a sprinkle of salt 



10. Seal the edges of the ravioli with water



11. Boil the ravioli for 3 minutes in salted boiling water. Top the cooked ravioli with browned butter, grated cheese, and thyme 

Add some bacon if you want a nice hearty breakfast!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Would have been perfect, but you'll never know and we'll get old (Apple Pie)

Apple Pie for One
By some strange inward compulsion, there are people who you love, love but never quite have the strength to give it words.

If the words ever came out, you've poured yourself into the hands of someone, someone who couldn't possibly fulfill you.

But does avoiding disaster hurt any less than letting it happen? Or have you made some horrible mistake that you will silently internalize in the future? As hard as it might be, there is some comfort in knowing that the person you let go is happy.

Our next love profile is one of a man who still wonders about the one he let go.

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A Profile of Love: W

What is your family like?

I come from a really big family of ten brothers and sisters, and I'm the youngest. My mother and father have a really interesting story. They were married for many years, got divorced, and eventually re-married.

Why did they get married again?

I think my father never stopped loving my mother, as he got older he just wanted her back. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of. He had a pension he wanted her to get. He died fairly soon after getting remarried. I think he knew he had made a mistake in leaving her.

Are you married?

Oh Lord! No, I got really close, but just didn't do it. She was an amazing girl.



Why did you break up?

I honestly couldn't tell you why. She was smart, funny, pretty, and so kind. I remember us both crying when we broke up, sometimes I wish I hadn't done it.

What happened to her?

She got married a few years later. Last I heard, she's recently divorced.


Do you think you'll get in touch with her?

I think about it sometimes, I want to do it. I'm in my 60s now, and wish I had someone to share my life with. Having a partner and kids, it's all so fulfilling. I look at people these days running around and not making a choice. Sometimes I want to say, life is better with someone great!

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Today's recipe is a comforting apple pie for those times we mess up and need to take courageous steps to rectify those mistakes.

Apple Pie
Serves One

Pie Crust

5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1/4  Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Cold Butter, Cubed
6 Tsp Ice Water

Filling

1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Butter 

1 Beaten Egg 

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Whisk flour and salt together
2. Cut the cubed butter into the flour using a fork or your fingers. Work quickly so that the butter does not start to melt (the key to a nice flaky crust is keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible)
3. Add ice water and start kneading the dough until it comes together into a ball
4. Divide dough in two and roll dough out into two rounds on a floured surface
5. Place rounds in fridge until ready to bake 
6. Place chopped apples in a bowl 


7. Add remaining ingredients except 1 Tbsp butter





8. Place one pie crust in small fluted dish



9. Prick holes in the bottom of crust with a fork


11. Place the filling in the crust and top with butter pieces



10. If you want to get fancy, take the other pie crust round and cut into 1/2 inch strips



11. Weave a basket weave design on top of the crust



12. Brush the top with an egg wash
13. Bake for 20 minutes
14. Serve the pie hot with ice cream if you wish!

Hot. Flaky. Delicious