Gnocchi Guru Evan Kleiman Dishes on Italian Staple

Evan Kleiman mixing Beet-Ricotta Gnocchi.

When I heard that KCRW Good Food host, author and chef Evan Kleiman was going to teach a class on making gnocchi at New School of Cooking in Culver City, I just had to sign up. I've been an avid listener to Kleiman's radio show since its inception in 1997; it's a smart, provocative and deeply satisfying mix of interviews, reviews and culinary exploration that excites the brain as much as the taste buds. 

A sheet of potato gnocchi shaped by the students.

The "Good Food" host, who often mentions her deep love of Italian cooking, has authored several cookbooks on the subject and ran a beloved L.A. restaurant, Angeli Caffe, which closed in 2012 after 28 years.

Until I took this class, I'd never attempted to make gnocchi (pronounced nyawk-ee). In fact, my household has become rather carb-phobic of late, with pasta and gnocchi seldom making an appearance. When gnocchi does show up, it's often the shelf-stable potato variety from Trader Joe's--quite good, but, no surprise, fresh is far superior.

"I don't believe in giving out recipes before class," Chef Kleiman announced as about 16 of us, perched on stools next to stainless-steel counters, looked on. "You have one opportunity to watch me and the rest of your life to look at the recipe."

Point taken. Our teacher was fun to watch--completely absorbed in what she was doing, yet imparting little gems of wisdom along the way to the room full of would-be sous chefs. Three hours sounds like a fair chunk of time, but it passes rather quickly when you're making three types of gnocchi, plus a meat sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese). 

Semolina Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana).
These are baked rather than boiled.

Of course it was Evan Kleiman who did most of the work, assisted by several members of New School's culinary staff. We pitched in when asked--cutting out semolina gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana) with small round cookie cutters; mixing the potato, flour and egg gnocchi (Gnocchi di Patate) with bench scrapers and our hands; shaping the small beet and ricotta "gnocchetti" into tiny pink balls and rolling them in flour. It was particularly satisfying when we finally sat down to sample the bounty we'd help create.

Mixing potato and flour for Potato Gnocchi.

Here are a few tips I gleaned from the class, though I'm sure there are many more I can't decipher from my beet- and flour-stained notebook.

1. The key to success in making gnocchi is allowing the mixture to stand for several hours or overnight--usually in the refrigerator--to absorb the liquid. (This is also true of other dumpling-like doughs, such as matzo balls.) If you don't allow the mixture to chill enough, it won't hold together in the hot liquid.

2. Always do a "boil test" with a few gnocchi before dumping all of them in. When they float to the top, they're ready. Make sure that water is at least simmering when you put the gnocchi (potato or cheese) in.

3. Making potato gnocchi is a more like making pie dough than kneading bread. When you add flour, you want to mix it in to create a dough, but avoid working it so much that you activate the gluten, as you would when making bread.

4. Ms. Kleiman used baked beets that were peeled and grated in her beet-ricotta gnocchi, which created gorgeous fuchsia-colored little rounds of cheesy dough. Golden beets, spinach or carrots would be good alternatives--and would add their own beautiful hues.

5. The ricotta cheese gnocchi can be made with almost no flour or with almond flour or potato flour if you want to make them gluten-free. 

6. The key to ricotta gnocchi is using the right ricotta. "Don't use American ricotta as it's too wet and will require too much flour," Kleiman said. (Her preferred varieties are listed in the recipe below.)

7. A pressure cooker is invaluable for cutting the time required to make an excellent sauce that tastes like the flavors have melded for at least a day, even though it has only cooked for an hour. Kleiman's favorite brand is Fagor, which claims that its pressure cookers can reduce the cooking time as much as 70%.

Potato gnocchi are particularly satisfying to make because "you never have to measure anything," Kleiman said. You just rice baked potatoes (minus skin) in a food mill or ricer with fine holes, dust with flour while still warm, add egg and mix with care (see Step 3 above). It's also possible to leave out the egg.

And finally, as she watched her class making gnocchi for the first time--some rolling the balls of dough a little too small, others a bit too large, some making it too wet, others kneading too much--Kleiman seemed undismayed.

"Cooking's a craft. You only get good at it by using your hands over and over again," she said. "It's very satisfying if it comes out right. If it doesn't, you eat it anyway. You eat your mistakes." 

Below are Kleiman's recipes for Beet-Ricotta Dumplings, Potato Gnocchi and Ragù alla Bolognese.  All are taken almost verbatim from the handout our hard-working chef finally allowed us to have after we'd watched her create culinary magic in front of our eyes. 

Fuchsia or magenta? Whatever you call it, the gnocchi are delicious!

Evan Kleiman's Preface to the Beet-Ricotta Recipe:

I'm giving you the recipe for the Beet Ricotta because they are so special, but really the recipe is the same whatever condiment you use (like sautéed zucchini). The only difference is how much additional flour you might need to add because of the additional moisture in the "condiments." Or you can make them totally plain. When I do that, I always add a little grating of fresh nutmeg. The default finishing of all these gnocchi is melted or brown butter and Parmesan. You can add sage to the butter or a sprig of rosemary for flavor.

You can make the "batter" up to 2 days ahead, and you can form the balls one day ahead. Because the moisture content of the ricotta varies, always make a tester of your mixture before you form all the balls.

These beet "gnocchetti" are a revelation. The color is intense, the flavor earthy and sweet and the texture has that kind of disappearing "cloud in the mouth" effect--the perfect recipe when you need to wow people, especially those who think they hate beets. Boy will they change their minds! 

Beet-Ricotta Dumplings 

Serves: 6-10 depending on appetite and size of menu

Ingredients:

2 medium or 4 small red beets, washed

2 pounds dry Italian ricotta*

2 whole eggs

2 cups grated imported Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (more if needed) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging

1 pound butter

2 bunches fresh sage leaves removed from the stems

*Use the Angelo & Franco brand from Whole Foods or the Gioa brand at Italian markets.

Directions:

1. Wrap washed beets in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet. Bake in 450 degree oven until tender--approximately 45 minutes.

2. Remove from the oven and let beets cool. Slip the skins off with your hands. Grate beets into a mixing bowl on the large hold of a box grater. 

3. Add the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the beets.

4. Mix slowly in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with a spoon until combined. (Beware of colorful splashes from the bowl!) 

5. Add 1 cup flour and mix again. Set the mixture aside for a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator. It can be made up to two days ahead.

6. To form the gnocchetti, roll a small walnut-sized piece of mixture into a little ball.

7. Drop it onto a shallow pan (pie pan or cookie sheet) covered with enough flour to coat all sides of the balls.

8. Lay each dumpling on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly covered with flour. Continue forming the gnocchetti until all the mixture is gone. You can then refrigerate the little dumplings up to one day in advance.

9. Just before you are ready to serve, melt the butter together with the sage leaves in a skillet. Let the butter lightly brown. The sage leaves should be nice and crispy. Set the brown butter and sage aside while you cook the gnocchetti.

10. Slip the gnocchetti into a pot of simmering, salted water. Wait until they float to the surface of the water and continue to cook for an additional minute. 

11. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchetti from the water as they are done. Place them on a serving platter. Once all the gnocchetti are on the platter, top with melted butter and crispy sage, plus a liberal dusting of Parmesan cheese. Serve to oohs and aahs!

Sheets of gnocchi awaiting their hot bath.

Potato Gnocchi 

(Gnocchi di Patate)

Ingredients:

2 pounds mixture of russet and Yukon or other yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed

300-350 grams 00 flour or all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 eggs, beaten

Making potato gnocchi.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes and place directly on metal oven racks.  Bake potatoes until soft and yielding.

2. Remove baked potatoes from oven and carefully remove the peel.  The potatoes will, of course, be very hot.  Press through a food mill or potato ricer onto a floured board, preferably wood.


3. Chop up the potato further using a bench scraper, then sprinkle flour and a little egg over dough that isn't too wet. The goal is to control moisture so you don’t have to add too much flour, which has gluten and will cause tough gnocchi in large quantities.

4. Cut off a manageable chunk of dough and roll it into a 1-inch diameter snake.  Cut snake into pieces between 1/2 and 1 inch.  You may lightly score with fork tines or poke your index finger into each pillow making an indentation or you can use them as simply little pillows.

5. Lay the gnocchi on a parchment or plastic wrap lined tray and refrigerate until ready to use.  They should be cold.  You make also freeze them on the tray for later use, collecting them when hard for storage in a zip bag.

6. To cook, bring water to a boil, add salt, then turn heat to a simmer.  Add the gnocchi (if frozen do not defrost).  Gnocchi are done when they rise to the top of the water.  I usually let them cook another few seconds. 

7. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.  Lay spoon on a towel to collect additional water.  Serve on a platter with sauce of your choice.  You may also sauté them in butter like spåtzle after they are boiled.

Ragù alla Bolognese in a pressure cooker.

Ragù alla Bolognese*

Ingredients:

1 ounce dried porcini or 1 tablespoon porcini powder

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 celery stalks, peeled and minced

2 carrots, peeled, trimmed and minced

1 onion, peeled and finely diced

Salt to taste

2 peeled garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs ground chuck or ground meat (not lean)

½ lb sweet Italian sausage

1 cup red wine

Small handful finely chopped Italian parsley

3 sage leaves, coarsely chopped

2 cups water or broth

1 can tomatoes in juice, blended 

Additional salt and pepper to taste

*Recipe calls for a pressure cooker, but I assume you could cook it without one just by adding more time. 

Directions:

1. Put the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with warm water.  Let dry mushrooms soak for 30 minutes. 

2. Sauté the celery, carrot and onions in butter and olive oil with salt to taste until they begin to soften.

3. While the vegetables are sautéing, put the ground meat and sausage in a bowl and add milk.  Stir to mix.  The meat should become fluffy.

4. When vegetables soften, add garlic and sauté until you smell the aroma.  Then add the ground meat and milk mixture and sauté until brown.

5. Add the wine, raise heat and cook off alcohol.  Add herbs, broth or water, tomatoes in juice and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Close the pressure cooker according to manufacturer directions.  Bring to high pressure and set to maintain pressure.  Cook for 1 hour, take off heat and let pressure reduce naturally.

A feast!

Crazy About Oats

I've been having fun with oats this week--making hot oatmeal with both rolled and steel-cut varieties; putting together overnight concoctions with raw ingredients in Mason jars; mixing up batches of granola and muesli; and finally making a couple of loaves of oatmeal bread with some leftover cooked oats. I'm still jazzed about this once humble grain that seems to have metamorphosed into a new superfood.

I started on this project courtesy of my friend Cherry, who shared a recipe for an overnight oatmeal that she said had helped reduce her levels of unhealthy cholesterol. Then another friend sent me her recipe for oatmeal with almond butter, nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit. My little (new and improved!) brain started to tick.

My ties to oatmeal go way back. One of my early food memories is of my mother stirring a pot of the thick, beige stuff with a wooden spoon. She used old-fashioned Quaker Oats from the trademark red and blue canister with the smiling, black-hatted, white-haired gent on the front. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Mom often served oatmeal, which she called porridge, with a little milk and sugar, plus raisins if we wanted (I wanted!). I still eat it that way, though sometimes I add other dried fruits, a few roasted nuts and some maple syrup.

These days Quaker has lots of competition. Oats--particularly the steel-cut variety and those labeled gluten-free and/or organic--continue to grow in popularity, with their health benefits topping the list of why many people choose to include them in their diets, especially for breakfast. An article in Medical News Today notes that oats are particularly rich in a type of fiber known to help lower the levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad cholesterol" that collects in our arteries and leads to strokes and heart attacks. Other studies have shown that adding whole-grain foods such as oats to our diets may reduce the risks of colorectal cancer. One benefit I've found is that oats are so filling (must be all that fiber!) that I don't really get hungry again for hours after consuming a bowl of oatmeal.

For Cherry, it's oatmeal's cholesterol-fighting properties that are the attraction. She's been dealing with high cholesterol numbers for several years. Slender, fit and a longtime vegetarian, she says the issue is primarily genetic. Her father died at 57 after suffering a stroke, and her older brother contends with life-threatening cardiovascular disease.  "My life's at stake," she told me.

My friend is experiencing some success in fighting genetics and high cholesterol by changing her diet. "My labs went up and down through the years, so it isn't just oatmeal that helped," she explained in an email. "It was the combination of decreasing my intake of fried foods, desserts, and increasing my exercise routine, plus more water." Cherry, a former nurse, said her levels of the "bad" LDL cholesterol dipped from 115 in 2013 to 75 in 2015. An LDL level below 100 is desirable, she said.

One of Cherry's friends attended a cooking class at Whole Foods and gave her a recipe for an oatmeal, fruit and nut concoction that sits in a jar overnight and is ready to eat in the morning. No cooking required. Apparently overnight oatmeal is all the rage right now. I found pages and pages of recipes when I did a search on Pinterest.

Cherry's recipe requires a bit of work--and expense--to gather the ingredients. But if you shop the bulk bins, you can buy just the amount you need and cut the costs way down. I recently bought organic rolled oats at Whole Foods for $1.69 a pound (the steel-cut variety was $1.79 a pound), far less than comparable packaged products. Dried fruit and nuts can also be purchased in small quantities from the same bulk bins. The spices really add a lot of flavor to the recipe and have many reported health benefits. For instance, antioxidants in cinnamon have been linked to lower inflammation. Chia seeds, another popular superfood known for its omega-3 fats and fiber, is an optional ingredient in this recipe.

Ingredients for overnight oatmeal.

The recipe is also gluten-free (assuming you buy gluten-free oats)* and vegan--and quite delicious, especially with some added fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients: 

  

1/2 cup raw oatmeal (rolled or quick variety)

1 tablespoon seeds, such as chia, pumpkin or hemp

1 tablespoon unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 tablespoon sliced almonds, chopped

1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, chopped

2 tablespoons dried Calimyrna figs or dates, chopped*

2 tablespoons raisins

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup non-dairy milk (preferably almond milk)

1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup

Notes:

*Oats are naturally gluten-free but cross-contamination

 from other grains can occur, so if you have celiac

disease or are otherwise gluten-intolerant, it's better

to buy oats that are certified gluten-free.

**You can use a combination or another dried fruit.

Directions:

1. Mix oatmeal, nuts, dried fruit and spices in a Mason jar or other container with a secure lid.  You can make 2 or more jars at a time.

2. Add almond milk and honey or agave to the jar and shake it vigorously. Put the jar in the refrigerator overnight.

3. The next day add a little more milk, as the mixture may be quite thick. 

4.  Options: If you're like me and prefer your morning cereal warmed up, you can zap the mixture briefly in a microwave or take the chill off it in a saucepan. You can also add fresh fruit or more nuts if you like to the finished product to perk up the flavor. I threw in a few fresh blueberries and a chopped, roasted almonds.

Bread Recipe: Wheat, Oats & Honey

"A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou."

-- Omar Khayyam

It's officially fall in Southern California, with a slight chance of rain. But at my house, it feels like summer, because my poor oven's been working overtime. Despite efforts to eat more produce and less starch, I gave in to an irresistible impulse to make bread. I salved my conscience about my carb addiction by making loaves with whole-grain wheat and oats, using a recipe I found on the back of the Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour package. Instead of going with the popular anti-gluten camp, I've gone the other direction, indulging my inner gluten glutton. Not only does the recipe call for 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, it increases the gluten load by adding two tablespoons of concentrated wheat gluten--a gray-white powdery ingredient--to the dough.

FYI, the word gluten comes from the Latin word for glue--and it's aptly named, since it's the elastic substance in wheat (also found in rye and barley) responsible for keeping bread "glued" together and, when kneaded, gives the bread a proper rise. Some high-protein flours like whole wheat and rye have a problem developing their gluten--meaning breads made with these flours need help rising (as do I some mornings!). That's where the vital wheat gluten comes in.

Toasted with peanut butter and mango honey

For those who are avoiding gluten for health reasons, obviously this bread is not for you. For the rest of you, here's a recipe for a loaf of whole wheat bread with just a hint of oats. I found Scottish oats, also from Bob's Red Mill, at my local Whole Foods. I think rolled oats might do just as well. I reduced the salt by a third and never missed the extra sodium. The loaves were dense but not heavy--great with soup, especially excellent toasted and topped with melted cheese, peanut butter and jelly, butter--or just about anything. I thought the bread might freeze well, but we finished it before we could find out.

Here's the recipe, adapted from Bob's Red Mill.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

(Makes two loaves)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Scottish oatmeal
2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten


Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.

2) In a sauce pan, heat the milk, honey, oil and salt until warm (about 115 degrees F).

3) Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. If you're using a mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix at slow speed for about half a minute, making sure to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl. Beat for 3 minutes at high speed. If mixing by hand, stir until ingredients are well combined--about 5 minutes.

4) Stir in oats, wheat gluten and flour. (The recipe suggests doing this by hand, but I used the dough attachment on the mixer to combine the ingredients briefly at low speed.) Add enough of the remaining flour to create a dough that starts to pull away from the sides of bowl.

5) Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

6) Shape into a ball, and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

7) Punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Shape into two loaves. Place in two greased 8 1/2"x 4 1/2" loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. If you want, brush a little water on top of the loaves and sprinkle with a few rolled oats.

8) Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until the loaves are well-browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on wire racks. If you can stand to wait, let the loaves cool completely before slicing. However, if you're like me, you probably won't.

Tinkering*:

1) Try using white whole wheat flour for a milder taste.

2) Reduce honey and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses.

3) Knead 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raisins into the dough.

4) Use half all-purpose white flour or bread flour, and leave out the vital wheat gluten--or use just 1 tablespoon.

*I haven't tried these variations, so I can't vouch for the results, but baking and cooking are all about experimentation, so why not give it a whirl?


Calories & Points (for 16 slices per loaf):

105 calories

3 Weight Watchers points per slice

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Hot as it's been lately, I still couldn't resist making some tortilla soup this week. It's easy, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, and doesn't wear out its welcome. It makes a great lunch or dinner with homemade or store-bought tortilla chips, perhaps with a salad or a slice of cornbread. On the plus side, since I use low-fat, low-salt ingredients, the soup is relatively low in calories and sodium--until you add the garnishes!

I've been making the soup for years, but, like many cooks, I tend not to make it the same way twice, nor do I measure my ingredients--except when writing down the recipe! I vary the amounts of peppers and types, as well as spices. This time I used a poblano pepper and loved the taste. Next time, I might add even more. I discovered a mild ground Hatch chili pepper at our local Bristol Farms and couldn't resist adding it. Opportunist that I am, I happened to have an open jar of Arrabiata tomato sauce, also from TJ's, and I mixed in some of that, too. When it comes to tortilla soup, the recipe is pretty forgiving. The basics are tortillas, tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, broth, beans, corn and spices. I use chicken broth and add some chopped chicken as well. But, if you're vegetarian, you could easily substitute vegetable broth, leave out the chicken and up the veggie count. You can make the soup much hotter by adding more chili, jalapenos and cumin, or less so by reducing it. A very versatile soup!

Tortilla Soup

(Makes 10 to 12 cups)

Ingredients

6 corn tortillas, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus cooking spray
2 medium onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, chopped*
1-2 jalapenos peppers, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced                       
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed, chopped
6-8 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup canned, drained, rinsed black beans
1 14.5-ounce can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can diced, no-salt tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce**
2-3 teaspoons chili powder (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika***
1 bay leaf
1 cup corn, fresh, frozen or canned
1 to 2 cups cooked chicken breast
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauteed tortillas, onions, peppers and garlic

Directions

1) Saute chopped tortillas in oil until slightly browned. Remove and add to stock pot.

2) Spray pan with cooking spray. Saute onions, peppers until starting to soften, and add minced garlic and cilantro. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add to stock pot.

3) Add chicken stock, chopped tomatoes and sauce. 

4) Add spices, black beans and bay leaf.

5) Bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat to simmer. Cover pan and let cook for about half an hour, stirring at least once or twice to make sure mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. If it's too thick, add a bit of broth or water. If it's too thin, remove the lid and cook a little longer to reduce the liquid.

Fire-roasted corn adds flavor. I bought the 365 brand at Whole Foods.

6) Let the soup cool until just warm. Remove bay leaf. Puree half using an immersion blender or food processor. Return to the pan and mix together.

7) Add corn and chicken. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

8) Serve with tortilla chips, chopped avocado, cilantro and a sprinkling of Parmesan, jack or cheddar cheese.

Cut tortillas into triangles, then fry until crisp in oil for a soup garnish.

Notes:

* Optional 

** Sometimes I use 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste instead of the sauce.

*** This is also optional, but I think it adds an extra layer of flavor to the soup. I've also used Trader Joe's South African Smoke Seasoning Blend, which I absolutely love. 

Calories & Points:

For 10 one-cup servings, the calories are about 157 calories each and 4 points for Weight Watchers. When you add a some avocado slices, chips and cheese, the calories--and the flavor jump. A squeeze of lime is virtually calorie free--and really adds a bit of zing. Buen apetito!