Spaghetti Al Quattro Formaggi

Quattro Formaggi translates to four cheeses.

I was off to Tinder Box to get some cheeses after gym class. I should have sweat it out more than usual, but I didn't. Anyway, out of the guilt trip, I tried out this recipe for dinner and it's heavenly sinful!

200g uncooked pasta (penne/macaroni)
40g butter
1 cup all-purpose cream
30 g grated parmesan cheese (parmigianno)
30 g gorgonzola or bleu cheese
30 g each of any 2 of the ff: provolone, fontina, pecorino, gruyere, emmenthal
pinch of salt (optional)
white pepper
nutmeg

1. Cook the pasta as directed.
2. Grate the hard cheese.
3. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, melt all the other ingredients:
- Heat cream and butter in a nonstick sauce pan over a medium low heat.
- Add (grated) cheese, add the hard cheeses first.
- If it gets dry add a little bit of pasta water or cream.
3. Stir constantly because the cheeses will settle, melt over the bottom of the pan, and burn if you don't. Let it slightly reduce to desired consistency. (warning, don't over reduce, since this mixture tend to dry up when cold.)
4. Add salt (optional since cheeses are salty) & white pepper to taste, and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.
5. When the pasta is just shy of being done, drain it. Transfer it to a skillet, stir in the sauce, and cook over a brisk flame, fold and toss in the cheese cream until most liquid is absorbed.
6. Remove from fire and serve immediately.

-0-
Price of cheese per 100 grams, I used the following:
P71 (Arla) Blue cheese (50% off from SaveMore's yellow tag sale)
P120 Gruyere
P187 Fontina (I've read in most recipe that this is a must.)
P150 Parmesan (grated, which is much cheaper)

-0-
I had the Gruyere, Fontina and Parmesan grated since these are hard cheeses. I ommited the nutmeg and replaced the white with black pepper since I didn't have these on my cupboard, yet it tasted good! :)

Pizza Dough

I've been wanting to try making pizza, but I didn't have an interesting recipe until I got this, I ought to try this one.

Warning! Yield: 5.6kg dough.

4kg all purpose flour
2cans (330ml) pilsen beer
150ml olive oil
50g iodized salt
60g yeast

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the warm water, and stir to dissolve it. Set aside until the yeast starts forming bubbles in about 5 minutes.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk to combine beer, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sugar, salt, and yeast. Fit bowl on electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add flour, and mix until dough is fairly stiff, about 10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface. Knead the dough briefly with your hands pushing and folding. Knead just long enough for the dough to take in a little more flour, and until it no longer sticking to your hands.

6. With your hand, spread a little olive oil inside a bowl. Transfer the dough into the bowl.

7. On the top of the dough, make two incisions that cross, and spread with a very small amount of olive oil. This last step will prevent the surface of the dough from breaking too much while rising.

8. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth, and set the bowl aside for approximately 1½ – 2 hours until the dough doubles in volume. The time required for rising will depend on the strength of the yeast and the temperature of the room.

9. When the dough is double its original size, punch it down to eliminate the air bubbles.

10. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into desired proportion. (220g for a 12" thin crust)

11. On the work surface, using a rolling pin and your hands, shape one piece of dough into a thin round layer to desired diameter.

12. Transfer to a pan or pizza stone, add preferred topping. Cook at 500F for 20 to 25 mins.

SpaghettiVongole

I prepared this for Christmas dinner...

1kg fresh live clams
2cloves garlic, minced
a bunch of parsley, chopped

1/4tsp dried red pepper/chilli flakes
1/2c dry white wine
1/2c olive oil
4large peeled & seeded tomatoes, diced
bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
450g spaghetti, cooked to package directions

1. Prepare the clams - scrub and let it purge in salted water for several hours. (1kg clams to 3L water with 200g non-iodized salt)
2. In a pan, heat olive oil, saute the garlic.
3. Add chilli pepper and parsley when the mixture starts to brown lightly.
4. Add live clams; the shells open as it cooks.
5. Add wine, reduce.
6. Add the tomatoes.
7. Add spices*
8. Don't overcook the clams as this hardens.
10.Add salt and pepper to taste. Since the clams are salty, need not add salt.
11. Toss in the cooked pasta.

*may add bay leaf, star anise, chicken powder for added flavor.

SpaghettiFunghiPorcini

This is my first "edible" pasta ever. Edible in the sense that it satisfied the palet of my worst critics, no less than my three siblings and my three-year-old picky niece (who enjoyed cooking with me).

Spaghetti with pricey Italian mushroom called Porcini.

1c dried porcini mushroom
2c hot water
1large onion, thinly sliced
4cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3tbsp olive oil
1c dry white wine
1pc chicken/beef broth cubes
1tsp chicken powder
1/8c butter
1c whipping cream*

500g durum wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente to package instruction

1. Soak dried porcini mushroom in hot water for about 30 minutes. The water will turn dark. Set aside.
2. Heat a large pan, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil.
3. Remove mushroom from the water, add to the pan and let if cook for a minute.
4. Strain the remaining water to remove sandy residue of the mushroom and add it to the pan. Simmer for a minute or two.
5. Add white wine, simmer to reduce.
6. Add broth cubes.
7. Add butter.
8. Add chicken powder.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste. It should be a bit salty as this will neutralize when the pasta is added.
10. Add cooked pasta, mix together then remove from heat.
11. Fold in cream.

*for cooking, my personal preference is this brand Arla whipping cream.

BasicChocolateCake

Octoberfest is chocolatefest for me. But I seemed to be having a hangover this November - here's another chocolate treat. This will be the last (for this year) promise! ;D

Black magic cake, moist chocolate cake, whatever you call it, it's a basic chocolate cake that spells M-O-I-S-T. (mo-west as we jokingly pronounce it.)

This is my dad's favorite. I know he's not suppose to eat chocolates, but he just can't resist this.

1 3/4c all purpose flour
1 3/4c brown sugar
3/4c cocoa powder
2tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2pcs egg
1c strong black coffee
(mix 2tsp instant coffee + 1c hot water)
1c buttermilk or sour milk
(mix 1tbsp vinegar + 1/2c evaporated milk + 1/2c hot water)
1/2c vegetable oil
1tsp vanilla

Preheat oven for 30 minutes at 350F.

1. Sift and whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Make a well*, add the eggs and other wet ingredients in the center.
3. Beat at medium speed for two minutes.
4. Pour batter into a greased & floured pan (13x9x2 or two 9-inch pan)
5. Bake for 35-40 mins.

You may top it with your choice of chocolate frosting, but for me, the cake itself is good enough.

*make a well, is a technique to avoid crumbling when mixing dry & wet ingredients together. First, in a bowl, make a hole (like a well) in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients in the well, then gently mix them together in the center until smooth and well blended.

WarmBrownieCup

These individual soft-centered cakes are known commercially as warm brownie cup or lava cake. I prepare them in small ramekin dishes, perfect for parties. My friends just love this!

1c butter (softened)
2c brown sugar

4 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla

1c all purpose flour
3/4c cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp instant coffee powder

vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven at 350F for 30 minutes.

1. Sift the last 4 dry ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Whisk in the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla into the cream. Beat lightly.
3. Whisk in the dry ingredients, little by little to avoid crumbling.
4. Put mixture in oven-proof cups, ramekins or souffle dishes.
5. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your dish; until cakes are puffed and crusty and tester inserted into center comes out with thick batter attached. Don't overbake to keep the center moist.
6. Remove from oven, let it cool for a few minutes. Best served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

adopted from epicurious.com

DoubleRichChocolateCookies

If you're not content with the usual chocolate chip cookie, try this.

2 1/2c all-purpose flour
1tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4c brown sugar, firmly packed
1c salted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2tsp vanilla extract
2c (12oz) semisweet chocolate chips
(for variation, add nuts, marshmallows &/or raisins)

Preheat oven to 300F.

1. In a medium bowl, sift then whisk dry ingredients: flour, soda, cocoa powder & salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter to form a grainy paste.
3. Add eggs and vanilla entract and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined.
5. Fold in chocolated chips.
6. Use ice cream scooper or drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, two inches apart. As they bake, the cookies will spread quite a bit.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Transfer to a cool surface or cake rack to cool.

Yield: 4 dozen

Adopted from Mrs. Fields' Cookie Book.