I'd Rather Cook

I'm not a foodie, and I'm not into fine dining. I'm just someone who loves the challenge of cooking.
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  • Tag: Whirlpool

    • Fresh Pasta – The Next Level of Homemade

      Posted at 12:02 pm by Anne Freestone
      Nov 5th
      Jump to Recipe

      One day, as I was binge watching Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, I reflected on how often the chefs would comment on how they did everything in house – from sauces, breads and sausage, to yes, pasta. I began to feel as if I’d love to be able to make that statement – that everything in an entire meal was made by me.

      I’d already gotten to the point where premade gravy and pancake mix were banned in my house. I could already throw down a killer lasagna with homemade roasted tomato sauce and scratch made bechasmel. Not to mention my homemade meatballs. So why not go to that next level and do the pasta from scratch?

      The recipe for basic pasta is pretty simple – flour, salt, egg and water (some recipes call for olive oil as well). It’s the rolling and the cutting that’s the tedious part.

      My first attempts using a tabletop manual pasta roller/cutter were a bit frustrating. It was kind of a pain to get the machine clamped to the countertop and to remain stable. I also had a bit of trouble with getting the dough thin enough for the proper texture but also strong enough to stay together when boiled.

      Then, two things happened. First, I decided to invest in a pasta roller/cutter set for my KitchenAid stand mixer. (Thanks Whirlpool retiree discount). I also happened across an episode of Beat Bobby Flay where the challenging chef was making pasta, and talked about the importance of, in the first few passes through the roller, of brushing the pasta sheets with flour, folding in half, and running through again until the dough is silky and elastic.

      Those two things did the trick. Honestly, the pasta attachments that work on the power takeoff of the stand mixer are amazing. I know it sounds like a blatent plug for my former employer, but these are so well made (in Italy, no less) and do such a quick and masterful job of turning out pasta that they are totally worth an investment if you’re going to make pasta with any regularity. And the technique of adding flour to the early stage sheets until the dough is the perfect texture is clearly the way to turning out pasta that is tender but strong at any thickness.

      So, is there really a difference between fresh pasta and dried in a box? Yes, it’s like night and day – just very silky and tender. The first time I did spaghetti from scratch it was described as “melt in your mouth” by my son who is not given to effusive praise of my meals. (He does say that one of the best things about coming home is my cooking, but he doesn’t feel a need to wax poetic about every meal. “I take it for granted that your cooking is going to be at a certain level, Mom. I’ll let you know if it’s not”). So I take him pointing this out as high praise, indeed.

      Be aware that fresh pasta is going to cook much faster than dried – from two to four minutes, depending on the thickness. Also, it’s best to make the dough the same day you are going to roll and cut it. You can dry or freeze the noodles to cook another day, which I haven’t tried yet, so I can’t vouch for how this affects texture, etc.

      So, if you’ve got some sort of pasta roller/cutter languishing in a cupboard, break it out and give fresh pasta another try. You’ll be glad you did.

      Print Recipe

      Fresh Pasta

      Prep Time25 mins
      Resting time30 mins
      Total Time55 mins
      Servings: 6
      Author: Anne Freestone

      Ingredients

      • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 2 eggs
      • 2-4 tbsp water, ,as needed

      Instructions

      • Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.
      • Add eggs into flour. As you mix, pull flour into eggs until you have a soft dough. Add water as needed until you can form a ball that is the consistency of play doh. This can be done in a mixer or by hand.
      • Knead dough either by hand on a floured board, or in a mixer with a dough hook, until it is firm. Add flour if needed to keep from sticking.
      • Form dough into a ball and let rest for 30 minutes.
      • Divide dough into two pieces. Shape each piece into a flattened oval and sprinkle with flour. Pass through widest setting of pasta roller. Sprinkle with flour, fold in half and send through roller on widest setting again. Repeat this step until the the pasta sheet is smooth.
      • Continue to pass pasta sheets through progressively thinner roller settings, until at desired thickness.
      • If cutting into noodles, cut sheets into desired lengths and pass through pasta cutter.
      • Cook fresh in boiling salted water for 2-4 minutes until al dente. You can also freeze or dry the pasta for later use. (Dried pasta will take 7-10 minutes to cook).
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      Posted in Dinner, Italian, Pasta | Tagged anne freestone, fresh pasta, KitchenAid, pasta, pasta roller/cutter, Whirlpool
    • Smoky Chipotle Salsa – Food and Teambuilding

      Posted at 11:11 am by Anne Freestone
      Oct 24th
      Jump to Recipe

      The story behind this salsa is tied to my final years in the workforce. In April of 2019, I retired from a 28 plus year career with Whirlpool Corporation. Working there got me involved in many interesting projects with great people from all over the world. I also enjoyed great benefits – not the least of which was the employee discount (which the company generously still grants me as a retiree). This has allowed me to fill my home with the world’s best appliance brands, including KitchenAid small appliances. My KitchenAid food processor figures large in this recipe.

      I have always loved the kind of salsa you get in Mexican restaurants – the fresh, finely chopped kind. I have never been a fan of the chunky, cooked type you get in jars. So, as usual, I wondered if I could create my own version at home.

      I knew that to get that fine chop in any reasonable time frame would require my food processor. I made a few trials using fresh jalepenos, serranos, etc, but somehow the flavor lacked the depth I was looking for. Then I remembered those cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Mexican aisle. Chipotles are dried, smoked jalepenos, and the adobo sauce is tangy and slightly sweet. I wondered how that would play in a salsa instead of a fresh hot pepper.

      It turned out great – but I’d made such a big batch I (double the recipe below) that I knew it would take us forever to eat at home. So I took it to work.

      The timing was right because it was during what we accountants refer to as “closing”. This is the period of time during which we make adjustments to “close” the books and produce financial statements. It takes place during the first few days of the month following the month being closed. It was also the time when we generally worked the most overtime, and, in order to “ease the pain”, it was common for people to bring in food to keep the team’s motivation up.

      The remarkable thing about this salsa is that it appealed to a very diverse group of tastes. It has some heat, which is great for hot sauce lovers like me, but even the non heat lovers in our group liked it. It became known at work as “Closing Salsa”, and before I knew it, I was bringing a big batch and a couple bags of tortilla chips in every first day of closing. This was a team tradition for several years until I retired.

      Note that since vegetables vary in size, you my have to adjust seasonings and amounts. And another very important thing – don’t skip the sugar – it’s essential to get all the flavors in balance. Also, the flavors won’t fully settle until the salsa has been refrigerated for awhile, so you may have to adjust slightly after that.

      Anyway, that’s the backstory of this recipe. Hopefully it will be a hit with your team, as well.

      Print Recipe

      Smoky Chipotle Salsa

      Prep Time20 mins
      Total Time20 mins
      Servings: 8
      Author: Anne Freestone

      Equipment

      • food processor

      Ingredients

      • 4 cloves garlic
      • 4 green onions
      • 1/2 medium white onion
      • 1/2 red bell pepper
      • 2 tbsp sugar
      • 2 tbsp lime juice
      • 1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo
      • 3-4 large roma tomatoes (or 4-5 small)
      • 1 tsp salt
      • 1 tsp black pepper

      Instructions

      • Peel garlic and cut white onion, green onions and red pepper into large pieces. Place in food processor and process until finely chopped.
      • Add sugar, lime juice and chipotle pepper in adobe. Cut tomatoes into large pieces and add. Process until finely chopped.
      • Add salt and pepper and process. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
      • Chill before serving.
      Rate this
      Posted in Appetizer, Mexican | Tagged anne freestone, appetizer, chipotle, chipotle in adobo, food processor, KitchenAid, restuarant style salsa, salsa, Whirlpool
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