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| Makes one 9-inch Pie, to serve 6 to 8 Ingredients: 2 (3-oz.) packages Cream Cheese 3/4 cups Confectioner's Sugar 1/2 cup Peanut Butter 2 Tbs. Milk 1 cup Whipped Cream 1 9-inch Graham Cracker Crust In a mixing bowl, blend together the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for about 5 minutes. The longer you blend, the creamier the pie. Add the peanut butter and milk to the mixture, and blend again. Fold in the whipped cream and pour the pie filling into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate the pie to chill for several hours before serving. Serve with additional whipped cream, if desired. |
| Serves 4 Ingredients: 6 cloves Garlic, unpeeled 1 oz. Fresh Herb Mix, finely chopped (Flat-leaf Parsley, Basil, Thyme, Coriander, and Chives) 8 oz. fresh Spinach 1 cup Ricotta Cheese 1 Egg Yolk 2/3 cup fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated 2/3 cup All-purpose Flour 1/4 cup Butter 2 Tbs. fresh Sage, chopped Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste Cook the unpeeled cloves of garlic in boiling water for about 4 minutes to soften. Drain the garlic and remove the skins. Place in a food processor or blender with the chopped herb mixture, and puree to a mash. Place the fresh spinach in a large pot of lightly salted water that just barely covers the leafy greens, and cook until wilted. Let cool, drain, and then squeeze as much water out of the spinach as humanly possible. Finely chop the cooled spinach leaves and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese and the egg yolk. Add the spinach and herb-and-garlic mash, and blend again. Stir in about half of the Parmesan cheese and finally sift in the flour, blending well. Flour your hands for easy rolling and begin breaking off bits of the spinach mixture, forming dumplings about the size of walnuts. Roll the dumplings, placing them on waxed paper as you work. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil, and carefully slip the dumplings into the water. The gnocchi will rise to the top of the water when cooked through, usually in about 3 minutes. Drain the boiled gnocchi as you cook the remaining mix. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Simmer the boiled dumplings in the butter for about a minute, then toss with the sage and simmer for a minute more. Serve the sautéed gnocchi with a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan cheese, providing salt and freshly ground black pepper for additional seasoning. |
| Serves 6 Ingredients: 3 Tbs. Butter 1 small Onion, finely chopped 4 cups Chicken Stock, boiling 1 3/4 cups Risotto Rice 1 cup Sparkling White Wine (Champagne or Asti Spumanti) Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 2/3 cup Fontina Cheese, diced 2/3 cup Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled 2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil, either in a separate saucepan or in the microwave. Add the risotto rice to the saucepan with the butter and onion and stir gently until the grains start to sizzle. Add the sparkling wine and stir, continuing to cook until most of the wine is absorbed. Pour in a small portion of the hot chicken stock. Add a bit of salt and pepper to season. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook until the stock has been absorbed. Add more of the chicken stock, a little at a time, always allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before continuing. Make sure to stir almost constantly, repeating the process of adding a bit more chicken stock to the risotto until 20 to 25 minutes have passed and the rice is cooked and creamy. Turn off the heat and add the Fontina and Gorgonzola cheeses to the rice mixture along with about two tablespoons of the Parmesan. Stir gently as all the cheese melts, then check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. Pour the risotto into a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top, or serve with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the side. |
