We've been sharing kitchen duty for the past week and eating really well. However when Christian, the Italian helper, broke out his genetically bestowed pasta making skills last night, he definitely took the prize.
The anticipation had been building for days...
First, there was a skype phone call to Grandma back in Italy for the recipe.
Then, we had to make a trip to the market to get all the right ingredients -- of course, it was impossible to get all the right ones in France, but we came close.
Finally, right after lunch on Sunday, the chef got to work.
First came the prep work. The work surface had to be perfect and the ingredients weighed precisely .
Eggs cracked lovingly into a little mound of flour.
Then it was time to work the dough. It came together pretty well, but something was a little off. Another skype call to Grandma was in order. After a heated discussion in Italian, (something like..."How-a could you mess-a up-a da pasta! Mama Mia!") Christian reported with sadness that he had made a mistake. Too many eggs.
But, like a good chef does, Christian bounced right back. On to the filling for the pasta: potato, blue cheese, and chopped walnuts.
Once the filling was ready and the dough had had a little rest, he got to rolling. No pasta machine for this guy, it was all about the rolling pin.
Hand stuffed tartalle!
The warrior after battle, tired but proud.
The chef and his masterpiece. The
finished product was topped with a heavenly butter and sage sauce.
Seven hours after he began, we dug in...it was absolutely incredible! Christian insists it wasn't nearly as good as Grandma's, but it tasted phenomenal to us.
Buon Appetito!
