Monday, October 13, 2008

gnocchi

In fourteen-hundred-and-ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And then he got lost, went to the Bahamas, and began to rampantly destroy indigenous cultures. Nonetheless, most states in the USA continue to celebrate this Monday holiday and the great (if storied) Italian, Cristoforo Columbo. I decided to use my Columbus Day to explore my own roots...

Several hundred years later, my fathers family immigrated to the United States from Italy. They did not get lost, but their last name did. That is why we are the Tringe family, not the Trinca family (God bless you, Zio Lorenzo). My father's family settled in the Northeast and, like many Italian families, carried on their strong family traditions from the old country.

One great memory I have of my Nonnie is of her making gnocchi at her kitchen table in Norwich, CT. She was fast. She had, what seemed to me, thousands of gnocchi in front of her. I remember trying to help, but having two left thumbs, mostly mutilated the dough (some help!).

Some years later, she hand wrote a cookbook for each of us grandkids. Nonnie, having dropped out of school at age 13 to go work in a factory, has remarkable handwriting and perfect spelling. She had grown up translating English to Italian for her non-fluent parents. The cookbooks she wrote for us are a treasure. So, here's to you, Nonnie, and all that you did for us and for helping us carry on our heritage.

Gnocchi, or, "Yonks," (according to Nonnie's cookbook):












RECIPE
Serves: 6
Prep time: Hours
Cook time: 2 minutes

You'll need:
4 lbs russet potatoes
5 egg yolks
1 C. - 2 C. semolina flour
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper

Bake the potatoes in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until done. Let cool for 30-45 minutes, then scoop the flesh into a potato ricer (discard the skins or fry them later). Rice the potatoes (alternatively, you can mash them well, but a ricer or a food mill is best). Add salt, pepper, egg yolks, and sift in 1/2 C. flour. Fold to mix (do not overmix). Add flour again. Fold to mix. Sift in more flour until dough is not delicate but not tough. (If mixture is too dry, add another yolk. If too wet, add more flour. This is an inexact science).

Divide your dough into four parts. Each 1/4 lump of dough will make two long "ropes." Roll the ropes into 1/2" to 3/4" width, then slice into 1" long pieces. (You will need more flour to prevent sticking as your roll, plus more flour to dust over the drying gnocchi). Dry on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets for at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

You can freeze gnocchi on baking sheet for 48 hours, then move them (still frozen) into a storage container. Should keep for up to 1 month.

To cook: Boil and salt a large pot of water. Gently add dumplings. Remove them when they float. Dress with sauce, and enjoy.

Classic Gnocchi Sauce: San Marzano tomatoes (crushed), fresh basil, fresh mozzarella. Salt to taste.

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