shady morels

The Port Renfrew (aka Port Manhattan)

I’ve been experimenting with a recently made a batch of cherry hazelnut bitters from the indispensable book Bitters by Brad Parsons. These bitters are exceptionally cool, inspired by West Coast flavours of hazelnut, cherry, and devil’s club root. I’m very excited about playing around with these bitters some more and finding ways to showcase their flavour and pungent aromatic punch!

This is in essence a manhattan cocktail with port in place of sweet vermouth. It’s not really anything new to be honest, but since I also added the West Coast inspired homemade bitters I decided I had the right to call this concoction “The Port Renfrew”. This is a town that holds a special place in my heart, fondly remembered as the base camp for surfing expeditions and forays into the nearby pristine old growth forest. It also receives an average rainfall of about 3.5 meters annually, and this is just the kind of cocktail you would want to drink on one of those dark and wet winter nights on the West Coast.

If you’ve ever been unfortunate to encounter Devil’s Club Root while hacking through thick forest brush as I have, you can take pleasure in knowing you’ve had the last laugh while you sip down it’s essence in this libation.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Bourbon, I used Bulleit

0.5 oz Tawny Port

4 dashes of cherry hazelnut bitters, or whatever other bitters you may you have on hand. If you want to get close without making your own, add a couple dashes each of Fee Brothers cherry bitters and Fee Brothers black walnut bitters.

2-3 Candied hazelnuts for garnish

Directions:

1. Chill a coupe glass in the freezer 5 minutes before starting. Add the candied hazelnuts to the glass.

2. Add all ingredients except the hazelnuts to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 1 minute, then strain into the chilled coupe glass.

Enjoy!

Mussels and Frites

A classic dish that’s great to share on a warm summer evening on the west coast. This one was made with a spicy thai red chili coconut curry broth, which pairs perfectly with the rich mussels.

I’ve perfected fries over the years, I hate deep frying at home, so my method involves baking the fries in the oven over an extended period of time instead to achieve similar results. The most important tip is to spread them out, and cook by color! When they’re golden, they’re done!

This broth packs quite a bit of heat, so scale back the chilis as desired.

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh mussels, cleaned and de bearded

1 can coconut milk

A half cup chopped cilantro stems

1 shallot

2 garlic cloves

1 lime, zest reserved

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp madras curry powder

Good handful thai bird chilis

3 large potatoes, cut into fries

4 tbsp grape seed oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add half the oil to a large baking dish (make sure they are well spaced) and place in the oven to preheat. After 5 min, remove from oven and toss in fries. Immediately turn down heat to 375. Let the potatoes cook for 30 minutes before checking. They won’t burn at 375.

2. Meanwhile, make the curry paste. Start by adding shallots, garlic, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, lime zest, half of the chilis, and 1 tbsp of oil to a food processor. Pulse until you get a paste. Set aside and check the potatoes.

3. Potatoes will be ready to flip if they come free from the bottom of the baking dish with a light golden brown color and minimal effort. Toss around at this point a bit, then place back in the oven to continue to develop color. Keep doing this until the potatoes develop a bit more color and a bit of crispiness. Then turn down the oven to 300 degrees F.

4. Now that the potatoes are done, start on the broth. Place a large pot on high heat, then add the remaining oil and curry paste. Let cook for about 2 minutes, then add the coconut milk, lime halves, and the remaing chilis. At this point, you can also add lemongrass stalk, extra shallots, or ginger if you have them on hand. Sadly I didn’t. Let the broth come to a boil, then add the mussels and cook for 2 minutes, or until they open.

5. Serve immediately with the fries. Discard any mussels that didn’t open.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Sauteed Morels

I’ve never made zucchini flowers before, but I came across some particularly handsome specimens at a local farmer’s market and decided to give it a try. They’re not cheap, but they’re pretty cool looking and I’ve been curious about them for a while.

All the recipes I’ve seen tend to stuff the zucchini flowers with a mixture of cheese and things, then tempura batter and fry it. This sounds delicious, but I hate frying at home, so I decided to simply sauté the zucchini flowers for an easier and healthier option. For the stuffing, the possibilities are endless. Just combine any mixture of cheese, garlic, shallots, herbs, etc. and it will be delicious. The peas were a nice touch to give the stuffing a little bit of bite and some nice springtime flavour.

The morels on the side were a nice touch, and I basically included them because we are nearing the end of the season here in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll continue to incorporate my favourite mushroom any chance I get, and this recipe works!

Ingredients:

6-8 Zucchini flowers

Half a cup of freshly shelled english peas

1/2 cup of fresh feta, I used Salt Spring Island Chili Feta

2 cloves of garlic, minced

A couple sprigs of mint, leaves chopped

Zest of one lemon

One red chili, finely chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper

Handful of morel mushrooms, cleaned of debris

Good knob of butter and a bit of olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the peas, lemon zest, half of the garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt in a mortar and pestle. Crush to make a rough paste. You still want some peas to remain more or less intact, but just beat up a little bit. Fold in the feta, mint, and chili to finish the stuffing.

2. Prepare the zucchini flowers by gently pulling away the petals to reveal what is apparently called the stigma (if you google “flower parts” like I did, it should come up as the first photo result). Cut off the stigma, because apparently it’s bitter.

3. To stuff the zucchini flowers, load up a good dollop on a small spoon. With the zucchini flower on its side, gently pull away the top two petals and slide the spoon into the cavity. Use your finger to push the feta and pea mixture into the flower, and then close up the flower petals around it. Set aside so that you can get the morels started.

4. Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan to high heat, wait for it to get smoking hot, then add the morels to the pan dry. Make sure they are spaced well apart. After five minutes, give the pan a little toss to move the mushrooms around, then add a glug of olive oil, the butter, and remaining garlic. Sauté for another five minutes, keeping the mushrooms moving around a bit. Remove from the pan and season, then set aside.

5. Add a little more olive oil to the same pan with the morels now removed, and return to medium high heat. Delicately place the stuffed zucchini flowers in the hot pan and arrange so they are well spaced, you may need to work in batches. Cook on one side for 5-6 minutes undisturbed, then remove with a spatula. The stuffing will be barely contained by the zucchini flower at this point, so you’ll need show some finesse here.

6. To plate, I just haphazardly threw the morels on a plate, arranged the zucchini flowers on top in a parallel or crossed arrangement, then sprinkled some extra chopped mint and cracked pepper.

Enjoy!

Lemon Braised Fennel

Just a little Wednesday morning quickie.

This is a super simple dish! Serve it as a perfect side, add it to a risotto for an incredible depth of flavour, or just eat it for an amplified fennel experience. I served it as a separate course as part of a light Valentines dinner I made to serenade my better half.

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb, quartered 1 lemon

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 sprig of fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat pan to medium high, add olive oil, and add the fennel. Flip once a nice golden brown colour is developed, then remove from heat.

2. Add chicken stock and lemon juice to pan, then add the shallot, garlic, lemon zest, and half of the thyme.

3. Braise for 45 minutes, then remove. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and a touch of olive oil. Crack some pepper over and serve.

Crostini of Fava Bean and Pea Puree with Sauteed Morel Mushrooms

This dish is meant to show off the morel mushroom in all it’s earthy glory. The fava bean and pea puree is exceptional on its own, but forms a fresh, spring inspired bright green canvas for the morel mushroom to unleash its complex umami flavour and unique texture. For me, this dish performs the perfect marriage of the quintessential spring vegetables. It’s food you savour with every bite, and you wonder how a simple combination of things could ever be so mind blowing. If you’re going to make anything from this blog, make this. Serve it as an appetizer, and people will lose their minds!

If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating a fresh morel mushroom before, I implore you to seek some out at a local farmer’s market and make this dish. You will have to go now because the season is extremely short, from mid May to early June in the Pacific Northwest. Fava beans can also be found at the same time, usually at green grocers from May to mid summer.

One day, I will write about a successful mushroom forage, where the bounty is consumed on the spot with a camping stove and a select combination of ingredients. This is the dream, but to date I have been completely unsuccessful in my morel foraging escapades. In the meantime, I will venture further and further into the woods in the pursuit of my namesake. They are elusive little buggers, but I will find them one day!

Ingredients:

For the fava bean puree:

1 lb fresh fava beans (aka broad beans) in their shell, about 12 total

1/2 cup shelled peas

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

3 sprigs of mint

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 cup shaved Pecorino Romano

1/2 cup high quality olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To shell the fava beans is a two part process; it’s intimidating at first, but you’ll be flying through it in no time:

First, take the stem portion of the bean and pull back like you’re peeling a banana. A thin string should peel down the seam of the bean, allowing you to pull apart the sides more easily. Shell as you would a pea, and reserve the beans for part two.

Second, set a small pot of water to boil. Toss the shelled beans in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss into an ice bath, or rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. To peel the individual beans, hold the fava bean like a guitar pick, with the black line at the end of the bean facing outwards. With your other hand, make an incision right above the black line with your finger nail, and peel down the end. Now squeeze with the fingers holding the bean, and it will pop out into two firm pieces.

Disclaimer: they have a tendency to fly across the room when you are popping them out of the inner shell, but your aim will improve (maybe).

To make the puree:

1. Place all the ingredients with the exception of the olive oil and the Pecorino Romano into a food processor. Pulse on and off, until all the ingredients are roughly chopped.

2. Add the Pecorino Romano, and half of the olive oil, and pulse again a few times to combine. Do not puree to an indistinguishable mush, you want all the character and texture of each layer to come through.

3. Transfer to a bowl, and add the remaining olive oil, stir to combine. The result should look like this:

For the sauteed morels:

8-10 fresh black morels, or whatever variety you have access to

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled

1 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a cast iron pan to high heat, add morels to the pan and allow to cook dry for 5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan, you want high dry heat to really bring out the mushroom flavour and aroma.

2. Add the olive oil, then toss the morels around a bit for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and garlic, and continue to move the morels around. Continue to saute for 2 minutes, then season and remove from heat.

To make the crostini:

Take a few slices of baguette or french bread, and lightly toast with some olive oil in the morel pan. Rub with a garlic clove sliced in half to finish.

To plate, spread a dollop of the fava bean puree over the crostini, then top with a few of the sauteed morels. Drizzle over some olive oil, and finish with some freshly cracked pepper and sea salt.

Enjoy!

Rib Eye Steak with Porcini Sherry Sauce and Blue Cheese

This is my formula for steak, and I almost never deviate from it:

Seasoning: Nothing more than a liberal amount of salt and pepper

Cook: Sear and baste with butter, thyme, garlic. Finish in the oven. Rest.

Sauce: Pan reduction sauce with wine or spirits, finished with butter.

Simple right? A great steak should be simple; treat it with care and respect, and let the quality ingredient do the work. When I was learning to cook steak, the sauces would end up over complicated and confusing. What I do now is way more simple and less time consuming, but the results are infinitely superior. It’s funny how a decade of experimenting in the kitchen leads to the pursuit of simplicity.

This recipe is only a slight deviation from the general formula, since re-hydrated mushrooms are incorporated into the sauce in the last step. Some exceptional, crumbly blue cheese is the perfect contrast to the richness of the beef and sauce.

You could also barbecue, but why miss out on the opportunity for a great pan sauce? Save that for the hanger and flat iron steaks.

Please opt for a smaller, but higher quality steak instead of the biggest behemoth you can find. You will end up with a better sear, more flavour, and a far superior presentation.

Ingredients:

For the steak:

1 best quality rib-eye steak you can afford

Generous amount of kosher salt and coarsely cracked black pepper

1 tbsp grapeseed or light olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 tbsp butter

Couple sprigs of fresh thyme

For the sauce:

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

1/2 cup boiling hot water

1 oz dry sherry

1 tbsp butter

Small chunk of good quality blue cheese

Directions:

1. Re-hydrate the mushrooms with hot water in a bowl and set aside. Do not drain or discard the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile, generously season the steak. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Get a cast iron pan piping hot, add the oil, then carefully sear the steak on one side. Do not disrupt it, this is important! You can take a peak after about two minutes by using a fork to pull up one corner. If you see a rich amber brown all over the full surface, not just the edges, then you can flip it.

3. After you flip the steak, add the butter, thyme, and garlic. Your pan should be hot enough that the thyme crackles as it hits the pan. Tilt the pan so that the butter infuses with the flavour of the garlic and thyme, and spoon the butter over the steak several times. Repeat for about 2 minutes, then toss in the oven for 5 minutes for medium rare.

4. After cooked, remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest. Put the pan back on high heat, then add the mushrooms, including the brown mushroom stock resulting from the re-hydration. Reduce to a third, then add the sherry and continue to reduce to a nappe consistency. Remove from heart, add the butter, then strain with a fine mesh.

5. To plate, pour the sauce on a plate, arrange a couple stalks of seared asparagus in parallel, then top with some roasted potatoes. Place the steak on top of the garnish, then top with the blue cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Sous Vide Lamb Belly with Mint and Pea Puree

This dish epitomizes spring on a plate. This was the intention prior to making lamb belly for the first time; I knew the flavour combinations I wanted to incorporate, I just didn’t know how to execute it. To see the ingredients come together so harmoniously after the creative process of getting there from a relatively vague initial concept, is what makes me really love cooking.

Sourcing the lamb belly may be a bit difficult at the run of the mill grocery stores, but if you go to any good butcher they will be able to help you out. If you go to an exceptionally good butcher, like Windsor Quality Meats, they will pull out a hanging lamb from the back and cut off the belly in front of your eyes.

Ingredients:

For the lamb, start the prep 48 hours ahead:

1 side of lamb belly, about 2-3 pounds

4 tbsp kosher salt

2 tbsp sugar

Zest of two lemons

A couple sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

Game plan for the lamb, start 36-24 hours in advance. 48 hours lines up nicely for timing if you start the cure in the evening.

Directions:

1. Mix the salt, sugar, rosemary, and lemon zest in a bowl. Sprinkle a layer in a baking dish, then set the lamb on top, then cover with the rest of the mixture. Firmly press the curing mixture into the lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. Thoroughly rinse the curing mixture off the lamb, then set on a cutting board and cut it in half into two broad strips. Do not season the lamb with any more salt, it will be perfectly seasoned at this point already.

3. Roll up each strip of lamb belly like a jelly roll, press down to ensure it is packed tightly together, then tie with kitchen twine. You want the rolls to be as tight as possible with no air gaps.

4. Place each roll of lamb into a ziplock bag. Add a glug of olive oil to each, just to take the space of any small air pockets. Remove the air with the water pressure method, or vacuum seal if you have one.

5. Cook the lamb in a 70 degree water bath for 12 hours.

6. Remove the lamb and transfer to an ice bath the cease cooking. It is now ready for finishing, or you could hold it in the refrigerator until use. To finish, cut off 3/4 inch slices of the lamb belly, and sear in a very hot pan with a bit of oil until some nice colour and texture develops, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat for the other side, then serve.

For the mint and pea puree:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly shelled peas

3-4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp good olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 cup of water, to bring puree to the desired consistency

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the water in a food processor. Pulse until it turns into a fine puree.

2. Slowly add water and continue to puree until the mixture is about the same consistency as cream.

To plate, pour the mint and pea puree onto a white plate to make a pancake size circle. Top with a garnish of fresh spring vegetables. I chose simple parboiled potatoes and carrots, finished with a quick pan sear. As a finishing touch, I sprinkled with fresh peas and fava beans in order to really get the feel of spring on the plate. Top the vegetables of your choosing with the beautiful seared lamb belly and serve right away.

Enjoy!

Spicy Lemon Roasted Cauliflower

This is a shameless copy attempt at Nuba’s famous “Najib’s”, which are little cauliflower pieces spiced up and fried until crispy, then tossed with salt and lemon.

Fry if you prefer (I think the restaurant does), but I prefer to bake these to the point where charred edges start to form.

Serve it either in a mediterranean style wrap; on a platter with some olives, hummus, and pickled cabbage; or just eat it by itself!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp grape seed oil, or equivalent

1 tsp kosher salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees C. Place a metal baking pan in the oven to pre-heat. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into 1″ pieces, toss in a bowl with the cumin, paprika, cayenne, and olive oil.

2. Remove the pan from the oven after about 5 minutes of pre-heating, and pour the cauliflower bowl into the pan. Make sure the cauliflower is well spaced, otherwise you effectively steam it instead of developing a crispy exterior. Looking from above, you should be able to see the bottom of the pan around each piece of cauliflower.

3. Leave the cauliflower undisturbed for 30 minutes. You will want to bottom edge to develop good caramelization, and a little char, which won’t happen with cauliflower if you keep it moving.

4. After 30 minutes of roasting, now give the cauliflower a toss. You may need to free some pieces with a spatula. Turn the oven to broil on high, and place the pan back into the oven and watch closely for about 5 minutes, or until you are satisfied with the colour. We are just trying to get a little bit of extra char on some of the extremities.

5. Remove from the oven, and toss the cauliflower in a bowl with the salt and lemon juice, and serve.

Enjoy!

Beef Short Rib Ravioli with Tarragon Beurre Blanc

I’m not going to try and pull the wool over your eyes, this recipe is a lot of work. If you lose a little steam along the way, the braised short ribs served with a little bit of polenta would be a fine meal in itself. However, if you want to go the distance to create an elegant and sophisticated meal, you will be blown away by the results. The flavour combination of the savory red wine jus and the rich and tart tarragon buerre blanc was inspired by the proven combination of filet mignon with Bearnaise sauce and red wine demi glace.

Making ravioli is the kind of action that really allows you to up your cooking game. You’ll need to make your own pasta if you don’t already. You’ll then realize that the intimidation factor of making homemade pasta is really unwarranted; it is one of the easiest things to do in the kitchen, and you may even stop buying dry pasta. After you make your first ravioli, the creative juices will start to flow and you will begin dreaming up new delicious fillings. The possibilities are virtually endless!

Tip: Ensure to roll the pasta dough as thin as possible, since the end result will be double the thickness when you assemble the ravioli. This is the one place where this dish could go wrong, and I’ve made this mistake in the past.

Ingredients:

For the short ribs:

500g boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch chunks

1 Big carrot, peeled and quartered

3 Cloves garlic

1 Shallot, halved

1 Tbsp tomato paste

A couple sprigs of thyme, and a handful of cut parsley stalks (no leaves) tied together with kitchen twine

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup chicken stock (veal stock would be better, but I didn’t have any on hand)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, plus some whole peppercorns

For the pasta:

1.5 cups flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

Braised short ribs, pulled apart delicately, excess fat removed

1 Shallot, thinly sliced

1 Lemon, zested, reserve lemon juice for later

100g Firm cheese, I used an aged gouda

Handful of parsley leaves

For the sauce:

1/2 cup white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

200g cold butter, cut into chunks

A few sprigs of fresh tarragon leaves

Pepper

Directions:

To make the short ribs:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Heat a saute pan to high heat, and add a glug of the oil. Generously season the short ribs, and sear each side to get some color (about 5 min a side). Set aside and leave pan on high heat.

2. Sear the carrot, shallots and garlic in the hot pan to get some color, then add the tomato paste and the short ribs. Toss everything around while the tomato paste browns but not does not burn, about a minute.

3. Add the red wine and the chicken stock to the pan and deglaze. Add a bundle of the fresh thyme and parsley stems. Turn off heat, cover with tin foil, and place in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hrs.

4. Once done, remove the short ribs from the liquid and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, skim the fat off the braising liquid then strain and discard the solids. Reserve the jus and keep warm for plating.

While the short ribs are cooking, make the egg pasta.

For the filling:

1. Brown the shallots with a bit of olive oil, and set aside to cool.

2. Add the short ribs, shallots, parsley, lemon zest, and cheese to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and gently fold ingredients. We don’t want to create a homogeneous mixture, we still want some texture with the filling.

To assemble the ravioli:

1. Roll out the pasta sheets as thin as possible on a floured surface. Cut 4 inch rounds out of the dough using a mason jar lid. Create a couple rows of pasta circles, top one row with filling, and brush the other with the egg wash. For the filling, create little golf ball size mounds, and gently compress with your palms to remove any air.

2. To assemble, drape the top round (brushed with egg) over top of the rounds topped with the filling. Align the edges on one side, the pinch down firmly to create a seal. Gently lift up the ravioli and hold delicately in your flat palm. With the other hand, work your way around the filling, pinching to create a seal. When you have almost made it around the full circle, retrace your steps to ensure any excess air is pushed out, then pinch the final opening together to fully seal off the ravioli. This will take a little practice, but you’ll get it eventually. Dust with flour after completing, to prevent it from sticking to the other ravioli.

For the beurre blanc (make immediately before cooking the pasta):

1. Add the white wine, lemon juice, and shallot to a sauté pan; reduce on medium heat until there is about a tbsp of liquid remaining, then reduce heat to low.

2. Now in the same pan, add the butter 1 cube at a time, whisking to incorporate. Same technique as hollandaise, minus the egg.

3. Gently tear up the tarragon leaves and add to the buerre blanc. Leave on low heat until the pasta is ready.

To cook, bring some salted water to a boil and add a glug of oil to the surface to create a kind of oil slick effect on the surface. Add the ravioli one by one, so that they fall through the oil slick. Once they float to the surface, the ravioli is done. Transfer to the beurre blanc pan with a slotted spoon, it’s okay if a little pasta water follows. Gently toss to get an even coating of sauce on the ravioli.

To plate, slowly pour the strained red wine jus into the bottom of a shallow pasta dish to create about a 4-5 inch circle. Top with the ravioli and garnish with a sprig of fresh tarragon and some cracked pepper.

Enjoy with a nice Okanagan merlot!

Simple Egg Pasta

A simple recipe that works for all different pasta shapes. Going the extra mile to make pasta from scratch is well worth it, and is surprisingly fun and easy. The second time you make it, you won’t think twice about whether or not it is worth the extra effort!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour (Type 00 if you can find it, but all purpose works too)

2 eggs

Glug of olive oil

pinch of salt

About 0.5 cup of extra flour for dusting the work surface

Directions:

1. Make a volcano shape with the flour directly onto a clean working surface. Crack the eggs into the center and add the pinch of salt.

2. Beat the eggs with a fork, while bringing in a little bit of the flour at a time. Continue to combine the ingredients, it won’t combine in one uniform mass, but a bunch of flaky bits.

3. Flour the working surface, and knead the dough for about 5 to 10 minutes; you will start to see moisture come to the surface while the dough combines into a uniform mass. You want a stiff, springy, dense dough – this is what gives pasta it’s desirable texture.

4. Toss the dough ball in a glass bowl with the olive oil, swirl it around for a couple seconds so that all sides are coated in oil. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

5. Roll the dough out using a pasta machine or rolling pin into your desired noodle shapes; if not using right away, dust the noodles with a bit of extra flour and drape over a pasta rack, or just wooden spoon propped between a couple of tall cans.

Enjoy in your favourite pasta recipe – remember that the cooking time will be less than dried pasta, so taste while they are cooking to determine the level of doneness!