YOWZA!

I have one word to describe my attempt at making gnocchi…”YOWZA!!” To say it was a disaster is an understatement. I believe the picture of my gnocchi speaks for itself. I knew going into this that this recipe was not going to be easy at all for a novice cook. But I figured what do I have to lose!

No- Nookie Gnocchi

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 heaping cup flour, plus more for dusting
• salt
• freshly grated pepper
• freshly grated parmigiano

Put the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook, partially covered, until they are just tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board and peel with a paring knife as soon as you can stand to touch them, then run them through a potato ricer or food mill, spreading them out on a cutting board to cool completely.

Mix the egg, salt and nutmeg. Form the cooled potatoes into a mound and pour the egg mixture into it. Begin kneading the potato and egg mixture with your hands, adding the flour a little at a time, being careful not to overwork the dough.

When the flour is evenly combined with the potato and the dough is only a little sticky, divide it into 4 pieces.Roll each piece into a long, narrow tube like a garden snake and slice it crosswise into little soft pillows, each ½ inch wide. Rest each pillow on the tip of your thumb and impress it with the tines of a fork lightly dusted with flour, creating a ribbed surface for the sauce to cling to. Keep a bowl of flour nearby to dip the fork into, as it will become tacky- or better yet, keep some extra forks nearby.

Add the gnocchi about 10 at a time to a pot of salted boiling water. When they rise to the top, they’re done. Remove them to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon or spider and continue to cook in batches. Toss with the sauce and serve with grated parmigiano and freshly grated pepper.

Yield: about 6 dozen.

I am bummed but I am not going to dwell on a cooking failure when I am excited to start our next book!!

 I‘d like to leave off on a brighter note and share the gigantic gingerbread house I saw in Walt Disney World. My family and I spent Christmas and New Year’s there. The gingerbread house was located inside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. In case you are wondering that entire house is edible! It is made with 800 pounds of flour, 600 pounds of sugar and 1,050 pounds of honey.

Gingerbread House @ Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa