WHOLE WHEAT GNOCCHI & SCALLOP CEVICHE

WELCOME BACK TO DICEY EATS. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAVE HAD TIME TO POST ANYTHING SO I HAVE SOME GOOD STUFF COMING FOR YOU ALL. I WAS IN ITALY IN THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER AND HAVE SOME GREAT PICTURES TO SHARE WITH YOU SOON.

 FOR THIS POST, I MADE WHOLE WHEAT GNOCCHI AND A SCALLOP CEVICHE. 

TO MAKE MY GNOCCHI I BOILED MY RUSSET POTATOES UNTIL TENDER AND THEN POPPED THEM IN THE OVEN FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES. THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING THEM IN THE OVEN AFTER BOILING IS TO GET RID OF THE EXTRA MOISTURE WITHIN THE POTATOES SO THEY DO NOT BECOME GUMMY. 

ONCE MY POTATOES WERE DONE IN THE OVEN, I PEELED THE SKINS OFF AND PUT THEM THROUGH MY RICER. THE RICER ADDS SOME FLUFF TO THE POTATOES SO THE GNOCCHI DOUGH BECOMES AIRY LIKE PILLOWS WHEN I ADD THE FLOWER.

WHY WHOLE WHEAT YOU MIGHT ASK? I HAD SOME WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR THAT I RARELY USE SO I FIGURED I WOULD EXPERIMENT A LITTLE. ONCE I HAD MY POTATO AND FLOUR MIXED TOGETHER, I ROLLED OUT LONG ROPES OF DOUGH AND CUT THEM INTO THE SIZE DESIRED. WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON I HAD MY WATER BOILING AND HAD ALREADY COOKED SOME SHRIMP THAT WERE THE SAME SIZE AS MY GNOCCHI.

I  CUT MY SHRIMP INTO BITE SIZE PIECES BEFORE COOKING AND MARINATED THEM IN SOME OLIVE OIL, SALT, PEPPER, AND CAJUN SEASONING. I SAUTEED MY SHRIMP AND PUT THEM TO THE SIDE AS I WARMED MY RED AND YELLOW PEPPERS IN A TOMATO SAUCE. THE SPICE OF THE SHRIMP ADDED A NICE LAYER OF FLAVOR TO THIS BASE. TO FINISH THE PLATE I ADDED A TOASTED CROSTINI TO ABSORB SOME OF THE LIQUID GOLD.

I ENJOY MAKING SCALLOP CEVICHE AS YOU ALL PROBABLY CAN TELL BY NOW. SINCE CORN WAS SOMEWHAT IN SEASON AT THE TIME I MADE THIS DINNER, I DECIDED TO ADD THIS AS A COMPONENT TO THE DISH. AS USUAL, I ADDED JALAPEÑO, ORANGE BELL PEPPERS, SHALLOTS AND CHERRY TOMATOES. THE CEVICHE SITS ATOP A SMASHED PLANTAIN WHICH ACTS AS A SERVING TOOL FOR THE CEVICHE.

THERE IS MORE TO COME ON DICEY EATS SO STAY TUNED. 

CEVICHE, DINNER AND FUN.

THIS PAST MONDAY I COOKED AN INCREDIBLE MEAL. IT WAS NICE HAVING A LONG WEEKEND TO BE ABLE TO SHOP AND PLAN OUT A MENU. WITH THE BLISTERING HEAT, JASON AND I WERE CRAVING SOME SCALLOP CEVICHE.

FOR MY CEVICHE I USED SIX SCALLOPS, CHOPPED RED ONION, ORANGE BELL PEPPER AND JALAPENO. I SALTED AND PEPPERED ALL OF MY VEGGIES AND TOSSED THEM IN A FRENCH LEMON & GINGER OLIVE OIL MADE BY A L'OLIVIER. 

ONCE I STARTED TO PREHEAT MY GRILL PAN FOR THE SALMON I ADDED MY CHOPPED SCALLOPS AND LIME JUICE.  I SERVED A PIAVE CHEESE CRISP ALONGSIDE THE CEVICHE. I PUT A MINI TOAST CRACKER IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SERVING DISH BEFORE PLATING. THIS WAS A NICE SURPRISE AND A GREAT LAST BITE TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE FLAVORS. 

CEVICHE MARINADING 

CEVICHE AND PIAVE CRISP

I DECIDED I WANTED TO DO A LIGHT PASTA DISH WITH MY SALMON ENTREE. FOR THE PASTA I USED A DRY TAGILATELLE WITH SPINACH. MY SAUCE WAS A LIGHT BROWN SAUCE CONSISTING OF BABY BELLO MUSHROOMS, BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS, RED ONION AND GORGONZOLA DOLCE. THE FINISHED DISH WAS TOPPED WITH SHREDDED GRANA PADANO CHEESE, AS YOU CAN SEE BELOW. 

I MARINATED THE SALMON IN A SOY GINGER DRESSING FOR AN HOUR. BEFORE I GRILLED IT ON MY GRILL PAN, I SPRINKLED SOME PANKO JAPANESE BREADCRUMBS AND CRUSH SALTED PECANS. 

ONCE THE SIDES OF THE FISH STARTED TO TURN PINK I PUT THE GRILL PAN IN THE OVEN TO FINISH IT OFF. ONCE I TOOK IT OUT OF THE OVEN I LET IT REST AND DRIZZLED A FRENCH FRUIT VINEGAR ON TOP WHICH, IS ALSO MADE BY A L'OLIVIER. 

I WAS OUT WEST WORKING A FOOD SHOW AND WAS SHOWCASING SOME OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS. PECORINO'S FROM TUSCANY AND PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA 18, 24 AND 30 MONTH. MY COLLEAGUE AND I MADE A NICE SANDWICH FOR LUNCH USING THE 18 MONTH PROSCIUTTO AND BUFALO MOZZARELLA. 

ENJOY.

BUFALO MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA SANDWICH

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA ON A CRANK SLICER

PECORINO CHEESES FROM TUSCANY

SPECIALTY ITALIAN CHEESES

DREAM PIZZA OVEN

I RAN INTO THIS PIZZA OVEN AT THE NRA (NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION) SHOW. THIS OVEN IS MADE IN NAPLES, ITALY AND CAN REACH OVER 900F. I HAVE A FEW PIES BELOW USING MY PLAIN OLD APARTMENT OVEN. I GUESS I HAVE TO INVEST IN ONE OF THESE NOW. 

GARLIC AND HERB CRUST WITH WILD BOAR SALAMI, BOCCONCINI A GOATS MILK BRIE STYLE CHEESE AND BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS. 

OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES, CIPOLLINI ONIONS SEA SALT AND BALSAMIC GLAZE

ITALIAN HERB CRUST WITH GENOA SALAMI, OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES, BABY BELLO MUSHROOMS FINISHED WITH SEA SALT.