Homemade Lobster Ravioli

There is something really special about anything that is “homemade.”

Just inserting that simple word instantly makes me want whatever it is that much more.

No cookie is as good as a homemade cookie. That burger at the café at work doesn’t usually appeal to me, but when they write “homemade burger” on the specials board, suddenly it is all I can think about. Homemade makes everything better, but there is now better homemade anything than homemade pasta.

Fresh, homemade, carbalicious pasta.

All right, so we have established that homemade pasta is a thing of beauty.

Now, close your eyes…

Wait…

Don’t close your eyes, you are reading. Open your eyes and think about lobster. Delicious, decadent, lobster. Sautéed up with shallots, and chives and mixed with creamy ricotta cheese.

Lobstery goodness, wrapped up in perfect, delicate homemade pasta.

Damn why don’t I have any right now?????

If that dreamy dish explanation didn’t make you salivate, there is something seriously wrong with you. But it’s okay because now I’m going to show you how great it was.

You will need…

2 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

16 ounces cooked lobster meat roughly chopped (I steamed my lobster tails just until they were pink, about 5 minutes)

1 tablespoons chopped chives

2 ounces brandy

2 ounces ricotta

12 pasta

 sheets about a foot long (rolled as thin as you can possibly roll them

1 egg white

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour to sprinkle so that your ravioli don’t stick.

Start by melting the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and shallot and sauté until the shallots are golden brown.

Add in the lobster and chives and sauté for 2 minutes.

Then, add in the brandy and reduce it for 2 minutes.

Remove the lobster from the heat and let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Then, combine the lobster and the ricotta cheese in a food processor and blend well so that the mixture is almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Then, lay two pasta sheets down side by side and place 1 tablespoon of filling about 2 inches a part (leaving 1 inch on either end) on one of the pasta sheets.

Using a pasty brush or your finger, brush the egg whites all around the lobster filling until it is moist but not wet. If the pasta is wet it will fall apart.

Lay the blank pasta sheet on top of the moist pasta sheet with the filling and press to seal. Slice the raviolis and use a fork to mark the outside of each to guarantee its seal.

Continue until all raviolis have been made. Sprinkle them with flour so they don’t stick together.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the ravioli. Cook for 10 minutes or until al dente.

Move to a platter, cover with your favorite sauce and serve hot with fresh grated Parmesan.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Homemade Lobster Ravioli

2 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

16 ounces cooked lobster meat roughly chopped (I steamed my lobster tails just until they were pink, about 5 minutes)

1 tablespoons chopped chives

2 ounces brandy

2 ounces ricotta

12 pasta

 sheets about a foot long (rolled as thin as you can possibly roll them

1 egg white

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour to sprinkle so that your ravioli doesn’t stick.

Start by melting the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and shallot and sauté until the shallots are golden brown.

Add in the lobster and chives and sauté for 2 minutes.

Then, add in the brandy and reduce it for 2 minutes.

Remove the lobster from the heat and let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Then, combine the lobster and the ricotta cheese in a food processor and blend well so that the mixture is almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Then, lay two pasta sheets down side by side and place 1 tablespoon of filling about 2 inches a part (leaving 1 inch on either end) on one of the pasta sheets.

Using a pasty brush or your finger, brush the egg whites all around the lobster filling until it is moist but not wet. If the pasta is wet it will fall apart.

Lay the blank pasta sheet on top of the moist pasta sheet with the filling and press to seal. Slice the raviolis and use a fork to mark the outside of each to guarantee its seal.

Continue until all raviolis have been made. Sprinkle them with flour so they don’t stick together.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the ravioli. Cook for 10 minutes or until al dente.

Move to a platter, cover with your favorite sauce and serve hot with fresh grated Parmesan.

Shrimp Bisque

When you were you in high school, there were always a bunch of reasons to get dressed up. Every few months there was some formal gathering to get all dolled up for.

Oh by the way, men who are reading this (all three of you), you can go ahead and tune out now because this is going to be a solidly girl post.

In college, I had even more reasons to get dressed up because when you are in a sorority, there is literally an event once a month.

There was always something so exhilarating about having an event to look forward to and to plan for.

And then, getting together with your girlfriends and getting ready together was just as fun as the event itself.

Now days, the opportunities to get dress up and get together are fewer and further between.

But last weekend, my sorority sisters and I gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate ten years of Pi Beta Phi sisterhood on Loyola Marymount’s campus.

It was amazing to relive my sorority days for a few hours. Lots of singing, dancing, cocktails and girls. Girls everywhere.

Now that the big event has come and gone, I can spend a little less time worrying about the waistline.

So bring out the creamy, hearty, warming soups.

Bisque me please!

You will need…

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, shells and tails removed

6 cups chicken stock or 4 cups seafood stock (if you can locate it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish

¼ cup Cognac or brandy

¼ cup dry sherry

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

The beginning of this recipe will be slightly different depending on the type of stock you have.

If you were able to locate seafood stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, trails and shells and simmer until the shrimp has cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When the shrimp is cooked, remove the cooked shrimp from the stock.

Continue to simmer the stock until it is reduced slightly. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

Strain the tails and shells and reserve the stock.

If you are using chicken stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, shells and tails to the stock and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the shrimp and leave the tails and shells in the stock.

Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by about 1/3^rd. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil until it is hot over medium heat.

Add in the leeks and cook them down until they are soft but not browned.

Then, add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Season the leeks with salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper.

Stir well and toss the reserved shrimp in with the leeks just to reheat slightly. About 1 minute.

Add the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute.

Then add in the sherry and cook until the alcohol has burnt off and the liquid has reduced by about half. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor and blend until roughly pureed.

Back in the same pot, melt the butter.

Slowly add in the flour while you are whisking the butter over medium heat. When the flour is completely combined, cook for 1 minute.

Then, slowly add in the half-and half while still whisking until the liquid has thickened. About 3 more minutes.

Then, stir in the tomato paste, stock and pureed shrimp. 

Season the soup with salt and pepper and heat over low heat until very hot but not boiling.

Serve with a dash of cayenne and black pepper.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, shells and tails removed

6 cups chicken stock or 4 cups seafood stock (if you can locate it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish

¼ cup Cognac or brandy

¼ cup dry sherry

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

The beginning of this recipe will be slightly different depending on the type of stock you have.

If you were able to locate seafood stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, trails and shells and simmer until the shrimp has cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When the shrimp is cooked, remove the cooked shrimp from the stock.

Continue to simmer the stock until it is reduced slightly. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

Strain the tails and shells and reserve the stock.

If you are using chicken stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, shells and tails to the stock and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the shrimp and leave the tails and shells in the stock.

Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by about 1/3^rd. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil until it is hot over medium heat.

Add in the leeks and cook them down until they are soft but not browned.

Then, add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Season the leeks with salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper.

Stir well and toss the reserved shrimp in with the leeks just to reheat slightly. About 1 minute.

Add the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute.

Then add in the sherry and cook until the alcohol has burnt off and the liquid has reduced by about half. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor and blend until roughly pureed.

Back in the same pot, melt the butter.

Slowly add in the flour while you are whisking the butter over medium heat. When the flour is completely combined, cook for 1 minute.

Then, slowly add in the half-and half while still whisking until the liquid has thickened. About 3 more minutes.

Then, stir in the tomato paste, stock and pureed shrimp. Season the soup with salt and pepper and heat over low heat until very hot but not boiling.

Serve with a dash of cayenne and black pepper.

Steak Diane

Have you ever eaten something so tasty that you literally wanted to lick the plate when you were finished?

Did you actually follow through and lick the plate?

Would you judge me if I confessed that I have?

On multiple occasions.

I admit it! I’ve licked my plate clean.

My mother made a chicken version of this dish when I was growing up and it was the first thing I ever tried to make on my own. I made it in my college dorm room for a group of boys before a cocktail party. I splattered oil on my dress.

Shocker.

I licked my plate clean as a child and in that dorm room in front of all of those boys.

This sauce is that tasty.

Even though my mom has made the chicken version for me no less than three hundred times, I had never had the steak version. I had seen it on menus at many delicious restaurants but was never bold enough to go for it.

Well, I finally bit the bullet and made it myself. And now I feel like a dunce for not eating it sooner because it’s every bit as good as its chicken friend.

You will need…

Four 6-ounce hanger steaks (Flat iron steaks)

Kosher salt and cracked black peppercorns

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 medium cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 small shallots, finely chopped

¼ cup brandy

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch cubes

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Start by generously seasoning the steaks with salt and pepper and set them aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil until it just begins to smoke. Add the steaks and cook over high heat until the edges begin to brown, about 3 minutes.

Turn the steaks over and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking until the steaks reach the desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steaks to a plate and cover with foil.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high.

Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are golden brown, about 4 minutes

Add the brandy and Worcestershire to the pan, whisking to remove the browned bits from the bottom. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. (Or if you can't wait like me, 3 at a time.)

Once the butter has been incorporated, remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the parsley, lemon juice and mustard.

If the sauce begins to break, return the skillet to the stove over low heat and whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water to re-emulsify.

Return the steaks to the skillet and rewarm over low heat for 1 minute.

Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Thinly slice the steaks and divide among 4 plates.

Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Plate licking good.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela