Kasey's Favorite Thing #14: Fabio Viviani

Date Night In and Fresh Pasta

The Mr. and I recently agreed that we needed to cut back on how much we eat out. We crunched the numbers and were embarrassed by the amount of money we had spent on food (excluding groceries) in the last month and decided enough was enough. With that being said, we found ourselves sitting home on a Saturday night with a growing rumble in out tummies and I had the [bright] idea to take a stab at making fresh pasta. 

I grabbed my new [signed] copy of Fabio's Italian Kitchen and was off to the kitchen. 

Thanks to my trusty teal Kitchenaid mixer and pasta attachment, this job was waaaay easier than I thought it would be. 

You use one attachment to flatten out the dough and then swap it out for either a linguini or thin spaghetti cutter.

I have limited space in our kitchen so I had to get creative... yes, that's right. I used a clothes hanger to hang my pasta sheets. Just call me Madame MacGuyver.

We opted for the thicker linguini which came out perfectly. Some pieces may break apart because of the
unevenness of the pasta sheets, but it's all going to the same place. If they really bother you, pick them out.

I attempted to get a photo of the finished product but it was inhaled before that was possible! Just trust me, it was AMAZING. The Mr. even raved that it was better than what we had in Italy. Maybe he was just sucking up, but hey, I'll take it.

The recipe below is from Fabio's Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani.

Ingredients:
10 egg yolks
Pinch of table salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups flour

TIP: Remember—even though I always ask for large eggs, egg sizes vary. If you see that after you put in the egg yolks, your pasta is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

I grew up with fresh egg pasta. The way my great-grandma kept me from destroying the household was to have me crack eight eggs on a cutting board and hand mix them with flour for hours. It’s a very time-consuming maneuver! I am all about preserving tradition, but what about improving the execution of tradition so you can have traditional flavor in a tenth of the time? That’s the way I teach people to make pasta. By following my way, anyone can make it. All you need is a food processor and a blade attachment.

• Place the egg yolks in a food processor with the blade attachment, add the salt, pepper, and olive oil, and pulse a few times.
• Add half of the flour and pulse until the eggs absorb it and you have a semi-thick paste. Add the rest of the flour and allow the blade to rotate continuously. When the dough is ready, you should see a ball-shaped mass of flour and eggs bouncing around the canister. If the dough is still too wet to the touch, add an extra tablespoon of flour. If it is a bit dry, add a little water as needed.
• Take the pasta out and roll/shape according to the directions of the recipe you are making. If you’re saving it for later, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 6 days. (But pasta, according to my grandpa, must be consumed right away, or you should just make a risotto instead!

*Notes from Kasey:
- I used my mixer and paddle blade rather than a food processor and it came out great!
- You can use any sauce with this pasta, I opted for a rich, garlicy bolognese. (Click here for that recipe) topped with Fabio's Mama's Meatballs.

Here's the best shot I snapped before we devoured our dinner! 

@kaseys_kitchen

Kasey On The Scene: LA Food & Wine Recap

As I stumbled back into the office this morning, I realized two things. One, I had a friggin' amazing time this weekend at the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival. And two, my pants are now too tight.

To say there was an abundance of food would be an understatement. I only grazed the surface of the events that the festival had to offer and I was still left in awe and stuffed. The fact that so many talented chefs from all over the country came together to celebrate the common love for their craft is quite amazing when you think about it, and the fact that they are sharing their favorite dishes with you, well, that's just a privilege.

The first event I attended was Giada's Festa Italiana on Thursday night. This was like the "Opening Ceremonies" of the festival. The event was sprawled out on Grand Avenue right in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, talk about a beautiful backdrop! As you entered the event you grabbed a wine glass and were quickly immersed into the party. There were hundreds of wine vendors in attendance to keep your thirst quenched and plenty of Italian eateries serving up carb-filled dishes to soak it all up.

Some highlights from the night included the amazing burrata and tomato jam from Stella Barra in Santa Monica, the raw bar from Bouchon, and of course meeting the host of the night herself, Giada Di Laurentiis.

A Peek Inside Fabio's Italian Kitchen

Last weekend I was invited to attend a cooking demo and cookbook signing for Chef Fabio Viviani at Firenze Osteria in Toluca Lake. Now, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit but before the event, I didn’t know who Fabio was, but after a bit a Googling and YouTube clips of Top Chef (Season 5) the charming Italian quickly captured my interest! I soon learned that the only thing more delicious than his accent was his food!

I arrived at the Toluca Lake restaurant early Saturday morning (by early, I mean 10am. That’s L.A. early) and was greeted by my host, Lisa Long who is one of the owners at Firenze Osteria. She was so delightful and welcoming! Lisa quickly introduced me to the man of the hour, Fabio Viviani. Right away, I was captivated. He was so genuine and made me feel right at home, he showed me to a prime seat to watch the demo and thanked me for coming.

When it was time for the demo to begin, Fabio stood in the open kitchen of Firenze and began talking about his latest cookbook, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen. He explained the difficulty of having to write out measurements for American cookbooks, “I don’t use a cup, a teaspoon, or whatever. I use a handful of sugar and sprinkle of salt and how long do you cook it? You cook it until it looks done!”. Obviously the crowd fed off of Fabio’s electric spirit, laughing the whole time. “I don’t understand why you American’s need to measure everything. You’re afraid of messing it up” he explained, “My friend Martha Stewart bought a giant home in Connecticut because you all go out and buy measuring cups!”. Fabio continued to joke saying, “Recipes are like traffic laws. They are there as a guideline but if you change it up a bit, you’ll still be ok!”.

We were all treated to a wonderful three-course lunch by Fabio. For each dish, he would show us how to prepare it and then we got to dig in! We started with his mom’s famous meatballs (the recipe is below, so don’t miss that!) which were hands down the best meatballs I’ve ever had in my life. You can bet I’ll be adding that recipe into my repertoire very soon!

Next up was a Pork Milanese. Fabio explained how the technique of pounding out meat was not to “tenderize it”, but it was to spread it out and make it look like you’re eating more than you actually are, a technique he mastered as part of his very humble upbringing in Italy. “I had two choices on my table every night as a kid. Take it... or... leave it” he explained. As he continued to tell stories of his childhood, including knocking off the Pope’s hat (yes, that happened), we were presented with a delicious golden brown, breaded pork cutlet with a delicate arugula salad dressed with roasted lemon. It was exceptional. So clean, fresh and Fabio explained, only 250 calories! I think that the best line of the day came from the young lady sitting next to me when she confessed that she was a vegetarian but it looked so good she ate it anyway!

By the time dessert came around, I was ready to be rolled out to my car but there was no way I was passing up homemade tiramisu! I was shocked by the simplicity of this dish. Fabio started with egg yolks and sugar and whipped them in a stand mixer (which he likes to kiss before he uses it) until it formed a thick cream. Now don’t freak out, he explained that the motion and the friction with the sugar actually “cooks” the eggs and makes it completely safe to eat. This tiramisu was out of this world and totally shook out the fear I had of trying to master it on my own.

I am thrilled that I had the chance to partake in this experience! A huge thanks to Fabio, Lisa and their team for making it so much fun! Don’t forget to check out the recipe below!

Fabio's Mom's Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef

4 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 cups Fabio’s Tomato Sauce (see recipe on page 18)

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place all ingredients except the tomato sauce, the parsley, and the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly by hand until they are completely combined and the mixture is uniformly firm.

Coat your hands in olive oil, and form balls slightly bigger than a golf ball.

Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, then drop the meatballs into the sauce and add enough water to allow the sauce to reduce and simmer but not so much that the sauce is totally liquid. Cook for about 10 minutes on one side, then turn the meatballs over, add some more water, and cook for another 10 minutes, using a spoon to cover the meatballs with the sauce as they simmer. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with chopped parsley, salt and pepper, more Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, of course!

TIP: Don’t waste expensive cuts of meat on meatballs! If prepared correctly, a cheaper cut of meat like beef shoulder/chuck, or even scraps will work perfectly.