If you caught my post last week on smoking your own salt, you learned how easy it is to turn ordinary salt into an extraordinary seasoning.  But did you know that you can pull off the same trick with flour?  In this recipe, I’ve smoked Semolina flour – the most common kind used for pasta making.  The finished pasta takes on a subtly spicy smoke flavor and is a great match for Morel mushrooms. 

Makes: 2 Smoky Bowls
Total kitchen time: 2.5 hours

Shopping List:

• 1.5 Cups Semolina Flour
• 2 Cups Hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. hickory smoked salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. water

For the morel cream sauce:

• 1/2 cup dried Morel mushrooms
• 2 cups simmering water
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. hickory smoked salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Set up your grill or smoker for smoking.  Add the hickory chips, and set the heat to medium low.
2. Place the semolina flour in a shallow, heat-proof dish like a jelly roll or cake pan and set inside your grill or smoker, away from the heat.  Smoke for 1 hour, or until your wood chips burn themselves out.
3. To make the pasta, combine the smoked flour, eggs, salt, olive oil and  tbsp. of water in a large bowl until it forms a dough.  Knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is elastic.  Wrap the dough in a towel and let it sit 20 minutes before rolling.
4. Divide the dough into four equal parts.  Using a rolling pin or, better yet, a pasta maker, roll the dough until thin (I use setting 6 on the pasta maker).  Cut into 1/4” strips for fettuccini.  At this point, you can cook the pasta immediately, or hang it to dry for 2 hours, then store in an air-tight plastic container. 
5. Boil the pasta in a large pot of water for 4-5 minutes, or until tender

For the morel cream sauce:

1. Soak the dried morels in 2 cups of simmering water for at least 30 minutes.  Reserve the water.
2. Heat the butter over high heat in a large skillet or saucepan.  Add the morels and sauté until they are lightly browned. Add the white wine, heavy cream and about 1/4 cup of the reserved mushroom water.  Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with smoked salt and pepper.

Fettuccini is, of course, just one of the many uses for smoked flour.  The same principle applies to bread, pizza dough – hell, I bet a chocolate chip cookie might even taste great with a little smoke.  Or, for that authentic campfire flavor, why not make your own smoked graham crackers?  So, Seattle, what else are you smoking?

Total kitchen time: 45 minutes (2 hours if making pasta and sauce from scratch)
Makes: 4 lasagna converts

Shopping list:

• 1 pound fresh pasta dough (or 1 package dried no-boil lasagna noodles)
• 1 pound Iseniro’s Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce (see recipe below, or use store-bought)
• 4 tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 4 fried sage leaves, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. If you’re making homemade lasagna noodles, follow your favorite pasta recipe (the recipe on a bag of semolina flour works just fine).  Roll the dough out to the #5 setting (about halfway) on your pasta roller, which is thin enough that you can just see the color of your hand through the dough.  Cut the dough to fit your baking dish.  1 lb. of dough should be more than enough – you may have extra dough left over.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Remove the sausage casings by squeezing the sausage from one end and add the sausage to the skillet.  Break the sausage up into small pieces and cook until lightly browned and no pink is visible.  Set aside.
4. Assemble your lasagna by lightly greasing your baking dish with olive oil or butter.  Place a layer of noodles in the bottom of the dish until it is completely covered.  Spoon on about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, 1/3 of the sausage, and 1/3 of the tomato sauce.  Repeat 2 more times.  Place a final layer of noodles over the top and cover with grated parmesan.
5. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes if using fresh pasta, or as long as called for if using store-bought lasagna noodles. Uncover and continue baking 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
6. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving, and top with fried sage leaves.

Homemade Tomato Sauce:

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 medium shallot, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 4 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 3 cups Chianti
• 1 12oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over moderate heat.  Add onions and cook until softened and transparent, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic, shallot and sage.  Continue cooking another 10 minutes, keeping the heat low enough to barely brown the vegetables.
2. Add the wine, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Increase heat to high and boil until reduced to a thick syrup, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomatoes into small pieces with a spoon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4. Simmer 20 minutes, then add balsamic vinegar.  Adjust with salt and pepper, to taste.

If you’ve never made fresh pasta before, it is quick, easy and very rewarding.  I just got a pasta machine as a wedding present, which makes rolling out perfectly even pasta a total breeze.  The tenderness and stronger flavor of fresh pasta makes a big difference in this dish, so if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a shot!

Full disclosure: I was asked by Iseniro’s PR to develop this recipe, and free sausage was involved.

This recipe was inspired by a recent visit to Piroshky Piroshky, the small, wonderful-smelling Russian bakery in the Pike Place market.  They make some of my favorite street food, and I can’t make a trip to Pike Place without stopping by for a snack.  On my latest trip, I tried their salmon paté piroshky (a piroshky is a stuffed, flaky, handheld pie) and it was divine.  This “calzone” doesn’t attempt to recreate the salmon piroshky, but was simply inspired by it.  The mascarpone cheese melts away during baking, leaving the rich smoked salmon moist and delicious. 

Makes: 2 Coho Calzones
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 pizza crust’s worth of dough (or cheat and use a premade dough from the grocery store)
• 8 oz. smoked salmon
• ½ cup mascarpone (found in a small plastic tub in the cheese case)
• 1 leek
• 1 small handful chives, finely chopped
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• ooks&fgbp 

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F and place the top rack in the lower third of your oven.  Like a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional, for easier cleanup).
2. Wash and pat dry the leek.  Slice the leek lengthwise, then cut each half into long, very thin strips.  Cut the strips into short pieces, about ½” long.  Set aside.
3. Divide the dough into two equal parts, and roll out each into a 10” circle.  Gently spread a thin layer of mascarpone on the surface of the dough, leaving at least a ½” crust. 
4. In a small bowl, break up the smoked salmon using your fingers until it is fluffy.  You want the filling of the calzone to be pretty even, or it will fall apart as you eat it.
5. Divide the salmon between the two crusts, arranging it only on one side of the crust (in a half-moon shape), again leave at least a ½” crust.  Sprinkle the chives and leeks over the salmon, then lightly salt and pepper.  Finally, drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil.
6. Fold each calzone in half, making sure that the crusts line up.  Using the tines of a fork, gently press down the edge all the way around the rounded side of the calzone to seal it.  Make sure you get a tight seal – this will help the calzone puff up during baking. 
7. Brush the tops of each calzone with egg white.  Bake at 450°F for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious. 

These calzones are crunchy, salty and wonderful.  But, they’re not like the gooey, stringy cheese calzones you might be used to.  There’s an unwritten rule against combining cheese and fish (I don’t know why, you just never see them together).  So, it’s a good thing that mascarpone isn’t really a cheese.  The more you know… doo de do dee!

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes are really the star of this dish.  The French Laundry uses tomato confit in many of its preparations.  My method isn’t quite as intricate as theirs, but the intent is the same: to sweeten and intensify the flavor of the tomato.  The result is a delicious variation on your otherwise ordinary pasta night.  After baking the tomatoes, to really make them confit, store them in an airtight jar immersed in olive oil for later uses.

Makes: Special pasta night for 2
Total kitchen time: 1 hour (15 minutes working time)

Shopping list:

• 1/2 lb. cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 oz. (about 2 cups) penne pasta
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/4 cup green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped oregano
• ooks&fgbp

1. Rinse and pat dry the tomatoes.  Slice in half through the stem end.  In a small bowl, gently toss the tomatoes with about 1 tsp. kosher salt and enough good olive oil to coat.
2. Arrange the tomatoes in an even layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet.  Bake at 250°F for 1 hour.  This is a good time to use your toaster oven, if you’ve got one.
3. About 30 minutes into the tomato roasting, bring a very large pot of water to a boil.  Even if you’re only cooking for two, use at least a gallon of water if you can.  All the Italian chefs say we need to, though they may be in the pocket of Big Water.  Salt the water.
4. Cook the pasta to al-dente (10-12 minutes, check the package for directions) and drain well.  Toss together the pasta, feta, oregano and olives with a little more (good) olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Plate, and add the confit-ed tomatoes on top. 

For real tomato confit, Thomas Keller suggest that we blanch, peel, and seed the tomatoes before baking.  If you’ve got the extra time on your hands, please go ahead and report back.  I should be just about done with dinner by then!

Makes: 2 finite portions
Total kitchen time: 45 minutes

Shopping list:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 oz. wild mushrooms (morels are best, but shitake or porcini work as well)
• 3 tbsp. Boursin cheese (it comes in a small box, available at most grocery stores)
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups gnocchi
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (roasted, if you can make/buy them this way)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the middle position.  In a large stockpot, boil 1 gallon of water (or as much as you can fit).
2. If you’re using using dried mushrooms, let them soak for 20-30 minutes in a bowl of hot water to re-hydrate.  Drain and chop the mushrooms into 1/4” pieces.
3. Prepare the chicken breast by cutting a slit through the side of the breast, being careful not to cut all the way through the other side.  Expand the incision to make a pocket in the breast. 
4. Reserve half of the mushrooms.  Divide the remaining half and the Boursin cheese between the chicken breasts, stuffing it into the pocket you created.  Wipe away any excess Boursin that may be hanging outside the pocket – it will burn when the breast is cooked.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and lightly coat with olive oil.
5. Bake on an oiled, rimmed baking dish for 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. 
6. Meanwhile, boil the gnocchi until just undercooked.  This will usually take 2-3 minutes.  The gnocchi will float when they are ready.  Drain the gnocchi and set aside.
7. In a large, not-nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat.  Swirl the butter in the pan and cook until small brown spots begin to form.  This is one of the butter solids beginning to burn, and this is how we’ll make our brown butter.  Raise the heat to high and add the gnocchi.  Toss the gnocchi to coat in the butter and sear them, flipping occasionally, until they develop a very slight golden-brown crust.
8. Add the corn, remaining mushrooms cinnamon and cloves and sauteé 1 minute more, then remove from the heat. Salt and pepper the gnocchi to taste, then plate and serve.

Of course, you can always serve the gnocchi on its own as a main course.  Try pairing it with a brothy asparagus, mushroom and pancetta soup as a starter.  Or, kneel below a wheelbarrow of brown butter gnocchi with your mouth agape.  You know, whatever works for you.

Total kitchen time: 35 minutes
Makes: Op-Ed taste like Home & Garden for 4 lovely readers

Shopping list:

• dried pappardelle noodles (really, just get as much as it looks like you’ll need.  Unlike smaller noodles, the cooked yield isn’t deceptively larger than the dried volume.)
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 12 cups baby spinach (to yield about 1 1/2 cups wilted)
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 slices proscuitto
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 400°F and place the top rack about three quarters of the way up. 
2. Boil at least a gallon of lightly salted water in the largest pot you have.  This will take some time to boil, so I’ve put it here in step 2 for you.  I know, what would you do without me?
3. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender and just starting to get golden corners, about 20 minutes.  Set aside.
4. In a large skillet or a griddle over medium heat, lightly fry each piece of proscuitto until crispy.  This will only take a minute or two per side, so keep a close watch.  Since proscuitto typically doesn’t come in packages of 4, you can always pretend that you overcooked a slice and sneak a bite when nobody is looking.  It will be our secret.  Once you’re done with your shameful crisping, set the proscuitto aside on paper towels.
5. Now, cook the pasta.  This will take 15-20 minutes, so proceed to the next step while you’re waiting.  Hey look, we’re multitasking!
6. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, wilt the spinach until just done.  Be sure that the amount of spinach is not too great for the size of the pan – you want a lot of room for the moisture to cook off, otherwise you’ll end up with gritty, watery greens.  Bad stuff. 
7. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with 3 tbsp. of olive oil and salt a pepper to taste.  Add in the ricotta, sweet potatoes and spinach.  If you want, crumble in the fried proscuitto, or just serve it to the side like a ham wafer.  Yum!

That’s it, folks.  An unapologetically simple and easy meal.  If you felt this was too straightforward, serve only a small portion of the pasta aside duck confit with a balsamic reduction, jerk.

Total Kitchen Time: 30 mins + rising time
Serves: 4 teenage mutant ninja turtles

Shopping List:

• 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup of 110-degree F filtered water
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp salt (fine/table salt)
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups mozzarella (fresh, sliced and pressed dry OR shredded)
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce, prepared
• 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced

1. If your oven has a bread proof setting (or a 100 degree setting), preheat it on that mode. Bloom the yeast in the 110-degree water for 5 minutes.
2. Clear off some counter space and dump the flour into a pile. Add the salt and cornmeal and mix with your fingers until combined. Arrange the flour like a volcano with a crater in the middle. Add about 1/4 cup of the water and slowly combine with your fingertips until it is fully absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup and repeat, trying to work the dough as little as possible. Add the remaining water (or less) until the dough can be rolled into a large ball and no flour spots remain. Avoid adding unnecessary water; you may not need to use all 3/4 cups.
3. Coat the inside of a medium bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the dough ball and toss in the oil to coat. Cover loosely and let rise for 40 mins.
4. If you have an oven-proof griddle or very large cast iron skillet, place it in the oven on the middle rack. Now, crank your oven as high as it will go and give it at least 20 minutes to preheat. In the meantime…
5. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. As much as you can, use your hands to gently stretch the dough into a shape that will fit your cooking vessel (for me, a large rectangle fits my cast iron griddle). Remember to only handle the dough as little as possible – overworking causes the gluten in the flour to activate, leading to a dense, gummy texture. Brush the dough with olive oil on both sides.
6. Once your oven is nice and hot, carefully transfer the dough to your cooking surface. It should sizzle a bit. Bake for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the bottom crust has started to char a little. Remove the dough from the oven and add the toppings. Return to the oven and bake about 7 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges.
7. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes. Cut and serve!

The secret to really great pizza is, of course, great dough. This dough is simple and reliable, though it lacks the flavor and crunch profile of my “goal crust”. I’m sure that a few hundred slices from now, I’ll get it right. Enjoy!

Makes: 4 10″ pizzas

Shopping list:
Dough:

• 2 packages (2 oz total) active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 3/4 cup warm water (105F- 115F)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup goat’s cheese
• 1 dz fresh figs, halved
• 2 Vidalia onions, cut in 1/4 in circular slices
• 1 lb fresh chicken and apple sausage
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, torn into small bits

1. Proof the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast and remaining water. Mix until combined, but don’t over work the dough. Roll into a large ball and coat with olive oil. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
3. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll out into ovals (or circles or hearts or whatever shape you like) about 1/8″ thick. These will be really thin, but try to make sure there are no holes or weak spots. Lightly brush each of the doughvals (get it?) with olive oil and set aside until you’re ready to grill.
4. Preheat your grill on medium. Add the chicken sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until they look right. The cooking time depends on a lot of things, but trust me, you’ll know when they’re done. Slice into 1/4″ pieces and set aside and keep warm.
5. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the onions until brown, soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Grill the figs, cut side down, about 3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
7. Turn your grill down to low and wait for the heat to dissipate. Grill the doughvals until set, about 1 minute per side. Add the goat’s cheese, onions, figs and sausage. Sprinkle on the mint and top with really good olive oil, if you like.

Cut and serve the pizzas. They pair great with a dry white wine and a platter of sliced, preserved meats. Also try any of the following for toppings: {Stilton, apricots, pork sausage}, {Manchego, pesto, shrimp}, {feta, lamb, cucumber}, {mozarella, bell pepper, eggplant}. If things have gone well, you’ll have a whole new admiration for your grill.