Comfort Food and Easy Entertaining

As a private chef, caterer and cooking instructor I am often asked "What do you enjoy cooking when you're at home on a weeknight or entertaining guests at your table?" I started this blog to answer that question. Here I will share with all of you the recipes that I find delicious and comforting. Many of the recipes are my own versions of classic dishes, some are contemporary twists on old ideas, and some are discoveries I made while perusing my grandmother’s vast collection of cookbooks dating back to the early 1900’s. Please enjoy these videos. I have also included links to some of the published articles I have written recently. Please feel free to comment here or email me directly with any questions, comments or general thoughts. My email address and information on my catering, private chef and private cooking classes can be found on my website: www.portlandcomfortfood.com

Homemade Pasta




Basic Pasta Dough
Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten lightly
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 Tbsp water


Directions
In a food processor blend the flour, the eggs, the oil, and 1 1/2 tablespoons water until the mixture just begins to form a ball, adding more water drop by drop if the dough is too dry. (The dough should be firm and not sticky.) Blend the dough for 15 seconds more to knead it. The dough may be prepared up to this point and kept covered and chilled for up to 4 hours. Let the dough stand, covered with a damp towel, at room temperature for 1 hour.

To roll pasta dough: Set the smooth rollers of a pasta machine at the highest number. (The rollers will be wide apart.) Divide each pound of dough into 6 pieces, flatten 1 piece into a rough rectangle, and cover the remaining pieces with a damp towel. Dust the rectangle with flour and feed it through the rollers. Fold the rectangle in half and feed it through the rollers 8 or 9 more times, folding it in half each time and dusting it with flour if necessary to prevent it from sticking. Turn the dial down one notch and feed the dough through the rollers without folding. Continue to feed the dough through the rollers without folding, turning the dial one notch lower each time, until the lowest or second-lowest notch is reached. The pasta dough should be a smooth, long sheet about 4 or 5 inches wide and about 1/16-inch thick. Roll the remaining pasta dough in the same manner.

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