| gnocchi to die for |

If you like to cook (or even just like to think of yourself as a cook but never really have time to do it) you NEED to have a subscription to Cook's Illustrated. It's like having a little bit of Alton Brown delivered to your doorstep each month...minus the wonky personality and weird camera tricks. This magazine has tons of brilliant tips and the bulk of each issue is devoted to taking recipes for "standards" and perfecting them. The most recent issue had recipes for roasted chicken, pot-roasted pork loin, vegetable lasagna, and chocolate pudding.

There's nothing earth-shattering about the choices of dishes...what's amazing is the end product when you cook them. Each article tells how they've painstakingly gone through various iterations of the recipe, trying out old ones, tinkering, and having lots of taste tests. The final recipe is ALWAYS perfection.

Now that's I've extolled the magazine's virtues, I want to share a recipe from the latest issue. If you try this and like it, or if the magazine just sounds good, BUY IT NOW. They are not paying me to say this. I am paying them to receive their magazine.

GNOCCHI FROM COOK’S ILLUSTRATED (Sep./Oct. 2011)

(note: these aren’t the exact instructions. I’m paraphrasing. Also, I redid the original portions – doubled it)

Makes about 6 entree-sized portions.

For the gnocchi:

4 pounds russet potatoes

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

8 ounces (1 ½ cups plus 2 T) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 teaspoons salt (plus 1 T for the boiling water)

For the sauce:

8 T butter (1 stick)

2 small shallots, minced (I used green/spring onions, b/c that’s what we had)

2 t minced fresh sage

1 T lemon juice

1)    Make the gnocchi dough/pieces:

-       You’re going to need to bake your potatoes. To save time, microwave them for 10 minutes (after piercing with a fork) and then bake them at 450 for 18-20 minutes.

-       Remove them from the oven and peel them right away (hold them with a hot pad or dish towel). Throw away the skins.

-       Run the potatoes through ricer or a food mill onto a rimmed baking sheet. Let them cool for about 5 minutes.

-       Transfer just 6 cups (32 ounces) of the potatoes to a large bowl. If you have extra, don’t use them b/c you want your proportions to be correct. Add the two eggs – stir gently with a fork until just combined.

-       Sprinkle the flour (all of it) and the salt (2 t of it) onto the mixture. Stir until no large dry pockets of flour remain.

-       Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until it’s smooth but still slightly sticky, about 1 minute. Dust the counter as needed with more flour.

-       Divide the dough into 16 pieces of the same size (a bench cutter is handy). Roll each piece into a snake that’s about ½ inch in diameter. Use a fork to cut the snakes into ¾ inch long dumplings.

-       To shape the gnocchi you need to roll it on the fork tines. Turn the fork with the tines facing down. Press each dumpling  against the tines with your thumb, then roll off down the tines to create the indentations.

-       Place the formed gnocchi onto pieces of parchment paper. You’re going to want four pieces of paper to cook them in four batches.

2)    Make the sauce:

-       First, get a big pot of water boiling on the stove with the tablespoon of salt in it.

-       In a large skilled, heat the butter over med-high high, stirring occasionally. When the butter is browned and has a nice, nutty aroma, turn it off (about 90 seconds of cooking).

-       Add in the shallots/onions and the sage to the hot butter and stir. Wait about a minute, while stirring, then add the lemon juice.

-       Cover the sauce to keep it warm.

3)    Cooking the gnocchi:

-       Once your water is boiling, it’s time to cook the gnocchi. This is the easiest/fastest part!

-       Add ¼ of your gnocchi pieces (you can just slide them off the parchment paper into the water). Give it one quick stir, then leave them alone until they start to float (about 90 seconds). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer directly into the sauce. Try to drain off the water carefully as you move them.

-       Repeat with the other three batches. Toss the gnocchi and sauce to combine. Serve. Die and go to heaven.