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| From left to right: Diana Keller, Diane Cheatham, and Susan Benz make pasta |
Pasta Party!
Diane Cheatham builds modern houses for a living, but when she cooks for friends, it’s all about good old-fashioned ravioli.
Most people know builder Diane Cheatham as a champion of modern architecture. Consider her new development, Urban Reserve, a community in North Dallas that features modern houses designed by leading local and international architects. Or her own sleek, three-level Uptown home designed by Graham Greene, which she shares with husband Chuck (see D Home, September/October 2003). Yet those closest to her know a delicious little secret: She is a great cook. Like many of us, she’s always wanted to make her own pasta.
“The difference between fresh pasta and non-fresh is amazing,” says Cheatham, who’s passionate about cooking. “Fresh pasta and fresh ingredients really set the stage for you to taste every discernable flavor in a dish, and I’m in awe of that.” After getting a handle on preparing it (see “Diane Cheatham’s Ravioli Making Tips,” bottom page), Cheatham has planned the dinner party to celebrate her first time to make ravioli from scratch.
First on the scene are Cheatham’s favorite cooking buddies from Austin—Susan Benz, an architect, and Diana Keller, whose company specializes in high-end business furnishings. Both are in town for the Texas Society of Architects/AIA annual convention held in Dallas—a handy excuse to pal around with Cheatham.
Cheatham has designed the menu with seasonality in mind. Of course, good design is important, too. “I like the colors and textures to be complementary,” she says.
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| Smoked Salmon Ravioli |
The Cheathams’ kitchen is an ideal space for cooking—especially fresh pasta, which needs room to spread out. Having an extra 12 inches in counter depth “really increases functionality and the feeling of not being crowded,” Cheatham says. Also, “having an island 36 inches from the main counter is a comfortable distance for people to work and gather,” she says. “And having a wall of pantry cabinets is ideal for seeing everything at a glance.”
By the time all her dinner guests arrive, Cheatham’s day has been a long one—12 hours of prepping and cooking and setting the scene for a fun evening. “I thought I’d be exhausted making this pasta and all the food to go with it, but I’m not,” she says. “There’s something energizing about putting it all together, especially with friends.” As she wipes away the last bit of semolina flour, she pauses to reflect even more on her accomplishment. “I guess as a builder, I just really get into constructing things.” Especially when she can truly savor the results.
Fried Herbed Almonds
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| Fried Herbed Almonds |
(Makes 2 cups; from Martha Stewart Living, November 2006 Issue)
Cheatham “added lots of Maldon Sea Salt*,” which she says is one of her favorite ingredients.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups whole blanched almonds
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Coarse sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant (10 to 12 minutes).
Stir in thyme leaves and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and let cool completely.
Note: Almonds can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
* Maldon Sea Salt can be found at Williams-Sonoma and other gourmet food retailers.
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| Golden and Crimson Beet Salad |
Golden and Crimson Beet Salad with Oranges, Fennel, and Feta
(Serves 6; from Chef Alfred Portale, Gotham Bar and Grill, New York City; originally published in Bon Appétit Magazine.)
2 3-inch diameter red beets, all but 1-inch of tops trimmed
2 3-inch diameter golden beets, all but 1-inch of tops trimmed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 oranges
1 small fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, cut into paper-thin strips
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, halved
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Coarse kosher or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a 9-by-9-by-2-inch metal pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over them and sprinkle with salt as desired; toss to coat. Cover pan with foil and roast beets until tender (about 1 1/2 hours). Uncover and cool completely.
Peel beets and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; place in large bowl and sprinkle with salt as desired.*
Cut peel and pith off oranges. Working over a medium bowl to catch orange juice, cut between membranes to release segments. Add 1 cup orange segments, fennel, mint, parsley, hazelnuts, and shallot to bowl with beets.
Transfer 2 teaspoons orange juice to small bowl; whisk in vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir into beet mixture.
Mound salad on large platter. Drain remaining orange segments and arrange on salad. Sprinkle with cheese.
*Beets can be roasted a day in advance. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Smoked Salmon Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce
(Serves 4; from Eastside’s Inside Secrets, by the Eastside Café in Austin (www.eastsidecafeaustin.com)
You’ll need a pastry brush, ravioli cutter, or 3-inch round biscuit cutter to make this. For pasta sheets, follow the instructions included with your pasta maker. If you don’t have a pasta maker, check with an Italian grocer such as Jimmy’s Food Store, local pasta company such as Holy Ravioli, or gourmet market for fresh pasta availability, “but making it fresh is best,” Cheatham advises.
Smoked Salmon Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup carrots, grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
3/4 teaspoon fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon fresh parsley
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
Pinch of freshly ground kosher or sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 pound smoked salmon, flaked into small pieces
Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, dill, basil, parsley, green onion, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mixture with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and smoked salmon. Mix well and set aside.
Lemon Cream Sauce:
To ensure you have enough sauce, “you may want to make even more of this recipe, as well as the Roasted Pepper Relish,” Cheatham says. “It’s also a bit thick so you may want to adjust it slightly by adding more lemon juice and cream.”
3 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream and lemon juice over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
Roasted Pepper Relish:
1 whole red bell pepper, roasted*
1 whole yellow bell pepper, roasted*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Roast bell peppers. Slice thinly and set aside. Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat, and cook onion for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and bell pepper slices, stirring well. Remove from heat and set aside.
*To roast bell peppers, broil them on each side until their skin turns black. When the entire pepper is blackened, remove it from the oven and seal in a plastic zip-top bag. Let peppers cool for 15 minutes. Cut pepper in half and remove seeds, membrane, and most of charred skin.
Ravioli:
1 egg
1/2 cup semolina flour
1 1/2 pounds fresh pasta sheets
(follow machine’s instructions)
In a small bowl, beat egg and set aside. Sprinkle semolina on a large cutting board or countertop.
Lay a 10-by-12-inch pasta sheet over semolina. Spread a thin layer of beaten egg over pasta with a pastry brush. Place a large teaspoon of Smoked Salmon Filling in evenly spaced rows on top of pasta sheet about 2 inches apart (or as designated by your ravioli cutter).
Place another sheet of pasta over the length of the pasta with filling, and gently press down the top layer to seal it around each spoonful of filling. Cut out each ravioli (making sure the ravioli edges are completely sealed) and set aside.
Fill a large stockpot half full of water and bring to a boil. Place pasta in stockpot and cook for 4 minutes; drain into a colander.
To assemble:
Cooked ravioli
Lemon Cream Sauce
Roasted Pepper Relish
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
Fresh dill sprig, to garnish
Place hot ravioli in a bowl and toss gently with warm Lemon Cream Sauce. Transfer to a large serving platter and top with Roasted Pepper Relish and Parmesan cheese. Garnish if desired.
Individual Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflés
(Makes 6 individual soufflés; from Martha Stewart Living, November 2006 Issue.)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cup whole milk
6 large eggs, separated, plus 2 large egg whites, all at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Salt
Caramel Crème Anglaise (see next recipe)
Powdered sugar, to garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the lower third. Place six 10-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush butter inside ramekins and dust with sugar, tapping out excess. Using kitchen twine, secure a strip of parchment paper around each ramekin so parchment extends 3 inches above rim (this will help the desserts keep their shape as they rise). Chill in freezer at least 15 minutes or overnight.
Bring milk almost to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; set aside.
Put 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale (3 to 4 minutes). Reduce speed to low; beat in flour. Add about one-third of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, beating until just combined. Pour yolk mixture back into pan with the remaining milk. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in chocolate, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.*
Put egg whites and pinch of salt into a large copper bowl. Using a balloon whisk, beat until foamy (or beat egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment). Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining tablespoon granulated sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gradually fold in remaining egg whites.
Carefully pour batter into prepared ramekins on baking sheet, filling to just below rims. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees; bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment. Poke a hole in the top of each, and pour in Caramel Crème Anglaise. Garnish if desired. Serve immediately.
* Soufflé base can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and covered, until ready to bake in ramekins.
Caramel Crème Anglaise
(Makes 1 1/4 cups)
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl or pan with ice and water; set aside in sink.
Whisk together yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Bring milk and 1/4 cup cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour one-third of the hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking until combined.
Pour yolk mixture back into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture coats the back of a spoon (6 to 7 minutes). Transfer saucepan to ice-water bath and let the crème anglaise cool completely.
Put 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and the lemon juice into a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, without stirring, and cook until caramel is golden and dark. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream.
Whisk together crème anglaise and caramel in a medium bowl, and serve with Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflés.
Diane Cheatham’s Ravioli Making Tips
Make a basic pasta dough (perhaps using the recipe included with your pasta maker). Work portions of dough through the roller of a manual or electric machine so that it becomes progressively thinner. The fine pasta sheets can be used for ravioli or lasagna, or they can be sent through cutter attachments to make linguini or fettuccine.
Diane favors the KitchenAid KPRA Pasta Roller Attachment for Stand Mixers ($129.99 retail). The three-piece stainless steel set includes a pasta roller, fettuccine cutter, and linguine fine cutter. Made in Italy, it fits all KitchenAid stand mixers and includes wooden cleaning utensils. “Because it’s so heavy and not rickety like some pasta makers, I’ve found it works like a charm for running dough through it,” she says.
What else you need: Use a pasta cutter for cutting the ravioli shapes while also sealing the edges. Or use a ravioli tray, a stainless-steel or cast-aluminum mold with depressions; in it you lay the first sheet of fresh pasta, add filling to the indentations, then top with another pasta sheet before running a rolling or ravioli pin across the top to seal. (Note: A tray doesn’t allow you to have variations in size; ravioli cutters do.) A pasta rack is ideal for letting long, thin strands of pasta drape and dry before preparing.
