It’s a good idea to do your research on wine. I found this little gem, a Pico Maccario Lavignone Barbera d’Asti 2021, at my local wine shop for less than $20. It appears at number 36 on The Wine Spectator’s “Top 100 Wines of 2023”:
…bright and aromatic wine with aromas and flavors of red cherries, violets and wild herbs. Soft tannins and a moderate level of alcohol and medium weight make Lavignone an ideal wine for immediate enjoyment.
Gnocchi, an Italian word that might have originated from nocchia or knothole, are dumplings made from wheat flour and other ingredients such as potatoes and dairy products. In Italy, the dough usually contains potatoes and is hand rolled into long ropes that are cut into small pieces and pressed with a fork to create ridges that hold a sauce. A popular sauce is simply butter and fresh sage warmed together until aromatic.
The French version or gnocchi à la Parisienne is a little more complicated. The dough is basically a choux pastry with cheese. First, 500 grams of milk, 260 grams of cubed butter, 16 grams of salt, 4 grams of white pepper, and 2 grams of nutmeg simmered. Then 300 grams of tipo “00” flour is added and stirred in until the dough is dry. In a mixing bowl, 500 grams of eggs are added, a few at a time while mixing. Grated cheese, parmesan or gruyère, in the amount of 200 grams is incorporated into the dough, which is covered and chilled in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
The dough goes into a pastry bag with a large tip. A string is tied tightly across the handles of a pot of boiling salted water. The dough is squeezed out into 1- to 2-inch lengths, using the string to cut the dumplings (a knife also can be used). Only enough to cover the bottom of the pot are dropped in, and when they all rise to the top are removed with a strainer to an ice bath to cool quickly. Cooled gnocchi are then drained.
A typical sauce for gnocchi à la Parisienne is Mornay sauce, which starts with a béchamel sauce. Parmesan and gruyère cheeses are then grated and added to further thicken the sauce. When the sauce is cool, two egg yolks are added for richness and to aid in browning when placed under a broiler. The finished dish of gnocchi covered in sauce and browned on top can be served as a first course or as a side to a main course.
Garlic mayonnaise is commonly called aïoli, which is a misnomer. The difference is authentic aïoli (which is a combination of the French words for garlic and oil) is only garlic, oil, and salt. Garlic mayonnaise can include egg yolk and/or mustard to aid in emulsification, and usually incorporates roasted garlic. In Provence, and also in parts of Spain and Italy, to make aïoli, garlic and salt are ground in a mortar with a pestle to a fine paste, and then further pulverized with a few drops of olive oil at a time until of mayonnaise consistency (this is quite labor intensive). After the garlic and salt are paste, it can also be transferred to a bowl and whisked to incorporate the oil. Proportions are to taste, and a little garlic and salt go a long way; a liberal amount of olive oil softens both. Aïoli is traditional with bourride or bouillabaisse, which are Provençal stews, and can be used with any boiled or poached seafood or vegetables, especially cod or potatoes.
Garlic mayonnaise is more stable and a good substitute. You can whisk mayonnaise by hand, but it’s much easier with a machine. I have found my mixer to be better than a food processor or blender, because I can control the speed of the beaters. Drop 2 egg yolks, 15 grams of Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt into a bowl and turn on the mechanism of choice; and then slowly stream in vegetable oil (olive oil is too overwhelming) until you have an emulsified, pale, and polished sauce (no more than 120 grams). Mix in roasted garlic, and taste as you go to achieve perfection.
Truc (Tip): For the sauce called rouille, classically served with bouillabaisse, a variation with breadcrumbs, saffron, and cayenne pepper, see Lulu Peyraud’s version:
Land and sea meet at Fiola Mare, Washington’s best restaurant according to the Washingtonian, and you can dream you are on the Mediterranean even if it’s only the Potomac.
The seafood platter, full of raw and cooked shellfish
King salmon with escargots and Swiss chard on polenta
Wild halibut with apricots, lettuce, mushrooms, and truffle
Chocolate semifreddo with pistachio and basil accoutrements
eatingfrench 