Allison Cafe

Recently I was inspired to make our own homemade pasta. After dining at my brother and sister-n-law’s house and realizing just how easy it was for them to make their own pasta, I decided to give it a try. (thanks Domestic Nest!)

Growing up I always heard my Mom talk about going to her Grandma’s house on the weekends, and watching her make homemade noodles. My great Grandma was a from a generation of Hungarian women that made their own bread daily, used a crank washer and made homemade noodles every week. My Mom used to talk about how Grandma would dry the noodles on the backs of her dining room chairs. My great Grandma could knead the dough quickly, and make pasta with such precision. I guess if you do anything that often, you are bound to be good at it. I recently discovered that kneading dough should really be a form of upper body strength training. It is hard work if you aren’t used to it! But I soon found out that it is totally worth it, there is no comparison between store bought pasta and homemade pasta. Homemade pasta wins, hands down.

Armed with a recipe I received in a cookbook we received as a wedding present, a desire to honor my Hungarian roots, and a taste for fresh pasta, I started our journey. There could not be a more simple recipe than just adding flour and eggs, and rolling them out to make dough. After letting the dough rest briefly, we then began to cut the dough into our desired noodle width. We then cooked the fresh pasta right away, although we could have let it dry and used it later as well. I was surprised at how easy the recipe was. What I did quickly learn to appreciate was my Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook. We were also amazed at how much more evenly shaped the noodles look, and how much thinner they can be, when you use a pasta machine. We also discovered that when making ravioli, the pasta machine is worth its weight in gold. You simply cannot get the dough thin enough by hand rolling it. Well maybe my stronger Hungarian relatives could, but I certainly could not! We also found that you don’t need a special dough cutter for ravioli, we used a pizza cutter and it worked just as well.

We were most thrilled with of the wonderful taste that fresh pasta delivers. The texture is much softer and absorbs the sauce better, especially when the pasta is enjoyed right away and not dried. The richness of the flour and the dried herbs is unbelievable. My noodles were of varying sizes when we hand cut them. So I may not have perfected the art of homemade pasta like great Grandma did, but you have to start somewhere right? And really as long as it tastes good, I guess I am on the right track! Hopefully my great Grandma would be proud of my husband and I as we attempted our first batch of homemade pasta. I can’t imagine eating pasta any other way now.

Homemade Pasta

Preparation Time: 1 hour, Cook Time: 2 minutes, Yields about 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp finely crushed dried basil, marjoram, or sage (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix the eggs, water and olive oil and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, dried basil and salt. Make a well in the middle. Add the egg mixture and stir to combine. Lightly sprinkle a clean kneading surface with flour. Knead the dough mixture until it is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover with a clean towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and roll each portion into a 12-inch square, about 1/16 inch thick. If using a pasta machine, pass each portion through the machine according to your machine’s directions until dough is 1/16 inch thick. Let stand, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Cut the dough to desired thickness, about 1/8 inch thick for linguine or ¼ inch thick for fettuccine. Tip: Loosely roll each set of dough 1 at a time and cut into strips to save time.

To serve immediately, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, adding a little at a time. Cook only for about 1-2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain in a colander.

To serve later or to store, spread the cut pasta over a cooling rack and let pasta dry overnight or until completely dry. Store in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or dry the pasta for at least 1 hour and place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 8 months. When ready to cook the dried pasta, increase the cooking time above by 1 to 2 minutes.

Tip: Use a Saturday afternoon to double or even triple the recipe above, and freeze the cut pasta to have fresh pasta on the ready for months to come.

It’s been awhile since Hayley shared her latest stories with you, here are a few words from our favorite furry friend.

Wow, what a great time we had at YiaYia and Papou’s house in Connecticut! My friend Buddy shared the electric fence with me and we got to run free, well almost free. If I went too far I heard some rapidly increasing beeping noises, followed by a sharp shock to my neck if I crossed the line. I only had to learn that lesson once, ok well twice, before I learned not to go past the white little flags in the yard.

Buddy and Me

What fun it was to roam the yard with no leash, chase Buddy’s toys and bask in the sun. I even got to hang out at the party for Papou’s birthday and I almost got a bit of chocolate cupcake, so close.

When can we go back? I miss my morning walks with YiaYia. I miss being spoiled by Papou and all my east coast human friends. Good times. But I can’t complain, I have a pretty gig going here on the west coast. Today we went for a walk by the ocean and I got to watch birds and squirrels, run in the park and get lots of attention from people along the way. Now I just need to get my humans to feed me yummy treats like Papou did.

There are few things that can compare to fresh eats from the garden. As a kid I can remember summers spent in Ohio, and the simple splendor of fresh Ohio sweet corn. I can vividly remember the taste of the juicy, sweet kernels. Oh how I miss that taste! This time of year when the corn is fresh and very tasty, I don’t recommend doing much at all the corn, it has so much flavor of its own. But sometimes, you can find yourself either seeking a new flavor when you’ve eaten a lot of the season’s crop, or you unfortunately picked a not so flavorful ear of corn to bring home. In those instances, I highly recommend experimenting with flavored butters. Below are few that we tried recently, the chili butter is simply amazing. But again, only when it needs a new, added flavor. The other fun thing about flavored butters, they can be enjoyed on their own as a spread, such as with fresh bread. The roasted garlic is even wonderful spread onto a piece of french bread, no butter needed. Enjoy!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Heat an outdoor grill to high. Peel back the husks of corn, but do not remove them completely. Remove all silk from the ears of corn and coat lightly corn with cooking spray. Smooth husks back into place and rub each husk with water. Place corn directly on grill surface and grill, turning occasionally, until kernels soften and husks blacken. About 10 to 12 minutes. Pull back husks and serve corn with 1 teaspoon flavored butter.

Tip: you may wish to brush the corn on the cob with the flavored chili butter in order to apply evenly to the corn.

Garlic Butter

Ingredients

• 1 garlic bulb
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves. Place the garlic bulb in a small baking pan; clay bakers work well for this purpose. Drizzle olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil, or if using a clay baker with a lid – place the lid on the baker. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

Allow the garlic to cool slightly. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins. Eat as is atop fresh bread, or mash with a fork and mix with 2 tablespoons of softened butter to make garlic butter. Serve warm.

Chili Butter:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon red cayenne pepper powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Using a spoon, mix butter with remaining ingredients. Roll into a log shape and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Or simply place in a small serving dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, then soften to room temperature before serving. Can be made ahead of time.

Vespa parking in downtown Southport, CT

Well, our trip the East Coast has come to an end. And what a trip it was! We are so grateful to have such wonderful

Sweet, flaky, and mouth watering Red Mullet

family and friends, and were so excited to have 2 weeks to spend with them. Much like the first half of our trip, we laughed with friends and family that we hadn’t seen for awhile, ate the most amazing eats that we can’t get anywhere else and we saw beautiful new things.

After the birthday bash we had for Dad, we ventured up to Boston for a couple of days to visit friends and to see a new city. I had never been to Boston before, and I loved the city.

The Old State Building, Boston

Ali in the North End of Boston

I was taken back by the history and the sight of the old buildings mixed with new skyscrapers. We started in Boston’s South End and walked our way through the North End, Boston Commons and several neighborhoods in-between. We learned about the difference between inbound and outbound on the “T”, or subway, and we saw Paul Revere’s house and grave site as well.

On our drive back to Connecticut from Boston, we stopped in charming Newport, Rhode Island as well. This was my first visit to Newport. It was a beautiful, nautical city but also home to some of the largest mansions I had ever seen. We didn’t have time to venture inside the many mansions, but just driving by them was quite a sight. We enjoyed day dreaming about what life must have been like at The Breakers or the Astors’ Beechwood Mansions.

Astors' Beechwood Mansion

Seaside in Newport, RI

Of course, no trip to the area would have been complete without trying a lobster roll. Thanks to Steve’s iPhone, we found a review on Trip Advisor’s website raving about the classic lobster rolls at Flo’s Clam Shack in Newport. The rolls were basically fresh lobster meat and lettuce on a hot dog roll with mayo on the side. They tasted amazing, especially after a day of driving in the heat and humidity of the Eastern seaboard. I had forgotten about humidity until this trip, I didn’t miss it at all!

Flo's Clam Shack, a Newport Must See and Taste

After our road trip to Boston and Newport, we returned to Southport, CT and had several more days to walk by all the beautiful homes, peaceful harbors and relax with family.

Southport Harbor

The old bank building in Southport, CT

We are back home today in San Diego and reminiscing about our trip. Thankfully we have many wonderful photos and memories as souvenirs. And a bad cold that I picked up along the way, but thankfully the humidity didn’t follow us home so I am recovering in the cool climate on the West Coast. To our family and friends on the East Coast, we miss you all already and can’t wait to see you again soon!

Flowers in Bloom in Southport, CT

Hummus with Olive Oil and Fresh Lemon

For the past week, my husband and I have been visiting friends and family on the East Coast. So far on the trip we have been enjoying time with family and friends, but also all the many treats that Connecticut has to offer.

Fresh Garden Tomatoes From the Family Garden

We have enjoyed lazy summer afternoons by the pool feasting on ice cream, the cool rain on our skin during a summer rain shower and delicious eats, including fresh garden tomatoes.

Hayley is having a blast running free in her own backyard. We still have one week here, which I’m sure will have even more fun times in store! 

The other day as I was running, I started thinking about all the helpful tips I’ve learned over the years. Here are a few things to keep in mind for your running program:

• It isn’t how fast you run, it’s the pace that you keep. When endurance training, it is more important to set a pace that challenges you and try to hold it for the duration of your run. The best race is the one you have with yourself, don’t try to push yourself too early in your training to keep up with others that might be at a different level.
• Remember to keep your shoulders back and breathe. Taking in air when running is really important, you need oxygen to keep your muscles performing at an optimal level and to keep your energy level up. If you catch yourself turning your shoulders in and slouching, you aren’t able to take in as much air.
• Be your own coach. If you are trying to pick up the pace during your run you may benefit from doing some speed workouts. After doing a short warm-up jog, try jogging for 100 meters and sprinting the next 100 meters, continuing to alternate for at least 800 meters. You you will get a great calorie burning workout from doing this interval training as well.
• Listen to your body and give yourself rest when you need it. Your muscles need rest inbetween workouts; and especially as we age we need to listen to our bodies. Pain can often be tolerated, but it can often be a signal from your body that you need to rest.
• Incorporate strength and flexiblity training into your regimen. Building muscle mass and flexibility can help with your running program by creating stronger and leaner muscles. Try incorporating a yoga class into your weekly routine. Learn how to use free weights or how to use your own body weight for strength training, such as with pilates.

Above all just get out there and do it! The hardest part about getting into shape or staying shape is to force yourself to get out there and exercise on the days when you are tried or busy. Create a buddy system, having a workout partner, often can give you the accountability and the support that you need.