Maccheroni al Ferro with Porcini & Sausage Ragù

Inspired by a recipe for handmade Maccheroni al Ferro by Toronto chef Massimo Bruno, and excited about an upcoming trip to Umbria in a few weeks, trying our hand at making some pasta 'fatto a mano' seemed like it would be good practice for our 'vacanza italiana'. Ferri means 'irons' and refers to the thin metal rod around which small pieces of dough are rolled in order to create this unique shape of pasta. Originating from the southern Calabrian region of Italy, Maccheroni al Ferro is made using semola di grano duro rimaninata, a remilled durum wheat semolina, mixed with a little warm water and olive oil then kneaded until smooth and elastic, a process which takes about 15-20 minutes. Cut into five or six smaller pieces, the dough is hand rolled into long snake-like coils then sliced into 1/2 to 1-inch long pieces, then shaped into maccherone using a wooden or metal skewer. One places the skewer on the centre of each piece of dough, and pressing it lightly to make it stable, one then starts rolling the dough to make a cylinder. Removing them carefully, the pasta are laid onto a parchment lined baking sheet until all the maccherone are complete. If one or two don't work out, simply roll them back into a small ball and try again. They don't need to be perfect, just made with love! Other pasta shapes could also be made using this recipe such as strascinati and orecchiette and served with this gorgeous Porcini Mushroom, Sausage & 'Nduja Ragù — deliziosa!

Semola Di Grano Duro Rimaninata - remilled durum wheat semolina

One ounce of dried porcini mushrooms soaking in warm water

One cup of flour with 1/2 cup warm water and tablespoon of olive oil

Using a fork, the flour mixture is whisked until it balls up, then it is shaped into a ball

The dough is then stretched and kneaded until very soft and elastic, about 10-20 minutes

(my husband took over the kneading "to show me how it is done"!)

The finished kneaded dough is soft and smooth, then sliced into 5-6 pieces

Each piece of dough is hand-rolled out into thin cigarette-thick cylinders then sprinkled with flour to prevent the dough from sticking together  

The pasta is then cut up into 1/2-inch pieces, then using a wooden skewer, 

the pasta is gently rolled into small 'maccheroni ai ferri'

After about 20 minutes the maccheroni have all been rolled out and placed on a parchment lined baking sheet to dry while the sauce is started

Garlic and chopped parsley stems are sautéed in a little olive oil until fragrant, 

then the squeeze dried porcini mushrooms are added to the pan

'Nduja, a spicy Calabrian salumi, is one of the special ingredients in the pasta sauce

Pork sausage and 'nduja are then added and sautéed until the meat has browned and is cooked through

Tomato paste is added once the sausage is cooked though, followed by some white wine, 

chopped parsley then 1/2 cup of the porcini broth

The pasta is cooked in boiling water until the maccheroni all float to the top, 

then are added to the sauce along with any pasta water that clings onto the noodles

The pan is removed from the heat and the pasta is sprinkled with a cup of grated parmigiana 

and some chopped parsley for garnish

Maccheroni al Ferro with Porcini Mushroom & Sausage Ragù
Serves 2-4

1 cup Semola Di Grano Duro Rimaninata (remilled durum wheat semolina)

1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Sea salt, for adding to boiling the pasta

Ragù:
3/4 cup white wine 
1 tbsp tomato paste 
2 fresh pork sausages, removed from the casing 
2 tbsp ‘nduja - Olliffe Butcher Shop, Toronto
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms 
2 garlic cloves, chopped 
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, washed and dried
1/2 cup grated Parmigiana 
Extra virgin olive oil 


Place the flour in a large bowl and make a hole in the centre. Pour in some warm water and olive oil and mix together slowly with a fork until the dough comes together, is no longer sticky and becomes hard to mix with the fork. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a clean surface. Massage the dough by pulling and stretching it out until it becomes soft, smooth and elastic, about 10-20 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and using your hands, roll each piece into long snake-like cylinders about the thickness of a cigarette. Once all the dough has been rolled out, sprinkle some semolina onto a clean surface, and coat all of the pasta so it won't stick together. Slice each roll into 1/2" pieces. Using a 'ferri' or thin wooden skewer, place it in the middle of each small piece of dough, and using a little pressure, roll the rod back and forth until the dough is wrapped completely around the rod, then slide the pasta off and arrange on a parchment lined baking tray in a single layer, and dust with some flour to keep the past from sticking together if necessary. The pasta doesn’t need to dry for long and can be thrown into boiling water shortly after being made and will be finished cooking in a few short minutes when they float to the top of the water.

Alternately, the pasta can be dried more completely and stored in baggies in the freezer for later use — place the trays of pasta, arranged in single layers, in the freezer for a few minutes before putting them in bags to keep them from sticking together.

To make the ragù, begin by placing the dried mushrooms in a cup of warm water and allow to to soak for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile finely chop the garlic and the stems of 3 or 4 pieces of parsley. Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a sauté pan placed over medium heat, then add the garlic and a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley stems and sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Using your hands remove the mushrooms from the water, squeezing out as much water as possible, and add them to the pan. Once they've browned 2 or 3 minutes, add the sausage meat and using a wooden spoon, break it up so it browns evenly. Scoop out some of the ‘nduja and add to the pan along with the tomato paste. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes so the sauce comes together. Add the wine and some chopped parsley. Then add 1/2 cup of the porcini broth avoiding any gritty sediment on the bottom from the mushrooms. Add a tablespoon or two of minced parsley. 

While the sauce is coking, add the fresh pasta a pot of boiling water and cook for only about 5 minutes — the pasta will be done when it float to the top. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the pasta, along with any pasta water that's attached, to the sauce. Using a wooden spoon, gently toss the pasta and sauce so the mixture becomes well incorporated. At the end, remove the pasta from the heat and add the cheese, and mix in. Finish with some roughly chopped parsley and serve.

Moules Marinières: A French Brasserie Classic

Wine, cream, and butter — the holy trinity of any devout epicurean, that together produce a mighty potion rich enough to enhance any dish. One of my favourites is Moules Marinières, a classic dish found in brasseries throughout the world. The essentials are simple: cook chopped leeks in an abundance of butter, add a dollop or two of white wine, lashings of parsley and a final flourish of light cream. Difficult? Hardly. Expensive? Not at all. Mussels are only $2.99/lb, but you'll need a reasonably good bottle of white wine, both for the broth and for quaffing afterwards. Moules are an easy dish that can be prepared in no time at all, and they're delicious, especially with a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the addictively delicious sauce. If you're feel sufficiently motivated, you can also make your own french fries for a traditional "moules-frites." Mon Dieu.

Two chopped leeks sautéed in a little butter and seasoned with salt and white pepper

White wine and fresh thyme are added and once bubbling, the mussels are added with a glug of cream and chopped parsley at the end before serving

Moules Marinières 
Serves 2

1 lb mussels, de-beard and kept chilled until using
2 leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 handful of fresh thyme
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp butter
kosher salt and white pepper
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Crusty French bread, for serving


In a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the leeks, season with salt and white pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes. Then add the wine and fresh thyme, and stir to combine. Once the wine is bubbling, add the mussels and give them a stir to coat. Cover and turn the heat up to medium-high, and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened up. Those that haven't, you should discard. Add the cream and parsley, and give it all a good stir. Serve the moules in one large bowl or portion into two warmed dinner bowls. Ladle the sauce overtop and garnish with some additional chopped parsley. Be sure to mop up the sauce with a loaf of warm crusty bread — delicious!

Cheddar Cheese & Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

Moist, savoury and delicious, these Cheddar Cheese & Chive Buttermilk Biscuits are wonderful with a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day, or served on their own, slathered with butter as they come out warm and fragrant from the oven. Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe calls for a handful of dry ingredients that are blended together with butter then tossed with cheddar, chopped scallions, minced chives and buttermilk, to form a stiff batter. The dough can be made ahead, covered and set aside until needed, then simply dropped in small mounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet and baked for about twenty minutes, until they become puffed up and golden brown. Lovely and crispy on the outside, with a moist, cheesy and pillowy centre, these heavenly little biscuits are way too easy to make and completely addictive. 




Cheddar Cheese & Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups Cheddar, coarsely grated
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped chives
1 1/3 cups well-shaken buttermilk


Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheddar, scallions and chives, then add the buttermilk and stir until just combined. Drop the dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm with butter!

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Garlic & Oyster Sauce

Gai lan is commonly referred to as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, and is classified in the family of vegetables that includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale. Prized for its tender stems and large delicate leaves, gai lan can be eaten fresh, boiled, steamed or stir-fried, although Stir-Fried Gai Lan with Garlic is the popular classic featured in many Chinese restaurants and Dim Sum carts. Simply stir-fried on high heat with a little garlic, chopped ginger, salt, fish sauce and oyster sauce for just a few minutes, the greens cook very quickly, with a slurry of cornstarch and water added at the end to thicken the sauce. Crunchy and flavourful with a delicate scented fragrant broth, this is a quick and easy dish that can also be spiffed up with fresh prawns, scallops or mixed mushrooms. 

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Garlic & Oyster Sauce
Serves 4 

1 bunch of gai lan
1 1/2 tbsp of canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced
6 thin slices of ginger

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp cornflour

Prepare the gai lan by first trimming off the tough ends, then washing and separating the leaves from the stems, and chopping the stems into 2 to 3-inch lengths. Heat up a wok, add some oil and fry the garlic and ginger for about 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add the gai lan stems, 1/4 a cup of water and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the stems turn a nice dark green colour. Add in the gai lan leaves and stir fry for 20-30 seconds. Then add in a little salt, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Stir-fry everything together, then thicken the sauce with some corn flour mixed with a little water. Serve immediately.

Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai: Thai Green Curry with Chicken

A harmony of fabulous flavours and tantalizing textures, Chicken in Thai Green Curry is a feast for the eyes, the nose and the palate. Lovely served with a small bowl of Jasmin rice on the side, this Thai curry is one of my favourite recipes from Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu's celebrated cookbook from their restaurant 'Young Thailand', which was the first Thai restaurant to open in North America in the 1980's. Having enjoyed authentic Thai curries from our recent trip to Thailand and Myanmar, I have been in desperate search for the tiny Thai pea and round 'ma keua pro' eggplants ever-present in Thai cuisine, but without any luck so far in shops around Toronto. A handful of frozen green peas is my nod to the ubiquitous tiny bitter Thai 'mak-heua pang' normally added to authentic Thai curries. Double up on the recipe's suggested green curry paste, and you might feel you were in Chiang Mai.




Chicken in Thai Green Curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai)
Serves 4
Recipe from The Young Thailand Cookbook

10 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 cups unsweetened coconut mik
2 tbsp green curry paste, or to taste
4 lime leaves
1 cup water
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 cup bamboo shoot strips
1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 medium red pepper, cut in thin strips
1 cup frozen green peas
20 fresh basil leaves, whole 
Jasmin or white rice, cooked according to instructions


Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips, about 1/4" thick, 2" long and 1" wide. Heat 1 cup of coconut milk in a wok or large saucepan over high heat until it boils. Add the green curry paste and, reducing the heat to medium, stir to dissolve it in the coconut milk. Add the second cup of coconut milk, raise the heat to maximum and let it cook 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Slice the lime leaves into thin strips and add to the sauce, then turn the heat back to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat back to maximum, add the chicken then the last cup of coconut milk as well as 1 cup of water. Stir-cook for 1 minute until the mixture is bubbling happily. Add the fish sauce and sugar and stir-cook for 2 minutes, until it's bubbling hard. Add the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and stir-cook for 2 minutes. Then add the red pepper, green peas and whole basil. Stir-cook 2-3 minutes, folding all the ingredients together into the sauce. Take the sauce off the heat and transfer into a warmed deep serving dish, topping with a sprig or two of basil, and serve with steamed rice.

Hugh's Moist & Sticky Pear and Almond Cake

There is something very warm and comforting about the sweet buttery aroma of a home made cakey confection as it comes out from the oven. It's a seductive smell that's pretty hard to resist, so why bother? As Oscar Wilde said, "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it!" And so we did, and made this delicious Pear and Almond Cake for guests this past weekend, inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe from his River Cottage Everyday Cookbook. The pears are gently sautéed in butter and sugar then added to a eggy batter of ground almonds and wholemeal flour, poured into a buttered springform tin, then baked for about 40 minutes. The combination of pears and almonds bring a luscious texture to this moist and sticky, but not too sweet, pear-fect pud! 

Hugh's Pear and Almond Cake
Serves 6-8 

10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 medium eggs
5 tbsp wholemeal flour with 1 tsp baking powder + pinch of salt
5 tbsp ground almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the caramelized pears: 
3 Bosc pears, reasonably firm, but not rock hard
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar


Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Peel, core and quarter the pears. Melt the butter in a frying pan big enough to take all the pear pieces, over a medium high heat. When it’s bubbling, add the sugar and stir gently until it has dissolved into the butter. Add the pears and cook gently, turning once or twice, until they have softened and are starting to get a lovely golden colour, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Now for the cakey bit. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with each to stop the mix curdling. Combine the remaining flour, the ground almonds and the cinnamon, and fold into the mixture. Scrape into the prepared tin. Arrange the pears on top and pour on any buttery juices left in the pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet to catch any drives and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Stand the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then release the tin. Serve the cake warm with clotted or whipped cream – or cold. "This recipe is cakewalk. Lovely sticky and exciting. Pear-fect."

Trattoria Mercatto at Toronto's Eaton Centre

Mercatto's emphasis on simplicity, authenticity and quality has served them well. Consistently reliable food and personable, well trained and knowledgeable staff ensures a satisfying dining experience every time. With five restaurants in the city, Trattoria Mercatto at Toronto's Eaton Centre is urban and sophisticated, featuring an industrial-chic aesthetic, similar to what one might expect to find in the Distillery District or the new revolution of post-industrial restaurants in Vancouver's hip Gastown neighbourhood. Designed by Munge Leung, vintage bar stools and custom designed butcher block tables provide casual bar-style dining, while a solid walnut staircase with an oak wine barrel wall display leads up to a mezzanine level with a private dining area that features a long dining table made of antique reclaimed elm doors and cast metal. Trattoria Mercatto’s vintage theme continues through the mezzanine where custom wallpaper displays a collection of old Italian newspaper clippings emphasizing the culture that has inspired the creation of Trattoria Mercatto. The menu, like the interior, is unique to the Mercatto branding, with a more tapas-rich bar menu, expanded Insalate e Antipasti offerings and new Panini section. Ever present are the delicious pizzas, pastas and extensive selection of Italian wines by the glass and the bottle, arguably one the of best values at this price range in the city.

Mercatto's long marble bar with vintage stools that allow for side-by-side eating

The industrial chic interior with butcher block-style tables, 

galvanized metal chairs and funky pendant lighting

A preserve jar with the and crispy Grissini Torinesi 

Our server opening a bottle of Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno Superiore from Le Marche

Full bodied and delicious, the Brecciarolo is made with Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes

Zuppa di Stagione - Potato and Celeriac Soup

Insalate Missicanza with mixed lettuce, celery hearts and sliced radish in an aged sherry vinaigrette

Margherita Pizza made with fior di latte, fresh basil and San Marzano tomatoes 

Carpaccio di Manzo with brandy crema, grant padano and arugula

trattoria.mercatto.ca

Bucatini With Lobster, Tomato & Herbs

Serves 4

Recipe by Chef Doug Neigel, Mercatto; photo Keith Beaty, Toronto Star

2  1 1/2-pound cooked lobsters

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1 fresh red finger chili, halved, seeded, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup diced canned tomatoes

Salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste

3/4 lb dried bucatini or perciatelli

1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs: parsley, chives, chervil and mint

Working over bowl to catch juices, remove lobster meat from shells. Cut lobster meat into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the bowl with juices and set aside. In large, deep fry pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and chili and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to instructions on package. Place the sauce over medium-low heat and stir in the lobster and its juices. Right before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with remaining 3 tbsp of oil and herbs. Cook while stirring, until the pasta is well coated, about 1 minute. If the pasta seems dry, moisten with the cooking water to taste. Taste for seasoning and transfer to large platter. Serve immediately.