This lamb ragu and spinach fettuccine dish is one of my favorites, especially since the Dude and I only make it a few times a year. It has now become a tradition for us to prepare it every New Year’s Eve. If you give this recipe a try, I assure you, this pasta dish will quickly become one of your favorites.

SPINACH FETTUCCINE

This recipe for spinach fettuccine is actually a combination of two recipes we discovered from Chefs Mario Batali and Thomas Keller. After several attempts to make the perfect pasta dough, we’ve come up with this recipe. Why spinach fettuccine? Well, there’s never anything wrong with throwing a little green in your food. Spinach is one of the world’s best foods for you and we think it adds a delicious touch to pasta dough.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) semolina flour (you can use all purpose, but semolina is better)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• A handful of spinach (baby or regular)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon milk

Try to use organic and local ingredients. I also prefer to use cage-free, local, and organic eggs.

Start by sauteing a handful of spinach with a touch of olive oil and minced garlic. Saute until wilted.

(Click on pictures to expand)

Add the sauteed spinach to the “wet” ingredients (egg, egg yolks, olive oil, milk) to your mixer and pulse. This mixture can easily become mayonnaise, so just use the pulse setting until evenly mixed.

Instructions on how to create pasta dough comes via the French Laundry cookbook by Thomas Keller:

Once the mixture is complete, mound the flour on a board or other surface and create a well in the center, pushing the flour to all sides to make a ring with sides about 1 inch wide. Make sure that the well is wide enough to hold the mixture without spilling over the sides. Pour the mixture into the well. Use your fingers to break it all up. Still using your fingers, begin turning the mixture in a circular motion, keeping them within the well and not allowing them to spill over the sides. This circular motion allows the mixture to gradually pull in flour from the sides of the well; it is important that the flour not be incorporated too rapidly, or your dough will be lumpy. Keep moving the mixture while slowly incorporating the flour. Occasionally push the flour toward the eggs; the flour should be moved only enough to maintain the gradual incorporation of the flour and the eggs should continue to be contained within the well. The mixture will thicken and eventually get too tight to keep turning with your fingers.

(Side note about these pictures – no, I do not have the hands of a 13 year old boy. Those hands belong to my 13 year old half-brother. He and my 9 year old half-sister LOVED preparing the pasta dough and ragu, so if you’ve got kids around, let them enjoy all the work fun!)

When the dough begins thickening and starts lifting itself from the board, begin incorporating the remaining flour by lifting the flour up and over the dough that’s beginning to form and cutting it into the dough. When the remaining flour from the sides of the well has been cut into the dough, the dough will still look shaggy. Bring the dough together with the palms of your hands and form it into a ball. It will look flaky but will hold together.

Knead the dough by pressing it, bit by bit, in a forward motion with the heels of your hands rather than folding it over on itself as you would with a bread dough. Re-form the dough into a ball and repeat the process several times. The dough should feel moist but not sticky. Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you clean the work surface.

Dust the clean work surface with a little flour. Knead the dough by pushing against it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands. Form the dough into a ball again and knead it again. Keep kneading in this forward motion until the dough becomes silky-smooth. The dough is ready when you can pull your finger through it and the dough wants to snap back into place. The kneading process can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Even if you think you are finished kneading, knead it for an extra ten minutes; you cannot over-knead this dough. It is important to work the dough long enough to pass the pull test; otherwise, when it rests, it will collapse.

Double-wrap the dough in plastic wrap to ensure that it does not dry out. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before rolling it through a pasta machine. The dough can be made a day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before proceeding.

We prefer to make this dough into fettuccine using our Kitchen Aid pasta attachment to our mixer. It’s important to run the dough through the attachment a few times to create the perfect texture. If you don’t have one of these tools, just flatten the dough thinly by hand and use a knife to cut thin strips of dough.

Looks so good, you’ll be tempted to eat it raw. Please don’t. Salmonella isn’t kind.

Chef Ryan’s Lamb Ragu

This recipe comes courtesy of Chef Ryan. Remember him from This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Turkey blog post? I have a side-note about that turkey – I’ve now prepared that turkey recipe twice, for over 20 people, and every single person has told me that the turkey and gravy is the BEST they have ever had. I give full credit to Chef Ryan.

Chef Ryan gave us this lamb ragu recipe about 4 years ago and it’s one of our favorites. I feel like I’m in Tuscany every time I eat this masterpiece. Try it for yourself and you’ll understand.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 lbs. lamb shank meat, 1” dice (3 lbs if you buy it on the bones)
• 1 onion, small dice
• 1 carrot, small dice
• 1 rib celery, small dice
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 stalks fresh rosemary
• ½ cup chopped and seeded nicoise olives
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup heavy cream or beef stock (cream adds richness)
• 1 cup beef stock (or 2 cups total if you do not use the cream)
• 4 cups canned tomatoes (2 28oz cans of whole peeled)
• salt and pepper

Again, it’s best to use local and organic ingredients. For the lamb, organic, free-range, and grass-fed is best. Another note about lamb – for those of you who have never cooked lamb, it’s not the most pleasant smelling piece of meat to cook. It tastes fantastic though, so just remember the end result is better than the process.  Also, we prefer to have the butcher remove the lamb off the bone since it cuts down on butchering it yourself. And, let’s be honest, butchering lamb meat is kinda gross.

Heat the oil in a large pot. Dice and season the meat, then brown it very well. Add the mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery). Lightly brown the vegetables. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary and olives. Cook for 15 seconds.

Add the red wine and reduce by half; then add the cream and reduce by half; then add the stock and reduce by half. This takes a while. I won’t tell you how long because it just depends. Just hang in there. It’s worth it!

Add the tomatoes and salt/pepper.

Cook covered for approximately two hours on a low heat. It’s done when the liquid has reduced by about 80%. Mash with a potato masher or large spoon to break the meat and tomatoes, into a chunky ragu.

We like to combine the pasta and lamb ragu together and then serve. Now this is what I call pasta perfection!

Mangia, Mangia!

I only do 3 out of these 6 things. Hey, a Feminist Housewife still has her limits.

I am a stay-at-home mom. I am a wife. And I am a Feminist.

I am a Feminist Housewife.

No, that’s not an oxymoron. Welcome to a new generation of housewives. We ain’t Donna Reed, yo.

I don’t mean to ruffle any other housewives feathers, but I didn’t grow up necessarily wanting this job. Like many, if not most housewives I know, being a housewife was not my professional goal. I didn’t go to college or two different graduate programs  to earn an M.R.S degree. I was already wearing suits and handing out business cards by the time I met the Dude. I didn’t cook and I certainly didn’t pick up after anyone else. I had changed maybe 3 diapers in my life at that point. If that. Nothing about me screamed *housewife-material!*. The Dude and I married with the knowledge that we are equal partners in everything that we do, and that includes raising a family together. We are partners and co-parents. Decisions are made together and we work hard to make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to our relationship and parenting. The Dude even calls himself a feminist, too. It’s good to be married to one of those.

I was raised in the 80′s, which was a great time to grow up for a girl. I wasn’t raised on Donna Reed, June Cleaver, or even Edith Bunker. I was raised on Mrs. Huxtable, Kate & Allie, and Murphy Brown. Those women were smart feminist chicks who could support their families and hold their own against any man.  They were my feminist icons. But my biggest influence was undoubtedly my own mother. After my parents divorced, she was the one who stressed the importance of being self-sufficient and independent. She didn’t just tell me to be that way. She showed me the way. I watched my mom work her way through graduate school while raising three kids alone. It was not only impressive, but it made a life-long impact on me. I knew from a young age that the key to everything was through education and drive. Become your own person before you marry and have the means to support yourself…just in case, my mother would tell us. Her pragmatism helped shape us. My sister and I were not raised to believe that we were little princesses and that Prince Charming would come along one day to save us. Instead, we grew up with the drive to be educated and financially independent and the belief that if Prince Charming actually did show up, well, he better be willing to cook, clean, and change diapers*, too.

One of the best things about being a woman in a post-modern/Third-Wave era of Feminism is that there are no rules. Our choices in life are determined by what works best for ourselves and our families, not what is expected of us. Whatever a mama chooses to do, it’s never an easy choice to make. I think most of us are realistic enough to know by now that we cannot have it all. For those that go back to work, there is less time with the kids. For those of us who stay home, we usually sacrifice career advancement and income to do so. We all deal with a diminishing stigma, but a stigma nonetheless. We may all have preconceived notions and ideologies about what works best for the family, but there is no right or wrong way when it comes to moms working or not working. Or, as I call it, Paid and Unpaid Moms. It’s about what works best for each individual family.

As for me, I know that my career will be there when I’m ready to go back. Until then, I’m enjoying these precious few years of the hardest job I’ll ever have with the most demanding boss I’ll ever work for. He can be quite the grumpy, demanding, and ungrateful type, you see. But his smile and giggle makes my heart melt everyday. No amount of money or career advancement in the world can ever compare. I see my colleagues going off and doing great things in their careers. I’ll join them one day. But, for now, it’s good to be a Feminist Housewife.

Now…who wants pie?

*I’m not counting, but I do believe the Dude has changed more diapers than me. Now THAT’s what I call a real man.

I don’t usually gloat about my cooking. In all honesty, I fail just as many times as I succeed. But, thanks to Chef Ryan (my guest chef for Foodie Friday last week), my Turkey Day was a hit!

My immediate family is spread out far and wide, from Hawaii to Boston to Afghanistan.  Needless to say, we miss quite a few holidays with everyone. But, fortunately this year, I was able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with my mom, my mother-in-law, the Dude, and the Monkey. It might have been small, but it was lovely. For that, I am thankful.

I ate so much that I didn’t even leave room for dessert. That’s a first! But we’ve got leftovers for days. Weeks even. I may even have to extend Foodie Friday over the weekend to discuss some great tips for all those Turkey Day leftovers.

Hope everyone had a great holiday, even if you couldn’t be with everyone you love.

Thanksgiving at Ain’t Yo Mama’s House (click on pics to expand):

My tablescape, complete with felted fall produce created by my mother-in-law. How cute are they? I wish I was that crafty.

Another view of my tablescape, including the pumpkin pie I didn’t touch. I’ll get you tomorrow, pie.

Right out of the oven! This 15lb locally grown, all-natural, and fresh turkey cooked in only 1.5 hours. It was brined for 2 days and then coated with a sage, paprika, and brown sugar butter rub. It was perfect.

The pan drippings, moments before I slowly sprinkled in flour and turned it into a roux. After the flour was added, I added the turkey stock that I had prepared a few days earlier.

Roux  + Turkey Stock = Delicious Gravy!

This is a sourdough, apple, and chicken apple sausage dressing mixed with sage butter from Bon Appétit magazine. I eliminated the raisins because raisins do not belong in my food. It was very tasty.

After cooking we removed the breasts, which allowed carving against the grain. It presents beautifully, too.

Dinner is served and promptly devoured. I also served roasted Brussels sprouts, my mom’s delicious sweet potato pie with candied pecans, and a wonderful cranberry relish made by my mother-in-law. I think I need to go hit the fridge again.

This turkey dinner was EASY to prepare and cook. Seriously. The best part of all? The Dude not only helps cook but he washes dishes, too.

I’ll make that man turkey every day of the week.

The Fabulous Barefoot Contessa

Foodie Friday is my newest weekly series about all things food. What does food have to do with a parenting blog? Everything. Other than love and shelter, children rely on us to nourish them well and help them grow healthy and strong. Food fuels the body and feeds the soul. I love cooking almost as much as I love eating.  I will be sharing my own family recipes as well as advice and recipes from professional chefs. Foodie Friday won’t just be about recipes.  I’ll be discussing other aspects of food, such as sociopolitical issues related to food and American food culture, in general. As I dish about dishes and feed your mind, I hope you work up an appetite for some good eats!

To get this Foodie Friday started, I need to discuss my most important icon for all things foodie and fabulous. I’m talking about none other than The Barefoot Contessa.

Ina Garten is the Barefoot Contessa and if you’re not familiar with her, please set your DVR to the Barefoot Contessa program on Food Network. What I love most about Ina’s cooking style is that it’s simple and elegant. Sure, her recipes tend to lean in the hearty (read: fattening) comfort zone, but she can also whip up delicious recipes that are very healthy and lean. Her lemon and garlic roast chicken (minus the butter and bacon) has become a weekly staple in my house. I found myself watching her program years ago and I became fixated on her approach and cooking demeanor.  She also has this soothing and reassuring voice, as if to say, of course you can cook that! Some people take issue with her suggestions for “good” products only, such as “good” olive oil or “good” salt, which I take to mean expensive. She also always suggests homemade chicken stock. As much as I value her culinary opinions, I also value my time and wallet much more. I buy decent quality products that aren’t expensive and I buy chicken stock.

Ina is not a formally trained chef and it shows. But that’s what I like about her since I’m not either.  Ina just really loved to cook and throw dinner parties, so she gave up her career working as a budget analyst in the White House to open a specialty foods store and catering service in the Hamptons. It became so popular that eventually Food Network sought her out for her own cooking show. As Ina would say, how fabulous is that?!?

In honor of my Foodie Icon and my new weekly Foodie Friday series, please try out this recipe for Ina’s Potato Leek soup, which is perfect for the cooler weather. I have made it at least a dozen times by now and I love it more each time I make it. It is a very easy soup to prepare and it is just delicious. One thing to note, I did tweak her recipe a little to add some additional garlic flavoring and I skip the crispy shallots she suggests. My motto in life is everything is better with garlic (and bacon, although there is no bacon in this soup but now that I think about it, that might be pretty damn good!). Anything in bold is something I suggest.

Enjoy!

Ina Garten’s Potato Leek Soup (with Aimee’s added touch of garlic!)

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
1/4 cup good olive oil
– Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine + extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces creme fraiche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + extra for garnish

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°

Combine the potatoes, leeks, and 20 cloves of garlic on a pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4-5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over two burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree.  Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they’re all done and combined in the large pot. You can also use a heavy duty hand held immersion blender and just mix it all in the soup pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, cream fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese and Crispy Shallots, if using. I just add good quality croutons instead of the cheese or crispy shallots.

Per serving: 375 calories, 8 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (10 g saturated), 46 mg cholesterol, 898 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Bon Appétit!

You are now entering a shoe-free zone

If you’re a friend or family member of mine, then you know the routine by now:

Take your shoes off at the door, please.

Yes, I am one of those people.

I could blame my need to be shoe-free on my OCD tendencies. I’m certain they are largely responsible. But you could also blame it on a trip to Japan some years back or the influence of my shoe-free sister who has lived throughout Asia for many years. Or you could blame it on the fact that I used to live in one of the dirtiest cities in America. If you have ever stepped foot in San Francisco, you know what I’m talkin’ about. The streets of San Francisco might be beautifully breathtaking but if you ever look down (no, don’t look!) you will find yourself walking in a cesspool of trash and human waste. So when I was living in a downtown SF apartment with WHITE WOOL CARPET (I know, what the hell was our landlord thinking?!?), I finally put my foot down to wearing shoes indoors.

It’s not easy being shoe-free but I do try to make it easy for my guests. When we moved to our new house last year, I made a nice take-off-your-shoes area. I have a leather bench in my entrance hall where people can sit comfortably and remove their shoes. I also have a basket of clean socks and slippers for people to use, and I clean my hardwood floors daily (please don’t say it). I even have over-the-shoe booties for workers or for people that choose not to remove the shoes. Yes, I really am that crazy.

Still, some people complain about it, most notably *ahem* certain husbands. The Dude is definitely not happy about the rule, only because he claims that it’s hard to put his shoes on every morning in the garage. I get that that. We have a shelf for all the shoes near the garage door, but no place to sit. It’s easier for me since I don’t usually wear shoes with laces. I’m sure that the Monkey will complain about it, too (as well as all his friends) but to all of them I say this: when you clean my house to my ridiculously high OCD expectations that no housekeeper has ever lived up to and why I clean the whole house by myself, then you get to make the rules. Until then, Mama rules this shoe-free roost.

Do you have have a no-shoe policy, too, or are you like The Dude who thinks it’s ridiculous? I’d love to hear from you.