Ye Olde English Toffee

This weekend's holiday is giving chocolate lovers reason to indulge. If you are looking for a traditional alternative confection to the box of chocolates, I've found it.

Harrogate Toffee is a rich, brittle, buttery toffee with a hint of lemon oil. Farrah's Toffee from Harrogate in Yorkshire is made the same way since its beginnings in 1840 and has been a favorite with candy lovers from all over the world for generations keeping the company in business for over 160 years. It is even reputed to be the current Queen's favorite toffee!

The toffee is still made in copper pans, in Harrogate, north Yorkshire packaged in their signature embossed tin boxes. Farrah's is also known for their other confections, preserves, chutneys and shortbreads.

Relatively new to the line are the red packaged "Olde English Toffee," an individually wrapped softer and more chewy version, and available in the US at specialty shops and markets.

Farrah's
Pennine Range Mills,
Camwal Road,
Starbeck,
Harrogate,
North Yorkshire,
HG1 4PY
t: 01423883000

Genovese Style

Pesto Genovese, so it is called in Nortern Italy; which is traditionally served with the addition of boiled sliced potatoes in the dish.

Pesto is not only for pasta, you can combine it with mayo for a great dressing or spread. Pesto is also tasty when topped on grilled poultry and grilled seafood. Dab a little pesto on crusty sliced ciabatta for an app. The key tip when making pesto is to use the very best quality extra virgin olive oil you have and don't be shy with the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. My Pesto Recipe. I've added chick peas and boiled Yukon potatoes to pesto this recipe (in image) for a bit of summer variety. 

Handmade Ravioli

Ravioli, a pasta whose name derives from the verb "to wrap" (ravvolgere).

A century ago, stuffed pasta with vegetable-based fillings were eaten on Fridays and during Lent. The meat-stuffed varieties, on the other hand, were a day-after treat made with the left over meats from Sunday dinners or festive meals. Today, good enough for everyday of the week.

-Recipe, George’s Ricotta Pasta Dough

-Recipe, Ravioli Filling Recipe

Bucatini Spicy Tomato

Here's my quick spicy pasta to complement practically any protein; it's especially good with my grilled shrimp or grilled pork chops.

TIP: The key to the tasty sauce, use good quality canned tomato like San Marzano and serve pasta cooked al dente.

In a small mountain village in Abruzzo, Italy, one family has been making bucatini—thick, hollow, spaghetti-like pasta—the same way since 1867. They start with handmade semolina dough, shape it using a handcrafted circular bronze die that "rough cuts" the pasta, (which results in a texture that allows sauce to cling), then allow it to dry slowly for up to 48 hours at a very low temperature in order to bring out the true artisan flavor. Available at Dean & Deluca.

George's Spicy Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 cups |chefgeorgehirsch.com

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped pancetta

10 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/2 chopped onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup prosciutto, chopped fine

2 cups canned plum San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

1/4 cup dry white wine

2-4 teaspoons hot pepper flakes

10-12 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a saucepan and heat the olive oil.  Add the pancetta and cook until it becomes light brown.  Add the garlic, onion and prosciutto and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, white wine, hot pepper flakes, basil and black pepper, stir well and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  You can regulate the spiciness of the dish by adding more or less hot pepper flakes.

Suggested Pasta: 1 pound Bucatini

Heat a large pot of water and cook the Bucatini according to package directions.  Make sure to drain the pasta very carefully, shaking the colander to discard any water remaining inside the Bucatini.

Return the pasta to the cooking pot, add the sauce, mix well and serve in deep bowl.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Moghrabieh

is aka as Lebanese couscous. It is a nutritious grain-based pasta made from semolina flour rolled into pearl shaped pellets. Couscous is ideal for soups, stews, salads and side-dishes, like my Couscous and Tomato Salad.

Zürsun, well known for their heirloom beans now produces their own moghrabieh. Their wheat is the highest quality and sustainably grown on Lebanese farms, creating a creamy and authentic tasty couscous. Thumbs up.

Zürsun products, available at specialty food markets.