Fusilli Pasta with Italian Sausaage, Roasted Pork, and Chard on November 9

We had leftover sausage from Sunday’s pizza feast, and leftover roasted pork from Saturday.  I made fusilli pasta with the sausage, pork, sauteed Swiss chard with onion, garlic, Franny’s pepper paste, olives, cheese, and white wine.

Bruce made a Caesar salad with leftover dressing, and we drank a bottle of Parallele 45 cotes du rhone 2006.

Pizza Night with Dave & Debbie on November 8

Our friends, Dave & Debbie, came over for some of Bruce’s pizza.  We found out, once they showed up, that pizza is Dave’s favorite food & he was ready to eat what Bruce whipped up.  Bruce made 2 different kinds of dough: the traditional Napolitan and a neo-Napolitan (it had olive oil and honey in it).  Two cheese mixtures were made as well:  #1 (Fontal, Parmigiano Reggiano), and #2 (Pecorino Romano, Provolone).

Pizza #1: Napolitan dough, cheese mix #1, tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula.

Pizza #2: Napolitan dough, cheese mix #2, homemade Italian sausage, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Pizza #3: Neo-Napolitan dough, cheese mix #2, Genoa and paprika salami’s, mixed olives, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.

Pizza #4: Napolitan dough, cheese mix #1, basil and artichoke pesto’s, mushrooms, fresh basil, arugula, and mozzarella.

Pizza #5: Bruce made this pizza for Dave & Debbie to take home.  Neo-Napolitan dough, cheese mix #2, homemade Italian sausage, mushrooms, mixed olives, and mozzarella.

We drank several bottle of wine and had homemade cream cheese, hazelnut brownies with Frangelico for dessert.  No one went to bed hungry!!

Roasted Pork Loin with Apples, Fennel, Onion, and Roasted Sweet Potatoes on November 7

We picked up a nice boneless pork loin roast from Sweet Briar Farms at the farmer’s market in Corvallis.  I seasoned it with vanilla salt, pepper, and the last of the candy cap mushroom dust.  I seared the pork on both sides and then roasted it in the oven at 450F for 45 minutes.  I separately roasted sliced apples, fennel, and onion that had been seasoned with vanilla salt and pepper and tossed with orange olive oil.  We found some really beautiful sweet potatoes at the market as well.  For those, I rendered some prosciutto fat, seasoned them with vanilla salt, aleppo pepper, dried French herbs, and then roasted the sweet potatoes in the fat.  The slightly sweet-salty taste of the prosciutto fat really went well with the potatoes.  The pork roast was sliced and served on top of the roasted apples, fennel, and onion with the sweet potatoes on the side.  The pork was juicy, delicious , and perfect with the accompaniments.

Bruce made a bold Mediterranean inspired salad of arugula, olives, green onion, manchego,  aged gouda, and Irish cheeses, roasted scallop mushrooms, and fried garlic.  The dressing was lambrusco vinaigrette and the wine was Cuneo Bricco sangiovese 2004.

Fried Tofu, Napa Capbbage, and Thai Peanut Sauce on November 6

I had a hankering for peanut sauce,  had some leftover coconut milk I needed to use, and it was tofu night.  I cut tofu into cubes, rolled them in potato starch ( we really like the crunchy texture and slight potato taste), and fried them in peanut oil.  I sauteed sliced napa cabbage in peanut oil and then steamed it with a little mushroom stock; made steamed Thai sticky rice, and served the tofu, cabbage, and rice with a really tasty Thai peanut sauce made with Thai curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and peanut butter.  Bruce provided condiments of shredded carrot, radish, grated ginger, and cilantro.  We enjoyed our tofu with a bottle of Argento Malbec 2008.

Turkey Mushroom Ravioli with Pesto, Truffle Oil, and Roasted Porcini Mushroom on November 5

I haven’t made this ravioli in a very long time.  I used ground turkey instead of chicken to see if it made a difference in taste (it didn’t).  I also used a different dough recipe than the one I have posted on this blog.  I used 4 cups of flour, 4 eggs, and a little bit of water.  I kneaded it for about 10 minutes and then let it rest for about 1 1/2 hours; it was really nice and pliable.  I made 36 hand cut ravioli (I like to make them big) with the filling, and I even had a little bit of dough leftover to make some fresh pasta with.  I found a lonely porcini mushroom at the local co-op, brought it home, sliced it, and roasted it with lemon olive oil.  The ravioli were topped with pesto, the roasted porcini mushroom,  drizzled with truffle oil, and garnished with shredded basil.  Our friends, Mike and Sandy, came over to help us enjoy the dish.

Bruce made a nice, light salad of arugula, spearmint, celeriac, apple, and fennel and dressed it with a strawberry vinaigrette.  We enjoyed several bottles of sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and sangiovese with our meal.  I also made buttermilk panna cotta for dessert and served it with chestnut honey.  We completed the night’s festivities with Frangelico, Amaretto, and cinnamon schnapps.