Been on a huge Gnocchi kick recently

[The Real MC]

Our family was ordering our meals at an italian restaurant and my brother & I got into a (friendly) dispute over how to pronounce gnocchi. He insisted it was pronounced with a hard 'g', when I was married to my sicilian spouse she pronounced it with the silent 'g'. This went back & forth before I admitted "well at least it isn't pronounced 'nooky'

 

Our waitress arrives with our meals and as she sets my plate of gnocchi in front of me, she very sweetly says "here's your nooky"

 

Busted a gut over that one

 

Marinara, meat sauce, alfredo, or pesto sauce? It's almost lunchtime and now I'm hungry for gnocchi.

 

hey at least I didn't say 'Garibaldi' *ducks*

[Delaware Dave]

Your sicilian ex-spouse is correct.

 

I took my wife out for Mother's day and that is exactly what I ordered.

[Legatoboy]

It phonetically sounds like 'In-Yorkie' with a fast, almost non existent 'I' and 'r' ... said like the dog breed Yorkie!

 

I'm all Sicilian but that is Northern Italian Cuisine...the further north you go in Italia the more the dishes get closer to Northern European food and every Provence in Italy has it's specialties...Italy wasn't a completely unified country until Garibaldi..1860 or so!

[The Real MC]

It's phonetically sounds like 'In-Yorkie' with a fast, almost non existent 'I' and 'r' ... said like the dog breed Yorkie!

 

That's how the ex pronounced it.

 

I'm all Sicilian but that is Northern Italian Cuisine...the further north you go in Italia the more the dishes get closer to Northern European food and every Provence in Italy has it's specialties...Italy wasn't a completely unified country until Garibaldi..1860 or so!

 

I'm a red blooded italian, but no one in Dad's family made sauce that was any good. Mom comes from the dutch meal family. We didn't have italian often. Then I married to a sicilian who showed me her family recipe - her mother/aunt brought it over when they emigrated to the US. After my divorce I moved to a new town where there was no decent italian restaurants, so I dug out the recipe. I changed a few things (fresh basil & oregano make a HUGE difference) and now my sauce is the star, the family expects it for dinners. I've made it for parties and campouts and it never disappoints. Even Garibaldi liked it...

[Mark Zeger]

Ive made butternut squash gnocchi in brown butter with sage.

 

Italian chefs have rules about pairing pasta & sauce. Thick, heavy pastas (rigatoni, tagliatelle) go with heavy sauce (Bolognese). Lighter pasta with lighter sauce. Im not sure about rules for gnocchi but a marinara seems like it goes with anything.

[Legatoboy]

The Real MC's Real Garabaldi Tomato Sauce...

The picture below if for your jars when you market it.... it sounds good...I'll be right over . . .I'll pick up the Italian Bread and maybe some Suprasada.

 

It's phonetically sounds like 'In-Yorkie' with a fast, almost non existent 'I' and 'r' ... said like the dog breed Yorkie!

 

That's how the ex pronounced it.

 

I'm all Sicilian but that is Northern Italian Cuisine...the further north you go in Italia the more the dishes get closer to Northern European food and every Provence in Italy has it's specialties...Italy wasn't a completely unified country until Garibaldi..1860 or so!

 

I'm a red blooded italian, but no one in Dad's family made sauce that was any good. Mom comes from the dutch meal family. We didn't have italian often. Then I married to a sicilian who showed me her family recipe - her mother/aunt brought it over when they emigrated to the US. After my divorce I moved to a new town where there was no decent italian restaurants, so I dug out the recipe. I changed a few things (fresh basil & oregano make a HUGE difference) and now my sauce is the star, the family expects it for dinners. I've made it for parties and campouts and it never disappoints. Even Garibaldi liked it...

[Adan]

If anyone says "nooky" when referring to gnocchi, I'll have to shoot them. For Italians, murder is not an excessive punishment for such a transgression.

 

My grandmother, who was from the Le Marche region, made it from scratch in her kitchen. Needless to say, that was the best I've had.

 

 

Even my young children (Luca and Siena) know how to say NYO-key.

[Legatoboy]

Adan, from scatch....you were a luck kid! No 'Nooky' is something completely different, well in the American vernacular at least! ...

 

If anyone says "nooky" when referring to gnocchi, I'll have to shoot them. For Italians, murder is not an excessive punishment for such a transgression.

 

My grandmother, who was from the Le Marche region, made it from scratch in her kitchen. Needless to say, that was the best I've had.

 

 

Even my young children (Luca and Siena) know how to say NYO-key.

[Joe Muscara]

My dad was 100% Italian heritage, but his parents (first generation born here) didn't cook much. My Japanese-Hawaiian mom learned to make some basic dishes from my dad's grandmother, mostly red-sauce based things. I never had gnocchi until I got Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian or whatever the book is called and my wife and I made it from scratch by his recipe.

 

I wonder how many family recipes were lost. My sister might have an idea since she is 12 years older and actually had meals made by Nana, who died before I was born.

[MikeT156]

Growing up Italian.

 

Interesting Topic. I grew up in NE PA, there was a large population of Italian Americans, as well as people from Eastern Europe, Irish folks, and Jewish families. My grandmother and grandfather came from Italy and all their children made great Italian food.

 

We all had large vegetable gardens, we grew large amounts of different types of Tomatoes, we harvested enough to put away for winter months so we had Spaghetti sauce to last until the next harvest. It was a lot of work, but what we harvested and stored was awesome.

 

I still have my mother's pasta "machine" that we used to make our own dough, we made ravioli, spaghetti, gnocchi,and other dishes. We had Pasta and meat balls 3 times a week. It was cheap and for a growing family, it made sense. I still have my mother's extra thick bottomed Guardsman Pots which is essential for slow cooking Sauce. Up until a few years ago, I still made my own meatballs. But as I've gotten older, I don't want to take the time to make all that stuff. It is also a fact that home made sauce and meatballs is usually made in quantity and goes well with a large family. I guess I've gotten lazy too. Convenience matters, especially because I have to clean up after myself as my family has passed onto the "other side".

 

 

Mike T.

[Adan]

Growing up Italian.

 

Interesting Topic. I grew up in NE PA, there was a large population of Italian Americans, as well as people from Eastern Europe, Irish folks, and Jewish families. My grandmother and grandfather came from Italy and all their children made great Italian food.

 

We all had large vegetable gardens, we grew large amounts of different types of Tomatoes, we harvested enough to put away for winter months so we had Spaghetti sauce to last until the next harvest. It was a lot of work, but what we harvested and stored was awesome.

 

I still have my mother's pasta "machine" that we used to make our own dough, we made ravioli, spaghetti, gnocchi,and other dishes. We had Pasta and meat balls 3 times a week. It was cheap and for a growing family, it made sense. I still have my mother's extra thick bottomed Guardsman Pots which is essential for slow cooking Sauce. Up until a few years ago, I still made my own meatballs. But as I've gotten older, I don't want to take the time to make all that stuff. It is also a fact that home made sauce and meatballs is usually made in quantity and goes well with a large family. I guess I've gotten lazy too. Convenience matters, especially because I have to clean up after myself as my family has passed onto the "other side".

 

 

Mike T.

 

Exact same thing in SE PA (Hershey). Funny thing is that my Italian grandparents were environmentalists long before the idea even existed. They grew most of their own vegetables (which were better tasting than anything in the market). Anything that could be composted into their garden was. They ate some beef, chicken, and pork, but very little of it. They way amongst these Italians was to chop it up and make it go a long way. For most of their life they didn't own a car, but instead walked to work. They came to America with nothing and made a good life for themselves, taking the most satisfaction from the fact that their kids got educated and found their own place in the world. They were kind and extremely ethical people. If you had asked them whether they wanted for anything, they would have laughed in your face. To bring it back "on topic," if you were a guest in their house you'd probably eat something homemade like gnocchi, and you'd think it was one of the best meals you'd ever had. There were no recipes, just memory and intuition.

[3rdAct]

Brings back good memories. All four of my grandparents were from Italy. My maternal grandmother made everything from scratch. Somehow translations from Italian to English got messed up and they called sauce "gravy" Bringing the whole thing around to the topic of this forum ... my grandmother handmade fettuccine (which she called spaghetti) by forcing the dough through piano wires stretch across a wooden frame!

[Dave Bryce]

Even my young children (Luca and Siena) know how to say NYO-key.

 

The Americanized version NYOCK-ee is the one I hear the most.

 

Can't help but snicker when I hear someone say ge-NAH-chee. Almost as funny as hearing someone pronounce the g in Gyros.

 

dB

[Synthoid]

The Americanized version NYOCK-ee is the one I hear the most.

 

http://wwwimage.cbsstatic.com/thumbnails/photos/files/asset/10/00/42/81/tbbt_sheldon_knock.gif

 

 

 

[Donsta]

I've been fortunate to have traveled and performed in Northern Italy several times as part of the Alba Music Festival.

 

The G is definitely silent.

[Dave Bryce]

I've been fortunate to have traveled and performed in Northern Italy several times as part of the Alba Music Festival.

 

The G is definitely silent.

There's a G in Northern Italy?

 

dB

[MikeT156]

My upbringing and cooking skills of years past has presented me with a problem. I don't/won't eat in an Italian Restaurant. Unless its a privately family owned out-of-the-way place, its not authentic Italian food.

 

There are variations of Italian dishes, not every Province in Italy made their meals the same way. We all know that Italian food has been "Americanized" like Pizza. A lot of different ways of making it, not all of them are any good.

 

Its much too easy for me to find fault with what they make, and my complaining about the food spoils my friends experience.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[Marzzz]

Wait, what about pirogies?

[MikeT156]

Our Polish neighbors made some great pirogies. Most every Friday night you could count on a lot of families chowing down on them. Back in those days, most people did not eat meat on Friday, so we could count on Fish, or pirogies, or both.

 

Yummy!

[Mark Schmieder]

Well, I'll be finishing up some ravioli tonight stuffed with sweet potatoes. Is that close enough to gnocchi?

[MikeT156]

Well, I'll be finishing up some ravioli tonight stuffed with sweet potatoes. Is that close enough to gnocchi?

 

No. but if you like them like that, eat them, and don't have any left-overs, you may be onto something!

 

 

Mike T

[The Real MC]

My upbringing and cooking skills of years past has presented me with a problem. I don't/won't eat in an Italian Restaurant. Unless its a privately family owned out-of-the-way place, its not authentic Italian food.

 

Same here. When you perfect your sauce recipe, it's hard even for a family-owned restaurant to measure up. And chains like Olive Garden are the WORST italian food on the planet.

 

Believe it or not, years ago I actually found a GOOD italian restaurant in the D/FW area. Of all places...

[Mark Schmieder]

When in York, order "In-Yorkie"?

[ElmerJFudd]

Giant stuffed gnocchi.

 

 

[Mark Schmieder]

Very giant. I've never made my own from scratch, but I am luckily able to find whole wheat gnocchi that I can stuff myself. My brother used to make all of his own pasta, but I can't remember whether his machine had a setting that would churn out gnocchi or not. After all, the material is different so the consistency might not work well with the machines. Are they hand-folded?

[Mark Zeger]

Gnocchi are very easy to shape. Take a portion of dough, roll by hand into a 3/4 thick rope, and cut into 1 pieces. To create ridges that will hold sauce, gently roll each piece against the tines of a fork.

 

If you make potato gnocchi, bake the potatoes and scoop out the inside. Dont boil them. Dry cooked potatoes make better dough.

[Mark Schmieder]

Thanks Mark. It's been a while since I read about gnocchi making. :-) That all rings a bell. I love gnocchi, but don't feel it reheats very well, which is why I rarely make it anymore, being single.

[MikeT156]

My upbringing and cooking skills of years past has presented me with a problem. I don't/won't eat in an Italian Restaurant. Unless its a privately family owned out-of-the-way place, its not authentic Italian food.

 

Same here. When you perfect your sauce recipe, it's hard even for a family-owned restaurant to measure up. And chains like Olive Garden are the WORST italian food on the planet.

 

Believe it or not, years ago I actually found a GOOD italian restaurant in the D/FW area. Of all places...

 

Yep, Olive Garden doesn't qualify to be regarded as a Restaurant. They reheat or microwave plastic food. Its awful.

 

 

Mike T.

[Mark Schmieder]

Olive Garden is one of the worst restaurants on the planet. They don't serve food.

[mauriziodececco]

Sauce suggestion for gnocchi:

1) Anything creamy; blue cheese is the classic; personally: melt some gorgonzola with butter and a little chopped garlic, add cream (*), let the sauce get dense, add a shadow of saffran, possibly a little bit of chopped fresh parsley.

If you are in France, you can you the Fourme d'amber if you don't find Gorgonzola.

Cream: in italy would be "Panna da cucina", but fresh "Panna da montare" would be better, but you'll need to cook it more.

In France, don't ever use 'creme epaisse' to do pasta; Creme liquide or creme fleurette is fine.

In USA i do not know, i get confused with the different denominations :->.

Absolutely not sour cream.

 

2) Anything with meat: ragu is a class of sauce, Bologna style is one.

White ragu (without tomatos) or normal will be fine.

 

Maurizio

 

PS: Adan, you know from where exactly you grand mother came from ? My family is from Pesaro :->