People ask me all the time what my favorite thing to make is. I think that’s sort of a difficult question – it depends on my mood, on what I feel like eating, on what produce is abundant in my garden. But when someone asks you a question like that, to show interest in your hobby, to learn a little more about you, they don’t want to hear “it depends.” So I tell them, soup. And it’s true. I love to make soup. I love the rhythm of chopping vegetables, I love the way onions browning in butter smell, I love the sound of gentle simmering, the way steam curls over a pot and fills the entire house with the scent of comfort. I love sitting with a warm bowl of soup between my hands, how nourished and relaxed I feel after eating it. Campbell’s got it right all those years ago – soup is good food.

In our house, it’s an all-year food, too – I eat soup almost as much in the summer as I do in the winter. But it’s particularly gratifying to make and eat in the fall, on a rainy and blustery day, when the leaves are wet and slippery under your feet and houses, windows lit up against the blue-gray sky, begin to look incredibly inviting. I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself here – it’s currently 75° and partly sunny here, and while we did get some much needed rain this week, it was more of a tropical, humid rain than a cold, fall-ish rain. But I still found myself thinking about simmering pots of fragrant broth and chunky vegetable stews. So I thought it was finally time to share this lentil, mushroom, and pancetta soup that I made on a rainy day back in May. It’s a fairly straightforward French-style soup – shallots, carrots, celery, potatoes, and lentils – that gets three little upgrades. First, a bit of pancetta or bacon cooked with the mirepoix; second, crisp and earthy sauteed mushrooms on top; and third, a dollop of thyme-laced whipped cream that melts into the top of each bowl. It’s a soup that makes the simple and earthy just a little bit elegant, but still while being easy enough to whip up on a weeknight with ingredients you probably have in your fridge already.

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Lentil and Mushroom Soup with Thyme Cream

Adapted from Revolutionary French Cooking. Serves 4.

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 3 oz. pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 sprigs thyme, divided
• 1 c. Puy lentils, rinsed
• 5 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2/3 c. heavy cream, divided
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 1/2 cups thickly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown all over. Add the sliced shallot, carrot and celery and saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are slightly soft and beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes longer. Add the 2 of the thyme sprigs, the lentils, and the stock. Bring to a simmer then add the cubed potatoes. Simmer the soup until the potatoes and lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are tender, use a slotted spoon to fish out the thyme sprigs and discard the stems. Add 1/2 cup of the cream to the soup. Transfer two thirds of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, then return to the saucepan and mix with the remaining lentil and vegetable pieces. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the soup warm over very low heat.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan in a single layer, and season with sea salt and pepper. Let the mushrooms cook for two minutes without disturbing them, then flip them over using a spatula and cook two minutes on the other side. Mushrooms should be golden brown. If not, continue sauteing, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Pour the remaining heavy cream into a medium bowl. Whip until soft peaks form. Remove the leaves from the remaining two sprigs of thyme and whip into the cream. Season the cream lightly with black pepper.
5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, then top each bowl with sauteed mushrooms and a generous spoonful of the thyme cream. Serve immediately.

The post Lentil and Mushroom Soup with Thyme Cream appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Although I know making a big long list of resolutions is somewhat out of vogue, it’s something I still enjoy doing. Even if I don’t accomplish everything (or anything) on my list, I like to sit down and reflect on what I want out of the year, to think purposefully about change and direction. Plus, I just like making lists. I’m happy with 2013, and I’m excited for 2014, but one area of my life I’m going to need to be diligent about is fitness. I know it’s cliche to make health and fitness resolutions at New Year’s, but hey, anytime you can recommit to healthy living is a good time. Last year I was really good about exercising for the first half of the year – I was consistently working out 5 times a week, was loving my Nike Training Club strength workouts, and even got my 5K time under 24 minutes for the first time in years. Then July happened, we moved (away from my lovely bike path running route), I started going to Russia every month, and exercising just fell by the wayside. I haven’t gained any weight back since then but my fitness levels are just abysmal – doing 10 push-ups makes my ribcage ache and and I’ve been defaulting to pathetically short 2 mile runs instead of my typical 3 or 4. So, it’s time to bite the bullet and get back into it – even though I know the first few weeks are going to be torture, I also know how great being in shape again will feel.

Instead of making one big weight-loss or fitness goal for the whole year, which is an easy way to throw yourself under the bus with overly aggressive or too-distant goals, I’ve decided to commit to giving myself an achievable but challenging fitness goal every month this year. And, going against that not-so-tiny, lazy voice in the back of my head, I’m going to share them here for added accountability. Plus, I know you all like healthy recipes and this means I’ll post at least one a month. For January, my goal is to make it to the Y at least 10 times. I have a two-month trial membership there, but I have a history of paying for these things and then never using them. I’ve been an outdoor runner since I was 13, and going to the gym instead always feels a little bit like torture, but in January and February in Massachusetts, it’s really the only option, since I know from experience that convincing myself to go for a run after work, in the dark, in freezing temperatures, is much harder in practice than in theory.

In the vein of fitness and taking care of your body, I’m also gearing up for this year’s winter cleanse. Finding healthy snacks that will really fill me up in the afternoons is always a challenge, so I’ve been on the lookout for recipes that will make a satisfying replacement for my typical latte and chocolate cookie. I tried out these savory corn muffins from Vegetarian Everyday without letting my hopes get too high – while it’s a great cookbook, gluten-free baking can be really hit or miss in my experience. Luckily, these were a happy addition to the “hit” category. While certainly not calorie-free, these are pretty virtuous for muffins – no gluten, no butter, no sugar – and they have tons of flavor without being dry or crumbly. I’m warning you now that these are going to feature prominently in this year’s cleanse – as a mid-morning treat to have if my green smoothie leaves me hungry (usually), crumbled on top of hearty soups, toasted up for salad croutons, and of course, tucked away in my purse to satisfy those 3PM cravings.

So wish me luck with my exercise goals! Do you have any fitness-related goals for the new year? Please share if you do, and here’s to kicking off a happy, healthy 2014.

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Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins

Adapted very slightly from Vegetarian Everyday. Makes 15 muffins.

• 2/3 c. raw millet
• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1 c. rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 c. Greek yogurt (about two 5-oz containers)
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• One 6-oz. container of crumbled feta cheese
• 25 pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 TBS fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a small kettle of water to a boil, then pour 1/2 c. of boiling water over the millet in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain the millet and rinse with cold water. Add the cornmeal, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the millet and whisk to combine thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Beat in the yogurt and olive oil until thick and smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the feta cheese, olives, and thyme leaves and stir to combine.
3. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. Spoon batter into cups to fill just to the top. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top. Best served warm.

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The post Monthly Fitness Goals: January // Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Remember the lovely books from Yvette Van Boven, Home Made and Home Made Winter? Well, lucky for us, Yvette has just released a third book, Home Made Summer, which is just as inspiring as the first two books. And, to celebrate the book’s release and the beginning of summer eating, I’ve teamed up with Abrams Books to giveaway a set of all three books to one lucky reader! Giveaway details are at the end of the post, but first, some thoughts on the latest in the series. Giveaway now closed, congrats to Jen (comment #5) on winning!

When I reviewed Home Made Winter last fall, the post, and Yvette’s recipe for French Beef Stew, quickly became one of my most popular posts, with many of you trying out the recipe and coming back to let me know how you liked it and what you changed. I think the popularity of that post is really a testament to the quality and appeal of Yvette’s recipes, which is ultimately what keeps me coming back to her books. From her Winter cookbook, I made the beef stew, a delicious apple quinoa cake, and white chocolate lattes, and was pleased with all three. And now, from Summer, I’ve made the Polenta Pizza with Spicy Ratatouille (recipe at the bottom of the post!), and the most delicious Sparkling Cava Sangria (recipe soon!) and was amazed by both recipes. The polenta pizza was the most summery comfort food I’ve ever tasted, flavorful and rich without being too heavy. I devoured it. And the sangria, which uses fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling white wine, was a huge hit at my birthday party – the two pitchers of it were the first thing to go, even before the blackberry margaritas. Since we’ve only just fully entered spring, I’m sure many more recipes will grace my summer table before I switch back to winter food – at the top of  my list are the Quinoa Patties with Feta, Zucchini, and Corn, the super refreshing sounding Avocado, Cucumber, and Lime Shake, the Italian Chicken Stew with Grilled Goat Cheese Polenta, and the White Wine Sorbet. Summer is such a delicious time.

Style-wise, Home Made Summer stays true to the other books in the series. These books don’t stick to the serious, elegant, bucolic ideal that many cookbooks aspire to represent these days. Instead they are whimsical and lighthearted, full of little sketches, snapshots of Yvette’s many home countries, and cheerful type. Flipping through them is a bit like getting to take a peak inside someone’s kitchen notebook, except all the recipes have already been thoroughly tested and come out flawlessly.

If you’re interested in meeting Yvette, she’s currently on book tour! She’s already departed from the East Coast, but if you live in California, she’ll be holding several events in and around San Francisco over the next few days:

• April 18, 12pm – Rakestraw Books, Danville
• April 19, 6:30pm – Draeger’s, San Mateo
• April 20, 3-4pm – Omnivore Books, SF
• April 21, 1pm – Book Passage/SF Ferry Building demo
• April 22, 7pm – Books Inc, Berkeley

The bottom line: The three books in the Home Made series are whimsical, fun, and packed with delicious recipes, and Home Made Summer is no exception. The recipes in this book are the essence of summer, with heavy use of all the season’s best vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and flipping through the book makes me dream of picnics and barbecues. The recipes strike a great balance between being simple enough not to need hours of your time and tons of advance planning, but creative enough to remain interesting to experienced cooks, so I can heartily recommend it to both groups.

Giveaway details: To enter to win a copy of Home Made, Home Made Winter, and Home Made Summer, all you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know what summer food you are most looking forward to eating this year. By entering, you are agreeing to the official rules as listed here:

• No purchase necessary
• Void where prohibited
• One entry per household, and only entries answering the question above will be considered!
• The sponsor of this giveaway is Abrams Books
• The estimated retail value of the three books is $110
• The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received
• This contest is only open to U.S. Citizens over the age of 18
• The contest will open today, April 18th at posting time, and will close at 11PM EST on Wednesday, April 24th
• The winner will be selected randomly and contacted via email (so please leave an accurate email address!). If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, the winner forfeits their prize and an alternate winner will be chosen.
• I will post the winner here by Friday, April 26th

Giveaway now closed! Congrats to Jen on winning.

Disclaimer: Abrams Books sent me a review copy of Home Made Summer free of charge, but I was not otherwise compensated for this review and all opinions, as usual, are my own.

Now, after all that legal mumbo jumbo, how about that polenta pizza with ratatouille recipe?!

Polenta Pizza with Spicy Ratatouille

Recipe from Home Made Summer. Serves 4-6.

• olive oil for the pan
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 1/4 c. polenta
• 4 c. water [Katie’s note: or chicken stock for extra flavor, but omit the salt if using]
• 3 TBS butter
• 1 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe spicy ratatouille, cooled to room temperature (recipe below)

1. Oil a 12-inch round cake pan or pizza pan. Add the salt to the 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour in polenta in a thin stream, stirring constantly until smooth. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook, whisking constantly, until polenta is thick with no lumps. Depending on the type of polenta you use, this could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes (instant polenta will cook up much more quickly than regular polenta, if you’re in a rush).
2. Remove the cooked polenta from the heat and immediately stir in the butter and 3/4 c. of the parmesan, stirring until fully melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into the oiled cake pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or spatula (dip the spoon in water if it is sticking to the polenta). Let cool completely so that it is solid (you can stick the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to accomplish this if you’re short on time).
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Top the polenta with the ratatouille, leaving about 1/2 an inch of polenta exposed around the perimeter of the pizza. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 c. of parmesan, and bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are brown. Let cool slightly so that it’s easier to slice.

Spicy Ratatouille

Recipe from Home Made Summer. Makes about 3 cups.

• 3 TBS olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, stem removed and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium eggplant, stem removed and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 big tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 TBS chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 TBS harissa (adjust according to the spiciness of the harissa you’re using)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 TBS chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft and light brown. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, thyme, and harissa, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are all tender. Sprinkle with the parsley prior to serving.

The post Book Club: Home Made Summer // Polenta-Ratatouille Pizza and A Giveaway! appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I know that by the time I publish this, some of you will have been up for hours, standing in long lines and snagging amazing deals on everything from that perfect pair of riding boots to new televisions and cameras. I take my hat off to you, since I plan on being in bed all morning,  nibbling on leftovers and looking forward to having a bowl of this lovely soup for lunch, all while taking advantage of Black Friday via my favorite shopping vehicle – the internet.

Online shopping – it’s a beautiful and terrifying thing.

But while I’m lying here clicking away, I thought I’d take a moment and, in the spirit of consumerism, share some of my favorite holiday picks for the food-lovers in your life. If you’re only interested in the soup pictured above (one of my favorites, a sweet-nutty-creamy blend of roasted chestnuts, potatoes, and thyme, topped with a smidgen of goat cheese), skip on down to the bottom for the recipe.

A quick note – I really like themed gifts. I’d typically much rather give (and get!) a bunch of little things that all go together than one big thing. I think it’s fun, so most of the ideas below reflect that. I also tried to keep everything within a price range that wouldn’t have made my heart skip a beat when I was in college – sometimes the small, thoughtful gifts are the best! Also, I had a lot of fun putting this together, but I know it’s a bit different from what I usually post – if you found this helpful, or if you think I should stick to the recipes, I’d appreciate you letting me know in the comments.

1) For the Coffee Lover
This is a version of a gift I got for Trevor a few years ago. Maybe this is a memorable gift for me because I’m still benefiting from it – namely in the form of piping hot lattes served to me in bed. The Bialetti is a great little espresso maker – my family always has one with us!

1) Bialetti Stovetop Espresso Maker; 2) AeroLatte Milk Frother; 3) Espresso Cups; 4) Coffee Grinder; 5) The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee; 6) Sugar Bowl

2) For the DIY-er
I’m kind of obsessed with the “do it the way your great-grandmother would have” movement back towards creating our own kitchen staples through various forms of preserving. It’s not always practical, but if you have the inclination, it can be a lot of fun! Below are some of my favorite resources for making your own bread, pasta, cheese, and canned goods – most of which I own or have given to friends in the past few years.

1) Baguette Pan; 2) Local Breads; 3) Pizza/Artisan Bread Stone; 4) Pasta Maker; 5) Pastry Wheel/Ravioli Cutter; 6) Artisan Cheese Making at Home; 7) The Preservation Kitchen; 8) Canning Basket; 9) Canning Tools

3) For the Cookbook Collector
There were a lot of cookbooks released this fall. I’ve been reviewing and giving away a bunch of them over the past month or so, but there’s so many I haven’t gotten to yet. If the food-lover in your life stays current with the cookbook scene, here are some of the most exciting books from this fall. (It’s so great to see that some of the best books are coming from bloggers, too!)

1) Burma: Rivers of Flavor; 2) Jerusalem: A Cookbook; 3) Gran Cocina Latina (see my review); 4) The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook; 5) Small Plates & Sweet Treats; 6) What Katie Ate; 7) Baked Elements; 8) Japanese Farm Food (see my review); 9) Bouchon Bakery

4) Stocking Stuffers – My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets
Given that the little presents are my favorite kind, it might come as no surprise to you that stockings are my favorite part of present opening. These are some of my favorite everyday kitchen gadgets that are small enough to fit inside a stocking. Also, this can opener? It will change your life. Mine was a gift from my parents and my roommates are so amazed by it. And I know that the pastry brush is marketed to kids – I just like that it’s silicone, and a fun color.

1) OXO Can Opener; 2: Silicone Pastry Brush; 3) Microplane Grater/Zester; 4) Cherry Pitter; 5) Pastry Cutter; 6) Garlic/Ginger Press

Note: I feel it’s especially important to disclose in a post like this that if you buy anything through the Amazon links provided in this post, I’ll get a small commission from the sale. If you’re not cool with that but interested in the items recommended, just don’t use the link! And if you do use the link, I appreciate it!

And now for the soup! If you can get your hands on some fresh chestnuts, please do try this – in my mind, it’s one of the ultimate seasonal treats.

Roasted Chestnut and Potato Soup with Goat Cheese

Adapted from Cannelle et Vanille. Serves 2-3.

Note: Buy more chestnuts than you think you’ll need. Fresh chestnuts are very perishable, and I always end up with at least a few that have gone moldy inside. Others just never come out of their shells, so leave yourself some wiggle room. And when you’re at the store, try to pick nuts that still feel completely firm – any mushiness may be a sign that they’ve begun to mold.

• 20 chestnuts, roasted and peeled
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 small leek, trimmed, washed, and sliced into thin rounds
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 c. skim milk
• 2 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the leek and the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potato and saute for another 5 minutes. Add stock, thyme leaves, and roasted chestnuts, and bring to a boil.
2. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes and chestnuts are tender. Carefully ladle hot soup into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend into a smooth puree. Add the cup of milk and blend to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with some of the crumbled goat cheese. Serve hot.

The post Chestnut Potato Soup & A Foodie Gift Guide appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

It’s been a while since I’ve managed to publish one of these things in the month that it’s supposed to be in, but I’m ready this time, and with a few days to spare before we move into September (September!  Already?).  Perhaps I’m more on top of things because this month’s book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, is one of my absolute favorites, and cooking from it all month has been anything but boring.  It’s up there with Antojitos and In the Sweet Kitchen as a cookbook that I turn to again and again, always producing great results, always exciting and inspiring.  I get the feeling that I could cook every single recipe from this book and be amazed by the results every time.

Written by Suzanne Goin, owner of the prestigious California restaurant Lucques, Sunday Suppers at Lucques is the ultimate entertaining cookbook for an ambitious home cook.  Organized into seasonal menus with 4 dishes per menu, the recipes are not simple or quick, but they are certainly inspired.  The five or six recipes I’ve tried have all been jam-packed with flavor, color, and texture.  Each menu tends to have a lot of different elements in it, but as long as you’re not in a hurry and you go into it ready to enjoy the process, the techniques are simple and rewarding.  And even though this book was published almost 7 years ago, none of the menus are tired or overdone.  For example, one spring menu has you start with an Endive, Meyer Lemon, Fava Bean, and Olive Salad, followed by Hawaiian Snapper with Green Rice and Cucumbers, a Leg of Lamb with Chorizo Stuffing, and finished off with Vanilla Semifreddo and Rhubarb Compote.  In the winter, you may find yourself itching to try the menu that starts off with a Broccoli, Burrata, and Pine Nut Salad and ends with a Meyer Lemon and Chocolate Tart.

I thought it was only appropriate to share the first recipe I made from Sunday Suppers at Lucques, a dinner I made over two years ago when my aunt and cousins were visiting us in Maine.  Now, making homemade gnocchi for 8 is not necessarily something I would recommend unless you really like making gnocchi, but making this meal when you have a little bit of extra time on hand and someone to impress is definitely recommended.  If you’ve never tried them before, ricotta gnocchi will be a delightful change from traditional potato gnocchi – they are incredibly light and fluffy, a little bit sweet and rich from the cheese, and not too difficult to work with.  Sauteed with some mushrooms, sweet corn, and a bunch of summer herbs (as well as a copious amount of salty butter), they make the perfect late summer meal.

I’m far from done experimenting with this book.  In fact, I’m planning on putting together a full menu from the summer section of this book this weekend – if it’s successful, I’ll be back with more recipes.  Come fall, I’ve got a bunch more recipes flagged to try, including Tunisian Lamb-and-Eggplant Stew with Farro, Cranberry-Walnut Clafoutis with Bourbon Whipped Cream, and Grilled Duck Breasts with Roasted Grapes and Potato-Bacon Gratin.  Sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?  In the meantime, give this one a try, or check out some of the other ones I’ve shared in the past.

More from Sunday Suppers at Lucques:

• Roasted Beet and Fried Chickpea Salad with Ricotta and Olives
• Molasses Chews and Plum Sorbet (for ice cream sandwiches)
• First-of-the-Season Summer Succotash

Ricotta Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Sweet Corn, and Sage Brown Butter

Recipe adapted slightly from Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  Serves 6.

For the gnocchi:

• 2 eggs
• 2 c. flour
• 1 lb. whole milk ricotta, drained of excess liquid
• 3 TBS olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Beat the eggs together in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in large bowl.  Add the ricotta, and use two butter knives to cut the ricotta into the flour.  When they are evenly mixed, make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the eggs.  Use a fork to slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour/ricotta by dragging a small portion of the eggs out into the flour, mixing gently, then returning to the center.  Once eggs are fairly well mixed in, use your hands to briefly knead the dough, just until it comes together into a ball.  If it is too moist to work with, add a bit more flour (careful, too much flour or kneading will make it tough).  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board, cut into eight equally sized pieces, and cover with a kitchen towel.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  One at a time, take dough pieces out from under towel and roll out into a 1-inch thick rope on a floured work surface.  Gently cut the rope into 1 inch slices and sprinkle with flour.  If you’re feeling fancy, roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork, but this step is purely decorative.
4. In batches, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for a few minutes.  Once they rise to the surface, they need to cook for about 1 minute more before they are done.  The whole cooking time should be less than 5 minutes per batch.  Transfer the gnocchi to a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil.  You may make the gnocchi ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze if using later in the week.

For the sauce:

• 1 recipe gnocchi, see above
• 1 1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 7 TBS butter
• 1 lb. mushrooms, preferably wild, cleaned and sliced into uniform pieces
• 1 TBS thyme leaves
• 1 TBS sliced sage leaves
• kernels from 4 ears fresh corn
• 2 large shallots, finely diced
• 1.2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and pepper

1. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat with oil.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add remaining olive oil plus 1 TBS of the butter to the pan, and heat until the butter foams.  Add the mushrooms, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper.  Saute the mushrooms about 5 minutes, until golden brown and beginning to crisp.  Don’t move them around in the pan too much – let them begin to caramelize on each side before turning.  Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside
3. Add remaining 6 TBS of butter to the pan and cook until the butter begins to brown and smell nutty.  Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then add sage, cook for 1 minute or until it sizzles, then add corn, shallots, 1 tsp salt, and pepper.  Saute quickly, stirring the whole time, until corn is tender, about 2-4 minutes.  Add prepared gnocchi to pan and toss to coat gnocchi with butter.  Add mushrooms, parsley, and breadcrumbs, and heat the whole dish through if necessary.
4. Remove from heat and season to taste.  Serve hot.

The post Cookbook of the Month: Sunday Suppers at Lucques appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.