Spaghetti, won-tons, dumplings and monti; they are all made of flour mixed with some water and other ingredients. But let us start with the Italian version of the NOODLE.

I use a large plastic bowl to mix a batch enough for three-and-a half persons. It takes two eggs (AA large) beaten with two tablespoons water and a pinch of salt, and one-and-a-half cups of flour. I am usually not that precise about amounts; however, with dough it is important. Too much flour and you have a heavy rock; too much liquid and you work with a sticky mess. Mix with a fork until crumbly.

Dump this on a floured surface and start kneading. It should make a stiff ball at first. if not, add a few drops of water or flour, depending! As you knead the ball, with pushing motions from your wrists, it becomes more pliable and elastic. Continue for another five minutes and it will be like taffy.

Then you are ready to roll each into a nice thin sheet. I use this pasta machine, but I have also done it the old fashioned way, with a rolling pin. After a few passes, and by increasing the setting to get the right thickness, you end up with a long sheet of dough.

You can cut the sheet into narrow strips for fettuccini or wide pieces for lasagna. Here we are making bow ties by crimping the square pieces between two fingers. The serrated tool makes a decorative edge that also prevents the pieces from sticking to each other when you boil the noodles. Remember fresh noodles take less time to cook.

Is there anyone who doesn't like ravioli? You can stuff them with cheese, meat or lots of other goodies and with a bit of sauce on top they are so good!

I bought this ravioli pin one time (shown far left), but found that the tray (shown to the right) does a better job. Let me show you how I use it.

Roll out two sheets of dough, a little larger than the size of the tray. Put one completely over the metal tray and dimple it lightly with the white plastic piece. This makes the pockets for the filling. Careful; if you press too hard you might tear the dough on the back side.

Add the filling of your choice. Here I use a mixture of cooked squash, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Note the use of a zip-lock-bag with one corner cut off. More about fillings later. Now wet the exposed edges around each pocket with some water or beaten egg, place a second sheet of dough over all of this and roll it out with a pin. The serrated edge of the tray cuts the perimeter and raviolis. Pull the excess away, turn the tray up side down, and shake out the raviolis. They are ready to cook. Because of the extra thickness and filling, I boil them for about twelve minutes. Sharon wants five and I get the rest.

Now, don't go and buy this gadget right away. First make some raviolis by hand. Roll out some dough, cut it into squares and add the filling one bit at a time. The size and shape is your option. For example, wet two edges and fold the piece into a triangle. Here I am using a mixture of left-over salmon and shrimp. Click here for fillings.

"But I don't have time to make my own pasta noodles," you say. Well, buy some won-ton wrappers in the store and fill them one by one. Personally I don't like the noodles as well, but they are fine in a pinch. Here is what you can do with them:

Squeeze some filling into one corner, wet two edges and fold over the other corner to make a triangle. Or you can make bigger ones by taking two sheets with the filling in between. You can get a bit fancier and fold the two corners together to make cappelletti (little hats). I also like to serrate the edges. It helps to seal the seam.

Raviolis can be filled with a lot of things. There are numerous recipes for using ground meats, chicken and pork. You can simply use a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan cheese (even cottage cheese will do) or try some of your own. I already talked about squash with ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Spinach keeps popping up in Italian cooking, or how about beets with some sautéed onions and a dash on nutmeg - the result is "stunning". Here are some others that you might like to try.

Seafood? Why not!  We were in some fancy restaurant in San Francisco a few years ago. For an appetizer they served us one ravioli on a huge plate. It was filled with cooked lobster. So, try some scallops sautéed in butter with a bit of grated lemon or lime peel. Use them whole or chopped.

Oh, by the way; do you know how to quickly peel a clove of garlic? Put the flat part of a knife on the clove and hit it firmly. Be sure the sharp edge is not up! Nine times out of ten the garlic pops right out. Try it; no smelly fingers.

Here is one for the kids. Cut up a hotdog and add some grated cheese or ricotta. Include a surprise. Who said that cooking cannot be fun?

Tomato sauce is, of course, the most common sauce on top of pasta. Earlier I showed how I make the sauce by roasting fresh tomatoes with basil and onions. Here, now, I like to talk about "cream" sauces. The basic steps are the same as for cream soup.

When you have some extra time (like, on cold day or around Christmas time) and feel like tackling a different project, make some tamales. Like raviolis, don't make just five or ten tamales. Count on making forty or sixty small ones. There are a few ingredients that are a bit out of the ordinary. You need dried corn husks, for example. They may be available in your supermarket; otherwise get them from a Mexican food supply place. A one pound package will yield about sixty wrappings. Also masa, the Mexican corn meal (one kilogram bag), and lard or Crisco vegetable shortening. I prefer the latter because of the cholesterol problem. A large can (28 onz.) of spicy red or green chili sauce: red for meat, green for pork or chicken.

Prepare the meat or chicken filling. I use a crock-pot to slowly braise about three or four pounds with the can of chili sauce overnight. Let it cool, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve. Put the liquid in the fridge to solidify and skim off the fat. Meanwhile remove any fat, skin and grizzly pieces from the meat and shred with two forks. Taste it and add salt and spices if necessary. About an hour or so before you are ready to assemble, soak the corn husks in a large bowl with warm water.

Make the masa dough as follows:     Put three cups of shortening in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of salt and mix/beat it with a mixer until a bit fluffy. Add nine cups of the masa and continue to mix until small crumbs form. Add the saved liquid one cup at a time and mix. Add more until the masa is of a soft cookie dough consistency. Now make your tamales. Oh, yea, we need a bunch of cotton string to keep the little guys from falling apart.

Take a corn husk, drain off the water, and place a glob of the masa along one edge. Spread it out with your fingers and add some meat. Roll it up, tuck in the ends and tie it into a little bundle.

When they are all done, I like to put about four in a plastic sandwich bag. Then take four or five of those and place them in a large freezer bag. That way I can take out what I need for a snack or meal. To cook tamales I steam them for ten to fifteen minutes. Steam longer if you cook a lot of them at a time. The idea is that the masa has to get hot and set - kinda like dumplings or polenta.
Polenta? Hey, now there is another good one ! ! ! !