Autumn is in full swing in sunny southern California. Meaning, the temperature finely dropped below eighty degrees, I can’t look at my summer wardrobe anymore so I’ve taken to wearing boots and scarves and somehow I’ve convinced myself that it’s too cold outside to barbeque.

So inside I go. To create warmer, heartier, homier food.

If I can pretend that the weather is cold outside, then so can my diners (my family members who live with me and are forced to eat my food).

So get read for some serious fall dishes.

You will need…

2 racks of lamb

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups thawed frozen peas

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 shallot, roughly chopped

¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, combine the peas, mint, garlic, mustard, shallot and walnuts in the bowl of food processor and blend until the mixture is pureed.

Taste the puree and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Then, heat the oil in an oven safe pan over medium high heat.

When the oil is very hot, season the lamb well with salt and pepper and seer it till it is nice and browned. Start with the fatty side down.

As soon as the lamb has a nice seer, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Cover the lamb with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.

After the lamb has rested, remove the foil and rub the puree all over the lamb.

When the lamb is rubbed down, place the pan in the oven and cook it for 12 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the pan from the oven, remove the lamb from the pan and let it rest, covered with aluminum foil, for another 5 minutes.

Slice and serve hot. 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Pea Puree Crusted Rack of Lamb

2 racks of lamb

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups thawed frozen peas

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 shallot, roughly chopped

¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, combine the peas, mint, garlic, mustard, shallot and walnuts in the bowl of food processor and blend until the mixture is pureed.

Taste the puree and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Then, heat the oil in an oven safe pan over medium high heat.

When the oil is very hot, season the lamb well with salt and pepper and seer it till it is nice and browned. Start with the fatty side down.

As soon as the lamb has a nice seer, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Cover the lamb with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.

After the lamb has rested, remove the foil and rub the puree all over the lamb.

When the lamb is rubbed down, place the pan in the oven and cook it for 12 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the pan from the oven, remove the lamb from the pan and let it rest, covered with aluminum foil, for another 5 minutes.

Slice and serve hot. 

I don’t know if you are familiar with gnocchi. If you are not, you should be.

Until a couple years ago, I hadn't really heard about it. And to be honest, I've only had it a handful of times.

I wasn’t really sure what all the hype was about. But the gnocchi at Alessa in Newport Beach changed my world.

Forget the fact that the sauce was damn tasty, the gnocchi themselves were little pillows from heaven.

This gnocchi gave a whole new meaning to cloud nine.

Of course, I couldn't just settle for eating good gnocchi.

Nope. I had to go home and figure out how to make them just as good. Partially because I want to be amazing, and partially because I can’t afford to go eat at Alessa once a week.

Shockingly, making the gnocchi was amazingly simple and just as good as the ones at Alessa.  

You will need…

1 ½ lbs russet potatoes

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling the dough

1 egg

1 tablespoon salt

Start by placing your potatoes in a large pot and covering them completely with water. Add the salt to the water.

Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the water to a simmer and simmer the potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until they are very tender.

Remove one of the potatoes from the water and let it cool just enough so that you can handle it.

As soon as you are able, peal the potato and set it down on a large cutting board.

Using 2 forks or a ricer to lightly shred the potato. Do not mash them. The key is to keep the potatoes light and fluffy. Just make sure you don’t have any lumps.

As soon as you have finished the first potato proceed with the others.

When all the potatoes have been shredded, create a potato mound.

Then, make a small hole in the top of your mound and then cover your mound with 1 cup of flour.

Whisk your egg well and pour ¾’s of the whisked egg into the hole in the potato mound.

Reserve the remaining egg in case your dough becomes too floury.

Using your hands, slowly combine the flour, egg and potato until it forms a nice doughy texture.

If your dough is too sticky, little by little add in the extra flour until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers.

As soon as you have the right consistency, divide your dough into 8 small balls.

At this point, either reheat your potato water or heat a new pot of water and bring it to a boil.

While you are waiting of the water to boil, spread some flour on your work space and gently roll out the balls one at a time into long ropes.

When the ropes are ¾-1 inch thick, use a sharp knife to cut the gnocchi into pieces ½ inch to 1 inch long.

Gently press your fork into each gnocchi.

Immediately, add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water (if you have a small pot, cook them in batches).

As soon as the gnocchi pop to the top of the water, they are done. About 10 to 20 seconds.

Remove the gnocchi from the water, toss with pesto or your favorite sauce and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Homemade Gnocchi

1 ½ lbs russet potatoes

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling the dough

1 egg

1 tablespoon salt

Start by placing your potatoes in a large pot and covering them completely with water. Add the salt to the water.

Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the water to a simmer and simmer the potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until they are very tender.

Remove one of the potatoes from the water and let it cool just enough so that you can handle it.

As soon as you are able, peal the potato and set it down on a large cutting board.

Using 2 forks or a ricer to lightly shred the potato. Do not mash them. The key is to keep the potatoes light and fluffy. Just make sure you don’t have any lumps.

As soon as you have finished the first potato proceed with the others.

When all the potatoes have been shredded, create a potato mound.

Then, make a small hole in the top of your mound and then cover your mound with 1 cup of flour.

Whisk your egg well and pour ¾’s of the whisked egg into the hole in the potato mound.

Reserve the remaining egg in case your dough becomes too floury.

Using your hands, slowly combine the flour, egg and potato until it forms a nice doughy texture.

If your dough is too sticky, little by little add in the extra flour until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers.

As soon as you have the right consistency, divide your dough into 8 small balls.

At this point, either reheat your potato water or heat a new pot of water and bring it to a boil.

While you are waiting of the water to boil, spread some flour on your work space and gently roll out the balls one at a time into long ropes.

When the ropes are ¾-1 inch thick, use a sharp knife to cut the gnocchi into pieces ½ inch to 1 inch long.

Gently press your fork into each gnocchi.

Immediately, add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water (if you have a small pot, cook them in batches).

As soon as the gnocchi pop to the top of the water, they are done. About 10 to 20 seconds.

Remove the gnocchi from the water, toss with pesto or your favorite sauce and serve.