Run OMG, Run!!!

Loyal Blonde Appetit reader and fellow blogger, former WIS-TV Weekend Anchor Angie Goff, is running her very first marathon on October 26th in Arlington, VA. Angie is now the Traffic Anchor for WUSA-9 in D.C. She will be running the entire 26.2 mile Marine Corps race in the name of charity: FINISH FOR KIDS & raising $800 Buck-a-roos.

http://finishforkids.org/

Angie is one of my best gals in the world. Needless to say, I am SO proud of her. I was just re-reading some of her old blogs (YOU NEED TO CHECK HER PAGE OUT!) and it was only back in late July that Miss Angie was shooting for 6 miles. Well, she had worked her little fanny off (with the motivation of yummy treats...that's my kind of reward!). She is ready for the 26.2 miles. Way to go Angie. It is causing her to do crazy things...LIKE COOK! I won't let the cat out of the bag (she says her recipe is top secret!), but I assure you she did not make her gnocchi completely from scratch. However, with the creamy sauce and mushrooms...Mmmm...it really looked delicious. That is pretty impressive! Please join me in wishing Angie the best of luck! I will keep you posted on her results!

CHECK OUT ANGIE's BLOG: http://tinyurl.com/ohmygoff

Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Sugo

courtesy: Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

For the gnocchi:
2 pounds russet potatoes
Coarse salt
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 to 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting or use store bought gnocchi (1 pound fresh or frozen)

For the sugo:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups mixed wild mushrooms, finely chopped (from about 3/4-pound mushrooms)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/2 cup tomato puree (from fresh or canned peeled tomato)
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 generous tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Parmesan

Directions

For the gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake potatoes until very soft on a bed of coarse salt in a baking dish, about 45 minutes. (The salt keeps the potatoes from touching the dish and developing a hard spot.) Cool potatoes until warm, then halve lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Pass the flesh through a food mill or ricer, or push it through a coarse sieve. You should have about 4 cups.

In a bowl, combine potato, egg yolks, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Work the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add 1 cup of the flour and knead very gently, patting and pressing the dough with your hands until all the flour is incorporated. Add some or all of the additional 1/4 cup flour if the dough feels too moist, it should be soft but shouldn't stick to your hands. Transfer dough to a work surface and roll into a log about 3 inches in diameter. Cut the log into 8 equal pieces.

Give each piece a quarter-turn so that you are rolling the dough in a different direction, then roll into ropes, a generous 1/2-inch in diameter, as if making breadsticks. Flour the ropes generously, and then cut crosswise at 1/2-inch intervals. You can shape the gnocchi on a ridged butter paddle or on the back of a fork, or you can cook them as is. Let them dry at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

For the sugo:

Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When hot, add oil, and then sprinkle in the mushrooms. Don't stir! Let the mushrooms sizzle and caramelize for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to release its fragrance. Add the rosemary and shallot and cook for about a minute. Cook briefly to release their fragrance, then add tomato and red wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add the broth or water. Simmer until slightly reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Sprinkle with the parsley and keep warm.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi. They are usually done about 2 minutes after they float to the surface, but test 1 to be sure. Lift them out with a skimmer and transfer to a large platter. Pour the warm sauce over the gnocchi. Grate Parmesan over the top and serve immediately.