Biscotti recipe

[Allifunn]

This is causing me to want to make biscotti!!
I also want to make my grandmother's poppy seed strudel this year!

 

[Mermaid]

deal!!! I also have my grandmother's home-made ravioli recipe and I've never had the nerve to attempt it. My mother does it for Easter. My grandmother used to have hundreds and hundreds of raviolis drying on top of sheets all over the house - on beds, tables, and any surface she could find.

Oh goodness, Tootsie, your grandmother reminds me of my mother! She's 100% Irish but her heart is 100% Italian. When we were growing up we always had homemade, handrolled pasta. When it was drying, there'd be strings of it all over the kitchen. Sometimes it looked like the Red Bar on New Year's Eve--confetti everywhere, though ours was pasta--hanging from the faucets, the oven racks, the fridge handles...you name it.

 

[Teresa]

Oh goodness, Tootsie, your grandmother reminds me of my mother! She's 100% Irish but her heart is 100% Italian. When we were growing up we always had homemade, handrolled pasta. When it was drying, there'd be strings of it all over the kitchen. Sometimes it looked like the Red Bar on New Year's Eve--confetti everywhere, though ours was pasta--hanging from the faucets, the oven racks, the fridge handles...you name it.

I know. we always say we're going to do the same family tradition (such as ravioli) and we want it, but somehow never get around to it. It takes so much time. and in our world, we want it done quickly! something wrong with us I say!!! :roll:

 

[Paula]

Tootsie: Yup, the ravioli takes a long time to make, especially if you do it yourself. But the trick to getting it done faster is to make the filling the day before, then set up an assembly line with your family. Someone makes the dough with the machine, someone takes the dough and fills and closes the ravioli on the little ravioli form, and then the last person has to "fork" the edges of the ravioli (take a fork and press it along the edges so it seals the edges better so they don't open up when cooking) and put them on pieces of floured waxed paper to dry. Then we layer the ravioli (we keep them on the floured wax paper and flour the top of the ravioli as well) and layer them and freeze them until we want to use them. That way, they're ready to go even if we want to use them a month or two later. It still takes a while to do, but at least you can do it when you're not under pressure with people coming over in the next day or two. Then, when they come over, making the meal is easy because all you have to do is cook up the ravioli. The differences between home made and bought ravioli is that the home-made ones are so tender and melt in your mouth.

Merm: I remember pasta hanging all over the house too. My family even used the broom handles (thank goodness the board of health didn't come to our house!)

Allifunn: Hmmm... willing to share that poppyseed seed strudle?

 

[Mango]

Some people swear by fresh pasta, but to be frank with you, I never cared much for it. I find it to be too gooey for me. Someone gave me a pasta maker years ago, and I spent a whole day making chicken filled ravioli. It took me days to clean my kitchen and it looked like a flour soap opera.
I found that it wasn't worth my time. I just buy it now, and my favorite is pumpkin ravioli with a cream sauce with procuitto and little peas.

 

[peapod1980]

I just buy it now, and my favorite is pumpkin ravioli with a cream sauce with procuitto and little peas.

Mango, where do you buy this? I'm praying not a local market!

 

[Ocean Lover]

Mango, where do you buy this? I'm praying not a local market!

It sounds heavenly!

 

[Mermaid]

Mango, where do you buy this? I'm praying not a local market!

Pea, if you have a Costco near you, they sell butternut squash-filled ravioli. That's about as close a substitute as I can think of, although Trader Joe's probably would be a good source to check as well.

 

[Paula]

I agree, Mango, that sometimes fresh pasta isn't as good as store-bought pasta (e.g., linquini, spaghetti, etc.). But I swear that the ravioli my family makes is so delicate and amazing and full of flavor -- we do get flour everywhere, though. But it's nice when a special event comes and we can just pull the ravioli out of the freezer and have a very special but easy meal to prepare.

 

[Mango]

It sounds heavenly!

It is

Pea, if you have a Costco near you, they sell butternut squash-filled ravioli. That's about as close a substitute as I can think of, although Trader Joe's probably would be a good source to check as well.

Excellent idea Mermy. Trader Joes might have it.

Mango, where do you buy this? I'm praying not a local market!

Sorry to say I do buy it at a local specialty market called Turco's
but I checked and you can purchase on-line if you can't find it anywhere else. Otherwise, it's easy enough to make I guess if you can make ravioli from scratch and get some pumpkin filling and season it to taste.

I agree, Mango, that sometimes fresh pasta isn't as good as store-bought pasta (e.g., linquini, spaghetti, etc.). But I swear that the ravioli my family makes is so delicate and amazing and full of flavor -- we do get flour everywhere, though. But it's nice when a special event comes and we can just pull the ravioli out of the freezer and have a very special but easy meal to prepare.

Sounds delicious Paula. Maybe mine had too much water in it? I guess it is a learned art of which I do not have the patience for.