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“Urda” Gnocchi with wild garlic pesto

A long time ago I tried to make gnocchi. The plot involved an Italian boyfriend, sleep deprivation and a fabulous walnut sauce. The plot, alas, got lost: The gnocchi dissolved into something akin to prisoner of war camp potato soup or being more charitable: wallpaper paste. The fabulous sauce dried up and was never used. The boyfriend sneered. I sulked.

Fast forward a number of years, a desire to vanquish the gnocchi demon and a sneaking suspicion that some little dumplings made with “Urda” (a Romanian ricotta like cheese made from whey and very high in protein) and sexed up with a fabulous pesto would work. And work it does.

Gnocchi work well with all manner of sauces but they seem particularly delicious with a more piquant sauce…this garlicky, lemony, almondy sauce does the trick.

These gnocchi are fast, they freeze (use direct from the freezer) and they work with many sauces. Give them a go and you will have a wonderful earthy comfort food dish mastered perhaps a bit faster than I managed.

Cassata “Romaneasca”

My new dessert love – move over trifle.

One of the best things about Sicily (and there are many ) is its over the top uber sweet desserts courtesy of its Arab rulers. Think candied citrus peel and fruits, cannoli, torrone and a deep obsession with modelling things out of “martorana” the local almond paste.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Marzipan “fruit”

I think well leave it there – you get the idea. Credits to www.siciliangodmother.com an absorbing read

And so I turned to one of my favourite baking booksfor the real deal on “cassata siciliana”

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Chocolate & “Magiun de Prune” Tart

A classic combination chocolate and prunes, this tart makes use of one of Romania’s finest inventions, a rendered down plum paste known as “Magiun de Prune” which relies on the natural sweetness of the plums and is a heavenly sticky concoction. It is yes just rendered down plums which in the season are simply simmered slowly in huge wide pots, usually outdoors until a thick unctuous paste remains. This paste is sweet, sticky and extremely high in iron. I love it eaten with yoghurt or spread on toast.

To give it a little kick I added some “Tuica” another home made plum product. This is the local firewater and yes indeed it is traditionally downed for breakfast in Transilvania (cuts through the smoked pork fat). Delish! and no outrageous levels of obesity and 21st century diseases and ailments up there of course. Just a diet high in pig fat, eau de vie and hard physical work. Back to the recipe in hand…

This recipe actually uses the filling from Simon Hopkinson’s Chocolate Tart and I have made this without problem for many years. I use my Very Buttery Pastry however, so I can have a really thin pastry shell. In the picture I have garnished with a very retro little brandy snap and a scoop of parsnip ice cream but vanilla works well as does a good high fat content sour cream/ creme fraiche.

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