Since gnocchi grow on every bush in Umbria I had to try, right?

Mind you, I did not make these from scratch for such a chancy purpose, but I
bought fresh ones from the supermarket.

I tried double frying them from fresh. They were fine but a bit hummy/chewy
inside.

I then tried boiling them, draining and cooling them and then double frying
them. They were much better with a lighter inside by far.

Do I tried boiling, draining, cooling and single frying them. They were
precisely the same as double fried.

In each case I lightly sprinkled them with a bit of salt, rosemary and
pepper mix. I wished for a Gorgonzola sauce but I did not indulge.

In sum, anyone could do this, and they are just fine, but they won't replace
potato chips for a while.

Here is a photo:
http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...iedgnocchi.jpg

On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:27:35 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>Since gnocchi grow on every bush in Umbria I had to try, right?
>
>Mind you, I did not make these from scratch for such a chancy purpose, but I
>bought fresh ones from the supermarket.
>
>I tried double frying them from fresh. They were fine but a bit hummy/chewy
>inside.
>
>I then tried boiling them, draining and cooling them and then double frying
>them. They were much better with a lighter inside by far.
>
>Do I tried boiling, draining, cooling and single frying them. They were
>precisely the same as double fried.
>
>In each case I lightly sprinkled them with a bit of salt, rosemary and
>pepper mix. I wished for a Gorgonzola sauce but I did not indulge.
>
>In sum, anyone could do this, and they are just fine, but they won't replace
>potato chips for a while.
>
>Here is a photo:
>http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...iedgnocchi.jpg
>
>
They look wonderful. I'd like to try that for sure .

koko

--

There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 08/09

"koko" ha scritto nel messaggio
"Giusi" > wrote:
>
>>Since gnocchi grow on every bush in Umbria I had to try, right?

> They look wonderful. I'd like to try that for sure .
>
> koko

They look like Tater Tots to me, but I love Tater Tots and I am only mildly
enthusiastic about fried gnocchi.

One thing I found when buying these -- something one rarely does here since
this is potato gnocchi central and everyone makes them-- is that quality is
all over the place. I read labels until I found the gnocchi with the
highest percentage of potato. The cheapest ones were only 35%, the ones I
bought were 75% or higher.

Giusi wrote:

> They look like Tater Tots to me, but I love Tater Tots and I am only
> mildly enthusiastic about fried gnocchi.
>
> One thing I found when buying these -- something one rarely does here
> since this is potato gnocchi central and everyone makes them-- is that
> quality is all over the place. I read labels until I found the gnocchi
> with the highest percentage of potato. The cheapest ones were only 35%,
> the ones I bought were 75% or higher.

I wonder if frying other types of gnocchi (e.g., semolina gnocchi or the
French choux-pastry version of gnocchi) would be better.

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:
>
>> They look like Tater Tots to me, but I love Tater Tots and I am only
>> mildly enthusiastic about fried gnocchi.

> I wonder if frying other types of gnocchi (e.g., semolina gnocchi or the >
> French choux-pastry version of gnocchi) would be better.

The pate choux would be beignets, surely. The semolina ones are (supposed
to be) very delicate and I don't see frying them being a very good thing. I
think because they are so wet they'd likely blow up or shatter, but
certainly would at least be prone to boil up the oil a lot, which I try to
avoid. We should ask the Scots since they fry everything fryable.

Giusi wrote:

> In each case I lightly sprinkled them with a bit of salt, rosemary and
> pepper mix. I wished for a Gorgonzola sauce but I did not indulge.
>
> In sum, anyone could do this, and they are just fine, but they won't
> replace potato chips for a while.
>
> Here is a photo:
> http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...iedgnocchi.jpg

WOnderful idea and a very nice look, too. Never seen nor heard of.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... have you tried'em with a tomato sauce? I guess how that
would do, with the sauce spiling that crispy outside...
SO, are we supposed to eat our gnocchi by dipping them in BBQ sauces? LOL
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

"ViLco" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:
>
>> In each case I lightly sprinkled them with a bit of salt, rosemary and
>> pepper mix. I wished for a Gorgonzola sauce but I did not indulge.

>> Here is a photo:
>> http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...iedgnocchi.jpg
>
> WOnderful idea and a very nice look, too. Never seen nor heard of.
> Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... have you tried'em with a tomato sauce? I guess how that
> > would do, with the sauce spiling that crispy outside...> SO, are we
> supposed to eat our gnocchi by dipping them in BBQ sauces? LOL
> --
> Vilco

Someone here mentioned being served fried gnocchi by a French chef
somewhere. It was in a discussion of frying potatoes, of all things. Ecco:
double frying vs single frying.

Why don't you make them and try some sauces? What leapt into my mind was
something of Gorgonzola maybe with mascarpone, garlic-- creamy and cool, un
pò piquante. But what leapt into your mind might be even better. Try!

When I finished making these I made some tempura vegetables while the oil
was still hot. They were appreciated too. I think people don't deep fry at
home so much anymore.

Giusi wrote:

> When I finished making these I made some tempura vegetables while the
> oil was still hot. They were appreciated too. I think people don't
> deep fry at home so much anymore.

Very true, deep frying will become a lost art in a couple of generations,
reserved only to the elites.
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

"ViLco" ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:
>
I think people don't>> deep fry at home so much anymore.
>
> Very true, deep frying will become a lost art in a couple of generations,
> > reserved only to the elites.

Giusi<--- fat elite

In article >,
"ViLco" > wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
>
> > When I finished making these I made some tempura vegetables while the
> > oil was still hot. They were appreciated too. I think people don't
> > deep fry at home so much anymore.
>
> Very true, deep frying will become a lost art in a couple of generations,
> reserved only to the elites.
> --
> Vilco

It's silly too. If you use unsaturated oil (I use peanut oil) and don't
bread everything heavily, deep frying does not add a significant amount
of fat.

I never batter when I deep fry. Yam fries don't even get dredged! Meat
gets wet with water, then dredged in spiced rice flour or corn starch,
then fried until golden brown. I then remove it to a wire strainer over
a bowl with paper towels to soak up the oil. I allow them to drain
until cool enough to eat.

So much of the coating falls off into the oil, I have to filter the oil
between uses if I want to re-use it. I use one of those $5.00 re-usable
coffee filters. They work a treat to really get the oil clean enough to
re-use. :-)

I don't deep fry as often as dad would like me to. <g>
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

Giusi > wrote:

> The pate choux would be beignets, surely. The semolina ones are (supposed
> to be) very delicate and I don't see frying them being a very good thing. I
> think because they are so wet they'd likely blow up or shatter, but
> certainly would at least be prone to boil up the oil a lot, which I try to
> avoid. We should ask the Scots since they fry everything fryable.

There are fried flour gnocchi in Emilia. Vilco probably knows all about
them.

<http://www.taccuinistorici.it/ita/news/medioevale/cibo-di-strada/GNOCCO-o-TORTA-FRITTA-emiliani.html>.

BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any
sense. Even I am guilty sometimes. It is a fairly recent
politico-administrative construction, and a dubious one at that, nothing
more. Emilia and Romagna could not actually be more different,
particularly where food is involved. About the only things they have
in common is the common (now non-existing) border and a long-term
Communist infestation. Otherwise they are almost as different as, say,
Lombardy and Campania.

Victor

"Victor Sack" ha scritto nel messaggio

> There are fried flour gnocchi in Emilia. Vilco probably knows all about>
> them.

Actually, he didn't and had never heard of fried gnocchi.

> BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any>
> sense.

It makes sense to us because it is now considered one region. I doubt they
are as different as Campania and Lombardia, but Vilco should know better
than I. Same goes for Friuli-Venezia Giulia. You can no longer find a
modern map on which the division is clear, and no one seems to mind.

On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:36:44 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
>"Victor Sack" ha scritto nel messaggio
>
>> There are fried flour gnocchi in Emilia. Vilco probably knows all about>
>> them.
>
>Actually, he didn't and had never heard of fried gnocchi.
>
>> BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any>
>> sense.
>
>It makes sense to us because it is now considered one region. I doubt they
>are as different as Campania and Lombardia, but Vilco should know better
>than I. Same goes for Friuli-Venezia Giulia. You can no longer find a
>modern map on which the division is clear, and no one seems to mind.
>
I mind, because I know the regions are still.... <tapping chin >
regional.

Remember that panzanella thread? My friend called me. He knows about
it, but you're right - they lived in a different area of Italy so it
wasn't part of their traditions.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" ha scritto nel messaggio

"Giusi"> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Victor Sack" ha scritto nel messaggio
>>
>>> There are fried flour gnocchi in Emilia. Vilco probably knows all
>>> about> them.

These turned out to be fried yeast bread-- nice, but not like potato gnocchi
at all. I guess you can call anything gnocchi but the ones described that
inspired mine were potato ones.

>>> BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any>
>>> sense.
>>
>>It makes sense to us because it is now considered one region.

> I mind, because I know the regions are still.... <tapping chin >>
> regional.
>
> Remember that panzanella thread? My friend called me. He knows about>
> it, but you're right - they lived in a different area of Italy so it>
> wasn't part of their traditions.

Tuscans, and to a lesser degree Umbrians, have made a very big thing about
using up stale bread. Why is there so much stale bread? Because it is
salt-free and nasty.

Every region has its own, but people who live near a border surely have some
of each tradition. Perhaps because the geography and climate are alike.
Lombardia and Campania are way different. So is your friend from the south?
North?

Omelet wrote:

> So much of the coating falls off into the oil, I have to filter the
> oil between uses if I want to re-use it. I use one of those $5.00
> re-usable coffee filters. They work a treat to really get the oil
> clean enough to re-use. :-)

A nice move.

> I don't deep fry as often as dad would like me to. <g>

I fry much more often than my doctor would me to, LOL
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

Giusi wrote:

>>> I think people don't deep fry at home so much anymore.

>> Very true, deep frying will become a lost art in a couple of
>> generations, > reserved only to the elites.

> Giusi<--- fat elite

Count me in
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

"ViLco" ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:

reserved only to the elites.
>
>> Giusi<--- fat elite
>
> Count me in

We should plan a gtg after I return from Puglia and invite our Roman friend
as well. We need to start working on the pancia, sì?

Giusi wrote:

>>> Giusi<--- fat elite

>> Count me in

> We should plan a gtg after I return from Puglia and invite our Roman
> friend as well. We need to start working on the pancia, sì?

LOL, when you want
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

Victor Sack wrote:

> There are fried flour gnocchi in Emilia. Vilco probably knows all
> about them.

Gnocco fritto has just the name in common with gnocchi, gnocchi are a first
course while gnocco fritto is a particular kind of course in the sense that
it can substitute the whole meal or be the starter before getting to first
and second courses. But the main difference is in the shape (flat) and size
(way bigger than gnocchi) and in the way one consumes it: gnocco fritto is
a base to dress/fill with stracchino, cold cuts, sauces, even nutella, LOL

> BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any
> sense. Even I am guilty sometimes. It is a fairly recent
> politico-administrative construction, and a dubious one at that,
> nothing more. Emilia and Romagna could not actually be more
> different, particularly where food is involved. About the only
> things they have in common is the common (now non-existing) border
> and a long-term Communist infestation. Otherwise they are almost as
> different as, say, Lombardy and Campania.

True, even the dishes we have in common are usually different under various
aspects.
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:27:42 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>So is your friend from the south? North?

He didn't say north or south. He told me the region, but I don't
remember which one now. Maybe it was Campania.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:33:06 GMT, ViLco wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
>
>> When I finished making these I made some tempura vegetables while the
>> oil was still hot. They were appreciated too. I think people don't
>> deep fry at home so much anymore.
>
> Very true, deep frying will become a lost art in a couple of generations,
> reserved only to the elites.

them and mcdonald's customers.

your pal,
blake

Giusi > wrote:

> "Victor Sack" ha scritto nel messaggio
>
> > BTW, everyone always talks about Emilia-Romagna, as if it makes any>
> > sense.
>
> It makes sense to us because it is now considered one region. I doubt they
> are as different as Campania and Lombardia, but Vilco should know better
> than I.

They may well be even more different. Emilia is flat and landlocked,
with an incredibly fertile Po Valley. Romagna has the Apennines and a
sea coast. Their history during more than a thousand years couldn't
have possibly been more different. Starting in the 10th century, most
of Emilia cities gained independence; Romagna was governed by Bysantium,
Venice, and by the Papal States until Italy's unification. Emilia has
always been fabulously rich, a symbol of excess; Romagna has always been
desperately poor.

Their cuisines are as different as their history. In Emilia, there are
farms raising cattle and pigs; In Romagna, everything, including the
livestock, is smaller and they raise geese, chicken, sheep. Emilia is
famous for its charcuterie and cheeses; the emblematic dish of Romagna
is the piadina. In Emilia, the most important cooking utensil is the
iron pan; in Romagna, it is the terracotta plate. Much of the food in
Emilia is white; a lot of the food in Romagna is red, coloured by
tomatoes and red peppers. In Emilia, fish is rolled in breadcrumbs
before frying; in Romagna, it is cornmeal, a Venetian influence. Emilia
is known for tortellini, cappeletti, anolini, tortellli with a pumpkin
filling; Romagna is known for garganelli, agnolotti, passatelli,
strozzapreti, ravioli with a chestnut filling. Etc.

Italian Wikipedia articles on these two cuisines are not bad at all:
<http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucina_romagnola>
<http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucina_emiliana>

Victor