The Runaway Cook

A diary of culinary adventures

PoSiTaNo At Last

Posted by Elizabeth Tuesday, November 30, 2010 comments (0)


Yes! We have not missed the bus. That pasta lunch was cutting it close so I’m pleased to see that we don’t have to wait another 30 minutes. 
Oh LORD! Beyond these folding doors is a mere 3 foot space up the steps, followed by a solid wall of people. Behind me are my two companions and many other eager would-be passengers. I step on the bus and brave the crowd saying, “scusa”  to them all as I press my already sweaty body against theirs. 
We are the last 3 out of 6 people who actually get on the bus. It’s so crowded and the people keep pushing us apart from each other and into other passengers. My fingers cling to the bars above us as the overloaded block of metal leans around the curves. There’s just no tasteful way to stand here. Why do they make busses with windows that DON’T open in a country that’s very hot and very overloaded with tourists when it’s at its  hottest?! I think I’ve already posed this question somewhere. . . But really! I think this is the Italian way to get rid of the weaker tourists. :/
It’s a couple stops before Positano and two people on my right have gotten off the bus after some local guy insisted that this stop was for Positano. He promptly stole their seats and invited an extremely blonde German chicky to sit by him. My outback buddies and I just rolled our eyes. 
Positano is straight ahead of us and down a hill, but I’m not sure if this is the right stop. That same guy insists this is the stop for Positano, but we don’t get off because who trusts some blonde-loving-bus-stop-lying Italian. Well he wasn’t lying, that was the right bus stop and we end up realizing this half way up the road and convince the driver to let us off. 
We are now stuck on this tight curvy road, left to hitch a ride or walk for about a mile. 
We try the first and get stuck with the latter.  To see a video of our journey from the top to the bottom click here.

After an entertaining walk down a gorgeous mountain to a rainbow colored town, we stop for some gelato. . . correction - get the gelato, melone, creme, and limone . . mmmmmm. It was delicious. After that we head to the beach. I realize that I’ve forgotten my swimming suit. Ahhh perfect, I guess I will wade into the water with my white dress and just enjoy it up to my knees rather than over my head. 
I spin my feet around in the hot gravely sand and just stare at the red, cream, blue and green buildings. They are better than the pictures and I can’t believe I made it here. After a bus strike, a lousy Italian that got called in early to work, getting sick and rearranging my interviews, I finally made it here. The view alone was worth it. 

On the way back to Salerno, we rode the bus and listened to Italian teenagers make fun of us In their own tongue, not know that we had a fluent Italian speaker in the group. OAF!! I guess all I can do is smile and laugh at the trouble of this trip and treasure the silly and special memories made. I love Italy . . . even when they don’t love me.


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Australians and Pasta a Pasta Dinner in . . Amalfi?

Posted by Elizabeth Wednesday, November 24, 2010 comments (0)

I am back in Amalfi! I know what you’re thinking, “Why is Elizabeth backtracking?” Well,   I have made friends with a couple of Australians that also wanted to go to Positano and Amalfi is the perfect place for a lunch break on the two-and-a-half-hour journey. 
We eating dinner at a place that Emilio (cheesy Italian man who was mentioned in earlier articles) told me is the best pasta in town, El Teatro. There are about three ways to get to this hidden little restaurant. One can choose the first white painted stone stairway, the second, or the third. After walking up a story of steep ledge-like steps just follow the all-white, painted, stone hallway between the buildings that leads to a widening in the hallway with tables, a lamp, and a sign. 
I’ve never found a restaurant that fit the word “hidden” so well. This place is practically asking to not be found by most people. I guess that’s how they weed out the foodie tourists from the not so food-motivates others. 
The three of os sit down under the solid arch that shades us from the hot sun. This lengthy hall makes for a gentle wind tunnel so it’s pretty comfortable outside the restaurant. We order the red wine of the house, which cost just more than water per liter. It’s light and acidic but good enough for quenching our thirst and matching our food-somewhat. 
First course is a pizza topped with black olives, tomato, basil, cheese, and from-scratch tomato sauce. The steaming round produces floating wafts of garlicy breeze and a tart scent from the olives and tomato. It tastes delicious, right down to the not-so-thin crust. The edges are crunchy but the center is soft. Strangely, it seems to make us more hungry and refreshed with every bite.
Second course is different for us all. To my left is a plate of stuffed vegetables and across from me is spinach stuffed raviolis covered in garnet-colored tomato sauce. But, right in front of me is a plate full of porchini mushrooms stuffed raviolis covered in a creamy sauce and just begging for me to take a bite. I love mushrooms and these, I have to admit are good, but have been sauteed with just a little too much white wine for my taste, In fact they’re almost a a little bit sour. However, the richness of the ricotta in the filling and creamy sauce almost makes the tart mushrooms seem normal. The pasta is tender and lovely- just what I had hoped for. All in all, I’d have to say I was happy with the meal.








Ahhhh look at the time! With these couple glasses of wine, the three of us have nearly lost track of the time. We must catch the bus to Positano so we can have some time there before we run to catch the last bus back to Salerno . . . . Grab your bags ladies it’s time to run!

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Gnocchi in Salerno

Posted by Elizabeth Monday, November 1, 2010 comments (0)

Gnocchi con salsa di pomodoro


 billowy clouds of potato, oddly shaped and floating in a crock of rich red sauce


It's a still night here is Salerno and I'm wearing my black dress with little black sweater to keep the chill out. The sky is showing her sparkling starts and the water's edge is shimmering with the combination of light from town and milky way.  I've decided to find a little restaurant to eat some pizza and gnocchi this evening. Walking down the streets like walking through restaurant after restaurant. Everyone is seated outside under canopies and music plays softly blending from one block of seats to the next. 


Menus boast of pastas, seafood, pizzas, and wines, while waiters smile and say prego to everyone within seating range. Candles flicker and seems to whisper invites to us all. The cobblestone streets are full women in heels and med in smooth slacks. I can't help but walk with a a smile in the corner of my mouth. 


I picked a small restaurant of the main street, smackdab in the middle of this stretch of eateries. After margarita pizza I indulged in the best Gnocchi I have had to date. It seemed very authentic compared to other gnocchi I have eaten in the US and Italy. Rather than the perfect squares and ridged ovals these were pinched and slightly flattened dumplings of tender potato. 


Needless to say, I was very pleased. The icing to my cake was being able to get glimpses of flour poofing into clouds in the open kitchen right inside.






To make gnocchi at home try this recipe. I know gnocchi sounds difficult, but it's just a matter of 


2 lbs – 2 oz. whole baking potatoes
1 beaten egg
2-1/4 cups flour
1 hefty pinch of salt


1.  Add potatoes whole and skin-on in cool salted water, bring to boil and cook until fork tender.
2. Drain the potatoes immediately, then peel being careful not to burn yourself.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or foodmill.
4. Add egg, flour and salt to riced potatoes.
5. Mix until crumbles form a pliable ball of dough.
6. Dust counter with flour and roll out a piece of dough with your hands until you have logs about 3/4 inch in diameter.
7. Cut the logs of dough into chunk about one inch long.
8. (OPTIONAL) Hold the tines of a fork against your work surface, then gently press and a piece of dough against the fork with your fingers (Will form a gnocchi with an indent on back from your finger and a grooves on the front from the tines of the fork).
9. Be careful with the gnocchi so they don’t loose their shape as you place them on a lightly flour plates. (don’t let them touch one another or they’ll stick).
10. In a pot of boiling water add the gnocchi carefully, one plateful at a time. As soon as they float, remove the gnocchis with a slotted spoon and set them and drain off the water. ( If making many of these it may be a good idea to shock in ice water then strain and set aside, however they will stick and don't keep well just sitting on the counter).
11. Add more gnocchi to the water and serve the others right away.


Cover in olive oil and basil, butter and garlic, parm, mushrooms, and thyme, or some delicious tomato sauce. MMMMM delish


Photo from: http://www.cookingwithpatty.com/italian/recipe/gnocchi-with-tomato-sauce/

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