Cook: Ricotta Gnocchi in Tomato-Basil Sauce

After making Greek yogurt, I was super-excited to use the yogurt whey for making ricotta.  Then, I found out that yogurt whey has a really small yield when it comes to ri-cotta-ing.  So, I put a pint of whole milk in a pot over a low flame and voila! ricotta!  I planned to make gnocchi out of it after it drained on cheesecloth for a day, but I was lazy, and ended up just eating it on toast and making the gnocchi from store-bought ricotta a few weeks later.

My first attempt was over-floured, and resulted in dense pellets of dough.  On my second try, I used a much larger ratio of ricotta to flour.  The new-recipe gnocchi were light little pillows of deliciousness.  The sauce is really simple and should translate to practically any pasta dish.

Cook: Crustless Spinach-Cheese Quiche

I know what you're thinking: "A crustless quiche?  So, you mean a frittata?"  No.  I don't.  While a quiche typically has a crust, the crust is not the defining feature of the dish.  A quiche is a custard made of a ratio of approximately 1 egg to 0.5 c cream or milk.  It is cooked completely in the oven.  A frittata, on the other hand, does not traditionally contain milk, and is started on the stove top and finished under a broiler.  True, I didn't even eat quiche until J converted me to quiche-ism with his Quiche Alsacienne back in January.  But in the past 9 months I've done my research, and can tell you that although this dish is sans crust (and gluten free!), it is most definitely a quiche.

Cook: Four-Cheese Ravioli with Mushrooms

For my second attempt at fresh pasta, I decided to make ravioli.  The key to good fresh ravioli is a light, thin dough.  This recipe uses a savory cheese filling with a simple mushroom sauce.  You can make this even if you don't have a pasta roller, but you'll have to work a lot harder.

Explore: Murray's Cheese 101

As lovers of cheese, we didn't live in Manhattan long before discovering Murray's Cheese in the West Village.  Murray's has an excellent selection, and their employees know everything there is to know about cheese (and they let you sample everything).  A few weeks ago, we decided to take one of their cheese courses - Cheese 101.  It was well worth it!

Cook: Ultimate Mac 'n' Cheese

Everyone loves mac and cheese.  This recipe is based on several different ones I'd tried in the past, modified throughout the years (sometimes by accident).  It's definitely not diet-friendly, but it's great for a special occasion.  Recipe after the jump.