GEORGE'S RECIPE of THE MONTH.
 George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.
After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.
Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.
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1 (2-pound) butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 garlic clove, minced 3 ounces feta cheese 1 recipe pasta dough, rolled out into wide ribbons, about 1/4-inch thick 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh sage 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely |
  1 - Preheat oven to 425°F. and lightly grease a baking sheet.
2 - Put squash halves, flesh sides down, an baking sheet and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until flesh is very tender. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh into a bowl and discard skin. Mash squash with a fork until smooth.
3 - While squash is roasting, in a skillet cook onion in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes, or until onion is golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
4 - Cool onion mixture slightly and add to squash. Add feta and stir to combine well.
5 - In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a gentle boil for ravioli.
6 - Cut the pasta ribbons into 3-inch squares. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each pasta square. Bring 1 corner of the square to the other, forming a triangle and seal the pasta completely. Add the pasta to pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta floats and is pale in color.
7 - Remove the pasta from the water and drain well. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. In skillet cook butter with walnuts over moderate heat until butter begins to brown, about 3 minutes, add sage and immediately remove from heat (nuts will continue to cook). Season walnut sage butter with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.
8 - Transfer ravioli with a slotted spoon (letting excess cooking liquid drip off) to 6 plates and top with walnut, sage brown-butter sauce.
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                                                                                                                                                           DEC 2009
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