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.
|
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the baking dish
All-purpose flour, for dusting Vegetables:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered 1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano 2 cups shredded mozzarella Two 5-ounce bags baby spinach, coarsely chopped 1/4 packed cup chopped fresh basil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 recipe Fresh Pasta, recipe follows, or nine 8- by 5-inch fresh lasagna noodles 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling |
  Sauce:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- by 13- by 1-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Set aside.
For the vegetables: In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and any liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
For the sauce: In a heavy-bottomed 5-quart saucepan, bring the cream, milk and flour to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the Pecorino and the mozzarella. Whisk until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Add the mushroom mixture to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside to cool slightly.
Lasagna Preparation:
Use 9 dried lasagna noodles. Cook in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool slightly before using.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange 2 sheets of pasta on top in a single layer. Spread 2 cups of the sauce over the pasta sheets. Repeat the layers with the remaining pasta sheets and sauce, ending with the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
|
ARCHIVES
                                                                                                  SEP 2014
                                                              |