Food, Family, and Fond Memories/The Conclusion [and recipe]

 Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

 Recipe handed down from Virginia Della Santa Orazi (aka 'Noni')

to 

Eunice A. "Enes" Orazi Mills (aka 'Nana')

to 

James Donald Mills

 Begin by assembling ingredients:

All Purpose Flour

2 Eggs

1 Potato Ricer

Salt/Pepper

Olive Oil

and of course,

Potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)

 Scrub 4 lbs of potatoes well, but do not peel.

Leave whole.

 Place potatoes in cold water to cover and bring to a boil.

Cook until knife slides thru easily.

While potatoes are cooking, prepare Bolognese Sauce.

 This process takes a little while, so have snacks handy.

Someone's daughter's homemade salsa is perfect :o)

 

When potatoes are cooked through, drain and immediately peel off skin.

(Meanwhile, fill up potato pot again half full with water and and 3 tsp salt and bring to a boil.)

Place potatoes immediately into ricer (cut to fit) and push through ricer into waiting bowl.

Take turns ricing potatoes.

Because...... it is tiring, but lots of fun!

By all means, take pictures with your new iPhone.

When half of the potatoes are riced into the bowl, stop there.

You will need to do this in 2 batches.

 Add salt, pepper and one egg to a well in the center of the bowl.

 

 Beat egg in center of bowl, and then very quickly stir the beaten egg into the riced potatoes before the hot potato cooks the egg.

 

 

Add a few handfuls of flour and keep stirring....

Adding a few more handfuls of flour.....

Prepare countertop by covering it with a couple of handfuls of flour.

 And then turn out the potato-flour-egg dough onto the counter.

 Knead a bit more flour into the dough, until it feels supple, and not too sticky.

Divide the dough into four even portions, and then roll each portion into a smooth log.

What lovely nails you have Lynds!

Cut the log into pieces.

And place on parchment paper. Dust with flour if they are sticking together.

Jim and Taylor start the second batch while Lyndsay and I are getting ready to boil the first batch.

Pour first batch into boiling salted water....

Within two minutes the gnocchi will float to the surface.

Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, letting them drain briefly over the pot.

Pour a little olive oil over the gnocchi to keep them from sticking.

Batch # 2...

Salt and pepper...

Nana would be proud, I think.

Getting ready to scoop next batch....

Jim is ladling the Bolognese Sauce over the gnocchi while we set the table.

And a touch of Parmesan cheese, of course!

We let Jim have the first taste...
 

 Mangia!