And The Winner Is...

Last night’s food competition was so much fun, and the best part was that we both won. Gian Luca’s stuffed olives were a crispy treat to eat. Normally, the olives are stuffed with ground beef, but he wanted each bite to be a new adventure so he filled some with mozzarella, others with pork sausage, and the rest with anchovies. Then he dredged them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried them up. The result: a delicious surprise with eat bite.
His gnocchi took considerably more work, but I saw how much fun he was having as he kneaded the potatoes and egg with flour. As he worked he told me about his grandmother, who used to make potato gnocchi for him when he was little. It made me see the true joy in cooking: the sharing of time and memories with the people you love.
My salmon was easy in comparison: I just dipped it in olive oil, seared it on the grill pan and served it with roasted cauliflower and an artichoke puree. It was oh so good.


Dessert was by far my favorite part of the night and not just because I have a sweet tooth. Some friends stopped by unexpectedly with Ben and Jerry’s and thankfully, I had made enough puff pastry for everyone. We layered the pastry with Nutella and ice cream and all happily licked our bowls clean. Paired with espressos and a few laughs, it was the perfect end to the perfect night.