hemi culture
TASTEMAKERS
Years later, Louis traveled to Italy
withher husband to researchher first
cookbook,
Pasta byHand
,whichwas
released this spring and focuses on
regional hand-shaped pastas.
“Each
person I interviewedandcookedwith
hadadifferentnotionaboutwhatwas
andwas not gnocchi,”
Louis recalls.
In the process, she came upwith her
own definition of Italian dumplings:
handcrafted nubs of dough that are
baked,poached,simmered,or sauteed.
After years of collecting recipes
from Italian chefs (and
nonnas
), she
publishedher book.Varieties of gnoc-
chi shecatalogs therein includeTuscan
zucchini
gnudi
,which swapoutpotato
for grated zucchini and silky ricotta;
gnocchi ossolani,
fromPiedmont,made
withpotato,squash,andchestnut flour
and servedwith alpine pasture butter;
andLigurian chickpea
gnocchetti
.She
always includes at least one variety on
hermenus at anygiven time.
Otherchefsarefollowingsuit.AtLA’s
Alimento,ZachPollackoffers a riff on
Tyrolean
canederli
(akintoCentralEuro-
pean
knödel
),madewithbeetsandalpine
bitto
cheeseandservedwithpoppyseeds
andbrownbutter.AtD.C.’s IronGate,
chef TonyChittum
serves up
gnocchi
alla Romana
, made
with local semolina
flour shaped into
biscuitlike disks and
baked, then dressed
with blackwalnuts,
balsamic vinegar,
and blue cheese.
“It’s about bringing
Italy to our guests,”
says Chittum, “but
with all locally
sourced ingredients.”
Me anwh i l e ,
at The Factory
Kitchen in the
Los Angeles Arts
District, Italian-born chef Angelo
Auriana says that he’s seeing more
regionalvariationsStateside.Hismenu
includes a favorite from theLombardy
andEmilia-Romagna regions,
gnocchi
malfatti
(Italianfor“badlymade”),com-
posedofricottaandsemolinaandserved
byAurianawith lamb shoulder sugo.
No matter the variety, gnocchi’s
continued appeal comes down to its
status as one of Italy’s top comfort
foods.Florentine chef FabioUgoletti,
whorecentlyopenedBettolinoKitchen
inRedondoBeach,California—where
he fashionspastapillows from scratch,
with less flour to keep it light, and
dresses it with chicken, pancetta, and
sausagesimmered inwhitewine—says
he “grew up making gnocchi once
a weekwithmy family.Now I make
gnocchi withmy daughter. It’s such a
simple recipe thatwe love tomake.”
S
eafood lovershave long slurpedoyster shootersandnibbledon shrimp-
toppedBloodyMarys, but creaturesof thedeephave latelybeenpromoted
from thegarnish to themainevent, asbartendersputoceanic spinsonclassic
cocktails. For instance, atWolf in theFog inTofino, BritishColumbia, smoked
salmon–infusedvodka ismixedwithmaple, ginger, and freshorange,whileNew
YorkCitybartenderGeorgeHockhas servedadirtymartiniwith squid ink.
At theLoyalNine, inCambridge,Massachusetts, barmanagerBrynTattan
offersaNewEngland twiston theclassicwhiskey sour. ShepairsRittenhouse
rye, lime juice, simple syrup, andcloveswithahouseWorcestershire saucemade
withdates, onions,molasses, andaone-twoumami punchof fermentedmackerel
andoyster sauce. “The resultingdrink lingerson thepalateandpiquespeople’s
interest,” Tattan says. “It’sacontinuedconversationpiece.”
Perhaps themost adventurousmaritimemixologist isLA’sMatthew
Biancaniello,whose savorycocktail book, Eat YourDrink (out thismonth),
includes tipples that incorporate ingredients likeSantaBarbara seaurchin.His
FishOutofWater, servedat TheFatDog’s locations inbothNorthandWest
Hollywood, features scotch infusedwithbonito flakes—thedriedand shaved
meatof a tunalike fish that’spopular inJapan for its rich, savory flavor.
“It’s for people interested in trying something reallydifferent and
wrapping their heads around something that shouldn’tworkbut does,”
saysBiancaniello.
—DENA ROCHÉ
DRINKLIKEAFISH
Mixologists look for cocktail inspirationunder the sea
los angeles
HOLDTHEPOTATOES
Chef JennLouis’ beet
and ricottagnocchi
FISHOUTOFWATER
Yieldsonedrink
• 2oz. bonito-infusedblended scotch
(infuseonebottleof scotchwitha
handful of bonito flakes ina sealed
glass container for threedays)
•¾oz. lemon juice
•¾oz. agave syrup (equal parts
agaveandwater)
• 3 shiso leaves
• 3–4drops chamomileoil
• onion sprouts
Muddle shiso
leaves, lemon juice
andagave syrup.
Add scotchand
double strain
througha tea
strainer intoa coupe
glass.Garnishwith
onion sprouts.
EXCERPTEDFROMPASTABYHANDBY JENN LOUIS, PHOTOGRAPHEDBYEDANDERSON (CHRONICLEBOOKS, 2015) (GNOCCHI);MIAWASILEVICH (COCKTAIL)
38
DECEMBER2015
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
