Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Pasta ala #TheChew



Have you seen 
the new TV sensation, 
The Chew?


My book, THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE, and a few other culinary mysteries were mentioned, and suddenly I had emails and Facebook posts from friends saying, "Did I see it?" Well, I didn't, but I was able to catch a repeat, and I was thrilled.

Now...if only they would invite me to be on the show. I live in Los Angeles. I could be there in a heartbeat. Flights go hourly to New York. :)


Clinton, Daphne, Mario, Michael, & Carla
I've watched a few episodes since then. I don't watch much daytime television because I'm writing all the time.  Allllll the time. But I tuned in the other day for the first episode of the new season. They talked about their summer vacations. It was so cute. Like they were all coming back to school.  I hope they won't mind, but I snapped a picture from their website of them so you can see their faces.

Anyway,  Clinton Kelly, an effervescent host, shared a recipe he had eaten in Napa. It looked so fabulous that I had to try it. Fresh vegetables, pasta, wine, butter. What's not to like?

Now, Clinton didn't give specifics regarding the portions (other than the butter), but I'm pretty good at eyeballing a TV chef's ingredients.

This is what I came up with, (GLUTEN-FREE because as many of you know, I need to eat gluten-free), and it was delicious. The nutmeg adds just the right touch. The fresh ricotta...divine. Clinton said that he likes a meal that makes him feel like he really had a "meal" and didn't skimp. This is one. Perfect for lunch or dinner.

Enjoy!



From The Chew

Pasta ala Clinton Kelly after he visited Napa

Gluten-free version ala Daryl Wood Gerber

Ingredients:

1-2  tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 shallots, peeled and diced
2 tsp. salt
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
10-20 baby tomatoes, sliced
½ cup white wine (I used Leitz 2009 Riesling)
1 cube butter
1 fresh tarragon leaf (I used 1 teaspoon dried sage)
1 cup fresh ricotta
nutmeg
2 cups cooked pasta (1/2 cup per serving)
*Clinton used fresh parapdelle – I used gluten-free linguini from Bionature!!

Directions:

Heat oil in a sauté pan. Add the garlic. Do not cook too hot. You don’t want to scorch the garlic or it will turn bitter. Add the shallots, salt. Stir about 1 minute. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes. Stir about 1 minute.



Deglaze the pan with the white wine. It simmers beautifully. Add the butter. Don’t skimp. The liquid will soak into the pasta. Crush and add the tarragon. (I used sage because I didn’t have fresh tarragon. I forgot. The sage was scrumptious!). Stir for about 2-4 minutes.

Set 4 plates with the cooked and drained pasta. Top each with a quarter of the cooked veggies. Top with a healthy portion of ricotta. (About ¼ cup).  Dust with nutmeg.  Serve.

So simple, so delish!  And this version, gluten-free!



PS  The pasta I use and will promote forever is Bionature gluten-free pasta.  [Made in Italy.] 


It is the most delicious pasta on the market. I've had fresh at a few dedicated gluten-free restaurants, and only one in New York, Bistango, has made a pasta better, in my humble opinion. 


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* * * * *
The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 
TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE.  

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

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Also, you probably know about my alter ego.
DARYL WOOD GERBER... 
Daryl's new series: A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series
debuts July 2013

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.


LAST BUT NOT LEAST...okay, maybe least...:)

I'm pleased to announce that my short story, PALACE ON THE LAKE, 
in Fish Tales: A Guppy Anthology has been nominated for both
the Anthony Award and Macavity Award. 
Go Sisters in Crime Guppies! 
Without the Guppies, my career would not be on the right track.
The group support is invaluable!
You can read PALACE ON THE LAKE by clicking on the title above. :)



Say cheese!

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15 comments:

  1. This looks so tasty Avery! I was so excited to see your cover on that episode. Don't you think we should all be invited to the show? We'd be a lot of fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy, I absolutely think we should be invited to the show!! What a hoot that would be. We all have recipes and tales to tell.

      ~Daryl aka Avery

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  2. OMG, where have I been? I haven't even heard of it! Where do I find it? Love all those people (well, maybe except Daphne since I don't know her).

    And the recipe (oh, that) sounds good too.

    So, who do we pitch an MLK appearance to, huh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheila, your guess is as good as mine re: pitching the show. Daphne is a doll. They're all so talented. It's just starting its second season. It's a hit. And the title, The Chew, catchy. I have liked them on Facebook and see all their posts. Fun, colorful food.

      ~Daryl aka Avery

      Delete
  3. Must try this. I'm actually enamored with Wegman's 100% corn pasta. No grit :) but I will now try Bionature since it is also sold by Wegman's. I always look forward to your gluten free recipes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, I've never tried Wegman's pasta. But then I don't have a Wegman's nearby. But I have used other corn pastas, and I prefer the flavor of rice to corn when I do pastas. Glad you stopped by!

      ~Daryl aka Avery

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    2. Bionature is my favorite pasta, too -- but I eat the kind with gluten. It's simply excellent.

      ~ Krista

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  4. Very exciting, Avery/Daryl - The Chew is a fun show! Congrats on the mention!

    I have to admit - my favorite cast member on there is Mario Batali. I've followed Mario for years, ever since he opened a little restaurant in Greenwich Village called Po. (Po is still there, BTW, and a lovely place for an intimate lunch or dinner.) Mario remained a partner in Po but has gone on to much bigger things in the restaurant world and is running several in NYC now. I still remember his first episode on the Food Network--a little awkward in front of the camera back then, but he's a real chef, a brilliant guy with excellent training and recipes, too. He would love your recipe today with all the fresh veggies and fresh ricotta, too. Sweet!

    ~ Cleo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cleo, I first remember seeing Mario on Top Chef. I think he was battling Bobby Flay. Boy, did he have to run to keep up. The rivalry (and camaraderie) between celebrity chefs is fun to watch.

      In my first COOKBOOK NOOK book, I have a celebrity chef coming to Crystal Cove. It's fun!
      (This won't be out until next July, but now...that's less than 10 months away! Yipes.

      ~Daryl aka Avery

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  5. This sounds wonderful, Daryl. I saw the segment that mentioned your book and woo-hooed aloud! Thanks for the reminder about tarragon. I love that flavor, but so seldom use it!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Krista, isn't that amazing? I have a ton of spices that I forget to use. Lately, ever since I invested in some Penzey spices, I've paid attention to others on the rack, and I "test" things. Tarragon has a subtly rich flavor. Yum.

      ~Daryl aka Avery

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  6. This looks like an amazing recipe. Also leaves room for personal tastes. I usually watch this show, but missed this. They are hilarious! My book club will be reading your book "The Long Quiche Goodbye" in November. Looking forward to it. We have a cozy mystery club and read Cleo Coyle Jennifer McKinley, E J Copperman and many more. Once a month just isn't enough time to find all the different writers!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Toni. So glad you chimed in. It does leave a little wiggle room. I find that's always the case when you watch someone put something together as opposed to following a recipe. Thrilled that you're going to be reading The Long Quiche Goodbye. Hope you enjoy. As you know (if you follow MLK), I adore Cleo, Jenn, and EJ. What fun to read all of them with friends.

      Best,

      ~Avery aka Daryl

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  7. I'm a bit behind here, but note: The Chew is filmed in New York City, so your being in LA isn't such an asset if you want to get onto the show. I've been following it for several months now and just love the camaraderie and so many delicious recipes.
    cheers/Marina McIntire

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marina, thanks for the update. Yipes. A friend said it was filmed here, so I...well, red-faced. Thanks to you I've updated my post to reflect the error. But truly, I could be there in a heartbeat. So many delicious recipes!

      Best,

      Daryl/Avery

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