Chic Galleria » Ashton Keefe

Tuesday Entrees: Ricotta Gnocchi

Ashton Keefe — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:12:30 +0000

You don’t have to be Italian to make pasta … or fist pump. Luckily, I’m skilled (and modest) in both. All jokes aside, making gnocchi is easy, I promise, and making ricotta not potato gnocchi is even easier. You don’t need a pasta machine or any intensive training, follow these simple steps.

Ricotta Gnocchi
serves 8

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus about 1/2 cup for dusting the table
2 pound ricotta cheese
2 egg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon salt
1 pinch black pepper, plus extra for garnish (optional)

To make the dough:

Place four in a large bowl. Make a whole in the center of the flour and add ricotta, egg, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Using hands or a fork gently fold the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan into the flour until the ingredients form a sticky dough.

Dust the table with about 1/4 cup flour. Put the dough on the floured table and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Using your hands, fold the doughin half, gently pat it down, and fold it over again.

Shape the gnocchi:

Sprinkle the baking sheet with flour. Pull of a small chunk of dough. On the floured table, roll the dough into a thin log.

Using a butter knife, cut the log into 1 inch pieces. These pieces are the gnocchi. Put the gnocchi on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough had been cut into gnocchi.

Boil them:

Fill a pot with water and place it on the stove over high heat. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and bring water to a boil.

One handful at a time, cook the gnocchi for about 3 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, scoop the gnocchi out of the water and into a large serving bowl. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked, then drizzles olive oil on the gnocchi to keep them from sticking together. Top the gnocchi with pesto or tomato sauce.

Ashton grew up in a house of chefs and studied English and Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University. After college Ashton was classically trained at The French Culinary Institute and began a business cooking, styling, writing, and teaching in her favorite city, New York. She has been featured in “O Magazine,” “Everyday with Rachael Ray” and works as a columnist and editor at Thirsty Girl. Visit www.diaryofasweettooth.com and www.ashtonkeefe.com

Photo credit © Jackethead | Dreamstime.com

New York Moments, Champagne, and Fashion

Ashton Keefe — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:48:21 +0000

You know those surreal New York City experiences?

The ones that make the cursing cab drivers, missed subway trains, or astronomical rents fade into the white noise of the city; the moments when you look around and go, “Damn, I’m the luckiest person in the world right now, only in New York.”

These moments, they’re like a drug high (I would imagine?), a wine buzz (check) or mind-blowing sex (check). These moments create a euphoric feeling; natives and tourists alike never want to leave, or grow up. New York City is the real life version of Peter Pan’s Never Never Land.

New York City Fashion Week. Just the words alone get people in a tizzy. Thirsty Girl gave me a surreal experience to represent the company at the Mercedes Benz New York City Fall Fashion Week 2010 at Lincoln Center. My job was to interview Chris Adams, CEO of Sherry-Lehmann, the official sponsor (and largest New York CIty provider) of all things bubbly and alcoholic. Immediately I knew I’d like him.

Having never been to a fashion show, I had no idea what to expect. It was better than I could even imagine. The space at Lincoln Center (although I never experienced the former space at Bryant Park) was beautiful and spacious.

Upon entering the tents, my friend and I were immediately escorted into the models’ dressing rooms. Scores of models (many not even legal to drink, what a shame) were prepping in hair, makeup and wardrobe. The Naeem Khan show was about to begin.

While sipping the backstage Moet & Chardon Imperial, Chris began telling me a story involving the famed artist, Andy Warhol and Sherry-Lehmann. In the seventies, Andy Warhol came into the store and asked to sign Dom Perignon bottles he had designed, before signing bottles was “in.” Unfortunately all these bottles were sold (or drank) and Sherry-Lehmann hopes to recover the few remaining. Chris has his eye on one in particular, he said.

In conjunction with sponsoring champagne for the events, Sherry-Lehmann unveiled the exclusive collection of Dom Perignon bottles paying tribute to Andy Warhol’s creative genius. It’s delicious, trust me.

When I asked Chris about Sherry Lehmann’s role in Fashion Week he commented that the most important aspect of sponsorship is being part of “the city’s landscape.” Fashion Week is important to the city, and therefore is important to his business. Sherry-Lehman is a New York City wine legend; in my opinion, the collaboration seems natural. But it’s more than business that gets the company excited to participate, it’s being part of the experience.

Walking back from dinner for the Naeem Khan show (the designer ironically holds one of the largest Warhol collections and was good friends with the artist). Chris had his own New York moment upon seeing the Mercedes Benz insignia seamlessly embedded on the side of Lincoln Center; he told me, “This is what it’s all about, you know? I just thought, ‘Wow.’”

Like many men I know, (one of) Chris’s “ah-ha” moments occurred while seeing a car emblem on the side of a building … mine, was watching a beautiful dress come down the runway on a model. But again, what’s the difference when you’re sipping champagne and attending fashion shows … in the greatest city on Earth.

Might not be Fall yet, but the fashion is surely coming …

Roasted Red Pepper Crostini

Ashton Keefe — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:22:34 +0000

Here’s a side dish appetizer that I serve either along side a piece of meat, as an entree with a salad or as an appetizer at a party.

Roasted Red Pepper Crostini
By: Ashton Colleen Keefe

(Serves 24 as an appetizer, portioned off for a side to a dinner, or as a light lunch with a
salad)

1 fresh French baguette
1 log of goat cheese, room temperature
1 jar of roasted red peppers (marinated in water instead of oil if health conscience),

drained and sliced thinly
Crumbled bacon (optional)
Sauteed Onions (optional)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a sauce pan or small pot combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and heat over
medium heat. Reduce until the mixture is thickened and sweet, about five minutes. The
mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Turn your oven settings to “broil” and preheat the brolier. In the meantime slice a
baguette long ways and open as if you were making a very large sandwich. Spread the
goat cheese on both sides of the baguette and top with roasted red peppers. Add bacon
and/or onions if desired.

Place baguettes on a sheet tray and broil until cheese is slightly golden and bubbly.
This should take only a few minutes so keep an eye on it.

Drizzle with reduced balsamic and portion out. Eat and enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Ashton Keefe

Boyfriend Chicken

Ashton Keefe — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:24:11 +0000

Roast chicken is classic comfort food. A side of mash potatoes, a little wine, some veggies, and a fresh baguette. Sounds pretty good, eh?

Several of my favorite chefs have variations for roast chicken, but each cook has their favorite ingredients to add or not add. But one thing’s for sure; roast chicken will please your man, or GET you a man if you don’t have one.

The wonderful thing about roast chicken is that it’s almost like a ”the kitchen sink” meal, you can basically use any combination of spices or vegetables.

I made roast chicken on Friday night for an arriving guest. I prepped by buying onions, fennel, potatoes, and of course, the chicken. Because I think I’m a chef (ha!), and don’t get squeamish by the thought of trussing a chicken and removing the innards, I did it myself. It’s more authentic that way!

Friday night comes and I’m found with a full house of giggling girlfriends sitting and chatting while ingesting bottles of wine (at least one each), promising myself that I wasn’t going to “have more then one drink” before the boy arrived, as to not be too tipsy. The chicken goes in at 9 and should be ready by 11, gravy, veggies, and all.

Little do I know that my “plan” was thrown off a little bit by the booze …

First, as dismembering the chicken, instead of saving the innards to make my own stock (I know, I know, I should have, but my roommate really doesn’t get turned on by seeing frozen chicken necks in the freezer) I discarded them in a bag to go right downstairs to the trash. The chicken goo spilled all over the kitchen floor and then PLOP the chicken insides are now on the floor … and all over my leg.

I laugh, whatever, doesn’t gross me out. Pick them up, sanitize the floor and attempt to calm screaming drunk girls down. One of them was a vegetarian …

Chicken goes in the oven covered in olive oil, salt, pepper, and stuffed with whole head of garlic (skins on) and lemon. Thickly sliced Spanish onion, fennel, and lemons were set to roast below it.

My apartment smells great, I’m feeling confident. I indulge in more wine. It’s about 11 and the chicken’s done … still no boy to be had … girls are still here … the wine is flowing. Whoops!

A “surprise” entrance scares us all, and around midnight my drunk self is finally left with my guest. I present my wonderful chicken (it looks good and smells good) on the table and then, I go to carve it …

“I mean, I love buying organic chickens but the breasts are so much smaller than those hormone injected ones …”

Bone, more bone, and mystery. What the hell? Where is my chicken?

I rip of the legs and wings, they look good. Having my blonde moment, my guy grabs the knife and fork from me and proceeds to TURN OVER THE CHICKEN, because my DRUNK BLONDE SELF had roasted it UPSIDE DOWN.

No, this was not the first time making roast chicken. Yes, it looked right when I did it. And yes, it even tasted good.

But seriously, how dumb could I be? What student in cooking school roasts a chicken UPSIDE DOWN!?

I was in luck though, he ate every bite. And, the fact that the chicken breasts basically roasted in their own juices made them really tender. All we had to do was take the crunchy skin side off the bottom and pair it with the breast meat.

Ugh. Did I mention I was a couple glass of wine deep? I’m blaming it on the alcohol. Besides the sheer embarrassment, the taste wasn’t bad at all. What can I say, comfort food and a good story? Could be worse. It actually reminds me of my boss’s similar story …

Ashton’s Right-Side Up Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 lb. organic chicken

1 large spanish onion

1 bulb of fennel

2 lemons

1 head of garlic

1/2 c. chicken stock

1/4 c. white wine

1 tb. flour

olive oil

salt

pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Remove chicken insides. Slice entire head of garlic in half hamburger way, add to cavity with all garlic skin. Slice a lemon into quarters and place 2 of the slices inside the chicken. Sprinkle the inside of the roast generously with salt and pepper.

Truss the legs, place in roasting pan breast side up, and slip the wings underneath the bird. Generously coat the BREAST side with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Slice the onion and fennel in thick slices, and the remaining lemon into slices. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line the outside of the roast chicken with the veggies. Place in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. For the last 20 minutes raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken and the accuracy of your oven. When the juices run clear, the chicken is done.

Pull out of the oven and place the chicken on a serving tray and cover for 10 minutes. Remove vegetables and place on tray with chicken. In the meantime take the roasting tray and place on the stove burner. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add wine and chicken stock with 1 tablespoon of floor and reduce until gravy consistency. Strain gravy and drizzle on top of the chicken, save some for the table!

Roast the right side up, and by right side I mean breast side up.

And if you don’t have a man … this recipe might help you out no matter HOW you roast it …

As an additional heartache, a BRAND NEW serving tray, boughten just for the occasion slide off the counter and broke the following morning. Wasn’t my day for luck, maybe next time I’ll make beef …

Photos courtesy of Ashton Keefe

Best Gingersnap Cookies Ever!

Ashton Keefe — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:08:52 +0000

These are the best gingersnap cookies I have ever made of tasted in my life. It’s an adaptation from The French Culinary Institute’s version (where I went to school) and thrills people every time I make them. They warm the house with the best smell possible during the holidays and (if you can imagine) taste even better.

Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
160 milliliters of molasses
20 milliliters of vinegar
4 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. With a mixer cream the butter and sugar, scrape down the sides frequently, and allow to mixture to become light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
3. Add molasses and vinegar slowly to avoid the mixture from separating.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed butter mixture just until combined.
5. Wrap dough in a flat rectangle or a log, and chill.
6. If working with a rectangle, roll out balls using your hands, if using a log, cut cookies.
7. Dip or roll in granulated sugar.
8. Bake for about 7 to 9 minutes.

Eat and enjoy!