Fresh Pasta

My birthday this year was a truly delightful day. I received a pasta roller! And proceeded to spend the entire day (luxury of luxuries!) cooking an Italian meal for a few close friends.

The one thing that I wish to impress upon the world from this experience is that egg-free fresh pasta is not only possible, but wonderful.





My current working "recipe":
3 parts white flour
1 part chickpea flour
olive oil (some)
salt (large pinch)
water (enough)

Knead until silky smooth. Proceed to roll out as per pasta maker's instructions (ie. many many times). Let dry briefly. Boil very briefly. Rinse well with cold water. Return to pot to heat with olive oil and season.


Since my first try, seen here, where we made garlic and squash filled ravioli to go with a
margherita pizza and white bean bruschetta, I have had wonderful luck with fettucini, and as of yet, problems with lasagne noodles. But I'm working that out now, and will soon post a wonderful vegan lasagna recipe...

Pita Bread

Well, I'm at home in the ashram at the moment, and I must say it is a joy to be here. Guruji was here last week, and of course so was everyone else! It was a whirl of excitment and joy and love and then suddenly it was over! Sometimes it is a rocky adjustment for the staff here when big programs end and we go from hundreds of people to ten or twenty overnight, but I haven't noticed any sad faces this time, only a wonderful feeling of family. How lovely it is to come down to breakfast in the morning to fifteen happy faces, talking and laughing animatedly at one long table together. As usual everyone is very busy with construction, and administration, and cleaning, and ayurveda, and cooking, and generally keeping this huge place running, but we are having so much fun doing it. A few of us spent Sunday (the staff's day off) building swings and tapping maple trees (hopefully we'll have our first batch of maple syrup by the end of the week :)). And I, my strength and health having returned and feeling like my old self again, got back in the kitchen and, I have to say, really out did myself :D I've been waiting for the right moment to try out a pita bread recipe I saw on The Fresh Loaf, and having an industrial oven at my disposal, realized that there would never be a better time. The recipe worked out just perfectly! They ballooned up just like in the painting of the old Lebanese bakery hanging on Chris and Ralph's wall.

Coming soon: turning your local ashram into a maple sugar bush!