Happy New Year!

Yesterday we updated our New Year's Eve tradition by making out own pizza instead of ordering out. Mom took care of the dough in her new Cuisinart while I prepared olives, onions, sausage, cheese, and other toppings. Then, while the dough rose, I made some olivata using this recipe, and it turned out pretty good.

Mom made a large pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, basil, spinach, onions, and red pepper. I made a smaller one with olives but sans sausage and red pepper. Steve made himself a small sausage pizza, and I made a dessert pizza with strawberry jam, mozzarella, and a tiny bit of experimental olivata on one corner. It was surprisingly good. I think we might have a new tradition for New Year's Eve.

Pasta!

A while back I decided to try to make pasta from scratch, so I looked up some things online, apron-ed up, and gave it a shot.

Tea towel and twine turned into an improvised apron.

Online I found a recipe saying that one large egg and around 3/4 cup flour and a dash of salt make enough pasta for one person.

Flour! I think 3/4 cup or so...

Egg!

Mix! A lot. Also, I think I might have
sprinkled in some extra flour.

Knead! A lot. Until it the dough becomes really elastic.
Also, make sure you put down flour before you do.

Roll out the dough as thin as possible.
Then fold it in half and do it again.
This is what the internet said to do.

The internet also said adding finely chopped basil or rosemary
before the folding and re-rolling makes for tasty pasta.

ALSO: Any dough you're not working with,
or noodles you're waiting to cook,
should be kept on/under a moist towel,
otherwise they dry out REALLY FAST.

Cook in boiling water for a few minutes, and voila!