“Blast From The Past” Tumblr Cookbook Giveaway
Because we love our Tumblr readers so much, this week we are introducing a new Tumblr Project, hosted by Social Media Intern Veronica Thompson, titled “Blast From The Past.” Are you seeking a new recipe to try? How about an “old” one instead? Over the next nine weeks we’ll be posting some of the best, and most creative, retro-style recipes to satisfy your need for nostalgia.
And if that wasn’t satisfying enough, we’re also giving away cookbooks! Every week, we’ll be posting a “Blast from the Past” recipe. Once you’ve completed the recipe, take a photograph and post it on your Tumblr blog. Be sure to link back to this post and include the tag: America’s Test Kitchen. We’ll pick one lucky home cook each week to win a copy of a cookbook, and be featured on our Tumblr page (If you don’t have a Tumblr, no fear, read on).
This Week’s Challenge:
Gnocchi Alla Romana, circa 1970s
from: From our Grandmothers’ Kitchens
When most of us think of gnocchi, we think of the classic little dumplings made from potatoes. That’s why Lily’s recipe, made by shaping cooked grits into squares, shingling them in a gratin dish, and sprinkling them with cheese and baking, is such a revelation. “I brought the idea for this memorable dish back from a trip to Rome forty years ago, in the 1970s. Without a specific recipe to go on, I experimented until I came up with this close approximation. I always thought that gnocchi was the potato dumpling kind, but this was made of a grain similar to our grits.” The making of gnocchi in Italy goes back at least to the mid 1850s, and gnocchi was made not just from potatoes but from a variety of ingredients, including ricotta, bread, winter squash, and corn semolina (cornmeal), clearly what Lily had tried in Rome. Says Lily of her version: “It worked out so well, it’s passed along as a family treasured recipe.” This cheesy, starchy side dish would be perfect served with ham.
Click “read more” to get the recipe and more details!
Gnocchi Alla Romana
Serves 8 to 10
4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
1 cup old-fashioned white grits
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1. Line 13 by 9‑inch baking dish with foil lengthwise and widthwise, letting excess foil hang over edges. Grease foil.
2. Bring milk and butter to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to melt butter. Slowly pour grits into milk mixture, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and all liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
2. Transfer grits to large bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Pour grits mixture into prepared baking dish and spread into even layer. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled and set, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove cooled grits from baking dish using foil sling and cut into 18 rectangles. Grease baking dish with butter.
4. Shingle grits rectangles into prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with Gruyère and Parmesan. Bake until grits are heated through and cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
How To Enter:
Make this recipe and post a photograph of your homemade version to your Tumblr blog. Be sure to link back to this post and include the tag: America’s Test Kitchen. Deadline: February 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. EST.
If you do not have a Tumblr, you can simply email us the photograph along with your name, email, mailing address and a short caption to socialmedia@americastestkitchen.com. Be sure to include “Blast From The Past” in your subject line. Deadline: February 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. EST.
The Cookbook You Could Win:
From Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens: In an effort to preserve these heirloom recipes, Cook’s Country Magazine asked its readers to submit their favorite recipes and the stories behind them. Family favorites for cookies and pies, casseroles and special-occasion suppers, old-fashioned breads and even preserves and pickles all came pouring in. From the more than one thousand submissions, our team tested and perfected the best to present here, in From Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens. Watch the video.
The Fine Print:
The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 10:00am EST. Limit one entry per individual. The challenge is limited to residents of the United States or Canada who are 18 years and older as of February 28, 2012. The decisions made by the judges at America’s Test Kitchen are final.
