4 lb spinach
1 salt
2 cup ricotta
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 pepper
1 freshly grated nutmeg
1 flour
6 tbsp butter, melted
Directions
Wash the spinach and remove the stems. In a large pan with the
lid on, steam the leaves with a little salt in the water that clings
to them, turning them over, until they crumple. Strain and squeeze
every bit of water out with your hands: this is all-important and is
the secret of success (otherwise the dumplings would fall apart).
Finely chop the leaves
Mash the ricotta and stir in the eggs, half the parmesan, salt,
pepper, nutmeg and spinach. Work very well, shape into balls the
size of a walnut and roll in flour.
Fill a large saucepan halfway with water, bring to the boil and
very carefully drop in the dumplings. Keep the water barely simmering
until the rise to the surface - they do so very quickly.
Lift them out very carefully with a slotted spoon and serve very
hot with melted butter and the remaining parmesan.
Servings: 1 servings
Malfatti Cheese & Spinach Dumplings Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Cheese; Spinach; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
We can track the history of `recipes` back into distant history, in truth as far back into recorded history as the ancient Egyptians, and maybe further still. Interesting though that is, sadly, these old cookbooks were just very simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for food preparation.
In fact, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to food historians is a collection of stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which show the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel wonderful. Later on, in Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled some documents which described recipes prepared by the Romans. He recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into appetizers, main meal and afters, a very modern way of dining. Additionally, he informs us how the early Romans used many different spices, including some that we all recognise for example basil, rue and parsley. Later on, we have two interesting cookery books dating from the 14th Century ; a cookery book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, these two books have no connection with the curry that we all know today, but instead descriptions of the types of meals prepared for the upper classes of that period. Later on in the 1400s, knights returning from the crusades brought us many new spices and herbs from the holy land, including parsley and basil. These new foods and tastes led to an explosion in manuscripts on food, the majority of which are kept safe in private collections. By the advent of the twentieth century, recipe books were increasing in popularity mostly due to better eduction, more leisure time and having more money to spend. The introduction of the TV brought us celebrity chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to search through thousands of recipes like those on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Malfatti Cheese & Spinach Dumplings recipe.
