Yield: 20

Here’s a delectable cookie that will add Italian flair to your after-party coffee or hot chocolate—almond biscotti. At the Cork, we always serve a cup of delicious affogato with its compatriot confection. Our secret spice? Anise. This herb has a subtle sweetness much like fennel or licorice and often appears in Italian biscotti recipes, thanks to its abundance in the Mediterranean region. To bring out the herb’s flavor, we add Pernod, an anise-flavored liqueur, to the dough. The almonds add the satisfying crunch of proper biscotti.  If you serve this twice-baked chunk of Roman heaven at your next festivity, don’t be surprised if it ends up on your “must-bake” list!

Ingredients

2 ¾ C All-Purpose Flour
1 1/3 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Cup Whole almonds
1/3 Cup sliced almonds
2 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 ½ Tablespoon whole aniseed
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
8 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temp, cubed
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Pernod
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Oven at 350
2. Combine flour, sugar almonds, cornmeal, aniseed, baking powder, and salt in large mixer. Add butter. Mix until the consistency of wet sand.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and Pernod liqueur until dough forms.
4. Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll out onto silpats about 1/2″  high and 4″ wide. Bake for 20 minutes. Or until lightly browned.
5. Cool slightly and cut into 1” wide pieces. Bake again for 10-15 min or until brown and hard.

By Chef Jim Smailer of the Boulder Cork

Serves 6

Ingredients

Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. of assorted fingerling potatoes cut in half length wise
Zest and juice from one lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
1T fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 cup best-quality olive oil
Salt and pepper

Asparagus
2 bunches of medium asparagus (not pencil-sized), trimmed and washed
Zest from one lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Halibut
6 seven-ounce halibut, thick-cut filet portions
Best quality olive oil to drizzle
Lemon (wedges)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

For the potatoes (25 mins)

1. Toss all together and place in a roasting pan or baking sheet ( Do not crowd the pan )
2. Place in 425-degree oven
3. The potatoes will take about 25 min. (toss potatoes once or twice to brown evenly )
4. While the potatoes are roasting, prep the asparagus and halibut.

For the asparagus (12 mins)

1. Drizzle asparagus with the olive oil and sprinkle with zest , salt and pepper.
2. Place in 425-degree oven
3. The asparagus will take about 12 minutes.

For the halibut (12 mins)

1. Drizzle some olive oil in a roasting pan large enough to hold the filets.
2. Drizzle olive oil on top of halibut and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place in 425-degree oven
4. The halibut will take about 12 minutes also.
5. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!

Chef Jim’s Butternut Squash Ravioli is fresh, flavorful and perfect for autumn weather. While it does require some persistence, the end result is well worth the effort. Serve up a hearty plate of fresh ravioli drizzled in sage brown butter sauce and the perfect wine pairing.

Yield: Approximately 60-75 ravioli

For the Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 oz. semolina flour
6 1/2 oz. flour
3 T. water
1 T. olive oil
9 egg yolks

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixer with a paddle attachment combine flours.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the water, olive oil and egg yolks. Add this liquid to the flours. A very firm dough will form in about 30 seconds.
3. Remove dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes. In the final minute start to shape the dough into a 6 inch cylinder.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or as long as 3 hours.

For the Filling

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium butternut squash prepared the following way:

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place the squash cut side down on a buttered baking dish.
• Roast the squash in a 325 degree oven for approximately one hour or until the squash is very tender when pierced by a fork.
• Let the squash cool to room temperature and remove seeds and skin.
• Chop the squash into large pieces and place in a bowl. The squash should be very tender and somewhat dry. If not, place the pieces back into the oven and roast until tender.

1 cup fresh ricotta
2 oz. grated reggiano parmesan
1 T. pure maple syrup
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. allspice
1/8 t. cayenne pepper or red chile
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add the above ingredients to the squash and place into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. You may need to do this step in two batches depending on the size of your food processor.
2. Process the mixture until very smooth. Remove mixture and chill for at least 1 hour. You can prepare the filling the day before.
3. To prepare the pasta, place the dough on a floured surface and cut into five equal pieces.
4. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten into a disk with the palm of your hand.
5. Set your pasta machine on 0 and roll dough through 0 setting.
6. Continue to roll dough on settings 0 thru 4 rolling through these settings two times each.
7. Roll dough through settings 5 and 6 one time each. Now you are ready to make the ravioli.
8. You can make free form ravioli or use a ravioli mold. I prefer to use the mold. Make sure you dust the mold with flour before placing the pasta in or the pasta will stick.
9. Place a dollop of mixture onto the pasta and cover with a top layer of pasta that you prepare the same way as the bottom layer. Roll over the mold with a little pasta rolling pin to form and seal the ravioli. Turn mold upside down to remove the ravioli. Place the finished raviolis in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet dusted with flour. Repeat the above process with remaining pasta dough and filling.
10. You can cook the ravioli immediately or refrigerate them for up to two hours uncovered. You can also freeze the ravioli in a single layer to use at a later time. When cooking the ravioli bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the desired amount of ravioli for about 5 – 6 minutes.
11. Transfer the ravioli to a serving plate and spoon over sage browned butter. Top with a little grated or crumbled amaretti cookies and freshly grated reggiano parmesan.

For the Sage Browned Butter

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick of unsalted best quality butter
1 T. chopped fresh sage

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small sauce pan cook butter over medium high heat until it starts to brown.
2. Remove immediately from heat and add the sage leaves.
3. Spoon and gently toss the warm butter mixture over the ravioli.