Fresh Pasta, Filet Mignon, Souffle, & More... November 5 Only!

Learn to cook a classic northern Italian menu ideal for holiday entertaining at a fun-filled hands-on cooking class November 5 at 6pm!

Entertaining can be stressful, especially when you have to be in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying each other's company and you're rushing to make the meal come together. This new menu was designed with entertaining in mind, so that you can be free to enjoy your guests and have as little to do at the last minute as possible. The key to stress-free entertaining, after all, is a workable menu that impresses guests without overwhelming the cook. This brand new menu features elegant crowd-pleasers that can be prepared mostly ahead: handmade ravioli, rosy filet mignon, an elegant souffle, crispy roast potatoes, and a decadent walnut and chocolate pie. We'll begin our meal with picture-perfect ravioli stuffed with creamy fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Pecorino, napped with a light basil-scented tomato sauce of our own making. A main course of herb-rubbed filet mignon leaves you free to sit at the table with your dinner companions; all you need to do is slice the filet after it emerges from the oven, and serve it with a deep, delicious red wine glaze that can happily simmer on the stove while the filet roasts. Delicate fennel and Parmigiano souffles are a sophisticated side for the filet; best of all, the souffles can be assembled almost entirely a day ahead, finished when guests arrive, and baked while the filet roasts. We'll roast rosemary-scented potatoes using an ingenious trick I learned in Puglia to achieve an extra crispy crust (the secret is all in the pan!). And for dessert, what could beat a homemade pie? This glorious pie features buttery walnuts and bittersweet chocolate, plus a secret ingredient that makes it especially addictive... it can be baked hours ahead and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream if you like just before serving... Don't wait too long to reserve your spot in this one time-only class!

Menu, November 5:

Mozzarella & Ricotta Ravioli in Basil-Kissed Tomato Sauce
Filet Mignon with Chili-Fennel Rub & Chianti Glaze
Caramelized Fennel Souffle with Sage & Parmigiano
The Ultimate Rosemary & Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Decadent Walnut & Chocolate Pie

This hands-on cooking class lasts from 6PM to 9PM. The cost is $110 per person and includes a full dinner paired with wine. Be sure to sign up here before class sells out or call 917-602-1519.

And we are also very excited about our Fresh Pasta Workshop on November 17 at 12pm... This class will teach you all you need to know to turn out three fabulous pastas and three fabulous pasta sauces in the comfort of your kitchen. But what's even better is the fact that you can apply the techniques you'll learn in this class to make an endless array of fresh pastas of your own creation: after all, once you've learned how to knead the dough for each of these pastas, you can add your own touch, making gnocchi, cavatelli, and lasagna like a true pro. First on the menu, a distinctly northern dish, based on my mom's easy-to-make and foolproof potato gnocchi; it's all about the ratio of flour to potato, and about leaving out one very unnecessary ingredient! The sauce: a heavenly truffle-scented cream that will transport you to the fog-enshrouded hills of Piedmont in fall. Next up: a rustic semolina pasta called cavatelli, typical of southern regions like Basilicata and Puglia... we'll sauce ours with my husband's hands-down favorite, a garlicky concoction of broccoli, olive oil, chili, and crispy bread crumbs (cheese optional, but delicious). And finally, we'll journey to Bologna, home to one of Italy's most glorious pasta creations: silky egg tagliatelle tossed with a heavenly, rich ragu bolognese flavored with carrots, celery, and onions... We'll toss some fresh baby greens with a light vinaigrette to round out the meal, and enjoy some homemade biscotti with our espresso. You can sign up here for our Fresh Pasta Workshop.

We've also posted our online class calendar through December 2012 here.

For those of you planning a team-building activity or important celebration this season, consider a private cooking party. Parties can be held in the daytime or evening and last 3 hours, and the cost is just $162 per person inclusive of gratuity. And the best part: you get to pick the menu you want, and you can add on a wine tasting if you are really into wine! There are still dates available in the busy holiday season (though not for long!). We've even created a chocolate lover's dream event: a hands-on cooking class followed by dinner, a wine tasting, and a chocolate tasting... Call 917-602-1519 to inquire about availability for your private cooking event. Our corporate clients include A & E Television Network, Unilever, Google, Colgate Palmolive, Credit Suisse, David Yurman, Newsweek, Victoria's Secret, NBC, and many more... Click here for more on our clients and testimonials.

Here's what a client recently said about his company's team-building event at RUSTICO COOKING: "First of all, we had an awesome time!! Gerry is a great chef and was a tremendous host so please pass along our gratitude to her. I particularly liked how she kept everyone on my team organized and working! Everyone loved the food and had such a good time preparing and cooking too. " Ryan N., Oracle

We look forward to cooking with you soon!

Micol Negrin & Dino De Angelis

And why not forward this email newsletter to your food-loving friends? The more people around our kitchen table, the better!

NOTE: Please rest assured that if you receive an email from us, it's because you contacted us with a question, comment, or subscription request. We protect your privacy by sending out our newsletter via an undisclosed recipient list. If you do not wish to receive our newsletter, simply unsubscribe by clicking on the LEAVE MAILING LIST link below.

New Recipes

We've added 2 delicious new recipes to our site: a hearty soup featuring escarole and barley, and a sumptuous pasta with radicchio and bacon. Let us know which dishes you prepare! These are perfect recipes for entertaining, and are sure to make your dinner guests feel very special. And consult our complete recipe index here.

Here are links to this month's recipes: