How well do ravioli freeze?

[c oliver]

I'm fixing jfood's ravioli (goat cheese, mascarpone, parmesan) and I know that I'll have more than the two of us will eat tomorrow. How well will the extras freeze? Is there a particular way to wrap them? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[mbfant]

It's important not to defrost frozen pasta. Drop it in the boiling water still frozen. Apologies if somebody has already mentioned this is one of the 133 posts.

[c oliver]

Now THAT I didn't know. Why not?

[jfood]

Well jfood's flight was peaceful, no traffic home and he arrived to feed me....yeah!!!

Then he took not one, but two packages out of the freezer, that's 12 freakin' raviolis. He explained he has not eaten a real meal since wednesday dinner. OK.

And he had some mrs jfood sauce in the friidge. So he cooked the raviolis, a little sauce and some fresh romano. Yippee Eye Oh Kayeah.

And to the poster that said the cheese filling would change texture, sorry, but this held beautifully, creamy, still had that nice goat cheese bite.

Very happy with the results.

[kattyeyes]

Dear Canine (jhound?),
Glad your boy is back safely. You sound like a very happy hound--was there a clean up on aisle one? ;) Romano is our cheese of choice on pasta, too. You guys enjoy your weekend!

[jfood]

not yet....we just split a yellow delicious apple. Tomorrow the cook-fest begins

[c oliver]

I'm in love!!!!!!!!!!! I made ravioli...and it was wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually cooked what I thought was way more than one meal's worth. I neglected, however, to pass that along to my husband. So I had six and he had twelve (at least). jfood, this was really, really good. Thank you SO much. Because of our high elevation and low humidity, I held back a whole cup of the regular flour. Then added it in - perhaps half cup plus. ****** I'm chuckling. My husband keeps giving me thumbs up - too funny. I'll be figuring out what else to pester you for. Again, thanks, not only for the recipe but for the support. Good boy :)

[walker]

Let us know how they taste after freezing; you do have some left for freezing???

[jfood]

jfood ate 12 frozen last night. No degredation at all.

[c oliver]

I do have a very few left. I also have half the dough left and am hoping it will have retained its "ravioli-ness" over night. We were just getting so darned hungry that I stopped making them at that point. Will do more today.

[jfood]

jfood waited up as long as he could to hear but fell asleep. He was very nervous.

This is great news.

You have to try the short ribs.

[c oliver]

What short ribs? We LOVE short ribs. I have an old, old recipe for jalapeno beer-baked short ribs that is SO good.

The dogs allowed us to "sleep in" this morning. That means we didn't have to get up until 7; lately it's been 630. So I had time to lie there and think about, what else, raviolis. (Don't all CHs think about food when they're not sleeping?) I think in the future, i.e., today, I'm going to cut 3" squares, put more filling in (I could only manage about 1/2 T) and fold into a triangle. Three inches (or a little less) is about the way it comes through the roller so I'd have no waste or trimming. Shouldn't make any difference, should it? Also that amount of filling isn't going to be enough for all that dough; is it for you? Maybe my machine on penultimate is thinner than yours is? Do you think the dough will still be useable today? I wrapped it tightly in plastice wrap. I'm also wanting different fillings. There may even be some on this thread; I've seen it somewhere. What about Bolognese? If I used homemade, don't you think I could use it uncooked since it will cook in the water for 10 minutes? Soooo, jfood, in between your cooking extravaganza if you have time to address any of my *issues*, I'd appreciate it. Husband is skiing today and, after taking the hounds to the woods for a walk in the snow, I'm going to cook some more and, like you, get some music going. Later, Cath

[jfood]

Here is the short rib recipe. Jfood took a recipe from a famous chef and through 5-6 changes came up with his favorite amounts and method.

Jfood's Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This recipe needs planning. Jfood normally serves on a Sunday night. So he marinates the ribs on Friday night and prepares during the day on Saturday. Then around 5PM he starts Sunday dinner and these are ready to go. This recipe should feed 6 with sides.

INGREDIENTS
4-5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4” chops (this should give 12-14 pieces)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups red wine
½ Cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
3 sprigs fresh or heaping Tablespoon dry thyme
3 ounces oil
2 Cups small-diced onion
½ Cup small-diced celery
½ Cup small-diced carrots
6 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2-4 pounds cremini mushrooms
2 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS
Day 1
1. Generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine, sugar, garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt. Marinate the short ribs in the wine mixture for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Slice mushrooms and sauté slowly until all of the liquid is evaporated and they just begin to brown. Remove to a separate bowl. This can be done day before and refrigerate.
Day 2
3. Remove the short ribs from the wine and allow the beef to rest for several minutes and come to room temperature. Reserve marinade.
4. Pour 3 ounces oil into a Dutch oven over high heat.
5. Place the meat in the hot pan. This may take two batches. Stir and turn the meat often, carefully allowing each piece to brown on each side before removing from the pan. When browned (will take several minutes per side), remove the beef from the pan.
6. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir constantly and allow the onions to cook until mahogany in color, about 10 minutes; if onions are browning too quickly, reduce to medium heat.
7. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the reserved wine marinade. Allow the wine to come to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.
8. After several minutes, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
9. Cover the Dutch oven and place in a 275 degree oven for about 4 hours.
10. Refrigerate over night
Day 3
11. Take the Dutch oven from the fridge and skim off the congealed fat.
12. Place the Dutch oven on the stove and bring the ribs to temperature.
13. Transfer short ribs to a dish and cover.
14. Season the short ribs and braising liquid with salt and pepper to taste.

The mods may move this to the home cooking board.

[zamorski]

Hear, hear. Shortribs rock, and they make incredible ravioli--sort of what Chef Boyardee was trying to make and failed.

My favourite sauce for this is a very light, slightly coarse, fresh tomato sauce (verging almost on the watery side--the lightness of the sauce balances out the richness of the ravioli), garnished with a goodly amount of tiny cubes of ricotta salata and some threads of basil.

[chef chicklet]

erh um...jfood please pardon my interruption it's late and I almost fell off my chair when I saw the Besh reipe, also one of my favorite meals ever.
I tried to read up, but am I missing something or reading not far up enough. did you stuff ravioli with the short ribs??? or left over short ribs?
What a great idea, and great way to use the left overs!

[jfood]

Not exactly. Yes jfood agrees that some people do stuff raviolis with stuff like that and in your restaurant that might be a good seller.

But, here is jfood's theory for a home cooks. Short ribs by themselves, are perfect. Combining them into a ravioli dish would be more than leftovers, it would be another meal. So why waste it? Three days of work for some stuffing? hmmmmm, not on jfood's radar.

[chef chicklet]

I agree, it was late and I got so excited to see the Besh recipe!
I rarely have any leftover when I make them.
I'll be making your ravioli soon and I'm very much looking forward. TIA.

[c oliver]

Another question: do you use this dough as your general pasta dough?

[jfood]

so far jfood has used for ravioli and lasagne.

He is looking at an artichoke & mushroom lasagne that he may modify with some spinach.

[c oliver]

I had some dough leftover and made fettucine. Haven't tried it yet. Have you ever made the pasta sheets and frozen? That lasagne sounds wonderful. What a great weekend for cooking :)

[c oliver]

Well, the fettucine experiment will have to be delayed. While having our cocktails in the spa (pretty much every evening in the winter), Gypsy Lady pulled the towel that had the pasta on it onto the floor and now it's all in her belly. Since she is totally non-dscrimnating in her food choices, her opinons means little. Glad have some recently frozen - like this morning - so we will be having ravioli for the third meal out of the last four. As Bob said, if it's GOOD ravioli, who cares how many times we eat it?

[c oliver]

Had the frozen ravs as a side last night and was NOT pleased. But it wasn't the freezing (well, I'm almost positive it wasn't). I had about a third of the dough left from making the ravs the night before so tried using THAT dough. They were tough and doughy. So I'm guessing you CAN'T hold it overnight and continue the next day? Any thoughts?
jfood, as someone said, if you don't get deleted occasionally, you're not trying hard enough :)

[smtucker]

I have been reading about this a lot lately [yea Hazan has me addicted] and the big guns seem to think that pasta dough doesn't hold. It gets sticky and slimy. The dough should be rolled after a short rest. Any unused pasta should be cut and dried, or cut and frozen. Raviolis should be made before the dough has a chance to dry out at all.

I made some tagiatelli on Monday and used Hazan's method of hand cutting, and then set to dry [without all that flour] in nests. She claims the pasta can live in the pantry for three months, and furthermore states that the cut pasta should not be held in the refrigerator. First time I have tried this, but I can guarantee that the pasta will not last three months!

So far the bag of pasta looks great!

[jfood]

jfood once made the dough and never got a chance to use that day. The next day he took one look and said "blech". Sorry it did not work out for round 2.

[c oliver]

What was odd is that it looked and felt fine. Now I find out from mbfant that they're not to be defrosted before cooking. I DID defrost but can't imagine that was the problem. I won't do that again as it's quite time consuming.

Holey moley, I can't believe how much you cooked this weekend. I'm tired after my little bit yesterday. Went to a casino for breakfast and just had Lil Smokies and Cheetos for lunch :)

[c oliver]

FYI, we had nine raviolis left from last night so had them for a tiny lunch today - dang, was really hoping Bob would ski later :) Just as wonderful today and the dogs enjoyed licking the bowls. I swear I could eat this for dinner tonight too.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I have made an artichoke, mushroom, and spinach lasagne and fresh pasta sheets (and marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, some fresh herbs, a little nutmeg). I didn't use a recipe, just put it together. It was absolutely delicious, if I do say so (well, the guests agreed).

So, good combo.

[chef chicklet]

OMG, and here I am contemplating getting back on Weight Watchers!
Wow, I love veggie lasagne, I can't wait to make fresh pasta and make it with that. I want to make my seafood lasagne with fresh pasta, I know it will be so much better even. Nice job!

[eLizard]

yay! congratulations. did you make the dough in the food processor?

[c oliver]

Thanks. Absolutely used the FP. For me anyway, it makes it easier. Let's see if I can describe. With the well method (which I used once), I felt less secure about the amount of dry that I was incorporating. Too much or little? Almost had to get to the kneading part before I was sure. With the FP, I held back quite a bit of the flour. When it came together, I could see/feel that it was still too wet/sticky. So I just added flour maybe a 1/4 cup and then another until it was right. I'm sure alot of this is just my inexperience, but I just can't imagine the quality could be ANY better than what I got last night. (See above for husband's reactions!) And it's just so darn quick and easy and less of a mess. I don't criticize who use the well method but I'm lazy.

[eLizard]

if you ever decide to attempt spinach dough, hazan's recipe is good, but she is pretty adamant that you not use the FP for the spinach and dough. I tried it her way. I really did. Then, I gave up and dumped everything into the FP and it worked like magic.

[c oliver]

And if YOU, Dough Whisperer Extraordinaire, had that problem then I will certainly stick with the FP. Thanks, e.

[walker]

I made it exactly her way once and thought the dough was slimy and not worth the effort -- spinach dough, that is.

[eLizard]

i'm telling you....food processor. worked like charm. i may have had to futz with the flour amount, but it took no time.

[smtucker]

My goodness! how did a simple question about freezing raviolis garner over 73 postings? To keep this on topic, I froze 32 won tons tonight.... used the sheet pan/zip lock bag method. The next time Costco puts the foodsaver on sale, I am buying one!

[c oliver]

As the OP, I feel so special! A new personal best :) But I do love that darn machine.

[smtucker]

hey, you smiled at my x-thingie. The least I can do is join you in the foodsaver revolution!

[c oliver]

Hey, back, I thought *I* called it the x-thingie!! Can we share the praise???

[smtucker]

x-thing is all yours. Our shared smile.... priceless. And make those raviolis. There is nothing like a home made ravioli if you ask me.....

[c oliver]

Can you make to Lake Tahoe in NoCal by tomorrow night to share the meal as well as smiles???

[smtucker]

Oh. I wish. However, I am looking out at the wrong ocean to make it to Lake Tahoe.

[c oliver]

Just re-read "our" thread. A shared smile indeed. Have a great weekend.

[monku]

I'm surprised jfood couldn't answer this for you.

[c oliver]

See upthread - he did :)

[monku]

How did I miss him?
He only responded once, that was why.

[c oliver]

When he replies so well, once is enough!

[monku]

Enough said. I know how he can be.

[c oliver]

I'm one of his surrogate moms and he's one of my heroes. So tread lightly, my friend :)

[monku]

Meant to be compliment....Monku has only praise for his opinions, nothing ever negative.

[c oliver]

Okay, I'm lowering my hackles :) Guess I was feeling overproctective of one of my pups. They grow up so fast :)

[jfood]

jfood just returned to his room from a VERY disappointing experience at one of his used to be favorite restaurants. The only high spot was his decisions on what to cook this weekend while mrs jfood spends some time with her mom and cousin. One hour after ordering a cheeseburger and fries, he left the restaurant.

Thanks for the good press.

He returns east tomorrow and will perform the Caroline1 test on his frozen raviolis with some homemade Rao's sauce.

[c oliver]

We can have "pretend" dinner together tomorrow night --- the three of us having "jfoods world famous ravioli." :)

C1's test has achieved almost as much interest as Sam's "magic house" :)

Have a good un and tell Dad to also.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Look farther up in the thread. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6012...

[Delucacheesemonger]

Here comes Dr Negative again. My rule on frozen has been freeze the meat, do not freeze the cheese ravioli. There is a pasta store, a chain, near me that sells frozen ravioli in some branches and fresh cheese raviolis in others. When l wrote a newspaper food column, one article was based on the comparison of the two products. One fresh, one frozen from the same maker. Served to @18 people, l did not say a thing. Every person asked why one dish was so grainy, and the other perfect. Same timing same sauce, same cheese for topping. Same everything other than the frozen aspect. The frozen ones had been frozen at the store for less than one week. That's my story and l'm sticking to it.

[c oliver]

That's VERY interesting. I'd like to hear others thoughts. I assume both had sauces on them? So if this were to matter hugely to me then I would have to either try to cut the recipe down or always make sure that I had enough guests to eat them all. I am NOT being sarcastic Dr. N. My guess is that I'll go with curtain #3 and freeze what we don't cook up right away, figuring that they'll still be better than anything I can buy in my run-of-the mill supermarket. I really appreciate your bringing this up.

[Delucacheesemonger]

For the hell of it, next time you make fresh ravioli, cook some of frozen and some fresh in separate dishes, otherwise do identical things, sauce cheese,timing, etc. and see for yourself.

[c oliver]

I shall. Thanks again.

[kattyeyes]

But whatever you do, please don't report the results as a scientific experiment here. JK! JK! I'm thinking of the "salting a steak" thread. ;)

[c oliver]

HA! I'm letting one of the other C's keep that particular claim to fame :)

[srgilber]

wow i just read the salting a steak thread...and a) i learned a lot and b) that got hostile. haha. I'm new to the boards as of yesterday, but i got a lot of advice on meals to make at home. But yeah...that thread was entertaining to say the least.

[kattyeyes]

Welcome! I find CH to be always educational, often entertaining and for reasons I don't always understand, sometimes hostile...just like real life. ) But definitely enjoy the ride!

[c oliver]

Ain't it the truth?!? But we're all better cooks than when we arrived. And I guess are developing thicker skins. And besides all the knowledge, some of these hounds are hysterically funny and clever as all-getout. Enjoy the ride!

[Den]

What is the recipe?

[c oliver]

Ravioli:
8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for sprinkling
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Use your favorite pasta recipe and thinnes one fromthe end or 18 wonton wrappers (jfood used his new favorite pasta recipe and doubled this recipe)

1 - Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal.
2 - Mix 8 ounces goat cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, marscapone and basil in medium bowl and incorporate with a wooden sppin.
3 - Roll pasta dough to the penultimate thinness. Only roll enough to make 12 ravioli squares.
4 - Use a 2" square ravioli cutter and cut squares and arrange on your work surface. (Work with 12 pieces at a time) Trim excess pasta around edges.
5 - Place 1 tablespoon cheese filling in center of each wrapper.
6 - Place another wrapper on top and using fingertip, dampen edges of wrappers with water and seal all 4 edges tightly.
7 - Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
8 - DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Cook in high simmer water for 8-10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Serve with a small dollop of Marinara Sauce on top.

Recipe for ravioli pasta is:

2.5 Cups flour
1 cup semolina
5 XL eggs
Make as you would any pasta and roll to next to thinnest setting.

[Den]

thanks

[c oliver]

I guess it should be titled "jfood's world famous ravioli."

[eLizard]

wow. look who's dough whispering now! and ravs freeze exceptionally well. I have three kinds in my freezer right now....veal, mushroom, and cheese.

[c oliver]

Hey, e!!!! I haven't actually MADE these yet :) Aiming for it and nervous. Don't have a ravioli cutter but someone suggested a glass. Wish me luck.

[kchurchill5]

I use my square cookie cutter. But maybe not everyone has those, I just do. I used my pizza cutter, works great, no fancy edges but it works. I love wontons, I will never go back, just love them being so much lighter.

[eLizard]

hey yourself, c!!! i use crazy things like knives and pizza cutters to cut my dough. i do have a fluted edged pastry wheel, but i prefer the pizza cutter. good luck and please let us know how it turns out.

[jfood]

pizza cutter is a great tool for raviolis

[c oliver]

Good to know. I did about 3/4 with a 2+" diameter glass and the rest with a knife. Mr. O made the Rao's marinara sauce which is simmering away. Should have done this this afternoon but HE forced me to stay at the casino!!! :)

[jfood]

Hey Mom.

Here's the jfood method.

First he freezes them on a baking sheet. This way they do not stick or freeze together. Much better on the outbound.

Now he has a Foodsaver for the next step

Then he places them in one of the bags trying to keep them from touching and sucks the air our of the bag. This method produces zero freezer burn as well as they do not get crushed during the bag sucking phase.

Without a bag sucker, jfood also recommends to freeze them first on the baking sheet. Then into freezer bags trying to get as much air out as possible.

Jfood heading home tomorrow night and probably grabbing sopme of these plus some of his Rao's homemade Marinara for a welcome home comfort dinner.

With Mrs jfood away this weekend he has a major cooking and music event with me this weekend.

[markabauman]

I usually freeze them on parchment on a baking sheet dusted with coarse semolina rather than cornstarch; it always falls to the bottom of the pasta pot. They usually freeze sufficiently in about an hour to place them in a plastic bag, or I use a Tupperware cookie box-rectangular and layer the ravioli with parchment and semolina (can use cornmeal). They store pretty well that way without freezer burn. I try to use them within a reasonable time-month or so.

[kchurchill5]

semolina never tried that but never had a problem with the cornstarch. Never did the baking sheet either cuz they always worked fine without. Maybe I am not freezing as many in the bag. I also don't have a food saver, I barely have room for what I have. But I usually eat mine fairly quick

[chowser]

I do the same only on a silpat mat. If you don't have semolina, coarse corn meal works well, too. But, now I'm thinking the advantage of using the parchment is that you can then put the ravioli in with the parchment separating them and that's a good idea. I might do this next time.

[kchurchill5]

I did a big batch parchment may work well, I use that for freezing other items.

[zamorski]

Since my freezer is narrow and generally packed, I can't easily put the raviolis on a baking sheet to freeze (good approach, though). Of course, when it is -20 here in Ottawa in the winter, this is easier (though you have to watch our for the damn squirrels and raccoons!).

I have never tried the bag sucker but other posters here on CHOW have mentioned having problems with the ravioli bursting if they use it with non-frozen raviolis. I am guessing that the main culprit is the little bit of air that can get left in the filling pocket, especially if you don't make them a lot. jfood's freeze-then-suck-then-enjoy approach sounds safer.

Personally, I layer them in the larger oblong Ziploc freezer containers, using durum flour and wax paper between the layers to separate them. I try to avoid overlapping them too much in each layer to prevent sticking--a little overlap is fine as long as you have durum flour on them. Even though these containers are not overly airtight, I have not noticed a problem with freezer burn (or picking up off flavours) if I use them within a month or two.

[c oliver]

Thanks, son. I think freeze first and then "bag sucker" will be my approach. I "intuited" that bag sucking unfrozen ones wasn't going to work. Will try that when we get back from our next NYC trip with two dozen bagels. Tried *BS* them and they looked like bagel chips!

Care to share the Marinara sauce recipe?

Husband is skiing today so, if I get my shoveling done and have any energy, will make this today. Otherwise tomorrow.

Thanks, mom.

[c oliver]

Oops. Just did a search here and found out that Rao is a brand of jarred sauce not a recipe. Never mind :) Another reason to dig out my car.

[Caitlin McGrath]

C, There's a Rao's cookbook, so you can make the sauce yourself, as well.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/r...

[c oliver]

Oh, hey, thanks for that! I've saved it.

I'd like to add a second question based on Dr. N's comment, kinda-sorta. How long can I keep ravioli refrigerated before freezing. If the freezing DOES effect the taste significantly, then could I hold in the fridge for a two or three days? Or not? Thanks all.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Doesn't affect the taste, just the texture, which may be more important. Imagine in a proper refrigerator should hold for a week or two. Ones l used to sell that had no preservatives were dated for 14 days, and never turned moldy, might have dried a little, but did not go off.

[c oliver]

Excellent. Thanks again. We sometimes freeze raclette and the texture is definitely effected. Much more difficult to slice without crumbling. But once melted, it's fine. So it would make since that freezing any product with cheese will change it.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Not any cheese. The less liquid in the cheese, eg: Parmigiano reggiano or Pecorino romano, the less problem on freezing, some but little. Take a container of supermarket ricotta of a simple young chevre like Montrachet in it's plastic sleeve and freeze them solid for a day or two, then defrost them and eat as is, no cooking, no condiments , view the texture, there you are.

[zamorski]

WARNING: If your filling is moist and your pasta is thin (my usual approach), the pasta gets snotty after a day or two in the fridge, resulting in TRWO (Total Ravioli Write-off).

[c oliver]

THANKS!!!! I definitely don't want snotty ravioli! I think I'll freeze sooner rather than later. Eeek.

[smtucker]

zamorksi is absolutely correct. Eat or freeze. The refrigerator is not kind to home made pasta. Quite a few of my cookbooks suggest letting the raviolis try on a rack for 20 minutes before cooking in water.

[c oliver]

Thanks, buddy.

[jfood]

here ya go

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/ea...

[c oliver]

Thanks. Will make tomorrow as I just realized that I don't have basil.

I unnecessarily defended your honor below. Probably frightened poor monku when I started growling menacingly :)

[kattyeyes]

Right on with the Food Saver! Has to be among the wisest kitchen toys we've purchased. Was totally thinking this would be a great way to freeze ravs. We also get the whole filet mignon at Stew Leonard's, have them trimmed and cut...(insert noise of Food Saver here)...perfect.

[c oliver]

Hi, was just thinking of you; will write later. Yes to the Food Saver. I would never have frozen good cuts of meat before owning one. Now I can freeze beautiful steaks and a month (or more) later, they're still red. I'd get by without something(s) else before I'd give it up. Later, C

[kchurchill5]

Anyone want to pay for my 1,000 sq foot renovation to hold all the appliances I need to buy, LOL. I have 1,000 sq feet, and a giant pod with the rest of my house and kitchen stuff and a second garage filled. My pots and pan are in a washing tub on my dryer. I think you get the pic. I would love convenience but it isn't going to happen so I make do.

No offense, would love to, but honestly I used one at my neightbors last year, never impressed. Sorry, They have a very nice top of the line one buy the way. My chicken 4 months later looked like the ones I froze.

[kattyeyes]

How bizarre! We use the Food Saver all the time for a wide variety of meats--steaks, chicken, sausage, ham, chicken, bratwursts--and they've always kept beautifully in the freezer. Whenever we're buying the filets, I've shared this tip with others...only to have many of them tell me they have a Food Saver and do the same thing we do!

And for those of you who don't live in CT, Stew Leonard's is like the DisneyWorld of grocery stores, replete with singing chickens, a giant singing Chiquita banana and a giant cheese who sings like Patti LaBelle. I clown my way all the way through the store (I know the cheese song by heart).

[c oliver]

Okay, can we go there instead of the wine/dinner thing?!?

[kattyeyes]

You would love it. We can go wherever your heart desires. :)

[kchurchill5]

I guess maybe because I live in a small apt and my pots and pans sit in a laundry tub on my dryer because there is no room in the kitchen. but even with my house a kitchen down here still had no room. My house I grew up in MI was 4,800 sq feet. 2,600 in many areas where I live is big so kitchens are quite compact and most don't have pantrys over than a small wall shelf, we don't have basements and don't have storage. So I never bought many gadgets other than necessities. I wish I did have room, but don't.

Also, for just two, I don't buy a lot of red meat, My brats my neighbors and I make fresh and we do food seal, they do. Otherwise, chicken, steaks and other meats just don't last more than a few weeks if that. Also most of my freezer is leftovers I freeze in baggies, soups, wine ice cubes, herbs, shredded chicken, turkey and ham, but they do get eaten pretty quick. I know quite a few people who cook a lot and most I know don't have a food saver. Up north however, quite a few do maybe just more regional, not sure.

[jfood]

Interesting in that jfood has never had one once of freezer burn on any of his frozen stuff. And chicken four monthsw later should have the same color as the day it went in and none of those frozen white blotches.

Jfood is not doubted your results, it is just he has never experienced anything like that.

[kattyeyes]

Hey, jfood. It's a mystery as deep as "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie pop? The world may never know!" :)

[alwayscooking]

jfood - should this be in my Bittman-sized kitchen? (I often use this term but have no other 'universal' reference) Will it beat keeping track of what's in the freezer and/or give me a new way of cooking (sous vide)?

[jfood]

This is one of jfood's must have appliances. By the end of the weekend jfood will have tons ofd stuff in his freezer including Besh Short Ribs, Hazan Bolognese, homemade pigs in the blanket, Jfood's Lasagne, Hazan Canelloni, Garten CPP, Garten Turkey Meatloaf, Rao's meatballs, and some coq au vin (probably JC's).

Now when jfood has a long day he comes home opens the freezer and just look at his choices.

And lewt's not forget little jfood coming over and grabbing one or two for her apartment.

[c oliver]

And, at some point, I'm going to be asking for some of those recipes, of course.

I am finding that I don't freeze dribs and drabs of leftovers; I eat those. My freezer is getting full of ENTREES (all caps). Seems like more efficient use of the space. Like you, I love knowing that I have REAL food there.

[jfood]

yup everything is entree sized.

[kattyeyes]

By the way, jfood, I read, saved and salivated over that Besh recipe about a month ago. I have been wanting to make them ever since. I love that you make cannelloni, too. I stopped making maniGAWT (see other pronunciation thread, HA HA) when I found a place on Franklin Avenue in Hartford that made them so perfectly, I could never compete--DiFiore. Man! They are like pasta crepes--so thin and so perfect.

[jfood]

the only thing better than salivating over the recipe is eating the dish. jfood made them last weekend (snowy in CT as you know) and there are four portions in the freezer.

Jfood and I are home alone this weekend. I'm really hoping he is a bit sloppy cooking so I can hear my favorite words, "clean up in aisle 1." Then I run to his prep area and find what hit the floor for a little snack. :-))

[chowser]

This is giving me ideas. So, could I freezer seal food, freeze then heat in in a crockpot during the day in hot simmering water? While I do like the crockpot, this might give me another option, braising in the oven and then freezing and reheating. It also sounds like a great way to reheat some meats. I still have freezer space issues, though.

[jfood]

jfood does one of two methods to re-heat:

1 - MV at 40% for 15 minutes (cut a small slit on top)
2 - Into a pot of boiling water for 20-35.

[chowser]

Thanks. I wonder if the crockpot would work, over a few hours. I need something that will be ready to eat when we get home at 8pm and I'm too tired/hungry to wait.

[c oliver]

Wouldn't 15 min. in the MV work? By the time you did a salad or whatever, set table, poured drinks, I'd think it would be done.

[chowser]

I don't like meats out of the MW but have done it. Usually I rely on my crockpot to braise but it does taste better in the oven so I thought it might give me the best of both worlds. But, if I could cook meatloaf, cryovac and freeze and then cook it sous-vide like in the crockpot, it would be great. LOL, or maybe I'm trying to come up with an excuse to buy a new kitchen toy.

[walker]

I'm not any health food nut but...I don't trust heating in plastic, esp. in the microwave. I've read articles about what happens to plastic when it's heated. When I use microwave, stuff is always in glass with waxed paper cover, never plastic wrap.

[chowser]

I don't microwave in plastic or use it in high heat but in water, in the crockpot, it would be very low heat. If plastic is reacting in that low temp, then it shouldn't be touching food at all.

[c oliver]

I've never had a problem either. I have a small rib roast there from either pre-Thanksgiving or pre-Christmas. It's still bright red. Perhaps her neighbors is faulty or there's been "operator error." And certainly not a regional thing. I know people all over the world who use them. I also recently made ground beef for the first time. I put sheets of wax paper between the patties and then put them in a zipping bag. A week later, there's frost :( So I'm going to take them out of the bags and use the FS. I'm a convert, for sure.

[kchurchill5]

I know alot of chefs, cooks and friends, none of us use the food savers but just us. I'm sure they work fine. I'm just saying I don't have a problems with frost, but I don't also freeze a long time 1 month is very long for me.

[c oliver]

Excellent for you. We'll keep our toys!

[c oliver]

Mornin',
Got a question. Was looking at a Batali recipe for ravioli. It appears that he doesn't go through all the settings when rolling. He says "roll each piece through the thinnest setting." What do YOU do, oh guru :) Today's the big day. Eek. This is all your fault.

[jfood]

jfood has a 6-thinnes roller and he found the thinnest was too thin. He sets at 5 for his final.

Good luck

[c oliver]

Sorry, wasn't communicating well enough. It looks like Batali doesn't go through successively thinner settings but goes straight to thin. First of all, I doubt I could even get the dough to go particularly thin without starting at one. But wanted to check.

[chowser]

I go through the successive settings and sometimes have to do one twice if it's not feeding well enough. I can't imagine going right to the smallest setting. Maybe he has very soft dough...

[jfood]

Batali also does not put semolina in his pasta dough for ravioli.

You want to trust a dog speaking for his owner or some famous chef who has made gazillion dollars with his books, shows and restaurants. :-))

[c oliver]

Hmm, although I have a pretty major crush on Mario, I trust all dogs more than all people. So I'm going with the dog.

BTW, did I tell you what a pain in the butt it was to find semolina? Had to go to WF in Reno. But I feel so cool that it's just sitting there on the shelf, making me look like I know what I'm doing.

Over and out and thanks to jfood and chowser. I really am dough-phobic. Making a mountain out of a whack-a-mole hill.

[jfood]

jfood getting on a plane. will check in upon return to casa jfood at 8ET.

[c oliver]

8ET = martini in the hot tub PT. With hopefully lovely ravs waiting for me to pop in the water later.

[kattyeyes]

Hey, friend...just in case you're enjoying that martini too much, please don't cook those ravs in the hot tub! ;) HA HA HA!

[c oliver]

Boy, if we think cornstarch would effect them, imagine chlorine! Filling and dough are made. Fingers crossed.

[kattyeyes]

Go, sista, go! :)

[chowser]

I'd go with the dog, too, because the dog isn't trying to sell cookbooks to the general population. I like semolina in my pasta, probably because I grew up on boxed pasta and like the bite. It makes it a little harder to roll out, but not much.

[smtucker]

I place them in a single layer in a ziploc freezer bag. I put the bag on a sheet pan and into the freezer. Once they are frozen, I remove the sheet pan. I have also heard that you can put the raviolis on a sheet pan, without the bag, and they freeze well. Once frozen, transfer them to a container. I don't use the second method, since I am fearful that I will get distracted and the raviolis would become too dehydrated.

Just make sure the raviolis aren't touching and they will freeze really well. I divide based on my meal count which makes pulling them out easier.

[c oliver]

Thanks. So they don't get freezer burn? I'd considered freezing on a sheet pan, then wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and THEN putting in a zipping bag.. Maybe overkill?

[smtucker]

That is why I freeze in the bag on the sheet pan. Homemade raviolis are just too precious to allow freezer burn. Maybe I am overly cautious, but I don't want to hurt the bundles.

[c oliver]

But isn't there still air in the bag? Or not enough to matter?

[smtucker]

I do a pretty good job of removing the air before sealing the bag. I don't like the texture change of adding cornstarch, but that is just a personal thing.

[kchurchill5]

You would never know it is there. It just disappears in the water and I use very little, just a light dusting. Adding the air too, I agree.

[iamafoodie]

Further to C Oliver's post above, just tuck a sipping straw into the bag holding the frozen ravioli, zip the closure up against the straw, big exhale, suck as much air out as you can, slip the straw out as you seal the bag. Voila.

Those cheeses tend to get a little grainy when frozen as the water in them crystalizes and doesn't get reabsorbed when thawed. Only the very discerning will notice though.

[kchurchill5]

I notice any change like that. Maybe I just get most of the air out and never realized it. I also eat mine quickly. Never had that problem. I am very careful about that because I hate getting that taste.

[kchurchill5]

I let them dry seperately on some parchment on a sheet pan and once dry I lightly dust with corn starch, very simple. Throw in a bag and they dont stick. The corn starch doesn't affect the cooking once thawed to cook again. It is so simple and quick. I have 5 bags in the freezer now and all is fine. Just cool completely and dust both sides with a little corn starch (I use a sifter to get a light dusting. Just put in a baggie and freeze. I do lay my flat so it doesn't "squish" the raviolis. I make them all the times. I have a mushroom, spinach and marscapone in there and some butternuts squash and sage and ricotta and some turkey cranberry and walnuts with gruyere. All three. A couple bags of some all cheese too. I love them. This is thie easiest way for me and never had a problem. You can freeze first and then dust, but why. Extra work, I don't have the time.

[c oliver]

I wasn't planning on cooking them first. Should I?

[kchurchill5]

No you don't have to at all. I have done it both ways. I have just froze them first and they are fine. Just my opinion but I have had good luck and make them often.

[c oliver]

I know nothing about this but wouldn't I then be cooking them twice? That doesn't seem like a good thing.

[smtucker]

no! Do not cook them first. Much better to throw them into boiling water while frozen. Depending on how many raviolis you have to freeze, you could try at least two different methods, and see which one is best for you!

[kchurchill5]

I usually do but sometimes I make too much so I was trying to offer after cooking you can still freeze without harm. I just cook a few minutes, they honestly come out fine. I prefer just once, but 2 times is ok and I have never noticed a difference. They are cooked so quickly and it is more heating the ravioli it self, the filling just gets heated. Nothing more then cooking lasagna, eating it and freezing the leftovers and cooking and reheating again.

It really is ok. But preferred to cook just once if that is a choice.

[cheesecake17]

I freeze everything on trays covered with foil and then transfer to a bag. For something like ravioli, it shouldn't take more than a few hours for them to freeze solid. Works every time.