Youtube Cooking

Ingredients

• Plums: 1.2 kg before stoning, yielding about 1 kg prepared
• Red onions: 2 medium, finely diced
• Brown sugar: quantity not stated in the transcript
• Ground ginger: quantity not stated in the transcript
• Ground cinnamon: quantity not stated in the transcript
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
• Star anise: 1
• Chilli flakes: quantity not stated in the transcript
• Cider vinegar or red-wine vinegar: quantity not stated in the transcript; cider vinegar was used
• Pectin powder: 1 teaspoon, optional

Instructions

• Stone the plums and cut each plum into quarters.
• Add about 1 kg of prepared plums to a large, heavy-based pan.
• Add the diced onions, brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, star anise, chilli flakes, vinegar, and optional pectin powder.
• Heat the mixture on high and stir well.
• When it reaches a steady boil, reduce the heat to medium.
• Cook uncovered for 45 minutes so excess water can evaporate.
• Stir every 5 minutes to prevent the chutney from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Place a saucer in the freezer during the final few minutes of cooking.
• After 45 minutes, test the chutney on the chilled saucer to check that it has set.
• Remove the star anise.
• Prepare clean, sterilized jars; the transcript describes rinsed jars heated in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, keep the chutney hot, and carefully fill the hot jars as quickly and safely as possible.
• Fill the jars nearly to the top, apply the seals, and close them.
• This batch makes four jars of approximately 300 ml each.
• Store the filled jars in the refrigerator, where the transcript says they keep for 6–8 weeks; use a proper tested canning procedure for longer ambient-temperature storage.

A creamy porcini pasta made with rehydrated dried mushrooms, aromatics, tomatoes, and Parmesan. The sauce can be blended smooth or left partly rustic.

Ingredients

• 40–60 g dried porcini mushrooms
• Spaghetti, or another pasta such as penne, paccheri, tagliatelle, or fettuccine
• A small onion or shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, with the inner sprout removed if desired
• Cherry, datterini, or Pachino tomatoes, halved
• Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Salt, as needed
• Coarsely ground black pepper, as needed
• 40–50 g Parmesan, grated
• Butter, 1 knob or amount to taste
• Heavy cream, optional, added gradually to soften the flavor
• Water, for soaking the mushrooms and cooking the pasta

Instructions

• Place the dried porcini in a container and cover them completely with water. Soak for 15–20 minutes.
• Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley.
• Heat a little olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the garlic, onion, and a little parsley, and gently sauté.
• Drain the mushrooms, squeeze them well, and reserve the soaking water. Chop the mushrooms into medium-sized pieces.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook briefly.
• Halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Increase the heat to medium.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add a ladleful of the reserved mushroom-soaking water, then add more as needed while the sauce cooks. Begin heating a separate pot of pasta water.
• Simmer the mushroom mixture until the flavors concentrate and the sauce reaches a suitable consistency.
• Blend the sauce completely for a smooth cream, or blend it intermittently or partially for a more rustic texture.
• Return the blended sauce to the pan. Add a little pasta-cooking water to loosen it, then keep it warm over low heat.
• Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted.
• Cover the sauce and let it rest briefly.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. If the flavor is too strong, gradually stir in a little cream.
• Cook the pasta in salted water until one minute short of the package cooking time.
• Transfer the pasta to the sauce and finish cooking it in the pan, mixing thoroughly. Add a little pasta water if needed.
• Stir in the grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Ingredients: sugar, water, unsalted butter, heavy cream, light corn syrup, salt, and vanilla extract. You will also need parchment paper, a candy thermometer, a pastry brush, water, and wax paper for wrapping.

Line a pan with parchment paper, leaving plenty of overhang. Add the sugar and water to a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the butter and let it melt, then cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches about 320°F and turns golden amber. If needed, gently swirl the pan and brush water around the sides to prevent crystallization.

Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream. Add the remaining butter and let it melt, then stir in the corn syrup. Return the pan to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook to 240–245°F, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula to prevent burning and brushing down the sides with water.

Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Continue stirring for a few minutes as the bubbling subsides, then pour into the prepared pan. Cool completely, lift out using the parchment, cut into pieces, and wrap in wax paper. Higher cooking temperatures produce firmer, chewier caramels.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 16 ounces sliced mushrooms; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 5 cups chicken broth; 1 teaspoon salt; fettuccine (quantity not stated in the transcript; pappardelle or spaghetti may be substituted); 1 cup heavy cream; 1½ cups freshly shredded Parmesan. Optional: chopped parsley, extra red pepper flakes, and Parmesan for serving.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 60 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, breaking it in half if necessary, and ensure it is submerged. Cook while stirring occasionally at first and increasingly often as the pasta absorbs the liquid. One-pot pasta may require 5–8 minutes longer than the package cooking time.

When much of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, add the heavy cream and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Test the pasta and continue cooking if needed until al dente. Stir in the Parmesan until melted, then serve with the optional garnishes.