Pistachio Is the Answer
The dessert question that caught me off guard, and what I'm saving for Mother's Day.
Letter from the Kitchen
A New Question
Questions about preferences come up frequently in my classes. What’s your favorite dish to make? Favorite class to teach. Favorite olive oil. Favorite ingredient.
Because I really love what I do, I usually answer with whatever’s in front of me. The pasta I’m rolling. The class that is on the calendar that night. We teach 8 unique classes now and are about to add 2 more. I think the variety is why I like what’s in front of me.
Last week I got a new question. We were making tiramisu, and a student looked up and asked, What’s your favorite dessert?
I don’t have a sweet tooth. I make a lot of desserts, but I don’t crave them. And I don’t have a favorite one. Crème Brûlée almost came out of my mouth — we just added it to a class, and it is genuinely beautiful. Then I said gelato.
The second I said it, I thought — I do have a favorite dessert.
I have been working on gelato recipes for years. Cornstarch. Xanthan gum. Egg yolks. All for preserving texture and avoiding ice crystals because we store it at the wrong temperature (10 to 20ºF is correct; our freezers are at 0ºF). My latest obsession is pistachio gelato. After enjoying a wonderful cup from Cossettas Italian Market a couple of weeks ago, I’m on it!
I’m saving the next test for the pistachio gelato this Mother’s Day weekend. A treat for Mark and me. I put my pistachio paste source below.
Last Week, You Answered
The Art of the Egg Won
Last week I asked what you wanted to see in a “Breakfast for Dinner” in-person class.
The Art of the Egg ran away with it.
I’m satisfied with that. It would have gotten my vote. And, sometime soon, it will be a class.
The comment that stuck with me actually came from my husband, Mark. He requested that a specific dish be on the menu. It’s Oeuf en Cocotte. It is a little outside of how we eat now. Butter. Cream. White bread. But man, it is delicious.
I loved it so much that I wrote a healthier version for the Mindful Mediterranean program. So I’m giving you both. The traditional Oeufs en Cocotte and the version I rewrote for Mindful Mediterranean. Same technique. Different calorie count. Both delicious.
Side-by-side recipes are going to be a theme in the cookbook.
Join Me at the Table
The Calendar Is Days From Final
The summer schedule is days away from being posted.
If you can’t wait, the door is already open through Cozymeal. They book private and small-group classes with me directly. A good way to claim a stool in the Kitchen Studio while the website calendar gets buttoned up.
These classes are limited to 6 people and fill up quickly.
The Podcast Hook
The Season Starts at the Market
Episode 5 is with Ashley Nathe. She is the Executive Director of the Minneapolis Farmers Market.
The market officially opened for the season last weekend. We talked about how the whole thing actually runs — the mix of vendors, the history that runs deeper than most shoppers know, all kinds of fun facts and much, much more!
If you have ever wondered how a large operation run by independent farmers actually functions — this is the episode.
Friday, May 15 at 7:30 AM · Episode 5 — Ashley Nathe: The Season Starts Here
Friday, May 29 at 7:30 AM · Episode 6 — Josiah Christensen: What Mushrooms Are Actually Doing for You
New episodes every other Friday.
What’s Happening in the Kitchen
The Podcast Is Moving Back a Week
I’m pushing the whole podcast schedule back by one week. The dates above are the new cadence.
The reason is simple. I’m editing in DaVinci Resolve. It is a beautiful program with a lot of bells and whistles, and I am learning it as I go. My interviews are landing in the one-hour range after the edit. That takes time.
The work itself is going great. The audio is clean. The conversations are wonderful. I would rather move the schedule once and do it right than push an episode out before it’s ready.
The Skill: The New Basics
Basil Pesto, By Hand
This one isn’t MM Green. It’s MM Blue. If you are making the Tuscan Minestrone below, a small spoonful of pesto on top is a beautiful place to land.
We’ve been doing this in several classes, and the difference is big.
The Quick Win
A mortar and pestle releases the oils of the herbs, nuts, and garlic. Fragrant. Intense. A food processor cannot do this — it chops, it does not crush. And you have complete control over the texture.
The Most Common Mistake
Throwing it all in at once.
Start with the garlic, some of the basil and nuts, and a little Maldon Sea Salt. Keep adding basil and nuts until you get the texture you want. Then add the cheese and the extra-virgin olive oil.
Pesto comes together in layers. Forcing it all in at once gives you green soup.
One Tool Worth Having
A mortar and pestle, or a molcajete. Heavy is better than light—the light ones skid.
Recipe Spotlight
Tuscan Minestrone in Thirty Minutes
The Soul
Last week, I told you the Eggwhite Extravaganza is one of the reasons my healthy way of eating stays healthy. Soup is the other.
Not just any soup. To live in MM Green, a recipe can’t carry added fat, starch, or sugar. Five soups have made it in so far, and this Tuscan Minestrone is the one I keep coming back to. Thirty minutes from fridge to table—no all-day simmer.
The Bridge
Use good canned beans and a quality canned tomato. Cannellini and a 15-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes get you to the finish line. The freshness comes from the green vegetables you add at the end. Nothing that needed to simmer all afternoon.
🍽 Get the Full Printable Recipe →
The Mediterranean Edit
This Week I’m Loving…
Three picks this week. Two for gelato makers. One for soup makers.
Specialty Ingredient
The Pistachio Factory · Pistachio Paste
Pistachio gelato is the gelato flavor I love more than any other. I found a beautiful pistachio paste from The Pistachio Factory and could not be happier with it. The resealable container is practical. The quality is outstanding. The texture is fine and smooth — exactly what makes a creamy, beautifully finished gelato with deep pistachio flavor and gorgeous color.
Pantry
Nocciolata · Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Nocciolata is the base of our Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato. The flavor is similar to Nutella. The texture is far superior for gelato. We tested Nutella in the recipe, and the palm oil worked against us — the gelato was grainy. Nocciolata blends beautifully. Smoother. Richer. Also wonderful spooned over plain vanilla gelato when you want something easy and indulgent.
Pantry
Aneto · Chicken Stock
This was a fun find. I usually have homemade chicken stock in the freezer or my Costco brand on hand. This week I had neither. I did have plans to make soup. We picked up the Aneto brand at Coastal Seafoods. It’s made in Barcelona. I’m used to paying around $12 for a good-quality beef stock, so the price didn’t surprise me. The depth of the flavor did. Distinctive. I loved it. I would absolutely cook with it again.
Cookbook Chronicles
Smoke, Grilled Cheeses, and Creamy Soup Without Cream
Some weeks the kitchen is a studio. This is one of them.
This week was prep for the grilling class — Grilled Cheeses and Capturing Smoke in olive oil. The kitchen smelled like woodsmoke for two days. There was ravioli-making in there too. And a meatball pizza sandwich that started as a “let’s use up some pizza dough” and wound up being something we’ll definitely make again.
Mother’s Day weekend is light by design—one class. The rest of the time is mine. Ha! Right after, we shoot two recipes for the cookbook. A Zucchini Lemon Soup that is creamy without a drop of cream. A Grilled Yogurt Flatbread Mediterranean Salad Sandwich that is exactly as good as it sounds.
You are seeing a book come together in real time. Between classes. Between podcast edits. Between everything.
Before You Go — This Week’s Question
Pesto by hand or food processor.
Pick one, please. I’m curious.
Reply or drop it in the comments. I read every one.
Until next Thursday — keep a good olive oil on the counter and don’t be afraid to use it.
— Chef Laura
Mortar and pestle is my choice. Can’t wait to hear how the pistachio gelato turned out. Love pistachio.