Gnocchi

This week I visited a grammar school in Halifax West Yorkshire. There I met a lovely teacher who was so warm and welcoming, and really connected with her students.

Later, while talking to her in the staff room, I discovered that she was not only Italian, but came from a village not far from where Nonna was born.

This lady, unlike Nonna, had lost her accent but not her identity of where she came from. The reason she came to Britain was the reason lots of people migrate, poverty.

We both spoke about how simple real Italian food is, and how it's the love and the people who make it special.

To prove this, try the recipe below for gnocchi: you can't get anything more simple, and tasty.

Make mash from boiled potatoes that are soft but firm.

Take about 250g of mashed potato and add 9oz of plain flour and one egg and mix together.

Knead the mixture and then roll into a ball.

Cut the the ball into four and roll out each portion into long thin sausages. Then cut into small cubes.

Drop the gnocchi into a pan of boiling water and cook until the gnocchi rises to the top (about 3mins).

Sauce.

Gently heat two oz of butter in a pan and add chopped fresh sage to your taste. Let it cook on a low heat for about five minutes then pour over the gnocchi.

Buon Appetito!