My Culinary Attempts

One of my New Year's resolutions was to learn to cook. I can cook spaghetti and casseroles and meals like that but I wanted to branch out. I wanted to try some new types of food. Some things I've never attempted before.

Ravioli was one of the things that I love to have but have never made before. I wanted to do something hard. So I got on the Food Network website (which BTW is really fun to read) and found a recipe. The only problem was that it called for a pasta machine which I don't have. But I thought that if I rolled it out thin enough with a rolling pin it wouldn't matter. And when I want to try a recipe I'm pretty much going to find a way to do it. ;)

So...I spent my entire afternoon in the kitchen making it. I had the dough and the filling ready and I started to put the ravioli together. I put a few large ones in the boiling water to cook, just to try it out. It really didn't turn out the way I was hoping...as you can see.


They were large, grayish brown, rubbery, clumps of dough that weren't at all like the pretty little Burtoli ravioli in the grocery aisle. They tasted like ravioli but there simply was too much dough. They were so unlike the picture in my imagination of Giada DeLarurentice's raviloi. Boohoo

And the next few I made turned out the same way. A little less rubbery but not the way I wanted them. I definately should have used a pasta machine.

So then after a lot of time had passed and I still was not succeeding my Dad thought that we should try frying them. Fried ravioli was something I hadn't heard of before but I was really up for anything at that point! So we fried them in a little olive oil and they turn out good. They were actually very good. Boy, that was a suprise to me!:)

They were a little like the wrappers on chinese egg rolls. I actually prefer that texture over the texture of the ravioli. So even though it didn't turn out the way I was expecting I was pleased.

This past week I made Cuban Sandwiches (yeah, I wanted something a little simpiler) and this week I think I'm going to try Tortilla soup. Well see how that goes...:)

And despite this attempt I really can cook, maybe not a five course dinner, and maybe not raviloli, but I am able to make most of the meals my family eats. I am only fifteen so I'm doing well for my age!:P I'm doing hard thing!