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Gnocchi is one of those dishes that seems far more complicated than it is. It does take time to prepare, but this recipe is very straightforward. This recipe follows the traditional Italian method but uses sweet potatoes instead of 100% Russet potatoes. Traditionally gnocchi is served with basil pesto however I prefer mine with a light drizzle and sprinkle of olive oil, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. A butter sauce is nice here too, in which case I would recommend whipping your own while incorporating finely chopped fresh figs and roasted garlic. For more details and other butter sauce ideas see note below.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Makes 8 appetizer servings

For the gnocchi:
1½ pounds sweet potatoes
½ pound Russet potatoes
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
2½ cups unbleached flour, sifted

For garnish:
Extra Virgin Olive oil
White pepper
Basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese


Place the potatoes in a large pot of water, cover them at least 2 inches. When the water comes to a boil, cook the potatoes until tender, or about 35 to 40 minutes. The potatoes are tender when a forks easily pierces the flesh.

Carefully remove the potatoes from the water and let them cool off. When you are able to touch them, remove the skins and cut them into large cubes. Mash them in a ricer. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, salt, and nutmeg and set aside. Gather up the potatoes in a mound while creating a crater in the center. Pour in the eggs into the crater and carefully incorporate the potatoes, egg and flour together until a dough. Do not over work the potatoes as they will become tough. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts.

Flour your work surface and hands and roll out each piece into a ½ inch rope. If the dough becomes wet, it is important to keep it floured. Cut the gnocchi into ½-inch long pieces and then gently indent its sides with the tines of a fork to create a ribbed look. Place the gnocchi on a sheet pan or plate (makes sure it fits into the freezer first) and into the freezer for 30 minutes. Gnocchi can be frozen in a sealed container up to 6 months.

To prepare, set a pot of salted water to boil and cook the gnocchi in batches from a frozen state. The gnocchi is done when it floats, or about 2 minutes cooking time. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi into a plate and sprinkle it with olive oil, white pepper, chopped basil, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Note on Whipped Butter
In a standing mixer with the whip attachment, pour the heavy cream into the mixing bowl. Whip the cream on low, then turn the speed higher once it thickens slightly. Whip the cream until it turns into soft butter (it will first turn to whipped cream before butter). Once it does reduce the speed to low and add in your seasonings. Great combination are:
finely chopped fresh figs and roasted garlic cloves
finely chopped fresh basil leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes
finely chopped tarragon leaves and sauteed shallots

Cobb Salad originated in California, but is now found in restaurants across the country. Every place does it a little differently, so I tried to take this recipe back to the original but at the same time added a lobstery twist. To enhance this recipe further, consider chopping up whatever you have on hand. Great options are: hearts of palm, artichokes, green peppers, mushrooms, leftover barbecue, breaded fish, pan-fried seafood, or fried chicken. I love to roll this into a wrap which serves 4 to 6 depending on the wrap size.

Lobster Cobb Salad
Makes 2 Servings

For the salad:
1 head of romaine lettuce, leaves separated, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-size pieces
½ head of iceberg lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large bunch of washed and dried watercress, roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
4 bacon slices, fried, drained on paper towels, and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch cubes
2 cups cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped into ½-inch cubes
¼ pound Roquefort cheese, crumbled
2 chive spears (for garnish)

For the dressing (Bob Cobb’s original recipe):
¼ cup water
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon dry English mustard, such as Coleman’s
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
¼ cup full-flavored olive oil
¾ cup salad oil (vegetable oil)

On two large serving plates, divide the romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and watercress in equal portions. Press down on the lettuces gently to create a fairly even surface. On both plates, make neat rows of bacon, eggs, lobstermeat, tomato, and Roquefort cheese. Set the plates aside.

In a medium metal bowl, prepare the dressing by combining the water, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, minced garlic, olive oil, and vegetable oil. Whisk the dressing vigorously, until it is well blended. Generously drizzle the dressing over the salads and serve. There will be left over dressing which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To prepare this as a wrap, toss the dressed salad in a large bowl and divide it among 4 large wraps leaving a 1-inch boarder. Fold in the sides about 1-inch and tightly roll up the ends. Slice the wrap in half on the diagonal and serve.

For this recipe, use Sicilian canned tuna packed in olive oil. Water-packed is ok but will not be as moist and flavorful. I love to prepare this recipe with a variety of herbs and sometimes use orange or lime zest instead of lemon. If you would like to make a tuna melt, heat the oven to 400 F and assemble the tuna salad sandwiches (open faced) on a cookie sheet and smother them generously with shredded cheese. Place the sandwiches in the oven to melt the cheese for 5-7 minutes. Remove the sandwiches, plate them, and serve immediately with a knife and a fork.

Tuna Salad Croissants
Makes 4 Servings

1 cup mayonnaise (low fat mayo also works great)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped in 1/8-inch cubes
1 medium just ripe tomato, chopped in 1/8 inch cubes, drained
1 tablespoon white onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon lemon zest
Two 6-ounce cans albacore tuna, packed in oil, preferably from Sicily, drained
4 large croissants, sliced in half lengthwise to make a sandwich
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, optional

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, basil, celery, tomato cubes, onions, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and whisk together until well combine. Gently fold in the tuna and stir until it is well coated. To assemble the sandwich, place the four open croissants on plates and evenly divide up the tuna salad mixture among them. Depending on how much tuna salad you would like in comparison to the croissant size, you may serve this sandwich open-faced or closed. Serve immediately with a knife and fork.