2016 Cookbooks III: Gjelina

Gjelina was given to me as a house-warming gift (thanks, Jeremy). It’s a restaurant cookbook from a trendy spot on Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. Their menu is heavily inspired by Italian cuisine. I’ve eaten there a couple times and they’re famous for their pizzas (a couple of which I’ve already made), but they’re really about fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, focusing on vegetables, and not wasting anything, especially animal parts (they use EVERYTHING). As a home cook, I can’t fully keep up with all their restaurant recipes, but I gave some of them my best this past week...

Squid Ink Chitarra with Anchovies

This is my greatest achievement from the book. Kara got me a pasta attachment for my stand mixer and this was my first try at making pasta from scratch, and man, was it amazing. The texture is like nothing else- I was very pleasantly surprised. Of course, leave it to me to do hand-cut squid ink pasta on my first time out, but it worked. The squid ink really does nothing but add a striking color here, by the way, no taste or smell.

“Chitarra” is the name given to this pasta for the instrument that is traditionally used to cut this pasta shape (from the Italian word for guitar), but Gjelina suggests a knife for home cooks and to enjoy the uneven rustic appearance (nailed THAT). The sauce here is light, but bold in flavor. Anchovies and tomatoes melt down into white wine and pasta water to create a creamy, briny, and slightly sweet sauce. Homemade chunky, crispy crouton crumbs are tossed in for texture. Topped with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mushroom Toast

Sounds a bit boring, but tastes anything but that. Grilled ciabatta topped with five types of mushrooms slathered in a white wine-crème fraîche sauce with fresh herbs. Crème fraîche is basically a thicker, French version of sour cream that doesn’t break as easily when heated. I almost served this as an appetizer, but I’m so glad I didn’t. This thing eats like a meal- a side salad with fresh mixed greens is all it needs and you’re stuffed. 

Spaghetti Pomodoro

Gjelina is big on saucing pasta lightly, as done in this dish. The pomodoro sauce is used sparingly and it’s super fresh- lots of tomatoes cooked down with nothing but sea salt, olive oil, and fresh basil. Even though I worked hard to make the sauce, the pasta is not covered with it, just lightly coated. Simple and delicious.

Mixed Lettuces with Yogurt Dressing & Warm Croutons

The dressing is quite complex, with mint, chives, parsley, shallots, and garlic, all mixed with white wine vinegar and Greek yogurt. The croutons are crisped in a pan with oil from garlic confit used in other dishes. And for the salad, I just used every mix of herbs and lettuces I could find. The salad is certainly not lacking depth of flavor.

Meatballs Braised in Red Wine and Tomato

This is one of their “most requested recipes” and I can see why. Pork shoulder and pork belly freshly ground at home by yours truly with a mixture of herbs, Pecorino Romano, cream, and day old bread cubes, made into perfect meatballs. They’re heavily seared before being braised in a red wine and pomodoro sauce to finish the cooking. Served with grilled bread and the above salad. You can imagine; rich, filling, and delectable.