How to Make Gnocchi Like a Pro with Craftsy.com

Raise your hand if you grew up knowing that Wednesday was “Prince Spaghetti Day?”

But I bet you did not know that Thursday is typically Gnocchi Day in Rome.

Neither did I.  Until a few days ago.

That’s just one of many fascinating facts that I learned recently while partaking in Chef Gerri Sarnataro’s “How to Make Gnocchi Like a Pro” online class offered by Craftsy.com

A little background on Craftsy:

So Craftsy is this online community of “makers” – 1.5 million of them to be exact.  Whether they’re making quilts, sweaters, jewelry or decorating cakes and pressing out gnocchi dough, you can be sure that they are using their two hands to do it.

From the Craftsy website:

“We inspire and support each other with helpful tips and positive feedback along the way. We pour our hearts and souls into our projects and take pride in what we make.”

They also take their craftsmanship very seriously, hiring in only the finest instructors to lead their online courses.

Which leads us to Chef Gerri.

I’ve known Chef Gerri since my days of managing the PR for The Institute of Culinary Education in New York, and have remained in touch with her ever since (in fact, her polenta primer has appeared here on mom a la mode!)  Not only is she an accomplished chef and instructor, but also she is the owner of Cucina della Terra, the premier hands-on culinary school located in Umbria, Italy. Her love for Italian cooking is rooted in the Sunday suppers of her youth, where handmade pastas, cheeses and breads were the standard fare.

And now, through her Craftsy class, “How to Make Gnocchi Like a Pro,” Chef Gerri brings a modern approach to an Old World favorite – homemade gnocchi.

My gnocchi class was accessible by signing in to Craftsy – I chose to link it to my Facebook account.  And from there, I had full access to the course, which was broken up into a series of 30-minute lessons through a dashboard. Each lesson is broken down into topics, and once you are engrossed in the course content, you have the ability to ask questions via a chat feature, take notes that correspond to the frame of the video you happen to be on, and even upload photos of your work-in-progress for the chef-instructor to critique (or praise!)

Since I’m a pretty busy mom, I have been taking the lessons here and there and have stretched them out over the course of a few days, in the hopes of trying out a homemade gnocchi recipe on my family in time for the holidays. (That’s the beauty of this Craftsy model – you can take the lessons as you wish and return back to them at any time.)

But I can see the me of four years ago spending a Friday night with a couple of glasses of Chianti, taking the course start-to-finish.

A few tips to get the most out of your Craftsy lesson:

• Be sure to print out the recipes/instructions and materials sheets prior to starting your online lessons – or making, for that matter.
• The “Make Gnocchi Like a Pro” course is best suited, in my opinion, for the foodie who is not easily intimated by using various utensils and instruments to put a meal together – namely a piping bag, gnocchi board, food processor.  (note: Chef Gerri DOES say that you don’t need sophisticated tools for this course — you can use a fork in place of a gnocchi board, for example, to imprint the dough.) That being said, it’s an AMAZING tutorial and the interactive features – like being able to ask questions and upload photos – is pretty darn cool.
• Speaking of those interactive features.  Use them. See my questions to Chef Gerri regarding the difference between Gnudi and Gnocchi, and how to determine if your gnocchi need more flour below:

This isn’t the type of class that you will watch and cook along with simultaneously – not at the first viewing at least.  I would recommend watching the lesson of interest first and then having your laptop or iPad handy with the link while you are trying your hand at your gnocchi making.  This way, you can refer back to key techniques and tips.

With the holidays fast approaching, Craftsy makes the perfect gift for your friends or family members who are either looking to try something new or are interested in artisanal activities like knitting, sewing, paper crafting and hand-crafted cooking.

Happy Gnocchi Making!

oxox

-mom a la mode

{I was given a complimentary Craftsy class for review purposes.  All opinions expressed here are solely mine.}