I didn’t do a very good job promoting this appearance, but I was the featured blogger on Kababayan LA’s weekly segment known as Viral Thursdays. Hosted by Jannelle So, Kababayan LA is a LA18′s daily Filipino newsmagazine show. It airs weekday afternoons at 4:30pm on Channel 18 in Southern California.

I thought the interview went really well, and we talked about a range of topics, including my blogging origins, Ad Hoc’s Swine and Wine and my Filipino Spaghetti post, which Jannelle said gave her a Jollibee craving.

Here’s the video. My segment starts at the 57-second mark.

Despite how serious I look, I had a really good time. I wasn’t able to see Jannelle during the interview, so I was forced to respond to her questions while staring into my laptop camera, which was awkward. Luckily, my face isn’t on screen as much as it could have been.

Thanks to Jannelle and everyone at Kababayan LA for having me on the show. Let’s do it again some time!

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Our first meal in Chicago wasn’t on my list, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome either. I’ve always been intrigued by the White Castle hype, especially since the burgers don’t really look all that appetizing. My friend Maria mentioned that there were several White Castles near her South Loop condo, so we stopped by for a little snack on the way back from the airport.

The impromptu White Castle visit also coincided with the season premiere of Bravo’s Top Chef, and we made it back to Maria’s condo just in time to watch it from the beginning. Can there be a greater juxtaposition to White Castle than Top Chef?

I really don’t understand the appeal of these burgers. The buns are soggy, the meat is mushy, and for something so small, they kinda just sit in your stomach like a big grease bomb. I think they’re easily outshined by something as mundane as McDonald’s regular hamburgers. Why do people like them so much? Is it the nostalgia? Or do you really have to be high to enjoy them?

As far as Top Chef is concerned, the chefs seem pretty boring compared to previous seasons, although there are a couple Filipinos in the mix this year. Gene is looking like the anti-Dale (temperamentally speaking) and Leah definitely has potential. The two cocky Euros (Stefan and Fabio) should be make the show interesting though.

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From The New York Times:

Columbus Circle will be the center of the culinary universe for a few hours tonight as two of the country’s most acclaimed chefs—those without my Timesian fear of hyperbole might just go ahead and say “the country’s two most acclaimed chefs”—collaborate on a 20-course, $1500 dinner at Per Se.

Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz are the chefs in question, and tonight’s meal is the first of three they will be cooking side by side. The next will take place on Dec. 2 at Mr. Achatz’s home kitchen, Alinea in Chicago; Mr. Keller gets home-kitchen advantage for the final meal on Dec. 9 at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif.

(Photos: Nicholas Roberts/Reuters, Peter Thompson/The New York Times)

Michael Ruhlman gives a great analysis of what this matchup means for both chefs:

“Grant estimated that if you got to the source of 90 percent of what he did, its source would be the French Laundry,” said Michael Ruhlman, who wrote “The French Laundry Cookbook” and the introduction to “Alinea.” Mr. Ruhlman met Grant in his first year working at the French Laundry; following both chefs over the year, he’s watched their relationship from a front row seat. “And I’ve always believed that the rigorous technique embraced while at the FL is the main reason he’s been able succeed at the relentlessly innovative cuisine he’s set out to do every night. He knows it, Thomas knows it, and they’re both grateful.”

Is there more to it than that? Is there, lurking beneath the mutual support and praise, a competitive streak? How often do the two chefs check to see who is winning this Amazon Meter?

“It’s probably more complicated from Grant’s perspective,” said Mr. Ruhlman. “Talk about the anxiety of influence, the need to slay the father. Keller looms so tall in this industry, I’m sure he does all he can to stay out of its shadow without alienating the friend and mentor to whom he owes so much.”

Of course, the anxiety can work both ways. “How did Thomas feel when Gourmet named Alinea best restaurant in the country?” Mr. Ruhlman asks. “How could Keller not feel competitive about this? All chefs are alpha dogs.”

My first reaction when I read this was a Keanu/Neo-like “Whoa,” especially for a dinner costing $1500. I honestly hope some of that money goes to a charity of some kind, but this match up is like the Super Bowl of cooking, and we all know how much Super Bowl tickets cost.

At least at this event, the food won’t suck, and it’s guaranteed to be a good game.

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I found this on Flickr, but don’t know its origins. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. Just click on the picture so you can read it.

It’s funny.

I swear.

Bacon Flowchart, originally uploaded by ChrisL_AK.

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I swear this is the last time I write about Dale’s departure from Top Chef. I wouldn’t have said another word about it, but I just read Anthony Bourdain’s blog on the subject. Bourdain filled in for Tom Colicchio during Restaurant Wars, and he offers a first-hand behind-the-scenes account of what when down.

Dale’s departure and Lisa’s continued presence (in the Final Four no less!) has been fodder for a lot of rage and anger in the blogosphere, but I think Bourdain’s objectivity and Dale’s own reflections (see here and here) on his departure should serve to calm folks down (for a second or two.)

On Dale’s butterscotch scallop dish:

…Supremely bad. Jaw droppingly bad. So bad that there was a long, awkward moment at the table when all the judges just sat there, silent, stunned with disbelief that anyone—especially Dale—could serve something so…disgusting. It’s the only time on Top Chef that I literally could not take another bite.

Dale was in deep, deep trouble from the judges’ first mouthful of this luminously wretched gunk.

Lisa’s laksa was screwed up. Unpleasantly smoky. But I could eat it. Her “sticky rice” dessert was awful. But not dig-a-hole-in-the-ground-stick-my-head-in-pour-in-Clorox bad. Like those scallops. They were distinguished by their sheer degree of awfulness, sucking everything around them down with it.

Shit Happens When You Don’t Win the Quickfire:

He had the misfortune to almost win the Quickfire. Had he lost, and not come in second, he would not have been team leader—and would not have had the additional burden of leadership.

(A burden he was ill suited to carry)

He was even more unfortunate in that he WON the coin toss, after which he made the regrettable and ultimately foolish decision to anoint himself Exec Chef. Looking around at who he had to work with, and knowing, one would hope, that he was unlikely to be able to either lead or inspire them, he could have put ego aside and stayed out of the line of fire and avoided the clusterf**k.

On Dale’s “Leadership”:

Had Dale been a little more mature, a little better suited to lead…had he not fancied himself a crotch grabbing gangster genius..had he not been the sort of guy who unnecessarily calls temp waiters, hired for the DAY “assholes”, then he might well have seen the wisdom in adopting Stephanie’s far smarter attitude over at Team Woodstock. Note the agreement on that team that whatever happened, no one from that team was going home that week. The whole concept, the menu, the division of labor was smartly designed to achieve just that. To protect the team–as a whole. To not f**k up—or allow anyone on their team to f**k up.

Dale, with many opportunities to do otherwise, just couldn’t resist trying to shine as an individual. He reached too far…with a dish he’d never even made before. And he neglected to guard his flanks.

On Dale’s Future:

Of the Terrible Trio, Dale will surely have a bright career. He’s generally an excellent cook. His post-loss interviews have demonstrated commendable insight into where things went wrong for him.

On Judging “Conspiracies”:

Judging on Top Chef, as has been pointed out repeatedly (most recently and succinctly by my learned colleague, Ted Allen) is on a “What Have You Cooked For Me Lately” basis. We are not supposed to care what has been achieved previously. In fact, guest judges don’t even know. The shows air long after filming. So Jose Andres, for instance, can in no way be expected to know—or care—if Dale won previous challenges, deserved to win them, loves puppies and long walks on the beach—or tortures hamsters in his spare time. After deliberation, the judges were unanimous in their feeling that it was Dale who—this week—f**ked up worst.

On Lisa and Spike:

Lisa, who’s appearance and hostile, defiant-looking posture alone seem to have made her this season’s designated villain surely does not deserve the hatred and vitriol seen on blogs and websites. Nor is it likely—barring the most freakish and flukey sudden realignment of the planets and spate of untimely deaths—that she shall win Top Chef. She’s a decent cook…but a lucky one.

Blaming others ain’t gonna take her far.

Spike, on the other hand, can look forward to a long career.

In politics. He’s perfect for it.

Read the whole thing here.

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Are you going to (ask) an Italian chef, “Why do you only do Italian food?” Are you going to (ask) Alain Ducasse, “Why do you only do French food?” My food is inspired by Asia…ALL of Asia…the Philippines, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. You want to talk about Asia? Asia is enormous.

In Season 2, Ilan Hall won the title of Top Chef by relying on his background cooking Spanish food. At least Dale was drawing from an entire continent for influence, not just a single country.

If Dale was bothered by anything, it was the criticism of his vision.

Criticize my execution if you want to. If my dish wasn’t good, fine, I’ll take it back. Don’t you in your life ever criticize my vision. It’s MY vision, not your vision.

Dale also said he had no problem throwing down with anyone if they wanted to cook Italian food or French food, but he finds that food boring because the flavors don’t “pop out” to him.

My flavors are big and bold and bright and in your face, and sweet, sour, salty come all at you. I’m not going to sit there and roast a piece of rack of lamb, and cook some noodles, and deglaze with white wine and shallots and then put it on a plate. That’s not who I am. Chilis…vinegar…miso paste. That’s what I do.

Dale was adamant about creating new dishes on the show instead of playing it safe.

Unlike some of my other competitors…I had never done some of that food before. I never did that food. Maybe that was a mistake of mine, too, from an execution standpoint. What I’m not going to do is sit there and recreate dishes that I did at my restaurant. I’m not going to do that. Why? Because it’s not about “Hi, you’re the best chef” and now bite every recipe off all these people. It’s about Dale making his own food and about putting my food in the forefront. Maybe I should have toned my style down, but I failed. I didn’t execute a good dish. The scallop dish was weak. I knew it was weak.

He also broke down his thought process on the ill-fated butterscotch scallop dish.

When you do a miso sauce, there’s a lot of sugar involved in it. The idea of caramelizing the sugar and turning it into a butterscotch and then adding miso…I like salty/sweet. It’s always a combination that I love. That’s what that is. Maybe not so good with scallops, maybe better off with something else like a piece of cod or something a little more savory–scallops have a natural sweetness to it. I had never made that before, and I put it on a plate and that was my downfall.

Ironically, I was watching on old episode of Iron Chef America the other day and Iron Chef Cat Cora, in a honey battle versus Citizen Cake’s Elizabeth Faulkner, caramelized some honey on top of a scallop successfully. So Dale may have been on the right track with the butterscotch…

Listen to the entire interview here.

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My heart sank when Padma Lakshmi told Dale Talde to “pack his knives and go” on this week’s episode of Top Chef, but I knew it was inevitable after the disastrous opening of Mai Buddha with teammates Lisa Fernandes and Spike Mendelsohn during this week’s challenge, Restaurant Wars. Dale was the executive chef for the restaurant and when things go wrong, the guy at running the show gets the blame. Dale discussed his experiences in an interview with Chow.com.

Aside from some brilliant cooking and wins in both the Quickfire and main challenges, Dale’s time on Top Chef was also marked by his ongoing friction with Lisa. When asked about the rivalry, Dale said:

Dale: Come on, rivalry? Rivalry connotates that someone is at the same level you’re at.
CHOW: So you’re saying that Lisa was nowhere near your level?
Dale: Please. Scoreboard. C’mon.

Dale’s reference to the scoreboard is telling since he had more wins than Lisa and Spike combined and was in the bottom three only once before getting the boot (with his Wedding Wars teammates Lisa, Spike and Nikki). Lisa, on the other hand, had only one challenge win and was on the bottom four times, and I honestly thought she should have been eliminated last week instead of Andrew. Spike had one Quickfire win and was on the bottom five times.

So why was Dale given the boot? He knew it was coming when Antonia picked her team. Both Dale and Antonia were praised as the best contestants during this episode’s egg station Quickfire, but Antonia was declared the overall winner and got to pick her team for Restaurant Wars. She picked Richard and Stephanie, the two strongest contenders on the show aside from Dale.

“Did you see the team? It was like a junior varsity basketball team versus a professional basketball team. I got put on the short-bus all stars.”

The challenge ended up being a rematch of Wedding Wars with Dale’s team on the losing end again. There were several reasons why the Mai Buddha team failed, not the least of which was the toxic work environment created by clashing personalities. Dale admits to letting his ego get out of control and not playing the game correctly by fighting to be executive chef.

“You know when (Frank) Bruni or Adam Platt come into your restaurant and the food sucks, are they going to blame the sous chef or the pastry chef? No. They’re going to blame you, and you’re going to be out on the street looking for a job…but I’m going to be goddamned if Lisa’s going to be the executive chef and I’m going to take the subordinate role to her.”

Dale’s disatrous Butterscotch Scallop dish was another contributor to his demise, and he accepted responsibility for that dish’s failure.

“I messed up. I had a vision and I didn’t execute that vision correctly. I was trying to go for salty, sweet, spicy, sour with the pickled charred long beans and then have the scallop be the savory, sweet, salty—I just put too much sugar in it. I’ll do that recipe again, and I’ll guarantee you that I’ll execute it correctly.

I’ve described Dale as ornery in the past, and he understands that people don’t like him, both on the show and at his regular job at Buddakann in New York.

“It helps a lot when people like you and you like the people you work with, but it’s not a job requirement. It’s not necessary.”

A first-generation Filipino American, Dale attributed his work ethic to his immigrant parents, and during his exit interview on the show, he broke down because he felt like he let them down.

I wanted to show them I could have won this. I know in my heart that I am more talented than a lot of people that are still on the show. I’m very competitive at sports and to be honest with you, I never really won any championships or anything like that. This would have been a nice one to pull out and say, “Hey, I actually won this.”

To listen to the entire interview with Chef Dale Talde, go to Chow.com.

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I’m a big Top Chef fan, but I’ve been watching the Chicago incarnation with great interest because of Dale Talde, the ornery and talented Filipino American sous chef at Buddakan, an upscale Chinese restaurant in New York. During the first six episodes of the season, the Chicago native’s dishes have reflected a pan-Asian influence, but last week, Dale got to express his Filipino side during a dessert Quickfire Challenge and received praise and Top 3 finish from guest judge Johnny Iuzzini, the pastry chef at Jean Georges.

Dale chose to make halo halo, a classic Filipino treat of shaved ice, milk (usually condensed or evaporated) and any number of other tropical ingredients, such as sweet beans, tropical fruits, and ice cream. Because of the variety ingredients and personal preferences, there isn’t one set recipe for halo halo, and Dale’s is no exception—a combination of shaved ice, avocado, mango, kiwi and nuts. Sure it was a non-traditional, upscale interpretation, but this is Top Chef, and it was nice to see him bring Filipino culture to the table.

This season of Top Chef hasn’t been nearly as exciting or dramatic as previous seasons, but I still love the show. Dale got off to a slow start, but as the season has progressed, I think he’s found his groove and is now one of the favorites to win. He even showed his “gangsta” side when he grabbed his crotch and went off on Lisa Fernandes after she pandered to Ming Tsai’s “Asian-ness” and then won a trip to Italy despite being negative, whiny, bitch-ass teammate. (Can you tell I really don’t like Lisa?)

What? You say something?

Are you watching Top Chef? Who do you want to win? Should there be a faux-hawk ban next season?

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This week’s episode of No Reservations brought Anthony Bourdain to Hawaii, and it was fun watching him enjoy some of the great food and drink Hawaii has to offer. I’ve been waiting for this show to air because I was curious about his impressions of local culture and cuisine, and I figured he’d be brutally honest about his experience.

Overall, the show did a pretty good job covering Hawaii in a short amount of time, but the most satisfying part of the show was when Bourdain professed his love for everyone’s favorite mystery meat…SPAM!

At the New Uptown Fountain in Kalihi, Bourdain settled into a meal with Honolulu Advertiser food columnist David Choo that can best be described as a local “tasting menu” that featured several local favorites, including different presentations of SPAM. (Choo chronicles his entire Bourdain experience on his blog, appropriately called Choo On This.

First up was SPAM Musubi (a.k.a. SPAM sushi), but this version had a fried rice filling instead of the traditional steamed rice.

“That’s great,” Bourdain said. “I’m thinking stoned at two o’clock in the morning, watching TV…I want this really badly.”

Next up was what Bourdain described “a SPAM frittata with kimchee on top, floating in curry sauce.” I’ve never heard of this concoction, but it looked great and apparently it’s a house specialty. After a little riff on how the hospitals in Hawaii must do tremendous business because of the food locals are eating, Bourdain said, “I’m going to stroke out at the end of this meal.”

A plate of SPAM, eggs and fried rice was next, followed by an intermezzo of chicken tofu and some homemade chili before a bowl of SPAM saimin arrived at the table. There were lots of other non-SPAM dishes on the table, including one of my favorites, Loco Moco (hamburger patty, over-easy eggs served over rice and mac salad and smothered in gravy), to which Bourdain remarked, “This…don’t even tell anyone that I enjoyed that.”

(NOTE: This chronology is based on what aired and is a product of editing. For more details on the meal, see Choo’s blog above.)

All in all, it was pretty funny watching Bourdain have his SPAM epiphany in Hawaii, probably the best place in the world to eat SPAM.

“In all of its high-sodium, gravy-drenched glory, SPAM has in every sense found its way into my heart,” he said. “I get it now. I feel inducted into the Church of True Knowledge.”

Throughout the episode, Bourdain’s observations about local culture showed that he really “gets” Hawaii in the sense that he understands how its plantation history, which includes the importation of labor from China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines to work the fields, as well as U.S military occupation and eventual statehood, helped create a unique, diverse local population and cultivated the beautiful mish-mosh of cuisine that accompanies it. He even called Hawaii “America’s Singapore.”

In addition to feasting on SPAM, Bourdain also visited Ono Hawaiian Foods, one of my favorite places to eat in Oahu, Side Street Inn, where he met up with a bunch of local chefs including Alan Wong, and Bailey’s Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Ave., where he bought a $3000 Aloha shirt.

For more information on this episode of No Reservations, check out the No Reservations page on the Travel Channel Web site.

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In the movie Ratatouille, Pixar succeeded in making animated food almost as delectable as the real thing. By seeking the technical assistance of Thomas Keller, one of the world’s greatest and most meticulous chefs, Pixar gave the movie instant credibility to food lovers, critics and chefs around the world.

Remy the Rat’s ratatouille (above) is technically Keller’s interpretation of Confit Byaldi, a Turkish dish with the same flavor profile as ratatouille. We made the dish this weekend in preparation for Thanksgiving, and it’s definitely going on our menu. The recipe, originally published in the New York Times, follows the pictures.

INGREDIENTS
FOR PIPERADE
½ red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
½ yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
½ orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12oz. total weight), peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
½ a bay leaf
Kosher salt

FOR VEGETABLES
1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in ¹⁄₁₆-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into ¹⁄₁₆-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into ¹⁄₁₆-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ¹⁄₁₆-inch rounds
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
¹⁄₈ teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

DIRECTIONS
1. For piperade, heat oven to 450F. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.

2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.

3. For vegetables, heat oven to 275F. Down center of pan, arrange a strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that ¼ inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.

4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350F oven until warm.)

5. For vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

6. To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

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I know this is old, but I had to post it. All I can really say is that I love Photoshop!

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Recipe courtesy of Toni’s Garden.

Remember the movie Big Night and that final climactic dinner scene? The centerpiece of the meal was the Timpani, which is basically a “drum” filled with layers of pasta, meat, sauce, eggs. My wife and I are big fans of the movie, and one day, when we were watching the movie again on cable, I said, hey, let’s make that!

After a little research, I found a couple recipes. One is actually from the family cookbook of Stanley Tucci, who played Segundo in the movie. (Tony Shaloub played his older brother Primo.) You can buy the cookbook at Amazon.com.

The other recipe I found is from the recipe collection at Toni’s Garden. I ended up using it because it was inspired by the Tucci family recipe, and the directions were more in depth. I also thought the Sunday Sauce recipe that accompanied it sounded delicious, and I wanted to try to make the sauce completely from scratch. I’m posting this recipe here so I can include some of the pictures we took while creating this incredible dish.

We’ve made Timpáno twice. The first time, it cost us $100 because we went out and bought top-of-the-line ingredients. The second time it only costs us around $50 because we used cheaper (but still good-quality) ingredients, and it tasted just as good. You’ll save yourself a lot of time if you buy some premade pizza dough, but if you’re adventurous and want to make it from scratch, the dough recipe is also here.

INGREDIENTS
The Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water
Butter and Olive Oil to prepare the pan

The Filling
2 cups 1/4 x 1/2-inch Genoa salami pieces (approx. 3/4 lb.)
2 cups 1/4 x 1/2-inch sharp provolone cheese pieces (approx. 3/4 lb.)
12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled, quartered lengthwise and then each quarter cut in half to create chunks.
2 cups little meatballs about 1″ diameter
8 cups Sunday Sauce following the note at the beginning of recipe.
3 pounds, ziti or penne, cooked very al dente (about half the time recommended on the package) and drained (18 cups cooked)
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
4 large eggs, beaten

A Few Notes Before Starting
Make your sauce the day before. The meat that is not being used in the timpáno makes a great dinner the night before, along with a salad. Also, the sauce always tastes better the next day.

The dough for the timpáno is rolled into a 1/16″ thick round, the diameter which is determined by the size of your pan. Add together the diameter of the bottom and top of your pan, and double the height of the pan. The pan I used required a 30-inch diameter circle. I used an enamel basin similar to the one on the right. You can use almost any pan or bowl of similar shape.

Finally, read the recipe through a couple of times until you are familiar with the process. Although there are a lot of steps and preparation involved it is not a difficult recipe. Your experience will be less hectic if you take the time to prepare and measure all of your filling ingredients ahead of time. This is a great job for those guests that want to help! Enjoy!

Making the Dough
By hand

1. Mix the flour and salt together on a clean , dry work surface or pastry board. Form into a mound and then make a well in the center.
2. Break the eggs into the center of the well and lightly beat them with a fork. Stir in the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the water.
3. Use the fork to gradually incorporate some of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
4. Continue mixing the dry ingredients into the eggs, adding the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Knead the dough with your hands to make a well-mixed, smooth, dry dough. If the dough becomes to sticky, add more flour.
6. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
7. Bring to room temperature before rolling.

Using stand mixer

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl except for the water.
2. Turn the mixer on slowly and add 3 tablespoons of the water.
3. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.
4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured board to make sure it is well mixed.
5. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
6. Bring to room temperature before rolling.

Finishing the Dough

1. Flatten out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to 1/16″ thickness, dusting with flour and turning from time to time, to prevent sticking.
2. Generously grease the pan with butter and olive oil. Fold the dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place it in the pan.
3. Open the dough and gently press it into the pan against the bottom and sides. Allow the extra dough to drape over the sides.

Cooking the Pasta
Cook the pasta in a very large pot of salted water until it is half done (it will finish cooking in the oven). place in a large bowl and toss with 2 cups of the sauce.

Preheat oven to 350F

Filling the Timpáno

1. Make sure the salami, provolone, hard-boiled eggs, meatballs, and sauce are at room temperature.
2. Begin layering the Timpáno by distributing 6 generous cups of the pasta on the bottom of the timpáno.
3. Top with 1 cup of the salami, 1 cup of the provolone, 6 of the hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup of the meatballs, and 1/3 cup of the Romano cheese.
4. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over these ingredients.
5. Continue layering with 6 cups of the remaining pasta.
6. Top with remaining 1 cup of salami, 1 cup provolone, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup of meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese.
7. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over these ingredients and top with remaining 6 cups of pasta. (The ingredients should now be about 1″ below the rim of the pan.)



8. Pour the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the pasta.
9. Pour the beaten eggs on top.
10. Fold the pasta dough over the filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough.

Cooking the Timpano

1. Bake the timpáno until lightly browned, about 1 hour, then cover loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpáno is cooked through and the dough is golden brown, about 30 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 120F.



2. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30-40 minutes. The timpáno should not stick to the pan. If it does, carefully run a knife around the edges to loosen.
3. Placing a serving platter or cutting board on top of the pan, and then quickly and with confidence, invert the timpáno onto a serving platter.
4. Remove the pan and allow timpáno to cool another 20 minutes.
5. Using a long, sharp knife, slice the timpáno as you would a pie into individual portions. Serves 16.

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