Recipe courtesy Chef Eben Copple of The Yardley Inn, Yardley, Pennsylvania

This recipe is totally foolproof, but it depends largely upon being able to get your hands on very good quality ricotta. Fresh ricotta is best, and you should be able to find it at a good Italian specialties store or at a supermarket with a large cheese section. If you can't find that, you can use something called ricotta Impastata, which is a dry ricotta used specifically for fillings, or a sheep's milk ricotta called Miticrema. If you can't find any of those things, using chevre goat cheese will yield a good texture. The gnudi, however, will be very strongly flavored which is not appropriate for most sauces.

Ingredients:
Makes enough for about 8 first course portions

3 lbs fresh ricotta
3 whole eggs, whipped
1 cup grated parmesan
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
extra flour for rolling out the gnudi

Mix all the ingredients together just until the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very sticky; this is okay... resist the urge to mix in more flour. Dust the dough with flour and turn out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into quarters, adding more flour to the cut edges. Roll each quarter into a long cylinder about 3/4 of an inch thick, coating it well with flour. This flour amounts to a very thin layer of pasta when it cooks, keeping the gnudi together. Cut the cylinder into one-inch-long dumplings, toss with more flour. Set the gnudi aside and cover with a very slightly moist towel. Continue to roll out the rest of the dough in the same manner.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnudi a few at a time and allow them to cook until they float. When they come to the surface, let them cook for another 45 seconds or so, until they feel firm to the touch. At this point they can be tossed in the sauce or chilled in an ice water bath to be reheated later.

Russian Caraway Dumplings

550 g flour
2 eggs
100 g melted butter
250 ml milk
50 g chopped cooked onion
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
fried bacon rashers

1. Combine 550 g flour, 2 eggs, 100 g melted butter, 250 ml milk, 50 g chopped cooked onion and 1/4 tsp caraway seeds.

2. Mould into 20 balls and poach in simmering salted water for 5 minutes. Remove, drain and serve accompanied by crisp, fried bacon rashers.

1 garlic bulb
1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
2 oz (60 g) goat's cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 - 3 Tbs (30 - 45 ml) milk
Chopped fresh chives and/or parsley for garnish

Slice the top off the garlic bulb to reveal the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake in a 400F (200C) oven for 45 minutes. Cool and remove garlic cloves from their skins by gently squeezing. Mash the garlic with a fork and combine with the remaining ingredients, mixing well and adding enough milk to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, or pita bread.

Serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer.

1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock (or chicken stock for a non-vegetarian version)
4 cups (1 L) chopped ripe tomatoes or canned Italian tomatoes, drained
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp (5 ml) dried
1 cup (250 ml) milk, half and half, or heavy cream
Sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped chives for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, potato, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Puree in a food processor or blender in small batches until smooth, straining through a fine sieve if desired. Stir in the milk or cream and season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped chives.

Serves 6 to 8.

from Tipperary, Ireland

1/2 pepino melon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine pepino melon, tomatoes and mint into a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.