By Kelly Kingsland, from the October 1999 Newsletter

This month, in preparation for next month's Adoorable Feast, I am writing about lasagne. For those of you who don't know, Erika, Amy, and I made the lasagne for last year's Moveable Feast, and have been asked for a repeat performance. This is no small task, considering that the lasagne themselves seem to have taken on larger-than-life qualities in the memories of last year's feasters. So now we are faced with the question of what made those lasagne so good, and how to recreate the phenomenon.

Laura's Smokey Chicken Cheese Lasagne Ingredients to prepare ahead of time and set aside: 2 cup Smoked Mozzarella, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 1 medium onion, minced 1/2 cup melted butter minced garlic, to taste Heat these two in a saucepan till bubbly. Whisk in: 1/2 c. flour and 1 tsp. salt. Cook, whisking constantly until bubbly and slightly brown (the trick here is that you are making a 'roux.') While whisking continually, add 2 cups milk and 2 cups chicken stock. Heat to a gentle boil and cook a minute. Once your sauce has started to thicken, add: dried basil dried oregano black pepper 1 small can diced green chilies, and, previously prepared cheeses and onion. Cook over low heat, continuing to stir until the cheese has melted. Remove sauce from heat and set aside while you prepare: 4-6 cups fresh spinach, chopped and steamed 2 cups cooked, smoked chicken, cut into thin strips (not chunks) (Laura uses C-and-L brand chicken) 8 oz lasagne noodles, uncooked 2 cups ricotta cheese Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Alternate layers in an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish starting with noodles and ending with sauce. Top with some extra shredded Parmesan and dried basil. It works well to use a rubber spatula to spread the ricotta onto the noodles. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes to firm up. Don't worry, your noodles will be cooked! Thanks, Laura!

To give proper credit, I must say that we were all very excited last year. As cooks we were eager to move to the new kitchen that was being created in the new store, and it felt great to give a tangible contribution towards that end. The same goes for the eaters at the Feast. The communal excitement over the move was great, and so many of you were willing to contribute in so many ways. The Feast was a celebration of energy that might be hard to recreate. That fact leaves even more pressure and responsibility on us to again produce a worthy and memorable array.

Since only one of last year's lasagne was made by following a recipe, we've begun to think about what to make. Actually, last year's selections came together in exactly the same fashion that the pizzas do each Friday: we begin with a basic list of ingredients (see below) which are then distributed in spontaneous order. The goal during this distribution was to make a number of defined flavors; to have each ingredient carry the lasagne (or pizza) further into itself. We begin by assigning a sauce, and then start adding ingredients. Deciding how you want to combine ingredients is fun, and having a clear idea of where you want to take the flavor is important. In my opinion, too many conflicting flavors can become muddy. I think the key is to allow each ingredient to add to the flavor rather than compete with it. Yet even with this in mind, I think it's hard to go wrong if you're using quality ingredients

So what is lasagne anyway? Without being too vague, I'd say lasagne is a cheesy (unless it's vegan) pasta casserole, made of alternating layers of stuff. A general rule of thumb is to begin by laying a good slathering of sauce into a slightly oiled pan, following the sauce with a layer of pre-cooked pasta. Next comes a good thick layer of filling. As you'll see from the accompanying list, the fillings vary from tofu to cheese and meat. This layer is usually topped with a goodly amount of shredded meltable cheese (I usually like to use Mozzarella) which is then covered with a second layer of the pre-cooked pasta. Add another layer of sauce, shredded cheese again and hopefully some veggies. Top with more pasta, sauce, and cheese (again). It may sound complicated, but once you've reached the building stage, it's easy.

One common problem with lasagne is moisture, and it's good to not use too much sauce. And the thicker the sauce the better. For first timers, I would recommend actually using a recipe, but once you get the general formula and moisture levels down, you'll be free to create whatever fits your fancy. Below is a general list that we follow when making lasagne here at the Co-op. The list is by no means complete, but will provide enough variations to last a good long while.

Prime sauces: Pesto and all its variations; Red Sauce (again, a thick one will do you best); Béchamel (a cheesy, herbed white sauce).

Fillings: Tofu (the herbed Tofu-spread recipe would do nicely—plain tofu would need some perking up); Ricotta cheese (needs tofu added to thicken to a non-runny state); miscellaneous meats (all previously cooked).

Veggies and other stuff: Use veggies! But maybe just try to choose a few of your favorites rather than a big mix. Spinach can be added raw, but beware that it'll
cook to a fraction of its raw volume. I like to saute or grill onions first, so that they are truly soft and melded with everything else. Play around.

The one recipe that we did use last year came from Laura C.— she was kind enough to share it again for this year's feast, and for this article.

We'll make Laura's lasagne again for the Adoorable Feast, in addition to many others. We'll try again to satisfy the tastes of many different folks—we'll make vegan, meat, and vegetarian varieties. We'll try to create an exciting array of flavors and choices. One day soon we'll sit down, and really begin thinking about preparing for another celebration feast for the Co-op. I've tentatively enrolled Rochelle to make some fluffy, sinful dessert, and the bakers will make bread. It'll be the same yet different from last year, but hopefully enjoyed in the same way!

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