Now I know how congressmen feel: making sausage

Pasta poured forth in the Culinary Foundations III classroom kitchen today, along with a half-dozen versions of link sausage.

At our station, we encased two kinds of the cured meat -- Swedish potato sausage and andouille. Both were delicious, and there was enough to take home. (Photo shows the Swedish potato sausage in the lower left, the andouille in the upper right.)

We also jammed through the making of three pasta dishes in 90 minutes, using freshly made pasta and other ingredients.

First was butternut squash and ricotta ravioli, fried and served with a marinara sauce. I had made that very sauce the night before at home, so I knew that getting it on the stovetop early to intensify the flavors was the key.

Second was fettucini served with a parsley pesto and one link of the andouilli that had been blanched and sautéed with onions and red bell pepper.

Third was pappardella -- 3/4-inch wide pasta noodles -- served with a mushroom cream sauce and sauté of chicken.

The action was hectic, almost frantic, in getting the dishes plated on schedule. Each had its special elements and flavors, and each was completed with satisfaction.

Starch week continues: Pasta, pasta, pasta

Spud Monday gave way to pasta Tuesday in Culinary Foundations II, as we made pasta -- literally.

Chef Dan Fluharty demonstrated (at right) making pasta dough from the basics -- eggs and bread flour -- and then finished it it into several kinds of pasta. Included were half-inch wide ribbon pasta known as pappardella and raviolis stuffed with a ricotta cheese and spinach filling.

Every class member made a five-egg, three-cup-of-flour ball of dough (left), kneading it in preparation for turning it into various kinds of pasta in Wednesday's class. We also worked on the stuffings and on a pesto sauce, very similar to one I have made at home on many occasions.

SPQR reopens Sept. 30; new menu details

An excited and affable-sounding Matthew Accarrino is putting the final touches on his menu for the reopening of San Francisco's Fillmore Street classic, SPQR.

In an email Wednesday evening, Accarrino (right) explained his approach: "The goal is to lighten and refine the great neighborhood restaurant that SPQR already was. I'm thrilled to be at the helm of such a popular and loved restaurant. I can't wait to cook for the neighborhood and beyond."

SPQR, at 1911 Fillmore St., closed Sept. 14 for a dining room remodeling and change in the menu with the hiring of Accarrino, who comes from the kitchen of Craft in Los Angeles. Owner Shelley Lindgren said in an email Wednesday that the reopening, originally set for Sept. 29, will be the next day.

Lindgren, who also owns and operates A16 in the Marina district, gave these details -- confirmed by Accarrino -- on SPQR's new menu:

"Matthew will have the same spirit of SPQR on the menu but set up a tiny bit different.  He is making housemade focaccia. There is a snack section with fun bite-sized nibbles to enjoy with a glass of vino or start the dinner, then there will be an antipasti section which includes salads, local ingredients, seasonal and traditional with his twist. He makes wonderful housemade pastas. One of my favorites is his ravioli with ricotta and lamb's quarters and a carbonara that is topped with an egg, another unique spin to the dish."

The biggest news in the reopening of SPQR may be that Fillmore Street, already crowded with hungry people much of the time, but especially on weekends, will get another place serving brunch. Lindgren said the popular spot will be open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

   (Photo credit: Matthew Accarrino's Facebook page)