The Cook's Book

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A Family Week

Serves
4
Dishes
5

Five dinners children tend to like and adults are happy to eat, with Friday as homemade pizza night. The ragù is made on Sunday and the pizza dough on Wednesday, so the busy evenings stay short.

On the menu

  1. Ragù alla Bolognese: A slow, milky, meat-first ragù — the real thing, worth the afternoonMondayRagù alla Bolognese

    Cook the ragù on Sunday. It makes about 1.6 kg: toss about 1 kg with 350 g tagliatelle tonight and freeze the rest for another pasta night.

  2. Bergen-Style Fish Cakes: Norway's springy, pale fish cakes made from blitzed raw haddock and milkTuesdayBergen-Style Fish Cakes

    Norwegian-style fish cakes, with boiled potatoes, carrots and peas.

  3. Kjøttkaker (Norwegian Meat Patties in Brown Gravy): Tender, nutmeg-scented beef patties simmered in a rich brown sauceWednesdayKjøttkaker (Norwegian Meat Patties in Brown Gravy)

    Norwegian meat cakes in brown gravy, with boiled potatoes, carrots and lingonberry jam. Mix the pizza dough after dinner.

  4. ThursdayBlack Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

    Let everyone build their own.

  5. Pizza Margherita: A slow cold-fermented dough and a blazing-hot home ovenFridayPizza Margherita

    Dough made Wednesday night. Children can stretch and top their own.

To drink

For adults, a glass of Chianti or another Sangiovese with the ragù. Non-alcoholic: homemade lemonade for pizza night (juice of 4 lemons, 100 g sugar and 1 liter cold water).

The day before

  • Sunday: cook the ragù (about 3½ hours, mostly simmering). Cool, refrigerate tonight's portion and freeze the rest.
  • Wednesday night: mix and knead the pizza dough, leave it 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate it until Friday.
  • Thursday (optional): roast the sweet potatoes ahead; they keep 4 days.

Game plan

Counted back from the moment you serve.

  1. Mon, 20 min before serving

    Reheat about 1 kg of the ragù gently. Bring 5 liters salted water to a boil.

  2. Mon, 6 min before serving

    Cook 350 g tagliatelle; toss with the butter, ragù and Parmesan.

  3. Mon, serve

    Serve.

  4. Tue, 1 h 5 min before serving

    Fish chunks into the freezer for 15 minutes. Peel the potatoes and carrots.

  5. Tue, 50 min before serving

    Blend the fish paste with the salt, starch, spices, egg and milk; test-fry a spoonful, then chill the mixture 20 minutes.

  6. Tue, 30 min before serving

    Potatoes and carrots on to boil. Heat the oven to 100°C (210°F) to keep the cakes warm.

  7. Tue, 25 min before serving

    Fry the fish cakes in batches, 3–4 minutes a side, to 71°C (160°F) in the center.

  8. Tue, 5 min before serving

    Boil the peas 2–3 minutes.

  9. Tue, serve

    Serve.

  10. Wed, 1 h 10 min before serving

    Mix the meat with the salt, then the starch, spices, onion, egg and milk; chill 15 minutes. Peel the potatoes and carrots.

  11. Wed, 50 min before serving

    Shape 12 patties.

  12. Wed, 40 min before serving

    Potatoes and carrots on to boil. Brown the patties in batches (about 10 minutes).

  13. Wed, 28 min before serving

    Make the roux and gravy in the same pan (about 6 minutes), then simmer the patties in it, covered, 12–15 minutes, to 71°C (160°F) inside.

  14. Wed, serve

    Serve with lingonberry jam. Mix the pizza dough afterwards.

  15. Thu, 40 min before serving

    Sweet potatoes into a 220°C (425°F) oven (25–30 minutes). Cook the beans and mix the crema.

  16. Thu, 5 min before serving

    Warm the tortillas in a dry pan; set everything out.

  17. Thu, serve

    Serve.

  18. Fri, 4 h before serving

    Divide the cold dough into 4 balls; leave them covered at room temperature.

  19. Fri, 1 h 15 min before serving

    Pizza steel or heavy upturned sheet pan in; oven to maximum. Crush the tomatoes for the sauce.

  20. Fri, 15 min before serving

    Stretch and top the first pizza.

  21. Fri, 8 min before serving

    First pizza in (6–8 minutes). Let the surface reheat 5 minutes between pizzas.

  22. Fri, serve

    Serve the first pizza; the rest follow every 12 minutes or so.

Shopping list

Produce

  • 3 onions
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 head garlic (2 cloves)
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 900 g carrots
  • 2 kg potatoes for boiling
  • 600 g sweet potatoes
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 lime
  • 1 small bunch cilantro
  • 1 bunch basil (about 30 g)

Meat & fish

  • 100 g pancetta
  • 1.25 kg ground beef (15–20% fat)
  • 300 g ground pork
  • 600 g skinless haddock, cod or pollock fillet

Dairy & eggs

  • 2 large eggs
  • 200 g unsalted butter
  • 700 ml whole milk
  • 150 g sour cream
  • 100 g feta
  • 250 g fresh mozzarella
  • 70 g Parmigiano Reggiano (or a vegetarian hard cheese)

Bakery

  • 12 small corn tortillas

Pantry

  • 500 g dried egg tagliatelle
  • 1 can (400 g) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 cans (400 g) black beans
  • 400 g passata
  • tomato paste (2 tbsp)
  • 1 small can chipotles in adobo (you need 1)
  • 40 g all-purpose flour
  • 500 g '00' flour or bread flour
  • 40 g potato starch (or cornstarch)
  • 1 g instant yeast
  • soy sauce (1 tsp)
  • 1 jar lingonberry jam
  • 250 ml chicken stock (Chicken Stock or store-bought)
  • 600 ml beef stock (Brown Stock or store-bought)
  • Pantry check: olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, fine sea salt, black pepper

Spices

  • ground cumin (1 tsp)
  • sweet smoked paprika (1 tsp)
  • ground ginger
  • nutmeg
  • ground white pepper

Frozen

  • 300 g frozen peas

Drinks

  • 200 ml dry white wine