Roman Gnocchi

Todd, August and I have been nomads for the last week, having sold our previous apartment and not into our new one yet. The last few nights we were fortunate to stay with some friends who have a daughter who's a little more than a year older than August. So the last night we made some Roman gnocchi because we thought the little ones would like it. We cut it into little star, fish and heart shapes, and August just ate it up.

It's a lot like fried polenta, only much easier and tastier, with crispy edges. First you bring 2 1/2 cups milk (seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to a boil, then you gradually whisk in 1 cup of farina and stir over low heat up to 20 minutes, until the mixture is so thick that the spoon stands up in it. Then stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, a couple tablespoons butter and a well-beaten egg. Spread it out in an oiled pan and allow to cool, then cut into shapes and arrange, overlapping, in a buttered baking pan. Dot with more butter and top with more grated Parmesan, then bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.