These pillows were so soft you could sleep on them. I guess if you were a little person. And not like a midget.

After the dismal Rellenosgate of 2008 was over, I figured I needed something that would restore Julie's culinary faith in me, and possibly, just possibly, not be a bunch of back-breaking labor.

So, naturally, the sadist in me said "Oh! Julie mentioned that she wanted Gnocci a while ago." So self, I said, "Self, why don't you just make some? You know, from, like, scratch. They can't be that hard — I seen't Mario Batali make them. I seen't it with my own eyes." To the kitchen!

I boiled five large russet potatoes in some salted water, uncut, peel still on, until they were tender. I let them cool a little and then peeled them and riced them. (Man that ricer has already gotten more use than the apple corer or olive platter we got for the wedding.) Once they were riced I made a well and added the left over cheeses from the ravioli fiesta on Saturday along with two eggs. (And no, for the link phobic, I did not make a dish called ravioli fiesta. I can only image the casserole that name would invoke with store-bought frozen ravioli swimming in a sea of cheese wizz and cream cheese.) I added a 1/4 cup of flour on top and started stirring in, adding more flour 1/4 at a time until the dough was smooth but not dry. I then wrapped it very well in plastic and stuck it in the fridge and went to work.

When I got home, I took out the dough and on a lightly floured board, rolled snakes about 1/2" thick and cut them into pieces about 3/4" wide. I then rolled each one off the end of a fork to give them those "ridges" that make gnocci hold on to just enough sauce. Ruffles, FTW. Cooked in boiling salted water until they float with a simple tomato sauce — faith restored.