Gnocchi

Based on my research and my experience I have discovered that Gnocchi can be defined simply as a "dumpling." With this in mind there are several ways Italians make Gnocchi and single method that the French use.

Italian Gnocchi consists of Semolina, Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi. Which one is the best is highly debatable. Semolina Gnocchi reminds me of airy polenta and can be the size of a miniature hockey puck. Potato Gnocchi is typically the size of a large almond and is supposed to be airy and light (kind of melt in your mouth affect). Lastly ricotta gnocchi is similar to the potato, but instead it uses ricotta cheese as the main binding ingredient. Personally I like all three, but ricotta is my favorite because of its airy texture and ricotta taste. I know that die hard Gnocchi fans would say potato is the best, but I found that when I order it on the menu the texture is inconsistent from restaurant to restaurant.

French Gnocchi differs from Italian Gnocchi because it uses a dough that uses predominately eggs and flour.
The dough is known as Pate Choux (Pate-shoe), which is the same type of dough used to make cream puffs. The dough is special because the eggs cause it to "puff up" and creates a hollow interior. I like these Gnocchi if its being mixed in with other ingredients because it adds to the dish rather than being the main star. (it's light, hollow and adds a textural element to a dish). At the restaurant that I cooked at in Seattle, we would serve it with haricot vert (french green beans), King Oyster Mushrooms, and truffle butter. The dish was very good.

I hope that the info on gnocchi was helpful and allows you to explore all the possibilities Gnocchi has to offer. Give them a try and I promise you'll like at least one of them. :)