A cauldron of garlic, olive oil, onions and carrots bubbling before him, NCC Chef-in-Residence Michael Collier (left) slaps a ball of dough, rolls it in flour, leans into it with the heel of his palm and grasps it with his fingers, occasionally spinning around to the table behind him to grab a bit of herbs to toss into the pot.

Using a hand-cranked pasta machine, he guides the dough through, again and again, until it emerges as strong, flexible, thin sheets. His sure, deft hands quickly slice, chop and grate mushrooms, lemons, cilantro, and thyme.

Pasta --its creation from scratch, its sauces and its many advantages—was the topic of Northampton Community College’s Chef-in-Residence Cooking Demonstration at Lipkin Theatre on November 5. Chef Collier is executive chef and food and beverage director of the Hershey Country Club. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has cooked and managed restaurants in Brooklyn, Dallas and other places.

The audience watched Chef Collier close-up via video or from their seats. Some were invited up to give him a hand. Dishes prepared and served that evening included basil pesto, squid ink pasta, fettucine alfredo, crab linguine, and even a chocolate fettucine (pictured right) for dessert.

As Collier kept five different dishes simmering, he talked about his experiences in the restaurant field.

“To make something good,” Collier said, “you have to have a three-ring circus going on in your mouth.” Complex flavors of balsamic syrup, lemon zest, asiago cheese, fresh fennel and basil did indeed keep taste buds busy. Chilies in the crab and linguine raised murmurs of surprise.

As he stirred the sauce, the chef shared cooking tips: sour cream helps to stabilize a crème Anglaise; repeatedly folding and rolling pasta gives it elasticity; cooking the pasta in its sauce incorporates the sauce’s flavor in the noodle; herbs retain their color if added after the sauce has cooled. Nevertheless, Collier advised listeners to develop their own kitchen ways. In answer to a question about the time needed to cook tomato sauce, Collier answered that he knows some chefs who simmer it all day and others who do not.

Chef Collier loves pasta. He recommends it for its cost-effectiveness as a carrier for expensive ingredients like shrimp or lobster, as an incorporator of tastes, and as an opportunity for versatility. Flours for pasta can be mixed – for example, buckwheat and semolina. Sauces of many kinds can be artfully paired with pasta shapes. For meat-based sauces, Collier chooses pastas that hold liquid, such as spirals and shells.

Shows featuring celebrity chefs have popularized the profession, Collier said. But success in the culinary field calls for special ingredients in addition to knowledge of food and its preparation, swiftness of hand and eye, and energy of focus. “You must have passion,” Collier says, “as well as people skills, honesty, teamwork, and the ability to multi-task.”

“There is nothing better in the world than the culinary field,” he said. “There are so many cool things to do, places to go.”

Recipes from Chef Michael Collier:

Basic Pasta Recipe

3 cups durum semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix the semolina and salt together. On a large work surface, form a mound with the semolina and create a "well" in the center of the mound. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and oil together until smooth. Pour this mixture into the well. Working from the inside of the well out, gradually work the semolina into the eggs, until all the flour is worked in. Wrap with plastic and allow resting for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Flour a surface and turn the dough out onto it. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough out into thirds. Using a pasta machine with wide cutters, carefully work one piece of the pasta dough through the pasta machine. Lightly toss the cut pasta in flour to prevent from sticking. Pass the remaining pieces of pasta through the machine. Bring a pot of salt water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Drain and toss the pasta with olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Basil Pesto

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and salt and puree. While the motor is running, drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season with pepper to taste. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap placed right on the surface of the pesto to prevent discoloration, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Tomato Sauce

1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 ounces virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 tablespoons dried)
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans of tomatoes, crushed and mixed well with their juices
Salt, to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent, but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil; lower the heat to just bubbling, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately, or set aside for further use. The sauce may be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to 6 months.