Recipe names are in dialect and were documented by Catherine (Scavarda) Zanotti
Antipasto
1 jar marinated vegetables (Grandiniere) 24 or 32 oz.
4 tblsps. olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can tuna
1 can button mushrooms
1 jar artichoke hearts
1 jar cocktail onions
1 jar stuffed green olives
Remove vegetables from jars, drain and rinse. Put oil in large fry pan and heat; add garlic, add vegetables to pan and roll in oil. Add tomato sauce to vegetables and simmer about 20 minutes. Remove to large bowl and cool, then add tuna, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, cocktail onions and stuffed olives. More fresh vegetables can be added by steaming "al dente" - cauliflower, carrots, string beans, celery. Refrigerate a day ahead.
Bagnet - (Green Sauce)
2 cups finely chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 or 4 tbspns. wine vinegar
1 or 2 cans whole button mushrooms
1 small can anchovies
Mix all ingredients except anchovies and marinate over night or at least 3 hours. Serve as an antipasto or with a salad entree. Instead of mushrooms add 1 or 2 small cans of anchovies (chopped). Can be added as garnish and served with beef, fish, steak, or on sandwiches, also spoon over green chiles that have been shredded. Mixture will keep two weeks in refrigerator.
Zuppi, Pane é Coi - (Soup of Bread and Cabbage)
1 small head Savoy cabbage
1 hard loaf Italian or French bread ( dried or left over bread)
Grated Parmesan cheese
3 or 4 cups chicken broth (enough to soak through bread
1 or 2 cups spaghetti sauce
Par boil cabbage leaves about 5 minutes and drain leaves. Slice or chunk bread and line a 9 X 3 round baking casserole with a layer of bread, cover with a layer of sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and top with cabbage leaves, repeat layers until ingredients are used. Pour broth over all the ingredients, bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 2 hours until top is crusty and brown.
Minestra De Castagne - (Chestnut Soup)
1/3 lb. dry chestnuts
1 quart water
salt
1 cup white rice
milk
Soak chestnuts over night, clean and put in 3 qt. sauce pan with 1 qt. water and salt. Cook until tender, then mash chestnuts and add 1 cup rice, stir occasionally adding water adding mor water if necessary. When rice is cooked add enough milk to make the soup. It should be a little on the thick side or use your own judgement at how thick you like your soups.
Rize é Cussat - (Rice and Squash Soup)
1 1/2 Banana Squash
Water to cover - 5 cups
Salt
1 1/4 cup white rice
milk
Peel and cube squash, cover with enough water in a 3 qt. sauce pan. Add salt and bring to a boil and simmer untill tender. Mash squash and add rice , cook until rice is tender. Stir occasionally, adding more water if necessary. Add milk to make soup
Minestrone Soup
Either beef shank, beef short ribs or beef neck bone
1 medium onion
2 stalks of celery cut into 1/2" pieces
3 carrots sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 potatos diced into 1/4" pieces
1/4 savoy cabbage chopped
handfull of pinto beans and navy beans
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni of choice
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
1 small package frozen mixed vegetables
Bring meat to a boil in a 8 qt. sauce pan, 2/3 filled with water. When water boils skim off the top till clear. Add all vegetables, tomato sauce and macaroni. Simmer two or three hours. Can add bouillon if too thick.
Chicken Soup
One 4lb. chicken
2 stalks celery
1 onion
2 carrots
2 or 3 potatoes
pastinas (such as stars, La Molisana or any small pastina, small macaroni).
1 16oz. can stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper
Put chicken in 8 qt. sauce pan, 2/3 filled with water. Bring to a boil and skim top till clear. Add cut up onion, celery, halved carrots, stewed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowley 1 1/2 to 2 hours till chicken is tender. Chicken can be removed and saved for dinner, salad or sandwiches. If desired, potatoes can be added and cooked 3/4 hour and served with chicken. Enough broth can be used in another sauce pan and small pastas cooked for soup. The remaining broth can be frozen or used for risotto.
Ossobuco - (Veal or Lamb Stew)
4 lamb shanks or 6 slices of shin veal
Flour
6 tbsps. butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 oz. can Italian peeled tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
Roll lamb bones or shin of veal in flour in a large heavy roasting pan, brown the bones or shin in butter, turning once or twice. Pour wine over them and cook for 15 minutes, then add tomatoes and garlic. Cover and cook for 2 hours in 350 degrees oven or until meat is tender. If necessary, some hot stock or water may be added during cooking. When meat is done, remove to casserole and cover. Add potatoes, carrots and roast until done (about 45 minutes). Then add meat and heat before serving, can be served with rice.
Rollada - (Rolled Flank or Round Steak)
1 Flank Steak or Round Steak
1 cup chopped parsley
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 can anchovies chopped
2 tbsps. butter
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato paste with 3 cans water
1 cup fresh mushrooms
Pound Flank Steak or Round Steak until thin and tender. Combine parsley, garlic, onion and anchovies, spread over meat then roll and tie with string. Cut in 4 pieces and brown in butter in a large 6 qt. pan. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste with water, add mushrooms, wine and cook 2 hours on topof stove (covered). The sauce may be used with spaghetti, orThe Rollada's can be simmered in wine, bouillon, mushrooms and used over rice or noodles.
Polenta - (Corn Meal Mush)
3 qts. water (salted)
4 cups coarse corn meal
Add corn meal to cold water and stir well. Bring mixture to boil stiring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer 1 hour stiring occasionally. Pour onto flat platter and serve. If you use 1 qt. water, use 2 cups corn meal, if you use 2 qts. water, use 3 cups corn meal.
The following four recipe's are eaten with and are special to Polenta
Bruse - (Cream Cheese Dip)
1 pint sour cream
1 pint cottage cheese
3 oz. cream cheese
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
Rub bowl with garlic, add sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Combine ingredients and serve with polenta. Can be refrigerated ahead of time.
Italian Sausage, Chicken, Pork Ribs - (Eat with Polenta)
1 or 2 Sausages or
2 or 3 lbs. chicken or
2 lbs. pork ribs
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Italian herbs
1/4 cup white wine
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 or 3 cans water
Brown sausage or chicken or ribs in a 9 X 13 casserole in the oven (basting often) about 1 hour at 325 degrees. Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, herbs and wine to meat. Let bake 20 minutes, add tomato sauce and water , bake 1 hour basting occasionally. Serve with or over polenta.
Zucchini
Slice zuchini and simmer in oil with slices of onions. When done, add 3 or 4 tblsps. sour cream and serve with Polenta.
Cabbage
Chop cabbage. Heat 3 tblsps. oil in a skillet add cabbage and 1 chopped onion. Cover and simmer till done, serve with Polenta.
Meatballs
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 large onion
1/4 bell pepper
Italian herbs
salt and pepper
4 slices white bread
milk
1 egg
Combine meats, salt and pepper, add chopped onion, minced bell pepper, herbs. Add bread soaked in milk and egg, mix well and form into balls, brown in oil in fry pan. Add meatball sauce as referenced below.
Meatball Sauce
1 16 oz. can Italian peeled tomatoes
2 29 oz. cans tomato puree
1 small can tomato paste with three cans of water
salt and pepper
Italian herbs
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Combine ingredients and simmer 2 or 3 hours.
Veal Scallopini
1 clove thin sliced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. veal round steak (cutlet) about 1/2" thick
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup marsala wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 can mushrooms or 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Use larger skillet with tight fitting cover. Heat garlic in oil until lightly browned. Cut veal into 6" pieces and pound thin, then coat with mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Add veal to garlic and olive oil, slowly brown on both sides. While veal is browning, combine wine, water, parsley, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Slowly add wine mixture to veal, cover slillet and simmer very slowly for about 1/2 hour or until veal is tender. If mixture tends to become thick, add a small amount of water. Serves 6, and can be served with rice, noodles or couscous.
Breaded Steaks
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. veal cutlets, beef cube, round steak (pounded thin)
1 egg with 2 tblsps. water
bread crumbs
salt and pepper
oil and butter
Using which ever meat you prefer, dip meat in egg mixture and then coat with bread crumbs. Brown in large skillet of oil and butter.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
1/2 stick margarine or butter
1 clove garlic
1/4 onion chopped
6 mushrooms sliced
1 tblsps. Italian herbs
1 can chopped clams in juice - 6.5 oz.
1 can tomato sauce - 8 oz.
1 can water - 8 oz.
Melt butter in 2 qt. sauce pan, sauté garlic, onion, mushroom and herbs for 15 minutes. Add clams, tomato sauce, water and salt and pepper. Let simmer covered for 1 hour. If too liquidy, cook uncovered 20 minutes more. Serve over 3/4 lb. linguine.
Red Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 cube butter or margarine
1/3 onion chopped
1 clove garlic
5 mushrooms sliced
1/4 red or green pepper
tip of a dry hot red pepper
1 can Italian typ stewed tomatoes - 16 oz.
1 can water
handful of left over roast, pork or beef
Melt butter in 3 qt. sauce pan, sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms and bell peppers for 20 minutes. Squish juice from tomatoes and chop, add juice from can to pan. Add tomato sauce, can of water, tip of red hot pepper, then salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer 2 hours. Good with farfalle or bow tie macaroni then add parmesan cheese.
This is a fun meal, to be eaten standing up with a good "Chianti", Italian bread, vegtables, meat or shrimp.
Bagna Cauda - (Hot Sauce)
10 large cloves garlic
4 cans anchovey fillets
1 1/2 cup olive oil
2 cubes of butter or margarine
Chop garlic and add all ingredients to electric fry pan. Simmer slowley until garlic and anchovies have melted down. More garlic or anchovies can be added according to taste. Additionally, as oil and butter cook down more can be added. Keep sauce at comfortable temperature.
"Ingredients to be eaten with Bagna Cauda"
Bake 5 whole onions in 350 degree oven in a aluminum fil pan for 1 or till soft. When cool, peel and quarter (optional). Partially steam fresh cauliflower, brussel sprouts and broccoli. Clean and arrange on platters, celery, cardone, Jerusalem artichokes, artichokes hearts, green or red or yellow bell peppers (fresh or pickled) cabbage (savoy preferred), endives, fresh mushrooms and choice of meat (felet mignon, London broil), cubed (which will be cooked in the "Bagna Couda" as people are eating). Use any combination of vegetables.
With an electric skillet in the center of a table, and all the vegetable platters arranged around the skillet. Six to eight people can dip vegetables, meat or shrimp, with a fork into the hot sauce while holding a piece of French bread under the fork to catch any drippings.
Zuchini Piang - (Stuffed Zuchini)
8 regular zuchini squash
1 1/2 large onion chopped
1/3 cube butter
1/2 lb. sweet sausage
handful of fresh basil or 1 1/2 tblspns. dry basil
4 eggs
12 oz. white bread
1 1/2 cup half and half
parmesan cheese
Parboil squash until fork inserted in center pierces through. Remove and let cool. Soak bread in cream. Simmer onion in butter. Brown sausage. Chop basil. Cut squash in half and scoop out and chop up inside of squash, pressing out water. Add to onion, stirring well and add creamed bread to mixture turning often. Put in large bowl and add browned sausage, eggs and cheese. Use 3 eggs and see what the consistency is, if not too runny add 1 more egg. Put shells on cookie sheet and put salt and butter in them. Fill with squash mixture and bake at 350 degree for 1 hour. Can be frozen before baking. Seal well and return to room temperature before baking.
Pesto
4 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic
6 prigs of parsley
salt and pepper to tase
1/4 cup pine nuts, wall nuts or almonds
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Place basil in blender. Add the oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and pine
nuts, walnuts, or almonds. Blend until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Remove
the pesto sauce from the blender and add grated Parmesan cheese. Toss 1 lb. cooked
linguine with 12 oz. Pesto, heat and add 2 large spoons boiling water to pesto before
tossing. Add cheese, then serve.
1/4 cup pesto can be used on pasta salad or dilute with oil and vinegar and used as
salad dressing.
Rissoto - (Rice)
1 cup long grain rice or blue rice
2 cups chicken broth (preferably home made)
1/4 cup minced onion
5 or 6 fresh mushrooms sliced
Simmer onion and mushrooms in 2 tbsp. butter in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add rice and salt and pepper. Slowly add hot broth stirring till absorbed then add more broth continually adding broth to rice until cooked, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Fricholini di Rissoto - (Rice Fritters)
Use the left over Rissoto, add egg and cheese and fry by large spoonfuls in hot oil.
Fricholini di Zucchini - (Zucchini Fritters)
2 zucchini's
2 russet potatoes peeled (or 1 cup bread crumbs)
2 eggs
3 tblsps. flour
salt and pepper
oil
Grate zucchini and potatoes in a bowl, add eggs, flour and season to taste. Form into pancakes 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Put vegetable oil in skillet over high heat, sauté in single layers until golden brown on both sides.
Fazzolini e Sautisa - (String beans and Sausage)
1 or 2 lbs. Italian flat beans (regina beans) or regular string beans
1 clove garlic
4 tblsps, olive oil
1/2 lb. Italian sweet sausage (Sautisa)
Steam beans till cooked, add to oil and garlic mixture and sauté. Add browned sausage and serve.
Polenta Dusa - (lemon flavored fried cream of wheat, "breaded" )
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs - beaten
Rind of one lemon
1/2 cup simolina flour
Juice of one lemon
Combine milk (warm) and sugar, add beaten egg and a very small portion of flour, stir, add lemon rind and the rest of the flour constatantly stiring. Cook approximately 5 minutes after the flour is added. Before removing, add lemon juice and stir. Pour into oiled platter and refrigerate over night . When firm, cut in small wedges, roll in beaten egg & simolina (or crushed graham crackers) , pan fry in butter .
OR
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of cream of wheat
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cube butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
rind of one lemon
Ritz crackers
1 egg
Put milk, salt, sugar and butter in 3 qt. pan. Bring to boil and add cream of wheat slowly stirring until it thickens. Mix grated rind of lemon, juice from half of a lemon and egg yolk, add to mixture and stir. Put in 9 inch Pyrex pie dish. When cool chill 3 or 4 hours or overnight. Cut in 7 or 8 slices and then 3-inch lengths. Roll in slightly beaten egg white and lemon juice and roll in crushed Ritz crackers. Simmer in butter in 9-inch fry pan. Turn like an omelet, add butter as needed. Brown both sides lightly. Serve after meal, before dessert and cheese dish. Recipe can be doubled.
Italian Bread Pudding
4 cups Italian bread
1 qt. milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. crushed pinapple
1/2 cup raisins (seedless)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Cut 4 cups of bread in pieces and soak in 1 qt. or milk. Butter 2 quart casserole. Take 4 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, dash of nutmeg and 1 tsp. cinnamon beat together in large bowl. Add bread, 4 oz. crushed pineapple drained, handful or raisins and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until firm.
Bunat - (Carmel covered Flam)
1 qt. milk
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsps.vanilla extract
2 tsps. brandy
dash of Angostura bitters or 1 tsp. Fernet Branca
handful of vanilla waffers (12 crushed)
1/3 cup sugar
Variations: 6 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 cups milk, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1 1/2
tsp. brandy and bitters, handful of vanilla wafers. Or: 4 eggs, l/2 cup
sugar, 2 cups milk, 1 tsp. vanilla and brandy and dash of bitters. Put in 1 1/2 qt.
pan.
Melt 1/3 cup sugar in 3 quart casserole pan over heat until melted and browned - roll
onto sides of pan and set aside. Beat eggs until foamy and frothy. Add sugar slowly,
add vanilla, brandy, bitters and beat. Add milk and beat, add vanilla wafers and mix
well. Pour into pan and set in 9 inch Pyrex pie dish with water. Bake 1 hour at 350
degrees or until set. Let cool. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Loosen sides and
invert into pie dish.
Amaretto Torte
5 eggs (at room temperature)
8 imported Amaretto cookies
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tblsp. water
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter and flour bottom and sides of 9 inch spring
form pan. Line bottom with wax paper.
2) Break up cookies in cuisinart and set aside. You should have 1/3 cup
3) Melt chocolate with 1 tbsp. water in double broiler over simmering water. Let
cool.
4) Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until blended. Beat
in egg yokes one at a time. Beat until fluffy - about 5 minutes. Gradually add flour
alternately with Amaretto cookie crumbs, half at a time beating well. Fold in chocolate
mixture.
5) Beat egg whites in medium bowl with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Fold into
batter.
6) Pour into prepared pan. Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Cool cake on rack 10 minutes. Invert over serving plate.
Remove pan, peel off paper. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar
Zucchini Cake
3 large eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups coarsley shredded unpared zucchini
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsps. cinnamon
3 cup flour
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tssp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini. Mix dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Mix well. Stir in chopped nuts and raisins. Put in 1-9x5x3 loaf pan,or in 2 - 8x4x2 pans, or in 1 - 6x4x2 loaf pan. Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees.
Pinolote
6 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
2 cups honey
1 1/2 to 2 cups slivered almonds
Put 1/2 dozen eggs not beaten in bowl, add enough flour - about 3 1/2 to 4 cups to make stiff dough. Roll dough into ropes and cut in small pieces. Fry in hot oil, drain on paper towels and cool. Take 2 cups of honey and bring to a boil using candy thermometer (250 degrees). Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups slivered almonds. Pour over cooked dough balls and coat. Stir until cool. Form into balls with greased hands. Put on waxed paper to cool. Makes 20 balls.
Apricot Squares
1/2 lb. sweet butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3 cups flour
apricot pinapple jam
Beat butter, sugar and blend well. Add vanilla, egg and beat well, then add 3 cups of flour and beat well. On cloth covered bread board, flour well, roll 2/3 of dough the size of 12x18 inch cookie sheet. Roll dough on rolling pin and unroll onto pan. Spread with 18 to 22 oz. apricot pineapple jam. Roll remaining dough into rectangle 15 x 1 inches. Cut 1 inch strips and lay diagonally across entire cookie sheet at 1 inch intervals one way and then the other way, forming a cfiss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut immediately with pizza cutter into squares. Let cool. Will last 1 month stored.
Torchite
5 cups flour
1 package yeast
1 cup water
1 lb. imperial margarine
2 cups sugar
Dissolve yeast in 1 cup very warm water and stir in one cup flour and mix well. Put
mixture in 1 1/2 qt. bowl and put in barely warm oven. If electric oven, heat slightly
and cool to warm before putting bowl in. Cut up margarine and put in 4 qt. bowl in oven
also for one hour. Remove from oven and add 4 cups of flour to margarine. Then add
yeast mixture: with spatula, mix well. Put in 1 quart open face bowl. Cover and
refrigerate over night.
You will cut 5 slices from the bowl. But only cut one at a time. Flatten and roll - not
touching too much - on bread board. Make a pile of sugar in one comer. Taking a pinch
of sugar, spread on bread board. Cut a slice from roll and roll in sugar lightly,
stretching to desired thickness. Form in pear shape pinching ends together and place on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Check time for doneness
which depends on ovens. Yield 8 or 9 dozen.
Biscotti
7 tblsps. melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. anise seed
1 3/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup almonds chopped
Melt butter and let cool. Beat in eggs till frothy. Add sugar and continue beating till light and airy. Add almond extract, anise seeds, and cream of tartar and mix well. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Then add chopped almonds and mix well. Place two loaves 6x13 inches on greased cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove and cut into 1 inch slices turning slices on the side. Return to oven and bake 12 more minutes. Makes approximately 26 cookies.
Passé Piang - (Stuffed Peaches)
4 firm freestone peaches
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
20 vanilla wafers
1/2 cup simolina flour
chopped pit of 2 peaches
Halve peaches, scoop out the peach pulp and put into a bowl. Place peach shells on a cookie sheet. Mince pulp and add crushed vanilla wafers, sugar, chopped peach pit, almond extract, pinch of salt and eggs. Mix together, then sprinkle sugar in shells, spoon in batter and top with butter. Bake at 350 degrees till brown, about 1/2 hour or untill the center is firm.