Family Secrets Toda

Family Secrets The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American
family, with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.
Family Secrets - Where the Social Core is Food 1
My brother and I co-founded La Lama Mountain Ovens in the winter of 1997 as a reunion
project - we have lived most of our lives at two opposite ends of the USA.. Here we produce
unique artisan breads as well as classical and traditional confections. Old world baking
techniques combined with the pristine, high elevation climate of northern New Mexico yields a
finished product unattainable elsewhere.
As a family project, a primary mission is to record, test, and preserve the best of the Italian-
American old family recipes, and translate them into repeatable techniques sized for today's
family. We have also developed an appreciation for the differences that our 8,000 foot altitude
makes to the cooking, and especially the baking, process - and intend to share tips and techniques
useful to anyone trying to prepare food above 2,500 feet.
Prior to moving to New Mexico in 1997, my brother Ray chefed in various Philadelphia-area
restaurants, and owned and operated two of his own. All of this at the same time he owned and
operated a working farm. Though our extended family is quite large, we both started to feel the
loss of many close to us, and felt it was time to reunite a scattered family. He began specializing
in artesian bread making in 1996, perfecting recipes that would later be adjusted for the New
Mexican altitude.
I began my commercial experience in the San Francisco area when I opened ccDove Fine Foods
in 1977, a gourmet delicatessen known for its cheeses and made-on-premises sausages and pates.
My husband and I also founded and operated Montclair Winery from 1975 to 1985, respected for
its hearty Sonoma Valley Zinfandels and Chardonnay-like French Columbard. Later I managed
one of the IL Fornaio Italian bakeries in the Bay Area. After 25 years in the Bay Area my
husband and I felt it was time for something different, and purchased property in the New
Mexican mountains. Serious collaboration with my brother
began in anticipation of our 1996 move to New Mexico and an
eventual reunion with my brother in the bakery business. Of
course I brought my own natural sour dough starters from San
Francisco; and contrary to popular myth, they continue to thrive
in the mountains here.
Meanwhile, daughter Jennifer graduated from San Francisco's

California Culinary Academy in June of 1997 - and at this
writing is working as an assistant pastry chef at the
internationally acclaimed Bay Wolf restaurant by day, and at
various cooking stations by night at the highly respected Italian
Colors restaurant. Jennifer operates our no-altitude test kitchen
in Oakland, California, to verify altitude adjustments in the
recipes we will be preserving and recording here.
La Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286, www.parshift.com/ovens/
©1998/99/2000 CDove and REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission
Please, share our family secrets, and visit our web-site at www.parshift.com/ovens/ where you
can share some or our bakery goodies and gifts with your friends.
CeCe (Cecelia) Dove Ray (Raymond) Zara
1
This work-in-process expects to become a book some day. The working title may change many times - so don't be surprised if the next time you
look here it is different. We welcome your feedback when you try these recipes, and will acknowledge useful "test kitchen" recommendations.
©1998/99/2000 CDove and REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission
Table of Contents
Recipe Published
1. Mama's Easter Bread with 65 Eggs Jan 98
2. Easter Bread for Mere Mortals Feb 98
3. Papa's Cheese Bread Feb 98
4. Aunt Norma's Fiadone Mar 98
5. Uncle Andy's White Pizza Mar 98
6. Aromatic Focaccia Mar 98
7. Fields of Green - Dandelions Fresh and Cooked Apr 98
8. Homemade Pasta Then and Now Apr 98
9. Polenta May 98
10. Spaghetti Sauce - Red and Marinara May 98
11. Ravioli and Lasagna Jun 98
12. Gnocchi Jun 98
13. Summer Bounty: Herbed Oils/Vinegars, Panzanella, Mint Green Beans
Jul 98
14. Making Your Own: Sausage Aug 98
15. Farmhouse Dinner Aug 98
16. Summer Soups Sep 98
17. Chicken Spezzatino - Different and Delightful Sep 98
18. Chicken Scaparelli Oct 98
19. Chicken Piccata Oct 98
20. Perfect Roast Chicken Nov 98
21. Chicken Marsala Nov 98
22. Holiday Traditions - Christmas Fish Dec 98
23. Christmas Pandoro Bread Dec 98
24. Frittata Jan 99
25. Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth (and Sauce Velouté) Jan 99
26. Chicken Based Soups Feb 99
27. Brown Stock, Espagnole Sauce, and Demi-Glace Feb 99
28. Beef Broth Based Soups Mar 99
29. Osso Buco with Risotto Mar 99
30. The Pasta Soups - Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta Lenticchie, and Pasta Ceci Apr 99
31. Chicken Breasts Mountain Style Apr 99
32. Lamb Three Ways: Roast leg, Lamb Stew, and Quesadillas Apr 99
33. The Ultimate Beef Stew May 99
34. Fish Casserole and Fish Soup (Teglia di Pesce and Zuppa de Pesce)
Jun 99
35. Artichokes - Stuffed and Marinated Jun 99
36. Pesto – Old and New Jul 99
37. Pork Roast (Porchette) and Tenderloins Aug 99
38. Pasta Primavera Sep 99
Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

CeCe Dove© 2001 - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - ccdove@parshift.com
La Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286,
www.parshift.com/ovens/
39. Chicken Cacciatora Oct 99

40. Biscotti Nov 99
41. Mostaccioli – Chocolate Cookies Dec 99
42. Stuffed Veal Chops with Brandied Pan Sauce Jan 00
43. Potatoes Scalloped and Smashed Feb 00
44. Braciole Mar 00
45. Torta Pasqualina – Easter Pie Apr 00
46. Sourdough Bread (and starter) May 00
47. Crab Cutlets Jun 00
48. Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers Jul 00
49. Prime Rib of Beef – Picture Perfect Nov 00
50. Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style (Spicy Stuffed Squid) Dec 00
51. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (with garlic and oil) Jan 01
52. Spaghetti con Tonno (with Tuna) Feb 01
53. Brandied Chicken Liver Pâté Mar 01
54. Smoked Salmon Apr 01
55. Cozze en Bianco o Rosso (Mussels In White or Red Sauce) Aug 01
56. Cappelletti with Mushroom/Ricotta Stuffing in Brown Butter and Sage
Sep 01
57. Tagliatelle con Ragù d'Anatra (Fresh Pasta with Duck Ragù) Oct 01
58. (Come back soon, new ones are added every month)
Cozze en Bianco o Rosso

(Mussels In White or Red Sauce)
By CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, ccdove@parshift.com
_______________________________________
Mussels are another of those delicacies that really aren't a part of our early family history.
They weren't readily available in western Pennsylvania and they were not part of either my
mother or father's gustatory background. Actually, other than the occasional shrimp I
cannot think of any shellfish that was on our early table. My first experience with mussels
was on a trip to Italy in the early 1970's and I can still remember my delight in tasting
them. Some people will say that mussels are an "acquired taste". If so, it took me all of one
taste to acquire a love of this sweet, briny, succulent morsel. And so 30 years ago was born
yet another family tradition.

During our 30 years in California they were readily available, both in the fish markets and
on the shore. I can remember when our daughter was about 10 years old her Dad and a
close friend she calls "Uncle" Jim took her out for an ocean shore adventure, and came
home with 5 gallons of mussels that they had "picked". Of course cleaning gallons of
mussels straight out of the ocean is a big chore but I tackled the job and many hours later
steamed up the whole bunch of them. Jim and I feasted hugely but husband and daughter
said that after hours of picking, they had no appetite for them. More for me!
The mussels you purchase in the market are

far easier to deal with. A stiff brush and cold
water will remove any sand clinging to the
outside and a sharp paring knife will remove
the "beard" that is attached to one side of the
hinge. Farm raised mussels are also available
that make the cleaning process even simpler
because they have no beard. Ask your fish
monger about them. Mussels are very
perishable. I prefer to cook them the day I
buy them, but you can hold them for a day or
two in the refrigerator on a bed of cracked Sunday market in Asti, Italy – April 2001
ice. They should be tightly closed before you Mussels in traditional mesh bag below shop keeper's hand.
cook them. Discard any that have opened.
How to serve them? This is another of those primi piatti that so easily expands into a main
course. Six to twelve steamed with either white sauce or red sauce makes a wonderful first
course, or add another dozen to each place and make it a main dish. With an honest loaf of
bread and a glass of wine you have a great light meal. If you want more substance you can
cook up linguine or angel hair pasta and pour the mussels and sauce over all for a major
feast.
_______________________________________

Mussels in White Sauce
Ingredients to serve four as a first course:
• 2 to 4 dozen mussels
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, leaves only
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.
Step two: Choose a high sided pot that the mussels

will easily fit in to. Make sure you have a tight
fitting lid. Place all ingredients in the pot and
place over high heat. When mussels open, they
are done. Discard any that do not open.
Mussels in Red Sauce, with Pasta
Ingredients to serve four as a main course:
• 4 to 6 dozen mussels
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, leaves only
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup red sauce
Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.
Step two: Cook the same as for mussels in white

sauce.
To serve: Divide the mussels into 4 bowls into

which you have placed a portion of linguine
or angel hair pasta, and pour the sauce
equally over the 4 portions. Serve with a
crusty loaf of homemade bread. We would recommend serving white wine with the

mussels in white sauce and a red with the mussels in red sauce. Either recipe can be
made Fra Diavolo by adding 1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper to either recipe.
If you would like to prepare the recipes with a Southwest twist, simply substitute chopped
cilantro for the parsley and add a minced Jalapeno pepper to the cooking pot.
Altitude Adjustment: None.

Cappelletti with Mushroom/Ricotta Stuffing in

Brown Butter and Sage
_______________________________________
In September 2000 we put our daughter Jennifer on a flight to Italy. During the next nine months she
would attend a professional chef's school in Italy for six months, and then strike out on her own to
travel throughout Europe for the last three months. The Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners is
located in a partially restored castle in Costigliole, near Asti, in northern Italy. The program she
participated in is designed for chefs who already have credentials, and it consisted of two months at the
school and four months of work in a restaurant. She was placed at Da Vittorio Ristorante in Bergamo,
even further north. Da Vittorio has earned two stars in the Michelin Guide and its primary focus is
seafood, which was her request for placement. She did not speak Italian when she left, but since the
two month program at the school was conducted in Italian and nobody at the restaurant spoke English,
she now speaks Italian. It is probably not grammatically correct, but she is quite able to conduct a
conversation, and more important to her, tell a joke and win an argument in Italian. Important in a
professional kitchen. Fortunately the school provided an interpreter for the first two months of classes.
This was her first trip abroad on her own, but her second trip to Italy, the first being about ten years
earlier when she was 14 years old and we decided it was time for her to see some of the great cities of
Europe. She grew up eating my Italian cooking, and had worked in a very popular neighborhood
Italian restaurant in Oakland, California for several years, where she helped them open a second
restaurant and became their night chef for a year before deciding it was time to see where her roots lie.
I hadn't been to Italy in 10 years, and when

she completed her work at Da Vittorio in
March my husband and I decided to meet her
and conduct a culinary tour of our own
making. It was time for me to touch bases
with the old country again. My husband was
working in Malaysia at that time, so Jennifer
and I put our heads together via e-mails and
global cell phones and devised a loop that
would start in Milan, hit Bergamo and Verona,
and head down the Adriatic coast to Ravenna,
cut across to Parma, Sienna, and Orvieto, then
back north to Portofino and Milan.
Husband Rick, myself, and daughter Jennifer
Piazza Vecchio, Bergamo Città Alta, Italy – April 2001
During those fourteen days we managed to eat
some form of pasta at least once each day, and often twice. From the smallest village to the largest

© 2001 CeCe Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
most sophisticated city every pasta was made in-house and they were fabulous. In each region we
explored the best of the local wines, visited every open air market we could connect with and, of
course, did a fair share of visiting museums, churches, and local points of interest. But always my
thoughts would go back to the wonderful pasta. My roots probably just needed a little reviving, but that
small taste of Italy went a long way towards reminding me of who I am.

Jennifer joined us in New Mexico upon her return, and promised to share personal favorites from her
Italian education. Here, compliments of her experience at Italian Colors in Oakland, is a recipe that
will make you think you are dining in northern Italy. Although the amounts seem large, these freeze
beautifully, and it is worth the time to make the whole batch. You can serve them as a primi piatti,
serving about six per person, or as a main course, allowing up to twelve per person.
_______________________________________
Cappelletti with Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffing in Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
Stuffing Ingredients to fill approximately 125 cappelletti:
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 shallots and 1/2 yellow onion, all finely diced
• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, gills removed, roughly chopped including stems
• 2 pkgs. dry porcini, rehydrated in hot water, squeezed dry and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 Tblsp. clarified butter
• 1 Tblsp. each finely minced fresh sage and parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fine white bread crumbs as needed
Step One: Heat clarified butter in a 12" sauté pan, add

onions and shallots and sweat over medium heat
about five minutes. Add garlic and cook an
additional two minutes. Add both fresh and
rehydrated mushrooms, salt and pepper. Increase
heat slightly and stir frequently. When mushrooms
have cooked down, add white wine and cook until
all liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are dry.
Stir in sage.
Step Two: Scrape the mixture into a food processor and

purée to a paste. Remove paste to a bowl and allow
to cool about five minutes. Fold in ricotta,
parmesan and parsley and adjust salt and pepper if
needed. If mixture is at all runny, add fine white
crumbs to make a paste, although you should not
need much. Cool completely before filling pasta or
refrigerate up to 24 hours and bring to room
temperature before using.

Make pasta dough: Make one batch of pasta dough (see Family Secrets Number 8 ) adding a teaspoon
of olive oil to the eggs as you incorporate the flour into the dough.
Assemble cappelletti:
Step One: Make a simple egg wash with one beaten egg and a tsp. of cold water.
Step Two: Fill a pastry bag with mushroom filling at room temperature.

Step Three: Roll dough as wide as your roller will

permit and ending quite thin (no. 6 setting on the
Atlas machine). Each sheet may be as long as you
can handle but only work with one sheet at a time.
Trim ends to square. Cut each sheet in half
lengthwise and separate, so you have two long
pieces about 2" to 2 1/2 inches wide. Brush the
upper edge of each long sheet with a light brush of
egg wash.
Step Four: Working with one sheet at a time, cut into squares of approximately two to two and one-half
inches. Squeeze a scant 1/2 tsp. filling onto the center of each square (using a pastry bag will make
quick work of this although you could just use a measuring spoon).
Step Five: Working with one at a time fold the square in

half and firmly seal the edges with your fingers. Roll
the square over once away from you, grasp the edges
and pinch them together and you will have a
cappelletti. Place on floured sheet pan. You may freeze
these on the pan, then quickly gather them up and bag
them for the freezer.
Saucing and Serving:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt. If frozen

they will take approximately 5 to 6 minutes to cook. If
fresh they'll take a minute or two less.
Brown Butter/Sage Sauce for about 60 cappelletti

(enough for four entrees):
• 1/4 lb. salted butter

• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 whole garlic cloves (skin removed, clove
smashed but not chopped)
• salt and pepper to taste
In a medium/large sauté pan (Teflon is not (1) Fold and seal (2) Roll once
recommended) heat the butter over medium/high heat until melted. Add the garlic cloves and sage
leaves. Watch the pan as the butter continues to
cook because it will burn if you're not careful. Let
it go until a deep brown color is achieved. Using a
higher heat will accelerate the process, but less

Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's(3) Grasp- ccdove@parshift.com
Permission edges (4) Pinch together
flavor will be infused from the sage and garlic, so I recommend using a medium heat. Remove the
smashed garlic and discard.
To serve: When the pasta is cooked strain them and add them to the sauce, flip to coat and season with
salt and pepper. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Tagliatelle con Ragù d'Anatra

(Fresh Pasta with Duck Ragù )
By Jennifer Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, jkdove@parshift.com
_______________________________________
In September of 2000 I began a six month culinary course based in Northern Italy. The first two
months were spent in Costigliole D'Asti, in Piemonté. The following four months were spent in
Bergamo, a city about one hour north of Milan. It was a wonderful experience overall, and an
especially lovely time of year to be there. During my first two months, which were spent in
school, the truffle harvest was going on. I couldn't have been luckier. There are only a few areas
in Italy and France where truffles are harvested. They are quite rare and the best come from a
place called Alba. Alba was a short drive from where I was studying, so my classmates and I had
the good fortune to visit the truffle festival several times.
Besides the aromatic white

truffles, which became a
mainstay of my diet for the few
months that they were prolific, I
discovered many other local
flavors that I fell in love with.
The wines of Piemonté have
become my favorite Italian
wines. Barolo, Barbera, and
Barbaresco are the three big ones
there, and are all wonderful.
However, Asti and Alba and
neighboring regions produce a
sweet sparkling wine call Truffle festival in Alba, Italy, October 2001
Muscato, and it is hands down my favorite of all. It is taken either before a meal as an aperitivé,
or afterwards with dessert. The grape is highly aromatic and produces a wine with a light floral
and fruity perfume. This more than almost anything else reminds me of Italy.
To describe all the different delicacies I experienced would be impossible. Putting all else aside,
the Italians do pasta like no other culture. The handmade pastas (which they almost all are) are to
die for. The different variations are too numerous to list. The most unusual thing about their pasta

©1998 REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - rezara@parshift.com
dishes is that each different kind of pasta (tagliatelle, garganelli, pizzoccheri, etc.) is served in a
specific sauce, depending on the region where eaten.
For example, we made this lovely dish called Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa, which is
orecchiette pasta with Italian broccoli, hot peppers, anchovies and garlic. It is divine. And you
will never see that particular sauce served with any other kind of pasta. Why this is, I can only
speculate. Probably it is because modern day Italian cooking is so closely related to the cuisine
of their ancestors that they just don't change a thing. This is how the dish was made hundreds of
years ago, and this is how it will continue to be made. Perhaps it is because they understand that
each sauce has its own intensity and texture and is suited to only one shape of pasta that best
supports it.
I mentioned earlier that almost nothing reminded me of my time in Italy more than a glass of
Muscato D'Asti. Well, there is one other thing. A dish called tagliatelle con ragù d'anatra.
Tagliatelle is a noodle resembling a thin and short piece of fettuccini. It is a fresh egg pasta with
a delicate flavor, yet strong enough to stand up to a ragú sauce.
A ragù is basically a rich meat sauce simmered slowly with a little liquid and seasonings, the
most well known being Bolognese sauce. Bolognese is a beef ragù, while the sauce we are
dealing with is a duck ragù. The rich flavors are simply amazing, and nothing epitomizes
Northern Italian cuisine to me more than this dish. I ate this at least once a week while over
there, and now, with the crisp days of autumn upon us, I suddenly miss Italy.
_______________________________________
Duck Ragù
Total ingredients to serve four:
• 1 whole duck or two whole boneless

duck breasts
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup dry red wine, Chianti or
otherwise
• 1/4 lb. prosciutto, finely diced
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
The castle is the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners,

Costigliole D'Asti, in Piemonté, November, 2001
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• handful chopped parsley
• handful chopped sage
• salt and pepper
Step one:
Remove the skin and fat from duck. Remove meat from bone. Chop meat into small dice. This
is the most time consuming part of the recipe. It requires some patience but may be done a
day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use. You may substitute two whole boneless duck
breasts (two ducks worth), skin and fat removed.
Step two:
In a large pan, heat the butter and oil. Add diced onions, carrots and celery (the mirepoix).
Over low heat, sweat the mixture until onions become translucent. Add the diced prosciutto
and cook for a few minutes.
Step three:
Increase heat to medium and add duck and chopped sage. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Cook until duck is browned.
Step four:
Deglaze with red wine and reduce by half. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and add parsley.
To serve:
Cook one pound of home made tagliatelle or fettuccini al dente. Drain well, toss with the just
finished (or re-heated) ragù and serve immediately.
Altitude Adjustment: None
Chicken Marsala
By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, rezara@parshift.com
_______________________________________

A Marsala sauce is the quintessential favorite of those who pursue the fine art of sauté. This
delicate sauce is both delicious and quite simple to make, and is extremely versatile. Chicken
breasts are my favorite to accompany a great Marsala sauce, but it also goes very well with a thin
pounded scaloppini of veal, or a medallion of pork tenderloin. The Marsala sauce is classically
served with mushrooms cooked with the pan sauce. I recommend porcini mushrooms for their
depth of flavor, but portabellos or plump white button mushrooms will also work well. If you do
use portabellos make sure you remove the “gill” from the mushroom or the sauce will be
unattractively dark. Simply scrape it out with the tip of a teaspoon.
This dish was not considered a staple in our household while growing up. We bought our
chickens live once a week and using only the breast to feed a growing family was not
economically feasible. However, Mom did always have a good bottle of Marsala wine in the
pantry for use in general cooking and dessert’s.
When purchasing Marsala for your kitchen you will notice several different brands available in
“sweet” or “dry”. The brand “Florio Sweet” is produced and bottled in western Sicily, and is by
far the favorite of most chefs.
Although the wine does an excellent job in various desserts, using it alone in the sauté pan will
result in an overpoweringly sweet sauce. I can always tell when ordering Chicken Marsala at a
restaurant whether they have “tempered” the wine or used it straight from the bottle. By
“tempering” the wine I mean adding a small amount of a dry white wine, enough to take the edge
off of the sweetness but still maintain the flavor of the Marsala.
The following recipe will serve two adults with hearty appetites or four small eaters. You might
finish the plate with a fresh green vegetable in season, such as asparagus spears or broccoli
florets. Keep the vegetables simple by steaming them lightly and drizzling a bit of melted butter
and fresh lemon juice on them. Prepared this way they will complement the Marsala sauce rather
than vie for attention. The accompanying picture shows glazed fresh yellow beets in a bed of
their own beet greens - a bit more complex but irresistible when in season.
The chicken breasts here are prepared the same way as for chicken piccata. Have your trusty
clarified butter ready - and refer to the recipe for chicken piccata if you need a refresher on how
to make this necessary sauté staple.
_____________________________

Chicken Marsala
Total Ingredients:
• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4

halves)
• 2/3 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, mashed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Florio Sweet Marsala wine
• 1/8 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbls. whole butter
Step One: Prepare chicken breasts
Remove the tenders from the breasts if they are present, the long finger-like strips. Trim all
fat and sinews and remove the thin membrane covering the breasts. Butterfly the breasts
starting from the plump lobe side. Press firmly with the palm of your hand to achieve uniform
thickness. Do not pound with mallet.
Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts
Place a 10”, heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat and add enough of the clarified butter
to coat the bottom. When fat is hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle, immediately
dredge the chicken breasts in the flour plate, shake off excess and place in the pan. Add the
mushrooms at this point. Shake pan frequently to avoid sticking and continue until bottoms
are golden brown. Turn breasts in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mashed garlic
and immediately deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Chicken broth should be at least 1/2
inch deep in the pan. Add the Marsala wine, dry white wine, and whole butter.
Step Three: The finish
Continue cooking until chicken is done. If all is perfect the pan sauce will form at the same
time the chicken and mushrooms are done. If the pan sauce has not yet come together,
remove chicken and mushrooms from sauté pan and place on warm plates, turn heat to high
and quickly reduce pan sauce to the proper consistency.

To serve, place mushrooms along plate rim, 2 breasts in the center, spoon pan sauce over both
and garnish with finely chopped parsley.
Altitude Adjustment: None required.

Holiday Traditions - Christmas Fish

_______________________________________
The month of December should have a subtitle on the calendar called "traditions". It is the time of the
year when we reaffirm our family, religious, and ethnic roots. It is definitely not the time to be trendy or
"cool" but to reach back into our memory for those things that remind us who we are and where we
came from and to pass those memories on to the next generation. Even those tacky old ornaments regain
their luster when hung on this year's tree, especially when we tell their stories.
Every Christian country in the world digs into the past this month. Whether the tradition is rooted in
religion (midnight mass), music (caroling), or decorating (pine everywhere), traditional food is always
included.
All cultures have a wealth of dishes that celebrate the season but few are as obsessed with it as we
Italians. It doesn't matter that we live in the mountains of the southwest. Somehow I will find a source
for two of our traditions that simply make it "feel like Christmas". They are baccalá (dried and salt
preserved cod) and smelts (also sold as whitefish). Last year I had my daughter mail me five pounds of
baccalá from the Bay Area. If you have ever put your nose to a barrel of preserved fish you can imagine
what the delivery man had to say!
Dinner on Christmas Eve in an Italian household consists primarily of fish. There may be side dishes of
salads and trays of homemade cookies but meat or poultry are never eaten at this meal. The types and
variety of fish will depend on the size of the household and extended family and friends in attendance. It
will also depend on your geographical location. Because baccalá is preserved, every region of Italy
claims a recipe for it. I think it is a much overlooked dish in the United States, perhaps because of the
wealth of fresh fish available. That is really a shame because the unique taste and texture of this fish is
unlike any fresh fish. If you wish to add one of our traditions to your own, please try the recipe below.
Don't be put off by the first look (or smell) of it. My daughter said she could use it for a baseball bat!
When properly prepared it is a delightful dish.
If you live in a metropolitan area, find an old Italian grocery for your source of baccalá. In the San
Francisco Bay Area we were able to get it at Ratto's in Oakland, Ca., a fabulous Italian grocery-deli with
a huge variety of specialties.
When purchasing preserved fish, keep in mind that it is dehydrated, and during the rehydrating and
refreshing prior to the actual cooking it will almost double in weight. The baccalá needs to soak 24 to 36
hours before you cook it. At that point it will look almost like a fresh piece of fish.
During my childhood, the preparation of the smelts for Christmas Eve dinner began the previous day,
along with the baccalá. Each little fish had to be eviscerated by hand and discussions were held on
whether to leave the head attached or remove it. More often than not, mom won the discussion and the
heads were removed. Today smelts are readily available in the freezer section of most good
supermarkets, and they are cleaned and pan ready, making the preparation of this delightful treat a rather
simple affair.
©1998 CDove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
Baccalá Salad
Serves Six:
• 1 lb. Salt cured baccalâ • 1/3 lb. cured Italian olives

• 1 gal. size bag of cleaned assorted lettuce • 1 large ripe tomato diced
• 1 medium white onion chopped coarsely • 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 red bell pepper chopped coarsely • salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped coarsely
Step One: Rehydrate and clean the baccalá
Place baccalá in a container that permits you to cover it with cold water. Keep cold, either in the
refrigerator or a very cold storage area while soaking. Approximately every eight hours drain, rinse,
and cover again with cold water. Repeat the process until soaked for a minimum or 24 hours, but not
more than 36. When ready to cook, drain and pat dry on paper towels and remove any skin and
bones with tweezers.
Step Two: Bake the baccalá
Place the fish in a well oiled shallow baking pan. Sprinkle a little black pepper and add a little water
to the pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the fish is firm.
Cooking time should be 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Carefully remove
from pan to a plate and let cool to room temperature.
Step Three: Assemble the salad
In a large bowl combine the assorted lettuces, chopped onion, chopped peppers and olives. Add a
small amount of the vinaigrette dressing and toss. Distribute the salad mixture evenly on a large
serving plate. Cut the room temperature cooked fish in one inch squares and place on top of the salad
mixture. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette dressing on the fish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Smelts
Ingredients for batter:
• 3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour • 1 tsp, olive oil

• 3/4 cup half and half • 1/2 tsp, salt
• 2 eggs, well beaten • dash of pepper
• 1 tsp. baking powder
Prepare batter: Place flour into medium size bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well with whisk.
Prepare smelts:
Step One: Defrost frozen, cleaned smelts and rinse in cool water. Pat dry.
Step Two: Using a large, heavy bottomed skillet pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Heat
oil to 350 - 375 degrees. Place six smelts in batter and move around until well coated. Pick each one
up by tail end and shake off excess batter. Place in hot oil. Arrange smelts in skillet in such a manner
that they do not touch each other. Fry to golden brown turning once, approximately 4 to 5 minutes
per batch.
Step Three: Remove cooked smelts from skillet and place on brown paper bag to remove excess oil. Salt
generously and arrange on platter with lots of lemon wedges.
Some additional tips on the frying of smelts. Use a good grade of vegetable oil or perhaps peanut oil.
The fat that you choose must be able to stand up to the heat without breaking down. Make sure the
frying temperature is proper before starting the first batch. If the oil is too cool the smelts will be oily, if
too hot they will brown prematurely and not cook through. Use the tip of a candy thermometer to check
oil temperature. After doing several batches you will be able to adjust the heat up and down on your
own. Brown paper bags do a much better job of draining excess oil than paper towels.

Christmas Pandoro Bread

_______________________________________
Traditional holiday breads make a wonderful alternative or addition to the sweet tray. They are
generally less sweet than cookies, and because they are often dramatic in appearance they make
welcome last minute gifts as well. There is the added advantage that they freeze well, setting you
free to enjoy the holiday in a more relaxed manner.
Recipes for celebration breads are as numerous as ornaments on the tree. Every Christian country
has special breads for each religious holiday, with Christmas being primary. The Swedes have
Lucia Buns, a delicate cardamom spiced roll, baked in honor of Santa Lucia Day (December
13th), the Germans have Stollen, a dense yeasted bread filled with candied fruits and dusted with
piles of powdered sugar, the Scots have the Scotch Bun which is an enormously rich pudding
encased in a buttery yeast dough, and the Italians have Panettone. After viewing the mountains of
Panettone in every Italian deli and gourmet shop across America during the month of December
one would surmise that this is the only sweet bread that is eaten in Italy for Christmas. It is
undeniably excellent and most certainly Italian, but there are other pani festivi that deserve our
attention.
Just as Panettone abound at this time of year, so do recipes for making it. Since you can easily
come by this, we decided to feature a slightly lesser known regional bread called Pandoro. This
is a Veronese specialty that shares with its cousin, Panettone as well as all celebration breads, the
basic rich butter, egg, sugar, yeast combination. What differentiates each bread are the fruits,
nuts, and flavorings as well as the
beautiful shapes that are traditional to
each.
Traditional Pandoro is a rather

lengthy, complicated process which
takes the better part of a day to
complete. We have up-dated this
process and have evolved a recipe
that is simpler and faster, yet yields
excellent results. Nonetheless the
dough is rather difficult to work with
because it is extremely soft and
sticky; but with a little patience it
should be no problem.

Pandoro is baked in a star shaped mold. If you cannot locate one in your cookware shop they are
available through King Arthur's catalog (click on library and scroll to “recommended
periodicals”.
If you are unable to obtain citron you can substitute golden raisins. You may also substitute
glaceéd fruits for the citron for a festive look but be sure to blanch them for 10 seconds in boiling
water to remove the excess syrup. After blanching, pat dry on paper towels.

_______________________________________
Pandoro
Total Ingredients:
• 4 3/4 cups all purpose flour • 3/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups pastry flour • 5 1/4 tsp, instant dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cups sugar • 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup warm water • 2 tsp. vanilla
• 7 large eggs, lightly beaten • 1 lemon, zest only, grated
• 2 large yolks, lightly beaten • 1/2 cup citron
Step One: Combine flours
In a large bowl blend pastry flour with all purpose flour. Remove 3/4 cup for kneading
purposes.
Step Two: Make starter
Place in your mixer bowl 2 3/4 cup of the blended flour, 1/2 cup water, 3 eggs lightly beaten,
1/3 cup sugar, 2 oz. unsalted butter (1/2 stick), 5 1/4 tsp. instant dried yeast. With paddle
attachment, mix until well blended. The starter should have the consistency of a heavy
pancake batter. Wrap mixer bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in warm, draft free area
until it doubles in volume. This first rise should take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending
on temperature.
Step Three: Dry ingredients
While the starter is raising add the following dry ingredients to the bowl containing the
balance of the blended flour. 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup citron and the grated zest of 1
lemon. Make sure the citron is coated with flour and mix the combined ingredients with a
wooden spoon.
Step Four: Assemble the dough

Stir down the raised starter in the mixer bowl. Add the balance of the blended flour and
ingredients from Step Three. Add the 4 remaining eggs and 2 yolks lightly beaten, 2 tsp.
vanilla, and the remaining 2 1/2 sticks of softened unsalted butter. Place dough hook on the
mixer and begin mixing at the lowest speed for 2 minutes, gradually increase the mixer speed
to 1/2 speed for an additional 3 minutes. Prepare your kneading surface with a generous
amount of the 3/4 cup flour you have reserved for kneading. Dust your hands well with flour,
and with the aid of a spatula remove dough from the mixer bowl to the kneading surface.
With the aid of a dough knife, gently knead while adding flour until the dough feels very silky
and buttery and kneads to the point of just barely sticky. It is important not to add too much
flour as the dough must remain very soft. Place the dough in an oiled large ceramic bowl.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free area until it doubles in
volume. The second rise should take between 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on temperature.

Step Five: Panning and proofing
Punch down risen dough gently until deflated. Turn onto very lightly floured surface and
divide into two equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a sausage shape and
then into a tight ball. Using cupped hands on top of the dough ball, rotate the dough around
in a circle continuously until the surface feels taut, always maintaining the ball shape. Do
not have the surface too floured as you want some friction between the dough and the surface
it will slide on, just as you want to exert some friction on the ball with your hands as you
rotate it - this is what tightens the dough ball. Finally, turn the ball over in your hand and
pinch the seams which have opened up on the flat bottom tight in the center. Reverse again
and place in a well buttered pandoro pan and gently pat down until surface is flat. Place the
two filled pans in a warm, draft free area and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the
pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on temperature.
Step Six: Baking and de-panning
Place both pans on lower rack of preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes, reduce
temperature to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven
and place on cooling racks. Do not attempt to de-pan the loaves until completely cool.
Remove from pans and sift confectioner’s sugar over if serving, or double wrap and freeze.
Here are a few tips to help you speed up the process and help you handle the extremely soft
dough. When handling the
dough make sure your hands
and all the implements you
use are well dusted with
flour. Use your dough
scraper as one “hand” when
kneading. You may consider
preheating your oven to
“low” for 10 minutes and
then shut oven off to make a
good environment for the
various raising stages. This
can dramatically shorten the
process time from start to
finish. Another tip: make
sure you do not open the
oven to peek until the whole

baking cycle is done. It is also critical to let the loaves cool to room temperature before de-
panning the loaves.

Frittata
_______________________________________
When the holiday season has ended, after the last bit of turkey, goose,
or duck has been eaten and the last crumbs of cookies cleaned up, our
attention is often drawn to our expanding waistlines and declining
bank accounts. Drive by the health club in December and the parking
lot is empty, but by the first week in January you have to be Mario
Andretti to get in or out of the lot. Whether you make resolutions at
New Year's or not, we all try to lighten up at this time of year.
In January most of us are still in the grip of winter, and the light and
healthy foods of summer aren't available or even particularly
appetizing right now. We still need some fat in our diet and some
substance to our meals. Enter the incredible edible egg; perhaps the
most versatile ingredient in the kitchen. It is inexpensive, comes in its
own neat package, keeps very well under refrigeration, and is highly
nutritious. Indeed it does have about 6 grams of fat in the yolk; but
that's OK when it is the main component of a dish that is otherwise
relatively low in fat. If you are extremely health conscious you can
now purchase eggs that are even lower in fat and higher in vitamin E,
although you will pay a premium for them.
Entire cookbooks have been written on eggs and virtually any

cookbook you pick up will have a few recipes devoted to them, not to
mention the use of eggs as hidden ingredients. From the wonderful
French soufflés and omelets to Italian zabaglione to the ever popular Ediberta (Bertha) Zara nee Buzzelli
American devilled egg, the egg can be used in every course from (1903-1972)
Pietro (Pete) Zara (1895-1972)
appetizer to dessert. Mama and Papa: 1923
The frittata is cousin to the omelet of France by way of ingredients, but the cooking method and final
result are quite different. An omelet is cooked quickly over a fairly high heat, the filling is added after
the eggs are set, and it is flopped in half to finish its cooking. The result should be an airy, tender mass
barely brown on the outside and just set on the inside. A frittata is cooked slowly over low heat, the
filling is added first and it is covered to completely set the eggs. It is then reversed onto a serving plate
to reveal a very brown bottom, the eggs are completely set and it has a more dense cake-like structure to
it. A frittata may be eaten warm or at room temperature, and is wonderful as the main course of a light
meal with a small salad to accompany it. A small wedge makes an interesting first course for a more
formal meal.
As a child I have fond memories of watching my father make his own lunch of frittata. My mother did
not easily tolerate anyone in her kitchen, but on rare occasion he simply took over and words would fly.

He loved raiding the refrigerator to see what he could put in it. He always used the little six inch cast
iron frying pan, which I still have some 50 years later, very well seasoned with endless dousings of olive
oil and love.
As with an omelet you can be as inventive as you wish with the filling. You can incorporate bits of
leftover chicken or vegetables and use whatever herbs you might have on hand that compliment your
filling. If you make substitutions in the filling try to maintain the egg to filling ratio. The recipe below is
one of our family favorites, and if you have frozen greens available is quick to put together.
_____________________________
Frittata
Serves two generously as a main course or four as an appetizer
• 2 ounces bacon or pancetta • 6 large eggs

• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced • olive oil
• 1 medium red skinned potato, 5 to 6 ounces • pinch of thyme
• 6 ounces cooked chopped greens (Swiss chard or • salt and pepper to taste
spinach)
If using bacon, blanch for 1 minute in boiling water, drain,

refresh in cold water, drain and pat dry. Dice the bacon or
pancetta.
Slice the unpeeled potato about 1/3 inch thick,

approximately 8 to 10 slices. Drop into boiling water and
cook just until the tip of a sharp knife pierces easily, 5 to 7
minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Prepare a 10" sauté pan by spraying with cooking spray,

taking care to spray the sides completely because the
frittata will "grow" and puff up as it cooks.
Film the bottom of the pan generously with olive oil, approximately 2 tablesp. Place over medium heat
and add diced bacon and onions. Cook until onion just starts to color, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle garlic over and cook an additional minute stirring. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the
pan and salt and pepper lightly. Turn heat to medium low and cook for five minutes. Add chopped
greens and salt again lightly. Toss to coat with the oil and cook for 3 minutes. Using a fork rearrange
the potatoes into a single layer, patting everything down to an even compact mass.

Beat eggs with grated cheese, pinch of thyme and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl just until
mixed.
Pour eggs evenly over filling in sauté pan and let cook undisturbed for about five minutes or just until
the edges begin to set. Using a spatula, lift the edges and let the uncooked egg run under. Go completely
around the pan doing this twice. Most, but not all of the egg will run under the cooked edges. Cover the
pan and cook an additional five to eight minutes until slightly puffed and completely set. If you touch the
center it should feel firm, not runny.
Loosen the edges with the spatula and work it under the cake to be sure it is
loose. Give the pan a sharp jerk back and forth and the frittata should
move. Place a large serving plate over top and invert quickly.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Altitude Adjustment: Potatoes will take 7 to 8 minutes to parboil.

Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth

_______________________________________
Now that winter has its solid grip upon us, we turn our attention to the
most basic and warming of foods. Home made soups, in all their variety,
have nourished generations unknown through the short, dark days of the
year. When the wind bites and the snow flies there is nothing to rival the
comfort of a steaming bowl of home made soup. Italian cuisine is not
alone in knowing the benefits of soup. While every good Italian cook
knows how to make soup, every cook from every nationality that I can
think of can make the same claim. It is universal in its appeal.
When we were growing up the first sign of a sniffle or cough would bring
out the soup pot. In addition to the standard chicken soup that was sure to
bring relief from these minor aches and pains, we ate soup every single
Monday that I lived at home. The type of soup varied with the seasons,
but most all were based on my mother's "money in the bank", her home
made chicken stock. About once a month she would make up a large pot
of chicken stock and stash it away in the freezer for everyday use. She
also made beef stock, though less frequently. Chicken stock was the
mainstay of most of our soups. All four of us kids learned to make it from
watching her. We make it for our children and they for their children.
There was never a written recipe because amounts varied with the size of
the pot - you just used your head and your sense of taste and smell.
The old-fashioned way:
To pluck a freshly killed chicken or
We grew up in a small Pennsylvania town where the houses all had utility stewing hen first dunk and hold in a pot
alleys running behind them. This is where the garage was located and of boiling water for 30 seconds to
where the various delivery people serviced your needs. Mama bought live feathersloosen the feathers. Then remove
by the handful, and finish by
chickens and stewing hens brought to the back door once a week by the individually extracting the few
chicken man, then slit their necks in the back yard, hung them by their remaining pin feathers.
feet to drain, and plucked them fresh. As kids we thought nothing of this and often got drafted into the
plucking job.
Out on our own, with the advent of canned broth, we thought that the all day process of simmering,
straining, and freezing the base chicken stock was over. We tried all the different brands, and while
today I keep a couple of cans of the stuff for some very specific use, we all came to realize that you
cannot make a decent bowl of real soup from canned broth. No problem, the urban supermarket
accommodates us with a wide variety of poultry.
Funny how the old ways come in handy some times. After we left the big city for the mountains of
New Mexico we found that stewing hens, or old red hens as they are called sometimes, are not part of

the available poultry; and a flavorful broth needs an aged fowl. Fortunately for us a neighbor has
laying hens. When they get too old to lay, their intense flavor is ideal for the best broth, though their
tough old meat is inedible even after hours of cooking.
The basic differences between a broth and a stock lies in its “properties”. For example, a chicken broth
will react differently when deglazing a sauté pan than a chicken stock. The reason for this is that the
chicken stock will contain more gelée than chicken broth and will bind up the pan drippings into a pan
sauce as the stock is reduced, replacing the alternative of cream or butter to aid in this process. The
type of chicken parts used in the pot and the amount of extraction of gelée depends on the length of
reduction. These are the key factors to consider in determining whether you are making chicken stock
or chicken broth. Let us take a moment and review these key factors in chicken broth and chicken
stock.
Chicken broth is usually made with chicken meat and chicken parts, with a high flesh to bone ratio.
Whole chicken or assorted parts can be used. Fryers and roasters, both readily available at your local
supermarket, do not produce satisfactory results. Stewing hens produce the best broth and are often
available in the poultry section in your market. If you cannot find them do not hesitate to ring for
assistance - the poultry manager will usually order them for you. For the more adventuresome, you
may be able to locate someone who has a small flock of laying hens that are past their prime for egg
production. Purchase one or two of them to slaughter and dress yourself. The reduction time for
chicken broth at sea level is about 3 hours.
Chicken stock is made mostly of chicken parts that have a very low flesh to bone ratio. Backs, necks
and breast bones produce the best stock. These boney parts are also readily available at your local
supermarket, either in the case or by special order. It is also advantageous to buy whole chickens and
cut them up yourself for other recipes. You can then freeze backbones, wing tips, and other parts not
used in your original recipe until you are ready to make your stock. To achieve the maximum
extraction of gelée from the chicken bones the reduction time at sea level is 6 hours. Water, vegetables,
herbs, and salt are ingredients that are common to both stock and broth.
_______________________________________
Chicken Broth
Total ingredients:
• 2 stewing hens about 5 lb. each

• 3 medium onions cut in half
• 4 large carrots trimmed and peeled
• 1 root end of a whole celery stalk, 4 inches long
• 3 medium fresh tomatoes cut in half
• 1 cup parsley, stems only
• ½ cup salt
• cold water to cover ingredients by 2 inches

Step One: Cook the broth
Combine total ingredients into a 20 qt. stock pot. Place over high heat until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat to hold a medium simmer for three hours. Use a large spoon to remove residue
floating on surface. This residue is coagulated protein and will occur at first boil and decrease
after you skim it for the first 15 minutes.
Step Two: Strain broth and de-bone chicken
Pour the broth through a large fine strainer. Save the chicken and de-bone while it is still warm.
Discard extracted vegetables. Taste and adjust for salt. Refrigerate broth overnight. You can use
the chicken for chicken soup or chicken salad.
Step Three: De-fat the broth
The next day, remove all of the solid fat on the surface of the refrigerated broth with a large spoon.

Chicken Stock
Make the following changes to the above recipe when making chicken stock:
• Use 12 to 15 lb. chicken bones instead of stewing hens*

• Increase the reduction time to 6 hours
The vegetables listed in the recipes for both stock and broth are the essential vegetables. While loading
the stock pot, do not hesitate to gather some additional odds and ends from your refrigerator and
freezer. Extra pieces of almost any root vegetable can be included such as a spare turnip, a piece of
fennel root, a piece of jicama, etc. I save the rinds from parmesan cheese and other aged hard cheeses
and they make a wonderful addition to the stock pot. A small piece of beef knuckle bone is also a
pleasant addition. When making the stock recipe, bear in mind the vegetables will give up their flavor
in 3 hours of reduction, therefore it is not necessary to start your stock pot with the vegetables at the
start. They can be added at any point you desire as long as they remain in the pot for the mandatory 3
hours.
I have found that making a large 20 qt, pot of stock or broth is easier to deal with than making it more
often. I freeze this in one and two quart containers and keep a good size, non-reactive bowl in the
refrigerator. To keep stocks and broths fresh in the refrigerator, you will need to put it in a sauce pot,
bring to a boil, and hold at a full boil for ten minutes every third day. I like to keep the sauce pot
covered to prevent further reduction. Use a clean non-reactive bowl when ready to refrigerate again.
By following this schedule you can keep stocks and broths fresh for a long time. The only noticeable
difference you will find is that the color of the stock or broth will darken slightly after repeated boiling
but the flavor will remain intact.
Wonderful clear chicken soups can be made from the broth, and by adding a little water to lighten up
the stock a very satisfactory soup can be made from this as well. No matter which you choose to use
you can be assured that either is vastly superior to anything you may purchase in a can or cube. I prefer
to use stock to de-glaze a sauté pan rather than broth. The stock also makes a great velouté which is
one of the mother sauces that most serious cooks use frequently. Velouté is a great addition to a pan
sauce, gravies and heavier soups. Its uses in the kitchen are endless and it is quite simple to make and
stores very well under refrigeration.
Sauce Velouté
Total ingredients to yield two quarts:
• 5 oz. butter
• 5 oz. all purpose flour
• 2 qt. Chicken stock
Step one: Make a roux

Melt butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Stir in flour and keep stirring with spatula until smooth.
Cook gently over low heat for five minutes until barely golden. Do not brown.
Step two: Finish the sauce
Slowly whip in the stock which must be hot. When all the stock has been incorporated bring to a
simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer. Refrigerate
until used.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft add 30 minutes to the broth recipe, and one hour to the stock recipe.

Chicken Based Soups

_______________________________________
With the freezer stocked with homemade broth,

serving up a nutritious and absolutely delicious bowl
of soup becomes a simple matter. All of the really
tedious work is behind you and the next step is easy
and can be fun.
Soup was a mainstay of our diet growing up. Often it

served as a one dish meal, especially on busy days.
However, on special occasions when a multi-course
meal was called for, an elegant soup was always
included as part of the feast.
Our sister Gloria was particularly adept at presenting

a beautiful table for a special dinner. The table was
They came in many shapes, but every bride in our family received a
always set with the finest linen, china, crystal and large, white soup tureen as a wedding gift.
sterling. The first course was almost always a delicate
soup served from the pure white tureen that all the brides received as a wedding gift back then.
Because these meals were all served "family style" as opposed to "plated" as in a restaurant, it was
critical to have the appropriate serving pieces. The soup tureen was considered essential to setting a
proper table and every family owned one.
A great deal of thought went into the type of soup to be served at these festive dinners. In addition to
the antipasti and soup there would follow a pasta course, a meat and vegetable course, salad, and
dessert. It was, therefore, essential that the soup be not too filling but full of flavor and somehow just a
bit more special than the everyday soup. Two favorites of our family were Crespelle en Brodo and
Wedding Soup.
Crespelle are made exactly like a French crepe. They are a very thin, delicate pancake. They are dusted
with finely grated Parmesan cheese, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and then rolled
as tightly as possible into a thin cigar shape. Two or three of these are placed in the bottom of a wide
shallow soup bowl and hot broth is ladled over them. They will immediately begin to absorb the broth
and swell slightly. The combination is heavenly.
It is obvious where "Wedding Soup" got its name. Every bride started her wedding menu with this
tradition. In addition to weddings this was a favorite at all sorts of family celebrations and was
particularly welcome in the summer when fresh greens were to be had from the garden. In the winter

we used our garden greens from the freezer; but with the year round availability of fresh greens today
it is a soup to be enjoyed in all seasons. If you choose to use Swiss chard, remove the stalk and tough
center rib. I like to add about half the stalks back in, slicing them thin, like celery and putting them into
blanch for an extra minute or two.
Both of these soups demand a homemade broth. Canned broth will result in a pale imitation not worth
bothering with. If you've made a chicken stock using the bones, rather than a chicken broth, from our
recipe for Stock and Broth, I recommend that you thin it with about 10% water and it will serve well.
_______________________________________
Crespelle en Brodo
Serves 6
Make the crespelle (12)
• 1 cup whole milk

• ½ cup cold water
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tblsp. melted, cooled butter
• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 3 Tblsp. clarified butter or a mixture of regular butter and olive oil for cooking the crespelle
Using a blender is the quickest method but you could also use a hand whisk and strain the resulting
batter. Place first five ingredients in blender and then add flour. Blend at highest speed for about one
minute until well mixed, scraping down sides as needed. Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour
and up to four. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, thin with additional
water.
If you have a French crepe or omelet pan it is perfect for making these. You can also use a standard
heavy bottomed eight inch skillet. Place the pan over fairly high heat. Brush the bottom with a thin
film of butter, and just as it begins smoking, remove from heat and pour into the center a scant one-
quarter cup of batter. Tilt quickly in all directions to film the bottom of the pan and pour out any batter
that does not stick. Place on heat and cook until set, approximately one minute. Give a quick jerk on
the pan's handle to loosen the crespelle, and then grab the edge nearest you with your fingers and flip
over. The first cooked side, which is now up, should be an even ivory color. After flipping, cook an
additional 15 seconds. The second side will be a spotted brown. This will be the inside of your roll.
Slide onto a plate and continue making the remaining crespelle in the same manner. Often the first one
will stick a little - consider it your trial and throw it out. In between crespelle wipe the pan with a

paper towel and regrease it. As the heat in the pan evens out you should have no problems with
sticking.
When all are completely cool you may cover them and hold for several hours. To finish them, you will
need:
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

• Freshly ground black pepper
Place one crespelle on a plate. Dust with Parmesan and a few grinds of black pepper. Roll as tightly as
you can into a cigar shape. Set aside, seam side down, and continue with the remainder. Cover until
ready to use.
To Serve:
Bring nine cups of homemade chicken broth, or chicken stock diluted with water by 10%, to a boil.
Then, if desired, transfer to a soup tureen as hot as possible. Place two crespelle in the bottom of a
wide shallow soup dish and ladle the broth over them. Serve at once.

Wedding Soup
Serves 6
Make the meatballs:
• ½ lb. lean ground beef

• ¼ lb. ground pork
• ¼ lb. ground veal
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tblsp. finely minced parsley
• ½ tsp. dried oregano or 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tblsp. fine dry breadcrumbs
Mix all ingredients together. This is most easily accomplished with your hands because you do not
want to beat it or compact it too much. Form into very small meatballs, about the size of a large
hazelnut. Chill for at least one hour. Brown lightly in a large heavy bottom skillet, being careful not to
crowd them. Each batch should take about 10 minutes. They will finish cooking in the soup. Drain on
paper towels, then refrigerate until ready to use. May be made one day ahead.
To finish soup:
• 2 ½ lbs. fresh Swiss chard or spinach, or 12 oz. frozen

• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• Meatballs as prepared above
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 cups homemade chicken broth
If using fresh greens, wash well and blanch in a large pot of boiling water for three minutes. Refresh
under cold water, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can and chop. This can be done one day
ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place soup pot over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When warm, add the celery, onion, and
carrots and cook until starting to soften, about seven to eight minutes. Adjust heat so they do not
brown. Add the greens and about one teaspoon salt, stirring to coat all vegetables well. Cook for an
additional two minutes. Add the meatballs and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, taste for seasonings
and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve piping hot and pass a bowl of grated Parmesan for
sprinkling on top.
Altitude Adjustment: None necessary.

Brown Stock, Espagnole, and Demi-Glace

_______________________________________
There are a myriad of uses in the kitchen for brown stock.

From soups to stews, gravies, braised entrees, pan sauces,
classic mother sauces, all the way to the formidable demi-
glace, an ample supply of brown stock is a necessity to the
serious home chef.
I can remember accompanying my mother to the local

grocery store where Leo the butcher would wrap up a few
veal or beef bones and say to her, “Bertina, take these home
for the dog”. She was frightened to death of dogs. Instead,
she threw them in a pot and made a simple brown stock
from which she made an occasional soup. Oh to have those
days back. On a recent shopping trip to Albuquerque, my
sister and I found an Italian specialty store that had veal
bones neatly packaged in five pound packs in the freezer
section. Although I can’t remember exactly what I paid for
them, I do know that I had to reach for my Visa card. Beef Mama and Papa, 1923
bones and knuckles are more readily available (and much cheaper) and make a wonderful stock.
Mom never went much beyond the beef stock. When she roasted a piece of beef or veal she would save the
pan drippings and use this very concentrated liquid as an enhancement later for a stew. In this way she had
made a rather primitive version of a classic brown sauce. This method worked for her in some very specific
dishes. It was not until later in life, after working under some very talented chefs, that I come to realize how
important a true brown stock was to a number of different dishes.
When making this stock if you use all veal bones you will produce a “veal brown stock”. Likewise if you use
all beef bones you will produce “beef brown stock.” The key word here is “brown”. A critical step in making
a brown stock is to create a “pan bourbon”. The pan bourbon is what gives the stock its color and its distinct
aroma and flavor. There is a slight difference in taste and properties between an all veal and an all beef
brown stock. You will find the veal stock to be slightly more delicate and contain a little less gelée than the
beef stock. It is quite acceptable to use a combination of beef and veal bones to produce a brown stock. No
matter which of the combinations you choose to use all are vastly superior to powdered mixes, cubes or
canned stocks. I don’t want to pontificate about never using canned stocks because I have, but only when my
own negligence has found my supply of brown stock depleted. While canned beef broth has its occasional
use in the kitchen, it will not work in place of homemade if you are making an Espagnole sauce or a demi-
glace.
While we are on the subject of making this stock we will continue with additional reduction steps for the
classic mother sauce, Espagnole, and finally to the demi-glace. The beginning recipe for stock will require a
20 quart stock pot - like its cousin, chicken stock, it is more efficient to make a large quantity once than to
frequently produce smaller batches. You may of course choose to make smaller batches by halving the recipe
©1999 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
if this volume is too much for you. I would not recommend a batch that is smaller than half of the large
batch.
_______________________________________

Brown Stock
Total ingredients to yield 8-10 quarts:
• 10 to 12 lb. veal bones, beef bones, or a combination

• 3 medium onions cut in half
• 4 large carrots trimmed and peeled
• 1 root end of a whole celery stalk, 4 inches long, plus
2 celery stalks
• 6 medium fresh tomatoes cut in half
• 1 cup parsley, stems only
• ¼ cup salt (this is about ½ of the normal amount of
salt used, adjust for salt after completing each step if
continuing further reductions)
• cold water to cover ingredients; for a full recipe fill
20 qt. pot to 2 inches of the rim
Step One: Roast bones and some vegetable pieces
Place bones and one of the onions, 2 celery stalks and one of the carrots in a large roasting pan. Place
pan uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven. Roast for about ½ hour or until bones are very brown.
Turn bones over and continue roasting for about 20 minutes until the reverse side is equally brown.
Step Two: Make pan bourbon
Remove darkened bones and vegetables from roasting

pan and place in 20 quart stock pot. Place roasting
pan over one or more burners and turn heat on to
high. Quickly add two quarts of hot water, tap water
is fine, to the roasting pan. Using a heavy spatula
loosen all residue on bottom and sides of the roasting
pan.
Step Three: Cook the stock
Pour the now completed pan bourbon into the stock

pot. Add the remainder of the ingredients and top off
with water to two inches of the rim. Turn heat to high
until stock comes to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a
gentle simmer. Skim the top of the stock for the first
15 minutes. Continue reduction for six hours.
Step Four: Strain and de-fat the stock

Pour the stock through a fine strainer. Discard bones and vegetables. Adjust salt to taste, but be careful if
you plan to make an Espagnole from some or all of the stock - this process will reduce the volume of
liquid further and increase the existing concentration of salt. Refrigerate overnight and then remove
solid fat on the surface with a large spoon.
Now that we have an adequate supply of brown stock we can turn our attention to using some of the stock to
produce an Espagnole sauce. This French classic is one of the five recognized mother sauces and its uses are
far reaching. It is also a key step in the production of demi-glace, which is the last stop on this step ladder of
reduction. Even though the name “Espagnole” seems at first glance to be Spanish by origin, it is a
fundamental building block of French cuisine. Hundreds of years ago France and Spain were at war with
each other. During this time some culinary fusion occurred and the French sauce named Espagnole was one
of the results. By adding wines, herbs, spices and cream to this mother sauce many specialized sauces are
easily be made - such as a Robert sauce, Bordelaise sauce, Chateau sauce, Mushroom sauce, and even a
Cider sauce, just to name a few. Another advantage is that you can quickly produce a rich pan sauce with no
additional thickeners or added fat.
Espagnole Sauce
To yield approximately two quarts:
• 2 qt. boiling brown stock • 5 oz. flour

• ½ lb. coarsely chopped onion • 1 bay leaf
• ¼ lb. coarsely chopped celery • ½ cup dry Madeira wine
• ¼ lb. coarsely chopped carrots • 3 oz. tomato puree
• 5 oz. butter • Salt and pepper to taste
Over medium/low heat melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until onions soften,
then add flour and mix into a roux. Cook the roux for about five minutes or until it begins to brown. Begin
adding hot stock, 1 cup at a time. Stir thoroughly until each cup of stock is absorbed by the roux and
becomes smooth. When all the stock has been incorporated, add the remaining ingredients and adjust to
taste for salt and pepper. Cook at a medium simmer for 1 ½ hours. Remove from heat and pour immediately
through a fine strainer.
The Espagnole sauce is complete and ready for use. It will keep for about a week under refrigeration and it
also freezes quite well. When defrosting frozen Espagnole, or after several days under refrigeration, you may
have to thin it with a little stock to reach the consistency you desire.
We are now ready to do a final reduction and produce the classic demi-glace. You can choose to make a plain
demi-glace, or you may infuse an herb or combination of herbs to make a flavored demi-glace. This decision
must be made while assembling the ingredients in the sauce pot, before the reduction process begins. I find
the plain version is more useful as you can always infuse the herb flavors later when you use the demi-glace
to make a pan sauce.
Demi-Glace
Total ingredients to yield approximately two cups:

• 2 ½ cups Espagnole sauce • ¼ cup dry Madeira wine

• 4 cups brown stock • Herb or combination of herbs if you choose
Over medium/low heat combine the Espagnole sauce and the brown stock. If you choose to infuse a flavor
into the demi-glaze, add the herb or herbs at this time. Bring to a medium simmer and cook until reduced by
about half, add the Madiera wine and continue reducing until you have reached 1/3 of the original volume.
Stir mixture frequently through entire reduction. When finished, pour through a fine strainer.
When making a demi-glace, the amount of reduction is more critical than the time of cooking. You can
slightly speed up the process by bringing the mixture to a faster simmer or slow it down by reducing the
simmer. The 2/3 reduction is the important thing to accomplish. Bear in mind that the faster the simmer the
more attention you will have to pay to avoid burning the sauce. When using herbs to infuse a flavor into the
demi-glace use fresh herbs that are not cut up. This will permit you to remove them from the finished sauce
with a pair of tongs rather than passing the finished sauce through a fine strainer.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 feet add one hour to the stock recipe and 15 minutes to the Espagnole sauce.

Beef Broth Based Soups

_______________________________________
In Italy there is minestra which is soup, and there is

minestrone which translates as "strong soup". A well
made minestrone is a hearty and satisfying meal in
itself needing only some warm bread and a glass of
red wine to be complete. On a raw day it's even better
than chicken soup in warding off the chills.
Even though minestrone is indeed a strong soup, it is

really a vegetable soup; but because it is cooked in a
meat broth, cannot be classified as vegetarian. If you
are a true vegetarian you could adapt the recipe by
substituting water for the stock and adding a nice
chunk of Parmesan rind to give more body to the
soup.
While the list of ingredients for a well made

Minestrone cooked in a pot that will grace the table.
minestrone may seem daunting, once all the chopping
and mincing is done, it goes together easily and simmers happily along with little attention, filling the
house with its wonderful aromas and whetting winter weary appetites.
Because of the many regional cuisines in Italy some of the ingredients will vary and you may find
many different recipes in any number of authentic Italian cookbooks. Ingredients will also vary
according to the seasons. Italians are notorious for wanting to use fresh seasonal ingredients and love
gardening, so a summer minestrone will be slightly different than a winter version in the same
household.
When we were growing up my father loved to make his summer version using mostly ingredients from
his extensive garden. This usually resulted in a battle of words because Mom really ruled the kitchen
and could not abide anyone else cooking in it. We were free to sit and watch and chat with her, and
occasionally she would tolerate a little help in cleaning and chopping ingredients, but she was
definitely the cook. However, on his occasional foray into her domain, my father proved himself quite
capable, much to her dismay. He made a great minestrone.
While some ingredients will vary with the seasons, the basic formula is fairly constant. In the spring
you may choose to use the first fresh spinach while in the late summer you might substitute Swiss
chard or cabbage. In the winter you would use dried white beans, soaked and cooked separately, but in
the summer you could easily use fresh shelling beans from your garden or farmer's market. You would
still have the basic greens and beans in either case. The same is true for almost all of the other
ingredients. So by using your imagination and what you have at hand you can really customize the
following recipe and make the most of your resources. That is true Italian cooking.

The second recipe, for beef barley soup, while not traditionally Italian, is such a satisfying meal that all
soup lovers should have it in their repertoire. In this recipe the home made beef broth really shines
through, so don't be tempted to use canned. The soup goes together in minutes and simmers unattended
until ready to serve, ideal for the after-work question of "what's for dinner?"
_______________________________________
Minestrone
Serves six
• 8 oz. cauliflower
• ¼ cup olive oil • 1-½ cups fresh shell beans -- or -- ¾ cup dried
• 2 oz diced bacon Great Northern Beans cooked
• 1 medium onion, chopped • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices -- or --
• 2 carrots, sliced 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
• 2 stalks celery, sliced • 6 cups homemade beef or chicken stock
• 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 cups water
• 1 potato, peeled and diced • Fresh herb bouquet of several stems each of
• 3 cups finely shredded cabbage or other thyme, parsley, oregano and basil tied with
greens -- or -- 6 oz frozen greens kitchen string -- or -- 1 tsp. each dried thyme,
• 6 oz green beans, sliced -- or -- 2 small oregano, and basil and a few stems of fresh
zucchini, diced parsley chopped
• Salt and pepper
Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Begin adding vegetables in the order presented above, up to and including the cauliflower, one at a
time and cooking each addition 2 to 3 minutes. If you wish, you can prepare each one as the previous
is added instead of preparing all in advance. This seems a little less tedious and the process develops a
nice rhythm. At this point, salt and pepper lightly, starting with about 1 tsp. salt. Add the tomatoes,
stock, water, and herbs and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for one hour. Fish out the fresh herb
bouquet if you've used it and discard. Taste for salt. Add the beans and simmer again for 15 minutes.
The soup should never be watery or thin but rather substantial. If it appears too thick for your taste
add a bit more stock. If it appears to thin, continue to cook it, uncovered, until more liquid evaporates.
Taste again and adjust seasonings. Pass the Parmesan separately.
Beef Barley Soup
Serves 6
• 1 lb. beef chuck, cut in very small cubes • 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced • 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 medium onion, chopped • 1-½ cups pearl barley

• 2 bay leaves • 8 cups homemade beef stock

• 1 stalk celery, sliced • salt and pepper
Warm the olive oil in the soup pot over medium high heat. Add finely cubed beef and brown well. Add
carrots, onion, and celery, turn heat down to medium low and cook about 5 minutes, stirring to coat all
the vegetables with oil. Add tomatoes with their juice, barley, bay leaves, beef stock, and salt and a
couple of grinds of pepper. The amount of salt will depend on your beef broth, so start with a small
amount (1 tsp.) and add later as you taste. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered about one hour or
until barley is soft and beef is tender. If the soup is too thick at this point stir in up to one cup of hot
water or stock to achieve the consistency you want. If made in advance the soup will continue to
thicken as it stands and you will need to thin it with water or additional stock. Pick out bay leaves
before serving.

Osso Buco with Risotto

_______________________________________
In any household with

growing children, the
inevitable question,
“what’s for dinner mom?”,
is heard on a daily basis.
Our household was no
exception then and the
question echoes through
the generations to the
present. Quite frequently
my mother would answer
“Osso buco for dinner
tonight.” This would
usually bring a groan and a
“gee mom, veal shanks
again!” Mama in Pop's car (she couldn't drive then), 1922
I never thought that twenty years later I would find myself prowling around Italian restaurants in
New York City's mid-town Manhattan and Little Italy, trying to find a restaurant that served this
wonderful dish the way I remembered it as a young boy.
Years ago veal shanks were only a very small step above the free bones that the butcher used to
wrap up for my mother to bring home for the dog that didn’t exist. Although very inexpensive to
buy, my mother knew exactly what to do with them. In the world as we know it today, select veal
shanks are more expensive to purchase than the equivalent weight of T-bone steak.
When purchasing veal shanks you should try to choose shanks that are “select”. You may notice
that some of the shanks in the meat case are larger in diameter than others. The larger diameter
shanks are cut from the hind legs of a veal calf and the smaller ones usually come from the front
legs. Shanks from the front legs are less meaty than those cut from hind legs and as a result you
will have to serve two shanks per person rather than one. The hole in the bone, containing the
succulent marrow, is also noticeably smaller in front shanks. The large shanks are sometimes
referred to as “selects”, and they should be cut 3” thick.
Traditionally, risotto is served with osso buco. Risotto can be prepared in a variety of ways, such
as a seafood risotto, vegetable risotto, etc.; but you must use an Italian short grain rice to get the
distinctive risotto effect. You will want to prepare a rather simple and plain risotto to accompany
your veal shanks so that you don’t overpower the delicate flavor of the veal with a risotto that is

too complex. Quite frequently this dish in a restaurant will be served with some type of pasta
rather than risotto, but I find this combination unsatisfying.
The meat on the veal shanks is made up of well-used muscle. In order to attain the proper degree
of tenderness the cooking time is very long, using an extended slow braising technique. Once
you put the roast pan in the oven and begin the cooking process about 5 hours will elapse before
the finishing can be done. This allows plenty of time to prepare the creamy risotto before serving
dinner.
_______________________________________
Osso Buco
Serves six:
• 6 select veal shanks, cut 3” thick • 1 tsp. salt

• ¼ cup flour • 1 tsp. black pepper
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil • ¾ cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, slivered into twelve pieces • 10 sprigs parsley, chopped
• 2 ounces salt pork, diced fine • 12 oz. Italian canned diced tomatoes or any
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped kind of fresh diced tomatoes.
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed • ½ cup brown stock
• 1 stalk celery, diced • 3 carrots, cut into thick strips
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled • ¼ cup butter
• 2 small branches of fresh rosemary • ½ cup Espagnole sauce (optional)
Step One: Brown the veal shanks
Using a sharp paring knife, pierce each veal shank twice and insert a garlic sliver in each
piercing. Lightly dredge the shanks in the flour. Using a heavy bottom skillet over medium
high heat, brown the shanks in olive oil without crowding until each side is golden brown.
Place on a platter and put aside.
Step Two: Assemble the roast pan and cook
Use a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the veal shanks without crowding. Place
the balance of the ingredients (up to and including the brown stock) in the roast pan and mix.
Place the browned veal shanks in the roast pan. Place the carrot strips on top of the shanks
and tightly cover the roaster with a lid or aluminum foil. Place in pre-heated 225 degree
oven. Cook for 5 hours.
Step Three: Make the sauce
Gently pick the carrots from the top of the shanks and pile them in a shallow pan. Remove
veal shanks with a slotted spatula and place them in the same pan. Add a cup of water for
moisture, cover tightly and put aside in warm oven. Pour the remaining contents of the
original roasting pan into a food mill and pass through to a sauce pan. Skim as much fat
from the surface as you can. Place sauce pan over high heat, add butter and reduce by ¼. As
an option, if you prefer a slightly heavier sauce you may whisk in ½ cup of the optional
Espagnole sauce after the reduction.

Risotto
Total ingredients:
• 3 Tblsp. Olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups Arborio rice (or other Italian short grain rice)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tblsp. butter
Place a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions. Sauté until
onions become translucent. Add the Arborio rice and mix until well coated. Pour in the wine
and cook, stirring until absorbed. Begin adding hot chicken broth by the ladleful until each
one becomes absorbed. Adjust heat to maintain a vigorous simmer. Continue cooking until
rice is tender to the bite, 15 to 20 minutes. If you need additional liquid use a little water
until rice is properly cooked. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese at the finish.
To assemble the final dish place a veal shank in the center of the plate. Surround the shank with
risotto. Drizzle some sauce over both. Place carrot strips over the risotto and sprinkle a little
parmesan cheese over all. Finish with a couple of twists of black pepper from your pepper mill.
Don’t forget to add a cocktail fork to your table service. Your guests can use this fork to scoop
out the delicious marrow from the center of the bone.
I word of warning if you are thinking about shortening the cooking time for the shanks. If you
increase the temperature of the oven to shorten the braising time the shanks will tighten because
of their makeup, and the result will be very tough and chewy shanks. They must be served “fall
off of the bone tender” to really enjoy the dish, and you can only accomplish this with a low heat,
long cooking time.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft you will want an increased 5-to-1 liquid-to-rice ratio in the
risotto recipe, and a slightly increased cooking time.

The Pasta Soups

_______________________________________
Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta Lenticchie, and Pasta Ceci, - this family

of soups were an integral part of our diet throughout our
childhood and remain so into our adulthood. I suppose we would
classify these as our "emotional foods" - those meals that bring
comfort and sustenance when we need it most. Aside from that
they are wonderfully nutritious, easy to make, satisfying and
delicious, and to top it off they are inexpensive. These are not
delicate, light soups, but hearty meal-in-a-pot soups, bordering
on vegetables stews.
During the season of Lent, these recipes play a major role in our
diet because they are complete without meat. The combination of
pasta with legumes or beans is a complete protein source. The
recipes all work equally well with chicken broth or water, though
the broth will result in a more complex flavor. While all of them
can be made without meat, the pasta bean soup benefits greatly
from the addition of some bacon, salt pork, or smoked ham.
In the north of Italy rice is often used instead of pasta and central
Italian cuisine will substitute beans, but our regional background
indicates pasta. When making homemade pasta, it is simple
enough to make a little extra, cut it into irregular shapes, called Brother Bill and sister Gloria. 1923
Lawrence Avenue, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
maltagliai which means "badly cut", dry them and store in a
brown paper bag. These will keep in a cool dry place for a month and are perfect for any of these
soups. Our mother's time-saving trick was to cook extra spaghetti and sauce for dinner one day, then
simply take the leftovers, coarsely chop them and toss that in the soup pot the next day - adding the
already cooked pasta at the very end. You may also used purchased dry pasta in small shapes, such as
farfalle or elbows.
_______________________________________
Pasta Lenticchie (Pasta with Lentils)
Serves six
• 1 lb. lentils • 10 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade)

• 3 Tblsp. olive oil or water or a combination of both
• 1 medium onion, chopped • 2 sprigs fresh thyme ½ tsp. dried thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tsp. salt or more, as needed
• 1 carrot, chopped • Small piece of Parmesan rind (optional)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped • 6 oz. dried pasta
• ½ cup tomato sauce • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Rinse and drain lentils under cold water. Heat olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, carrot and
celery, and sauté 5 minutes or until slightly softened but not browned. Add lentils, broth (or water),
tomato sauce, thyme and salt, and optional Parmesan rind. If using the rind, reduce the salt to 1 tsp.
and taste later for adjustment. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and simmer 45 minutes or until
lentils are thoroughly tender. Check the liquid frequently during cooking and add more if the soup is
getting too thick. The soup should be fairly liquid at this point because the pasta will now thicken it
considerably. Add the dried pasta, bring to a boil and cook until pasta is tender, 10 to 12 minutes
more. Stir in a few grinds of fresh black pepper, pick out the Parmesan rind if you've used it, and pass
the grated cheese at the table.
Pasta Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)
Serves six
• 2 cans (16 oz. each) chickpeas • 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced • 4 cups chicken broth or water
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil • 6 oz. dried pasta
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary • Salt and pepper
or 2 tsp. dried, finely crushed • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
You may use dried chickpeas if you wish. If so, you will need to soak and cook them in advance. The
canned chickpeas are excellent in this soup and much more convenient. If using canned, rinse them
well under cold water and remove the skins that are loose. Drain well and set aside. Warm olive oil in
soup pot. If using fresh rosemary, add whole sprigs and sauté until fragrant, 3 or 4 minutes, and then
discard them. If using dried rosemary add it to the oil and stir for just a minute. Add garlic, and over
low heat sauté just until fragrant but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juice and simmer for 20
minutes. Add broth or water, and chickpeas, and bring to a simmer. Adjust salt if necessary. Simmer 5
minutes. If you want a thick soup, puree one cup of the chickpeas in a blender and stir them back into
the soup at this point. Bring to a full boil, add pasta, and cook just until the pasta is al dente. Check
for liquid and add as necessary to bring to the consistency you wish. Pass the grated Parmesan at the
table.
Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans)
Serves six
• 1 lb. dried Great Northern beans • 1 can (15 oz.) diced Italian tomatoes with
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil juice
• 1 onion, chopped or 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 carrots, chopped • 10 cups water
• 2 stalks celery, chopped • 6 oz. dried pasta
• 4 cloves garlic, minced • 6 sprigs parsley

• 3 oz. bacon, diced • 2 sprigs fresh sage or ½ tsp. dried

or 1 small smoked pork chop (optional) • Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
I find soaking dried white beans overnight unnecessary. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Set
aside. Warm olive oil in large soup pot, add bacon if you are using it and sauté for 3 minutes. Add
onion, carrots, celery and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened but not brown. Add garlic and
tomatoes with their juice (or tomato sauce) and simmer for 10 minutes gently. Add beans and 8 cups of
the water and herbs. If using fresh sage, tie it up with the parsley and remove later. If using smoked
pork chop, add it now. Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are quite tender, at least an hour and up
to 90 minutes. Check the liquid frequently and add as necessary to keep the beans fairly liquid. You
may need to add at least the remaining 2 cups of water. Taste for salt (depends if you used bacon or
smoked pork or neither) and adjust. Bring to a full boil. Making sure you have enough liquid, add the
pasta. Cook until tender. Add several grinds of fresh black pepper. Pass the grated cheese at the table.
Altitude Adjustment: Over 5000 feet you will need additional water or broth in all of these recipes. At
elevations of 2500 to 5000 feet increase the time by 10 minutes, over 5000 feet increase the time by 20
minutes.

Chicken Breasts Mountain Style

_______________________________________
From the northern provinces of Piedmont,

Venetia, and Lombardy and south to Tuscany
lies the area of Italy affectionately referred to
by folks in the Italian food business as the
“Butter Belt”. Our family roots are firmly
planted in Italy, but in regions south of this area.
Although regional cuisines of Italy vary greatly,
our parents were no strangers to products and
cooking styles from the northern provinces.
Reggiano Parmesan cheese and prosciutto, both
from the Parma region, were common
ingredients in my mother’s kitchen. And though
olive oil superceded the use of butter, and heavy
cream was not common in our cooking,
exceptions were made for a few special dishes.
Heavy cream reduction is the technique used to

produce this elegant dish of chicken breasts. Chicken breasts mountain style:
Properly done, cream reductions have broad Asparagus tips, prosciutto, and cream.
applications when preparing poultry and sea food, and the finished sauce is sumptuous and elegant. The
object of this recipe is to poach the ingredients while the reduction is occurring, thus creating the sauce
and the finished dish at the same time.
Particular attention to both temperature and timing is required to successfully master this cooking
technique. If the temperature is too high the cream will scorch and possibly separate. The sauce will also
separate if the reduction time is too long. The volume of cream in relation to the amount and type of
ingredients in the sauté pan is also important. For example, if you do not have enough cream in the
proper sized pan, the reduction will occur and the chicken will be underdone. It would be safe to assume
that having a little too much cream in the sauté pan would be better than not having enough.
Other key ingredients are prosciutto ham and asparagus tips. When purchasing prosciutto it is usually
sliced very thin. However, for this recipe you will want to tell your butcher to slice it about ¼ inch thick.
When you are ready to prep the ham cut it first into ¼ inch wide strips on the diagonal, so you will have
julienned ham with some substance to it, then cross cut the julienne into chunks. Fresh asparagus is
recommended, but frozen asparagus tips can be used when fresh ones are not available.

For those of you who are attempting a cream reduction for the first time, the following recipe will serve
two and everything is sized for a 10 inch sauté pan. After successfully completing it a few times you will
get a feel for cream reductions and can move on to using this technique for other dishes and larger
dinners.
_______________________________________
Chicken Breasts Mountain Style
Total ingredients to serve two:
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 tsp. clarified butter
• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 dash of nutmeg
• 4 oz. prosciutto ham, sliced into strips on the diagonal
• ¾ cup asparagus tips - fresh preferred, frozen if necessary
Step One: Prepare the chicken breasts
Trim the chicken breasts of all fat and remove the tenderloin. Remove any membrane that may be
attached and, using the heel of your hand, gently flatten slightly each breast lobe.
Step Two: Sauté the breasts
Place a 10 inch, heavy bottom sauté pan over medium heat and add the clarified butter. Sauté the
breasts gently for two minutes on each side. Remove the breasts and discard any remaining butter.
Wipe pan with paper towel.
Step Three: Start cream reduction
Place the cream and the dash of nutmeg in sauté pan and return to medium heat. Return the chicken
breasts to the pan. When cream comes to a fairly strong simmer, reduce the heat to maintain a slow
simmer. Turn chicken breasts often.
Step Four: Add prosciutto and asparagus tips, and finish
After two minutes of reduction add prosciutto and asparagus tips. Turn chicken breasts over
frequently. Continue until cream is reduced by half and the chicken breasts are done. This should
take approximately 8 minutes more or ten minutes total..
Presentation should begin with placing two breast halves on each plate. Using a slotted spoon, place the
prosciutto ham and asparagus tips over and around the chicken breasts. Drizzle the pan sauce over all.
Use some finely chopped parsley for a little garnish and the dish is complete.
This recipe will not garner a feature spot with Weight Watchers International. Looking back to my
formative years I recall both my mother's and father’s advice concerning our eating habits: “everything
in moderation”. This advice has served me well over the years.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft. add another ¼ cup cream and increase reduction time by about 5
minutes.

Lamb Three Ways

_______________________________________
Before the expansion and improvement of long

distance food distribution and modern
agricultural techniques we cooked and ate
seasonally. Each season had specific foods,
cooking techniques, and menus associated with
them. Because I grew up during that era I just
cannot bring myself to eat a peach in December
even though they are imported from Chile and
readily available. Somehow it takes away from
the specialness of sitting on a shady porch on a
hot sunny day and biting into the first sweet
juicy peach grown just a few miles away. Just
as peaches are summer food, lamb speaks of
spring and Easter and the first blossoms on the
trees.
There are many people of my generation who

claim not to like the taste of lamb, complaining
that it is too gamy or strong. While lamb has a distinctive taste very different from beef or pork, it
should never be gamy. That would be an indication that the meat is from an animal older than one year
and should be classified as mutton There are cultures that prize this particular taste and use mutton quite
a lot, but not Italians. Italian cooks revel in the tender, almost sweet taste of young lamb, or what we
used to refer to as spring lamb. True spring lamb is no older than five months. We are fortunate today to
have this available all year long, although I still enjoy it most in the spring.
When shopping for lamb you will often be confronted with the choice of Australian or American lamb.
Australia is a huge producer and exporter of lamb, and while their meat is quite good, American lamb is
my preference. The most notable difference between domestic lamb and imported is in the eye of the
loin. American produced lambs yield a larger loin lamb chop compared to its imported cousin. The
reason for the difference is that American producers manage their flocks from birth to market weight
using grain to supplement managed pasture. Most Australian and New Zealand lambs are raised on
steep, sparse grasslands and very well may have to stay on those pastures longer than 5 months to make
a minimum market weight.
The following three recipes are all based on a single purchase of a five to six pound center cut, bone-in
leg of lamb. This is a bit of an investment but from this you can serve four people three different meals,
so it averages out to be fairly reasonable. The first meal of roast leg of lamb is elegant enough to qualify
for a special occasion. Complete your springtime theme with fresh asparagus dressed with a drizzle of
butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and scalloped potatoes. The second recipe is for a quick and

©1999 CeCe Dove- Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
easy fix for the family on a busy night, and the third is a rather rustic, informal meal to share with
friends. The lamb and white beans develop a mouth pleasing velvety texture from the long slow
simmering and the aromas are wonderful. If after serving the whole roast you do not plan to make the
next two recipes for awhile you may trim the remainder and freeze it for up to four months. If you
choose to do this be sure to freeze the bone with the trimmed meat.
_______________________________________

Classic Roast Leg of Lamb
Serve four:
• 5 to 6 lb. bone-in center cut leg of lamb • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, slivered • 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 2 Tblsp. chopped fresh rosemary or • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary • Pepper
Step One: Prepare lamb
If your butcher hasn't already done so, trim almost all the fat from the top of the roast. Be sure to
removed the white or silvery membrane, called the fell. With a very sharp paring knife make about
10 slits all over the roast, inserting a sliver of garlic and a little rosemary in each.
Step Two: Marinate the roast
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, 2 cloves of minced garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and a few
grinds of black pepper. Spread this over the roast, covering all sides. Place in a non-reactive dish
and allow to marinate at least four hours and up to 24 hours. If holding more than four hours,
refrigerate, but allow the roast to return to room temperature before proceeding. A roast this size
will take about 3 to 4 hours to come to room temperature if it is cold.
Step Three: Roasting the lamb
Preheat oven to 450. Place the room temperature roast in an uncovered roasting pan. Roast for 10
minutes. Turn temperature down to 350 and continue roasting undisturbed to an internal
temperature of 140 (for medium rare). This should take an additional 60 to 70 minutes. If you like
your meat less pink, wait for an internal temperature of 150. Do not overcook or the meat will be dry
and tough. Let rest for five minutes. Carve and serve.
Lamb Quesadillas
Serves four:
• 8 flour tortillas, 6 in. diameter

• 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, fontina, mozzarella, or a mix)
• 8 to 10 oz. leftover roast lamb, cubed bite size
• Pickled jalapenos
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• ¼ cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange four of the tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle each with
about 2 Tblsp. cheese, then add lamb, jalapenos to taste, a little shredded lettuce, a Tblsp. of salsa and 2
more Tblsp. cheese. Top with another tortilla. Bake at 400 until cheese is melted, approximately 6-7
minutes. Cut into quarters and serve immediately.

White Beans and Lamb Stew
Serves Four
• 8 oz. dried Great Northern beans • 2 cups chicken or beef broth, canned or
• 1 large onion, chopped homemade
• 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 Tblsp. dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 cups water • 1 Tblsp. mustard
• 2 stalks celery, one left whole, one sliced • 12 oz. leftover roast lamb, cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled and left whole • lamb bones from roast
• 2 tsp. salt • Herb bouquet: a few sprigs of fresh rosemary,
• 1 Tblsp. dried red pepper flakes (optional) oregano and thyme tied together with kitchen
string, or ½ tsp. of each dried
Step one: Prepare the beans
Soak the beans with plenty of cold water for

two hours. Drain and place in a four quart
saucepan. Add half the chopped onion, one
of the minced garlic cloves, water, the one
whole stalk of celery and carrot. Bring to a
boil and cook at a slow boil until ¾ cooked,
about 45 minutes. After the first 15 minutes,
add the 2 tsp. salt. The beans should not be
completely cooked, only softened.
Step Two: Assembling the stew
Preheat oven to 225. Drain the beans and

save the cooking liquid. Discard the celery
stalk and carrot. Choose an ovenproof casserole large enough to hold all ingredients comfortably
but not so big as to leave a large head space. Put the beans in the casserole, add the rest of the
onions, garlic, optional red pepper flakes, sliced celery, lamb cubes, and bone. Mix well. In a bowl,
mix the two cups of broth with two cups of the bean cooking liquid you saved, whisk in the mustard
and pour over the bean-lamb mixture. The liquid should just barely come to the top. Add more bean
liquid if you are short or spoon some out if there is too much. Add the herbs. Cover and cook in 225
oven for a minimum of four hours. The ingredients should bubble very gently throughout the cooking
time. If it is boiling, turn the oven down even lower. Check the liquid level each hour, especially
toward the end of the cooking time. Also check the salt about half way through the cooking.
Depending on whether you used canned or homemade broth, you may need to add some at this
point. The stew should be liquid enough to serve in bowls, but not soupy. Remove and discard the
lamb bones, and If you used fresh herbs, pull them out before serving.

Altitude Adjustment: Preparing beans at altitudes over 5,000 feet always requires patience and lots of
liquid. You will need to increase the first bean cooking time by at least 15 minutes and the final
casserole cooking time by 30 to 60 minutes (30 minutes at 2,500-5,000, and 60 minutes above 5,000).
You could also use a pressure cooker for step one and cook the beans about 20 minutes under pressure.

The Ultimate Beef Stew

_______________________________________
One of life’s truly great comfort foods is a piping hot bowl of beef stew. Since stews are seldom
featured on Italian restaurant menus, you may think they are not authentically Italian. Actually,
there are a number of dishes in different regions of Italy that fall into this category. Great stews
are prepared by all ethnic cuisines throughout the world and the Italians are no exception to the
rule.
With my rather adventuresome taste, I have tried all types of stews, from Dinty Moore’s to
extremely complex concoctions utilizing exotic ingredients and complicated techniques. The end
result was to return to the basic dish that mom used to make.
Beef stew in our family went through an evolution of sorts. My mother's recipe for stew was
passed to our sister Gloria, who added her refinements to the recipe and the results were
excellent. CeCe and I have added our little twists as well, evolving our version of the “ultimate
beef stew”.
The best stewing beef comes from the chuck. Although it is very flavorful, beef chuck has a
tendency to be a little tough and chewy. The object of this recipe is to retain that great beef flavor
and transform the rather chewy beef chuck to fork tender. This recipe also takes a little extra care
with the vegetables so that they retain their integrity and individual flavors. The resulting dish is
tender beef with identifiable vegetables in a flavorful and rich gravy.
1935 1945 1955 1965

Tap dancer Gloria Gloria and Danny David, Gloria, and Laurette Danny, Bob, Laurette, and Gloria
Gloria DeTullio nee Zara (1923-1995), husband Danny, daughter Laurette, son David, son-in-law Bob Gioffre

When I purchase the meat for this dish I like to start with a 3 pound bone-in chuck roast, then cut
and trim the beef myself, and cook the bone with the stew. However, using pre-cut stewing beef
from your local supermarket is perfectly acceptable.
_______________________________________

Beef Stew
Serves four: • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 lbs. well trimmed stewing beef • 1 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil • 2 whole bay leaves
• 2 Tblsp. butter • 1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 large onion, diced • 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 Tblsp. salt pork, diced • 10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed • ½ cup dry white wine
1-½ Tblsp, flour • 2 cups brown stock (or beef broth)
• 3 medium carrots, ½ inch pieces

• 3 large potatoes, 1 inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
Step One: Prepare the beef
Trim any excess fat and remove any signs of gristle. Cut the beef into bite sized cubes.
Step Two: Brown the beef and combine first 7 ingredients
Place butter and olive oil into a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add beef
cubes, salt pork, and onion. When beef is browned and onions are translucent add the garlic
and sprinkle the flour over all. Rapidly stir the mixture until the flour is absorbed.
Step Three: Cook the stew and add the next 9 ingredients
Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, celery, parsley, white wine and
brown stock. Bring to a slow simmer for one hour. Cover with a lid slightly askew, to prevent
excess reduction, and continue cooking at a low simmer for an additional hour.
Step Four: Add three remaining ingredients and finish the stew
Add the carrots, potatoes and bell peppers. Slowly simmer the stew until the potatoes are
done: approximately 1 hour.
When finished, adjust for salt. Add a little more brown stock if you prefer the stew a little
thinner. Enjoy this hearty beef stew with a nice garden salad, a crusty slice of home made bread,

and a glass of red wine. After serving four there should be enough left for a couple of second
helpings - a requirement in our house.
This is one of those recipes that seems to get better with age. Making the stew a day ahead
improves the flavor. Reheat gently until all the ingredients are hot throughout.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft add an additional ½ cup brown stock and increase over all
cooking time by about twenty minutes.

Fish Casserole and Fish Soup

(Teglia di Pesce and Zuppa de Pesce)
_______________________________________
Because we grew up far from the ocean and before the advent of mass distribution, fresh fish was a rare
luxury. I remember as a child once each week the local poultry store would get a shipment of fish, and it
would be limited to two or three varieties. But my mother always took advantage of this shipment and
would make her weekly purchase of cod or snapper. She had a few tried and true recipes that I still fall
back on when I want a taste of comfort foods, but it wasn’t until I moved to northern California that I
really began to appreciate the diversity and nuances of the many kinds of fish available. During this
period I came to understand and use the endless variety of seafood readily available, and to experiment
with recipes both old and new.
Fish is so wonderfully versatile that it adapts itself to any season. It is a welcome change from steak or
ribs on the grill in the summer. On cold rainy evenings the first recipe, a casserole of potatoes and cod,
will warm you up.
The second recipe, zuppa de pesce (fish soup), is a part of every Italian family's tradition along the coast
of the Mediterranean, and each little village has their own version. In America, we have adapted many of
these old recipes to make use of the seafood we have in such abundance. This is a dish that can be
enjoyed in any season because it is both light and easy to digest, while hearty enough to be a meal in
itself. The length of the recipe may seem intimidating, but be assured it goes together easily, and if you
make the base a day ahead it will take even less time.
_______________________________________
Teglia di Pesce (Fish Casserole)
Serves six
• 1-½ lbs. fresh cod or snapper filets

• 1-½ lbs. russet potatoes
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• Fine, dry breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper
Peel and slice the potatoes about 1/4" thick. Blanch in

boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes to barely soften.
Drain and pat dry. Wash the fish and remove any obvious bones with a tweezers. Pat dry and set aside.
Use a moderately deep casserole with lid. Brush the dish well with olive oil. Place an overlapping layer
of potatoes on the bottom, salt and pepper them, add a single layer of fish (you may need to cut them to
fit), sprinkle with some of the parsley, garlic and breadcrumbs and a little more salt and pepper, then
drizzle with olive oil. Continue the next layer of potatoes, then fish, the same way, ending the layers
with potatoes on top. Divide the parsley, garlic, olive oil and breadcrumbs to use them all according to
how many layers your pan will hold. Ideally you should have two layers of fish and three layers of
potatoes. Cover and place in a preheated 350° oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve piping hot!

Zuppa de Pesce
Soup Base (Serves six):
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
or 1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 cups water 1948 - CeCe didn't get a bite.
• 2 cups bottled clam juice

• Shells from the shrimp (see below)
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and translucent, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook
another minute. Add shrimp shells and cook one minute. Add wine and let simmer an additional couple
of minutes until almost boiled away. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down to
simmer and partially cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain this base and refrigerate if not using
immediately. It may be made a day ahead.
Soup ingredients:
• 3 lbs. assorted fish (see notes below) • 1 clove garlic, minced

• ½ lb. shelled, deveined shrimp • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 12 clams or mussels • ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil • Salt and pepper
• ½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
Ideally you should use an attractive soup pot that you can bring to the table because it is very difficult to
transfer the soup to a tureen. Alternatively you could plate the soup for service.
Warm the oil in your soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and cook for an
additional minute or two, just until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, parsley and soup base. Bring to a
simmer and taste for salt. Add a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Begin adding fish
by the toughest or densest first, such as swordfish and tuna with the most delicate added to the pot last.
Your object is to have all the fish thoroughly cooked but not dry and overcooked. Add the shrimp last
since they will only take about two or three minutes to cook. The entire process, once you begin adding
fish, should take no more than 12 minutes. Serve at once. Traditionally this is served with grilled or
toasted bread, but garlic bread is a nice alternative.
Notes on fish. The most complex and interesting flavors are developed by having a variety of fish. I
would not make this with less than three varieties. Good possibilities include sea bass, tuna, swordfish,
snapper, cod, halibut, and salmon. Be careful with oily, dark fleshed fish such as mackerel or eel
because they can overpower the dish. Wash the fish in cold running water. Pat dry and pull out any
obvious bones. Cut into chunks about 2" by 2".
If you are able to get a couple of fish heads or frames from your vendor, add them to the soup base,
eliminate the bottled clam juice and increase the water by 2 cups.
Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 feet increase cooking time for soup base by 10 minutes.

Artichokes - Stuffed and Marinated

_______________________________________
Vegetables play a very important role in Italian cuisine. The Mediterranean diet is heavily weighted
toward vegetables and grains and, except for rare instances, meat is consumed in small quantities. In my
travels through Italy I am always impressed with the number of dishes on the antipasti table that featured
vegetables. Sautéed, marinated, pickled, steamed, or combined with rice, they are treated like star
players in Italian menu planning, not supporting actors.
Our dad settled in western Pennsylvania around 1920 and brought with him his love of vegetables. The
land there is lush and fertile, although the growing season is not very long. His garden was the envy of
the neighborhood and we feasted all summer and into the autumn on his harvest. Mom would preserve
the excess either by canning or pickling and these would get us through the winter with only an
occasional purchase of frozen or canned vegetables or fruit. He grew all the standard garden vegetables
but nothing exotic. Artichokes were a favorite in our family, but since they did not winter over in our
part of the U.S. Dad did not plant them. It was one of the few spring and summer vegetables we would
buy.
The artichoke is a lovely perennial plant. If you are lucky enough to live in northern California,
especially near the coast, they will grow well for you. Over 95% of all the artichokes consumed in this
country are grown near Watsonville, California. They love the cool foggy nights and sunny hot
afternoons. The plant will send up a central stalk which will develop one large artichoke, and will send
side stalks off with smaller artichokes. Of course you harvest them when the artichokes are tightly
closed, but if you let them actually open they will reward you with a spectacular vivid purple thistle; not
edible at this point but definitely showy!
Mom had two recipes only, both using the large artichoke, and both still family favorites. The first was
the simplest and most familiar to everyone. The artichokes were simply trimmed and boiled in water,
flavored with salt, peppercorns, vinegar, and olive oil. After removing the internal choke serve with lots
of melted butter (clarified butter is even better). You pull off a leaf at a time, dip it in the butter, and
scrape the flesh off with your teeth. The heart is well worth all this effort and mess. Her second recipe,
for stuffed artichokes, is a little more elaborate but makes a wonderful first course or even a light dinner
on a hot summer night if you add the optional meat.
When we moved to northern California and had available what was called "baby" artichokes I added
another recipe to the family file. Baby artichokes are not really immature buds but rather the small side
blossoms that the plant sends out. Even though they are fully mature they do not develop the hairy
internal choke that the large ones have. They are no more than an inch or two in diameter and are fully
edible. Cooked and marinated in your favorite olive oil dressing they are a fabulous addition to an
antipasto plate or a salad.
_______________________________________

Mom’s Stuffed Artichokes
Precooking the artichokes (Serves four)
4 large artichokes ¼ cup vinegar

5 qt. Water 2 Tblsp. olive oil
1 tsp. black peppercorns 1 lemon, cut in half
1 Tblsp. Salt

Put the water, peppercorns, salt, vinegar, and olive oil on to boil in a large pot. Pull the tough outer
layer of leaves off the artichoke, snapping them at the base. Discard these. With a serrated knife cut
about one inch from the top of the artichoke and discard those trimmings. Trim the stem end flush with
the bottom and rub all the cuts with lemon to prevent discoloring. If any of the leaves still have sharp
points cut these off with a scissors. Drop the trimmed artichokes into the boiling water, place a lid
slightly askew on the pot and cook until ¾ done, about 30 minutes for a large artichoke or 20 minutes if
they are medium. They will complete their cooking in the baking process. Remove them from the water
with tongs and place upside down on a rack to drain. When just cool enough to handle remove the inner
hairy choke by gently prying apart the center and scrapping with a teaspoon down to the heart.
Stuffing:
• 1 cup fine dry unflavored breadcrumbs

• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. Salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ lb. crumbled, fully cooked sausage,
drained well (optional)
Mix all ingredients together.
Baking the artichokes
• 1/3 to ½ cup olive oil
Use a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold all four artichokes comfortably. Preheat oven to
350. Place the precooked artichokes in the baking pan, spreading the leaves out gently with your hands
without breaking them. Sprinkle the dry stuffing mixture evenly over the four artichokes being sure that
the mixture gets into the center and inside the leaves. Drizzle the olive oil generously over all. Cover
and bake 40 minutes for large and 35 minutes for medium sized artichokes.
Marinated Baby Artichokes
Yield: One pound of very small artichokes should yield 12-15 pieces.
Use the same water mixture as the above recipe to cook the artichokes. Trimming only involves cutting a
tiny bit from the top, trimming the base, and pulling off a few of the outer leaves. Since they have no
inner choke this final cleaning step is eliminated. Drop in the boiling water and cook until a knife
inserted in the stem end pierces the heart easily, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well, cut in half and toss
with the following vinaigrette or you own favorite oil dressing.

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil • ½ tsp. dry mustard

• 2 Tblsp. white wine vinegar • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Salt • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
Shake all ingredients in a covered jar.
Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 ft add 8 minutes to boiling time, prorate accordingly at moderate
altitudes.

Pesto – Old and New

_______________________________________
Because our family roots are located in central Italy, away from the coast, pesto was not part of our traditional
menu. It wasn't until I began to travel and expanded my culinary horizons that I even became aware of this
wonderful sauce. It is, however, such a delightful and authentic part of Italian cuisine that it now is part of our
new family secrets. Our daughter grew up with it and I'm certain that her children will consider it an "old"
family tradition. It certainly deserves to be passed down.
No season is as identifiable to me by smell as is summer with its rich harvest of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Even on a damp cool morning when I gather a handful of fresh basil, close my eyes and inhale its fragrance,
the world is instantly full of sunshine. That same warm, minty fragrance has greeted Genovese sailors
returning to port for centuries, and it was this herb, over all others, that they craved after long sea voyages.
After endless months of the restricted fare of sailing ships – of hardtack and salted meat – they longed for the
sharp freshness of the wild basil that blooms over the hills of Genoa. It was this city and this need that gave
rise to our most enduring summer sauce – pesto.
Genoa is a province of Liguria and is located on the northern coast of the western Mediterranean. Italian
cuisine in general is and always has been extremely regional. It has developed to satisfy the needs of the local
inhabitants. Fortunately for us pesto "travels well"; although it has taken hundreds of years and a number of
translations to reach our shores. In spite of this it maintains its earthy simplicity and satisfying harmony.
The original Genovese recipe produces a sharp, tangy sauce used exclusively with trenette (a fettuccine shaped
pasta, though slightly thinner), minestrone, and gnocchi. It is made with the local small-leafed basil, fresh
garlic, the finest Ligurian olive oil, local fresh Pecora (a mildly tangy sheep's milk cheese) and fine aged
Parmesan. It is ground in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle and is used immediately after making. This
sauce is not for the faint-hearted. It is sharp, tangy, and some say harsh. It is meant to satisfy a sailor's appetite
for sharp, clean, green ingredients that he has done without for months. Only a few miles away in Nervi, the
locals cut this recipe with cream to make it gentler to the palate. Pine nuts (and occasionally walnuts) were
added to the recipe as it evolved, but were not used originally.
Few of us today have the time or patience to use the mortar and pestle method, and the food processor does a
creditable job. To replace the velvety richness attained in the mortar, butter has been added to newer recipes.
While the modern recipe that follows is a good adaptation of the original, and suits our more hectic lifestyle, it
is well worth the effort just once to make it by the traditional method. The biggest advantage of the food
processor is that in one short afternoon you can make enough pesto to freeze and carry you through the cold
winter months. On a stormy December evening when you pour that emerald green sauce over hot pasta and
inhale the garlicky, minty aromas you'll have captured the warmth of the Mediterranean sunshine on your plate
and palate.
Whatever method you choose, a word on handling basil is appropriate. In spite of its distinct and hardy aroma,
it is a delicate plant, and once picked should be used quickly to preserve its essence. If the leaves are bruised
or cut and exposed to air they will blacken and wilt very quickly. Olive oil protects the color of the leaves, as

does salt, so once you begin to chop them, either in the processor or mortar, you must add the salt and oil
steadily to prevent blackening.
Basil is at the peak of its season from July through September, and if you do not grow your own you can buy
excellent field grown basil at a reasonable price in the markets. After September the markets will carry hot
house basil which will be spindly, weak in flavor, and very expensive.
You can easily make a dozen or so pints to freeze by simply running continuous batches through the food
processor. To do this, wash all the basil at once, strip leaves off stems, and spin dry in your salad spinner. Peel
all the garlic you will need and measure the pine nuts, butter, and cheese in batches. Have the containers clean
and dry. After everything is assembled each batch comes together in minutes.
A final thought on the trendy versus the traditional. The gradual evolution of a fine and proven recipe to suit
the current cooking methods and products available seems a natural and inevitable course of events. But the
total annihilation of the original by substituting anything imaginable for the basil, from parsley and spinach to
tomatoes, seems to me to be heresy. I have seen "pesto" recipes without one hint of basil. While the final
product may be a good tasting sauce, it is not pesto, and calling it such only manages to muddy up what
should be sparklingly clear, i.e., pesto is made with basil as its main ingredient, and if you substitute parsley
you will have made a green sauce that tastes of parsley.
The traditional method that follows is taken from "le Ricette Regionale Italiane", 2nd edition, published in
1967 in Italy. The modern version is my adaptation. There are no "new" recipes for pesto, only a gradual
evolution of the original. There are, however, a few new uses to try with your pesto. Try mixing one half pint
of pesto with 2 cups of cooked rice and 2 cups of steamed vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
and serve warm as a side dish or cold as a summer salad. You can mix one quarter cup of pesto with 2 cups
ricotta and use it as a crepe filling. As you experiment with your own ideas please remember that this is an
uncooked sauce, and is not meant to be heated directly. The warmth of the food it flavors is all the heat needed
to release its full flavor.
_______________________________________
Pesto alla Genovese (Traditional)
• 36 fresh basil leaves • 1 Tblsp. pine nuts, toasted in the oven a few
• 2 Tblsp. Pecorino sardo*, grated* minutes until golden
• 2 Tblsp. well aged Parmesan, grated • 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic • 1 tsp. coarse salt (or to taste)
Carefully wash and dry the basil. Place a few leaves with a little of the garlic and some of the salt (to preserve
color) in the mortar. As a paste is formed begin adding olive oil in dribbles. Continue adding basil, garlic,
nuts and salt as you grind, dribbling in enough oil to maintain the bright green color and thick consistency.
Stir in cheese last. You may dilute with a little of the cooking water from the pasta if you wish. After pasta is
placed in the serving bowl, spoon the pesto over top, toss, and serve immediately.
*Pecorino sardo is a fresh Genovese sheep's milk cheese, not nearly as dry or sharp as Pecorino Romano. It
is worth the effort to locate a supply. You may substitute Romano if you wish.

Modern Pesto (Food processor method)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed • 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup well aged Parmesan, grated
• 2 Tblsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted in oven • 2 Tblsp. Pecorino sardo*, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, cut into a few pieces each • 3 Tblsp. butter, softened to room temperature
Wash and dry basil. Place in work bowl with garlic, nuts, and salt. Pulse several times. Scrape bowl down.
Turn machine on and slowly dribble in oil. Scrape bowl down and process only until well blended. Pour into a
bowl, stir in cheeses and softened butter.
Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a week without freezing. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of
the sauce, then cover tightly. If the top darkens slightly, it will not affect the flavor. Simply stir it into the
sauce. If you are making this to freeze, do not add cheese before freezing. The pesto will keep better without it.
Add cheese after defrosting and just before using.

Pork Roast (Porchette) and Tenderloins

_______________________________________
When I left home and acquired my first apartment with a real kitchen the first shopping trip
included purchasing a piece of pork we called the "Boston Butt". This was the cheapest roast you
could buy and the most delicious in my eyes. Mom (or sometimes Dad) would stuff it with garlic
and rosemary, heavily salt it, and then roast it for hours and hours until the house was permeated
with wonderful aromas. We would enjoy it hot for dinner, but everyone really waited for the next
day, when we would pile thinly sliced leftovers on soft white bread with mustard and hot
peppers, making the best sandwich in the world. This was the perfect cut of meat to begin my
cooking career. It was inexpensive enough to fit a fledgling’s budget and feed me for several
days, it was delicious, it reminded me of the comfort of home, and it was so easy to cook. You
just cooked and cooked and cooked it until the bone simply pulled out of the meat.
That was the first rule of cooking pork I learned. It had to be well done, with not a touch of pink
showing. Fortunately this method of cooking a Boston Butt, which is really the front shoulder of
the pig, still works. It was the other cuts of pork that suffered from this rule. How many beautiful
thick pork chops or lovely loin roasts were cooked into shoe leather in the name of health we'll
never know. I was well into adulthood before I really began to enjoy pork chops.
In the 1960's we were rescued when it was understood that trichinosis was killed at an internal
temperature of 140 degrees. It took many of us a few years to really feel comfortable eating a
chop with a bit of pink in the middle, or a roast that came out of the oven in an hour or so instead
of four hours, but eventually common sense and good taste won out. At about the same time the
hog breeders were listening to our concerns about cutting the fat in our diet, and they began
breeding hogs to be leaner. Gradually, as the fat layer on the chops and roasts got smaller and
smaller it became even more important not to overcook the meat. The Boston Butt remains a
throwback to the old cooking method because, even though the outer fat layer is thinner than it
used to be, it is still the most internally well marbled cut of pork, and therefore still lends itself
well to the old style of cooking.
In our family home, pork chops and Boston Butt were the primary cuts of fresh pork used. As I
expanded my cooking horizons I began using the whole loin for special occasions and, of course,
baby back ribs for barbecuing. I didn’t really add the pork tenderloin to my repertoire until about
10 years ago, but once I discovered this succulent piece of meat I was sold. It is probably the
most expensive piece of the pig, but it is absolutely lean, extremely tasty, and very versatile. It is
equally at home on the grill, in the oven, or in the sauté pan. The recipe that follows for
tenderloin stuffed with roasted fennel takes a little advance effort, but once the preparation is
done it cooks undisturbed and yields a dinner to remember. The sautéed pork medallions take

almost no advance preparation and cook very quickly, but rely on the pan sauce to make them
memorable. Finally, for those of you who don’t remember the Boston Butt, we give to you Mom
and Dad’s method. On a lazy cool day when you’re puttering around the house it is a great way
to fix dinner, fill the house with tantalizing aromas, and provide wonderful sandwiches for the
days after, all with very little work.
_______________________________________
Pork Tenderloins stuffed with Roasted Fennel and Pan Sauce
• 2 pork tenderloins • ½ cup chicken stock

• 1 head fresh fennel • ¼ cup white wine
• olive oil • 3 Tblsp. brown sauce (Secret #27)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced • salt
• 15-16 thin slices bacon • pepper

Step One: Roast the fennel
Wash and pat dry one head of fresh fennel. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously
with salt and pepper. Place fennel on small baking sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree
oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove and let stand until it cools to handling
temperature, cut away excess stalk and a slice from the root end. Dice the fennel into small
cubes and put aside.
Step Two: Prepare the tenderloins
The object is to make one

rectangular piece of thinly
pounded meat from two
tenderloins, which can then be
stuffed and rolled. Trim fat
coating and all of the blue skin
membrane on the tenderloins. Cut
the thin tail end back several
inches. Save the pieces for the
next time you make spaghetti
sauce. Using a sharp slicing knife
butterfly open both filets. Using
the palm of your hand, press
down on the filets to begin to
form a rectangle. Place a sheet of waxed paper over the butterflied filets, and gently pound
with meat hammer until the filets are about 3/8 inches thick. Pound the top edge of the first
filet thinner and the bottom edge of the second one and overlap them 2 inches. Pound the
overlapped seam until it is the same thickness of the rest of the rectangle. Brush with olive
oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add ½ minced garlic to the cubed fennel and spread
evenly over the tenderloins. Leave a little margin on the top and bottom. Roll the
tenderloins as tight as you can. When finished rolling you can use a few toothpicks to hold
the seam together, although it is not necessary if you handle the roll gently. Now stretch the
bacon pieces flat, side by side, slightly overlapping, to make a sheet of bacon. Place the
rolled tenderloins on the lower 1/3 of the bacon sheet. Carefully lift the end of the bacon
sheet over the tenderloins and wrap tightly by rolling the tenderloins.
Step Three: Cook the tenderloins

Place the rolled tenderloins in a hot sauté pan, with a little clarified butter or olive oil.
Start with the seam side of the bacon wrap down, and gently turn until the rolled
tenderloins are nicely browned. Remove from pan and place on shallow baking sheet. Put
in 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until done.
Step Four: Make pan sauce
Deglaze the sauté pan with chicken stock, add garlic, wine, and rosemary. Begin reducing
and add three tablespoons of brown sauce. Reduce until it reaches serving consistency.
To serve the dish, pass a little of the pan sauce through a fine strainer and make a small puddle
on the plate. Slice the tenderloins on the diagonal 3/8 inches thick. Fan the slices over the puddle
of pan sauce. Three slices on a plate would make a nice serving. Creamy mashed potatoes and
little fresh vegetable will finish the plates nicely.

Sautéd Pork Medallions with Pan Sauce
• 1 pork tenderloin • 5 sprigs parsley, chopped fine

• ½ cup flour, for dredging • ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 Tblsp. clarified butter • ¼ cup white wine
• 1 large clove garlic, minced • 1 Tblsp. butter or Espagnole sauce (Secret #27)
Step One: Prepare the pork medallions
Trim fat coating and all of the blue skin membrane on the tenderloin. Slice the tenderloin
into 1-½ to 2 ounce slices. Place each slice between two pieces of waxed paper and pound
with meat hammer until very thin.
Step Two: Cook the medallions and make pan sauce
Sprinkle each medallion lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge the medallions in flour, shake
off any excess. Add clarified butter to a large, hot sauté pan. Do not overcrowd, use
multiple sauté pans if necessary. Sauté over medium high heat until nicely browned. Turn
each medallion and add remaining ingredients to begin reduction of the pan sauce. When
medallions are done, remove them from the pan and place on plate. Finish reducing the
pan sauce until it reaches serving consistency, and pour over the plated medallions.
Italian Pork Roast (Porchette)
• 1 Boston Butt roast • 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only

• 1 large clove garlic, cut longway into 8 slivers • salt and pepper
Step One: Prepare the roast
Using a sharp paring knife, cut 8 evenly spaced deep crosses in the roast. Place a garlic
sliver in each and push to the bottom with your finger, forming a small pocket. Into each
pocket, pushing with your finger, put equal amounts of salt (first) and pepper (last). The
pocket should be loosely filled. Divide the rosemary leaves into 8 equal piles and firmly
plug each of the holes. Give a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper over the entire roast.
Step Two: Cook the roast
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast to the center. Be careful not to
have the tip of the thermometer touching a bone. Place the roast in a shallow baking pan
and put in a medium oven (325-350). Remove the roast when you have an internal

temperature of 170-175 degrees. Roasting time will vary, depending on the exact
temperature of the oven, and if the roast is at room temperature or just out of the
refrigerator. Let roast stand for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up a bit before serving.
This method of seasoning and cooking a pork roast will also work well with a whole fresh picnic
ham (front shoulder), or a fresh ham (rear). The seasoning method also works well with a whole
bone-in or boneless pork loin, however, the cooking should be changed to a very slow roast (225
degrees) and a finished internal temperature of 135-140 degrees.
Leftovers from roasts done in this style make a delicious cold pork sandwich. Thinly slice a nice
stack of the cold pork roast, place on a slice of homemade bread, top with a seeded, split banana
pepper, and spread a little yellow mustard on the top slice of bread.
Easter Bread with 65 Eggs

By Cece Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, ccdove@parshift.com
_______________________________________
For those of you who are interested, a little family background. We are first generation Italian.
Our father emigrated to America around 1913. As in most Italian households food was the central
theme around which our lives revolved. Marriages, weddings, baptisms, even deaths all had their
traditional dishes as well as each major holiday and about a hundred minor ones too. Birthdays,
graduations, engagements, job promotions all called for a celebration which called for special
food. Even the days of the weeks had their own special dishes when we were growing up. We
could always count on Friday being "fish day" because Catholics did not eat meat on Fridays.
Monday was always homemade soup day because that was the day Mom did the washing and
ironing and needed a dish she could put on the back of the stove to cook all day while she was
busy. And so on through the week.
While I have very fond memories of all the chaos of a large extended family with cousins, aunts,
uncles, brothers and sisters coming and going, laughing, arguing, singing and dancing, my most
vivid memories are of how the food always seemed to bring all the component parts of the
celebration together. We always knew when Aunt Mary and Uncle Andy came up the front steps
on Christmas morning, their beautiful tray of cookies would have the best (and possibly only)
Mostaccioli in town. We only prayed that she would make them again for Easter. Just as we
knew that Aunt Norma arriving from Ohio would have in hand the most delectable Fiadone in
the family, but only at Easter.

Easter looms large in my memory because it meant my mother would bake her annual batch of
Piña, or as we came to call it ‘Easter Bread". I have searched for many years to find the origin of
the word Piña, to no avail. There are many recipes for festive, holiday breads with similarities to
Mom’s original, but none yield quite the same results as hers. All the women in our family
attempted to bake it every Easter and some were good, some were acceptable, but Bertha was
known to make the absolute best and everyone waited for it. We four kids were always slightly
chagrined because we knew the tradition called for us to take the loaves to our neighbors, and
family and friends on Easter morning as a gesture of goodwill and they would in turn visit us
with their offerings which never, ever compared to Mom’s. She would keep a loaf or two of her
own for us because we raised such a fuss about it but we watched most unhappily as she packed
up loaf after loaf for delivery.
As you can surmise, Mom is long gone but before she left us I went home and sat with her in the
kitchen and wrote my version of her recipe. Then I took it to my home and worked with it until I
got it scaled down "for mere mortals". You will understand this reference as you read over her
original recipe which I am sharing with you now. This is taken from her handwriting and with
her references as to weight and size. As you read it please remember that she had no special
equipment for mixing or kneading - this was all done by hand, although she did have a large
wooden tub that was only used for the raising of this bread. It was made by a local carpenter and
had slanted sides and was approximately 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. We also had
a "MixMaster", electric mixer of average size. She would begin the process the day before the
actual baking of the bread. Although she made this bread all of her life, we finally persuaded her
to write her version in 1970.
_______________________________________
Mama's Easter Bread with 65 Eggs
• 65 eggs, beat with electric mixer and 5 lb of sugar.

• 1 box raisins.
• 3 glasses citron.
• 1 glass anise seed, 35 cent size.
• 2 glasses whisky (wine glass size).
• 1 lb melted Crisco (you can put 1/2 oleo if you like).

Ediberta (Bertha)
Zara nee Buzzelli
(1903-1972)
Picture: 1948
• 13 lb flour to start. If you have large eggs you will need about 3 lb more to mix, or less.
• Set Your Yeast 1 hr before mixing.
• 1 qt and 1 cup milk in large 8 qt kettle. Warm and dissolve 3 cakes of 13 cent size.
• Put in 8 or 9 handfuls of flour, enough to make a real light dough.
• Let stand to ferment one hour.
• Always preheat your oven about 1/2 hour before you start to bake.
• Large loaves bake at 275 for 50 to 55 min, real small loaves for 30 to35 min.
That’s it folks. No mixing directions, let alone kneading times. No pan size, no direction on
raising (once or twice?) and what does a "wine glass" mean to my mother who never drank? I
will caution you now, try this recipe only at your own risk. I will publish my version of it next
week. Of this I can assure you, from this bread memories are made.

Easter Bread for Mere Mortals

_______________________________________
In my prior musings I promised you the updated version of "Easter Bread with 65 Eggs". After
mom sent me her handwritten version I went to visit her on several occasions with advance
warning, asking her to plan on spending the day in the kitchen baking this bread from her recipe.
As she worked, I followed her around, measuring, estimating, and generally bugging her with
questions. I returned to my own home and started experimenting. It took several months of
repeated "bakes" and innumerable phone calls to finally come up with a recipe that I promptly
entitled "Easter Bread for Mere Mortals". Since few of us have the time or space to deal with the
30 or so loaves that the original recipe yielded, my target was about six pounds of dough to make
3 large loaves or 4 medium loaves. This would be ideal - enough to give a loaf or two to a close
friend and have one in the freezer and one to eat warm out of the oven.
The most notable change I made from the original was to substitute real butter for oleo - my
preference since I like the flavor of the real stuff in my baked goods. Also the proportion of fat to
flour is higher in my version. I like the richness it adds.
A note on giving this bread as a gift. As soon as it is completely cool, wrap well in plastic wrap
and either give it to the lucky person within a day, or freeze it. To defrost, leave at room
temperature with the wrap on it until completely defrosted then re-wrap in fresh plastic and it
will be excellent. This bread makes simply grand toast or if you have some that has really staled,
you can make the best bread pudding ever. Never happens in our house - it just disappears as
breakfast toast, afternoon coffee break, or midnight snacks. Even though it was traditionally
baked only at Easter when I was growing up, I’ve taken the liberty of baking this bread on any
occasion I want to treat my family to something a little special.
_______________________________________
Easter Bread for Mere Mortals
• 2 pkgs. dry yeast

• 1 cup lukewarm milk

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3 or 4 handfuls of white unbleached Flour
Add sugar to warm milk, then dissolve yeast in the milk. Whisk in flour by the handful until about
the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Cover and set aside for an hour or until bubbly and
about double in bulk. This is your starter.
• 8 cups white unbleached flour

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 8 oz container citron
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tblsp. anise seed
• 1 tsp. salt
Mix all six ingredients together and put this mixture onto a large wooden table. Make a well in
the center large enough to hold all of the starter plus the following wet ingredients.
• 8 large eggs, room temperature

• 4 oz melted butter, cooled
• 1/2 cup rum
Beat eggs in electric mixer until light and foamy, add melted butter and rum and just beat to mix.
Scrape starter into well of dry ingredients. Pour egg mixture in slowly while using a fork to start
incorporating flour, making a soft dough. This will take a little time and a lot of patience
because you do not want to collapse the flour walls while you have a very runny egg mixture in
the middle. Once you have a soft dough working, start kneading vigorously using a dough
scraper to help it along. The dough will be very sticky to begin with. Keep adding dustings of
flour and kneading until it is soft and velvety, being careful not to add so much flour that it
become hard or dry. This kneading will take about 15 min.
Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to double. It will
take 2 or even 3 hours. Deflate the dough but do not knead it. Cover again and let rise until
double, about 1 1/2 hours.
Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces of about 2 lbs each. Roll each piece into a long log, working
from the center out. Rotate working each piece, resting the others. This relaxes the dough and
makes it easier to work with. When all are about the size of your wrist (this is definitely a
Mamma measurement) form them into rings, pinching ends together well. Place on greased sheet
pans, cover with clean towels and let rise about 1 to 1/2 hours until almost double.

Preheat oven to 350. Brush each loaf with a mixture of 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tblsp. Milk just
before placing in oven.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before wrapping.
Altitude adjustments: None - the fat contributed by the butter and eggs in this recipe provides a
dough that produces the same result at 8,000 feet as it does at sea level.

Cheese Bread
_______________________________________
I can remember at Easter, mom baked a special bread especially for my father.
Although he and the rest of the family enjoyed her traditional Easter Bread,
he was extremely fond of "Pane al Formaggio." The English translation,
cheese bread, says it all. This is definitely a bread for the person who has a
taste for aged, sharp, hard grating cheeses. Not only was this flavorful bread
baked at Easter, but also in late summer when the grapes on dad’s arbor were
decadently sweet.
The grape arbor we had in our back yard was elevated about 8 feet and
covered approximately a 20x20 foot area. Six vines intertwined to form a
shaded area where I spent a lot of time with my father relaxing and cooling
off after working in the garden for 2 or 3 hours. I can still remember him
sitting with that old sweat stained fedora hat, telling me to go to the wine
cellar and draw a pitcher of wine, then asking mom to bring out the chilled
grapes and the cheese bread. His favorite grapes to eat were a deep purple Pietro (Pete) Zara
(1895-1972)
Concord type that he had picked and washed in the morning. On these hot and son Ray
summer days our mid-afternoon snack was chilled grapes, a thick slice of Picture: 1941
cheese bread and a glass of home-made dry red wine. Life was good.
_______________________________________
Papa's Cheese Bread
One of the variables in this recipe is the quality and type of

the cheese that will be used. At the number 1 position would
be Reggiano Parmigiano. However any good quality
Parmesan, Romano, Pecorino Romano, or any hard aged
cheese that you might use freshly grated on a nice dish of
pasta will work. Pre-grated cheeses that you might find in
the supermarket in cardboard dispensers and glass shaker
bottles will not work.
Total ingredients:

• 6 large eggs - well beaten and at room temperature

• 1 cup milk - scalded
• 6 oz. Crisco melted and cooled to room temperature
• 8 oz. freshly grated hard aged cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5 cups flour
• 1 pkg. instant dry yeast

Step One: the Sponge
In a bowl place 11/4 cups of the flour, 1 Pkg. of Instant dry yeast and 1 cup of scalded milk,
now at room temperature. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hr.
Step Two: Mixing and Kneading
In your mixer bowl measure 3 cups flour, (you should have 3/4 cup now in reserve), add the
eggs, Crisco, cheese, salt and the sponge. Mix well and turn out on a well floured board.
Knead by hand adding flour as necessary to achieve a smooth supple dough that is just dry
enough not to stick to the kneading surface.
Step Three: Scaling and Proofing
Divide the dough in half and place in two lightly greased standard loaf pans (9x5x21/2),
cover with a clean kitchen towel and let raise for three hours, or until the proofed dough
reaches the top of the pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 50 minutes. The yield is two loaves.
If you would like to freeze one loaf, make sure it is double wrapped with plastic wrap and
defrosted with the wrap on. This bread freezes very nicely.
You will undoubtedly notice a couple of things that are different about this bread. First of all
there is no sugar in the recipe and secondly there is no "first" rise. You will also notice that the
two pans when first filled with the un-proofed dough will look very skimpy. Not to worry. By
using the sponge method the yeast will get into high gear feeding from the milk and flour for the
1 hour wait, therefore the lack of sugar will not inhibit the growth of the yeast structures. The
elimination of the first rise, or fermentation stage, and going straight to proof further enhances
the development of the yeast with no effect on the texture of the finished product.
Altitude adjustments: At 8,000 feet we reduce the proofing time to slightly over 2 hours,
increase the oven temperature by 25 degrees, and shorten the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third the amount shown here, two-thirds at
5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale similarly every 2,500 feet if you're really in
the clouds.

Fiadone
_______________________________________
Continuing on with the Easter theme of the past few columns, I began to think
about why Easter was such an important holiday in my life. Of course
growing up in a Roman Catholic Italian family and community it had
enormous religious significance. Next to Christmas, Easter was awaited with
huge anticipation. The religious preparation began with Ash Wednesday,
continued through Lent with its penance and fasting (and so very many good
intentions!) and culminated with Easter morning Mass. In a sense the secular
part of the celebrations mimicked the religious. After the cold, wet, snowy
months following Christmas we looked forward to the first part of April, its
teasing days of lengthening light and occasional bursts of warmth and new
greenery poking up here and there. We celebrated the arrival of Spring and the
rebirth of nature with our own awakening. Shopping for new spring clothes,
especially your Easter outfit, was a ritual that all the woman in the family (and
Norma Marchionna
even a few of the men) participated in with as much abandon as our budget nee Buzzelli
would allow. Hats were a passion back then and my mother’s attic had a room (1906-1975)
Picture: 1926
dedicated to my hatboxes. Each year it seemed they got more outrageous.
We also looked forward to this special season for another reason. It meant that the Ohio and
Detroit arms of our family and ourselves would now be free to exchange visits. Back then an
auto trip of three or four hours from Ohio to our home in Western Pennsylvania was a major
event and never undertaken in the winter months. We anxiously looked forward to seeing our
cousins and aunts and uncles and sharing not only Easter dinner but all of the special dishes of
that weekend. Of course they never arrived empty-handed. Uncle Ray would always have a
bottle or two of his red wine, which was recognized by all as THE BEST of the homemade
wines. I don’t believe my parents ever bought a bottle of wine. Every family made its own. There
were always trays of homemade cookies, and loaves of Easter Bread, some with colored eggs
baked into them.
But the one I waited for was Aunt Norma and Uncle Joe because we all knew that she had “the
hand” for Fiadone. This was a special Easter-only treat that all our families made, but each one
had a slight variation on the theme and it was Aunt Norma’s that was recognized as the tastiest.
While researching the name of this recipe, I came across a savory variation of it in Italian
Regional Cooking by Ada Boni, translated from Italian in 1969. She included it in the section

from Abruzzi. It uses Scamorza cheese and grated Parmesan and includes olive oil in the crust -
definitely not a dessert pie.
Further reading took me to The Food of Italy by Waverley Root, published in 1971, in which he
describes a dessert from the Valle d’Aosta called Fiandolein. It is a cream made from milk, eggs,
and sugar and flavored with lemon and then poured into a cup over bread broken into small
pieces. It seems to me that this is a more likely precursor to our family version than the savory
recipe.
Our Fiadone is the equivalent of a cheese torte. It is neither a cheesecake nor a cheese pie but
somewhere in between the two. In the traditional Italian style it is only slightly sweet. It is,
however, very rich, and should be served in thin slices. Only the finest fresh whole milk ricotta
should be used in this recipe.
_______________________________________
Aunt Norma's Fiadone
Makes one 10” pie.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour the pan.
Dough Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. anise seed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the anise seed. Beat the eggs lightly, add
butter, then add this mixture to the flour and work into a soft dough, keeping an additional 1/4
cup flour ready to add as necessary. The consistency will be that of a soft cookie dough. Add
only enough additional flour to keep from sticking. Chill until ready to bake the pie.
Filling:
• 2 lbs. fresh whole milk ricotta

• 1/4 lb. citron
• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Glaze:
• Egg wash made with the yolk of an egg yolk and a Tblsp. water
Mix filling ingredients in the order given. Roll out dough 1/8” thick. Place in pie pan and cut off
excess. Flute edges. Reroll the trimmings to make the lattice top. Pour in the filling, cut six
lattice strips about 3/4” wide and place three in each directions over the top. Brush with the egg
wash and bake at 350 for one hour until set. Cool completely before cutting.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8000 feet I had to increase the baking time to 1 hr. and 10 min.
Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third the amount shown here, two-thirds at
5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale similarly every additional 2,500 feet.

White Pizza
_______________________________________
A ritual from years gone by used to occur without fail on Uncle Andy's birthday.
Aunt Mary not only baked the traditional birthday cake, but also baked a pizza
faithfully on this occasion. The cake was for the guests, the pizza was Uncle
Andy’s treat. More often a white pizza was done instead of the traditional pizza
with tomato sauce. My mom and Aunt Mary seemed to have the inside track on
baking this very simple, but very tasty version of a pizza pie.
Later in life, I remember passing some Sunday afternoons at the local Sons of Italy
Lodge, and large trays stacked high with white pizza cut in squares were passed up
and down the bar. I’m quite sure this salty treat increased beer sales dramatically,
as it was designed to do. The fact that Uncle Andy was also Venerable of the local
SOI accounts for the “white pizza connection.”
When Mom and Aunt Mary were baking their white pizzas no one in the family at
that time gave much thought to protein levels of flour, so both pizza and bread Dante Biordi
were baked from the very same simple recipe that really was quite adequate for (1904-1969)
Picture: 1938
those times.
When our family wanted a loaf of European style bread, it was a short block and a half walk to
the European Baking Company. There you could buy a great loaf of Vienna bread, wonderful
hard rolls and the best lady fingers on the planet. This bakery was so handy that mom only
occasionally baked bread at home. Not only was her bread a real treat for us, but the pizzas that
were baked on the same day, especially the white pizza, will remain fond memories forever.
_______________________________________
Uncle Andy's White Pizza

Total Ingredients:
• 2 cups water
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1 pkg. instant yeast
• 1 Tblsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup melted and cooled Crisco
• Shaker of salt

©1998 RZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
• Fresh ground black pepper
Step One: Mixing and Kneading
Place first six ingredients in the mixer bowl, mix with dough hook attachment at low speed
until the dough begins to form. Increase speed and mix for 5 minutes. Turn onto lightly
floured board and knead till dough is smooth and supple, dusting with flour if necessary.
Step Two: Proofing and Retarding
Divide dough into three 16 ounce dough balls. Place 2 of them in well oiled bowls and cover
tightly with plastic wrap and put into refrigerator for use at a later time. It will keep for three
days under refrigeration, or you can double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze. Take the
remaining dough ball and put in well oiled bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel until the
dough is proofed, about 2 hours.
Step Three: Pan and Bake
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove proofed dough ball and place on floured board. Using
the flat of your hand press down on the center of the dough in a circular motion, creating a
flat circle with a ridge around it. Using both hands in a circular motion stretch dough to 14”
in diameter, and with your thumb and forefinger form the crust on the outside of the circle.
Lightly spray a 14” pizza pan with vegetable spray and place dough on pan. Using the tines
of a fork "dock" the whole bottom of the pizza, pricking the dough so it doesn't blow up like a
balloon. Drizzle approximately 1/4 cup olive oil on the bottom of the pizza and using a pastry
brush spread evenly and brush the crust. Using your first three fingers dimple the bottom of
the pizza. Be generous with the olive oil , if you have a few puddles on the bottom, so much
the better. Shake a generous amount of salt over the pizza and sprinkle with fresh ground
black pepper. Place in the pre-heated oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
Check after 1 minute for air bubbles, if any appear pierce immediately with the tip of a sharp
knife.
Step Four: Cut into 8 slices, open a bottle of your favorite beer and enjoy!!
At one of the restaurants that I owned we offered a modern variation of white pizza that you
might like to try. It is very straightforward to do and it makes a very interesting pizza.
White Pizza Deluxe
To make the dough, substitute high gluten flour

for the all purpose flour. Use olive oil instead of
the Crisco, and everything else remains the
same. The main difference is in the topping,
which is as follows:

In a small bowl place 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley, dried oregano and dried basil. Add 1
clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese. Add olive oil to make a thin batter.
Spread mixture generously over bottom of the formed pizza and brush the crust with olive oil.
Slice a good sized fresh tomato into 8 slices and place in what will be the center of each slice,
put a heaping teaspoon of ricotta cheese between the tomato slice and the crust. Sprinkle very
lightly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake the same way as the above recipe. When the pizza
has about 1 minute left place 1 anchovy filet across each slice of tomato.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8000 feet the only adjustment necessary for both of these recipes is to
reduce the proofing time by 1/2 hour. Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third
the amount shown here, two-thirds at 5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale
similarly every additional 2,500 feet.

Focaccia
_______________________________________
Focaccia - is it a trendy, fashionable recent arrival on the artisan bread scene or has it been lying
dormant since ancient history? The truth of the matter is that this bread is as old as recorded
history. The name Focaccia is a derivative of a Latin word meaning hearth. Before ovens became
common, this flat bread was baked on a hot stone under a mound of hot ashes, sort of an ancient
hearth.
The tastiest ingredients available at whatever time of year were incorporated into this rustic flat
bread. Bakers with a lot of imagination over the years have elevated this bread to its present
status. If you search enough books on the subject you will find recipes for focaccia with olives,
with cheese, with sea salt, from all different regions of Italy, and on and on. The recipe that
follows is my personal favorite.
_______________________________________
Aromatic Focaccia
To obtain the best results there are two items that require special attention. The first is the flour to
be used. “High gluten” flour will give the best results for this bread, though reasonable results
can be achieved by using “bread flour”; but I would not use a general all purpose flour. You
should strive to use a flour that is as close to 14% protein as possible, do not use flour that is
under 12% or you may not be satisfied with the results.
Herbs are the second item for special attention.

Basil, thyme and rosemary are the three aromatic
herbs that are used in baking this bread. Try to
use fresh herbs if at all possible, though you can
use dried thyme and rosemary if fresh is not
available. Do not substitute dried basil for fresh
in this recipe, you will not be happy with the
results.
Total ingredients:
• 6 Tblsp. olive oil • 7 cups high gluten flour

• 1 large onion, diced fine • 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to room
• 2 large cloves of garlic, mashed temperature
• 1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper • 1 1/2 cups cool water
• 1 Tblsp. chopped fresh (or dried) thyme • 1 Tblsp. salt

• 2 Tblsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tblsp. if • 1 pkg. instant dry yeast

dried • 1 1/2 Tblsp. coarse salt, kosher or sea salt
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves 2 Tblsp. coarse grind corn meal
Step One: Sauté
Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in medium sauté pan, add finely diced onion and mashed
garlic. Cook over medium heat till onions become translucent. Shut off heat and add basil,
thyme, rosemary and coarse ground pepper. Toss well and let stand 5 minutes.
In the mixer bowl put contents of the sauté pan, then add the cool water and scalded milk.
Mixture should be warm, but not hot. Add flour, yeast, regular salt. Mix at low speed for
three minutes, then increase speed slightly for another 5 minutes. Turn out onto floured
board and knead for another 5 minutes. Add flour as needed to achieve a smooth, supple,
elastic dough. Cover dough with a bowl and let rest for five minutes. Finish kneading and
form into a tight smooth ball.
Step Three: Retarding
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator
overnight. Make sure when you place dough in bowl to turn once so you will have a slight
coat of oil on the top.
Step Four: Pan, Proof and Bake
Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Using your fingers deflate dough while stretching
the dough on the board to a length and width that approximates the size of a sheet pan
(17”x13”). Sprinkle coarse ground cornmeal on bottom of sheet and lift dough onto the pan.
Stretch dough till pan is evenly covered. Make sure dough is into all corners and is as level
as possible. Cover with several kitchen towels and proof for about 2 1/2 hours. Brush top of
dough with pastry brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Dampen your first
three fingers with olive oil and dimple dough in even rows. Push hard enough while making
dimples to feel the bottom of the pan, being careful not to tear the dough. Sprinkle with the
coarse salt and place in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes You might slip the
dough out of the pan and onto the oven rack the last five minutes of baking to even the
browning. Place on cooling rack until room temperature is reached
Notice the short rest the dough is given while kneading. This technique is desirable on most
bread dough, and you will notice a distinct difference in the feel of the dough when you come
back to it after the rest. Also the slowing down of the first rise by retarding it in the refrigerator
overnight has a positive effect on the texture and flavor of the bread. This retarding technique is
not used on sweet dough's.

The pan of focaccia that was just made will yield a loaf weighing close to 4 lbs. It will cut into
12 generous portions for sandwiches, bread service, or the best bruschetta that you ever had. You
can individually wrap and freeze this bread by the portion, or cut in half or quarter the loaf,
freezing whatever you wish. Serving this bread cut into strips to be dunked in either plain or
flavored extra virgin olive oil for an appetizer course will also work very nicely.
Grilled Portabella on Focaccia
Here is an idea for a great sandwich. Marinate a whole Portabella mushroom at least 30
minutes in olive oil and some fresh herbs of your choice. Broil the mushroom until done. Split
one of the 12 portions of focaccia, brush lightly with olive oil and brown under broiler until
golden brown. Spread a little sundried tomato mayonnaise lightly on both sides of the focaccia.
Build the sandwich as follows, put mushroom on the bun, top with a nice piece of roasted red
pepper, top that with 2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, top that with a nice handful of fresh
Arugula tossed in a vinaigrette, put lid on and mangia.
Altitude adjustments: There is no need to adjust this recipe for high altitude.

Fields of Green
_______________________________________
The rites of spring are many and repeated throughout the country: the
Easter shopping spree, the Maypole dance, sighting the first robin,
shucking that heavy winter coat for a sweater, to name a few. This morning
as I was cleaning out the last of the Rapini from my winter greenhouse, I
looked out the window and noticed the first greening of the land, delicate
and barely perceptible. I walked out the front door and looked in the
mulched flowerbed and there it was - my harbinger of spring. Bane of
gardeners everywhere, the major pest of the perfect lawn, but the delight of
foragers across the country - the dandelion.
As a youngster, it was our dad's favorite walk in the country. He had a

perfectly manicured garden every summer with not a weed in sight, but he
dearly loved to forage in the early spring for dandelions and cress. Most
often he took my brother Raymond with him because this was hard work,
bending and digging up the plant with a bit of the root attached. You never
just cut the leaves because they would wilt before you could deal with
them. Occasionally he would let me accompany him, and that was always a
very special day for me. We would leave early in the morning while it was
still cool and the grasses dewy. We wore boots and sweaters which we
would peel off as the sun warmed us. The object wasn't just greens for Guiliamo (Bill) Zara
(1921-1995)
dinner, it was baskets and baskets of greens because we knew that they Picture: 1951
would only be pickable for about a week or two. Once the yellow flower
blossomed, the greens were too tough and strong to eat. We picked the young greens not just for
our household, but for my sister, aunts, and neighbors.
We always drove out of town awhile to find the most pristine meadow he judged suitable. This
would be land where there were no horses or cows grazing and hopefully away from well
traveled roads and auto exhaust.
We picked the dandelions first, then as the sun got warmer, we headed off to the streams to
search for the cress that grew on the banks. After hours of this, we headed home to face several
hours of cleaning and washing and rewashing the harvest. What we didn't divide up among our
relatives and friends, our Mom would either set aside for us to eat as salad or would cook and
freeze.
It was our oldest brother Bill, however, who would wait for the fresh dandelion salads. He was a
big man, over 6 feet and a good 200 lbs. He never developed the love of the outdoors or any of

©1998 C Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
the activities associated with the harvest. He would rather put on a beautiful suit and fresh white
French-cuffed shirt and take his girl dancing. But he did love eating those greens! He could make
a meal out of it. We could never talk him into foraging with us, but at least he would help deliver
them to family and neighbors, and then come home to eat them in unforgettable quantities.
While there are many wild greens that are edible, dandelions are universal. Other than in the
most arid desert, they are found in every region of our country, perhaps even the world. Just
remember to pick them young, before the yellow bloom appears and to forage in the least
traveled area (whether by man or beast).
______________________________________
Fresh Dandelion Salad
This will serve one very big eater or two normal

diners
• Four cups well washed and coarsely chopped

dandelions greens (roots cut off)
• Two four-minute boiled eggs
• Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Place greens in serving bowls. Toss with enough

vinaigrette to dress the greens but don't swamp them.
Top with peeled eggs and serve with a chunk of crusty
bread.
Salad Vinaigrette
Root is shown as cut when harvested.
Root is cut off later just before use.
Makes approximately 2/3 cup
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I love oil from Tuscany for its peppery flavor)
• 3 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 large peeled and smashed garlic clove
• Freshly ground pepper
Put all ingredients into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well
and let steep at least an hour before use. This will keep under

refrigeration for a week. Bring to room temperature before using. You may wish to add a sprig or
two of fresh herbs as available. Occasionally substituting fresh squeezed lemon juice for the
vinegar makes a pleasant dressing, especially in the summer.
Cooked Dandelion Greens
Cut the roots from the greens and discard. Wash well in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to
a full boil and put the greens into the water by the handful. Bring water quickly back to the boil
and cook just until wilted, two or three minutes. Drain and run cold water over to stop the
cooking. Squeeze as much moisture out as possible. At this point you may wrap well in plastic
wrap and freeze for future use, 8 to 10 ounces per package is a useful size.
These greens may be used as a substitute for spinach or Swiss chard in any number of recipes,
from ravioli or lasagna fillings to a simple sauté in olive oil with garlic as a side dish.
Altitude Adjustments: At 8000 feet it takes 5 minutes to make a 4 minute egg!

Homemade Pasta Then and Now
_______________________________________
I began my education in pasta making while in the third grade at the Purification BVM grade
school in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. It was at this time that my mother volunteered my
services to the local parish priest to serve as an altar boy. Little did I know that I was to serve
the 6:45 a.m. Mass every day for the next three years! She would wake me about 5:00 a.m.,
make sure I was dressed properly, feed me some breakfast, and take me by the hand to walk
approximately 1 mile to the church. We followed this routine, rain
or shine, daily for the better part of three years.
Everybody in the family looked forward to Sundays because that

was pasta day in our home. More often than not the pasta was
homemade by Mom. I guess it was because I was such a good boy
to serve all the Masses that she actually let me help in making the
pasta on Sunday mornings. Looking back, I realize this was quite a
reward because nobody ever dared to invade Mom's kitchen. She
would let me knead the dough, turn the crank handle on the pasta
roller/cutter machine, and even let me hang to dry some of the
finished product. Pasta for ravioli, lasagna, spaghetti, linguine and
angel hair were homemade. Shaped pastas such as rigatoni, bow
ties, ziti, and fusilli were purchased from our local Italian market.
Many years later, while enrolled at Duquesne University in

Pittsburgh, I made my first trip through the cafeteria line. You have
to understand that this was my first experience living away from
home. Wednesday, not Sunday, was pasta day and it was one of the Raymond Zara (1938- )
Picture: 1947
first lessons I learned at college. I can remember it like it was
yesterday, looking down the food line and seeing a huge tray of
spaghetti and meatballs. I thought to myself, life is not going to be too bad here, they have
spaghetti and meatballs. After having my plate filled, I quickly sat at a table anticipating the
same pleasure I enjoyed so many times at home. Needless to say, what I got was a plate of
overcooked, mushy, starchy pasta coated with the most horrible sauce that I have ever eaten.

The meatballs were no better, tasting like they were loaded with sawdust. I knew at once not
to do this again, and further thought, if mom were here she could teach the graduate program
in pasta making.

_______________________________________
Homemade Pasta
Total ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups semolina flour

• 1 1/2 cups all Purpose flour
• 5 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
Step One: Blend Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl place the semolina flour, the all purpose flour, and the salt. Blend well.
Place contents of the bowl on work surface. Using your hands or a dough knife, form a
circle with a well large enough to hold all the eggs comfortably in the middle. Add the
five large eggs in the center of the well. Using a fork lightly beat the eggs and
incorporate the flour mixture slowly, working around the circle. When the mixture
thickens to the point the fork becomes useless, use a dough knife (dough scraper) to keep
inverting the mixture until the eggs are absorbed. Use your hands to bring mixture
together as a rough dough. Knead vigorously till the dough becomes somewhat smooth.
Cover with a bowl and let rest for 5 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is smooth.
Form into a log about 3 inches round. The dough at this point should weigh about 1 lb. 8
ounces. The color of the dough should look like a golden field of wheat ready to be
harvested, and the dough should be very dense. This is totally unlike bread dough and
should feel only moist enough to stay together. It should be stiff and dense.
Step Three: Rolling and Cutting
...By Hand:
For this size recipe you can cut the log in half and with the palm of your hand flatten one
of the pieces as flat as you can and shape into a rectangle, while keeping the other half
under a bowl to keep it moist. Use a heavy rolling pin to roll and shape the rectangle
until you get the desired thickness of the pasta. Take the short side of the rectangle and
fold it over about 2 inches. Repeat the folding process until the rectangle is completely
folded over. Using the knuckles of one hand as a guide and a sharp dough knife or chef
knife cut cross ways until the whole fold is cut. Repeat the process with the other piece of

dough. This will result in extra long strands of pasta. If you want the pasta a little shorter
you can fold the rectangle from the long side and the result will be a little shorter strand.
Though my mom had a hand cranked roller and cutter, she used this method from time to
time. The drawback of this method is that you can end up with uneven pasta. With
practice you can get a uniform thickness and an even cut, and do it faster than if you use
a pasta roller/cutter.
...By Machine:
A pasta roller/cutter machine will produce a pasta of even width and thickness and let
you quickly cut it to whatever length you desire. To use this machine simply cut about
1/8th of the log, then use the palm of your hand to flatten it on a lightly floured board. Set
the machine on the
thickest setting
and crank the
dough through.
Set this strip on
the table and
repeat with two
additional cuts.
Set the machine to
the next thinner
setting and crank
all three strips
through. Repeat
the process, setting
the machine to the
next setting until
you reach the
thickness you
want. Place the
cutter on the frame
and insert the
handle, or motor if
you have one, and cut the three processed strips to the width you want. This size recipe
should be done in 8 strips.
Step four: Drying the Pasta
As each strip of pasta is cut, lightly sprinkle some flour over it and spread some on your
work surface where you will place the cut pasta; or hang the cut pasta over a clean
broom stick straddled between two chairs. When drying pasta on a work surface use your

fingers to swirl each handful of cut pasta into a random pattern - trying to lay them out
as straight strands will generally cause them to stick together where they overlap. In an
hour or two the dried weight of the pasta will be about 1 lb. 5 oz. At this point you can
proceed to cooking, or for later use, loosely place the pasta in a large brown bag and
store in a cool, dry (not the refrigerator) spot.
Step five: Cooking the Pasta
In a large pot, bring to a boil at least 1 gallon of salted water. Place the pasta in the
boiling water and stir constantly until you achieve the al dente (to the teeth) degree that
you desire. Drain cooked pasta in a large colander, sauce, and serve immediately. The
cooked weight of the pasta should be 2 lb. 10 oz. Depending on serving size, you should
serve four to five.
_______________________________________
Pasta made the old way by our family only had one basic change. Semolina flour was not
readily available years ago and the pasta was made entirely of regular all purpose flour. This
made it necessary to rinse the pasta after draining it in the colander because of the higher
starch content of the flour. Keep this in mind if for any reason you choose to make paste
without semolina.
Notice the absence of water in both the old and new pasta recipes. The enemy of a great pasta
is water. If you are using an automatic pasta machine that extrudes the pasta by the addition
of water, you are wasting your time and effort. You might as well go to the grocery store and
buy boxed pasta because that is how they make it. My advice to you if you have one of these
machines is to get rid of it, because cut pasta is far superior to extruded. The pasta
roller/cutter machines are only a fraction of the cost of an automatic extruder type pasta
machine. They are available at any good kitchen supply house and through a variety of mail
order catalogs.
My sister and I have several pasta roller/cutter machines equipped with catalog-bought, add-
on motors. When we make a large batch of pasta we set one machine up to roll, the other to
cut. In our particular circumstance the savings in time and effort warrant the investment.
Making a big batch of homemade pasta can be a very rewarding family-day weekend project.
I guarantee it will give you a whole new outlook on how good pasta can really be. As your
proficiency increases you can begin to make a few stuffed shapes as well, such as tortellini
and cappelletti.

Altitude Adjustment: The cooking time for pasta requires some adjustment. At 8,000 ft.
water boils at 196 degrees, requiring a slightly longer cooking time. The boiling point of
water at sea level is 212 degrees resulting in the shortest cooking time. Contrary to popular
myth, a pressure cooker should never be used to cook pasta at any altitude.

Polenta
_______________________________________
Until the late 1970's I refused to eat in an Italian

restaurant. The few times that we had tried, we
were faced with the standard mushy spaghetti,
tasteless meatballs, and the ever-present pizza. It
was much better to eat "Italian" at home. But
several things happened in the 70's. First, the
public became much more sophisticated in their
taste for foods of other countries. As a result,
chefs across the country responded by
presenting well researched, well cooked ethnic
food. Secondly, we all became much more
aware of proper diet and good nutrition. It
seemed like overnight we were bombarded with
the blessings of a Mediterranean diet based on
grains, fruits and vegetables, with small
amounts of protein in the form of fish, poultry
and meat. This information continues to develop
today even to the point where the traditional
food pyramid we all learned in school has been
rearranged to put grains at the top.
Ediberta (Bertha) Zara nee Buzzelli (1903-1972)
Pietro (Pete) Zara (1895-1972)
Our parents were not particularly learned about
Mama and Papa: 1922
nutrition, but rather had an intuitive
understanding of a well-balanced diet. That,
combined with the basic frugal nature of our household, led us to eat in a fashion that is now
considered "healthy".
It wasn't until I moved away from home that I realized that mama had several old standbys for
when the dollar was short. None of us kids ever felt shortchanged at the table. The food was
plentiful and delicious and, although we didn't know it at the time, also healthy. In addition to
those benefits, it was often cheap because of the use of lots of pasta, grains, and vegetables. You
can't get much better than that.
The first time I spotted polenta on a San Francisco menu in the ‘70s, where my husband and I
lived for 25 years, I was elated. This was definitely one of Mom's standbys and one of my
"comfort" foods. I never imagined that I'd see it in a fashionable big city restaurant. Then I took a
look at the price and couldn't believe my eyes. For that whopping $8.95 I could cook up enough
polenta to serve an army. But it was now "discovered" along with a satisfying range of other

authentic Italian food. And so, while we did occasionally pay to eat in upscale fine Italian
restaurants, I still cooked my polenta at home.
In Italy it is the northern region of Lombardy where polenta is the most popular. The Etruscans
passed it to the Romans in central Italy, but since the Etruscan influence was barely felt in the
northern regions it was most likely introduced there by the Romans. According to Waverley Root
in his book "The Foods of Italy" Lombardy grows much maize which has proved ideal for
polenta. It is so important to that region that every properly equipped kitchen owns a special
copper pot reserved solely for the making of polenta.
Polenta is truly rustic food at its best. A cupful or two added to boiling water or stock and
finished with a pat of butter, a handful of grated Parmesan and topped with a ladle of homemade
tomato sauce will feed four deliciously. Make twice as much and pour the extra into a well-oiled
loaf pan and chill overnight. Now you can unmold and slice it, slide the slices into a frying pan
with some melted butter and serve for breakfast with maple syrup. You could also slice it, brush
it with olive oil and grill it for a side dish with grilled meats for dinner. Wonderfully versatile,
you can trick this humble dish into all sorts of presentations limited only by your imagination.
Sausage or game added to a tomato sauce is superb with hot soft polenta. Sautéed wild
mushroom are a quick and easy addition to tomato sauce if you do not wish to add meat. The
meat juices from a roast can be spooned over grilled sliced polenta as a side dish. Rosemary or
sage-infused oils add yet another dimension.
When mama made this years ago she always used plain water as the cooking medium. Over the
years I have experimented and found that a light chicken stock makes a delicious variation,
giving the final outcome a kick of flavor. This is one of the few times that you really do not need
to use a rich homemade stock. I often use a low-salt canned chicken stock diluted with water and
it works just fine.
A word on the grain itself. I have read recipes that claim you can use regular cornmeal. If you
substitute cornmeal for actual polenta you will have grits or porridge or mush, but not polenta.
Every Italian grocery or deli, and some natural food stores that carry a supply of bulk grains, will
have polenta. It should be coarse in texture and a deep golden color. The "instant" polenta is not
worth the extra money. It cuts down the cooking time by a few minutes but has no other
advantage and is much more expensive than bulk grain.
Finally let's talk about serving methods. You can of course serve in individual shallow bowls, or
family style in a large lipped platter. But the most fun is the "table" method. You must have an
immaculately clean wooden table. You pour the hot polenta in a circle in the middle and by the
time you've topped it with the sauce and called everyone to dinner it has set enough. Each person
marks off their wedge and eats. Mama always put a few meatballs at the center to reward the
fastest eaters. I wouldn't recommend this method when entertaining the boss, but it is great for
family and friends. Mangia!
______________________________________

Soft Polenta
To serve four generously:
• 2 cups polenta
• 8 cups boiling liquid, half chicken stock and half water
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 Tblsp. butter
Use a large heavy bottomed pot. Add salt to boiling liquid. Pour the dry polenta in a slow steady
stream into the boiling liquid, stirring with a wooden spoon the entire time. Turn heat to medium
to reach a slow boil. Continue stirring, reaching all parts of the sides and bottom of the pan. The
polenta will gradually thicken and requires constant stirring (very important). Cook 15 to 20
minutes in this fashion until the polenta is thick. Turn heat off, add butter and Parmesan, give a
final stir to incorporate and serve immediately topped with sauce of your choosing.
Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft. water boils at 196 degrees, requiring a slightly longer cooking time; and
more like 10 cups of liquid is needed.

Spaghetti Sauce - Red and Marinara

_______________________________________
Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, salsinna, gravy, plus I don’t know how many more names refer
to the magical red stuff that accompanies traditional pasta dishes. How to make it and what is
correct and what is incorrect has been debated among pasta lovers for centuries. It is safe to say
there is no right and wrong as long as the sauce has a tomato base. Although there are many
ways to sauce a dish of pasta, the traditional red sauce is the most popular and the most
controversial.
Let me begin by saying that when I make a batch of spaghetti sauce, I make a big batch. I will
use what is needed the day that it is made and put the rest up in multiple freezer containers. I
usually put enough in the freezer to prepare 3 to 4 meals for 4 diners each.
In years gone by, my mother made the proper amount of meatballs in proportion to the amount
of sauce. She browned the meatballs in an old black iron skillet and finished them in the sauce.
The sauce she made was excellent, however
the fats from the cooking meatballs were
infused into the sauce. Some families did not
brown the meatballs, preferring instead to put
them into the sauce directly. This also resulted
in a high fat sauce but produced a softer
meatball. I prefer to do neither of the above. I
make meatballs in large batches, cook them off
in the oven, cool them on a wire rack so as
much fat as possible drips off, and then bag
them in portions that are frozen for use at a
later date. Armed with sauce in the freezer and
meatballs in the freezer a nice spaghetti dinner
can become a rather simple chore.
Color, viscosity and flavor are the three important goals to accomplish in order to make a
superior spaghetti sauce. Three items that are very popular in many sauce recipes are sugar,
wine and tomato paste. I use none of these in my sauce recipe. Sugar will slightly darken the
sauce as it caramelizes during the cooking process. Using a good grade of tomatoes with the
proper blend of vegetables and herbs makes the artificial use of sugar in the sauce unnecessary.
Spaghetti sauce that is cooked properly will not need to be thickened by using tomato paste,
which has a bitter, pungent taste. While I enjoy wine with spaghetti, I prefer it in a glass, not in
the sauce. The tannin in red wine will darken the sauce considerably. The addition of a small
amount of a dry white wine is an option that you can take if you feel that the finished sauce
needs it.

One of the kitchen implements that I use to prepare my spaghetti sauce is a food mill. For those
of you who do not have this kitchen tool, I will give instructions on how to make the same
sauce using a food processor. The advantage of the food mill is that it removes the fibrous
membranes from vegetables as they pass through. It is also faster and less messy than dealing
with the food processor.
_______________________________________

Raymond's Spaghetti Sauce (Approx 4-5 qts.)
Total ingredients:
• 6 Tblsp. olive oil • 1 lb. beef shortribs

• 2 medium onions, quartered • 20 whole bay leaves
• 9 cloves garlic, whole • 1 #10 can whole tomatoes ( 6 Lbs. 6 oz. size)
• 2 stalks celery, cut in half • 1 can crushed tomatoes (1 Lb. 12 oz. size)
• 2 medium carrots, cut in half • 2 cans Hunts tomato sauce (1 Lb. 13 oz. size)
• 1 tsp. salt
Step One: Sauté
Place the first five ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pan, 8 quart capacity or larger.
Sauté over medium heat until the meat is lightly browned and the vegetables begin to
soften.
Step Two: First Simmer
Add the bay leaves, the # 10 can of whole tomatoes and the can of crushed tomatoes. Bring
to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a medium simmer. Stir frequently and hold simmer for
2 hours.
Step Three: Second Simmer
Add the two cans of Hunts tomato sauce and the salt. Without changing the heat source
bring back to a simmer and hold for another hour. Commercial tomato sauces are all
spiced differently. I specify Hunts because their flavor is an integral part of the sauce we
are making.
Step Four: Pass Through the Food Mill
Remove the short ribs from the cooked sauce and while the sauce is still hot place your
food mill over another sauce pan. Fill the food mill with the cooked sauce and crank the
mill clockwise and counterclockwise until the mill is empty. Keep repeating this process
until all the sauce has been passed though the mill. You will notice at this point a
substantial amount of fibrous material clinging to the bottom of the mill plate. You do not
want this in the sauce. The short ribs becomes the “cook’s lunch.”
Using a food processor

Step One: Puree the Vegetables
With the blade attachment, puree the onions, carrots, garlic and celery.
Step Two: Sauté Vegetables and Short Ribs
Place the vegetables in a large sauce pot and add the short ribs, sauté until ribs are
browned.

Step Three: Process Whole Tomatoes
With the blade attachment in, load the processor with whole tomatoes and pulse very
lightly. Take great care that you don’t over process the whole tomatoes. All that is necessary
is a couple of pops on the pulse button. If you notice a change in color of the tomatoes you
have over done them. Continue processing until you have all the tomatoes done. Place the
tomatoes into the sauce pot including all the juice from the can.
Step Four: First Simmer
Wrap the bay leaves in cheesecloth forming a small garni bag, add the can of crushed
tomatoes and bring mixture to a medium simmer. Hold simmer for 2 hours stirring often.
Step Five: Second Simmer
After two hours add the two cans of Hunts tomato sauce and the salt. Again, Hunts is
spiced for the flavor we are looking for in this sauce. Let the sauce return to a simmer and
let cook for another hour. Remove the short ribs and the garni bag containing the bay
leaves. The sauce is now ready to serve
Marinara Sauce
While we are on the subject of red sauces, we might as well cover another all time standard
called “Marinara Sauce”. The name is loosely translated as the sauce of the mariners. It is a
meatless sauce that was used extensively on sailing ships before the advent of refrigeration. The
absence of meat and the simplicity of the sauce was especially appealing to the cooks on board
because the high acid content of the sauce and the lack of fat resulted in a sauce that resisted
spoiling.
The marinara sauce that we will be making here is a very light sauce. It cooks for a short time
because little reduction is needed. Reduction is accomplished in the pan depending on what
application you want to use it for. I use this sauce as a basic mother red sauce and its uses range
from saucing a dish of angel hair to deglazing a sauté pan with Madeira wine. When using
madeira wine to deglaze a sauté pan, a tablespoon or two of this sauce adds a nice touch to the
end result. Reduction is also accomplished in the pan when making dishes such as shrimp
marinara or mussels marinara. One fault I have found with a lot of cookbook recipes for this
classic sauce is that they become too complex. The beauty of this sauce is its simplicity. Our
goal is to make a sauce where the natural taste of good tomatoes is the dominant taste. The
classic marinara is made with the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes. Lacking these, an

acceptable marinara may be made using canned tomatoes, but it will not approach the “taste of
summer” as if made with fresh.

Raymond’s Marinara sauce
Total ingredients:
• 5 Lbs. vine ripened fresh tomatoes or 1 No. 10 can whole tomatoes (6Lbs. 6 oz. size)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 9 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tblsp. salt
Step One: Prepare Tomatoes
If fresh, finely chop in processor or by hand. If canned, pass the tomatoes through a food
mill or gently pulse them until coarsely chopped in food processor.
Step Two: Prepare Oil and Garlic
Put the olive oil and mashed garlic in heavy bottomed sauce pan and sauté lightly. Do not
burn garlic or it will be bitter.
Step Three: Add Tomatoes
Add tomatoes and juices to the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Slowly simmer for ten
minutes.
Step Four: Finish
Add chopped basil and salt. Stir well and remove from heat source. Let steep for 15
minutes.
This sauce will freeze well and will keep for at least a week under refrigeration. It is a study in
simplicity and doubles not only as a mother red sauce, but also as a tasty sauce for pastas and
marinara type dishes.
Altitude adjustments: Add 20 minutes cooking time at 8,000 feet.

Ravioli and Lasagna

_______________________________________
A plate of homemade spaghetti and sauce is a delightful meal,

but take it a step further and add a filling and you have a truly
special dinner, appropriate for any celebratory occasion.
Every Sunday in our home was homemade pasta day. Enough

was always made so that there would be leftovers for my father's
lunch for the next two days. This was a given because he simply
could not get through a week without pasta being on his plate at
least two or three times. The usual was simply spaghetti, but
when there was a little extra time on Saturdays, or if a visitor
was coming, my mother would make up the filling for lasagna
or ravioli. The filling was the same for both. It was what she
Sister Gloria DeTullio nee Zara
learned as a girl and what my father preferred above all the
(1923-1995) Picture: 1944
variations with which one can fill pasta. Whether it ended up
being served as lasagna or ravioli depended on the amount of
time available and the "specialness" of the occasion.
Mom's way of making ravioli was "big". The bigger the better! My much-older sister, Gloria,
never changed Mom's recipe for lasagna or the filling used in both, but she definitely improved
the ravioli!. They got smaller, more delicate, more refined. Dad preferred the "bigger is better"
type, three to a plate and you were full. I preferred the smaller, more delicate version my sister
made, and I still make them this way today. What size you make them and what shape depends
only on you and your patience. It was my sister that taught me the patience to make cappelletti.
These are made from the same pasta and filling, but are formed differently, ending up resembling
little peaked hats, which is what cappelletti means in Italian. . We would spend hours wrapping
the homemade filled pasta around our little fingers, chatting and laughing. In the future we hope
to explore other various shapes of filled pasta, including tortellini.
The recipe for the filling that follows is not the only authentic Italian recipe. If you are a student
of gastronomy you will know that each region of Italy has its own specialties for filled pasta.
They range from alla genovese with veal, sweetbreads and brains to ravioli di San Giuseppe
which are stuffed with marmalade or marzipan! Along the seacoast you will find fillings utilizing
seafood and then there are ravioli magri which are strictly vegetable fillings. Let's not forget con
formaggio which is strictly cheese. When the four of us kids left home we all experimented -
trying other fillings and enjoyed many of them. But when we want to put forth our best we
always fall back on mama's recipe.
Family Secrets #011- Originally Published 06/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

If you choose to make this into lasagna, invest in a good looking, proper size lasagna dish. To
serve six you will need a rectangular dish about 3 inches deep by 14 inches long by 10 inches
wide. I prefer a plain white ceramic dish that can go from oven to table but a heavy duty stainless
pan works quite well if you plan to plate the food and not bring the pan to the table.
If you are making ravioli you have two reasonable options. You may purchase a ravioli mold at
any decent cookware store or you may form them by hand. The mold is a two part metal affair, is
relatively inexpensive, and will result in very uniform ravioli. I find them more bother than they
are worth and prefer to make them by hand. For this method you will need a crimper, which is
simply a small serrated wheel with a handle, to seal the packets. The slight irregularity that
results from forming each individually only adds to the charm of the finished product. In either
case you will want to roll your pasta as thin as possible without tearing it, both for lasagna and
ravioli. Getting it this thin is worth the effort, resulting in an ethereally light lasagna or
wonderfully delicate ravioli, something I have yet to find in any restaurant.
For saucing, the lasagna requires a homemade tomato sauce (see Family Secrets #10). Ravioli
may also be served with this same sauce, which is the only way we ate it at home, or you can
substitute anything from a brown butter/sage sauce to an herb infused cream sauce, or even serve
them in brodo which is in a light chicken broth.
A note on the cooked greens called for in the recipe. Originally this recipe used only fresh
spinach, but if we had Swiss chard, or even dandelion greens available we used those. I have also
used fresh rapini for an extremely interesting variation. In any case, whatever greens you choose
they must be first cooked in boiling water, squeezed as dry as possible, and finely chopped.
Naturally each different green will give you a slightly different flavor. The spinach is the most
delicate, the chard is earthier, the dandelion is slightly bitter, and the rapini is slightly spicy. In an
absolute pinch you can use commercially frozen greens, but after going through the trouble of
homemade pasta and sauce, this seems a bad choice. It's much better to cook and freeze your
own greens when they are plentiful and have them available.
Both of these dishes lend themselves very well to advance preparation. I actually prefer to make
the ravioli a day ahead and freeze them. They are much easier to handle when cooking and only
add a minute or two to the final cooking time. The lasagna can also be made ahead and frozen if
you wish to hold it more than two days. If you are going to serve it within that time you can
simply refrigerate it. In addition to being elegant and delicious fare, you have the added
advantage of very little last minute cooking. You might serve individual antipasto plates for a
first course or simply a green salad and finish with fruit and cheese for a very Italian meal.
_____________________________
Lasagna and Ravioli Filling
Serves lasagna for six or makes approximately 50 small

ravioli (serving six at 8 per serving)
• 1 -1/4 lb. lean ground beef

• 8 to 10 oz. chopped cooked greens of your choice

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (please use Reggiano)
• 1 Tblsp. finely minced fresh oregano, or 1 tsp. dried
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• olive oil
Film a large sauté pan with olive oil. Over medium heat, add the chopped onion and sauté until
limp but not brown, four or five minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Crumble the beef
into the pan and sauté until cooked and no red is visible. Turn heat to high and boil away as
much of the liquid thrown off by the beef as you are able to in 5 minutes. Turn into a strainer and
discard all fat and any liquid left. Return meat mixture to sauté pan and add the chopped greens,
parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss and stir until well combined and heated through, 3 or 4
minutes. Turn into a bowl to cool slightly. Add egg and cheese and mix well. Cover and chill at
least one hour. May be made one day ahead.
Lasagna
• Large pot of boiling, salted water, at least 8 qt. capacity

• Large bowl of iced water
• 3 cups homemade tomato sauce
• Homemade pasta using the recipe in Family Secrets #8 - with 5 eggs and 3 cups of flour. This
amount will give you plenty of leftover trimmings for the cook's lunch.
Roll pasta (Family Secrets #8) as thin and as wide as possible, but at least two inches in width.
Roll three pasta strips, drop them into the boiling water and cook until pliable, one to two
minutes only. Immediately remove with tongs and drop into iced water. Remove from iced water
and place on paper towels and pat dry. Film the bottom of the lasagna pan with tomato sauce,
place a single layer of pasta on the sauce, trimming the pasta to fit the pan. Save the trimmings
for lunch! Using a fork and spoon, or your very clean hands, pat a thin layer of filling over the
pasta. Roll out three more pasta strips. Cook as above, cool in ice water as above and place over
the filling. Do Not add more tomato sauce. Layer pasta and filling until you have three layers of
filling. Top with a final layer of pasta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to
cook.
Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking. Spread remainder of sauce on top. Grate a
little Parmesan over this. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, put the lid on if you have one or cover
tightly with tin foil if you don't. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and
plastic and let sit 5 minutes. Cut and plate.
Ravioli (by hand)
Roll pasta at least two inches wide and as thin as possible. Work with one strip at a time unless
you have help. With the strip of pasta in front of you, working from one end, place a heaping
teaspoon of filling about an inch up, flip the end over, press with your fingers, and run the
crimper around it to seal completely. You should have a shape that looks like a half circle - not
square. Place each ravioli side-by-side, not stacked, on a sheet pan lined with waxed or
parchment paper. As the pan fills, place it in the freezer, unwrapped. Continue until all pasta
and/or filling is used. The ravioli will freeze solid in about 20 minutes. Remove them from the
sheet pan and bag them in plastic bags of a size to suit you. I like them ten to bag so I always
know what I have.
If you have a large (14" at least) straight sided pan at least 4 inches deep, it would be perfect.
You can cook about 15 or 20 at a time this way. If not, use large stock pot filled about 2/3 with
water. In either case, bring to a full boil and salt. Heat the sauce that you choose to use. Drop
the frozen ravioli in the salted boiling water, bring back to a boil as quickly as possible, turn
heat down and keep at a low boil. Cook for four minutes and then test one. They should not take
more than four to six minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta. Remove with a slotted
spoon or skimmer, pat dry with a paper towel, sauce as you wish, and serve immediately. I prefer
to plate my ravioli so while I'm saucing and serving the first few dishes, the next batch is
cooking.
Altitude Adjustment: There is no change in the baking time of the lasagna. For boiling pasta, at
any altitude over 5000 feet you must be careful to use plenty of water at a full boil and bring it
back to a boil after dropping your pasta in as quickly as possible. Because this is homemade and
not dried store bought pasta, it will need only a minute or two additional cooking at high altitude.

Gnocchi
_______________________________________
Every culture has a dumpling somewhere in its cuisine. The

basic dumpling is nothing more than starch (flour, potatoes,
semolina, etc.) and water in the correct proportions and cooked
in any liquid from water to broth. Most dumplings are used as an
adjunct to the main dish, as in the great American chicken and
dumplings. In Italy, gnocchi (the Italian dumpling) are generally
served alone, replacing the pasta course. As part of a large or
more formal meal, you would follow this course with a meat and
vegetable plate, but in our home both when we were growing up
and yet today, they are so beloved that they are always the star
attraction, the main course of the meal.
While gnocchi have been enjoyed in Italy at least since the

Middle Ages, they take many different regional forms. Authentic
gnocchi may be made from potatoes, semolina, ricotta, and may
even be made green with spinach added to the dough. It just
depends what part of Italy you are from.
Picture: 1918. Clockwise from top left:
We grew up with potato gnocchi, although I do remember all the Filomena (Min) Buzzelli (1900-1996)
Renato (Ray) Buzzelli (1904-1980)
women in the family experimenting with ricotta replacing the Ediberta (Bertha) Buzzelli (1903-1972)
potatoes at some point. My father never acquired a taste for this Norma Buzzelli (1906-1975)
Mary Alice Buzzelli (1913-1987)
variation and neither did I. Some members of the family continue Elizabeth (Beth) Buzzelli (1910- )
to use this variation claiming it makes a lighter dumpling; but if
properly made, my experience is that potato gnocchi should and can be light and fluffy.
The beauty of this dish is that it is extremely versatile, taking happily to many variations of sauce. It is
also fairly quick to put together and cooks in minutes. Make the gnocchi hours before dinner, have your
salad chilling until time to dress it, and do a make ahead dessert like poached pears and you have not only
a delicious dinner made without opening a single can, but time to enjoy a glass of wine with your family
and friends before dinner.
When I say that these are quick to make, I will qualify that slightly. They are fast once you've had a little
practice with them and if you take to heart a few tricks that I'm about to offer. First to consider is the
potato. Do not use red or white skin potatoes or any of the fancy new varieties like Yukon Golds or
purples. Use plain old russets. Traditional recipes call for boiling the potatoes in their skins until tender,
but I get much better results baking them until thoroughly tender. Baking instead of boiling results in a
drier, fluffier potato needing less flour to hold together and making a light gnocchi. When each of us made
our very first batch alone with no helpful hints and a bare bones recipe, you usually ended up with the
distinct feeling that you had a load of lead sinkers in the pit of your stomach! But don't be deterred. With
the following recipe and these pointers your first batch should be as light as air.
The next consideration is equipment. Please use a ricer on the potatoes, not a masher and not the food
processor or blender or mixer. The ricer achieves the correct consistency to keep the final product light.
Lacking a ricer, a food mill will make an acceptable substitute. However a ricer is a relatively inexpensive
piece of kitchen gadgetry and one will last a lifetime.
Finally, consider the saucing possibilities. Growing up we always had them with a traditional tomato
sauce (see Family Secret #10). They were wonderful that way; but this dish lends itself to endless
possibilities. A few include pesto, especially nice in the summer when our gardens and markets are full of
fresh basil, or a Gorgonzola cream sauce which is rich and warming in the winter, or a simple butter and
fresh sage combination topped with a handful of grated Parmesan. Some of these sauce recipes will be
featured in upcoming Family Secrets.
_____________________________
Gnocchi
Serves four generously
• 2 lbs. russet baking potatoes

• 1 cup all purpose white flour
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. salt
Bake the potatoes until thoroughly cooked and tender. Allow to cool slightly until you can handle them.
Peel and put through a ricer while still slightly warm. Blend with 3/4 cup of the flour, setting aside
remainder of flour. Add slightly beaten egg and yolk and salt. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or your
hands to form a soft dough. Flour a wooden board lightly with some of remaining flour. Place the dough
on it and knead lightly and quickly, keeping the dough soft. Do not over knead. Add only enough of the
remaining flour to keep the dough from sticking.
Roll into sticks about 1 inch thick and 10 to 12 inches long. With a very sharp knife cut into 3/4 inch
pieces. Keeping your board and your hands lightly floured during this process will make it easier. While
the next step sounds complicated it simply takes a lot of words to explain, and after you do it a couple of
times you will accomplish it in a matter of five minutes. The object is to dent each gnocchi slightly so the
sauce will have a place to stick. You can accomplish this two different ways. The old way is to use your
thumb to very lightly roll each piece toward you exerting a slight pressure to indent it. I believe the easier
way is to use the back of the tines of a fork. Hold the fork with the back of the tines facing upward. Roll
each piece lightly down it, indenting them lightly with four-or-so tine ridges. Once you get the feeling for
this, it goes very quickly. Remember to keep your hands, the fork, and the board all lightly floured.
Place the finished gnocchi on a clean floured kitchen towel or floured waxed paper until ready to cook.
Using a six quart pot, fill 3/4 full, salt lightly and bring to a full boil. Drop in the gnocchi about 2 dozen
at a time and bring back to a slow boil. Once they float to the surface (a matter of 2 or 3 minutes) cook
for an additional 10 or 15 seconds, then lift out with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a serving

platter. Season with a bit of your sauce. Repeat the process until all are cooked. Finish saucing and serve
immediately.
Altitude Adjustment: Because water boils at a lower temperature at high altitudes, you must take care to
use plenty of water and bring it to a full hard boil before dropping in the gnocchi, and then getting it back
to a boil as quickly as possible. Over 5,000 ft will add a minute or two to the final cooking.
Pasta Primavera
_______________________________________
The past couple of weeks have been spent doing exactly what my mother did 50 years ago. The first
couple of weeks in June were spent doing exactly what my father did 50 years ago. In June he planted his
garden and in September she cooked, canned, froze and generally preserved the foods he grew. My
brother and I share the work and the joy of a large garden here in the mountains. Working outdoors is
peaceful and rewarding, and even therapeutic. For us it is a generational tie that reminds us where we
came from. The best gift I received all summer was when our daughter called from California to tell me
she planted her first garden. I like to think that she saw me do it so often and got such pleasure from it that
it was time for her to try. Even if she is unaware of it now, it will unconsciously remind her of her roots
every time she works in it or eats the food she grew.
While I could rhapsodize for pages about the joys of gardening, the truth is that at this time of year the
farmers' markets and grocery stores are full to overflowing with the harvest. If you don't have the time,
space, or inclination to garden it
really doesn't matter right now. A
wonderful variety of fruits and
vegetables are available for you to
enjoy.
Almost all the regions of Italy have

pasta recipes that are meatless and
based either on vegetables or herbs
for their sauce. Genoa has given us
the bright sunshiny pesto made
with fresh basil. Apulia has a
traditional broccoli and anchovy
sauce. Sicily's cuisine is abundant
with traditional pasta recipes
featuring eggplant, tomatoes,
peppers, olives and capers. But
nowhere in my research have I
come upon the term "primavera",
which translates to "springtime". I
believe this term may be the
invention of a creative and talented
Papa in his garden, summer of 1969, Elwood City, PA.
American chef. It was in California that I first encountered this dish, and so fell in love with the idea of it
that I began my own experimentation. It is a dish that allows your creativity free rein, and so adapts to any
season of the year when you can get fresh vegetables. Our daughter grew up with it, and no doubt thinks
of it as a "family secret", one which I'm proud that she includes in her repertoire.
Although the literal translation is springtime, late summer and early autumn, with its bountiful assortment
of vegetables, is my favorite time to make this dish. It seems I often have a handful of three or four kinds
of vegetables available, not enough for a full meal, but enough to combine with pasta to produce this
satisfying dish. You can enrich the following recipe by adding cream in place of the pasta water if you
want a richer dish, but our preference is without the cream, which seems to overwhelm the individual
flavors. You may also substitute (or add) whatever you have on hand, trying to keep the proportions
approximately the same. The choice of pasta shape is up to you, but a smaller shape such as penne seems
to complement the dish properly.
_______________________________________
Pasta Primavera
Serves four

• 1 lb. fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 2 leeks, white part only, sliced thinly or
1 bunch fresh scallions
• 1/2 head fresh fennel, thinly sliced
• 1//4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup summer squash or zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed
• 2 to 3 Tblsp. water in which pasta is cooked
• 12 oz. dried pasta, cooked al dente, drained
• Salt, pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Add the leeks and fennel and
sauté 3 or 4 minutes, until softened slightly. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add tomatoes and their
juices, and about 1/2 tsp. salt. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Do not cook
it down too much because the juices will help steam the remainder of the vegetables. Add the green beans,
cover, and cook four or five minutes. Add the broccoli, cover and cook another three minutes. Add the
summer squash and an additional 1/2 tsp. salt, toss well, cover and cook another three or four minutes, or
until all the vegetables are done to your taste. Chop the basil coarsely and add. Toss well and cook
another minute or two. Add the drained pasta and a little of the pasta water (or cream if you wish),
several grinds of fresh black pepper, and adjust salt if necessary. Toss over high heat for a minute to blend
flavors and serve at once, passing the Parmesan at the table.
If you like spicy food, a nice addition is a fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, finely diced. Add it at the
beginning with the fennel and leeks.

Chicken Cacciatora
_______________________________________
Winter comes early here in the mountains. On this first

snowy day my mind wanders back to a time many years
ago, seeing my father and brother stomping into the
house, shaking snow from their boots, game bags full of
rabbits, with an occasional squirrel or pheasant tucked
in. Our father was a hard working man who allowed
himself few pleasures outside of his family. Hunting was
one he looked forward to all year. Not being a hunter
myself, it was difficult for me to understand his pleasure
in the sport. I only understood it at the table. He did not
hunt for trophies. He loved the physical outdoorsman
part of the hunt, and the camaraderie with his partners,
but he mostly loved cooking and eating his catch. I'm
sure it reminded him of his early years in Italy when
hunting was not a sport but a requirement to survive.
Papa in the foreground, western Pennsylvania, fall 1924
The recipe that follows originated with the hunter, and Cacciatora translates as "in the style of the hunter".
When the hunt was over for the day the men would gather wild mushrooms and wild onions from the
forests. They might luck upon some wild fennel or other edible herb, and they would stew their catch with
these for their dinner. Ingredients would depend upon what part of the country in which they were located.
This is what makes regional cuisine. If you look in five different Italian cookbooks for "cacciatora" you
will find five different recipes. Though not many true sportsmen would shoot a chicken, the substitution
of chicken for rabbit works well; but if you are lucky enough to have some wild rabbits on hand, by all
means use them in place of the chicken. If, however, you must hunt your dinner at the supermarket, fear
not, for this dish adapts itself beautifully.
Whether you are cooking for four or eight, this is a wonderful dish for entertaining. It lends itself to
advance preparation, is expanded easily for feeding a crowd, and the leftovers reheat without drying out.
You can prep it in the morning and refrigerate it until the final cooking, leaving you free to enjoy your
company.
_______________________________________
Chicken Cacciatora
Serves four
• ¼ cup olive oil • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms of your choice

• 1 Tblsp. butter • 5 lbs. chicken parts

• 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes with their juice • ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 1 Tblsp. tomato paste or • 1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary
½ cup tomato sauce • 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup sliced green bell pepper • Flour
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper • Salt and pepper
• 1 cup sliced white onion

Preparing the chicken:
Cut the chicken into small pieces. A Chinese cleaver is ideal for this job. Each thigh should be halved.
Each breast half should be halved. Cut off the knuckle ends of the drumsticks and save them with the wing
tips for the stock pot. Soak the chicken in iced salt water (1 Tblsp. salt per 2 qt. water) for a minimum of
two hours, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, drain the chicken and pat dry on
paper towels.
Browning the chicken:
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over fairly high heat. Sprinkle the pieces of
chicken with salt and pepper, and very lightly flour, shaking off any excess. The flour will help dry the
chicken and will allow it to brown nicely. Work in batches to brown the pieces, not crowding them or they
will steam instead of brown. It should take 3 or 4 minutes per side. Remove with tongs and place in a non-
reactive roasting pan.
Assembling:
When all the pieces are nicely browned, turn heat down to medium and add sliced green and red peppers
and onions to pan. Cook, stirring only until slightly softened, three or four minutes. Remove with tongs
and add to chicken. Soften mushroom in sauté pan in the same manner. Add to the chicken. Mix the
chopped fresh tomatoes, with the tomato paste (or sauce), and add to chicken. Stir everything gently to
coat.
Finally chop the garlic, rosemary and parsley together. Sprinkle over the chicken, salt and pepper lightly.
May be prepared ahead to this point and covered tightly with foil (or roaster lid), then refrigerate until
ready to cook.
Final cooking:
Heat oven to 325. Place covered

roaster in oven and bake for 1 hr. 15
min if not refrigerated. Bake 1 hr. 30
min. if refrigerated.
Serving:
Cook 8 oz. capellini (angel hair)

pasta. Drain and rinse in hot water.
Place a generous swirl of pasta in
center of each place. Top with three
or four pieces of chicken and spoon
some of the vegetables and sauce
over. Serve at once.

Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at any altitude over 2500 ft. requires a few extra minutes and lots
of water. Never crowd the pasta. But even at a high altitude, angel hair is so thin that it only requires 3 or
4 minutes.

Biscotti
_______________________________________
Family meals in an Italian household generally do not

include desserts. A piece of fruit and perhaps a taste of
cheese is the usual way to end a family dinner. There are,
of course, some spectacular desserts for the special
occasions. Cassata comes to mind with its many layers of
tender cake interspersed with creamy ricotta filling
studded with candied fruit and slathered with butter
cream. Wonderful, but not practical for serving the
endless parade of people through the house at Christmas.
The mainstay for Italian entertaining large style is the

cookie tray. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, and all
holidays bring out the silver trays heaped with traditional
favorites. These were not baked by the dozens, but by the
hundreds. Every household in our extended family had
their specialties, and it was expected that they would
produce a prodigious quantity of that specialty to share
Orange-Walnut Biscotti
with others, in addition to whatever else they had time to
add. Aunt Mary comes to mind, with her fabulous Mostaccioli, a difficult cookie to master, but worth the
effort; rewarding you with a complex chocolate spice flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. My next
family secret will share this recipe with you, compliments of her daughters efforts to keep this tradition
alive.
The baking for the Christmas season started early in our family. Our mother had her "cookie book", the
only recipes she ever wrote down. As soon as the Thanksgiving turkey was disposed of to her satisfaction
she began assembling and cleaning her huge assortment of tins for storing the Christmas bounty. She
would take out her cookie book and make her shopping list for fruits, nuts, jams, chocolate, and vast
quantities of butter and flour, all to be consumed in the next month. Every spare moment would result in
yet another variety added to the tins in our cool basement. Each day during December she would re-
assemble a cookie tray for the dining room to serve the drop-in guests or her own ravenous four children.
It seems we could never get enough of the pizzelles, biscotti, nut rolls, cenci, and other treats. A bottle of
anisette for the ladies and a bottle of whiskey for the men were always on the sideboard next to the cookie
tray, but only during December. A week before Christmas she and the other women of the extended family
would pack up boxes of their own efforts and deliver them to each other and to neighbors. This would
only add to the variety and nuances of each household's cookie trays.
One of the first cookies to get baked was the biscotti. The obvious reason is that, properly stored, it keeps
forever. They also ship beautifully for the loved ones far away. In recent years, the term biscotti has come
to be a generic term for Italian cookies, but the proper meaning of the term is twice baked. It is baked first
in a loaf form, then sliced and baked again to attain the hard biscuit-like texture of the original cookie.
There are hundred of recipes for biscotti throughout Italy, but other than flavoring they fall into two
distinct categories: those made with butter and those made without butter or any shortening. The butter
enhanced cookie results in a more tender shortbread-like texture, while those without butter are drier and
harder. The butterless ones are best served with a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of Port or Vin Santo in
which to dip them. One quick dip and they melt in your mouth. These have always been and remain my
favorite. They are such a favorite in our home that I make them all year round, because they have the
added advantage of being low-fat. They are perfect when you have that midnight sweet craving or mid-
afternoon slump. These were the original low-fat cookie before anyone even knew we needed them!
Enjoy, and next time we'll progress to a full fat delight.

_______________________________________
Chocolate-Almond Biscotti
Preheat oven to 375. Makes 1 lb. 6 oz. dough, approx. 30 cookies
• 4 oz. blanched toasted

almonds
• 2-¼ cups all purpose flour
• 2 Tblsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-½ tsp. baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate
chips
• Pinch of salt
Chocolate-Almond Biscotti
• ¼ tsp. allspice
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• 1 to 2 Tblsp. milk
Grind half the cooled almonds finely, the other half coarsely. A food processor is perfect for this. Mix
almonds, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, salt and allspice in mixer bowl. Lightly beat eggs with almond
extract in small bowl. Use the paddle attached, and with the mixer running, add egg mixture to the flour
mixture. Add chocolate chips and beat only until dough forms. If too dry and crumbly add a tablespoon or
two of milk. The dough should just hold together. Turn out onto floured board, knead lightly a few times to
make a cohesive dough. Divide into four pieces, form into logs about 14 inches long and 2 inches around.
Place on two cookie sheets lined with parchment or lightly oiled, spacing at least two inches apart.
Flatten each log slightly with your hand. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch, switching rack
positions half way through the baking. Leave loaves on sheets and place on cooling racks for 10 minutes.
Turn oven down to 350. Slice each log on a diagonal about 3/4 inch thick, and place cut side up on the
cookie sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, turn each cookie over and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove from
pans to cooling racks. When completely cooled, store in tins for up to one month.
Orange-Walnut Biscotti
Preheat oven to 300. Makes 1 lb. 4 oz. dough, approx. 25 cookies
• 2 cups all purpose flour • 2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup sugar • 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-½ tsp. baking soda • 1 Tblsp. grated fresh orange peel (zest)
• ¼ tsp. salt • 1-½ cups chopped walnuts

In mixer bowl place flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In small bowl mix eggs, yolk, vanilla and zest.
With paddle attachment, blend flour mixture, then add egg mixture. As soon as it begins to ball up, add
walnuts. Mix just until dough forms. Turn out to floured board. If the dough is too dry add a tablespoon of
cold water. Knead once or twice to form a cohesive dough. Divide into two pieces and form logs 12
inches long by 2 inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled. Flatten
them slightly with your hand. Bake for 45-50 min until firm. Cool on rack for 10 min. Cut on diagonal
about 3/4 inch wide, lay on cut side and bake for 7 minutes. Turn each cookie over and bake an
additional 7 minutes. Cool completely and store.
Altitude Adjustment: At altitudes over 5000 ft. decrease baking soda in both recipes to 1 tsp., and
decrease sugar to 3/4 cup.

Mostaccioli - Chocolate Cookies

_______________________________________
With the holidays upon us I decided to

share with you a really old, really
wonderful recipe for Mostaccioli. These
are a chocolate spiced cookie that must
rest overnight to develop their full
flavor. They look rather ordinary on the
plate, surrounded by fancy rolls,
cornucopias, and multi-layered bar
cookies, but one bite will confirm that
this recipe is a keeper. It has been
passed down from the "master" of
Mostaccioli, Aunt Mary Biordi. Her
handwritten notes are over 50 years old.
Her four daughters have all worked
together, not only to preserve this family
secret, but to make it workable for our Picture 1974. Left to Right: Celeste Janosko nee Biordi (1947- ),
Merceda Saffron nee Biordi (1943- ), Mary Biordi nee Buzzelli (1913-1987),
generation. Concetta (Connie) Robinson nee Biordi (1949- ), Diana Biordi (1940- )
Aunt Mary's original recipe made about 250 cookies. She was a little more meticulous than our
Mom about writing measurements, but her directions were sketchy at best. She simply knew that
if there was a celebration of any sort that everyone would anticipate her specialty. I never knew
her to disappoint us. I also never knew one to be left on the plate.
Eventually her four daughters went to work to cut the recipe down to a manageable size for our
generation. As any good baker knows this is not as simple as it sounds. In addition they faced the
task of completing her directions so that a reasonable baker would have success. The third hurdle
was to assess the ingredients. What was available 50 years ago is not the same as what we have
available today. For all of you attempting to recreate old family recipes this is a most important
fact to keep in mind.
This is not an easy dough to work with. It is sticky and wet; but have patience and don't despair.
Keep everything very lightly floured and work in small batches, and above all, follow the
directions. It has taken many years to make this work, and you will be amply rewarded with a

great cookie. The recipe has been "scaled" for accuracy, but if you don't have a kitchen scale a
reminder for you is that 5 ounces of flour is approximately one cup.
_______________________________________

Mostaccioli
Yield, approx. 60 cookies
• 10 oz. all purpose white flour • 1 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

• 10 oz. cake flour • 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 oz. unsalted butter • 1-1/2 tsp. allspice
• 16 oz. light brown sugar • 5 extra large eggs
• 8 oz. citron • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 8 oz. almonds, blanched and slivered • 1/2 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 350. Toast almonds until just golden, about five minutes. Cool and set aside.
Place flour in bowl large enough to hold all ingredients easily. Cut cold butter in with pastry
cutter until small pea size. Add brown sugar and continue cutting and mixing. Add baking
powder, cocoa and spices, and mix again. Add cooled almonds and citron and mix again. Make a
well in the center of these dry ingredients.
Melt unsweetened chocolate in double boiler or microwave until smooth. Cool to room
temperature. Beat eggs in mixer until light and frothy. Add eggs, melted and cooled chocolate
and milk to well of flour mixture, and with a wooden spoon mix quickly and lightly until all flour
is absorbed. This is a sticky dough. Do not add additional flour at this point. Cover with plastic
wrap and set in a cool spot overnight. Do not refrigerate.
Baking Day: Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (ideal) or lightly oil
them.
Lightly flour your board. Oil the largest rolling pin you have lightly with plain vegetable oil, and
wipe it with a paper towel. This will assist you in rolling this sticky dough without adding too
much flour. Flour your hands as well. Work with about 1/4 of the dough at a time, or no more
than your pin can handle. Keep a dough scraper handy to assist you. Roll quickly and lightly,
using the dough scraper to turn
the dough several times,
reflouring very lightly each
time. Roll to about 1/3 inch
thickness. Cut into desired
shapes (stars are traditional but
a simple round 3" glass works
well). Keep your cutter floured.
Place on sheets an inch apart.
They should not spread. Bake
for 8 to 10 minutes. Test at 8
minutes. As soon as a toothpick

comes out clean, remove from oven. They will feel soft but will set up as they cool. Do not
overbake or they will be dry and hard. Let cool five minutes in pan on a rack. Remove carefully
to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Glaze: Mix 1 cup confectioner's sugar with 1/4 tsp. almond extract and a tsp. or two of water to
thin. Brush thinly on each cooled cookie with a pastry brush, and let set until dry. Store in tins
for up to 10 days or freeze.
Altitude Adjustment:
None necessary.

Stuffed Veal Chops

with Brandied Pan Sauce
_______________________________________
If my brother Bill had a weakness when

dining out, it had to be for veal chops.
The man positively loved them.
Although veal chops were not a weekly
staple in our household, mom did serve
them on special occasions. She prepared
them in a very straightforward manner, a
simple sauté in a hot skillet with a little
olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. It just
doesn't get any easier than this, and the
results were always excellent.
Veal is a very mild tasting meat much

prized for its texture and tenderness and
lends itself well to layering of flavors.
We are going to add another dimension
to the basic veal chop, by stuffing them
with Gorgonzola cheese and serving a brandied pan sauce as an accompaniment.
The preferred veal chop is a rib cut. The chops should be cut 1 3/4 inches thick and you can serve
one chop per serving. You can identify a rib cut because the bone will be to one side of the chop.
A center cut chop will also work if the rib cuts are not available. If you cannot find genuine
Gorgonzola cheese, you may substitute another high quality blue cheese such as a Maytag blue,
or a Danish blue.
The chops are going to be marinated before stuffing them. You may do this the night before
service or 3 to 4 hours ahead of time on the day you want to cook them. To marinate the chops,
place them in a casserole or other non reactive container, and drizzle a generous amount of olive
oil over them. Salt and pepper them, and add a generous amount of chopped fresh sage and
finely minced garlic. Make sure the chops are coated on both sides and occasionally turn them in
the marinade.
The actual stuffing of the chops is a bit on the messy side, but very simple. Place each chop on
your cutting board and make a cut starting at the outer edge of the chop and continue through to
the bone. Try to make the cut as near the center of the thickness of the chop as possible. You will
now have a flap that you can lift. Place a generous tablespoon of Gorgonzola cheese in the
pocket you cut and press it firmly in place. The cheese should cover the area from the bone to
about 1/8 inch of the flap. Return the flap to its original position and seal the cut edges with a
skewer or toothpicks and return the stuffed chops to the marinade.
_______________________________________

Stuffed Veal Chops with Brandied Pan Sauce
Total ingredients to serve two:
• 2 veal chops • salt and pepper

• 2 Tblsp Gorgonzola cheese • 3/4 cup brown stock
• 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/8 cup brandy
• 2 Tblsp chopped fresh sage • 1 Tblsp butter
• 2 tsps minced fresh garlic
Step One: Sauté the Veal Chops
Place a heavy bottomed sauté

pan over medium high heat.
Pour all of the marinade into
the hot pan, scraping in the
herbs and seasonings. Add
olive oil if you need more fat
to coat the bottom of the pan.
Brown the chops on each side
for about 2 minutes. Remove
the chops and place on sheet
tray and place in pre-heated
hot oven, (400 degrees).
Finish the chops in the oven
for 10 minutes or until they
test medium rare. To test for
doneness, push on the meat
with your finger. If it feels
mushy it is not yet done (too
rare). The meat should feel slightly springy and not too firm. If unsure about using this
method, make a small slit near the bone and look at the color. The meat should still be
slightly pink in the center.
Step Two: Prepare Brandied Pan Sauce
De-glaze the hot pan with 1/8 cup brandy. The brandy will immediately flame up so make
sure you tilt the pan away from you. Slowly add 3/4 cup brown stock. Use a spatula to loosen
all cooking residue from pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add a tablespoon of butter
and continue reducing. Stir constantly. The pan sauce is finished when it is slightly
thickened. This will only take a few minutes.
You will need to "fine" the sauce as you serve it. You can use a small tea strainer to accomplish
the fining. To serve, pour a small puddle of sauce through your strainer onto the dinner plate.

Place a chop in the puddle and drizzle a little more sauce over the chop. This is an intensely
flavored sauce and so you will only need a small amount per serving.
Angel hair aglio olio (olive oil, garlic sauce) makes a nice accompaniment along with either
steamed asparagus tips or Brussels sprouts depending on the season.

Potatoes
Scalloped and Smashed
_______________________________________
Italians love their vegetables and side dishes. Generally at the family dinner table the portions of
meat are much smaller than their American counterpart because vegetables, grains and side
dishes play such an important role in Italian cuisine. Emphasis is placed on the natural flavors of
a perfect vegetable rather than relying on sauces and complicated embellishments. A drizzle of
olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley with a little salt and pepper often will be
the only dressing given most vegetables. This is as true of potatoes as it is with asparagus,
broccoli, and all the others.
Potatoes are as much a mainstay in our diet today as they were in the 40's and 50's. When we
were growing up, however, the types of potatoes we could buy were limited to two: russets and
redskins. The preparation of each was quite definite also. You simply boiled redskins, and you
either baked or mashed russets. The small redskins we prize so highly (and pay so much for)
today were given away because nobody wanted them.
One of Papa's favorite ways with potatoes was to smash them. He did not care for the highly
whipped, smooth and creamy mashed potatoes we see today. His was a much more rustic
variation and still remains one of our favorite recipes.
Over the years, however, our experiences and tastes have expanded and we realize that there are
times when a more elaborate preparation of the
potato is in order. Our recipe for scalloped
potatoes is really a classic preparation, but
we've elaborated on the procedure so that you
may produce a perfect dish. For some reason it
seems to be a dish that some cooks are afraid to
tackle or have had bad luck with. Follow this
recipe and you will have an elegant
accompaniment for a special dinner. It
especially complements roasted meats such as
prime rib or leg of lamb or roast duck. So for
the more formal occasion when you want to pull
out a few stops, try our version of scalloped
potatoes.
There are three important things to consider in

order to successfully accomplish this dish. The
first is the type of potato. Large russet baking

potatoes will give the best results. Avoid using "new potatoes", redskins, or any other high
moisture potato.
The slicing of the potatoes is equally important. The best tool for the job is a mandolin, although
with a little practice, and some additional time, you can hand slice them. The slices should be no
more than an 1/8 inch thick and each slice should be uniform.
Arranging the sliced potatoes in the casserole will determine the final outcome. It is important to
use the right sized casserole for the amount of the potatoes you want to prepare. A 12" x 8"
casserole that is 2" deep will work fine for the following recipe.

Each layer must be placed in the lightly buttered casserole dish with a slight overlap, so that the
layers build up evenly, yet you don’t end up with potato silos. Four layers will give excellent
results.
_______________________________________
Scalloped Potatoes
Total Ingredients to serve 6:
• 4 large russet baking potatoes

• 2 pints heavy cream
• 1 Tblsp.. butter
• 2 Tblsp. granulated chicken base
• salt
Step One: Prepare and slice the potatoes
Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler and place

in a bowl of cold water to keep from discoloring.
Dry each potato before slicing. Slice each potato
exactly 1/8" thick.
Step Two: Load the casserole dish

Potatoes are overlapped in each layer
Lightly butter the casserole dish. Arrange the
potatoes, one layer at a time, overlapping each potato slice both top and bottom. Lightly salt
each layer and sprinkle some of the granulated chicken base. Repeat this process until the
casserole dish is 3/4 filled. Three to four layers should accomplish this. Make sure that your
layers are even. Do not overfill the dish. If you have excess potato slices, fry them off for
chips. Pour enough heavy cream to have the level just barely touch the top layer of potatoes.
Let stand for 5 minutes to let the cream distribute itself evenly. Adjust the level of the cream
until it is just touching the top level of potatoes again. Use the remaining butter as dabs over
the surface of the top layer, and sprinkle any remaining chicken base.
Step Three: Cook the potatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until top is golden brown, approximately 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and place casserole on cooling rack. Let stand for 15 minutes to set
before serving.
If you prefer a darker brown you may sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese on top before
baking.
Papa's Smashed Potatoes

Allow one medium russet potato for each person.
Peel potatoes and roughly cube. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until
thoroughly tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and place in serving dish. Smash the
potatoes with the back of a large fork until coarsely broken up. Add a little finely chopped onion,
a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Mix it all together and
serve immediately.
Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 feet, boil the potatoes ten minutes longer.

Braciole
_______________________________________
We offer this column in memoriam to our aunt, Elizabeth Giandomenico, who passed away
February 22, 2000. She would have been 90 years of age in May. She was the last of the five
sisters and one brother of Anna and Nicola Buzzelli. It was she and her husband, Ernest
Antonio Giandomenico, who extended the family across the country when they moved to
California in the 1940's. We will miss you Aunt Beth.
Every Sunday, summer or winter, we awoke to the

wonderful aroma of a big pot of tomato sauce
simmering on the back burner. After church our
favorite breakfast was a slice of bread dipped into the
simmering sauce and eaten while standing over the
sink to catch the drips.
Mama always varied the meat she used in her sauce.

Often it would be meatballs but occasionally she
would treat us to braciole. These are savory little
rolls of meat, stuffed and tied. The filling she used
and her method of cooking them right in the pot of
sauce never varied. They were always delicious but a
little on the "chewy" side. Occasionally she served
the braciole family style. She accomplished this by
pounding a whole flank steak and stuffing and
rolling the whole steak, stewing the whole piece in
the sauce and then carving it into slices for the table.
When she had more time and the occasion called for
something a little fancier, she would make individual
rolls.
Over the years we have experimented with different

cuts of meat and have established two different
recipes. Both are tasty and relatively inexpensive to
make. The first recipe is the traditional one we grew
up with. It is made with a beef flank steak, and
stewed directly in the sauce. This method has the
advantage of adding a meat flavor to your sauce, but Ernest Antonio (Tony) Giandomenico (1908-1979)
Son Anthony Giandomenico (1935- )
results in a more boiled texture. The second is made Elizabeth (Beth) Giandomenico nee Buzzelli (1910-2000)
Picture: 1935
with boneless pork cutlets and braised separately for
a shorter period of time. The advantage is a shorter cooking time, and a more tender piece of
meat with a finer texture. We use this method when we already have a sauce prepared.
Whichever recipe you decide to try, the method of preparing the meat is the same. For the beef
you would purchase thin slices of boneless beef, either flank steak or sirloin tip slices. If
purchasing pork you would look for a boneless thin sliced pork cutlet. Both would then be
pounded with a meat mallet between two pieces of waxed paper until about 1/8" thick. This
tenderizes them as well as enlarges them enough to roll.
The filling for the meat rolls can be as varied as your imagination. We offer you the traditional
one that we grew up with and still use. You could use thin slices of prosciutto and fontina in
place of the egg filling as one possible variation. Another might be chopped cooked greens
layered with cheese.
_______________________________________

Traditional Stuffing for Braciole
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup, more or less, seasoned bread crumbs
Step one: Combine ingredients
Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese,
and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well.
Step two: Finish the stuffing
Slowly drizzle in the seasoned bread crumbs while mixing constantly. Use only enough bread
crumbs to bring the mixture to a soft, spreadable paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be
careful with the salt because of the amount of parmesan cheese that is already in the stuffing.
Beef Braciole
• 1 lb piece of beef flank steak or slices of thin cut round

steak
• 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
Step one: Prepare the beef
Place the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or

plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is
1/8 inch thick and roughly rectangular in shape.
Step two: Stuff the braciole
Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the batch
of traditional stuffing mix evenly over the surface of the meat. Leave 1/2 inch around the

perimeter open. Tightly roll up the braciole longways. Tie both ends with a small piece of
coarse kitchen string. Make several more ties every 3 inches over the length of the braciole.
Step three: Cook the braciole
Lightly brown the braciole in the sauce pot when you start the red sauce, or brown lightly in
a sauté pan and then add to red sauce. Stew for the 3 hours it takes to complete the sauce.
When done, gently remove the cooked braciole and place on a cutting board. Remove the
kitchen strings and slice on the diagonal. Serve with pasta.

Pork Braciole
• 8 pieces of boneless pork loin or pork chops, 2 to 3 ounces each

• 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• 1/2 cup red sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Step one: Prepare the pork loin
Place each piece of the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and pound
with a meat mallet until it is 1/8 inch thick and rectangular in shape.
Step two: Stuff the pork braciole
Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season lightly

with salt and pepper. Divide the batch of traditional
stuffing mix into 8 portions. Spread each piece of
pounded pork with a portion of the stuffing mix. Leave
about 1/4 inch space around the perimeter of each
piece. Tie both ends of each piece with a small piece of
kitchen string. Make one additional tie in the center of
each piece.
Step three: Cook the braciole
Lightly brown each piece in a sauté pan in a little olive

oil. Place the browned pieces in a casserole dish.
Place the red sauce, chicken stock, red wine and
rosemary in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the
braising liquid over the braciole in the casserole dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil,
place in preheated 225 degree oven, and braise slowly for two hours. When done, remove
from braising liquid and remove the kitchen string from each piece. Serve 1 or 2 pieces,
whole or cut in half, with a little of the braising liquid drizzled over the meat. Accompany
with pasta.

Summer Bounty:
Herbed Oils & Vinegars, Panzanella, Green Beans and Mint
Maria and Vergilio Bussotti (cousin of Pietro Zara) Picture: 1960

Picking summer figs from their back-yard tree in Detroit, MI.
_______________________________________
The first twenty five years of my life was spent in western Pennsylvania, where the land is lush,
the soil fertile, and the growing season long. We grew up in a large, gracious house set on a big
lot, so there was plenty of room for my father's big garden, grape arbor, and lawn left over for
little girls to sit barefoot and make daisy chains. Dad's garden was a marvel to me then. It had
picture perfect beds of lettuce, and the straightest rows of tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, and
celery. Now after 30 years of gardening myself, his still remains an inspiration and a marvel to
me.
The second twenty five years of my life was spent in northern California. There our home was
also large and gracious but set on a steep hillside with little space for a garden. I resorted to patio
gardening. The growing season was very long, but cool, and not given to raising the vegetables
that a Mediterranean diet craves. It was here I discovered the glories of herb gardening and the
disappointment of year after year of failed tomatoes. But we were blessed with grand farmers'
markets which my daughter and I visited every Sunday morning. What I couldn't grow myself I
could get in abundance from the best of the local growers.
Now we are in the mountains of northern New Mexico which has the shortest growing season of
all. At 8200 feet the nights remain cool almost all year but during July and August the afternoons
are extremely hot. The weather is unpredictable, ranging from weeks on end of winds to hail
storms to monsoons to perfect hot, sunny afternoons and balmy evenings. The first snow falls by
Halloween at the last melts in late May. We live in a small (but most gracious) old restored adobe
farmhouse on eight acres of beautiful land studded with pinon and cedar. Two ponds
accommodate our neighbor’s horses (they mow our 8-acre lawn) and the migrating ducks. Three
big old apricot trees, several wild plums, a chokecherry, and one winter apple tree provide fruit
for pies, jams, and drying for the winter. Even though the growing season is the shortest I've ever
dealt with, our large gardens include all that my father's had plus the herbs I've come to love plus
things he never grew like cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, French haricot verts, and habaneros. What
makes this possible is the attached greenhouse where, this year, we started over 60 tomato plants
and dozens of other vegetables that need a little extra time. We also use the greenhouse beds to
grow our own greens like Swiss chard, arugula, and spinach for the long cold winter. All my
herbs in the garden are duplicated in pots to move to the greenhouse for the winter. They include
basil, rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme, parsley, oregano, salad burnet, tarragon, and sorrel.
Our first radishes have already been eaten and we won't buy any lettuces until the winter. Now in
mid-July we look forward soon to the first tiny green beans and sweet juicy tomatoes. Whether
you grow your own or visit one of the many farmers' markets available across the country or
even just depend on the local grocer, the availability of wonderful summer produce is a boon to
cooks of all stripes, but especially to the Italian cook whose repertoire depends on this.
In my opinion there is only one time of year to enjoy the following recipes, and that would be
when the basil is fresh, the tomatoes are perfectly vine ripened and the green beans are so tender
that they'll cook in 3 or 4 minutes. However, if you take a morning or two or make up a half
dozen or so bottles of herbed vinegar and oil, the echoes of summer will be with you all through
the winter. It is a fun, easy project and you can make extra for use as holiday gifts. Collecting
interesting bottles throughout the year makes it even more fun. You can keep your eyes open at
flea markets, or even in your own liquor cabinet, or ask neighbors to save interesting bottles (and
their corks or caps). There are no amounts given in the herbed vinegar and oil
recipes because none are needed. Use your eyes to make an attractive mixture
and use your sense of taste to combine herbs. Here are a few of my favorites.
_____________________________
Spicy Herbed Vinegar
Per bottle
• White Wine Vinegar (Old Monk makes one of good quality that
I buy by the gallon)
• 1 red jalapeno or habanero or other small hot pepper, fresh
• About one cup of mixed fresh herbs. For example: fresh thyme
and oregano make a very nice combination. The amount will
depend on the size of your bottle.

• 1 peeled fresh garlic clove
If you are picking your own herbs, do it early in the morning when it is cool. Wash well in cold
water and spin dry in a salad spinner. Set aside on paper towels. Wash the pepper and make a
slit on two sides with a sharp paring knife. Drop the garlic and pepper into the clean dry bottle.
Fold and bend the herbs to fit into the bottle, using the blunt end of a wooden skewer to push
them in. Fill the bottle with the vinegar. Cork, label, and set aside in a cool, dark place for at
least a week before using. They will keep for a year, getting stronger and better
each month.
Herbed Oils
Per bottle:
These are made the same way as the vinegar, but I do not usually include any hot
pepper. My favorite is Olio Sante (literally, holy oil) which is simply fresh basil
leaves packed into the bottle and then filled with extra virgin olive oil. Another
family favorite is rosemary oil with a garlic clove added. Always use extra virgin olive oil and
store out of direct light.
Panzanella
Here’s a real summer treat that can add variety to your salad repertoire or serve as a light
dinner on a hot summer night.
Salad to serve four:
• Four generous slices of French or Italian bread, slightly

stale (do not use sliced white "air" bread), cut into rough 1/2
inch cubes
• Four medium perfectly vine ripened tomatoes, washed and
cut into rough 1/2 cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into rough 1/2 cubes (optional)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tblsp. vinegar (either red or white)
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Amounts are not critical in this recipe. Put the bread, tomatoes, basil, onion, and optional
cucumber into a pretty salad bowl. Sprinkle on the olive oil and vinegar. Add the salt and pepper
and toss well. Let sit at least two hours at room temperature before serving. The tomatoes should
give up enough juice to soften the bread. If not, add enough additional olive oil to accomplish
this. Taste again for salt and serve at room temperature.
Green Beans with Mint
To serve four:
• 1 lb. fresh green beans (if you can get Romano beans all the better!)
• 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
• 1 Tblsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinkle of vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
Drop the beans in boiling salted water and cook until just tender with a little snap left. If they
are very fresh this will only take 3 or 4 minutes. Immediately drain and place in ice water to stop
the cooking and retain the color. As soon as they are cool to the touch, drain and spread out on
paper towels to absorb as much water as possible. Place in serving dish. Add all other
ingredients, toss well and let marinate at room temperature until ready to serve. Taste again for
salt because beans will absorb quite a lot of salt in the marinating process. These are also
excellent slightly chilled.

Sausage - Making Your Own

_______________________________________
No self respecting Italian kitchen would be

without a supply of good sausage. This universal
food, common to every major cuisine of the world
is an integral and beloved part of our diet. There
is certainly a specialty sausage for every region of
Italy and most likely for every community within
all regions. Simply put, you could probably find
hundreds of variations on this product travelling
through Italy.
Historically sausage was developed by the farmer

to make use of all his resources. It made it
possible for him to use "everything but the
squeal". All the odds and ends from the animal
Meat display case at ccDove Fine Foods. Picture: 1981
went into it and it provided for his family
throughout the winter. Over time the large
commercial meat packers "sanitized" the recipes until all that was available in the markets was a
bland, universal product.
In the United States, it has only been in the past 15 years or so that we've been able to find
something other than the standard commercial varieties available in supermarkets. Now, good
delicatessens and specialty meat markets are making interesting variations on the usual pork
product, using turkey or chicken, fresh herbs, even adding fruits such as apple. Pork sausage is,
however, the hallmark for Italian cookery, and having 20 pounds stashed in the freezer gives the
cook a real start on innumerable Italian dishes.
Making your own has several advantages. The most obvious is that you choose the quality and
freshness of the meat. You also control the amount of fat, something we are all very aware of
today. You can experiment at will with herbs, spices, and other additions according to your own
likes and dislikes. And best of all, the final cost will be about half of what you would pay for a
well made specialty sausage.
When I owned ccDove Fine Foods in California in the 1980's we made several hundred pounds
each week. We had a repertoire of about a dozen different varieties ranging from the standard
sweet and hot Italian to a Saucisse au Greq (lamb) on to a Swedish beef and potato variety. My
original recipe for the lamb sausage is published in California Fresh1. Here we will concentrate
on my favorite two Italian recipes. The first is a basic, but delicious hot sausage and the second is
my holiday sausage which is a rich, luscious treat.

While no recipe should ever be "written in

stone" I would caution you about reducing the
amount of fat below what is indicated. After
much experimentation this ratio of fat to meat is
the smallest you can use and still have a moist
and succulent sausage. Alter the seasonings to
fit your taste, but remember that salt is a
necessary preservative, even in a cooked final
product. Fatback can be ordered from your
butcher or meat distributor. This is a very dense,
smooth fat used in making patés as well as
sausage. By trimming the meat first you discard
most all of the original fat, then add back in the
correct amount of more desirable fat. This
serves two purposes. First, it allows you to
control the ratio of meat to fat; and second, it
replaces the lower quality, loose fat on the meat
which tends to gum up the blades of your
grinder and stuffer. There are two schools of
thought on this matter. One side does it the way I've explained and the other chooses to go with
the fat that is on the pork butt and not trim it or add fresh fatback.
You can use either a table top meat grinder (with sausage stuffing attachment) or the meat
grinder and sausage horn attachment to an electric mixer such as the Kitchen Aid. For both of
these recipes you would use the medium or coarse plate. The casings are available through
wholesale meat distributors or any good butcher will special order them for you. I prefer a
natural hog casing which is purchased by "the hank". A hank of casings will make at least 150
pounds of sausage. Cost will run around $15 to $18 dollars, they will arrive heavily salted, and
should keep in the refrigerator for at least six months. If you prefer not to use casings, the
sausage can be formed into patties and
be perfectly delicious if not as versatile
in their use. If you do use the casings,
allow a generous foot per pound.
To prepare casings: Measure off the

amount of casings you will need for
your recipe, being generous in your
measurements in case of a tear. Soak in
cold water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile
clean and rinse the end of your kitchen
tap (remove any aerator you may have
there). Take the end of the casing and
fit it onto the tap then turn the cold
water on slowly. This will fill and rinse
the inside of the casing and allow you
to see any tears in it. Keep the bowl
under the tap to catch the slippery casings and not let them go down the drain! If you find a tear,
cut that piece out and discard it. Your final cleaned casing does not have to be one single piece,
but should be at least 18 inches long for ease of stuffing. The longer the piece the quicker the
stuffing process. Once prepared the casings should be used within an hour or they will tend to
dry out and become difficult.
A few tricks to remember: Stuffing is a two-person job. Lightly oil the sausage horn and the
casings will slip right on. Turn machine on before tying the knot in the end to push out the air in
the horn. As soon as you see the meat, tie your knot and stuff continuously until you either run
out of meat or need to put a new casing on the horn. Tie off the end and set aside until all meat is
used. Keep a straight pin within reach and as you stuff the casings, prick with the pin when you
see an air bubble. This will prevent bursting and keep your sausage even and professional
looking.
If you wish to link the sausage at this point, lay it out in a straight line and twist two or three
times into whatever length you want. Refrigerate overnight before packaging and freezing. This
allows them to dry slightly and mellows the flavor. Cook or freeze the next day.
_____________________________

Hot Italian Sausage
Makes 25 lbs.
• 20 lbs. trimmed pork butt
• 4 lbs. cubed pork fat back
• 8 Tblsp. salt
• 5 Tblsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 5 Tblsp. ground coriander
• 16 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 Tblsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup paprika
• 2 cups dry white wine
• Approximately 30 feet of casings
Trim and discard all visible fat and gristle from pork. Cube pork and fat back into pieces to fit
your grinder - not more than one inch cubes. Grind together. Combine salt, pepper, coriander,
garlic, red pepper and paprika in bowl and mix well. Add to ground meat mixture along with
wine and mix well with your hands trying not to compact the meat. Cover and refrigerate
overnight. Keep meat mixture as cold as possible for ease of stuffing. Follow above directions
for stuffing. Refrigerate, loosely covered, for 12 hours before cooking or freezing.
Freezer life: 4 months.
Holiday Sausage
Makes 25 lbs.
• 16 lbs. trimmed pork butt
• 4 lbs. pork fat back
• 3 lbs. whole milk mozzarella, cut in small dice of about 1/4 inch
• 6 bunches Italian parsley, minced
• 26 ounces pumaté (dried tomatoes in oil), drained and chopped coarsely
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tblsp. each of dried basil, fennel seed, coarse black pepper, salt, and ground coriander
• 3 cups dry white wine
• Approximately 30 feet of casings
Trim and discard all visible fat and gristle from pork. Cube pork and fat back to fit grinder.
Grind together. Mix basil, fennel seed, pepper, salt and coriander together. Add to pork with
parsley, cheese, vinegar, pumaté, and wine. Mix gently but well by hand. Refrigerate overnight
and stuff the next day following directions above. Be sure to keep the meat mixture as cold as
possible. Refrigerate again, loosely covered overnight.

Freezer life: 2 to 3 months.
Altitude Adjustment: None needed.
1
Junior League of Oakland, California Fresh, forward by M.F.K. Fisher, Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc., 1985. To order: J.L.O.E.B.,
1980 Mountain Blvd., Oakland, CA 94611. This is a sophisticated, well tested, beautifully illustrated series of recipes contributed by professional
chefs as well as well as League members.

Farmhouse Dinner
_______________________________________
For those of you who toil in your vegetable garden all summer the
fruits of your labor fill your basket in August and the month or two
following. If you are not fortunate enough to have such a garden
there are countless produce stands along the highways, and many
farmer’s markets in most areas of the country, that make available a
variety of fresh, high quality produce. With August comes the time
of year to enjoy nature’s bounty by serving a completely fresh-
from-scratch dinner. This can be a very rewarding experience for
those of you who would like to try it. The side benefit is excellent
eating.
The following dinner menu can be done entirely from your garden
or farmer’s market, and your freezer, assuming you made your own
sausage (see Secret #14). If you didn’t, just buy some good quality
sausage. Uncle Joe was the sausage maker in our family, and this
meal would have topped off his autumn sausage ritual perfectly.
The menu is grilled sausage links, roasted baby red and yellow
Aunt Norma (1906-1975) and
beets served on a bed of sautéed beet greens, battered zucchini Uncle Joe Marchionna (1903-1986)
flowers, and homemade bread. Add a tossed green salad from your Picture: 1940
garden and you have a meal that will entice even the most jaded summer appetite.
The finished plate has a definite country appeal,

is delicious and healthy, and easy on the budget.
The preparation of this dinner can be a family
affair and fun to do. As a kid I remember my
dad going out early in the morning to pick the
zucchini flowers and Mom cooking them as fast
as we kids could eat them! Out of the garden,
into the pan, into our hands in a matter of
minutes. However, you can certainly hold those
flowers for dinner. As a kid I also remember
hating beets because we didn’t grow our own
and only ate the canned variety. If you feel the
same way, I highly recommend you try these

fresh beets. Roasting them concentrates the sugars and results in

an astonishingly different vegetable.
If you are working from your garden, start early in the morning
to harvest the squash flowers and beets.
For the squash blossoms you can use zucchini, pumpkin, or any
summer squash blossom. The best blossoms are the females,
which grow directly from the plant stem (not on the end of the
fruit). By picking these you will forgo yet another fruit. As you
pick each one, reach inside and pluck out and discard the
pistola. . Allow two blossoms per person. Rinse the blossoms in cold water, shaking off the
excess, and lay on paper towels. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
Harvest your beets, allowing three per person. Wash well, using a brush to dislodge any dirt from
the ends. Cut off the green tops about one inch above the beet. If the greens are large, tear out the
tough center rib. Wash the beet greens in several changes of cold water and place in a colander to
drain. Make one or two foil packets, separating the yellow and red beets if you are using both.
Place the beets with any clinging water into the packets and seal. Place in 375 degree oven for
approximately 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Big, older beets will take up to an
hour and 15 minutes, while small young ones will cook in 35 to 45 minutes. Test with a sharp
paring knife. It should pierce the beet easily. When done, open foil and allow to cool until you
can handle them. At this point the skin will slip off easily. After skinning, trim off the ends, slice
about 1/4 inch thick and drizzle with a good vinaigrette. Set aside, covered, at room temperature
until dinner.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop in the cleaned beet greens,
return to the boil and cook three minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Squeeze the greens by handfuls, getting out as much moisture as you can. Coarsely chop, cover
and refrigerate until ready for the next phase of cooking.
Finishing off dinner is now a matter of 15 or 20 minutes. The batter for the flowers can be put
together in five minutes, and while the sausage is grilling you can sauté the flowers and the beet
greens.
_______________________________________
Batter for Squash Flowers
Total ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour

• 3/4 cup half and half cream
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Step One: Prepare the batter
Combine all ingredients in a bowl large enough to accommodate the ingredients plus 5 or 6
squash flowers. Whisk until smooth and creamy with no lumps.

Step Two: Sauté the flowers
Place a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil until 1/2” deep.
When oil is hot enough to crackle a drop of water it is ready for the flowers. Place 5 or 6
flowers in the batter mixture, make sure the batter covers all area of the flower. Lift the
flowers by the stem end and drain excess batter. Place each flower in the hot oil. Arrange in
the pan so they do not touch each other. Do not overcrowd. Sauté on one side for 3 to 4
minutes, lift with a pair of tongs, when the bottom is golden brown turn the flowers and
repeat the sauté process. When finished, remove from the skillet and drain on a brown paper
bag to remove excess oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and serve.
Sautéed Beet Greens
Total Ingredients:
• 2 cups coarsely chopped blanched beet greens

• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced fine
• Salt to taste
This is a single step procedure. Place sauté pan over

medium heat with olive oil in pan, add minced garlic
and immediately add chopped beet greens. Shake pan
vigorously, constantly move greens in pan until hot
throughout. Salt to taste.
You are now ready to assemble your farmhouse dinner. Place a serving of the sautéed beet
greens on the plate and place on top a serving of the marinated roasted yellow and red beets.
Add 2 of the squash flowers and finish with 2 grilled sausage links. Serve with a basket of sliced
homemade bread and a tossed mixed garden salad, and pour a glass of dry red wine. It just
doesn’t get much better than this. Enjoy.
Altitude Adjustments: None necessary.

Summer Soups
_______________________________________
Just about this time of the year I begin to get a craving

for something a little more complex in flavor than the
standard summer fare. My appetite is not yet geared to
the long simmering stews and braises of winter, but is
bored with the simple grills and salads of summer. At
the same time, the garden is bursting with more
vegetables than it is possible to eat, can, pickle, freeze,
or preserve. Soup to the rescue! Not the long-
simmering, hearty soups of winter, but soups that
highlight the best of the garden (or farmer's market),
and that don't keep your stove going for hours at a time.
When we were growing up soup was an integral part of

our diet. It was so much a part that every single Monday
that my mother was alive, we had soup for supper. The Picture: 1945 - Left to right:
Cousin Merceda Saffron nee Biordi (1943- )
simple reason was that Mondays were "wash days" and Cecelia Dove, nee Zara (1941- )
in the winter she could put a long cooking pot on the Cousin Diana Luskin Biordi (1940- )
Brother Raymond Zara (1938- )
stove, return to her old Dexter double tub, and serve up
a hearty, healthy meal in the evening. In the summer she, or on special occasions my Dad, could
put together a summer minestra from the garden in quick order and the meal was equally
delicious. So we all grew up with an appreciation of good homemade soups. You can be as rustic
or as elegant as you wish with this versatile dish, running the gamut from crystal clear
consommé to thick and rich minestrone. My fond memories of this dish revolve around sitting
down with cousins and aunts and uncles for an informal meal of a great bowl of soup, a thick
slab of homemade bread and a glass of wine. To this day I still love soup as a meal, not an
appetizer or first course. This menu may not make culinary history, but it makes a great meal that
feeds the soul as well as the appetite.
The two recipes that follow make the most of our summer produce. After 30 years of gardening I
still plant too many zucchini and summer squash. Every gardener I know makes this mistake and
there are even comic strips about growing zucchini. Zucchini jokes in summer are like fruitcake
jokes at Christmas. But once you taste the following recipe for Cream of Zucchini soup you will
rethink your garden. It is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. It is elegantly smooth and
silky, vivid emerald green, and tastes simply of summer. My imagination is already at work,
waiting for the first snowfall, the first fire roaring, to pull out a pint from my freezer to relive the
tastes of summer. I cannot attribute this recipe to family, however. It was given to me by my
good friend, Margaret Nes, from Taos, and it is with her permission that I present it here. She,
too, used to plant too many zucchini, but we now agree that you can never ever again have too
many. I hope that it will become part of my family's recipes for future generations.

The second recipe is definitely from the family files. It is a lightened version of the classic
Minestrone. The use of the Parmesan rind in the water, instead of a hearty broth is an old trick
used to give depth and flavor to soups and stews made without meat stock. The optional chicken
will make this a more substantial meal but even without it, the soup is flavorful enough to stand
on its own. Because of the use of soft summer vegetables I do not think this soup freezes very
well. It is a great way to use up the end-of-the-summer garden when you have just a handful of
peas, string beans, a single zucchini or two or whatever else is there that isn't enough for a whole
meal on its own. Feel free to vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand. This
recipe is a simple structure into which you can fit your own ingredients.
_____________________________

Cream of Zucchini Soup
• 5 lbs. zucchini • 1 Tblsp. salt

• 2 medium onions • Fresh herb bouquet
• 1/4 lb. butter • 2 1/2 cups water
Wash the zucchini and trim ends. If they are really over mature just use the outside flesh and
discard the center core. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment you can make
quick work of this. If not, be patient and use a food grater. Grate the onions first. Melt the butter
in a large soup pot, add the onions over low heat and while they sweat and soften for about 5
minutes, grate the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the pot with the salt and mix it all up well. Turn
heat up and add the water and herbs of your choice. A nice mix is a handful of marjoram, basil
and parsley tied up with kitchen string (for fishing out later). Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to
achieve a simmer. Cover and cook about 30 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Fish out
the herbs. Puree the soup in a blender using only enough of the liquid to make a thick puree. At
this point you can freeze it to finish later or continue on to serve.
To serve: Thin the puree with a little of the cooking liquid, add a little half and half or milk and
taste for salt. You could garnish with croutons, or a spoonful of sour cream if you like. If the
puree has been frozen, you can thin it with canned vegetable or chicken stock, water, or milk -
whatever your taste dictates.
Summer Minestra
• 2 cups mixed aromatic vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, fennel, leeks) diced
• 1 lb. fresh tomatoes, washed and coarsely chopped (or use chopped canned with juice)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 medium zucchini or summer squash or a combination, cut bite size
• 3 cups fresh greens shredded (spinach, chard, rapini, beet greens, kale are possibilities)
• 1/2 cup fresh snap peas trimmed and halved or shelled peas
• 1 cup fresh string beans, trimmed and cut in 1 in.
pieces
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 piece of Parmesan rind, about 2 or 3 oz.
• 8 cups of water
• 1 whole skinned, boneless chicken breast (optional),
cubed into bite size pieces
• 1 cup cooked white beans (or canned cannellini work
well)
• An herb bouquet of your choice, tied up with kitchen string

Warm the olive oil in the soup pot. Add the aromatic vegetables and soften slightly, about 5
minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, water, Parmesan rind, herb bouquet, salt lightly (the cheese will
add salt as it cooks), and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and cook about 15 minutes. If you are
using the chicken, add it in with the potatoes. Add string beans and cook another 10 minutes.
Add zucchini, peas and greens and cook an additional 15 minutes. Taste for salt as you add each
ingredient and add as necessary for your taste. Add beans and simmer 5 minutes more. If the
soup is too thick for your taste, add water in small amounts. Fish out the cheese rind and herb
bouquet and serve piping hot. A spoonful of pesto stirred into each serving is a traditional
garnish and adds yet another layer of flavor.
Altitude Adjustment: None necessary

Chicken Spezzatino -
Different and Delightful
_______________________________________
Now that the summer barbecue season is drawing to

a close, and everyone has had their fill of grilled
chicken, the search begins for different methods of
preparing this delicious bird. A quick search of
popular cookbooks reveals many familiar recipes to
prepare this universal staple. Most of them share
one thing in common, you've been there and done
that. Search and search as you may, there are not
that many avenues available to come up with a
unique recipe for the common bird. Until now.
Mom called the dish "spitzad", probable a dialect of

her birthplace. We believe the more general Italian
name to be "spezzatino", with "spizzate" the name
in the Abruzzi dialect. In all my travels I have never
seen this dish on a menu, nor have I ever seen it
published in a cookbook. So, if something different
is what you are looking for, read on.
Aunt Mary Biordi nee Buzzelli (1913-1987)
Picture above: 1944. Picture below: circa 1930
Aunt Mary, Mom and my sister Gloria frequently
served chicken prepared this way and it was one of
my father's all time favorites. At home, mom
presented the dinner with a nice tossed salad, home
made bread, a glass of white wine and lots of
spitzad. She intentionally left out the vegetables and
a starch, because we consumed such huge amounts
of the chicken, there was no room for the
trimmings. This is not to say that presenting this
meal with vegetables and a starch is not acceptable,
but rather a point of personal preference. It would
also make a very special center dish for a buffet.
The dish is somewhat simple to prepare and

outrageously delicious. It consists of fresh chicken,
bone in, cut in small pieces and coated with a
lemon/egg mixture. When considering how much
chicken to serve, you have to take into
consideration that it is “bone-in”, therefore a quick rule of thumb is that you will need
approximately 1 lb. of trimmed chicken per person. The next decision to make is whether to use
a whole cut up chicken or specific parts. My personal preference is to purchase either all thighs
or leg and thigh sections. These cuts, (all dark meat), are more succulent than their white meat
counterparts. However, chicken breasts or using a whole cut up chicken will work fine. A kitchen
cleaver is a handy tool for this job.

It is important to pay particular attention to cutting the chicken. If using a whole chicken, you
want to cut each breast half into 2 to 3 pieces, depending on the size. Each thigh should be cut in
half and each leg also cut in half. Wings generally are not included, unless they are large. If using
large wings, trim the tip of the wing and disjoint the wing into 2 pieces. Once all the cutting is
done, go back over each piece trimming loose skin flaps and any fat. If time permits, immerse
the chicken in lightly salted ice water for 1/2 hr., up to 2 hours before you begin cooking. The
brining step is not absolutely necessary, but it will enhance the flavor of the dish and is well
worth the time and effort.
_____________________________
Chicken Spitzad
Total ingredients:
• 3 lbs. of cut up, bone-in chicken

• 3 large eggs, well beaten
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• Sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
Step One: Roast the chicken
If the chicken is soaked, drain and pat dry

on paper towels. Place the cut up chicken
pieces in roast pan. Use no liquid or oil.
Lightly shake salt and pepper to taste and
add the sprig of rosemary. Cover roast pan
and place in 350 degree preheated oven for
1 hr This step can be completed up to an hour ahead of finishing. Remove the chicken from
roasting pan and place on a wire rack until it is thoroughly drained.
Step Two: Coat and finish the spitzad
In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they begin to thicken slightly. Add lemon juice slowly
while continuing to whisk vigorously until all of the lemon juice is incorporated. Place a dry,
high sided, heavy bottomed sauce pot over high heat for a few moments until the bottom is
thoroughly heated. Place the drained chicken pieces in the pot and slowly begin to drizzle in
the egg/lemon mixture, constantly turning the chicken with a wooden spoon. You will notice
that the egg/lemon mixture will coat the chicken and the heat will make the coating firm.
When all of the mixture has been used and the coating is good and firm you may turn the
chicken out onto a serving platter
Although you may have knives and forks placed at your dinner service, this dish is best enjoyed
as a finger food. For those of you who are adventuresome, this entrée can be made with lamb
cubes. Follow the same procedure for the chicken, but eliminate the soaking in ice water. Use a
tender cut of lamb, trimming it well. The lamb Spitzad makes a delightful change of pace and is
a bit more elegant. Since the lamb cubes are boneless, you can use the forks you found so useless
when preparing the chicken.
This dish has never failed to produce a lot of accolades when served to family and guests. I’m
quite sure it will bring the same results to you.

Chicken Scaparelli
_______________________________________
We’ve all learned the basic wine with food rule, “Red wine with pasta
and meat, white wine with fish and fowl”. I’m quite sure that this basic
guideline has influenced your decision when choosing a bottle of wine
to serve with your dinner. Over the years I have stayed fairly close to
this premise, straying occasionally to satisfy my own moods and
personal choices. One would further surmise the same premise holds
true when cooking with wine; but here we are going to stray from
tradition in the pursuit of turning the common chicken into a very
uncommon but delightful entrée.
This was one of my sister Gloria’s favorite dishes. I have researched

our library of Italian cookbooks and was unsuccessful in finding
anything like it. While living in New Jersey, however, I remember
seeing it on a menu in a great Italian restaurant in Union City called
Casa Dante. The dish consists of chicken and sausage, braised in an
infused rosemary red wine sauce. Scaparelli is simple to prepare and
outlandishly delicious, and for those of you who are tradition bound, it
is an opportunity to break the rules and serve a dry red dinner wine
with a chicken dish.
Sister Gloria(1923-1995)
Brother Bill (1921-1995)
You may choose to use a whole chicken, or chicken parts cut in the Picture 1929
same manner as my recipe for spitzad. Please reference the spitzad
recipe for cutting instructions.
“Infusion” is a very simple technique that will impart the flavor of fresh rosemary into the sauce without
having the herb physically present in the finished dish. At the proper time you will add a couple of sprigs
of fresh rosemary to the pan. Later, you will pick the rosemary out of the sauce and discard it.
“Cured” olives are used in this recipe. You can generally find them in the ethnic or deli section at your
local supermarket. These olives are always packed dry and with pits, and are not to be confused with
canned olives in liquid. They add a special layer of flavor to the final dish that cannot be achieved with a
substitute.
Although not absolutely necessary, brining the cut up chicken is recommended, if time allows.
_______________________________________
Chicken Scaparelli
Serves four:

• 3 lbs. of cut up, bone-in chicken • 1/4 cup onion diced fine
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage links (sweet or hot) • 1/4 cup celery diced fine
cut in 1/2” circles • 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
• Salt and pepper to taste • 15 cured black olives
• 1/3 cup olive oil • 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/3 cup chicken broth • 1 cup dry red wine

Step One: Brown the chicken and sausage
If the chicken is soaked, drain and pat dry on paper towels. Put the olive oil in a large skillet and
heat over high heat. Brown the chicken well, salt and pepper to taste and remove the chicken when
browned and put aside. Repeat the process, browning the cut up sausage pieces. Remove the
sausage.
Step Two: Deglaze pan and precook chicken and sausage
Add the onions, celery, garlic,

rosemary and olives and return to
the heat for 1 minute. Turn heat to
high and add chicken broth to
deglaze the pan. Add the browned
chicken and sausage and cook
uncovered until the liquid in the pan
is reduced by half.
Step Three: Braise the chicken and

sausage and create the sauce
Add the red wine, cover pan with

tight fitting lid and reduce the
temperature to low. Braise for 45
minutes over low heat, stirring
occasionally.
Step Four: Finish the sauce
Remove chicken, sausage and olives from pan and place on a warm platter. Return pan to high heat
and reduce sauce by 1/2. Remove rosemary sprigs. Serve chicken, sausage and olives with a
generous portion of the pan sauce.
If you prefer your sauce thicker, you may whisk in a couple of pats of floured butter while reducing. I
personally prefer the sauce a little on the thin side, to dunk my homemade bread in while enjoying the
Scaparelli.
Generally in our home this dish was served without the benefit of side dishes other than a salad.
However, a portion of polenta with a spoonful of pan sauce would be a very nice addition to the plate if
you wanted to add a starch.
Are there any hunters in your house? The above technique works very well with small game. My father
would come home from a day’s hunt with three or four rabbits and prepare this dish the following day.
He omitted the sausage from the recipe when using game, but it will work well either way. Domestic
rabbit that can be purchased in supermarkets does not work in this recipe. They are simply too lean and
dry out too quickly.
The technique and recipe works extremely well with squab, if you are fortunate enough to find them. I
can remember a young man who raised pigeons in a roof top coop next to the old Majestic Theater in
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, where I grew up. In the spring of the year dad used to purchase a basket of
young squab, and he and I would butcher them and have them for dinner the following day. It was quite
a chore, but well worth the effort. If you ever have occasion to get a dozen or so of these young birds, it
will be a real treat for your family and friends. Remember, the bird has to be young enough to have
never flown. Once flying, it is a pigeon and not acceptable for this delicacy .

Chicken Piccata
_______________________________________
Chicken piccata did not rank high on the list of favorite dishes in our home during my early years.
Although chicken was very much a staple in our diet, out family opted for a more complete use of the bird.
For example, if chicken were to be considered for dinner it would be cut up, bone-in, and roasted or
braised, and you would have the neck and back available for a pot of soup. To do a chicken dish that
called just for chicken breasts was not an option.
Chicken piccata is sautéed chicken breasts in a lemon butter sauce. I think that statement is pretty
straightforward. However, with the advent of plastic lemon juice and powdered, instant sauces,
this classic dish has been turned into something other than a classic. I no longer order the dish
when out to dinner unless I know for sure that it is the real thing. To add insult to injury, I have
seen white wine and even mushrooms in sauces called piccata, done under the premise of being
trendy and adventuresome. I call it amateurish and disrespectful.
This is the first recipe we are publishing that falls into the category of sauté. To successfully
accomplish this technique, some thought has to be give to the small amount of fat that must be
present in the sauté pan to begin the process. Most folks in a home kitchen will use olive oil or
whole butter. What is really required is a fat that will resist scorching under high heat. In my
estimation there is none better than clarified butter. Clarified or drawn butter is the essence of
pure butter, simple to make, has an almost unlimited shelf life, and by the nature of its properties
will outperform most other fats in the sauté pan. I believe that every serious home cook should
keep a small supply of this ingredient on hand. For the chicken piccata recipe and future sauté
recipes to come, I will outline the process to change whole butter into clarified or drawn butter.
_____________________________
Clarified Butter
Place one pound of whole butter in a small, open topped double-boiler. Place the double boiler
on the absolute lowest temperature that you can maintain for about eight hours. You can
accomplish the task in the oven overnight if your oven is gas and has a high pilot heat. The
butter is ready to “draw” when the salt solids floating on the top become firm and you can see
the milk solids firmly on the bottom. Use a tablespoon to very gently gather and discard all of
the floating solids. Without shaking the top part of the double boiler, very slowly pour off the
butter into a bowl until you have drained off all that you can without the milk solids spilling
over. One pound of whole butter should yield about 10 ounces of clarified butter. Clarified butter
has many uses in the kitchen. Besides its outstanding performance in the sauté pan, it has no
equal in dunking steamed clams, chunks of freshly boiled or steamed lobster, or a firm fish like
monk fish. It also does a great job at breakfast for frying eggs or preparing a nice omelet.
If you’re going to call it piccata, capers are one of the few permissible options. I prefer mine
without, but their addition is a matter of personal preference. If you decide to use capers in the
dish you will want to pay particular attention when adjusting the pan sauce for salt.

Chicken Piccata
Total Ingredients:
• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 halves)

• 1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 1 fresh lemon
• 2 small garlic cloves, mashed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbls. whole butter
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbls. capers (optional)
Step One: Prepare chicken breasts
Remove the tenders from the breasts if they are present, the long finger-like strips. Trim all
fat and sinews and remove the thin membrane covering the breasts. Butterfly the breasts
starting from the plump lobe side. Press firmly with the palm of your hand to achieve uniform
thickness. Do not pound with mallet.
Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts
Place a 10”, heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat and add enough of the clarified butter
to coat the bottom. When fat is hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle, immediately
dredge the chicken breasts in the flour plate, shake of excess and place in the pan. Do not
dredge in advance or the flour will get pasty. Shake pan frequently to avoid sticking and
continue until bottoms are golden brown. Turn breasts in the pan and reduce heat to medium.
Cut ends from the lemon and make four thin slices (about 1/2 of the lemon), place sliced
lemon in pan and squeeze the juice from the remaining half into the pan. Add mashed garlic
and immediately deglaze the pan by pouring at least 1/2 inch of chicken broth in it. Add
parsley, the tablespoon of whole butter, and capers if you are using them.
Step Three: The finish
Continue cooking until chicken is done. If all is perfect, the pan sauce will form right when
the chicken is finished. If the pan sauce has not yet come together, remove chicken from sauté
pan and place on warm plates, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to the proper
consistency. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over the breasts in the plate and top each
breast piece with one of the cooked lemon slices
Some additional tips on this technique. Never place a sauté item in a cold pan as it will absorb fat
and become greasy. When a recipe calls for pounded thin chicken breasts, use the butterfly
method instead. It retains the delicate consistency of the chicken breast. Using the mallet to
pound chicken breasts very thin has its place in certain instances such as a roulade, but for
straight sauté, butterflying is the way to go. Always use fresh ingredients in your sauté, plastic
lemon, dried garlic, and parsley flakes just do not work. For a true piccata sauce never add white
wine in the sauté pan with the fresh lemon. A white wine butter sauce is a sauce unto its own.
This technique works extremely well using thin medallions of veal to create a wonderful veal
piccata.

Perfect Roast Chicken

_______________________________________
We've lived in big cities, small towns, suburban tracts,

and now in a farmhouse on a mountain. It really doesn't
seem to matter where we are when the first frosty
autumn days arrive because the same food memory
always surfaces in my brain. I remember shivering with
cold, walking into a warm kitchen and the aromas that
permeated the house. The smells of chicken roasting,
with scents of lemon and rosemary, will forever be part
of my emotional makeup. They simply make me feel
good. They speak of autumn evenings, family dinners,
good conversation, a warm and safe haven from the
cold.
Our mother was oblivious to the beautiful memories she

was building for her children. She only knew that she
had a family of four very hungry children and a weary
husband to feed. Her mission was to feed them well and
to do it economically. Fortunately for all of us, chicken Grandma Anna Buzzelli nee Casacchia (1873-1917)
remains one of the great ways to do that even today. Pictures circa 1898
Grandpa Nicola Buzzelli (1873-1914)
You won't find a better dollar value in the meat counter
than a whole chicken. And a perfectly roasted, golden
brown, crispy skinned bird served with perfect mashed
potatoes and gravy and green salad is a dinner to build a
memory.
People have been roasting chickens forever. My mother

learned her mother's method and I've learned my
mother's way. However, over the years there have been
numerous methods put forth as the right way to roast a
chicken. They include covered versus uncovered,
basting or not, adding liquid or not, turning the bird or
not. Each year seems to bring yet another "perfect
method". After roasting hundreds of birds I have found
that the simplest way possible results in the best bird
ever. Once it is in the oven, the most important thing
you do is to leave it undisturbed. No basting, turning, or
even peeking allowed. Now the cook has ample time to
finish the menu in a relaxed manner, which makes this meal even more attractive. You could
further simplify the cooking process by serving roasted potatoes instead of mashed. They could

Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - ccdoved@parshift.com
be done in the same oven as the chicken, putting them in about one hour before the chicken is
done.
Soaking the chicken is an optional step. I prefer to do this because I believe it results in a juicier,
more tender bird. If you choose to include this step, dissolve one teaspoon salt per quart of ice
cold water in a non-reactive bowl or pot large enough to hold the chicken comfortably. Immerse
the chicken from one hour up to 12 hours. Drain well, pat dry inside and out, and continue with
the recipe.
_____________________________
Perfect Roast Chicken
Serves four
• 1 whole chicken, approximately 4 lbs.

• 1 lemon
• 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary*
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
Tuck wings under back. Pull out any excess fat from the body cavity. Freeze the neck bone, heart,
and gizzard for stock. Soak the chicken if you wish or rinse under cold water and pat dry inside
and out.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Wash the lemon and dry. Poke it with a fork to break the skin
about 10 times. Wash the herbs and dry. Place lemon and herbs
in body cavity. Rub the entire outside of the bird with a small
amount of olive oil, salt and pepper it generously inside and
out. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a
roasting pan with a rack. Place in oven, uncovered, and roast
undisturbed for one and one-half hours. Drain the liquid from
the cavity into the bottom of the roast pan and continue
roasting until thoroughly cooked, approximately an additional
15-20 minutes. Test for doneness by making a cut between the
thigh and body and pressing lightly. The juice should run clear,
not pink tinged.
Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before carving.
*If you are not fond of rosemary you may substitute any number of fresh herbs such as sage or
tarragon. Whatever you use will permeate the chicken meat along with the lemon.

Torta Pasqualina - Easter Pie

_______________________________________
From the lakes and mountains of northern Italy to the desert-

like tip of Sicily, Easter is celebrated with a myriad of rituals,
both religious and secular. Food plays such a significant role
in this holiday that some specialties are made at no other time
of year, many in the bread and sweets category. From region
to region there are innumerable variations on sweet rolls and
breads, often including anise flavorings and/or citron. One
mainstay tradition from our family's cache, Easter bread, was
previously offered in Family Secrets one and two.
The Easter pie is another very special dish made only for this
occasion. In Family Secrets four we shared the sweet version,
one which is highly prized in our family and eagerly awaited
each spring. There are, however, many regions of Italy that
specialize in savory Easter pies. These make wonderful
brunch or light dinner dishes or, served in smaller portions,
are appropriate as a first course.
The region of Liguria specializes in a vegetarian torta often

featuring artichoke hearts, but my favorite is the following
recipe, rich and hearty and needing only a salad to make a Aunt Maria Zara nee Timpano (1928-1991)
wonderful meal. After the rigors and fasting of the Lenten Cecelia Dove nee Zara (1941- ), Easter 1964
season, this dish is sure to be welcomed.
If you have a favorite recipe for pie dough, please use it. If not, the following recipe works well,
yielding a flavorful, slightly flaky crust that is fairly easy to work with. As with all pie dough,
keep everything well chilled, and work quickly and lightly. The dough will need at least 20 to 30
minutes to rest in the refrigerator before rolling. It may be made a day ahead, refrigerated and
then softened slightly by leaving at room temperature when you are ready to assemble.

The directions in this recipe are for assembling in a food processor. If you don't have one it can
easily be made by hand, using a pastry cutter to cut in the fats, and a large wooden spoon to bring
the dough together while sprinkling with water.
The question of whether to use unsalted butter keeps arising and, in my opinion, there is little
taste difference. However, if you wish to use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 tsp. The
recipe will yield enough dough for one 10" two crust pie.
CeCe's Easter and otherwise hats of the early 1960s

_______________________________________
Torta Pasqualina
Pastry Crust (for a 10" pie pan): Serves 6 as main dish or 10 as an

appetizer
• 2-1/2 cups of white flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 Tblsp. chilled butter
• 4 Tblsp. chilled shortening (Crisco)
• 4 Tblsp. iced water, approximately
Easter Vamp, 1964
Place the flour and salt in food processor bowl with steel blade. Pulse twice to mix. Quickly cut
butter and shortening into rough pieces, about 1/2 tablespoon each. Add to processor bowl and
pulse in one second pulses about 10 to 12 times until the fat is cut into the flour to about the size
of a pea. Drizzle in the iced water by tablespoons, pulsing in one second bursts, just until the
dough begins to come together. Do not over process or add more water than necessary, or the
dough will shrink in the pie plate.
Turn dough onto a floured board and knead very lightly once or twice until it holds together.
Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, pat into a round shape, dust lightly
with flour, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate at least
20 to 30 minutes or longer.
Filling:
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
• 1 pound whole milk ricotta
• 4 large eggs
• 2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grated Italian Fontina
• 1/4 cup finely minced parsley
• 4 oz. Prosciutto, not too thinly sliced, then roughly
diced
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
Cook the sausage over medium heat until done, breaking up with a wooden spoon. There should
be no pink remaining. Drain off all fat and set the meat aside to cool.
Beat the ricotta and 4 raw eggs together to blend well. Mix in the chopped cooked eggs,
Parmesan, Fontina, parsley, Prosciutto, and black pepper.

Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tblsp. cold water
Roll the larger dough disc about 1/4" thick and place in pie plate leaving an overhand at the lip.
Spoon in the filling. Roll the second disc, fit on top of the pie, trim the pastry edge to meet, and
seal and flute the edges. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Cut four vents in the center
and bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned. Let cool
on a rack at least 15 minutes before cutting. May be served warm or at room temperature.
Altitude Adjustment: Above 5000 feet increase baking time by ten minutes.

Sourdough Bread (and Starter)

_______________________________________
If you are of a certain age you will remember the advent of supermarket bread. Sliced, white, soft
and convenient, our mothers loved it because it freed them from the need to bake bread at least once
a week. We loved it because it was "modern" and so very different from our daily loaf. We found all
sorts of interesting things to do with it in addition to making a sandwich. For instance, you could
ball it up in you hand to make a convenient missile to hurl at your bothersome brother.
After a few years of a fairly steady diet of this air bread it began to lose its shine and we began to
hunger for the crusty, dense loaves straight from the oven. The sort that if you broke off a chunk and
dipped it in the simmering sauce, it would not fall apart and disappear to the bottom of the pot.
Fortunately in the little town where we grew up there were several good Italian bakeries that still
specialized in what we now call "artisan" breads. Mom would occasionally treat the family to a loaf
from her favorite, and she would still bake her own version now and then; but it wasn't until the
l970's that a true revival of interest in home baked bread occurred in this country.
It is interesting to me that just about the time that women decided to move out into the professional
world seriously, and a large percentage of our families became two income families, that this revival
took place. It seems that as women got busier than ever they longed for the serenity that comes from
providing this basic food. This revival of interest has not been limited to women, however. Men
seem to find the same sort of therapeutic value in producing a fine loaf. Perhaps it is because it
forces you to slow down. You cannot rush a good loaf of bread. There is a certain peace that comes
from the slow, developing process of making bread. You have provided something basic, unique and
healthful to your family's needs, the house is filled with wonderful aromas, and you've created an
edible work of art.
There are hundreds of

recipes available for the
bread baker ranging from
the simplest white pan bread
to the more complicated free
form loaves. Boules,
baguettes, batards, white,
rye, wheat, spelt, and a
thousand other variations.
From our ongoing
experimentation we've come
to love this large crusty
sourdough loaf. If you don't
have a sourdough starter you
may either purchase one
from a specialty store, with

©2000 CeCe Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
instructions included on how to revive it, or you can make your own. I started ours in San Francisco
in 1996, and have successfully transplanted it to the mountains in New Mexico, as well as to
Pennsylvania and Oregon. Each year it becomes stronger and more complex in flavor. We use it to
bake a dozen different kids of breads as well as sourdough pancakes and even a chocolate
sourdough cake. Everyone who has successfully started their own sourdough has a "correct" way.
This one works for us.

_______________________________________
Sourdough Starter
• 1 1/2 cups non fat milk

• 2 cups white bread flour
Warm the milk until barely tepid. Combine the milk and flour in a glass or plastic bowl, do not use
metal. Whisk vigorously until well blended. Cover with clean cheesecloth to keep out insects and
dust. Do not cover with plastic or anything that will seal. Leave at room temperature. Stir well
every 24 hours and in anywhere from one to three days you should see bubbles appearing on the
surface. You have been successful in capturing a wild yeast. Feed the mixture 1/2 cup flour and 1/2
cup tepid non fat milk every 8 hours for the next two days, stirring well. At this point it should be
quite active with a thick layer of foam. If at any point you see a pinkish color developing, discard
the mixture, scrub everything well and start again. A pink color indicates a bacterial infection,
something you do not want in your sourdough. The layer of foam indicates the activity of the
culture. You may now use it or refrigerate until ready to use. When you refrigerate a starter it will
go dormant and separate into two layers. The bottom layer will be heavy, pasty and doughy, and the
top layer will be yellowish and watery. Simply whisk them together and bring it all to room
temperature before using (about two hours). If you do not use your starter for two or three weeks it
is a good idea to pour out a cup and feed it with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup tepid non fat milk, let it
sit at room temperature until it is nice and bubbly again. Each time you do use it, feed it the same
way, replacing whatever you remove. For example if your recipe calls for 8 oz of starter, then
replace it with 4 oz flour and 4 oz of milk.
A word about equipment. Bread baking is such a basic procedure that all you really need is a bowl,
your two hands and a baking sheet. But in the interests of accuracy and ease I would recommend
that you have a large dough scraper, an accurate kitchen scale (the new digital ones are wonderful
because you can use the tare feature and add most everything to one bowl), assorted baskets of
appropriate size and shape, and a clean spray bottle for water (inexpensive ones can be bought from
hardware stores). You can purchase baskets from specialty kitchenware stores at a very high price or
inexpensive ones from a local import store. Just be sure they are clean. You will line them with
clean kitchen towels anyway. Since this recipe makes about 4.5 lbs. of dough, a heavy duty mixer,
while not a necessity, will surely simplify the process.
Ingredients are also about as

basic as you can get. Flour,
water, salt, and leavening,
properly proportioned, will
produce a loaf of bread.
However, whole books have
been written about types of flour,
their chemistry, and their various
uses. For now, suffice it to say
you want two basic types of flour
for the following bread. The first
is all-purpose unbleached white flour and the other is high gluten flour. The second can usually be
purchased in bulk at specialty stores or in bags (at a much high price) in high-end supermarkets. For
more information on flour please refer to "The Italian Baker" by Carol Field or "World Sourdoughs
from Antiquity" by Ed Wood.
All ingredients in the following recipe have been converted to weight for accuracy. For example one
cup of white flour will weigh anywhere from 4.5 to 6 ounces depending upon how the cup is filled
and what the relative humidity might be. Using weights instead of measures makes a much more
consistent loaf, therefore the need for the kitchen scale.

Sourdough Bread
Makes two generous two pound loaves or three 1.5 lb. loaves
• 14 oz. sourdough starter, room temperature

• 2 oz. raw wheat germ
• 1 lb. 4 oz. tepid water
• 1 lb. 8 oz. unbleached white flour
• 1 lb. high gluten flour
• 1 Tblsp. salt
Measure starter, wheat germ and water into mixer bowl. Mix flours and salt together in another
bowl. With paddle attachment on mixer, add half of the flour mixture to the starter mixture and beat
for 4 to 5 minutes at medium speed until the mixture is elastic. Change to dough hook and add
remainder of flour. Knead with machine until dough ball forms and it begins to climb the hook. Turn
onto a well floured board and finish kneading by hand an addition 5 minutes or until the dough
feels satiny and beginning to blister. If you get tired, take a five minute break and go back to
kneading again. Place in a large oiled bowl (the bowl should be twice the size of your dough mass),
cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover again with a clean heavy towel and let rise in a warm,
draft-free place until doubled, about three hours.
Turn out onto a floured board, deflate the dough and cover with the empty bowl. Let rest 10
minutes. Divide dough into desired amounts and shape according to your baskets. Round baskets
(or even a kitchen bowl in a pinch) will make a boule, long wide baskets will make a batard. As you
form each loaf work the dough on the board to form a taut "skin", gathering and pinching and
rolling on the board. Place each loaf in its basket which has been lined with a clean kitchen towel
and then lightly floured. Cover each with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band so it is tight. Let
sit at room temperature about 30 minutes
and then refrigerate overnight.
Next day: Remove from refrigerator,

remove plastic wrap and replace with a
clean kitchen towel. Let rise until almost
doubled. This will take anywhere from
three to four hours depending on the
ambient temperature. Don't rush the
dough. About 20 minutes before you wish
to bake, preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Turn bread out of baskets onto sheet
pans that have been heavily dusted with
cornmeal (not oiled). Make two or three
deep angled slashes on the top of the
dough to allow proper expansion. Place
in preheated oven and immediately and
quickly spray sides and bottom of oven

with a fine mist of cold water. Turn oven down to 375. Spray two more times every three minutes
and then do not open oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove loaves from pan and bake
directly on oven rack for additional five to seven minutes. Cool on racks. May be frozen after
completely cooled.
Altitude Adjustment: This is a sturdy bread that bakes well to high altitudes. You may need to
adjust baking times by a few minutes but do not change temperature. As with any bread recipe the
amounts of flour may need to be increased or decreased slightly depending more on humidity and
temperature than altitude.

Crab Cutlets
_______________________________________
During the years I lived on the east coast, I acquired a taste

for blue crabs. While growing up in Western Pennsylvania
this was definitely not a staple in my mother's very Italian
kitchen, both because of the expense and the fact that we
did not have a ready source of fresh seafood. However,
when I moved to the east coast area the blue crab became
an integral part of my diet, and therefore part of our family
recipe book.
Blue crabs are found all over the east coast and down
through the gulf states. However the absolute best come
from the Chesapeake Bay. To my taste, the brackish waters
of the bay produce the finest crabs in the world.
There are many ways to prepare crabs. They can be

steamed whole while in their hard shells, and while
molting, they make an excellent sauté dish which we know
as soft-shell crab. Our absolute favorite is a crab cutlet or
crab cake, whichever you prefer to call them. The main
ingredient to make a great crab cutlet, naturally, would be
the crab meat itself. With the advent of the internet and the
many e-commerce sites, this delicacy is available fresh to
all who are willing to pay the price. As pasteurized crab Chef Raymond in his private lair – 2000
meat it is also often available in up-scale supermarkets and
fish markets in the refrigerated section.
When purchasing crab meat, either fresh or pasteurized, you will discover there are many different
parts of the crab available. You will find claw meat, backfin meat, body meat, lump crabmeat, and
finally the best, jumbo lump crabmeat. Jumbo lump crabmeat is what we will use for our recipe.
Although it may originate from any number of locales, if it comes
from the Chesapeake Bay it is the best in the world.
For a formal dinner these make a memorable first course, served as

a three ounce cutlet sauced with a lemon butter sauce or a white
wine reduction. If you wish to serve them as an entree, two three
ounce cutlets served with tartar sauce, a wedge of lemon, a fresh
ear of corn, and a stack of homemade French fries is the traditional
New England plate. For a special lunch presentation, a four ounce

1999 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
crab cake served on a Kaiser roll dressed with a tartar sauce, thin slice of tomato and a crisp leaf of
lettuce is a delight.
_______________________________________

Crab Cutlets
Total ingredients to make six 3 ounce cutlets
• 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat or lump crabmeat

• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1-1/4 tbls. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1/8 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 cup unsalted milk or water crackers made into crumbs
• 1 tbls. clarified butter
Step One: Prepare the crab cutlet mixture
In a medium sized bowl place all of the ingredients except the cracker crumbs. Fold very gently
until well mixed. Drizzle in the cracker crumbs, a little at a time, lightly stirring as you add
them. Use only enough cracker crumbs to lightly bind the mixture. The exact amount of cracker
crumbs will vary according to the amount of moisture in the crab meat.
Step Two: Form the crab cutlets
With a large spoon portion out the proper amount of the mixture. Dampen your hands with cold
water and gently form the crab mixture into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Place each of them on
a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper.
Step Three: Cook the cutlets
Use a heavy bottom skillet, place over medium

heat. Add the clarified butter and bring up to
cooking temperature. Pick up the crab cutlets on
the back side of a spatula and place in the sauté
pan being careful not to crowd them. Sauté about 3
minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to
gently turn them over and repeat the process.
While there are many recipes available that are a

variation on this theme, the one we have shared
with you focuses on the main ingredient, the best
crabmeat you can purchase. If you add herbs,

spices, and lots of filler, you detract from the delicate flavor of the crab and defeat the purpose of
paying for the best.
Altitude Adjustment: None

Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers

_______________________________________
I recently found myself in the rather un-enviable situation of having to prepare a dinner for one.
It was just one of those days that I craved something different, very Italian, not too complicated,
and fast. Since I have an inherent dislike for fast foods and frozen dinners, my need for speed
was creating a real problem.
The solution to my dilemma came when I recalled having dinner a very long time ago, in a little
hole in the wall restaurant in the Iron Bound section of Newark, New Jersey. Iron Bound is not
an ethnically diverse neighborhood, it is predominantly Italian and Portuguese. This was one of
my favorite places because it was close to my office, the food and service were outstanding, and
the prices were right.
Occasionally I would be invited to have dinner with an interesting acquaintance of mine who
traced his roots back to Naples. For reasons I never really understood at the time, the great food
and service just got better when my friend accompanied me to dinner. The owner would whisk us
to a private table in a little alcove and he would wait on the table personally. There was never a
menu, my friend and the owner had a brief conversation in Italian and food and wine would
magically appear. Try as I might, I was never able to pay a check in his presence, and as a matter
of fact, I never saw a check presented.
One dish that was served during

one of these rather interesting
dinners was pork chops and
vinegar peppers, and the owner
was kind enough to share the
recipe with me, which I
immediately added to my growing
list of favorites. I have never seen
this dish on any menu in any
restaurant. It is simply cucina
rustica at its best.
The dinner was always presented

very simply: three nice pork chops
with sautéed vinegar peppers, a
large tossed salad dressed with a

© 2000 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
mild vinaigrette, a good bottle of dry red wine, and a basket of great Italian bread. It just doesn't
get any simpler, or any better for that matter. If you are a major carnivore three chops will suit
you, but for the more delicate two will do quite nicely. You can increase this recipe to feed two or
more people simply by adding more sauté pans to the stove.

_______________________________________
Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers
Total ingredients to serve one:

• 2 or 3 center cut, bone in, pork
chops
cut 3/4 inch thick
• 3 tbls. olive oil
• 4 hot cherry peppers, pickled and
sliced
• 1/2 cup pickling brine from cherry
peppers
• 1 clove garlic, minced
Step
One: Prepare the pork chops and cherry peppers
Remove stems and seeds from cherry peppers. Slice the

peppers into 1/4" strips. Lightly salt and pepper the pork
chops on both sides.
Step Two: Cook the pork chops
Place a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat and

add the olive oil. When the oil is very hot but not yet smoking add the pork chops. Sprinkle
1/2 of the minced garlic on the chops and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the sliced cherry
peppers and cook for another minute. When chops are golden brown on the bottom turn them
over. Add the rest of the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute, then add the
brine. Turn heat up to high and finish the chops to your taste, no more than two minutes to
keep them tender. Remove the chops to a warm plate and reduce the pan sauce by half.
Spoon the cooked peppers over the chops, and pour the pan sauce over all.
You may use any kind of vinegar pepper in any heat range for this recipe. My personal favorite
happens to be hot cherry peppers because they are a nice fleshy pepper that stands up well in the
sauté pan, and the cooking process somewhat tempers the heat range. Vinegar peppers are
available in all heat ranges from hot, medium, mild to sweet. You could substitute hot banana

peppers or even jalapenos. They do not have the substance of a cherry pepper and will break
down more. For those of you who would use a sweet vinegar pepper, maybe you should
consider the following idea – marry an Italian.

Prime Rib of Beef – Picture Perfect

_______________________________________
While living in the Philadelphia area many years ago, I dined frequently at a quaint old Inn in the
King of Prussia area. The name of the restaurant was the Peacock Inn, and they had a well
deserved reputation for serving the best prime ribs in the area. My culinary interests at the time
was still focused on mastering some of the Italian recipes that my mother made so well, and I
was quite content to have dinner at the Inn whenever the urge struck me for some prime rib.
After moving to New Jersey some time later, I quickly learned that not all restaurants did such a
fine job with prime rib of beef. Being a fairly proficient if still amateur cook, I decided to add
this dish to my expanding Italian repertoire. So off I went on a mission to make prime ribs just as
I remember them from the Peacock Inn.
I researched several cookbooks, and the cooking methods they advocated were all pretty much
the same. It seemed like a pretty simple project. Locating an adequate supply of prime rib at the
supermarket presented no challenge, so I announced to my family that we were going to have
prime rib for dinner on Sunday.
The results were adequate at best, but not even remotely close to the dish I enjoyed so often at
the Peacock Inn. I tried several more times, with the same results. I then determined that the beef
I was purchasing must not be as good as what is being served at the Peacock Inn, so off I went in
search of the absolutely best meat. No matter how much money I spent on the meat, my finished
dish never measured up to what I remembered having at the Peacock Inn.
Out of sheer frustration I called the owner of the Peacock Inn and told him of my dilemma. He
remembered me well as an excellent former customer and invited me down to his kitchen for a
hands on lesson in the do's and don'ts for cooking a prime rib of beef. I immediately accepted the
invitation and have been making picture perfect prime rib ever since.
The first order of business is to select the prime rib. The choice you will have to make is a matter
of personal preference: bone in or bone out. The cut of rib with the bone in is sometimes referred
to as a "standing rib roast", and the boneless cut is generally called "eye of the rib". My personal
preference is the boneless model, which makes the eventual carving of the cooked roast a simple
matter, and gives me more options on the exact sizing of the roast.
The next choice is how large a roast and the "grade". I prefer to purchase a whole prime rib from
the wholesale section in the supermarket rather than a piece. A whole prime rib will generously

serve 14 people. I like to cut rib eye steaks from the whole rib until I reduce the size of the roast
to fit the dinner I want to serve. Economically this is generally the best way to go, and as an extra
benefit you can have a stock of rib eye steaks cut exactly to the thickness you like. If you prefer
to buy a cut sized to serve immediately, allow one pound per person as there will be some
shrinkage in the cooking.
When purchasing your prime rib be very selective on the USDA grade. If you choose to buy the
whole rib the grade must be stamped on the package, because it is a wholesale cut. I recommend
"USDA Choice" for best results. The circle of fat that runs through the entire rib is called the
"corn", and the size of the corn is one of many things that make up the grade of the rib. The
smaller the diameter of the corn the better. The USDA choice grade will give you the best shot of
purchasing a rib with a small corn.
_______________________________________
Prime Ribs of Beef with Au Jus Gravy
Total Ingredients to Serve Seven:
• 1/2 of a whole boneless prime rib

or a piece weighing 6 to 7 lbs
• 3 tbls. olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped coarsely
• 1 medium carrot chopped coarsely
• 1 stalk celery chopped coarsely
• 5 sprigs of fresh parsley chopped fine
• a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet
Step One: Prepare the prime ribs
Rub the olive oil over the entire prime rib.

Generously salt and pepper the entire rib.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Step Two: Cook the prime rib
Remove prime rib from refrigerator and let stand until it reaches room temperature, about
two hours. Select a roasting pan that has sides at least 3 inches deep. Place the onion, carrot
and celery on the bottom of the pan. Build a rack that will elevate the roast at least 1 inch off

of the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pan with water to the top of the rack. For a richer Au Jus
gravy you can substitute brown stock for the water. Place the prime rib on the rack and insert
an accurate meat thermometer in the center of the rib. Put in an oven that has been pre-
heated to 225 degrees.
The cooking time will depend on the degree of doneness you desire. As a rule of thumb it should
take about 4 hours, more or less. The real key to a successful roast is the internal temperature, so
you should monitor the roast closely after three hours so attain the exact internal temperature you
desire. You can use the following as a guide: 120 degrees rare, 130-135 degrees medium rare,
140-145 medium. I would never suggest going beyond medium.
Au Jus Gravy
Remove roast from the oven and place on carving board. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum
foil and let the roast rest for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove cooked
vegetables, into your fat separator. Pour off the drippings into a sauce pan and quickly bring to a
fast boil. Reduce for 5 to 10 minutes and stir in the chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to
taste. Add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to attain the proper color.
When carving your roast you will notice that the degree of doneness is exactly the same from
end to end and top to bottom. This is what I call a "picture perfect" prime rib of beef roast. If you
have one or two guests that desire their rib a little more done it is a simple matter to advance the
color slightly by giving it a few seconds in the microwave or put some Au Jus in a sauté pan and
place over a medium heat to attain the desired degree of doneness. Remember you can advance
the degree of doneness but you can't go backwards.
When serving your prime rib another nice touch to keep in mind is to prepare a little horseradish
sauce served in a small saucer on the side. Simply add a little sour cream to pure horseradish
until you achieve your desired heat range. Mix well. The perfect partners to finish this plate is a
simple baked potato, a simple green salad, and a good bottle of red wine.
For those who insist on a well done prime rib you may use either of the following techniques.
The first is to forget about all of the above instructions and simply place the roast in a pre-heated
375 degree oven, and cook until it is dead, or remove the sole from your least favorite pair of
shoes, add salt and pepper, and heat in a microwave until serving temperature is attained. The
results of both options will be about the same. Maybe you should consider a nice piece of fish?


Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style

(Spicy Stuffed Squid)
By CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, rezara@parshift.com
_______________________________________
Fish of all sorts play a key role on the holiday menus of many cuisines. Traditional Christmas
Eve festivities in a large Italian household used to feature a buffet of seven kinds of fish cooked
in a number of different ways. While it would be interesting to replicate the traditional menu of
seven fish, for most of us with our smaller families this would be an overwhelming task and a
pure example of overkill. Even in the extended family we grew up with, the cooks limited
themselves to two or three varieties.
Several of our family's traditional recipes appear in our Family Secrets #22, and the following
recipe would make a splendid addition or substitution at this or any time of year. We consider
this one of our additions to the living legacy of fine family food.
In the winter these can be cooked on the stove top in a grill pan (a heavy cast iron fry pan with
ridges on the bottom). In the summer they are simply delicious done on the grill. This recipe is a
wonderful addition to a buffet table since you can prep the whole thing hours in advance, and the
final cooking only takes about 12 minutes. It also adopts well as a first course (serve 2 per
person) for a formal meal. I personally love it as an entree, just adding a crisp green salad, crusty
Italian bread, and a glass of white wine. You'll still have room for dessert.
For those of you who are fortunate enough to have access to fresh whole-body squid, please do
use them. Sometimes you can buy them already cleaned, but if not, it is worth the effort to clean
them yourself. Be sure to peel off all the speckled skin so you end up with a perfectly white
whole squid body. If using frozen, they often come without the tentacles, so you will have to
eliminate them from the stuffing. They make a nice textural addition to the filling but it will be
fine without.
_______________________________________
Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style
For six medium squid. May be doubled or tripled.
• 3 slices stale homestyle bread torn or cut into very small pieces after discarding tough
crusts.
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

© 2000 CeCe Dove- Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

• 8 pitted marinated green olives, chopped
• 2 tsp. drained and rinsed capers
• Squid tentacles if you have them, blanched one minute, cooled, and finely chopped
• 1/2 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste.
• 6 medium squid (about 4 inches body length)
• 1 1/2 cups marinara (optional, see below)

Step One: Prepare the Stuffing
Soak bread in milk for 15 minutes. Sauté scallions and jalapeno in the olive oil over low heat
until soft, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly. Squeeze bread and discard milk. Mix bread with
scallions/peppers tossing with two forks. Add all other ingredients, tossing and mixing well.
Adjust for salt if necessary, this will depend on your olives.
Step Two: Stuffing the Squid
Even if you have purchased your squid already cleaned, rinse them in cold water again, making
sure all the innards are out, the quill is gone, and all skin removed. Pat dry. With a small spoon
(a sugar spoon works well) and your immaculately clean fingers, stuff the bodies with the filling.
Pack it gently, remembering that the stuffing will swell when you cook it. When all the squid are
filled, rub them very lightly with olive oil and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Step Three: Cooking
If using a stove top pan, brush lightly with olive oil and place over a medium high heat until pan
is hot. Grill the squid about 12 minutes, turning gently with tongs several times, until they are
opaque and the stuffing begins to swell. Serve on a pool of fresh marinara spiked with cilantro
or fresh basil if you wish. May also be served unsauced over a bed of fresh greens tossed with a
vinaigrette.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

(with Garlic and Oil)
_______________________________________
After more than 30 years of marriage my husband has finally reconciled himself to the fact that I
will never serve this dish to company that I don’t know very very well. It is one of his favorite
ways of eating pasta, and while I enjoy it every bit as much as he, I grew up thinking of this dish
as something we ate when money was tight or time was short or when Mama simply ran out of
energy. Looking back I can see that this is a perfect example of cucina rustica, i.e., simple family
food made for the enjoyment of the moment without pretensions. It is delicious, inexpensive,
quick to prepare and perfectly suitable for a friendly, informal meal.
Mom never made this dish with homemade spaghetti, although she did buy the best dried pasta
she could find. I suppose there is no logical reason not to use homemade pasta, and in retrospect
she probably didn’t simply because she only used this dish for quick and easy family suppers.
Whether you opt to serve only family and close friends or extend this treat to anyone else is
certainly up to you, but please do use the best olive oil you can afford, and buy a good brand of
dried pasta. Our preference over the years has been DeCecco, and we regularly stock our pantry
with their rigatoni, ziti and other shapes that are too difficult to make by hand. This dish is
always made with long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine.

The classic preparation of this dish is simply with olive oil and garlic, then dusted with paprika.
However, I have included two options. The first is a handful of finely chopped parsley or any
other fresh green herb you might like. Because we grow a lot of herbs I will often add in a
tablespoon or so of mixed herbs such as oregano with parsley. Dried herbs are not appropriate for
this recipe. The second option is red pepper flakes. Because we live in the southwest we seem to
have developed a taste for spicing up our food a bit. Adding a teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
to the oil gives a nice little bite. Alternatively you can simply put the red pepper on the table for
those who would like it.
How you handle the garlic is another optional matter. If you prefer a more delicate taste, then
you would sliver the garlic and remove it from the oil when it is just golden. If you like a lustier
taste, then you should very finely mince the garlic and leave it in the oil. In either case, under no
circumstances should the garlic be allowed to turn dark brown or black, as this will result in a
bitter, unpleasant dish.
As to the tongue twister name, while some dialects have more syllables, in our family we
pronounce it eye-oi. Restaurant waiters, if not raised traditional Italian, often have some very
creative pronunciations.
_______________________________________
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Serves four
Uncle Andy, Uncle Tony and Uncle Jim after too much
Waiting pasta.brother
for dinner: September
Bill 1939.
(top left), Daddy, Uncle Andy, brother-
in-law Danny, Uncle Ray (front). 1947.
• 1 lb. dried long pasta

• 4 medium garlic cloves
• Paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 or 2 Tblsp. minced fresh herbs such as parsley, fresh oregano or a mixture (optional)
• Freshly grated Parmesan (pass separately)
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2
cup of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, gently warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan,
add the garlic either slivered or minced and heat just until the garlic turns golden. If you are
using the red pepper flakes, add them here. Remove garlic or not according to your taste. Set oil
aside until pasta is drained. Place oil back on medium low flame and toss pasta, in the sauté
pan, with salt until well coated. If the pasta seems dry add dribbles of the pasta water. Add herbs
and just heat through. Serve immediately with a good grind of black pepper, and pass the grated
cheese at table. I also like to have a cruet of olive oil on the table so diners may add a drizzle if
they wish.
Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and
some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the
mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes.

Spaghetti con Tonno (with Tuna)

_______________________________________
Do you remember the groans and moans of meatless Fridays? Our mother really didn't have
much of a way with fish. She breaded and fried it or she made a fish and potato casserole that I
used to love (see Family Secret #34) but that was about her whole repertoire. It took a lot of
traveling for both my brother and myself to develop a taste for the wonderful diversity of seafood
available to us. But when we were growing up and meatless Friday rolled around every week, the
other dish she did well and we always looked forward to was spaghetti con tonno.
This is another of those rustic family style dinners that are so easy to put together you feel guilty.
But get over the guilt because it is so delicious it would be sinful not to eat it. Because the sauce
is meatless you can either use a marinara that you may have frozen or simply make it as
presented in this recipe. The ingredients take minutes to prepare and the sauce simply needs to
reduce enough to coat the pasta - a matter of minutes versus the hours to prepare a traditional red
sauce.
The question of using fresh tuna versus canned has only surfaced in the last few years since
we've become so obsessed with using the freshest of ingredients. We never saw a fresh tuna steak
when we grew up so there was never a controversy about it. Our feeling is that yes you can use
fresh tuna but it will certainly change the nature of this dish. It won't taste the same or have the
same mouth feel to it. If I were to make it with fresh tuna I would call it something entirely
different, season it differently, probably serve it with homemade pasta instead of the dried pasta
we use, and would most likely even sauce it differently. It would no doubt be delicious too, but it
wouldn't be the dish I remember and wish to re-
create here.
A word about canned tuna is in order. If you can

find Italian tonno packed in olive oil you'll have
the perfect ingredient. Otherwise look for solid
white albacore. You could also go further down
the scale and use a chunk white albacore, but
nothing less than this will do or it will simply
dissolve in the sauce. It is getting harder and
harder to find tuna packed in oil but that is my
preference. If you can only find the tuna packed
in spring water, you can adjust as the recipe
indicates by simply adding a good drizzle of
olive oil.

The optional anchovies give this dish an extra layer of flavor. They dissolve in the sauce and
even the most avid anchovy-hater will not recognize them. If you use them take extra care when
adding salt to the final sauce.
Parmesan or not? Well, that's up to you. Traditionally, never with fish, but there are always die-
hards who must have their daily fix of grated Parmesan. I suggest passing it at the table.
_______________________________________

Spaghetti con Tonno
Serves four
• 1 qt. of whole peeled tomatoes chopped medium, with juices

• 2 Tblsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp. garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 can anchovies, rinsed, dried and finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or if using tuna in oil drain and save the oil from the can and make up the
difference with olive oil)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 oz. can of tuna, drained
• 1 Tblsp. fresh minced basil or two bay leaves
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb, dried spaghetti or linguine
Warm 2 Tblsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat
until just softened, two to three minutes. If using anchovies, add them at this point. Dissolve the
tomato paste in the white wine in a small glass and set aside. Add the crushed tomatoes to the
onion/garlic/anchovy mixture and stir well, then add the wine/paste to this. If using water-
packed tuna, add the other two Tblsp. olive oil. If using optional pepper flakes, add now. Add
herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, uncovered. Add salt as needed. Simmer until sauce is slightly
thickened, enough to coat the pasta, about 15-20 minutes at a gentle simmer. If using bay leaves
remove them now. Add the drained tuna, being careful not to break up the tuna too much. It
should remain chunky. Let rest about five minutes off heat.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain well.
When the sauce is ready, place pasta in a warm serving bowl, gently toss with the sauce and
serve immediately.
Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and
some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the
mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes.

Brandied Chicken Liver Pâté

_______________________________________
Some years ago I was invited to attend one of many

bon voyage parties held for my brother Bill and his
wife Marie. They were avid cruisers, so these
parties were held rather frequently. This particular
party was hosted by Marie's cousin, Freddie (Flip)
Mammone.
Flip had a well deserved reputation for hosting

gourmet caliber dinner and cocktail parties, and it
was at this bon voyage party that I had the good
fortune to sample his Chicken Liver Pâté ala Remy
Martin. I asked him if he would share the recipe for
this outstanding pâté, and he quite graciously
agreed. The recipe has been part of our family's
repertoire for a number of years and has served me
well when asked to provide a dish for a cocktail
party or as an appetizer for a dinner party.
Freddie (Flip) Mammone (1926 - ). Picture: 1975.
Even though we all know that the French are masters of pâté, the French approach is much more
involved both in terms of ingredients and method. Italian cuisine has a long history of using every
part of the chicken including the liver. The livers are incorporated into risotto, various stuffings, and
simply sautéed with peppers. While day to day cooking does not usually include antipasti, this
recipe would easily be found on an antipasti plate for a celebratory dinner.
Whether the final destination of the pâté is for an antipasta course or as an hor d'oeuvre for a
cocktail party, or just some great snack food to enjoy while watching the "Sopranos" on HBO, the
beauty of the recipe is that it is made the day before you need it, which does wonders for your
kitchen timing.
Unlike many pâté recipes which can be rather involved, you will find this one is a study in
simplicity. The most difficult things you will have to deal with are making a "bouquet garni" and
choosing an appropriate mold to finish the pâté. I personally prefer using a standard ceramic 12" x
4" pâté mold, however, you can be as creative as you like with your choice.
A bouquet garni is used in recipes that call for the flavors of various herbs but do not want the herbs
themselves present in the finished product. A very simple way to make this is to take a combination
of various fresh herbs and tie them together with a piece of kitchen string. This method is generally
used in making soups or stews, and if a few leaves of herbs become detached it is no big deal.

However, for our pâté recipe we will want the flavor of the bouquet garni and absolutely none of the
herbs themselves. We accomplish this by taking the combination of herbs and placing them on a
double layer of rinsed cheesecloth. Place the herbs in the center of a cheesecloth square. Then bring
the corners of the cheesecloth together and twist until a firm ball is formed. Tie the twisted part of
the cheesecloth with kitchen string, and with a pair of scissors trim off excess cheesecloth and
string.
_______________________________________

Brandied Chicken Liver Pâté
Total Ingredients
• 1 Lb. chicken livers • 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. butter, softened to room temperature • 2 1/2 Tblsp. liquor (your choice of
• 1 bouquet garni (equal parts parsley, basil, brandy, cognac, or grappa)
oregano, rosemary), enough to form a 2 inch ball • 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 medium onions, diced fine • 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Step One: Prepare the chicken livers

Place the chicken livers in a strainer to remove any liquid that they may be packed in. Rinse
well with cold water. Trim any balls of fat that may be present and any obvious sinews.
Step Two: Cook chicken livers

Place 2 ounces of the butter in a heavy bottomed, 12 inch sauté pan. Over medium heat add
diced onions and minced garlic. As soon as the onions turn translucent add salt, pepper,
bouquet garni and chicken livers. Cook the livers until well browned, about 4 minutes. Do not
overcook or you will have that disgusting dried-out livery taste we all hate. Shut heat off and
move bouquet garni to the center of the sauté pan. Pile cooked chicken livers on top of it,
forming a pile. Let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove
bouquet garni and squeeze it to remove all liquid then discard the herb ball.
Step Three: Process the pâté

Place entire contents of sauté pan into food processor. Pulse the processor in two bursts, 8 to 10
seconds per burst. Add Liquor and the rest of the butter cut into chunks. Pulse briefly once or
twice. Be careful at this point not to over process the pâté and liquefy it. You only want to
process it until the desired thick-creamy texture is achieved. Remove contents of the processor
into a bowl and gently fold with a spatula until all of the butter is creamed into the mixture.
Step Four: Mold the pâté

Line the mold of your choice with plastic wrap. Placed creamed pâté in mold and smooth out
the top. Wrap the entire mold in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to serve, unwrap the

mold, place the serving plate over
the top and invert the mold. The
pâté will now be upside down on
the plate. Remove the plastic wrap
that had covered the bottom and
you are good to go. Garnish the
serving plate with a few sprigs of
fresh parsley and serve with
crackers or a thinly sliced crusty
bread.

To complete the presentation, a small bowl of finely minced red onion and a bowl of giardenera or
cornichons are appropriate.

Smoked Salmon
_______________________________________
The origin of the practice of curing fish and game by brining and smoking is shrouded by the
centuries. Every culture from the Indians of the Americas to the inhabitants of Europe and Asia
have practiced this method of preservation allowing them to survive harsh winters and long
periods of nomadic movement. We cannot, therefore, as Italians lay claim to this exceptional
cooking method. We can, however, share in its enjoyment with all the cultures of the world.
There is something wonderfully fulfilling about the whole process. Perhaps it's the careful
preparation, followed by the primitiveness of lighting wood fires and smelling the overwhelming
aroma of smoldering fruit woods and then knowing that you have transformed a simple piece of
fish or game into a number of fabulous meals that is so wonderful. In simpler words, it is just
plain fun.
While growing up in Western Pennsylvania, smoked salmon was not in our family's repertoire of
seafood dishes. At that time salmon was not as readily available as it is today, and buying
smoked salmon in a deli was prohibitively expensive, if you could even find it in our little town.
It was not until later in life that I discovered the subtle, delicate flavor of this succulent fish. For
the longest time, I was quite content to enjoy smoked salmon as an appetizer while dining out, or
purchasing a package of smoked salmon from a gourmet shop to use as an hor d'oeuvre during
cocktail hour. The quality of packaged smoked salmon runs from outstanding to forgetaboutit.
The one trait that all packaged smoked salmon share is the price, which is expensive.
Through the miracle of modern technology, most salmon consumed in the USA is now farm
raised. This technique provides the shopping public with a plentiful and economical supply. The
versatility and abundance of this fish has also attracted the attention of the restaurant industry. It
is difficult today to find a fine restaurant that does not have salmon on the menu. The sheer
number of ways salmon is offered is testimony to its versatility. You can have it pan seared,
baked, broiled, grilled, poached, marinated, crusted, or even raw.
My first attempts at preparing smoked salmon were less than desirable. Last summer we had a
visitor from California, a friend and business associate of my brother in law, who came to New
Mexico for a long weekend. His name is Joe Dillon. He's an avid bread baker who wanted to
spend the weekend baking a variety of different breads and getting in a little mountain climbing.
We managed to accomplish the breads and the climbing, plus he shared some invaluable
information on how to do a smoked salmon properly. Joe very graciously agreed to let us share
his recipe and techniques with our readers and we warmly thank him for his generosity.
For best results you will need a proper smoke/cooker to do your salmon. We use a Brinkman
smoke/cooker that has a water tray for moisture. These are readily available in the outdoor
sections of many discount retailers. You will also need a couple of handfulls of small pieces of
wood soaked in water to provide the smoke. We are blessed with a variety of fruit trees here in

New Mexico so we always have a plentiful supply of prunings for smoking purposes. I prefer
apple wood, but any hardwood will do. As a last resort you can purchase wood chips that can be
soaked in water to provide the smoke. Do not use any woods that are high in resign such as pine.
The heat source will be charcoal and how the charcoal is started can effect the final product. We
use a little device called a "chimney". I can start the charcoal loaded in the chimney with a
couple of pieces of newspaper and in 15 minutes it is ready to dump into the fire box of the
smoke/cooker. I never use charcoal lighter fluid or self starting charcoal because of the noxious
smells they produce. Once the initial batch of charcoal is dumped into the fire box I add enough
additional charcoal to fill the box level. In about another 20 minutes or so the fire is good to go.
_______________________________________

Smoked Salmon
Total Ingredients
I. 1 piece salmon filet about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs with skin

intact
on the bottom
II. 1 gallon water
III. 1 cup salt
IV. 1 handful of fresh sage
V. 1 handful of small pieces of hardwood
VI. 1/4 cup soy sauce (optional)
VII. 3 bay leaves (optional)
VIII. 1 Tblsp. whole black peppercorns (optional)
Step One: Prepare the brine
Take 1 quart of the water and heat to just lukewarm. Chill the remaining 3 quarts. Add the
cup of salt to the lukewarm water in a bowl and stir constantly until dissolved. Pour the
lukewarm water and dissolved salt into a large deep, non reactive pan and add the chilled
water. This brine will result in a light colored final product. As an option you can add at this
point the soy sauce, bay leaves and peppercorns. This will result in a slightly darker colored
final product, which is what I prefer.
Step Two: Marinate the salmon
Place the salmon, skin side down in the brine. Make sure the fish is entirely covered by the
brine. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step Three: Rinsing the fish
Gently remove salmon from the brine. Hold under cold running
water and gently rub the surface of the fish to remove all traces
of the salt. Repeat process on the skin side. It is very important
that the fish be thoroughly rinsed.
Step Four: Drying the fish

Gently pat dry with a couple of paper towels. Make sure to do both sides of the fish. Be very
gentle in handling the salmon. Place skin side down on wire rack. Let air dry for at least 2
hours. Longer is better than shorter. If you are having a high humidity day, keep the drying
process going for at least an additional hour. You will notice the flesh side of the salmon
develop a shine. This is what you are looking for. Do not proceed to the next step until this
shine develops.

Step Five: Smoke cook the salmon
There are several things to have ready at the smoke cooker before
you place the salmon into the cooker. You should have a pail of
water with the wood and the sage soaking in it. You should also
have an additional bucket of hot water for the water tray in the
cooker. Most important is the condition of the charcoal in the
firebox. It should be at maximum heat and ready to go. To load the
cooker, first place the soaked wood and sage directly on the hot
charcoal. Next, quickly insert the water pan empty and pour the hot
water from the bucket into the pan until it is 3/4 full. Be careful not
to spill any or it will cool your charcoal fire. Then quickly place the
salmon on the rack and place the rack in the topmost position. Put
the lid on and within 5 minutes or so you will see smoke billowing
out. Do not remove lid while salmon is smoke cooking. Cook for
about 1 hr. 15 minutes. If it is a real cold day you may want to add another 15 minutes. If you
like your salmon a little creamier inside, deduct 15 minutes. When you open the lid you
should see little white blobs of fat that have been emitted from the salmon. When the fish
gives up its fat, you can be comfortable that it is done.
You are now ready to skin the salmon. Place a large platter over the fish and quickly turn it over.
The skin will easily peel off, then invert back onto a serving plate. You can garnish the serving
plate with crackers and a knife and serve
immediately or you can wrap the salmon and
refrigerate it and served chilled. I like to time the
whole operation so the salmon comes off the smoke
cooker about a half hour before cocktail time and
serve warm. Either way your appetizer will surely
be the hit of the party.
Another great way to enjoy this fish is to serve it as

an entree. If this is your choice you will want to cut
the salmon filets to the size you want before placing
them in the brine. You will have to pay attention to
the timing of the whole process so that the salmon
comes off the cooker right when you want to serve
it.
This is a wonderful way to spend a lazy weekend

day. I especially enjoy sitting on the veranda,
enjoying a glass of wine while the smoking process
is taking place. The sight of the smoke cooker working and the smells of the smoke is definitely
good for the soul. After doing this recipe a couple of times the timing will become second nature
to you and the process will become both simple and relaxing.



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Family Secrets The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American

Family Secrets - Where the Social Core is Food 1

Meanwhile, daughter Jennifer graduated from San Francisco's

CeCe (Cecelia) Dove Ray (Raymond) Zara

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

39. Chicken Cacciatora Oct 99

Cozze en Bianco o Rosso

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

The mussels you purchase in the market are

cook them. Discard any that have opened.

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Mussels in White Sauce

Ingredients to serve four as a first course:

Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.

Step two: Choose a high sided pot that the mussels

Mussels in Red Sauce, with Pasta

Ingredients to serve four as a main course:

Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.

Step two: Cook the same as for mussels in white

To serve: Divide the mussels into 4 bowls into

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Altitude Adjustment: None.

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Cappelletti with Mushroom/Ricotta Stuffing in

I hadn't been to Italy in 10 years, and when

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Stuffing Ingredients to fill approximately 125 cappelletti:

Step One: Heat clarified butter in a 12" sauté pan, add

Step Two: Scrape the mixture into a food processor and

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Step Three: Roll dough as wide as your roller will

Step Five: Working with one at a time fold the square in

Saucing and Serving:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt. If frozen

Brown Butter/Sage Sauce for about 60 cappelletti

• 1/4 lb. salted butter

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Altitude Adjustment: None.

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Tagliatelle con Ragù d'Anatra

By Jennifer Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, jkdove@parshift.com

Besides the aromatic white

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Total ingredients to serve four:

• 1 whole duck or two whole boneless

The castle is the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners,

Altitude Adjustment: None

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4

Step One: Prepare chicken breasts

Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts

Step Three: The finish

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

Altitude Adjustment: None required.

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens