POLENTA

This is my father-in-law??™s recipe. He was a gentle, handsome man with thick curly black hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. His parents were from the Lombard region of Italy and he cooked many of their traditional recipes. I miss him every day.

5 ?? cups water
1 ?? teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups yellow corn meal
2 cups cold water

Bring to boil the 5 ?? cups water, salt and butter. Stir the cornmeal into the 2 cups of cold water. Slowly add the cornmeal mixture into the boiling water. Cook, covered, on medium heat for twenty minutes. (Use a Teflon coated pot or you will be soaking and scrubbing your pot forever!) Stir with a spatula, and turn into a buttered bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Invert onto a plate and slice. 

I usually make this to go with beef stew. Mr. Mike likes to fry the leftover slices in a little butter to eat with eggs the next morning.



STROMBOLI BITES

Source: www.allrecipes.com

This appetizer has a lot of ingredients, but it's easy to make and is a meat lover's dream come true! Italian meats and spices are baked together inside a loaf of bread, then cut into bit-sized pieces

1/2 pound Italian sausage (casing removed and crumbled)
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough 
1 tablespoon yellow mustard 
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard 
5 slices cooked ham 
6 slices pepperoni sausage 
6 slices salami 
4 slices provolone cheese 
4 slices processed American cheese 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 teaspoon dried basil 
1/3 cup cornmeal 

Allow frozen bread dough to thaw approximately 8 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl. Place bowl in a warm location, and allow dough to rise until doubled (2 to 3 hours). Punch down dough. Place Italian sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Roll dough into an approximately 10x14 inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Spread with yellow mustard and prepared Dijon-style mustard. Line center with cooked Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni sausage, salami, provolone cheese and American cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Fold edges of dough over the fillings and pinch together. Tuck and pinch ends. Sprinkle with cornmeal, and flip so the seam side is down. Bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into bite-sized slices


ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Source: Italianfoodforever 

This soup recipe is very popular at Italian weddings in the United States, although I had never heard of it all the years I had lived in Italy. Here in Canada at Italian weddings, a light soup of broth with tiny pasta, or Pastina in Brodo is served as a first course before the pasta and meat courses. Apparently, this meatball and escarole soup is often served at Italian American weddings. While researching its origins, and to find out exactly why it is called "wedding" soup, I found that actually the soup was given this name because it was felt that the meat and greens which are main ingredients, go well together, or in Italian si sposono bene. There are many variations of this soup, although it seems they all contain small meatballs and greens in a flavorful broth. Some recipes boil the meatballs in boiling water before adding them to the broth to keep it clear, while others fry or bake the meatballs. I find by cooking the meatballs in the broth adds additional flavor to the soup. If any foam develops while cooking, simply skim it off with a ladle. I use a mix of ground veal and sirloin, which is low in fat and creates a delicately flavored meatball.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2002

1/2 Pound Ground Veal
1/2 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Large Egg
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese
1/2 Cups Bread Crumbs
Salt And Pepper
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
8 Cups Homemade Chicken Broth
1 Small Head Of Escarole, Washed, Trimmed And Chopped
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese

Heat the broth in a large pot. Mix together the meats, cheese, egg, bread crumbs, parsley and salt and pepper. Once the broth is hot, reduce it to a simmer. Form small meatballs about one inch in diameter, and drop them into the broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then drop in the escarole. Cook for a few more minutes or until all the meatballs float to the top, and the escarole is wilted. Skim off any foam that develops as the meatballs cook. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with a good helping of grated cheese on top.


POTATO GNOCCHI (GNOCCHI DI PATATE)

Source: www.ciaoitalia.com 

Perfect gnocchi depends on the use of mature potatoes and a minimal amount of flour; otherwise they will be too heavy. There are many variations of gnocchi; these little dumplings are covered with a zippy tomato sauce, dusted with Pecorino Romano cheese, and sprinkled with fresh basil.

4 large baking potatoes
1 large egg, beaten 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
About 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
3 cups Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce 
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese 

Put the unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil until tender, about 30 minutes. The potatoes can also be cooked in a microwave for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Peel the potatoes. In a large bowl mash them fine; do not use electric beaters or a food processor, which would make the potatoes too smooth. Add the beaten egg, salt, and cheese. Mix well.

Put 2 cups of flour on a work surface and make a well in the center. Put the potatoes in the center of the well. Knead the flour into the potatoes until a soft and smooth dough is formed. Add a little more flour if the dough seems too sticky.

Break off a small piece of the dough about the size of an egg and, with floured hands, roll the chunk into a rope about 14 inches long and the width of your middle finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces and roll each piece with your thumb down and off the front of the tines of a floured fork: This creates little ridges to trap the sauce. As you form the gnocchi, place them in a single layer on a floured cloth or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the gnocchi, a few at a time, until they rise to the surface. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the tomato sauce. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a large serving platter. Transfer the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the platter. Spoon the remaining sauce over the gnocchi, sprinkle with grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and serve immediately.

Variation: To make spinach gnocchi, add 1 cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry and chopped, to the potato and egg mixture; add the flour. Then, instead of rolling the gnocchi on the tines of a fork, break off pieces of dough about the size of a marble and form them into small balls. Cook as directed above and serve with the tomato sauce.

Note: Uncooked gnocchi freeze well: Arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets, cover with foil, freeze until firm, and then transfer to plastic bags and freeze until needed. Boil them without thawing. My mother places frozen gnocchi directly into a baking dish, adds sauce, and bakes them, eliminating the boiling step: Bake at 350??F for 30 to 35 minutes.


ONIONS "ALLA VENEZIANA"

Source: www.recipes.tk/italian-recipes-vegetables.html 

I know that this is not written in our usual format, but doesn??™t it sound like Nona is teaching you the recipe?

Take six small onions, remove the centers with an apple-corer. Boil them for a few moments, drain them, and stuff them with the following: Take a piece of bread, dip it in milk, squeeze out the milk, and mix the bread with one tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese, the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs. Mix well together, then add some fine-chopped parsley, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and the yolk of one raw egg; mix again well, and then stuff the onions with the mixture. Then dip them in flour and in egg, and fry them in lard. Put them on a platter and serve with a piquante sauce, made as follows: Chop up fine some pickles, capers, and pickled pepper, and add one-half cup of water. When these are cooked, add one tablespoon of butter and cook a little while longer, then pour over the onions and serve.


SCALLOPINI AL MARSALA
VEAL SCALLOPINI

Source: www.cookingwithpatty.com 

1 lb. veal - 1/8 inch thick slices
flour
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter 
salt to taste
Dry Marsala Wine 

1. Pound the veal slices then coat them with flour and shake off the excess.

2. Put the butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet and place over high heat be careful not to burn the butter. 

3. When the butter is melted add the veal and cook the first side until lightly brown.

4. Turn the veal over and sprinkle with Marsala placing your thumb over the top of the bottle to control the flow, approximately 1/4 cup. 

5. Salt the veal to taste and cook until lightly brown and keep an eye on them since the Marsala thickens quickly and can burn easily. 

6. Remove from the pan and serve them immediately.


PANETTONE

My mother-in-law makes this bread every Christmas. It is eaten, toasted, with our Christmas morning breakfast.

Source: www.homeschoolzone.com 

2 eggs
2 c Sugar 
1 Stick butter, melted and -cooled 
1 t Grated lemon peel 
1 t Vanilla extract 
1 t Lemon extract 
3 c All-purpose flour 
2 ts Baking powder
2 ts Salt
1 c Buttermilk 
2 c Slivered almonds 
2 c Golden raisins 
3 c Chopped mixed dried fruits 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a clean, empty 1-pound coffee can. Line bottom with a piece of waxed paper, cut to fit, and grease paper. In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted butter, lemon peel and extracts. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt and blend into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in almonds, raisins and dried fruit. Pour batter into prepared can and place on a baking sheet. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until bread is well browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in can for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

(You may have to cut out the bottom of the can to push out cake.) To serve, cut into slices or wedges. Makes 1 loaf.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Source: Cotton-O??™Neil Health Center

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp pepper
2 T olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
Hot cooked spaghetti, optional

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon oil. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saut?© the green pepper, mushrooms and garlic in remaining oil until vegetables are tender. Add the tomato puree, stewed tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, remaining salt and reserved chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley. Simmer, uncovered 15 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened. Serve over spaghetti if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving ( 1 chicken breast half with 1/2 cup sauce, calculated without spaghetti) : Calories 248, Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1g), Cholesterol 67mg, Sodium 857mg, Carbohydrate 18g, Fiber 3g, Protein 29g. Diabetic Exchange: 3 lean meat, 3 vegetable.

ITALIAN BAKED EGGS

Source: www.knowledgehound.com 

Ingredients:
One small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red or green sweet pepper
Two cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
Six egg whites
One egg
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 ounce)
Chopped tomato (optional) 

In a medium skillet cook zucchini, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl stir together the egg whites, egg, milk, and basil. Stir in zucchini mixture. Pour into four individual quiche dishes or shallow casseroles, about 4-1/2 inches in diameter. 

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Sprinkle each serving with mozzarella cheese. Let stand for five minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with chopped tomato. 

Recipe makes four servings. 

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 114
Total Fat 5g
Saturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 58mg
Sodium 164mg
Carbohydrate 6g
Fiber 1g
Protein 11g

FETTUCINI AI FUNGHI - FETTUCINI WITH MUSHROOMS

Source: www.virtualitalia.com 

8 oz fettucini
2 tb fresh lemon juice
1/4 ts To 1/2 ts hot pepper flakes
3 tb virgin olive oil
1/4 ts salt
2 lg g garlic cloves; minced
1/2 ts pepper
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms; sliced
1 ts chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c dry white wine

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil and cook garlic about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring about, about 5 minutes. Add wine, lemon juice, hot pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until has evaporated. Stir remaining oil, pepper and parsley. Remove from heat. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil and cook pasta until it is al dente, 8 to 12 minutes (see instructions on the package). Drain in a colander add pasta to sauce in skillet, toss and reheat over low heat. 

Food Exchange per serving: 2 starch/bread exchanges + 1 fat exchange

Serves 2 or 3

CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA

Source: www.bellaonline.com

This is Mr. Mike??™s all-time favorite cake. I was in an Italian bakery in the Detroit area last week, and they wanted $24.95 for an 8 inch cake!

A delightful cake recipe is a specialty of Sicily. It is filled with a delicious ricotta cheese filling.

Sponge Cake

5 large eggs, room temperature
1 ?? cups sugar
1 ?? cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
?? tsp grated lemon peel 
butter and flour for the pan

Separate the eggs putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a smaller bowl. Add the sugar to the yolks, and beat until the consistency of frosting. 

Beat the whites until they stand stiff. 

Fold the whites into the yolk-sugar mixture. Turn it over slowly and gently until completely mixed. 

Sift the flour (even if you don't usually sift flour--do it). 

Fold the flour slowly, a bit at a time, to the egg-sugar mixture. 

Add the vanilla and lemon peel, folding in gently. 

Butter and flour a 9" cake pan. Pour in the batter and bake at 350F, for about 20 minutes. When done the cake will be toasty on top, and a toothpick will come out clean. 

Turn upside down to cool.

1 fresh Pan di Spagna (sponge cake)??¦.(or substitute pound cake) 
1 pound ricotta cheese 
2 Tbs heavy cream 
1/4 cup sugar 
3 Tbs orange flavored liqueur 
3 Tbs candied fruit, chopped 
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated
confectioners sugar for topping

Cut the Pan di Spagna horizontally into 4 even layers. 

With a mixer, beat the ricotta cheese until it is smooth. 

Mix in the cream, sugar, grated chocolate, and orange liqueur. 

With a spatula fold in the candied fruit. 

Place the bottom layer of cake on a flan pan or dish and spread it with 1/3 of the ricotta-chocolate mixture. 

Place another layer of cake on top of the filling, keeping the sides and ends even. 

Spread with 1/3 of the ricotta-chocolate filling. 

Repeat with another layer of cake and filling. 

Top with a plain layer of cake on top. 

Gently press the cake together. 

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Before serving sprinkle confectioners sugar over the top.

Note: To simplify the construction process, bake the cake in a springform pan. When preparing the layers place them in the clean springform pan. After chilling you can remove the springform frame.