More Like Brothers

Recipes

As Italians, the actual acts of preparing a meal, setting the table, sitting down and eating as a family are the ties which bind us culturally. The dinning room table is the epicenter of it all, this is where the stories are told, the serious discussions take place, the laughing is heard, the love is shared, tears are shed, tempers become flared and where life just happens... and all the while, something delicious to eat is right in front of you on the table.

Cooking in and of itself is ritualistic and even spiritual in any Italian family. Some foods are only prepared around Catholic holidays and the feast days of Saints, like a traditional Easter Frittata or St. Josephs Cakes sold in Italian bakeries on St. Joseph's Day, which is March 19th.

St. Josephs Cakes - it doesn't get any better then this!

A word from Cousin David;

You suppose that they wrote stuff down, but they (our ancestors) didn't. They all had a different sauce...ah I mean gravy. Aunt Angie's was thinner but real uniform. My mom's was much heavier. It's a very dim memory, but Aunt Tess' was WAY different. Had all sorts of herb and meat taste that were more like Sicilian cooking. Both Ang & Tess had Italian hubbies, so I'm sure their families influenced the result.

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Here are a few recipes from the Lombard Writing famiglia. Don't forget to set the table with your best china and crystal as if a special guest, like the Pope for example, is coming to dinner, because no one is more important to cook for then your family. In all, the key ingredient is a lot of love. Love of cooking and family. And of course eating!

Buon appetito!

(boo-on app-èt-it-oh)

Translation: Have a good meal!

Before a dinner with say this to the whole family and expect the same answer in return.

It is a blessing for the meal to come.

	Spaghetti Sauce & Meatballs Use your giant pot. Ingredients for the sauce: 6 large cans of tomato puree 3 medium cans of tomato paste 5-6 cloves crushed fresh garlic Lots of Locatelli cheese Onion powder salt/pepper 1 large onion - chopped Ingredients for Meatballs: About 4 or 5 pounds of ground beef Bread crumbs (Progresso – Italian Style) 4 Eggs Basil Salt/Pepper Onion Powder Fresh Garlic or Garlic Powder Lots of Locatelli Cheese Optional: 3 or 4 lbs. Italian Sausage Boneless Pork Chops Beef Cubes Please note: The quantity of each ingredient is purely subjective, as all good Italian cooking is. You're on your own with how much of everything you season the meat for the meatballs! Cooking Directions: First, get the sauce started in the big pot on low heat. Mix up all of the meatball ingredients, getting rolling them and cook all meats on cookie sheets in oven (Meatballs, sausage, pork, etc.). Add meats to the sauce after they are cooked – also add water if needed to the sauce (about a cup at a time). Now that everything is in your giant pot, everything needs to cook... forever (all day or at least 4-5 hours) stir occasionally - Add cheese as you go along to taste. Add a few pinches of sugar. «•» STUFFED PEPPERS Ingredients: 4-5 Good-sized Peppers (red or green) 1 – 1 /12 lbs. of lean ground beef or ground turkey 1 package of frozen chopped spinach 1 small chopped onion Bread Crumbs Seasonings (whatever you like... Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper, Parsley) 1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) Brown Rice Cooking Directions: Clean out inside of peppers. Defrost and drain Spinach Mix all ingredients in a large bowl Stuff Peppers – pour tomato sauce over peppers and then sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour 15 minutes uncovered. Prepare brown rice separately or serve over noodles if you like (brown rice has less calories then white rice) Please note: You can make this dish ahead of time on the weekend and just heat and serve when you are ready. «•» ESCAROLE AND BEANS Pronounced: Schudole-n-beans (say it really fast) Ingredients 2-3 heads of Escarole (tear like lettuce) 3-5 cans of Cannellini Beans (white kidney beans) – do not drain 1 large onion Locatelli Grated Cheese or Parmesan Cheese (optional for vegans) Salt, Pepper, garlic powder to taste Cooking Directions: Wash escarole and tear up like you would tear lettuce for a salad and put in pot with small amount of water (maybe a cup or two – don’t know – we don’t measure -- and one skinned onion. Cook down for a while (maybe about 20 minutes or so.) Add 3-4 cans of beans with liquid, season with salt, pepper, garlic (and whatever else you like.) Cook for a while – maybe another half hour until beans are cooked but not mushy. In a food processor or blender, blend the remaining cans of beans (1 or 2) without liquid and then add to pot – cook a little longer to desired thickness. If too thick add some water. Add cheese – optional. Easy, right? «•» Lemon Biscotti Ingredients 1/4 lb. butter 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 3 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. lemon extract Lemon rind zest Cooking Directions: Mix butter, sugar, eggs, lemon extract and lemon zest together. Mix together baking powder and flour and add to butter mixture until combined. Divide mixture into three loaves. Dough will be a little sticky so flour your hands in order to form the loaves. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Ice after cooling and cut into biscotti. For the icing beat together: 1 stick of butter Fresh lemon juice and zest to liking About 2 cups confectioners sugar «•» More to come...