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Healthy Italian Cooking at Home

Category Archives: Vegetables

Grilling Vegetables

May 20, 2013

Grilling vegetables is not difficult. With so many possible vegetable choices and recipes, the biggest challenge is narrowing them down to just a few special recipes that take advantage of the outdoor grill flavor. Many different kinds of vegetables can be grilled with great results. Beets become sweet on the grill. Potatoes get crisp on the outside and stay sweet and moist on the inside. Carrots and onions caramelize.

Select vegetables that are firm and that can hold up to slicing and grilling. Slice them in large, thick (at least 1/4-inch) sections, since small pieces can easily fall through the grid and into the fire. Cut zucchini lengthwise or on a long diagonal, for example. If you plan to prepare a recipe that calls for smaller pieces, try grilling them on skewers or wrapping them in foil packets. Vegetables such as peppers can simply be grilled whole, then peeled and sliced.

Soak vegetables in cold water for about 30 minutes before you grill them to keep them from drying out. Pat dry.

Because vegetables lack fat, they need oil, liquid, or some sort of marinade to prevent them from burning and sticking and to keep them moist. Brush vegetables with oil (preferably vegetable oil because it has a high smoke point) or a flavored oil mixture, such as a salad dressing or your own mixture of oil and herbs or other seasonings. Marinate the vegetables for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

White wine, oil, garlic, onion and celery salt make a good marinade, as do beer, oil, garlic and cloves. Lemon juice also makes a good base for a grilling marinade. Try pineapple juice, soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic for firm vegetables. Orange juice, turmeric, ginger, garlic and lemon zest make a light marinade for summer squash or softer vegetables.

Consider the texture of the ingredient to determine marinating time. Mushrooms, summer squash, and tomatoes may need only 30 to 40 minutes to marinate. Tougher ingredients, such as, sliced carrots or potatoes can marinate for a couple of hours.

To further prevent food from sticking to the grill and to aid in cleanup, spray the grid with nonstick cooking spray before heating (never spray into the fire) or wipe the grill rack with oil before you start cooking.

Special equipment is minimal. A special grill top basket is useful to keep small veggie foods from falling into the fire. Metal or wood skewers are useful for making kebabs that are easily rotated on a grill. (Wood skewers should be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes prior to threading the vegetables so they won’t burn on the grill.) Heavy-duty foil is the best type to use for lining grills or for wrapping food in packets for grilling.

Some Popular Vegetables For The Grill

Asparagus: Cut off ends. Soak in water for 30 minutes to an hour. Pat dry and brush with olive oil. Place on grill, turning every minute. Remove when tips start to turn brown. You can add some extra flavor to asparagus by mixing a little sesame oil in the olive oil before you brush them.

Bell Peppers: Cut through the middle of the pepper top to bottom. Remove stems, seeds and whitish ribs. Brush lightly with oil and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Corn on the cob: Gently pull back the husks but don’t remove. Remove the silk and cut off the tip. Soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Dry and brush with butter. Fold the husks back down and tie or twist the ends. Place on the grill for about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn oten to avoid burning.

Eggplant: Cut lengthwise for smaller eggplants or in disks for larger eggplants. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Pat dry, brush with oil and grill 2-3 minutes on each side.

Garlic: Take whole bulbs and cut off the root end. Brush with olive oil and place cut side down over a hot fire. Grill garlic bulbs for about 10 minutes or until the skin is brown. Use to flavor other grilled vegetables or meats.

Mushrooms: Rinse off dirt and pat dry. Brush with oil and grill. 4-5 minutes for small mushrooms, 6-8 minutes. Use a grill basket for small mushrooms.

Onions: Remove skin and cut horizontally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush with oil and grill 3-4 minutes on each side. Use a wide spatula to turn onion slices, so they do not fall apart.

Potatoes: There are many ways to grill potatoes. You can do them whole for a baked potato. Rub with oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and grill 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally. Or, cut into thick wedges, brush with olive oil and grill until browned.

Tomatoes: Cut in half, top to bottom. Brush with a light coating of oil and grill cut side down 2-3 minutes.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash: Slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Brush with oil and grill 2-3 minutes per side. They can also be cut down the middle into halves and grilled.

The following grilled vegetable recipes will make great sides for your next barbecue.

Grilled Ricotta Basil Tomatoes                                                                                            

Ingredients:

  • 6 round large tomatoes or 12 small round tomatoes
  • One pound of ricotta cheese
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 12 small, whole basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

 Directions:

Preheat your grill to medium and grease the grill grates with oil.

Combine the ricotta cheese, whole egg, parsley, marjoram, chopped basil and garlic, mixing well.

Rinse the tomatoes and cut into halves. Scoop out the seedy pulp, leaving the outer flesh and skin of the tomatoes intact. If using small tomatoes, do not cut in half, just hollow out the center of each tomato.

Coat the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon some of the ricotta filling into each tomato half.

Place the stuffed tomatoes directly on the grill grate, making sure they are placed securely between the grates.You can also place the tomatoes in a grill top basket.

Grill for five to ten minutes over medium direct heat, until the filling has firmed up and you see some bubbling around the tomato edges.

Insert whole basil leaves into the filling of each tomato and serve immediately.

Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

3-4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Set up your grill in a 2-zone configuration, one side hot, the other side cool.

Peeling isn’t necessary, but you can do it if you prefer. Cut potatoes into halves lengthwise and then into thick fries. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle the oil over the top and toss to coat.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over potatoes. Toss to coat.

Lay fries on the grill so they’ll get horizontal grill marks and close the lid. Cook about 3 minutes, or until potatoes have brown grill marks on one side. Turn the potato fires over. Cook and turn until all sides are marked. 

Potatoes are done when easily pierced with a fork. You may need to move the fries to the indirect-heat side, if they’re not done after good grill marks are formed.

Grilled Summer Fresh Peppers

Ingredients:

  • 1 each yellow, orange and red pepper
  • 18 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette, divided (recipe below)

 Directions:

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Cut each pepper lengthwise in half. Remove and discard seeds.

Make the filling: Combine the chopped tomatoes, chopped basil and 2 tablespoons of the Balsamic dressing,

Fill each half with some of the tomato filling and, then, top each pepper half with mozzarella cheese.

Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.

Place peppers on a platter and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard and garlic. Add the oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 3/4 cup

Grilled Artichokes                                                

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 small artichokes, trimmed and halved
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • Salt to taste
  • Spicy Lemon Aioli, recipe below

Directions:

Preheat grill and oil the grill grates.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Save for later. Cut lemon into quarters.

Boil artichokes in water with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, lemon quarters and thyme. Cook until artichokes are just tender (about 20 minutes).

Remove from the water and set aside for about 5 minutes, allowing them to dry.

Brush with olive oil and place on the grill cut side down. Grill for about 3 minutes or until they start to brown. Turn and grill for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon juice and salt.

Serve with the Spicy Lemon Aioli, if desired.

Spicy Lemon Aioli

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients and season to taste.

Grilled Zucchini-and-Summer Squash with Citrus Splash

4 servings

 Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
  • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 red onions
  • 4 zucchini, each halved lengthwise (about 1 1/4 pounds)
  • 4 yellow squash, each halved lengthwise (about 1 pound)
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

 Directions:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Peel onions, leaving root intact; cut each onion into 4 wedges. Add onion, zucchini, and yellow squash to bag.

Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill and oil grill grates.

Drain vegetables in a colander over a bowl, reserving marinade. Place vegetables on a the grill and cook for 8 minutes or until tender; turn and baste occasionally with the reserved marinade.

Place the vegetables on a serving platter; sprinkle with the basil. Serve the vegetables with any remaining marinade.

Marinated Mushrooms

The mushrooms are a great side for grilled meats.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of small crimini mushrooms
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped fine
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat your outdoor grill and oil the grill grates.

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel and trim the tips from the stems.

Juice and zest the lemons and combine with the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing thoroughly.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with a little of the dressing. Set the rest of the dressing aside.

Grill the mushrooms over medium-high heat for two to three minutes. Turn mushrooms over and grill another 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the grilled crimini mushrooms to the reserved dressing. Mix well.

Allow the mushrooms to marinate for about one hour on the countertop. You can make this recipe the day before and refrigerating overnight.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Parmesan Garlic Corn                                                    

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 ears of fresh corn on the cob
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane grater
  • 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

Preheat grill and grease grill grates with oil.

Remove husks and silks from the corn. Combine grated garlic and butter in a small glass bowl.

Place bowl in the microwave for 10 – 15 seconds on high.

Grill corn until lightly charred and deep, bright yellow (about 15 – 20 minutes). Turning often to keep from burning.

Brush garlic butter over corn and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley.

Crusty Grilled Onions                                                                                              

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 Vidalia onions or other sweet onions, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup canola oil

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium-high and grease the grill grates.

Pulse seasonings in the processor until thoroughly combined and place in a shallow bowl.

Brush onions on all sides with oil and coat in the seasoning mixture.

Place onions on the grill and cook until golden brown and a crust has formed, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until thoroughly cooked and crusty.

 

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Grilling Pork

May 16, 2013

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig and is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC.

Since the animals are now bred to be lean, the meat is higher in protein and about 30 percent lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol than the pork produced in the 1970′s.

With so many lean cuts of pork to choose from, many pork cuts are comparable to skinless chicken cuts. A 3-ounce serving of pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast. It contains 120 calories and only 2.98 grams of total fat. Pound for pound, pork is one of the most economical buys in the meat case. Not only will you be getting nutritional value of B vitamins, zinc and iron; but pork’s financial value will leave you a little extra cash in the pocketbook.

Common Cuts of Pork for Grilling

Pork Chops

The meatiest chops are cut from the center of the loin: The two most common types are loin chops, which look like miniature T-bone steaks with a bit of the tenderloin attached and rib chops, without the tenderloin (see Pork Tenderloin). Because they dry out quickly during cooking, it’s especially important not to overcook lean boneless chops. Choose cuts that are at least an inch thick so they stay juicy.

Pork Loin

Buy this large cut (from the back of the pig) without bones, which makes it easier to slice.  Stuff it and cook it as a roast or slice it into 1-inch chops for pan-frying and grilling.

Pork Tenderloin

This lean, very tender cut from the end of the loin is long, narrow and tapering at one end. It is much smaller than a pork loin roast, so it cooks quickly and is a good choice for weeknight dinners. This cut of pork is the most healthy cut of pork. Cut from the back of the pig, it has virtually no fat. This fact also makes it easy to dry out and for that reason technique is important: grill it on hot grates and grill it quickly. Tenderloins also absorb marinades really well. 

Pork Sausage

Made from ground pork, sausages come in a variety of sizes and seasonings. Flavors range from sweet to savory and spicy. Sausages can be used in sauces, stews or as a pizza topping. Grilled sausage makes an excellent sandwich.

Baby-Back Ribs

Small and meaty, these curved slabs are taken from the pig’s rib cage near the backbone. Prized for their juicy meat, they cook quickly. A full rack has at least 8 ribs. For the tenderest meat, select a rack that weighs 2 pounds or less (which should feed 2-3 people).

Spare Ribs

Although not as meaty as baby-back ribs, spare ribs rely on a generous amount of fat for flavor. Large and irregularly shaped, they come from a pig’s underbelly or lower rib cage (also the source of bacon). A full rack has at least 11 ribs and weighs 3 to 4 pounds (which should feed 3 or 4 people).

Ham

Ham is taken from a pig’s leg. Some hams are sold fresh for baking, but most are cured with brine, salt and spices, making them juicier. Some are sold fully cooked and some are smoked, which imparts a more intense flavor. Hams are sold boneless, semi-boneless and with the bone in. Bone-in hams usually yield the best flavor, while boneless are easier to cut. Ham steaks are best for the grill.

 

 

Grilling is ideal for cooking smaller pork cuts, such as chops, steaks, ham slices, tenderloins, ribs, ground pork patties, sausages and kabobs. Because grilling uses high heat and short cooking times, it tends to toughen the meat, so it is best to use the most tender cuts available. Lean pork cuts will benefit from marinating before they are grilled.

Pork steaks and pork chops that are going to be grilled should be a minimum of 3/4 to 1 inch thick because the high heat will cook the meat quickly. If the cuts are thinner than this, it is easy to overcook the meat, causing it to dry out. The meat must be watched carefully while grilling. Coating the pork with a little oil or marinating it before cooking will help keep it moist. It is important that the grill be properly preheated so that it seals the juices into the meat quickly. The temperature at which the pork is cooked and the distance it is placed from the heat source are both important for providing tender, juicy, properly cooked pork.

Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate method for testing doneness. A regular meat thermometer is inserted before placing the meat on the grill and it remains there throughout the cooking time. An instant read thermometer is used to check for the recommended temperature once the meat has been cooked. 

Whether the grill is charcoal or gas, how you use the heat is key. Understanding the two grilling styles, direct and indirect, are essential for creating perfectly grilled meat. There are instances when either direct or indirect methods are appropriate. The direct method cooks foods directly over the heat source. Grill pork chops, ground pork burgers, pork kabobs and anything less than two inches in thickness over direct heat. Indirect heat cooks at a slower rate, as the heat source is off to the side, to prevent burning the outer area of the food while cooking evenly throughout. Grill larger cuts of meat, like pork shoulder and roasts, using indirect heat. (See photo above for direct/indirect heat method.)

When using direct grilling, the meat should be 3 to 6 inches away from the heat source and cooked on medium high heat. It is important that the heat source be accurately preheated to allow for even cooking. Pork is done at 160 degrees F. Cook larger cuts over indirect heat to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. The final internal temperature will continue to rise to 160 degrees F. A hint of pink in the center equates perfectly cooked pork that is not dried out. 

Start with a clean grill. Scrub the grates with a wire brush removing all grease buildup and charred food particles prior to every use. Grease the grates with cooking oil before starting the grill to prevent sticking and burning of items to be grilled. To reduce flare ups, choose lean cuts of meat, such as: pork tenderloin, top loin chop, center loin chop, rib chop, sirloin roast or 96% lean ground pork. Also, trim any visible fat before placing on the grill.

Marinades can come from fruit and vegetable purees. Vinegar mixtures, citrus juice, herbs, spices and olive oil all make great ingredients for marinades. In addition to marinating to maximize the natural flavor of lean meats, such as pork tenderloin and ham, pair pork with fresh fruits and vegetables to brighten and lighten up summertime meals. Pairing meat with citrus fruits or adding sliced apples, strawberries or other fruit  to your grilling skewer will increase the meal’s nutrition value. Grilled fruit, such as peaches, nectarines and plums add great flavor to pork entrees. Adding vegetables to the grill alongside the meat is a healthy alternative to fattening summer sides and it saves the cook time and work.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This is a master grilling recipe for pork tenderloin that works perfectly, no matter how you flavor the pork. 

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds total)
  • 1 recipe Rosemary-Orange Glaze, see recipe below
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 recipe Orange Balsamic Sauce, see recipe below

Brining:

In a medium bowl, mix salt and sugar with 1 quart cool water until dissolved. Trim the tenderloins of excess fat and silverskin and submerge them in the brine; let stand about 45 minutes. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.

Season and grill:

Rub the brined tenderloins all over with the Rosemary-Orange Glaze and then season with the pepper. 

Heat a gas grill, turning all the burners to high until the grill is fully heated, 10 to 15 minutes.

Put the pork on the hot grill grate. Close the lid and grill for 7 minutes.

Turn the pork over, close the lid, and grill for another 6 minutes.

Turn off the heat (keep the lid closed) and continue to cook the pork for another 5 minutes. At this point, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest end of the tenderloin should read 145° to 150°F. (If not, close the lid and let the pork continue to roast in the residual grill heat.) Remove the pork from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before carving. Cut across the grain into 1/2-inch slices and serve with the Orange Balsamic Sauce .

To use a charcoal grill:

Prepare a two-zone fire, banking all the coals to one side of the grill. Use a wire brush to clean the grill rack and then brush it lightly with oil; close the lid and wait to let the air inside the grill get hot again. Position the pork directly over the hot coals and cook (covered), turning once, until nicely seared on both sides. Move the tenderloins to the coolest part of the grill (over no coals), close the lid, and cook for 5 minutes more. Grilling time may vary a bit, depending on how hot and consistent your fire is.

Rosemary-Orange Glaze 

Yields enough to glaze two pork tenderloins.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

In a small saucepan, bring the concentrate, brown sugar and rosemary to a simmer. Simmer until the mixture reduces to about half. Set aside to cool slightly.

Orange Balsamic Sauce

Yields about 1/3 cup.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/3 cup orange marmalade
  • 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about 30 seconds. Stir in the marmalade and vinegar. Heat until warm. After slicing the pork, add any juices from the carving board to the sauce and mix well. Pass separately when serving the pork tenderloins.

Pork Chops with Marsala and Porcini Mushrooms

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups very hot water
  • 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  • 4 pork rib chops, each 8 to 10 ounces and ¾ to 1 inch thick
  • 3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts only), divided (9 scallions)
  • 1/2 cup good-quality dry marsala
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup half & half

Directions:

Pour the water into a 2-cup glass measuring cup, add the porcinis, and stir to submerge. Cover with a plate or bowl to keep the porcini submerged. Let soak until the mushrooms are soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid and the porcini separately. If the porcini pieces are large, roughly chop them and set aside.

While the mushrooms are soaking, prepare the pork chops. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons of the rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brush the pork chops on both sides with the oil and season evenly with the spices.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the creminis and cook until they release their liquid and become brown, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the drained porcini, 3/4 cup of the scallions and the remaining rosemary. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the marsala and boil until reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and the 1 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Boil until slightly reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the half & half and boil until the liquid thickens to your desired sauce consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Season the sauce with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the pork chops over direct high heat with the lid closed , 6 to 8 minutes depending on their thickness, turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the pork chops and top with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions. 

Pork Kabobs

Marinade:

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt

2 pork tenderloins, each about 1 pound, trimmed of silver skin and any excess fat, cut into 1¼-inch cubes

2 large bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, cut into 1¼-inch squares

Directions:

Whisk the marinade ingredients, including a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the pork cubes in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally.

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

Remove the pork from the bag and discard the marinade. Thread the pork and bell pepper squares alternately onto skewers.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the skewers over direct high heat, with the lid closed, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Ham Steaks with a Citrus Sauce

Serves: 6

Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley 
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
  • Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 bone-in ham steaks, each about 1 pound and ¾ inch thick

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 orange, cut into wedges

Directions:

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F).

In a medium, nonreactive bowl combine the sauce ingredients.

In a small saucepan combine the marmalade, orange juice and vinegar. Cook over low heat just until the mixture thins slightly.

Blot the ham steaks dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of each ham steak with the marmalade mixture and season one side evenly with 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the ham steaks over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until they are grill marked and crispy around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and cut into individual portions. Serve warm with the sauce and orange wedges.

Sausage Vegetable Grill

4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound lean hot or sweet Italian Pork Sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices
  • 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 cup quartered fresh mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, oregano, parsley, garlic salt and paprika.

Pour over sausage mixture; toss to coat.

Divide mixture between two pieces of heavy-duty foil (each about 14 in. x 12 in.). Fold foil around sausage mixture and seal tightly.

Grill both packages, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through.

Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

 

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Cucumbers

May 13, 2013

Cucumbers are generally believed to have originated in India and have been cultivated throughout western Asia for at least 3,000 years. From India, the cucumber spread to Greece and Italy and slightly later to China and southern Russia. Cucumbers probably were brought to the rest of Europe by the Romans and later to the New World via colonialism and trade networks. Their cultivation first appeared in France by the ninth century, Great Britain by the fourteenth century, the Caribbean at the end of the fifteenth century and North America by the middle of the sixteenth century.

Colonial encounters between Europeans and Native Americans resulted in the diffusion of cucumbers throughout North America. The Spanish began growing them in Hispaniola by 1494 and less than a century later European explorers were noting that a wide range of Native American peoples from Montreal to New York, Virginia and Florida were cultivating them, along with a large variety of other crops including maize, beans, squash, pumpkins, and gourds. By the seventeenth century, Native American groups on the Great Plains were also cultivating cucumbers. Cucumbers have a wide range of consumption uses cross-culturally. They are generally eaten fresh or pickled and are particularly important in the diets of people living in Russia and Asia, where they may also be served as a cooked vegetable. In India, the fruits are used in the preparation of chutney and curries. Cucumber seeds, young leaves and cooked stems are also consumed in some parts of Asia. In addition, since at least the nineteenth century, cucumbers have been used in the production of a large variety of cosmetics, including fragrances, body lotions, shampoos and soaps.

The skin, if it is not waxed, and the seeds of cucumbers are edible. As the cucumber matures, however, the seeds can start to become bitter, so look for narrow, young cucumbers at the market for the best taste. The English cucumber is a long and narrow cucumber with a tender, edible skin that is marketed as seedless but actually will contain a few seeds. Cucumbers are available year round with a peak season from May until August. Choose cucumbers with firm, smooth skins, devoid of any blemishes or soft spots. They can be stored in the refrigerator in a bag for about a week. Cucumbers are high in potassium and fiber with moderate amounts of Vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid, phosphorous and magnesium.

Although they can be cooked, cucumbers are most often eaten raw in salads, in cold soups, in cucumber based sauces and as hors d’oeuvres. Cucumbers are also the vegetable of choice for pickles. Cucumbers are used to make raita, (pronounced rye-ta), a classic Indian dish. Raita is a mixture of yogurt, cucumbers, seasonings and herbs. It can be used as a condiment or mixed with larger chunks of other vegetables or fruits for a salad. Similar to raita is the Greek cucumber and yogurt sauce, tzatziki. Tzatziki is the classic sauce used on Greek gyros, a sandwich of ground lamb on pita bread with onions and peppers.

Types of Cucumbers

English Cucumbers

English cucumbers (a.k.a. hot house cucumbers) are long and thin with a dark green skin. They are often sold wrapped in plastic at supermarkets, but you can find unwrapped ones at farmers markets. This cucumber has a mild, almost non-existent flavor and is prized for its thin skin and minimal seeds. English cucumbers are best sliced and served raw and are not good for pickling.

Garden Cucumbers

These are the most common cucumbers in North America. They are relatively smooth skinned and dark green. Cucumbers sold at grocery stores tend to be waxed to help them retain moisture, which is part of why these cucumbers tend to need peeling. Un-waxed varieties can be found (particularly at farmers markets), but you may still want to peel them if the skin is thick or bitter.

Kirby Cucumbers

Kirby cucumbers are short and bumpy. They have a range of skin color from yellow to dark green. Kirbys are crunchy, flavorful and perfect for pickling.

Lemon Cucumbers

Yellow, round and the size of a generous fist, lemon cucumbers do look like lemons. They are sweet, without that bitter edge that many cucumbers have, thin skins, minimal soft seeds and flavorful. They are tasty raw, but make delicious pickles too.

Persian Cucumbers

Persian cucumbers are very similar to English cucumbers. They are shorter, with bumpy skin, but have a mild flavor and thin skin.

Asian Cucumbers

Most Asian cucumbers are very narrow and long, growing up to 18 inches long , but remaining less than 2 inches in diameter. The seed cavity is vey small and the flesh is thick, crisp and flavorful. These cucumbers are picked when immature and used for pickling and salads.

Some Basic Cucumber Recipes

Classic Marinated Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 garden cucumbers
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Water to cover
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh herbs to taste, basil & parsley
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Trim and peel the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise and then scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut into half rings or chunks.

Place cucumbers in a large bowl.  Stir together the vinegar and sugar and mix with the cucumbers. Add enough water to cover the cucumbers and let the cucumbers soak for a few hours.

Drain the cucumbers. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Chill.

Cucumber Sauce for Cooked Fish

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon wine vinegar
  • 1 cup sour cream (or 1/2 cup light sour cream and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions:

Place the cucumber in a bowl and toss with the salt, sugar and vinegar.

Let stand for about 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream.

Fold in the dill. May be made a few hours in advance and refrigerated.

Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator pickles are easy to make and there’s no need for processing, special jars or vacuum-tight lids. Plus, unlike store-bought pickles, these homemade pickles are lower in sodium.

Yield: 7 cups

 Ingredients:

  • 6 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced onion
  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

 Directions:

Place 3 cups of the sliced cucumbers in a medium glass bowl; top with 1 cup onion. Repeat procedure with the remaining cucumbers and onions.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Pour hot mixture over cucumber mixture; let cool. Cover and chill at least 4 days.

Spoon into glass jars for refrigerator storage. Note: Pickles may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Italian Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad

Lightly salting the tomato wedges and letting them stand briefly concentrates their flavor significantly. Be sure to use a sweet onion to maintain the flavor balance in this refreshing salad.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium tomatoes, preferably an heirloom variety
  • Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Basil leaves, minced

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized, irregular wedges, discarding any runny seeds. In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and the vinegar. Let the tomatoes stand for up to 30 minutes.

In a mini food processor, pulse the onion until minced; be careful not to over process the onion into a puree.

Shortly before serving, transfer the tomato wedges to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon; discard the tomato juices.

Add the cucumber and onion and toss, then season with salt to taste. Add the olive oil and toss to coat, then add the basil, toss once more and serve.

Try Something Different With Cucumbers

Cucumber Shrimp Appetizers

Yield: 32 appetizers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained very well on paper towels
  • 4 ounces cooked shrimp, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
  • 1 English cucumber, unpeeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the pineapple, shrimp, mayonnaise, green onion, mustard and dill. Spoon onto cucumber slices.

Grilled Sourdough Panzanella

Bread salads are common in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, where frugal cooks use stale bread as the primary ingredient. In this Italian version, called panzanella, char the bread on the grill for added flavor. If you don’t feel like grilling the bread, you can toast it on a grill pan or under a low broiler.

Serves four to six. Yields about 6 cups.

Ingredients:

  • 4-1/2-inch-thick slices bread (about 8 oz.) from the center of a round sourdough loaf 
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small shallot, sliced into thin rings
  • 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • 1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1-1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3-1/2 cups)
  • 1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Directions:

Heat a gas grill with all burners on medium. Brush the bread with 1/4 cup of the oil and season it with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill the bread on both sides, checking frequently, until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. When the bread is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.

Toss the bread cubes, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, mint, capers and vinaigrette in the bowl with the shallot. Season the panzanella to taste with kosher salt and pepper and serve.

Asparagus, Green Onion, Cucumber and Herb Salad

Serves 10.

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

  • 3 pounds medium asparagus, trimmed
  • 4 cups thinly sliced green onions
  • 3 cups (1/4-inch cubes) peeled, seeded cucumbers
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions:

Prepare the Dressing:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Set aside.

Prepare the Salad:

Fill a large bowl with lightly salted ice water; stir until salt dissolves. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Drain, reserving 3 cups of the cooking liquid. Transfer asparagus to the bowl of salted ice water to cool.

Place green onions in another large bowl; pour hot reserved asparagus cooking liquid over the green onions and let stand until cool, about 30 minutes.

Separately drain asparagus and green onions well.

Transfer onions to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry.

Combine green onions, cucumbers and herbs in mixing bowl.

Add dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon cucumber mixture over and serve.

Italian Picnic Sandwich

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf focaccia bread ( 12 inches in diameter)
  • 1/2 cup prepared creamy Italian dressing, see recipe below
  • 6 -8 lettuce leaves
  • 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced and separated
  • 4 ounces sliced Provolone cheese
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced salami
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced thin

Directions

Cut bread in half horizontally. Spread 1/4 cup of the dressing on the bottom half. Top with half of the lettuce.

Layer with cucumber, green pepper, onion, cheese, meats and tomato. Top with remaining lettuce.

Spread remaining dressing on the top half of the bread before covering the bottom.

Cover with plastic wrap and place a heavy skillet on top to press it down. Let sit for a few minutes.

Remove skillet and plastic wrap and cut sandwich into 8 wedges.

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

 Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
  • 6 tablespoons reduced fat milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

 Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, water, vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper until blended. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 

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The “Little Italies” of Michigan

May 10, 2013

In doing reseach for this post, I was sure that Italian immigrants found their way to Detroit, because it was a major industrial center that offered job opportunities the immigrants were seeking in coming to America. What totally surprised me was the number of immigrants who settled in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A land totally different from the warm Mediterranean country that the Italian immigrants had left behind. As you read, you will see why.

                          The Eastern Market established in 1891.

Italian Americans in Detroit

For more than 350 years, Italian immigrants played important roles in the opening and development of the land that is now Michigan, from their participation in the French fur trade up to the present day. People of Italian descent have been present in Detroit since Alfonso Tonti, second-in-command to Antoine Cadillac, participated in the founding of the city in 1701. By the close of the 19th century, the trickle of Italian immigrants had become a torrent, as thousands rushed to the growing industrial centers. They worked in stone and cement, paving, produce, tilework, at small groceries, as merchants and, of course, as part of the labor force in the auto shops around Detroit. Settling on the lower east side, the community grew rapidly, especially north and east into Macomb County. Italians in Detroit did not remain in a “little Italy,” but mingled with the diverse population of the city. Through a combination of hard work, strong family connections and community ties, the Italians of Detroit achieved their dreams of a better life. They met the challenges of living in a new land, while nurturing the culture of the old country. 

Most Italians came to Detroit between 1880-1920. Detroit’s original “Little Italy” started from the lower east side (Eastern Market area) along Gratiot and Riopelle Streets near Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. They also settled in considerable numbers along Oakwood Blvd. in SW Detroit and in Dearborn early in their residency here. As they prospered, Detroit Italians in the 1950′s eventually moved into neighborhoods across Detroit and their cultural and religious institutions dotted the landscape. Their affiliations were Catholic and other Christian religions. 

Church of the Holy Family

On the right is a photo of the yellow-hued church that is very visible when you exit the Chrysler Expressway in downtown Detroit, or drive west on East Jefferson toward the Renaissance Center. It is also Detroit’s first Italian Catholic church. Shortly after 1900, immigrants from Sicily and southern Italy settled in northeast Detroit.They began to worship at Sts. Peter and Paul on East Jefferson, but in 1907, Father Giovanni Boschi arrived from Italy and sought to establish an Italian parish here. In 1908, Bishop Foley gave him permission to do so and named the parish La Chiesa Della Sacra Famiglia or the Church of the Holy Family. In 1909, construction began on a modest Italian Renaissance-style, basilica-type church. More than one hundred years after its founding, this parish is in operation with an Italian language Mass said every Sunday.  There are about 300,000 Italian Americans in Metro Detroit, today.

If you are in Detroit and looking for a restaurant with authentic Italian food and a history related to the immigrant’s experience head to Giovanni’s Ristorante, 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, MI 48219.

Giovanni Cannarsa was 14 years old when he embarked on a journey from Termoli– a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, the region of Molise to the United States of America. Giovanni met a young woman, Rose Tonkery and in 1927 they were married. They moved from New York to Detroit, Michigan so Giovanni could go to work for Henry Ford. Giovanni and Rose settled in a neighborhood near the Rouge River plant, where the assembly line was first introduced during the immerging age of manufacturing. There the young couple started and raised their family, two sons and one daughter – her name is Frances. She and her brothers were born in Detroit.

Frances had a best friend, Marie. She came from an Italian family that lived across the street from the Cannarsa family. It was her older brother – Olindo Truant who captured the heart of young Frances. In 1953 she married her sweetheart. Frances and Olindo had three sons, Chris – Michael and Randy. Olindo worked for Detroit Edison and Frances opened a carryout pizzeria, Givoanni’s Pizza Parlor. It was 1968. It didn’t take long for Frances to start taking charge and making changes – it was 1972. Frances decided the family style pizza parlor would one day be an elegant, award winning five-star class restaurant. Everyone thought she was crazy… but the night Frank Sinatra held a private dinner party in the back room of what was now called Giovanni’s Ristorante, was the night the whole family new Frances meant business.

Italian-Americans in Wyandotte

Just after the turn of the 20th century, jobs were opening up at the J. B. Ford Company and the Michigan Alkali Company. The Italian settlement in East Detroit was bulging with a steady influx of friends and relatives coming to Michigan from Italy. Many young men sought work, and Wyandotte the bustling downriver town, offered the opportunity of jobs. A street car from Detroit brought the first Italian laborers to the city. Others joined the workforce and brought their families.

Statistics show that in 1890 there were only 338 Italians living in Detroit and downriver and, by 1920, the number had swelled to 29,047. In 1914, a large group of Italian workers and their families were residing in what was then called Ford City. The community had formed in an area bounded by Antoine, Hudson, 2nd Street and the railroad tracks.The families built large sturdy homes and planted gardens. Many of those early family residences still stand as testimony to the skillful construction techniques shown by those first immigrant workers. Most of the families knew each other from Palermo, Sicily in Italy and interacted socially. During the summer evenings, the men could be seen playing bocce (lawn bowling) or playing card games.

Bocce

In 1915, a concert band was organized. Maestro Pellegrino’s Italian Ford City Band attracted musicians from ages 15 to 25 and, in a relatively short time, the new musical group was presenting concerts for the entire community to enjoy. The camaraderie enjoyed by the band also gave birth to two early Italian social organizations.

The San Giuseppi Society was a club that assisted many newly arrived Italian immigrants and helped them transition to the American way of life. The second organization, Santa Fara, was formed in Wyandotte during 1924 and named after the patron saint of the small Sicilian village of Cinisi. In order to become a member, one must be a “Cinisarii” or be married to one.

Other organizations were formed over the years to serve the Italian community. In the 1930′s, the Non-Partisan Progressive Club was organized. One of the first projects of this club was to host a war bond drive in early 1945. Americans of Italian descent in Wayne County, under the leadership of Anthony D’Anna of Wyandotte, raised $16,000,000 to build a ship. The U.S.S. Cosselin was commissioned October 19, 1945, in memory of Seaman Joseph Polizzi, an Italian-American from Detroit killed earlier during the war. In 1970 fourteen members organized a new Italian organization, the Downriver Italian club and built a hall to host events.

Italian Americans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Our knowledge of the Italian community in the Copper Country is credited to the research of Russell Magnaghi and to Cristina Menghini’s thesis: “Examining Patterns of Italian Immigration to Michigan’s Houghton County, 1860-1930”.

Menghini’s study, the most detailed migration study of any immigrant group in the Copper Country, uncovered specific chain migration links between sending communities in northern Italy and receiving communities in Houghton County. Half of the Italians in Houghton County had emigrated from the province of Torino, in Italy’s Piedmont region and another quarter had emigrated from the province of Lucca, in the Tuscany region. Thus, three-quarters of Italians in Houghton County had emigrated from just two of Italy’s 110 provinces. Not surprisingly, Menghini found that nearly three-quarters of Italians in Houghton County in 1910 worked either in the mines or mine related occupations. 

Source: Recorded in Stone is a collection of the oral histories of immigrants to the Marquette Iron Range in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Produced by the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives and funded in part with a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council.

Italians were attracted to Marquette County through the efforts of “barasa” or what is known as chain migration: Immigrants arrived at a location and then sent letters back to Italy, which then brought their friends and relatives to America. At first the Italians who were from northern Italy: Lombardy, Piedmont, Venice and the Tyrol settled in Negaunee. Initial­ly 50 Italians arrived; followed in the spring of 1888 by an additional 100. Although they inherited the jobs at the lowest end of the employ­ment scale as trammers (miners) or iron ore shovelers, they wrote back to Italy and encouraged others to join them. The wages and living conditions on the Marquette Iron Range were a great improvement over economic and work conditions in Italy. In the 1890′s southern Italians, primarily from Calabria but also from Naples and Sicily, settled in Ishpeming. They experienced a similar migration process. By 1910 Italians comprised 15% – 16% of the labor force on the Range. In 1910, of the 907 Italians with occupations, 741 or 81.6% were miners. There were also 51 Italians (6%) working on the railroad, 24 (2.8%) listed as laborers and 20 working in the iron furnaces in Mar­quette. 

Copper Miners; Calumet, Michigan; between 1907 – 1920.

The first Italians who arrived on the Marquette Range were usually single men, who once they got settled, sent for their wives or got married. At first, many lived in company housing but, as soon as was possible, they purchased their own homes. Families took in boarders from the same Italian village and/or family members, as a means of providing housing and adding to the family income. Most of the Italian businessmen were located in Negaunee and Gwinn at that time. There were 16 boardinghouse keepers, 11 saloon keepers, 5 merchants, 5 bakers and 3 shoemakers. 

Each family maintained a garden which provided the household with much of the vegetables that the household needed during the year. Besides what was planted, the women and children gathered fruits and berries and made jams and preserves from them. If possible families kept a pig and cow. In November the pig was usually butchered and prime pieces were preserved in a crock jar, covered with liquefied lard, and the small pieces were processed into different types of sausage. The cow pro­vided milk, butter and cheese for the family and, if there was a surplus, it was sold to neighbors. The Italian family became self-sufficient, so that they only had to purchase certain items, like coffee, sugar or olive oil. Pasta and Italian bread were often made at home, but were sometimes purchased. In the late summer, orders were taken for grapes and beginning in September train loads of grapes arrived at railroad sidings in Negaunee and Ishpeming. Most families made as many as 150-200 gallons of wine, which would last them through the year.

Most of the Italian immigrants who settled on the Marquette Range were literate. As a result many of them kept in touch with the news through Italian-language newspapers. Some subscribed to papers published in New York City, like the popular Il Progresso, while others read the Il Minatore Italiano (The Italian Miner) which was published in Laurium, MI between 1896 and the 1930′s or the transient papers, such as La Democrazione Italiana of Hancock or La Sentinella (The Sentinel) published in Calumet, MI.

Portrait of an Italian Musician
From the collection of the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives

The Italian love for music is well known. As early as 1884, the Marquette Mining Journal noted that an Italian band provided excellent dance music in Marquette County. A number of Italian music teachers appeared in the various communities, such as Nettie R. Calamata, who in 1906 offered mandolin, guitar and banjo lessons. The Italian Band of Negaunee was organized by January 9, 1907, when it provided music for Mike Marrietti’s saloon, called Hogan’s Place and in the summer, it provided music for picnic dances. The most famous band in Ishpeming’s history was Vampa’s Band. Professor Vampa arrived in the community in 1915 and organiz­ed the band. He was able to get even the most musically illiterate to read music and, by January 1916, his band with thirty-four members, played for the first time and was an immediate success. Vampa’s Band played at the Marquette County Fair, Memorial Day and Columbus Day celebrations and at other dances and festivals given by local clubs and lodges.

The local Italians directed their entertainment and recreation toward their families. Home parties were popular with an accordion and violin or guitar providing the music on a Saturday night.The men played bocce in their backyards or saloon-side courts or played the Italian card game, morra. Some of the Italians fished and hunted both as recreation and also a means of augmenting their families’ food supply. The mutual beneficial societies were a characteristic feature of all Italian communities, wherever the immigrants settled. At a time when there were no Social Security benefits for unemployment or disability insurance or death benefits, the Italians  established these societies. The oldest of the Italian fraternal organization in Marquette Coun­ty was Società Fratellanza e Mútuo Soccórso/Fraternal and Mutual Aid Society which was established in Negaunee in 1890. The biggest activity for the lodge was the annual picnic ,where there was boating, swimming and athletic events, eating contests and card games. Over the years a number of fraternal organizations were formed in Negaunee. Società Italiana di Mútuo Soccórso Giuseppe Maz­zini/Italian Mutual Aid Society Giuseppe Mazzini was founded on June 24, 1908. They built a series of Italian Halls, which were used for  meetings and social events. Like many benefit societies, the Italian Mutual Beneficial Society transformed itself in a social organization. It was through such organizations that Italian immigrants and their children located housing, found work, organized political blocks and met their prospective mates.

Calumet’s Italian Hall

Funeral of the Victims of the Italian Hall Disaster, Calumet, Michigan, December, 1913.

On Christmas Eve, 1913, members of the Upper Peninsula mining community of Calumet, Michigan gathered in the upstairs of the Italian Hall for a party. The gathering was supposed to be one of a few happy times for the town, which was ravaged by a bitter strike between miners and owners. Popular history has it that someone ran into the party and yelled “fire”, causing a stampede down the stairs into doors that opened inward, resulting in a deadly pile-up. Some claim the incident was plotted by local copper bosses. So was it murder or an accident? Author and lawyer, Steve Lehto, goes back to find the answer in his book, Death’s Door: the Truth Behind Michigan’s Largest Mass Murder. Lehto uses his skills as a lawyer to investigate the deaths of 74 people, mostly children. His research led him to the conclusion that the doors opened out and were purposely held closed, resulting in the murder of the party-goers. Claims that the tragedy was an accident, Lehto believes, were the result of carefully placed stories in the mine-controlled newspapers.

Cuisine of the Early Italian Families in Michigan

Antipasto of Italian vegetables and fish

Baccala – Italian dried cod fish

Bagna Cauda – garlic, olive oil dip

Rustic Bread

Cornetti -Italian rolls

Grissini – Italian breadsticks

Porchetta, Abruzzi Style 

Salame Milanese for sandwiches

Cudighi Italian Sausage – Italian sausage originating in northern Italy and made in the homes of many Michigan Italian Americans. It is made from pork meat on the hind section of the hog, this sausage is a combination of coarse ground pork, pork fat, red wine, and seasonings such as salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The meat is then typically aged only for only a few days before being served. (See recipe below)

Sautissa Piedmontese Sausage – pork sausage from the Piedmont region of Italy that uses cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves to impart a unique flavor. Often used as a filling ingredient for ravioli. 

Suppressa – Italian cured meats

Garden Vegetables

Pasta

Torchetti cookies

Cookies: biscotti, pizzelle, cialde

Grappa  - Italian brandy

Homemade wine

Try Some Michigan-Italian Inspired Recipes At Home

Northern Michigan Cherry Bruschetta

Ingredients:

  • 18 1/2 inch thick slices of small baguette-style bread
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 1/2 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup each diced yellow sweet bell peppers and green onions
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Toast one side of baguette slices at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Turn slices, brush with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake 5 minutes longer.

Combine cherries, bell pepper, green onions, lime juice, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil; mix well.

Top each slice of baguette with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, a heaping tablespoon of cherry mixture and sliced basil.

Homemade Cudighi Sausage

Unique to the central part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the cudighi is an excellent example of the Italian-American food of this region. This one is made the more modern way, dressed like pizza. The classic sandwich is sausage with mustard and onions.  (Paisano’s in Negaunee, MI, an Italian-American restaurant on the shore of Lake Teal in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula)

Ingredients:

  • 6 lb coarsely ground pork butt
  • 1 clove garlic chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 6 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seed

Mix well and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Directions:

Form into thin, 1/2 thick patties into or oblong shapes. Brown in oil , cover and simmer in a little water to help with the dryness, for 25-30 minutes or until no red shows and pork is fully cooked.

Serve on a Ciabatta roll or italian bread with grilled green pepper rings and grilled sliced onion, mustard, ketchup, pizza sauce or mozzarella cheese.

Freeze extra cooked patties.

Some other serving suggestions:

You can make this into links or leave in bulk. Use it in Italian cooking for lasagna, pizza, etc. You can also serve this as a sandwich, either grilled or pan fried. Can be served with mustard and onions, but the most popular way is to top with mozzarella cheese and some spaghetti sauce. You could add some green peppers and mushrooms also.

Can be served as an appetizer with cheese and crackers. Roll the sausage into log. Wrap in foil and boil in water for 45 minutes. Let cool and serve sliced.

Iron Mountain Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh peas
  • 2 cups fresh asparagus, cut on the bias
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups besciamella (recipe follows)
  • 8 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
  • 1 -16-ounce package lasagna noodles (or use fresh)

For besciamella sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups milk, heated
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For vegetable filling:

Heat oil in a skillet and lightly saute vegetables, in steps if needed, until vegetables are just tender. Cool to room temperature.

For besciamella sauce:

In heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, not allowing mixture to brown. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and bring just to a simmer, whisking frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow to cool for a few minutes before using.

For lasagna:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook lasagna noodles to desired tenderness, drain.

In a 12-by-18-inch pan assemble the lasagna, beginning with a layer of besciamella in the bottom of the pan, followed by a layer of pasta, a scattering of vegetables, a layer of besciamella, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano, until all sauce, vegetables and pasta are used up.

The top layer should be pasta with besciamella over it. Top the lasagna with grated Parmigiano and bake, loosely covered with foil in the oven, until the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

 

Pork Roast alla Porchetta

 Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 bulb fennel, fronds chopped and reserved, bulb thinly sliced
  • 2 pounds ground pork or Italian sausage with casing removed
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 4 red onions, halved

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have your butcher butterfly the pork to an even 1 inch thickness, you should have a flat piece of meat about 8 inches by 14 inches. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil until smoking. Add the onion and fennel bulb and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add ground pork, fennel seeds, pepper, rosemary and garlic and cook until the mixture assumes a light color, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Add chopped fennel leaves and eggs and mix well.

Spread the mixture over the pork loin and roll up like a jelly roll. Tie with butcher’s twine and place in roast pan on top of halved red onions. Place in the oven and roast for 2 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces and serve.

Northern Michigan’s Mario Batali Shares His Recipe for Ciambella with Summer Berry Compote

The chef summers in Northern Michigan.

By: Mario Batali

A ciambella is a simple ring-shaped bread made of egg, shortening and sugar. Ciambelle were for a long time a symbol of luxury in Italian culture; a fancy bread pictured next to royalty and aristocracy in Renaissance painting. Today, ciambelle are often served as an afternoon snack at a bar or cafe. They can be dressed with glazes, syrups, or, in this case, a berry compote. In this recipe, I incorporate berries abundant in this area, but you can easily substitute whatever berries are available at your farmers’ market. With the listed ingredients, this ciambella makes the perfect summer dessert in this fertile area that I’ve come to love—Mario Batali (www.mynorth.com)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 1 pint blackberries
  • 1 pint raspberries
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 cup cold milk

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the berries, lemon juice,and 3 tablespoons sugar. Place over medium heat and heat just to the boiling point, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, flour and the baking powder in a food processor and pulse quickly to blend. Add the cold butter and pulse quickly until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg, almond extract and milk until smooth. With the food processor running, add the liquid all at once and blend 10 to 15 seconds, until the dough just forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured cutting board and shape into a log about 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Form the log into a ring in the center of the cookie sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until light golden brown.

Remove, transfer to a rack, and cool to room temperature.

Cut the cake into slices about 1 inch thick, top with 2 tablespoons of berry compote, and serve.

 

 

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What Can I Do With Barley?

May 9, 2013

A glass of beer, a loaf of bread, a bowl of cereal, a standard of measurement, a form of currency, a medication – they all began with Barley – an ancient grain, possibly even older than rice. Barley’s once exalted status has been redefined. No longer does it serve as a unit of monetary exchange or a unit of measurement. No physician thinks of prescribing it for an ailing patient. Now, barley is largely relegated to being a food or a key ingredient in the making of beer.

We owe much to the desert nomads and the camel caravans who endured sand storms and unrelenting heat to trade their sacks of barley with distant neighbors, who then traded with other distant neighbors. Our steaming bowl of bean and barley or mushroom barley soup is a hand-me-down recipe with roots that take us back to prehistoric man. In 2005 barley ranked fourth for cereal production. There are many types of barley, many different uses for it and a long history of its importance to mankind.

Cultivated barley is descended from wild barley, which still grows wild in the Middle East. Cultivated barley is an annual plant, but there are also many other perennial species. The exact origin of barley is debatable, possibly originating in Egypt, or Ethiopia, or the Near East or Tibet. However, we are fairly certain that barley was among the earliest cultivated grains, around the same time as the domestication of wheat. Barley was grown in the Middle East prior to 10,000 BC, but barley’s cultivation in China and India probably occurred later. Barley was grown on the Korean Peninsula by 1500-850 BC along with millet, wheat and legumes. In ancient Egypt (3200 BC to 30 BC) barley bread and beer (made from barley) was a major part of the diet.

Barley Bread

Barley Malt Beer

As one of the first cereals cultivated in the Middle East, barley was used by ancient civilizations as food for humans and animals, as well as to make alcohol. Actually, the first known recipe for barley wine dates back to 2800 B.C.E. in Babylonia. Barley water has also been used for various medicinal purposes since ancient times. The ancient Greeks relied on barley to make bread and athletes attributed much of their strength and physical growth to their barley-containing diets. Roman athletes also honored barley for the strength it gave them. The gladiators were known as hordearii, meaning “eaters of barley”.  Since the heads of barley are heavy and contain numerous seeds, barley was also honored in ancient China as a symbol of male virility.

Given the relatively high cost of wheat in the Middle Ages, many Europeans at that time made bread from a combination of barley and rye. In the 1500’s, the Spanish introduced barley to South America. The English and Dutch settlers of the 1600’s brought barley to the United States. Today, the largest commercial producers of barley are Canada, the United States, Russia, Germany, France and Spain.

Types of Barley

Barley has many different varieties and there are many ways to classify barley.

One classification identifies barley by whether there are two, four or six rows of grains on the head. Six row barley can produce 25-60 grains, while two-row barley produces 25-30 grains.Wild barley is two-row and most cultivated barley is of the six-row type.

Another way to classify barley is to describe the beards (awns) covering the kernels – as long or short.

Barley can also be described as hulled or hulless (naked), malt type, height or seed color (colorless, white, yellow, blue).

Still others classify barley into 4 types based on geography: Manchurian types, Coast types, Hannchen types or Compana-Smyrna types

Barley is grown for many purposes, but the majority of all barley is used for food or malting. High protein barleys are generally valued for food and starchy barley for malting. Most barley used for food is either pearled barley or barley flour. Prior to the 1500′s barley flour was the main ingredient for breads. The second most important use of barley is for malt and, in the US, there are price premiums for malting barley. Malt is used to produce beer, distilled alcohol, malt syrup, malted milk, malt flavoring and breakfast foods.

Hulled Barley

Hulled Barley is the most nutritious form of barley with only the outermost hull removed. With its bran still intact, it is nutrient dense and high in fiber. It’s full of important trace minerals, like iron and contains a range of B vitamins. Although the cooking time is longer than for other types of barley, the nutritional benefits are worth the effort. The added bonus is its distinct nutty flavor and brownish color. While it’s generally unavailable in most supermarkets, you’ll likely find it in health food stores.

Pearl Barley

Pearl Barley or Pearled Barley is the most common form of barley available and is sold in most supermarkets. Because the outer hulls including the bran have been removed, the grains have a pearly white color. The polishing process involves scouring the barley six times during milling to completely remove the outer hull and the bran layer. Though pearled barley cooks in less time than the whole grain hulled form, many of its nutrients are scoured away along with the bran. Still, pearl barley is rich in protein and high in fiber.

Quick Barley, or instant barley, is pearl barley that is pre-steamed then dried, shortening the cooking time considerably, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Scotch Barley, also called Pot Barley, is slightly less refined than the pearl barley and is scoured only three times, leaving part of the hull remaining. Health food markets may be the only place to find this uncommon variety.

Barley Grits are processed similar to bulghur wheat. The grain is cracked, toasted or parboiled, then dried, making it a quick-cooking product. The health food store is your best bet for locating this form of barley.

Barley Flakes

Barley Flakes, Pressed Barley or Rolled Barley have the appearance of rolled oats and are often included in muesli-type cereals. Since barley flakes are a favorite grain of the Japanese and Koreans, they can often be found at Asian markets, as well as health food markets.

Barley Flour is hulled barley that is finely ground and has a lightness and delicate sweetness. Since barley has such a low-gluten content, it is frequently blended with other flours in baking. Health food markets are likely to stock barley flour.

STORING BARLEY

It’s always best to store grains in airtight containers. Unrefrigerated, barley will keep for six to nine months. If the grains are stored in the refrigerator, they will keep several months longer.

COOKING BARLEY

Barley can be used in place of rice in almost any dish. For convenience you may want to cook a large quantity to have on hand for different recipes. Reheating takes only a few minutes.

The cooking method for all forms of barley is the same–only the cooking times vary. Combine barley, water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer until grains are soft and all liquid is absorbed.

To shorten the cooking times, soak the barley overnight for cooking in the morning, or soak all day for cooking the barley at dinnertime.

SOUPS

Whole-grain hulled barley is ideal for soups that often simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours. Add some beans, vegetables and seasonings for a hearty meal. Pearl barley will work equally as well and requires a shorter cooking time.

Barley combined with vegetables, potatoes, dill and a variety of dried mushrooms, blend together to create a richly flavored Mushroom Barley Soup. Top off this soup with a dollop of sour cream.

BREAKFAST

Barley grits make a quick breakfast that delivers a wholesome dish in practically no time. Follow the directions on the package for the barley grits, then add a topping of chopped fresh fruits, a sprinkle of cinnamon, some chopped nuts, a little milk and a sweetener, if desired.

This breakfast cereal comes together even more quickly with leftover cooked barley. Simply reheat the barley by adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to the pot, cover, and warm over medium heat for about 4 to 6 minutes. Then create your own toppings with a dash of cinnamon, raisins, nuts and seeds, a little maple syrup and your favorite milk.

SALADS

Leftover cooked barley, either hulled, pearl or barley flakes make the perfect base to build a salad. Add some chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced sweet onions, trimmed snap peas, sweet corn, minced garlic and chopped basil leaves. Dress it with some extra virgin olive oil, lemon or lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Other combinations work equally as well. Choose your favorite crunchy veggies or even leftover steamed or roasted vegetables, such as broccoli, peppers, zucchini or carrots.

SIDE DISHES

While the barley is simmering, saute some chopped onions and minced garlic. Simply add these along with herbs to your cooked barley and season according to taste.

MAIN DISHES

Barley Primavera: Create your own original Barley Primavera just as you would with pasta. While the barley is cooking, saute chopped vegetables, add seasonings to taste and prepare your favorite sauce. For each serving, mound the barley on the center of the plate, top with some sautéed vegetables and finish with the sauce. The sauce could be a marinara, oil and garlic or a creamy white sauce. A light sprinkle of toasted nuts or seeds adds an appealing touch.

Stuffed Vegetables: Barley is an ideal grain for stuffing vegetables. Try stuffing cabbage, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, acorn squash or even Japanese pumpkin (kabocha squash). To the barley, add sauteed chopped vegetables, nuts or chopped, browned sausage and dried herbs. Season to taste and bake about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Barley Risotto: Pearl barley makes an excellent creamy risotto. The timing will vary with barley. For risotto, use only the pearl barley. The hulled barley will not break down into a creamy state like pearl barley.

DESSERTS

Barley Pudding: Make a barley pudding, much like you would make a rice pudding. Add sweetening, spices and dried fruits. Prepare a fruit sauce by pureeing your favorite fruits in the processor with a touch of sweetening and a squeeze of lemon and use that as a topping.

Some Springtime Barley Recipes

Barley Salad

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

For the barley:

  • 12 ounces pearl barley
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 Spanish onion, cut in half
  • 2 garlic cloves, whole
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) water

For the salad:

  • 1 medium carrot, thinly julienned
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 10 baby tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
  • Red and green leaf lettuce

For the dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons apple vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 red onion, small dice
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

For the barley:

Rinse barley. In a large pot, combine barley and 32 ounces fresh water. Add carrot, onion, garlic, celery, and salt. Simmer covered at medium-high heat for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Discard the vegetables and drain the barley. Let the barley cool and place in a glass bowl.

For the salad:

In a glass bowl, mix together the barley, julienned carrots, scallions, tomatoes and parsley.

For the dressing:

In a smaller glass bowl, add all ingredients for the vinaigrette, except for the oil, and mix well. Drizzle in the olive oil as you whisk. Dress the salad. This salad tastes even better if you let it rest for 1-2 hours.

Serve over red and green leaf lettuces.

Springtime Vegetable Barley

This dish makes an excellent side for grilled meats or fish. It can also be served as a vegetarian main meal.

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup quick-cooking barley
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute onion and carrot in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in the barley; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir n 1 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, cook and stir until liquid is absorbed.

Add asparagus. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add more broth as needed. Stir in marjoram and pepper; sprinkle with cheese. 

Barley Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 large green peppers
  • 1/2 pound Italian Sausage, casing removed
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 3 cups cooked barley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds. In a large kettle, blanch peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, onion and garlic until onion is tender and sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, barley, thyme, salt and pepper; heat through.

Spoon into peppers; place in an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish. Cover and bake at 350°F. for 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender and filling is hot.

Barley Risotto with Eggplant and Tomatoes

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups risotto

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups  diced (1/2-inch) eggplant
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
  • 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta or cubed mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine eggplant, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; toss to coat. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until tomatoes begin to collapse and eggplant is tender.

Combine broth and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in pearl barley and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring constantly.

Add 1 cup broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 40 minutes total).

Gently stir in eggplant mixture, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt. Top with cheese, basil and nuts.

Barley-Stuffed Tomatoes

6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 large tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cups pearl barley
  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
  • Additional pecan halves, for garnish

Directions:

Cut tops from tomatoes. Scoop out pulp and reserve to use in soups or sauces. Sprinkle centers of tomatoes with salt and pepper. Invert tomatoes on paper towels to drain.

In a medium saucepan with lid, bring water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon butter to boil. Add barley and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed.

In a small skillet, sauté chopped pecans in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add pecans to cooked barley along with chopped bell pepper and green onion. Fill tomatoes with barley mixture.

Place filled tomatoes close together in baking pan. Add 1/4 cup water to pan. Cover with foil and bake at 375° F for 20 minutes. Garnish each tomato with a pecan half, if desired, and serve.

 

Barley Flour Drop Biscuits

Makes 10-12 biscuits depending on how large you form them.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon dry yeast
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 ¼ cups barley flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 beaten egg

Directions:

Soften dry yeast in lukewarm water, add honey and allow mixture to set for approximately 15 minutes, or until frothy.

Combine barley flour and salt and, with two knives or pastry blender, cut butter into the dry ingredients.

Combine buttermilk and egg and beat slightly, then stir into the flour mixture.

Add yeast mixture, mix thoroughly and let the whole mixture stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Drop dough by tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet.

Pat into 2-inch rounds and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until nicely browned.

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Chicago’s Little Italy

May 3, 2013

Little Italy in Chicago, 1909.

Italian immigrants to Chicago faced many drastic changes in their environments and way of life. The bustling new metropolis was very different from an Italian rural village. The mass of new Italian immigrants who entered the city in the late nineteenth century, primarily men from the small towns surrounding Palermo, Sicily were either single or had left their wives and children back in Italy. Frugality was essential. Most workers saved their wages to repay initial passage money, send funds to needy family members left behind or to purchase land in Italy.

In the summers many Italian laborers lived in railroad or mining work camps where food was provided by the padrone who recruited them. In the winter, workers returned to Chicago where they frequently lived cooperatively, sharing meals and kitchen chores.

Workers Sharing Living Spac

When possible, single men boarded with Italian families, a practice unknown in Italy. Boarding, freed men from the necessity of doing any of their own housework, while providing supplemental income for the families who housed them. Lodging and boarding continued in the Italian communities until immigration was curtailed by World War One. 

With time, many men had a new reason to economize. As months of saving stretched into years, most immigrants decided to settle permanently in the city, so passage money was put aside for wives, children and other relatives to come to the U.S. Eventually, family members joined the men.

While wages in Chicago exceeded those of Italy, the railway and street work at which many Italian men were employed, was intermittent and low paying. Garment work, done at home by Italian women, added only a meager amount to the family income. Italian laborers did much of the grueling ditch digging and manual labor which the growing city required. Women struggled to keep house in the cramped confines of tenement flats. Small flats of two to four rooms were common. Sinks and toilets were sometimes located in yards, halls or basements and water was unavailable when plumbing froze in winter. Basement and cellar flats were common due to the large number of homes below street level and “many a kitchen floor, the only playground for the children, was cold, damp and water soaked.”

Confined to substandard tenement housing and severely restricted in employment opportunities, many Italian immigrant families took garment work into their homes and employed their children. The mother and her three eldest children in this picture earned a total of about two dollars a week—when work was available—around 1913, while the father sought day work on the street. (Library of Congress)

Settlement worker Edith Abbot reported that in tenement homes food was hung from the ceilings to keep it away from the rats. The kitchen sometimes doubled as sleeping space for family members or lodgers. As late as 1925, ice-boxes were uncommon on the Near West Side and window sills were often the best means available to keep perishable food cold. As city dwellers and renters, Italians lost the option of supplementing their diets with home-grown foods. Many made valiant efforts to garden in the minuscule backyards and on the fire escapes and porches of tenement homes, where tomatoes, peppers and parsley struggled for existence in the cramped spaces.

Cooking Classes at Hull House

Terese DeFalco, who grew up on the Near West Side, recalls that there was no room for gardening amidst the densely packed housing in her neighborhood. “Our garden was the alley,” she says. Most food was purchased and Italians spent a large proportion of their incomes on food. Under these conditions, lessons learned in Italy remained relevant. Diets consisting of bread, macaroni and vegetables remained the norm among Italian immigrant families. Homemade Italian bread, with its thick crust and heavy texture, provided bulk at the evening meal and stayed fresh long enough to be dunked in coffee the next morning. Working family members carried chunks of it to their jobs, along with peppers purchased from the numerous street vendors found in Italian neighborhoods or from neighborhood stores, which sold familiar Italian ingredients.

Phyllis Williams noted that one of the reasons Italians shunned the recipes taught in settlement cooking classes was that “Italians thought many of the dishes prepared were too expensive and would not satisfy hungry children.” In hot summer months, when putting on the stove would be unbearable in cramped tenement apartments, Rose Tellerino, born in 1899, remembered salads were the daily fare while macaroni was “all we ate” in the wintertime. Wine, usually made at home, continued to be drunk at meals and milk and water were not, much to the chagrin of the Hull House reformers.

Jane Addams founded Hull House in 1889

The Italian communities of Chicago were enriched by a phenomenon all too rare in their towns of origin, voluntary associations. By the 1920’s the Italians in Chicago had church and school-oriented clubs and sodalities that worked at fundraising, as well as special-interest organizations, sponsored by the settlement houses. The Holy Guardian Angel and Our Lady of Pompeii served the Italian community. On the near Northwest Side, a varied community of Baresi, Sicilians and others grew up around the Santa Maria Addolorata Church. Perhaps the most colorful Italian sector was in the 22nd Ward on the city’s Near North Side. It was known as, “Little Sicily”, and this neighborhood was home to some 20,000 by 1920.

World War II changed everything for Italian Americans. It Americanized the second generation. The G.I. Bill opened up the first possibilities for a college education and the first opportunities to buy a new suburban house. Other government policies, such as urban renewal, public housing and the building of the interstate highway system combined to destroy their inner-city neighborhoods. First, was the building of the Cabrini-Green Housing Project, which destroyed the Sicilian neighborhoods in the Near North Side in the 1940′s and 1950′s. Then, came the construction of the expressway system on the near south, west and northwest sides which dislodged additional Italian families and institutions including many churches and schools.

Today, some 500,000 Italian-Americans, about the population of a medium-sized Italian city, live in Chicago. Though the group has been in the city for about a century, it maintains a lively array of civic, religious and cultural institutions and organizations that provide a sense of ethnic identification and recognition in a manageable area inside the larger metropolis. Because these institutions perform the functions of allocating recognition and ethnic identity, they will not die or fade quickly from the scene.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago and Jane Addams Memorial Collection

Taylor Street, in the Near West Side, became the hub of the Italian community, most notably, because of Jane Addam’s Hull House that was established to educate and help assimilate European immigrants and because of Mother Frances Cabrini, who started a school and founded two hospitals in the Italian community. Although parts of the Italian neighborhood were torn down when road construction and the University of Illinois at Chicago were completed in the 1960′s, numerous Italian and Italian American clubs and organizations helped maintain a strong sense of community.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, established in 1910 and the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame added more culture and heritage to the area. Major events include an Italian Street Festival in June and Taylor Street Festa Italiana in August. Italian food and regional specialties from the area’s restaurants, entertainment, merchandise from Italy and children’s activities are part of both celebrations. Festa di Tutti I Santi, a fundraiser for The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, is held in August.

Taylor Street is the main dining area in Chicago’s Little Italy, anchored with favorites like Pompei (1531 W. Taylor St.), opened by Sicilian, Luigi Davino, in 1909, Pompei has remained a family-run business ever since, but don’t expect to find deep dish here: the pizza is still Sicilian style.

For a neighborhood specialty, stop at Al’s Beef (1070 W Taylor St.); Chicago’s well-known Italian beef sandwich was created here in 1938 and has grown from a humble depression era street food to a legendary Italian staple. Order yours with Italian sauce and eat it standing wide-legged and leaning over the counter.

There are many neighborhood grocers, but Conte Di Savoia (2227 W. Taylor St.) has been the neighborhood specialty market since 1948 and continues to serve the area.

Ferrara Bakery

Opened in 1908, Salvatore Ferrara’s Italian pastry legacy lives on today at Ferrara Bakery (2210 W Taylor St.), where the baked goods have been pretty well perfected over its century-plus existence. When Ferrara Bakery opened its doors over a hundred years, it was a staple in the Italian community of Chicago. Backed by a strong immigrant work ethic and an American public infatuated with pastries and confectioneries, Salvatore Ferrara opened a pastry shop on Taylor and Halsted Streets, with a candy shop located roughly a mile away on Taylor Street and Ogden Avenue. While the candy aspect of Ferrara’s business has boomed, distributing worldwide, the pastry shop maintains a more modest reputation. Forced to relocate due to the construction of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Original Ferrara Pastries resides in the old candy distributing facility at Taylor and Ogden.

The Food of Chicago’s Little Italy

If you’re craving deep dish, head about 15 minutes north of Sicilian Little Italy and pay a visit to Uno Pizzeria (29 E Ohio St.), home of the famous Chicago style pie.

Chicago pizza is a not your typical pizza. When Pizzeria Uno founders, Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, invented it in 1943, they weren’t trying for true Italian. They believed Chicagoans needed something more substantial: deep dish pizza, which is more a casserole than a flatbread. It grew so popular that they opened a second location, Pizzeria Due, across the street in 1955.

The deep-dish pie spread throughout Chicago due to several pizza makers who left Uno. The first was Uno’s primary pizza chef, Alice Mae Redmond. It is said that Alice Mae was the one who developed Uno’s dough recipe. She left in the sixties, formed a partnership with three local businessmen, including cab drivers Fred Bartoli and Sam Levine, and opened Gino’s East. Gino’s has been through several changes in ownership, but still uses the same recipe at its thirteen locations.

Chicago’s Italian beef is a sandwich of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll, believed to have originated in Chicago, where its history dates back at least to the 1930′s. The bread itself is often dipped (or double-dipped) into the juices the meat is cooked in and the sandwich is typically topped off with Chicago-style hot giardiniera or sauteed green Italian sweet peppers. I posted a recipe for the Chicago Italian beef sandwich last July. You can see the recipe at http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/07/10/in-the-mood-for-a-really-great-italian-sandwich/

The Chicago style dog is a steamed poppy-seed bun with a Vienna beef hot dog hidden under relish, yellow mustard, onions, tomato, celery salt, hot peppers and a pickle spear.

 

UNO’S FAMOUS DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Recipe shared by Uno in celebration of the 65th anniversary of Uno’s Chicago-Style Pizza.

MASTER DOUGH RECIPE

Yield: one 20-ounce ball of dough to make one 12-inch Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)
  • 1 teaspoon. sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn oil
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 12″ Deep-Dish Pizza Pan or Cake Pan

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast with water and sugar. Add the corn oil and blend. Add the flour and salt and mix thoroughly. If using a stand mixer, mix for 4 minutes at medium speed, until the dough is smooth and pliable. If kneading by hand, knead for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand for two additional minutes. Add olive oil to a deep bowl. Place the dough ball into the bowl and turn it twice to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.* Let the dough rise for two hours. Do not punch it down. Spread and push the dough ball across the bottom of the deep dish pan and up the sides.

*At this stage, the dough can be put in the refrigerator and allowed to rise slowly overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you are ready to assemble the pizza.

PEPPERONI DEEP-DISH PIZZA

  • 1½ cups tomatoes, ground
  • 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
  • 1 teaspoon basil, dried
  • 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, grated
  • 5 oz. part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella, sliced
  • 5 oz. provolone, sliced
  • 24 ea. pepperoni slices (about 2 oz.)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, oregano, basil and Romano cheese. Set aside.

Lay the slices of mozzarella and provolone on top of the dough, overlapping the slices to cover all of the dough.

Spread the tomato mixture evenly over the cheese.

Dot the top of the tomatoes with the pepperoni.

Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 475° F. oven for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Allow the pizza to rest for 3-4 minutes before cutting and serving.

 

Eggplant Ravioli

Eggplant Ravioli is a specialty of Francesca’s On Taylor. Here is a similar recipe you can make at home. Francesca’s on Taylor features the earthy cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Chicago Magazine notes, “It brings a new kind of abbondanza to an old Italian neighborhood.”

Pasta Dough

(Makes about 1 pound)

Ingredients:

  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 to 3 tablespoon lukewarm water

Directions:

Put the flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in a food processor.

Pulse several times to blend the ingredients.

Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until dough starts to come together.

Avoid adding too much water or the dough will be too sticky to roll.

It may still look dry but can be gathered into a ball.

Gather the dough into a ball and place on a floured surface.

Knead lightly, just until the dough is smooth.

Divide in half and keep one-half covered while you work with the other.

Filling

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small eggplant, diced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons asiago cheese, grated
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Salt and pepper

Marinara Sauce

Directions:

Saute garlic in olive oil over low heat about 2 minutes.

Add eggplant and dried herbs, cover and cook 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, cool, and pulse in food processor to finely chop.

Add remaining ingredients and fill ravioli.

Forming the Ravioli

Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness into strips about 4 inches wide.

Using a tablespoon, place mounds of filling 1-1/2 to 2-inches apart down the center of the dough.

Brush a little water across the top and bottom of the strip and between the mounds of filling.

Place another 4-inch wide strip of dough over the top.

Press the dough down around the mounds of filling to seal.

Cut the ravioli into rounds or squares using a ravioli cutter, pastry cutter or a knife.

Completed ravioli can be refrigerated for a few hours before cooking.

They can also be frozen by placing them on a cookie sheet and freezing until firm and then storing in a plastic bag for 2-3 months.

Cook ravioli in salted water until they rise to the top, 3-4 minutes for fresh ravioli or 9-10 minutes for frozen.

Serve with Marinara Sauce.

 

Maggiano’s Baked Ziti and Sausage Casserole

Maggiano’s Little Italy is an American casual dining restaurant specializing in Italian-American cuisine that is aimed at “re-creating the classic pre-World War II dinner house featuring family size portions”.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups uncooked ziti pasta
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 lb Italian sausages (casings removed)

WHITE SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

CHEESE LAYER

  • 1 (1 lb) carton cream-style cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
  • Paprika

Directions:

Set oven to 350 degrees. F. and grease a 3-quart baking dish.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until JUST tender (do not overcook the pasta as it will cook more in the oven). Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a skillet; add in the sausage meat and cook until browned, remove to a plate.

For the white sauce; melt butter in a medium saucepan; add the onion, garlic and cayenne pepper if using) saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add in flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add in half and half cream; bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat; add in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta in the bowl; mix with a wooden spoon.

In a medium bowl mix together the cottage cheese with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg and chopped parsley, then season with salt and lots of pepper.

Spoon HALF of the creamed ziti mixture into the prepared baking dish, then spread the cottage cheese mixture on top, then spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

Sprinkle the cooked sausage meat on the top.

Top with mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle paprika on top.

Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and hot.

Let stand about 5 or more minutes before serving.

 

Cannoli Cake

Similar to the Ferrara Bakery’s Famous Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

9 inch ungreased springform pan

For the Pan di Spagna (sponge cake): Have the following ingredients at room temperature at least 1 hour before baking  6 eggs, lemon juice, orange zest and sherry.

Ingredients:

FOR  THE SPONGE

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup rum, for sprinkling the cake layers

FOR THE FILLING

  • 1 1/2 lbs. ricotta cheese
  • 6 tablespoons rum
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, grated
  • 1/4 cup candied cherries, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

TO MAKE FROSTING:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup toasted finely chopped almonds

Directions:

TO MAKE SPONGE LAYER

Separate 6 eggs and set the egg whites aside.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in sugar, lemon juice, orange zest and sherry.

Beat until foamy.

Sift flour 3 times and fold into egg yolk mixture gently but thoroughly.

Beat egg whites until foamy, add salt and beat until stiff but not dry.

Fold into yolk mixture.

Pour batter into a 9 inch ungreased springform pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.

TEST by pressing lightly with fingertips, if cake springs back at once, it is done.

Leave cake in the pan to cool and invert on a wire rack.

Once the cake is completely cool, slice it into 3 layers.

Sprinkle layers with the 1/4 cup rum.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

Crush ricotta very finely with a potato masher.

Add 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the 6 tablespoons rum, grated chocolate, chopped cherries and cinnamon.

Spread the ricotta filling over the sponge cake layers, using 1/2 inch of filling on each layer.

Leave the top and sides of the cake plain.

TO MAKE FROSTING:

Cream butter with 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar.

Beat the 2 egg whites until stiff and gradually beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar into the egg whites.

Fold egg whites into the butter mixture and fold in 1 teaspoon almond extract.

Cover sides and top of cake with this frosting evenly. Sprinkle nuts on the top and sides of the cake.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve it.

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Springtime Pastas

May 2, 2013

With classic springtime ingredients arriving at grocery stores and farmer’s markets, it’s time to lighten up that suppertime standby, pasta. Spring’s produce not only brings a variety of fresh flavors to the table; it also gives you a broad range of nutritional benefits. Freshly harvested vegetables taste great in spring pasta recipes and they’re full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Pasta makes an ideal partner for the lightest, most delicately flavored spring vegetables.The job of the noodles is to make a substantial, but never heavy, meal. It’s also fitting to celebrate the season’s produce bounty with pasta that’s just as varied, such as, farfalle bow ties, fluted garganelli tubes, long, hollow bucatini noodles or broad pappardelle ribbons. Dried pastas are pantry-friendly and offer a satisfying chew, when cooked al dente. Fresh pasta will also work for these lighter dishes.

Whatever vegetables you use, bump up the nutritional content of your spring pasta recipes by skipping regular white pasta and using whole grain varieties instead. Whole wheat and other whole grain pastas make healthy recipes even healthier because they’re produced using grains that haven’t had their germ and bran stripped from the grain. Leaving the grain intact allows you to gain the benefits of the whole grain, which include extra fiber, B vitamins, protein and antioxidants, as well as minerals like selenium, magnesium and potassium. Studies have shown that whole grains help protect against cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Also, whole grains help with weight control. Luckily, it’s a lot easier to find a variety of whole grain pasta options at the grocery store these days.

Pair hearty pasta with these delicate spring veggies and you’ll create a meal that’s both nutritious and satisfying. As different vegetables turn up at your market, you can change up the recipes for added variety. For the healthiest results, prepare dishes using plenty of fiber-rich veggies, smaller portions of pasta and lean protein to make them extra-filling.

Sauces used in springtime pasta dishes are not heavy or meaty. They might feature light protein, such as tuna or chicken, but they are typically vegetarian dishes. Light lemon sauces, vinaigrette and other thin dressings are most commonly used on spring pasta dishes. Light pesto sauces are also good choices. A simple pasta dish can be dressed with some olive oil, sea salt and grated Italian cheese. Including eggs in the preparation may help the dressing adhere to the pasta, as well as provide additional flavor. Chopped herbs can be added as desired.

Some favorite ingredients utilized in springtime pasta recipes are mushrooms and asparagus. Onions are popular inclusions, as are sugar snap peas. Fresh parsley is often included, too. Other fresh spring pasta herbs might include chives and dill. Escarole is frequently utilized in creating spring pastas dishes. Fresh spinach may also be tossed into the pasta. Another popular green used in spring dishes is Swiss chard. 

Pasta Primavera is a very popular spring pasta meal. Zucchini and other squashes are often used in this pasta dish, as can broccoli florets and plum or cherry tomatoes. Tasty elements of crunch or nuttiness, from pine nuts to fava beans, are often included, though many of the spring vegetables, like radishes, can also provide plenty of crisp texture and flavor. Fresh cheeses may also be grated, lightly, on top of spring pastas.

Farfalle with Spring Vegetables

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of sandwich bread, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons snipped chives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bunch broccolini
  • 1 pound farfalle
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 fennel bulb—halved, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, or 1 pound fresh peas, shelled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. On a baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until golden. Let cool, then stir in 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and chives and 1/2 tablespoon of the tarragon. Season the crumbs with salt and pepper.

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccolini until tender, about 1 minute. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the broccolini to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

Boil the pasta in the same pot until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

In a deep skillet, heat the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic, fennel, scallions, peas and chopped broccolini and cook over moderate heat until the fennel is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the pasta, lemon juice and cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the water is nearly absorbed. Stir in the remaining herbs.

Sprinkle the pasta with the bread crumbs just before serving.

Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta

Fettuccine will also work if you can’t find pappardelle. Have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before beginning to cook—the pasta needs to be hot when mixed with the other ingredients to create a creamy consistency.

4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup diced pancetta
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 3 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.

Combine 1/2 cup reserved hot cooking liquid and ricotta cheese in a food processor or use an immersion blender and process until well blended.

Heat oil in a skillet and saute pancetta and garlic for a few minutes. Add spinach and cook just until wilted.

Combine hot pasta, cheese mixture, spinach mixture and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Add additional cooking liquid to moisten, if needed.

Chicken and Artichoke Fettuccine Alfredo

4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound uncooked fettuccine
  • 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3/4 cup lowfat milk
  • 4 ounces reduced fat Cream Cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and halved or frozen and defrosted
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil and cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the milk, cream cheese and salt to the skillet; cook and stir until smooth. Stir in the artichoke hearts, red pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Drain fettuccine. Stir in sauce and chicken; heat through. Sprinkle with basil.

Pasta with Squash and Sage Leaves

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz whole-wheat penne
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 medium butternut squash or any squash of choice (about 2 lbs), peeled and seeded, if needed, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Cook penne as directed on the package. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sage leaves, turning once, until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel.

Add onion and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Add squash, 3/4 cups pasta water, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash softens, 5 to 7 minutes. Add pasta to squash mixture; stir over low heat, add remaining pasta cooking water, if a thinner sauce is wanted.

Cook until pasta is coated, about 1 minute. Serve, garnished with cheese and cooked sage leaves.

Pasta with Arugula Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts

Pasta with Arugula Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Makes: 4 servings 

This twist on classic pesto swaps arugula for basil, making a peppery sauce with toasted pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. For something extra, grate a little Pecorino or Parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Sun-dried tomatoes come packed dry or in oil and can be found in most grocery stores. In this recipe use tomatoes packed in oil (just drain well) because they give more flavor than their dry counterparts (which need to be reconstituted before using).

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pasta, such as orecchiette, gemelli, or conchiglie
  • 10 ounces arugula, washed and tough stems removed
  • 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced

Directions:

Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, combine arugula, garlic, lemon juice and half of the pine nuts in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until evenly blended, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and process again to blend in seasoning.

Drain pasta and return to the pot (but do not return to the heat). Add arugula pesto, remaining pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and  pasta water, if needed. Mix until evenly combined.

Serve immediately.

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3/4 pounds linguine
  • 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise (quartered if large) and thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces sugar snap peas, stem ends trimmed, halved
  • 1/2 cup half & half
  • 1 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes just short of al dente; add asparagus, zucchini and snap peas. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetable mixture and set aside.

In the same pot, bring half & half and butter to a simmer. Add in pasta-vegetable mixture , cheese and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands).

Season with salt and pepper and top with tarragon.

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In The Mood For A Sandwich?

April 30, 2013

The perfect sandwich is a healthy sandwich that tastes good and makes you full longer. Sandwiches are one of the most popular midday choices of on-the-go Americans. They’re quick, delicious and, if properly portioned, an option for losing weight. If you aren’t careful, though, a few high fat ingredients can add hundreds of extra calories. So before you make that sandwich, make sure you know what hidden calories are lurking between those bread slices. If you make smart choices regarding the basic elements of a sandwich, you’ll be building healthier sandwiches in no time. 

1. Select healthy bread.

Consider:

  • High-fiber whole wheat bread.
  • High protein bread.
  • Wraps and pita bread (they are thin and have fewer calories). Whole wheat versions are even better.
  • Reduced calorie bread.
  • Multigrain bread.

2. Find high-quality proteins.

Most (although not all) sandwiches benefit from tasty, high-quality protein. What is available and healthy to you may vary by region or supermarket. Keep in mind portion control–a serving of meat should be about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Consider the choices:

  • Classic deli meats: Turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef, corned beef and others without nitrates.
  • Tip: Check the sodium in prepackaged and even deli-fresh meats; most products run high. Cut the sodium by slicing meat you have roasted at home or by asking specifically for meats lower in sodium.
  • Vegetarian spreads: Hummus, peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, vegetarian patties
  • Salads: Tuna fish salad, seafood salad, chicken salad.

3. Cheese. Although cheese can add a good deal of fat, it also contains a good deal of calcium.

Consider:

  • Harder cheeses, such as Swiss and Cheddar that usually have less fat.
  • Softer cheeses (like Blue cheese) may have more fat, but if spread thinly, can add overall less fat than slices of hard cheese.
  • You can even use low-fat cheese in a sandwich.

4. Dressing. Sandwiches usually taste best with a little condiment added–but it is optional.

Consider:

  • Mustard, salad dressings, salsa and lowfat mayonnaise all add little calories and lots of flavor.
  • Avoid high-fat salad dressings, and regular mayonnaise in a sandwich.

5. Vegetables. A sandwich is a great way to slip in a lot of vegetables into a meal. Make sure they are fresh and crisp.

Consider:

  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Olives
  • Cucumbers or pickles
  • Onions: sweet or red
  • Peppers: sweet or hot
  • Mushrooms
  • Lettuce
  • Bean sprouts
  • Apples (especially good with ham)
  • Sauerkraut (with corned beef is a classic Reuben Sandwich)
  • Herbs (Basil tastes terrific in a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich)

Consider heating or toasting:

Heating or toasting a sandwich adds no calories and can greatly enhance the taste. Add lettuce after heating.

Consider sides:

Sandwiches are even healthier with classic pairings like carrot and celery sticks, a bowl of healthy soup or a side salad.

Experiment:

A sandwich is a marvelous canvas to work with and while there are classic pairings (peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese on rye, grilled cheese, BLT, etc.) you can come up with  a new  favorites.

Here are a few ideas to start you off.

Turkey Reuben

4 servings

 Ingredients:

  • 2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (supermarket coleslaw mix)
  • 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing
  • 2 tablespoons Thousand Island salad dressing
  • 8 1/2 inch thick slices rye bread
  • 8 ounces sliced, cooked low sodium turkey breast
  • 4 slices provolone cheese (4 ounces) (reduced fat works just fine in this sandwich)
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced
  • Pickle spears

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine coleslaw mix and Italian salad dressing; set aside.

Spread Thousand Island salad dressing on one side of each bread slice.

Place four of the bread slices, dressing sides up, on a work surface; top with turkey, cheese, tomato and coleslaw mixture.

Top with remaining bread slices, dressing sides down.

Preheat a large skillet sparayed with nonfat cooking spray over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook sandwiches, half at a time, for 4 to 6 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, turning once. If desired, serve with pickle spears.

Oven Fried Green Tomato BLT Sandwiches 

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Green Tomatoes & Garnish

  • 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 large green tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 8 slices cooked bacon
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 hamburger buns

Remoulade Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 2 sweet gherkins, chopped, or 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped

Directions:

To cook tomatoes:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Place a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a parchment paper-lined baking pan.

Whisk together buttermilk and egg white in a medium bowl.

Mix together cornmeal, salt, paprika and cayenne in a shallow dish.

Dip the tomato slices into the buttermilk mixture, then transfer to the cornmeal mixture. Gently turn each slice in the cornmeal mixture to coat.

Transfer the slices to the wire rack on the baking sheet. Lightly coat tomatoes on each side with cooking spray.

Bake the tomatoes in the hot oven until both sides are well browned, 18 to 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes.

To make remoulade sauce:

While the tomatoes are in the oven, combine mayonnaise, sour cream (or yogurt), horseradish, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, scallions, gherkins (or pickle relish) and capers in a small bowl.

To assemble sandwiches:

Place lettuce on the bottom halves of the buns. Top with tomato slices, remoulade sauce and bacon; cover with bun tops.

 

Tuna Steak Sandwiches

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 tuna fillets, each 4 ounces
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat Caesar dressing, recipe below
  • 2 whole-grain onion buns
  • 2 lettuce leaves
  • 2 slices tomato

Directions:

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Sprinkle the tuna fillets with pepper. Place the fillets on the grill rack or broiler pan. Brush the tuna with 2 tablespoons of the Caesar dressing while cooking.

Grill or broil until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 8 minutes. Just before taking the tuna off the grill, place buns on the grill or broiler pan to toast.

Place the tuna steaks on the buns. Top with lettuce and tomato. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Caesar dressing. Serve immediately.

Caesar Salad Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 small clove garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Place garlic and salt in a medium bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to form a paste.

Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste (if using), and pepper; whisk to combine.

Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly. Add cheese and whisk to combine.

The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Egg-Vegetable Salad Wraps

6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow summer squash or zucchini
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fat-free milk
  • 1 teaspoon snipped fresh tarragon or basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or basil, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 6 leaf lettuce leaves
  • 6 whole wheat flour tortillas
  • 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl combine eggs, cucumber, squash, carrot and red onion.

For dressing:

in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, milk, tarragon or basil, salt and paprika.

Pour the dressing over egg mixture and toss gently to coat.

For each sandwich:

Place a lettuce leaf on a tortilla. Place 3 or 4 tomato slices on top of the lettuce, slightly off center. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture on top of the tomato slices. Roll up tortilla.

If necessary, secure with toothpicks. Cut the tortilla rolls in half crosswise. 

Mediterranean Chicken Panini

4 servings

 Ingredients:

  • Olive oil nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 recipe Tomato-Pepper Spread, below
  • 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces total)
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread or multigrain ciabatta rolls, split
  • 1 small zucchini

Directions:

Lightly coat an unheated panini griddle, covered indoor electric grill or large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat or heat according to manufacturer’s directions.

Add chicken. If using griddle or grill, close lid and grill for 6 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. (If using a skillet, cook chicken for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.)

Cool chicken slightly; split each chicken piece in half horizontally and cut crosswise into 2-inch-wide slices.

Spread the Tomato-Pepper Spread on cut sides of the bread. Place chicken on bottom half of the bread.

Using a vegetable peeler, cut very thin lengthwise strips from the zucchini. Place zucchini strips on top of the chicken. Place bread tops on top of the zucchini, tomato pepper spread side down. Press down lightly. Lightly coat the top and bottom of each sandwich with nonstick cooking spray.

Place sandwiches on griddle, grill or skillet, adding in batches if necessary.

If using griddle or grill, close lid and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until bread is toasted. If using skillet, place a heavy saucepan or skillet on top of sandwiches. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottoms are toasted.

Carefully remove saucepan or top skillet it may be hot. Turn sandwiches; top again with the saucepan or skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread is toasted.

Tomato-Pepper Spread

Yield: 1/3 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
  • 3 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1/3 cup drained bottled roasted red peppers
  • 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl combine sundried tomatoes and the boiling water. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer undrained tomato mixture to a small food processor (if you have a larger food processor you will need to stop and scrape down sides occasionally).

Add roasted red sweet peppers, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic and black pepper. Cover and process until smooth.

 

Grilled Vegetable Pitas

2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 14 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Dash salt
  • Dash ground black pepper
  • 1/4 of a medium yellow or red sweet pepper, stem and seeds removed
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 large whole wheat pita bread round, halved crosswise
  • 8 fresh spinach leaves
  • 8 small fresh basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

If present, remove and discard mushroom stem. If desired, remove mushroom gills. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently brush half of the oil mixture over mushroom and sweet pepper.

Place mushroom and pepper on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly charred and tender, turning frequently.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining oil mixture and the tomato; toss gently to coat. Cut grilled mushroom and pepper into bite-size strips. Add mushroom and pepper strips to tomato mixture; toss gently to combine.

Open pita halves to create pockets. Line pita pockets with spinach and basil leaves. Fill pita pockets with grilled vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Grilled Steak Sandwich

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 (8- to 10-ounce) lean sirloin steak or 8 to 10 ounces leftover steak
  • 1 baguette, cut into 4 (5-inch) pieces
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
  • 2 cups arugula or lettuce

Directions:

Preheat the grill. Lightly oil the steak and grill it for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

While steak is resting, cut baguette in half horizontally.

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and blue cheese.

Spread half the bread with the mayonnaise mixture; top with sliced steak and arugula. Top with remaining baguette half and divide into fourths.

 

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Don’t Be Afraid To Sneak In The Veggies !

April 29, 2013

Kids are not always the pickiest eaters at the dinner table. Many adults are extremely finicky and some are fussy to the point of risking their health. They have it in their minds that veggies do not taste good, even if they have never tried them. It can be very difficult to come up with a variety of healthy dishes day after day for this type of eater, but with culinary creativity, it is easy to provide nourishing foods on the sly. Absolutely anyone can successfully sneak vegetables into foods for finicky adults and unless they catch the cook, they will never know the difference.

When looking for ways to sneak vegetables into foods, look for ways to include them in your favorite recipes. Fresh and frozen veggies are the most nutritious. Cook and puree carrots, spinach or any other mild tasting vegetable that will be easy to stir into a tomato based dish. Be careful not to overdo it or the pureed vegetable will change the color of the sauce and alter the flavor. Add just enough of your favorite cooked and pureed vegetables to add nutritional value. Most people will not notice a difference, because the food will taste the same.

Love macaroni and cheese with a rich golden sauce? A deep golden color can be achieved by stirring in pureed butternut squash or carrots. Top it with buttered bread crumbs and bake it in the oven until it is golden brown and bubbly. If it is cheesy enough, no one will realize that you were able to sneak in vegetables. It will look and taste just as it always does.

Sometimes, it’s okay to be sneaky in the kitchen. Try these tips to sneak in one or two extra servings into your day and you’ll be adding a new twist to an old favorite recipe.

  • Shred or grate fruits and vegetables or puree them and see how creative you can get with your favorite recipes.
  • Meatloaf is a mixture of various foods, typically including ground meat, eggs, onions and some bread crumbs. Adding a little shredded carrots, zucchini or broccoli may give the meal a nutritional boost that won’t change the flavor.
  • Chili is chock full of beans; grate or dice in some carrots, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini for added nuitrition.
  • Use the blender or food processor to puree broccoli or peppers (a great source of vitamin C) and carrots and spinach (for vitamin A) to add to sauces.
  • Make homemade ravioli using pre-packaged wonton wrappers and fill with chopped veggies.

  • Quick additions – Layer zucchini slices into lasagna. Stir broccoli florets into macaroni and cheese. Toss tomatoes into an omelet. Include peppers in a cheese quesadilla.
  • Soup – Embellish your favorite soups, fresh or canned, with added veggies. Just add raw or frozen vegetables while you’re heating or cooking the soup.
  • Salads – Load your salads with as many raw veggies as you can: cucumber, grated carrots, zucchini, green beans, onions, radishes, jicama, tomato, etc. Or try spinach leaves instead of lettuce.
  • Serve them raw – Raw can bring out the best in vegetables that have a strong taste when cooked, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage or spinach. Add a low-fat dip.
  • Spaghetti sauce – Add finely chopped zucchini, mushroom, onions, eggplant or yellow squash to spaghetti sauce. The smaller you chop them, the less likely you are to notice they’re there.
  • Make them fun – Try corn-on-the-cob wheels (slice cooked corn into 1-inch thick disks), fill celery sticks with peanut butter or light cream cheese or stuff zucchini or bell peppers with a savory filling.
  • Drink them – Try V-8 or carrot juice. Or blend some carrot juice with a fruit juice you enjoy, such as orange or tangerine.
  • Pizza – Top your pizza with any combination: tomato, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, zucchini and artichoke hearts.
  • Grilling – After the meat or fish is taken off the grill, why waste the hot coals? You can probably use the same marinade you’re using for your meat. (Just marinate the veggies separately, using marinade that hasn’t touched the meat.) Make a kabob with chunks of vegetables (eggplant, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini or other types of squashes). Soft vegetables won’t need precooking, but firm ones such as sweet potatoes will benefit from steaming or microwaving before they go on the grill.

Each of these veggie-rich dishes fits into any meal plan and is loaded with color, nutrients and flavor. Best of all, low-calorie vegetables let you add more food to your plate!

Mushroom-Sausage Flatbreads

Makes for a great, quick weekend lunch!

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces uncooked turkey Italian sausage links, with casings removed
  • 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1/2 of a 16 ounce package of frozen bell peppers and onion stir-fry vegetables (2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 multi-grain low-fat wraps
  • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook sausage and mushrooms over medium heat until sausage is browned and mushrooms are tender, stirring to break up sausage as it cooks. Drain mixture in a colander; set aside.

Meanwhile, chop one of the tomatoes; thinly slice the other tomato. In the same large skillet, cook chopped tomato, stir-fry vegetables and garlic over medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated and vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally.

Place wraps on a very large baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Spread vegetable mixture over hot wraps. Top with sausage mixture. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and just starting to brown.

Grilled Beef Garden Burgers

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
  • 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces 90% lean or higher ground beef
  • 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
  • 3/4 cup fresh spinach
  • 1 small tomato, thinly sliced
  • Condiments

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine egg white, carrot, green onion, shredded zucchini, garlic and black pepper. Add beef; mix well. Shape the mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

For a charcoal grill, place patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 12 to 14 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of each patty registers 160 degrees F, turning once halfway through grilling.

For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.

Serve each patty on a whole wheat bun with spinach, tomato and condiments of choice.

Mediterranean-Stuffed Chicken

4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)
  • 1/4 cup drained, bottled marinated artichoke hearts, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons drained, bottled roasted red sweet peppers, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
  • 2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through the thickest portion almost to the opposite side. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine feta, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, green onion and oregano. Spoon evenly into pockets in chicken breasts. If necessary, secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper.

Grilling directions: For a charcoal grill, place chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, (170 degrees F.) turning once halfway through grilling.

For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.

Layered Root Vegetable Bake

Good make ahead dish.

8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and halved crosswise (1-1/4 cups)
  • Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
  • 4 whole baby beets, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a covered large saucepan, cook potatoes in enough boiling water to cover about 25 minutes or until tender, adding the carrot pieces and parsnips for the last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain, using a slotted spoon, and cool until easy to handle.

Very thinly slice potatoes, parsnips and carrots, keeping each in separate bowls.

Reboil water, add beets and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). Cool and slice thin.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9 x 1-1/2-inch round baking pan with heavy foil. Generously coat foil with cooking spray.

Layer half of the beet slices, half of the carrot slices, half of the parsnip slices and half of the potato slices in pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the pepper.

Layer remaining vegetable slices on top in the same order. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Cover with foil; press down lightly with hands.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Remove top piece of foil. Invert vegetables onto serving plate; peel off foil. Cut into 8 wedges to serve.

Golden Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
  • 1 cup carrot juice, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and sauté until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the rice and almonds, stirring to coat.

Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated by half, about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the broth, carrot juice, water and salt to taste. Add to the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook, stirring, until absorbed, before adding the next 1/2 cup (total time will be about 20 minutes.)

Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and pepper before serving.

Zucchini-Oat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 48 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or Eagle Brand Ultra Grain all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (1 medium)
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 2/3 cups (10-oz pkg.) Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until well combined. Add egg and vanilla extract, beat well. Add zucchini and mix.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, nuts and chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoon, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Be sure to rotate baking sheets in the oven after 6 minutes.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

 

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Cleveland’s Little Italy

April 26, 2013

Cleveland, Ohio

By the mid-1800s, a small group of Italian immigrants had arrived in Cleveland and were working in various occupations, as bookkeeper, boot maker, gardener, carpenter, steel worker and stone mason. Twenty years later, Italians were owners of restaurants, saloons, produce stands and grocery stores. In the late nineteenth century, Italian immigrants traveled to Cleveland and many opened businesses to service the growing Italian population. They made their homes in several areas around Cleveland: Big Italy, Collinwood, Murray Hill and Kinsman. In 1912, the Italian communities had more than 50 local societies to help them assimilate. No institution better reflects the uniqueness of Cleveland’s Italian community than the hometown society that enabled the immigrants to transplant the solidarity of their native villages to America. Meeting weekly, they reminisced in their village dialect, maintained family acquaintances, continued ties with their Italian village, buried their dead, cared for widows and children and found employment and housing. The area relied on the local parishes, such as Holy Rosary; charitable institutions, such as Alta House and the cohesiveness of the neighborhoods to sustain them.


The Little Italy Heritage Museum closed at the end of 2007. The museum’s collection of photographs and artifacts were donated to the Western Reserve Historical Society in University Circle.

Many of these Italians were Neapolitan and were engaged in skilled lacework, garment making and the embroidery trades. The largest group came from the towns of Ripamolisano, Madrice and San Giovanni in Galdo and Campobasso Province in the Abruzzi region.

By the late 1920s, six Italian neighborhoods had been established. The largest was “Big Italy”, located along Woodland and Orange Avenues from East 9th St. to East 40th St. “Little Italy”, centered at Mayfield and Murray Hill roads, proved to be the most enduring. Nearby, at East. 107th St. and Cedar Ave., a community grew around St. Marian’s Church. Also on the city’s east side was a substantial Italian settlement in Collinwood. Two settlements were on the west side, one near Clark and Fulton Avenues and one on Detroit near West 65th St.

In each community, the Italians transplanted their institutions, including nationality parishes, hometown societies, mutual-aid organizations and a multiplicity of family-owned businesses. What the Italians brought to Cleveland were the traditions, values, patron saints and dialects from the villages they represented. Their affinities and affiliations were largely with their paesani (fellow villagers).

The Italian Drug Store on Mayfield Road was just one of many thriving businesses in Little Italy in the mid-20th century.

Eventually, Murray Hill became Cleveland’s only “Little Italy” and today remains strongly Italian. Red, white and green is proudly displayed in all forms and numerous restaurants, cafes, bakeries, specialty shops and galleries offer a wide variety of Italian food and merchandise. Little Italy sits above University Circle, bounded by Euclid Avenue to the south, Cedar Road to the east, Mayfield Road to the north and the Lake View Cemetery to the west. The area became a thriving neighborhood in the late 19th century when dozens of skilled stone cutters and craftsmen arrived from Italy to design and create the magnificent monuments at Lake View that mark the graves of some of that era’s most influential citizens. Joseph Carabelli’s Lake View Granite and Monumental Works was the leading employer of these skilled artisans. 

Cleveland’s Italians were also active in manufacturing. The Ohio Macaroni Co., established in 1910 by Joseph Russo & Sons, became Ohio’s largest macaroni company by 1920. Roma Cigar Co., started in 1913 by Albert Pucciani, produced 20,000 cigars weekly by 1920. Grasselli Chemical Co. was also prominent.  Although only 4 of the city’s restaurants were owned by Italians in 1920, one of these, New Roma, was reputedly the largest and most attractive in Ohio. Italian chefs prepared meals at the Cleveland hotels and at the Shaker Heights Country Club.

Little Italy resident, Angelo Vitantonio invented the first home pasta machine in 1906. His hand-cranked device revolutionized cooking in many an Italian household. The company he founded, VillaWare (though no longer family owned), still produces high-quality home appliances and cookware.

Twenty Italian medical doctors and dentists served the community by 1920; one of the most prominent was Giovanni A. Barricelli. Italian-born attorneys did not follow immigrants to Cleveland, so the community had to wait for the children of immigrants to fill this void. Politically, as long as the Italian community, family and “old ways” were not threatened, Italians were not seriously active, with only 1,423 “naturalized Italians” voting out of a foreign-born population of 13,570 in 1915. Not until the late 1920′s, did Cleveland’s Italians take a more active interest in politics. The area also produced a number of interesting favorite sons, including Angelo Vitantonio, the inventor of the pasta machine, championship boxer Tony Brush and Anthony Celebrezze, Cleveland mayor, federal judge, and secretary of health, education and welfare under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Italian-American press was one of the most effective means of ethnic expression. In 1903 the first Italian newspaper in Ohio, La Voce Del Popolo Italiano, was founded and by 1920, it claimed a circulation of 15,000 in Cleveland and another 30,000 throughout Ohio and other states. La Stampa also emerged during this period. These papers interpreted American law, made clear economic and social rights, emphasized the advantages of citizenship and became an incentive for literacy, offering news from the homeland. By 1915 La Voce became the first Italian newspaper in the U.S. to publish articles in both Italian and English. Later, other newspapers, such as L’Araldo, appeared but enjoyed limited success. As the Italian language reading skills of the second generation were lost, radio broadcasts with the “Italian Hour” became more popular. By the 1990′s a renewed interest in Italian heritage made possible the successful publication of a new Italian newspaper, La Gazzetta Italiana. Written largely in English, the paper garnered a large readership among 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Italian-Americans.

In 1994, the Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation was formed to manage improvements and direct growth. Festivals and events are held year-round, including opera in the Italian Cultural Garden, an Italian film festival, Art Walk, Italian classes, neighborhood walking tours and a Columbus Day Parade. In August, the Feast of the Assumption, the only fundraiser for the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, brings thousands to Little Italy for food, Italian merchandise, live music and a procession. Today, the neighborhood still retains its Italian flavor. There are small family-run bakeries, Italian restaurants – featuring everything from stylish Northern Italian cuisine to provincial pizza and pasta. Rosa and Charles Presti started their bakery business in Little Italy in 1920. Originally located on Coltman Road, the bakery moved to Mayfield Road in 1938. Presti’s continues to be a popular neighborhood meeting place.

White Pizza with garlic cream sauce, olives and artichoke slices


Il Bacio veal tortellini alla bolognese.

Little Italy has a long history of varied Italian restaurants. Chef Hector Boiardi (known to the world as Chef Boyardee) started his culinary career here and Guarino’s was Ohio’s first Italian restaurant. Today, the neighborhood is still the place to go in Cleveland for Italian food. Some of the most popular eateries are:

Trattoria On the Hill Roman Gardens, Guarino’s, Baricelli Inn, Valerio’s and Mama Santo’s Pizza.

Peppers stuffed with cheese at Trattoria on the Hill in Cleveland’s Little Italy.

Mayfield Road and Murray Hill Road are lined with small art galleries, featuring everything from pottery to photography to glass art to oil paintings. The most interesting of these galleries is Murray Hill School, a former elementary school, now home to dozens of artists’ studios and galleries.

Italian Band of Cleveland at the Feast of the Assumption, 1983
The Feast of the Assumption, held around the Catholic Day of Assumption (August 15) each year, is the most visited event in Little Italy. The three-day, part-religious, part-secular celebration draws more than 700,000 revelers each year.

Make Some Recipes From Cleveland’s Little Italy At Home

Stuffed Banana Peppers

Appetizer Serving for 2

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound hot Italian Sausage, (casing removed) cooked and chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup Locatelli Romano cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Olive oil to saute
  • 4 hot banana peppers
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Mix sausage, Romano cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning together in mixing bowl. Cut the top of the banana pepper off and remove seeds. Gently stuff mixture into peppers. Place olive oil in hot saute pan. Gently place peppers in the pan and cook each side until browned.

Place them in a glass baking dish, pour marinara sauce over them, sprinkle with mozzarella on top and cover with foil. Put in a 375 F. degree oven for 20 minutes.

Braised Artichokes

From Chef Doug Katz

Ingredients:

  • 4 artichokes, peeled and trimmed
  • 1 quart olive oil, not extra virgin
  • 2 sprigs Thyme
  • 4 oz. fresh goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Directions:

Combine artichokes, oil and thyme in small stock pot. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Strain and cool. Save the oil; it can be used for cooking or salads.

While artichokes are cooking, combine goat cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.

Top or stuff cooled artichokes with goat cheese mixture, bread crumbs and a drizzle of the cooled oil.

Bake at 350 degrees F. until hot and golden brown on top. Serve with red pepper coulis, if desired.

Red Pepper Coulis

  • 1 red pepper, blended with a little water until liquefied
  • 1 cup red pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 shallot, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • zest of 1/4 lemon
  • kosher salt to taste

Sweat garlic and shallots in oil. Add chopped pepper and continue to sweat for 5 minutes.

Add liquefied red pepper and cook for 30 minutes over low heat.

Puree in blender or food processor with lemon zest and salt.

Chicken Marsala

Recipe adapted from Fran Geraci, owner of Geraci’s in Cleveland, OH

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 (6-8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • All-purpose flour, for dredging, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 ounces butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons Marsala wine
  • 2 cups beef stock

Directions:

Put the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper and flatten with a meat pounder until thin. Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces. Add some flour to a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess flour.

Add the butter and olive oil to a large saute pan over high heat and heat until it sizzles, do NOT let it brown. Add the chicken and saute until brown on both sides. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and saute briefly, then add the garlic. Add the Marsala and simmer for 3 minutes, then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour in the beef stock and let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Pasta with Porcini, Sausage and Marsala

Chef: Randal Johnson, Molinari’s Restaurant

2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces dried Porcini mushrooms
  • 2 cups sweet Marsala
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 pound hot Italian sausage
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 ounces sliced red onion
  • 1 ounce fresh arugula
  • 12 ounces fresh short shaped pasta
  • 1 ounce grated Pecorino Romano

Directions:

Place porcini mushrooms, marsala and beef stock in a pot, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let steep for ten minutes. Strain and rough chop the porcinis. Save the strained soaking liquid.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour to make a roux. Cook two minutes on medium heat and then add the marsala/stock mixture. Bring to a simmer while whisking. When thickened, add chopped porcini mushrooms.

Remove sausage from casing and roll into 24 small meatballs, bake at 350 F. degrees for ten minutes. Place meatballs, sauce, red onion and arugula in a sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (about three minutes) strain the pasta and add to the saute pan with the other ingredients; add the Romano cheese, toss and serve.

Stone Fruit Crostata

From Chef Jonathon Sawyer and Chef Matt Danko.

Tart Dough:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
  • 1 stick cold butter, diced
  • 1 egg

For the Filling:

  • 2 nectarines
  • 2 peaches
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Calvados
  • Zest from one orange

For the Assembly:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar in the Raw

Directions:

For the tart dough:

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse to combine.

Next add the butter and blend in the food processor until the dough looks like loose sand, then incorporate the egg and process until the dough forms. Remove the dough from the food processor and divide into two equal balls wrap in plastic wrap and flatten slightly with your hands. Chill for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

To make the filling:

Slice the fruit by first splitting in half, removing the pits, sliceinto 1/2 inch slices, place in a bowl and set aside.

Toss the fruit with the Calvados first, then add the sugar and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Let rest 20 minutes and strain off juices.

To assemble:

Remove the dough for the refrigerator and place on a well floured surface.

Roll one piece of dough out away from you, giving it a quarter turn between rolls. Turning the dough will keep it circular. Continue rolling and truning the dough out until it reaches a thickness of about 1/8 inch. and about 11 or 12 inches round.

Place the rolled out dough in the center of a well greased sheet tray, in the center of the dough place half of the filling and spread leaving a three inch border. Be sure that the filling doesn’t exceed two inches in height over the dough otherwise the crostata will not cook evenly.

Fold the excess dough towards the center of the crostata in a circular motion forming a crust. Beat the egg and with a pastry brush lightly coat the crust of the crostata and sprinkle sugar over top.

Repeat with the second piece of dough and remainder of the filling.

Bake the crostata in a 350 F. degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes, before slicing.


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Posted by in artichokes, Cheese, Chicken, Cleveland, crostata, Desserts, Healthy Italian Cooking, Italian Cuisine, mushrooms, Pasta, peppers, Sausage Tags: , ,

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