Italian Stuffed Cabbage
AIny ground meat combinations can be used, including ground meat substitutes.
4 servings
Ingredients
1 head of cabbage placed in the freezer overnight and then thawed (it’s easier to roll wilted leaves and eliminates the boiling step
Remove 8 leaves and place them on a kitchen towel.
Tomato Sauce
2 cloves of garlic minced fine
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 fresh basil leaves minced
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 – 141/2 ounce can of chopped Italian tomatoes
Filling
½ cup water
2 cups meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork, and veal)
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
Salt to taste
Directions
Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
Place the filling ingredients in another bowl and mix well.
Cut the core out of the bottom of each cabbage leaf.
Place ¼ cup filling at the bottom of each cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides of the leaf and roll up. Place the rolls in a greased 8×8-inch pan. Pour the tomato sauce over the rolls and cover the dish with foil.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the rolls for 30 minutes more.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes 1 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup salted butter at room temperature
1 cup milk, cream, or sour cream
Salt to taste
Directions
Peel and quarter potatoes, and place in a pot of cold salted water.
Add cloves of garlic and bring to a boil, cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain well.
Heat milk on the stovetop (or in the microwave) until warm.
Add butter to the potatoes and begin mashing. Pour in heated milk a little at a time while using a potato masher to reach desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
While this post is about dinner for two, I am posting my traditional meatball recipe because when I make the entire recipe. That way I can freeze them in small batches for the future. Add a Garden Salad to round out the menu.
Italian Meatballs
Makes 18 to 20 meatballs. Make the meatball mixture early in the day.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
3 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
Olive oil
Directions
Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Blend bread crumbs into the meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still, hold its shape. Refrigerate for several hours.
Shape the meat mixture into 3-inch balls.
Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches.
When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, remove it from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
For dinner for two;
Place a ladle of sauce in a small baking dish. Place 4 meatballs in the dish. Cover with sauce. Cover the dish and bake in the oven with the ravioli.

Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup of chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional)
Two 26 oz containers can of finely chopped Italian tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until well mixed. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook partially covered for 1 hour.
Ravioli Bake
I love that ravioli; i can be cooked this. No more breaking apart in boiling water. If you double the recipe use two baking dishes that can go into the dishwasher. The ravioli need to be in a single layer to cook properly.
Ingredients
2 cups marinara sauce
Half a package of frozen cheese-filled ravioli (25 to 27 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Defrost the ravioli on a plate in a single layer covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish 13x9x2-inches, with cooking spray.
Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a baking dish. Arrange the ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in center.
This dish is always a big hit when I take it to a potluck dinner.
Meat Sauce
Ingredients
3-26-ounce containers chopped Italian tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 pound ground beef
1 pound meatloaf mix( pork, veal, beef)
1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
To prepare the meat sauce
Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4 to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Make a little room in the center of the pot, add in the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, meatloaf mix and pork sausage and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until the meat changes color and the water it gives off is boiled away, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until the meat is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the tomato paste until it is dissolved. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and takes on a deep, brick-red color, about 3 hours.
The sauce can be prepared entirely in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce (recipe above)
12 uncooked fresh lasagna noodles
2 containers (15 oz each) ricotta cheese
1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg.
Oil a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread about 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4 fresh noodles on top of the sauce. Layer half of the mozzarella slices on top of the noodles. Spread half of the ricotta filling over the mozzarella. Add 4 more noodles. Spread with some of the meat sauce. Add remaining mozzarella slices, remaining ricotta filling and cover with 4 more noodles. Cover the noodles with a good amount of sauce. You may not need all of the sauce from the recipe above.
Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray and place it face down on the lasagna and seal tightly. Heat the oven to 375°F. Bake the lasagna for45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with Parmesan cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven and cook for 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
To bring to a potluck-cover the dish again and place it in a thermal carrier.
Bologna is a province and city in the Emilia-Romagna region in northwestern Italy. Bologna is of great importance as a road and rail system for central and southern Italy. Until World War I the city was chiefly dependent upon agriculture based on the surrounding fertile plain. Although still an important agricultural market and food-processing area, Bologna also has developed into an important industrial center that manufactures agricultural machinery, electric motors, motorcycles, railway equipment, chemicals and shoes. Ferrari S.P.A. was created in Maranello, a town 20 minutes from Bologna. Lamborghini and Ducati motorcycles are also from this area. Every year the convention center in Bologna hosts the Motor show, one of Europe’s most important motor exhibitions showcasing the world’s fastest cars and bikes.
The arcaded streets of the central part of the city still preserve a medieval aspect, characterized by the leaning Asinelli and Garisenda towers. Among numerous medieval palaces (palazzi) the most notable are the Palazzi Comunale (town hall) and Podestà Mercanzia (chamber of commerce). The Palazzo Bevilacqua with a magnificent inner courtyard is one of the finest in Bologna. The first thing you may notice is that most of the city is built under porticoes, which are covered walkways. This is very convenient when you are stuck in the frequent rain or snow, but it can seem a bit dark. The reason they are so common is because they were primarily offered as a tax incentive to estate developers because it was considered a service to the town.
The university in Bologna is one of the oldest and most famous in Europe, dating from the 11th century. Originally the campus had no fixed location; lectures were generally held in the great halls of convents until the Archiginnasio Palace was erected. Today, the student population of 100,000+ dominates the city and everywhere you turn you’ll catch young people walking arm in arm down the streets.
Bologna is considered the culinary capital of Italy and it isn’t nicknamed – Bologna la grassa – which means “Bologna the fat” for nothing. The market in the city center is one of the largest in Europe and has a huge array of fresh cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy and baked goods.
Local specialties include:
Tortellini in brodo – Meat tortellini in a broth
Bologna is no doubt synonymous with tortellini. Legend has it that their shape takes inspiration from Venus’ navel. The recipe for authentic tortellini was registered with Bologna’s Chamber of Commerce in 1974. The dough is made with flour and eggs, while the filling contains pork loin, raw ham, mortadella di Bologna, Parmesan cheese, eggs and nutmeg. To enhance their taste, tortellini is eaten in a broth of capon or hen. It is a typical winter dish that the Bolognesi have for their Sunday lunches.
Tagliatelle al ragu – pasta with meat sauce
Lucrezia Borgia seems to have been the inspiration for the hand-made pasta, tagliatelle. Legend has it that Maestro Zeferino invented them for her wedding upon seeing her blonde braids. Bologna’s Chamber of Commerce guards the recipe of tagliatelle, along with its measurement rule: tagliatelle should be 8 mm wide when cooked. Their thickness has not been defined, although experts say it should be between 6 and 8 tenth of a millimeter.
The official ragu recipe also rests with Bologna’s Chamber of Commerce since 1982, but with ragù there is a lot of leeway. If you ask Bolognese women, you will find there are many individual variations, and they seem to be very secretive about them also. The most important ingredient is minced beef and the tomato based sauce must cook for hours. Ragù goes well with many types of pasta, but especially with tagliatelle and lasagna; never ever eat it with spaghetti though – the Bolognesi consider it an insult!
Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese – Lasagna composed of green spinach pasta sheets with meat ragu and a cream bechamel sauce
Mortadella – Pink colored Italian sausage often served in sandwiches or before meals
Bollito – Boiled beef
Zuppa Inglese – A colorful dessert of cake and cream
Mascarpone – A very creamy and sweet cheese dessert
Cook Bologna’s Famous Pasta Recipes At Home
Tagliatelle al Ragu
by Mario Batali
Ingredients
Ragu
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup onions, chopped small
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped small
- 1/4 cup carrots, chopped small
- 1/4 pound pancetta, ground
- 1 pound veal
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- Tagliatelle, recipe follows
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tagliatelle Pasta
- 1 3/4 to 2 cups cake flour
- 1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
Directions
Ragu
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until very soft and beginning to caramelize. Mix together all of the meats.
Add the meats to the pan and begin to brown. When the meat begins changing color and releasing its own liquids, add the milk.
Cook until the milk is almost totally evaporated–it should just be moist around the edges of the meat, about 15 minutes. Add the wine.
Add the tomato paste and stir well. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours.
To make the pasta:
Roll out the pasta dough to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine. Cut into strips that are 4-inches wide and 8 inches long.
Starting with the 4-inch side, loosely roll the pasta into a tube that is about 4-inches long and 2 1/2-inches wide. Cut the open side into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Unroll the pasta and place in small bundles.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to the water and return to a boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the tagliatelle and add to the Bolognese sauce.
Thin with a little pasta water, if necessary. Toss for 1 minute. Immediately serve in warm pasta bowls. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Tagliatelle
Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil.
Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits.
Lightly flour the board again and continue kneading for 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.
Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll or shape as described above.

Tortellini en Brodo
by Mario Batali
Ingredients
- 6 cups brodo, recipe follows
- 1 1/4 pounds tortellini, recipe follows
- Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Brodo
- 1 pound beef scraps
- 1 pound beef or veal bones
- 1 pound beef tongue, cut into 4 or 5 pieces
- 1 (4 to 5 pound) stewing hen, cut into 6 pieces
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
- 10 to 12 quarts cold water
- Salt and pepper
Tortellini
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces ground turkey
- 4 ounces ground veal
- 4 ounces ground pork shoulder
- 4 ounces prosciutto, finely diced
- 4 ounces mortadella, finely diced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pasta:
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Bring the brodo to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the tortellini are floating to the top of the pot.
Ladle equal portions of tortellini into 4 warmed pasta bowls. Ladle the hot broth on top of the tortellini and top with grated Parmigiano.
Brodo:
Place the beef, bones, tongue, chicken pieces, onion, carrot, and celery in a large soup pot, cover with the water and bring almost to a boil, very slowly.
Reduce the heat to simmer before the mixture boils and allow to cook for 4 hours, skimming off the foam and any excess fat that rises to the surface.
After 4 hours, remove from the heat, strain the liquid twice, first through a conical sieve and second through cheesecloth and allow to cool.
Refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.
Pasta:
Filling:
In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, large saucepan, heat the butter and oil until it foams and subsides.
Add the turkey, veal and pork shoulder and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well-browned and begins to release some of its juices.
Add the prosciutto and mortadella and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place in a food processor and pulse to combine.
Add the egg and the Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add at least 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and mix again.
Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Pasta Dough:
Mound 3 cups of flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour; add the eggs and oil.
Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well.
As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape.
The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated.
Start kneading the dough with both hands, primarily using the palms of your hands. Add more flour, in 1/2-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky.
Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes.
The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust the board with flour when necessary.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Roll the pasta into sheets using a pasta machine.
For the desired pasta sheet thickness, gradually pass the dough through the settings starting with the widest and continuing to the number 9 setting.
With a pasta cutter or a knife, cut the pasta into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place 3/4 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square.
Fold into triangles, press out any air around the filling and press to seal the edges. Bring the points of the long side together to form a ring,and seal between your fingers.
Set the tortellini aside on a sheet pan, wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve for later assembly.

Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese
by Mario Batali
Ingredients
- Ragu Bolognese recipe from above
Lasagna al Forno
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed very dry and chopped very fine
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for dusting the work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Besciamella
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 8 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
Directions
Make the ragu as directed from above and set aside.
For the lasagna al forno:
Combine the eggs and spinach. Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the egg and spinach mixture and the olive oil.
Using a fork, beat together the spinach, eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits.
Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.
Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and roll each out to the thinnest setting on a pasta rolling machine.
Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Set up an ice bath next to the stove top. Cut the pasta into 20 (5-inch) squares and drop into the boiling water.
Cook 1 minute, until tender. Drain well and refresh in the ice bath. Drain on towels and set aside.
For the besciamella:
In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil.
Cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.
For assembly:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a baking pan, assemble the lasagna, beginning with a layer of ragu, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano, a layer of pasta, a layer of bechamel, a layer of ragu, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano etc. until all the sauce and pasta are used up.
The top layer should be pasta with bechamel over it. Top the lasagna with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the edges are browned and the sauces are bubbling.
Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
The Aosta Valley is a mountainous area in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by the Rhône-Alpes in France to the west and Switzerland to the north. it is the smallest, least populous and least densely populated region of Italy. It is the only Italian region that no longer has any provinces. The province of Aosta was dissolved in 1945. However, the region is divided into 74 comuni (communes) and Italian and French are the official languages. The population density of Aosta Valley is by far the lowest of all the Italian regions.
The region is very cold in the winter, especially when compared with other places in the Western Alps. This is probably due to the mountains blocking the mild winds from the Atlantic Ocean. Places on the same altitude in France or western Switzerland are not as cold as the Aosta Valley. In this climate the snow season is very long, as long as 8 or 9 months at the highest points. During the summer, mist occurs almost every day. These areas are the wettest in the western Alps. Temperatures are low, between −7 °C (19 °F) and −3 °C (27 °F) in January and in July between 10 °C (50 °F) and 13 °C (55 °F).
The first inhabitants of the Aosta Valley were Celts. Rome conquered the area around 25 BC to secure the strategic mountain passes, and they went on to build bridges and roads through the mountains.
The Aosta Valley remained agricultural until the construction of hydroelectric dams that brought the metalworking industry to the region. Agriculture has become increasingly specialized, retaining only a small output of cereals, potatoes and fruit. Animal feed crops supply the region’s dairy herds which are pastured in the high Alps during the summer period.
The region’s cheeses are renowned throughout the world. Fontina cheese has been made in the Aosta Valley, in the Alps since the 12th century. It has a milk fat content around 45% and can be identified by a Consorzio (Consortium) stamp of the Matterhorn including the label, “FONTINA”.
As with many other varieties, the name “Fontina” is also known as “Fontinella”, “Fontal” and “Fontella”. Although the version from Aosta Valley is the only original and the most famous, a derivative production occurs in other parts of Italy, as well as Denmark, Sweden, Quebec, France, Argentina and the United States. The original Fontina cheese from Aosta Valley is fairly pungent and has an intense flavor. The Swedish and Danish versions are often found in US grocery stores and can be distinguished from Aostan Fontina by their red wax rind (also prevalent in Argentine Fontina).
Aostan Fontina has a natural rind due to aging, which is usually tan to orange-brown. It is noted for its earthy and woody taste and it pairs well with roast meats and truffles. Its rich and creamy flavor gets nuttier with aging. The interior of the cheese is pale cream in color and riddled with holes known as “eyes”. Fontina produced in the Aosta Valley must be made from unpasteurized milk from a single milking, with two batches being made per day. Young Fontina has a softer texture (and can be suitable for fondue or for a table cheese board). Fonduta alla valdostana (in Italian) or Fondue à la valdôtaine (in French) is a traditional dish of Fontina whipped with milk, eggs and truffles. Mature Fontina is a hard cheese used for grating.
To make Fontina Cheese, cow’s milk is heated to 36 C (97 F.) Calf’s rennet is then added to curdle the milk. The milk is left to sit for 1 hour as is, then it is heated to 47 to 48 C (116 to 118 F) and left to sit for another two hours held at that temperature. This is why you’ll sometimes see this cheese called “semi-cooked” (or “semi-cotta”, drawing on the Italian phrase.)
The curd that forms is cut and drained in nets, then put into round molds for 12 hours. When the cheese is taken out of the molds, it is salted and, then, rested for two months in a cool place. At the end of two months, the cheese is taken to caves where it is aged for a further 3 months (The aging apparently still happens in caves or grottoes, on pine shelves.) During this period in the caves, the rind is washed with brine every other day and, on the alternating days, it is brushed to take away any mold that forms on it.
Wines of high quality are produced in small quantities in the Aosta Valley. All are entitled to the Denominazione di origine controllata (Valle d’Aosta DOC / Vallée d’Aoste DOC) label. The wine making region is generally divided into three areas. In the northwest, the Valdigne area south of the commune of Courmayeur is home to the highest elevated vineyards in Europe at 3,937 feet above sea level. The white grape Prié Blanc (also known as Blanc de Morgex) is the main production grape in the area and is used to produce the wine, Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle in both a still and sparkling wine style.
The Central Valley is the region’s most productive area and is further sub-divided into four areas: Enfer d’Arvier, Torrette, Nus and Chambave. The Enfer d’Arvier is a red wine producing area around the village of Arvier. The wines from this area are blends made primarily from the Petit Rouge grape with lesser amounts of Dolcetto, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. Previously Enfer d’Arvier had its own DOC designation but was subsequently incorporated into the Valle d’Aosta DOC.
White wines are made in this area from a Pinot Gris clone known as Malvoisie including a sweet passito straw wine.The red wines made here are composed of at least 60% Petit Rouge with some Dolcetto, Gamay and/or Pinot Noir. The white wines made here are from the Moscato Bianco grape. The Lower Valley is known primarily for two styles of wine: a medium-bodied dry red wine made from at least 70% Nebbiolo with some Dolcetto, Freisa, Neyret, Pinot Noir, and/or Vien de Nus and a wine made from at least 85% Nebbiolo with some Freisa, Neyret, Pinot Noir and Vien de Nus.
The cuisine of Aosta Valley is characterized by simplicity that includes “robust” ingredients, such as potatoes, polenta; cheese, meat and rye bread. Many of the dishes are made with Fontina cheese. It is found in dishes, such as the soup à la vâpeuleunèntse (Valpelline Soup). Other cheeses made in the region are Toma, Seras and Fromadzo (which have been produced locally since the 15th century and also have PDO statu).
Regional specialities are Motzetta (dried chamois meat, prepared like prosciutto), Vallée d’Aoste Lard d’Arnad (a cured and brined fatback product with PDO designation), Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses (a type of ham, likewise with the PDO designation) and a black bread. Notable dishes include Carbonnade, salt-cured beef cooked with onions and red wine and served with polenta; breaded veal cutlets called costolette; teuteuns, salt-cured cow’s udder that is cooked and sliced; and steak à la valdôtaine, a steak with croûtons, ham and melted cheese.
Grolla Coffee
Grappa is an Italian brandy distilled from the fermented residue of grapes after they have been pressed in wine making.
Ingredients
For 4 people:
- 4 cups Italian brewed coffee
- 2 small glasses grappa
- Zest of one lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons sugar plus extra for the pot
Directions
Pour the coffee into a small saucepan. Add the grappa, half of the lemon peel and the 4 teaspoons of sugar.
Stir the mixture over the heat and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat off and remove the lemon zest.
Pour the coffee into the grolla pot or friendship cup having sweetened the openings or mouths of the cup with extra sugar. Then light the mixture with a match or lighter and you will see a blue flame. After a short time, put out the flame and add the remaining lemon zest. Drink from the grolla, together with the other diners passing the cup around.
If you don’t have a grolla or friendship cup, use a fondue set. Place the coffee ingredients in the fondue pot and bring it to a boil. Boil and light the liquid with a flame. Serve the coffee in individual cups sweetened with sugar.
Pasticcio di Penne alla Valdostana (Baked Penne Aosta Style)
Ingredients
- 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 whole garlic clove, peeled
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the baking dish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz penne (about 2 1/2 cups dry pasta)
- 3 oz Italian Fontina cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
Directions
Saute’ the mushrooms with the whole garlic clove in 2 tablespoons of the butter over a high heat. Add salt and pepper, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes. Discard the garlic.
Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and dress with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Butter an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with a layer of penne. Distribute about a quarter of the mushrooms and the sliced cheese evenly over the pasta and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Add another layer of pasta and cover with mushrooms and cheese as before.
Repeat until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of sliced cheese. Pour the cream over the pasta layers, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake, covered with foil, in a preheated oven at 400° F for 10 minutes.
Bake uncovered for a further 10 minutes, or until a light crust has formed on the top. Remove the pasta from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Fontina-Stuffed Breaded Veal or Pork Chops (Costolette alla Valdostana)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 veal or pork chops, bone in (1/2 inch thick)
- 1/4 pound Fontina from Val d’Aosta, rind removed, cut into 4 slices
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Cut a horizontal slit in each chop, leaving the meat attached at the bone end. Open the two flaps of each chop and place 1 slice of Fontina over the bottom flap; lay the top flap over the cheese to close. Using a meat mallet, pound each chop gently to seal the pocket. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
Place the flour on one plate, the beaten egg in another and the breadcrumbs on a third. Dredge the veal chops in the flour and shake off the excess; dip into the beaten egg, coating both sides well; finally, dip into the breadcrumbs, pressing on both sides to help them adhere.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the chops and cook until golden on both sides, turning once; it should take about 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.
Twisted Cookies from Val d’Aosta
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water, about 110 F
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into tablespoons
- About 2/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling out the cookies
Directions
Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl, stir to dissolve the yeast. Cover and set aside while you get the other ingredients ready..
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse the flour and salt a couple of times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely mixed in but the mixture is still powdery.
Add the yeast mixture all at once, and pulse until the ingredients form a ball.
Put the dough into a greased bowl, turning the dough over so that the top is greased as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it is doubled in bulk, about an hour.
After the dough has risen, press it down to deflate it. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Cover two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
When you are ready to form the cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and press it into 8-inch square. Scatter some of the 2/3 cup of sugar on the work surface.
Cut the square of dough into eight 1-inch stripes, adding more sugar as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Cut each strip into 6 equal pieces, to make 48 pieces total.
Roll a piece of the dough on the sugared surface under the palms of your hands to make a pencil-thick strand about 5 inches long. Form a loop by crossing over the ends about 1 inch up from the ends of the dough.
As the cookies are formed, place them on the prepared pans, leaving about 1 ½ inches space around the cookies. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake the cookies, in batches, until they are light and the sugar has caramelized to a light golden crust, about 25 minutes.
Turn the cookies from back to front after the first 15 minutes of baking. Cool the cookies on a rack. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Fermo is a province in the Marche region of central Italy. The province stretches from the Sibillini Mountains to the Adriatic Sea and its main geographic features are the valley of the River Tenna and the River Aso that form the southern border of the province. The coastline consists of beach areas interlaced with shady pine trees that offer visitors a perfect combination of natural landscapes.
The town of Fermo, the capital of the province, is an old town perched on a hill. It has a historic center, a large piazza and a cathedral with a Gothic facade dating from 1227. There are also traces of a Roman amphitheatre nearby. Underneath the town is an intricate system of well-preserved Roman cisterns dating back to around 40 AD. They were built to conserve and purify the water for the people of the town and are considered to be one of the finest examples of their kind in Italy.
An 1861 report by Minister Minghetti justified merging the small and fragmented provinces of southern Marche into a single large province, a move to remove the historical border between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States. The residents of Abruzzo were opposed to this. Despite the opposition, 58% of the population of Fermo voted in favor of merging some smaller provinces. In 2000, supporters of forming a new province of Fermo were able to pass a law changing the boundaries and the province of Fermo was re-established in 2004.
Shoe Industry
Footwear and leather goods produced in the area, are a specialty of the region. The production of women’s shoes is a tedious, time-consuming craft. After the initial stages of leather cutting, stitching and fitting the body of the shoe, the next steps vary according to the shoe style. Each artisan is trained to specialize in one task. The leather must be stretched taut over the toe of every shoe. Another craftsman delicately brushes special glue onto the bottom of the shoe structure, allowing it to dry completely before heating it up again and applying the sole by hand, lining it up exactly and using a special machine to press it tight. At the end of the assembly line, another craftsman places each stiletto heel in just the right spot before securing it with a press machine and sending it on for the finishing touches. Then the shoes are polished, buffed, boxed and shipped. It’s an example of the care and handcrafting that give Italian shoes their reputation for durability and quality. With over 54 components needed for every pair of women’s shoes, shoemaking can be laborious work.
Dino Bigioni manufactures 700 pairs of shoes a day. All employees come from shoemaking families that have educated their children in the craft. While many of the younger generation attend an area trade school to learn the craft, family tradition is the preferred training method. This factory is just one of hundreds of small yet established family shoe businesses in this area. The families say they are friends rather than foes and that they help one another in times of hardship. The Italian shoe industry is not just about footwear – it’s about preserving a tradition, a culture and a family name. Each family specializes in one part of the shoe – one family may make only stiletto heels; others only the soles for men’s loafers. With the exception of the leather (which comes from Tuscany and the Veneto), all shoe components are produced locally.
The province’s main agricultural products are cereals, vegetables, grapes, olives and livestock. The pecorino grape takes its name from the sheep (pecore) who originated in the area. It is an early ripening variety and produces fine white wine. The red wine Offida Rosso DOCG and the white wine Offida Bianco DOCG are also produced in this province as well.
Cereals, olives and mustard are grown and produced and the fish and seafood along the coast of this province are excellent. Maccheroncini di Campofilone, a variety of pasta that has received the PGI, is made exclusively here. The pasta is very thin and only fresh eggs and flour are allowed to be used. No other liquid can be added to make this pasta dough.
Roveja Soup
The Roveja bean is an ancient legume also known as a wild pea. Flour is made from the bean and used to prepare a kind of porridge, called “Farecchiata”. The bean grows wild in the area of Sibillini. The Greeks, Romans, shepherds and farmers considered it a delicious legume. Today, it is produced in small quantities in Umbria and in the Sibillini mountains. The roveja bean is the size of a pea and varies in color from orange to brown. The flavor is similar to chickpeas and lentils.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 250 g of dry roveja beans
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 large potato
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 3 leaves of sage
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
After soaking the roveja beans in water to cover for 10-12 hours, boil them for about an hour until soft.
Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and potato Add the roveja beans with its cooking water.
Season with salt and pepper, add the rosemary, sage and bay leaf and simmer until thick and creamy.
Maccheroncini di Campofilone al ragù
di La Cucina Italiana
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ pound maccheroncini (very thin egg pasta)
- ¼ pound beef stew bones (optional)
- ¼ pound chopped veal
- ½ pound chopped sirloin
- ¼ pound chicken giblets (optional)
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- ½ cup of white wine
- 2 cups peeled tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the pan
- Salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
- 3 sprigs of fresh basil
Directions
Salt and pepper all the meat. Heat a large sauce pan and add enough oil to lightly cover the bottom. Add the stew bones and brown them; then add the veal and sirloin and saute until brown.
Remove the bones and chopped meat to a plate and place to the side. Lower the heat and place the giblets in the saucepan with the diced celery, onion and carrots and allow them to gently cook.
After the vegetables soften, add the wine to deglaze pan, stirring to bring the juices from the bottom of the pan into the mixture.
Return the meat and bones to the mixture and add the tomatoes and olive oil and cover the pot. Simmer over very low heat for two hours, stirring often.
Boil maccheroncini in a generous amount of salted water for 1-2 minutes (pasta should be firm to the bite) and drain. Place in a serving bowl and add a large spoonful of sauce.
Garnish with cheese and fresh basil leaf and serve.
Peposo (Peppered Lamb Stew)
From La Tavola Marche Cooking School
Ingredients
- 2 kg/4.5 lb leg of lamb, cut into thick steaks with bone-in
- 20 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 heaping tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- Sea salt
- 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 bottle of red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 juniper berries, crushed
- Drizzle of olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 225 F/105 C degrees.
In a heavy pot (just big enough to hold all the ingredients), drizzle with olive oil and place a layer of the sliced meat at the bottom of the pan.
Cover with a few cloves of garlic, sprinkle with pepper, salt and rosemary. Repeat, starting with the meat, and keep layering until all the ingredients are used and the pot is almost full.
Pour the wine over the top and add the bay leaves and juniper berries. Add water, if necessary, so that all the ingredients are covered with liquid.
Slowly bring to a boil, cover tightly with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 8 hours or until tender and falling apart.
([If you want to cook the stew faster, raise the temp to about 300 degrees and cook for 4-6 hours. However it will be richer, the slower you cook it.)
Once the stew is done, skim off the fat from the surface and remove the bones, the bay leaves and rosemary twigs. The meat should be very soft and juicy with a rich flavor.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Break up the pieces of meat. Serve a ladle of stew on toasted bruschetta with a drizzle of olive oil or serve with polenta or mashed potatoes.
Rustic Tart with Strawberries (Crostata di Fragole)
From La Tavola Marche Cooking School
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups, 250g butter
- 4 cups, 500 g of flour
- 1 1/4 cups + extra for dusting, 250g sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon, 5g baking powder
- 2 full eggs + 3 yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon grappa, rum or brandy
- 1 pint of fresh strawberries per tart, sliced
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and liqueur and beat until combined.
Sift together all the dry ingredients.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture with a few strokes of a wooden spoon to form a dough.
Roll 2/3 of the dough out slightly larger than your tart pan. Crimp the edges of the dough to create the crust.
Arrange the strawberries slightly overlapping to cover the pastry. Sprinkle a little sugar over the strawberries.
To make the latticework top:
Pull off a pinch of dough and roll into a long snake. If it breaks, just pinch it back together. This is a rustic tart. Moist hands will help if the dough is sticky.
Continue until you have enough strips to make a lattice top.
Bake in a preheated 350 F/175 C degree oven for about an hour or until the top is brown and the bottom is cooked. The dough should shrink away from the pan a bit. Cool.
The Province of Vicenza is located in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The city of Vicenza is the capital of the province and it is a thriving and cosmopolitan city, rich in history and culture with many museums, art galleries, piazzas, villas, churches and elegant Renaissance palazzi.
Founded in the 2nd century B.C., Vicenza came under Venetian rule from the early 15th to the end of the 18th century. The architectural work of Andrea Palladio (1508–80), gives the area its unique appearance. Palladio’s urban buildings, as well as his villas scattered throughout the Veneto region, had a decisive influence on the region’s development of architecture. His work inspired a distinct architectural style known as Palladian, which spread to England, other European countries and North America.
The region was once under Napoleonic rule and, later, became part of the Austrian Empire. In 1848, however, the populace of Veneto rose up against Austria and the area received the highest award for military valor for the courage it displayed in the uprising. Later, as a part of the Kingdom of Lombardy, the province was annexed to Italy after the 3rd war for Italian independence.
Vicenza was a location of major combat in both World War I and World War II and it was the most damaged city from Allied bombings in the Veneto region.
In the 1960s the region experienced a strong economic development caused by the emergence of small and medium family businesses. In the following years, the region’s economic development grew and huge industrial areas sprouted around the city.
Vicenza is home to the United States Army post Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle), also known as the U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza. In 1965, Caserma Ederle became the headquarters for the Southern European Task Force, which includes the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
Behind the classical Palladian buildings, you will also find a more ancient Vicenza that goes back to the days of a less established social order. The daily strife and power struggles between rival families was well-known to Shakespeare’s audience. If you walk down some of the smaller streets, you may still come across tall bulky houses with defensive turrets, each bearing the family’s coat of arms, and built to defend their ancestral rights and families. The combination of such towers that still watch over the town, led to Vicenza being known as the “City of a Thousand Towers”.
Also, in the province of Vicenza and within easy reach, are the castles of two very renowned rival families. In the town of Montecchio Maggiore, one will find the remains of the hilltop fortresses that belonged to the Montecchi (Montagues) and Capuletti (Capulets), the legendary protagonists of the Romeo and Juliet saga. The elegant villas around Vicenza would make the area worth visiting even without the town. Several were designed by Andrea Palladio, but there are plenty of others to be visited. Among the most well-known is the Villa Valmarana ai Nani (‘of the dwarves’), so-called because of its decorative statues. Nearby is Palladio’s famous villa, La Rotonda, a charming and less formal house. The grand Basilica di Monte Berico, with its three Baroque facades, a painting by Veronese and the views from the hillside are impressive.
Here are some personal photos of the villa a dear friend lived in while working in Vicenza. She was kind enough to share these photos, so you may have a close up view of these magnificent structures and gardens. I am sure you will enjoy viewing them as much as I have.
Thank you to Dolly Alvarez Crooks for photos of my friend Barbara Ferg-Carter’s Vicenza Villa.
The Cuisine of Vicenza
The quality and variety of Vicenza’s local produce and cuisine, is on a par with the very best that Italy has to offer: white asparagus in Bassano, delicate black porcini mushrooms from the Berico hills, cherries of Marostica and the peas of Lumignano. These products have found their way into the traditional pasta, gnocchi and risotto dishes of the area.
The local specialty, Baccalà alla Vicentina, is made with salt-cured cod (stockfish) that is soaked for a couple of days and served with yellow or white polenta.
The most famous local cheese, is Asiago, which comes from Asiago, located in the Vicenza Alps.
The province has numerous wine producers, a third of which are DOC. The cabernet, merlot, tocai and pinot grape varieties are well established and traditional wines include: Durello, Torcolato, Recioto and Raboso.
Make dinner in the Vicenza style with the following recipes:
White Asparagus with Lemon Pan Sauce
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bundle white asparagus, cleaned & trimmed
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 4 sprigs lemon thyme
- Lemon slices for garnish
Directions
Using a wide, deep pan bring enough salted water to cover the asparagus to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil for 5 minutes.
Drain the asparagus and place in an ice bath. Drain the asparagus and place them on a serving platter.
Using a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high and add the minced shallot. Saute for 1 minute, shaking the pan. Be careful not to burn the shallot.
Remove the pan from the heat, turn away from the stove and add the wine. Place the pan back on the burner and add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Continue to cook until slightly reduced.
Add a pinch of sea salt and a couple twists from a pepper grinder. Add the butter and continue to saute until the butter is melted and the sauce is shiny.
Drizzle the sauce over the asparagus and garnish with lemon thyme and lemon slices to serve.
Risotto with Peas
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups peas
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup grated Asiago cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh marjoram leaves, plus several sprigs for garnish
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; reduce heat and keep at a low simmer.
Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they are softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add rice; cook, stirring frequently, until it is thoroughly coated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it is completely absorbed.
Using a ladle, add 3/4 cup hot stock to the rice mixture; stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is absorbed.
Continue adding stock, 3/4 cup at time, stirring constantly after each addition, until the rice is mostly translucent but still opaque in the center and the liquid is the consistency of heavy cream, a total of 18 to 20 minutes.
About 12 minutes into the cooking time, stir in the peas. The rice should be al dente but no longer crunchy and the peas tender and bright green. The mixture will continue to thicken slightly when removed from heat.
Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the butter, cheese, chopped marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with marjoram sprigs.
Cutlets in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 medium veal or pork cutlets or skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- Half of a small onion, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens. Add the cutlets and cook until golden on all sides, around 5-6 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and freshly ground pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Serve the cutlets with the sauce spooned over the top.
Cherry Gelato
Ingredients
- One 16 ounce package frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed or 3 cups fresh pitted cherries
- 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 3 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a blender or food processor combine the cherries and orange peel. Blend or process until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; discard the pulp. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the cherry mixture and set aside.
In an electric mixer bowl, combine the sugar and egg yolks. Beat on high-speed for 4 minutes. Set aside.
In a large saucepan the combine milk, cream and salt; heat just until simmering. Remove from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes.
Slowly stir 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Return all of the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and add the remaining milk mixture. Combine thoroughly.
Heat and stir for 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon (185 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Be careful not to let mixture boil.
Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water; stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to cool.
In a large bowl combine cherry mixture and the egg yolk-milk mixture, stirring until well mixed. Cover the surface of the mixture with plastic wrap. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Freeze the chilled mixture in a 2 to 4 quart ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the mixture to a covered freezer container and freeze in your regular freezer for 4 hours before serving.
The Province of Rieti is located in the northeast section of the Lazio region in the heart of Italy and was established in 1927. The territory is mostly mountainous and there are two artificial lakes created during the Fascist period. There are several protected areas in the province. To the south lies the Parco regionale naturale dei Monti Lucretili and to the southeast is the Riserva regionale Montagne della Duchessa. Between the two areas is the Riserva naturale Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia. These areas support a diversity of wildlife, particularly birds such as herons and grebes. Numerous castles, fortresses and Franciscan sanctuaries can be found throughout the Rieti Province.
During the Roman Empire the province was a strategic point in the early Italian road network, that was known as the “salt” track and it linked Rome to the Adriatic Sea through the Apennine Mountains. According to Roman tradition, a stone bridge was laid across the Velino river and a large viaduct was built to bring goods from the road directly to the cities. After the fall of the Roman Empire the province suffered destruction by invaders. The area was rebuilt during the 12th century and for a time it was a favorite Papal seat.
Feasts and festivals are also among the province’s highlights. A festival dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua has taken place for 600 years in the old town of Rieti, with a procession through the streets. In Antrodoco, the Sagra degli Stracci (Festival of Rags) is an occasion to taste local culinary specialties. The Festa della Madonna della Neve e del Toro Ossequioso (Festival of Our Lady of the Snow and of the Fulsome Bull) is held in Posta, in which a man rides a harnessed bull and brings it before the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, where it will be made to kneel three times. The Festa Dolce Primavera (Sweet Spring Festival) in Castel Sant’Angelo is a competition between the 10 municipalities in preparing the most delicious desserts. There are many any are carnival festivities, with floats parading through the towns of Amatrice and Magliano Sabina during the celebrations.
The presence of forests means that local produce includes chestnuts, mushrooms, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, juniper and white and black truffles. The farms produce fresh, salted or seasoned cheese, such as ricotta made with goat’s milk; the Fiore Molle from Leonessa, flavored with saffron and pecorino from Amatrice. Growing conditions for vegetables is ideal, especially for garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, artichokes, olives and grapes. Sausages come from Leonessa and Amatrice and dry sausages are made in the city of Rieti.

Fried pizzas in the Rieti area are usually eaten with cold meats like ham, sausage or pork loin and they are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and cheese.
Local favorite dishes include stracciatelle in brodo (similar to egg-drop soup); spaghetti all’amatriciana; pollo (chicken) alla diavola; stracci di Antrodoco – thin pancakes filled with meat sauce and cheese; stufatino garofolo and spezzatino di pollo (chicken stews), agnello in guazzetto (lamb stew) and porchetta di Poggio Bustone (pork).
Sweets include: terzetti alla reatina, soft cookies made with honey and nuts; copeta are made with honey and nuts between layers of bay leaves and pizza di Pasqua (Easter pizza).
A well-known local wine is Colli della Sabina D.O.C. and it is available in white, red and rosé.
Bruschetta with Porcini Mushrooms
4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 slices ciabatta bread
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the bread
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Chopped fresh parsley
- 4 whole cloves of garlic
- 8 oz fresh porcini mushrooms
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
Directions
In a hot grill pan, toast the bread on each side; then lightly rub one side with a clove of garlic and drizzle each with olive oil. Set aside.
Slice the mushrooms thickly taking care to keep the stalk and the cap intact.
Smash the garlic cloves with the flat blade of a knife.
In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and butter and fry the smashed garlic for a few seconds before adding the mushrooms.
Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until they are browned and just cooked. Remove the garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the bruschetta on warm plates and top with the mushrooms and parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 3 (1 pound or smaller) round dark purple eggplants
- 1 medium onion
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil for the baking dish
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3/4 pound ground veal or pork or beef
- 3 cups canned crushed Italian tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a box in the center of each eggplant half, coming about half an inch from the sides and cutting down to within half an inch of the bottom.
Using a large spoon, pry the center free. It should come out fairly easily and use the spoon to scrape any excess eggplant from the inside of the box.
Place the eggplant shells cut side down on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Cover the excess eggplant flesh with plastic wrap and set aside. Repeat, cleaning all the eggplants.
Chop the onion and combine it with one-fourth cup of the olive oil in a large skillet. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the meat to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
Finely dice the reserved eggplant flesh and add it to the skillet and cook until the eggplant has softened completely, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and parsley and remove from the heat.
Oil a large baking dish with the remaining olive oil and pour the remaining crushed tomatoes into the dish. Arrange the eggplant halves in the baking dish. They should fit tightly.
Spoon the meat mixture into the eggplant halves, dividing evenly.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes, then remove the foil and spoon some of the tomatoes from the bottom of the baking dish over the eggplant.
Re-cover with aluminum foil and bake, spooning the tomato mixture over the eggplants once after another 15-minutes.
After 45 minutes total cooking time, scatter the grated cheese generously over the top of each eggplant. Bake uncovered until the cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Boiled Potatoes with Celery
Ingredients
- 2 tender inner celery stalks, sliced diagonally 1/8″ thick
- 2 lbs boiling potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- Oil-cured black olives, for garnish
Directions
Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil.
When the water comes to a rolling boil, add salt and, then, add the celery. Blanch until it is still slightly crunchy, about 2 minutes.
Remove the celery using a slotted spoon and scatter it on a baking sheet to cool.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain them and place on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel them using a paring knife. Carefully cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices.
In a large bowl, season the warm potatoes with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the potatoes and mix well. Add the parsley and celery and mix well.
Let it sit for an hour. Garnish with the olives and serve at room temperature.
Roman Honey Sesame Cookies
Makes about 40 small cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; extra melted butter for dipping the baked cookies
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine butter, honey and eggs with an electric mixer until well combined. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Cover and chill the dough about 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease two baking sheets. Form chilled dough into logs and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure not to overcook or they will be dry.
While warm, dip in a bowl of melted butter and then into a bowl of sesame seeds. Cool on a wire rack.
I recently read the article, “Parmigiana Dishes to Warm Weary Souls” in the New York Times that got me to thinking about how many different kinds of Parmigiana exists in our cuisine.
Parmigiana or parmesan, also parmigiana di melanzane or melanzane alla parmigiana is an Italian dish made with a fried, sliced filling, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. Parmigiana made with a filling of eggplant (also called aubergine) is the earliest and still unique Italian version. Other variations may include chicken, veal, or another type of meat cutlet or vegetable filling. The origin of the dish is unclear; it is claimed by both the Southern regions of Campania and Sicily and by the Northern province of Parma.
While the true meaning of the word Parmigiana is “in the style of Parma,” the term often gets confused with the cheese that we know—Parmigiano-Reggiano; however, there is no correlation. Though Eggplant Parmesan began in Italy—Northern or Southern—this dish is not commonly found in current Italian cuisine; the concept of Parmigiana, in this sense (breaded veggies or protein baked with layers of cheese and sauce), is considered more of an Italian American classic. But Eggplant Parmesan was just the beginning for the U.S. Since its first appearance “parms” have shown up on every menu, involving such ingredients as: chicken breasts, veal cutlets, zucchini and even, pork.
The dish consists of sliced ingredients, pan-fried in oil, layered with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in an oven. In some versions, the sliced filling is first dipped in beaten eggs and dredged in flour or bread crumbs before frying. Some recipes use hard grated cheeses such as Parmigiano, while others use softer melting cheeses like mozzarella, or a combination of these.
Variations made with breaded meat cutlets, such as veal and chicken, have been popularized in other countries, usually in areas of Italian immigration. In the United States and Canada, veal parmigiana or chicken parmigiana is often served as an entrée and, sometimes, is served as a submarine sandwich. It is also popular with a side of or on top of pasta. Diced onions or green bell peppers are sometimes added. The veal dish is known in Italian as Cotolette alla Bolognese.
Veal or chicken parmigiana is a common dish in Australia and Argentina and in both countries often served with a side of chips or a salad. In Australia, it may also contain a variety of toppings, including sliced ham or fried eggplant (aubergine) slices. This dish is often referred to as a parmy or parma. In Argentina and in other neighboring South American countries, veal or chicken parmigiana is topped with ham and served with french fries. It is known as milanesa a la napolitana. If the dish is topped with a fried egg, then it is known as a súper milanesa or suprema napolitana. The origin of the dish was the Napoli restaurant in Buenos Aires during the 1940s. A similar dish, the parmo, which uses either pork or chicken, is found in England.
To make any “parm” dish well, you need a good marinara sauce. I have included the recipe in this post along with some of my family’s favorite parm dishes.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can Italian Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large basil leaves
Directions
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil, until soft and translucent, on medium to low heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, careful not to overcook.
Add tomatoes, oregano and crushed red pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat. Stir in parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the fresh basil.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups of sauce.
Eggplant Parmesan
This is not a dish that can be prepared quickly, but with some of my make ahead tips, you can enjoy this entrée for dinner and have several leftovers for future use without spending all day in the kitchen. Eggplant freezes very well in all stages of its preparation. Additionally, I do not fry the eggplant, but bake it in the oven to reduce the calories.
First Stage
I usually prepare 4-1 pound eggplants at once and freeze them, individually, for future use.
For each one pound of eggplant, you will need:
- 1 pound eggplant, peeled
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters) or egg whites
- 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat two large baking sheets with nonstick olive oil cooking spray.
Cut peeled eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (no thicker). You want them to be thin.
Place the egg substitute in one shallow dish and the bread crumbs mixed with the cheese in another.
Dip the eggplant slices into the egg substitute, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the eggplant slices over, and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes longer.
If you are not going to assemble the eggplant dish at this time, wrap each batch of eggplant in aluminum foil with foil sheets between the layers and place it in a ziplock freezer bag. Store in the freezer until you need it. Defrost a package overnight in the refrigerator, when you want to make the casserole.
Second Stage
To assemble the casserole, you will need:
Spray an 8 inch or 9 inch or 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- 2 ½ cups Marinara sauce (see recipe above)
- 1-8 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 package of breaded and baked eggplant
Directions
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the package of cheese. Add a layer of the remaining eggplant slices and top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Chicken or Veal or Fish Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, beaten lightly or egg whites or egg substitute
- 2 chicken breasts, halved or about 1 pound veal cutlets or firm white fish fillets
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups Homemade Marinara, recipe above
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4-8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Directions
Combine bread crumbs, parsley, 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Place bread crumb mixture, flour and eggs in three separate dishes. First, dredge chicken breast halves (or veal/fish cutlets) in flour, making sure to shake off any excess. Dip in beaten eggs and, like the flour, making sure to let any excess drip off. Finally, dredge in breadcrumb mixture to coat well. Allow breaded cutlets to rest for a few minutes on a plate before frying.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Fry chicken or veal until golden. Be sure to turn for even cooking, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from hot oil and onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
To bake, preheat oven to 375˚F. Spread about 1 cup of Marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Arrange a layer of breaded cutlets on top of the sauce. Top with 1 cup of Marinara, covering each piece. Sprinkle with Parmigiano. Place 1 to 2 slices of mozzarella on each cutlet.
Cover dish with foil and bake, 15 to 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover, then bake to fully melt cheese for another 5 minutes.
Serves 4
Shrimp Parmigiana
For 2 servings you will need the following:
Ingredients
- 12 large shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup egg substitute
- 1/3 cup Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup homemade marinara sauce, warmed
- 1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a baking dish that fits the portion of shrimp you are making with cooking spray.
Place the egg beaters in a shallow bowl and the Panko bread crumbs mixed with the Parmigiano cheese in another.
Wash and dry the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Put the shrimp in the bowl with the egg beaters to coat and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place in the baking dish.
The shrimp can be prepared ahead up to this point. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Drizzle the top of the shrimp with the olive oil and bake on the middle oven rack for 10 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 5 minutes. Pour sauce evenly over the shrimp and then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and heat just until the cheese melts.
Meatball Parmesan Subs
These are especially popular with children for a birthday party.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
- 1/4 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
- 1 egg or 1/4 cup refrigerated egg substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 bunch of parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 recipe Marinara sauce, recipe above
- 12 small hoagie buns or firm hot dog rolls, split and warmed
- 12 slices (one ounce each) mozzarella cheese, cut in half
Directions
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a further two minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Once the onion mixture has cooled, add the beef or turkey, bread crumbs, egg, salt and parsley and mix thoroughly. Using wet hands, shape tablespoons of the meatball mixture into 1 ½ inch balls and then transfer to a baking pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Bake the meatballs in the oven for 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Turn over halfway through baking.
Add the baked meatballs to the marinara sauce and heat.
To make the sandwiches:
Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place a slice of mozzarella, cut in half, over the meatballs. Spread a little more sauce over the meatballs, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.
The sandwiches can be assembled and wrapped individually in foil. Rewarm the sandwiches in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes before serving.
Cauliflower Parmesan
The New York Times article contained a recipe for Cauliflower Parmesan and it inspired me to create this healthy version. I made this dish over the Christmas holidays for family and they loved it.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups homemade marinara sauce, recipe above
- 1 head of fresh cauliflower, cut into florets
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Heat a large, deep oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan and heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in sauce and cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is just tender.
Preheat the broiler
Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmigiano cheese. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cauliflower. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the bread crumbs and broil until the cheese melts..
An industrial scene in Ensley, Alabama (February, 1937)
Yes! Birmingham, Alabama
Labor shortages drew Italian immigrants to Birmingham’s coal and steel industries. These new Americans quickly became farmers, grocers and merchants, and the next generation became doctors, bankers and lawyers. Their collective history helped shape the culture of the growing city, which was enriched by their contributions to religion, sports, art, commerce and politics. Italian immigration into the Birmingham area was widespread during the late 19th and early 20th century as rural depression in southern Italy coincided with the availability of trans-Atlantic passage for immigrant laborers and industrial expansion in Alabama. Though many had arrived in the city’s early days, the heaviest waves of Italian immigration occurred after 1890, coinciding with major migrations of rural whites into the district. By 1910 the Italian community was the city’s largest single ethnic group, surpassing German and Irish populations which dominated the earliest influx.
One Immigrant’s Story
Recalling his decision to immigrate to the United States in 1906, Giuseppe Emilio Rocconi reflects, “Sometimes I feel that I went against my destiny.” Like the millions of immigrants that left behind their native countries, families and way of life to find better opportunities in the New World, Rocconi felt that his immigration to the United States altered what he imagined to be the natural course of his life. Thirty-four years later, Rocconi began to write, The Story of My Life (1958), the autobiographical narrative in which he describes his early life in Italy, his immigration to the United States and his work as a sharecropper and later a landowning farmer in the Mississippi Delta. Perhaps in writing his own story, Rocconi overlooked the fact that while America changed his destiny, his presence in America altered the country as well.
Immigrants like Rocconi, who were in search of the American way of life, did not necessarily find it in the South because they had settled in a place where they were not initially granted access to white privilege and where conditions required for fully achieving the American Dream did not exist. Thus, Rocconi depicts a close-knit Italian community that maintains traditions, remains isolated, homogenous and resists assimilation. Rocconi shows Italians relying on other Italians (rather than the larger community) for advice, job opportunities and support during difficult times. Despite this resistance, the Italian community, he describes, strives for financial progress and success. While Rocconi wanted to cling to Italian traditions and culture, he also wanted to achieve financial stability, to own property and to not be employed by anyone.
To tackle the labor shortage in the Mississippi Delta, representatives of the Sunnyside Plantation Company, negotiated “with an Italian immigrant agency in New York and with Italian diplomats.” for Italians to work for the Sunnyside Company. Ronconi settled with twenty-five other Italian families at Red Leaf Plantation, while another one hundred and fifty Italian families settled at nearby Sunnyside Plantation. According to Rocconi, the Italians settled in this area because “the land was our main occupation as it had also been that of our forefathers in Italy, and here too, where we had transferred, there was no other alternative but the land.”
The Italians at Red Leaf and Sunnyside depended on one another for financial and moral support. Without any other trade experience and no knowledge of other opportunities in the United States, they found themselves bound to the land. In a sense, they were financially enslaved to the company because they could see no other way out of their debts, which compounded in a vicious cycle. Rocconi relied on the help of his brother, other Italians and his wife, who he says he shared “a life full of disturbances, of misery, work and pain” in order to survive while living and working in deplorable conditions at Red Leaf Plantation.
During the flood in 1912, almost all of the Italian families at Red Leaf Plantation dispersed and moved to cities, such as Chicago and Memphis. When Rocconi found himself virtually alone on the plantation, he and his brother, Pietro, “decided also to leave.” From there, he moved to Ensley, Alabama, joining another group of Italian immigrants in that area. He “liked that place [because] it promised me a little of my country. Those rolling fields, the pure healthy air; it had really captivated me.” When Rocconi describes Ensley as “my country,” one must wonder if he is referring to America or to Italy. Did it remind him of what he had left behind in Italy? Or, was it more like what he had expected his experience as a farmer in America to have been like? Either way, Rocconi seems to be most comfortable in this area because he was not bound by a plantation company‟s harsh treatment. Source: Bethany Santucci, great-granddaughter of Giuseppe Emilio Rocconi, theme paper (B.A. Millsaps College, 2006, May, 2011).

The Birmingham Terminal Station was the primary passenger station for Birmingham from 1909 until rail travel sharply declined in the 1950s
Most of Birmingham’s Italians came from a small number of villages in Sicily. The town of Bisacquino alone accounted for about a third of those arriving. Cefalu, Sutera, Campofranco, Grotte and Palermo were also well-represented. Prior to 1898 most of those arriving came through the Port of New Orleans, followed after that by New York as the primary port of entry. By the mid-1920s changes to the immigration policy, including a literacy test and the establishment of national quotas sharply reduced Italian immigration.
Many of those arriving without family already in place began their stay in Birmingham at Egidio Sabatini’s boarding house near the new Terminal Station. Many of the workers were Italian and appreciated his Italian cooking. After settling in, it was easy for the immigrants to find work in the labor-starved iron and steel industries. Families settled themselves around the various industrial plants surrounding the city proper and the Italian neighborhoods grew. By the late 1910’s several families had started operating small grocery stores or fruit markets, typically in the underserved African-American neighborhoods. By the mid-1930’s there were over 300 Italian-owned groceries in the Birmingham area. Notable establishments included the Cantanzano Brothers’ grocery, the Grand Fish and Oyster Company, the Giardina Macaroni Company, the Italian-American Importing Company, Spina Importing, Simonetti Brothers and the Rouss-Maenza Wholesale Company. Meanwhile a small colony of Italian farmers began growing fruits and vegetables in the area now occupied by the Birmingham International Airport. Domenico Lusco had a thriving farm near West End and organized the Farmer’s Truck Growers Association.
Besides learning the English language and American customs in cooking and cleaning, immigrant women at the Ensley House learned how to sew American-style clothes for their families. (Courtesy Archives of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.)
Between 1901 and 1929 thirteen separate mutual aid societies were established to provide basic insurance against illness, injury or burial costs. The first of these was the Liberty Mutual Aid Society. Many of these clubs organized dances and other social events for the Italian community. One, the Societa Italiana Umberto Di Savoia Principe Di Piemonte (USPP) helped to get Columbus Day declared a state holiday in 1911. G. A. Firpo, vice-consul to the Italian Embassy in New Orleans established an office in Birmingham.
In 1912 an experienced social worker, Dorothy L. Crim, accepted a salary of fifty dollars per month to found a settlement house similar to Jane Addams’s Hull House in Chicago. Despite a host of obstacles to reform, the Ensley Community House, which opened the next year, served its community for fifty-six years. Located in the heart of the city’s Italian District, it sought to alleviate the problems many immigrant workers faced—especially the sense of alienation and isolation from mainstream American culture. Crim felt her greatest satisfaction came, when the families she helped in turn served others.
The Italian community supported two baseball leagues and several musical groups which performed at weddings and feasts. Notable Italian bandleaders included Philip Memoli, Bill Nappi and Saverio Costa.
The first Saint Mark Catholic Church was built in 1905 in East Thomas near the Ensley area. Reverend John B. Canepa was the first pastor. The founding parishioners were Italian immigrants, many who labored in steel mills, stoked furnaces and mined coal and ore. Some were small farmers or merchants, who sold produce and groceries along the city streets. As parishioners moved away from the area, the congregation declined, and Saint Mark closed in 1997. The original building still remains and can be seen at 1010 16th Avenue West in East Thomas. Upon the closing of Saint Mark, the remaining parishioners were promised that a new Saint Mark would be built in Birmingham. Much of the interior was removed with plans to install it in the future church.
A new Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church was built and much of the interior came from the old Saint Mark church. Father Patrick Cullen was appointed pastor on December 8, 2000 and he continued the construction to its completion, celebrating Saint Mark’s first Mass on August 10, 2003.
Feast of Saint Mark Italian Food Festival in Birmingham, Alabama.
For years, many people in the community had hoped for such a “festa” or feast celebrating Italian culture in the traditional Italian style. After the success of the inaugural event in 2012, there was even greater anticipation of the 2013 festival. It was an event attended by over 3,000 Italian family members! “Everybody loved it last year and so we were determined to make it even bigger and better this year and really give people a taste of Italian culture and really good Italian food,” said Robert Sbrissa, one of the organizers. Plans are for the festa to continue to be an annual event, because these festivals and celebrations are important for preserving the Italian culture for future generations.
According to the organizers, “The food experience for the 2013 Feast was a real treat. We offered wonderful Italian favorites. We also worked hard to bring the highest quality and freshest menu items possible, just like Mama. We featured delicious samplings by some of our favorite local Italian restaurants as well as a freshly-grilled Italian sausage station complete with roasted peppers and onions.” These were some of the restaurants that helped make the event special: Tellini’s Italiano, Pelotoni’s Italian Restaurant, Tony’s Spaghetti House and Mr P’s Butcher Shop & Deli. Several of Birmingham’s noted Italian chefs prepared the food for the festa.
Chef Bernard
One of the biggest surprises was the contribution by Bernard Tamburello. Chef Bernard’s culinary magic and passion for his Italian culture brought authentic cuisine to the Feast of Saint Mark Italian Food Festival. He prepared main course items on site, including Chicken Marsala, Eggplant Parmigiana and Rigatoni Marinara.
Chef Bernard Tamburello blends his love of cooking with his Italian ancestry and culinary skills. In 1992, Tamburello, an award-winning restaurateur, had humble beginnings with Gus’s Hotdogs in downtown Birmingham. Later, Tamburello branched out and opened Bernie’s Grill in Chelsea in 2002, followed by Bernie’s on Main in Columbiana. In 2005, Tamburello launched La Dolce Vita [LDV] in Hoover. LDV allowed Chef Bernard to express his passion for Italian food and culture. He transformed the 1400 foot rental space with Italian accents of brick and slate and a full bar. The traditional recipes and Italian ambience, combined with Tamburello’s expertise, established the chef’s fame and faithful following.
In 2008 Tamburello launched the menu for his Tuscan steakhouse, Bellini’s Ristorante & Bar. Bellini’s had an authentic Italian atmosphere complete with a tiled floor, Tuscan brick walls, granite and polished wood. Tamburello has garnered numerous awards for his skills: Birmingham’s Top Restaurant in 2009 and Birmingham’s Top Wine list in 2009 and 2010. He has been featured in Birmingham Magazine and B Metro over 9 times, appeared on Fox 6 and ABC cooking segments and even prepared breakfast for Nick Saban and his wife Terry in their Tuscaloosa kitchen.
Birmingham’s Italian Food
Tomato Basil Soup
from Joe’s Italian Pizza, Pasta & Caffe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 4 cups ground tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Melt the butter with the oil over low heat in a heavy bottom pot. Add the onion; wilt over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic during the last 2 minutes, stirring.
Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook over medium-low heat for 60 minutes. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Add basil.
Stir in the cream or half & half, simmer for another 30 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Note: When tomatoes are in-season use fresh tomatoes, blanch for 8 minutes and process with food processor. In the winter, use a San Marzano-type canned tomato, drain half of the liquid and process in food processor.
Carciofi farciti di carne (Meat-stuffed artichokes)
Sicilian style cooking. Mary Jo Gagliano of La Tavolo, which is Italian for table, draws from her 40 years of experience creating delicious dishes for her family and friends, as well as inspiration and recipes from her family’s Italian heritage.
Ingredients:
- 6 medium to large artichokes, trimmed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 oz. ground lamb or veal
- 3 slices Italian bread, crust removed
- 1/2 cup whole milk, divided
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Marinara sauce, preferably Pomi Marinara
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a baking dish large enough to hold artichokes upright.
Trim crust from bread and pour 1/4 cup milk over the bread. Let it soak.
Trim artichokes one quarter from the top, discarding tops. Cut off stems and reserve. Remove outer leaves until they become lighter in color; reserve outer leaves. Insert knife into center and remove hairy choke, taking care not to pierce bottom of the artichoke (a grapefruit spoon works well).
Fill a large saute pan or Dutch Oven with water; bring to a boil. Add artichokes, outer leaves, stems and wine. Return to a boil, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well.
In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of milk, soaked bread, egg, meat, salt and pepper. Mix, making sure bread is crumbled.
Place the leaves on a chopping surface, flesh-side up. Use a sharp serrated knife or grapefruit spoon to remove flesh from the leaves. Discard the leaves. Finely chop stems and crush slightly. Combine the flesh, stems and cheese in a small bowl and mix.
Stuff bread and meat mixture between each layer of artichoke leaves and into center. Spread flesh and cheese mixture over artichoke tops, drizzle with oil and place in baking dish.
Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Spread warm marinara sauce on a serving platter, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Swirl oil and sauce together.
Arrange artichokes in platter and serve warm. Pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Eggplant Parmesan
from Bernie’s on Main
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants
- Kosher salt
- 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- Olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 lbs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 cup grated high quality Parmesan cheese
- 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange one layer in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours. The purpose of this step is to have the eggplant release some of its moisture before cooking.
While the eggplant is draining, prepare tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to tasted and set aside.
When eggplant has drained, press down on it to remove excess water, wipe off the excess salt and lay the slices out on paper towels to remove all the moisture. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine flour and breadcrumbs.
Mix well. Pour beaten eggs into another wide shallow bowl. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat and pour in a a half inch of olive oil.
When oil is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 10×15 inch glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan and half of the basil leaves.
Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan and all of the remaining basil. Add remaining eggplant and top with the remaining tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: Serves 8.
Veal Scaloppine with Lemon
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound veal Scaloppine, cut from the top round, and flattened
- Flour, spread on a plate
- Salt
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped very fine
- 1/2 lemon, sliced very thin
Directions:
Put the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter into a skillet and turn on the heat to medium high. When the butter foam begins to subside, dredge the scaloppine in flour and cook them. Remove scaloppine from pan.
Off the heat, add the lemon juice to the skillet, using a wooden spoon to scrape loose the browning residues on the bottom and sides. Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter, put in any juices the scaloppine may have shed in the plate and add the chopped parsley, stirring to distribute it evenly.
Turn on the heat to medium and return the scaloppine to the pan. Turn them quickly and briefly, just long enough to warm them and coat them with sauce. Turn out the entire contents of the pan onto a warm platter, garnish the platter with lemon slices and serve at once.
Classic Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake
12 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup amaretto
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (150 degrees C.). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 ½ inch springform pan and tap out excess flour.
Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly in the ricotta. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Blend in the vanilla, orange and lemon zest and Amaretto. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 100 minutes until it’s a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm and that the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. The cheesecake will sink slightly as it cools. Cover and chill overnight.
Glaze
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup limoncello
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Lemon slices for garnish
Make glaze by combining sugar and cornstarch, blending in lemoncello and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cook 3 minutes. Thin with a little water, if too thick.
Chill until cool but not set. Spread top of cheesecake with lemon glaze. Chill overnight. Garnish with lemon slices just before serving.
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