Pizza

Pizza

by | Aug 7, 2022 | Appetizer, Main Dish, Party, Sauce

MAKE DOUGH

Dissolve 1 package yeast (or 1 T) by mixing into 1 C warm water. (tap water is ok)

Add 1 t salt and 1/4 C olive oil and mix.

Stir into 2 C flour (00 flour is best) I used King Arthur Pizza flour.

Knead on floured counter top about 1 minute. Place in bowl and cover with damp towel and place in oven (turned off) to rise for 1 hour. (1st proof)

Scrape out onto floured counter and knead for two or three minutes. Sprinkle flour to keep it from sticking. Put back in oven and let rise up to 3 hours. I only did 2. (2nd proof)

Remove and knead a little to shape and spread in oily shallow baking pan. 

Turn oven on to 400 degrees F. While that was heating up, I put the dough pan on the bottom rack to bake a little.

MAKE SAUCE: (Can be made ahead.)

I used a small box of Cento chopped tomatoes. Heat on stove and add olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, marjoram and then mix. Add tomato paste and a little anchovy. Cook until thick enough for pie.

CHEESE:

After spreading sauce on dough, sprinkle almost a small package of shredded Italian cheese. (Stop and Shop brand) Then add sliced mozzerella, I used almost one fresh white ball. The whiter the better. Then lastly some grated parmesan cheese.

Bake 10 minutes in the middle rack and 8 minutes on the top rack.

molto bene!

SemiFreddo di Torrone

SemiFreddo di Torrone

by | Jun 5, 2021 | Dolci

A couple years ago, RIch, Deb, Eva and Will took a train tour of Italy, including Rome where our three second cousins reside. Marguerita invited us for dinner one night along with Michele and Franco and various daughters! M was busy in the kitchen after dinner and came out with an amazing dessert. This is it. I found it in a cast off cook book (“Homestyle Italian Cooking, by Lori Carangelo”) given to me by a friend. I was looking through and immediately recognized the dish. This recipe does not require gelatin, which I thought was in M’s recipe. I dare you to try it!!

Fried baby artichokes

Fried baby artichokes

by | Mar 16, 2021 | Appetizer, Recipes, Vegetables

I tried this recently, but didn’t trim them enough. Here’s how to make baby artichokes dipped in seasoned flour and fried just like grandma made. from the NYTimes: “Snap off a few of the tough, dark exterior leaves of the little artichokes until the pale green centers are visible. (more than you think needed) Then cut a half-inch or so off the tops of each artichoke and trim the stem end with a paring knife. Cut them lengthwise into halves or quarters and put them in a bowl of water with a good squeeze of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. This can be done an hour or two before cooking. Use olive oil to fry them if you’re feeling extravagant, or a frugal combination of olive and vegetable oils.

• In case you need the coating info: dry artichokes with a clean towel, then dip a few at a time into seasoned flour, then dip onto beaten eggs, then the flour again. I used a cup or two of half olive oil and half peanut oil and the costing came out great.

Todaro’s Closes for Good

Todaro’s Closes for Good

by | Mar 16, 2021 | Groceries

Perhaps some of us accompanied our grandmother or parent into this store in NY. It closed for good April 2, 1999. I used to reliably order by mail cotecchino sausage there.  The link in the footer still takes you to their facebook page.

Minestrone Genovese

Minestrone Genovese

by | Mar 16, 2021 | Beans, Recipes, Soup, Vegetables

Pam and her father Archie Perugi developed this recipe as remembered by Archie from his childhood.

Makes 12 servings

INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 lb dried cannellini beans or
24 oz canned/cooked beans 1⁄2 c olive oil
1/2 c olive oil
4 oz pancetta, chopped
2 lg onions chopped small
2 leeks (white part only) cut in half lengthwise & thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, deveined & chopped bite size
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped bite size
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cabbage, chopped bite size
3 qts water/chicken stock (I make my own chicken stock and use 1 qt stock and 2 qt water)
4 potatoes, diced small (4 cups)
1⁄2 lb linguine broken into 1-1 1/4 “ pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 c homemade pesto (or to taste) without parm cheese
Parmesan for sprinkling on each serving

DIRECTIONS

Soak the beans overnight with 1 teaspoon baking soda for at least 8 hours, drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan, brown the pancetta. Add the onions and leeks and cook for 5-10 minutes until wilted. Add all the chopped greens and cook until wilted. Add (the soaked dried beans)**, and 2 quarts of water/chicken stock, bring to boil then lower it to a simmer for 45-60 minutes (test the beans).

Add the potatoes, (canned beans)**, and the linguine. Add 1 qt water. Raise temperature to bring to a boil and then lower it to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until linguine are al dente. Turn off heat and add Pesto. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

**Soaked dried beans need more time to cook than the canned beans.

Zucchini Torte

Zucchini Torte

by | Jul 16, 2017 | Main Dish, Vegetables

This Zucchini Torte is a variation of the original recipe due to the lack of some ingredients. It is still easy to make and delicious. I had day old garlic bread and used that cut up instead of the bread crumbs. I skipped the additional garlic. I had some homemade tomato sauce so I used that instead of the tomatoes. I was all out of boxed Pomi tomatoes and did not have carrots. So here is the result. It only took 45 minutes in the oven.

What to do with leftover Panettone

What to do with leftover Panettone

by | Dec 29, 2016 | Christmas & New Year's, Dolci

Make bread pudding of course!

ITALIAN BREAD PUDDING From The Boston Globe 2/3 C light raisins 6-8 slices Panettone 2 C milk 3/4 C sugar 1 C heavy cream 1/4 C rum 1/4 C Marsala 3 large eggs 2 T grated orange peel 1/2 t cinnamon Confectioner’s sugar Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 12 x 9″ glass baking dish Sprinkle half the raisins on the bottom Make layer of half the bread slices over raisins Sprinkle with remaining raisins and add the second layer of bread. Combine milk and sugar in medium saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in cream, rum and Marsala. Beat eggs with cinnamon and orange peel and stir into milk mixture. Slowly pour liquid over bread slices, pressing them down. Let stand 10 minutes. Place dish in large roasting pan and fill it 1 inch, being careful to not come too close to bread dish. (Moving the pan out of the oven may splash into bread pudding!) Bake 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean 2 inches from edge and top is golden. Just before serving sprinkle with Confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm or chilled. Yields 12 servings.
Randolpho’s son, Alfio Perugi, dies

Randolpho’s son, Alfio Perugi, dies

by | Dec 29, 2016 | Family Tree, Sculpture

From Nancy: John (Krug) recently looked up Grandpa Perugi online and found information about his brother, Randolpho, who also came to the US at the same time. John discovered that Randolpho’s son, Alfio, passed away this past October (2016). He was 97 years old. I also did a Google search on Alfio and found several YouTube videos that someone posted. I received a card last Christmas from Alfio’s sister, Eugenia (Jean). She and Mom (Violet) were close cousins. 

 

We are going to NYC with my brother Ed Slate and our families on Dec. 26 for 3 days. While there, we will go to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral to see Grandpa’s Pieta. I just read the New York Time’s article that Deb posted here about Grandpa’s last carving which is in the Church of Our Saviour (Park Avenue and 38th Street.) I recall going to watch Grandpa work on the carving that was featured in the article.