by Deborah Perugi | Nov 8, 2012 | Beans, Beef, Recipes, Soup, Vegetables
Nona Battani (Grandma’s mother) – from N Krug
Boil beef chuck meat in salted water with 1 bouillon cube to make stock.
Cool and skim fat off the top. Chop meat up.
1 can cannelloni beans
1 zucchini
Green beans cut in 1 inch pieces
2 chopped carrots
2 – 3 stalks chopped celery
2-3 chopped onions
Garlic powder
1 tsp basil leaves
2-3 chopped potatoes
2-3 chopped and peeled tomatoes
1 Cup Ditalini pasta
Saute onions, celery, and carrots in 1/4 stick of butter. Add 1 Tbsp. oil for flavor. Add zucchini, string beans, beans, potatoes and tomatoes.
Cook until soft. Add meat stock. Season with garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. When soft and soup is thick, add pasta and cook al dente.
Editor’s Note: You can use vegetable bouillon cubes instead of the meat stock and no meat for a vegetarian version. I also add a piece of parmesan rind for flavor and offer grated parmesan to sprinkle on top. This is a surprisingly quick and easy dinner to make during the week.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Casserole, Recipes, Vegetables
From Grandma to Pam Perugi Marraccini
Olive oil
3-4 medium zucchini
1 large onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 large carrot
1 large stalk celery
1/4 C. each parsley, basil
5 or 6 skinned and strained tomatoes
salt and pepper
3 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 C. grated parmesan
1 C. bread crumbs
Chop finely garlic, onion, celery, carrots. Cut zucchini into 1/8 inch slices and halve them. Sauté zucchini, onion, garlic, carrots and celery.
until tender in olive oil on medium heat. Add chopped tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook only a few minutes. Let cool. Beat eggs
and add to cooled, cooked vegetables along with parmesan and bread crumbs. Make sure the egg mixture is just thick enough. Check seasoning.
Pour in oiled casserole dish and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 hours. Serves 7 or 8.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Appetizer, Pickles, Recipes
Grandpa’s popular creation – from Archie’s menu box
Black and Green olives such as:
Oil cured, Black greek, Alfonso, Cracked Green Greek, California ripe/black and green
pepperoncini, sweet pickled red peppers, celery, onions, capers, anchovies, pickled mushrooms (or canned mushroom slices)
Chop all up fine, but not too fine. Add olive oil, little wine vinegar, pinch oregano. Keep refridgerated.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Pickles, Recipes, Vegetables
From Grandma to D Perugi
To 3 lbs. of pickling cukes (small to medium firm) in 1 gallon jar add:
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 or 4 sprigs dill including seed heads
2 tsp. whole pickling spice
Arrange in layers: cukes, spice, dill, garlic. Then add brine made by boiling 1/2 C kosher salt in 2 quarts water and cooled to tepid. On top, place 3 or 4 small pieces jewish rye bread or pumpernickle bread crumbs and 1 or 2 pinches of alum for crunchiness. Put cheesecloth over jar attached with rubber band. Use weught to keep pickles submerged if necessary.
“Half-done” are ready in 5-7 days. Then put in refridgerator with cap to slow up process and preserve.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Main Dish, Recipes
From VP Slate to John Slate
Beef tripe 1 to 2 lb. Should be very white. Boil about 1-1/2 hours until medium soft.
After tripe has been parboiled, cut off all fat. Then cut into thin strips 2″ long. Wash well with cold water.
Saute in a small amount of olive oil:
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Transfer sautéed vegetables to a large pot and add:<BR>
The cooked tripe cut into strips<BR>
1/2 can stewed tomatoes<BR>
chopped fresh parsley<BR>
small can of chicken broth<BR><BR>
Simmer 1/2 to 1 hour. Serve over rice. Serves 4<BR><BR>
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by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Appetizer, Recipes, Veal
Grandma’s favorite!
Veal cutlets
Proscuitto
Fresh Sage leaf
Parmesan Cheese grated
Tomato sauce
Flour and butter
White wine or Marsala
Pound veal cutlets thin and roll with Proscuitto, fresh sage, parmesan and tomato sauce. Tie with string.
Dip in flour and fry in butter. Deglaze with white wine or Marsala and use as sauce. Serve one per person
for a meal or slice and serve on toothpicks for hors d’oeuvres.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Beans, Main Dish, Recipes, Sausage
From Archie Perugi
1 Cotechino sausage (can be found in NYC or even your local Italian market!)
2-1/2 C. large lentils, washed and dry
2 small onions or 1 large, diced
1/4 c chopped pancetta
1 tsp. chopped garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 can tomato sauce or 1 cup homemade sauce
Boil sausage in water for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from water and add lentils to water and boil.
Saute chopped onions in olive oil, then add pancetta,carrots, celery, and garlic.
Add partially cooked lentils to the carrots, etc. Then add the tomato sauce and sausage. Add some of the sausage water. Pierce the sausage to release the juices into the lentil mixture. Cook for 45 minutes over medium heat or until the lentils are soft.
Serve with sliced sausage on top.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Fish, Fruit, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetables
(In her own words)
Here is the basic batter used for frying zucchini, artichokes, shrimp, chicken, and eggplant.
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup warm water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
Break the egg into a bowl, add the oil, water, and salt. Beat until nicely mixed and homogeneous. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, beating batter.
Let it sit for a couple of hours before using. When you use this batter to coat cut-up vegetables or anything else, drop in only a few pieces at a time, turn them slowly with a fork to coat all sides and, then take them out and immediately put them into frying oil.
Note: This batter is also good for frying apples. Cut apples no less than 1/4 inch across.
When mixing the batter, beat with a fork until nicely mixed and the consistency of a good pancake batter. It’s good also for fish. Cod is very good.
Cook at medium heat.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 16, 2012 | Chicken, Main Dish, Polenta, Recipes
From Grandma via Archie
Take cut up chicken and saute in olive oil partway. Add chopped parsley, celery, minced garlic and chopped onion. Continue to saute until chicken is browned on all sides. Add fresh sage leaves, Del Monte tomato sauce*, salt and pepper to taste. You can add a little white wine) and simmer gently until chicken is done. Serve with Polenta.
*Alternatively, instead of Del Monte and tomato paste you can add 1 cup or more of Passata, which is a bottled tomato sauce from Italy. You can find it at Whole Foods, World Market or online. Pam and I used this June 2024 and I thought the sauce was better for it.
by Deborah Perugi | Oct 3, 2012 | Family Tree, Lea Battani
I have a copy of an organized list of all the family names, marriages and children from the 1800’s to our generation, not including our children. Pretty exciting to see all the names we never heard of and some we know. We have cousins about our age that we never knew about! Our list is on page two. Find these items in the Old Italy Gallery.
Note: The list came with a letter from “Dipl. Ing. Oskar Francini”, WIEN III. I think that is Vienna. There is information in german on the list as well.
