family secrets toda

Family Secrets The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family, with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.

Family Secrets - Where the Social Core is Food 1

My brother and I co-founded La Lama Mountain Ovens in the winter of 1997 as a reunion project - we have lived most of our lives at two opposite ends of the USA.. Here we produce unique artisan breads as well as classical and traditional confections. Old world baking techniques combined with the pristine, high elevation climate of northern New Mexico yields a finished product unattainable elsewhere.

As a family project, a primary mission is to record, test, and preserve the best of the Italian-American old family recipes, and translate them into repeatable techniques sized for today's family. We have also developed an appreciation for the differences that our 8,000 foot altitude makes to the cooking, and especially the baking, process - and intend to share tips and techniques useful to anyone trying to prepare food above 2,500 feet.

Prior to moving to New Mexico in 1997, my brother Ray

chefed in various Philadelphia-area restaurants, and owned and operated two of his own. All of this at the same time he owned and operated a working farm. Though our extended family is quite large, we both started to feel the loss of many close to us, and felt it was time to reunite a scattered family. He began specializing in artesian bread making in 1996, perfecting recipes that would later be adjusted for the New Mexican altitude.

I began my commercial experience in the San Francisco area when I opened ccDove Fine Foods in 1977, a gourmet delicatessen known for its cheeses and made-on-premises sausages and pates. My husband and I also founded and operated Montclair Winery from 1975 to 1985, respected for its hearty Sonoma Valley Zinfandels and Chardonnay-like French Columbard. Later I managed one of the IL Fornaio Italian bakeries in the Bay Area. After 25 years in the Bay Area my husband and I felt it was time for something different, and purchased property in the New

La Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286, www.parshift.com/ovens/©1998/99/2000 CDove and REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.

Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission


Mexican mountains. Serious collaboration with my brother began in anticipation of our 1996 move to New Mexico and an eventual reunion with my brother in the bakery business. Of course I brought my own natural sour dough starters from San Francisco; and contrary to popular myth, they continue to thrive in the mountains here.

Meanwhile, daughter Jennifer graduated from San Francisco's California Culinary Academy in June of 1997 - and at this writing is working as an assistant pastry chef at the internationally acclaimed Bay Wolf restaurant by day, and at various cooking stations by night at the highly respected Italian Colors restaurant. Jennifer operates our no-altitude test kitchen in Oakland, California, to verify altitude adjustments in the recipes we will be preserving and recording here.

Please, share our family secrets, and visit our web-site at www.parshift.com/ovens/ where you can share some or our bakery goodies and gifts with your friends.

CeCe (Cecelia) Dove Ray (Raymond) Zara

1 This work-in-process expects to become a book some day. The working title may change many times - so don't be surprised if the next time you look here it is different. We welcome your feedback when you try these recipes, and will acknowledge useful "test kitchen" recommendations.

La Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286, www.parshift.com/ovens/©1998/99/2000 CDove and REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.

Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission


Table of Contents

Recipe Published1. Mama's Easter Bread with 65 Eggs Jan 982. Easter Bread for Mere Mortals Feb 983. Papa's Cheese Bread Feb 984. Aunt Norma's Fiadone Mar 985. Uncle Andy's White Pizza Mar 986. Aromatic Focaccia Mar 987. Fields of Green - Dandelions Fresh and Cooked Apr 988. Homemade Pasta Then and Now Apr 989. Polenta May 9810. Spaghetti Sauce - Red and Marinara May 9811. Ravioli and Lasagna Jun 9812. Gnocchi Jun 9813. Summer Bounty: Herbed Oils/Vinegars, Panzanella, Mint Green Beans

Jul 9814. Making Your Own: Sausage Aug 9815. Farmhouse Dinner Aug 9816. Summer Soups Sep 9817. Chicken Spezzatino - Different and Delightful Sep 9818. Chicken Scaparelli Oct 9819. Chicken Piccata Oct 9820. Perfect Roast Chicken Nov 9821. Chicken Marsala Nov 9822. Holiday Traditions - Christmas Fish Dec 9823. Christmas Pandoro Bread Dec 9824. Frittata Jan 9925. Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth (and Sauce Velouté) Jan 9926. Chicken Based Soups Feb 9927. Brown Stock, Espagnole Sauce, and Demi-Glace Feb 9928. Beef Broth Based Soups Mar 9929. Osso Buco with Risotto Mar 9930. The Pasta Soups - Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta Lenticchie, and Pasta Ceci Apr 9931. Chicken Breasts Mountain Style Apr 99 32. Lamb Three Ways: Roast leg, Lamb Stew, and Quesadillas Apr 9933. The Ultimate Beef Stew May 9934. Fish Casserole and Fish Soup (Teglia di Pesce and Zuppa de Pesce)

Jun 9935. Artichokes - Stuffed and Marinated Jun 9936. Pesto – Old and New Jul 9937. Pork Roast (Porchette) and Tenderloins Aug 9938. Pasta Primavera Sep 99

Family Secrets #055 - Originally Published 08/2001 by La Lama Mountain OvensCeCe Dove© 2001 - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]

La Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286, www.parshift.com/ovens/


39. Chicken Cacciatora Oct 9940. Biscotti Nov 9941. Mostaccioli – Chocolate Cookies Dec 9942. Stuffed Veal Chops with Brandied Pan Sauce Jan 0043. Potatoes Scalloped and Smashed Feb 0044. Braciole Mar 0045. Torta Pasqualina – Easter Pie Apr 0046. Sourdough Bread (and starter) May 0047. Crab Cutlets Jun 0048. Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers Jul 0049. Prime Rib of Beef – Picture Perfect Nov 0050. Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style (Spicy Stuffed Squid) Dec 0051. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (with garlic and oil) Jan 0152. Spaghetti con Tonno (with Tuna) Feb 0153. Brandied Chicken Liver Pâté Mar 0154. Smoked Salmon Apr 0155. Cozze en Bianco o Rosso (Mussels In White or Red Sauce) Aug 0156. Cappelletti with Mushroom/Ricotta Stuffing in Brown Butter and Sage

Sep 0157. Tagliatelle con Ragù d'Anatra (Fresh Pasta with Duck Ragù) Oct 0158. (Come back soon, new ones are added every month)

Cozze en Bianco o Rosso(Mussels In White or Red Sauce)

By CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Mussels are another of those delicacies that really aren't a part of our early family history. They weren't readily available in western Pennsylvania and they were not part of either my mother or father's gustatory background. Actually, other than the occasional shrimp I cannot think of any shellfish that was on our early table. My first experience with mussels was on a trip to Italy in the early 1970's and I can still remember my delight in tasting them. Some people will say that mussels are an "acquired taste". If so, it took me all of one taste to acquire a love of this sweet, briny, succulent morsel. And so 30 years ago was born yet another family tradition.




During our 30 years in California they were readily available, both in the fish markets and on the shore. I can remember when our daughter was about 10 years old her Dad and a close friend she calls "Uncle" Jim took her out for an ocean shore adventure, and came home with 5 gallons of mussels that they had "picked". Of course cleaning gallons of mussels straight out of the ocean is a big chore but I tackled the job and many hours later steamed up the whole bunch of them. Jim and I feasted hugely but husband and daughter said that after hours of picking, they had no appetite for them. More for me!

The mussels you purchase in the market are far easier to deal with. A stiff brush and cold water will remove any sand clinging to the outside and a sharp paring knife will remove the "beard" that is attached to one side of the hinge. Farm raised mussels are also available that make the cleaning process even simpler because they have no beard. Ask your fish monger about them. Mussels are very perishable. I prefer to cook them the day I buy them, but you can hold them for a day or two in the refrigerator on a bed of cracked ice. They should be tightly closed before you cook them. Discard any that have opened.

How to serve them? This is another of those primi piatti that so easily expands into a main course. Six to twelve steamed with either white sauce or red sauce makes a wonderful first course, or add another dozen to each place and make it a main dish. With an honest loaf of bread and a glass of wine you have a great light meal. If you want more substance you can cook up linguine or angel hair pasta and pour the mussels and sauce over all for a major feast.

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Sunday market in Asti, Italy – April 2001Mussels in traditional mesh bag below shop keeper's hand.


Mussels in White Sauce

Ingredients to serve four as a first

course:

2 to 4 dozen mussels 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, leaves only 1 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup chicken stock

Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.

Step two: Choose a high sided pot that the mussels will easily fit in to. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid. Place all ingredients in the pot and place over high heat. When mussels open, they are done. Discard any that do not open.




Mussels in Red Sauce, with Pasta

Ingredients to serve four as a main course:

4 to 6 dozen mussels 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, leaves only 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 cup red sauce

Step one: Clean the mussels thoroughly.

Step two: Cook the same as for mussels in white sauce.

To serve: Divide the mussels into 4 bowls into which you have placed a portion of linguine or angel hair pasta, and pour the sauce equally over the 4 portions. Serve with a crusty loaf of homemade bread. We would recommend serving white wine with the mussels in white sauce and a red with the mussels in red sauce. Either recipe can be made Fra Diavolo by adding 1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper to either recipe.

If you would like to prepare the recipes with a Southwest twist, simply substitute chopped cilantro for the parsley and add a minced Jalapeno pepper to the cooking pot.

Altitude Adjustment: None.




Cappelletti with Mushroom/Ricotta Stuffing in Brown Butter and Sage


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In September 2000 we put our daughter Jennifer on a flight to Italy. During the next nine months she would attend a professional chef's school in Italy for six months, and then strike out on her own to travel throughout Europe for the last three months. The Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners is located in a partially restored castle in Costigliole, near Asti, in northern Italy. The program she participated in is designed for chefs who already have credentials, and it consisted of two months at the school and four months of work in a restaurant. She was placed at Da Vittorio Ristorante in Bergamo, even further north. Da Vittorio has earned two stars in the Michelin Guide and its primary focus is seafood, which was her request for placement. She did not speak Italian when she left, but since the two month program at the school was conducted in Italian and nobody at the restaurant spoke English, she now speaks Italian. It is probably not grammatically correct, but she is quite able to conduct a conversation, and more important to her, tell a joke and win an argument in Italian. Important in a professional kitchen. Fortunately the school provided an interpreter for the first two months of classes.

This was her first trip abroad on her own, but her second trip to Italy, the first being about ten years earlier when she was 14 years old and we decided it was time for her to see some of the great cities of Europe. She grew up eating my Italian cooking, and had worked in a very popular neighborhood Italian restaurant in Oakland, California for several years, where she helped them open a second restaurant and became their night chef for a year before deciding it was time to see where her roots lie.

Family Secrets #056 - Originally Published 09/2001 by La Lama Mountain Ovens© 2001 CeCe Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]



I hadn't been to Italy in 10 years, and when she completed her work at Da Vittorio in March my husband and I decided to meet her and conduct a culinary tour of our own making. It was time for me to touch bases with the old country again. My husband was working in Malaysia at that time, so Jennifer and I put our heads together via e-mails and global cell phones and devised a loop that would start in Milan, hit Bergamo and Verona, and head down the Adriatic coast to Ravenna, cut across to Parma, Sienna, and Orvieto, then back north to Portofino and Milan.

During those fourteen days we managed to eat some form of pasta at least once each day, and often twice. From the smallest village to the largest most sophisticated city every pasta was made in-house and they were fabulous. In each region we explored the best of the local wines, visited every open air market we could connect with and, of course, did a fair share of visiting museums, churches, and local points of interest. But always my thoughts would go back to the wonderful pasta. My roots probably just needed a little reviving, but that small taste of Italy went a long way towards reminding me of who I am.



Husband Rick, myself, and daughter JenniferPiazza Vecchio, Bergamo Città Alta, Italy – April 2001


Jennifer joined us in New Mexico upon her return, and promised to share personal favorites from her Italian education. Here, compliments of her experience at Italian Colors in Oakland, is a recipe that will make you think you are dining in northern Italy. Although the amounts seem large, these freeze beautifully, and it is worth the time to make the whole batch. You can serve them as a primi piatti, serving about six per person, or as a main course, allowing up to twelve per person.

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Cappelletti with Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffing in Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Stuffing Ingredients to fill approximately 125 cappelletti:

3 cloves garlic, 2 shallots and 1/2 yellow onion, all finely diced 4 large Portobello mushrooms, gills removed, roughly chopped including stems 2 pkgs. dry porcini, rehydrated in hot water, squeezed dry and roughly chopped 1/4 cup white wine 4 Tblsp. clarified butter 1 Tblsp. each finely minced fresh sage and parsley Salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Fine white bread crumbs as needed

Step One: Heat clarified butter in a 12" sauté pan,

add onions and shallots and sweat over medium heat about five minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional two minutes. Add both fresh and rehydrated mushrooms, salt and pepper. Increase heat




slightly and stir frequently. When mushrooms have cooked down, add white wine and cook until all liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are dry. Stir in sage.

Step Two: Scrape the mixture into a food processor and purée to a paste. Remove paste to a bowl and allow to cool about five minutes. Fold in ricotta, parmesan and parsley and adjust salt and pepper if needed. If mixture is at all runny, add fine white crumbs to make a paste, although you should not need much. Cool completely before filling pasta or refrigerate up to 24 hours and bring to room temperature before using.

Make pasta dough: Make one batch of pasta dough (see Family Secrets Number 8 ) adding a teaspoon of olive oil to the eggs as you incorporate the flour into the dough.

Assemble cappelletti:

Step One: Make a simple egg wash with one beaten egg and a tsp. of cold water.

Step Two: Fill a pastry bag with mushroom filling at room temperature.




Step Three: Roll dough as wide as your roller will permit and ending quite thin (no. 6 setting on the Atlas machine). Each sheet may be as long as you can handle but only work with one sheet at a time. Trim ends to square. Cut each sheet in half lengthwise and separate, so you have two long pieces about 2" to 2 1/2 inches wide. Brush the upper edge of each long sheet with a light brush of egg wash.

Step Four: Working with one sheet at a time, cut into

squares of approximately two to two and one-half inches. Squeeze a scant 1/2 tsp. filling onto the center of each square (using a pastry bag will make quick work of this although you could just use a measuring spoon).

Step Five: Working with one at a time fold the square in half and firmly seal the edges with your fingers. Roll the square over once away from you, grasp the edges and pinch them together and you will have a cappelletti. Place on floured sheet pan. You may freeze these on the pan, then quickly gather them up and bag them for the freezer.

Saucing and Serving:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt. If frozen they will take approximately 5 to 6 minutes to cook. If fresh they'll take a minute or two less.




Brown Butter/Sage Sauce for about 60 cappelletti (enough for four entrees):

1/4 lb. salted butter 6 fresh sage leaves 2 whole garlic cloves (skin removed, clove smashed but not chopped) salt and pepper to taste

In a medium/large sauté pan (Teflon is not recommended) heat the butter over medium/high heat until melted. Add the garlic cloves and sage leaves. Watch the pan as the butter continues to cook

because it will burn if you're not careful. Let it go until a deep brown color is achieved. Using a higher heat will accelerate the process, but less flavor will be infused from the sage and garlic, so I recommend using a medium heat. Remove the smashed garlic and discard.

To serve: When the pasta is cooked strain them and add them to the sauce, flip to coat and season with salt and pepper. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.




(1) Fold and seal (2) Roll once

(3) Grasp edges (4) Pinch together


Tagliatelle con Ragù d'Anatra(Fresh Pasta with Duck Ragù )

By Jennifer Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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In September of 2000 I began a six month culinary course based in Northern Italy. The first two months were spent in Costigliole D'Asti, in Piemonté. The following four months were spent in Bergamo, a city about one hour north of Milan. It was a wonderful experience overall, and an especially lovely time of year to be there. During my first two months, which were spent in school, the truffle harvest was going on. I couldn't have been luckier. There are only a few areas in Italy and France where truffles are harvested. They are quite rare and the best come from a place called Alba. Alba was a short drive from where I was studying, so my classmates and I had the good fortune to visit the truffle festival several times.

Besides the aromatic white truffles, which became a mainstay of my diet for the few months that they were prolific, I discovered many other local flavors that I fell in love with. The wines of Piemonté have become my favorite Italian wines. Barolo, Barbera, and Barbaresco are the three big ones there, and are all wonderful. However, Asti and Alba and neighboring regions produce a sweet sparkling wine call Muscato, and it is hands down my favorite of all. It is taken either before a meal as an aperitivé, or afterwards with dessert. The grape is highly aromatic and

Family Secrets #018 - Originally Published 10/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1998 REZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]


Truffle festival in Alba, Italy, October 2001


produces a wine with a light floral and fruity perfume. This more than almost anything else reminds me of Italy.

To describe all the different delicacies I experienced would be impossible. Putting all else aside, the Italians do pasta like no other culture. The handmade pastas (which they almost all are) are to die for. The different variations are too numerous to list. The most unusual thing about their pasta dishes is that each different kind of pasta (tagliatelle, garganelli, pizzoccheri, etc.) is served in a specific sauce, depending on the region where eaten.

For example, we made this lovely dish called Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa, which is orecchiette pasta with Italian broccoli, hot peppers, anchovies and garlic. It is divine. And you will never see that particular sauce served with any other kind of pasta. Why this is, I can only speculate. Probably it is because modern day Italian cooking is so closely related to the cuisine of their ancestors that they just don't change a thing. This is how the dish was made hundreds of years ago, and this is how it will continue to be made. Perhaps it is because they understand that each sauce has its own intensity and texture and is suited to only one shape of pasta that best supports it.

I mentioned earlier that almost nothing reminded me of my time in Italy more than a glass of Muscato D'Asti. Well, there is one other thing. A dish called tagliatelle con ragù d'anatra. Tagliatelle is a noodle resembling a thin and short piece of fettuccini. It is a fresh egg pasta with a delicate flavor, yet strong enough to stand up to a ragú sauce.

A ragù is basically a rich meat sauce simmered slowly with a little liquid and seasonings, the most well known being Bolognese sauce. Bolognese is a beef ragù, while the sauce we are dealing with is a duck ragù. The rich flavors are simply amazing, and nothing epitomizes Northern Italian cuisine to me more than this dish. I ate this at least once a week while over there, and now, with the crisp days of autumn upon us, I suddenly miss Italy.

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Duck Rag ù




Total ingredients to serve four:

1 whole duck or two whole boneless duck breasts 4 cups tomato sauce 1 cup dry red wine, Chianti or otherwise 1/4 lb. prosciutto, finely diced 1 yellow onion, finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced 1 celery stalk, finely diced 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. olive oil handful chopped parsley handful chopped sage salt and pepper

Step one:Remove the skin and fat from duck. Remove meat from bone. Chop meat into small dice. This is the most time consuming part of the recipe. It requires some patience but may be done a day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use. You may substitute two whole boneless duck breasts (two ducks worth), skin and fat removed.

Step two:In a large pan, heat the butter and oil. Add diced onions, carrots and celery (the mirepoix). Over low heat, sweat the mixture until onions become translucent. Add the diced prosciutto and cook for a few minutes.



The castle is the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners,Costigliole D'Asti, in Piemonté, November, 2001


Step three:Increase heat to medium and add duck and chopped sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until duck is browned.

Step four:Deglaze with red wine and reduce by half. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Adjust seasoning and add parsley.

To serve:Cook one pound of home made tagliatelle or fettuccini al dente. Drain well, toss with the just finished (or re-heated) ragù and serve immediately.

Altitude Adjustment: None

Chicken Marsala

By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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A Marsala sauce is the quintessential favorite of those who pursue the fine art of sauté. This delicate sauce is both delicious and quite simple to make, and is extremely versatile. Chicken breasts are my favorite to accompany a great Marsala sauce, but it also goes very well with a thin pounded scaloppini of veal, or a medallion of pork tenderloin. The Marsala sauce is classically served with mushrooms cooked with the pan sauce. I recommend porcini mushrooms for their depth of flavor, but portabellos or plump white button mushrooms will also work well. If you do use portabellos make sure you remove the “gill” from the mushroom or the sauce will be unattractively dark. Simply scrape it out with the tip of a teaspoon.

This dish was not considered a staple in our household while growing up. We bought our chickens live once a week and using only the breast to feed a growing family was not economically feasible. However, Mom did always have a good bottle of Marsala wine in the pantry for use in general cooking and dessert’s.

When purchasing Marsala for your kitchen you will notice several different brands available in “sweet” or “dry”. The brand “Florio Sweet” is produced and bottled in western Sicily, and is by far the favorite of most chefs.




Although the wine does an excellent job in various desserts, using it alone in the sauté pan will result in an overpoweringly sweet sauce. I can always tell when ordering Chicken Marsala at a restaurant whether they have “tempered” the wine or used it straight from the bottle. By “tempering” the wine I mean adding a small amount of a dry white wine, enough to take the edge off of the sweetness but still maintain the flavor of the Marsala.

The following recipe will serve two adults with hearty appetites or four small eaters. You might finish the plate with a fresh green vegetable in season, such as asparagus spears or broccoli florets. Keep the vegetables simple by steaming them lightly and drizzling a bit of melted butter and fresh lemon juice on them. Prepared this way they will complement the Marsala sauce rather than vie for attention. The accompanying picture shows glazed fresh yellow beets in a bed of their own beet greens - a bit more complex but irresistible when in season.

The chicken breasts here are prepared the same way as for chicken piccata. Have your trusty clarified butter ready - and refer to the recipe for chicken piccata if you need a refresher on how to make this necessary sauté staple.

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Chicken Marsala

Total Ingredients:

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 halves) 2/3 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup all purpose flour for dredging 1/4 cup clarified butter 2 small garlic cloves, mashed 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup Florio Sweet Marsala wine 1/8 cup dry white wine 1 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley 1 Tbls. whole butter

Step One: Prepare chicken breasts

Remove the tenders from the breasts if they are present, the long finger-like strips. Trim all fat and sinews and remove the thin membrane covering the breasts. Butterfly the breasts starting from the plump lobe side. Press firmly with the palm of your hand to achieve uniform thickness. Do not pound with mallet.

Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts

Place a 10”, heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat and add enough of the clarified butter to coat the bottom. When fat is hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle, immediately dredge




the chicken breasts in the flour plate, shake off excess and place in the pan. Add the mushrooms at this point. Shake pan frequently to avoid sticking and continue until bottoms are golden brown. Turn breasts in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mashed garlic and immediately deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Chicken broth should be at least 1/2 inch deep in the pan. Add the Marsala wine, dry white wine, and whole butter.

Step Three: The finish

Continue cooking until chicken is done. If all is perfect the pan sauce will form at the same time the chicken and mushrooms are done. If the pan sauce has not yet come together, remove chicken and mushrooms from sauté pan and place on warm plates, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to the proper consistency.

To serve, place mushrooms along plate rim, 2 breasts in the center, spoon pan sauce over both and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Altitude Adjustment: None required.




Holiday Traditions - Christmas FishBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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The month of December should have a subtitle on the calendar called "traditions". It is the time of the year when we reaffirm our family, religious, and ethnic roots. It is definitely not the time to be trendy or "cool" but to reach back into our memory for those things that remind us who we are and where we came from and to pass those memories on to the next generation. Even those tacky old ornaments regain their luster when hung on this year's tree, especially when we tell their stories.

Every Christian country in the world digs into the past this month. Whether the tradition is rooted in religion (midnight mass), music (caroling), or decorating (pine everywhere), traditional food is always included.

All cultures have a wealth of dishes that celebrate the season but few are as obsessed with it as we Italians. It doesn't matter that we live in the mountains of the southwest. Somehow I will find a source for two of our traditions that simply make it "feel like Christmas". They are baccalá (dried and salt preserved cod) and smelts (also sold as whitefish). Last year I had my daughter mail me five pounds of baccalá from the Bay Area. If you have ever put your nose to a barrel of preserved fish you can imagine what the delivery man had to say!

Dinner on Christmas Eve in an Italian household consists primarily of fish. There may be side dishes of salads and trays of homemade cookies but meat or poultry are never eaten at this meal. The types and variety of fish will depend on the size of the household and extended family and friends in attendance. It will also depend on your geographical location. Because baccalá is preserved, every region of Italy claims a recipe for it. I think it is a much overlooked dish in the United States, perhaps because of the wealth of fresh fish available. That is really a shame because the unique taste and texture of this fish is unlike any fresh fish. If you wish to add one of our traditions to your own, please try the recipe below. Don't be put off by the first look (or smell) of it. My daughter said she could use it for a baseball bat! When properly prepared it is a delightful dish.

If you live in a metropolitan area, find an old Italian grocery for your source of baccalá. In the San Francisco Bay Area we were able to get it at Ratto's in Oakland, Ca., a fabulous Italian grocery-deli with a huge variety of specialties.

When purchasing preserved fish, keep in mind that it is dehydrated, and during the rehydrating and refreshing prior to the actual cooking it will almost double in weight. The baccalá needs to soak 24 to 36 hours before you cook it. At that point it will look almost like a fresh piece of fish.

During my childhood, the preparation of the smelts for Christmas Eve dinner began the previous day, along with the baccalá. Each little fish had to be eviscerated by hand and discussions were held on whether to leave the head attached or remove it. More often than not, mom won the discussion and the heads were removed. Today smelts are readily available in the freezer section of most good supermarkets, and they are cleaned and pan ready, making the preparation of this delightful treat a rather simple affair.

Family Secrets #022 - Originally Published 12/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1998 CDove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.

Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected] Lama Mountain Ovens, 2055 Lama Mtn., HC81 Box 26, Questa, NM 87556, 505-586-2286, www.parshift.com/ovens/


Baccalá SaladServes Six:

1 lb. Salt cured baccalâ 1 gal. size bag of cleaned assorted lettuce 1 medium white onion chopped coarsely 1/2 red bell pepper chopped coarsely 1/2 green bell pepper chopped coarsely

1/3 lb. cured Italian olives 1 large ripe tomato diced 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing salt and pepper to taste

Step One: Rehydrate and clean the baccalá

Place baccalá in a container that permits you to cover it with cold water. Keep cold, either in the refrigerator or a very cold storage area while soaking. Approximately every eight hours drain, rinse, and cover again with cold water. Repeat the process until soaked for a minimum or 24 hours, but not more than 36. When ready to cook, drain and pat dry on paper towels and remove any skin and bones with tweezers.

Step Two: Bake the baccalá

Place the fish in a well oiled shallow baking pan. Sprinkle a little black pepper and add a little water to the pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the fish is firm. Cooking time should be 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Carefully remove from pan to a plate and let cool to room temperature.

Step Three: Assemble the salad

In a large bowl combine the assorted lettuces, chopped onion, chopped peppers and olives. Add a small amount of the vinaigrette dressing and toss. Distribute the salad mixture evenly on a large serving plate. Cut the room temperature cooked fish in one inch squares and place on top of the salad mixture. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette dressing on the fish. Salt and pepper to taste.

SmeltsIngredients for batter:

3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour 3/4 cup half and half 2 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp, olive oil 1/2 tsp, salt dash of pepper

Prepare batter: Place flour into medium size bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well with whisk.

Prepare smelts:

Step One: Defrost frozen, cleaned smelts and rinse in cool water. Pat dry.




Step Two: Using a large, heavy bottomed skillet pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Heat oil to 350 - 375 degrees. Place six smelts in batter and move around until well coated. Pick each one up by tail end and shake off excess batter. Place in hot oil. Arrange smelts in skillet in such a manner that they do not touch each other. Fry to golden brown turning once, approximately 4 to 5 minutes per batch.

Step Three: Remove cooked smelts from skillet and place on brown paper bag to remove excess oil. Salt generously and arrange on platter with lots of lemon wedges.

Some additional tips on the frying of smelts. Use a good grade of vegetable oil or perhaps peanut oil. The fat that you choose must be able to stand up to the heat without breaking down. Make sure the frying temperature is proper before starting the first batch. If the oil is too cool the smelts will be oily, if too hot they will brown prematurely and not cook through. Use the tip of a candy thermometer to check oil temperature. After doing several batches you will be able to adjust the heat up and down on your own. Brown paper bags do a much better job of draining excess oil than paper towels.





Christmas Pandoro BreadBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Traditional holiday breads make a wonderful alternative or addition to the sweet tray. They are generally less sweet than cookies, and because they are often dramatic in appearance they make welcome last minute gifts as well. There is the added advantage that they freeze well, setting you free to enjoy the holiday in a more relaxed manner.

Recipes for celebration breads are as numerous as ornaments on the tree. Every Christian country has special breads for each religious holiday, with Christmas being primary. The Swedes have Lucia Buns, a delicate cardamom spiced roll, baked in honor of Santa Lucia Day (December 13th), the Germans have Stollen, a dense yeasted bread filled with candied fruits and dusted with piles of powdered sugar, the Scots have the Scotch Bun which is an enormously rich pudding encased in a buttery yeast dough, and the Italians have Panettone. After viewing the mountains of Panettone in every Italian deli and gourmet shop across America during the month of December one would surmise that this is the only sweet bread that is eaten in Italy for Christmas. It is undeniably excellent and most certainly Italian, but there are other pani festivi that deserve our attention.

Just as Panettone abound at this time of year, so do recipes for making it. Since you can easily come by this, we decided to feature a slightly lesser known regional bread called Pandoro. This is a Veronese specialty that shares with its cousin, Panettone as well as all celebration breads, the




basic rich butter, egg, sugar, yeast combination. What differentiates each bread are the fruits, nuts, and flavorings as well as the beautiful shapes that are traditional to each.

Traditional Pandoro is a rather lengthy, complicated process which takes the better part of a day to complete. We have up-dated this process and have evolved a recipe that is simpler and faster, yet yields excellent results. Nonetheless the dough is rather difficult to work with because it is extremely soft and sticky; but with a little patience it should be no problem.

Pandoro is baked in a star shaped mold. If you cannot locate one in your cookware shop they are available through King Arthur's catalog (click on library and scroll to “recommended periodicals”.

If you are unable to obtain citron you can substitute golden raisins. You may also substitute glaceéd fruits for the citron for a festive look but be sure to blanch them for 10 seconds in boiling water to remove the excess syrup. After blanching, pat dry on paper towels.




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Pandoro

Total Ingredients:

4 3/4 cups all purpose flour 3 cups pastry flour 1 1/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup warm water 7 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 large yolks, lightly beaten

3/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature 5 1/4 tsp, instant dry yeast 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla 1 lemon, zest only, grated 1/2 cup citron

Step One: Combine flours

In a large bowl blend pastry flour with all purpose flour. Remove 3/4 cup for kneading purposes.

Step Two: Make starter

Place in your mixer bowl 2 3/4 cup of the blended flour, 1/2 cup water, 3 eggs lightly beaten, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 oz. unsalted butter (1/2 stick), 5 1/4 tsp. instant dried yeast. With paddle attachment, mix until well blended. The starter should have the consistency of a heavy pancake batter. Wrap mixer bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in warm, draft free area until it doubles in volume. This first rise should take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on temperature.

Step Three: Dry ingredients

While the starter is raising add the following dry ingredients to the bowl containing the balance of the blended flour. 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup citron and the grated zest of 1 lemon. Make sure the citron is coated with flour and mix the combined ingredients with a wooden spoon.

Step Four: Assemble the dough

Stir down the raised starter in the mixer bowl. Add the balance of the blended flour and ingredients from Step Three. Add the 4 remaining eggs and 2 yolks lightly beaten, 2 tsp.




vanilla, and the remaining 2 1/2 sticks of softened unsalted butter. Place dough hook on the mixer and begin mixing at the lowest speed for 2 minutes, gradually increase the mixer speed to 1/2 speed for an additional 3 minutes. Prepare your kneading surface with a generous amount of the 3/4 cup flour you have reserved for kneading. Dust your hands well with flour, and with the aid of a spatula remove dough from the mixer bowl to the kneading surface. With the aid of a dough knife, gently knead while adding flour until the dough feels very silky and buttery and kneads to the point of just barely sticky. It is important not to add too much flour as the dough must remain very soft. Place the dough in an oiled large ceramic bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free area until it doubles in volume. The second rise should take between 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on temperature.




Step Five: Panning and proofing

Punch down risen dough gently until deflated. Turn onto very lightly floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a sausage shape and then into a tight ball. Using cupped hands on top of the dough ball, rotate the dough around in a circle continuously until the surface feels taut, always maintaining the ball shape. Do not have the surface too floured as you want some friction between the dough and the surface it will slide on, just as you want to exert some friction on the ball with your hands as you rotate it - this is what tightens the dough ball. Finally, turn the ball over in your hand and pinch the seams which have opened up on the flat bottom tight in the center. Reverse again and place in a well buttered pandoro pan and gently pat down until surface is flat. Place the two filled pans in a warm, draft free area and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on temperature.

Step Six: Baking and de-panning

Place both pans on lower rack of preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes, reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Do not attempt to de-pan the loaves until completely cool. Remove from pans and sift confectioner’s sugar over if serving, or double wrap and freeze.




Here are a few tips to help you speed up the process and help you handle the extremely soft dough. When handling the dough make sure your hands and all the implements you use are well dusted with flour. Use your dough scraper as one “hand” when kneading. You may consider preheating your oven to “low” for 10 minutes and then shut oven off to make a good environment for the various raising stages. This can dramatically shorten the process time from start to finish. Another tip: make sure you do not open the oven to peek until the whole baking cycle is done. It is also critical to let the loaves cool to room temperature before de-panning the loaves.





FrittataBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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When the holiday season has ended, after the last bit of turkey, goose, or duck has been eaten and the last crumbs of cookies cleaned up, our attention is often drawn to our expanding waistlines and declining bank accounts. Drive by the health club in December and the parking lot is empty, but by the first week in January you have to be Mario Andretti to get in or out of the lot. Whether you make resolutions at New Year's or not, we all try to lighten up at this time of year.

In January most of us are still in the grip of winter, and the light and healthy foods of summer aren't available or even particularly appetizing right now. We still need some fat in our diet and some substance to our meals. Enter the incredible edible egg; perhaps the most versatile ingredient in the kitchen. It is inexpensive, comes in its own neat package, keeps very well under refrigeration, and is highly nutritious. Indeed it does have about 6 grams of fat in the yolk; but that's OK when it is the main component of a dish that is otherwise relatively low in fat. If you are extremely health conscious you can now purchase eggs that are even lower in fat and higher in vitamin E, although you will pay a premium for them.

Entire cookbooks have been written on eggs and virtually any cookbook you pick up will have a few recipes devoted to them, not to mention the use of eggs as hidden ingredients. From the wonderful



Ediberta (Bertha) Zara nee Buzzelli (1903-1972)

Pietro (Pete) Zara (1895-1972)Mama and Papa: 1923


French soufflés and omelets to Italian zabaglione to the ever popular American devilled egg, the egg can be used in every course from appetizer to dessert.

The frittata is cousin to the omelet of France by way of ingredients, but the cooking method and final result are quite different. An omelet is cooked quickly over a fairly high heat, the filling is added after the eggs are set, and it is flopped in half to finish its cooking. The result should be an airy, tender mass barely brown on the outside and just set on the inside. A frittata is cooked slowly over low heat, the filling is added first and it is covered to completely set the eggs. It is then reversed onto a serving plate to reveal a very brown bottom, the eggs are completely set and it has a more dense cake-like structure to it. A frittata may be eaten warm or at room temperature, and is wonderful as the main course of a light meal with a small salad to accompany it. A small wedge makes an interesting first course for a more formal meal.

As a child I have fond memories of watching my father make his own lunch of frittata. My mother did not easily tolerate anyone in her kitchen, but on rare occasion he simply took over and words would fly. He loved raiding the refrigerator to see what he could put in it. He always used the little six inch cast iron frying pan, which I still have some 50 years later, very well seasoned with endless dousings of olive oil and love.

As with an omelet you can be as inventive as you wish with the filling. You can incorporate bits of leftover chicken or vegetables and use whatever herbs you might have on hand that compliment your filling. If you make substitutions in the filling try to maintain the egg to filling ratio. The recipe below is one of our family favorites, and if you have frozen greens available is quick to put together.

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Frittata

Serves two generously as a main course or four as an appetizer

2 ounces bacon or pancetta 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 medium red skinned potato, 5 to 6 ounces 6 ounces cooked chopped greens (Swiss chard or

spinach)

6 large eggs 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese olive oil pinch of thyme salt and pepper to taste




If using bacon, blanch for 1 minute in boiling water, drain, refresh in cold water, drain and pat dry. Dice the bacon or pancetta.

Slice the unpeeled potato about 1/3 inch thick, approximately 8 to 10 slices. Drop into boiling water and cook just until the tip of a sharp knife pierces easily, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Prepare a 10" sauté pan by spraying with cooking spray, taking care to spray the sides completely because the frittata will "grow" and puff up as it cooks.

Film the bottom of the pan generously with olive oil, approximately 2 tablesp. Place over medium heat and add diced bacon and onions. Cook until onion just starts to color, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle garlic over and cook an additional minute stirring. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the pan and salt and pepper lightly. Turn heat to medium low and cook for five minutes. Add chopped greens and salt again lightly. Toss to coat with the oil and cook for 3 minutes. Using a fork rearrange the potatoes into a single layer, patting everything down to an even compact mass.

Beat eggs with grated cheese, pinch of thyme and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl just until mixed.

Pour eggs evenly over filling in sauté pan and let cook undisturbed for about five minutes or just until the edges begin to set. Using a spatula, lift the edges and let the uncooked egg run under. Go completely around the pan doing this twice. Most, but not all of the egg will run under the cooked edges. Cover the pan and cook an additional five to eight minutes until slightly puffed and completely set. If you touch the center it should feel firm, not runny.




Loosen the edges with the spatula and work it under the cake to be sure it is loose. Give the pan a sharp jerk back and forth and the frittata should move. Place a large serving plate over top and invert quickly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Altitude Adjustment: Potatoes will take 7 to 8 minutes to parboil.




Chicken Stock and Chicken BrothBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Now that winter has its solid grip upon us, we turn our attention to the most basic and warming of foods. Home made soups, in all their variety, have nourished generations unknown through the short, dark days of the year. When the wind bites and the snow flies there is nothing to rival the comfort of a steaming bowl of home made soup. Italian cuisine is not alone in knowing the benefits of soup. While every good Italian cook knows how to make soup, every cook from every nationality that I can think of can make the same claim. It is universal in its appeal.

When we were growing up the first sign of a sniffle or cough would bring out the soup pot. In addition to the standard chicken soup that was sure to bring relief from these minor aches and pains, we ate soup every single Monday that I lived at home. The type of soup varied with the seasons, but most all were based on my mother's "money in the bank", her home made chicken stock. About once a month she would make up a large pot of chicken stock and stash it away in the freezer for everyday use. She also made beef stock, though less frequently. Chicken stock was the mainstay of most of our soups. All four of us kids learned to make it from watching her. We make it for our children and they for their children. There was never a written recipe because amounts varied with the size of the pot - you just used your head and your sense of taste and smell.



The old-fashioned way:

To pluck a freshly killed chicken or stewing hen first dunk and hold in a pot

of boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen the feathers. Then remove

feathers by the handful, and finish by individually extracting the few

remaining pin feathers.


We grew up in a small Pennsylvania town where the houses all had utility alleys running behind them. This is where the garage was located and where the various delivery people serviced your needs. Mama bought live chickens and stewing hens brought to the back door once a week by the chicken man, then slit their necks in the back yard, hung them by their feet to drain, and plucked them fresh. As kids we thought nothing of this and often got drafted into the plucking job.

Out on our own, with the advent of canned broth, we thought that the all day process of simmering, straining, and freezing the base chicken stock was over. We tried all the different brands, and while today I keep a couple of cans of the stuff for some very specific use, we all came to realize that you cannot make a decent bowl of real soup from canned broth. No problem, the urban supermarket accommodates us with a wide variety of poultry.

Funny how the old ways come in handy some times. After we left the big city for the mountains of New Mexico we found that stewing hens, or old red hens as they are called sometimes, are not part of the available poultry; and a flavorful broth needs an aged fowl. Fortunately for us a neighbor has laying hens. When they get too old to lay, their intense flavor is ideal for the best broth, though their tough old meat is inedible even after hours of cooking.

The basic differences between a broth and a stock lies in its “properties”. For example, a chicken broth will react differently when deglazing a sauté pan than a chicken stock. The reason for this is that the chicken stock will contain more gelée than chicken broth and will bind up the pan drippings into a pan sauce as the stock is reduced, replacing the alternative of cream or butter to aid in this process. The type of chicken parts used in the pot and the amount of extraction of gelée depends on the length of reduction. These are the key factors to consider in determining whether you are making chicken stock or chicken broth. Let us take a moment and review these key factors in chicken broth and chicken stock.

Chicken broth is usually made with chicken meat and chicken parts, with a high flesh to bone ratio. Whole chicken or assorted parts can be used. Fryers and roasters, both readily available at your local supermarket, do not produce satisfactory results. Stewing hens produce the best broth and are often available in the poultry section in your market. If you cannot find them do not hesitate to ring for assistance - the poultry manager will usually order them for you. For the more adventuresome, you may be able to locate someone who has a small flock of laying hens that are past their prime for egg production. Purchase one or two of them to slaughter and dress yourself. The reduction time for chicken broth at sea level is about 3 hours.

Chicken stock is made mostly of chicken parts that have a very low flesh to bone ratio. Backs, necks and breast bones produce the best stock. These boney parts are also readily available at your local supermarket, either in the case or by special order. It is also advantageous to buy whole chickens and cut them up yourself for other recipes. You can then freeze backbones, wing tips, and other parts not used in your original recipe until you are ready to make your stock. To achieve the maximum extraction of gelée from the chicken bones the reduction time at sea level is 6 hours. Water, vegetables, herbs, and salt are ingredients that are common to both stock and broth.

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Chicken BrothTotal ingredients:

2 stewing hens about 5 lb. each 3 medium onions cut in half 4 large carrots trimmed and peeled 1 root end of a whole celery stalk, 4 inches long 3 medium fresh tomatoes cut in half 1 cup parsley, stems only ½ cup salt cold water to cover ingredients by 2 inches

Step One: Cook the broth

Combine total ingredients into a 20 qt. stock pot. Place over high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to hold a medium simmer for three hours. Use a large spoon to remove residue floating on surface. This residue is coagulated protein and will occur at first boil and decrease after you skim it for the first 15 minutes.

Step Two: Strain broth and de-bone chicken

Pour the broth through a large fine strainer. Save the chicken and de-bone while it is still warm. Discard extracted vegetables. Taste and adjust for salt. Refrigerate broth overnight. You can use the chicken for chicken soup or chicken salad.

Step Three: De-fat the broth

The next day, remove all of the solid fat on the surface of the refrigerated broth with a large spoon.




Chicken Stock

Make the following changes to the above recipe when making chicken stock:

Use 12 to 15 lb. chicken bones instead of stewing hens* Increase the reduction time to 6 hours

The vegetables listed in the recipes for both stock and broth are the essential vegetables. While loading the stock pot, do not hesitate to gather some additional odds and ends from your refrigerator and freezer. Extra pieces of almost any root vegetable can be included such as a spare turnip, a piece of fennel root, a piece of jicama, etc. I save the rinds from parmesan cheese and other aged hard cheeses and they make a wonderful addition to the stock pot. A small piece of beef knuckle bone is also a pleasant addition. When making the stock recipe, bear in mind the vegetables will give up their flavor in 3 hours of reduction, therefore it is not necessary to start your stock pot with the vegetables at the start. They can be added at any point you desire as long as they remain in the pot for the mandatory 3 hours.

I have found that making a large 20 qt, pot of stock or broth is easier to deal with than making it more often. I freeze this in one and two quart containers and keep a good size, non-reactive bowl in the refrigerator. To keep stocks and broths fresh in the refrigerator, you will need to put it in a sauce pot, bring to a boil, and hold at a full boil for ten minutes every third day. I like to keep the sauce pot covered to prevent further reduction. Use a clean non-reactive bowl when ready to refrigerate again. By following this schedule you can keep stocks and broths fresh for a long time. The only noticeable difference you will find is that the color of the stock or broth will darken slightly after repeated boiling but the flavor will remain intact.

Wonderful clear chicken soups can be made from the broth, and by adding a little water to lighten up the stock a very satisfactory soup can be made from this as well. No matter which you choose to use you can be assured that either is vastly superior to anything you may purchase in a can or cube. I prefer to use stock to de-glaze a sauté pan rather than broth. The stock also makes a great velouté which is one of the mother sauces that most serious cooks use frequently. Velouté is a great addition to a pan sauce, gravies and heavier soups. Its uses in the kitchen are endless and it is quite simple to make and stores very well under refrigeration.

Sauce Velouté

Total ingredients to yield two quarts:

5 oz. butter 5 oz. all purpose flour 2 qt. Chicken stock

Step one: Make a roux




Melt butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Stir in flour and keep stirring with spatula until smooth. Cook gently over low heat for five minutes until barely golden. Do not brown.

Step two: Finish the sauce

Slowly whip in the stock which must be hot. When all the stock has been incorporated bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer. Refrigerate until used.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft add 30 minutes to the broth recipe, and one hour to the stock recipe.




Chicken Based SoupsBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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With the freezer stocked with homemade broth, serving up a nutritious and absolutely delicious bowl of soup becomes a simple matter. All of the really tedious work is behind you and the next step is easy and can be fun.

Soup was a mainstay of our diet growing up. Often it served as a one dish meal, especially on busy days. However, on special occasions when a multi-course meal was called for, an elegant soup was always included as part of the feast.

Our sister Gloria was particularly adept at presenting a beautiful table for a special dinner. The table was always set with the finest linen, china, crystal and sterling. The first course was almost always a delicate soup served from the pure white tureen that all the brides received as a wedding gift back then. Because these meals were all served "family style" as opposed to "plated" as in a restaurant, it was critical to have the appropriate serving pieces. The soup tureen was considered essential to setting a proper table and every family owned one.

A great deal of thought went into the type of soup to be served at these festive dinners. In addition to the antipasti and soup there would follow a pasta course, a meat and vegetable course, salad, and dessert. It was, therefore, essential that the soup be not too filling but full of flavor and somehow just a bit more special than the everyday soup. Two favorites of our family were Crespelle en Brodo and Wedding Soup.



They came in many shapes, but every bride in our family received a large, white soup tureen as a wedding gift.


Crespelle are made exactly like a French crepe. They are a very thin, delicate pancake. They are dusted with finely grated Parmesan cheese, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and then rolled as tightly as possible into a thin cigar shape. Two or three of these are placed in the bottom of a wide shallow soup bowl and hot broth is ladled over them. They will immediately begin to absorb the broth and swell slightly. The combination is heavenly.

It is obvious where "Wedding Soup" got its name. Every bride started her wedding menu with this tradition. In addition to weddings this was a favorite at all sorts of family celebrations and was particularly welcome in the summer when fresh greens were to be had from the garden. In the winter we used our garden greens from the freezer; but with the year round availability of fresh greens today it is a soup to be enjoyed in all seasons. If you choose to use Swiss chard, remove the stalk and tough center rib. I like to add about half the stalks back in, slicing them thin, like celery and putting them into blanch for an extra minute or two.

Both of these soups demand a homemade broth. Canned broth will result in a pale imitation not worth bothering with. If you've made a chicken stock using the bones, rather than a chicken broth, from our recipe for Stock and Broth, I recommend that you thin it with about 10% water and it will serve well.

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Crespelle en Brodo

Serves 6

Make the crespelle (12)

1 cup whole milk ½ cup cold water ½ tsp. salt 3 large eggs 2 Tblsp. melted, cooled butter 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, sifted 3 Tblsp. clarified butter or a mixture of regular butter and olive oil for cooking the crespelle

Using a blender is the quickest method but you could also use a hand whisk and strain the resulting batter. Place first five ingredients in blender and then add flour. Blend at highest speed for about one minute until well mixed, scraping down sides as needed. Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour and up to four. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, thin with additional water.

If you have a French crepe or omelet pan it is perfect for making these. You can also use a standard heavy bottomed eight inch skillet. Place the pan over fairly high heat. Brush the bottom with a thin film of butter, and just as it begins smoking, remove from heat and pour into the center a scant one-quarter




cup of batter. Tilt quickly in all directions to film the bottom of the pan and pour out any batter that does not stick. Place on heat and cook until set, approximately one minute. Give a quick jerk on the pan's handle to loosen the crespelle, and then grab the edge nearest you with your fingers and flip over. The first cooked side, which is now up, should be an even ivory color. After flipping, cook an additional 15 seconds. The second side will be a spotted brown. This will be the inside of your roll. Slide onto a plate and continue making the remaining crespelle in the same manner. Often the first one will stick a little - consider it your trial and throw it out. In between crespelle wipe the pan with a paper towel and regrease it. As the heat in the pan evens out you should have no problems with sticking.

When all are completely cool you may cover them and hold for several hours. To finish them, you will need:

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground black pepper

Place one crespelle on a plate. Dust with Parmesan and a few grinds of black pepper. Roll as tightly as you can into a cigar shape. Set aside, seam side down, and continue with the remainder. Cover until ready to use.

To Serve:

Bring nine cups of homemade chicken broth, or chicken stock diluted with water by 10%, to a boil. Then, if desired, transfer to a soup tureen as hot as possible. Place two crespelle in the bottom of a wide shallow soup dish and ladle the broth over them. Serve at once.




Wedding Soup

Serves 6

Make the meatballs:

½ lb. lean ground beef ¼ lb. ground pork ¼ lb. ground veal ½ small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 Tblsp. finely minced parsley ½ tsp. dried oregano or 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano 1 tsp. salt 1 egg 2 Tblsp. fine dry breadcrumbs

Mix all ingredients together. This is most easily accomplished with your hands because you do not want to beat it or compact it too much. Form into very small meatballs, about the size of a large hazelnut. Chill for at least one hour. Brown lightly in a large heavy bottom skillet, being careful not to crowd them. Each batch should take about 10 minutes. They will finish cooking in the soup. Drain on paper towels, then refrigerate until ready to use. May be made one day ahead.

To finish soup:

2 ½ lbs. fresh Swiss chard or spinach, or 12 oz. frozen 2 ribs celery, finely diced 1 small white onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 2 Tblsp. olive oil Meatballs as prepared above Freshly grated Parmesan cheese 12 cups homemade chicken broth Salt and pepper to taste

If using fresh greens, wash well and blanch in a large pot of boiling water for three minutes. Refresh under cold water, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can and chop. This can be done one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place soup pot over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When warm, add the celery, onion, and carrots and cook until starting to soften, about seven to eight minutes. Adjust heat so they do not brown. Add the greens and about one teaspoon salt, stirring to coat all vegetables well. Cook for an additional two minutes. Add the meatballs and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, taste for seasonings




and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve piping hot and pass a bowl of grated Parmesan for sprinkling on top.

Altitude Adjustment: None necessary.




Brown Stock, Espagnole, and Demi-GlaceBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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There are a myriad of uses in the kitchen for brown stock. From soups to stews, gravies, braised entrees, pan sauces, classic mother sauces, all the way to the formidable demi-glace, an ample supply of brown stock is a necessity to the serious home chef.

I can remember accompanying my mother to the local grocery store where Leo the butcher would wrap up a few veal or beef bones and say to her, “Bertina, take these home for the dog”. She was frightened to death of dogs. Instead, she threw them in a pot and made a simple brown stock from which she made an occasional soup. Oh to have those days back. On a recent shopping trip to Albuquerque, my sister and I found an Italian specialty store that had veal bones neatly packaged in five pound packs in the freezer section. Although I can’t remember exactly what I paid for them, I do know that I had to reach for my Visa card. Beef bones and knuckles are more readily available (and much cheaper) and make a wonderful stock.

Mom never went much beyond the beef stock. When she roasted a piece of beef or veal she would save the pan drippings and use this very concentrated liquid as an enhancement later for a stew. In this way she had made a rather primitive version of a classic brown sauce. This method worked for her in some very specific dishes. It was not until later in life, after working under some very talented chefs, that I come to realize how important a true brown stock was to a number of different dishes.

When making this stock if you use all veal bones you will produce a “veal brown stock”. Likewise if you use all beef bones you will produce “beef brown stock.” The key word here is “brown”. A critical step in making a brown stock is to create a “pan bourbon”. The pan bourbon is what gives the stock its color and its distinct aroma and flavor. There is a slight difference in taste and properties between an all veal and an all beef brown stock. You will find the veal stock to be slightly more delicate and contain a little less gelée than the beef stock. It is quite acceptable to use a combination of beef and veal bones to produce a brown stock. No matter which of the combinations you choose to use all are vastly superior to powdered mixes, cubes or canned stocks. I don’t want to pontificate about never using canned stocks because I have, but only when my own negligence has found my supply of brown stock depleted. While canned beef broth has its occasional

Family Secrets #027 - Originally Published 02/99 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1999 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]


Mama and Papa, 1923


use in the kitchen, it will not work in place of homemade if you are making an Espagnole sauce or a demi-glace.

While we are on the subject of making this stock we will continue with additional reduction steps for the classic mother sauce, Espagnole, and finally to the demi-glace. The beginning recipe for stock will require a 20 quart stock pot - like its cousin, chicken stock, it is more efficient to make a large quantity once than to frequently produce smaller batches. You may of course choose to make smaller batches by halving the recipe if this volume is too much for you. I would not recommend a batch that is smaller than half of the large batch.

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Brown Stock

Total ingredients to yield 8-10 quarts:

10 to 12 lb. veal bones, beef bones, or a combination 3 medium onions cut in half 4 large carrots trimmed and peeled 1 root end of a whole celery stalk, 4 inches long, plus 2 celery stalks 6 medium fresh tomatoes cut in half 1 cup parsley, stems only ¼ cup salt (this is about ½ of the normal amount of salt used, adjust for salt after completing each step if

continuing further reductions) cold water to cover ingredients; for a full recipe fill 20 qt. pot to 2 inches of the rim

Step One: Roast bones and some vegetable pieces

Place bones and one of the onions, 2 celery stalks and one of the carrots in a large roasting pan. Place pan uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven. Roast for about ½ hour or until bones are very brown. Turn bones over and continue roasting for about 20 minutes until the reverse side is equally brown.

Step Two: Make pan bourbon




Remove darkened bones and vegetables from roasting pan and place in 20 quart stock pot. Place roasting pan over one or more burners and turn heat on to high. Quickly add two quarts of hot water, tap water is fine, to the roasting pan. Using a heavy spatula loosen all residue on bottom and sides of the roasting pan.

Step Three: Cook the stock

Pour the now completed pan bourbon into the stock pot. Add the remainder of the ingredients and top off with water to two inches of the rim. Turn heat to high until stock comes to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Skim the top of the stock for the first 15 minutes. Continue reduction for six hours.

Step Four: Strain and de-fat the stock

Pour the stock through a fine strainer. Discard bones and vegetables. Adjust salt to taste, but be careful if you plan to make an Espagnole from some or all of the stock - this process will reduce the volume of liquid further and increase the existing concentration of salt. Refrigerate overnight and then remove solid fat on the surface with a large spoon.

Now that we have an adequate supply of brown stock we can turn our attention to using some of the stock to produce an Espagnole sauce. This French classic is one of the five recognized mother sauces and its uses are far reaching. It is also a key step in the production of demi-glace, which is the last stop on this step ladder of reduction. Even though the name “Espagnole” seems at first glance to be Spanish by origin, it is a

fundamental building block of French cuisine. Hundreds of years ago France and Spain were at war with each other. During this time some culinary fusion occurred and the French sauce named Espagnole was one




of the results. By adding wines, herbs, spices and cream to this mother sauce many specialized sauces are easily be made - such as a Robert sauce, Bordelaise sauce, Chateau sauce, Mushroom sauce, and even a Cider sauce, just to name a few. Another advantage is that you can quickly produce a rich pan sauce with no additional thickeners or added fat.

Espagnole SauceTo yield approximately two quarts:

2 qt. boiling brown stock ½ lb. coarsely chopped onion ¼ lb. coarsely chopped celery ¼ lb. coarsely chopped carrots 5 oz. butter

5 oz. flour 1 bay leaf ½ cup dry Madeira wine 3 oz. tomato puree Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium/low heat melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until onions soften, then add flour and mix into a roux. Cook the roux for about five minutes or until it begins to brown. Begin adding hot stock, 1 cup at a time. Stir thoroughly until each cup of stock is absorbed by the roux and becomes smooth. When all the stock has been incorporated, add the remaining ingredients and adjust to taste for salt and pepper. Cook at a medium simmer for 1 ½ hours. Remove from heat and pour immediately through a fine strainer.

The Espagnole sauce is complete and ready for use. It will keep for about a week under refrigeration and it also freezes quite well. When defrosting frozen Espagnole, or after several days under refrigeration, you may have to thin it with a little stock to reach the consistency you desire.

We are now ready to do a final reduction and produce the classic demi-glace. You can choose to make a plain demi-glace, or you may infuse an herb or combination of herbs to make a flavored demi-glace. This decision must be made while assembling the ingredients in the sauce pot, before the reduction process begins. I find the plain version is more useful as you can always infuse the herb flavors later when you use the demi-glace to make a pan sauce.

Demi-Glace

Total ingredients to yield approximately two cups:

2 ½ cups Espagnole sauce 4 cups brown stock

¼ cup dry Madeira wine Herb or combination of herbs if you choose

Over medium/low heat combine the Espagnole sauce and the brown stock. If you choose to infuse a flavor into the demi-glaze, add the herb or herbs at this time. Bring to a medium simmer and cook until reduced by about half, add the Madiera wine and continue reducing until you have reached 1/3 of the original volume. Stir mixture frequently through entire reduction. When finished, pour through a fine strainer.

When making a demi-glace, the amount of reduction is more critical than the time of cooking. You can slightly speed up the process by bringing the mixture to a faster simmer or slow it down by reducing the simmer. The 2/3 reduction is the important thing to accomplish. Bear in mind that the faster the simmer the




more attention you will have to pay to avoid burning the sauce. When using herbs to infuse a flavor into the demi-glace use fresh herbs that are not cut up. This will permit you to remove them from the finished sauce with a pair of tongs rather than passing the finished sauce through a fine strainer.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 feet add one hour to the stock recipe and 15 minutes to the Espagnole sauce.




Beef Broth Based SoupsBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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In Italy there is minestra which is soup, and there is minestrone which translates as "strong soup". A well made minestrone is a hearty and satisfying meal in itself needing only some warm bread and a glass of red wine to be complete. On a raw day it's even better than chicken soup in warding off the chills.

Even though minestrone is indeed a strong soup, it is really a vegetable soup; but because it is cooked in a meat broth, cannot be classified as vegetarian. If you are a true vegetarian you could adapt the recipe by substituting water for the stock and adding a nice chunk of Parmesan rind to give more body to the soup.

While the list of ingredients for a well made minestrone may seem daunting, once all the chopping and mincing is done, it goes together easily and simmers happily along with little attention, filling the house with its wonderful aromas and whetting winter weary appetites.

Because of the many regional cuisines in Italy some of the ingredients will vary and you may find many different recipes in any number of authentic Italian cookbooks. Ingredients will also vary according to the seasons. Italians are notorious for wanting to use fresh seasonal ingredients and love gardening, so a summer minestrone will be slightly different than a winter version in the same household.

When we were growing up my father loved to make his summer version using mostly ingredients from his extensive garden. This usually resulted in a battle of words because Mom really ruled the kitchen and could not abide anyone else cooking in it. We were free to sit and watch and chat with her, and occasionally she would tolerate a little help in cleaning and chopping ingredients, but she was definitely the cook. However, on his occasional foray into her domain, my father proved himself quite capable, much to her dismay. He made a great minestrone.



Minestrone cooked in a pot that will grace the table.


While some ingredients will vary with the seasons, the basic formula is fairly constant. In the spring you may choose to use the first fresh spinach while in the late summer you might substitute Swiss chard or cabbage. In the winter you would use dried white beans, soaked and cooked separately, but in the summer you could easily use fresh shelling beans from your garden or farmer's market. You would still have the basic greens and beans in either case. The same is true for almost all of the other ingredients. So by using your imagination and what you have at hand you can really customize the following recipe and make the most of your resources. That is true Italian cooking.

The second recipe, for beef barley soup, while not traditionally Italian, is such a satisfying meal that all soup lovers should have it in their repertoire. In this recipe the home made beef broth really shines through, so don't be tempted to use canned. The soup goes together in minutes and simmers unattended until ready to serve, ideal for the after-work question of "what's for dinner?"

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Minestrone

Serves six

¼ cup olive oil 2 oz diced bacon 1 medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, sliced 2 stalks celery, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 potato, peeled and diced 3 cups finely shredded cabbage or other

greens -- or -- 6 oz frozen greens 6 oz green beans, sliced -- or -- 2 small

zucchini, diced

8 oz. cauliflower 1-½ cups fresh shell beans -- or -- ¾ cup dried

Great Northern Beans cooked 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices -- or --

2 cups fresh diced tomatoes 6 cups homemade beef or chicken stock 2 cups water Fresh herb bouquet of several stems each of

thyme, parsley, oregano and basil tied with kitchen string -- or -- 1 tsp. each dried thyme, oregano, and basil and a few stems of fresh parsley chopped

Salt and pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Begin adding vegetables in the order presented above, up to and including the cauliflower, one at a time and cooking each addition 2 to 3 minutes. If you wish, you can prepare each one as the previous is added instead of preparing all in advance. This seems a little less tedious and the process develops a nice rhythm. At this point, salt and pepper lightly, starting with about 1 tsp. salt. Add the tomatoes, stock, water, and herbs and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for one hour. Fish out the fresh herb bouquet if you've used it and discard. Taste for salt. Add the beans and simmer again for 15 minutes. The soup should never be watery or thin but rather substantial. If it appears too thick for your taste add a bit more stock. If it appears to thin, continue to cook it, uncovered, until more liquid evaporates. Taste again and adjust seasonings. Pass the Parmesan separately.

Beef Barley Soup




Serves 6

1 lb. beef chuck, cut in very small cubes 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 medium onion, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 stalk celery, sliced

2 Tblsp. olive oil 1 can diced tomatoes with juice 1-½ cups pearl barley 8 cups homemade beef stock salt and pepper

Warm the olive oil in the soup pot over medium high heat. Add finely cubed beef and brown well. Add carrots, onion, and celery, turn heat down to medium low and cook about 5 minutes, stirring to coat all the vegetables with oil. Add tomatoes with their juice, barley, bay leaves, beef stock, and salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. The amount of salt will depend on your beef broth, so start with a small amount (1 tsp.) and add later as you taste. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered about one hour or until barley is soft and beef is tender. If the soup is too thick at this point stir in up to one cup of hot water or stock to achieve the consistency you want. If made in advance the soup will continue to thicken as it stands and you will need to thin it with water or additional stock. Pick out bay leaves before serving.





Osso Buco with RisottoBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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In any household with growing children, the inevitable question, “what’s for dinner mom?”, is heard on a daily basis. Our household was no exception then and the question echoes through the generations to the present. Quite frequently my mother would answer “Osso buco for dinner tonight.” This would usually bring a groan and a “gee mom, veal shanks again!”

I never thought that twenty years later I would find myself prowling around Italian restaurants in New York City's mid-town Manhattan and Little Italy, trying to find a restaurant that served this wonderful dish the way I remembered it as a young boy.

Years ago veal shanks were only a very small step above the free bones that the butcher used to wrap up for my mother to bring home for the dog that didn’t exist. Although very inexpensive to buy, my mother knew exactly what to do with them. In the world as we know it today, select veal shanks are more expensive to purchase than the equivalent weight of T-bone steak.

When purchasing veal shanks you should try to choose shanks that are “select”. You may notice that some of the shanks in the meat case are larger in diameter than others. The larger diameter shanks are cut from the hind legs of a veal calf and the smaller ones usually come from the front legs. Shanks from the front legs are less meaty than those cut from hind legs and as a result you will have to serve two shanks per person rather than one. The hole in the bone, containing the succulent marrow, is also noticeably smaller in front shanks. The large shanks are sometimes referred to as “selects”, and they should be cut 3” thick.

Traditionally, risotto is served with osso buco. Risotto can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as a seafood risotto, vegetable risotto, etc.; but you must use an Italian short grain rice to get the distinctive risotto effect. You will want to prepare a rather simple and plain risotto to accompany your veal shanks so that you don’t overpower the delicate flavor of the veal with a risotto that is



Mama in Pop's car (she couldn't drive then), 1922


too complex. Quite frequently this dish in a restaurant will be served with some type of pasta rather than risotto, but I find this combination unsatisfying.

The meat on the veal shanks is made up of well-used muscle. In order to attain the proper degree of tenderness the cooking time is very long, using an extended slow braising technique. Once you put the roast pan in the oven and begin the cooking process about 5 hours will elapse before the finishing can be done. This allows plenty of time to prepare the creamy risotto before serving dinner.

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Osso Buco

Serves six:

6 select veal shanks, cut 3” thick ¼ cup flour 3 Tblsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, slivered into twelve pieces 2 ounces salt pork, diced fine 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic, mashed 1 stalk celery, diced 2 bay leaves, crumbled 2 small branches of fresh rosemary

1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper ¾ cup white wine 10 sprigs parsley, chopped 12 oz. Italian canned diced tomatoes or any

kind of fresh diced tomatoes. ½ cup brown stock 3 carrots, cut into thick strips ¼ cup butter ½ cup Espagnole sauce (optional)

Step One: Brown the veal shanks

Using a sharp paring knife, pierce each veal shank twice and insert a garlic sliver in each piercing. Lightly dredge the shanks in the flour. Using a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat, brown the shanks in olive oil without crowding until each side is golden brown. Place on a platter and put aside.

Step Two: Assemble the roast pan and cook

Use a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the veal shanks without crowding. Place the balance of the ingredients (up to and including the brown stock) in the roast pan and mix. Place the browned veal shanks in the roast pan. Place the carrot strips on top of the shanks




and tightly cover the roaster with a lid or aluminum foil. Place in pre-heated 225 degree oven. Cook for 5 hours.

Step Three: Make the sauce

Gently pick the carrots from the top of the shanks and pile them in a shallow pan. Remove veal shanks with a slotted spatula and place them in the same pan. Add a cup of water for moisture, cover tightly and put aside in warm oven. Pour the remaining contents of the original roasting pan into a food mill and pass through to a sauce pan. Skim as much fat from the surface as you can. Place sauce pan over high heat, add butter and reduce by ¼. As an option, if you prefer a slightly heavier sauce you may whisk in ½ cup of the optional Espagnole sauce after the reduction.




Risotto

Total ingredients:

3 Tblsp. Olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced ½ cup dry white wine 2 cups Arborio rice (or other Italian short grain rice) 8 cups chicken stock ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tblsp. butter

Place a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions. Sauté until onions become translucent. Add the Arborio rice and mix until well coated. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring until absorbed. Begin adding hot chicken broth by the ladleful until each one becomes absorbed. Adjust heat to maintain a vigorous simmer. Continue cooking until rice is tender to the bite, 15 to 20 minutes. If you need additional liquid use a little water until rice is properly cooked. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese at the finish.

To assemble the final dish place a veal shank in the center of the plate. Surround the shank with risotto. Drizzle some sauce over both. Place carrot strips over the risotto and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over all. Finish with a couple of twists of black pepper from your pepper mill. Don’t forget to add a cocktail fork to your table service. Your guests can use this fork to scoop out the delicious marrow from the center of the bone.

I word of warning if you are thinking about shortening the cooking time for the shanks. If you increase the temperature of the oven to shorten the braising time the shanks will tighten because of their makeup, and the result will be very tough and chewy shanks. They must be served “fall off of the bone tender” to really enjoy the dish, and you can only accomplish this with a low heat, long cooking time.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft you will want an increased 5-to-1 liquid-to-rice ratio in the risotto recipe, and a slightly increased cooking time.




The Pasta SoupsBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta Lenticchie, and Pasta Ceci, - this family of soups were an integral part of our diet throughout our childhood and remain so into our adulthood. I suppose we would classify these as our "emotional foods" - those meals that bring comfort and sustenance when we need it most. Aside from that they are wonderfully nutritious, easy to make, satisfying and delicious, and to top it off they are inexpensive. These are not delicate, light soups, but hearty meal-in-a-pot soups, bordering on vegetables stews.

During the season of Lent, these recipes play a major role in our diet because they are complete without meat. The combination of pasta with legumes or beans is a complete protein source. The recipes all work equally well with chicken broth or water, though the broth will result in a more complex flavor. While all of them can be made without meat, the pasta bean soup benefits greatly from the addition of some bacon, salt pork, or smoked ham.

In the north of Italy rice is often used instead of pasta and central Italian cuisine will substitute beans, but our regional background indicates pasta. When making homemade pasta, it is simple enough to make a little extra, cut it into irregular shapes, called maltagliai which means "badly cut", dry them and store in a brown paper bag. These will keep in a cool dry place for a month and are perfect for any of these soups. Our mother's time-saving trick was to cook extra spaghetti and sauce for dinner one day, then simply take the leftovers, coarsely chop them and toss that in the soup pot the next day - adding the already cooked pasta at the very end. You may also used purchased dry pasta in small shapes, such as farfalle or elbows.

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Pasta Lenticchie (Pasta with Lentils)



Brother Bill and sister Gloria. 1923Lawrence Avenue, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania


Serves six

1 lb. lentils 3 Tblsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 carrot, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped ½ cup tomato sauce

10 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade)or water or a combination of both

2 sprigs fresh thyme ½ tsp. dried thyme 2 tsp. salt or more, as needed Small piece of Parmesan rind (optional) 6 oz. dried pasta ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse and drain lentils under cold water. Heat olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery, and sauté 5 minutes or until slightly softened but not browned. Add lentils, broth (or water), tomato sauce, thyme and salt, and optional Parmesan rind. If using the rind, reduce the salt to 1 tsp. and taste later for adjustment. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are thoroughly tender. Check the liquid frequently during cooking and add more if the soup is getting too thick. The soup should be fairly liquid at this point because the pasta will now thicken it considerably. Add the dried pasta, bring to a boil and cook until pasta is tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. Stir in a few grinds of fresh black pepper, pick out the Parmesan rind if you've used it, and pass the grated cheese at the table.

Pasta Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Serves six

2 cans (16 oz. each) chickpeas 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tblsp. olive oil 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

or 2 tsp. dried, finely crushed

1 can diced tomatoes with juice 4 cups chicken broth or water 6 oz. dried pasta Salt and pepper ¼ cup grated Parmesan

You may use dried chickpeas if you wish. If so, you will need to soak and cook them in advance. The canned chickpeas are excellent in this soup and much more convenient. If using canned, rinse them well under cold water and remove the skins that are loose. Drain well and set aside. Warm olive oil in soup pot. If using fresh rosemary, add whole sprigs and sauté until fragrant, 3 or 4 minutes, and then discard them. If using dried rosemary add it to the oil and stir for just a minute. Add garlic, and over low heat sauté just until fragrant but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juice and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broth or water, and chickpeas, and bring to a simmer. Adjust salt if necessary. Simmer 5 minutes. If you want a thick soup, puree one cup of the chickpeas in a blender and stir them back into the soup at this point. Bring to a full boil, add pasta, and cook just until the pasta is al dente. Check for liquid and add as necessary to bring to the consistency you wish. Pass the grated Parmesan at the table.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans)

Serves six




1 lb. dried Great Northern beans 3 Tblsp. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 oz. bacon, diced

or 1 small smoked pork chop (optional)

1 can (15 oz.) diced Italian tomatoes with juiceor 1 cup tomato sauce

10 cups water 6 oz. dried pasta 6 sprigs parsley 2 sprigs fresh sage or ½ tsp. dried Salt and pepper ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

I find soaking dried white beans overnight unnecessary. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Set aside. Warm olive oil in large soup pot, add bacon if you are using it and sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened but not brown. Add garlic and tomatoes with their juice (or tomato sauce) and simmer for 10 minutes gently. Add beans and 8 cups of the water and herbs. If using fresh sage, tie it up with the parsley and remove later. If using smoked pork chop, add it now. Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are quite tender, at least an hour and up to 90 minutes. Check the liquid frequently and add as necessary to keep the beans fairly liquid. You may need to add at least the remaining 2 cups of water. Taste for salt (depends if you used bacon or smoked pork or neither) and adjust. Bring to a full boil. Making sure you have enough liquid, add the pasta. Cook until tender. Add several grinds of fresh black pepper. Pass the grated cheese at the table.

Altitude Adjustment: Over 5000 feet you will need additional water or broth in all of these recipes. At elevations of 2500 to 5000 feet increase the time by 10 minutes, over 5000 feet increase the time by 20 minutes.




Chicken Breasts Mountain StyleBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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From the northern provinces of Piedmont, Venetia, and Lombardy and south to Tuscany lies the area of Italy affectionately referred to by folks in the Italian food business as the “Butter Belt”. Our family roots are firmly planted in Italy, but in regions south of this area. Although regional cuisines of Italy vary greatly, our parents were no strangers to products and cooking styles from the northern provinces. Reggiano Parmesan cheese and prosciutto, both from the Parma region, were common ingredients in my mother’s kitchen. And though olive oil superceded the use of butter, and heavy cream was not common in our cooking, exceptions were made for a few special dishes.

Heavy cream reduction is the technique used to produce this elegant dish of chicken breasts. Properly done, cream reductions have broad applications when preparing poultry and sea food, and the finished sauce is sumptuous and elegant. The object of this recipe is to poach the ingredients while the reduction is occurring, thus creating the sauce and the finished dish at the same time.

Particular attention to both temperature and timing is required to successfully master this cooking technique. If the temperature is too high the cream will scorch and possibly separate. The sauce will also separate if the reduction time is too long. The volume of cream in relation to the amount and type of ingredients in the sauté pan is also important. For example, if you do not have enough cream in the proper sized pan, the reduction will occur and the chicken will be underdone. It would be safe to assume that having a little too much cream in the sauté pan would be better than not having enough.

Other key ingredients are prosciutto ham and asparagus tips. When purchasing prosciutto it is usually sliced very thin. However, for this recipe you will want to tell your butcher to slice it about ¼ inch thick. When you are ready to prep the ham cut it first into ¼ inch wide strips on the diagonal, so you will have julienned ham with some substance to it, then cross cut the julienne into chunks. Fresh asparagus is recommended, but frozen asparagus tips can be used when fresh ones are not available.



Chicken breasts mountain style:Asparagus tips, prosciutto, and cream.


For those of you who are attempting a cream reduction for the first time, the following recipe will serve two and everything is sized for a 10 inch sauté pan. After successfully completing it a few times you will get a feel for cream reductions and can move on to using this technique for other dishes and larger dinners.

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Chicken Breasts Mountain Style

Total ingredients to serve two:

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 tsp. clarified butter 1 ¾ cups heavy cream ¼ cup white wine 1 dash of nutmeg 4 oz. prosciutto ham, sliced into strips on the diagonal ¾ cup asparagus tips - fresh preferred, frozen if necessary

Step One: Prepare the chicken breasts

Trim the chicken breasts of all fat and remove the tenderloin. Remove any membrane that may be attached and, using the heel of your hand, gently flatten slightly each breast lobe.

Step Two: Sauté the breasts

Place a 10 inch, heavy bottom sauté pan over medium heat and add the clarified butter. Sauté the breasts gently for two minutes on each side. Remove the breasts and discard any remaining butter. Wipe pan with paper towel.

Step Three: Start cream reduction

Place the cream and the dash of nutmeg in sauté pan and return to medium heat. Return the chicken breasts to the pan. When cream comes to a fairly strong simmer, reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer. Turn chicken breasts often.

Step Four: Add prosciutto and asparagus tips, and finish

After two minutes of reduction add prosciutto and asparagus tips. Turn chicken breasts over frequently. Continue until cream is reduced by half and the chicken breasts are done. This should take approximately 8 minutes more or ten minutes total..




Presentation should begin with placing two breast halves on each plate. Using a slotted spoon, place the prosciutto ham and asparagus tips over and around the chicken breasts. Drizzle the pan sauce over all. Use some finely chopped parsley for a little garnish and the dish is complete.

This recipe will not garner a feature spot with Weight Watchers International. Looking back to my formative years I recall both my mother's and father’s advice concerning our eating habits: “everything in moderation”. This advice has served me well over the years.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft. add another ¼ cup cream and increase reduction time by about 5 minutes.




Lamb Three WaysBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Before the expansion and improvement of long distance food distribution and modern agricultural techniques we cooked and ate seasonally. Each season had specific foods, cooking techniques, and menus associated with them. Because I grew up during that era I just cannot bring myself to eat a peach in December even though they are imported from Chile and readily available. Somehow it takes away from the specialness of sitting on a shady porch on a hot sunny day and biting into the first sweet juicy peach grown just a few miles away. Just as peaches are summer food, lamb speaks of spring and Easter and the first blossoms on the trees.

There are many people of my generation who claim not to like the taste of lamb, complaining that it is too gamy or strong. While lamb has a distinctive taste very different from beef or pork, it should never be gamy. That would be an indication that the meat is from an animal older than one year and should be classified as mutton There are cultures that prize this particular taste and use mutton quite a lot, but not Italians. Italian cooks revel in the tender, almost sweet taste of young lamb, or what we used to refer to as spring lamb. True spring lamb is no older than five months. We are fortunate today to have this available all year long, although I still enjoy it most in the spring.

When shopping for lamb you will often be confronted with the choice of Australian or American lamb. Australia is a huge producer and exporter of lamb, and while their meat is quite good, American lamb is my preference. The most notable difference between domestic lamb and imported is in the eye of the loin. American produced lambs yield a larger loin lamb chop compared to its imported cousin. The reason for the difference is that American producers manage their flocks from birth to market weight using grain to supplement managed pasture. Most Australian and New Zealand lambs are raised on steep, sparse grasslands and very well may have to stay on those pastures longer than 5 months to make a minimum market weight.

The following three recipes are all based on a single purchase of a five to six pound center cut, bone-in leg of lamb. This is a bit of an investment but from this you can serve four people three different meals, so it averages out to be fairly reasonable. The first meal of roast leg of lamb is elegant enough to qualify for a special occasion. Complete your springtime theme with fresh asparagus dressed with a drizzle of

Family Secrets #032 - Originally Published 04/99 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1999 CeCe Dove- Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]



butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and scalloped potatoes. The second recipe is for a quick and easy fix for the family on a busy night, and the third is a rather rustic, informal meal to share with friends. The lamb and white beans develop a mouth pleasing velvety texture from the long slow simmering and the aromas are wonderful. If after serving the whole roast you do not plan to make the next two recipes for awhile you may trim the remainder and freeze it for up to four months. If you choose to do this be sure to freeze the bone with the trimmed meat.

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Classic Roast Leg of Lamb

Serve four:

5 to 6 lb. bone-in center cut leg of lamb 2 cloves garlic, slivered 2 Tblsp. chopped fresh rosemary or

2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary

1/3 cup Dijon mustard 2 Tblsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely minced Pepper

Step One: Prepare lamb

If your butcher hasn't already done so, trim almost all the fat from the top of the roast. Be sure to removed the white or silvery membrane, called the fell. With a very sharp paring knife make about 10 slits all over the roast, inserting a sliver of garlic and a little rosemary in each.

Step Two: Marinate the roast

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, 2 cloves of minced garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and a few grinds of black pepper. Spread this over the roast, covering all sides. Place in a non-reactive dish and allow to marinate at least four hours and up to 24 hours. If holding more than four hours, refrigerate, but allow the roast to return to room temperature before proceeding. A roast this size will take about 3 to 4 hours to come to room temperature if it is cold.

Step Three: Roasting the lamb

Preheat oven to 450. Place the room temperature roast in an uncovered roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn temperature down to 350 and continue roasting undisturbed to an internal temperature of 140 (for medium rare). This should take an additional 60 to 70 minutes. If you like your meat less pink, wait for an internal temperature of 150. Do not overcook or the meat will be dry and tough. Let rest for five minutes. Carve and serve.

Lamb Quesadillas

Serves four:

8 flour tortillas, 6 in. diameter 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, fontina, mozzarella, or a mix) 8 to 10 oz. leftover roast lamb, cubed bite size Pickled jalapenos Shredded iceberg lettuce ¼ cup salsa




Preheat oven to 400. Arrange four of the tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle each with about 2 Tblsp. cheese, then add lamb, jalapenos to taste, a little shredded lettuce, a Tblsp. of salsa and 2 more Tblsp. cheese. Top with another tortilla. Bake at 400 until cheese is melted, approximately 6-7 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve immediately.




White Beans and Lamb Stew

Serves Four

8 oz. dried Great Northern beans 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups water 2 stalks celery, one left whole, one sliced 1 carrot, peeled and left whole 2 tsp. salt 1 Tblsp. dried red pepper flakes (optional)

2 cups chicken or beef broth, canned or homemade

1 Tblsp. dried red pepper flakes (optional) 1 Tblsp. mustard 12 oz. leftover roast lamb, cubed lamb bones from roast Herb bouquet: a few sprigs of fresh rosemary,

oregano and thyme tied together with kitchen string, or ½ tsp. of each dried

Step one: Prepare the beans

Soak the beans with plenty of cold water for two hours. Drain and place in a four quart saucepan. Add half the chopped onion, one of the minced garlic cloves, water, the one whole stalk of celery and carrot. Bring to a boil and cook at a slow boil until ¾ cooked, about 45 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, add the 2 tsp. salt. The beans should not be completely cooked, only softened.

Step Two: Assembling the stew

Preheat oven to 225. Drain the beans and save the cooking liquid. Discard the celery stalk and carrot. Choose an ovenproof casserole large enough to hold all ingredients comfortably but not so big as to leave a large head space. Put the beans in the casserole, add the rest of the onions, garlic, optional red pepper flakes, sliced celery, lamb cubes, and bone. Mix well. In a bowl, mix the two cups of broth with two cups of the bean cooking liquid you saved, whisk in the mustard and pour over the bean-lamb mixture. The liquid should just barely come to the top. Add more bean liquid if




you are short or spoon some out if there is too much. Add the herbs. Cover and cook in 225 oven for a minimum of four hours. The ingredients should bubble very gently throughout the cooking time. If it is boiling, turn the oven down even lower. Check the liquid level each hour, especially toward the end of the cooking time. Also check the salt about half way through the cooking. Depending on whether you used canned or homemade broth, you may need to add some at this point. The stew should be liquid enough to serve in bowls, but not soupy. Remove and discard the lamb bones, and If you used fresh herbs, pull them out before serving.

Altitude Adjustment: Preparing beans at altitudes over 5,000 feet always requires patience and lots of liquid. You will need to increase the first bean cooking time by at least 15 minutes and the final casserole cooking time by 30 to 60 minutes (30 minutes at 2,500-5,000, and 60 minutes above 5,000). You could also use a pressure cooker for step one and cook the beans about 20 minutes under pressure.




The Ultimate Beef Stew


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One of life’s truly great comfort foods is a piping hot bowl of beef stew. Since stews are seldom featured on Italian restaurant menus, you may think they are not authentically Italian. Actually, there are a number of dishes in different regions of Italy that fall into this category. Great stews are prepared by all ethnic cuisines throughout the world and the Italians are no exception to the rule.

With my rather adventuresome taste, I have tried all types of stews, from Dinty Moore’s to extremely complex concoctions utilizing exotic ingredients and complicated techniques. The end result was to return to the basic dish that mom used to make.

Beef stew in our family went through an evolution of sorts. My mother's recipe for stew was passed to our sister Gloria, who added her refinements to the recipe and the results were excellent. CeCe and I have added our little twists as well, evolving our version of the “ultimate beef stew”.

The best stewing beef comes from the chuck. Although it is very flavorful, beef chuck has a tendency to be a little tough and chewy. The object of this recipe is to retain that great beef flavor and transform the rather chewy beef chuck to fork tender. This recipe also takes a little extra care with the vegetables so that they retain their integrity and individual flavors. The resulting dish is tender beef with identifiable vegetables in a flavorful and rich gravy.



1935 1945 1955 1965Tap dancer Gloria Gloria and Danny David, Gloria, and Laurette Danny, Bob, Laurette, and Gloria

Gloria DeTullio nee Zara (1923-1995), husband Danny, daughter Laurette, son David, son-in-law Bob Gioffre


When I purchase the meat for this dish I like to start with a 3 pound bone-in chuck roast, then cut and trim the beef myself, and cook the bone with the stew. However, using pre-cut stewing beef from your local supermarket is perfectly acceptable.

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Beef Stew

Serves four:

2 lbs. well trimmed stewing beef 3 Tblsp. olive oil 2 Tblsp. butter 1 large onion, diced 1 Tblsp. salt pork, diced 2 garlic cloves, mashed1-½ Tblsp, flour

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 whole bay leaves 1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary, minced 1 stalk celery, diced 10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only ½ cup dry white wine 2 cups brown stock (or beef broth)

3 medium carrots, ½ inch pieces 3 large potatoes, 1 inch cubes 1 green bell pepper, cut in strips

Step One: Prepare the beef

Trim any excess fat and remove any signs of gristle. Cut the beef into bite sized cubes.

Step Two: Brown the beef and combine first 7 ingredients

Place butter and olive oil into a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add beef cubes, salt pork, and onion. When beef is browned and onions are translucent add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over all. Rapidly stir the mixture until the flour is absorbed.

Step Three: Cook the stew and add the next 9 ingredients

Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, celery, parsley, white wine and brown stock. Bring to a slow simmer for one hour. Cover with a lid slightly askew, to prevent excess reduction, and continue cooking at a low simmer for an additional hour.

Step Four: Add three remaining ingredients and finish the stew

Add the carrots, potatoes and bell peppers. Slowly simmer the stew until the potatoes are done: approximately 1 hour.

When finished, adjust for salt. Add a little more brown stock if you prefer the stew a little thinner. Enjoy this hearty beef stew with a nice garden salad, a crusty slice of home made bread, and a glass of red wine. After serving four there should be enough left for a couple of second helpings - a requirement in our house.




This is one of those recipes that seems to get better with age. Making the stew a day ahead improves the flavor. Reheat gently until all the ingredients are hot throughout.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft add an additional ½ cup brown stock and increase over all cooking time by about twenty minutes.




Fish Casserole and Fish Soup(Teglia di Pesce and Zuppa de Pesce)


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Because we grew up far from the ocean and before the advent of mass distribution, fresh fish was a rare luxury. I remember as a child once each week the local poultry store would get a shipment of fish, and it would be limited to two or three varieties. But my mother always took advantage of this shipment and would make her weekly purchase of cod or snapper. She had a few tried and true recipes that I still fall back on when I want a taste of comfort foods, but it wasn’t until I moved to northern California that I really began to appreciate the diversity and nuances of the many kinds of fish available. During this period I came to understand and use the endless variety of seafood readily available, and to experiment with recipes both old and new.

Fish is so wonderfully versatile that it adapts itself to any season. It is a welcome change from steak or ribs on the grill in the summer. On cold rainy evenings the first recipe, a casserole of potatoes and cod, will warm you up.

The second recipe, zuppa de pesce (fish soup), is a part of every Italian family's tradition along the coast of the Mediterranean, and each little village has their own version. In America, we have adapted many of these old recipes to make use of the seafood we have in such abundance. This is a dish that can be enjoyed in any season because it is both light and easy to digest, while hearty enough to be a meal in itself. The length of the recipe may seem intimidating, but be assured it goes together easily, and if you make the base a day ahead it will take even less time.

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Teglia di Pesce (Fish Casserole)

Serves six




1-½ lbs. fresh cod or snapper filets 1-½ lbs. russet potatoes ½ cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely minced ½ cup chopped parsley Fine, dry breadcrumbs Salt and pepper

Peel and slice the potatoes about 1/4" thick. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes to barely soften. Drain and pat dry. Wash the fish and remove any obvious bones with a tweezers. Pat dry and set aside. Use a moderately deep casserole with lid. Brush the dish well with olive oil. Place an overlapping layer of potatoes on the bottom, salt and pepper them, add a single layer of fish (you may need to cut them to fit), sprinkle with some of the parsley, garlic and breadcrumbs and a little more salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Continue the next layer of potatoes, then fish, the same way, ending the layers with potatoes on top. Divide the parsley, garlic, olive oil and breadcrumbs to use them all according to how many layers your pan will hold. Ideally you should have two layers of fish and three layers of potatoes. Cover and place in a preheated 350° oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve piping hot!




Zuppa de Pesce

Soup Base (Serves six):

1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 Tblsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup chopped parsley 2 lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

or 1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes ½ cup dry white wine 1 tsp. salt 4 cups water 2 cups bottled clam juice Shells from the shrimp (see below)

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and translucent, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add shrimp shells and cook one minute. Add wine and let simmer an additional couple of minutes until almost boiled away. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and partially cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain this base and refrigerate if not using immediately. It may be made a day ahead.

Soup ingredients:

3 lbs. assorted fish (see notes below) ½ lb. shelled, deveined shrimp 12 clams or mussels 3 Tblsp. olive oil ½ medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes ¼ cup chopped parsley Salt and pepper

Ideally you should use an attractive soup pot that you can bring to the table because it is very difficult to transfer the soup to a tureen. Alternatively you could plate the soup for service.



1948 - CeCe didn't get a bite.


Warm the oil in your soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or two, just until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, parsley and soup base. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt. Add a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Begin adding fish by the toughest or densest first, such as swordfish and tuna with the most delicate added to the pot last. Your object is to have all the fish thoroughly cooked but not dry and overcooked. Add the shrimp last since they will only take about two or three minutes to cook. The entire process, once you begin adding fish, should take no more than 12 minutes. Serve at once. Traditionally this is served with grilled or toasted bread, but garlic bread is a nice alternative.

Notes on fish. The most complex and interesting flavors are developed by having a variety of fish. I would not make this with less than three varieties. Good possibilities include sea bass, tuna, swordfish, snapper, cod, halibut, and salmon. Be careful with oily, dark fleshed fish such as mackerel or eel because they can overpower the dish. Wash the fish in cold running water. Pat dry and pull out any obvious bones. Cut into chunks about 2" by 2".

If you are able to get a couple of fish heads or frames from your vendor, add them to the soup base, eliminate the bottled clam juice and increase the water by 2 cups.

Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 feet increase cooking time for soup base by 10 minutes.




Artichokes - Stuffed and MarinatedBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Vegetables play a very important role in Italian cuisine. The Mediterranean diet is heavily weighted toward vegetables and grains and, except for rare instances, meat is consumed in small quantities. In my travels through Italy I am always impressed with the number of dishes on the antipasti table that featured vegetables. Sautéed, marinated, pickled, steamed, or combined with rice, they are treated like star players in Italian menu planning, not supporting actors.

Our dad settled in western Pennsylvania around 1920 and brought with him his love of vegetables. The land there is lush and fertile, although the growing season is not very long. His garden was the envy of the neighborhood and we feasted all summer and into the autumn on his harvest. Mom would preserve the excess either by canning or pickling and these would get us through the winter with only an occasional purchase of frozen or canned vegetables or fruit. He grew all the standard garden vegetables but nothing exotic. Artichokes were a favorite in our family, but since they did not winter over in our part of the U.S. Dad did not plant them. It was one of the few spring and summer vegetables we would buy.

The artichoke is a lovely perennial plant. If you are lucky enough to live in northern California, especially near the coast, they will grow well for you. Over 95% of all the artichokes consumed in this country are grown near Watsonville, California. They love the cool foggy nights and sunny hot afternoons. The plant will send up a central stalk which will develop one large artichoke, and will send side stalks off with smaller artichokes. Of course you harvest them when the artichokes are tightly closed, but if you let them actually open they will reward you with a spectacular vivid purple thistle; not edible at this point but definitely showy!

Mom had two recipes only, both using the large artichoke, and both still family favorites. The first was the simplest and most familiar to everyone. The artichokes were simply trimmed and boiled in water, flavored with salt, peppercorns, vinegar, and olive oil. After removing the internal choke serve with lots of melted butter (clarified butter is even better). You pull off a leaf at a time, dip it in the butter, and scrape the flesh off with your teeth. The heart is well worth all this effort and mess. Her second recipe, for stuffed artichokes, is a little more elaborate but makes a wonderful first course or even a light dinner on a hot summer night if you add the optional meat.

When we moved to northern California and had available what was called "baby" artichokes I added another recipe to the family file. Baby artichokes are not really immature buds but rather the small side blossoms that the plant sends out. Even though they are fully mature they do not develop the hairy internal choke that the large ones have. They are no more than an inch or two in diameter and are fully edible. Cooked and marinated in your favorite olive oil dressing they are a fabulous addition to an antipasto plate or a salad.

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Mom’s Stuffed Artichokes

Precooking the artichokes (Serves four)

4 large artichokes5 qt. Water1 tsp. black peppercorns1 Tblsp. Salt

¼ cup vinegar2 Tblsp. olive oil1 lemon, cut in half




Put the water, peppercorns, salt, vinegar, and olive oil on to boil in a large pot. Pull the tough outer layer of leaves off the artichoke, snapping them at the base. Discard these. With a serrated knife cut about one inch from the top of the artichoke and discard those trimmings. Trim the stem end flush with the bottom and rub all the cuts with lemon to prevent discoloring. If any of the leaves still have sharp points cut these off with a scissors. Drop the trimmed artichokes into the boiling water, place a lid slightly askew on the pot and cook until ¾ done, about 30 minutes for a large artichoke or 20 minutes if they are medium. They will complete their cooking in the baking process. Remove them from the water with tongs and place upside down on a rack to drain. When just cool enough to handle remove the inner hairy choke by gently prying apart the center and scrapping with a teaspoon down to the heart.

Stuffing:

1 cup fine dry unflavored breadcrumbs ¼ cup finely chopped parsley 1 tsp. Salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, finely minced ½ tsp. dried basil ½ tsp. dried oregano ½ lb. crumbled, fully cooked sausage,

drained well (optional)

Mix all ingredients together.

Baking the artichokes

1/3 to ½ cup olive oil

Use a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold all four artichokes comfortably. Preheat oven to 350. Place the precooked artichokes in the baking pan, spreading the leaves out gently with your hands without breaking them. Sprinkle the dry stuffing mixture evenly over the four artichokes being sure that




the mixture gets into the center and inside the leaves. Drizzle the olive oil generously over all. Cover and bake 40 minutes for large and 35 minutes for medium sized artichokes.

Marinated Baby Artichokes

Yield: One pound of very small artichokes should yield 12-15 pieces.

Use the same water mixture as the above recipe to cook the artichokes. Trimming only involves cutting a tiny bit from the top, trimming the base, and pulling off a few of the outer leaves. Since they have no inner choke this final cleaning step is eliminated. Drop in the boiling water and cook until a knife inserted in the stem end pierces the heart easily, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well, cut in half and toss with the following vinaigrette or you own favorite oil dressing.

½ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tblsp. white wine vinegar 1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. dry mustard ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, finely minced

Shake all ingredients in a covered jar.

Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 ft add 8 minutes to boiling time, prorate accordingly at moderate altitudes.




Pesto – Old and NewBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Because our family roots are located in central Italy, away from the coast, pesto was not part of our traditional menu. It wasn't until I began to travel and expanded my culinary horizons that I even became aware of this wonderful sauce. It is, however, such a delightful and authentic part of Italian cuisine that it now is part of our new family secrets. Our daughter grew up with it and I'm certain that her children will consider it an "old" family tradition. It certainly deserves to be passed down.

No season is as identifiable to me by smell as is summer with its rich harvest of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Even on a damp cool morning when I gather a handful of fresh basil, close my eyes and inhale its fragrance, the world is instantly full of sunshine. That same warm, minty fragrance has greeted Genovese sailors returning to port for centuries, and it was this herb, over all others, that they craved after long sea voyages. After endless months of the restricted fare of sailing ships – of hardtack and salted meat – they longed for the sharp freshness of the wild basil that blooms over the hills of Genoa. It was this city and this need that gave rise to our most enduring summer sauce – pesto.

Genoa is a province of Liguria and is located on the northern coast of the western Mediterranean. Italian cuisine in general is and always has been extremely regional. It has developed to satisfy the needs of the local inhabitants. Fortunately for us pesto "travels well"; although it has taken hundreds of years and a number of translations to reach our shores. In spite of this it maintains its earthy simplicity and satisfying harmony.

The original Genovese recipe produces a sharp, tangy sauce used exclusively with trenette (a fettuccine shaped pasta, though slightly thinner), minestrone, and gnocchi. It is made with the local small-leafed basil, fresh garlic, the finest Ligurian olive oil, local fresh Pecora (a mildly tangy sheep's milk cheese) and fine aged Parmesan. It is ground in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle and is used immediately after making. This sauce is not for the faint-hearted. It is sharp, tangy, and some say harsh. It is meant to satisfy a sailor's appetite for sharp, clean, green ingredients that he has done without for months. Only a few miles away in Nervi, the locals cut this recipe with cream to make it gentler to the palate. Pine nuts (and occasionally walnuts) were added to the recipe as it evolved, but were not used originally.

Few of us today have the time or patience to use the mortar and pestle method, and the food processor does a creditable job. To replace the velvety richness attained in the mortar, butter has been added to newer recipes. While the modern recipe that follows is a good adaptation of the original, and suits our more hectic lifestyle, it is well worth the effort just once to make it by the traditional method. The biggest advantage of the food processor is that in one short afternoon you can make enough pesto to freeze and carry you through the cold winter months. On a stormy December evening when you pour that emerald green sauce over hot pasta and inhale the garlicky, minty aromas you'll have captured the warmth of the Mediterranean sunshine on your plate and palate.

Whatever method you choose, a word on handling basil is appropriate. In spite of its distinct and hardy aroma, it is a delicate plant, and once picked should be used quickly to preserve its essence. If the leaves are bruised or cut and exposed to air they will blacken and wilt very quickly. Olive oil protects the color of the leaves, as




does salt, so once you begin to chop them, either in the processor or mortar, you must add the salt and oil steadily to prevent blackening.

Basil is at the peak of its season from July through September, and if you do not grow your own you can buy excellent field grown basil at a reasonable price in the markets. After September the markets will carry hot house basil which will be spindly, weak in flavor, and very expensive.

You can easily make a dozen or so pints to freeze by simply running continuous batches through the food processor. To do this, wash all the basil at once, strip leaves off stems, and spin dry in your salad spinner. Peel all the garlic you will need and measure the pine nuts, butter, and cheese in batches. Have the containers clean and dry. After everything is assembled each batch comes together in minutes.

A final thought on the trendy versus the traditional. The gradual evolution of a fine and proven recipe to suit the current cooking methods and products available seems a natural and inevitable course of events. But the total annihilation of the original by substituting anything imaginable for the basil, from parsley and spinach to tomatoes, seems to me to be heresy. I have seen "pesto" recipes without one hint of basil. While the final product may be a good tasting sauce, it is not pesto, and calling it such only manages to muddy up what should be sparklingly clear, i.e., pesto is made with basil as its main ingredient, and if you substitute parsley you will have made a green sauce that tastes of parsley.

The traditional method that follows is taken from "le Ricette Regionale Italiane", 2nd edition, published in 1967 in Italy. The modern version is my adaptation. There are no "new" recipes for pesto, only a gradual evolution of the original. There are, however, a few new uses to try with your pesto. Try mixing one half pint of pesto with 2 cups of cooked rice and 2 cups of steamed vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) and serve warm as a side dish or cold as a summer salad. You can mix one quarter cup of pesto with 2 cups ricotta and use it as a crepe filling. As you experiment with your own ideas please remember that this is an uncooked sauce, and is not meant to be heated directly. The warmth of the food it flavors is all the heat needed to release its full flavor.

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Pesto alla Genovese (Traditional)

36 fresh basil leaves 2 Tblsp. Pecorino sardo*, grated* 2 Tblsp. well aged Parmesan, grated 2 large cloves garlic

1 Tblsp. pine nuts, toasted in the oven a few minutes until golden

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. coarse salt (or to taste)

Carefully wash and dry the basil. Place a few leaves with a little of the garlic and some of the salt (to preserve color) in the mortar. As a paste is formed begin adding olive oil in dribbles. Continue adding basil, garlic, nuts and salt as you grind, dribbling in enough oil to maintain the bright green color and thick consistency. Stir in cheese last. You may dilute with a little of the cooking water from the pasta if you wish. After pasta is placed in the serving bowl, spoon the pesto over top, toss, and serve immediately.

*Pecorino sardo is a fresh Genovese sheep's milk cheese, not nearly as dry or sharp as Pecorino Romano. It is worth the effort to locate a supply. You may substitute Romano if you wish.




Modern Pesto (Food processor method)

2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tblsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted in oven 4 cloves garlic, cut into a few pieces each

1 tsp. salt (or to taste) 1/4 cup well aged Parmesan, grated 2 Tblsp. Pecorino sardo*, grated 3 Tblsp. butter, softened to room temperature

Wash and dry basil. Place in work bowl with garlic, nuts, and salt. Pulse several times. Scrape bowl down. Turn machine on and slowly dribble in oil. Scrape bowl down and process only until well blended. Pour into a bowl, stir in cheeses and softened butter.

Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a week without freezing. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce, then cover tightly. If the top darkens slightly, it will not affect the flavor. Simply stir it into the sauce. If you are making this to freeze, do not add cheese before freezing. The pesto will keep better without it. Add cheese after defrosting and just before using.





Pork Roast (Porchette) and TenderloinsBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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When I left home and acquired my first apartment with a real kitchen the first shopping trip included purchasing a piece of pork we called the "Boston Butt". This was the cheapest roast you could buy and the most delicious in my eyes. Mom (or sometimes Dad) would stuff it with garlic and rosemary, heavily salt it, and then roast it for hours and hours until the house was permeated with wonderful aromas. We would enjoy it hot for dinner, but everyone really waited for the next day, when we would pile thinly sliced leftovers on soft white bread with mustard and hot peppers, making the best sandwich in the world. This was the perfect cut of meat to begin my cooking career. It was inexpensive enough to fit a fledgling’s budget and feed me for several days, it was delicious, it reminded me of the comfort of home, and it was so easy to cook. You just cooked and cooked and cooked it until the bone simply pulled out of the meat.

That was the first rule of cooking pork I learned. It had to be well done, with not a touch of pink showing. Fortunately this method of cooking a Boston Butt, which is really the front shoulder of the pig, still works. It was the other cuts of pork that suffered from this rule. How many beautiful thick pork chops or lovely loin roasts were cooked into shoe leather in the name of health we'll never know. I was well into adulthood before I really began to enjoy pork chops.

In the 1960's we were rescued when it was understood that trichinosis was killed at an internal temperature of 140 degrees. It took many of us a few years to really feel comfortable eating a chop with a bit of pink in the middle, or a roast that came out of the oven in an hour or so instead of four hours, but eventually common sense and good taste won out. At about the same time the hog breeders were listening to our concerns about cutting the fat in our diet, and they began breeding hogs to be leaner. Gradually, as the fat layer on the chops and roasts got smaller and smaller it became even more important not to overcook the meat. The Boston Butt remains a throwback to the old cooking method because, even though the outer fat layer is thinner than it used to be, it is still the most internally well marbled cut of pork, and therefore still lends itself well to the old style of cooking.

In our family home, pork chops and Boston Butt were the primary cuts of fresh pork used. As I expanded my cooking horizons I began using the whole loin for special occasions and, of course, baby back ribs for barbecuing. I didn’t really add the pork tenderloin to my repertoire until about 10 years ago, but once I discovered this succulent piece of meat I was sold. It is probably the most expensive piece of the pig, but it is absolutely lean, extremely tasty, and very versatile. It is equally at home on the grill, in the oven, or in the sauté pan. The recipe that follows for tenderloin stuffed with roasted fennel takes a little advance effort, but once the preparation is done it cooks undisturbed and yields a dinner to remember. The sautéed pork medallions take




almost no advance preparation and cook very quickly, but rely on the pan sauce to make them memorable. Finally, for those of you who don’t remember the Boston Butt, we give to you Mom and Dad’s method. On a lazy cool day when you’re puttering around the house it is a great way to fix dinner, fill the house with tantalizing aromas, and provide wonderful sandwiches for the days after, all with very little work.

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Pork Tenderloins stuffed with Roasted Fennel and Pan Sauce

2 pork tenderloins 1 head fresh fennel olive oil 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 15-16 thin slices bacon

½ cup chicken stock ¼ cup white wine 3 Tblsp. brown sauce (Secret #27) salt pepper




Step One: Roast the fennel

Wash and pat dry one head of fresh fennel. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place fennel on small baking sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove and let stand until it cools to handling temperature, cut away excess stalk and a slice from the root end. Dice the fennel into small cubes and put aside.

Step Two: Prepare the tenderloins

The object is to make one rectangular piece of thinly pounded meat from two tenderloins, which can then be stuffed and rolled. Trim fat coating and all of the blue skin membrane on the tenderloins. Cut the thin tail end back several inches. Save the pieces for the next time you make spaghetti sauce. Using a sharp slicing knife butterfly open both filets. Using the palm of your hand, press down on the filets to begin to form a rectangle. Place a sheet of waxed paper over the butterflied filets, and gently pound with meat hammer until the filets are about 3/8 inches thick. Pound the top edge of the first filet thinner and the bottom edge of the second one and overlap them 2 inches. Pound the overlapped seam until it is the same thickness of the rest of the rectangle. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add ½ minced garlic to the cubed fennel and spread evenly over the tenderloins. Leave a little margin on the top and bottom. Roll the tenderloins as tight as you can. When finished rolling you can use a few toothpicks to hold the seam together, although it is not necessary if you handle the roll gently. Now stretch the bacon pieces flat, side by side, slightly overlapping, to make a sheet of bacon. Place the rolled tenderloins on the lower 1/3 of the bacon sheet. Carefully lift the end of the bacon sheet over the tenderloins and wrap tightly by rolling the tenderloins.




Step Three: Cook the tenderloins

Place the rolled tenderloins in a hot sauté pan, with a little clarified butter or olive oil. Start with the seam side of the bacon wrap down, and gently turn until the rolled tenderloins are nicely browned. Remove from pan and place on shallow baking sheet. Put in 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until done.

Step Four: Make pan sauce

Deglaze the sauté pan with chicken stock, add garlic, wine, and rosemary. Begin reducing and add three tablespoons of brown sauce. Reduce until it reaches serving consistency.

To serve the dish, pass a little of the pan sauce through a fine strainer and make a small puddle on the plate. Slice the tenderloins on the diagonal 3/8 inches thick. Fan the slices over the puddle of pan sauce. Three slices on a plate would make a nice serving. Creamy mashed potatoes and little fresh vegetable will finish the plates nicely.




Sautéd Pork Medallions with Pan Sauce

1 pork tenderloin ½ cup flour, for dredging 1 Tblsp. clarified butter 1 large clove garlic, minced

5 sprigs parsley, chopped fine ¼ cup chicken stock ¼ cup white wine 1 Tblsp. butter or Espagnole sauce (Secret #27)

Step One: Prepare the pork medallions

Trim fat coating and all of the blue skin membrane on the tenderloin. Slice the tenderloin into 1-½ to 2 ounce slices. Place each slice between two pieces of waxed paper and pound with meat hammer until very thin.

Step Two: Cook the medallions and make pan sauce

Sprinkle each medallion lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge the medallions in flour, shake off any excess. Add clarified butter to a large, hot sauté pan. Do not overcrowd, use multiple sauté pans if necessary. Sauté over medium high heat until nicely browned. Turn each medallion and add remaining ingredients to begin reduction of the pan sauce. When medallions are done, remove them from the pan and place on plate. Finish reducing the pan sauce until it reaches serving consistency, and pour over the plated medallions.

Italian Pork Roast (Porchette)

1 Boston Butt roast 1 large clove garlic, cut longway into 8 slivers

4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only salt and pepper

Step One: Prepare the roast

Using a sharp paring knife, cut 8 evenly spaced deep crosses in the roast. Place a garlic sliver in each and push to the bottom with your finger, forming a small pocket. Into each pocket, pushing with your finger, put equal amounts of salt (first) and pepper (last). The pocket should be loosely filled. Divide the rosemary leaves into 8 equal piles and firmly plug each of the holes. Give a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper over the entire roast.

Step Two: Cook the roast

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast to the center. Be careful not to have the tip of the thermometer touching a bone. Place the roast in a shallow baking pan and put in a medium oven (325-350). Remove the roast when you have an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees. Roasting time will vary, depending on the exact




temperature of the oven, and if the roast is at room temperature or just out of the refrigerator. Let roast stand for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up a bit before serving.

This method of seasoning and cooking a pork roast will also work well with a whole fresh picnic ham (front shoulder), or a fresh ham (rear). The seasoning method also works well with a whole bone-in or boneless pork loin, however, the cooking should be changed to a very slow roast (225 degrees) and a finished internal temperature of 135-140 degrees.

Leftovers from roasts done in this style make a delicious cold pork sandwich. Thinly slice a nice stack of the cold pork roast, place on a slice of homemade bread, top with a seeded, split banana pepper, and spread a little yellow mustard on the top slice of bread.


Easter Bread with 65 Eggs

By Cece Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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For those of you who are interested, a little family background. We are first generation Italian. Our father emigrated to America around 1913. As in most Italian households food was the central theme around which our lives revolved. Marriages, weddings, baptisms, even deaths all had their traditional dishes as well as each major holiday and about a hundred minor ones too. Birthdays, graduations, engagements, job promotions all called for a celebration which called for special food. Even the days of the weeks had their own special dishes when we were growing up. We could always count on Friday being "fish day" because Catholics did not eat meat on Fridays. Monday was always homemade soup day because that was the day Mom did the washing and ironing and needed a dish she could put on the back of the stove to cook all day while she was busy. And so on through the week.

While I have very fond memories of all the chaos of a large extended family with cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters coming and going, laughing, arguing, singing and dancing, my most vivid memories are of how the food always seemed to bring all the component parts of the celebration together. We always knew when Aunt Mary and Uncle Andy came up the front steps on Christmas morning, their beautiful tray of cookies would have the best (and possibly only) Mostaccioli in town. We only prayed that she would make them again for Easter. Just as we knew that Aunt Norma arriving from Ohio would have in hand the most delectable Fiadone in the family, but only at Easter.




Easter looms large in my memory because it meant my mother would bake her annual batch of Piña, or as we came to call it ‘Easter Bread". I have searched for many years to find the origin of the word Piña, to no avail. There are many recipes for festive, holiday breads with similarities to Mom’s original, but none yield quite the same results as hers. All the women in our family attempted to bake it every Easter and some were good, some were acceptable, but Bertha was known to make the absolute best and everyone waited for it. We four kids were always slightly chagrined because we knew the tradition called for us to take the loaves to our neighbors, and family and friends on Easter morning as a gesture of goodwill and they would in turn visit us with their offerings which never, ever compared to Mom’s. She would keep a loaf or two of her own for us because we raised such a fuss about it but we watched most unhappily as she packed up loaf after loaf for delivery.

As you can surmise, Mom is long gone but before she left us I went home and sat with her in the kitchen and wrote my version of her recipe. Then I took it to my home and worked with it until I got it scaled down "for mere mortals". You will understand this reference as you read over her original recipe which I am sharing with you now. This is taken from her handwriting and with her references as to weight and size. As you read it please remember that she had no special equipment for mixing or kneading - this was all done by hand, although she did have a large wooden tub that was only used for the raising of this bread. It was made by a local carpenter and had slanted sides and was approximately 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. We also had a "MixMaster", electric mixer of average size. She would begin the process the day before the actual baking of the bread. Although she made this bread all of her life, we finally persuaded her to write her version in 1970.

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Mama's Easter Bread with 65 Eggs



Ediberta (Bertha)Zara nee Buzzelli

(1903-1972)Picture: 1948


65 eggs, beat with electric mixer and 5 lb of sugar.

1 box raisins.

3 glasses citron.

1 glass anise seed, 35 cent size.

2 glasses whisky (wine glass size).

1 lb melted Crisco (you can put 1/2 oleo if you like).

13 lb flour to start. If you have large eggs you will need about 3 lb more to mix, or less.

Set Your Yeast 1 hr before mixing.

1 qt and 1 cup milk in large 8 qt kettle. Warm and dissolve 3 cakes of 13 cent size.

Put in 8 or 9 handfuls of flour, enough to make a real light dough.

Let stand to ferment one hour.

Always preheat your oven about 1/2 hour before you start to bake.

Large loaves bake at 275 for 50 to 55 min, real small loaves for 30 to35 min.

That’s it folks. No mixing directions, let alone kneading times. No pan size, no direction on raising (once or twice?) and what does a "wine glass" mean to my mother who never drank? I will caution you now, try this recipe only at your own risk. I will publish my version of it next week. Of this I can assure you, from this bread memories are made.




Easter Bread for Mere Mortals

By Cece Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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In my prior musings I promised you the updated version of "Easter Bread with 65 Eggs". After mom sent me her handwritten version I went to visit her on several occasions with advance warning, asking her to plan on spending the day in the kitchen baking this bread from her recipe. As she worked, I followed her around, measuring, estimating, and generally bugging her with questions. I returned to my own home and started experimenting. It took several months of repeated "bakes" and innumerable phone calls to finally come up with a recipe that I promptly entitled "Easter Bread for Mere Mortals". Since few of us have the time or space to deal with the 30 or so loaves that the original recipe yielded, my target was about six pounds of dough to make 3 large loaves or 4 medium loaves. This would be ideal - enough to give a loaf or two to a close friend and have one in the freezer and one to eat warm out of the oven.

The most notable change I made from the original was to substitute real butter for oleo - my preference since I like the flavor of the real stuff in my baked goods. Also the proportion of fat to flour is higher in my version. I like the richness it adds.

A note on giving this bread as a gift. As soon as it is completely cool, wrap well in plastic wrap and either give it to the lucky person within a day, or freeze it. To defrost, leave at room temperature with the wrap on it until completely defrosted then re-wrap in fresh plastic and it will be excellent. This bread makes simply grand toast or if you have some that has really staled, you can make the best bread pudding ever. Never happens in our house - it just disappears as breakfast toast, afternoon coffee break, or midnight snacks. Even though it was traditionally baked only at Easter when I was growing up, I’ve taken the liberty of baking this bread on any occasion I want to treat my family to something a little special.

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Easter Bread for Mere Mortals




2 pkgs. dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm milk 1 tsp. sugar 3 or 4 handfuls of white unbleached Flour

Add sugar to warm milk, then dissolve yeast in the milk. Whisk in flour by the handful until about the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Cover and set aside for an hour or until bubbly and about double in bulk. This is your starter.

8 cups white unbleached flour 1 cup raisins 1 8 oz container citron 2 cups sugar 2 Tblsp. anise seed 1 tsp. salt

Mix all six ingredients together and put this mixture onto a large wooden table. Make a well in the center large enough to hold all of the starter plus the following wet ingredients.

8 large eggs, room temperature 4 oz melted butter, cooled 1/2 cup rum

Beat eggs in electric mixer until light and foamy, add melted butter and rum and just beat to mix. Scrape starter into well of dry ingredients. Pour egg mixture in slowly while using a fork to start incorporating flour, making a soft dough. This will take a little time and a lot of patience because you do not want to collapse the flour walls while you have a very runny egg mixture in the middle. Once you have a soft dough working, start kneading vigorously using a dough scraper to help it along. The dough will be very sticky to begin with. Keep adding dustings of flour and kneading until it is soft and velvety, being careful not to add so much flour that it become hard or dry. This kneading will take about 15 min.Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to double. It will take 2 or even 3 hours. Deflate the dough but do not knead it. Cover again and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces of about 2 lbs each. Roll each piece into a long log, working from the center out. Rotate working each piece, resting the others. This relaxes the dough and makes it easier to work with. When all are about the size of your wrist (this is definitely a Mamma measurement) form them into rings, pinching ends together well. Place on greased sheet pans, cover with clean towels and let rise about 1 to 1/2 hours until almost double.




Preheat oven to 350. Brush each loaf with a mixture of 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tblsp. Milk just before placing in oven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before wrapping.

Altitude adjustments: None - the fat contributed by the butter and eggs in this recipe provides a dough that produces the same result at 8,000 feet as it does at sea level.




Cheese Bread


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I can remember at Easter, mom baked a special bread especially for my father. Although he and the rest of the family enjoyed her traditional Easter Bread, he was extremely fond of "Pane al Formaggio." The English translation, cheese bread, says it all. This is definitely a bread for the person who has a taste for aged, sharp, hard grating cheeses. Not only was this flavorful bread baked at Easter, but also in late summer when the grapes on dad’s arbor were decadently sweet.

The grape arbor we had in our back yard was elevated about 8 feet and covered approximately a 20x20 foot area. Six vines intertwined to form a shaded area where I spent a lot of time with my father relaxing and cooling off after working in the garden for 2 or 3 hours. I can still remember him sitting with that old sweat stained fedora hat, telling me to go to the wine cellar and draw a pitcher of wine, then asking mom to bring out the chilled grapes and the cheese bread. His favorite grapes to eat were a deep purple Concord type that he had picked and washed in the morning. On these hot summer days our mid-afternoon snack was chilled grapes, a thick slice of cheese bread and a glass of home-made dry red wine. Life was good.

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Papa's Cheese Bread



Pietro (Pete) Zara(1895-1972)and son RayPicture: 1941


One of the variables in this recipe is the quality and type of the cheese that will be used. At the number 1 position would be Reggiano Parmigiano. However any good quality Parmesan, Romano, Pecorino Romano, or any hard aged cheese that you might use freshly grated on a nice dish of pasta will work. Pre-grated cheeses that you might find in the supermarket in cardboard dispensers and glass shaker bottles will not work.

Total ingredients:

6 large eggs - well beaten and at room temperature 1 cup milk - scalded 6 oz. Crisco melted and cooled to room temperature 8 oz. freshly grated hard aged cheese 1/2 tsp. salt 5 cups flour 1 pkg. instant dry yeast




Step One: the Sponge

In a bowl place 11/4 cups of the flour, 1 Pkg. of Instant dry yeast and 1 cup of scalded milk, now at room temperature. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hr.

Step Two: Mixing and Kneading

In your mixer bowl measure 3 cups flour, (you should have 3/4 cup now in reserve), add the eggs, Crisco, cheese, salt and the sponge. Mix well and turn out on a well floured board. Knead by hand adding flour as necessary to achieve a smooth supple dough that is just dry enough not to stick to the kneading surface.

Step Three: Scaling and Proofing

Divide the dough in half and place in two lightly greased standard loaf pans (9x5x21/2), cover with a clean kitchen towel and let raise for three hours, or until the proofed dough reaches the top of the pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 50 minutes. The yield is two loaves. If you would like to freeze one loaf, make sure it is double wrapped with plastic wrap and defrosted with the wrap on. This bread freezes very nicely.

You will undoubtedly notice a couple of things that are different about this bread. First of all there is no sugar in the recipe and secondly there is no "first" rise. You will also notice that the two pans when first filled with the un-proofed dough will look very skimpy. Not to worry. By using the sponge method the yeast will get into high gear feeding from the milk and flour for the 1 hour wait, therefore the lack of sugar will not inhibit the growth of the yeast structures. The elimination of the first rise, or fermentation stage, and going straight to proof further enhances the development of the yeast with no effect on the texture of the finished product.

Altitude adjustments: At 8,000 feet we reduce the proofing time to slightly over 2 hours, increase the oven temperature by 25 degrees, and shorten the cooking time by 5-10 minutes. Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third the amount shown here, two-thirds at 5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale similarly every 2,500 feet if you're really in the clouds.




FiadoneBy Cece Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Continuing on with the Easter theme of the past few columns, I began to think about why Easter was such an important holiday in my life. Of course growing up in a Roman Catholic Italian family and community it had enormous religious significance. Next to Christmas, Easter was awaited with huge anticipation. The religious preparation began with Ash Wednesday, continued through Lent with its penance and fasting (and so very many good intentions!) and culminated with Easter morning Mass. In a sense the secular part of the celebrations mimicked the religious. After the cold, wet, snowy months following Christmas we looked forward to the first part of April, its teasing days of lengthening light and occasional bursts of warmth and new greenery poking up here and there. We celebrated the arrival of Spring and the rebirth of nature with our own awakening. Shopping for new spring clothes, especially your Easter outfit, was a ritual that all the woman in the family (and even a few of the men) participated in with as much abandon as our budget would allow. Hats were a passion back then and my mother’s attic had a room dedicated to my hatboxes. Each year it seemed they got more outrageous.

We also looked forward to this special season for another reason. It meant that the Ohio and Detroit arms of our family and ourselves would now be free to exchange visits. Back then an auto trip of three or four hours from Ohio to our home in Western Pennsylvania was a major event and never undertaken in the winter months. We anxiously looked forward to seeing our cousins and aunts and uncles and sharing not only Easter dinner but all of the special dishes of that weekend. Of course they never arrived empty-handed. Uncle Ray would always have a bottle or two of his red wine, which was recognized by all as THE BEST of the homemade wines. I don’t believe my parents ever bought a bottle of wine. Every family made its own. There were always trays of homemade cookies, and loaves of Easter Bread, some with colored eggs baked into them.

But the one I waited for was Aunt Norma and Uncle Joe because we all knew that she had “the hand” for Fiadone. This was a special Easter-only treat that all our families made, but each one had a slight variation on the theme and it was Aunt Norma’s that was recognized as the tastiest.

While researching the name of this recipe, I came across a savory variation of it in Italian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni, translated from Italian in 1969. She included it in the section



Norma Marchionnanee Buzzelli(1906-1975)Picture: 1926


from Abruzzi. It uses Scamorza cheese and grated Parmesan and includes olive oil in the crust - definitely not a dessert pie.Further reading took me to The Food of Italy by Waverley Root, published in 1971, in which he describes a dessert from the Valle d’Aosta called Fiandolein. It is a cream made from milk, eggs, and sugar and flavored with lemon and then poured into a cup over bread broken into small pieces. It seems to me that this is a more likely precursor to our family version than the savory recipe.

Our Fiadone is the equivalent of a cheese torte. It is neither a cheesecake nor a cheese pie but somewhere in between the two. In the traditional Italian style it is only slightly sweet. It is, however, very rich, and should be served in thin slices. Only the finest fresh whole milk ricotta should be used in this recipe.

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Aunt Norma's Fiadone

Makes one 10” pie.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour the pan.

Dough Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. anise seed 2 eggs 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled




Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the anise seed. Beat the eggs lightly, add butter, then add this mixture to the flour and work into a soft dough, keeping an additional 1/4 cup flour ready to add as necessary. The consistency will be that of a soft cookie dough. Add only enough additional flour to keep from sticking. Chill until ready to bake the pie.

Filling:

2 lbs. fresh whole milk ricotta 1/4 lb. citron 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Glaze:

Egg wash made with the yolk of an egg yolk and a Tblsp. water

Mix filling ingredients in the order given. Roll out dough 1/8” thick. Place in pie pan and cut off excess. Flute edges. Reroll the trimmings to make the lattice top. Pour in the filling, cut six lattice strips about 3/4” wide and place three in each directions over the top. Brush with the egg wash and bake at 350 for one hour until set. Cool completely before cutting.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8000 feet I had to increase the baking time to 1 hr. and 10 min. Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third the amount shown here, two-thirds at 5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale similarly every additional 2,500 feet.




White PizzaBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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A ritual from years gone by used to occur without fail on Uncle Andy's birthday. Aunt Mary not only baked the traditional birthday cake, but also baked a pizza faithfully on this occasion. The cake was for the guests, the pizza was Uncle Andy’s treat. More often a white pizza was done instead of the traditional pizza with tomato sauce. My mom and Aunt Mary seemed to have the inside track on baking this very simple, but very tasty version of a pizza pie.

Later in life, I remember passing some Sunday afternoons at the local Sons of Italy Lodge, and large trays stacked high with white pizza cut in squares were passed up and down the bar. I’m quite sure this salty treat increased beer sales dramatically, as it was designed to do. The fact that Uncle Andy was also Venerable of the local SOI accounts for the “white pizza connection.”

When Mom and Aunt Mary were baking their white pizzas no one in the family at that time gave much thought to protein levels of flour, so both pizza and bread were baked from the very same simple recipe that really was quite adequate for those times. When our family wanted a loaf of European style bread, it was a short block and a half walk to the European Baking Company. There you could buy a great loaf of Vienna bread, wonderful hard rolls and the best lady fingers on the planet. This bakery was so handy that mom only

Family Secrets #005 - Originally Published 03/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1998 RZara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.


Dante Biordi(1904-1969)Picture: 1938


occasionally baked bread at home. Not only was her bread a real treat for us, but the pizzas that were baked on the same day, especially the white pizza, will remain fond memories forever.

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Uncle Andy's White PizzaTotal Ingredients:

2 cups water 6 cups all purpose flour 1 pkg. instant yeast 1 Tblsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup melted and cooled Crisco Shaker of salt Fresh ground black pepper

Step One: Mixing and Kneading

Place first six ingredients in the mixer bowl, mix with dough hook attachment at low speed until the dough begins to form. Increase speed and mix for 5 minutes. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead till dough is smooth and supple, dusting with flour if necessary.

Step Two: Proofing and Retarding

Divide dough into three 16 ounce dough balls. Place 2 of them in well oiled bowls and cover tightly with plastic wrap and put into refrigerator for use at a later time. It will keep for three days under refrigeration, or you can double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze. Take the remaining dough ball and put in well oiled bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel until the dough is proofed, about 2 hours.

Step Three: Pan and Bake




Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove proofed dough ball and place on floured board. Using the flat of your hand press down on the center of the dough in a circular motion, creating a flat circle with a ridge around it. Using both hands in a circular motion stretch dough to 14” in diameter, and with your thumb and forefinger form the crust on the outside of the circle. Lightly spray a 14” pizza pan with vegetable spray and place dough on pan. Using the tines of a fork "dock" the whole bottom of the pizza, pricking the dough so it doesn't blow up like a balloon. Drizzle approximately 1/4 cup olive oil on the bottom of the pizza and using a pastry brush spread evenly and brush the crust. Using your first three fingers dimple the bottom of the pizza. Be generous with the olive oil , if you have a few puddles on the bottom, so much the better. Shake a generous amount of salt over the pizza and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper. Place in the pre-heated oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Check after 1 minute for air bubbles, if any appear pierce immediately with the tip of a sharp knife.

Step Four: Cut into 8 slices, open a bottle of your favorite beer and enjoy!!

At one of the restaurants that I owned we offered a modern variation of white pizza that you might like to try. It is very straightforward to do and it makes a very interesting pizza.

White Pizza Deluxe

To make the dough, substitute high gluten flour for the all purpose flour. Use olive oil instead of the Crisco, and everything else remains the same. The main difference is in the topping, which is as follows:

In a small bowl place 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley, dried oregano and dried basil. Add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese. Add olive oil to make a thin batter. Spread mixture generously over bottom of the formed pizza and brush the crust with olive oil.

Slice a good sized fresh tomato into 8 slices and place in what will be the center of each slice, put a heaping teaspoon of ricotta cheese between the tomato slice and the crust. Sprinkle very lightly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake the same way as the above recipe. When the pizza has about 1 minute left place 1 anchovy filet across each slice of tomato.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8000 feet the only adjustment necessary for both of these recipes is to reduce the proofing time by 1/2 hour. Altitude adjustment should begin at 2,500 feet at one-third




the amount shown here, two-thirds at 5,000 feet, and the full amount at 7,500 feet. Scale similarly every additional 2,500 feet.




FocacciaBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Focaccia - is it a trendy, fashionable recent arrival on the artisan bread scene or has it been lying dormant since ancient history? The truth of the matter is that this bread is as old as recorded history. The name Focaccia is a derivative of a Latin word meaning hearth. Before ovens became common, this flat bread was baked on a hot stone under a mound of hot ashes, sort of an ancient hearth.

The tastiest ingredients available at whatever time of year were incorporated into this rustic flat bread. Bakers with a lot of imagination over the years have elevated this bread to its present status. If you search enough books on the subject you will find recipes for focaccia with olives, with cheese, with sea salt, from all different regions of Italy, and on and on. The recipe that follows is my personal favorite.

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Aromatic Focaccia

To obtain the best results there are two items that require special attention. The first is the flour to be used. “High gluten” flour will give the best results for this bread, though reasonable results can be achieved by using “bread flour”; but I would not use a general all purpose flour. You should strive to use a flour that is as close to 14% protein as possible, do not use flour that is under 12% or you may not be satisfied with the results.

Herbs are the second item for special attention. Basil, thyme and rosemary are the three aromatic herbs that are used in baking this bread. Try to use fresh herbs if at all possible, though you can use dried thyme and rosemary if fresh is not available. Do not substitute dried basil for fresh in this recipe, you will not be happy with the results.

Total ingredients:

6 Tblsp. olive oil 1 large onion, diced fine 2 large cloves of garlic, mashed 1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper 1 Tblsp. chopped fresh (or dried) thyme 2 Tblsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tblsp. if

7 cups high gluten flour 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to room

temperature 1 1/2 cups cool water 1 Tblsp. salt 1 pkg. instant dry yeast




dried 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 Tblsp. coarse salt, kosher or sea salt2 Tblsp. coarse grind corn meal

Step One: Sauté

Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in medium sauté pan, add finely diced onion and mashed garlic. Cook over medium heat till onions become translucent. Shut off heat and add basil, thyme, rosemary and coarse ground pepper. Toss well and let stand 5 minutes.


In the mixer bowl put contents of the sauté pan, then add the cool water and scalded milk. Mixture should be warm, but not hot. Add flour, yeast, regular salt. Mix at low speed for three minutes, then increase speed slightly for another 5 minutes. Turn out onto floured board and knead for another 5 minutes. Add flour as needed to achieve a smooth, supple, elastic dough. Cover dough with a bowl and let rest for five minutes. Finish kneading and form into a tight smooth ball.

Step Three: Retarding

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight. Make sure when you place dough in bowl to turn once so you will have a slight coat of oil on the top.

Step Four: Pan, Proof and Bake

Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Using your fingers deflate dough while stretching the dough on the board to a length and width that approximates the size of a sheet pan (17”x13”). Sprinkle coarse ground cornmeal on bottom of sheet and lift dough onto the pan. Stretch dough till pan is evenly covered. Make sure dough is into all corners and is as level as possible. Cover with several kitchen towels and proof for about 2 1/2 hours. Brush top of dough with pastry brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Dampen your first three fingers with olive oil and dimple dough in even rows. Push hard enough while making dimples to feel the bottom of the pan, being careful not to tear the dough. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and place in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes You might slip the dough out of the pan and onto the oven rack the last five minutes of baking to even the browning. Place on cooling rack until room temperature is reached

Notice the short rest the dough is given while kneading. This technique is desirable on most bread dough, and you will notice a distinct difference in the feel of the dough when you come back to it after the rest. Also the slowing down of the first rise by retarding it in the refrigerator overnight has a positive effect on the texture and flavor of the bread. This retarding technique is not used on sweet dough's.




The pan of focaccia that was just made will yield a loaf weighing close to 4 lbs. It will cut into 12 generous portions for sandwiches, bread service, or the best bruschetta that you ever had. You can individually wrap and freeze this bread by the portion, or cut in half or quarter the loaf, freezing whatever you wish. Serving this bread cut into strips to be dunked in either plain or flavored extra virgin olive oil for an appetizer course will also work very nicely.

Grilled Portabella on Focaccia

Here is an idea for a great sandwich. Marinate a whole Portabella mushroom at least 30 minutes in olive oil and some fresh herbs of your choice. Broil the mushroom until done. Split one of the 12 portions of focaccia, brush lightly with olive oil and brown under broiler until golden brown. Spread a little sundried tomato mayonnaise lightly on both sides of the focaccia. Build the sandwich as follows, put mushroom on the bun, top with a nice piece of roasted red pepper, top that with 2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, top that with a nice handful of fresh Arugula tossed in a vinaigrette, put lid on and mangia.

Altitude adjustments: There is no need to adjust this recipe for high altitude.




Fields of Green


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The rites of spring are many and repeated throughout the country: the Easter shopping spree, the Maypole dance, sighting the first robin, shucking that heavy winter coat for a sweater, to name a few. This morning as I was cleaning out the last of the Rapini from my winter greenhouse, I looked out the window and noticed the first greening of the land, delicate and barely perceptible. I walked out the front door and looked in the mulched flowerbed and there it was - my harbinger of spring. Bane of gardeners everywhere, the major pest of the perfect lawn, but the delight of foragers across the country - the dandelion.

As a youngster, it was our dad's favorite walk in the country. He had a perfectly manicured garden every summer with not a weed in sight, but he dearly loved to forage in the early spring for dandelions and cress. Most often he took my brother Raymond with him because this was hard work, bending and digging up the plant with a bit of the root attached. You never just cut the leaves because they would wilt before you could deal with them. Occasionally he would let me accompany him, and that was always a very special day for me. We would leave early in the morning while it was still cool and the grasses dewy. We wore boots and sweaters which we would peel off as the sun warmed us. The object wasn't just greens for dinner, it was baskets and

Family Secrets #007 - Originally Published 04/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1998 C Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.


Guiliamo (Bill) Zara (1921-1995)Picture: 1951


baskets of greens because we knew that they would only be pickable for about a week or two. Once the yellow flower blossomed, the greens were too tough and strong to eat. We picked the young greens not just for our household, but for my sister, aunts, and neighbors.

We always drove out of town awhile to find the most pristine meadow he judged suitable. This would be land where there were no horses or cows grazing and hopefully away from well traveled roads and auto exhaust.

We picked the dandelions first, then as the sun got warmer, we headed off to the streams to search for the cress that grew on the banks. After hours of this, we headed home to face several hours of cleaning and washing and rewashing the harvest. What we didn't divide up among our relatives and friends, our Mom would either set aside for us to eat as salad or would cook and freeze.

It was our oldest brother Bill, however, who would wait for the fresh dandelion salads. He was a big man, over 6 feet and a good 200 lbs. He never developed the love of the outdoors or any of the activities associated with the harvest. He would rather put on a beautiful suit and fresh white French-cuffed shirt and take his girl dancing. But he did love eating those greens! He could make a meal out of it. We could never talk him into foraging with us, but at least he would help deliver them to family and neighbors, and then come home to eat them in unforgettable quantities.

While there are many wild greens that are edible, dandelions are universal. Other than in the most arid desert, they are found in every region of our country, perhaps even the world. Just remember to pick them young, before the yellow bloom appears and to forage in the least traveled area (whether by man or beast).

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Fresh Dandelion Salad




This will serve one very big eater or two normal diners

Four cups well washed and coarsely chopped dandelions greens (roots cut off) Two four-minute boiled eggs Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Place greens in serving bowls. Toss with enough vinaigrette to dress the greens but don't swamp them. Top with peeled eggs and serve with a chunk of crusty bread.

Salad Vinaigrette

Makes approximately 2/3 cup

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I love oil from Tuscany for its peppery flavor) 3 Tblsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. salt



Root is shown as cut when harvested.Root is cut off later just before use.


1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 large peeled and smashed garlic clove Freshly ground pepper

Put all ingredients into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well and let steep at least an hour before use. This will keep under refrigeration for a week. Bring to room temperature before using. You may wish to add a sprig or two of fresh herbs as available. Occasionally substituting fresh squeezed lemon juice for the vinegar makes a pleasant dressing, especially in the summer.

Cooked Dandelion Greens

Cut the roots from the greens and discard. Wash well in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and put the greens into the water by the handful. Bring water quickly back to the boil and cook just until wilted, two or three minutes. Drain and run cold water over to stop the cooking. Squeeze as much moisture out as possible. At this point you may wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze for future use, 8 to 10 ounces per package is a useful size.

These greens may be used as a substitute for spinach or Swiss chard in any number of recipes, from ravioli or lasagna fillings to a simple sauté in olive oil with garlic as a side dish.

Altitude Adjustments: At 8000 feet it takes 5 minutes to make a 4 minute egg!




Homemade Pasta Then and Now


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I began my education in pasta making while in the third grade at the Purification BVM grade school in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. It was at this time that my mother volunteered my services to the local parish priest to serve as an altar boy. Little did I know that I was to serve the 6:45 a.m. Mass every day for the next three years! She would wake me about 5:00 a.m., make sure I was dressed properly, feed me some breakfast, and take me by the hand to walk approximately 1 mile to the church. We followed this routine, rain or shine, daily for the better part of three years.




Everybody in the family looked forward to Sundays because that was pasta day in our home. More often than not the pasta was homemade by Mom. I guess it was because I was such a good boy to serve all the Masses that she actually let me help in making the pasta on Sunday mornings. Looking back, I realize this was quite a reward because nobody ever dared to invade Mom's kitchen. She would let me knead the dough, turn the crank handle on the pasta roller/cutter machine, and even let me hang to dry some of the finished product. Pasta for ravioli, lasagna, spaghetti, linguine and angel hair were homemade. Shaped pastas such as rigatoni, bow ties, ziti, and fusilli were purchased from our local Italian market.

Many years later, while enrolled at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, I made my first trip through the cafeteria line. You have to understand that this was my first experience living away from home. Wednesday, not Sunday, was pasta day and it was one of the first lessons I learned at college. I can remember it like it was yesterday, looking down the food line and seeing a huge tray of spaghetti and meatballs. I thought to myself, life is not going to be too bad here, they have spaghetti and meatballs. After having my plate filled, I quickly sat at a table anticipating the same pleasure I enjoyed so many times at home. Needless to say, what I got was a plate of overcooked, mushy, starchy pasta coated with the most horrible sauce that I have ever eaten. The meatballs were no better, tasting like they were loaded with sawdust. I knew at once not to do this again, and further thought, if mom were here she could teach the graduate program in pasta making.



Raymond Zara (1938- )Picture: 1947


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Homemade Pasta

Total ingredients:

1 1/2 cups semolina flour 1 1/2 cups all Purpose flour 5 large eggs (room temperature) 1/4 tsp. salt

Step One: Blend Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl place the semolina flour, the all purpose flour, and the salt. Blend well.


Place contents of the bowl on work surface. Using your hands or a dough knife, form a circle with a well large enough to hold all the eggs comfortably in the middle. Add the five large eggs in the center of the well. Using a fork lightly beat the eggs and incorporate the flour mixture slowly, working around the circle. When the mixture thickens to the point the fork becomes useless, use a dough knife (dough scraper) to keep inverting the mixture until the eggs are absorbed. Use your hands to bring mixture together as a rough dough. Knead vigorously till the dough becomes somewhat smooth. Cover with a bowl and let rest for 5 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is smooth. Form into a log about 3 inches round. The dough at this point should weigh about 1 lb. 8 ounces. The color of the dough should look like a golden field of wheat ready to be harvested, and the dough should be very dense. This is totally unlike bread dough and should feel only moist enough to stay together. It should be stiff and dense.

Step Three: Rolling and Cutting

...By Hand:For this size recipe you can cut the log in half and with the palm of your hand flatten one of the pieces as flat as you can and shape into a rectangle, while keeping the other half under a bowl to keep it moist. Use a heavy rolling pin to roll and shape the rectangle until you get the desired thickness of the pasta. Take the short side of the rectangle and fold it over about 2 inches. Repeat the folding process until the rectangle is completely folded over. Using the knuckles of one hand as a guide and a sharp dough knife or chef knife cut cross ways until the whole fold is cut. Repeat the process with the other piece of dough.




This will result in extra long strands of pasta. If you want the pasta a little shorter you can fold the rectangle from the long side and the result will be a little shorter strand. Though my mom had a hand cranked roller and cutter, she used this method from time to time. The drawback of this method is that you can end up with uneven pasta. With practice you can get a uniform thickness and an even cut, and do it faster than if you use a pasta roller/cutter.

...By Machine:A pasta roller/cutter machine will produce a pasta of even width and thickness and let you quickly cut it to whatever length you desire. To use this machine simply cut about 1/8th of the log, then use the palm of your hand to flatten it on a lightly floured board. Set the machine on the thickest setting and crank the dough through. Set this strip on the table and repeat with two additional cuts. Set the machine to the next thinner setting and crank all three strips through. Repeat the process, setting the machine to the next setting until you reach the thickness you want. Place the cutter on the frame and insert the handle, or motor if you have one, and cut the three processed strips to the width you want. This size recipe should be done in 8 strips.

Step four: Drying the Pasta




As each strip of pasta is cut, lightly sprinkle some flour over it and spread some on your work surface where you will place the cut pasta; or hang the cut pasta over a clean broom stick straddled between two chairs. When drying pasta on a work surface use your fingers to swirl each handful of cut pasta into a random pattern - trying to lay them out as straight strands will generally cause them to stick together where they overlap. In an hour or two the dried weight of the pasta will be about 1 lb. 5 oz. At this point you can proceed to cooking, or for later use, loosely place the pasta in a large brown bag and store in a cool, dry (not the refrigerator) spot.

Step five: Cooking the Pasta

In a large pot, bring to a boil at least 1 gallon of salted water. Place the pasta in the boiling water and stir constantly until you achieve the al dente (to the teeth) degree that you desire. Drain cooked pasta in a large colander, sauce, and serve immediately. The cooked weight of the pasta should be 2 lb. 10 oz. Depending on serving size, you should serve four to five.

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Pasta made the old way by our family only had one basic change. Semolina flour was not readily available years ago and the pasta was made entirely of regular all purpose flour. This made it necessary to rinse the pasta after draining it in the colander because of the higher starch content of the flour. Keep this in mind if for any reason you choose to make paste without semolina.

Notice the absence of water in both the old and new pasta recipes. The enemy of a great pasta is water. If you are using an automatic pasta machine that extrudes the pasta by the addition of water, you are wasting your time and effort. You might as well go to the grocery store and buy boxed pasta because that is how they make it. My advice to you if you have one of these machines is to get rid of it, because cut pasta is far superior to extruded. The pasta roller/cutter machines are only a fraction of the cost of an automatic extruder type pasta machine. They are available at any good kitchen supply house and through a variety of mail order catalogs.

My sister and I have several pasta roller/cutter machines equipped with catalog-bought, add-on motors. When we make a large batch of pasta we set one machine up to roll, the other to cut. In our particular circumstance the savings in time and effort warrant the investment.

Making a big batch of homemade pasta can be a very rewarding family-day weekend project. I guarantee it will give you a whole new outlook on how good pasta can really be. As your proficiency increases you can begin to make a few stuffed shapes as well, such as tortellini and cappelletti.

Altitude Adjustment: The cooking time for pasta requires some adjustment. At 8,000 ft. water boils at 196 degrees, requiring a slightly longer cooking time. The boiling point of water at sea level is 212 degrees resulting in the shortest cooking time. Contrary to popular myth, a pressure cooker should never be used to cook pasta at any altitude.




PolentaBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Until the late 1970's I refused to eat in an Italian restaurant. The few times that we had tried, we were faced with the standard mushy spaghetti, tasteless meatballs, and the ever-present pizza. It was much better to eat "Italian" at home. But several things happened in the 70's. First, the public became much more sophisticated in their taste for foods of other countries. As a result, chefs across the country responded by presenting well researched, well cooked ethnic food. Secondly, we all became much more aware of proper diet and good nutrition. It seemed like overnight we were bombarded with the blessings of a Mediterranean diet based on grains, fruits and vegetables, with small amounts of protein in the form of fish, poultry and meat. This information continues to develop today even to the point where the traditional food pyramid we all learned in school has been rearranged to put grains at the top.

Our parents were not particularly learned about nutrition, but rather had an intuitive understanding of a well-balanced diet. That, combined with the basic frugal nature of our household, led us to eat in a fashion that is now considered "healthy".



Ediberta (Bertha) Zara nee Buzzelli (1903-1972)

Pietro (Pete) Zara (1895-1972)

Mama and Papa: 1922


It wasn't until I moved away from home that I realized that mama had several old standbys for when the dollar was short. None of us kids ever felt shortchanged at the table. The food was plentiful and delicious and, although we didn't know it at the time, also healthy. In addition to those benefits, it was often cheap because of the use of lots of pasta, grains, and vegetables. You can't get much better than that.

The first time I spotted polenta on a San Francisco menu in the ‘70s, where my husband and I lived for 25 years, I was elated. This was definitely one of Mom's standbys and one of my "comfort" foods. I never imagined that I'd see it in a fashionable big city restaurant. Then I took a look at the price and couldn't believe my eyes. For that whopping $8.95 I could cook up enough polenta to serve an army. But it was now "discovered" along with a satisfying range of other authentic Italian food. And so, while we did occasionally pay to eat in upscale fine Italian restaurants, I still cooked my polenta at home.

In Italy it is the northern region of Lombardy where polenta is the most popular. The Etruscans passed it to the Romans in central Italy, but since the Etruscan influence was barely felt in the northern regions it was most likely introduced there by the Romans. According to Waverley Root in his book "The Foods of Italy" Lombardy grows much maize which has proved ideal for polenta. It is so important to that region that every properly equipped kitchen owns a special copper pot reserved solely for the making of polenta.

Polenta is truly rustic food at its best. A cupful or two added to boiling water or stock and finished with a pat of butter, a handful of grated Parmesan and topped with a ladle of homemade tomato sauce will feed four deliciously. Make twice as much and pour the extra into a well-oiled loaf pan and chill overnight. Now you can unmold and slice it, slide the slices into a frying pan with some melted butter and serve for breakfast with maple syrup. You could also slice it, brush it with olive oil and grill it for a side dish with grilled meats for dinner. Wonderfully versatile, you can trick this humble dish into all sorts of presentations limited only by your imagination. Sausage or game added to a tomato sauce is superb with hot soft polenta. Sautéed wild mushroom are a quick and easy addition to tomato sauce if you do not wish to add meat. The meat juices from a roast can be spooned over grilled sliced polenta as a side dish. Rosemary or sage-infused oils add yet another dimension.

When mama made this years ago she always used plain water as the cooking medium. Over the years I have experimented and found that a light chicken stock makes a delicious variation, giving the final outcome a kick of flavor. This is one of the few times that you really do not need to use a rich homemade stock. I often use a low-salt canned chicken stock diluted with water and it works just fine.

A word on the grain itself. I have read recipes that claim you can use regular cornmeal. If you substitute cornmeal for actual polenta you will have grits or porridge or mush, but not polenta. Every Italian grocery or deli, and some natural food stores that carry a supply of bulk grains, will have polenta. It should be coarse in texture and a deep golden color. The "instant" polenta is not




worth the extra money. It cuts down the cooking time by a few minutes but has no other advantage and is much more expensive than bulk grain.

Finally let's talk about serving methods. You can of course serve in individual shallow bowls, or family style in a large lipped platter. But the most fun is the "table" method. You must have an immaculately clean wooden table. You pour the hot polenta in a circle in the middle and by the time you've topped it with the sauce and called everyone to dinner it has set enough. Each person marks off their wedge and eats. Mama always put a few meatballs at the center to reward the fastest eaters. I wouldn't recommend this method when entertaining the boss, but it is great for family and friends. Mangia!

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Soft PolentaTo serve four generously:

2 cups polenta 8 cups boiling liquid, half chicken stock and half water 2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 2 Tblsp. butter

Use a large heavy bottomed pot. Add salt to boiling liquid. Pour the dry polenta in a slow steady stream into the boiling liquid, stirring with a wooden spoon the entire time. Turn heat to medium to reach a slow boil. Continue stirring, reaching all parts of the sides and bottom of the pan. The polenta will gradually thicken and requires constant stirring (very important). Cook 15 to 20 minutes in this fashion until the polenta is thick. Turn heat off, add butter and Parmesan, give a final stir to incorporate and serve immediately topped with sauce of your choosing.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft. water boils at 196 degrees, requiring a slightly longer cooking time; and more like 10 cups of liquid is needed.




Spaghetti Sauce - Red and MarinaraBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, salsinna, gravy, plus I don’t know how many more names refer to the magical red stuff that accompanies traditional pasta dishes. How to make it and what is correct and what is incorrect has been debated among pasta lovers for centuries. It is safe to say there is no right and wrong as long as the sauce has a tomato base. Although there are many ways to sauce a dish of pasta, the traditional red sauce is the most popular and the most controversial.

Let me begin by saying that when I make a batch of spaghetti sauce, I make a big batch. I will use what is needed the day that it is made and put the rest up in multiple freezer containers. I usually put enough in the freezer to prepare 3 to 4 meals for 4 diners each.

In years gone by, my mother made the proper amount of meatballs in proportion to the amount of sauce. She browned the meatballs in an old black iron skillet and finished them in the sauce.

The sauce she made was excellent, however the fats from the cooking meatballs were infused into the sauce. Some families did not brown the meatballs, preferring instead to put them into the sauce directly. This also resulted in a high fat sauce but produced a softer meatball. I prefer to do neither of the above. I make meatballs in large batches, cook them off in the oven, cool them on a wire rack so as much fat as possible drips off, and then bag them in portions that are frozen for use at a later date. Armed with sauce in the freezer and meatballs in the freezer a nice spaghetti dinner can become a rather simple chore.

Color, viscosity and flavor are the three important goals to accomplish in order to make a superior spaghetti sauce. Three items that are very popular in many sauce recipes are sugar, wine and tomato paste. I use none of these in my sauce recipe. Sugar will slightly darken the sauce as it caramelizes during the cooking process. Using a good grade of tomatoes with the proper blend of vegetables and herbs makes the artificial use of sugar in the sauce unnecessary. Spaghetti sauce that is cooked properly will not need to be thickened by using tomato paste, which has a bitter, pungent taste. While I enjoy wine with spaghetti, I prefer it in a glass, not in the sauce. The tannin in red wine will darken the sauce considerably. The addition of a small




amount of a dry white wine is an option that you can take if you feel that the finished sauce needs it.

One of the kitchen implements that I use to prepare my spaghetti sauce is a food mill. For those of you who do not have this kitchen tool, I will give instructions on how to make the same sauce using a food processor. The advantage of the food mill is that it removes the fibrous membranes from vegetables as they pass through. It is also faster and less messy than dealing with the food processor.

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Raymond's Spaghetti Sauce (Approx 4-5 qts.)

Total ingredients:

6 Tblsp. olive oil 2 medium onions, quartered 9 cloves garlic, whole 2 stalks celery, cut in half 2 medium carrots, cut in half

1 lb. beef shortribs 20 whole bay leaves 1 #10 can whole tomatoes ( 6 Lbs. 6 oz. size) 1 can crushed tomatoes (1 Lb. 12 oz. size) 2 cans Hunts tomato sauce (1 Lb. 13 oz. size) 1 tsp. salt

Step One: Sauté

Place the first five ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pan, 8 quart capacity or larger. Sauté over medium heat until the meat is lightly browned and the vegetables begin to soften.

Step Two: First Simmer

Add the bay leaves, the # 10 can of whole tomatoes and the can of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a medium simmer. Stir frequently and hold simmer for 2 hours.

Step Three: Second Simmer

Add the two cans of Hunts tomato sauce and the salt. Without changing the heat source bring back to a simmer and hold for another hour. Commercial tomato sauces are all spiced differently. I specify Hunts because their flavor is an integral part of the sauce we are making.

Step Four: Pass Through the Food Mill

Remove the short ribs from the cooked sauce and while the sauce is still hot place your food mill over another sauce pan. Fill the food mill with the cooked sauce and crank the mill clockwise and counterclockwise until the mill is empty. Keep repeating this process until all the sauce has been passed though the mill. You will notice at this point a substantial amount of fibrous material clinging to the bottom of the mill plate. You do not want this in the sauce. The short ribs becomes the “cook’s lunch.”

Using a food processor




Step One: Puree the Vegetables

With the blade attachment, puree the onions, carrots, garlic and celery.

Step Two: Sauté Vegetables and Short Ribs

Place the vegetables in a large sauce pot and add the short ribs, sauté until ribs are browned.




Step Three: Process Whole Tomatoes

With the blade attachment in, load the processor with whole tomatoes and pulse very lightly. Take great care that you don’t over process the whole tomatoes. All that is necessary is a couple of pops on the pulse button. If you notice a change in color of the tomatoes you have over done them. Continue processing until you have all the tomatoes done. Place the tomatoes into the sauce pot including all the juice from the can.

Step Four: First Simmer

Wrap the bay leaves in cheesecloth forming a small garni bag, add the can of crushed tomatoes and bring mixture to a medium simmer. Hold simmer for 2 hours stirring often.

Step Five: Second Simmer

After two hours add the two cans of Hunts tomato sauce and the salt. Again, Hunts is spiced for the flavor we are looking for in this sauce. Let the sauce return to a simmer and let cook for another hour. Remove the short ribs and the garni bag containing the bay leaves. The sauce is now ready to serve

Marinara Sauce

While we are on the subject of red sauces, we might as well cover another all time standard called “Marinara Sauce”. The name is loosely translated as the sauce of the mariners. It is a meatless sauce that was used extensively on sailing ships before the advent of refrigeration. The absence of meat and the simplicity of the sauce was especially appealing to the cooks on board because the high acid content of the sauce and the lack of fat resulted in a sauce that resisted spoiling.

The marinara sauce that we will be making here is a very light sauce. It cooks for a short time because little reduction is needed. Reduction is accomplished in the pan depending on what application you want to use it for. I use this sauce as a basic mother red sauce and its uses range from saucing a dish of angel hair to deglazing a sauté pan with Madeira wine. When using madeira wine to deglaze a sauté pan, a tablespoon or two of this sauce adds a nice touch to the end result. Reduction is also accomplished in the pan when making dishes such as shrimp marinara or mussels marinara. One fault I have found with a lot of cookbook recipes for this classic sauce is that they become too complex. The beauty of this sauce is its simplicity. Our goal is to make a sauce where the natural taste of good tomatoes is the dominant taste. The classic marinara is made with the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes. Lacking these, an




acceptable marinara may be made using canned tomatoes, but it will not approach the “taste of summer” as if made with fresh.




Raymond’s Marinara sauce

Total ingredients:

5 Lbs. vine ripened fresh tomatoes or 1 No. 10 can whole tomatoes (6Lbs. 6 oz. size) 1/4 cup olive oil 9 cloves of garlic, mashed 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 1 Tblsp. salt

Step One: Prepare Tomatoes

If fresh, finely chop in processor or by hand. If canned, pass the tomatoes through a food mill or gently pulse them until coarsely chopped in food processor.

Step Two: Prepare Oil and Garlic

Put the olive oil and mashed garlic in heavy bottomed sauce pan and sauté lightly. Do not burn garlic or it will be bitter.

Step Three: Add Tomatoes

Add tomatoes and juices to the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Slowly simmer for ten minutes.

Step Four: Finish

Add chopped basil and salt. Stir well and remove from heat source. Let steep for 15 minutes.

This sauce will freeze well and will keep for at least a week under refrigeration. It is a study in simplicity and doubles not only as a mother red sauce, but also as a tasty sauce for pastas and marinara type dishes.

Altitude adjustments: Add 20 minutes cooking time at 8,000 feet.




Ravioli and Lasagna


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A plate of homemade spaghetti and sauce is a delightful meal, but take it a step further and add a filling and you have a truly special dinner, appropriate for any celebratory occasion.

Every Sunday in our home was homemade pasta day. Enough was always made so that there would be leftovers for my father's lunch for the next two days. This was a given because he simply could not get through a week without pasta being on his plate at least two or three times. The usual was simply spaghetti, but when there was a little extra time on Saturdays, or if a visitor was coming, my mother would make up the filling for lasagna or ravioli. The filling was the same for both. It was what she learned as a girl and what my father preferred above all the variations with which one can fill pasta. Whether it ended up being served as lasagna or ravioli depended on the amount of time available and the "specialness" of the occasion.

Mom's way of making ravioli was "big". The bigger the better! My much-older sister, Gloria, never changed Mom's recipe for lasagna or the filling used in both, but she definitely improved the ravioli!. They got smaller, more delicate, more refined. Dad preferred the "bigger is better" type, three to a plate and you were full. I preferred the smaller, more delicate version my sister made, and I still make them this way today. What size you make them and what shape depends only on you and your patience. It was my sister that taught me the patience to make cappelletti. These are made from the same pasta and filling, but are formed differently, ending up resembling little peaked hats, which is what cappelletti means in Italian. . We would spend hours wrapping the homemade filled pasta around our little fingers, chatting and laughing. In the future we hope to explore other various shapes of filled pasta, including tortellini.

Family Secrets #011- Originally Published 06/98 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©1998 C Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.


Sister Gloria DeTullio nee Zara

(1923-1995) Picture: 1944


The recipe for the filling that follows is not the only authentic Italian recipe. If you are a student of gastronomy you will know that each region of Italy has its own specialties for filled pasta. They range from alla genovese with veal, sweetbreads and brains to ravioli di San Giuseppe which are stuffed with marmalade or marzipan! Along the seacoast you will find fillings utilizing seafood and then there are ravioli magri which are strictly vegetable fillings. Let's not forget con formaggio which is strictly cheese. When the four of us kids left home we all experimented - trying other fillings and enjoyed many of them. But when we want to put forth our best we always fall back on mama's recipe.

If you choose to make this into lasagna, invest in a good looking, proper size lasagna dish. To serve six you will need a rectangular dish about 3 inches deep by 14 inches long by 10 inches wide. I prefer a plain white ceramic dish that can go from oven to table but a heavy duty stainless pan works quite well if you plan to plate the food and not bring the pan to the table.

If you are making ravioli you have two reasonable options. You may purchase a ravioli mold at any decent cookware store or you may form them by hand. The mold is a two part metal affair, is relatively inexpensive, and will result in very uniform ravioli. I find them more bother than they are worth and prefer to make them by hand. For this method you will need a crimper, which is simply a small serrated wheel with a handle, to seal the packets. The slight irregularity that results from forming each individually only adds to the charm of the finished product. In either case you will want to roll your pasta as thin as possible without tearing it, both for lasagna and ravioli. Getting it this thin is worth the effort, resulting in an ethereally light lasagna or wonderfully delicate ravioli, something I have yet to find in any restaurant.

For saucing, the lasagna requires a homemade tomato sauce (see Family Secrets #10). Ravioli may also be served with this same sauce, which is the only way we ate it at home, or you can substitute anything from a brown butter/sage sauce to an herb infused cream sauce, or even serve them in brodo which is in a light chicken broth.

A note on the cooked greens called for in the recipe. Originally this recipe used only fresh spinach, but if we had Swiss chard, or even dandelion greens available we used those. I have also used fresh rapini for an extremely interesting variation. In any case, whatever greens you choose they must be first cooked in boiling water, squeezed as dry as possible, and finely chopped. Naturally each different green will give you a slightly different flavor. The spinach is the most delicate, the chard is earthier, the dandelion is slightly bitter, and the rapini is slightly spicy. In an absolute pinch you can use commercially frozen greens, but after going through the trouble of homemade pasta and sauce, this seems a bad choice. It's much better to cook and freeze your own greens when they are plentiful and have them available.

Both of these dishes lend themselves very well to advance preparation. I actually prefer to make the ravioli a day ahead and freeze them. They are much easier to handle when cooking and only add a minute or two to the final cooking time. The lasagna can also be made ahead and frozen if you wish to hold it more than two days. If you are going to serve it within that time you can simply refrigerate it. In addition to being elegant and delicious fare, you have the added




advantage of very little last minute cooking. You might serve individual antipasto plates for a first course or simply a green salad and finish with fruit and cheese for a very Italian meal.

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Lasagna and Ravioli Filling

Serves lasagna for six or makes approximately 50 small ravioli (serving six at 8 per serving)

1 -1/4 lb. lean ground beef

8 to 10 oz. chopped cooked greens of your choice 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped 1 extra large egg 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (please use Reggiano) 1 Tblsp. finely minced fresh oregano, or 1 tsp. dried 2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper olive oil

Film a large sauté pan with olive oil. Over medium heat, add the chopped onion and sauté until limp but not brown, four or five minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Crumble the beef into the pan and sauté until cooked and no red is visible. Turn heat to high and boil away as much of the liquid thrown off by the beef as you are able to in 5 minutes. Turn into a strainer and discard all fat and any liquid left. Return meat mixture to sauté pan and add the chopped greens, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss and stir until well combined and heated through, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn into a bowl to cool slightly. Add egg and cheese and mix well. Cover and chill at least one hour. May be made one day ahead.

Lasagna

Large pot of boiling, salted water, at least 8 qt. capacity Large bowl of iced water 3 cups homemade tomato sauce Homemade pasta using the recipe in Family Secrets #8 - with 5 eggs and 3 cups of flour.

This amount will give you plenty of leftover trimmings for the cook's lunch.




Roll pasta (Family Secrets #8) as thin and as wide as possible, but at least two inches in width. Roll three pasta strips, drop them into the boiling water and cook until pliable, one to two minutes only. Immediately remove with tongs and drop into iced water. Remove from iced water and place on paper towels and pat dry. Film the bottom of the lasagna pan with tomato sauce, place a single layer of pasta on the sauce, trimming the pasta to fit the pan. Save the trimmings for lunch! Using a fork and spoon, or your very clean hands, pat a thin layer of filling over the pasta. Roll out three more pasta strips. Cook as above, cool in ice water as above and place over the filling. Do Not add more tomato sauce. Layer pasta and filling until you have three layers of filling. Top with a final layer of pasta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking. Spread remainder of sauce on top. Grate a little Parmesan over this. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, put the lid on if you have one or cover tightly with tin foil if you don't. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and plastic and let sit 5 minutes. Cut and plate.

Ravioli (by hand)

Roll pasta at least two inches wide and as thin as possible. Work with one strip at a time unless you have help. With the strip of pasta in front of you, working from one end, place a heaping teaspoon of filling about an inch up, flip the end over, press with your fingers, and run the crimper around it to seal completely. You should have a shape that looks like a half circle - not square. Place each ravioli side-by-side, not stacked, on a sheet pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. As the pan fills, place it in the freezer, unwrapped. Continue until all pasta and/or filling is used. The ravioli will freeze solid in about 20 minutes. Remove them from the sheet pan and bag them in plastic bags of a size to suit you. I like them ten to bag so I always know what I have.

If you have a large (14" at least) straight sided pan at least 4 inches deep, it would be perfect. You can cook about 15 or 20 at a time this way. If not, use large stock pot filled about 2/3 with water. In either case, bring to a full boil and salt. Heat the sauce that you choose to use. Drop the frozen ravioli in the salted boiling water, bring back to a boil as quickly as possible, turn heat down and keep at a low boil. Cook for four minutes and then test one. They should not take more than four to six minutes depending on the thickness of your pasta. Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer, pat dry with a paper towel, sauce as you wish, and serve immediately. I prefer to plate my ravioli so while I'm saucing and serving the first few dishes, the next batch is cooking.

Altitude Adjustment: There is no change in the baking time of the lasagna. For boiling pasta, at any altitude over 5000 feet you must be careful to use plenty of water at a full boil and bring it back to a boil after dropping your pasta in as quickly as possible. Because this is homemade and not dried store bought pasta, it will need only a minute or two additional cooking at high altitude.




Gnocchi


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Every culture has a dumpling somewhere in its cuisine. The basic dumpling is nothing more than starch (flour, potatoes, semolina, etc.) and water in the correct proportions and cooked in any liquid from water to broth. Most dumplings are used as an adjunct to the main dish, as in the great American chicken and dumplings. In Italy, gnocchi (the Italian dumpling) are generally served alone, replacing the pasta course. As part of a large or more formal meal, you would follow this course with a meat and vegetable plate, but in our home both when we were growing up and yet today, they are so beloved that they are always the star attraction, the main course of the meal.

While gnocchi have been enjoyed in Italy at least since the Middle Ages, they take many different regional forms. Authentic gnocchi may be made from potatoes, semolina, ricotta, and may even be made green with spinach added to the dough. It just depends what part of Italy you are from.

We grew up with potato gnocchi, although I do remember all the women in the family experimenting with ricotta replacing the potatoes at some point. My father never acquired a taste for this variation and neither did I. Some members of the family continue to use this variation claiming it makes a lighter dumpling; but if properly made, my experience is that potato gnocchi should and can be light and fluffy.



Picture: 1918. Clockwise from top left:Filomena (Min) Buzzelli (1900-1996)Renato (Ray) Buzzelli (1904-1980)

Ediberta (Bertha) Buzzelli (1903-1972)Norma Buzzelli (1906-1975)

Mary Alice Buzzelli (1913-1987)Elizabeth (Beth) Buzzelli (1910- )


The beauty of this dish is that it is extremely versatile, taking happily to many variations of sauce. It is also fairly quick to put together and cooks in minutes. Make the gnocchi hours before dinner, have your salad chilling until time to dress it, and do a make ahead dessert like poached pears and you have not only a delicious dinner made without opening a single can, but time to enjoy a glass of wine with your family and friends before dinner.

When I say that these are quick to make, I will qualify that slightly. They are fast once you've had a little practice with them and if you take to heart a few tricks that I'm about to offer. First to consider is the potato. Do not use red or white skin potatoes or any of the fancy new varieties like Yukon Golds or purples. Use plain old russets. Traditional recipes call for boiling the potatoes in their skins until tender, but I get much better results baking them until thoroughly tender. Baking instead of boiling results in a drier, fluffier potato needing less flour to hold together and making a light gnocchi. When each of us made our very first batch alone with no helpful hints and a bare bones recipe, you usually ended up with the distinct feeling that you had a load of lead sinkers in the pit of your stomach! But don't be deterred. With the following recipe and these pointers your first batch should be as light as air.

The next consideration is equipment. Please use a ricer on the potatoes, not a masher and not the food processor or blender or mixer. The ricer achieves the correct consistency to keep the final product light. Lacking a ricer, a food mill will make an acceptable substitute. However a ricer is a relatively inexpensive piece of kitchen gadgetry and one will last a lifetime.

Finally, consider the saucing possibilities. Growing up we always had them with a traditional tomato sauce (see Family Secret #10). They were wonderful that way; but this dish lends itself to endless possibilities. A few include pesto, especially nice in the summer when our gardens and markets are full of fresh basil, or a Gorgonzola cream sauce which is rich and warming in the winter, or a simple butter and fresh sage combination topped with a handful of grated Parmesan. Some of these sauce recipes will be featured in upcoming Family Secrets.

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GnocchiServes four generously

2 lbs. russet baking potatoes 1 cup all purpose white flour 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 1 tsp. salt

Bake the potatoes until thoroughly cooked and tender. Allow to cool slightly until you can handle them. Peel and put through a ricer while still slightly warm. Blend with 3/4 cup of the flour, setting aside remainder of flour. Add slightly beaten egg and yolk and salt. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or your hands to form a soft dough. Flour a wooden board lightly with some of remaining flour. Place the dough on it and knead lightly and quickly, keeping the dough soft. Do not over knead. Add only enough of the remaining flour to keep the dough from sticking.




Roll into sticks about 1 inch thick and 10 to 12 inches long. With a very sharp knife cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Keeping your board and your hands lightly floured during this process will make it easier. While the next step sounds complicated it simply takes a lot of words to explain, and after you do it a couple of times you will accomplish it in a matter of five minutes. The object is to dent each gnocchi slightly so the sauce will have a place to stick. You can accomplish this two different ways. The old way is to use your thumb to very lightly roll each piece toward you exerting a slight pressure to indent it. I believe the easier way is to use the back of the tines of a fork. Hold the fork with the back of the tines facing upward. Roll each piece lightly down it, indenting them lightly with four-or-so tine ridges. Once you get the feeling for this, it goes very quickly. Remember to keep your hands, the fork, and the board all lightly floured.

Place the finished gnocchi on a clean floured kitchen towel or floured waxed paper until ready to cook.

Using a six quart pot, fill 3/4 full, salt lightly and bring to a full boil. Drop in the gnocchi about 2 dozen at a time and bring back to a slow boil. Once they float to the surface (a matter of 2 or 3 minutes) cook for an additional 10 or 15 seconds, then lift out with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a serving platter. Season with a bit of your sauce. Repeat the process until all are cooked. Finish saucing and serve immediately.

Altitude Adjustment: Because water boils at a lower temperature at high altitudes, you must take care to use plenty of water and bring it to a full hard boil before dropping in the gnocchi, and then getting it back to a boil as quickly as possible. Over 5,000 ft will add a minute or two to the final cooking.

Pasta PrimaveraBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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The past couple of weeks have been spent doing exactly what my mother did 50 years ago. The first couple of weeks in June were spent doing exactly what my father did 50 years ago. In June he planted his garden and in September she cooked, canned, froze and generally preserved the foods he grew. My brother and I share the work and the joy of a large garden here in the mountains. Working outdoors is peaceful and rewarding, and even therapeutic. For us it is a generational tie that reminds us where we came from. The best gift I received all summer was when our daughter called from California to tell me she planted her first garden. I like to think that she saw me do it so often and got such pleasure from it that it was time for her to try. Even if she is unaware of it now, it will unconsciously remind her of her roots every time she works in it or eats the food she grew.




While I could rhapsodize for pages about the joys of gardening, the truth is that at this time of year the farmers' markets and grocery stores are full to overflowing with the harvest. If you don't have the time, space, or inclination to garden it really doesn't matter right now. A wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables are available for you to enjoy.

Almost all the regions of Italy have pasta recipes that are meatless and based either on vegetables or herbs for their sauce. Genoa has given us the bright sunshiny pesto made with fresh basil. Apulia has a traditional broccoli and anchovy sauce. Sicily's cuisine is abundant with traditional pasta recipes featuring eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, olives and capers. But nowhere in my research have I come upon the term "primavera", which translates to "springtime". I believe this term may be the invention of a creative and talented American chef. It was in California that I first encountered this dish, and so fell in love with the idea of it that I began my own experimentation. It is a dish that allows your creativity free rein, and so adapts to any season of the year when you can get fresh vegetables. Our daughter grew up with it, and no doubt thinks of it as a "family secret", one which I'm proud that she includes in her repertoire.

Although the literal translation is springtime, late summer and early autumn, with its bountiful assortment of vegetables, is my favorite time to make this dish. It seems I often have a handful of three or four kinds of vegetables available, not enough for a full meal, but enough to combine with pasta to produce this satisfying dish. You can enrich the following recipe by adding cream in place of the pasta water if you want a richer dish, but our preference is without the cream, which seems to overwhelm the individual flavors. You may also substitute (or add) whatever you have on hand, trying to keep the proportions



Papa in his garden, summer of 1969, Elwood City, PA.


approximately the same. The choice of pasta shape is up to you, but a smaller shape such as penne seems to complement the dish properly.

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Pasta Primavera

Serves four

1/4 cup olive oil 1 lb. fresh tomatoes, diced 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic 2 leeks, white part only, sliced thinly or

1 bunch fresh scallions 1/2 head fresh fennel, thinly sliced 1//4 cup fresh basil leaves 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup summer squash or zucchini, sliced 1 cup green beans, trimmed 2 to 3 Tblsp. water in which pasta is cooked 12 oz. dried pasta, cooked al dente, drained Salt, pepper Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Add the leeks and fennel and sauté 3 or 4 minutes, until softened slightly. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add tomatoes and their juices, and about 1/2 tsp. salt. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Do not cook it down too much because the juices will help steam the remainder of the vegetables. Add the green beans, cover, and cook four or five minutes. Add the broccoli, cover and cook another three minutes. Add the




summer squash and an additional 1/2 tsp. salt, toss well, cover and cook another three or four minutes, or until all the vegetables are done to your taste. Chop the basil coarsely and add. Toss well and cook another minute or two. Add the drained pasta and a little of the pasta water (or cream if you wish), several grinds of fresh black pepper, and adjust salt if necessary. Toss over high heat for a minute to blend flavors and serve at once, passing the Parmesan at the table.

If you like spicy food, a nice addition is a fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, finely diced. Add it at the beginning with the fennel and leeks.





Chicken CacciatoraBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Winter comes early here in the mountains. On this first snowy day my mind wanders back to a time many years ago, seeing my father and brother stomping into the house, shaking snow from their boots, game bags full of rabbits, with an occasional squirrel or pheasant tucked in. Our father was a hard working man who allowed himself few pleasures outside of his family. Hunting was one he looked forward to all year. Not being a hunter myself, it was difficult for me to understand his pleasure in the sport. I only understood it at the table. He did not hunt for trophies. He loved the physical outdoorsman part of the hunt, and the camaraderie with his partners, but he mostly loved cooking and eating his catch. I'm sure it reminded him of his early years in Italy when hunting was not a sport but a requirement to survive.

The recipe that follows originated with the hunter, and Cacciatora translates as "in the style of the hunter". When the hunt was over for the day the men would gather wild mushrooms and wild onions from the forests. They might luck upon some wild fennel or other edible herb, and they would stew their catch with these for their dinner. Ingredients would depend upon what part of the country in which they were located. This is what makes regional cuisine. If you look in five different Italian cookbooks for "cacciatora" you will find five different recipes. Though not many true sportsmen would shoot a chicken, the substitution of chicken for rabbit works well; but if you are lucky enough to have some wild rabbits on hand, by all means use them in place of the chicken. If, however, you must hunt your dinner at the supermarket, fear not, for this dish adapts itself beautifully.

Whether you are cooking for four or eight, this is a wonderful dish for entertaining. It lends itself to advance preparation, is expanded easily for feeding a crowd, and the leftovers reheat without drying out. You can prep it in the morning and refrigerate it until the final cooking, leaving you free to enjoy your company.

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Chicken Cacciatora

Serves four

¼ cup olive oil 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms of your choice



Papa in the foreground, western Pennsylvania, fall 1924


1 Tblsp. butter 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes with their juice 1 Tblsp. tomato paste or

½ cup tomato sauce 1 cup sliced green bell pepper 1 cup sliced red bell pepper 1 cup sliced white onion

5 lbs. chicken parts ¼ cup parsley leaves 1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary 2 garlic cloves Flour Salt and pepper




Preparing the chicken:

Cut the chicken into small pieces. A Chinese cleaver is ideal for this job. Each thigh should be halved. Each breast half should be halved. Cut off the knuckle ends of the drumsticks and save them with the wing tips for the stock pot. Soak the chicken in iced salt water (1 Tblsp. salt per 2 qt. water) for a minimum of two hours, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, drain the chicken and pat dry on paper towels.

Browning the chicken:

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over fairly high heat. Sprinkle the pieces of chicken with salt and pepper, and very lightly flour, shaking off any excess. The flour will help dry the chicken and will allow it to brown nicely. Work in batches to brown the pieces, not crowding them or they will steam instead of brown. It should take 3 or 4 minutes per side. Remove with tongs and place in a non-reactive roasting pan.

Assembling:

When all the pieces are nicely browned, turn heat down to medium and add sliced green and red peppers and onions to pan. Cook, stirring only until slightly softened, three or four minutes. Remove with tongs and add to chicken. Soften mushroom in sauté pan in the same manner. Add to the chicken. Mix the chopped fresh tomatoes, with the tomato paste (or sauce), and add to chicken. Stir everything gently to coat.

Finally chop the garlic, rosemary and parsley together. Sprinkle over the chicken, salt and pepper lightly. May be prepared ahead to this point and covered tightly with foil (or roaster lid), then refrigerate until ready to cook.

Final cooking:




Heat oven to 325. Place covered roaster in oven and bake for 1 hr. 15 min if not refrigerated. Bake 1 hr. 30 min. if refrigerated.

Serving:

Cook 8 oz. capellini (angel hair) pasta. Drain and rinse in hot water. Place a generous swirl of pasta in center of each place. Top with three or four pieces of chicken and spoon some of the vegetables and sauce over. Serve at once.

Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at any altitude over 2500 ft. requires a few extra minutes and lots of water. Never crowd the pasta. But even at a high altitude, angel hair is so thin that it only requires 3 or 4 minutes.




BiscottiBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Family meals in an Italian household generally do not include desserts. A piece of fruit and perhaps a taste of cheese is the usual way to end a family dinner. There are, of course, some spectacular desserts for the special occasions. Cassata comes to mind with its many layers of tender cake interspersed with creamy ricotta filling studded with candied fruit and slathered with butter cream. Wonderful, but not practical for serving the endless parade of people through the house at Christmas.

The mainstay for Italian entertaining large style is the cookie tray. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, and all holidays bring out the silver trays heaped with traditional favorites. These were not baked by the dozens, but by the hundreds. Every household in our extended family had their specialties, and it was expected that they would produce a prodigious quantity of that specialty to share with others, in addition to whatever else they had time to add. Aunt Mary comes to mind, with her fabulous Mostaccioli, a difficult cookie to master, but worth the effort; rewarding you with a complex chocolate spice flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. My next family secret will share this recipe with you, compliments of her daughters efforts to keep this tradition alive.

The baking for the Christmas season started early in our family. Our mother had her "cookie book", the only recipes she ever wrote down. As soon as the Thanksgiving turkey was disposed of to her satisfaction she began assembling and cleaning her huge assortment of tins for storing the Christmas bounty. She would take out her cookie book and make her shopping list for fruits, nuts, jams, chocolate, and vast quantities of butter and flour, all to be consumed in the next month. Every spare moment would result in yet another variety added to the tins in our cool basement. Each day during December she would re-assemble a cookie tray for the dining room to serve the drop-in guests or her own ravenous four children. It seems we could never get enough of the pizzelles, biscotti, nut rolls, cenci, and other treats. A bottle of anisette for the ladies and a bottle of whiskey for the men were always on the sideboard next to the cookie tray, but only during December. A week before Christmas she and the other women of the extended family would pack up boxes of their own efforts and deliver them to each other and to neighbors. This would only add to the variety and nuances of each household's cookie trays.



Orange-Walnut Biscotti


One of the first cookies to get baked was the biscotti. The obvious reason is that, properly stored, it keeps forever. They also ship beautifully for the loved ones far away. In recent years, the term biscotti has come to be a generic term for Italian cookies, but the proper meaning of the term is twice baked. It is baked first in a loaf form, then sliced and baked again to attain the hard biscuit-like texture of the original cookie. There are hundred of recipes for biscotti throughout Italy, but other than flavoring they fall into two distinct categories: those made with butter and those made without butter or any shortening. The butter enhanced cookie results in a more tender shortbread-like texture, while those without butter are drier and harder. The butterless ones are best served with a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of Port or Vin Santo in which to dip them. One quick dip and they melt in your mouth. These have always been and remain my favorite. They are such a favorite in our home that I make them all year round, because they have the added advantage of being low-fat. They are perfect when you have that midnight sweet craving or mid-afternoon slump. These were the original low-fat cookie before anyone even knew we needed them! Enjoy, and next time we'll progress to a full fat delight.




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Chocolate-Almond Biscotti

Preheat oven to 375. Makes 1 lb. 6 oz. dough, approx. 30 cookies

4 oz. blanched toasted almonds

2-¼ cups all purpose flour 2 Tblsp. cocoa (unsweetened) 1 cup sugar 1-½ tsp. baking soda 3 large eggs 3 oz. semisweet chocolate

chips Pinch of salt ¼ tsp. allspice ¼ tsp. almond extract 1 to 2 Tblsp. milk

Grind half the cooled almonds finely, the other half coarsely. A food processor is perfect for this. Mix almonds, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, salt and allspice in mixer bowl. Lightly beat eggs with almond extract in small bowl. Use the paddle attached, and with the mixer running, add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and beat only until dough forms. If too dry and crumbly add a tablespoon or two of milk. The dough should just hold together. Turn out onto floured board, knead lightly a few times to make a cohesive dough. Divide into four pieces, form into logs about 14 inches long and 2 inches around. Place on two cookie sheets lined with parchment or lightly oiled, spacing at least two inches apart. Flatten each log slightly with your hand. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch, switching rack positions half way through the baking. Leave loaves on sheets and place on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350. Slice each log on a diagonal about 3/4 inch thick, and place cut side up on the cookie sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, turn each cookie over and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. When completely cooled, store in tins for up to one month.

Orange-Walnut BiscottiFamily Secrets #040 - Originally Published 11/99 by La Lama Mountain Ovens

©1999 CeCe Dove- Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]


Chocolate-Almond Biscotti


Preheat oven to 300. Makes 1 lb. 4 oz. dough, approx. 25 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1-½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt

2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 Tblsp. grated fresh orange peel (zest) 1-½ cups chopped walnuts

In mixer bowl place flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In small bowl mix eggs, yolk, vanilla and zest. With paddle attachment, blend flour mixture, then add egg mixture. As soon as it begins to ball up, add walnuts. Mix just until dough forms. Turn out to floured board. If the dough is too dry add a tablespoon of cold water. Knead once or twice to form a cohesive dough. Divide into two pieces and form logs 12 inches long by 2 inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled. Flatten them slightly with your hand. Bake for 45-50 min until firm. Cool on rack for 10 min. Cut on diagonal about 3/4 inch wide, lay on cut side and bake for 7 minutes. Turn each cookie over and bake an additional 7 minutes. Cool completely and store.

Altitude Adjustment: At altitudes over 5000 ft. decrease baking soda in both recipes to 1 tsp., and decrease sugar to 3/4 cup.




Mostaccioli - Chocolate CookiesBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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With the holidays upon us I decided to share with you a really old, really wonderful recipe for Mostaccioli. These are a chocolate spiced cookie that must rest overnight to develop their full flavor. They look rather ordinary on the plate, surrounded by fancy rolls, cornucopias, and multi-layered bar cookies, but one bite will confirm that this recipe is a keeper. It has been passed down from the "master" of Mostaccioli, Aunt Mary Biordi. Her handwritten notes are over 50 years old. Her four daughters have all worked together, not only to preserve this family secret, but to make it workable for our generation.

Aunt Mary's original recipe made about 250 cookies. She was a little more meticulous than our Mom about writing measurements, but her directions were sketchy at best. She simply knew that if there was a celebration of any sort that everyone would anticipate her specialty. I never knew her to disappoint us. I also never knew one to be left on the plate.

Eventually her four daughters went to work to cut the recipe down to a manageable size for our generation. As any good baker knows this is not as simple as it sounds. In addition they faced the



Picture 1974. Left to Right: Celeste Janosko nee Biordi (1947- ), Merceda Saffron nee Biordi (1943- ), Mary Biordi nee Buzzelli (1913-1987),

Concetta (Connie) Robinson nee Biordi (1949- ), Diana Biordi (1940- )


task of completing her directions so that a reasonable baker would have success. The third hurdle was to assess the ingredients. What was available 50 years ago is not the same as what we have available today. For all of you attempting to recreate old family recipes this is a most important fact to keep in mind.

This is not an easy dough to work with. It is sticky and wet; but have patience and don't despair. Keep everything very lightly floured and work in small batches, and above all, follow the directions. It has taken many years to make this work, and you will be amply rewarded with a great cookie. The recipe has been "scaled" for accuracy, but if you don't have a kitchen scale a reminder for you is that 5 ounces of flour is approximately one cup.

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MostaccioliYield, approx. 60 cookies

10 oz. all purpose white flour 10 oz. cake flour 4 oz. unsalted butter 16 oz. light brown sugar 8 oz. citron 8 oz. almonds, blanched and slivered 3 tsp. baking powder

1 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp. nutmeg 1-1/2 tsp. allspice 5 extra large eggs 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350. Toast almonds until just golden, about five minutes. Cool and set aside. Place flour in bowl large enough to hold all ingredients easily. Cut cold butter in with pastry cutter until small pea size. Add brown sugar and continue cutting and mixing. Add baking powder, cocoa and spices, and mix again. Add cooled almonds and citron and mix again. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients.

Melt unsweetened chocolate in double boiler or microwave until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Beat eggs in mixer until light and frothy. Add eggs, melted and cooled chocolate and milk to well of flour mixture, and with a wooden spoon mix quickly and lightly until all flour is absorbed. This is a sticky dough. Do not add additional flour at this point. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a cool spot overnight. Do not refrigerate.

Baking Day: Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (ideal) or lightly oil them.

Lightly flour your board. Oil the largest rolling pin you have lightly with plain vegetable oil, and wipe it with a paper towel. This will assist you in rolling this sticky dough without adding too much flour. Flour your hands as well. Work with about 1/4 of the dough at a time, or no more than your pin can handle. Keep a dough scraper handy to assist you. Roll quickly and lightly, using the dough scraper to turn the dough several times, reflouring very lightly each time. Roll to




about 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes (stars are traditional but a simple round 3" glass works well). Keep your cutter floured. Place on sheets an inch apart. They should not spread. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Test at 8 minutes. As soon as a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven. They will feel soft but will set up as they cool. Do not overbake or they will be dry and hard. Let cool five minutes in pan on a rack. Remove carefully to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Glaze: Mix 1 cup confectioner's sugar with 1/4 tsp. almond extract and a tsp. or two of water to thin. Brush thinly on each cooled cookie with a pastry brush, and let set until dry. Store in tins for up to 10 days or freeze.





Stuffed Veal Chopswith Brandied Pan Sauce


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If my brother Bill had a weakness when dining out, it had to be for veal chops. The man positively loved them. Although veal chops were not a weekly staple in our household, mom did serve them on special occasions. She prepared them in a very straightforward manner, a simple sauté in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. It just doesn't get any easier than this, and the results were always excellent.

Veal is a very mild tasting meat much prized for its texture and tenderness and lends itself well to layering of flavors. We are going to add another dimension to the basic veal chop, by stuffing them with Gorgonzola cheese and serving a brandied pan sauce as an accompaniment.

The preferred veal chop is a rib cut. The chops should be cut 1 3/4 inches thick and you can serve one chop per serving. You can identify a rib cut because the bone will be to one side of the chop. A center cut chop will also work if the rib cuts are not available. If you cannot find genuine Gorgonzola cheese, you may substitute another high quality blue cheese such as a Maytag blue, or a Danish blue.

The chops are going to be marinated before stuffing them. You may do this the night before service or 3 to 4 hours ahead of time on the day you want to cook them. To marinate the chops,




place them in a casserole or other non reactive container, and drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over them. Salt and pepper them, and add a generous amount of chopped fresh sage and finely minced garlic. Make sure the chops are coated on both sides and occasionally turn them in the marinade.

The actual stuffing of the chops is a bit on the messy side, but very simple. Place each chop on your cutting board and make a cut starting at the outer edge of the chop and continue through to the bone. Try to make the cut as near the center of the thickness of the chop as possible. You will now have a flap that you can lift. Place a generous tablespoon of Gorgonzola cheese in the pocket you cut and press it firmly in place. The cheese should cover the area from the bone to about 1/8 inch of the flap. Return the flap to its original position and seal the cut edges with a skewer or toothpicks and return the stuffed chops to the marinade.

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Stuffed Veal Chops with Brandied Pan Sauce

Total ingredients to serve two:

2 veal chops 2 Tblsp Gorgonzola cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tblsp chopped fresh sage 2 tsps minced fresh garlic

salt and pepper 3/4 cup brown stock 1/8 cup brandy 1 Tblsp butter

Step One: Sauté the Veal Chops

Place a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium high heat. Pour all of the marinade into the hot pan, scraping in the herbs and seasonings. Add olive oil if you need more fat to coat the bottom of the pan. Brown the chops on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove the chops and place on sheet tray and place in pre-heated hot oven, (400 degrees). Finish the chops in the oven for 10 minutes or until they test medium rare. To test for doneness, push on the meat with your finger. If it feels mushy it is not yet done (too rare). The meat should feel slightly springy and not too firm. If unsure about using this method, make a small slit near the bone and look at the color. The meat should still be slightly pink in the center.

Step Two: Prepare Brandied Pan Sauce




De-glaze the hot pan with 1/8 cup brandy. The brandy will immediately flame up so make sure you tilt the pan away from you. Slowly add 3/4 cup brown stock. Use a spatula to loosen all cooking residue from pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add a tablespoon of butter and continue reducing. Stir constantly. The pan sauce is finished when it is slightly thickened. This will only take a few minutes.

You will need to "fine" the sauce as you serve it. You can use a small tea strainer to accomplish the fining. To serve, pour a small puddle of sauce through your strainer onto the dinner plate. Place a chop in the puddle and drizzle a little more sauce over the chop. This is an intensely flavored sauce and so you will only need a small amount per serving.

Angel hair aglio olio (olive oil, garlic sauce) makes a nice accompaniment along with either steamed asparagus tips or Brussels sprouts depending on the season.





PotatoesScalloped and Smashed


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Italians love their vegetables and side dishes. Generally at the family dinner table the portions of meat are much smaller than their American counterpart because vegetables, grains and side dishes play such an important role in Italian cuisine. Emphasis is placed on the natural flavors of a perfect vegetable rather than relying on sauces and complicated embellishments. A drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley with a little salt and pepper often will be the only dressing given most vegetables. This is as true of potatoes as it is with asparagus, broccoli, and all the others.

Potatoes are as much a mainstay in our diet today as they were in the 40's and 50's. When we were growing up, however, the types of potatoes we could buy were limited to two: russets and redskins. The preparation of each was quite definite also. You simply boiled redskins, and you either baked or mashed russets. The small redskins we prize so highly (and pay so much for) today were given away because nobody wanted them.

One of Papa's favorite ways with potatoes was to smash them. He did not care for the highly whipped, smooth and creamy mashed potatoes we see today. His was a much more rustic variation and still remains one of our favorite recipes.




Over the years, however, our experiences and tastes have expanded and we realize that there are times when a more elaborate preparation of the potato is in order. Our recipe for scalloped potatoes is really a classic preparation, but we've elaborated on the procedure so that you may produce a perfect dish. For some reason it seems to be a dish that some cooks are afraid to tackle or have had bad luck with. Follow this recipe and you will have an elegant accompaniment for a special dinner. It especially complements roasted meats such as prime rib or leg of lamb or roast duck. So for the more formal occasion when you want to pull out a few stops, try our version of scalloped potatoes.

There are three important things to consider in order to successfully accomplish this dish. The first is the type of potato. Large russet baking potatoes will give the best results. Avoid using "new potatoes", redskins, or any other high moisture potato.

The slicing of the potatoes is equally important. The best tool for the job is a mandolin, although with a little practice, and some additional time, you can hand slice them. The slices should be no more than an 1/8 inch thick and each slice should be uniform.

Arranging the sliced potatoes in the casserole will determine the final outcome. It is important to use the right sized casserole for the amount of the potatoes you want to prepare. A 12" x 8" casserole that is 2" deep will work fine for the following recipe.




Each layer must be placed in the lightly buttered casserole dish with a slight overlap, so that the layers build up evenly, yet you don’t end up with potato silos. Four layers will give excellent results.

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Scalloped Potatoes

Total Ingredients to serve 6:

4 large russet baking potatoes 2 pints heavy cream 1 Tblsp.. butter 2 Tblsp. granulated chicken base salt

Step One: Prepare and slice the potatoes

Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler and place in a bowl of cold water to keep from discoloring. Dry each potato before slicing. Slice each potato exactly 1/8" thick.

Step Two: Load the casserole dish

Lightly butter the casserole dish. Arrange the potatoes, one layer at a time, overlapping each potato slice both top and bottom. Lightly salt each layer and sprinkle some of the granulated chicken base. Repeat this process until the casserole dish is 3/4 filled. Three to four layers



Potatoes are overlapped in each layer


should accomplish this. Make sure that your layers are even. Do not overfill the dish. If you have excess potato slices, fry them off for chips. Pour enough heavy cream to have the level just barely touch the top layer of potatoes. Let stand for 5 minutes to let the cream distribute itself evenly. Adjust the level of the cream until it is just touching the top level of potatoes again. Use the remaining butter as dabs over the surface of the top layer, and sprinkle any remaining chicken base.

Step Three: Cook the potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until top is golden brown, approximately 50 minutes. Remove from oven and place casserole on cooling rack. Let stand for 15 minutes to set before serving.

If you prefer a darker brown you may sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese on top before baking.

Papa's Smashed Potatoes

Allow one medium russet potato for each person.

Peel potatoes and roughly cube. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until thoroughly tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and place in serving dish. Smash the potatoes with the back of a large fork until coarsely broken up. Add a little finely chopped onion, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Mix it all together and serve immediately.

Altitude Adjustment: Over 5,000 feet, boil the potatoes ten minutes longer.




Braciole


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We offer this column in memoriam to our aunt, Elizabeth Giandomenico, who passed away February 22, 2000. She would have been 90 years of age in May. She was the last of the five sisters and one brother of Anna and Nicola Buzzelli. It was she and her husband, Ernest Antonio Giandomenico, who extended the family across the country when they moved to California in the 1940's. We will miss you Aunt Beth.



Ernest Antonio (Tony) Giandomenico (1908-1979)Son Anthony Giandomenico (1935- )

Elizabeth (Beth) Giandomenico nee Buzzelli (1910-2000)Picture: 1935


Every Sunday, summer or winter, we awoke to the wonderful aroma of a big pot of tomato sauce simmering on the back burner. After church our favorite breakfast was a slice of bread dipped into the simmering sauce and eaten while standing over the sink to catch the drips.

Mama always varied the meat she used in her sauce. Often it would be meatballs but occasionally she would treat us to braciole. These are savory little rolls of meat, stuffed and tied. The filling she used and her method of cooking them right in the pot of sauce never varied. They were always delicious but a little on the "chewy" side. Occasionally she served the braciole family style. She accomplished this by pounding a whole flank steak and stuffing and rolling the whole steak, stewing the whole piece in the sauce and then carving it into slices for the table. When she had more time and the occasion called for something a little fancier, she would make individual rolls.

Over the years we have experimented with different cuts of meat and have established two different recipes. Both are tasty and relatively inexpensive to make. The first recipe is the traditional one we grew up with. It is made with a beef flank steak, and stewed directly in the sauce. This method has the advantage of adding a meat flavor to your sauce, but results in a more boiled texture. The second is made with boneless pork cutlets and braised separately for a shorter period of time. The advantage is a shorter cooking time, and a more tender piece of meat with a finer texture. We use this method when we already have a sauce prepared.

Whichever recipe you decide to try, the method of preparing the meat is the same. For the beef you would purchase thin slices of boneless beef, either flank steak or sirloin tip slices. If purchasing pork you would look for a boneless thin sliced pork cutlet. Both would then be pounded with a meat mallet between two pieces of waxed paper until about 1/8" thick. This tenderizes them as well as enlarges them enough to roll.

The filling for the meat rolls can be as varied as your imagination. We offer you the traditional one that we grew up with and still use. You could use thin slices of prosciutto and fontina in place of the egg filling as one possible variation. Another might be chopped cooked greens layered with cheese.

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Traditional Stuffing for Braciole


3 large eggs 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup, more or less, seasoned bread crumbs Salt and pepper to taste

Step one: Combine ingredients

Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well.

Step two: Finish the stuffing

Slowly drizzle in the seasoned bread crumbs while mixing constantly. Use only enough bread crumbs to bring the mixture to a soft, spreadable paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt because of the amount of parmesan cheese that is already in the stuffing.

Beef Braciole


1 lb piece of beef flank steak or slices of thin cut round steak 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix 1 Tbls. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste




Step one: Prepare the beef

Place the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is 1/8 inch thick and roughly rectangular in shape.

Step two: Stuff the braciole

Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the batch of traditional stuffing mix evenly over the surface of the meat. Leave 1/2 inch around the perimeter open. Tightly roll up the braciole longways. Tie both ends with a small piece of coarse kitchen string. Make several more ties every 3 inches over the length of the braciole.

Step three: Cook the braciole

Lightly brown the braciole in the sauce pot when you start the red sauce, or brown lightly in a sauté pan and then add to red sauce. Stew for the 3 hours it takes to complete the sauce. When done, gently remove the cooked braciole and place on a cutting board. Remove the kitchen strings and slice on the diagonal. Serve with pasta.




Pork Braciole


8 pieces of boneless pork loin or pork chops, 2 to 3 ounces each 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix 1 Tbls. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup red sauce 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/4 cup red wine 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Step one: Prepare the pork loin

Place each piece of the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet until it is 1/8 inch thick and rectangular in shape.

Step two: Stuff the pork braciole

Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the batch of traditional stuffing mix into 8 portions. Spread each piece of pounded pork with a portion of the stuffing mix. Leave about 1/4 inch space around the perimeter of each piece. Tie both ends of each piece with a small piece of kitchen string. Make one additional tie in the center of each piece.

Step three: Cook the braciole

Lightly brown each piece in a sauté pan in a little olive oil. Place the browned pieces in a casserole dish. Place the red sauce, chicken stock, red wine and rosemary in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the braising liquid over the braciole in the casserole dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place in preheated 225 degree oven, and braise slowly for two hours. When done, remove from braising liquid and remove the kitchen string from each piece. Serve 1 or 2 pieces, whole or cut in half, with a little of the braising liquid drizzled over the meat. Accompany with pasta.





Summer Bounty:Herbed Oils & Vinegars, Panzanella, Green Beans and Mint


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The first twenty five years of my life was spent in western Pennsylvania, where the land is lush, the soil fertile, and the growing season long. We grew up in a large, gracious house set on a big lot, so there was plenty of room for my father's big garden, grape arbor, and lawn left over for little girls to sit barefoot and make daisy chains. Dad's garden was a marvel to me then. It had picture perfect beds of lettuce, and the straightest rows of tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, and celery. Now after 30 years of gardening myself, his still remains an inspiration and a marvel to me.

The second twenty five years of my life was spent in northern California. There our home was also large and gracious but set on a steep hillside with little space for a garden. I resorted to patio gardening. The growing season was very long, but cool, and not given to raising the vegetables that a Mediterranean diet craves. It was here I discovered the glories of herb gardening and the disappointment of year after year of failed tomatoes. But we were blessed with grand farmers'



Maria and Vergilio Bussotti (cousin of Pietro Zara) Picture: 1960Picking summer figs from their back-yard tree in Detroit, MI.


markets which my daughter and I visited every Sunday morning. What I couldn't grow myself I could get in abundance from the best of the local growers.

Now we are in the mountains of northern New Mexico which has the shortest growing season of all. At 8200 feet the nights remain cool almost all year but during July and August the afternoons are extremely hot. The weather is unpredictable, ranging from weeks on end of winds to hail storms to monsoons to perfect hot, sunny afternoons and balmy evenings. The first snow falls by Halloween at the last melts in late May. We live in a small (but most gracious) old restored adobe farmhouse on eight acres of beautiful land studded with pinon and cedar. Two ponds accommodate our neighbor’s horses (they mow our 8-acre lawn) and the migrating ducks. Three big old apricot trees, several wild plums, a chokecherry, and one winter apple tree provide fruit for pies, jams, and drying for the winter. Even though the growing season is the shortest I've ever dealt with, our large gardens include all that my father's had plus the herbs I've come to love plus things he never grew like cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, French haricot verts, and habaneros. What makes this possible is the attached greenhouse where, this year, we started over 60 tomato plants and dozens of other vegetables that need a little extra time. We also use the greenhouse beds to grow our own greens like Swiss chard, arugula, and spinach for the long cold winter. All my herbs in the garden are duplicated in pots to move to the greenhouse for the winter. They include basil, rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme, parsley, oregano, salad burnet, tarragon, and sorrel.

Our first radishes have already been eaten and we won't buy any lettuces until the winter. Now in mid-July we look forward soon to the first tiny green beans and sweet juicy tomatoes. Whether you grow your own or visit one of the many farmers' markets available across the country or even just depend on the local grocer, the availability of wonderful summer produce is a boon to cooks of all stripes, but especially to the Italian cook whose repertoire depends on this.




In my opinion there is only one time of year to enjoy the following recipes, and that would be when the basil is fresh, the tomatoes are perfectly vine ripened and the green beans are so tender that they'll cook in 3 or 4 minutes. However, if you take a morning or two or make up a half dozen or so bottles of herbed vinegar and oil, the echoes of summer will be with you all through the winter. It is a fun, easy project and you can make extra for use as holiday gifts. Collecting interesting bottles throughout the year makes it even more fun. You can keep your eyes open at flea markets, or even in your own liquor cabinet, or ask neighbors to save interesting bottles (and their corks or caps). There are no amounts given in the herbed vinegar and oil recipes because none are needed. Use your eyes to make an attractive mixture and use your sense of taste to combine herbs. Here are a few of my favorites.

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Spicy Herbed Vinegar

Per bottle

White Wine Vinegar (Old Monk makes one of good quality that I buy by the gallon) 1 red jalapeno or habanero or other small hot pepper, fresh About one cup of mixed fresh herbs. For example: fresh thyme and oregano make a very nice

combination. The amount will depend on the size of your bottle. 1 peeled fresh garlic clove

If you are picking your own herbs, do it early in the morning when it is cool. Wash well in cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner. Set aside on paper towels. Wash the pepper and make a slit on two sides with a sharp paring knife. Drop the garlic and pepper into the clean dry bottle. Fold and bend the herbs to fit into the bottle, using the blunt end of a wooden skewer to push them in. Fill the bottle with the vinegar. Cork, label, and set aside in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using. They will keep for a year, getting stronger and better each month.

Herbed Oils




Per bottle:

These are made the same way as the vinegar, but I do not usually include any hot pepper. My favorite is Olio Sante (literally, holy oil) which is simply fresh basil leaves packed into the bottle and then filled with extra virgin olive oil. Another family favorite is rosemary oil with a garlic clove added. Always use extra virgin olive oil and store out of direct light.

Panzanella

Here’s a real summer treat that can add variety to your salad repertoire or serve as a light dinner on a hot summer night.

Salad to serve four:

Four generous slices of French or Italian bread, slightly stale (do not use sliced white "air" bread), cut into rough 1/2 inch cubes

Four medium perfectly vine ripened tomatoes, washed and cut into rough 1/2 cubes 1/2 cup fresh basil, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into rough 1/2 cubes (optional) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tblsp. vinegar (either red or white) 1 tsp. salt Fresh ground pepper

Amounts are not critical in this recipe. Put the bread, tomatoes, basil, onion, and optional cucumber into a pretty salad bowl. Sprinkle on the olive oil and vinegar. Add the salt and pepper and toss well. Let sit at least two hours at room temperature before serving. The tomatoes should




give up enough juice to soften the bread. If not, add enough additional olive oil to accomplish this. Taste again for salt and serve at room temperature.

Green Beans with Mint

To serve four:

1 lb. fresh green beans (if you can get Romano beans all the better!) 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced 1 Tblsp. fresh mint, finely chopped 2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil Sprinkle of vinegar 1 tsp. salt

Drop the beans in boiling salted water and cook until just tender with a little snap left. If they are very fresh this will only take 3 or 4 minutes. Immediately drain and place in ice water to stop the cooking and retain the color. As soon as they are cool to the touch, drain and spread out on paper towels to absorb as much water as possible. Place in serving dish. Add all other ingredients, toss well and let marinate at room temperature until ready to serve. Taste again for salt because beans will absorb quite a lot of salt in the marinating process. These are also excellent slightly chilled.





Sausage - Making Your Own


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No self respecting Italian kitchen would be without a supply of good sausage. This universal food, common to every major cuisine of the world is an integral and beloved part of our diet. There is certainly a specialty sausage for every region of Italy and most likely for every community within all regions. Simply put, you could probably find hundreds of variations on this product travelling through Italy.

Historically sausage was developed by the farmer to make use of all his resources. It made it possible for him to use "everything but the squeal". All the odds and ends from the animal went into it and it provided for his family throughout the winter. Over time the large commercial meat packers "sanitized" the recipes until all that was available in the markets was a bland, universal product.

In the United States, it has only been in the past 15 years or so that we've been able to find something other than the standard commercial varieties available in supermarkets. Now, good delicatessens and specialty meat markets are making interesting variations on the usual pork product, using turkey or chicken, fresh herbs, even adding fruits such as apple. Pork sausage is, however, the hallmark for Italian cookery, and having 20 pounds stashed in the freezer gives the cook a real start on innumerable Italian dishes.

Making your own has several advantages. The most obvious is that you choose the quality and freshness of the meat. You also control the amount of fat, something we are all very aware of today. You can experiment at will with herbs, spices, and other additions according to your own



Meat display case at ccDove Fine Foods. Picture: 1981


likes and dislikes. And best of all, the final cost will be about half of what you would pay for a well made specialty sausage.

When I owned ccDove Fine Foods in California in the 1980's we made several hundred pounds each week. We had a repertoire of about a dozen different varieties ranging from the standard sweet and hot Italian to a Saucisse au Greq (lamb) on to a Swedish beef and potato variety. My original recipe for the lamb sausage is published in California Fresh1. Here we will concentrate on my favorite two Italian recipes. The first is a basic, but delicious hot sausage and the second is my holiday sausage which is a rich, luscious treat.

While no recipe should ever be "written in stone" I would caution you about reducing the amount of fat below what is indicated. After much experimentation this ratio of fat to meat is the smallest you can use and still have a moist and succulent sausage. Alter the seasonings to fit your taste, but remember that salt is a necessary preservative, even in a cooked final product. Fatback can be ordered from your butcher or meat distributor. This is a very dense, smooth fat used in making patés as well as sausage. By trimming the meat first you discard most all of the original fat, then add back in the correct amount of more desirable fat. This serves two purposes. First, it allows you to control the ratio of meat to fat; and second, it replaces the lower quality, loose fat on the meat which tends to gum up the blades of your grinder and stuffer. There are two schools of thought on this matter. One side does it the way I've explained and the other chooses to go with the fat that is on the pork butt and not trim it or add fresh fatback.

You can use either a table top meat grinder (with sausage stuffing attachment) or the meat grinder and sausage horn attachment to an electric mixer such as the Kitchen Aid. For both of these recipes you would use the medium or coarse plate. The casings are available through wholesale meat distributors or any good butcher will special order them for you. I prefer a natural hog casing which is purchased by "the hank". A hank of casings will make at least 150 pounds of sausage. Cost will run around $15 to $18 dollars, they will arrive heavily salted, and




should keep in the refrigerator for at least six months. If you prefer not to use casings, the sausage can be formed into patties and be perfectly delicious if not as versatile in their use. If you do use the casings, allow a generous foot per pound.

To prepare casings: Measure off the amount of casings you will need for your recipe, being generous in your measurements in case of a tear. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile clean and rinse the end of your kitchen tap (remove any aerator you may have there). Take the end of the casing and fit it onto the tap then turn the cold water on slowly. This will fill and rinse the inside of the casing and allow you to see any tears in it. Keep the bowl under the tap to catch the slippery casings and not let them go down the drain! If you find a tear, cut that piece out and discard it. Your final cleaned casing does not have to be one single piece, but should be at least 18 inches long for ease of stuffing. The longer the piece the quicker the stuffing process. Once prepared the casings should be used within an hour or they will tend to dry out and become difficult.

A few tricks to remember: Stuffing is a two-person job. Lightly oil the sausage horn and the casings will slip right on. Turn machine on before tying the knot in the end to push out the air in the horn. As soon as you see the meat, tie your knot and stuff continuously until you either run out of meat or need to put a new casing on the horn. Tie off the end and set aside until all meat is used. Keep a straight pin within reach and as you stuff the casings, prick with the pin when you see an air bubble. This will prevent bursting and keep your sausage even and professional looking.

If you wish to link the sausage at this point, lay it out in a straight line and twist two or three times into whatever length you want. Refrigerate overnight before packaging and freezing. This allows them to dry slightly and mellows the flavor. Cook or freeze the next day.

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Hot Italian Sausage

Makes 25 lbs.

20 lbs. trimmed pork butt 4 lbs. cubed pork fat back 8 Tblsp. salt 5 Tblsp. coarse ground black pepper 5 Tblsp. ground coriander 16 large garlic cloves, minced 8 Tblsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup paprika 2 cups dry white wine Approximately 30 feet of casings

Trim and discard all visible fat and gristle from pork. Cube pork and fat back into pieces to fit your grinder - not more than one inch cubes. Grind together. Combine salt, pepper, coriander, garlic, red pepper and paprika in bowl and mix well. Add to ground meat mixture along with wine and mix well with your hands trying not to compact the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Keep meat mixture as cold as possible for ease of stuffing. Follow above directions for stuffing. Refrigerate, loosely covered, for 12 hours before cooking or freezing.

Freezer life: 4 months.

Holiday Sausage

Makes 25 lbs. 16 lbs. trimmed pork butt 4 lbs. pork fat back 3 lbs. whole milk mozzarella, cut in small dice of about 1/4 inch 6 bunches Italian parsley, minced 26 ounces pumaté (dried tomatoes in oil), drained and chopped coarsely 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar 4 Tblsp. each of dried basil, fennel seed, coarse black pepper, salt, and ground coriander 3 cups dry white wine Approximately 30 feet of casings




Trim and discard all visible fat and gristle from pork. Cube pork and fat back to fit grinder. Grind together. Mix basil, fennel seed, pepper, salt and coriander together. Add to pork with parsley, cheese, vinegar, pumaté, and wine. Mix gently but well by hand. Refrigerate overnight and stuff the next day following directions above. Be sure to keep the meat mixture as cold as possible. Refrigerate again, loosely covered overnight.

Freezer life: 2 to 3 months.

Altitude Adjustment: None needed.

1 Junior League of Oakland, California Fresh, forward by M.F.K. Fisher, Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc., 1985. To order: J.L.O.E.B., 1980 Mountain Blvd., Oakland, CA 94611. This is a sophisticated, well tested, beautifully illustrated series of recipes contributed by professional chefs as well as well as League members.




Farmhouse DinnerBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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For those of you who toil in your vegetable garden all summer the fruits of your labor fill your basket in August and the month or two following. If you are not fortunate enough to have such a garden there are countless produce stands along the highways, and many farmer’s markets in most areas of the country, that make available a variety of fresh, high quality produce. With August comes the time of year to enjoy nature’s bounty by serving a completely fresh-from-scratch dinner. This can be a very rewarding experience for those of you who would like to try it. The side benefit is excellent eating.

The following dinner menu can be done entirely from your garden or farmer’s market, and your freezer, assuming you made your own sausage (see Secret #14). If you didn’t, just buy some good quality sausage. Uncle Joe was the sausage maker in our family, and this meal would have topped off his autumn sausage ritual perfectly.

The menu is grilled sausage links, roasted baby red and yellow beets served on a bed of sautéed beet greens, battered zucchini flowers, and homemade bread. Add a tossed green salad from your garden and you have a meal that will entice even the most jaded summer appetite.



Aunt Norma (1906-1975) andUncle Joe Marchionna (1903-1986)

Picture: 1940


The finished plate has a definite country appeal, is delicious and healthy, and easy on the budget. The preparation of this dinner can be a family affair and fun to do. As a kid I remember my dad going out early in the morning to pick the zucchini flowers and Mom cooking them as fast as we kids could eat them! Out of the garden, into the pan, into our hands in a matter of minutes. However, you can certainly hold those flowers for dinner. As a kid I also remember hating beets because we didn’t grow our own and only ate the canned variety. If you feel the same way, I highly recommend you try these fresh beets. Roasting them concentrates the sugars and results in an astonishingly different vegetable.

If you are working from your garden, start early in the morning to harvest the squash flowers and beets.

For the squash blossoms you can use zucchini, pumpkin, or any summer squash blossom. The best blossoms are the females, which grow directly from the plant stem (not on the end of the fruit). By picking these you will forgo yet another fruit. As you pick each one, reach inside and pluck out and discard the pistola. . Allow two blossoms per person. Rinse the blossoms in cold water, shaking off the excess, and lay on paper towels. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook.

Harvest your beets, allowing three per person. Wash well, using a brush to dislodge any dirt from the ends. Cut off the green tops about one inch above the beet. If the greens are large, tear out the tough center rib. Wash the beet greens in several changes of cold water and place in a colander to drain. Make one or two foil packets, separating the yellow and red beets if you are using both. Place the beets with any clinging water into the packets and seal. Place in 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Big, older beets will take up to an hour and 15 minutes, while small young ones will cook in 35 to 45 minutes. Test with a sharp paring knife. It should pierce the beet easily. When done, open foil and allow to cool until you can handle them. At this point the skin will slip off easily. After skinning, trim off the ends, slice




about 1/4 inch thick and drizzle with a good vinaigrette. Set aside, covered, at room temperature until dinner.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop in the cleaned beet greens, return to the boil and cook three minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze the greens by handfuls, getting out as much moisture as you can. Coarsely chop, cover and refrigerate until ready for the next phase of cooking.

Finishing off dinner is now a matter of 15 or 20 minutes. The batter for the flowers can be put together in five minutes, and while the sausage is grilling you can sauté the flowers and the beet greens.

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Batter for Squash Flowers

Total ingredients:

3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup half and half cream 2 large eggs, well beaten




1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Step One: Prepare the batter

Combine all ingredients in a bowl large enough to accommodate the ingredients plus 5 or 6 squash flowers. Whisk until smooth and creamy with no lumps.




Step Two: Sauté the flowers

Place a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil until 1/2” deep. When oil is hot enough to crackle a drop of water it is ready for the flowers. Place 5 or 6 flowers in the batter mixture, make sure the batter covers all area of the flower. Lift the flowers by the stem end and drain excess batter. Place each flower in the hot oil. Arrange in the pan so they do not touch each other. Do not overcrowd. Sauté on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, lift with a pair of tongs, when the bottom is golden brown turn the flowers and repeat the sauté process. When finished, remove from the skillet and drain on a brown paper bag to remove excess oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and serve.

Sautéed Beet Greens

Total Ingredients:

2 cups coarsely chopped blanched beet greens 1/4 cup olive oil 2 medium cloves garlic, minced fine Salt to taste

This is a single step procedure. Place sauté pan over medium heat with olive oil in pan, add minced garlic and immediately add chopped beet greens. Shake pan vigorously, constantly move greens in pan until hot throughout. Salt to taste.




You are now ready to assemble your farmhouse dinner. Place a serving of the sautéed beet greens on the plate and place on top a serving of the marinated roasted yellow and red beets. Add 2 of the squash flowers and finish with 2 grilled sausage links. Serve with a basket of sliced homemade bread and a tossed mixed garden salad, and pour a glass of dry red wine. It just doesn’t get much better than this. Enjoy.

Altitude Adjustments: None necessary.




Summer SoupsBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Just about this time of the year I begin to get a craving for something a little more complex in flavor than the standard summer fare. My appetite is not yet geared to the long simmering stews and braises of winter, but is bored with the simple grills and salads of summer. At the same time, the garden is bursting with more vegetables than it is possible to eat, can, pickle, freeze, or preserve. Soup to the rescue! Not the long-simmering, hearty soups of winter, but soups that highlight the best of the garden (or farmer's market), and that don't keep your stove going for hours at a time.

When we were growing up soup was an integral part of our diet. It was so much a part that every single Monday that my mother was alive, we had soup for supper. The simple reason was that Mondays were "wash days" and in the winter she could put a long cooking pot on the stove, return to her old Dexter double tub, and serve up a hearty, healthy meal in the evening. In the summer she, or on special occasions my Dad, could put together a summer minestra from the garden in quick order and the meal was equally delicious. So we all grew up with an appreciation of good homemade soups. You can be as rustic or as elegant as you wish with this versatile dish, running the gamut from crystal clear consommé to thick and rich minestrone. My fond memories of this dish revolve around sitting down with cousins and aunts and uncles for an informal meal of a great bowl of soup, a thick slab of homemade bread and a glass of wine. To this day I still love soup as a meal, not an appetizer or first course. This menu may not make culinary history, but it makes a great meal that feeds the soul as well as the appetite.



Picture: 1945 - Left to right:Cousin Merceda Saffron nee Biordi (1943- )

Cecelia Dove, nee Zara (1941- )Cousin Diana Luskin Biordi (1940- )

Brother Raymond Zara (1938- )


The two recipes that follow make the most of our summer produce. After 30 years of gardening I still plant too many zucchini and summer squash. Every gardener I know makes this mistake and there are even comic strips about growing zucchini. Zucchini jokes in summer are like fruitcake jokes at Christmas. But once you taste the following recipe for Cream of Zucchini soup you will rethink your garden. It is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. It is elegantly smooth and silky, vivid emerald green, and tastes simply of summer. My imagination is already at work, waiting for the first snowfall, the first fire roaring, to pull out a pint from my freezer to relive the tastes of summer. I cannot attribute this recipe to family, however. It was given to me by my good friend, Margaret Nes, from Taos, and it is with her permission that I present it here. She, too, used to plant too many zucchini, but we now agree that you can never ever again have too many. I hope that it will become part of my family's recipes for future generations.

The second recipe is definitely from the family files. It is a lightened version of the classic Minestrone. The use of the Parmesan rind in the water, instead of a hearty broth is an old trick used to give depth and flavor to soups and stews made without meat stock. The optional chicken will make this a more substantial meal but even without it, the soup is flavorful enough to stand on its own. Because of the use of soft summer vegetables I do not think this soup freezes very well. It is a great way to use up the end-of-the-summer garden when you have just a handful of peas, string beans, a single zucchini or two or whatever else is there that isn't enough for a whole meal on its own. Feel free to vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand. This recipe is a simple structure into which you can fit your own ingredients.

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Cream of Zucchini Soup

5 lbs. zucchini 1 Tblsp. salt 2 medium onions Fresh herb bouquet 1/4 lb. butter 2 1/2 cups water

Wash the zucchini and trim ends. If they are really over mature just use the outside flesh and discard the center core. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment you can make quick work of this. If not, be patient and use a food grater. Grate the onions first. Melt the butter in a large soup pot, add the onions over low heat and while they sweat and soften for about 5 minutes, grate the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the pot with the salt and mix it all up well. Turn heat up and add the water and herbs of your choice. A nice mix is a handful of marjoram, basil and parsley tied up with kitchen string (for fishing out later). Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to achieve a simmer. Cover and cook about 30 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Fish out the herbs. Puree the soup in a blender using only enough of the liquid to make a thick puree. At this point you can freeze it to finish later or continue on to serve.

To serve: Thin the puree with a little of the cooking liquid, add a little half and half or milk and taste for salt. You could garnish with croutons, or a spoonful of sour cream if you like. If the puree has been frozen, you can thin it with canned vegetable or chicken stock, water, or milk - whatever your taste dictates.

Summer Minestra

2 cups mixed aromatic vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, fennel, leeks) diced 1 lb. fresh tomatoes, washed and coarsely chopped (or use chopped canned with juice) 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 2 medium zucchini or summer squash or a combination, cut bite size 3 cups fresh greens shredded (spinach, chard, rapini, beet greens, kale are possibilities) 1/2 cup fresh snap peas trimmed and halved or shelled peas

1 cup fresh string beans, trimmed and cut in 1 in. pieces 1 medium potato, diced 1 piece of Parmesan rind, about 2 or 3 oz. 3 Tblsp. olive oil 8 cups of water




1 whole skinned, boneless chicken breast (optional), cubed into bite size pieces

1 cup cooked white beans (or canned cannellini work well) An herb bouquet of your choice, tied up with kitchen string Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil in the soup pot. Add the aromatic vegetables and soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, water, Parmesan rind, herb bouquet, salt lightly (the cheese will add salt as it cooks), and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and cook about 15 minutes. If you are using the chicken, add it in with the potatoes. Add string beans and cook another 10 minutes. Add zucchini, peas and greens and cook an additional 15 minutes. Taste for salt as you add each ingredient and add as necessary for your taste. Add beans and simmer 5 minutes more. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add water in small amounts. Fish out the cheese rind and herb bouquet and serve piping hot. A spoonful of pesto stirred into each serving is a traditional garnish and adds yet another layer of flavor.

Altitude Adjustment: None necessary




Chicken Spezzatino -Different and Delightful


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Now that the summer barbecue season is drawing to a close, and everyone has had their fill of grilled chicken, the search begins for different methods of preparing this delicious bird. A quick search of popular cookbooks reveals many familiar recipes to prepare this universal staple. Most of them share one thing in common, you've been there and done that. Search and search as you may, there are not that many avenues available to come up with a unique recipe for the common bird. Until now.

Mom called the dish "spitzad", probable a dialect of her birthplace. We believe the more general Italian name to be "spezzatino", with "spizzate" the name in the Abruzzi dialect. In all my travels I have never seen this dish on a menu, nor have I ever seen it published in a cookbook. So, if something different is what you are looking for, read on.

Aunt Mary, Mom and my sister Gloria frequently served chicken prepared this way and it was one of my father's all time favorites. At home, mom presented the dinner with a nice tossed salad, home made bread, a glass of white wine and lots of spitzad. She intentionally left out the



Aunt Mary Biordi nee Buzzelli (1913-1987)Picture above: 1944. Picture below: circa 1930


vegetables and a starch, because we consumed such huge amounts of the chicken, there was no room for the trimmings. This is not to say that presenting this meal with vegetables and a starch is not acceptable, but rather a point of personal preference. It would also make a very special center dish for a buffet.

The dish is somewhat simple to prepare and outrageously delicious. It consists of fresh chicken, bone in, cut in small pieces and coated with a lemon/egg mixture. When considering how much chicken to serve, you have to take into consideration that it is “bone-in”, therefore a quick rule of thumb is that you will need approximately 1 lb. of trimmed chicken per person. The next decision to make is whether to use a whole cut up chicken or specific parts. My personal preference is to purchase either all thighs or leg and thigh sections. These cuts, (all dark meat), are more succulent than their white meat counterparts. However, chicken breasts or using a whole cut up chicken will work fine. A kitchen cleaver is a handy tool for this job.




It is important to pay particular attention to cutting the chicken. If using a whole chicken, you want to cut each breast half into 2 to 3 pieces, depending on the size. Each thigh should be cut in half and each leg also cut in half. Wings generally are not included, unless they are large. If using large wings, trim the tip of the wing and disjoint the wing into 2 pieces. Once all the cutting is done, go back over each piece trimming loose skin flaps and any fat. If time permits, immerse the chicken in lightly salted ice water for 1/2 hr., up to 2 hours before you begin cooking. The brining step is not absolutely necessary, but it will enhance the flavor of the dish and is well worth the time and effort.

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Chicken SpitzadTotal ingredients:

3 lbs. of cut up, bone-in chicken 3 large eggs, well beaten 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)

Step One: Roast the chicken

If the chicken is soaked, drain and pat dry on paper towels. Place the cut up chicken pieces in roast pan. Use no liquid or oil. Lightly shake salt and pepper to taste and add the sprig of rosemary. Cover roast pan and place in 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hr This step can be completed up to an hour ahead of finishing. Remove the chicken from roasting pan and place on a wire rack until it is thoroughly drained.

Step Two: Coat and finish the spitzad




In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they begin to thicken slightly. Add lemon juice slowly while continuing to whisk vigorously until all of the lemon juice is incorporated. Place a dry, high sided, heavy bottomed sauce pot over high heat for a few moments until the bottom is thoroughly heated. Place the drained chicken pieces in the pot and slowly begin to drizzle in the egg/lemon mixture, constantly turning the chicken with a wooden spoon. You will notice that the egg/lemon mixture will coat the chicken and the heat will make the coating firm. When all of the mixture has been used and the coating is good and firm you may turn the chicken out onto a serving platter

Although you may have knives and forks placed at your dinner service, this dish is best enjoyed as a finger food. For those of you who are adventuresome, this entrée can be made with lamb cubes. Follow the same procedure for the chicken, but eliminate the soaking in ice water. Use a tender cut of lamb, trimming it well. The lamb Spitzad makes a delightful change of pace and is a bit more elegant. Since the lamb cubes are boneless, you can use the forks you found so useless when preparing the chicken.

This dish has never failed to produce a lot of accolades when served to family and guests. I’m quite sure it will bring the same results to you.





Chicken ScaparelliBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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We’ve all learned the basic wine with food rule, “Red wine with pasta and meat, white wine with fish and fowl”. I’m quite sure that this basic guideline has influenced your decision when choosing a bottle of wine to serve with your dinner. Over the years I have stayed fairly close to this premise, straying occasionally to satisfy my own moods and personal choices. One would further surmise the same premise holds true when cooking with wine; but here we are going to stray from tradition in the pursuit of turning the common chicken into a very uncommon but delightful entrée.

This was one of my sister Gloria’s favorite dishes. I have researched our library of Italian cookbooks and was unsuccessful in finding anything like it. While living in New Jersey, however, I remember seeing it on a menu in a great Italian restaurant in Union City called Casa Dante. The dish consists of chicken and sausage, braised in an infused rosemary red wine sauce. Scaparelli is simple to prepare and outlandishly delicious, and for those of you who are tradition bound, it is an opportunity to break the rules and serve a dry red dinner wine with a chicken dish.

You may choose to use a whole chicken, or chicken parts cut in the same manner as my recipe for spitzad. Please reference the spitzad recipe for cutting instructions.

“Infusion” is a very simple technique that will impart the flavor of fresh rosemary into the sauce without having the herb physically present in the finished dish. At the proper time you will add a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary to the pan. Later, you will pick the rosemary out of the sauce and discard it.

“Cured” olives are used in this recipe. You can generally find them in the ethnic or deli section at your local supermarket. These olives are always packed dry and with pits, and are not to be confused with canned olives in liquid. They add a special layer of flavor to the final dish that cannot be achieved with a substitute.



Sister Gloria(1923-1995)Brother Bill (1921-1995)

Picture 1929


Although not absolutely necessary, brining the cut up chicken is recommended, if time allows.

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Chicken ScaparelliServes four:

3 lbs. of cut up, bone-in chicken 1/2 lb. Italian sausage links (sweet or hot)

cut in 1/2” circles Salt and pepper to taste 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup onion diced fine 1/4 cup celery diced fine 2 cloves of garlic, mashed 15 cured black olives 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary 1 cup dry red wine




Step One: Brown the chicken and sausage

If the chicken is soaked, drain and pat dry on paper towels. Put the olive oil in a large skillet and heat over high heat. Brown the chicken well, salt and pepper to taste and remove the chicken when browned and put aside. Repeat the process, browning the cut up sausage pieces. Remove the sausage.

Step Two: Deglaze pan and precook chicken and sausage

Add the onions, celery, garlic, rosemary and olives and return to the heat for 1 minute. Turn heat to high and add chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add the browned chicken and sausage and cook uncovered until the liquid in the pan is reduced by half.

Step Three: Braise the chicken and sausage and create the sauce

Add the red wine, cover pan with tight fitting lid and reduce the temperature to low. Braise for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Step Four: Finish the sauce

Remove chicken, sausage and olives from pan and place on a warm platter. Return pan to high heat and reduce sauce by 1/2. Remove rosemary sprigs. Serve chicken, sausage and olives with a generous portion of the pan sauce.

If you prefer your sauce thicker, you may whisk in a couple of pats of floured butter while reducing. I personally prefer the sauce a little on the thin side, to dunk my homemade bread in while enjoying the Scaparelli.




Generally in our home this dish was served without the benefit of side dishes other than a salad. However, a portion of polenta with a spoonful of pan sauce would be a very nice addition to the plate if you wanted to add a starch.

Are there any hunters in your house? The above technique works very well with small game. My father would come home from a day’s hunt with three or four rabbits and prepare this dish the following day. He omitted the sausage from the recipe when using game, but it will work well either way. Domestic rabbit that can be purchased in supermarkets does not work in this recipe. They are simply too lean and dry out too quickly.

The technique and recipe works extremely well with squab, if you are fortunate enough to find them. I can remember a young man who raised pigeons in a roof top coop next to the old Majestic Theater in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, where I grew up. In the spring of the year dad used to purchase a basket of young squab, and he and I would butcher them and have them for dinner the following day. It was quite a chore, but well worth the effort. If you ever have occasion to get a dozen or so of these young birds, it will be a real treat for your family and friends. Remember, the bird has to be young enough to have never flown. Once flying, it is a pigeon and not acceptable for this delicacy .





Chicken Piccata


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Chicken piccata did not rank high on the list of favorite dishes in our home during my early years. Although chicken was very much a staple in our diet, out family opted for a more complete use of the bird. For example, if chicken were to be considered for dinner it would be cut up, bone-in, and roasted or braised, and you would have the neck and back available for a pot of soup. To do a chicken dish that called just for chicken breasts was not an option.

Chicken piccata is sautéed chicken breasts in a lemon butter sauce. I think that statement is pretty straightforward. However, with the advent of plastic lemon juice and powdered, instant sauces, this classic dish has been turned into something other than a classic. I no longer order the dish when out to dinner unless I know for sure that it is the real thing. To add insult to injury, I have seen white wine and even mushrooms in sauces called piccata, done under the premise of being trendy and adventuresome. I call it amateurish and disrespectful.

This is the first recipe we are publishing that falls into the category of sauté. To successfully accomplish this technique, some thought has to be give to the small amount of fat that must be present in the sauté pan to begin the process. Most folks in a home kitchen will use olive oil or whole butter. What is really required is a fat that will resist scorching under high heat. In my estimation there is none better than clarified butter. Clarified or drawn butter is the essence of pure butter, simple to make, has an almost unlimited shelf life, and by the nature of its properties will outperform most other fats in the sauté pan. I believe that every serious home cook should keep a small supply of this ingredient on hand. For the chicken piccata recipe and future sauté recipes to come, I will outline the process to change whole butter into clarified or drawn butter.

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Clarified Butter

Place one pound of whole butter in a small, open topped double-boiler. Place the double boiler on the absolute lowest temperature that you can maintain for about eight hours. You can accomplish the task in the oven overnight if your oven is gas and has a high pilot heat. The butter is ready to “draw” when the salt solids floating on the top become firm and you can see the milk solids firmly on the bottom. Use a tablespoon to very gently gather and discard all of the floating solids. Without shaking the top part of the double boiler, very slowly pour off the butter into a bowl until you have drained off all that you can without the milk solids spilling over. One pound of whole butter should yield about 10 ounces of clarified butter. Clarified butter has many uses in the kitchen. Besides its outstanding performance in the sauté pan, it has no equal in dunking steamed clams, chunks of freshly boiled or steamed lobster, or a firm fish like monk fish. It also does a great job at breakfast for frying eggs or preparing a nice omelet.




If you’re going to call it piccata, capers are one of the few permissible options. I prefer mine without, but their addition is a matter of personal preference. If you decide to use capers in the dish you will want to pay particular attention when adjusting the pan sauce for salt.




Chicken Piccata

Total Ingredients:

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 halves)

1 cup all purpose flour for dredging 1/4 cup clarified butter 1 fresh lemon 2 small garlic cloves, mashed 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley 1 Tbls. whole butter salt to taste 2 Tbls. capers (optional)

Step One: Prepare chicken breasts

Remove the tenders from the breasts if they are present, the long finger-like strips. Trim all fat and sinews and remove the thin membrane covering the breasts. Butterfly the breasts starting from the plump lobe side. Press firmly with the palm of your hand to achieve uniform thickness. Do not pound with mallet.

Step Two: Sauté chicken breasts

Place a 10”, heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat and add enough of the clarified butter to coat the bottom. When fat is hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle, immediately dredge the chicken breasts in the flour plate, shake of excess and place in the pan. Do not dredge in advance or the flour will get pasty. Shake pan frequently to avoid sticking and continue until bottoms are golden brown. Turn breasts in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cut ends from the lemon and make four thin slices (about 1/2 of the lemon), place sliced lemon in pan and squeeze the juice from the remaining half into the pan. Add mashed garlic and immediately deglaze the pan by pouring at least 1/2 inch of chicken broth in it. Add parsley, the tablespoon of whole butter, and capers if you are using them.

Step Three: The finish




Continue cooking until chicken is done. If all is perfect, the pan sauce will form right when the chicken is finished. If the pan sauce has not yet come together, remove chicken from sauté pan and place on warm plates, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to the proper consistency. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over the breasts in the plate and top each breast piece with one of the cooked lemon slices

Some additional tips on this technique. Never place a sauté item in a cold pan as it will absorb fat and become greasy. When a recipe calls for pounded thin chicken breasts, use the butterfly method instead. It retains the delicate consistency of the chicken breast. Using the mallet to pound chicken breasts very thin has its place in certain instances such as a roulade, but for straight sauté, butterflying is the way to go. Always use fresh ingredients in your sauté, plastic lemon, dried garlic, and parsley flakes just do not work. For a true piccata sauce never add white wine in the sauté pan with the fresh lemon. A white wine butter sauce is a sauce unto its own.

This technique works extremely well using thin medallions of veal to create a wonderful veal piccata.





Perfect Roast ChickenBy CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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We've lived in big cities, small towns, suburban tracts, and now in a farmhouse on a mountain. It really doesn't seem to matter where we are when the first frosty autumn days arrive because the same food memory always surfaces in my brain. I remember shivering with cold, walking into a



Grandma Anna Buzzelli nee Casacchia (1873-1917)Pictures circa 1898

Grandpa Nicola Buzzelli (1873-1914)


warm kitchen and the aromas that permeated the house. The smells of chicken roasting, with scents of lemon and rosemary, will forever be part of my emotional makeup. They simply make me feel good. They speak of autumn evenings, family dinners, good conversation, a warm and safe haven from the cold.

Our mother was oblivious to the beautiful memories she was building for her children. She only knew that she had a family of four very hungry children and a weary husband to feed. Her mission was to feed them well and to do it economically. Fortunately for all of us, chicken remains one of the great ways to do that even today. You won't find a better dollar value in the meat counter than a whole chicken. And a perfectly roasted, golden brown, crispy skinned bird served with perfect mashed potatoes and gravy and green salad is a dinner to build a memory.

People have been roasting chickens forever. My mother learned her mother's method and I've learned my mother's way. However, over the years there have been numerous methods put forth as the right way to roast a chicken. They include covered versus uncovered, basting or not, adding liquid or not, turning the bird or not. Each year seems to bring yet another "perfect method". After roasting hundreds of birds I have found that the simplest way possible results in the best bird ever. Once it is in the oven, the most important thing you do is to leave it undisturbed. No basting, turning, or even peeking allowed. Now the cook has ample time to finish the menu in a relaxed manner, which makes this meal even more attractive. You could further simplify the cooking process by serving roasted potatoes instead of mashed. They could be done in the same oven as the chicken, putting them in about one hour before the chicken is done.

Soaking the chicken is an optional step. I prefer to do this because I believe it results in a juicier, more tender bird. If you choose to include this step, dissolve one teaspoon salt per quart of ice cold water in a non-reactive bowl or pot large enough to hold the chicken comfortably. Immerse the chicken from one hour up to 12 hours. Drain well, pat dry inside and out, and continue with the recipe.

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Perfect Roast Chicken

Serves four

1 whole chicken, approximately 4 lbs. 1 lemon 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary* olive oil salt and pepper

Tuck wings under back. Pull out any excess fat from the body cavity. Freeze the neck bone, heart, and gizzard for stock. Soak the chicken if you wish or rinse under cold water and pat dry inside and out.




Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Wash the lemon and dry. Poke it with a fork to break the skin about 10 times. Wash the herbs and dry. Place lemon and herbs in body cavity. Rub the entire outside of the bird with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper it generously inside and out. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a roasting pan with a rack. Place in oven, uncovered, and roast undisturbed for one and one-half hours. Drain the liquid from the cavity into the bottom of the roast pan and continue roasting until thoroughly cooked, approximately an additional 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness by making a cut between the thigh and body and pressing lightly. The juice should run clear, not pink tinged.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before carving.

*If you are not fond of rosemary you may substitute any number of fresh herbs such as sage or tarragon. Whatever you use will permeate the chicken meat along with the lemon.


Torta Pasqualina - Easter Pie


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From the lakes and mountains of northern Italy to the desert-like tip of Sicily, Easter is celebrated with a myriad of rituals, both religious and secular. Food plays such a significant role in this holiday that some specialties are made at no other time of year, many in the bread and sweets category. From region to region there are innumerable variations on sweet rolls and breads, often including anise flavorings and/or citron. One mainstay tradition from our family's cache, Easter bread, was previously offered in Family Secrets one and two.

The Easter pie is another very special dish made only for this occasion. In Family Secrets four we shared the sweet version, one which is highly prized in our family and eagerly awaited each spring. There are, however, many regions of Italy that specialize in savory Easter pies. These make wonderful brunch or light dinner dishes or, served in smaller portions, are appropriate as a first course.

The region of Liguria specializes in a vegetarian torta often featuring artichoke hearts, but my favorite is the following recipe, rich and hearty and needing only a salad to make a wonderful meal. After the rigors and fasting of the Lenten season, this dish is sure to be welcomed.

If you have a favorite recipe for pie dough, please use it. If not, the following recipe works well, yielding a flavorful, slightly flaky crust that is fairly easy to work with. As with all pie dough, keep everything well chilled, and work quickly and lightly. The dough will need at least 20 to 30 minutes to rest in the refrigerator before rolling. It may be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then softened slightly by leaving at room temperature when you are ready to assemble.



Aunt Maria Zara nee Timpano (1928-1991)Cecelia Dove nee Zara (1941- ), Easter 1964


The directions in this recipe are for assembling in a food processor. If you don't have one it can easily be made by hand, using a pastry cutter to cut in the fats, and a large wooden spoon to bring the dough together while sprinkling with water.

The question of whether to use unsalted butter keeps arising and, in my opinion, there is little taste difference. However, if you wish to use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 tsp. The recipe will yield enough dough for one 10" two crust pie.



CeCe's Easter and otherwise hats of the early 1960s


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Torta Pasqualina

Pastry Crust (for a 10" pie pan): Serves 6 as main dish or 10 as an appetizer

2-1/2 cups of white flour 1/2 tsp. salt 8 Tblsp. chilled butter 4 Tblsp. chilled shortening (Crisco) 4 Tblsp. iced water, approximately

Place the flour and salt in food processor bowl with steel blade. Pulse twice to mix. Quickly cut butter and shortening into rough pieces, about 1/2 tablespoon each. Add to processor bowl and pulse in one second pulses about 10 to 12 times until the fat is cut into the flour to about the size of a pea. Drizzle in the iced water by tablespoons, pulsing in one second bursts, just until the dough begins to come together. Do not over process or add more water than necessary, or the dough will shrink in the pie plate.



Easter Vamp, 1964


Turn dough onto a floured board and knead very lightly once or twice until it holds together. Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, pat into a round shape, dust lightly with flour, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate at least 20 to 30 minutes or longer.

Filling: 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed 1 pound whole milk ricotta 4 large eggs 2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup grated Italian Fontina 1/4 cup finely minced parsley 4 oz. Prosciutto, not too thinly sliced, then roughly diced 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. salt

Cook the sausage over medium heat until done, breaking up with a wooden spoon. There should be no pink remaining. Drain off all fat and set the meat aside to cool.

Beat the ricotta and 4 raw eggs together to blend well. Mix in the chopped cooked eggs, Parmesan, Fontina, parsley, Prosciutto, and black pepper.

Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tblsp. cold water

Roll the larger dough disc about 1/4" thick and place in pie plate leaving an overhand at the lip. Spoon in the filling. Roll the second disc, fit on top of the pie, trim the pastry edge to meet, and seal and flute the edges. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Cut four vents in the center and bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned. Let cool on a rack at least 15 minutes before cutting. May be served warm or at room temperature.

Altitude Adjustment: Above 5000 feet increase baking time by ten minutes.




Sourdough Bread (and Starter)


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If you are of a certain age you will remember the advent of supermarket bread. Sliced, white, soft and convenient, our mothers loved it because it freed them from the need to bake bread at least once a week. We loved it because it was "modern" and so very different from our daily loaf. We found all sorts of interesting things to do with it in addition to making a sandwich. For instance, you could ball it up in you hand to make a convenient missile to hurl at your bothersome brother.

After a few years of a fairly steady diet of this air bread it began to lose its shine and we began to hunger for the crusty, dense loaves straight from the oven. The sort that if you broke off a chunk and dipped it in the simmering sauce, it would not fall apart and disappear to the bottom of the pot. Fortunately in the little town where we grew up there were several good Italian bakeries that still specialized in what we now call "artisan" breads. Mom would occasionally treat the family to a loaf from her favorite, and she would still bake her own version now and then; but it wasn't until the l970's that a true revival of interest in home baked bread occurred in this country.

It is interesting to me that just about the time that women decided to move out into the professional world seriously, and a large percentage of our families became two income families, that this revival took place. It seems that as women got busier than ever they longed for the serenity that comes from providing this basic food. This revival of interest has not been limited to women, however. Men seem to find the same sort of therapeutic value in producing a fine loaf. Perhaps it is because it forces you to slow down. You cannot rush a good loaf of bread. There is a certain peace that comes from the slow, developing process of making bread. You have provided something basic, unique and healthful to your family's needs, the house is filled with wonderful aromas, and you've created an edible work of art.

Family Secrets #046 - Originally Published 05/2000 by La Lama Mountain Ovens©2000 CeCe Dove - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]



There are hundreds of recipes available for the bread baker ranging from the simplest white pan bread to the more complicated free form loaves. Boules, baguettes, batards, white, rye, wheat, spelt, and a thousand other variations. From our ongoing experimentation we've come to love this large crusty sourdough loaf. If you don't have a sourdough starter you may either purchase one from a specialty store, with instructions included on how to revive it, or you can make your own. I started ours in San Francisco in 1996, and have successfully transplanted it to the mountains in New Mexico, as well as to Pennsylvania and Oregon. Each year it becomes stronger and more complex in flavor. We use it to bake a dozen different kids of breads as well as sourdough pancakes and even a chocolate sourdough cake. Everyone who has successfully started their own sourdough has a "correct" way. This one works for us.




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Sourdough Starter

1 1/2 cups non fat milk 2 cups white bread flour

Warm the milk until barely tepid. Combine the milk and flour in a glass or plastic bowl, do not use metal. Whisk vigorously until well blended. Cover with clean cheesecloth to keep out insects and dust. Do not cover with plastic or anything that will seal. Leave at room temperature. Stir well every 24 hours and in anywhere from one to three days you should see bubbles appearing on the surface. You have been successful in capturing a wild yeast. Feed the mixture 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup tepid non fat milk every 8 hours for the next two days, stirring well. At this point it should be quite active with a thick layer of foam. If at any point you see a pinkish color developing, discard the mixture, scrub everything well and start again. A pink color indicates a bacterial infection, something you do not want in your sourdough. The layer of foam indicates the activity of the culture. You may now use it or refrigerate until ready to use. When you refrigerate a starter it will go dormant and separate into two layers. The bottom layer will be heavy, pasty and doughy, and the top layer will be yellowish and watery. Simply whisk them together and bring it all to room temperature before using (about two hours). If you do not use your starter for two or three weeks it is a good idea to pour out a cup and feed it with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup tepid non fat milk, let it sit at room temperature until it is nice and bubbly again. Each time you do use it, feed it the same way, replacing whatever you remove. For example if your recipe calls for 8 oz of starter, then replace it with 4 oz flour and 4 oz of milk.

A word about equipment. Bread baking is such a basic procedure that all you really need is a bowl, your two hands and a baking sheet. But in the interests of accuracy and ease I would recommend that you have a large dough scraper, an accurate kitchen scale (the new digital ones are wonderful because you can use the tare feature and add most everything to one bowl), assorted baskets of appropriate size and shape, and a clean spray bottle for water (inexpensive ones can be bought from hardware stores). You can purchase baskets from specialty kitchenware stores at a very high price or inexpensive ones from a local import store. Just be sure they are clean. You will line them with clean kitchen towels anyway. Since this recipe makes about 4.5 lbs. of dough, a heavy duty mixer, while not a necessity, will surely simplify the process.




Ingredients are also about as basic as you can get. Flour, water, salt, and leavening, properly proportioned, will produce a loaf of bread. However, whole books have been written about types of flour, their chemistry, and their various uses. For now, suffice it to say you want two basic types of flour for the following bread. The first is all-purpose unbleached white flour and the other is high gluten flour. The second can usually be purchased in bulk at specialty stores or in bags (at a much high price) in high-end supermarkets. For more information on flour please refer to "The Italian Baker" by Carol Field or "World Sourdoughs from Antiquity" by Ed Wood.

All ingredients in the following recipe have been converted to weight for accuracy. For example one cup of white flour will weigh anywhere from 4.5 to 6 ounces depending upon how the cup is filled and what the relative humidity might be. Using weights instead of measures makes a much more consistent loaf, therefore the need for the kitchen scale.




Sourdough Bread

Makes two generous two pound loaves or three 1.5 lb. loaves

14 oz. sourdough starter, room temperature 2 oz. raw wheat germ 1 lb. 4 oz. tepid water 1 lb. 8 oz. unbleached white flour 1 lb. high gluten flour 1 Tblsp. salt

Measure starter, wheat germ and water into mixer bowl. Mix flours and salt together in another bowl. With paddle attachment on mixer, add half of the flour mixture to the starter mixture and beat for 4 to 5 minutes at medium speed until the mixture is elastic. Change to dough hook and add remainder of flour. Knead with machine until dough ball forms and it begins to climb the hook. Turn onto a well floured board and finish kneading by hand an addition 5 minutes or until the dough feels satiny and beginning to blister. If you get tired, take a five minute break and go back to kneading again. Place in a large oiled bowl (the bowl should be twice the size of your dough mass), cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover again with a clean heavy towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about three hours.

Turn out onto a floured board, deflate the dough and cover with the empty bowl. Let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into desired amounts and shape according to your baskets. Round baskets (or even a kitchen bowl in a pinch) will make a boule, long wide baskets will make a batard. As you form each loaf work the dough on the board to form a taut "skin", gathering and pinching and rolling on the board. Place each loaf in its basket which has been lined with a clean kitchen towel and then lightly floured. Cover each with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band so it is tight. Let sit at room temperature about 30 minutes and then refrigerate overnight.




Next day: Remove from refrigerator, remove plastic wrap and replace with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until almost doubled. This will take anywhere from three to four hours depending on the ambient temperature. Don't rush the dough. About 20 minutes before you wish to bake, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Turn bread out of baskets onto sheet pans that have been heavily dusted with cornmeal (not oiled). Make two or three deep angled slashes on the top of the dough to allow proper expansion. Place in preheated oven and immediately and quickly spray sides and bottom of oven with a fine mist of cold water. Turn oven down to 375. Spray two more times every three minutes and then do not open oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove loaves from pan and bake directly on oven rack for additional five to seven minutes. Cool on racks. May be frozen after completely cooled.

Altitude Adjustment: This is a sturdy bread that bakes well to high altitudes. You may need to adjust baking times by a few minutes but do not change temperature. As with any bread recipe the amounts of flour may need to be increased or decreased slightly depending more on humidity and temperature than altitude.




Crab Cutlets


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During the years I lived on the east coast, I acquired a taste for blue crabs. While growing up in Western Pennsylvania this was definitely not a staple in my mother's very Italian kitchen, both because of the expense and the fact that we did not have a ready source of fresh seafood. However, when I moved to the east coast area the blue crab became an integral part of my diet, and therefore part of our family recipe book.

Blue crabs are found all over the east coast and down through the gulf states. However the absolute best come from the Chesapeake Bay. To my taste, the brackish waters of the bay produce the finest crabs in the world.

There are many ways to prepare crabs. They can be steamed whole while in their hard shells, and while molting, they make an excellent sauté dish which we know as soft-shell crab. Our absolute favorite is a crab cutlet or crab cake, whichever you prefer to call them. The main ingredient to make a great crab cutlet, naturally, would be the crab meat itself. With the advent of the internet and the many e-commerce sites, this delicacy is available fresh to all who are willing to pay the price. As pasteurized crab meat it is also often available in up-scale supermarkets and fish markets in the refrigerated section.

Family Secrets #047 - Originally Published 05/2000 by La Lama Mountain Ovens1999 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.


Chef Raymond in his private lair – 2000


When purchasing crab meat, either fresh or pasteurized, you will discover there are many different parts of the crab available. You will find claw meat, backfin meat, body meat, lump crabmeat, and finally the best, jumbo lump crabmeat. Jumbo lump crabmeat is what we will use for our recipe. Although it may originate from any number of locales, if it comes from the Chesapeake Bay it is the best in the world.

For a formal dinner these make a memorable first course, served as a three ounce cutlet sauced with a lemon butter sauce or a white wine reduction. If you wish to serve them as an entree, two three ounce cutlets served with tartar sauce, a wedge of lemon, a fresh ear of corn, and a stack of homemade French fries is the traditional New England plate. For a special lunch presentation, a four ounce crab cake served on a Kaiser roll dressed with a tartar sauce, thin slice of tomato and a crisp leaf of lettuce is a delight.

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Crab Cutlets

Total ingredients to make six 3 ounce cutlets

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat or lump crabmeat 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten 1-1/4 tbls. mayonnaise 2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine 1/8 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning 1/8 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 cup unsalted milk or water crackers made into crumbs 1 tbls. clarified butter

Step One: Prepare the crab cutlet mixture

In a medium sized bowl place all of the ingredients except the cracker crumbs. Fold very gently until well mixed. Drizzle in the cracker crumbs, a little at a time, lightly stirring as you add them. Use only enough cracker crumbs to lightly bind the mixture. The exact amount of cracker crumbs will vary according to the amount of moisture in the crab meat.

Step Two: Form the crab cutlets

With a large spoon portion out the proper amount of the mixture. Dampen your hands with cold water and gently form the crab mixture into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Place each of them on a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Step Three: Cook the cutlets




Use a heavy bottom skillet, place over medium heat. Add the clarified butter and bring up to cooking temperature. Pick up the crab cutlets on the back side of a spatula and place in the sauté pan being careful not to crowd them. Sauté about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to gently turn them over and repeat the process.

While there are many recipes available that are a variation on this theme, the one we have shared with you focuses on the main ingredient, the best crabmeat you can purchase. If you add herbs, spices, and lots of filler, you detract from the delicate flavor of the crab and defeat the purpose of paying for the best.

Altitude Adjustment: None




Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers


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I recently found myself in the rather un-enviable situation of having to prepare a dinner for one. It was just one of those days that I craved something different, very Italian, not too complicated, and fast. Since I have an inherent dislike for fast foods and frozen dinners, my need for speed was creating a real problem.

The solution to my dilemma came when I recalled having dinner a very long time ago, in a little hole in the wall restaurant in the Iron Bound section of Newark, New Jersey. Iron Bound is not an ethnically diverse neighborhood, it is predominantly Italian and Portuguese. This was one of my favorite places because it was close to my office, the food and service were outstanding, and the prices were right.

Occasionally I would be invited to have dinner with an interesting acquaintance of mine who traced his roots back to Naples. For reasons I never really understood at the time, the great food and service just got better when my friend accompanied me to dinner. The owner would whisk us to a private table in a little alcove and he would wait on the table personally. There was never a menu, my friend and the owner had a brief conversation in Italian and food and wine would magically appear. Try as I might, I was never able to pay a check in his presence, and as a matter of fact, I never saw a check presented.

One dish that was served during one of these rather interesting dinners was pork chops and vinegar peppers, and the owner was kind enough to share the recipe with me, which I immediately added to my growing list of favorites. I have never seen this dish on any menu in any restaurant. It is simply cucina rustica at its best.

Family Secrets #048 - Originally Published 07/2000 by La Lama Mountain Ovens© 2000 Ray Zara - Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]



The dinner was always presented very simply: three nice pork chops with sautéed vinegar peppers, a large tossed salad dressed with a mild vinaigrette, a good bottle of dry red wine, and a basket of great Italian bread. It just doesn't get any simpler, or any better for that matter. If you are a major carnivore three chops will suit you, but for the more delicate two will do quite nicely. You can increase this recipe to feed two or more people simply by adding more sauté pans to the stove.




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Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers

Total ingredients to serve one: 2 or 3 center cut, bone in, pork

chops cut 3/4 inch thick

3 tbls. olive oil 4 hot cherry peppers, pickled and sliced 1/2 cup pickling brine from cherry peppers 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste

Step One: Prepare the pork chops and cherry peppers




Remove stems and seeds from cherry peppers. Slice the peppers into 1/4" strips. Lightly salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides.

Step Two: Cook the pork chops

Place a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is very hot but not yet smoking add the pork chops. Sprinkle 1/2 of the minced garlic on the chops and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the sliced cherry peppers and cook for another minute. When chops are golden brown on the bottom turn them over. Add the rest of the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute, then add the brine. Turn heat up to high and finish the chops to your taste, no more than two minutes to keep them tender. Remove the chops to a warm plate and reduce the pan sauce by half. Spoon the cooked peppers over the chops, and pour the pan sauce over all.

You may use any kind of vinegar pepper in any heat range for this recipe. My personal favorite happens to be hot cherry peppers because they are a nice fleshy pepper that stands up well in the sauté pan, and the cooking process somewhat tempers the heat range. Vinegar peppers are available in all heat ranges from hot, medium, mild to sweet. You could substitute hot banana peppers or even jalapenos. They do not have the substance of a cherry pepper and will break down more. For those of you who would use a sweet vinegar pepper, maybe you should consider the following idea – marry an Italian.





Prime Rib of Beef – Picture Perfect


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While living in the Philadelphia area many years ago, I dined frequently at a quaint old Inn in the King of Prussia area. The name of the restaurant was the Peacock Inn, and they had a well deserved reputation for serving the best prime ribs in the area. My culinary interests at the time was still focused on mastering some of the Italian recipes that my mother made so well, and I was quite content to have dinner at the Inn whenever the urge struck me for some prime rib.

After moving to New Jersey some time later, I quickly learned that not all restaurants did such a fine job with prime rib of beef. Being a fairly proficient if still amateur cook, I decided to add this dish to my expanding Italian repertoire. So off I went on a mission to make prime ribs just as I remember them from the Peacock Inn.

I researched several cookbooks, and the cooking methods they advocated were all pretty much the same. It seemed like a pretty simple project. Locating an adequate supply of prime rib at the supermarket presented no challenge, so I announced to my family that we were going to have prime rib for dinner on Sunday.

The results were adequate at best, but not even remotely close to the dish I enjoyed so often at the Peacock Inn. I tried several more times, with the same results. I then determined that the beef I was purchasing must not be as good as what is being served at the Peacock Inn, so off I went in search of the absolutely best meat. No matter how much money I spent on the meat, my finished dish never measured up to what I remembered having at the Peacock Inn.

Out of sheer frustration I called the owner of the Peacock Inn and told him of my dilemma. He remembered me well as an excellent former customer and invited me down to his kitchen for a hands on lesson in the do's and don'ts for cooking a prime rib of beef. I immediately accepted the invitation and have been making picture perfect prime rib ever since.

The first order of business is to select the prime rib. The choice you will have to make is a matter of personal preference: bone in or bone out. The cut of rib with the bone in is sometimes referred to as a "standing rib roast", and the boneless cut is generally called "eye of the rib". My personal preference is the boneless model, which makes the eventual carving of the cooked roast a simple matter, and gives me more options on the exact sizing of the roast.




The next choice is how large a roast and the "grade". I prefer to purchase a whole prime rib from the wholesale section in the supermarket rather than a piece. A whole prime rib will generously serve 14 people. I like to cut rib eye steaks from the whole rib until I reduce the size of the roast to fit the dinner I want to serve. Economically this is generally the best way to go, and as an extra benefit you can have a stock of rib eye steaks cut exactly to the thickness you like. If you prefer to buy a cut sized to serve immediately, allow one pound per person as there will be some shrinkage in the cooking.

When purchasing your prime rib be very selective on the USDA grade. If you choose to buy the whole rib the grade must be stamped on the package, because it is a wholesale cut. I recommend "USDA Choice" for best results. The circle of fat that runs through the entire rib is called the "corn", and the size of the corn is one of many things that make up the grade of the rib. The smaller the diameter of the corn the better. The USDA choice grade will give you the best shot of purchasing a rib with a small corn.

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Prime Ribs of Beef with Au Jus Gravy

Total Ingredients to Serve Seven:

1/2 of a whole boneless prime rib or a piece weighing 6 to 7 lbs

3 tbls. olive oil salt and pepper to taste




1 medium onion chopped coarsely 1 medium carrot chopped coarsely 1 stalk celery chopped coarsely 5 sprigs of fresh parsley chopped fine a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet

Step One: Prepare the prime ribs

Rub the olive oil over the entire prime rib. Generously salt and pepper the entire rib. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

Step Two: Cook the prime rib

Remove prime rib from refrigerator and let stand until it reaches room temperature, about two hours. Select a roasting pan that has sides at least 3 inches deep. Place the onion, carrot and celery on the bottom of the pan. Build a rack that will elevate the roast at least 1 inch off of the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pan with water to the top of the rack. For a richer Au Jus gravy you can substitute brown stock for the water. Place the prime rib on the rack and insert an accurate meat thermometer in the center of the rib. Put in an oven that has been pre-heated to 225 degrees.

The cooking time will depend on the degree of doneness you desire. As a rule of thumb it should take about 4 hours, more or less. The real key to a successful roast is the internal temperature, so you should monitor the roast closely after three hours so attain the exact internal temperature you desire. You can use the following as a guide: 120 degrees rare, 130-135 degrees medium rare, 140-145 medium. I would never suggest going beyond medium.

Au Jus Gravy

Remove roast from the oven and place on carving board. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil and let the roast rest for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove cooked vegetables, into your fat separator. Pour off the drippings into a sauce pan and quickly bring to a fast boil. Reduce for 5 to 10 minutes and stir in the chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to attain the proper color.

When carving your roast you will notice that the degree of doneness is exactly the same from end to end and top to bottom. This is what I call a "picture perfect" prime rib of beef roast. If you have one or two guests that desire their rib a little more done it is a simple matter to advance the color slightly by giving it a few seconds in the microwave or put some Au Jus in a sauté pan and place over a medium heat to attain the desired degree of doneness. Remember you can advance the degree of doneness but you can't go backwards.




When serving your prime rib another nice touch to keep in mind is to prepare a little horseradish sauce served in a small saucer on the side. Simply add a little sour cream to pure horseradish until you achieve your desired heat range. Mix well. The perfect partners to finish this plate is a simple baked potato, a simple green salad, and a good bottle of red wine.

For those who insist on a well done prime rib you may use either of the following techniques. The first is to forget about all of the above instructions and simply place the roast in a pre-heated 375 degree oven, and cook until it is dead, or remove the sole from your least favorite pair of shoes, add salt and pepper, and heat in a microwave until serving temperature is attained. The results of both options will be about the same. Maybe you should consider a nice piece of fish?





Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style(Spicy Stuffed Squid)


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Fish of all sorts play a key role on the holiday menus of many cuisines. Traditional Christmas Eve festivities in a large Italian household used to feature a buffet of seven kinds of fish cooked in a number of different ways. While it would be interesting to replicate the traditional menu of seven fish, for most of us with our smaller families this would be an overwhelming task and a pure example of overkill. Even in the extended family we grew up with, the cooks limited themselves to two or three varieties.

Several of our family's traditional recipes appear in our Family Secrets #22, and the following recipe would make a splendid addition or substitution at this or any time of year. We consider this one of our additions to the living legacy of fine family food.

In the winter these can be cooked on the stove top in a grill pan (a heavy cast iron fry pan with ridges on the bottom). In the summer they are simply delicious done on the grill. This recipe is a wonderful addition to a buffet table since you can prep the whole thing hours in advance, and the final cooking only takes about 12 minutes. It also adopts well as a first course (serve 2 per person) for a formal meal. I personally love it as an entree, just adding a crisp green salad, crusty Italian bread, and a glass of white wine. You'll still have room for dessert.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to have access to fresh whole-body squid, please do use them. Sometimes you can buy them already cleaned, but if not, it is worth the effort to clean them yourself. Be sure to peel off all the speckled skin so you end up with a perfectly white whole squid body. If using frozen, they often come without the tentacles, so you will have to eliminate them from the stuffing. They make a nice textural addition to the filling but it will be fine without.

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Calamari Ripiene in the Sardinian Style

For six medium squid. May be doubled or tripled.

3 slices stale homestyle bread torn or cut into very small pieces after discarding tough crusts. 1/2 cup milk 2 Tblsp. olive oil 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced 8 pitted marinated green olives, chopped

Family Secrets #050 - Originally Published 12/2000 by La Lama Mountain Ovens© 2000 CeCe Dove- Attributed Copies Permitted for Small Quantity Non-Commercial Use Only.Commercial and Quantity Reproduction Requires Author's Permission - [email protected]



2 tsp. drained and rinsed capers Squid tentacles if you have them, blanched one minute, cooled, and finely chopped 1/2 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh oregano 1/2 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh mint 1/2 tsp. salt Freshly ground pepper to taste. 6 medium squid (about 4 inches body length) 1 1/2 cups marinara (optional, see below)




Step One: Prepare the Stuffing

Soak bread in milk for 15 minutes. Sauté scallions and jalapeno in the olive oil over low heat until soft, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly. Squeeze bread and discard milk. Mix bread with scallions/peppers tossing with two forks. Add all other ingredients, tossing and mixing well. Adjust for salt if necessary, this will depend on your olives.

Step Two: Stuffing the Squid

Even if you have purchased your squid already cleaned, rinse them in cold water again, making sure all the innards are out, the quill is gone, and all skin removed. Pat dry. With a small spoon (a sugar spoon works well) and your immaculately clean fingers, stuff the bodies with the filling. Pack it gently, remembering that the stuffing will swell when you cook it. When all the squid are filled, rub them very lightly with olive oil and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Step Three: Cooking

If using a stove top pan, brush lightly with olive oil and place over a medium high heat until pan is hot. Grill the squid about 12 minutes, turning gently with tongs several times, until they are opaque and the stuffing begins to swell. Serve on a pool of fresh marinara spiked with cilantro or fresh basil if you wish. May also be served unsauced over a bed of fresh greens tossed with a vinaigrette.





Spaghetti Aglio e Olio(with Garlic and Oil)


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After more than 30 years of marriage my husband has finally reconciled himself to the fact that I will never serve this dish to company that I don’t know very very well. It is one of his favorite ways of eating pasta, and while I enjoy it every bit as much as he, I grew up thinking of this dish as something we ate when money was tight or time was short or when Mama simply ran out of energy. Looking back I can see that this is a perfect example of cucina rustica, i.e., simple family food made for the enjoyment of the moment without pretensions. It is delicious, inexpensive, quick to prepare and perfectly suitable for a friendly, informal meal.

Mom never made this dish with homemade spaghetti, although she did buy the best dried pasta she could find. I suppose there is no logical reason not to use homemade pasta, and in retrospect she probably didn’t simply because she only used this dish for quick and easy family suppers.

Whether you opt to serve only family and close friends or extend this treat to anyone else is certainly up to you, but please do use the best olive oil you can afford, and buy a good brand of dried pasta. Our preference over the years has been DeCecco, and we regularly stock our pantry with their rigatoni, ziti and other shapes that are too difficult to make by hand. This dish is always made with long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine.




The classic preparation of this dish is simply with olive oil and garlic, then dusted with paprika. However, I have included two options. The first is a handful of finely chopped parsley or any other fresh green herb you might like. Because we grow a lot of herbs I will often add in a tablespoon or so of mixed herbs such as oregano with parsley. Dried herbs are not appropriate for this recipe. The second option is red pepper flakes. Because we live in the southwest we seem to have developed a taste for spicing up our food a bit. Adding a teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes to the oil gives a nice little bite. Alternatively you can simply put the red pepper on the table for those who would like it.

How you handle the garlic is another optional matter. If you prefer a more delicate taste, then you would sliver the garlic and remove it from the oil when it is just golden. If you like a lustier taste, then you should very finely mince the garlic and leave it in the oil. In either case, under no circumstances should the garlic be allowed to turn dark brown or black, as this will result in a bitter, unpleasant dish.

As to the tongue twister name, while some dialects have more syllables, in our family we pronounce it eye-oi. Restaurant waiters, if not raised traditional Italian, often have some very creative pronunciations.

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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Serves four



Uncle Andy, Uncle Tony and Uncle Jim after too much pasta. September 1939.


1 lb. dried long pasta 1/2 cup olive oil 4 medium garlic cloves Paprika 1 tsp. salt Freshly ground black pepper Red pepper flakes (optional) 1 or 2 Tblsp. minced fresh herbs such as parsley, fresh oregano or a mixture (optional) Freshly grated Parmesan (pass separately) Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, gently warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the garlic either slivered or minced and heat just until the garlic turns golden. If you are using the red pepper flakes, add them here. Remove garlic or not according to your taste. Set oil aside until pasta is drained. Place oil back on medium low flame and toss pasta, in the sauté pan, with salt until well coated. If the pasta seems dry add dribbles of the pasta water. Add herbs and just heat through. Serve immediately with a good grind of black pepper, and pass the grated cheese at table. I also like to have a cruet of olive oil on the table so diners may add a drizzle if they wish.



Waiting for dinner: brother Bill (top left), Daddy, Uncle Andy, brother-in-law Danny, Uncle Ray (front). 1947.


Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes.




Spaghetti con Tonno (with Tuna)By CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Do you remember the groans and moans of meatless Fridays? Our mother really didn't have much of a way with fish. She breaded and fried it or she made a fish and potato casserole that I used to love (see Family Secret #34) but that was about her whole repertoire. It took a lot of traveling for both my brother and myself to develop a taste for the wonderful diversity of seafood available to us. But when we were growing up and meatless Friday rolled around every week, the other dish she did well and we always looked forward to was spaghetti con tonno.

This is another of those rustic family style dinners that are so easy to put together you feel guilty. But get over the guilt because it is so delicious it would be sinful not to eat it. Because the sauce is meatless you can either use a marinara that you may have frozen or simply make it as presented in this recipe. The ingredients take minutes to prepare and the sauce simply needs to reduce enough to coat the pasta - a matter of minutes versus the hours to prepare a traditional red sauce.

The question of using fresh tuna versus canned has only surfaced in the last few years since we've become so obsessed with using the freshest of ingredients. We never saw a fresh tuna steak when we grew up so there was never a controversy about it. Our feeling is that yes you can use fresh tuna but it will certainly change the nature of this dish. It won't taste the same or have the same mouth feel to it. If I were to make it with fresh tuna I would call it something entirely different, season it differently, probably serve it with homemade pasta instead of the dried pasta we use, and would most likely even sauce it differently. It would no doubt be delicious too, but it wouldn't be the dish I remember and wish to re-create here.




A word about canned tuna is in order. If you can find Italian tonno packed in olive oil you'll have the perfect ingredient. Otherwise look for solid white albacore. You could also go further down the scale and use a chunk white albacore, but nothing less than this will do or it will simply dissolve in the sauce. It is getting harder and harder to find tuna packed in oil but that is my preference. If you can only find the tuna packed in spring water, you can adjust as the recipe indicates by simply adding a good drizzle of olive oil.

The optional anchovies give this dish an extra layer of flavor. They dissolve in the sauce and even the most avid anchovy-hater will not recognize them. If you use them take extra care when adding salt to the final sauce.

Parmesan or not? Well, that's up to you. Traditionally, never with fish, but there are always die-hards who must have their daily fix of grated Parmesan. I suggest passing it at the table.

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Spaghetti con Tonno

Serves four

1 qt. of whole peeled tomatoes chopped medium, with juices 2 Tblsp. tomato paste 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 small onion, finely diced 1 tsp. garlic, finely minced 1/2 can anchovies, rinsed, dried and finely chopped (optional) 1/4 cup olive oil (or if using tuna in oil drain and save the oil from the can and make up the

difference with olive oil) Salt and freshly ground pepper 12 oz. can of tuna, drained 1 Tblsp. fresh minced basil or two bay leaves Red pepper flakes (optional) 1 lb, dried spaghetti or linguine

Warm 2 Tblsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until just softened, two to three minutes. If using anchovies, add them at this point. Dissolve the tomato paste in the white wine in a small glass and set aside. Add the crushed tomatoes to the onion/garlic/anchovy mixture and stir well, then add the wine/paste to this. If using water-packed tuna, add the other two Tblsp. olive oil. If using optional pepper flakes, add now. Add herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, uncovered. Add salt as needed. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, enough to coat the pasta, about 15-20 minutes at a gentle simmer. If using bay leaves remove them now. Add the drained tuna, being careful not to break up the tuna too much. It should remain chunky. Let rest about five minutes off heat.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain well. When the sauce is ready, place pasta in a warm serving bowl, gently toss with the sauce and serve immediately.

Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes.




Brandied Chicken Liver PâtéBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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Some years ago I was invited to attend one of many bon voyage parties held for my brother Bill and his wife Marie. They were avid cruisers, so these parties were held rather frequently. This particular party was hosted by Marie's cousin, Freddie (Flip) Mammone.

Flip had a well deserved reputation for hosting gourmet caliber dinner and cocktail parties, and it was at this bon voyage party that I had the good fortune to sample his Chicken Liver Pâté ala Remy Martin. I asked him if he would share the recipe for this outstanding pâté, and he quite graciously agreed. The recipe has been part of our family's repertoire for a number of years and has served me well when asked to provide a dish for a cocktail party or as an appetizer for a dinner party.

Even though we all know that the French are masters of pâté, the French approach is much more involved both in terms of ingredients and method. Italian cuisine has a long history of using every part of the chicken including the liver. The livers are incorporated into risotto, various stuffings, and simply sautéed with peppers. While day to day cooking does not usually include antipasti, this recipe would easily be found on an antipasti plate for a celebratory dinner.

Whether the final destination of the pâté is for an antipasta course or as an hor d'oeuvre for a cocktail party, or just some great snack food to enjoy while watching the "Sopranos" on HBO, the beauty of the recipe is that it is made the day before you need it, which does wonders for your kitchen timing.

Unlike many pâté recipes which can be rather involved, you will find this one is a study in simplicity. The most difficult things you will have to deal with are making a "bouquet garni" and



Freddie (Flip) Mammone (1926 - ). Picture: 1975.


choosing an appropriate mold to finish the pâté. I personally prefer using a standard ceramic 12" x 4" pâté mold, however, you can be as creative as you like with your choice.

A bouquet garni is used in recipes that call for the flavors of various herbs but do not want the herbs themselves present in the finished product. A very simple way to make this is to take a combination of various fresh herbs and tie them together with a piece of kitchen string. This method is generally used in making soups or stews, and if a few leaves of herbs become detached it is no big deal.

However, for our pâté recipe we will want the flavor of the bouquet garni and absolutely none of the herbs themselves. We accomplish this by taking the combination of herbs and placing them on a double layer of rinsed cheesecloth. Place the herbs in the center of a cheesecloth square. Then bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and twist until a firm ball is formed. Tie the twisted part of the cheesecloth with kitchen string, and with a pair of scissors trim off excess cheesecloth and string.

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Brandied Chicken Liver Pâté

Total Ingredients 1 Lb. chicken livers 8 oz. butter, softened to room temperature 1 bouquet garni (equal parts parsley, basil,

oregano, rosemary), enough to form a 2 inch ball 2 medium onions, diced fine

2 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/2 Tblsp. liquor (your choice of

brandy, cognac, or grappa) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Step One: Prepare the chicken liversPlace the chicken livers in a strainer to remove any liquid that they may be packed in. Rinse well with cold water. Trim any balls of fat that may be present and any obvious sinews.

Step Two: Cook chicken liversPlace 2 ounces of the butter in a heavy bottomed, 12 inch sauté pan. Over medium heat add diced onions and minced garlic. As soon as the onions turn translucent add salt, pepper, bouquet garni and chicken livers. Cook the livers until well browned, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook or you will have that disgusting dried-out livery taste we all hate. Shut heat off and move bouquet garni to the center of the sauté pan. Pile cooked chicken livers on top of it, forming a pile. Let rest for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove bouquet garni and squeeze it to remove all liquid then discard the herb ball.

Step Three: Process the pâtéPlace entire contents of sauté pan into food processor. Pulse the processor in two bursts, 8 to 10 seconds per burst. Add Liquor and the rest of the butter cut into chunks. Pulse briefly once or twice. Be careful at this point not to over process the pâté and liquefy it. You only want to process it until the desired thick-creamy texture is achieved. Remove contents of the processor into a bowl and gently fold with a spatula until all of the butter is creamed into the mixture.

Step Four: Mold the pâtéLine the mold of your choice with plastic wrap. Placed creamed pâté in mold and smooth out the top. Wrap the entire mold in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.




When ready to serve, unwrap the mold, place the serving plate over the top and invert the mold. The pâté will now be upside down on the plate. Remove the plastic wrap that had covered the bottom and you are good to go. Garnish the serving plate with a few sprigs of fresh parsley and serve with crackers or a thinly sliced crusty bread.

To complete the presentation, a small bowl of finely minced red onion and a bowl of giardenera or cornichons are appropriate.





Smoked SalmonBy Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens, 505-586-2286, [email protected]

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The origin of the practice of curing fish and game by brining and smoking is shrouded by the centuries. Every culture from the Indians of the Americas to the inhabitants of Europe and Asia have practiced this method of preservation allowing them to survive harsh winters and long periods of nomadic movement. We cannot, therefore, as Italians lay claim to this exceptional cooking method. We can, however, share in its enjoyment with all the cultures of the world. There is something wonderfully fulfilling about the whole process. Perhaps it's the careful preparation, followed by the primitiveness of lighting wood fires and smelling the overwhelming aroma of smoldering fruit woods and then knowing that you have transformed a simple piece of fish or game into a number of fabulous meals that is so wonderful. In simpler words, it is just plain fun.

While growing up in Western Pennsylvania, smoked salmon was not in our family's repertoire of seafood dishes. At that time salmon was not as readily available as it is today, and buying smoked salmon in a deli was prohibitively expensive, if you could even find it in our little town. It was not until later in life that I discovered the subtle, delicate flavor of this succulent fish. For the longest time, I was quite content to enjoy smoked salmon as an appetizer while dining out, or purchasing a package of smoked salmon from a gourmet shop to use as an hor d'oeuvre during cocktail hour. The quality of packaged smoked salmon runs from outstanding to forgetaboutit. The one trait that all packaged smoked salmon share is the price, which is expensive.

Through the miracle of modern technology, most salmon consumed in the USA is now farm raised. This technique provides the shopping public with a plentiful and economical supply. The versatility and abundance of this fish has also attracted the attention of the restaurant industry. It is difficult today to find a fine restaurant that does not have salmon on the menu. The sheer number of ways salmon is offered is testimony to its versatility. You can have it pan seared, baked, broiled, grilled, poached, marinated, crusted, or even raw.

My first attempts at preparing smoked salmon were less than desirable. Last summer we had a visitor from California, a friend and business associate of my brother in law, who came to New Mexico for a long weekend. His name is Joe Dillon. He's an avid bread baker who wanted to spend the weekend baking a variety of different breads and getting in a little mountain climbing. We managed to accomplish the breads and the climbing, plus he shared some invaluable information on how to do a smoked salmon properly. Joe very graciously agreed to let us share his recipe and techniques with our readers and we warmly thank him for his generosity.

For best results you will need a proper smoke/cooker to do your salmon. We use a Brinkman smoke/cooker that has a water tray for moisture. These are readily available in the outdoor sections of many discount retailers. You will also need a couple of handfulls of small pieces of wood soaked in water to provide the smoke. We are blessed with a variety of fruit trees here in




New Mexico so we always have a plentiful supply of prunings for smoking purposes. I prefer apple wood, but any hardwood will do. As a last resort you can purchase wood chips that can be soaked in water to provide the smoke. Do not use any woods that are high in resign such as pine.

The heat source will be charcoal and how the charcoal is started can effect the final product. We use a little device called a "chimney". I can start the charcoal loaded in the chimney with a couple of pieces of newspaper and in 15 minutes it is ready to dump into the fire box of the smoke/cooker. I never use charcoal lighter fluid or self starting charcoal because of the noxious smells they produce. Once the initial batch of charcoal is dumped into the fire box I add enough additional charcoal to fill the box level. In about another 20 minutes or so the fire is good to go.

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Smoked Salmon

Total Ingredients

I. 1 piece salmon filet about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs with skin intact on the bottom

II. 1 gallon waterIII. 1 cup saltIV. 1 handful of fresh sageV. 1 handful of small pieces of hardwoodVI. 1/4 cup soy sauce (optional)VII. 3 bay leaves (optional)VIII. 1 Tblsp. whole black peppercorns (optional)

Step One: Prepare the brine

Take 1 quart of the water and heat to just lukewarm. Chill the remaining 3 quarts. Add the cup of salt to the lukewarm water in a bowl and stir constantly until dissolved. Pour the lukewarm water and dissolved salt into a large deep, non reactive pan and add the chilled water. This brine will result in a light colored final product. As an option you can add at this point the soy sauce, bay leaves and peppercorns. This will result in a slightly darker colored final product, which is what I prefer.

Step Two: Marinate the salmon

Place the salmon, skin side down in the brine. Make sure the fish is entirely covered by the brine. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour and 15 minutes.




Step Three: Rinsing the fish

Gently remove salmon from the brine. Hold under cold running water and gently rub the surface of the fish to remove all traces of the salt. Repeat process on the skin side. It is very important that the fish be thoroughly rinsed.

Step Four: Drying the fish

Gently pat dry with a couple of paper towels. Make sure to do both sides of the fish. Be very gentle in handling the salmon. Place skin side down on wire rack. Let air dry for at least 2 hours. Longer is better than shorter. If you are having a high humidity day, keep the drying process going for at least an additional hour. You will notice the flesh side of the salmon develop a shine. This is what you are looking for. Do not proceed to the next step until this shine develops.




Step Five: Smoke cook the salmon

There are several things to have ready at the smoke cooker before you place the salmon into the cooker. You should have a pail of water with the wood and the sage soaking in it. You should also have an additional bucket of hot water for the water tray in the cooker. Most important is the condition of the charcoal in the firebox. It should be at maximum heat and ready to go. To load the cooker, first place the soaked wood and sage directly on the hot charcoal. Next, quickly insert the water pan empty and pour the hot water from the bucket into the pan until it is 3/4 full. Be careful not to spill any or it will cool your charcoal fire. Then quickly place the salmon on the rack and place the rack in the topmost position. Put the lid on and within 5 minutes or so you will see smoke billowing out. Do not remove lid while salmon is smoke cooking. Cook for about 1 hr. 15 minutes. If it is a real cold day you may want to add another 15 minutes. If you like your salmon a little creamier inside, deduct 15 minutes. When you open the lid you should see little white blobs of fat that have been emitted from the salmon. When the fish gives up its fat, you can be comfortable that it is done.




You are now ready to skin the salmon. Place a large platter over the fish and quickly turn it over. The skin will easily peel off, then invert back onto a serving plate. You can garnish the serving plate with crackers and a knife and serve immediately or you can wrap the salmon and refrigerate it and served chilled. I like to time the whole operation so the salmon comes off the smoke cooker about a half hour before cocktail time and serve warm. Either way your appetizer will surely be the hit of the party.

Another great way to enjoy this fish is to serve it as an entree. If this is your choice you will want to cut the salmon filets to the size you want before placing them in the brine. You will have to pay attention to the timing of the whole process so that the salmon comes off the cooker right when you want to serve it.

This is a wonderful way to spend a lazy weekend day. I especially enjoy sitting on the veranda, enjoying a glass of wine while the smoking process is taking place. The sight of the smoke cooker working and the smells of the smoke is definitely good for the soul. After doing this recipe a couple of times the timing will become second nature to you and the process will become both simple and relaxing.




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