Stuffed Green Peppers-Two Ways

This recipe, contributed by Angie Ortenzi, holds a special memory for me.  My dad took Emily. Andy and I to Montenero, Italy, when the kids were in early grade school. Our family friend Giovanna, made the most incredible meal for us upon our arrival. My favorite part was the stuffed peppers (which came from her garden, of course) I ate so many that evening and made such a fuss over them, that she prepared them for me every single day. Guess what my mom had on the menu for our 'welcome home' meal?

Stuffed Green Peppers
1 lb. ground veal/pork/beef combined
1 egg
1 cup cooked white rice
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 green peppers, cored and seeded
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
salt, pepper, red paprika
1. Mix ground meat with egg, onion, garlic, and cooked rice, seasoning to taste
2. Stuff peppers, allowing room for expansion
3. Place stuffed peppers in stock pot and fill pot half way with chicken stock
4. Cook on medium heat for about 1 hour
5. Make a roux with flour and oil (such as butter or bacon drippings) and remove from heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
6. Add roux and tomato paste mixture to pot to create a sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika
7.  Cook until heated through.

Giovanna's Stuffed Peppers
Prepare peppers by cutting in half, and removing core and seeds.
To make her stuffing, mix together one cup of bread crumbs (I also used small cubes of sourdough), small cubes of cooked ham, mozzarella, minced garlic, sauteed onion, and some fresh parsley.  Sprinkle with olive oil, and bake in a 350* oven. Serve with a garnish of fresh basil.

Simple and Fresh Pesto Sauce

Pesto.  Ah pesto.  So fresh, so classic, sometimes a little misunderstood. Pesto is a true Italian creation. It enjoys a reputation as both a co-star, on delicious equal footing as a sauce for fresh pasta, and a supporting player; bringing out the best in a piece of grilled chicken or simple vegetable dip.  Lisa Freda Amundsen gets credit for contributing this recipe. She has even provided some variations on this already versatile ingredient, pesto.
Ingredients
4   cups of fresh basil
2   cups of fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup of pine nuts
1   cup Parmesan cheese, grated (use the good stuff)
4  garlic cloves
1-2 cups olive oil
Directions
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Pesto freezes well, so you can try it in different ways.
1st Option: You can roast the pine nuts prior to blending for a change of flavor.  To roast pine nuts, place in shallow skillet and cook on low heat until lightly golden. OR place on baking sheet in 250* oven until golden brown.
2nd Option:  You can exchange the parmesan cheese for romano, asiago, or sharp fontina.

Father Jerry's Lamb Ragu

BUONA PASQUA!!!   (Happy Easter)
It is a true honor to feature this recipe on Easter Sunday. The Reverend Jerry Kaywell has incredible passion for God and music- 'in that order!' Father Kaywell is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda, Florida. In addition to saving souls, we love that he is writing a cookbook (working title is 'The Barefoot Cleric'-how great is that), promoting his latest album, Miracle of Life, crusading for our religious freedom, and living life as a fifth-generation Floridian. Father Jerry sings 'Feel the Joy' his original composition.


Fr Kaywell

Ingredients
3 Tbp extra virgin olive oil    
1 carrot, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 rib celery, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 3/4 lb package of pappardelle
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh ricotta, highest quality
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves for garnish
Method
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the aromatic vegetables (carrot, onion, and celery) until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for one minute or so.  Add the ground lamb and seasonings (cumin, fennel, coriander, thyme and salt) Cook, stirring constantly, on medium high heat until the liquid evaporates. Stir in the tomato paste.  Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, and bring it to a boil.  Cover partially and cook for 25-30 minutes. 
Cook the pappardelle according to package directions.  Drain and add the pasta to the sauce along with the butter and remaining oil.  Toss well.  Serve the pasta in bowls garnished with ricotta cheese and mint leaves.

Italian Easter Bread

My favorite Easter memories aren't very spiritually mature. I loved the huge, solid chocolate bunnies that Grandma Delfina would buy in downtown Lorain and I got to bite the ears off on Easter Morning, while watching 'Davy and Goliath' in my pajamas. I also remember (as many do) Grandma Delfina's gift for baking beautiful bread.  This recipe is a traditional Italian Easter bread.  Instead of one large wreath, I made mine into several smaller ones. My hands arent quite as magical with dough as my grandma's were-how did she get all of her sections to always be exactly the same size?  :) The copper platter in the photo belonged to her. Many thanks to the Dome family, whose chickens provided the fresh eggs that I had the pleasure of using for this post.
Ingredients
1 package of Rapid Rise yeast
1 1/4 cups milk, scalded
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
6 eggs, you can color them if you'd like
colorful sprinkles
one beaten egg to brush on wreaths before cooking
Method
Scald milk in a small sauce pan.  This means to almost bring it to a boil, but not quite.  Take it off the stove when many small bubbles have formed all along the outer rim. Let it cool.
Place instant yeast in a large mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook.  Add the cooled milk, 2 cups of flour, sugar, beaten eggs, and salt. Start to mix on low to medium speed.  Slowly add 2-3 more cups of flour, until dough forms completely around the hook, and the bowl looks clean. Mix for about 10 minutes.  Dough will be smooth and elastic when it is ready for the next step.
Place in a big bowl, coat ball of dough with vegetable or canola oil. Cover with a warm towel, and let it rise until doubled in size (about 75-90 minutes)
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.  Punch it down, removing all the air bubbles.  Divide deflated dough into 12 equal pieces.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it with the palms of your hands into the shape of a piece of rope approx 14 inches long. Repeat with another piece. Gently pinch two ends together, and twist ropes together. Bring ends up to meet, and pinch them together also, forming a wreath.
Place each wreath onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leave room for dough to rise again. Cover with warm towel for another 75 minutes or so.
Preheat oven to 350*.  Just before baking, brush each wreath with egg wash, and add sprinkles. Place an egg in the center of each wreath. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Buckeyes

If there was an Annual Montenero Cooking Championship and we were to pick brackets, Josie Pelusi would at least make the Final Four every single year.  This is Josie's recipe for the Ohio-famous buckeye candies; a peanut butter confection partially dunked in chocolate.

1/2 pound (8 ozs) of peanut butter (not organic)
3/4 pound of confectioners sugar
1/4 pound margarine or butter
6 oz chocolate chips
1/4 slab of paraffin wax* or 1/2 teaspoon melted Crisco

Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar and margarine together until smooth. Form into balls. (I used a scoop-look familiar yet?) Refrigerate or freeze balls until firm.
Melt chocolate chips and paraffin (or Crisco) in a double boiler.  This is nothing more than a gently boiling pan of water with a heat proof mixing bowl on top.  The  bottom of the bowl should not touch the boiling water.
Once chocolate is melted, dip balls into chocolate.  Do not completely submerge-leave a small circle on top so the peanut butter mixture shows through. Allow candies to dry on wax paper (or parchment paper).
Sing the Ohio State Fight Song.
OSU fight song

St Joseph Day Figgy Cookies

Grandma Aduccia and Grandpa Marshall

My grandpa Marshall would never miss Mass on Easter Sunday or St Joseph Day, March 19th.  It was his way of honoring the patron saint of carpentry (his profession) and reminding the Irish that St Patrick was given to them by the very generous Italian people.  If you ever met my grandpa and talked with him, you'd understand. Since Grandpa Marshall loved figs, I created this version of the traditional St Joseph Day fig cookie.     
Filling Ingredients:
2 seven ounce bags of dried Mission figs
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in port or brandy
1/4 cup dried apricots, soaked in orange juice 
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine 
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped fine
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup honey (I used local from the farmers market)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2  teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ('not too much!' per Zia Elia)
nutmeg, freshly grated, just a fine dusting
1/4 cup liquor (I used the port 'leftovers')
Method:
Using a food processor, combine figs, raisins, and apricots.  Pulse until all are finely chopped.  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together preserves, honey, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon (not too much!) and liquor.  Grate a fine dusting of nutmeg (approximately 1/4 teaspoon) over the top. Now mix in nuts and fruit mixture from the food processor.  Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to make the cookies.
Dough Ingredients
4  cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter
4 large fresh eggs at room temperature
pinch of orange zest
Method:
Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor.  Pulse for a minute or so just to mix ingredients. Add butter, cut up into small pieces.  Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, or is sort of crumb-y. (It's a dough thing)
Add eggs, one at a time, until dough just comes together on the blade.
Carefully remove dough, and knead for a minute or two on a lightly floured work surface until dough comes together.  This wont take more than a minute.  Pat dough into a frisbee shape about an inch thick.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to make the cookies.
To Make the Cookies:
Remove the frisbee of dough, and cut into 8 equal pie-shaped wedges. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the wedge into a narrow cylinder approximately one foot long.  Use a rolling pin to flatten and shape the dough into a rectangle at least 3" wide and 14" long.  Now pipe (or spoon) the filling right down the center.  Brush egg wash around all the edges.  Starting in the center, pick up top edge and gently rollover the filling so top lip is tucked under the lower edge, creating a seam.  Repeat this from the center out towards the ends, taking care to roll seam to the center-bottom of the fruit filled roll of dough. Cut off the ends. Cut cuccidati into pieces about 1 1/2" long, or a size to your liking. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake at 375* for 15-18 minutes.
While cookies are baking, make a quick glaze with confectioner's sugar and lemon or orange juice.  When cookies are completely cool, spoon glaze over the top of the cookies, and sprinkle with decorative balls or sprinkles.
Dean martin sings 'Volare', one of grandpa's favorites  PS to Gerardo, is this legal?

Nibblin on Spongecake

Has anyone been to a Montenero gathering, big or small, fancy or not, that didn't feature at least one spongecake, unadorned, right in the center of the table. This recipe is my mother's and it is classic Donna. As a young bride,  mom baked this spongecake for her in-laws, Turkey and Delfina (remember them?) It was the very first cake that she ever made in her new house, in Rocky River, circa 1965. She has been baking it ever since, and it is perfect.
Ingredients
2   teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1   cup cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
2   teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water (cold)
Method
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Make a 'well' in the center of these dry ingredients. 
Separate the eggs. Place the whites into a mixing bowl, and the yolks into the center of the well. 
Add vegetable oil, lemon juice and water to the well. With mixer on low setting, slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients in the well. Turn mixer to high speed, beat until nice and smooth.  Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture.  Using a soft spatula, put mixture into a tube pan.  No need to grease or flour in preparation.
Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 30-35 minutes, until golden in color.  Invert pan on countertop until cooled completely.  When ready to serve, use a butter knife around the edges of the pan and around the tube. Serve on a pretty platter.