| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 1:58:27 PM | I am starting this thread because I - and a couple of others - were going a little off topic on another thread beginning to discuss... well, what the subject line says - Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods...
I would describe them as Italian foods that have really not made their way into the "general population" (at least, not as yet). As I mentioned before, calamari had once been something that only 'those crazy Italians' ate - and now that they've long since become popular across the board, squid has become expensive!
The discussion of pork skin bracciole on another thread inspired the discussion of Easter Pie and the question of other such ethnic delights...
So - to my new friend playsnice, I say: yes, I do have an Easter Pie recipe around here somewhere. (I'll have to look for it.) In my family, there were always two types of Easter pies made, the one with meat, and the one grandma called a "grain pie". My grandma definitely did use a crust though...
Other 'legacy' foods? Well, a biggie in my family to this day is peppers with alici. (In fact, dad & I are due to make a batch soon.) These are those long hot Italian peppers - stringed, reddened, and dried (to a leathery texture) - then stemmed & cored, stuffed with alici (a flat filet of anchovy) and marinated for weeks in jar with garlic, herbs/spices, and blended oil. Cut up into bits, there's nothing better on a slice of pizza IN THE WORLD! (I only wish it was easier to get the perfect accompaniment - Manhattan Special - down here in the sticks!)
Another favorite was always cippoline, the very bitter little purplish Italian onions. MMMMMMMM...! Unfortunately, "cippoline" is Italian for "small onion", so the name is used interchangeably for many different small onions - even white pearl onions! I only recently learned that in Italy, these bitter "onions" - which grow wild and so are popular "peasant food" - are actually not onions at all but the bulb of the grape hyacinth(!) and are more properly referred to as "lampascioni". They are an acquired taste (as I said, quite bitter), but excellent quartered and fried, then eaten or folded into an omelette. In season, they can be found at most pork stores.
Pignoli "cookies": not actually a cookie at all but a macaroon made from almond paste, egg whites and sugar, topped with pignolis. Pretty common in Italian bakeries, but they were a staple at Christmastime - along with the purple "wine cookies" (rolled like gnocchi on that knurled board!), "cookie bars" (iced loaves cut into elongated slices, like biscotti or Stella D'oro Anistte Toast), and "rugela" - which mom had me convinced was Italian until I found out many years later was actually rugelach, a Jewish cookie!
While on the subject of baked goods, how about "lard bread" or "Italian pork bread"? Rings of - what would you call it, "stringy"(?) - delicious bread, liberally-infused with chunks of pork and coarsely cracked black peppercorns! (Oh, man - would I love one of those right now...)
Well, I'll let someone else comment before I go on... ! | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 2:23:49 PM | i have a recipe somewhere under lock and key for a type of cheese pie that our family has made since the late 1800's at easter time so i guess it could be easter pie...get out of the "pie" mindset cuz the only resemblance it bears to pie is that it has pie crust...
lotsa eggs...5 kinds of chesses...chopped ham...pepperoni...maybe i'll post it...maybe not | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 3:06:49 PM | I do believe this recipe can be defined as an "Italian-American Legacy Food". It's the muffuletta.....Here's a description I found on the net...
muffuletta; muffaletta; mufeletta
[muhf-fuh-LEHT-tuh] A specialty of New Orleans, this sandwich originated in 1906 at the Central Grocery.
If New Orleans ever had a 'little Italy' it was the French Quarter, after the Civil War. Among the spectacular sucess stories there was the Central Grocery, which opened in 1906. For almost 100 years, they have served up the Muffuletta sandwich, which is right up next to the Roast Beef Po-Boy as a signature sandwiches of New Orleans.
The sandwich consists of the round loaf of crusty Italian bread, split and filled with layers of sliced Provolone cheese, Genoa salami and Cappicola ham, topped with Olive Salad: a chopped mixture of green, unstuffed olives, pimientos, celery, garlic,****ail onions, capers, oregano, parsley, olive oil, red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper
My version goes like this.....
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/3 c. olive oil
10 large pitted black olives, chopped
1/3 c. chopped green olives
1/4 c. roasted red peppers, chopped
salt and pepper
1 round sour dough loaf of bread
4 oz. thinly sliced bread
4 oz. thinly sliced mortadello
4 oz. thinly sliced salami
4 oz. thinly sliced provolone
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 oz. arugula leaves
Whisk together, first three ingred. in a bowl and gradually add olive oil. Stir in olives and peppers, season with salt and pepper.
Cut off top of bread loaf and set top aside. Hollow out bottom and top. Spread some of olive mixture on bottom and at side of top.
Layer meats and cheese in bottom. Top with onion and then the arugula. Spread remaining olive mixture on top. Cover with top and wrap sandwich with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight. Cut into wedges and serve. YUM!!!!! | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 3:40:24 PM | | i dunno if i should post this here or in the food trivia thread...but traditionally mortadella used to be made with horse meat | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 3:50:49 PM | meet...i would be eternally grateful if you were to find that recipe for the easter pie...my family used to do that one and what you knew as grain pie, we knew as wheat pie...is that the one with those gross candied fruits that go in fruitcake?....
wine cookies were big at xmastime in our house too...how about strufoli (honeyballs)...did your mom/grandma make those too?...and taralles (spelling?)
fist, i think you might have the recipe i'm looking for too...ham, pepperoni, sausage and lots of cheese...i really just need to know how many eggs to how much ricotta...
so meet, how about that dried out italian bread with vinegar and garlic and oregano or something on it?...do you remember ever having that? | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 3:54:06 PM | | oh...and who knows how to make polenta?...i don't think i loved it when i was a kid, but i'm thinking i might wanna give it a whirl now | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 4:23:38 PM | You can usually buy instant polenta. I know that i enjoy buying it in tubes and cutting it into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Then I drizzle with olive oil...grill and top with proscuitto or other such yum yums. I've heard you can mix cheese into polenta to give it that creamy saltiness. I'm not a fan of it unless it's grilled tho.
| |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 4:50:02 PM | thanks trinity, i will definitely try that  this may be a silly question, but where in the supermarket do i look for these tubes? | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 5:07:31 PM | | ooooh yucky....i just know it as italian bologna or heck since this an american ordeal just use reg. bologna | |
|
| |
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 6:51:47 PM | | i was never that big on polenta we used to put sauce and cheese on it but the tubes are pretty good unless you have a strong arm stir stir andstir lol | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 7:01:39 PM | Makers:
Thanks for the recipe!
Here's another bit of trivia (though this one's not too hard to figure out): the "muffaletta" is so named because it was traditionally so big that no one could eat the whole thing in one sitting. Hence, "muffaletta" ("more for later")...
Playsnice:
Sounds like you're talking about candied citron. Yeah, that was often used in panettone, but as I recall grandma's "grain pie" there was nothing in it to break up the "grain" consistency... Fist's description sure sounds like the same recipe! (Really, Easter pie always struck me as an Italian "quiche"...)
Oh, and YES - there was always PLENTY of strufoli at our house at Christmastime! That reminds me of a funny story: my ex-wife and I once went to a Greek festival with another couple who were not "ethnics". There was a booth selling strufoli, but not being an Italian feast, they didn't use the Italian name on the sign, instead just using English. My ex noticed it first...
"Ooooh! Honey Balls!" she shouted.
Our friends did a double-take.
"Hey," the husband said, "whatever terms of endearment you guys want to use in private is up to you, but..."
 | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 7:51:00 PM | Cannoli , which along with Dutch stroopwafels , are things I consider a probable proof that there is indeed a God.
If anyone can come up with something better than one of those two things , served with a fresh coffee, I'd be impressed.
Broscetta is another thing that should be far more popular, imho. | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 8:29:48 PM |
so meet, how about that dried out italian bread with vinegar and garlic and oregano or something on it?...do you remember ever having that?
I make that alot it is one my favs! | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 8:44:10 PM | playsnice...i thought you said you were italian?...you dont know how to make polenta???...sheesh
i have been making it since i was a teenager...i dont bother with a recipe or anything...i just eyeball it but i think the basice recipe is 3 waters to 1 cornmeal...and salt...you can use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk for a bit richer polenta and you can add parmesan to it as well...but to get it so as its not lumpy...add COLD liquid to you pot...then add cornmeal and salt...then bring it to a boil and simmer it after its bubbling...keep it moving tho...it does not take long to cook at all and once its cooked and chilled it solidifies for baking or frying or whatever...
trinity...why would you pay 3 or 4 bucks for a chub of polenta that uses maybe...MAYBE 10 cents worth of ingredients?...sheesh...i thought i taught you better than that... | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 8:49:16 PM | so meet, how about that dried out italian bread with vinegar and garlic and oregano or something on it?...do you remember ever having that?
OOPS! Sorry... missed this...
Sound like you might be talking about friselle, which is twice-baked Italian bread (like a frighteningly-big crouton)... My grandmother used to serve friselle with her stuffed calamari. As a kid, I have to say I hated friselle ("Grandma, why are you giving us this stale bread?"), but now I "get it"...
(Still looking for that Easter Pie recipe, BTW... I'll find it...) | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 9:29:19 PM | | meet...oh yeah...twice baked italian bread...that 's it...ohhh... and what about those pretzel looking things with fennel seeds?...my grandmother made them ALL the time | |
|
| |
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/27/2007 9:53:11 PM | See if this Easter Pie recipe looks "right" to you; this recipe that mom had used 8 eggs to 2 lbs. of ricotta. This is the "meat" version ("pizza gain"), but I'll still check to see if I can find the "pizza grana" (grain pie) recipe:
"Pizza Gain"
Two pounds ricotta cheese
Eight eggs
One-fourth teaspoon nutmeg
One-half teaspoon salt
One-eighth teaspoon pepper
One and one-half cups diced cooked ham
One-half stick pepperoni, thinly sliced
Pie Dough
Two cups flour
One-half teaspoon salt
One-half cup butter or margarine
One-third cup water
Oven temperature: 375 degrees
Bake: Fifteen minutes
Baking temperature: 350 degrees
Bake: Forty minutes
Servings: Nine
Mix together thoroughly, in a medium bowl, ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in ham and pepperoni, reserving a few slices of pepperoni for garnish. • Make pie dough by mixing flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender. Add water and stir with a fork until a ball is formed. • Place in a square pan (9-inch) and press to cover bottom and sides. Add filling and bake for 15 minutes. • Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut in squares and serve while hot. | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 5:06:04 AM | that looks like it just might be the one, meet 
i'm wondering why my mother opted to not put it in a pie crust...hmmmm...
thanks for the recipe | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 5:48:32 AM | My father was the cook in the house, but occasionally would let my mother make something English as a change of pace. Yes... did the Yorkshire pud, did the bubble & squeak... but he taught her to make just one Italian dish. And make it she did! After several attempts, she mastered it... and we were lucky enough to have it every Sunday after Mass. Usually, you eat this with some sort of pasta dish as a side. I eat it by itself with some bread or polenta.
Caponata
olive oil(good quality, not crap oil!)
2 nice large purple eggplants, cut into large chunks
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and stems finely chopped
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed, soaked,and drained
a handful of green olives, pits removed
2—3 tablespoons best-quality herb vinegar
5 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
Get yourself a large pan, pour in a couple of slugs of olive oil, and place on the heat. Add your eggplant chunks and oregano, season with a little salt, and toss around so the eggplant is evenly coated by the oil.
Cook on a high heat for around 4 or 5 minutes, giving the pan a shake every now and then. (Depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook the eggplant in batches.)
When the eggplants are nice and golden on each side, add the onion, garlic, and parsley stems and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Feel free to add a little more oil to the pan if you feel it's getting too dry.
Throw in the drained capers and the olives and drizzle over the herb vinegar. When all the vinegar has evaporated, add the tomatoes and simmer for around 15 minutes or until tender.
Taste before serving and season if you need to with salt, pepper, and a little more vinegar. Drizzle with some good olive oil and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley leaves.
Enjoy!
justforums~
BTW...
Do any of you enjoy fritattas on Sunday? I have more recipes for those than I know what to do with. I would be happy to share them if you like.
justforums~ | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 6:57:27 AM |
that looks like it just might be the one, meet
Oh, good! When I head over to my kids' house later on, I'll try to get that "pizza grana" recipe too...
i'm wondering why my mother opted to not put it in a pie crust...hmmmm...
Yeah, that kinda threw me when you said it. I thought to myself, "Well, I think we're talking about the same thing, but I don't remember it ever being made without a pie crust..." Eh, different strokes, different folks... as I recall, some folks put raisins in their bracciole and pignolis in their meatballs; we never did in my house... | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 7:06:39 AM | i'm gonna make that easter pie this weekend, even if it's not easter...my mom would probably be upset, since that was really the only time she made it...
AND i'm gonna make polenta too...my kids won't know what hit 'em...lol | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 7:25:52 AM | curlygrl...that caponata sounds great...i remember that too...especially the great big jar of it that my mom slaved hours over, only to have my dad drop and break the jar in a million pieces...lol...one of those italian family memories etched forever in my brain... | |
|
| Italian-American 'Legacy' Foods
Posted: 7/28/2007 7:26:02 AM | Thanks for the caponata recipe, curlygrl! Caponata is another one of those foods we never ate in our house. I'm sure that it was a provincial thing and that if I'd asked, I'd have been told (see if this phrase rings familiar to anyone): "Oh, that's not our food." As a kid, I asked, "Well, isn't that Italian food?" I guess it wasn't so much a matter of excluding some foods as it was a matter of familiarity with others. Still in all, I felt I was missing out on some good things that I never got to try until later (fritatta, polenta, pesto, rice balls, etc.)...
You know, though, I guess there was some prejudice involved in these things. When I was in high school, my grandfather pulled me aside and asked me about my girlfriend.
"You say she's Italian?" he asked. "Where are her people from?" He then proceeded to warn me about, "well, if her family is from this province, stay away from her because these people are this way" and "if they're from that province, she can only be trouble because those people are that way"... And this from a man who was born and raised in the United States!
There is a lot of richness from the Old World that is disappearing, and that is a shame. But not everything of the Old World that is disappearing is a shame...
BTW - curlygrl: I dug on the Octopus at PlayLand too! But I think my absolute fave had to be "The Whip"! | |
|
Home
login 
