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Breaded Fried Cardune (Burdock)

angelo — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:17:22 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

One of my all time favorite Springtime recipes is “Breaded or battered fried Cardune”. Most people I know who are not Italian look upon the Burdock as a pesky garden weed with aggravating spiny burr like flower that sticks to your clothing as you walk through a patch in late fall.

In the Spring of the year mid to late May and early June when the plant is young (1 or 2 weeks old), the stalks are tender and the root or heart reminds me of Chinese water chestnuts. Italians, however do not have the market cornered on burdock since it is held in high esteem by many cultures.

The root is used in alternate cancer treatments, to promote healing of ailing livers as well as promoting health in other bodily organs. Its use is known to improve the immune system and the list goes on and on. A number of Cultures harvest the root (The Japanese call it Gobo) in the fall of the year for use in cooking for healthy recipes and medicinal purposes. Its beneficial effects are nothing short of astonishing – but is that any wonder when you take the fact that it belongs to the Sun flower family into consideration. The Herbal Qualities are explained in the two ‘YouTube’ video’s listed below.

My father and Grand-father used to take us out in the spring of the year to harvest bushels of burdock. We would drive out to the country and search for them along hedge rows dividing the farmer’s fields. We found a large patch along a stream one time only to find that water bugs liked to make their homes in the hollow stalks, so if you are going out for the first time, I would suggest you stick to the fields and hedge rows.

It is best to use a pointed shovel or pick to harvest them. I like to use a long handled pointed shovel. I place the tip of the shovel at the base of the plant and step down sharply on the shovel cutting the plant just below the ground taking part of the root.

Once you have collected a sufficient amount (in our case, several bushel) we head for home for the cleaning process. This entails cutting off the large broad leafs and trimming away the root with a sharp knife then setting them to the side for the next step.

Once the burdock has been defrocked of its leaves and the roots have been trimmed down, it should resemble a head of celery that you would purchase from your local supermarket. At this point you might want to line them up and wash them down with a garden hose. (This is a good out-door project).

Depending on the number of plants you harvest, you might want to spread the tedious task of cleaning over a period of time or even a few days. If you have harvested a large supply, it is usually a family project. The plants you have left aside for another time will become soft and must be soaked in water to freshen up before the string stripping process. Also if you plan on leaving some for cleaning one or two days later, leave the leafs on until you are ready since the stalks are hollow and the usual garden variety bugs find them a welcome place to crawl into. Store them in a cool place like a basement.

Once washed the tough job of stripping the strings from the stalks begins. This is the same as stripping celery stalks of its strings. These strings are tough and when you cook the burdock they get tougher.

Some people think the heart is bitter, but this is especially true of the older plants. This makes harvesting them at the right time critical. If this is your first time harvesting burdock, be sure to pick a selection of sizes. This will give you a selection of young and older plants, of which you can then judge for yourself why it is better to pick the younger more tender plants for Spring harvest.

Fall harvest is an entirely different experience. In the fall of the year you are looking for the tender root of the first year plant. The second year plants nutrients go into seed production leaving the root shriveled and woody, unsuitable for human consumption.

I have only touched on the nutritional benefits of the plant. You can find additional facts, nutritional benefits, herbal qualities, and recipes on the WEB.

Pre-Preparation:

Since the Spring window for harvest is so short, for this particular recipe, it is customary to harvest a an abundant amount of burdock to support your needs throughout the year. So depending on if you are looking for a spring treat or an annual supply will determine the amount you harvest.
We usually cook the equivalent of 10 to 12 plants to compliment a meal with the leftovers (if any) for snacks. Ten to twelve burdock or cardoni paddy’s are what one might call a goodly amount, but they are so good there is seldom leftovers. Depending on the size of the plant, one plant will yield one to several patties. Also because some people find the hearts bitter (especially old plants) and prefer the stalks only, you may want to separate the outer stalks from the plant leaving only 2 or 3 stalks attached to the heart of the plant before you peel the strings from the stalks,. It is not necessary to peel the smaller new stalks at the center of the plant of their strings, but you do need to remove the leafs.

After cleaning and stripping the strings from the stalks;

It’s time to boil them in water until they are tender, (usually about 30 minutes)
Next drain them and let them cool
Separate them into six to eight per bunch holding out what you plan to cook and freezing the rest.

A friend of ours used to batter and bread all of them at the same time since eggs are cheapest in the spring and summer and since the summer sun makes it conducive for chickens to lay eggs. She would prepare them to the point of frying, but instead package them six to a package and freeze them. When she felt like cooking them, she would simply remove them from the freezer and put them in the frying pan. They would taste as fresh as they did in the spring of the year.

Fried Cardoon Recipe - Cardoni Fritto
6 to 8 Burdock (Cardoni - cooked)

1½ C All purpose flour
2 - 4 cloves fresh garlic (chopped)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
¼+ C milk (approximate – see preparation)
½ tsp salt (to taste)
¼ tsp black pepper (fresh ground – to taste)
Grated Romano, or Parmesan cheese
¼ C olive oil (for frying)

Pre-Preparation:

Cleaned Cardoni are defined as having been washed, the leafs removed, the roots trimmed, and the strings peeled from the stalks. It is important to peel as many strings from the stalks as possible, since they are tough and become tougher in the cooking process.
Boil the stalks until tender – about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
Then in a separate bowl mix the beaten eggs and milk together
Mix the milk and egg mixture into the flour with an electric beater until a smooth batter is formed.
- If the batter is too thin add a little flour at a time until proper consistency (not too thick but not too thin either.) You want the batter to stick to the stalks and not run.
- Form into patties and fry in olive oil until golden brown.
  Remove from frying pan and place on paper towels, sprinkle with grated Romano, or Parmesan cheese and serve.
Breaded Cardoni Fritto

This is the same as above except that you might want to make the batter a little thicker, then dip in seasoned bread crumbs before frying.

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Frugal Gourmet Christmas Gift Ideas

angelo — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:18:51 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

Holiday shopping season this year should prove challenging to the thousands of unemployed this year however, Christmas is a time of joy and giving as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and having little money to spend on gifts doesn’t have to crimp our style. So with that in mind, this issue is dedicated to easing the stress of the Holiday Shopping season for the many who are pinching pennies and worried about providing a joyous Christmas for their families.

First of all, Christmas, Chanukah, or whatever the Holliday is for you, is a time of giving, a show of love and appreciation for those close to us. Commercially made gifts are nice, but don’t always show the true feeling and compassion we have for those close to us. This is the easy way out, simply buy, wrap, (or have wrapped), sign a card and give it to the recipient. You need to ask yourself, how much love went into that? Any parent will tell you the most precious gifts they have are those their children made for them in school.

My daughter-in-law Kirsten makes her own cards. Each card is cut, stamped or imprinted, hand printed in her own hand calligraphy and totally designed by her from scratch. The words and verses are hers and impossible not to notice the love and affection that goes into each card. She could use a computer to make it easy, but she does not, each card is completely created with her own hands with the words coming from her heart. If you are fortunate enough to get one, you are truly blessed,

In another example, my brother Paul makes all the women, nieces and nephews hand crafted Christmas ornaments and gifts. They aren’t just hand crafted, but are made from the wood of the previous year’s Christmas tree. He works on this project from the time the tree comes down right up to the time he distributes his tiny treasures to those lucky truly loved recipients.

The time and love put into these precious hand crafted gifts automatically become family keepsakes to their recipients to be passed from generation to generation. There isn’t a family member who receives one of these gifts whose eyes don’t water up from the joy of receiving these priceless treasures.

We all have this ability in one form or another. And, since this site is dedicated to family and favorite recipe’s I hope some of the suggestions contained herein will make your Holliday season a bright one for you and your favorite people.

A most favorite of gifts one can get is a tin of assorted homemade cookies. Most all of us have a number of favorite holiday cookie recipes we make each year for the holidays. We can’t wait to bring out a tray to serve to company as soon as they walk in the door and wait for the ooh’s and ayah’s as they savor the tasty tidbits. This year simply make more, then package them in decorative tins or aluminum cake pans and pass them out as gifts. The tins or aluminum cake pans are readily available in most supermarkets.

Cucidati	Chocolate Balls	Pizzelles

Ingredients: (cookier crust) 2 ½ C all-purpose flour ½ C Heavy cream 2 tbsp butter 1/3 C sugar ¼ tsp baking powder 1 egg (beaten) 1 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in butter and mix until pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in cream and egg and mix thouroughly. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 2 hrs in refrigerator.	Ingredients: 8 C All purpose flour 3 ½ tsp baking powder 2 C sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 C shortening 1 tbsp grated orange zest 1 tbsp grated lemon zest 1 tsp lemon flavor (extract) 1 tsp orange flavor (extract) ¼ lb butter (1 stick) 5 eggs 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 C cocoa ¼ C Grand marnier or brandy or bourbon (optionally) ¾ C water	Ingredients: 3 eggs ½ tsp anise extract ½ tsp baking Powder 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1¾ C all purpose flour ½ C melted butter ¾ C sugar. .
FILLING: 1½ cup dried figs (8 0z pkg) ¾ C light raisins ½ C walnuts (chopped) 1 C candied mixed fruits ¼ C sugar ¼ C bourbon whiskey ¼ tsp ground cinnamon	Instructions: Blend sugar shortening and butter in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Combine the flour and baking powder-cinnamon, cocoa orange, lemon and vanilla extract Last add Grand Marnier and water.	Instructions: Beat eggs in a bowl and add sugar. Combine with cooled melted butter, vanilla extract and anise extract. Mix in sifted flour and baking powder. The batter should be thick enough to drop by a spoon into the pizzelle
Directions: (For the filling): Using a coarse blade in a food processor, or meat grinder, grind figs, raisins, and nuts. In a medium mixing bowl combine the ¼ C sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon. Stir in the fruit mixture. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hr.	This cookie dough is naturally soft, but firm enough to roll into balls about 1½” diameter If it’s too soft add more flour. . Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet leaving at least 1” all around. Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350^oF.	iron. Store unused batter in a tightly covered container and refrigerated to be used another day. Recipe makes 30 pizzelles Dusting with powdered sugar! Before serving is optional.
Finishing Up: Roll out each of the dough balls into a 12 inch squares. Then cut into 12, 4 inch strips. Spread a generous amount of filling down the side of each strip of dough,(about the diameter of a hotdog) Roll up from that side forming a long thin roll and seal the edge. With roll seam side down, cut the rolls into 2 inch sections using a diagonal cut forming the cookies. Place cookies seam side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with decorative Candies spinkles. Bake in a 350^o F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or untill a golden brown. Remove and cool.	This Italian cookie is everyone’s favorite. They always seem to be the first to disappear from the cookie tray.

For those with a creative side you might want to try creating ‘Gourmet Gift Baskets’. Creating a gourmet gift basket can be as creative and expensive or inexpensive as its creator desires depending on the size and content. The nice thing about gift baskets is that you can determine its cost and content. A gourmet gift basket need not be expensive but should reflect the character of the recipient. That is you should have a good idea of the recipients likes and dislikes. Normally we think of a ‘Gift Basket’ as a basket of fresh fruit. If you want your Gourmet Gift Basket to be impressive, it must be created, not thrown together. To do this you need to deviate from the norm and think in the abstract. If you do, your Gift Basket will undoubtedly be looked upon as a work of art. To start with try abandoning the use of the traditional wicker basket to create your master-piece.

For instance, a quick query on the internet supplied me with numerous excellent substitutes for the traditional wicker basket. Pinata’s for example are easy to make and cheap to buy. They come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes and can be adapted easily for our use. We think of Pinata’s in the traditional sense as something hung from the ceiling and filled with goodies to be beaten open with sticks by children to retrieve the treasures within, but thinking in the abstract, they become perfect replacements for the traditional wicker basket in our creations.

Some sample receptacles and pinata’s are shown and naturally — would depend on the theme:

Chinese – A Wok

French – A Champaign cooler

Hawaiian – A roasted pig (pinata)

Japanese – Puffer fish (pinata)

Mexican – Sombrero (pinata)

Spanish – Treasure Chest (pinata)

For instance with a ‘WESTERN THEME’: You might want to use a Cowboy hat or bonnet turned upside-down and filled with one or two bottles of gourmet barbeque sauce, a moderately priced bottle of red wine, and an assortment of nuts and fresh fruits. Wrap in the traditional colored see through plastic wrap, tie it with a giant bow, attach a card or tag and your basket is ready to give. Or:

To create an ‘ITALIAN THEME’, might use a 10 qt sauce pan. Fill it with a bottle of gourmet spaghetti sauce, one or two pounds of imported pasta, some imported Parmesan and/or Romano cheese, a moderately priced bottle of red wine (imported optional), etc. If you’re the type who cans, a bottle of your homemade canned sauce would be the ultimate finishing touch. You can also add fresh fruits and assorted nuts if you like.

There are a number of sites on line that will either sell you pinata’s or instruct you how to make your own. A simple search with your favorite search using the key word ‘pinata’ will come up with what you are looking for.

Gift baskets especially those created by the giver are a thoughtful gift that over flowing with love and compassion. Those created with an ethnic base portray the essence of the country of origin and emit that odor of walking into the kitchen of a fine restaurant.

Another great gift is a ‘Recipe in A Jar’. If you have a family recipe you would like to share, but keep the ingredients somewhat secret, a recipe in a jar is the perfect way to go. I have recipes that I had to promise my right arm not to divulge. Yet they are so good it is a sin to keep them to myself. What to do?:

Using a 4 oz. canning jar (available in most supermarkets), or baby food jars measure out the dry ingredients of your favorite recipe. If your recipe calls for fresh onions substitute onion flakes or dry soup mix. If you use the mix, eliminate the salt from your recipe as the mix will usually suffice. Substitute any herbs you can such as, garlic, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, etc., with the powdered or ground variety (see chart below). Any ingredients that cannot be substituted with a dried or preserved variety simply include on a card or list with instructions on how to complete the recipe. Although the recipe may not come out exactly like your original, it will be extremely close in aroma and taste, and the recipient is sure to be pleased.

You can also place the dried herbs and spices in a small plastic zip-lock bag and include it in a one qt. canning jar filled with pasta, rice, or beans, etc. (If it is an ingredient used in the recipe.)

next you will need to make a label, an easy task if you are using a computer. Printer labels are readily available in any size variety of sizes at any office supply store. Some labels come with complimentary labeling software on a CD or an option allowing you to download one from their web site. Depending on your artistic talents you can make it as fancy or as plain as you like.

This chart is based on a consensus from various web sites and are approximate:

Onion powder equivalent of fresh onion	Garlic powder equivalent of one clove
½ Tbsp = 1 small onion 1 Tbsp = 1 medium onion 1½ Tbsp = 1 large onion	1/8 tsp garlic powder = 1 clove
Dried onion flakes
1/3 C dried onion flakes = 1 small onion

And we’ll finish with a couple of great homemade sweet tooth gift ideas that are easy to make and make great gifts for young and old. Marshmallow Fluff Treats and Gourmet Chocolate Fudge’, always a treat for all ages. I obtained these recipes from the ‘Marshmallow Fluff’ (click here) Web site. If you have a favorite fudge recipe of your own which you would rather use, by all means use yours. If not these are excellent recipes. Don’t forget you are making them as gifts, so you will have to personalize the quantity by using smaller pans than called for in the recipes. See note following the recipes.

Marshmallow Fluff Treats

Ingredients:

¼ C margarine or butter

1 Jar (7½ oz) Marshmallow Fluff

5 C Crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add Marshmallow Fluff and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cut into squares when cool. Yield: 24 squares, 2 x 2 inches

Microwave Marshmallow Fluff Treats

Place Fluff and margarine in 2 1/2 qt. microwave safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 3 minute, stirring each minute. (Based on 700-watt microwave oven.) Stir in cereal until coated. Using a buttered spatula or waxpaper, press mixture evenly into buttered 13 X 9 inch pan. Cut into 2 X 2 squares. Yield: 24 squares.

Never-Fail-Fudge

Ingredients:

2 ½ C sugar

¾ tsp salt

½ stick butter or margarine

1 5 oz can evaporated milk (¾ C)

1 Jar (7½ oz) Marshmallow Fluff

¾ tsp vanilla

1 12-oz package semisweet-chocolate pieces

½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In large saucepan combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended. Increase heat to Medium and bring to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly for 5 minutes (use Soft-Ball test). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Add nuts. Turn into greased pan and cool. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.

Hint: As with all fudge recipes, cooking time will vary depending on factors such as humidity and altitude. For best results, use the softball test to make sure the fudge has been cooked enough. The softball test can be found in any cookbook and on our website under frequently asked question (FAQ’s).

Note:

Use smaller tinfoil pans to personalize i.e. 2”x 4”, etc.
Optionally sprinkle with green and red sugar sprinkles or M&M’s
Wrap in clear or Holliday colored plastic wrap and seal with a Red or Green Bow, etc.
Attach a card or tag, and your set to go.

Some basic helpful tools you should have when making candy products:

A candy thermometer for temperature control an essential key to making fudge correctly. if you are new to candy making this will ensure your chances for success in making a smooth textured fudge. If your fudge fails to reach the desired temperature the sugar will crystallize and the fudge will be gritty. Thermometers are inexpensive and will make the purchase worth it.
Use a heavy pan to cook the fudge, an iron skillet works great. The heavy iron holds the heat and ensures a nice even heat. Don’t use aluminum or even a stainless steel that does not have a heavy bottom. A stainless steel saucepan with a heavy layered aluminum bottom will work also.
A wooden spoon works best for stirring while it boils. Stir constantly until it is removed from stove.
Be sure to the fudge over a low to medium-low flame, or as the recipe calls for depending on the type of fudge you are making.

For those who would like visual instructions to see fudge making in action just click on the ‘YouTube’ video below:

Fudge making video

All contents are the sole property of AngeloBiondo.com. AngeloBiondo.com reserves the right to change, modify or delete articles and recipes without notice. The readers of AngeloBiondo.com are allowed to download, print and share material contained herein without pre authorization, so long as the material is not sold copied, modified or changed in any way, The material contained herein, may not under no condition be used for profit and/or personal gain. All shared copies must contain this notice and the copyright© must be included. AngeloBiondo.com™ is the trademark of AngeloBiondo.com™ and cannot be copied, reproduced or used without the explicit written consent of AngeloBiondo.com™

Calamari (Squid) Recipes

angelo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:38:55 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

Growing up as a kid, times were tough – the effects of the Great Depression left many scares and we were in the middle of World War II, food, gas, tires and a whole lot of necessities of life were rationed and people made do with what they had or improvised. Victory Gardens were popular supplying hard to get expensive fresh vegetable allowing the hard working patriots a meal as close to gourmet as they can get.

Calamari, (squid), a favorite among Italians and Orientals at that time was scoffed by other nationalities and very cheap to buy. Back then, the markets were almost giving it away. Today the tides have turned. Calamari has become a popular appetizer in almost any restaurant from the local family restaurant to five star gourmet restaurants. Naturally, the cost has been affected as well.

I was recently asked if I had any calamari recipes and came up with a few that should satisfy the taste of most people, starting with the most popular appetizer variety on the menu of many restaurants today.

Since the cleaning is essential to all recipes, I’ll explain that process first. You may be able to find fresh calamari at your local fish market or fresh seafood department of your local super markets, however you are more likely to find it in the frozen food section. Since the cleaning process is such a hassle most store now carry the flash frozen cleaned and sliced variety.

Being kind of fussy I like to know my diner has been processed properly, especially if that item is going to be stuffed. I prefer to clean these foods myself, and calamari is one of them - a process I must say is not for the squeamish. If you find a place to purchase fresh calamari consider yourself fortunate. However you are more likely to find the frozen variety. If you do buy fresh all you need do is take it home and follow the directions below. If you are using the frozen variety let them first thaw out thoroughly in the refrigerator over night.

Calamari come frozen in several varieties:

Whole – Complete with the heads and innards intact.
Whole – Cleaned, with the tentacles and tubular body separated
Sliced – The tubular body portion is sliced into thin rings, with tentacles separate
Sliced – The tubular body sliced into rings sans the tentacles

In our recipes we are interested in only the top two afore mentioned with the first selection being the most preferable.

To clean the fresh calamari:

1. Separate the tentacles from the body by severing the tentacles just below the eye section, leaving that portion with just the tentacles.

2. Turn the tentacle section over exposing the hard beak and remove same by pressing gently from behind and pulling the beak off. (set aside)

3. Remove the fins and spotted membrane covering the tubular body. Save the fins

4. Remove the interior cartilaginous skeleton by inserting your fore finger or small spoon in to the tubular body and removing the innards, making sure to remove everything from inside and rinse out the inside under running cold water . If you are gentle enough you can invert (turn inside out) the body and rinse thoroughly under cold running water Be careful not to split the body

5. Repeat this process for each of the calamari, placing them in a bowl of ice as they are cleaned.

When served as an appetizer, calamari can be served with a garnish or dip of many varieties. I like to serve them right from the frying pan, with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice. Or serve them with a nice Jalapeno cheese dip.

Jalapeno are an extremely hot pepper, but you can control the heat factor. You should wear rubber gloves when handling and preparing hot peppers, the acid in the seed sac or membrane tends to burn tender skin or minor cuts. The hot spiciness of the pepper is contained in the seed sac and membrane of the pepper and depending on how well you clean out the seed sac and membrane determine the heat factor or spiciness when consumed. Knowing this little tid-bit of trivia allows you to control just how hot you want your recipe to be. If you are looking for flavor only then remove all the seeds and membrane, you will be surprised on how mild the pepper will taste. Or if you don’t care to have any spiciness at all then substitute the Jalapenos with sweet banana peppers, etc.

Roasted Jalapeno Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

4 to 6 fresh jalapeno peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)

¼ C White sharp cheddar cheese, (cubed)

¼ C Chardonnay or juice from 1 lemon
¼ tsp sea salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (fresh ground - to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350^oF
Place cleaned jalapeno peppers in a small pan and roast in over broiler for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft and slightly browned.
Remove and let cool
Place jalapeno peppers, garlic and cheese cubes into a food processor and puree until smooth.
Add the mayonnaise or miracle whip, sea salt, black pepper, chardonnay or lemon juice.
Blend until smooth, about 10 to 15 seconds.
Sauce is ready to serve, but can be heated and served warm if desired.

Grandma DeGeorge’s fried calamari recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh calamari (squid)

1 C all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

4 cloves of garlic – (minced) or

½ tsp garlic powder (alternate)

¾ C olive oil (cooking variety is fine)

2 lemons – (fresh, cut into slices) and/or

Jalapeno cheese dip

Directions:

Slice the tubular bodies of the calamari into rings ¼” to ¾” sections, I prefer the thicker sections as it seems to enhance the flavor.
Set the calamari rings and the tentacles into separate containers over ice and set aside.
In a large zip-lock baggie, mix the flour, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside. An improvement from my grand-mothers time when she had to use a brown paper bag.
Pour the ¾ C olive oil into a large skillet and heat over a medium flame
Strain and dry the calamari rings and place a handful into the flour mixture. Shake well until all rings are fully coated.
Empty contents of zip-lock bag into a colander and shake out excess flour over a dish, leaving the flour coated calamari rings.
Dump flour mixture back into zip-lock bag
Fry calamari rings turning often until they are a golden brown
While frying rings, line a baking pan with paper towels and pre-heat oven to its lowest warming temperature.
Remove the browned rings from frying pan an place in paper towel lined baking pan, place in oven to keep warm until the frying process is completed.
Repeat the flour coating and frying process until all the calamari rings are fried, then repeat the process for the tentacles.
Serve with your favorite dip, lemon garnish or try the Jalapeno dip recipe included in this article.

Another method to serve calamari is stuffed. When serving stuffed calamari as a main entree, a larger variety is usually desired and is often mistaken by another species of squid, the cuttlefish. Cuttlefish are larger by nature with a wider body and shorter tentacles. They have a white elongated oval shaped bone instead of the clear cellophane like membrane of the calamari. This white bone is used commercially for a variety of applications we won’t get into here. The stocky wider body of the cuttlefish makes it ideal to use with stuffed calamari recipes and makes it an ideal alternative.

The Cuttlefish: Cuttlefish common name applied to cephalopod mollusks that have 10 tentacles, or arms, 8 of which have muscular suction cups on their inner surface and 2 that are longer and can shoot out for grasping prey, and a reduced internal shell embedded in the enveloping mantle. The body is short, broad, and flattened. Cuttlefish are carnivorous and excellent at capturing prey with their arms.squids , but like the squids cuttlefish have lateral fins used as stabilizers and for steering and propulsion. They swim by jet propulsion, forcibly expelling water through a siphon. During the day they lie buried in the bottom of the ocean; at night they swim and hunt for food.

Although good swimmers, they are not as fast as the related

Except for the squid genus Loligo, cuttlefish have the best cephalopod eyes, which are highly complex. When disturbed, cuttlefish eject a cloud of dark brown ink from an ink sac for protection. The ink gland and ink sac are specializations of the rectal gland. The ink is composed mostly of melanin. All cuttlefish are dioecious, i.e., the sexes are separate.^[1]

The Squid or Calamari: The common squid is a carnivorous mollusk belonging to the same class as the nautilus, cuttlefish, and octopus. The squid has a large head and a relatively large brain. Its body, stiffened by an interior cartilaginous skeleton, is spherical or cigar-shaped, with two lateral fins. Around the mouth are eight sucker-bearing arms and two contractile tentacles with spatulate tips; on the latter are four rows of suction cups encircled by rings of chitinous (horny) hooks. The contractile tentacles, longer than the rest, are used to seize the prey and pass it to the shorter arms, which hold it to be torn by strong jaws shaped like a parrot’s beak. Squid can swim faster than any other invertebrate by rapidly expelling water from the mantle cavity through the ³funnel,² which can be turned to direct movement. Many deep-sea squid are bioluminescent. They shoot out a cloud of dark ink when pursued; one genus secretes luminescent ink.

In the male squid, one smaller arm is modified for the purpose of planting a packet of sperm (a spermatophore) in the female’s oviduct. In some squid, such as the common squid of the east North Atlantic coast, the sperm can also be deposited in a vesicle below the female’s mouth; the spermatophore, already opened by the male, releases the sperm as the eggs are produced. The females fasten their eggs to seaweed or to the ocean bottom by a viscous filament. The eggs of deep-water squid are free-floating.

Squid species vary greatly in size. The common squid of the east North Atlantic coast is 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) long, and the giant squid, at least 18 m (60 ft) long, is the largest aquatic invertebrate. It lives at depths of 300 to 600 m (985 to 1970 ft), where it is the prey of sperm whales. Scientific classification: Squid belong to the order Teuthoidea of the class Cephalopoda. Squid that secrete luminescent ink are classified in the genus Heteroteuthis of the family Sepiolidae. The common squid of the east North Atlantic coast belongs to the family Loliginidae and is classified as Loligo vulgaris. The giant squid is classified in the genus Architeuthis of the family Architeuthidae.^[2]

So now that we know the difference, here are a couple of good “Stuffed Calamari” recipes I think you will find to your liking – enjoy!

I grew up in the years following the Great Depression and WWII. Times were tough and rationing was still in place. People had victory gardens to supplement their food supply and everyone was looking for bargains. My Grandmother was no exception and calamari was cheap. She used to cook calamari in a variety of ways, and one of my favorites was stuffed, cooked in a tomato base and served over linguine. As I have stated before, she never used a written recipe, she came from the “Little of this and a little of that” school, so once again I’ve done my best to put numbers to the recipe.

Stuffed Calamari

This recipe calls for fairly large calamari or cuttlefish about 6” to 8” inch tube section. It can be used as a main entre or served over pasta (linguine) with a nice loaf of hot garlic bread coupled with a nice Caesar salad or anti-pasta.

Ingredients

8 - 10 large squid (calamari or cuttlefish)

1 pound Ricotta cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup grated Romano Pecorino, or Parmesan cheese

1 egg

¼ C finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ tsp salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground - to taste)

¼ tsp oregano (Pinch)

¼ C all-purpose flour

½ C Chardonnay (or good white wine)*

2 cans (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes

¾ C olive oil (for frying)

Directions:

Remove tentacles, fins and spotted membrane from body of squid.
Clean out the tubular body of squid.
Remove eyes and beak from tentacle part of squid.
Boil tentacles and fins for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and let cool
Chop tentacles and fins finely to mix with stuffing.
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg, cheese, parsley, chopped tentacles and fins, salt and pepper.
Stuff squid with cheese mixture closing each end with a toothpick.
After stuffed, dredge in flour.
Heat the oil in large pan and sauté squid until brown on all sides.
Remove from pan.
Drain oil from pan, add garlic and Chardonnay
Bring mixture to a boil, and turn heat down and let simmer until volume is reduced to half.
Add tomatoes, salt pepper, and oregano, bring to a boil and cook for 10 more minutes.
Place squid In roasting pan cover with the tomatoes and cover pan with foil,
Bake in a preheated 350^o F oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Grandma DeGeorge’s Stuffed Calamari

Ingredients

8 - 10 large squid (calamari or cuttlefish)

4 Tbsp olive oil

½ C Italian bread crumbs

½ C All-purpose flour (for dredging)

½ C olive oil (for cooking)

4 cloves garlic, (fresh minced)

1 Tsp fresh oregano, crumbled

1 Tbsp parsley, (fresh minced)

¼ tsp salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper, (freshly ground)

¼ C Pecorino-Romano cheese, (freshly grated)

2 C of your favorite tomato sauce

1 lb linguine

(If you need a tomato sauce recipe I’ve included one at the end of this article)

Directions:

Remove the tentacles and fins and set aside.
Clean the body of the squid and remove the spotted membrane covering the body.
In a bowl mix the bread crumbs, garlic, 2 Tbs olive oil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Gently stuff the squid with the bread crumbs, (don’t over fill).
Close the end by gently weaving a toothpick, metal squewer threw or sewing the opening shut (This recipe does not use a binder ie: egg, etc. in the filling and will fall out if not careful)
Keep any leftover bread crumbs.
Roll (dredge) stuffed calamari in flour and place to side (remove all excess flour)
Add the ½ C olive oil to a skillet large enough to hold all calamari and heat.
Brown calamari on all side and then;
Gently transfer the stuffed calamari to a sauce pan to finish cooking.
Place sauce pan containing calamari over a medium heat.
Pour the tomato sauce over the calamari and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer in covered sauce pan over a low heat for 30 minutes
Be careful to not stir the calamari too much so as not to disturb the filling anymore than necessary
Turn the heat to low and gently stir in any remaining breadcrumbs.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the Pecorino-Romano cheese.
Serve over a bed of linguine

Serves 4

Grandma DeGeorge’s Broiled Stuffed Cuttlefish or Calamari

4 large whole Cuttlefish
4 cloves garlic (minced)
½ C onions (finely chopped)
½ C Pecorino-Romano cheese, (freshly grated)

1 green pepper, (roasted and diced)l
½ C Italian bread crumbs
¼ tsp Sea Salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

Directions:

Sauté the onions and garlic in the 2 tbsp of olive oil using a small skillet until soft and translucent.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
In a medium size bowl, combine cheese, roasted pepper, and bread crumbs.
Mix in the onion and garlic.
Stuff each of the cuttlefish or calamari with the filling until nice and plump
Close the open end with a toothpick or metal skewer (a clean 3” 6 penny nail works great)
Baste each the cuttlefish or calamari with a little of the oil used to sauté the onions to prevent from sticking while broiling.
Broil each tube for 2-3 minutes on each side,
Cut each tube into 4 or 5 nice pieces using a French or angle cut.
Using the Jalapeno sauce included above or your favorite dipping sauce, spoon a generous amount over the top and serve..

Stuffed Calamari and Linguine

Ingredients:

2 pounds calamari (fresh or frozen and cleaned)

2 cans tomatoes (28 oz crushed + 1 can of water)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

¼ tsp sea salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (fresh ground - to taste)

½ C Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese (freshly grated of your choice

2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

Stuffing Ingredients

4 C Italian bread crumbs

¹/₈C fresh parsley (chopped)

¼ C of grated cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil (enough to moisten mixture)

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 C milk

1 egg

Instructions:

After removing the tentacles and cleaning the calamari
Remove the fins and spotted membrane covering the calamari setting the fins aside,
Prepare your tomato sauce and allow to simmer while you finsh preparing the stuffing
In a large bowl, combine 4 C Italian bread crumbs, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 cup of milk, and 1 egg.
Add the cheese of your choice and the chopped tentacles and fins.
Mix thoroughly until a thick moist mixture emerges. (add more milk if necessary).
Fill each of the calamari being careful not to over stuff.
Place each of the stuffed calamari in a lightly oiled casserole, layering if necessary.
Spray or drizzle the stuffed calamari with olive oil.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese of choice and cover calamari with the tomato sauce, covering the entirely.
Cover casserole with foil and or lid and place in oven pre-heated to 450^o F.
Bake casserole for 1 hour or until calamari pierce easily with a fork
Remove from oven. Can be served as a main entree, or over linguine.

Basic Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

½ C onion, (chopped)

2-4 cloves garlic, (to taste - minced)

2 Tbsp olive oil

15 oz can tomato puree (+ 1 can of water)

1 large can whole tomatoes, (un-drained & crushed - optional)

6 oz can tomato paste (+ 3 cans of water)

1 large bay leaf

½ tsp basil

¼ tsp oregano (crushed)

2 Tbsp Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese, (freshly grated)

1 tsp sea salt (to taste)

¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

Directions:

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large sauce pan and sauté chopped onions and garlic until translucent
Add tomato puree, and paste plus the water.
Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, cheese, salt and pepper and stir thoroughly
Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until reduced in volume by 1/3.
Sauce is ready to use with your favorite pasta or recipe.

Amazing Rotisserie Chicken BBQ Sauce

angelo — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:09:00 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

Last month I posted the original winning recipe in the Toronto Star and Anne’s Improved Rotisserie Chicken Sauce. I made both recipes following the instructions for each to the letter. I thought both were excellent and received many complements on both of them.

However, neither of them was exactly what I was looking for. I still craved for that flavor found only in Swiss Chalet’s Rotisserie BBQ sauce. Using a combination of both recipes and adlibbing along the way, I discovered what I believe to be an acceptable replacement – or at the very least a great substitute for Swiss Chalet’s featured sauce. It is also the version which everyone seems to like best. My 7 yr. old grand-daughter Taylor calls it Amazing Sauce so good she can drink it, and so the name:
Amazing Rotisserie BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients:
3 C. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
¼ C. Tomato Juice
1/8 C Worcestershire
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp granulated raw sugar (brown)
¾ tsp basil, (dried)
¼ tsp salt (optional to taste)
(cubes should provide enough)
½ tsp Thyme, (dried)
½ tsp Oregano, (dried)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp parsley, (dried)
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
¼ tsp onion powder
2+ Bay leafs, (dried)
4 – 6 drops Tabasco Sauce

Directions: (pretty much cut and dry)

Mix all of the liquids together in a suitable sauce pan and place on medium to low burner.

Add the dry ingredients and bring to a boil

Mix about 1 tbsp cornstarch to water, mix well and pour into sauce while stirring. If necessary add additional cornstarchmixture to thicken to taste.

Bonus Recipe:

Note: As always when handling fresh meat, read and use the safe handling instructions on the packaging. Those instructions are there by law and for your protection. With the many food recalls of late due to salmonella contamination, its wise to be careful.

A little trick I use to aid in sealing in the flavor and juices when cooking outdoors on the grill. I make a chicken rub or marinade to prep the chicken pieces for the grill, consisting of:

½ C Olive oil

6 – 8 cloves of fresh garlic

1 tbsp Poultry seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper, (optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend for 15 to 20 seconds or until garlic is liquefied.

Brush the mixture on each piece of chicken thoroughly with a pastry brush before placing on grill.

Cook for 1 minute on each side to seer and seal in the juices at high heat

Reduce flame to medium heat and baste chicken with the Rotisserie Chicken BBQ sauce

Turn several times while cooking, basting chicken with each turn

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Chicken is cooked when you can insert a knife in the thickest part of the meat and the fluids come out clear. Or if not sure, cut open and make sure you see no pink.

Serve chicken with a side cup of heated Amazing Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

Copyright © AngeloBiondo.com™ (2009)

All contents are the sole property of AngeloBiondo.com. AngeloBiondo.com reserves the right to change, modify or delete articles and recipes without notice. The readers of AngeloBiondo.com are allowed to download, print and share material contained herein without pre authorization, so long as the material is not sold copied, modified or changed in any way, The material contained herein, may not under no condition be used for profit and/or personal gain. All shared copies must contain this notice and the copyright© must be included. AngeloBiondo.com™ is the trademark of AngeloBiondo.com™ and cannot be copied, reproduced or used without the explicit written consent of AngeloBiondo.com™

Swiss Chalet (type) Rotisserie Chicken Sauce

angelo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:37:34 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

Living in western New York we’re fortunate to border Canada, home of the Swiss Chalet Restaurant based chain. The Swiss Chalet chicken restaurant chain is a Canadian based company with restaurants throughout Canada and northern parts of the United States. We are glad to have a couple in our area and frequent them often. We thoroughly enjoy their rotisserie chicken served with their own very popular BBQ sauce. Of course they are not about to share that recipe with the world, but many have tried to emulate it. If you never had their specialty chicken, you don’t know what you’re missing.

If you have a rotisserie attachment for you outside grill, you might want to try one of the Swiss Chalet “look alike” recipes listed below – and even if you don’t have the rotisserie attachment, using the sauce as a marinating and cooking on the grill will prove to be a real treat.

“The recipe listed on left of the table below originally appeared in the Toronto Star many years ago as a result of a contest to create a sauce similar to Swiss Chalet’s rotisserie barbecue sauce. Home economist Kay Spicer created the winning recipe.”

Original Recipe Printed in the Toronto Star

3 C. water
¼ C. tomato juice
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp granulated sugar
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp. basil, dried
¼ tsp. parsley
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp thyme, dried
¼ tsp ginger, ground
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp onion powder
1 bay leaf
¾ tsp Worcestershire
6 drops Tabasco sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Anne’s Improved Recipe

3 C chicken stock
¼ C tomato juice
1/8 cup Worcestershire
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp thyme
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp sugar
4 drops Tabasco
simmer for 5 - 10 minutes

1 bay leaf
add ½ tsp lemon juice
mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with a little water ,add the mixture to thicken

Anne’s note: This sauce is brushed on the chicken before cooking and served at the table in small containers to dip the chicken pieces in. Anne says she tried the posted winning entry recipe and didn’t like it, so it became her mission to perfect it. And she proudly states she thinks she did so with her improved version (listed on the right side of the above table.”

Note the similarity with only slight variations in the recipes. Though both are good, you would have to be familiar with the original Swiss Chalet recipe to accurately judge which you feel is closest in flavor. Though I feel the later may have a slight edge, the winning entry is definitely a winner. I can’t quite put my finger on what makes one preferable over the other, you may have to try them both. So you’ll have to be the final judge to decide which one your taste buds prefer.

Directions: (for winning entry)

Pour 3 cups of water and tomato juice into 1 1/2 qt saucepan.

Add bouillon cube, paprika, sugar, salt, basil, parsley, poultry seasoning, thyme, ginger, mustard, onion powder, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

Stir well or whisk to mix.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf.

Stir in lemon juice.

Mix cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water to smooth paste.

Add to mixture and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes until sauce thickens.

Whisk in oil.

Makes about 3 cups

Note: The directions are pretty much cut and dry and may also be used for Anne’s recipe.

You can also buy the sauce from the Swiss Chalet if you are near a location, there is nothing like the real thing.

Our Thanks to The Toronto Star and Anne for making these available.

to The Toronto Star and Anne for making these available.

Copyright © AngeloBiondo.com™ (2009)

All contents are the sole property of AngeloBiondo.com.   AngeloBiondo.com reserves the right to change, modify or delete articles and recipes without notice. The readers of AngeloBiondo.com are allowed to download, print and share material contained herein without pre authorization, so long as the material is not sold copied, modified or changed in any way, The material contained herein, may not under no condition be used for profit and/or personal gain. All shared copies must contain this notice and the copyright© must be included. AngeloBiondo.com™ is the trademark of AngeloBiondo.com™ and cannot be copied, reproduced or used without the explicit written consent of AngeloBiondo.com™

Sicilian Easter Bread

angelo — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:25:38 +0000

  By: Angelo Biondo

It seems that all families have some unique tradition tied to their roots they believe is traditional only to their nationality. Sicilian Easter Bread is one of those traditions which I thought was of that category. As I grew older I found it was not only a special tradition for many Italian families, but for a host of other nationalities as well.   It seems all nationalities have their own version of Easter Bread. But, the one thing common to all of them, is that they all represent the same symbolic meaning. I offer two Sicilian versions, one yeast based and the other made without yeast.

As they say, traditions come and go but this is one that has been around for a long time and continues to be come tradition for many new families as ages pass.

The Easter egg symbolizes the resurrection of Christ and new life. It originated in ancient Persia through Jewish culture and was incorporated into Christianity. The egg is a part of the celebrations of the Vernal Equinox, the coming of Spring, a time for planting and new life. It has been a subject of wonder and veneration for just about all cultures. It appears in many religions as a critical symbol of new life, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bread is also a symbol of life and health, it is only befitting that we pay homage to the Lord by remembering Jesus and His last supper with His disciples the night before His crucifixion. He passed the wine and bread to His disciples in celebration of the Holy Eucharist. He proclaimed it was His Body and Blood to be given up for them and for those to come so sins can be forgiven.

When you know the symbolic meaning of the Easter Bread tradition, you realize why it belongs to no individual ethnic group. It belongs to all who believe, the prefix Italian, Polish, Russian, etc. merely designates the variation in the recipe. The Easter bread has the same meaning for all.

Easter Bread is a combination of these two symbols, symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ and our new life which He has promised us by His crucifixion. Is it any wonder why this bread becomes traditional to more and more Christian families with each passing year?

There are several variations of this bread, some use yeast and others don’t. Some frost the bread and some don’t, etc. The recipes I’ve included here are one of each. The yeast recipe is a family recipe and the other I’m not sure where it came from, but has been in the family archives for a number of years. The advantage to not using yeast is you don’t have to wait for it to rise.

Pane de Pasqua Siciliano (Sicilian Easter Bread)

(no yeast) - Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 ½ cups all purpose flour

Sicilian Easter Bread Basket

1 C milk (scalded)
1 C shortening
½ C sugar
6 tsp baking powder
6 hard boiled, eggs (colored)

Colored sprinkles

FROSTING
2 eggs (whites only)
2 C confectioner’s sugar
1 lemon (juiced and strained)

Directions:

·         In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking soda.

·         To the shortening to the thoroughly mixed mixture and continue mixing

·         Form a well in the center of the mixture with a wooden spoon or suitable appliance. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, use that.

·         Add the scalded (cooled to room temp) milk a little at a time while mixing. until you have a firm dough.

·         Remove from bowl onto a clean floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

·         Remove cover and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.

·         Cover and let dough rest for ½ hour.

·         Preheat oven to 375^o F.

·         Divide dough into 6 portions

·         One at a time, roll out each section in a 12 inch diameter circle about ¼ inch thick.

·         Place one of the colored eggs in the center and roll up the edges to the center leaving a portion of the colored egg exposed.

·         Repeat until all 6 portions have been completed.

·         Grease a 9” inch round cake pan and place the sections in a circle in the pan making sure each portion or section is touching the one next to it.

·         Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is a light golden brown in color.

·         Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before frosting.

FROSTING:

·         Beat 2 egg whites till they form peaks.

·         Add the sugar, a little at a time continuously beating the egg whites till mixture is creamy.

·         Continue to mix while adding in the lemon juice of one lemon.

·         With a pastry brush spread the egg and sugar mixture onto the cooled bread.

·         Decorate with colored sugar sprinkles.

Sicilian Easter Bread

(yeast version)

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups all purpose flour

Sicilian Easter Egg Bread

¼ C sugar
2 packets (2 oz) active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
¾ C warm milk (scalded)
2 tbsp butter
3 eggs (separated – keep whites from on seperate)
6 colored Easter eggs

Sesame seeds

Preparation:

·         Separate the whites from the eggs and reserve the yolks keeping the white from 1 egg separate from the other two eggs. The single egg white will be used to mix with a tbsp of milk to use as an egg wash.

·         Scald the milk and let cool until slightly warm

·         Add egg yolks, butter, and yeast to warm milk and mix well

·         Let milk and yeast mixture stand until ready for it.

Instructions:

·         Combine 3 C flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroghly.

·         Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and beat in milk. If you are using an electric mixer with a dough hook add the warm milk while mixing.

·         Continue to mix while adding the butter and the two eggs.

·         Add the remaining flour and continue to mix until a soft dough ball is formed.

·         Turn onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

·         Knead for 10 to 15 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

·         Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in size

·         Once dough has doubled in size, punch down and divide into two pieces.

·         Roll out each piece into a rope about 24-inches in length.

·         Braid ropes loosely and “nest” colored eggs into openings.

·         Using the egg whites you set aside earlier, mix in 1 tbsp of milk and mix well.

·         Using a pastry brush, brush the bread with the egg wash and then sprinkle with sesame seed.

·         Place on flat baking sheets and cover with a damp cloth (use drinking glasses to keep cloth from touching the bread while rising.

·         Let rise until doubled in size.

·         Pre heat over to 350^o F.

·         Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

·         Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks before serving.

·         Serves 6 to 8.

Happy Easter!

Copyright © AngeloBiondo.com™ (April 2009)

All contents are the sole property of AngeloBiondo.com.   AngeloBiondo.com reserves the right to change, modify or delete articles and recipes without notice. The readers of AngeloBiondo.com are allowed to download, print and share material contained herein without pre authorization, so long as the material is not sold copied, modified or changed in any way, The material contained herein, may not under no condition be used for profit and/or personal gain. All shared copies must contain this notice and the copyright© must be included. AngeloBiondo.com™ is the trademark of AngeloBiondo.com™ and cannot be copied, reproduced or used without the explicit written consent of AngeloBiondo.com™

Linguine with anchovy sauce

angelo — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:38:15 +0000

SERVES 4

I happen to like anchovies, however many people I know can’t stand the sight of them let alone the smell. My wife is one of the many. When we were first married and I made this dish for the first time, she (not wanting to hurt my feelings) agreed to try some “pasta de anchovy”. To her surprise, she enjoyed it and even learned to make it herself. She still has no love for anchovies, but will eat certain recipes the use anchovies as an ingredient.

Anchovies are a very salty and have a strong salty fish flavor and aroma to them and a recipe containing them will usually call for only 1 or 2 small cans (2 oz). We will be using the “flat fillet of anchovy” packed in olive oil in our recipe.

To the many who have requested this recipe, it is a fast easy to prepare entre that could be placed in the “gourmet” category. Many who don’t like anchovies have requested and enjoy it. It is a favorite Lenten recipe, but can be made at a moment’s notice. This makes it great for unexpected dinner guests and can be used as a standalone or to supplement to stretch a meal already being prepared.

Ingredients:
• 2 cans (4 ounces) flat fillet anchovies packed in olive oil
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 onion (medium finely chopped)
• 6 large cloves garlic, (minced)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato puree
• 2 cans (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes,
• 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
• 2 tsp Salt (to taste)
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 pound linguine.
Topping:
• 1 C Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Instructions:
• Add the 1/3 C olive oil to a 6 qt. sauce pan and heat over medium heat
• Add chopped onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they start to turn translucent
• Add the 2 cans (4 oz.) anchovies and stir into onions.
• Keep the heat low and stir until the anchovies have completely melted into the onions and garlic. (Being careful not to burn either – lower heat if necessary)
• Add the tomato puree and ½ to ¾ can of water and stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Raise to medium heat and add the crushed tomatoes.
• Stirring frequently, let mixture come to a boil at medium to high heat, then lower heat and let simmer.
• Add all other ingredients and continue to let simmer on low heat until sauce thickens. (about 1 hour)
• While sauce is cooking…
• Heat a large cast iron skillet and brown (toast) the bread crumbs until slightly browned stirring constantly being careful not to burn them. Pour into a serving dish and place aside.
• Fill a 6 or 8 qt. pot about 2/3 full and bring to a boil.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil (no salt) and linguine. Cook per instructions on package to desired taste. I like al dente.
• Serve pasta in deep dishes. Ladle sauce over pasta and garnish with prepared bread crumbs or grated cheese.

Copyright © AngeloBiondo.com™ (Dec, 2008)

All contents are the sole property of AngeloBiondo.com. AngeloBiondo.com reserves the right to change, modify or delete articles and recipes without notice. The readers of AngeloBiondo.com are allowed to download, print and share material contained herein without pre authorization, so long as the material is not sold copied, modified or changed in any way, The material contained herein, may not under no condition be used for profit and/or personal gain. All shared copies must contain this notice and the copyright© must be included. AngeloBiondo.com™ is the trademark of AngeloBiondo.com™ and cannot be copied, reproduced or used without the explicit written consent of AngeloBiondo.com™

Pasta con Sarde (Pasta with Sardines)

angelo — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:00:37 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

With the Lenten season soon to start, we are always looking for tasty recipes that will satisfy our appetites during this most holy fasting 40 days of Lent.   Many Christians especially Catholics observe this most holy season and refrain from eating meat dishes during this period on Wednesdays and Fridays. Although the Church only requires us to observe this practice on Ash Wednesday and Friday’s, many Catholics refrain from eating meat on both Wednesday and Friday during lent. With that in mind I offer one of my families favorite recipe’s Pasta con Sarde.

When I was a kid, I remember my grandmother making this recipe from scratch. Sardines were not what I would call a favorite of mine or my siblings, but somehow this dish transformed them into a delectable gourmet delicacy.

Obtaining the ingredients was a simple task back then (the 40’s and 50’s), but modern marketing and the lack of vegetable gardening has made this task more difficult. The sardines are easy enough to get from the fish market, and in a pinch you can use canned sardines (preferably packed in olive oil), but the fennel greens are harder to get. The recipe calls for the greens or tops from the fennel bulbs. Most produce departments cut most of the tops from the fennel bulbs before placing them in the display case. If you plan ahead you might get the produce manager to save 1 or 2 pounds when trimming them.

If you want to try Pasta con Sarde and don’t want to go through the trouble of preparation, you can always buy the canned commercial one. It’s usually available in the ethnic or specialty section (Italian isle) and comes in 6 and 12 oz. cans (approximate). Due to the difficulty of obtaining the fennel tops we use the canned version and beef it up somewhat. I’ll cover both options, but from scratch is best. If you are not familiar with fresh fennel, the bulbs are sold with some greens intact. The consumer cuts the remaining tops from the bulb and then will wash and slice the bulbs lengthwise into sticks (like celery) for serving. Fennel has a mild licorice sweet taste and is also referred to as anise.

Pasta con Sarde (from scratch)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs fresh fennel tops (save bulbs to cut up and serve as appetizer)

2 lbs. whole fresh sardines (sardines packed in olive oil)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves (minced)

2 medium onions, sliced

6 tablespoons pine nuts

3 tablespoons currants or raisins

¼ tsp salt (to taste)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (1 cup water if not using tomatoes.)

1 cup all purpose flour (for coating)

1 pound bucatini macaroni, spaghetti of your choice.

Grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Note: Bucatini is the spaghetti with the hole through the center.

Directions:

-       Soak currants or raisins until plump

-       Dump content of crushed tomatoes or 1 cup of water into a four or Six quart sauce pan and set aside.

-       If using fresh sardines, remove the entrails, head, and spine

-       Cut sardines into 1 inch sections and set aside

-       Add olive oil to a hot skillet and sauté fennel greens until slightly caramelized, remove from skillet and add to sauce pan

-       Sauté onion slices, garlic and pine nuts in skillet until onions become translucent in appearance then add to saucepan with fennel greens and crushed tomatoes.

-       Add the flour to a large plastic zip-lock bag, add the sardine sections shake well until the pieces are thoroughly coated, sauté until slightly browned and add to saucepan.

-       Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.

-       Reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes

-       Serve over bucatini, or your choice of pasta sprinkling with grated cheese.

Optional Easy Method:

The easy way is to use the canned version usually sold in the ethnic or specialty section of your (International) Super Market. The commercial version. The brand we use is an import product

of Italy. The commercial brands are kind of skimpy on the pine nuts and currants etc. So plan on beefing it up a little if you choose to go this way.

Easy Pasta con Sarde Recipe

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 can (12 oz) Pasta con Sarde

1 onion (medium, sliced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp Pine nuts

1 tbsp currants (soaked and drained)

1 can tomato sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound bucatini macaroni, or spaghetti of your choice.

Directions:

-       Sauté onions and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat

-       Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil

-       Let simmer on low heat while cooking macaroni

-       Serve over bucatini, or spaghetti of choice, sprinkle with grated cheese.

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Pasta Fagioli – Sicilian Style

angelo — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:55:31 +0000

(Italian Pasta & Beans)

By: Angelo Biondo

I hope everyone had a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope your holiday season was as devastating to your waistline as ours was. If it was, then I know your festivities were as great as ours. Now, what to do with all those leftovers after the holidays are over and everyone gone home? If your family is anything like ours, you have a ton of leftovers.

As per family tradition, we usually have a turkey for one of the days and a ham for the other, with what seems like no break in meals and snacks between. We had a great baked ham for Christmas and are finally down to the bone. We hate to let go of anything that tastes that great; and, believe it or not, can still get a lot of flavor and couple of meal out of it. We try not to cut too close to the bone, so as to leave a lot of meat around the bone. We’ll want to save it for our Pasta Fagioli.

The recipe actually depends on the size of the bone. If you are using the bone from a whole ham, it should be sufficient for this recipe. If you are using the bone from a half ham you might want to add a piece of salt pork to it or, make ½ the recipe.

A ½ recipe will make about a 4 qt. sauce pan. But if you are a small family or a couple and make a whole recipe it’s still great to freeze for a fast meal at another time. The trick is to cook the ditalini separately, and don’t mix it into the beans until just before serving. This way the macaroni doesn’t break down and get pasty. For additional flavor, save the fat trimmings and juices from the carved ham and freeze until you’re ready to make the Pasta Fagioli.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large ham bone (and the trimmings if you saved them)

1 medium onion (diced)

3 cloves garlic (sliced)

2 stalks of celery (chopped)

¼ c. (4 tbsp) olive oil

1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 small piece salt pork (1/4 to ½ lb. - optional)

Salt (to taste) – remember both the ham and salt pork are salty, we usually don’t add salt to it

1 tsp crushed oregano

½ tsp. ground black pepper (fresh ground from a pepper grinder is best – to taste)

1 lb pkg. large cannellini beans (dried)(large lima beans can also be used)

1 lb pkg. chick peas (dried) also called garbanzo beans

1 lb pkg. ditalini pasta

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Grated parmesan ot Romano cheese

Directions:

Start with soaking the beans overnight in a large stainless steel pan. Dump the beans from both packages in the pan and soak in cold water for a couple of hours. Change the water, cover and soak for several more hours, or overnight. You can substitute with 3 12 oz. cans of each. The dried beans are preferable because they seem to hold their form better. The canned beans break down easier and seem to melt or disappear into the soup.

While beans are soaking, pour the 4 tbsp. of olive oil (1/4 c) in the bottom of a small frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic at a low heat. When onions start to get translucent remove from heat and set aside.

Place the ham bone (and optional salt pork) in a large stainless steel soup pan along with the trimmings from the carved ham if you saved them. Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Add the sautéed onions, garlic and celery and let boil for 10 minutes

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 hours, adding water if necessary to keep the ham bone covered with water

Drain the beans and rinse thoroughly.

Leaving the ham bone, in the water, add the beans, seasoning, crushed tomatoes and additional water to cover ingredients. (hold off on the salt until you taste it)

Raise the heat and bring to boil again, stirring from time to time to keep from burning the bottom of the pan.

When soup starts to boil, lower the heat and let simmer for several hours, or until the beans start to breakdown, thickening the soup.

Remove the bone from the soup, strip the meat, chop and stir back into the soup.

Cook the ditalini in a separate pot and drain.

Serving:

Using a ladle, place 1 scoop ditalini into a bowl and add 1 or 2 scoop of beans.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan or Romano cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and serve piping hot, with crusty freshly sliced warm Italian bread.

Store the remainder in plastic freezer containers. The cooked pasta can also be refrigerated and stored in a plastic zip-lock bag for several days. If you store the beans in a container big enough for 1 or 2 servings, all you need do is place in a pan, (with a little water), bring to a boil over a medium heat, and add the ditalini right out of the zip-lock bag, the beans will be hot enough to heat the macaroni in short order.

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Cannoli With Ricotta Filling

angelo — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:27:23 +0000

By: Angelo Biondo

Cannoli are an all time favorite around Christmas and New Years for us. It has been a family tradition for our family since before I was born, and that’s 70 plus years ago. They are simple and fun to make once you get started, it’s the getting started that’s the hang-up. You need the right tools (the form to wrap the dough around for deep frying) that might present a small problem.

I remember my Mother and Grand-mother used to use bamboo forms about 6 inches long. Bamboo was readily available in those days and my Father or Grand-father use to cut new forms every year. They would cut about ½ dozen forms from the most uniform sections they could find in between the section dividers of the bamboo being careful to select pieces about ¾ inch in diameter.

Today you might be able to find them in specialty cooking stores, or even order them on-line. But, if your handy you shouldn’t have a problem making them yourself. The commercial cannoli forms are made out of ¾ inch O.D. aluminum. So if you can’t find them in the store, you can go to your local Home Depot or Lowe’s and buy a length of aluminum pipe. You can cut the forms to size with a hacksaw, but I don’t recommend you do that. It leaves the ends very jagged and generally crooked. It you don’t have a tubing cutter, you can buy one in the tools or plumbing section of the same store for a reasonable price – usually way under $10.00. If you don’t want to invest in the cutter, just have an associate cut several sections (6 or so) about 5 inches long.

Now that you have the forms, you made it through the difficult part. Don’t forget to buy some fine emery paper (medium grit) to sand the ends. Wash and dry well and you’re ready to go.

Making the Shells (makes about 3 dozen)

Ingredients:

1¾ c flour

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp butter, cold

2 oz. dry white wine or bourbon

1 egg (separated)

Directions: (for shells)

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a medium size bowl, mix well.

Cut the butter into pieces and mix into flour mixture with a fork.

Push the flour mixture to the sides forming a pocket in the center.

Separate the egg and save the whites in a separate bowl until needed.

Dump the egg yolk and wine or bourbon in to the pocket.

Mix the wine and egg yolk together while starting to pull in some of the flour.

Mix the entire ingredients together with a fork until thoroughly mixed.

Mix together by hand, kneading the dough for several minutes until thoroughly mixed.

Roll into ball, and refrigerate in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.

The next step is very important to ensure a quality Crisp shell. The shells should be uniform in size and a firm crisp consistency and a light golden brown in color when removed from the deep fryer.

Remove the dough and egg whites from the refrigerator.

Place the cannoli dough on a clean floured surface and roll out to about ¹/₁₆inch thickness. The thinner you can roll it out the better. My mother use to roll the dough out on waxed paper with a sheet of newspaper under the waxed paper. She said when you can see the news print, then the dough is thin enough.

Set your deep fryer to about 350^o F, or fill a 4 quart sauce pan with about 1½ inches of peanut or vegetable oil and bring to frying temperature.

Mix the egg white with about a tsp. of water and mix.

Cut the shells into 3 x 4 inch oblongs sections, wrap around cannoli form sealing the joined edge with egg white mixture and.

Deep fry one or two shells at a time, for 20 to 30 seconds or until a light golden brown. The shells are very thin and will cook very fast. Be careful not to let them burn.

Remove the shell from the fryer with a tongs and the aluminum form should slide right out, if not, while lightly holding the shell with the tongs (be careful not to clamp down to hard) tap the form on a hard surface (like the counter top) and the shell will slide off. Let that form/s cool while you cook the next one or two.

Let the shells cool on a paper towel covered wire rack before carefully stacking them in an air-tight plastic container. Place layer of paper towels in between each layer to help prevent breakage.

The shells can be stored for at least 2 weeks and probably longer. I know 2 weeks for sure because we have stored them for that long. We’ve never got past the 2 weeks so your on your own from there. We have bought shells in the generic section of a local super market and they keep them well over 2 weeks. The generic shells are very thick to reduce breakage (I guess), and are no where as good as the home made. They do work in a pinch however, depending on how desperate you are.

The true Italian filling for cannoli is made with ricotta cheese. Fresh whole milk ricotta is firm and very smooth textured. True Italian Cannoli filling is made only with fresh ricotta. If ricotta is not fresh it starts to get watery. You can use this, it is still good – but you must drain it first by placing it in a cheese cloth or paper towel lined colander or strainer. This usually takes several hours for it to drain, so you might want cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. But the best bet is to make sure it is fresh. If you are buying the ricotta from the refrigerated section look at the expiration date. If you buy it at the deli’ section you can see the freshness, before you buy it. One pound will generally make 12 to 18 cannoli depending on the size of the shell. Two pounds of ricotta should be more than enough to fill the shells made from this recipe, however – if you don’t intend to use the entire batch of shells at one time don’t purchase the ricotta until you intend to use it. Once you mix it – it will last, refrigerated for several days. Make sure you mix it frequently as it will start to separate and become watery after a few days.

The (basic) Filling

Ingredients:

2 lbs ricotta cheese (for entire batch of shells)

½ c confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp vanilla

¼ c mini chocolate chip (my grand-mother use to break chocolate bars into tiny bits.)

¼ c shredded coconut

Directions:

Place the fresh (or drained) ricotta in a bowl

Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and mix well using an electric mixer

Add the mini chocolate chips and continue to mix.

Fill a plastic zip-lock bag with filling, cut a small corner off and squeeze into the shells. Or you can just spoon it in like my mother and grand-mother use to before plastic zip-locks.

Mix a drop or two of green or red food coloring (Christmas colors) into the shredded coconut and dip the ends of the filled cannoli in the colored coconut and serve.

Fill the cannoli no sooner than 15 to 30 minutes before serving for best results. This will ensure the shell will remain crispy the closer you fill them to serving time the better.

There are some variations to the original (basic) cannoli filling that you may want to try. I like the old fashioned basic recipe, but some people like the options:

Optional Ingredience:

½ pint Heavy whipping cream

¼ c nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios) your choice – finely chopped in a blender

½ c candied fruit (your choice), my grand-mother used to use the candied cherries

My Grand-mother use to add some chopped candied cherries to the filling. This is good, but I prefer to leave them out. Some non-Italian friends of mine add a ½ pint of whipped (heavy whipping cream), folded into the ricotta mixture. The whipped cream gives it a nice light creamy texture but doesn’t seem to add to the flavor and the unused portion seems to break down quicker, so I don’t use that either. And the last option is to use the chopped or crushed nuts in place of the shredded coconut. We like the coconut around the Christmas holiday to add the color, but the nuts are good too.

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