OT: italian recipes.....(from my uncles cookbook)

deepsouth

Bolognese (meat sauce)

very few italian dishes have one set recipe. different regions and different families have their own way of doing dishes that go by the same name. Consequently, there is no one way to do Bolognese Sauce. This is the most basic recipe.

1/2 - 3/4 pound lean beaf, coarsely ground
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
parsley, chopped
thyme, leaves only
2 bay leaves
2 pieces clove
salt and pepper to taste
stock

1 small can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of flour
parmesan cheese
optional: cup of red wine

heat butter in a tall skillet or a saucepan. add onion, celery, carrot and meat. when the meat begins to brown, add a little stock and continue adding from time to time so the bottom of the pan always has some liquid. at this time you may also add a cup of red wine. allow the wine to evaporate before adding more stock. after the wine has evaporated, tomatoes may be added. also, a sprinkling of flour may be added. bolognese with tomatoes is more common than without.

add parsley, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, salt and pepper. lower heat and cook, covered, for one hour or more.

serve grated parmesan on the size.

deepsouth

Lasagna

in the region of the Marche, and nowhere else, lasagne is called Vincisgrassi. some say the name "Vincisgrassi" is drived from Windish Graetz, Napolean's general who occupied Ancona in 1799. according to this theory, the Austrian general's personal chef invented thie pasta dish that became Windish Greatz's favorite. others claim the pasta dish was already in existence before the napoleonic wars of 1799. in a publication of 1780, Antonio Nebbia, a chef from Macerata, Marche Region, describes a sauce for "Princisgras" became "Vincigrassi".

Vincisgrassi

the basic ingredients of lasagna consist of sheets of pasta dough, a bechamel sauce and a meatsauce. older recipes for the meat sauce contained the outer extremities and the inner organs of chickens (rigalie di pollo) and the brain and sweetbreads of calves (cervella, filoni e animelle).

sheets of dough sufficient to make 5 or six layers in a baking pan appriximately 8 x 10 inches

for the meatsauce:

1 pound ground beef
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 can (28 ounces) tomato puree (passato) or diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

brown the beef in olive oil. add onion, celery and carrot and cook about 10 minutes. add tomatoes, salt and pepper. cook an additional hour. the sauce should have a thick, fluid consistency. if it appears to get to dry, add a little water. if it's too fluid, cook a little longer.


for bechamel sauce:

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 quart milk
zest of 1 lemon
salt

melt butter in saucepan. add flour and whisk until blended.

in another saucepan, bring milk to a boil. add milk and lemon zest to flour, stirring rapidly to blend. cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.

cut the dough into manageable sheets, about 4 x 6 inches. cook sheets in salted water, a few at a time, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta. remove sheets one at a time, and spread on a clean damp cloth.

cover bottom of buttered baking pan with liquid from meatsauce. then cover the bottom with 1 layer of cooked lasagne sheets. cover the layer lightly with meatsauce. then spread on bechamel sauce lightly. finally sprinkle generously with parmesan. repeat the layering process for 5 or 6 layers if the baking pan permits. be sure to allow sufficient space for the sauce to bubble without spilling over.

dot the top layer with butter, after sauces and parmesan. cook in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. allow pasta to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

deepsouth

tiramisu (trasnlation: "lift me up")

9 eggs, separated
9 tablespoons sugar
1 cup brandy or or sweet marsala, divided
1 cup strong espresso coffee, divided
1 pound mascarpone cheese at room temperature, divided
2 pints heavy cream
2 packages of Savoiardi or ladyfingers
4 tablespoons grated semisweet cocoa, divided

make a zabaione by beating the egg yolks and add sugar gradually in the top of a double boiler until ivory colored. add 3/4 cup brandy (or marsala) and whisk over simmering water until mixture begins to thicken. let cool.

stir 1/2 cup espresso coffee into the mascarpone. whip heavy cream to soft peaks. beat egg whites until stiff. fold the egg whites into the zabaione.

arrange Savoiardi (ladyfingers) in a single layer in the bottom and on all sides of a large trifle bowl (10 or 11 inches) or rectangular dish (10 x 13 x 3). sprinkle savoiardi (ladyfingers), until soaked but not soggy, with mixture of remaining brandy (or marsala) and espresso (1/2 of each).

over the Savoiardi (ladyfingers), layer half the mascarpone, then half the zabaione and one third of the whipped cream. sprinkle with one-third of the cocoa. repeat layers, finishing with remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with remaining cocoa. refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferable overnight.

serves 12 to 15.

deepsouth

limoncello

5 lemons
2 1/2 cups vodka
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water

remove zest from the lemons and discard the inner white pith. put the zest in a jar and pour the vodka over the top. cover and let stand in the sun for 8 days.

prepare a syrup with the sugar and water. bring to a boil in a saucepan. cook for 10 minutes to make the syrup. put the syrup aside to cool.

filter the vodka and lemon liquid and pour it back into the jar. stir in teh sugar syrup. allow the limoncello to rest for 15 days.

enjoy.

deepsouth

carlo's pasta fagioli

for the beans:

1 pound of pinto beans (or borlotti if available)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cloves of whole garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
salt

soak the pinto beans in plenty of water with the baking soda overnight. drain the beans and combine with the other bean ingredients. cover with wter adn cook until beans are tender, but not soggy.

drain beans but retain cooking water.


for the sauce:

6 tablespoons olive oil, one for each person
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 vegetable buillion cubes
red pepper flakes
1 large can of peeled tomatoes, mashed
salt to taste
parsley and basil

heat olive oil and saute onion, celery and garlic. cook about 5 minutes over medium heat. add tomatoes, buillion cubes, red pepper flakes and salt. cook an additional 30 minutes.


for the pasta:

1 pound of short elbow pasta or linguini broken into pieces about 3 inches long

cook pasta al dente in plenty of salted water.

drain pasta.

combine pasta, beans and sauce. if the combination is too dry, add some liquid drained from the beans. the pasta fagioli should be soupy. sprinkle with parsley and basil.

serve pasta fagioli in a bowl with ground parmesan and extra red pepper flakes on the side.

deepsouth

stracciatella (italian egg drop soup)

4 cups chicken broth
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

bring broth to a boil. beat two eggs with a fork. add remaining ingredients and mix. the mixture should be a dense fluid. if it's too dense, add either another egg or a little milk.

remove boiling broth from heat and stir in egg mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. return to heat for 3 minutes.

serve with additional parmesan.


chicken broth (stock)

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
1 onion, stuck with 2 cloves
3 ribs celery
2 carrots
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 quarts water

put all ingredients in a large pot and cook gently for 2 or 3 hours. skim often if necessary. remove chicken and bone it for use as desired. after broth has cooled, remove fat from top.

the chicken makes an excellent chicken salad mixed with chopped celry, sweet pickes, hard-cooked eggs and mayonnaise.

be sure to season the broth when you use it. some cooks prefer chicken broth without the onion and celery.

Fidel

Did you add all these to the recipe section of the site? It is easy to do and that way they won't get lost.

And I don't really think recipes are OT - these can all be done on the BGE for the most part with minor modification.

deepsouth

Fidel wrote:

Did you add all these to the recipe section of the site? It is easy to do and that way they won't get lost.

And I don't really think recipes are OT - these can all be done on the BGE for the most part with minor modification.

i didn't rod. i'm not sure exactly how/where to do that.

Fidel

Click this link:

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71

Then choose the "Add Recipe" link in the center top part of the screen.

deepsouth

thanks. i'm getting them added.