Maggie's Farm

Far too late today to begin making the Classic Italian-American Sunday dinner ("feast"). In the old days - like when my wife was a kid - all the sibs and aunts and uncles assembled at 2 pm after Mass for the feast.

How the assigned Nonna had time to make all of this, and get to church, I dunno.

Lots of families had one priest in the family, who of course would come. Or invite the parish priest.

In those days, relatives lived nearby. It was a support system and a help. Not so much these days.

 I have no Italian heritage, and I did not really enjoy that food. Ziti with "gravy"? However, it was a getting-together tradition like a weekly Thanksgiving. Mrs. BD told me that, as a kid, her Nonna always made Lasagna as a first course at Thanksgiving. Tradition.

It's a little silly to bring in falafel, but we were in NYC this morning for a family church event. (Ask me what Protestant churches have become these days - sheesh. Not mainline churches. Packed with all ages and races and loving Jesus. As one of my daughters said "Were kinda spiritual here") Across the street from our parking garage was Moshe's Falafel. Despite having neither Italian or Jewish heritage, I'm sure Moise's falafel was better than that in Egypt. As I always say, a NY  falafel in a pita with a little lettuce and tomato with a drenching of tahini is darn good.

It's a Sicilian side dish, based on Eggplant. Tasty, in small amounts.

I do not have much of a sweet tooth anymore, but I agree that ice cream, gelato, and sorbet are kinda fun treats.

Along with routine necessities, I sometimes will add a pack of Island Way Sorbet to my Instacart order. 

Instacart is almost as wonderful as Amazon.

Meat loaf and mashed taters, and maybe some steamed summer squash on the side. Meat loaf needs gravy or its juices, on top.

At the Maggie's HQ, we make meat loaf the Italian way: Italian Meat Loaf Recipe. Italian-style meat loaf usually has a dash of nutmeg and/or allspice in the recipe, but that particular one does not. I do not think they make this in Italy. Maybe it's a modified meat-ball recipe, but they don't eat meatballs in Italy either. (Nor do Swedes cook Swedish Meatballs.)

Best thing about meat loaf? Meat loaf sandwiches the next day or two. White bread only, plenty of mayo.

Home cookin'. 

It's a southern Italian bean soup/stew. Real, non-Americanized Italian peasant food. If you are from around Napoli, it's pronounced something like "fazool." Otherwise, "fajole." Fagiole are la Carne dei Poveri. (No, I am not a paisan but I married a half of one.)

I see recipes online which include meat, but Pasta Fagioli is best made with meat broth (chicken or beef), and properly has no meat in it. When it was a meatless Friday meal, of course veg. broth. Why did the RC's get rid of meatless Fridays anyway?

This recipe about gets the basic version, but I use canned cannelini (white) beans for convenience - stupid not to - (no chef, unless cooking for hundreds, would waste time with dried beans), and chicken or beef broth instead of vegetable broth. I am not enough of one of the poveri not to have meat broth around. 

Another recipe includes tomato sauce. I've never had a Pasta Fagiole with tomato in it other than a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, and believe it ought to be without the tomato. It's meant to be pleasantly bland, cheap, and filling. If I make it, no tomato but I'll add some hot pepper flakes to give it a little zip.

Any small pasta works in it, but I like to use the small shell pasta. Serve with a plate of simple crostini, eg with oil and garlic and maybe some herbs on them. You can put some shaved parmesan on top of your soup if you want.

The thing with Italian cooking is that you make it your own way, and never follow a recipe after the first time.

No, my Mom never made this or ever heard of this, but my wife's Grandma made it to please her husband who required it weekly to feed his Neapolitan soul. Mrs. BD kindly claims my version is better than her nonna's.

It's an Olde English festive winter treat.  This is how my Dad always made it (and he made it a bit too strong): Eggnog

I wouldn't say that Turkey Hash is delicious, exactly. It is one of those bland, old-timey comfort foods, and it can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Here's the recipe from Cooks.com.

I think it requires a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce on the side.

Turkey Hash is pretty good, and so is turkey soup (for which I am boiling a stock from one of the carcasses right now with water, onions, garlic, celery, parsley, herbs, etc - we fight over the carcasses and bones like jackals), but the main reason people in my family cook so many turkeys at Thanksgivings is for the sandwiches for a few days after.

Here's how I make them:

White bread
Smear of mayo on one slice of bread
Smear of cold congealed turkey gravy on the other slice
Slice or two of left-over turkey, white or dark meat (I like the dark)
Generous spoonful of my cranberry sauce
Generous spoonful of turkey stuffing
Salt and pepper

Squoosh the sides of bread together, and cut in half with a sharp knife. Then eat with a glass of beer. Delicious.

Then take a little nap.

How I make turkey stock:

Throw into a large stock pot a whole or chopped turkey carcass, leg bones, wings, etc. Not a bad idea to break the bones with a cleaver and/or to roast the carcass first so some of the bones brown. Cover with water. Take a bunch of celery, carrots, onions and garlic. Chop very roughly with skins on - do not peel - and sautee in butter or cooking oil until browned. (The skins add color and flavor) Then toss them into the pot. Add some cut-up raw potatoes, skins on. Throw in some salt, whole peppercorns. Then parsley, thyme, a little sage and marjoram. A little sugar. A bottle of white wine in there is optional.  Simmer for 5-8 hours, adding water as needed. Then strain. That's a tasty turkey stock. It's man-cooking.

If you are making pies, you need some mace.

It's the dried shell of the nutmeg seed.

In New England, Indian Pudding is as essential a part of Thanksgiving dinner as Pumpkin or Squash Pie. Great stuff, if you like the flavor of molasses. It's not just for Thanksgiving.

It's called "Indian" because it is made with corn (maize) meal - the staple food of North American Indians. It's easy to forget that they were not mainly hunter-gatherers, but farmers with 100-acre fields. Farmers, with their main amusement being killing, raping, and torturing members of neighboring tribes. A cultural thing.

Simple rustic ingredients. No sugar? You use molasses. No flour? You use corn meal. The only trick is to make sure it is neither too firm nor too runny. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Here's a bit of the history of this dessert, with a good recipe.

Delicious, and Indian roots in the corn (aka Maize): Grandma's Corn Pudding

What did Northern Italians eat before they got polenta from the American Indians?

A few days ago in the USA. What is it?

Is it ok with turkey and stuffing? Yes.

Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same?

I've been to Trapani (west coast of Sicily), and have even taken a little boat out to the Egadi Islands to bike around and eat good seafood.

The area around Trapani is full of salt flats which are windmill-filled.

You can buy their Sicilian sea salt on Amazon. Sure, salt is salt and "sea salt" is the same thing but it's fun to use their sea salt. I like the coarse type which does not fit in a salt-shaker. That's why we use salt bowls. I love salt.

I am willing to eat 2 or 3 Brussel Sprouts just for the virtue of it. It's odd, because I do enjoy regular cabbage.

Anyway, our Brussel Sprouts recipe is this: First, freeze them if only for a few hours. Why? Cuz they are better with a little freeze. Then chop in half and cook in bacon chunks under the broiler or in a cast iron pan with salt and pepper.

How do your make them?

Bacon makes everything better.

I've been off chicken since my nasty experience with Campylobacter a year ago. Not rational I know, but I do not want to go through that hospital adventure again.

Chicken Is Not a Healthy Choice. Chicken products contain cholesterol, carcinogens, and contaminants

In retrospect, I don't think chicken was much more than a protein vehicle for the added flavors. Well, except for Southern Fried Chicken.

They seem to have their origin in New Guinea where they have been domesticated for maybe 10,000 years. The "trees" - not really trees - die after producing a bunch once. And the fruit is technically a berry.

A Banana Split used to be a cool dessert. I like cooked Plantains.

And I like Wikipedia when the topic is as non-controversial as bananas.

Our readers already know who first brought bananas to North America - the old Cape Codder Lorenzo Dow Baker.

Sloe Gin is a Brit thing. I'm not aware of people growing Sloes in the US. Sloe Gin is technically a liqueur and ideally homemade.

All I've heard of is a Sloe Gin Fizz. I'd try one and I'm sure I'd like it, but I do not handle booze well anymore other than wine and beer. I do love a gin martini, but...

The protagonist, Dr. Tom More, in Walker Percy's Love in the Ruins was a Sloe Gin Fizz drinker. Like all of Percy's novels, a strong and crazy book.

I know that The Last Gentleman is his most famous book. 

Percy, along with Mark Helprin and Cormac McCarthy, are the few contemporary authors for whom I have read everything they have written. True, they are all a bit dark at times.

I like this Amazon intro to Mark Helprin:

Educated at Harvard, Princeton, and Oxford, MARK HELPRIN served in the Israeli army, Israeli Air Force, and British Merchant Navy. He is the author of, among other titles, A Dove of the East and Other Stories, Refiner's Fire, Winter's Tale, and A Soldier of the Great War. He lives in Virginia.

I am having a good time with this book: Delizia!: The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food

Here's a fine Umbrian meal we were served (and split between us) in the dining room at the Abbazia, all with a hearty 2006 Sagrantino:

Fava Bean and Pecorino Puree

The rest is below the fold -

The only sandwiches I've had in France are just a way of flavoring a hunk of baguette. In France, baguettes are good.

In my experience, it's some baguette with a little butter or mayo, a slice of cheese, and a slice of ham. Not bad, assuming good baguette. 

This lady makes fancier sandwiches. 

Braised short ribs are delicious, and generally have enough fat in them. Cheap too.

What cut are short ribs? 

How to cook braised short ribs.