Cappelletti: Our Family Tradition/ updated video

 I decided that today was the day I was starting to make the Cappelletti for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.. 

Today’s Cappelletti 12/8/2024 sampling a few.  Yummy!

Growing up they were a wonderful addition to our Turkey dinner.  Mom spent hours making them and usually made anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 of those little pasta filled caps..

 I remember my grandmother making them and how it was expected that this tradition would be continued on Thanksgiving.

Fortunately Mom, until recently, she's 88, had kept it up.. 

She had learned that making them and freezing them would be the answer to the exhaustion that was felt trying to make enough to make everyone happy.. 

Today I am happily carrying on the tradition with my daughter (Susan)at my side helping.. 

We serve them in homemade chicken soup and I  make that ahead of time as well to ease the stress of the day so I can enjoy the holiday as well..  

I Hope you enjoy this recipe.. I know I had promised it and I hold true to a promise made... Happy Cooking!

My Italian handy Food Companion explains them as:

Cappelletti:  small pasta hats (ka-pel-ett-ee) similar to tortellini( stuffed with a variety of fillings)

We chose the below recipe:  Some use cooked chicken chopped in place of ground meat

Filling:

1 ½ lb. Ground chuck(or beef and pork)

1 can tomato paste (optional)it was in grandma’s traditional recipe)

1 can water

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

½ cup Pecorino cheese grated

1 egg beaten

By adding the tomato paste it gives your filling a slight red color

In a medium pan sauté chuck (beef) in small amount of oil..

 Season with salt and pepper. 

Add 1 can tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 can water while cooking slowly..

 Remove from heat, add breadcrumbs, cheese and egg.  Mix thoroughly..

Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pasta Dough ( double or triple recipe)

2 ½ cups flour

3 eggs @ room temperature

dash salt

shot glass water or less

shot glass oil or less

In your upright stand mixer add eggs, pinch of salt and water.  Mix.  Using dough hook slowly add flour until a ball forms.  Remove place on a slightly floured cutting board and work dough with hands until a soft ball is formed.

Cut dough in sections and press down to be able to slide into your pasta Machine.  Set on 2 than 3 then 4..

After dough is mixed take from mixer and put on floured cutting board. (I use an acrylic board)

Mix together with hands into it forms into a ball

Slice in sections and press slightly so it will go into pasta machine easily

I start with #2 and proceed to 3(my pasta machine reading) on side of machine

Easily goes through

Cut into small sections.  I had doubled the recipe and I made 300 cappelletti's.. I bagged the rest of the filling in small bags and froze..(approx 5 bags)I will make them between now and Thanksgiving..

Fold in half and then , twist the pasta between index and forefinger, crossing hands and pressing pasta ends together..

I place cappelletti on cookie sheet and freeze until set .

Place cappelletti after frozen in bag and put in freezer until ready to use..Bon appetite!

Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours,


M.j.

10/26/11

Italian Giambotta! Mom called it vegetable stew!!

 Family Favorite!

Todays meatless Giambotta

8/19/23

Today I used fresh tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, several fresh basil leaves chopped and all fresh veggies including a large Cubanelle pepper.  I love them.  They are so mild and perfect for most dishes that you want to add peppers to.

  I sautéed all vegetables in olive oil first.  Added basil and garlic then tomatoes to sautéed vegetables.

I lightly boiled and drained the green beans and potatoes before adding them to tomatoes.

  All veggies were from our Farmers Market.

Salt and pepper to taste.  I added lots of pepper today!

Mom used to make this easy summer stew and grandpa called it Giambotta!   I guess that is what he had known it to be called when he was a young boy. I didn't have any recipe but remember how Mom made her version so here goes. I decided to try mine with some loose Italian sausage today but Mom made hers a meatless stew.

8/11/13

8/4/12

I bought these beans both green and purple at the market.  When the purple ones cook they turn green. 

1/4 cup olive oil
1 to 2  medium onion sliced thin
3 carrots sliced in pieces
1 large can diced or crushed tomatoes(you can use tomato sauce)
3 cloves garlic minced
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp. dried basil
1 small zucchini washed and cut in pieces
1/2 lb. or more green beans broken in half  (you can use flat Italian beans as well)
1 large green pepper, orange, yellow or red cleaned and cut in pieces
2 to 3 medium potatoes cubed (optional)
1/2 lb. mini meatballs or Italian Sausage (optional) salt and pepper

In a large pot place olive oil.  On medium heat, add sausage and onion.  Cook until sausage is browned and onion is tender.  Add garlic, carrots, green pepper, beans, salt and pepper. Stir all together and add tomatoes and basil.   Cook slowly over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.  Add potatoes and green beans.  Cook with lid partially covered until potatoes and beans are tender approximately 1 hour.  Note:  To speed  up the stew, you can partially cook potatoes and beans separately and fold into tomatoes.

*Crusty Italian Bread was always included in our meal! Great for dipping!!

Happy Cooking!

8/4/12
8/11/13 

Potato Gnocchi, My way!!

Recipe rewind!

One of my favorite blog posts.


 FYI:  One of my Italian favorite recipes is Gnocchi.  I'm proud to be Italian 50% Italian.  Ha ha it's true.  I'm a blend of two 100% Italian grandfathers and a 100 % Slovak grandmother and 100% English grandmother.  A good combination!

  I spent a great deal of  time with my grandparents so I am blessed to combine a lot of my recipes using what I remember they used and am able to create really delicious meals. 

Note:  I have included a few of my pictures of my grandparents.  

One of Dad's favorite dishes.

  8/4/14 I shared this post for the first time. 

From my kitchen to yours,

Grandma and Grandpa

Nana and my daughter

My mom and my m-i-l put their potatoes through a ricer to make gnocchi but I’m decided to give it a whirl and try my mixer to mash the potatoes to see how light they’d be.  Took a taste test on a few to make sure the combination was what I was looking for and they turned out delightful.. I want to share my recipe and pictures with you…

Ingredients:

8 medium russet potatoes (baking potatoes, peeled and cut in medium cubes)

1 tablespoon salt

1 large egg

3 + cups Pillsbury Pre Sifted Flour

Put potatoes in large pot and salt water.. Boil until tender (fork will go right through center)

Take off heat and drain thoroughly in large colander

Mash potatoes with hand held potato masher until potatoes are breaking down.  Next Using electric mixer beat on medium and then high speed until all potatoes are mashed thoroughly.    Do this while potatoes are still hot.  (You could use food processor but I used mixer just to see if it would accomplish the task).  It worked fine..

 Transfer potatoes to large bowl and cool potatoes completely after mashing..(I cover slightly while cooling).  When cooled add 1 egg and slowly while working with your hands add 1 cup at a time of flour at a time until a large ball forms..(I have picture examples on blog).

Cover large ball of dough( Set aside) Slice in sections to make a long tootsie roll like piece of dough.. Add a little flour if needed to  have dough not stick to cutting board.. Cut in pieces and score with fork..(Picture will demonstrate..)  Cook immediately in large pot of boiling water until gnocchi comes to surface.  Stirring now and then to make sure they don’t stick to bottom of pot…

Using a medium strainer ..scoop gnocchi out and place on a platter that has some sauce on it.   Add gnocchi and top with sauce.  Serve with Red or white sauce.. 

I use Red Sauce and top with grated Pecorino Romano Cheese.. 

 9-4-2011
11/2/13 
6/7/14

1/23/24

Pineapple Ricotta Squares

 If you didn't catch this recipe earlier, here it is again!




My mother- in- law made these delicious baked pineapple, ricotta squares during the holidays and we all loved them.  It was something I really looked forward to when we would visit.  I never had the courage to make them myself because she said the dough was very hard to handle and I never felt very confident in making anything difficult.  Since I ventured into blogging my goal has always been to share family recipes so I decided to make this my end of the year challenge.  I gathered all that I needed this past week and tonight after my granddaughter left to go home, here I am making this supposedly difficult recipe late tonight. This is my mother in laws shared recipe and it has cooled and hubby and I tasted it..Yummy!  Light cake,  light  crust,, sweetened pineapple and a light custard like ricotta topping. This is not a rich dessert!  You can certainly eat more than one piece..I can attest to that!!!

 Happy Baking and Cooking!

This recipe has been copied from my mother-in-laws own writing.  The only difficulty I had was that my dough was very soft so I had to piece it to conform to the cookie sheet. Other than that it really turned out fine and the crust was tender.  Note:  Just allow yourself time to make this recipe and you will have a great dessert that will be loved by anyone who has a piece of it....It is truly yummy!




 Pineapple Filling

2 cups crushed pineapple juice included #2 cans

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook for a few minutes until thickened

Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Prepare Crust

2 ½ cups flour

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

pinch salt

½ cup soft shortening (spry, butter or margarine)

¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix above.. Let stand for a few minutes

Roll out thin

I had to add about 1/2 cup additional flour.(Dough was very sticky) Place in greased cookie sheet (2 inches or higher) 15 ½ by 10 ½   Note:  My cookie sheet was larger than the suggested size so my squares did not bake as high as hers..I would have preferred to use my smaller cookie sheet..Will definitely use smaller cookie sheet next time..

Step 3

Ricotta Filling

In a mixing bowl put 1 ½ lb. ricotta and 4 beaten egg yolks(save whites)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup evaporated milk (carnation)

Mix well then fold in 4 egg whites that have been stiffly beaten..

Spread pineapple filling on bottom of unbaked crust, then ricotta filling on top and bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.. Refrigerate after it is cooled. Note:  Mine was baked after 55 minutes..oven temperatures vary.


From my kitchen to yours,

12/19/11

Sour cream Apple pie DELIGHT

Hi everyone!

My mom made wonderful meals and desserts.  Some of them take me back in time when I knew but never truly appreciated what she put on our table.

As I got older that is when I truly realized and appreciated her great meals and I was so very lucky to be at her side when she baked.

This is her recipe from the 80ties.

She always made it in a cookie sheet with a cinnamon sugar crumble on top.

Today I’m adjusting her recipe to use my deep pie dish.

Here goes:

1- package refrigerated pie crust(Allow to come to room temperature)( it will roll easier when softened)

3lb. Bag Gala apples peeled, cored and sliced (Gala apples stay in perfect pieces when cooked)

Note: if you are looking for a softer Apple pie you may want to use Macintosh apples.

3/4 cup sugar 

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg beaten

***Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a large bowl place sliced apples and sugar.  Mix apples with sugar.  In a small bowl whisk egg with sour cream. Add sour cream egg mixture to apples making sure to coat all apples with mixture.

Roll out one pie crust to fit a deep pie dish. Pinch and fork edges so crust won’t slip into pie while baking.

Gently place apple mixture in crust.

Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Remove from oven and top with pie crust slices.

Using a pastry brush gently spread topping mixture.

After spreading topping on pastry slices Turn oven down to 350 degrees, place pie back in oven and bake an additional   30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note  **cover edges with foil or as I have using a crust cover as not to brown edges too much.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Slice and serve.

This is Delicious!  Making Mom Proud!

Enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours,

Topping

2  T Butter melted

3 T Brown sugar

1T flour

Mix together to make a paste. Spread gently over pie strips.

 

Pumpkin cookies! Soft and moist

I don’t care for pumpkin so I seldom would make a pumpkin pie but I do make pumpkin cookies because my grandchildren love them.  Enjoy!!

Happy Thanksgiving!🤗


I made this recipe and added some finely chopped walnuts and used a cream cheese icing which if I may say made them even better👍

**If you want to make the cream cheese icing, the recipe is 4 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 T.softened butter, 2 cups confectionery sugar. Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, slowly add confectionery sugar and about 1/4 c. milk. Always start with small amount of milk you can always add more if necessary.

 Beat until fluffy. If too thick add a small amount more of milk. If too thin add confectionery sugar until it is the consistency you desire.

Another good cookie recipe from my holiday baking selection.

Using my handy mini scooper...I used parchment paper to line cookie sheet.

I believe this recipe comes from my mother- in- laws stack of homemade cookie recipes.. Moist, soft and so tender these cookies seem to please everyone although I don't care for pumpkin I did try one.  Being the baker you must try, correct? The children and grandchildren love them so I include them in baking favorites.

Here is her recipe:

Cream 1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg

Add 2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cups seedless raisins

Drop by tsp. onto cookie sheet..Bake 350 degrees  10 to 12 minutes until cookies are slightly browned..

Icing

3 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to boil..Cool slightly..Add 1 cup sifted confectionery sugar..Drizzle over cookies...

From my kitchen to yours,

10/
11/19/17

Making pizza Grandma's way!

I remember Grandma making her own pizza and so did my Mom made her pizza this way.

 Mom would bake her own pizza dough or they would go to the bakery just down the street and the baker (a personal friend) would give them all the pizza dough they needed.

They would stretch it out to fit their huge deep cookie pan.  I remember it to be so large! That was long ago and I think that's how it seemed to me.

Their sauce was usually made with canned tomatoes(they loved to can) that they would simmer with fresh basil, olive oil , fresh chopped basil and lots of garlic.  No one would come close to us for fear of being knocked over from the smell of garlic.

 9/11/12

Today I decided to try something similar to how she made it.  I used canned diced tomatoes (I should have used petite diced).  Anyway I added all the above ingredients and topped a pre baked personal pan pizza from the grocery store; loaded it with fresh Pecorino Romano cheese and baked it about 10 minutes or so at 400° degrees. Buon Appetit!

No mozzarella in Grandmas pizza!

Happy Baking and Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.