I Like to Bake and Cook Blog: Italian Specialties

Showing posts with label Italian Specialties. Show all posts

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Cappelletti Filling:

Cappeletti's! Little dough hats filled with Mom's special Cappeletti filling. Mom's record was making 2,000 cappeletti's and I doubt I'd beat that but I'll at least try. My kids love them and so do my grandchildren.

Some Italians fill them with finely minced chicken with a touch of lemon but not Mom..Her filling was a little spicy but oh so good..She'd make chicken soup and that's where the Cappelletti's come in..She boil some and add to the soup..Great taste and we'd have them usually at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas too..

Here is her recipe:

2 lb. ground lean beef
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cinnamon( I use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. nutmeg( I use 1/2 tsp.)
1- 6 oz can tomato paste
1-can water
1 egg slightly beaten
2 cups Italian cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons oil

Fry meat in oil until all red disappears, add salt, pepper and tomato paste plus 1 can of water. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes..Take off stove add cheese, egg and breadcrumbs. This recipe should make at least 8- 1 cup portions which she would bag and put in freezer..Take out as many bags as needed..Each bag should make 100 caps.. Note: Her caps were on the small side..

I will post photos as I make them.

Homemade pasta dough recipe in separate post.

Buon Appetite from my kitchen to yours,

11/16/2013 original

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

Monday, August 28, 2023

Mama's Chicken Parmesean!

Today chicken Parmigian. 8/28/2023

Same recipe just new photos. Will top with some mozzarella.

I will serve tonight with scalloped potatoes and not sure of our side. Probably a small salad. Ummm

Golden chicken encrusted with light bread crumbs gently fried in olive oil. That's how I remember it. Olive oil was a staple in Mom's (under the counter cupboard) as I was known to call it. Huge and I mean huge Tin of olive oil was the only oil she would use for everything. From salad to chicken or pasta sauce she would begin with her favorite ingredient which she said was the golden gift to all Italians, Pure Olive oil!

Mom would dip her chicken breasts in beaten egg (which had been lightly salt and peppered) and then either use her fresh breadcrumbs or yes store bought to coat the chicken thoroughly. Then place the chicken into hot olive oil. Quick fry until golden brown on each side and then she'd turn down the stove to low, cover, and cook until tender. She didn't use the oven at all. She did her pork chops the same way and they were always tender.

When I make my chicken cutlets I also do it Mom's way(gently frying them in olive oil) , placing them in a baking dish adding some of my warm red sauce; either marinara or plain, topping with some shredded mozzarella and serving. You can bake if desired (350)until cheese melts or is bubbly. Approx. 10 minutes.

Note: Most times my sauce is hot so the cheese starts to melt (I use shredded mozzarella) without having to bake. I have found that if you bake in the oven sometimes cheese melts too much. Just sayin!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

Ingredients:

2 to 4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
Salt and pepper to taste (1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
1 to 2 eggs beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs ) (Panko works great)
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp parsley
* 4 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded(light cheese or lots of cheese) you decide
Cooked pasta

Beat egg with salt and pepper. Dip chicken breasts into breadcrumb/parsley mix). Heat oil to medium heat. Place breaded chicken into oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, turn over and do the same on the other side. Lower heat, cover chicken(if necessary add 1 to 1 T. water). Cook on low heat approx. 10 minutes more. Transfer chicken to plate top with hot pasta sauce, sprinkle with both cheeses. Add your favorite cooked pasta on the side and top that as well with pasta sauce top with cheese and serve immediately. Note: If your prefer transfer chicken to baking dish. Place in 350 degree oven after topping with red sauce Red Sauce

and both *cheeses.

Note: If desired you can use your favorite jarred sauce.

2/10/2013 original

Saturday, August 19, 2023

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

Monday, January 23, 2023

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