Quick Tomato Gravy, Dad's Chicken Parmesan, Wheat Linguine

There is an ongoing argument at least in the Northeast US about whether what you put on your macaroni is "gravy" or "sauce". The rule of thumb is that if it is prepared with meat it is gravy and is it is prepared without it is sauce. Some have never heard of this debate, but if you live in the Philadelphia area I am sure this is something you are familiar with.

To me it is all gravy! We were conditioned to call it that. My mom said her mother always started her gravy with meat as did her step mother, my nanny (that recipe is for another blog). If I so much as slipped and called this "sauce" I would never hear the end of it!

More often than not, time is not on my side. I wouldn't dare use a jar, so here is our quick meat-free Sunday "gravy". All of the measurements depend on the tomatoes so I will give you a range. Some are more acidic than others so you may want to add more or less sugar. If you buy the tomatoes with Italian seasonings already added you will want to go on the low side with the extra spices. Everything I do is to taste. This only has to simmer for at more an hour, but the longer the better. You can use fresh herbs but those are not always readily available- I will give a recipe for a fresh version in a future blog.

Quick Tomato Gravy

We prefer Tuttorosso Products

1 small onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsps olive oil
1  28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 -2 tbsp basil
1/2-1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Locatelli or Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large pot or Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat
Add onion and cook until they begin to turn translucent
Add garlic cook another minute
Turn heat to low
Add all of the tomato products
Fill one 28 oz can with water and pour into pot
Stir well
Add seasonings
Stir
When it begins to bubble is the time to taste and add more seasoning
Turn heat to low and cover pot- simmer 1-3 hours depending on how much time you have

When I was younger Chicken Parmesan was one of my absolute favorite meals! We didn't eat it nearly as much as I would have liked. My parents tried to limit our consumption of breaded and fried foods so in the event that we had meals like this I definitely over indulged!

A few years ago for my dad made eggplant parmesan for my son's Christening. My cousin Frankie tried his parm and approved but shared some advice to make it even better.  The trick? MAYO! This is not just a trick for eggplant parm but for chicken as well.

So here it is....

Dad's Chicken Parmesean

4 Thin sliced chicken breast cutlets or chicken breasts cut and pounded
2 eggs
1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp parsley
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup breadcrumbs (we used seasoned)
1/4 cup olive oil

8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
2 tbsp. grated sharp provolone (optional)
1/4 cup locatelli

Wisk together eggs, mayo, milk, parsley, cheese, and garlic salt
Fill a plate with bread crumbs
Dip cutlets one at a time into the egg mixture

Coat well with breadcrumbs

Over medium heat in a large frying pan heat olive oil
Add cutlets to pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until browned

Pre-Heat Oven to 425 degrees

In a Pyrex or casserole dish (13"x9" works) cover bottom with a few ladles of "gravy"
Arrange cutlets in dish
Top each cutlet with about a tablespoons of gravy (not too much or your cheese will slide off) a handful of mozzarella, sprinkle some provolone and Locatelli on top

Bake until cheese is melted and slightly brown about 10 mins

Tips: You can also bake the cutlets at 350 for about 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees- we baked ours this time as we are trying to detox from the holidays, but fried tastes much better!

My husband, yes the metagon, is the pasta maker in our house. Maybe it is my lack of patience, but my volcano always collapses, the dough is never the right consistency, and the myself, the dog, and the floor are always covered in flour! I usually run for a pack of P&S pasta instead of trying again.

Whole Wheat Linguine

Pasta
1.5 Cups Flour
1.5 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Tools Needed:
Pasta Roller (Manual or Attachment for Kitchen-Aid Mixer)
Linguine Roller (Manual or Attachment for Kitchen-Aid Mixer)
Pasta Drying Rack

By Hand:  Combine all of the flour and the salt and form a volcano shape with the hole in the center and add everything.  The hole has to accommodate the 4 eggs and olive oil, so size appropriately.  Stir and beat the eggs inside the volcano and slowly scrape in some flour until it forms a semi solid ball at which point you can gradually add the rest of the flour (volcano).  Take the dough ball and knead for 10 minutes until it is semi-elastic.  Add oil as needed while kneading.  You may have some flour left over, that's ok.  Coat the final ball in oil and wrap in plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Unwrap the ball and cut off a piece of dough approximately 2" H X 4" W X 0.5" D.  On the thickest setting of your pasta roller (typically 1), run the dough through 2-3 times to maximize the width of the piece of dough to fit in the linguine roller.  Reduce the pasta roller thickness setting gradually all the way to 6 or 7 (whatever you are prefer) after rolling the dough through each time.  Run the sheet of pasta through the linguine roller and hang pasta on drying rack.  (Note:  You may want to create a couple of sheets of dough, set them aside, then change the attachment on your rolling machine and do all the linguine at once.)

Alternatively, if you do not have rolling machines, you could roll out all the dough and cut it with a knife to make the pasta.  Just make sure the dough is sufficiently thin for your liking.

You can either freeze these or refrigerate. If you are using immediately, let sit for 15-20 mins before cooking.

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook for 7-9 mins. Drain and serve with sauce of your choice. (In this case we served with "Quick Tomato Gravy".

Buon Appetito!

Eat your Pork on New Year's Day for a fat New Year.

Italian Restaurant Style Roast Pork Sandwich

Buon Anno!  Hope you had a great New Year's Eve and are enjoying the Mummer's Parade as I am! The old saying is eat pork on New Year's day for a fat new year. Eat chicken and you will scratch all year. So, we played it safe as we do every year and ate pork! We don't actually eat a lot of pork, or a lot of meat at all. The holidays are a lot different diet-wise for us so we did it up but not with your typical pork roast.

My cousin Frankie was quite the chef. He and his brother had a Deli in Northeast Philadelphia, a  Pizzeria on the Main Line, Pep's Cold Cuts in Milmont Park (known for its Broasted Chicken) and then eventually Pep's Saloon in Prospect Park.

Pep's is known for its baked ham, roast beef, and roast pork sandwiches. My dad used to work for the catering side of his deli. Luckily he learned a lot of the infamous recipes before Frankie sold his restaurant in the early 2000s.

Funny story, both my dad and Frankie had the same first and last name and my mom and Frankie's longtime girlfriend had the same name. They also both lived in the same area; pretty crazy! Anyway, there are some amazing dishes that are staples for us which came from both my dad and Frankie. I'd like to think that cooking skills run in the bloodline.

I am not sure whether it is a good or a bad idea to share this recipe...it is THAT good! I can say that we don't really follow a recipe so you will probably never be able to actually recreate it nor can we ever properly transcribe it. As my dad put it, it is the "Mystery Formula" and he makes it better than anyone so I think he has some tricks!

For residential use this recipe has been scaled down SIGNIFICANTLY!

The Petragnani Roast Pork Sandwich

Makes about ten 6" sandwiches

3 lb. Fresh Pork Loin tied
Kosher Salt
Rosemary
Thyme
Garlic Salt
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Oregano
4 cloves of garlic quartered
1 can of pork gravy or au jus

Set roast on a rack in a roasting pan

Cut slits throughout roast and place a piece of garlic in each
Coat with salt and spices

Bake in preheated oven at 275 for 45 minutes per pound
Internal temperature should be about 170 degrees
Remove from pan
Cover with foil and let rest for 15 mins

While the pork rests:
If your roasting pan can take direct heat, place over medium heat
Add can of pork gravy
Once sizzling turn off heat

Carve the pork by cutting thin slices
Add the meat to the gravy as you slice to keep it well hydrated

A few tips:

1. Be sure you have a sharp or extra sharp provolone. Do yourself a favor and skip the deli counter, go to the cheese section and grab a nice chunk or BelGiosio or Auricchio Provolone.

2. You also should have a jar of Cento or San-Del hot cherry peppers or hot pepper spread.  Italian long hots will work also or roasted red peppers if spicy is not your thing (See Christmas Meal Blog).

3. Prepare some broccoli rabe (See Christmas Meal Blog). You can eat this on your sandwich in place of peppers, have some on the side, or cut your roll in half and make yourself 1 of each.

4. Dip your roll in the juice before you fill your roll. I suggest Amoroso or Buono Brother rolls if you are local to Philadelphia, if not: I cannot guarantee the quality of this sandwich!

5. Proper Construction: Dipped Bread, Cheese, Peppers or Broccoli Rabe, Meat

You could also use the bite and dip method but this is not always appreciated by fellow diners.

 

Enjoy the rest of you New Year's celebrations! Salute!

A very Petragnani- Spradlin-Staubach Christmas. Oh Marone a Mi!

Italian Christmas Dinner

The idea to have everyone together for Christmas Dinner was spawned from this project and talking with my family about their holidays and traditions. It seemed on both sides that they extended the invitation to everyone and prepared a ton on delicious food for all to enjoy. Bottom line: You come, you come, you don't you don't. We will be eating and drinking all day so we'll be here!

We have always been conflicted about what to do on Christmas Day for dinner.  This year we decided it was best to invite both my in-laws and my family over and we would host.  Unfortunately our house is awful for hosting anything other than pool parties so we decided to host at my parents' house.  Therefore, it was a group effort to prepare the food for Christmas Dinner.

 I made Homemade Ravioli (with the help of my husband), Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Red Peppers, Red Waldorf Cake and put together an Antipasto. My Mom and Dad made escarole (pronounced "scuddole") soup, gravy, meatballs, and ham. My father-in-law made clams, my mother-in-law made a turkey with scalloped potato dressing that cane out of an old AM Philadelphia pamphlet from my family recipe book. A home-made cranberry sauce was prepared by our Aunt Sue, and my sister-in-law Susie made a Parsnips and Brussels Sprouts side dish .

Below are some of  the recipes from Christmas Dinner, I hope you enjoy!

Cheese Ravioli

Filling
2 lbs. Ricotta (we use part skim)
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Locatelli or Parm cheese
2 tbsp Shredded Mozzarella (I use part skim)
2 tbsp Asiago or Provolone grated
Dash of salt and pepper
2 eggs

Combine all seasoning up to the eggs. Taste cheese mixture and add more seasoning as you see fit. Once adjusted to taste add 2 eggs, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pasta
3 Cups Flour
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Tools Needed:
Ravioli Form and Press
Pasta Roller (Manual or Attachment for Kitchen-Aid Mixer)

Electric Mixer:  Place 2.5 Cups flour and the salt in mixing bowl and stir with dough hook.  Slowly add each egg.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Let the mixer continue to mix and slowly add flour until the mixture forms a dough ball.  Remove dough ball and knead for 10 minutes until it is semi-elastic.  Add oil as needed while kneading.  Cover the final ball in oil and wrap in saran wrap for 30 minutes.

By Hand:  Combine all the flour and the salt and form a volcano shape with the hole in the middle and everything.  The hole has to accommodate the 4 eggs and olive oil, so size appropriately.  Stir and beat the eggs inside the volcano and slowly scrape in some flour until it forms a semi solid ball at which point you can gradually add the rest of the flour.  Take the dough ball and knead for 10 minutes until it is semi-elastic.  Add oil as needed while kneading.  Cover the final ball in oil and wrap in saran wrap for 30 minutes.

Unwrap the ball and cut off a piece of dough approximately 2" H X 4" W X 0.5" D.  On the thickest setting of your pasta roller (typically 1), run the dough through 2-3 times to maximize the width of the piece of dough to fit on the ravioli form and press.  Reduce the pasta roller thickness setting gradually all the way to 5 or 6 (whatever you are prefer).  Lay the rolled dough over the ravioli form and press.

Take tablespoon of cheese and fill the center of each ravioli. Top with a second piece of dough and roll over the form with a rolling pin. Roll until the metal form pops through the dough. Flip over the form and gently push out each ravioli. Place on a tray or wax paper with a heavy coating of corn meal. I would not suggest layering these. (See Pictures)

You can either freeze these or refrigerate. If you are using immediately, let sit for 15-20 mins before cooking.

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Drop in ravioli and cook for 8-10 mins or until floating. Drain and serve with sauce of your choice.

Broccoli Rabe

1 Bunch Broccoli Rabe
3 Cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsps salt (or more to taste)
2 tbsps olive oil

Cut thick stems off of broccoli rabe- usually about 2 inches
Cut in the same way to create bite size pieces of broccoli rabe
Rinse in colander
Steam broccoli rabe for about 10 minutes or until bright and wilted
Heat olive oil add garlic
Once garlic begins to sizzle add streamed broccoli rabe
Sautee 2-3 mins
Season with salt and red pepper flakes
You can top with grated cheese
Serve warm or cold

Roasted Red Peppers

4-5 Red Peppers or 1 jar roasted peppers in water
3 Cloves Garlic diced or minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1/2  tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Roast peppers on grill or under broiler until skin is black and blistered.
Put in a bowl and cover or in a plastic bag and allow to steam/cool
Once cool peel skin and remove seeds
Cut peppers into strips
-or-
Use jar of plain roasted peppers in water and skip first steps. Just drain 3/4 of the water and reserve the rest

Add peppers to a container with an air tight lid
Add peppers and juice, season with salt, garlic, parsley and drizzle with olive oil
Cover and store chilled until ready to use

Antipasto

Roasted Red Peppers
Broccoli Rabe
Long Hots
Assorted Olives (Gaeta. Kalamata, etc)
Provolone Cheese- I perfer Aurrichio
Manchego Cheese- you can use any cheese combination you'd like
Marinated Mozzarella Balls
Assorted Meats of hot or sweet variety- Capicola (Gabbagool), Prosciutto (Brashoot), Sopressata (Supersot), Salami
Sometimes we include marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts

Italian Bread

Dipping Oil- You can make a million different versions but we filled a shallow dish with an inch (deep) of olive oil and seasoned with a dash of salt, pinch of oregano, parsley, a few red pepper flakes, basil, and black pepper you can add a few drops of balsamic vinegar on top or sprinkle some grated cheese

Red Waldorf Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz red food coloring
1 tsp cocoa
1 cup butter milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar and eggs, make a paste of coloring and cocoa.
Add to the creamed mixture.
Add milk alternating with flour
Add vanilla
Dissolve the baking soda in vinegar and add last
Beat as you would any other cake mix

Grease pan do not flour

Use 2 8" or 9" pans (bake 30 mins) or use one 12" layer pan

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Butter Cream Icing

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1/2  cup butter softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tbsp milk

Cream together butter and shortening and vanilla  in a large bowl

Blend sugar one cup at a time 

Beat in milk until light and fluffy

Keep covered until ready to use

More of our Christmas Recipes coming soon!

Buon Appetito! 

The Feast of the Seven Fishes Petragnani Style

Christmas Eve and the Feast of the Seven Fishes

My mom recalls her Christmas Eve as a table full of Calamari (calamod), Scrungilli, Octopus, Baccala 2 ways, and Smelts. She was never a fan of fish but Catholics would not eat meat on Christmas Eve so she would wait until midnight and have a salami sandwich. 

When I asked my dad about what he remembers of Christmas Eve he recounted his mom making smelts.  He proceeded to explain that their (adult) neighbor would come over and try to eat them all before my dad got back from church.

Christmas Eve for me used to mean waking up at 4 am and heading down to Isgro's Pasticceria to purchase a few dozen Cannoli, some Biscotti, a Yule Log and sometimes a Cream Puff Tree. In order to purchase these though we had to wait in a line usually already wrapped around the block at 4:30 or 5:00 am. At least Santa and Mrs. Claus walked the line offering samples of pastries, coffee, and shots of Anisette and Amaretto. Sadly we laid this tradition to rest a few years ago. Between pregnancies and little ones it just didn't make sense to keep going downtown and spending 3+ hours waiting for pastries. 

So we did most of our running around on the 23rd. We made our run to 9th Street (The Italian Market) to get our fresh ground Beef, Veal, and Pork for Meatballs from Esposito's. We would normally go to DiBruno or Claudio's for our Christmas Appetizers but both had lines that extended out to the sidewalks so Talluto's  was our stop for some cheeses, meats, and olives. Of course you can't have the cheese and meat without some crusty Italian Bread so we grabbed our numerous loaves of Sarcone's and headed back to the burbs. 

Christmas Eve morning consisted of a trip to a local Italian Bakery that was originally from South Philly. (Another reason not to stand in line for hours on Christmas Eve). Viso's has great Cannoli  and only takes about 15 minutes even on a busy holiday. Purchasing seafood was a whole different story! We get our crab cakes from Hill's Seafood and bring them to my aunt's every year as a contribution to the seven fishes. These are THE BEST crab cakes but on holidays the place is insanely busy! They were serving #90 and I grabbed #41.... INSANE, but totally worth it! 

So this brings us to Christmas Eve Dinner. With most families Italian and non, fish is part of the Christmas Eve Feast. There are numerous explanations behind this tradition. Despite where its roots began for Italians,  it is a tradition for my family because it is what my parents do and what their parents did and so on. 

There were years that we visited various family members on Christmas Eve but for almost all of the Christmas Eves that I am able to remember we only went to my Aunt Roe's. She has been preparing the Feast of the Seven Fish (or 8).

This year's fish were :

1. Mussels

2. Crab (Cakes and  w/ Spaghetti Aglio e Olio) 

3. Smelts

4. Scallops

5. Salmon

6. Shrimp

7. Baccala

8(ish). Tuna Dip

 

The recipes are very simple as the Christmas Feast is usually much heavier and more involved.

Mussels

2 Bags of Mussels

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tbsp Garlic Salt

1 Stick of Butter cut into pads;

1 Can Beer

Clean de-beard mussels discard ones that are opened or damaged

Put mussels in a large stock pot and pour beer over them

Add Garlic (minced or sliced), garlic salt

Spread pads of butter on top of mussels, cover and heat on med-high

Steam until all mussels are open if a few do not open discard

You can sprinkles some fresh parsley on top and garnish with a lemon wedge

 

 

 

Spaghetti with Crab Aglio e Olio

 

1 lb Spaghetti or Linguine

1 can crab meat

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves of garlic diced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt to taste

Locatelli

Bring large salted pot of water to boil

(Cook macaroni according to instructions on box or bag)

While water is boiling and macaroni is cooking prepare oil

Saute garlic, onion, and crab meat in olive oil over medium heat

Once onions are translucent remove from heat

Drain macaroni and toss with oil, garlic, onions, and crab add salt to taste and about 1/4 cup of Locatelli (you can add more- I prefer a lot of cheese!)

Make sure all of the strands are well coated and sprinkle top with more cheese

 

 

 

 

Smelts

 

1 lb of Smelts headless and tail-less

Flour

Salt

Olive Oil

 

Rinse Smelts and dust with flour and salt

Add to a pan with olive oil over medium heat

Cook smelts until they split open to expose the backbone

Remove from pan and put on a platter lined with paper towels to drain

 

 

 

 

 

Scallops

1 lb Sea Scallops (do not cheap out and get the Bay Scallops!)

1/2 stick butter cut into small squares

1-2 cloves of garlic diced or minced

1/4 tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Place scallops in shallow pan with a 1/4" of water on the bottom

Put small butter square on each scallop (you may not need the full amount)

Top with garlic and salt

Put uncovered in oven and cook 15-20mins or until they start to slightly brown on the edges

 

 

 

Salmon (Prepared by my mother-in-law with some amazing wild Alaskan Salmon)

 

1 Salmon fillet sliced

Season with black pepper salt and olive oil or butter and a squeeze of lemon (optional)

 

Bake at 350 for 20-25mins

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp

2 lbs. Shrimp (we used thawed but you can use frozen, they steam better when thawed)

Steamed until pink in Old Bay and water

Once pink remove immediately toss in more old bay

 

 

 

 

 

Baccala

 

1 salted dried Cod

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

You need to soak the Baccala for 36-48 hours in water to rehydrate.

Start by cutting the cod into pieces and rinsing the salt off of the surface

Submerge fish in water - you will need to change the water a few times per day

Allow the fish to soak in a cool place

Right before using peel off the skin and pull out any bones

Flake the meat and season with a light coating of olive oil, lemon juice, salt pepper, and parsley.

Dish is served cold.

 

And since this is Contessa's first Christmas Eve, I had to share my little ones enjoying a Christmas Eve that I also celebrated the same way when I was their age! Giovanni just loved every minute of it this year!

I will be sharing our crazy Christmas extravaganza and a ton of recipes from it in the next few days. Hope you enjoyed your holiday and hearing about ours!

 

Buon Natale!

 

 

Holiday Baking Part 2- Thumbprint Cookies & Oatmeal Peanut Butter w/ White Chocolate Chips

Thumbprint Cookies & Oatmeal Peanut Butter  w/ White Chocolate Chips

It has been quite a day of baking! I have decided to finish up the holiday cookies tomorrow but here are 2 more recipes from today.

Thumbprint cookies are my absolute, hands down favorite cookie ever! They are especially delicious when you let them "age" for a few days and the jelly gets hard and sticky.My mom has a recipe she always uses and my Grandmom Rose had a different recipe which she used. I am including both. I tried both versions this year and I personally liked my mom's thumbprint recipe the best. If you try them both let me know what you think. Excuse the messiness of these cookies as I try every year to make them look pretty but it has yet to work out!  Any tips for making/filling these cookies would be greatly appreciated!

Mom's Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg\
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
Jam or Jelly of your choice

Cream together butter, sugar., and egg
Add vanilla and thoroughly blend
Slowly add flour
Roll into small balls and press thumb into the center of each one
Either add jelly before or after baking
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Tip: I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter For Baking and filled them with Blackberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry Seedless Preserves.

Grandmom Rose's Fingerprint Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

preserves, jelly, or jam

Cream Butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks

Add flour gradually

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and press thumb into center of ball

Fill with flavor jam of your choice

Bake @ 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes

The last cookies I made for today have been a big hit over the past few years. This is becoming one of my Christmas staples. Although this recipe does not currently have a long family history I have a feeling it will have a story with the generations to come. 

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened

1 cup peanut butter 

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups quick oats

2 cups white chocolate chips 

Grease or line a pan with parchment and preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

In a large bowl beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy

Add vanilla and eggs until mix is smooth

Stir in flour mixture 

Add oats and white chocolate chips

Drop dough by the teaspoonful 

Bake 10 minutes 

Let cool on pan for a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack 

Buon Appetito!