• Choose a recipe: Tiramisu Spring Chicken with fresh herbs Gnocchi Lemon Ice Silvio's Father's Meatballs Marinara Sauce

 

•  Tiramisu
  
  
• Spring Chicken with fresh garden herbs
  
  
• Gnocchi
  

 

• Silvio's Father's Meatballs
  

 

•  Silvio's Marinara Sauce (for Gnocchi or Meatballs)
  
  
• Lemon Ice
  

 

 

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of my favorite dessert recipes. While I often make it in the traditional manner, I’ve tested and developed various substitutions through the years that are often more convenient for me.
The recipe list is the original Italian ingredients. The Notes in parentheses are substitutes and hints.

Ingredients:

1 ½ package Italian Ladyfingers [available at Trader Joes – but I sometimes use day old pound cake.]
1 Cup Strong Espresso Coffee. [or use double strength ordinary coffee]
1 cup any coffee Liqueur: Kahlua etc. [this may be eliminated, in which case use 2 cups coffee]

Zabaglione mixture a la Baillie Brown

6 egg yolks
¾ Cup Marsala or other sweet wine
½ cup sugar.

Cheese mixture

1 ½ pounds [24 oz] mascarpone cheese [or my substitute below] warmed to room temperature
2 cups whipping cream [manufacturing cream]
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup powdered sugar.

[A substitute for the Mascarpone cheese: I often take cream cheese and add 1/4 cup of whipping cream and 1/4 cup of sour cream. No one has ever complained.]

Method:

Prepare the base:

1. Add liqueur to coffee.

2. Place 1 cup of this mixture on the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking pan.

3. Place a layer of the ladyfingers on the mixture and spray additional coffee mixture on the ladyfingers until they are well saturated. [plastic flower misters work well for this]

4. Set aside.

Prepare the Zabaglione, Cream and Cheese Mixtures:

1. Start water heating in the bottom of a double boiler. In the top pan, place the egg yolks, wine and sugar. Beat well, and then place over the boiler bottom (water should be simmering). Continue to beat until mixture has doubled in size and is beginning to thicken. Remove from heat and cool while preparing cream and cheese mixtures.

2. Whip the cream with an electric mixer, adding the powdered sugar and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, cream the cheese to soften, and then fold it into the Zabaglione. Mix thoroughly.

4. Fold this mixture into the whipped cream mixture. Combine until no streaks remain.

Assemble: Spread 1/2 the cheese mixture over the base. Quickly dip additional ladyfingers into the coffee mixture and lay over cheese until layer is complete. Add the remaining cheese mixture and sprinkle the top liberally with cocoa or shaved chocolate.

Chill until set. The assembled Tiramisu may be frozen for up to one month.

Spring Chicken with fresh garden herbs

Ingredients:

4 chicken fryers or small roasting chickens
2 Cups fresh herbs Choose from rosemary, oregano, basil, tarragon, parsley (Italian or curly
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.
3 cloves of garlic crushed.
2 tablespoons of salt (This sounds like a lot but it’s disbursed in the cooking.)

Method:

1. Prepare the chicken for stuffing: Remove back bone by cutting down each side of the back bone of the chicken. Save for stock. Flatten the chicken by pushing down on the breast, Place the tip of each leg in a slit made in the skin between the body and the leg of the chicken. Turn wings up . (Watching some one do it once is the easiest way to learn.)
   

2. Prepare the herb blend: Place the olive oil in a blender. add the herbs in portions and blend until it becomes a sauce or paste. Add the crushed garlic and the salt and continue to blend the mixture. You may want to add more oil or more herbs depending on the consistency you desire. It should be the consistency of a paste.
   

3. .Prepare for baking: Rub the chicken with the paste. Place your fingers between the body and the skin of the chicken. This is very easy to do. Place the paste between the body and the skin and distribute evenly. Place the flattened chicken in a shallow pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
   

4. Bake in a 300 degree oven for one hour and thirty minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees when placed in the fat part of the thigh,
   

5. Final Preparation: Now the chicken may be set aside until thirty minutes before you chose to serve it. Thirty minutes before you chose to serve the chicken, remove the foil. The chicken has no personality at this time. Place the chicken as close as you can without it flaming up under a broiler. Broil the chicken until it achieves the color and personality you or your guests desire.

Notes: I use equal amounts of rosemary, parsley and basil Please adjust the herbs to suit your palate. The above amounts are only for a beginning reference.
You will find this method easy for cooking ahead and the juiciest and tastiest chicken you have experienced.

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Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a type of dumpling. It can be made many different ways. My family has always enjoyed potato gnocchi the most. Other gnocchi might contain spinach or egg whites. As with most other Italian recipes, it varies widely depending on the region where you lived.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of Potatoes
2 C all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Dash freshly ground nutmeg

Method:

1: Prepare the potatoes:

A. Steam, boil microwave or bake the potatoes (unpeeled) until they  are cooked, but still firm.
B. Combine the salt, flour and nutmeg in a large bowl & make a well in the center.
C.   Peel the potatoes while they are still hot. Then rice, mash, or finely grate the potatoes into the well made in the  flour mixture.
D. Cut the potatoes into the flour and knead till you form a ball (see note    below).
E. Wrap the mixture in clear stretch wrap and let it rest a couple hours if you   have time. (The dough may be used immediately if you are in a hurry.)

2: Roll the gnocchi:

A. Break off small pieces and roll it into finger size snakes using the palms of     your hands.
B. Flour the dough liberally to prevent the dough from sticking to the board or     hands.
C. Cut the roll into 1 inch or smaller size pieces and using the back or front    tines of a fork roll the pieces pressing firmly with the thumb to create    ridges and a cup.

They may be frozen at this time by freezing a layer at a time and then placing them in a sealed bag.

3: Cooking:

A. If frozen do not defrost before cooking but place in boiling water in the    frozen state.
B. Heat a large pot of water to boiling.
C. When they rise to the top, they are cooked.
D. Drain them all at once or remove them from the water as each rises to the
    top.
E. When all are drained, toss with your favorite sauce (such as the marinara sauce), or butter and herbs. A sauce made with butter and fresh sage is especially nice.

Note: There are no eggs to bind the ingredients. Flour and potatoes must be kneaded while the potatoes are hot.

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Silvio’s Father’s Meatballs

This is the recipe that I recall from childhood

Note: this calls for 1 # total of meat. You may double or triple the quantities
if you want more meatballs.

.Ingredients:
1/2  lb.  ground pork
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 teaspoon of salt.
 1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper or ground black pepper.
1 large egg slightly beaten.
1/4 cup of either quick cook or normal oatmeal (or 1/4 cup of either oatm
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 large handful of parsley which has been minced finely.

Method:
Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and with very clean hands
fold all the ingredients together gently. Fry a small patty and adjust seasonings
to your taste, if necessary. The parsley is very important to the ultimate taste.
Don’t scrimp on the parsley.

Bake the meatballs 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees (internal temperature of 160).
We like to then put them in a crock pot & cover with marinara sauce.
 

I prepared this for the Presbyterian church in Solvang and  Cheryl Ladd’s husband (Brian Russell) came and told me personally how much he liked the meatballs. The rest of the church also gave them a passing grade.

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Silvio's Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablesopons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 dried red peppers
1 cup each (chopped): celery, onions, carrots
2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillion (or vegetable bouillion) - this replaces the salt      and adds flavor
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 - 28 ounce cans (or 1 # 10 can) tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes (or any Roman type of            tomato) are best, but any canned tomatoes will work)

Process:
Put the olive oil in a large heavy pan, add the minced garlic and red peppers. Before the garlic burns, add the celery, onions and carrots and stir well. Cover with lid so vegetable steam. When the vegetables are limpid, add the bouillion, Italian Seasoning, parsley, and tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 1 to 5 hours (covered, or uncovered if for shorter time period).

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Lemon Ice

For 1 quart

Ingredients

3/4 cup of lemon juice
1 1/2 cup of sugar
3 Cups of water
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest
Pinch of salt

Note: The ratio of juice to sugar to water is: 1, 2, 4 meaning that you use twice as much sugar as juice, and four times as much water as juice.

Method:

1. Mix the water and sugar together cold in a pan and bring the water to a boil. Boil one minute or until sugar has melted. Set aside to cool.

2. Add the juice, zest and a pinch of salt, stir.

3. 
   Place in refrigerator until ready to freeze.

4. Freeze like you would ice cream. If using a hand cranked or electric freezer utilizing ice and salt, use a ratio of 1 part salt to 5 parts ice to freeze. Once frozen add one more part of salt and let the lemon ice rest to cure until you are ready to serve.

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