For the holidays: Recipe for Cuccidati -- Italian (Sicilian) Fig Newtons

[Pronounced KOO-chee-daa-tee]

DOUGH

1/3 cup  sugar
½ cup  butter, softened
1 large egg
¼ tsp each  vanilla extract and anise extract
1/3 cup  cream
½ tsp  salt
1-1/2 tsp  baking powder
2-1/4 cups  flour, plus additional flour for board

FILLING

1 cup  dried figs (remove stems)
1/3 cup each  dried apricots, dates
1/3 cup each  walnuts, pecans, and toasted almonds
¼ cup  honey
½ cup  lemon juice (or orange juice)
½ tsp each  vanilla extract and anise extract
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
½ tbsp  amaretto liqueur, or brandy, or cognac [OPTIONAL]
1 small orange, peeled, cut into wedges [OPTIONAL]
Grated rind of lemon, enough for zest

ICING  [Optional]

½ cup  powdered sugar
¼ cup  lemon juice

1.  Make pastry dough.

In a large bowl place flour, sugar, butter cut up in small cubes, and the other dry ingredients.  Add the cream and a beaten egg, along with vanilla extract and anise extract.  Blend to a soft  dough.  Small butter lumps are OK.

Divide dough into three balls.  Roll each portion into an approximate 5- by 15-inch rectangle – about medium thickness, not too thick or thin.

Place each rolled section on wax paper or parchment paper and place each layer on top of the other and lay them on a pan/baking dish/or platter.  Refrigerate for approximately 8 hours or overnight.

2.  Make filling.

Put the figs, apricots, dates , and orange wedges in a mixer/blender and mix them up.  Add the nuts to the blender and continue mixing, adding the juice, extracts, honey, and liqueur.  Work up to a good, smooth texture.  Add the grated rind of a lemon as the final step.

Place in a bowl and refrigerate for approximately 8 hours or overnight.

3.  Spread.

Remove from refrigerator.  Divide the filling into thirds.  Leaving the dough on the parchment paper lay flat on table and take one portion of the filling and spread it down the middle of the dough lengthwise.  Using the parchment paper, fold the dough over half covering the spread.  Now fold the other half of the dough using the parchment paper to cover the spread.  Pinch the dough to seal the entire length.  Turn the packet over so the seal is down and remove from the parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.

Do the same with the other two portions of the filling.  Place them on the same baking sheet leaving a little room between each length.

4.  Bake.

Place in pre-heated oven, 350OF for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, until slightly browned.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

5.  Icing.

Icing is optional.  Stir powdered sugar with lemon juice in a bowl to a thick consistency until smooth.  Spread on the cookies when they are cooled to the thickness you desire.  You can add muti-colored sprinkles if you want.

Recipe for Italian Meat Balls

Recipe for Italian Meat Balls

Make meat balls like nobody else.

Ingredients

3-lbs of meat (I use one pound each of ground extra lean beef, veal, and pork)

            NOTE:  You can use only two of these if you want; but, you have to include the ground beef – that’s what gives it flavor.  Veal has no flavor – it tastes like whatever it is mixed with.  And to taste the pork, you will have to have pretty sharp taste buds.  Believe me, make sure you use beef with something else.

Onion???  NO ONIONS!!!  We are not making hamburgers.  We are making Italian meat balls.

Seasoning – basil and oregano (liberal amounts, to your taste)  Some Italians use nutmeg – depends on what region of Italy they came from – I do not.

Salt and pepper???  Same amount as onions.  We are not making hamburgers.  We are making Italian meat balls.

garlic – chopped.  I use three good sized cloves of garlic for each pound of meat.  [I like GARLIC!]  So that would be nine cloves of garlic for this recipe.

celery – [Very important for texture and taste.  Not everybody does this.]  Chop in small pieces two to four stalks of celery.

parsley (chopped) – if you want (but don’t skip the celery)
Basil and oregano to your taste.

A binder – I do not use eggs (but you can).  I wet the bread crumbs – see below.

[for binder]  bread crumbs – liberal amount  Soak in heavy cream.  If that is too rich for you try milk or water.  It is important to wet the bread crumbs, for a light texture.  After soaking, drain by squeezing out the wetness.

[for binder] imported cheese (grated) – use same amount as bread crumbs – even more if you want (needed for flavoring).  I use Locatelli romano (very expensive but worth it).  Locatelli is a brand name.  Its romano is pecorino, a sheep’s cheese.  It has a strong flavor – salty to some.  It is expensive.  My grandmother passed instructions down to everybody in the family, and anybody who married into the family – you better use Locatelli romano.  My grandparents were poor immigrants.  My grandmother used Locatelli romano right through the Great Depression. (I don’t think it ever ended in her small village.)  I’ve been out of work for four years now and I still use Locatelli romano.  You think I’mma gonna messa with Nonna? You, on the other hand, can substitute reggiano parmigiano – the best and very, very expensive.

Extra virgin olive oil for frying (I am not going to say Italian because not all Italian olive oils have olives that come from Italy.  Greek extra virgin olive oil is great.  And there are very good California products also.)  [Nonna saida noting bout olive oil excepta usea extra virgin.]

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix very well.

Makes approximately 15 meat balls.

Fry in a cast iron skillet in the olive oil.  Brown and turn on all sides.  Drain on paper towels.

Add to tomato sauce.  (I’m not giving recipe for tomato sauce.  Mine is my own and not that Italian.  You can do at least as well as me.)

Served with spaghetti.  To borrow a saying from the Chinese:  Long noodles, Long life.

What?  You were expecting a picture of a Meat Ball?

For the holidays: Recipe for Potato Latkes (Jewish Potato Pancakes)

Grandma Sara’s Secret Recipe for Potato Latkes (Jewish Potato Pancakes)

This is a secret recipe.  Nobody knows anything about it.  My grandmother was born in Roumania in the 1880’s and came to America in 1899.  She never spent a day in school; and, was completely illiterate, even in her native tongue.  She grew up on a farm and learned the ways about a kitchen that way – from butchering small animals, to cooking, to keeping a kitchen, to setting a table.  Being illiterate, all of her recipes were in her head.  Nothing was written down.  So this secret recipe was passed to me from my mother and I was instructed not to give it to anyone else.  But I will share it with you if you keep it a secret.  OK?

6 Medium potatoes (about 2-lbs) peeled

½ medium onion, grated  [Very important! Don’t skip the onion.  It’s for flavor.]

2-lbs flour

2 eggs

1-1/2 tsp salt

¼  tsp pepper & nutmeg [a secret ingredient]

2 tbsps chopped parsley [not found in all recipes; interesting for texture]

¼ cup shortening or oil for frying

[Check other recipes for ingredients – for fillings, seasonings, texture, etc.]

Put all ingredients except oil and potatoes in blender.  Add potatoes a handful at a time.  When last handful goes in, shut off quickly.  Put large tablespoon of potato mixture onto oil.  Brown and turn. Fry until golden to brownish, crisp on edges, soft texture for interior. 

Garnish with applesauce.

Makes 6 to 12 servings.

NOTE:  If you have boys in the house, you will need to make several hundred of these.  Nobody in my family was over-weight.

Is this Kosher?  This is a close to kosher as somebody is going to get with a name like Volpe, which is Italian for fox.