Near and dear

Alright, this particular dish is near and dear to my heart. It's called Easter Pizza. This dates back to my great grandmother who came over from Calabria, Italy. It runs back generations and my family has made it each and every Easter, but never ever in between. It is to be made solely on Easter. It is absolutely hands down one of my favorites. And trust me-- I've been known to, ahem, beg on occasion for it to be made in between. Nope, never. Can't be done. Easter, and Easter only.

I've never in my life heard of anyone else who makes this dish--even other Italians. We've researched it and know it's a south Italian tradition, with each family having some variation: ham, salami, pepperoni, various Italian cheeses, eggs, no eggs, etc. Each version as unique as the region and the families.

Only this Easter did I run into a girl from work whose boyfriend is Italian and makes Easter pizza. Wha-at?! I was floored to say the least. Someone who knows of Easter Pizza and even knows it's called Easter Pizza?! It was so exciting for me to share such an esoteric tradition.
Okey doke, now comes the fun part, and one you've probably been asking since the beginning of this post. Great, Tiff, but what IS Easter Pizza. Ahhh let me indulge you. (And it is quite the indulgence!)

We first start with a homemade dough for the bottom and sides. Then comes the glorious filling. Salami (genoa or hard, depending which has a better flavor at that particular time), pepperoni, diced hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta.

BUT WAIT. 'Tiff, you always speak of healthy food and eating,' you may be asking yourself. Yes, you are correct. But, and this is a big but, I also believe it tradition. I believe in food transcending you to another place and time. Family, friends, memories.

And plus, you do only eat it once a year. ;) Moderation, my friends, moderation.
But I digress. Back to the receipe. You mix together the salami, pepperoni, hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, and provolone. Pour the mixture over the bottom dough. Top with more mozzarella, if desired, and spread ricotta over the entire mixture.

This one is my grandmother's for the past Easter. See the thick slices of fresh mozzarella on top? Oh yes.
The two below are my mom's version. We had two this Easter--which we've never done before-- because I begged for leftovers. =) That makes for a very happy me. Plus, some friends from work have come to know the gloriousness that is Easter Pizza and they, too, crave it! So, who was I to deny them and not bring home leftover?! After the ricotta is spread over the mixture, the top dough is placed on top and sealed with the bottom dough around the whole pizza. Score the top and egg wash the top of the pizza and bake in a 350 degree oven, until the crust turns a beautiful brown and the mixture bubbles.Look at those layers!!Now the one below is grandma's. I couldn't get a clean slice because of all the cheese. And that makes it even better. You have never ever tasted something like this. I absolutely guarantee it. I love food that brings family together.

Acini Chicken Caprese

Okay, this is so a keeper. Acini Chicken Caprese. Thanks to Melissa from Alosha's Kitchen for this caprese inspired recipe. It's so simple and so flavorful. And just wait until summer when the basil is sweet and the tomatoes ripe! This will most definitely be a go-to recipe for me. You can have it hot or cold, AND it would be perfect for a summer picnic!

Acini Chicken Caprese

1 box acini di pepe
4 tomotoes, diced
Large bunch basil, chiffonade
Toasted pine nuts
Grilled chicken, diced and seasoned with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Pecorino romano
Salt
Pepper
Zest and juice of one lemon

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add acini. Cook 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and pour acini into a large mixing bowl.

Season chicken with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Grill or cook through, dice and add to pasta.

Toast pine nuts in oven or toaster oven. Add pine nuts, diced tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to pasta. Add zest and juice of the lemon. Grate pecorino romano. Mix well.

My notes: I prefer De Cecco Acini di pepe. It stays al dente, even after reheating. That's what makes this a great recipe to make ahead of time. Use tons of water for the acini. It looks small but don't let it fool you! It sucks up lots of water.
Do not leave while toasting the pine nuts! Let me repeat: DO NOT LEAVE! I burnt my first batch when I washed a dish. They go from white to brown to burnt within 30 seconds. Just keep a good eye on them.

Just look at that chicken! I love, love, LOVE my cast iron stovetop grill. I swear it turns ordinary meat into something so much more flavorful. Okay, so I know a typical caprese calls for mozzarella. But the thing that makes this dish so amazing is the contrast in flavors and textures. It's no surprise I love a sharp pecorino, but it works well here. Mozzarella is softer and would just be mushy in the pasta. Now, I'm not saying you can't use mozzarella, especially if you don't like sharp italian cheeses, but give pecorino a try.

Pine nuts are a pricier nut, but for about $5 worth you can change the dish from ok to wow! I too fell into the debate of 'to toast or not to toast' my pine nuts. Toasting gives them an extra edge and nuttyness; it takes them from sweeter to nutty. I've made this recipe twice now and it was just as good, if not better. That's a testament to a recipe: If you make it again and it turns out beautifully, it's a keeper. Light, flavorful, amazing. I can eat this straight for a whole week.

I love being Italian

Ah, yes, now that is beauty. THAT is my definition of soul food. Something that makes you feel comfortable, warm, loved, and is always reminiscent of home. For me, it is and always will be spaghetti. Every Sunday--and I mean every Sunday-- at home while growing up we had spaghetti. (My mom still makes it every Sunday!) Special occasions would warrant Grandma's ravioli (YUM) and occasionally we had homemade spaghetti noodles. This Sunday we had homemade noodles. Sigh. Happiness does not come in a purer form.

Now let's examine how we got to the picture above.

Above: The noodles exiting the machine.
Below: The noodles laid out carefully on a floured cookie sheet.

I love coming into the kitchen and seeing trays of noodles laid out on cookie sheets. Remember that comfort food thing I was telling you? This is it. Homemade noodles mean you're in for an amazing dinner.

Now what are noodles without an amazing sauce? My mom makes almost a vat of sauce, or so it seems! But, extra sauce means more for me to take home and freeze. =) The original sauce came from my great-grandmother who used tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper--very simple yet delicious. My grandmother added the addition of meat and herbs and my mom learned from her. My mom swears pork makes the best sauce, but she switches from time to time and will use anything from ground pork to pork ribs to ground beef to ground veal. Forget BBQ ribs. (Okay, well not entirely because I happen to love those too, but you get what I'm saying.) Pork ribs cooked in spaghetti sauce are out of this world. My mom browns the meat first and then adds garlic, salt, pepper, tomato paste, diced tomato, and a generous amount of pecorino romano. I might have said it before, but my family prefers pecorino romano to parmigiano reggiano for spaghetti. It's much sharper and stands up to the tang of the spaghetti sauce.
Ah, yes. And occasionally we get meatballs. Ground beef and veal usually. But you can be creative and experiment with meats. You get a different taste and texture with each different type. So there you have it. I can't imagine not being Italian and having Italian food as often as I do. For most people it's a nice change from the daily fare, but for me it is my main cuisine.

Thanksgiving continued...

Far overdue but here nonetheless! Weeks after recovering from stuffing myself silly--pun intended-- I decided to share a family favorite that is a must in our Thanksgiving spread.

Italian Fried Cauliflower

(A family favorite that can be altered to taste. In my opinion, it's perfect!)

1 head cauliflower

Canola oil

6 eggs

Flour to thicken

Pecorino romano

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add whole head of cauliflower and boil until al dente.

Break cauliflower into florets.

In a separate boil whisk together eggs, salt (to taste), pepper (to taste), garlic powder, and pecorino romano. Add flour to thicken. Batter should be thinner than pancake batter.

Thoroughly coat cauliflower florets in batter and fry in canola oil until brown on all sides.

Notes:

Pecorino romano is a sharp and salty cheese so coat one small floret in the batter, fry, and taste before adding too much salt. The sharpness of the cheese adds a richness to the dish.

Make sure the batter is thinner than typical batters. This allows it to seep into the crevices of the floret and give the cauliflower more batter-y goodness!