Carabaccia (Sweet onion soup)

This dish was very popular during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and is mentioned by both the Anonimo Toscano and Cristoro di Messi.

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients

Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Cooking time: 40 minutes

3 ½ ounces blanched almonds

5 ounces white wine vinegar

Cinnamon stick

2 pounds onions

4tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Teaspoon sugar

32 ounces stock

6 slices of bread

Gruyere cheese

Sea salt

Directions

Crush the almonds in a mortar and leave them to soak in the vinegar with the cinnamon stick for about one hour. Finely chop the onions and fry in the oil. Rinse the almonds in a sieve and add to the onions. Add the sugar, salt and stock and cook for half an hour. Toast the slices of bread, place a slice in each dish and pour over the onion soup. You could garnish the soup by sprinkling grated Gruyère cheese over just before serving, or even return it to the oven for ten minutes, with the cheese on top.

Onions are one of the basic ingredients in all Italian cooking and even the ancient Etruscans were aware of their medicinal properties, especially for curing inflamation. The Roman cook, Apicius, (1 st century A.D) used them in a recipe for hot broth.
 

Giorgio’s Spicy Italian lentil Soup

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage (spicy or sweet your choise)

6 Ounces pancetta or 3 strips bacon, diced

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

6 cups chicken or beef stock, divided

1 pound dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup diced baby zucchini

1 bunch Italian parsley, snipped

Grated Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar to finish

Directions

Remove casings from Italian sausage and cut into ½ inch discs
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; sauté bacon, sausage until browned and a little crispy, Drain off fat and add garlic, celery, onions and carrots. Cook stirring vegetables until soft. Add 1 cup of the stock and deglaze the pan. Add the lentils, remaining stock, tomatoes, salt, pepper and red pepper. Stir in the bay leaves and basil. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour. Check from time to time and add water if necessary.
Just before serving, stir in zucchini and parsley, and cook 2 minutes. Serve with balsamic vinegar, grated cheese and extra red pepper on the side.

Escarole and Beans

Giorgio Celmo

This is one of the first dishes my Nona taught me to make. Its cheep easy to make, and very delicious. It goes equally well with fish or roasted meat main dishes.

It’s also excellent reheated the next day or even better the day after.

Ingredients

1 cup chicken stock, I use chicken base, or chicken stock in a can.

1 large head of escarole washed and cleaned well, cut into 1 inch pieces

3-tablespoon olive oil, I use pomice because it works better at a higher heat.

2 cloves Garlic finely chopped use descent size not any wimpy ones.

1 16oz can cannelloni beans

6 basil leaves julienned, no stems

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place the escarole and chicken stock into a large pot, over medium heat bring to a boil, and simmer for one hour. No lid required, stir as needed.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and heat until lightly browned. Add the beans with their juices, bring to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the mixture to the escarole; add the basil and let simmer for

about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. It should have a soupy

consistency. Finish the dish by adding the pepper flakes. Ladle into bowls and serve with a good crusty Italian bread, and the Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

PASTA, SAUSAGE AND BEAN SOUP

PASTA, SAUSAGE AND BEAN SOUP

Giorgio Celmo

A little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top is a nice addition.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian sausages, castings removed

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 cups diced carrots

1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

5 cups canned chicken broth

1 14 1/2-to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 15- to 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained

1 cup Piccolini (Mini Penne)

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add

sausages and sauté until beginning to brown, breaking up with back of

spoon, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil,

rosemary, crushed red pepper and sage. Sauté until vegetables begin to

soften, about 10 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with their juices and

beans. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are

tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

Add pasta to soup and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8 servings

ITALIAN HOLIDAY SOUP

ZUPPA DI FESTA

(ITALIAN HOLIDAY SOUP)

Giorgio Celmo

12 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)

2 bunches escarole, washed thoroughly and chopped

4 eggs beaten with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (mix in a cup with a spout)

Meatballs:

1 pound ground chuck

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkling of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare meatballs. Combine all ingredients thoroughly by hand and shape into small balls, about 1

inch in diameter.

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add chopped escarole. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5-8

minutes.

Drop the meatballs into the broth, a few at a time, and stir gently. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes.

In a thin, steady stream, slowly pour the Parmesan/egg mixture into the simmering broth. Stir and

simmer 1 minute.

Turn off heat and allow soup to settle for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Giambotte

Giambotte; Is an Italian stew consisting primarily of vegetables. My Grandmother (“Nona”) always made it with potatoes, onions garlic, and canned imported tomatoes; along with other seasonal vegetables as a first dish. But if money was tight and she had a lot of Grandkids to feed she would add hotdogs to the dish and make it a main dish served with homemade bread. It is delicious and sometimes I do make it with hotdogs for nostalgia. The recipe below is from my Nona, I just changed a few ingredients to make it more adult, try it either way its great on a chilly night with some crusty Italian bread.

                                  

Giambotta

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients:

8 Italian Sausage Hot or Mild

Sausage, sliced into 3/4 inch chunks casings removed

4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into strips

2 cups of diced potatoes

2 cups of sliced green peppers

1 can 28oz. imported whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 cup of sliced onions

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of oregano

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook sausage completely over medium heat.  Remove sausage from the skillet and set aside.  Sauté the chicken in the oils from the sausage.  After chicken is cooked, put on the side with the sausage.  In the same pan add olive oil, potatoes, peppers , onions and garlic.  Stir in oregano and cook vegetables until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, continue cooking until heated through Add sausage and chicken to the vegetables and heat everything together, simmer on low for 15 to 30 minutes. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Pasta Fazool

This recipe was created by my sister, who in her own right was a fabelous cook. I pay tribute to her by posting her recipe; "Marilyns Pasta Fazool"

My Sister’s Pasta Fazool

Marilyn Boyer
Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients:

½ Cup olive oil

1 Medium onion finely chopped

2 Stalks of celery w/leaves chopped

1 Green pepper cleaned and chopped

1 Clove of garlic finely chopped

1 Teaspoon parsley, fresh if you can

1 Teaspoon basil fresh julienned

1 Can imported pear tomatoes, crushed by hand (28 oz.)

2 Cans red kidney beans

1 Can of tomato paste (6 oz.)

Six ounces of water from tomato paste can, don’t rinse it before.

1 ½ Cups ditalini, or elbow macaroni

1 Cup Shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Over medium high, heat olive oil, when it shimmers add onions, pepper, celery and garlic in his order. Cook for about 5 minutes until vegetables soften, add the crushed Italian tomatoes with tomato paste and the 6 ounces of water from the paste can.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally. After simmering add 2 cans of red kidney beans with juices. Continue cooking on low heat. Meanwhile cook according to manufactures instructions the  ditalini pasta to aldante, drain pasta and add to sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

To this add fresh basil, and cheese.