AN ITALIAN THANKSGIVING
PART ONE
HAPPY TURKEY DAYAnother year has gone by and it’s time to gather our family and friend together to celebrate the great feast of Thanksgiving. Many families have traditional American Thanksgivings which consist of turkey, cranberries and stuffing. Celebrating Thanksgiving Italian style gives you the opportunity to enjoy many authentic Italian recipes along with your turkey, stuffing and cranberries. A traditional Italian-American table will consist of antipasti, lasagna, stuffed shells, meatballs, sausage, pastas, meats and desserts. Aren’t we lucky! So here are few recipes you and your family may enjoy. This newsletter will focus on antipasti, pastas and desserts and the following newsletter right before Thanksgiving will concentrate on meats, stuffing and side dishes. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy! Antipasti Antipasto Tray INGREDIENTS 1/2lb. of a Smoked Honey Ham sliced thin1/2lb. of Prosciutto sliced thin1/2lb. of hot or mild Copacolla sliced thin1/2lb. of Genoa Salami sliced thin1/4lb. of Pepperoni sliced thin12oz. of Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese2lb. of Fontinella cheese1lb. of Asiago cheese12oz. jar of Imported Pepperoncini12oz. jar of Roasted Red Peppers12z. jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts1/2pd. of Marinated Italian Green Olives1/2pd. Of black olives1 loaf of Fresh Italian Bread1 or 2 bottles of Italian Red WinePREPARATION Roll the ham, prosciutto, capacolla and salami into toothpicks and arrange on a serving platter.Arrange the pepperoni on the platter.Slice the mozzarella into 1/4 inch pieces and arrange.Slice the fontinella and asiago cheese into 1/2 inch pieces and arrange.Slice the red peppers, artichokes and arrange.Place the pepperoni and olives on the plate.Slice the bread.Pour the wine in a glass and your ready to eat. Stuffed Artichokes INGREDIENTS 4 large artichokes2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs3/4 cups of freshly grated Romano cheese2 cloves of garlic finely chopped1 small bunch of long green onions finely chopped1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley1/2 tsp of salt1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper1/2 cup of lemon juice2 cups of chicken brothPREPARATION Prepare artichokes by cutting the stems off the bottom.Carefully cut the off the tops of the artichokes and pull off the small tough leaves at the bottom.Snip the pointy tips off the remaining leaves.Wash thoroughly. Lay the artichokes top down and press with the palm of your hand to loosen the leaves. Pull out the center of the artichoke.Immediately dip the artichoke into the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. I usually spoon some in the middle and place the artichokes top down on a plate full of lemon juice while I prepare the breadcrumb mixture.In a bowl mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, onions, parsley, salt and pepper.Stuff the center and the leaves of the artichokes.In a large pot add the artichokes and pour the chicken broth on top and around the artichokes.Simmer over medium heat for around 1 hour until the bottom of the leaves are tender. Just pull a leaf off and make sure they’re not tough. After around 30 minutes check to make sure there is enough broth. If not just add some more. This dish will serve 4 people. Pasta Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes INGREDIENTS 1 pound of fresh or packaged gnocchi1 head of garlic4 Tbls of extra-virgin olive oil10 fresh sage leaves32oz can of chicken broth1 15oz can of diced tomatoes1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp of fresh black pepper1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheesePREPARATION Pre-heat the oven to 350 degreesCut the top of the garlic off.Drizzle the garlic with 2 Tbls of olive oilWrap the garlic in aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.Squeeze the garlic pulp into a bowl. In a small frying pan sauté the sage in the remaining olive oil until they are crisp.Remove the leaves and drain on a paper towel.Reserve the oilCook the gnocchi in the chicken broth until done.Drain the gnocchi reserving 1/2 cup of broth.Toss the gnocchi in the bowl with the garlic.Add the remaining broth, diced tomatoes, sage oil and pepper.Serve with parmesan cheese. Serves 4 people Broccoli and Provolone Alfredo INGREDIENTS 1 pound of linguini 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into pieces3 Tbls of butter2 Tbls of flour2 cups of heavy whipping cream1/2 cup of milk1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese8oz of provolone cheese, shredded1/2 tsp of salt1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepperPREPARATION In 6 quarts of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Around 8 to 10 minutes.In a large pan sauté the broccoli in the one and a half butter until tender.In a medium size saucepan melt the remaining butter and stir in the flour.Add cream and milk and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly.Stir in the parmesan and provolone cheese and stir until cheese is melted.Add the broccoli and linguini to the sauce and mix.Serves 4 people. Desserts Pumpkin Cheesecake INGREDIENTS 7 large egg whites1 and 1/2 pounds of ricotta cheese2 large egg yolks1 cup of sugar1 and 1/2 cups of pureed canned pumpkin1 and 1/2 Tbls of vanilla extract1 and 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice1 tsp of baking powder1/4 cup of powdered sugarPREPARATION Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.In a separate large bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder.Fold in the egg whites.Pour the mixture into an 8 inch greased and floured spring foam pan.Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.Cool and refrigerate overnight.Dust with powdered sugar before serving.Serves 8 people. Chocolate Mousse INGREDIENTS 8oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips3 eggs1 cup of whipping heavy cream1 container of whipped cream1/4 cup of grated chocolatePREPARATION Place the chocolate pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute or less until soft.Let the chocolate cool a little.In a small bowl beat the eggs.In a larger bowl beat the cream until stiff.Add the eggs to the chocolate a little at a time, beating on low speed.Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream.Refrigerate overnight.Serve topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.Serves 6 people.
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