September 18, 2008
There are many types of Italian breads, Ciabatta, Pane carasau, Pane casareccio, Panino, Focaccia, Pane toscano (without salt), Michetta, Rosetta, Ciriola, Pane pugliese, Pane di Altamura, Pane Fritto, Grissini torinesi, Tigella, Crescentina, Piadina, Pita to name a few. The following is an authentic age old Italian recipe for fried bread Mamma style.
Ingredients:
2 cups of warm water
2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 cups of flour
Vegetable oil (for frying pan)
Directions:
- Wait for yeast to float on top of the water then add flour
- Mix till no lumps (not like pancake dough)
- The dough should stick to your hands and fingers for the consistency to be correct
- Leave until ready to fry do not touch it!!
- If the house is hot/warm the dough will rise faster
- Fill the frying pan ¾ full with vegetable oil and set burner or stove up as high as 8.
- On the side fill a little bowl with some oil to dip your fingers in so the dough does not stick too badly to your fingers. Remember to frequently oil your fingers and hands to prevent dough from sticking
- Pinch a bit of dough and quickly spread it on the oil in the pan (see photo)
- Can cook quickly so do not leave unattended.
- Flip when underside is golden brown.
Let cool and enjoy! Mangia!
August 01, 2008
This pasta recipe takes a bit of work but if you are having a dinner party and you are wanting to WOW the crowd this Italian recipe will suffice.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Fresh Spinach or 2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped spinach
2 green onions finely chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
36 each Jumbo shells
3 cups Marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (this item can be left out if wish to have without meat)
Directions:
- Place fresh spinach in large saucepan, cover and cook over moderate heat until wilted. About 4-5 minutes. Drain and cool. When cool squeeze dry and chop fine.
- With a large skillet on moderate heat cook the 8 ounces of Italian sausage (remove casings first), until brown or about 5 minutes. To reduce grease use a slotted spoon to place the meat onto a plate with paper towel. Cool and chop fine.
- Using same skillet saute 1 small finely chopped , 1 clove garlic (minced). Stir frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Using a large bowl combine onion mixture, sausage, spinach, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1 tbsp minced parsley, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Cook pasta as per package instructions…do not overcook. Drain off about half of the water and refill the pot with cold water. Remove shells and place on kitchen towel.
- Preheat oven 375 deg F.
- Spread tomato sauce over bottom of shallow 2 quart casserole dish. Stuff pasta shells with sausage and spinach mixture and place them on the sauce. Spoon remaining (2 cups) of sauce overall and sprinkle with rest of parmesan cheese (1/2 cup).
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated and bubbling
Serves 4
Let Mamma Feed you … Mangia
July 23, 2008
4 tomatoes
1/4 cup oil
1 clove garlic
3 cups green beans (fresh and washed)
1/2 cup potatoes
1/2 cup kidney beans (if using fresh beans soak them overnight first)
1 tbsp basil
salt
pepper
celery leaves only
zucchini flower tops
Directions:
- Add 1/4 cup oil and garlic to cooking pot.
- remove tomato core and blend in mixer, add blended tomatoes to cooking pot and Saute.
- add vegetables (beans, celery leaves, zucchini flower tops, potatoes) to pot and mix.
- Add 1 tbsp basil. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover with lid and simmer. Do not touch for about 20 minutes.
Serves 6
Optional: add 1/2 cup spaghetti noodles (Mamma breaks them in half).
Mangia … enjoy.
July 20, 2008
Makes 5 jars
Ingredients:
20 pounds of green beans
3 cups of water
1 cup of white vinegar
5 tbsp table salt
Olive oil, oregano, garlic
Directions:
- Boil beans until semi soft, drain water and let sit until they are cool to the touch.
- Pack cooked beans into jars.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of table salt into each jar.
- Pour boiling water and vinegar solution into jars.
- Seal jars and steam for 4 minutes.
When ready to serve:
Remove green beans from jar, rinse with cold water and place into serving dish. Add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 clove grated garlic and drizzle with oil. Mangiare!
July 19, 2008
Posted by: Mamma : Category:
Italian Cooking,
Italian Recipes
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 cups (500 ml) bread crumbs (soak in water for few minutes)
2 cloves garlic (crushed or grated)
1/4 cup parsley
3 eggs
3/4 cup romano or parmesan cheese
1 tbsp (15 ml) salt
Directions:
- In large mixing bowl add the meat, bread crumbs (after squeezing out the excess water) add eggs. Mix
- Add grated or pressed garlic, parsley, cheese, salt
- Mix well and shape into meatballs.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F and cook meatballs for 15-20 minutes or until brown… Mangiare and Let Mamma Feed You!
July 19, 2008
Looking for a classic Italian recipe for homemade pasta sauce or tomato sauce from scratch?
Ingredients:
10 lbs tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
Salt to taste
Directions:
Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and clove of garlic to cooking pot. Start simmer on low temperature. Add tomatoes.
To prepare tomatoes we will give you two options:
Option 1 - Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 1/2 minute or 30 seconds. Remove and peel skin. Place the peeled tomatoes into your cooking pot and crush.
Option 2 - If you have a blender or bullet mixer you do not need to peel or boil the tomatoes. Remove core, cut the tomatoes in half and blend. Add the mixture to your cooking pot.
Add basil, oregano and salt. Simmer for 3-4 hours. Mangia!!
For meat sauce add cooked lean ground beef.
July 18, 2008
Another specialty which is easy to make and worth the effort is roasted peppers Mamma style.
Ingredients:
3 peppers (1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow or whatever you have)
4-5 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
Directions:
- roast peppers on baking sheet in oven at 350 deg F for approximately 25 minutes
- after they have cooled peel and slice peppers and place in bowl
- add garlic
- add oregano, salt
Stir and they are ready to eat or freeze.
July 17, 2008
This soup is quick and simple to make and is a favorite with all the children (and adults).
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) Pastine (Mamma uses la Molisana 64.Peperini)
6 cups (1500 ml) water
Directions:
- Cook half way or partially cook the little balls of pasta (10 minutes).
- Strain water. Add 6 cups of fresh water to the pastine.
- Bring to a boil again, add 1-1/2 cubes of chicken boullion or equivalent chicken broth.
- Cook for a further 10-15 minutes until tender.
- Serves 6
July 15, 2008
Ingredients:
12 cups of water
1 cup of coarse salt
Large Green Olives purchased by the box (seasonal)
Directions:
- Crush firm green olives, removing the pit.
- Soak crushed olives in water for 4 days, remember to change water every day.
- Place olives into canning jars.
- Boil salt and water mixture, pour hot solution into the jars.
- Seal jars and store.
Preparation: Pour contents of sealed jar into a bowl and soak the olives in fresh water for at least one day (over night is better, squeezing olives occasionally and refreshing the water). Squeeze excess water out of olives and place into serving bowl, add fresh garlic, oregano, salt and olive oil to taste.
Stir frequently and after they have been dressed allow them to sit for a few hours before serving. If you are a true olive lover this Italian recipe will become a keeper.
July 14, 2008
Looking for a way to get your family to eat more vegetables?
Ingredients:
4 cups (1000 ml)
1 cup (250 ml)
4
1 tbsp
1 tsp
1
1/4 cup
1 cup
1 cup
|
grated zucchini
zucchini flowers
eggs
parsley
salt
garlic clove
parmesan cheese
flour
vegetable oil
|
Directions:
Add 4 cups of grated zucchini into a large bowl, Mix in 1 cup of picked zucchini flowers, add 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon of parsley, squished or crushed garlic clove, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, little less than 1 cup of bread flour.
Heat up frying pan with 1 cup of oil in pan and using a serving spoon, flip lots until brown on both sides.
Let cool…mangiare, salute, appetito buono!
July 14, 2008
Ingredients:
2 cups (500 ml)
4
1/2 cup (125 ml)
1 tbsp
pinch
2 each
|
rice (riso superfine Arborio)
eggs
parmesan cheese
parsley
salt to your desired taste
large garlic cloves (use 3 cloves if small)
|
Directions:
- Using a 4 liter pot, cover rice with water, bring to boil.
- Simmer for 20 minutes
- Cool until cold
- Add 4 eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, parsley and garlic
- Mush it or mix all ingredients by hand
- Mold the balls into desired shape
- Fill a deep frying pan with mazzola oil …enough to cover at least half of a rice ball…heat oil and carefully place in the formed rice balls.
- turn quickly, when golden brown place on plate to cool.
This is a great appetizer to bring to a dinner party or finger food for the entire family. They disappear quickly and will soon become a family favorite…. Mangiare!
July 12, 2008
This recipe makes approximately 24 cookies.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup (425 ml)
2 tsp (10 ml)
3/4 cup (175 ml)
2
3/4 cup (175 ml)
1/3 cup (75 ml)
2 tsp (10 ml)
1/2 tsp (2 ml)
1 1/2 tsp (7 ml)
1
|
flour
baking powder
whole unblanched almond
eggs
sugar
melted butter
vanilla
almond extract
grated orange rind
egg white lightly beaten
|
Directions:
- In large bowl combine flour and baking powder.
- Stir in Almonds.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and orange rind.
- Stir into flour mixture until soft, sticky dough forms.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured surface, form into smooth ball, divide in half, roll each into 12 inch long log. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
- brush tops with egg whites.
- bake in 350 F oven for 20 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes on rack. Cut diagonally into 3/4 inch thick slices, stand cookies upright on baking sheet.
- bake sliced cookies for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- cool on rack … mangia!!
Biscotti in Italian means cookie and also means twice baked…
July 12, 2008
Posted by: Mamma : Category:
Italian General
One cannot help but think that much of what we eat or recipes that we see online are commercialized or have been tweaked to appeal to the masses and to the taste buds of the locals. To us, at Mamma Mia Recipes, true authentic Italian cooking or real Italian recipes are those that have been passed on from generation to generation. They use quality ingredients and the finished product typically cannot be purchased in grocery stores or even found in high end restaurants.
Authentic means believed, trustworthy and reliable or true to its type. The only place most of us know where we can get true authentic cooking is at home and from Mom or Mamma. Generally, the taste might be region specific or may be slightly different depending on what part of Italy your family was raised in but the food is very similar and made with quality ingredients coming right from the garden. Mamma makes a minestrone soup certain times of the year with ingredients picked right from the garden earlier or usually the same day. That is what I am talking about!
To capture that true authentic taste requires the same ingredients Grandma used to perfect the recipe so substitution of ingredients is usually not an option. Some Italian recipes require imported ingredients which may mean shopping at a specialty store that imports ingredients right from the homeland. If you want authentic, we encourage you to find or use the same ingredients your Mom used when she made those tasty Italian treats.
The challenge today’s generation has is not just getting your hands on quality ingredients but documenting these Italian recipes that are locked up in the heads of Grandma and Grandpa. A pinch of this, a handful of that and many of the recipes are not measured in a fashion that we are accustomed to. The other challenge is today’s generation is interested in convenience and we do not make the time to perfect the art of cooking these family recipes. Mamma Mia Recipes hopes to change that by encouraging this generation to develop the skill of authentic Italian cooking to ensure it survives the ages and that it is passed on to the next generation. Mangiare, eat and Let Mamma Feed You…
July 11, 2008
Posted by: Mario : Category:
Italian General
Please stay tuned as we will be posting some of the best authentic homemade Italian recipes you can sink your teeth into. This is the food we grew up on and this site is a little tribute to our Mother and related Famiglia’s … Mangia, Mangia!
Quick Lesson on Italian
Mangia or Mangiare means to EAT!
Famiglia is FAMILY
Grazie Tante is THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Prego is your WELCOME!
Salute is CHEERS!
Chemente, Cemento or Concrete is not good ... RUN!
