Minestrone Di Zio Giuseppe (Uncle Joe’s Minestrone)

I love soup, but I don't make it very often.  Valerie asked me this winter to make more soups, and I immediately thought of this minestrone recipe.  Uncle Joe's Minestrone.  Is he my Uncle Joe?  No.  But, he has concocted a delicious minestrone, nonetheless.

The recipe comes from the book The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto.  I was not able to locate the book within the family, but I did find it on amazon.com, so I ordered it.  It is no longer in print, so I purchased a used copy.  It's fragile, but it's in pretty good shape.

Back to the minestrone, it is very simple to prepare, and it is one of the better soups I have ever made.  I didn't have fresh peas, so I used frozen and the results were fine.  I also used one quart of chicken stock and two quarts of water, to add some extra flavor.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe how it is written.

I was a bit skeptical about both noodles and potatoes in the soup, but it really works.  It is very rich, warming and comforting.  Perfect for a cool evening at home, served with some crusty bread.

This recipe makes a lot minestrone.  I would recommend making as much as you are planning to eat in one sitting because the noodles end up pretty mushy and bloated after being in the broth for a while.  The flavor is still good, but it is definitely best served at soon as the noodles are al dente.

Minestrone Di Zio Giuseppe (Uncle Joe's Minestrone)
Printable Recipe
Serves 6 to 8

1 pound fresh peas
1 cup diced celery
2 diced carrots
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 pound vermicelli
3 quarts water
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
3 diced potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean all vegetables. In saucepan, saute onions and potatoes in hot olive oil about 10 minutes or until medium brown. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; cover; cook slowly about 15 minutes.

In separate pot, bring 3 quarts water to boiling. Add celery, peas, and carrots; cover; cook about 15 minutes or until tender. Add all sauteed vegetables and cook about 10 minutes; add vermicelli and cook 10 more minutes.

Serve very hot with grated Romano cheese.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My great-grandmother made this cake all the time when I was a kid, and I absolutely loved it.  It is one of the first recipes I tried to when I was first learning how to bake.  It's not an easy one to start out with, though.  I remember countless times flipping the cake only to find that some of the cake stuck to the pan, or the brown sugar/butter mixture didn't absorb into the cake and ran all over the counter top.  I still ate it, and I'm sure I gained a few pounds in the process.

Thinking back in it now, I'm not sure my great-grandmother turned the whole cake upside-down before serving it.  I remember the cake staying in the pan, with her flipping the individual pieces over as they were served.  I was always anxious to see how much pineapple I got, or if I was lucky to get a cherry. 

I forgot about this recipe for a long time, given my constant failings.  I had even moved on to another recipe where I bake the cake in a cast iron skillet.  It surfaced again when I was scanning my recipe card collection, buried in a little binder that held my old hand-written 3.5 x 5 handwritten recipe cards.  The very first recipes I ever tried are in that binder, most transcribed from cooking shows I watched on HGTV, before we even had Food Network on cable. 

More confident in my baking skills, I decided to give this recipe another try.  I don't have a 9 x 15 baking dish, so I used a 9 x 13 and it turned out just fine.  In fact, I think my great-grandmother used a 9 x 13, too.  I also omitted the nuts, because I don't remember hers ever having nuts, either.  The cake turned out great and my grandma said it tastes just like her mom's.  Music to my ears! 

The cake is so fluffy and moist.  The brown sugar and butter give the cake a nice richness and the pineapple sweet and tart.  And I can't think of a better occasion to use a Maraschino cherry.

I am glad to have finally conquered this version of pineapple upside down cake.  However, I must say that I do prefer the cake to be baked in a cast iron skillet, but that's another post.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Printable recipe 

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can sliced pineapple

Maraschino cherries

Walnuts or pecans

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons pineapple juice

Melt butter.  Pour into 9 x 15 baking dish.  Spread brown sugar evenly and arrange slices on sugar, put a cherry in each center and nuts in the other spaces.  Beat egg yolks until light, add sugar slowly.  Add flour and juice alternately.  Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into first mixture.  Pour batter over pineapple.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Turn upside down on flat serving tray while still warm.  Serve with whipped cream.

Cheesecake Cookies

Gastronomically speaking, there are few things I enjoy more than cheesecake.  I was skeptical when I saw this recipe because, in my experience, when something is labeled as cheesecake when it really isn't cheesecake, it usually leaves a lot to be desired. 

I am happy to report these little morsels of goodness are the exception to the rule.  They really do taste like little bite size pieces of cheesecake.  Kind of like those little individually wrapped cheesecake squares one would find at the discount wholesale clubs, only better.

They are easy to make, too.  If there is one thing I have learned looking through these family recipes, it's that we are big fans of cookie squares.  Why bother dishing out individual portions when you can make them all at once in one pan and just cut them up when they're done?  Simplicity is key.

These cookies are a real timesaver when you have that cheesecake craving but don't have the time to make a traditional cheesecake.  Although there is nothing like a real piece of cheesecake, these little cookies come pretty darn close.

Cheesecake Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 /3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix brown sugar, nuts and flour together. Stir in melted butter and mix until light and crumbly. Save 3/4 cup to be used as topping. Place remainder in 8 inch square pan and press firmly. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in egg, lemon juice, milk and vanilla. Pour this mixture over baked crust. Top with reserved crumbs. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cool thoroughly, then cut into 2 inch squares.

Nonna's Pizza & Sauce

My previous post on Nonna's pizza featured only the recipe for the crust with assembly and baking directions.  When I found this recipe card for the pizza and sauce, I knew I had to do another post.  Besides, I'll use any excuse to make Nonna's pizza again.

The one ingredient that stands out in the sauce recipe and really sets it apart is clove.  A "hint o' clove" is key, because a little goes a long way.  However, you want to add enough so that you can taste it.  My mom and I have made Nonna's pizza for a few family gatherings, and it has always been successful.  The second time we made it though, Uncle Steve told me we perfected it because it had just the right amount of clove.  A very nice compliment, indeed.

I also remember the diced onion in the sauce that Nonna used to make.  I remember thinking as a kid, "wait a minute, I don't like onions," but I ate it anyway.  I don't remember the mushrooms, though, so I may just not have noticed them.

This is the most complete recipe for Nonna's pizza I have found.  Just reading it brings back a lot of wonderful memories. 

 

Nonna's Pizza & Sauce

Printable Recipe

Dough:
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon oil
4 cups flour (white and whole wheat combo)

Stir, knead, cover, and let rise

Sauce:
1 big Hunts (29 oz.)
2 puree or 1 paste (depending on how long you cook it) or any combo using sauce or base.
Add:
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons Italian seasonings or
2-3 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
Hint o' clove
Add 8 oz mushrooms and sauteed onions (about 3 medium)

Pat down dough, turn out and knead. (Cut in half for two pans.)  Oil pan (the more oil the crispier the bottom crust). Roll out dough (keep lifting and turning). Pat into shape in pie pan.
Put on sliced mozzarella cheese, filling whole surface.
Put sauce on generously, top with Romano or Parmesan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie!!

Nothing like waiting until after the holidays to post a pumpkin pie recipe!  Oh well.  Though, pumpkin pie is so good, why not have it year round?

This pumpkin pie recipe is basically the standard Libby's recipe found on canned pumpkin everywhere.  I did deviate from it a little by using a fresh pumpkin puree made from roasted pumpkin flesh.  Mmmm...Pumpkin flesh.

I was a little concerned using my own pumpkin because it was not as thick as the canned variety, but I did it anyway.  I measured the pumpkin by weight (15 oz.) rather than volume, if that makes any difference.  

A quick aside:  If you don't have a digital kitchen scale, get one, and measure by weight over volume as much as possible.  I would go into it more, but that's best left for another post.  Maybe on latent chestnut.  Does that still exist?  Oh yeah, maybe something will pop up there soon.

Back to the pie.  It turned out great!  Smooth, creamy, sweet, pumpkinny goodness.  It had just the right amount of spiciness, and perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.  Libby got it right.  I won't get into the nuances of flavor because I'm sure we all know what pumpkin pie tastes like.  But homemade is almost always better, and using fresh pumpkin only elevated the flavors. 

As I was looking through Nonna's recipe cards for pumpkin pie, I found an old Libby's recipe card.  The recipe is the same as the one used today except for the amount of one ingredient; sugar.  The old recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, compared to 3/4 cups today.  Three times the amount of sugar is quite an increase.  It is also interesting that one of the serving suggestions on the card is for wedges of sharp cheddar cheese.

I was unable to find any information on when the recipe made the switch from 1/4 to 3/4 cups of sugar.  Maybe pumpkin pie was more of a savory delight back then.  As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with the recipe the way it is written now.

Pumpkin Pie!!
Printable Recipe

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cup Libby's pumpkin (15 oz. can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk (12 oz can)
9 inch unbaked pastry shell

Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in hot oven (425) 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to moderate (350) and bake 45 minutes more. Or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Double for 2 pies.