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Italian food topics

What is Italian Sausage?

September 2, 2010 in Food, Meats by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 2 comments

Italian sausage is different than regular sausage because it uses Italian seasonings.  There is no one set way to make Italian sausage, and no one ingredient list which you much must use.  If you make your own sausage at home you can add whatever ingredients that you like in order give it an Italian flair.

Any time you make sausage you will need to have sausage casing, ground meat, a mechanism to stuff the sausage, string, and seasonings such as fennel, salt and pepper, red pepper etc.

Some people stuff the casings by hand or by using stuffing tube.   It usually takes more than one person to do this task.  It is not easy work and will take awhile.  I will not get into

Italian Sausage

specifics at this time, for a few reasons.  One is that there is so much to say – it would be too much for a simple post.  I like talking to people who actually stuff their own sausage because they will tell you like it is.  And it isn’t always as easy as the cookbooks make it sound.

If you are using an electric meat grinder to mix all your ingredients it will generally come – or should come with a sausage attachment.  In fact, this is one common reason why people like to own their own meat grinder – to make sausage!

If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer you can actually purchase special sausage stuffer attachment kits made specifically for the Kitchen Aid.  Some users have found the sausage attachment to be good for novices who are new to the sausage making world, while others have found the attachments to be messy, time consuming, and not of durable quality.

Let’s talk a bit about the casings.  It is commonly assumed the casings are made of pork.  However, lamb can often be used and I believe there are some synthetic casings as well that you can purchase.  Since I tend to avoid pork products, and lamb is acceptable for me.

There are many cookbooks available which give various recipes and how to techniques for making your own sausage.  If you are an enthusiast, I would take a look at Amazon and see what they offer.

Major Advantage for Making Homemade Sausage

One of the advantages to making your own sausage is you have total control over the quality of the ingredients which you put in.  Where I live, it is hard to find a lot of organic meat products.  Much less organic sausage that does not use pork.  So being able to purchase your own organic meat, grind it in your own meat grinder, purchase your own casings, and season it with your own seasonings without any artificial additives-this is what I’d call real sausage.  This is how it was done in the past and this is how it should be done today.

When making your own sausage make sure to give my sausage and peppers recipe a try.   It’s easy and tastes great!

If you have your own sausage making techniques or advice, feel free to post them here – I’d love to hear.

Sincerely,

Liz
www.simpleItaliancooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

When In Rome–Enjoy Their Festivals

August 24, 2010 in Espresso, Gelato, Italian heritage, culture by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Modern day festivals in Rome are a series of outdoor events known as Roman Summer.  The tradition of celebrations dates back to the time when Rome dominated the world.

Early Roman Celebrations

In the early Roman culture, the people loved celebrations.  This was a pagan society which worshiped many gods. The gods were jealous of each other and were always warring with one another.  In order to appease the different gods, the Romans held separate festivals to honor each god.  It was party time.  The parties consisted of many excesses in food, drink and sexual activity.  They loved games and we are familiar with the gladiators who fought each other and wild beasts as well.  Saturnalia was a feast to honor the god, Saturn.  The nobles dressed and acted like slaves and the slaves “became” noblemen. A good time was had by all.

Dark Ages

After the fall of Rome and the rise of the Papacy, the festivals were banned.  Mysteries or religious dramas became the form of entertainment.  This period was originally thought of as the Dark Ages, in contrast to the light of classical Greek and Roman antiquity that came before.  It was a time of economic and cultural deterioration and there was not much to celebrate.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance there was a return to festivals.  The Roman Carnival became famous and people came from all over the world to participate.  The celebration inspired many artists and musicians, including Berlioz and Resipghi.  There was even horse racing down the main street in Rome.

Modern Times

Today, Roman Summer or L’estate Romana, is a festival that lasts from June to September.  It is a series of open air performances.  There are many sites in the city where music, dancing and theater are offered.  At the Baths of Caracalla and the Castle of St. Angelo ballets and operas are performed in the open air.  There are many piazzas or squares where visitors and locals alike enjoy sitting and enjoying a gelato or sipping an espresso while watching the crowds go by.

Celebrations, parties and festivals are a natural way to express our love and enthusiasm for life.  Let the good times roll.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

This week’s recipe – Ciabatta Bread Pizza Recipe

August 20, 2010 in Pizza by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I featured an easy pizza recipe which actually does not use pizza dough.  Instead it uses ciabatta bread (ciabatta bread pizza recipe)!

Of course you can do a variety of toppings, but this one is simple and uses basic ingredients most of us have on hand anyway.

This recipe was given to us from my sister in law.  When he told her I was doing this month on pizzas she gave us this recipe.  I hope you try it!

Since I provide the full detailed recipe on my website, I won’t repeat myself in detail.   Here is the basic idea:

Brush the ciabatta bread (sliced lengthwise) with some olive oil.   Add some garlic or garlic salt.  (I rubbed the bread with the garlic).

Drain and rinse a can of diced tomatoes.  Make sure to drain well.

Add some dried oregano, grated Romano on top, along with a dash of black pepper.  (I skipped the black pepper).

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes or longer until done.

A few things I learned from making this:

1.  The ciabatta bread stays soft on the inside.  I thought baking it would make it hard from outside in.  Not the case. It was crisp on the outside and perfectly soft inside.

2.  You can prebake the bread a bit, if concerned it will be too soft or soggy.   I did not find this a problem as long as the tomatoes were drained enough.   But you can prebake them for about 10 minutes if you desire.

3.  Giving specific measurements simply cannot be done for this type of recipe.   You have to judge based on the size of your bread loaf.   No measurements were given to me and it turned out just fine.

Ciabatta Pizza

4.  Some stores sell ciabatta bread in small square single sandwich type sizes.  You can use those too, but they will not require as long to bake due to they are thinner.

5.  A good extra virgin olive oil is key.  Remember, much of Italian cooking is based on quality ingredients.  The second time I made this I had run out of extra virgin olive oil, so I had to resort to the bland pure olive oil.  Yes, there was a big difference!  Use extra virgin if at all possible.

6.  What I liked about this recipe is that it didn’t use a regular pizza sauce.  You got the pizza flavor thanks to the oregano.  The tomatoes did not taste like yucky canned diced tomatoes at all.

I hope you try the recipe, it was so good and easy to make!

Liz

http://www.simpleitaliancooking.com/recipes/ciabatta-bread-pizza-recipe.htm

How To Make Easy Low Fat Italian Fruit Gelato

August 19, 2010 in Gelato, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This recipe is the best of both worlds.  It’s super tasty and it’s low fat.  How can that be?  It’s really easy.  A few simple substitutions can make a big difference in calorie count.  In this recipe, cornstarch is substituted for egg yolks and low fat milk for the heavier, calorie dense kind.  Fresh or frozen fruit provides the sweetening as well as many healthful vitamins.

This Italian fruit gelato is especially good to make in the summer when fresh fruits are readily available.  But don’t despair if you don’t have any.  Frozen fruit is easily substituted for fresh.

IngredientsGelato with strawberries

  • 1/2 half cup of sugar
  • 3 thin strips of lemon (yellow part) 1/2 x 3″ long
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • fruit puree – see specific amounts below

Directions

  • Combine sugar and lemon peel in a large sauce pan.  Press the lemon peel into the sugar to release the lemon oil.
  • Add cornstarch
  • Stir in milk
  • Cook over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.  When the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking for one minute.
  • Remove from heat and discard lemon strips.  Add the puree and vanilla to the mixture and let it cool.  Put it in your gelato maker and process.
  • If you are using an ice cream maker, you must make sure the mixture is very cold before you add it to your ice cream maker.

How to Prepare Puree

  • Blueberries:  Process about 3 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen blueberries and 2 tbs of lemon in your food processor or blender.  Make sure the skins are chopped up fine.
  • Raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, boysenberries:  Process 3 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen berries and 1 tbs of lemon juice in your processor or blender.  Then put them through a strainer to remove the seeds.
  • Strawberries:  Process 3 1/2 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen berries and 1 tbs of lemon juice.

I hope you enjoy this low fat fruit gelato.  It tastes good and it’s good for you.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

Tips for Handling Raw Ground Beef

August 13, 2010 in Food, Meats by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

The importance of handling meat, in this case ground beef, cannot be stressed enough.   Without proper handling a person can expose themselves to all sorts of bacteria – some fatal.

How Long to Keep Raw Ground Beef?

Use or freeze raw beef within 2 days from when you purchase the meat.    Bacteria such as salmonella and E-Coli will grow and spread in the beef – especially when it is not stored in the proper temperatures.

Bacteria cannot grow when meats are frozen.

These bacteria will cause illness in a human, sometimes death.  It cannot be seen on the meat, so just checking it for oddities or giving a smell test will NOT help you determine if there is this type of bacteria.

According to the FSIS website, bacteria quickly grows between 40 and 140 degrees F.   Therefore, make sure to store your ground beef at temperatures less than 40 degrees f.

Unless it is frozen, do not leave it in your refrigerator for 2 days max and only thaw your beef in the refrigerator, not on a kitchen counter where it is exposed to the “danger zone” of room temperatures.

Freezing the ground beef will stop any spread of bacteria as noted above.  Use the frozen beef within 4 months to ensure maximum freshness, however there is no limit to how long beef can be stored in a freezer.

Grinding Beef Spreads Bacteria Faster

Healthy Meat

Whether grinding your own meat at home, or if your butcher does it for you, it is important to realize that this will cause bacteria to grow even faster.   To eliminate the threat of bacteria in your ground beef, make sure it is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

When purchasing ground beef, look for good red color – even purplish red.  If it has a lot of grayish brown around the meat this could be a sign that is spoiling.

Some meats will have some gray coloring because it is oxygen which helps bring about the red color, so some areas of meat which do not receive much oxygen will have some gray.

3 Ways to Thaw Ground Beef

1.  Thaw in the refrigerator.

This slows down the growth of bacteria.  Make sure the meat is properly covered and not placed where the juices or meat will touch any other item.

Placing the wrapped package of meat in a glass container or pan is a good choice because you will not need to worry about leakage.  Never let it be sitting fully exposed without being wrapped.

It is most common to thaw the meat over night.  This is the only method that allows for the meat to be refrozen.

2.  Thaw in the microwave.

This process is truly the fastest way, however you have to be careful you do not overcook the meat.   Cook the meat quickly after thawing – again to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria.  Do not refreeze.

3.  Thaw in cold water.

Place the meat within an airtight plastic bag and place in a bowl of very cold water.  Make sure the meat is fully submerged.   To keep the water cold, change it out every 30 minutes.  Like thawing in the microwave, cook the meat immediately and do not refreeze.

What should be the internal temperature of ground beef?

The internal temperature should be 160 degrees minimum.  However, when reheating fully cooked frozen ground beef (such as in casseroles, lasagna, or meatballs), the internal temp should be 165 degrees F.

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

How to Make Tiramisu

August 12, 2010 in Espresso, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Tiramisu is a melt-in-your-mouth Italian dessert.  It is a layered dessert made in a flat pan that is light in texture and filled with hints of the most delightful flavors.  The name “tiramisu” means pick me up, which may have something to do with the strong espresso that is used in it.

Recipe

I am combining a few recipes to create a basic Italian  version.  There is really very little variation in the ingredients.  There may be a slight difference in quantities but that is all.  Of course, the more authentically Italian your ingredients are, the more Italian your Tiramisu will be.

Ingredients

  • Eggs, 3 large with eggs and yolks separated
  • Sugar, 1/2 cupTiramisu
  • Mascarpone, 8 oz.  Mascarpone is a triple cream cheese that is easily spread like thick cream.
  • Ladyfingers, 20
  • Espresso, 1 cup
  • Cognac or Brandy, 2 tablespoons
  • Cocoa, 1/8 cup

Directions

  1. Make the espresso in a stove top espresso maker and let it cool.
  2. Combine 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon espresso, sugar and Cognac into a large mixing bowl and beat 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the Mascarpone and beat 3 to 5 minutes until the consistency is smooth.
  4. In another bowl, combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar.  Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold into the Mascarpone mixture.
  6. Pour the rest of the espresso into a flat dish.  You are now ready to put the Tiramisu together.
  7. Take a ladyfinger and lay it flat, sugar side up, in the espresso and remove it immediately.  Lay it sugar side down in the Tiramisu dish.
    Use 1/2 of the ladyfingers.  If any are not dark with the espresso, just sprinkle a little more espresso on them.
  8. Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture on the ladyfingers and sprinkle with cocoa.  Put the cocoa in a sieve and tap on the side to apply the cocoa evenly.
  9. Take the remaining ladyfingers and repeat step 7.
  10. Add the rest of the mascarpone mixture and sprinkle that layer with cocoa as described in step 8.
  11. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.  All the liquid will be absorbed by the ladyfingers and the flavors all blended together.

Storage

This dessert will keep in the refrigerator for several days, but I can’t imagine that there would be any left after the first time it is served.  Enjoy!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How to Can Tomatoes Using a Water Bath Solution

August 10, 2010 in Food, tomatoes by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 1 comment

Late summertime is the time of the year when I have an abundance of tomatoes.  We eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but there is still a lot left over.  Since I don’t want to waste any, I can either can them or freeze them.  That way, you can enjoy your tomatoes all year long.  In the middle of winter, nothing tastes as good as Italian pasta sauce made with your own tomatoes.

Canning

Canning tomatoes is good if you have a lot of tomatoes all at once.  This is definitely the case if you have grown Roma tomatoes.  They are of the determinate type and produce a heavy crop in a short period of time.  Since tomatoes are acid based, they can be preserved in a water bath.

  • First wash your tomatoes and discard any that are very bruised or have open cracks.  I always make a small slash in the bottom of the tomato.  It helps the skins to slip right off.
  • Place them in boiling water until the skins start to split and then plunge them into cold water.  The skins will come right off.
  • I cut out the core and blend them quickly in my blender.  I like to heat my tomatoes in order to do a hot pack.
  • I sterilize my canning jars in the dishwasher and boil my lids and rims for 5 minutes in a saucepan.
  • Fill your water bath canner and bring the water to a boil.  Fill the jars to within a half inch of the top with the hot tomatoes and add 1 tsp of salt per quart jar.  Wipe the rim of the jars to make sure there are no food particles on the rim.  Screw on the lids with the rims and put them in the canner.  Bring the water to a rolling boil and process them for 10 minutes.
  • Remove them and place on a towel away from drafts and listen for the jars to seal.  You will hear a “pop” that will let you know they are sealed.

Freezing

Freezing tomatoes is very simple.  Process the tomatoes to remove the skin as described above.  Then either quarter them or place them whole in freezer bags.  Lay them flat in the freezer until they are hard.  Then you can stack them neatly on your freezer shelves.

Frozen tomatoes are best used in soups or stews.

Before you do any canning or freezing, it’s a good idea to have a  how-to book on preserving foods.  Amazon  has a good selection of  canning and freezing books.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

Using a Bread Machine to Make Your Pizza

August 9, 2010 in Pizza by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I tried something new.  I followed the advice from a contributor in an earlier post here, where he mentioned using the pizza dough setting on a bread machine.

Hmm… sounded interesting and so since this month is devoted to pizza recipes, I figured why not give it a shot.

I won’t repeat the recipe, you can get it from the previous pizza dough recipe post, but it was easy!   I simply put the ingredients in the bowl, selected the setting and away we went.  55 minutes later, my dough was mixed and had risen.

It was a little wet but that was easily resolved by patting it with some flour.

Next, I divided the dough in two parts and rolled it out and grilled each pizza.  One for my husband and one for me.  I grilled each one for about 4 minutes over medium high heat.   Turned it over and cooked for another minute or so.

I added the toppings and waited for the cheese to melt.

My mother asked me how long it takes and I have to say what everyone hates to hear…”It depends”.   But it is true.  It depends on the type of grill, and how high the heat is.

I actually made pizza twice this week this way and each time it took a different length of time to cook.   The first time, I did it over low heat on the grill.   It took at least 10 minutes longer, but I felt I had more control over the heating process.

When I did it again a few days later, I turned the heat up to medium high.  This was fine too, but left me less time to run in and out of the house getting whatever I needed.  I know… get everything you need up front and this isn’t an issue.    Who are we kidding – it rarely ever works out that way.

So the second pizza had a harder crust but was still really good.

There are other ways to make pizza dough if you do not have a bread machine .  You can use a food processor, such as the one I wrote about in this review on the Cuisinart Food Processor.   The processor has to have a dough setting and not all of them do.  You can also use a stand mixer like a KitchenAid which has a dough blade attachment.

Or you can just use your hands.  However, automation will always save you time.

So there you have it – I’ve tested it and can now consider this method tried and true!

If you’re in the market for a bread machine check out Amazon as they have great prices and a good selection of machines.

Liz
SimpleItalianCooking.com

Who wants gelato for dessert?

August 5, 2010 in Gelato, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

I wanted to share a basic gelato recipe with you, but I have to admit I was confused by the many “basic” recipes.  I researched several different versions and came up with the one below.  I found there are many variations in the ingredients and in the quantities.  I think this is one of those times when you just have to play with it and make adjustments to suit your tastes.  Here goes!

IngredientsDifferent types of gelato

  • 2 cups of milk (whole, low fat or non fat)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of fat free powdered milk
  • 8 eggs (yolks only)
  • 1 cup of light cream or half & half or fat free half & half
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 3 cups of prepared fruit

Directions

Since the DeLonghi gelato maker has a built in refrigeration unit, you do not have to freeze your container ahead of time.

  • Heat the milk, sugar and powdered milk in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom.  Just heat to a slow simmer to dissolve the sugar and then lower the heat to keep the mixture warm.
  • Separate the yolks from the eggs.
  • Whip the egg yolks with a whisk or hand mixer until they are thick.
  • Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks constantly whisking while you pour.
  • Then pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk and increase the heat to medium.  Be sure to use a wooden or plastic spoon and stir for about 6-8 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the cream, whichever kind you have chosen and the vanilla.  Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  • Prepare the fruit, whatever kind you want.  Just fix it the way you would as if you were going to eat it and then puree the fruit in the blender. Combine with the milk/cream mixture and put it in the DeLonghi removable bowl and turn on your gelato maker.  Your gelato will be ready in 30 minutes.  Yum!!

Like I said before, there are many variations of this recipe.  Some use less sugar, some less eggs.  And of course, there are many different flavorings you can use.  Let your imagination soar and create your own special gelato!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How many types of short pasta are there?

August 3, 2010 in Food by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the many types of short pasta.  There are three main types.

  • Tubular
  • Shaped
  • Stuffed

Tubular

Tubular pasta can be tiny to jumbo sized.  It can also be smooth or ridged and straight cut or diagonal.  This type of pasta is good for heavy sauces. It is able to hold more sauce because of it’s uneven shape and size.  Also the sauce can sneak right inside the tube so you get even more sauce with each mouthful.

  • Small – Ditalini are tiny short tubes that are good to use in soups or broths.  Pastina is even smaller and is often the first pasta that small children are fed.  Orzo is shapped like a grain of rice and is often combined with rice to make rice pilaf.
  • Large – Manicotti or large shells are an example of large tubes.  They are usually stuffed with a ricotta blend of cheese.
  • Smooth or Ridged – Macaroni is pasta made with semolina and water, without eggs.  It contains many different shapes such as elbow, penne, rigatoni and ziti.  Elbow and ziti are smooth.  Rigatoni is ridged and penne can be both smooth or ridged.

Shaped

There are many fancy shapes of pasta.  Farfalle means butterfly, but it is better know as bowties.  Fusilli is a corkscrew type of pasta as is the spiral rotini and children all love wagon wheels.  Gemelli is two pieces of round pasta twisted together.

Stuffed

A familiar stuffed pasta is ravioli.  It looks like a little pasta pillow and can be round or square.  It is stuffed with meat, cheese, seafood or vegetables.  Tortellini are bite sized stuffed pasta.  They are sometimes served in soups.  Gnocchi are basically dumplings made with flour, semolina and potatoes.  They are served as a side dish with butter and grated cheese.

When you cook your pasta, remember to use lots of water, about 4 quarts to 1 pound of pasta. Remember to add salt to the water.  It really enhances the flavor of the pasta and don’t cook it too long; it should be “al dente” or firm to the tooth.  Serve your pasta dish in a beautiful hand painted pasta bowl and enjoy your dinner!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

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