Italian Thanksgiving Traditions ~ ~ and a Guest Post

"over the river and through the woods, 

to grandmother's house we go"

(a view of the road to my acreage)

the fireplace mantel all decorated for autumn and Thanksgiving

the dining room centerpiece for autumn and Thanksgiving,

minus the place settings

Most Americans would be surprised to know that Italians also have a celebration in honor of giving thanksgiving as do Italian-Americans in the U.S.    The traditional 'La Festa del Ringraziamento' is well known as the 'festival of giving thanks' and similar to many other year-round holidays in Italy that have a religious foundation when Italians honor their patron saints. 

a festival in Praiano, Italy (for the Feast of St. Luke) during my trip in October

Truthfully, any time that Italians can get together to celebrate family, food and tradition is always a time of celebration and thanksgiving.  Italians love their new home country of 'America' and have happily included Thanksgiving in their favorite ways of getting together with family and expressing gratitude for this country.   Although we have the traditional turkey on the table, we always enhance the menu with Italian dishes from our heritage:  Antipasti, a first course (i Primi) of tortellini in brodo soup, Italian stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes heavily flavored with garlic and herbs, and Italian sweets to finish the meal.  Many Italians, similar to Americans, enjoy their turkeys stuffed with dressing, but my family prefers to bake the stuffing on the side for a more crisp texture.

This week I have the opportunity for introducing another guest poster here on 'la bella vita':  Bridget Sandorford is a freelance writer and researcher for Culinaryschools.org, and is currently a researching culinary arts pastry chef.  Bridget asked me if she could write a post regarding Italian cuisine and I was delighted to oblige!  Below you will find her perfectly timed thoughts regarding how Italians have embraced the American holiday of Thanksgiving in their own unique and delicious way:


Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday!

This holiday celebrates the harvest that the Pilgrims enjoyed with the Native Americans in the New World -- something that is unique to American history.  However, Italians have a tradition that celebrates the harvest, dating back to ancient times in which the gods of the harvest were honored. Remnants of that tradition persist, and some expatriates living in Italy have adapted current Thanksgiving traditions.

Between the two, many Italians celebrate this time of year with a feast as Americans do for Thanksgiving.  Of course, these celebrations are a bit different than the feasts we enjoy on a traditional American Thanksgiving.

Here's what you might expect to see for an Italian "Thanksgiving":

Antipasti ~ ~ Appetizers

While raw veggies and dip make the rounds at an American Thanksgiving, Italians love to enjoy sausage, cheeses, stuffed mushrooms, and assorted olives. Traditional antipasti dishes are on display, including stuffed peppers and artichokes, shrimp, and roasted vegetables in olive oil. Any traditional Italian appetizers can be served.

This year's antipasto platter(s) included:  Imported Italian Gorgonzola and Fontina cheeses, roasted red peppers in olive oil and red pepper flakes, Genoa salami chunks, sliced Prosciutto, and Soprosatta.

marinated fresh mozzarella is always enjoyed!

Garlic-stuffed green olives, pearl onions, pepperoncini, black olives, baby carrots, marinated beets, and baby pickles.

marinated olives are always expected on an antipasto platter

because my children have a bit of Swedish blood from their paternal lineage, 

we always include a huge bowl of extra yummy herring in onions!

artichokes, marinated beans, and prosciutto are mandatory in addition to the cheeses, olives, and red peppers!

figs are still in season, so Gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto

are stars on an antipasto platter

fresh Italian bread brushed with garlic-butter and herbs 

are a MUST for antipasti to be placed on in order to enjoy 'small bites'

earlier in the day prior to the big dinner.

i Primi ~ ~ First Course

Traditionally, Italians include a soup before the main entree.  It would simply not be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter without this northern Italian specialty:  Homemade Tortellini in homemade brodo (Tortellini in Broth).  This year my mother and I made 1000 of these little navel-shaped stuffed pastas.  That's nothing compared to our usual 3000 when we have all of the family over for a holiday dinner!

one test of how well the tortellini turn out is if to see if any of the little bundles break during and after cooking.  This year, literally none of our little tortellini broke!  The dough that my mother made was absolutely perfect in texture!

My mother and I always try to twist the tortellini as small as possible, as is the tradition in my family in Italy.  What you see sold in the markets is far too large for Italians, and would be known as 'tortelloni' instead.  With the small spoon as a reference above, you can see how tiny tortellini can be when twisted on your pinkie finger!

tortellini floating in the brodo let you know that they are just about finished cooking

but you must taste to know if they are 'al dente' or not; never overcook pasta!

Secondi ~ ~  Entrees

Some Italians may opt for the traditional turkey, infusing it with Italian seasons such as oregano and rosemary. Turkey sausage may be served as an Italian variation on this classic dish. A pomegranate sauce provides a nice twist on the classic cranberry.

Traditional Italian pasta dishes also take center stage, including ravioli and other stuffed pastas. Pumpkin stuffed ravioli or pastas with winter squash and lentils are perfect choices for a Thanksgiving (or harvest) feast.


Contorni ~ ~ Side Dishes

Of course, a hearty salad with greens, fresh vegetables, and oils makes for a hearty and healthy side. Sprinkle on peppers and Parmesan cheese to taste.

sometimes we prepare garlic mashed potatoes for our gravy lovers in the family,

but more often we'll prepare garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes.

these disappear faster than mashed potatoes every time!

Our traditional Italian-seasoned Prosciutto and Pepperoni Stuffing / Dressing

 infused with garlic, rosemary, Italian sausage, onions, 

and a variety of Italian cheeses.

This is probably the next favorite recipe for Thanksgiving, after the tortellini!

another side dish for any holiday consists of fresh, sauteed vegetables, enhanced with roasted red peppers, garlic, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamico vinegar (never, ever cream of mushroom soup)

i Dolci ~ ~ Sweets

There's no dessert that seems out of place at Thanksgiving. Try classic cannoli or tiramisu as the perfect after-dinner treat. Classic Italian pastries and tarts are delicious after any meal.   If you miss your pumpkin pie, try a pumpkin-flavored cannoli or even a pumpkin-flavored custard or ice.

Beverages

There are delicious Italian wines that you can pair with any meal and any course. Select your favorites for both the main meal and your dessert. Try a dry Pinot Grigio with the main course and a hearty port wine for dessert.

While Thanksgiving may be an American holiday, Italians and others who love Italian food have found ways to adapt the tradition to their own culture. The resulting feast is a great way to celebrate the harvest or just good times with family and friends.

most Italians enjoy either a light after dinner wine or 

liqueur such as Amaretto Di Saronno or Limoncello

I hope that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in both America and Italy . . . and anywhere around the globe!




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Prosciutto, Parmigiana~Regiano Cheese, Tortellini and Balsamico Vinegar in an Airport!

A specialty store for Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiana-Regiano cheese, hand-made tortellini, and balsamic vinegar freshly packed and marketed to travelers in an AIRPORT was the first thing (well actually the second thing) that I noticed upon landing in the Bologna airport in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.  Only in Italy would one see such a sight!  I could not believe my eyes!  You'd never see this anywhere in the States.

Upon landing and departing from the plane, I could also not help but first notice the run down, falling apart nature of the airport, especially after the pristine airport in the Netherlands where my connecting flight was in Amsterdam.  My mother told me that the airport in Bologna was very old, and that had to be the understatement of the day!  I wasn't thrilled that this was my first impression of Italy (on the ground).  It's nice to know that it looked like they were trying to renovate the place!  I might add that the Milan airport was quite nice from which we flew home from.  

My impressions soon did a 180 degree turn upon seeing this little shop in the airport.  There were crowds of travelers pushing in line to purchase the specialities of Emilia-Romagna.  If my parents weren't in such a hurry (as they always are) to get the rental car, I would have had such a good time spending my Euros for the very first time!

And the surprise of how inexpensive the prices of food are in Italy just took me by shock!  In the restaurants, forget it, you pay very high prices for food, but in the markets  . . . what a SWEET deal you'll find!  In my opinion, staying in a villa or a 

'pensione' is the only way to stay in Italy.  For the three (3) of us we only spent 130 Euros for one week while staying in a villa with a little kitchen.  The first day I was in Venice, I spent 80 Euro just for lunch!!  Plus the joy of shopping for fresh produce in the local markets and talking to the proprietor in Italian was so much fun!

the balsamico vinegar (aceto di balsamico) is available from 2 euro to 150 euro,

 with the age, sweetness, thickness, and thus quality increasing with each price.

whole legs of Prosciutto di Parma (from Parma, Italy in Emilia-Romagna) are sold in these large sizes!

to my vegetarian friends whom I totally respect:   I'm not trying to offend anyone,
 but it would be hell to be a veggie in Italy . . . 

I'd buy a leg or two of this!
 Every home in Italy has their own meat slicer!

"smaller" chunks of prosciutto are available if you don't want a whole leg of it

parmigiana-regiano cheese sold for pennies versus the price we pay in the States

just like my family, the smaller the tortellini, the better, and here sold hand-made in an airport!

the larger tortelloni available in spinach or egg pasta . . . mmmm!

and finally, although blurry with the movement going on (and taken from my iPhone),

 just a shot of the line of people waiting to purchase these delicious Italian specialties!

There's no boloney about cured meats in Bologna, Italy!

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Grilled Prosciutto and Fig Pizza

Some fruits and vegetables have a brief moment in the limelight of a season.  Figs are included in that group of "now you see them, now you don't" fruits.  The time is now to find figs in the market, and I had one more little basket left to use from my shopping.  

Plus I'm finding it high time for me to jump on the trendy bandwagon of making a 'grilled' pizza with a focus on those sweet blue-skinned gems.

Fig trees produce twice a year, of which one is this present moment.  Yet in some places it's a real truffle-hunt to find them (my little town for instance).  To find the fig treasure I had to drive 50 miles to Whole Foods to nab up a few baskets and have my 'eureka' moment'.  

Upon my discovery, I dove in with an over-expression of delight and enthusiasm.  

My husband thought I had lost my mind . . . he just wanted sausage pizza, period.  Which of course, I gladly prepared a separate pizza for him!  

Now for some of you the temperatures are starting to feel a bit more like autumn, but here in South Carolina, it's still warm.  September is not a time to go to football games all bundled up in sweaters with small bottles of peppermint schnapps tucked in your pockets to keep you warm during the game.  

No, not at all !  

Grilling outside is still the norm this time of year here, especially if you're into tail-gaiting at football games!   Grilling this pizza with the interplay of seasonally fresh figs with their jammy sweetness and prosciutto's saltiness is a perfect excuse to spend the warm afternoons and cooler evenings outside in Southern Septembers.  Add in the tangy, creamy marinated mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and the results will send your tastebuds into Italian nirvana!

Grilled Prosciutto, Fig and Marinated Mozzarella Pizza

2 - 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups pizza sauce (either homemade or store bought)
1 cup fresh marinated mozzarella, small balls, cut in half
6 - 8 black mission figs, sliced lengthwise, stems removed
8 slices of prosciutto, torn into thin strips
2 Tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar (regular balsamico vinegar is fine too)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
freshly cracked sea salt and pepper to taste

Home-made pizza dough.
If in a hurry, use "Naan" bread for individual pizzas.

Other topping options:  

Shaved Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
Fig jam or spread
Rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Arugula leaves

Prepare pizza dough according to directions.
Let set overnight in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to the size(s) that you desire
Mix the minced garlic with the olive oil.
Spread generously on the pizza dough (blend more garlic and olive oil if you need more for larger or multiple pizzas).
Next generously spread on the pizza sauce.
Layer on the prosciutto strips.
Scatter sliced figs on top.

Grill on a medium-hot grill until cheese is ooey, gooey melted all over!
Keep a close eye on the grill because the dough may burn.
If you have a pizza stone, have it pre-heated on the grill and USE IT to prevent the dough from burning.
If you see that the dough is burning and the cheese is not quite as melted as much as you prefer, then just finish it off for 5 minutes in a very hot oven.

Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to drizzle on the pizza.

you can find these marinated soft, fresh mozzarella balls on the olive 

and antipasto bar at Whole Foods or Fresh Market.

they REALLY make a huge difference in taste and texture!

spread the olive oil-minced garlic mixture on the dough and then

load up the dough or naan bread with the yummy ingredients

place the prepared uncooked pizza on a hot grill

for about 5 - 10 minutes

if you have a pizza stone it will help prevent burning the bottom of the dough

and as promised, a simple sausage and cheese grilled pizza for my husband!

Mangia!

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Baked Pasta Fagiole

At a family reunion many years ago, I prepared this baked pasta, beans, and cheese recipe to feed a big crowd.  It's a cheese-laden casserole version of the classic Tuscan soup, "Pasta Fagiole" (lovingly called "Pasta Fazool" in my family).  This pasta dish was a huge hit at that reunion in the 90's and so for this year's family reunion 20 years later, my mother and I prepared it once again.  The same result happened . . . it was devoured!  If you're watching your weight, you'll have to pass up on this, because it's pretty heavy in the calories, carbs, and fat.  But you have to indulge sometime huh?  If you don't like beans, you can leave them out, but then it wouldn't be a spin off of the famous Tuscan Pasta Fagiole soup.  "Fagiole" simply means "beans" in Italian.

Here's the recipe for you to prepare someday when the heat of summer turns down and you're wanting some rib-sticking comfort food.  I hope that you enjoy!

Mangia!

click on 'read more' for this delicious recipe!

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A Slice of Lasagna!

A slice of the lasagna that I made yesterday . . . I've posted this photo a day later because once sliced, it sort of falls all over itself when cut directly out of the oven.  It holds it's shape much better if you wait a day, plus it even tastes better.  The recipe is included in the preceding post.  Enjoy!

See how nicely it stays stacked?  Four layers of pasta deliciousness!

This special lasagna pan was purchased from Chefs.com and could easily have handled an additional fifth layer!

Mangia!

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Lasagna for Loved Ones in the Heat of Summer!

If there is one pasta dish that is truly a labor of love it has to be lasagna!  The time and expense of making lasagna sadly prevents me from making this indulgence very often; my family is lucky if I make it once a year.  But my husband insisted that I make my lasagna for a very dear friend today whose mother passed away.  Despite the 90 degree temps outside, we heated up the oven and the kitchen to bake two big pans of lasagna.  And as you know:  special people deserve special things and our friend is certainly worth this extra effort during her time of loss.

This recipe is very special to our family; so special in fact, that our oldest son loves it so much that he asked for the recipe to prepare for dinner on the evening that he proposed to his girlfriend (and she said 'yes'!).  Now that's a compliment!  I've also given this recipe to my daughter who shared it with all of her teaching friends in Tennessee.  My youngest son in Chicago, an aspiring young cook, always "wow's" his friends with this lasagna too.

I've only used one lasagna recipe other than this one, which is a very traditional lasagna for the Italian Carnivale and that I shared in a post on February 22, 2011.  Truthfullly, this recipe is even better than the decadent "La Grande Lasagna di Carnivale".

The Bolognese sauce for this lasagna is not my family recipe, but it is still wonderful.  It has a little bit of sugar added that many Italian cooks often add to soften the tang of the tomatoes and which my family never added.  Actually for this recipe, I think it is quite a nice addition.  If you don't like to add sugar to your tomato sauces, just omit it.

If you decide to go ahead and jump in and prepare this lasagna, give yourself quite a big portion of your day to make the Bolognese sauce OR make the sauce the day before.  The sauce is the big time demand of this dish.  I hope that you enjoy this wonderful lasagna.  Please let me know if you prepare it and what you think!


Mangia!


please click on 'read more' below for this delicious recipe!

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Baked Spaghetti Pie ~~ Perfect Way to Use Cooked Spaghetti!

Spaghetti in Bolognese sauce . . . we devour a tremendous amount of it!  Twice a year we make huge, HUGE pots of Bolognese (meat) sauce to freeze in order to use whenever we want pasta at the last minute without having to wait to make this sauce from scratch each time.  This sauce is a life-saver, but we eat so much of it, that like everything else, it can get old.  Variety is the spice of life, right?

So I played with a few recipes today (from both on-line sources and my endless amounts of clipped recipes) to come up with a Baked Spaghetti Pie.  Oh my goodness, this is so delicious that even my husband spoke not one word while he stuffed his face.

"Silence" from the lips of Mr. M. and P. (Meat and Potatoes) while eating is ALWAYS a good sign!  It's his sign of culinary happiness and approval!  If he doesn't enjoy something he says something directly after his first or second bite and that's all that's necessary to realize if a recipe is a loser or not.  So I love it when he eats in quiet bliss because I know he's basically saying "I like this and can't eat it fast enough!".  This man's taste palate and his stomach are very important to my cooking endeavors, and as a result he's a spoiled man regarding good food . . . and I rely on him to tell me the truth to keep or toss out a recipe!  His huge stamp of approval is all over this recipe for you!

If you prepare this recipe, use any ingredient that you prefer and/or have on hand in your pantry.  For example, I had some Genoa salami on hand and chose to dice it up and throw it in.  I also had some prosciutto but decided against using it because it's not an ingredient to get lost in a casserole-type of dish; it's best to shine on it's own.  If you have some ground pork or turkey, that would be great, but in this case I had only ground chuck beef and used it.  Do you like artichokes . . . anchovies . . . olives?  Just chop some up and throw those in and make this recipe your own personalized version!!  The spaghetti forms the base and the toppings are as unique as your imagination.

 Baked Spaghetti Pie

4 cups (minimum) left over spaghetti in Bolognese or Marinara sauce
2 jumbo eggs
1 Tbsp. egg whites
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large ball of fresh mozzarella (or ricotta if you prefer)
1 pound ground beef or pork (or 1/2 and 1/2 of each)
Seasonings of choice (I liberally sprinkle Accent, Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Flavor, and Nature's Seasoning)
2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 large cloves of freshly minced garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 lb. diced Genoa salami (or prosciutto)
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained . . . or fresh if you have them on hand
1/2 package of sliced turkey pepperoni (or regular pepperoni)
2 packets or containers of pizza sauce (Trader Joe's is very good)

1 7 to 8 oz. package of 5 to 6 shredded cheese Italian blend

In a medium casserole dish place the left-over spaghetti Bolognese and spread evenly.

Combine the egg and egg whites and blend in the Parmesan cheese to the mixture.

Pour this egg-cheese mixture evenly over the top of the spaghetti Bolognese.

Spread the fresh mozzarella (or ricotta) over the spaghetti.

Saute and brown the ground beef with seasonings of choice.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil.

Add the chopped green pepper, minced garlic, chopped onion, and diced salami.  

Cook for about 5 minutes.
Do not burn the garlic.

Add to the sautéed, seasoned and browned beef.

Spread the beef-vegetable mixture over the mozzarella.

Layer sliced mushrooms.

Layer the pepperoni.
Pour the pizza sauce on top and spread evenly.

Generously sprinkle the shredded cheeses over the top.

Place spaghetti on lower rack of pre-heated oven.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until your preferred level of doneness, usually when the cheese is melted and golden brown.

spread the fresh mozzarella over the spaghetti Bolognese and egg-Parmesan mixture

spread the beef-pepper-garlic mixture on top of the mozzarella

next layer the sliced mushrooms and turkey pepperoni

pour the pizza sauce over the pepperoni

sprinkle and spread the 5 to 6 Italian cheese blend all over the top

Ooey, gooey, cheesy indulgence!  Yes!

Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Enjoy this cheesy Italian-American dish!

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Our Super Bowl Spicy Chili!

Are you ready for some football?  For the Super Bowl today, we're about as ready as possible (mostly ready for all the hype to be over).  Oh yes, we'll watch the game alright, and most importantly, we'll enjoy noshing on some good eats the entire time!   On the menu is a pot of hot n' spicy chili, perfect for not only the big game, but also for a February Sunday afternoon even though the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is a spring-like 60 degrees.  So it's not as though we needed some chili to warm up our innards, but rather to just keep with our Super Bowl game tradition!  This chili recipe is a combination of a variety of recipes that I have married together throughout the years.  It is though, fairly spicy in heat and includes three varieties of beans plus some corn.  We just love it and I hope that you enjoy it too.

Favorite Spicy Hot Chili

4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced through a garlic press
2 - 3 cups finely chopped celery, including the leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
2 lbs. ground pork
4 - 5 lbs. ground lean ground round
1/2 can chopped jalapeno peppers . . . or better yet, 1/2 of one chopped fresh jalapeno pepper with seeds removed ~ ~ note that using the fresh option increases the level of heat (spiciness).
1/2 cup chili powder
1/3 cup cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 28-oz. cans peeled, whole or diced Italian tomatoes
3 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 28-oz.  can tomato sauce
4 cups water
Louisiana Hot Sauce - - generously sprinkle as much as you like (and we like our chili HOT!)
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Garnish:
Sour cream
Finely shredded 4-cheese Mexican cheese blend
Chopped green onion stems
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Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan.
Add the garlic, chopped onion, celery, and green pepper to saute'.
Add the pork and beef.  Cook while constantly stirring and breaking down the chunks of meat, cooking until the meat is browned nicely.
Add all of the spices and stir until well blended.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.
Add the corn (really this is optional).
Add the jalapenos (use the amount you prefer for heat level).
Heat up the spiciness by adding Louisiana Hot Sauce, about 5 shots to begin with.
Adjust seasonings by adding more where desired, especially the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes!
Cook on low heat for about an hour to allow all of the flavors to blend, adding more water if the chili becomes to thick.  Add a little water at a time until your preference of thickness is reached.
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Garnish with sour cream, Mexican cheese, and chopped green onion stems.
Serve with fresh cornbread and/or tortilla chips.
Also have small bowls of sour cream and Mexican cheese to pass around to your guests.
** This chili freezes very nicely too, since this is a big batch of chili!
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