Photos from Today's Carbone Family Reunion

Here are photos from today's reunion. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had lots of dishes, amongst them this Chicken Alfredo...

 

 

and this Salsa, made by David Lepore.  I could have happily sat down with the whole container and a margarita or a beer and eaten the whole thing myself!

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, we have to have desserts too (although I think most of them were on the auction table).

 

 

 

 

 

Rose, Janet, David & Alex are checking out the auction items...

 

 

John & Donna Lepore hosted the event this year and Jennifer Nerio and Butch Trail agreed to host in 2014.  To those who didn't make it, we missed you.  To those who did, thanks for coming and making it such a great day! 

Finally, thanks to John & Donna for doing such a great job hosting.  See you next year! 

Scalile 2012

For Carbone family members, Scalile making day is a major family event and the holiday season just wouldn't be complete without these wonderfully crisp cookies drenched in honey! 

This year, I hosted Scalile making at my house.  So Gary & Suzanne Carbone and Andrea & Mike Enos (Andrea is Gary & Suzanne's eldest grandchild and my niece) as well as my husband, Steven Johnson and I gathered to make these tasty treats.

I had everything laid out and ready to go so we were ready to hit the kitchen running when everyone finally arrived. 

For anyone who has never had the opportunity to take part in this process, be sure to have plenty of extra hands as it would be a very daunting process to make these single-handedly.  In our house Mom made the dough, Dad rolled them out and cut them, and the 3 of us kids (Cathy, Mike and Chris) would twist them.  While we were busy cutting and twisting, mom would transition to heating the oil and doing all the frying.  Very often they would get "honeyed" another day. 

This was the first time I made the dough along with Andrea while Dad supervised. We made our batch using just 1 dozen eggs (the number of eggs you use determines the size of the batch and how much flour will be needed - this would be considered a half-batch) and we realized later than although we used only 12 eggs, we used the full amount of Bourbon, oil and salt - maybe that's why they came out so good! 

Dad, Andrea, Mike & Steven did the rolling, cutting and twisting...

 

 and we all took turns frying...

The bowl Mike has in his hand is filled with half of the batch of fried Scalile...

  Andrea and I did most of the honeying and we completed our (half) batch in record time.

We estimated that each of these containers is holding about 5 dozen cookies:

To those of you who were invited to join us an unable to make it, we missed you!  I hope you will all get to enjoy some Scalile this holiday season - Buon Natale!

Scalile (full batch)

2 dozen fresh eggs - room temperature
1 jigger whiskey (or bourbon, optional)
1 tsp salt
1 cup oil
14 cups flour, approx.

Beat eggs until creamy.  Mix in whiskey, salt and oil.  Add flour slowly, 1 cup at a time.  If using a mixer, start with a paddle attachment, switching to the dough hook attachment when the dough gets too thick for the paddle.  When the dough starts to climb the hook, remove from the mixer and add the remaining flour by hand, kneading in until the dough is a smooth, shiny consistency.  If you are making Scalile on a particularly humid day you may have trouble getting the dough to the correct consistency, allow the dough to rest 5-10 minutes and see if it is still sticky. 

Cover bowl with a damp towel to keep dough from drying out.  Cut a small piece of dough (a ball sized portion that will fit in the palm of your hand) and roll it out on a lightly floured board until you can see the grain of the wood through the dough.  Cut into strips about the size of your fingers and cut a slit in the center of each strip.  Carefully work one end of the dough through the slit and then gently pull it straight - it should come out with a twist in the center section.  Place on cookie sheets and cover with a damp towel.

Preheat cooking oil to 350 degrees.  The oil is the right temperature when you can drop a cookie in and it sinks to the bottom of the pan, then immediately floats to the top.  Fry until golden brown on all sides - turning as needed.  Place cookies on a wire rack suspended over a rimmed cookie sheet to drain (or on paper towels) and set aside to cool. 

Heat honey to 300 degrees, adding a bit of simmering water to thin it slightly.  The honey will start to boil and foam, at that point, you are ready to start coating your cookies.  Add several cookies to the hot honey and turn them to coat completely.  Remove to another wire rack placed over a rimmed cookie sheet to drain any excess honey and to allow the honey to set. 

Tools you will need:

• a large, wooden cutting board is ideal
• a sharp knife for cutting off pieces of dough
• Rolling Pin
• a pizza cutter works really well for cutting the strips
• a small paring knife for cutting slits 
• Cookie Sheets
• Damp Towels (I dampened several when we were at that stage and kept them handy in a small bowl)
• Wire Racks
• Electric Skillet (our favorite for the honey process)
• Deep Fryer or Dutch Oven
• Candy Thermometer (for the frying and honeying)
• Spider or slotted spoon
• Containers to store/take home your cookies

3rd Place Winner - Joel's Steak and Black Bean Chili

My Uncle Joel really surprised me with this one - I had no idea he could cook!  And cook he did, this chili is definitely a keeper.  The steak is tender, the chili is just the right balance of soupy and thick - you get a load of tasty ingredients with every bite, and it has a nice smokiness that I really loved.

 

The picture just doesn't do the chili justice!

 

Serve this fabulous chili with some home made cornbread, some good ale and maybe a light salad and you have the perfect meal for a crisp autumn night!

 

Joel's Steak and Black Bean Chili

 

2 lbs beef cubes for stew, well marbled (sauteed, optional)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped)

1 large green pepper (for 1 1/2 cups chopped)

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chili-styled chopped tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

Sour cream, optional garnish

Shredded cheddar cheese, optional garnish

 

Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes.  Place the beef cubes into a slow cooker and turn it on low.  Sprinkle the chili powder, garlic powder and cumin over the meat.  Peel and chop the onion, adding it to the crock as you chop.  Seed and chop the green pepper, adding it to the crock as you chop.

 

Drain and rinse the cans of beans and add them to the slow cooker.  Add the tomatoes and sugar.  Cover and cook on low (200 degrees) for 8 to 10 hours.

 

Uncover and stir [in] the tomato paste.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir well.  Serve at once, garnishing as desired with sour cream and cheese.

 

Yield:  Serves 8 light eaters or 6 hearty appetites.

2nd Place Winner - Chicken Tetrazzini

Here is the 2nd place winning recipe from the Carbone Family Reunion held on September 16, 2012.  Rose Eaton contributed this dish to the potluck and contest - it was DElish!  Creamy and flavorful - this would be a wonderful dish for making ahead on your day off and then baking after work while you settle in to your nightly family routine.

 

Chicken Tetrazzini

 

 

1 package (16 oz) uncooked spaghetti

2 TBLS butter or margarine

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cans (4 oz each) mushrooms, drained

1 jar (2 oz) diced pimento, drained

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 - 1 1/2 cups (4 to 6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

 

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven; saute green pepper and onion until peppers are crisp-tender.  Stir in the chicken, mushrooms, soup,  pimentos, soup, milk, garlic powder and salt.  Drain spaghetti and add to mixture; toss.  Pour into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Sprinkle with cheese; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Yield: 10-2 servings.

 



 



Winning Recipe

Those of us who made it to the family reunion on Sunday had a lovely time.  Sadly, the turnout was small - only 17 attended, but it made for an intimate atmosphere and great mingling!  My husband Steven and I were the hosts this year and we decided to try a couple of new things so we had a silent auction of donated items and a cooking contest.   Here are photos of a few of the items donated for the auction:

This was a beautiful breakfast basket donated by John & Donna Lepore - the eggs were fresh from their chickens and all sorts of other breakfast goodies and handy kitchen items.

 A lovely ceramic gift box - donated by Marie.

 

Cookies and Milk basket donated by Rose. ("biscotti e latte" en Italiano!)  Here is a Chocolate Kahlua Cake made and donated by Janet Lepore:

 

Cara Carbone made and donated Josephine Carbone's Biscotti - she donated 3 lovely packages, they were so beautifully done you'd have thought they were purchased at a bakery or specialty food store!

 

There were quite a few other items donated as well, but these are all the photos I managed to get.  I hope everyone is enjoying the items they bid on!

 

The proceeds from the auction reimbursed my parents (Gary & Suzanne Carbone for those who haven't met me or aren't sure how I fit into the family tree) for the hall rental, Steven and I for assorted reunion expenses and we had $40.00 extra that we passed on to John & Donna Lepore, who are hosting the Carbone Family Reunion 2013.  (Thank you John & Donna for volunteering to host!) 

The winners of the Blue Ribbon Cooking Contest were: Joel Carbone in 3rd place with his Steak and Black Bean Chili, Rose Eaton in 2nd place with Chicken Tetrazzini and Cara Carbone, first place winner with Cara's Garden Delight #4 - Inverted Pizza!  Each of our winners took home a colorful ribbon and Cara also took home the coveted "Golden Mold" - a golden jello mold in the shape of a bunch of grapes (I know, totally appropriate, right?!)!

I'm sorry to say that although I did manage to get photos of ALL of the other contest entries, I did NOT get a photo of Cara's - but it was BEAUtiful (and DElicious!)!   Participants were required to provide a recipe so we could post it here on the family recipe blog. So, without further ado, here is Cara's blue ribbon, winning recipe!:

Cara's Garden Delight #4 - Inverted Pizza

1 sheet puff pastry
1 lb Sungold tomatoes, roasted*
1/2 lb zucchini, shaved
3 slices prosciutto, torn into 1/2" pieces
A few sprigs of fresh oregano
1/2 C grated Parmesan
1/4 C goat cheese
6-8 fresh basil leaves
1/4 C pine nuts
1 roasted rosemary chicken breast, sliced (optional)
red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Layer tomatoes, zucchini, prosciutto and oregano into 9" tart pan.  Roll puff pastry on floured cutting board.  Trim to round, leaving a 1" overhang.  Gently place [pastry] over tart pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Invert onto serving platter.  Top with chicken (if desired), Parmesan, goat cheese, pine nuts and basil.  Slice & serve. 

*drizzle tomatoes with olive oil.  Season with salt & pepper.  Roast for 2 hours at 375 degrees.  Drain excess liquid.  One large jar of sun dried tomatoes may be substituted. 

Chris' note:  This is a great late summer recipe when your garden is most abundant.  The pastry is flaky and crisp.  The tomatoes tasted like they were sun-dried (they were quite sweet and balanced nicely with the other flavors), the zucchini, basil and oregano gave it a really fresh flavor while the goat cheese gave it a nice tang.  Try this recipe - you won't be sorry, then send us a photo to include here!

Broccoli Puff

Here's a pretty straightforward casserole recipe from Grandma's files.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Puff (V.G.)

2 - 10 oz. pkgs. frozen Broccoli spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 oz (1/2 c) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c milk
1/4 c mayonaise
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c bread crumbs - 1 tbsp melted butter

Cook broccoli according to directions, except omit salt.  Drain.  Place broccoli in large baking dish.  Stir soup and cheese.  Gradually add milk and mayo and egg to soup mixture - blend well.  Pour mixture over broccoli in baking dish.  Combine bread crumbs and butter.  Bake uncovered 30-45.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

Chris' Note:  I'm sure you're supposed to top the casserole with the bread crumb-butter mixture.  Also, the baking time was a bit smeared (this recipe was written in felt-tip pen), but I'm 95% certain it's correct.

Rice Ham Casserole

Just quick post today.  Grandma must have liked rice, because I've found quite a few casserole recipes with rice in them.  This one is very simple and straightforward - and it would be handy to have on hand after Easter when you might have some leftover ham on hand.

Grandma says this recipe is good for luncheons.  I wonder if she served it to her Gab Club? 

Rice Ham Casserole

2 c diced ham (cooked)
2 c cooked rice
3 eggs, beaten
2 c milk
1/2 c green pepper, chopped
1/4 c grated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix altogether and put in a cake pan.  Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Cut in squares.  Serve with mushroom sauce or cheese sauce.  Garnish with parsley.

Zucchini Rice Casserole

I thought it might be nice to post something that isn't a dessert, isn't sweet and could actually be served for dinner.  I probably should save it for summer, since it's a zucchini recipe, but casseroles are so warm and comforting I wouldn't want to deprive you of the opportunity to enjoy it this winter.  I must admit here that I have not personally made this, nor have I ever eaten it, but if Grandma says it's V.G. then it must be Very Good!  If you try it, please share your results (feel free to provide photos too!).

Zucchini Rice Casserole

1 Cup cooked rice
1 large zucchini (2 lbs) peeled, cut in small pieces.  Cook in water until tender.  Save the water - it all goes into the casserole. 
1 onion, chopped and sauteed in 1 cube margerine or butter
8 oz cream cheese - melt into the above hot mixture
2 eggs - slightly beaten
1 bouillon cube (chicken) in 1/4 c water
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste (not much)
Mix all ingredients together - top with buttered bread crumbs. 
Bake at 350 degrees 1/2 hour.

Josephine Carbone - Aug. 1983

Game Day Dips & Spreads

I meant to get this out just before Christmas for everyone to enjoy for their holiday entertaining.  I thought I was being clever and had successfully managed to pre-enter the post to be posted automatically December 23.  Alas, I was not as clever as I thought as it clearly did not post automatically.  Although I found these recipes in Josephine's spiral notebook along with all the holiday recipes, I think they'd be equally handy as game day treats!  Some of them are from magazine's, some do not note origin - I have taken out the brand references, for the most part, to simplify them a bit (plus I think some of those brands are no longer available in our area).  I hope you try them and enjoy them all the same.

Holiday Cheese Tree Football

1 8 oz container Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbls finely chopped pimento
1 Tbls finely chopped green pepper
1 tsp grated onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
chopped parsley
chopped nuts

Combine cheeses, mixing until well blended.  Add 1 tbls pimento, green pepper, onion, Worcestershire sauce & juice;  mix well.  Chill.  Drop six 1/3 cup measures into triangle football shape on serving platter.  Drop remaining mixture at base of triangle (tree trunk); smooth to form tree.  Top with parsley, nuts and remaining pimento.  Serve with crackers.

Holiday Ham & Chili Cheese Ball

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 can deviled ham
2 tbls finely chopped scallions
3 tbls chopped green chilis
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a small bowl, combine cheeses, deviled ham, scallions and chilis;  mix well.  Shape mixture into a ball.  Roll in chopped nuts.  Wrap in plastic wrap; chill.  Remove from fridge to soften slightly before serving.  Serve with crackers. 

Chris' Note:  smoked almonds work really well for the ham & cheese ball.

Shrimp Dip

1 envelope Lipton's tomato soup mix
1 pt. sour cream
2 tbls Italian dressing
1 cup chopped, cooked shrimp
Blend soup mix and sour cream.  Stir in Italian dressing & shrimp.  Chill.  Serve with potato chips or crackers. 

Pumpkin Tea Bread

If any of you have been following my personal blog, cjs-kitchen, you may know that I put up a lot of pumpkin this last fall.  I baked and pureed 2 pumpkins at a time and froze the final product in 1 or 2 cup packages so I could enjoy baking with pumpkin this winter.  When I saw this recipe in Grandma's files I knew I had to try it and immediately got a package of that wonderful, orange puree out of the freezer to thaw. 

I made this bread on Wednesday, January 18 and I'm just now completing this post because our power has been out since the 19th!  If you've been watching the news or live in Western Washington you know we've been having some crazy winter weather.  I'm actually staying at the resort where I work for the 2nd night in a row, just so I can be where there's power and not contribute to any additional messes out there! 

Anyway, we had a lovely snow day Wednesday - the WHOLE FAMILY ended up home (the kids ended up out of school all week and finally went back today, the 23rd - YIKES!) and I baked this bread as well as some cookies, we watched movies, snacked, relaxed and just had a lovely day together. 


The bread was delicious.  In fact, I sent a loaf (this recipe makes 2) over to my in-laws who reported that they wanted a permanent order placed for a loaf any time I make it! They like to spread butter on it, but we all like it just the way it is.  It has a lovely moist texture and plenty of flavor.  It's the perfect thing for a comforting bite in the morning when the power's out, or in the afternoon when you want a snack, it would pack well in lunch boxes or even be good as an after school snack.   I think you'll enjoy it - I know we did!

Pumpkin Tea Bread

2 C Sugar
1/2 C Oil
1 small can pumpkin (2 C)
2 1/2 C flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon or allspice

Mix together sugar, oil and pumpkin in a bowl so sugar dissolves.  Mix together dry ingredients and the dissolved pumpkin, oil & sugar. 

1 C raisins, washed and plumped
1 C Walnuts if desired


Line 2 tins with wax paper.  Grease these & fill tins 3/4 full.  Bake 1 hr and 15 min at 350 degrees or until done.

Chris' Note: To plump the raisins, simply pour some boiling water over them and let them soak for about 5 minutes. If you like raisins but don't enjoy them in baked goods this is a good trick - it makes them nice and juicy again so they don't dry out in the baking process.  Also, I used waxed paper per the instructions above, and had a tough time separating it from the bread on the ends.  In other recipes, I've used parchment paper with much better success so I would suggest using parchment instead.

Frosted Chocolate Nut Drops

When I first started this project about a year ago, I went through ALL of Grandma's recipes and sorted them out making piles according to various categories like:  Biscotti Recipes, Grandma's Creations, Main Courses, etc. and set aside all the ones I thought would be most appealing, most wanted - especially if they were also marked "Very Good" and I put them in the stained glass recipe box Grandpa made for Grandma (sadly, it no longer has a lid, which was the colorful part).  I wasn't going to bake cookies today...really, but as I was going through them today to decide which ones to work on for the next several upcoming posts, I stumbled upon this recipe and it was so easy and sounded so tasty that I decided I would bake them up today, take a photo or two and post this recipe immediately.

I haven't even frosted them yet (although I will have by the time this post is published) and they are already very tasty.  They reminded me of German Chocolate Cake as they went together and their flavor does not dissappoint.  In fact, they have a cakey texture too - and I'm willing to bet they'd really taste like German Chocolate Cake if you topped them with coconut-pecan frosting instead of the chocolate frosting the recipe calls for (I just may do that).  I hope you like them!

Frosted Chocolate Nut Drops  (from Regina)

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 oz chocolate melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg unbeaten

Beat all of the above together until creamy.

1 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup butter milk

Add the flour and soda to the mixture with the buttermilk.  Beat all together.  Stir in 1/2 cup nuts.  Drop rounded teaspoons on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Frost tops with chocolate frosting. 

Chris' Notes:  I used butter in mine (if I'm going to put an essentially solid fat ingredient in my baking, it's going to have full flavor) and I didn't have buttermilk in my fridge, so I used cultured buttermilk solids (you can find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store, it's a powdered form of buttermilk and you mix it with water according to the package directions).  This may have made my dough wetter than it would have been with actual buttermilk since buttermilk is usually pretty thick.  At any rate, my dough was more like cake batter and no way was it going to drop onto a sheet for baking and come out anything but a pancake so I added flour 1/4 cup at a time until it resembled cookie dough.  I only added nuts to half since we have a non-nut eater in our household.  I used walnuts, but if I were going to frost them with coconut-pecan frosting, I'd use pecans instead.

Update note:  I finally frosted them - with chocolate frosting this time around and I actually like them better without the frosting!  The ones I made with the nuts are my favorite and next time I make them, I will definitely frost them with coconut-pecan frosting and see how they come out!

Calling All Family Members - Need Your Help!

It's been almost a year since this blog was started.  Recently, I started posting photos on the blog and one of my projects for 2012 will be to make as many of the recipes from previous posts as I can and add pictures to the posts along with any useful information I can add - so keep your eyes out for updates. 

Moving forward, I'd like to also make some videos to share with family members who are visual learners and also for other folks to enjoy.
 
First up is a Ginetti making video.  I'd like to have it up in time for Easter so maybe late February, early March date for doing the video.  It may take 2 days in order to get them made & frosted and be able to have good lighting for the video. 

So, I'm looking for someone with a video camera who would be willing to do the filming as well as family members who would be willing to appear on camera making the Ginetti with me and sharing stories, tips & tricks.  You can let me know by leaving a comment below, messaging me on Facebook or posting to my Facebook wall.

I hope you join me!

Christmas Punch & Egg Nog Punch

We often went to Grandma & Grandpa Carbone's on Christmas Eve (then returned on Christmas day too).  Christmas Eve at Grandma & Grandpa's was an evening filled with friends and family dropping by and Grandma & Grandpa going back and forth from living room to kitchen with fresh, hot "dough boys" and egg nog.  I've yet to locate a recipe for the Dough Boys, but I'm pretty sure they were made from doughnut batter dropped directly into hot oil and deep fried, then sprinkled with powdered sugar (or maybe it was cinnamon-sugar?).  Grandma did lots of baking during the holidays and, of course, she always had a lovely array of cookies for everyone to munch too and I'm sure there must have been cheese ball or dips with chips or crackers out as well.  I found quite a few punch recipes in Grandma's notebook.  I'll just share a couple today & save some to post next year.

Christmas Punch

Bottle of Vodka (1/5)
2 quarts Gingerale
Juice of 12 oranges and 6 lemons
1 small jar maraschino cherries & juice.
Mix all together add 1 pt. orange sherbet

Another Punch

1 gal apple cider
1 qt. vodka
Pour over block of ice

Cran-apple Punch

2 lemons - juice
1 qt. cranberry cocktail juice
1 C orange juice
1/4 C sugar
Add 1 bottle of Champagne (the cheaper kind).  Stir gently & not too much.  Add lemon slices, also orange & a few cloves.

Egg Nog Punch

1/2 gal Egg Nog
1 - 32 oz. bottle 7-up
Put egg nog in bottom of punch bowl.  Add mixer.  Sprinkle with nutmeg. 
Note:  Don't mix.  I tasted this at Safeway & it is delicious.  Dec. 1984

Italian Fruit Cookies

I stumbled upon this recipe last holiday season while searching for holiday cookie recipes.  I read through it and realized it was yet another Biscotti recipe.  I made these last year and they were very good.  Since then, I have used the method and general idea from this recipe to make other "flavors" of Biscotti (if you were at the 2011 Family Reunion and tried my Pistachio, Cherry & Lime Biscotti, this is the method I used).

Italian Fruit Cookies

1/2 Cup Butter  
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 tsp anise extract
6 Eggs
5 Cups sifted flour 
3 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Cup diced, mixed candied fruit, citron or whole pine nuts

Cream butter & sugar in large bowl.  Blend in extract and eggs.  Mix together flour, B.P. and salt, gradually mix into butter & egg mixture to make a stiff dough.  Chill dough 1 hr.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Taking one portion, roll to rectangle 12 in. long and 8 in. wide.  Sprinkle surface of dough evenly with 1/3 cup of the candied fruit or nuts.  Starting with the wide side of the rectangle, roll dough tightly to make a long, compact loaf.  Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheet (2 loaves to a sheet).  Bake in med. hot oven (375 degrees) 25-30 min. until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, let cool on pans for 5 min.  Cut in diagonal slices, 1/2 in. thick.  Lay slices cut side down on cookie sheet & toast 16-18 min. (375 degrees) or until lightly toasted.  Cool and store in airtight containers or fridge.  Makes about 6 dz. 

Chris' Note:  As I said, I use the method from this recipe when I make my Biscotti.  When you roll out the dough and sprinkle with the nuts or fruit, you get a nice, even distribution and the nuts, etc. stay in the dough, since it's then rolled into it, rather than kneaded through it. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe - Buon Natale!

Tordilli & Chenalili's

I remember visiting Grandma & Grandpa during the holiday season and finding them making these in the kitchen - that was a long time ago, so pardon my memory if it isn't entirely accurate, but I believe they made both of these cookies at the same time - they are really the same dough but Chenalili are filled and Tordilli are not.  These are tasty little cookies that aren't too sweet.  I tried making them for the first time last year and they were pretty fun to make too.  Mine came out much too thick and I didn't have anyone here who had experience making them to help me, but Mom & Dad thought they came out pretty good. 

It's a good idea to make these around the same time as you make your Scalilles as they too are fried and dipped in warm honey - so save that oil and honey & do all your "honeying" at one time. 

Chenalili/Tordilli

3 cups oil
4 cups Muscatel (or other sweet wine)
2-3 eggs
16 cups flour (approx.)

Bring to a boil the wine & oil.  Take off stove and allow to cool slightly.  Add the eggs to the flour in a well - mix slightly.  Then add your oil mixture slowly so you don't cook the dough.  Knead until it holds together nicely.

For Tordilli:  Roll out the dough & fill with chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, raisins, dates or figs.  Mix with a couple tablespoons of honey & grape or other jelly you might have. Make these like you'd make ravioli.  Deep fry & honey.

Chenalilis - Small Batch

1 1/2 cup oil
1 cup sweet wine
2 eggs
6 cups flour

Chris' Notes: 

• On the filling for the Chenalili's, you can use either honey or jelly, with chopped nuts & raisins or dates - or all three, I really liked the grape jelly though as it marries well with the wine in the dough.
• It's a bit confusing trying to figure out whether it's the Chenalili's or the Tordilli's that are filled as both recipes I found include filling, but generally one of them was just fried dough.  Really you can use any dough you have left once you run out of filling.  For the unfilled version, roll the dough into long, narrow logs (like a breadstick) and cut off 2 inch pieces.  Roll the cut piece on a bottle or fancy cut glass for design.  Deep fry and honey as for Chenalili's. 
• All of the cookies keep really well, as long as you put them in airtight containers and store them in a cool place.
• If you're making these, please take some pictures for us to post with the recipe!    

Panettone

The holidays are coming fast, so I thought I'd dig through Josephine's recipes to find some traditional Italian baked goods that I know are popular for Christmastime as well as a couple non-Italian recipes that would be handy for entertaining this time of year.  I'm starting off this series today with Panettone.  This particular recipe is noted as coming from "Papa Rossi's Secrets of Italian Cooking". 

Panettone

1 pk. fresh or dried yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tbs. pastry flour
6 tbs. butter
6 tbs. sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup candied fruit, chopped

Mix yeast with 1/2 c. water & set aside for 5 min. 

Combine mixed yeast thoroughly with remaining water & enough flour to make a soft dough.  Cover & set aside to rise in warm place for 1 hr. 

Add butter, sugar, egg yolks, salt, raisins, fruit & remaining flour.  Knead on floured board until consistency of dough is elastic, about 15 min.  Cover, set in warm place & let rise until doubled in bulk.

Shape into 1 large or 2 med. sized round loaves.  Place in greased baking pan, grease top of loaves, cover & let rise until double.  Bake in 370 degree oven 1 hour until outside is browned.  Cool on wire racks away from drafts. 

Chris Note:  I've never made Panettone, but it appears to be a pretty straightforward bread recipe, so maybe I'll give it a try before Christmas.  I'll try to get some photos up if I do.  If any of you Carbone's (or other readers) have made it, please do share your experiences & tips, we'd love to hear them - we'd love to post your photos too!

Scalilli

The holidays are approaching quickly - I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week already! One of the wonderful things about cookies of just about any variety is that they keep so well. I remember as a child making Scalilli as a family, sometimes with aunts, uncles and Grandma & Grandpa. Often times, if we made them at the home of another family member, we'd pack them up without the honeying them and do the honeying at home. We always made lots and lots of cookies, of several varieties, for the holidays and give plates of them to the neighbors, our teachers, friends and pretty much anyone who stopped by, and there would still be plenty of cookies for us to enjoy Christmas day and even into New Years. Making Scalilli as a family was the best part. Mom would mix up the dough, Dad would cut them and my sister, brother & I would twist them and lay them on baking sheets covered with damp towel and take them to mom, who then did the frying & the honeying later on. If you've never made them before, I recommend getting together with a family member who has - not only will they be able to lend you their experience, but it will be so much more fun!

Scalilli

2 dozen fresh eggs, room temperature
14 cups flour, approx.
1 jigger whiskey
1 tsp salt
1 cup oil
Beat eggs until creamy. Pour into flour mixture with the oil. Mix well & knead dough until smooth. Make into desired shapes and deep fry. When cool, honey them. Store in a cool place.

Chris Additional Instructions

Forming the Cookie: Work with small portions of dough at a time, about the same amount of dough as you would for pie crust, cut out cookies or pizza. Roll out on a floured board until you can see the wood grain through the dough. Cut into long strips in one direction, about 1/2 - 1 inch wide. Cut into strips crosswise, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches long. Cut a small slit into the center of each. Gently remove the strips and run one end of the dough strip through the slit cut into the center - this will create a twist. Lay them out on cookie sheets and keep covered with a damp towel. Fry in small batches.

Honeying: Heat honey in a large skillet or electric fryer, thinning with water slightly as needed. Dip cooled Scalilli into the honey to coat thoroughly, then lay on wire racks. Store in air tight containers in a cool place.

If anyone has photos from making Scalilli, I would love to include them in this post. Please email them to me and I'll be happy to post them!

Green Olives , Italian Style - continued

I'm on the last leg of my first experience with curing olives.  It's been an interesting experience.

This is the 10lb box of olives, the day they arrived.  October 13, 2011. 

I was amazed to see their bright green color.  They were rock hard and had a tart, almost-green-apple scent too.  I thought they were so pretty the above photo is now the background image on my cell phone.

At first I thought I'd have to weigh the olives down so they'd stay submerged, so I wrapped a couple of bricks in foil, covered the container with plastic wrap and put the bricks on top.  The bricks became water-logged and it didn't really seem to be a big problem to have a few exposed olives so I abandoned that practice on day 2.

I changed the water daily during the soaking process and the olives slowly became that drab-green color most of us are used to with green olives.  Some of them have very dark patches, almost like they are ripening. 

This past Wednesday, I packed 12, pint jars of olives in brine - about 1/2 of the olives I ordered. They'd been soaking for about 3 weeks.  I'm very new to canning and didn't purchase enough jars so I'll have to finish up this next week.  Steven is going to check the shed for all the canning jars we brought home from Grandma's house, which will most likely be quart jars so we'll have some larger jars for family gatherings.  I'll need to pick up rings and lids, I'm sure, but the larger jars should speed the process up some. 

Josephine's recipe did not say how long they should be packed in brine before opening but I think we'll wait another 3 weeks or so before we try them for the first time.  I can hardly wait!