WEEKEND OF GOOD EATING ENDS WITH HOMEMADE SOUP

We started the weekend Friday night with a pizza , veggies and dip and fresh fruit at one family home. The pizza was from Grande Cheese where the ladies there make a wonderful Ciociaria style pizza. Saturday was a club sandwich from Tim Horton's. But Sunday the cook was back. Fresh homemade vegetable soup simmered on the stove in the afternoon. I used up some left over meat sauce to make a small penne casserole with mozzarella baking it in the oven. With Easter on the horizon, I have to start planning the menu.

CANASCIONE-EASTER TREAT FROM CIOCIARIA

Canascione is one of the real foods from the  Ciociaria area in Italy. My Mother made it at Easter. A friend from my Social Club gave me one so when I brought it home, Barb suggested for me to make one or two this year. I knew the ingredients but decided to call my cousin- mia cugina- Paola in Cassino to get the correct ingredients for an authentic one. It was actually fun to make my own. I was making the lasagna for Easter dinner so had the dough needed.

INGREDIENTS

10 eggs.
Flour- several cups.
200 grams Pecorino Romano cheese- formaggio. Grated.
Procolette or "Scamorza" cheese- one ball. Grated.
Parmesean cheese-grated. One small container or bag
1/2 cup Parsley chopped.
A dried sausage or two. Chop into little pieces.
Prosciutto slices are optional. Some people put some in the mixture.

DIRECTIONS

Make the egg noodles mixture. Use 5 eggs and flour to make to texture needed. See previous blog.

Roll pieces flat with a rolling pin. Each flat piece will be one canascione.

In a large bowl add the cheese and the additional 5 eggs to make 3 canascione. Use less eggs if making one and more eggs and cheese if making more.

Add the cheeses as per ingredients. Mix well.

Add the chopped parsley. I do not salt the mixture as the cheese has flavour. I have already salted the egg noodle mixture when I make it.

I made one canascione with the chopped sausage. Two just cheese and one cheese and sausage.

It should be a little thick.

Put the mixture on the flat egg noodle. Fold over and pinch the edges. If you do not pinch well, the ingredients could come out when baking in the oven.

I put them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Scramble one egg and with a brush, glaze the top of the folded canascione with egg.

Cook in oven at 350 degrees. They take about 25 minutes. You may want to turn the oven up to 400 degrees to brown on the top. Check to see if done as different regions may need more or less cooking time.

The best part about the canascione is tasting it fresh from the oven.

It is usually sliced sideways across the folded pie and served cold. It can be like an appetizer or for a lunch on Easter Sunday before the big evening meal later in the day. It is usually made days in advance to have as an Easter treat. I think it is so popular because of the eggs. As we all know, the egg is a traditional Easter symbol in many cultures.
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HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE LASAGNA ALLA GRANPA ADOLFO

Although lasagna is not my favourite pasta dish, I make it at the request of my family. For my grandsons's baptism parties a couple of years ago, Granpa made the lasagna. Recently, to help out my busy working daughters and a friend, there were a couple of busy weekends in February and March making several pans of lasagna for them. Of course, for the faint of heart you can buy ready made frozen ones or some markets have ones ready to cook. This dish uses a lot of pots, dishes and really messes the kitchen from one end to another. Good thing I have my assistant Barb for clean-up!

There is nothing more tasty than those fresh from the kitchen of any Italian cook.

It is always a good idea to make several pans as this is a very time consuming dish. So with the ingredients gage the number of ingredient portions by the size of a big pan or smaller pans you are using.

INGREDIENTS

 Homemade egg noodle pasta ( eggs, flour, salt to taste).( See my blog on making this item). For the busy cook you can buy the packaged ready for oven strips. Homemade is better.

Ragu Sauce ( see my blog on making this sauce).

Eggs- 6-12 or more depending on the number of pans you are making.

Mozzarella cheese- 1 or 2 packages. Or if you prefer ricotta cheese 1 or 2 containers. Or like some Canadians who use cottage cheese 1 or 2 containers- I would never make a lasagna with it! My preference is always the mozzarella cheese.

Ground beef- 1/2 to 2 lbs- depending on the number of pans.

Bechamel Sauce- milk, flour and 1 spoon or two of ragu sauce for colour.

Salt, pepper to taste.

Garlic cloves- diced to add to the meat or even sprinkle if wanted on the layers.

Parmesean Cheese.

Use your glass pans or there are good tin foil ones at any market or especially your nearest dollar store. Then when giving to another household there is no need to return the pan!

DIRECTIONS

You can make all the ingredients in one day if you chose.

 I like to prepare the egg noodle pasta the previous day. Kneading it well and leaving it in a ball in a bowl in the fridge.

I also like to prepare the ragu sauce the previous day so it is done and ready to go when I want to make the lasagna.

Many cooks will prepare everything in one day. I like to do things in stages.
 
The day you are making the dish, be ready for the process. If needed have a coffee to drink while working.

Boil the eggs in a pot until done. Remove shells when cooled. Chop into little pieces. Set aside

Cook the ground meat in oil with some garlic and parsley added to taste. When finished cooking, drain the oil and pat with a paper towel to remove as much of the grease. My mother used to make the ground beef into little balls which is more time consuming. I just cook the meat quickly- less work, same taste. Set aside.

Of course you can be boiling the eggs and cooking the meat at the same time.

Grate the mozzarella cheese into a bowl. Set aside.

I have my helper Barb who often helps with the chopping of the eggs and grating of the cheese.

Have the number of pans whether glass or tin foil, ready to go on your counter. Have the dishes of prepared items close to the pans. When you start to layer, everything should be handy.

Have your pasta maker on the counter and your bowl of egg noodle ready to shape into long strips of pasta.

In a large pot, fill with water and let it start to boil.

Put some of the ragu sauce in the bottom of each pan.

As you shape the pasta into long strips, put them in the boiling water. You can make several before you start to boil them. As with any noodle pasta the cooking time is very fast.

On the bottom of each pan, put the egg noodle strips.

Now the layering- a meat layer and some sauce, top with egg noodle strip fresh from the water.

If you cook too many strips and place them on top of each other, they may stick together. So it is better to cook, then layer one or two at a time. If the strips are the length of your pan it makes them easier to layer. So make sure you have the strips the length of your pans.

An egg layer- top with egg noodle strip. You can add some sauce to each layer

A cheese layer- top with egg noodle strip.

It's your lasagna so if you want to mix the egg and cheese in one layer, it is okay.

Depending on the depth of your pan you will determine the number of layers needed.

You are very busy taking the cooked noodles from the hot water and layering. So do be careful to use tongs or other kitchen utensils and not to burn yourself.

The lasagna is layered. Put egg noodle strips on top with enough sauce to coat the top and add parmesean cheese.

Recently I started to make a bechamel sauce- put some milk, a little flour in  a pot and boil-  about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until a little brown, add a spoon or two of the sauce to give colour. Now add to the layered lasagna.

I find it makes the lasagna  moister. I used to find others' lasagna a little dry. So now I have my own touch to add to the dish.

Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I place the pans in the middle of the oven so as not to burn the bottom.

One big pan for a special party or several small pans for several homes or meals, lasagna is always popular. One useful hint- let the lasagna sit before serving. You can serve straight from the oven but if you allow it to sit the ingredients come together better.

If in smaller pans or even one serving portions, you can freeze it for another day.

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