GRANPA CELEBRATES 45 YEARS MARRIED

marriage
Barb and I celebrated 45 years of marriage May 15th. Since it was a special occasion, she took a week's staycation to rest and celebrate. We started her week off with a dinner out at our favourite Chinese restaurant- Choice of the Orient in Richmond Hill on Friday night. Sunday was a Toronto Harbour Cruise with a lunch/brunch buffet. The food was okay but not nothing stellar. I cook much better but it was a time to sit down, eat and enjoy the view with Barb snapping pictures- even of one of me sleeping. I can sleep anywhere.
Last night we used a gift card to Montana's. I had the 8 oz steak, baked potato-loaded and corn. Barb had the sampler- chicken breast with sauce, shrimps, coleslaw. Drinks two loads mugs of coffee!
Barb always likes projects so for our 45th she finished our Cookbook of food from the Ciociaria region was finished in March. Of course entitled- Granpa Loves To Cook! Initially she wanted it written by me but if anyone really knows me not in this lifetime so Barb succumbed and has it written by both of us. It is a finished draft one of many drafts over the years. 85 pages.Three copies were made to be reviewed over the next couple of months by us and the girls. Deadline for September for any revisions. We want to self publish it for ourselves, family and see where it goes. Meanwhile, years of effort has been finished. Barb showed Sophia the picture of her making homemade pasta with her grandpa.

Sophia did not remember the picture but it was at a time when I watched her one or two days weekly to help out my daughter. My post from that time gives good instructions on how to make the "egg noodle" as it is called.
It is hard to come up with new recipes as the main ones from my original area have been written on my blog.
So what is next!! More cook trips to Farmer's Markets of course. Barb hopes to use these trips and photo journalism for guess what! Volume two of "Granpa Loves To Cook". Barb actually as you must know has already started it even before Volume One was done. She always has ideas floating in her head, then writes them down and keeps on going.

The most read post on my blog is Canascione- one of the most traditional dishes from Ciociaria. For some reasons it get page views weekly, As has been seen from my blog I do make some traditional Canadian dishes as well. Barb used to make the potato salad in the summer, for example, but it is now in my domain. She takes the pictures and writes up the information and even does more of the research. I mention some Italian concept and she takes it from there. So I have no choice but to continue to go along for the ride of market visits, pictures, and little posts about the visits.
As you know I love to cook because I really just love to eat. If I can cook for others like my daughters and families then it is even more enjoyable.

Remembering my traditions and blending them with modern times keeps me busy and out of trouble. Besides I get to eat!
#45yearsmarried#lotsofgoodcookingduringourmarriage#teachingmygranddaughtertomakeeggnoodles#beingagoodsportaboutthisblog#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro#ciociariacooking#recipesfromciociaria#canascione#unpublishedcookbookonregionaldishes

CANASCIONE FOR EASTER

One post I wrote that gets reads every week is my post on Canascione. Go to my post of April 8, 2012 for full details and the recipe. It really is an authentic Ciociaria dish.

 I love this picture. I can taste the food.

                                                        Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

EASTER FAVOURITES MEANS SOME CANASCIONE IS ON THE MENU

Easter is 2 weeks away. Since we will be having a gang, the menu will be modified slightly. I like lamb and lasagna at Easter. But there are others who like other foods. So I bought a big ham for the non-lamb lovers. My grandchildren like a variety of foods but a couple love chicken-so some chicken legs and thighs. I am making lasagna for my littlest granddaughter's baptism in May so will have a simple pasta dish this year-maybe homemade fettucine or even some penne. There will be lots of veggies but they are bought closer to the day. My girls usually bring the desserts. Maybe I will make my Italian Canascione- a true dish from my region of Ciociaria. I posted the recipe for this authentic dish April 2012 so do not have to write it again.

There I was sampling the Canascione. I like this photo because I was 2 years younger! Don't tell Barb but I have learned to do some planning and buying for big events. Well the food events anyway!
#canascione#easterdinner#chicken#lasagna#simplepasta#veggies#granpalovestoeat

ZEPPOLE-CIOCIARIA STYLE

Zeppole are very popular for people from my region in Italy. They are often attributed to other areas like Naples and Sicily too. It was a post war treat that was easy to make. When it is made for St. Joseph  March 19th they often are fancier-  cream or custard filling. I like the plain, easy to cook, fun for a quick treat- the way my mother used to make them. Christmas may be another occasion to see Zeppole. However, there is no reason they can not be made year round.

INGREDIENTS

Ready made dough- like the pizza dough you can buy at Grande Cheese or you can look up a recipe to make your own dough.

Oil for frying.

Sugar.

Raisins, cinnamon and honey are optional.

DIRECTIONS

Let the dough be at room temperature.

Take little pieces and make them into doughnut balls or shapes. Some people like to add raisins to the dough.

Fry in medium-hot oil. Can be vegetable oil and even olive oil if you want. Remember olive oil should not be too hot. So usually Barb and I will fry in the vegetable oil.

Remember you can make them in a ball, little pieces or big pieces. Just make sure you fry each side until it is golden brown and the dough is cooked all the way. It is easier if the pieces are smaller.

Pat dry the oil and sprinkle some sugar on top. Or cinnamon instead of the sugar. Or both sugar and cinnamon. Some people like to dip the pieces in honey. Modern bakeries or bakers may add cream or ricotta cheese making them very fancy for special occasions. I prefer the simple way I had them as a child. Since they are so easy to make, they can be a quick treat for the grandchildren. The best way to eat them is fresh from the pan once they cool slightly-so quite warm keeping the flavour and texture.

GNOCCHI FROM CIOCIARIA

Gnocchi is a favourite pasta dish from Ciociaria. It is like an English dumpling or a Polish porogi or not. It is really an Italian dish. I make it often as it is my daughter Natasha's favourite too. Some people may use just flour and water. Ricotta cheese and even sweet potato have been used. I like to make it the way my mother made it- from potatoes.

Canada has a variety of potatoes. Prince Edward Island is famous for its potatoes. In Ontario, where I call home now, potatoes are also grown abundantly.  This dish takes time and labour to make. So if you really like gnocchi but not the work, most supermarkets and Italian delis have frozen packages. Not as good as mine, of course!

Okay, you want to try this recipe. Remember a cool kitchen. Fresh pasta making does not like a hot, humid day. Be like the Italians here in Canada, who keep their main floor kitchen like a showplace and use the basement kitchen! Or have a kitchen that is not too hot!

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes- gold, red or white. Your choice as they all make a good gnocchi. Usually about 6 medium sized ones.
Flour.
Salt.
One egg is optional.

Not necessary but a gnocchi press is very helpful.

DIRECTIONS

In salted water boil your potatoes until cooked as you would for mashed potatoes.

Make a well of flour. Start with a cup( 250 ml) or two( 500 ml)- with your gnoccchi press or masher- the gnocchi press is better- press a potato at time into the well.

Add flour to the mix as you add each potato.

Adding potato and mixing until all the cooked potatoes are all added. You want the dough to be moist but not sticky.

You can add an egg if desired. I usually do not. You can also salt the dough. I usually salt the water I cook it in.

Knead the mixture together. Make a nice ball. I like to let the dough sit for an hour or two to absorb. You can put it in the fridge.

After letting it sit, cut small portions and roll into long skiny pieces. Let these pieces sit.

After about 5, start to cut bite size pieces. I would suggest a helper. You roll and let the helper- usually it is Barb to cut the pieces.

Take the pieces and roll them on the gnocchi press or a fork or any surface with a pattern or bumps. It allows you to use your thumb to make a little indention to the gnocchi pieces.

You can cook the gnocchi right away or put on a floured cookie sheet and freeze until hard. They freeze well. Since it is a lot of work, it is best to make several meals at the same time.

When making gnocchi, boil in salted water until done. Not too mushy!

Use my ragu sauce recipe or a hearty meat sauce of choice. The meat sauce sticks to the pasta. So gnocchi needs a good sauce.

It can be a complete meal with a side salad.

From the picture you can see, it can be the carbs for a a full dinner with a meat and vegetables. Your choice!

It is a pasta that is great on a winter day or made in the summer if desired. I just know when I ask my daughter what I can make her for her dinner in November, she always say gnocchi. Of course, I usually give her an extra bag to put in the freezer for another meal. Those busy working mothers always need a Dad's touch!

PASTA FAGIOLI- PASTA WITH BEANS

This dish is a good one to use up leftover sauce and pasta. When I was little and we would visit a farm it would often be made as it used up all the little pasta bits like pieces of spaghetti or whatever was around. My mother used to make it for my Uncle Joe when he visited from Detroit. She made lots as he could be seen finishing more than 3 bowls!

INGREDIENTS

A cup ( 250ml) or two of leftover sauce.

Pasta- I like to use elbows.

Can of kidney or white beans.

Cotica- pork rind- optional.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Barb always likes to add some "hot peppers" to her bowl.

Optional- check all your bags of pasta and use up " the little bits". It will really be like one from the Ciociaria area!

I like to use the Italpasta because it does not turn to mush when cooked. Stays duro!  It is the best Canadian brand. You can also buy pasta from Italy at "twice the cost" for the same taste.

DIRECTIONS

Cook as much pasta as needed for the number of people you are serving.

Open your tin of beans. Rinse the juice around the beans. Cook it with the pasta.

When finished cooking, drain but leave a cup or two of the water with the pasta in the pot.

Add from a tablespoon to cups of sauce to the pasta. You can made it as red as you want.

Mix.

You want pasta fagioli to be like a soup but not as runny as soup.

Yes, you must eat it with a spoon.

This dish does use up "leftovers" in the fridge. So when you have a small amount of any leftover sauce this will work for you. . With the beans, there is protein so can be a complete and quick meal with a nice bowl of salad and a bun or  piece of bread.

My problem is I really like this dish so I tend to eat too much. Be warned it is very filling!

GRANPA LOVES TO MAKE RAGU SAUCE FOR PASTAD-ADOLPH'S RAGU OR MEAT SAUCE

Adolph's Ragu or Meat Sauce

Most Italian regional cooking has their own version of the Ragu- Meat Sauce. Ciociaria cooking is no different.

A flavourful sauce is the base of any pasta dish that calls for tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Bottled Passata di Pomodoro
Store bought or homemade- I usually use 2 bottles to make a good batch. A can of peeled plum tomatoes or a couple of frozen tomatoes can be added depending on what taste or texture you want the sauce.

1 onion- chopped

1 carrot-shredded or diced( optional)

Meat for flavour-
pork side ribs- 6-8
or veal- 1 lb ( 450 gms) shoulder blade cut
or pork sausages- 4

Ground beef- 1/4 lb ( 200 gms)- you can add more if you want a meatier sauce. Or make 6-8 medium size meatballs.

Garlic- 2-3 buds- chopped.

Olive Oil-EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Pepper 1/2 teaspoon ( 25 ml )

Parsley- 2 tablespoons ( 30 ml ) chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot add some olive oil to  cover the bottom thinly.

Add the chopped onion, diced carrot, garlic and parsley.

Saute 4-5 minutes.

Add the ground beef in small pieces so it cooks thoroughly.

Add your other meat for flavour, making sure to sear or brown thoroughly.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add one 1 can of crushed plum tomatoes.

Add the bottled passata.

Bring the sauce to a boil stirring to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for a minimum of two hours, stirring occasionally to allow the ingredients to be in the body of the sauce.

Be careful not to let the meat stay at the bottom or you risk a chance of burning it.

Some cooks like to add tomato paste now to thicken the sauce, but I rarely use it so did not include it in the ingredients.

A good sauce can be made for more than one meal. Use the sauce with penne, rigatoni or any variety of long pasta- like my homemade spaghetti or fettucine. Top with parmesean or parmiagiano cheese. Barb likes to add some hot peppers for flavour on her pasta.

ADDED NOTES

Modern busy cooks may like to make a batch on Sundays to use during the week for more than one meal. If you have a crock pot or slow cooker, it also can be made before going to work. Start the sauce as above. transfer the sauteed meat and vegetables to a lightly greased crock pot or slow cooker then add the passata and tomatoes. Slow cooking will allow the sauce to simmer slowly all day. There is nothing better than to come home from a busy day and smell homemade sauce in the the house.

As a teenager I would monitor my mother's sauce. My Nonna Maria- my Dad's Mom- lived with us. I remember one time tasting the sauce finding it a bit runny. I asked- Nonna- what did you do to the sauce? Did you add some water? Nonna replied- no! I asked again-Then what did you did? She replied - oh, I added some water- un poco d'acqua!!

Christmas Eve is usually seafood. But the last one-2011, I made two types of sauce along with the homemade pasta to satisfy all the guests at my daughter, Sonya and son-in-law- Andrew's home.

The fettucine with ragu sauce and meatballs for the grandchildren is in the foreground and the clam sauce in the background. Yes, don't worry I will provide that clam sauce recipe at some future time.

The aroma of sauce simmering in the home always brings childhood memories for me. It is such a traditional food item for any Italian home.

#ragumeatsauce#meatsaucebygranpa#groundbeef#goodonhomemadepasta#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro#ciociariacooking#foodfromcassinolazioitaly#adolphlearnttocookfromhismother

MY BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

I learned and began to enjoy  cooking when helping my Mother to prepare meals when I returned home from school and especially from university many moons ago. Most of the recipes that will be included in my weekly blogs will mainly consist of dishes she prepared and are representative of the regional fare from the Ciociaria region of Italy which is in the region of Lazio situated between Rome and Naples. This region of Italy is included in what is often referred as " Il Mezzo Giorno" or the middle section. From this area south and including Sicily, Olive Oil is always used for cooking. The Tomato is the "King" of produce and used in a great many of the recipes . Additionally, in North America we regard eating as a necessary ritual for survival, whereas in Italy it is considered a passion, held in the same esteem as the three Ss-Sex, Socceer, and Striking! So when cooking Italian, put a little heart in it.

I decided for my first recipe blog to feature one of my favourite dishes and probably one of the best known and also easiest to prepare.

SPAGHETTI WITH BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

Serves 4
Preparation time 5 minutes.
Cooking time 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb (450 gms) Spaghetti
1 28 oz. canned whole plum tomatoes
or ripe peeled plum tomatoes( San Marzano if available or Roma) (pureed)
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove-finely minced garlic
1 medium cooking onion-diced
2 teaspoons- finely chopped parsley
3 or 4 leaves from fresh chopped basil (optional)
1 teaspoon- salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Note: When I make it for just my wife and me, I like to bump it up a little by adding a teaspoon of dried hot chili pepper (pepperoncino) or a fresh one finely diced.

DIRECTIONS

Heat large sauce pan over medium heat.

Cover bottom with olive oil.

Add garlic and onion-saute for 4 to 5 minutes or when they just begin to turn brown.

Add parsley and basil.

Add the pureed tomatoes- Note you may puree the tomatoes by hand individually as you place them in the saucepan or you may puree them with a potato masher. Easiest yet is to place the whole tomatoes in a bowl and thoroughly puree or mash them before you start cooking your sauce.

Add the salt and pepper adjusting to your taste.

Stir all the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, place a large cooking pot containing 4-5 litres of water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of salt then add the pasta. Stir thoroughly to prevent it from sticking. Cook uncovered and adjust the heat to a medium boil stirring the pasta occasionally until the desired tenderness of the pasta is reached.

The cooking time may vary with the thickness of the spaghetti selected but the time which may range from 5 to 10 minutes is usually printed on the package of your choice. Note: However, the time listed on the package are times needed to cook the pasta " Al dente" which is how the majority of the people of Italy prefer their pasta. My family prefers the pasta more tender so we normally cook it for an extra one or two minutes.

Just take a couple of strands of the spaghetti with a fork and taste it.  Adjust the boiling time to your liking.

Drain the the pasta thoroughly and place it on a serving platter. Add the sauce and stir thoroughly. You are ready to eat-mangiare!

Note: I personally do not use any grated cheese to top off the pasta when cooked with this basic sauce or any sauce which contains any fish in the ingredients. But if it is to your preferred taste " Tu gusto preferito"- Go for it! The three most common cheeses Italians use on their pasta are Romano, Pecorino and my favourite- Parmiggiano!
                                                          
                                           

                                                             BUON APPETITO!

ITALIAN FOOD IS SIMPLE

The Italian dishes I make come from the Lazio region, province of Frosinone. The area is known as Ciociaria. The slang for the people who live there- ciociari. If from Rome- romani. Naples- napolitano. So I was ciociaro originally but really Canadian now.
Italian food is very simple- basic really. It varies from region to region. Whatever is abundant or in season is used in the cooking!  
My home town was Cassino. It is between Rome and Naples in Central Italy. Famous during World War Two for the battles for the Monastery on MonteCassino.  I wish I could say there is a Cassino dish. Ma non e vero! But there is not one.
So I am going to explore and present some of the dishes from this region as well as food I have adapted in my new home in Canada.

Just to let you my wife Barbara is always taking pictures when I cook. Annoying but will be helpful with this blog.

At age 9, just before our family left for Canada. July 1959
#italiancooking#lazio#cassinolazio#ciociaria#Ialianfoodissimple#lovetoeat#granplovestoeat#whatisgreataboutitaliancooking

I LOVE TO COOK

My wife Barbara convinced me to blog about my cooking. I am not a chef. I just love to cook because I love to eat good food. There are several recipes I will share with you over the next few months. My cooking skills come from two main sources- the ciociaria area in Italy and the style adopted from my mother Concetta. There will be a Canadian slant to some dishes. I hope you are going to enjoy what I have to share with you.

#granpalovestocook#Barbmademedoit#goodfood#mymotherthecook#Concettaisagoodcook#ciociariaareainItaly#CanadianandItalianfood