Give me an egg, and I'll give you a meal...

Last week I made myself a nice peppers and egg white sandwich for dinner. Just the smell of the sizzling peppers immediately took me back to when I was a kid, visiting my grandparents on Saturday afternoon. My grandfather would always have a big frying pan of peppers and eggs going on the stove. My grandmother would fix it up in a roll for me, just in time to watch Dr. Shock's weekly monster movie. And we still tell the story of when we were working the church flea market one Saturday afternoon. Like Superman, Grandpop showed up just in time with some peppers and eggs sandwiches for lunch. Ah, the good ol' days!

As with many Italian and Italian-American families, peppers and eggs are a staple. Breakfast, lunch, dinner...you name it. It's simple, old-world comfort food. My friend Lorraine calls it Italian Soul Food. I love that! For many of us, it also represents a way of life. Your principal handed you the diploma when you graduated. But it was the peppers and eggs sandwich that you mom brown-bagged and handed to you on your first day of work that REALLY meant you were entering the real world.

Of course, peppers and eggs are just one example of Italian Soul Food. My mom would always say, "as long as you have eggs and a vegetable in your fridge, you'll have yourself a meal." This goes for asparagus and eggs, spinach and eggs, potatoes and eggs...you name it*. Potatoes and eggs are still part of our regular rotation. Hot dogs and eggs (the poor man's ham and eggs) were a favorite dish when I was growing up, and my grandfather would often make the triple-threat...peppers, hot dogs and eggs!

Now, some of you may be wondering...what the difference is between these dishes and an omelette? Think of it as marinara sauce versus Sunday gravy (for a better understanding, check out my Sunday Gravy post). I love me a nice breakfast omelette. You crack a few eggs, scramble them up and add some bacon, tomatoes, peppers...whatever you like. It's quick, like a marinara. The Italian Soul Food version, however, requires some love and patience, like a Sunday gravy. You're also working in reverse order. You start by heating up some oil in a large pan and adding some garlic. Then you add your chopped up vegetables, season to your liking and let them slowly cook up until tender. You can also season the chopped vegetables with onion and garlic powders, some salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings you prefer, prior to frying. This method works particularly well with potatoes. At this point you'll have a heavenly smell wafting in your house, one that not even the best omelette would ever leave behind. Finally, you scramble up some eggs (I prefer to use egg whites for a lower cholesterol version) with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese, then add them to the pan. Stir all ingredients together until eggs are done. The eggs are actually secondary in taste, but play an important role. They're the glue that hold everything else together. Grab yourself a nice roll, and you have yourself a sandwich that will rival any hoagie or cheese steak around!

* You can use egg whites to keep these dishes more heart healthy!

Old-Fashioned Banana Crisp

Let's talk some dessert this week. This recipe originally appeared on The Essence of Emeril many years ago, before the Food Network even had a web page (I actually had to send in a $5 check and a SASE and have the recipe mailed to me!). The original recipe called for a cranberry filling.* I replaced the cranberries for bananas and cut way back on the sugar. I also added a splash of dark rum for a little extra kick...and a good kick it is! This is a great dessert to serve this time of year, using whichever filling you prefer. And don't forget the scoop of vanilla ice cream. And the caramel sauce. Maybe a nice cup of coffee....


Old-Fashioned Banana Crisp

6 large or 8 medium bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a bowl combine bananas, sugar, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl combine nuts, brown sugar and flour. Add butter and mix lightly with your fingers until crumbly.

Fill a 2- to 2 1/2-quart glass baking dish with fruit mixture and top with flour mixture. Bake until bubbly and golden-brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

*NOTE - for the cranberry filling, use 6 cups cranberries and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Apples and peaches would also work well, just be sure to adjust sugar to taste.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Pesto Lasagna

Here's a fresh and unique alternative to a traditional Italian dish.

Because the filling between each layer of noodles is not as thick and dense as a traditional cheese and/or meat filling, you are going to end up with more layers of noodles to fill the dish, approximately 10-12 deep.

Instead of making fresh pesto, I decided to use Bellino brand Pesto Sauce with Olive Oil. It's a good alternative to home made – tasty, all natural and no preservatives. One jar equals approximately one cup. For a great fresh pesto, be sure to check out Ina Garten's recipe. It makes 4 cups, so be sure to refrigerate leftover pesto for future use.

For 8x8 dish (serves 4):
1 box uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups pesto (or 2 jars Pesto Sauce)

For 9x15 dish (serves 6-8):
1-1/2 boxes uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups pesto (or 3 jars Pesto Sauce)

1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 385º and set pasta water to boil.

Salt the boiling pasta water, add a spoonful of oil to it so the sheets won’t stick. Add the pasta, three noodles at a time. Cook until al dente, remove the noodles with a slotted spoon, then place on a clean cloth or piece of wax paper to dry.

Melt a dab of butter in a hot serving dish, then lay down a layer of pasta, spread a thin layer of pesto, then lightly sprinkle the pesto with grated cheese. Continue alternating pasta, pesto and sprinkle of cheese until all is used up. Heat, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

NEW - Veal Pizzaiola (Peez-Eye-Ola)

This is a nice dish that is fairly simple and is easy to serve on either the weekend or during the week. There's not much prep work involved, and it sits on it's own for a good 20-25 minutes. Just enough time for you to settle in with a pre-dinner glass of wine after a long day at work!

4-6 thin slices veal
1 tblspn olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
handful fresh basil, finely chopped, divided*
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4-6 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese (optional)

Veal Pizzaiola
Heat olive oil, add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds.
Add veal, then immediately add the can of sauce, Italian seasoning, salt,pepper and 2/3 of the chopped basil.
Let simmer on Med-Lo to Medium for 25 minutes, slightly covered.
Add the remaining basil and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the sliced cheese, let sit until cheese is slightly melted.

Serves well with mashed potatoes.

*Note - I like to reserve just a bit of basil until the very end. The first addition marries well with the sauce, while the final addition allows for the fresh taste.

Melanzana Marinata (Marinated Eggplant)

The fall season is finally here...and now is the perfect time to put all of your harvest (or whatever veggies you purchase at the store) to good use! I would always look forward to this time of year, when my grandmother would marinate and jar eggplants. It would be put to especially good use around the holidays when my grandfather would add it to his famous hot pepper salad. I decided to start marinating and jarring eggplant myself a few years back and have now made it a tradition that I look forward to every year. It’s not nearly as labor intensive and time consuming as jarring your own tomato sauce (something I still haven’t done yet!), but there is still some quality time and effort involved. As a time-saver, I now shred the eggplant in the food processor instead of slicing. I also think it makes for easier serving. Whatever method of slicing you prefer will work well. However, after all of the slicing, shredding, straining, boiling and packing (and a few precious months of aging), you will be guaranteed instant gratification. The eggplant works great as a topper on eggs, pizza, sandwiches, cutlets, pasta, bread...you name it! It also makes for a nice, from-the-heart holiday gift, as the jars will be ready for serving just after Thanksgiving, if you decide to do the jarring by mid-late September. Give it a try...you’ll be sure to impress!

Melanzana Marinata (Marinated Eggplant)

6 lb. eggplants
2 1/2 tbsp. salt
3 c. white vinegar
2 c extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping off jars
6 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
2 tbsp. dried oregano
1/4 tspn red pepper flakes
4 pint-size glass canning jars (often called mason jars) and 2-piece metal canning lids

Rinse and peel eggplant. Either a) shred the eggplant in a food processor, or b) cut into 1/4 inch lengthwise vertical slices, then cut slices into lengthwise 1/4 inch french fry-size strips. Place the shredded/sliced eggplant into a nonreactive (plastic or stainless) colander and toss with salt. Place a plate on the eggplant and place a weight (several large cans of tomato sauce works well) on the plate. Let colander stand in the sink for 2 hours, so that bitter eggplant juices drain away. Place colander under running cold water and rinse eggplant quickly. After rinsing the eggplant, take a handful at a time and squeeze out all the excess water from it.

Put the eggplant in a bowl with the vinegar and marinate it for 30 minutes (it will return to shape like a wet sponge). Drain the vinegar from the eggplant and squeeze it dry again. Put the eggplant into a bowl with 2 cups olive oil and remaining combined ingredients.

Wash 4 pint jars with hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Then, gently immerse the jars into a large pot of boiling water, turn down heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Carefully remove jars with tongs. Fill jar with eggplant mixture to within 1 inch of top. Ladle oil into jars, filling them to within 1/2 inch of the top. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth, as residue may not allow for lids to seal properly. Immerse lids (flat disc portion only - not the ring part) into hot, but not boiling, water. Remove and press lids onto top of jars. (NOTE: Some lids have different preparation steps, so closely follow the lid manufacturer’s directions for heating time). Screw rings onto cool jars.

Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. During cooling, you might hear a soft "ping" when the lids seal tightly. Once the jars are cool, test for vacuum seals by tapping the top of the jar with a spoon. You should hear a bell-like tone, not a "clunk." Also, the lids should be concave; a convex lid is a sign of a bad seal. Finally, the lids should not move when you press on them with your finger. Refrigerate the jars that did not seal properly. (Resealing jars after they have cooled isn’t safe.)


Store the jars in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard or a basement for at least two months prior to opening. Once the jar has been opened, keep it in the refrigerator.

For complete tips on jarring, please visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/pickles/canning.html

A Quick Tip on Butternut Squash!

I picked up a butternut squash yesterday at the supermarket, not sure what direction I was going to go with it. Not quite feeling like a soup today, we decided to do the traditional baked - splitting it length-wise, seasoning with butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar. To give it a little kick, I threw in a bit of vanilla extract. Worked great...even my 5 year old loved it! Next time I plan to get some toasted pecans in the mix.

I tend to follow the baking instructions that come with the squash. There should be a sticker on the squash with both baking and microwave instructions - the microwave option actually works very well and only takes about 8-10 minutes.

Here's a link to a basic butternut squash recipe that would work well. I just added my own favorite fall spices to the mix.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/wintersquashrecipes/r/bl60915a.htm

Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

I recently picked up a frozen bag of calamari (squid) pieces at the supermarket. I
wanted to try something other than fried calamari, so I went with an old
world-style, rustic dish. Gotta say that I was very impressed with the end
results. We first served it over some penne, but I decided to have a second
helping on it’s own with a nice, thick slice of Italian bread. Works great
either way! Would also make a nice option if you celebrate the Seven Fish
Christmas Eve Dinner.

Calamari e Piselli (Sauteed Calamari and Peas)

Calamari pieces, fresh or frozen* (I used about 1/2 pound of rings and tentacles from a 2-1/2 pound frozen bag)
2 tblspn Olive oil
1 Garlic clove; crushed
1 small Onion; diced
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon fresh Basil, chopped
splash of red wine
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tspn crushed red pepper (optional for some heat)
1 cup frozen peas

*Note - if you are using frozen calamari, be sure to defrost it first. Running it under water in a colander for a few minutes works well

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Sautee the garlic and onion in the oil
until soft and translucent. Add the calamari pieces and sautee until
slightly brown and tender. The sauteed calamari will create it’s own juice
that blends well with the tomato sauce. Add the tomato sauce, basil, splash
of red wine, crushed red pepper,salt & pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add
the peas and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve as a
sauce over pasta or as a stand-alone stew.