Sangria - recipe

Amici per Sempre

Amici per Sempre...

Once again I'm back in Italy and besides having the joy of being with my children, there's time to spend with friends that have left their mark on my life while in Verona. This was a privilege I really didn't have while living here as often happens when one is busy raising children and working.

Today, I had Sunday dinner with my first Italian friend...Marta! Although we had lost track of each other for about 15 years, we just picked up where we had left off. Ah, real friendship!

The pure elegance and simplicity of a typical Italian meal never ceases to impress me. It had all been prepared yesterday or at least ahead of time and one course seemed to just flow into the next. We began by eating appetizers of Sgombro or mackerel that was boiled for about 20 minutes and left to marinate over night in the fridge in a pool of olive oil & balsamic vinegar seasoned with finely chopped parsley, garlic, capers and a dash of salt. This was accompanied by homemade whole wheat bread and garlished with two spiedini of mozzarella balls, basil fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Then the next fish dish, this time baked,appeared together with a fresh toss salad and a baked stuff tomato. As is custom after serving fish, a cool sorbetto di limone (lemon sherbet) followed. Then a macedonia fresh fruit salad and of course ended with an espresso. Total satisfaction!

Tortellini in Broth

Someone at school had the brilliant idea that we should take turns bringing homemade soups and their trimmings to share in the ESL room where we teach at Eisenhower School. It was a welcomed change to our diet of too many boxed microwaved meals. Soon one delcious treat after another started coming in and leaving an inviting perfume in the halls, so it's time we start to collect these delicious recipes. This blog could provide a space to do just that.

When it was my turn, I was glad to have the excuse to make a hearty broth and tortellini soup which was a traditional winter meal in my family. There's nothing like it to take the chill out of a cold winter's day. That was followed by the meat and vegetables used to make the broth, dipped in a fresh green pesto sauce, as a second course to complete the meal. It was all so easy to make and maybe it can become your tradition, too. Here are the recipes that I found, and adapted, from La Cucina Italiana for you to follow:

Ingredients:

FOR BROTH

1 1/2 pounds beef brisket or chuck, cut into 2 pieces 1 pound beef shank bones 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken thighs

1 large pealed and cloved studded white onion

carrots cut into pieces

celery stalks cut into pieces

1 tablespoon salt

4 1/2 quarts cold water

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, combine beef, beef shank bones, chicken, clove studded onion, carrots, celery and salt. Cover with the 4 1/2 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam and fat from surface. Reduce to gentlest simmer and cook for 4 1/2 hours. Strain twice, first through a fine mesh sieve, then through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. (I strained through a mesh sieve). Let broth cool. Skim fat from surface. Season to taste with salt. Broth can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.

PESTO GENOVESE

2 cups, enough to dress 1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta.

Making pesto by hand in a mortar produces the most authentic and delicious results. If your mortar is too small to accommodate whole basil leaves, use a food processor to gently and minimally chop leaves before proceeding. Delicious tossed with pasta, pesto also makes an excellent topping for pizza. Try a little served along with grilled chicken or drizzled over slices of ripe summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts)

2 cups tightly packed basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, peel removed.

Coarse sea salt

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

I mixed everything in my food processor. Pesto is best used the same day but keeps, its surface covered with a thin layer of olive oil and tightly covered, chilled, for 3 days. To dress pasta, dilute pesto with a tablespoon or two of pasta cooking water, toss with hot pasta (just cooked and drained), add a tablespoon or two of butter and toss again. Serve at once.