Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints / 1930s Dollar Fruitcake & Other Fruitcake Recipe Links

 

We got our first snow of the season last Wednesday and the recipe for the Winnipeg Free Press’s Dollar Fruitcake in my Winnipeg is Better Than Chocolate blog was a top hit last week.
The stores have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas decorations.
I can remember a time when they at least waited until after Halloween.
Oh, well, that was then, this is now, and now is the time to start getting ready.

Maybe starting Christmas preparations now isn’t such a bad idea.
Chores that used to take me a day now take three.
Is it the same for you?
If we start now we can pace ourselves and not be exhausted when the big day comes.

Some items are actually better if done now.
Yes, I’m talking about fruitcakes.
Over the years they’ve been regarded as an embarrassment, like biting one’s nails.
But, properly done, a fruitcake can be a treat. Yes, really!

Use fresh good quality ingredients, and make sure the spices are fresh.
Dredge fruit and nuts with some flour so they won't sink in the batter, then shake off excess flour and use the excess flour in the recipe.
Want a a moister fruitcake?  Add 1 cup applesauce to your recipe.

Fruitcakes taste better after they have aged. This is called "ripening”.
They should be made at least a month ahead of when you’ll need it.
Two, three, or even four months is better if you can store them in a cool and dry place.
Fruitcakes freeze well, but they must be aged at least four weeks before freezing.
They won’t ripen while they are frozen.
Do not decorate the cakes before storing them.

Have a recipe that’s been in the family for generations, but just seems a bit off now?
Don't feel absolutely bound by a recipe, no matter how old it is.
If you don’t have or don’t like something you can substitute.  Really!

If the recipe calls for                              You can substitute
brandy, rum, etc.                        wine or a fruit juice
citron                                          another candied or dried fruit
raisins                                         a mixture of chopped dates and just a few raisins
candied pineapple, cherries        the same weight of a candied fruit mix

As long as the weight of fruit and nuts is the same as in the recipe you’ll be fine.


Pre-Baking hints
Two or three days before baking prepare the nuts and fruits.
Pour the liquor or fruit juice over the nuts and fruits, and let the mixture stand well-covered for two or three days, or at least overnight.
Then drain and use the excess liquid in the recipe.

Fruitcakes may be baked in muffin tins, loaf pans, cake pans, etc.
If changing the pan's size, remember the baking time will be different.
Be sure to grease the pans well, or use greased brown paper or wax paper.

Baking hints
Place a pan of hot water on the floor of the oven to keep the cake from drying out.
Always bake a fruitcake at a low temperature, no higher than 325º F.
If the cake is browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil on the top of the cakes.
Be careful not to over-bake.
Test with a cake tester or skewer inserted in the centre of the cake.
It will come out moist, but not doughy, when the cake is done.

Post-Baking hints
Poke the cake with a skewer (optional) and sprinkle with the liquid you used.
Cool the fruitcake on a rack in the pan in which it was baked.
When cooled, turn it out of the pan and carefully peel off the paper, if used.

A liquor-based cake may be stored several months in a cool place.  
Wrap the cake in a liquor soaked cloth, then in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
For very long storage, bury the cake in powdered sugar and place in a tightly covered tin in a cool place.
Once a week, brush the cake with more liquor.
Check periodically and rewrap in liquor soaked cloth.
Fruit cakes can be enjoyed as long as 25 years this way.

Non liquor based cakes may be kept in a cool place for short term storage or in a freezer for long storage.

Serving hints
Frost cake close to serving time.
You can brush a sugar syrup glaze on a cake for a shine.
Slice the cake in a sawing motion with a sharp thin-bladed knife or a serrated knife.

Refresh a stale fruitcake by gently heating slices in a microwave or a steamer and serving with a hard sauce, brandy sauce, glaze or your favourite topping.


Back to that 1930s Dollar Fruitcake…
During the early 1930s this recipe cost $1 to make.
By 1974 those same ingredients cost more than $4.
By 1979 the price passed $8.
Now? You do the math.


                        1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press)

Line a 9-inch tube pan with greased brown paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil

Pour boiling water over
1 pound sultana raisins
Place raisins between paper towels and dry thoroughly.
Set aside.

Halve
1/2 pound candied cherries

Chop
1/2 Cup blanched almonds
1/2 Cup walnuts

Place in a measuring cup
1/4 Cup fruit juice (orange, apple, grape or juice from canned fruit)
1/2 teaspoon brandy flavouring or almond extract

Place in a large bowl
the washed and dried raisins
the halved candied cherries
the chopped blanched almonds and walnuts
2 Cups mixed peel

Sift together
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sift again over the fruits and nuts, then stir until each piece is coated.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter
Cream until light and fluffy.
Gradually blend in
1 Cup sugar

Beat in, one at a time, until blended
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 300º F

Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, stir the flour / fruit mixture alternately with the fruit juice into the butter / sugar mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, until the cake starts to pull away from the side of the pan.

Remove pan from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
When cooled, remove it from the pan and carefully peel off the paper or foil.
Wrap well and store in airtight container.



Here are a few other fruitcake recipes you could try.
Some don’t need aging!

Anna Sultana’s Halloween Barmbrack
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2018/10/anna-sultanas-halloween-barmbrack.html

Anna Sultana's St. Martin's Cake / Fruitcake, Maltese Style
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2011/11/anna-sultanas-st-martins-cake.html

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2014/09/anna-sultanas-cinnamon-swirl-sour-cream.html

Anna Sultana's White Fruitcake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2014/11/white-fruitcake-by-margaret-ullrich.html

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2013/05/moms-pear-and-grappa-pound-cake.html

Light Fruitcake by Margaret Ullrich
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2012/11/light-fruitcake-by-margaret-ullrich.html

Anna Sultana’s Ricotta Pie

Oh, my! It’s almost September!
I hope it’s been a good summer for you.

It seems that we’re going to be a bit more normal this year.
According to the commercials the kids are really looking forward to seeing their classmates in person instead of on a screen.

Hope everything goes well and that everyone stays safe and well.

I took a peak at the ‘Top Recipes’ lists on the right side of this blog.
Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake) is currently the top recipe for both last month and last week.
It was the ricotta pie that Carmela Soprano took to Joan O'Connell in hopes that she would write Meadow a recommendation into Georgetown.
Maybe it did the job.

I posted that recipe in February, 2013, and it sure has proven to be a winner.
But, I never posted Ma’s recipe for Ricotta Pie.
In my opinion Ma’s recipe makes a better pie.
Ma’s pie is lighter than cheesecake, more like a thick custard, and really good.

Ma usually cooked family-sized recipes.
There were times when she was cooking for seven people, so she wanted to get as much as she could for the time she had put into preparing her recipes.

Ma’s recipe for Ricotta Pie will give you two pies.
Don’t worry… it will get eaten long before it goes bad.
Sometimes we ate it for breakfast.
Yes, it’s just that nutritious… and good.


Cheesecake has had a long and interesting history.
The first cheesecake recipe was made around 230 A.D. by Athenaeus, a Greek writer.
Since then, cheesecake in one form or another has become popular around the world.

The New York cheesecake is a simple mix of cream cheese, cream, eggs and sugar, with or without a sour cream topping, while the Japanese cheesecake is a cross between a sponge cake and a souffle, and tastes more eggy than creamy.

A German cheesecake has a flour crust and quark, a dairy product made from sour milk, while the English make their cheesecakes with a crushed cookie crust and topped with a berry compote or lemon curd.

Every country has created its own special cheesecake… including the Maltese.


Hints:

If you’re in a rush you can use a pre-made crust.

Ricotta is a soft bland cheese.
The texture is like a very well blended, smooth cottage cheese.
Ricotta is easier to work with than cream cheese which, if not fully softened to room temperature before blending, will result in a crumbly instead of a smooth cheesecake.

If you’d like you can add about 1/4 Cup mini-chocolate chips or 1 Tablespoon lemon zest per pie - more or less - to the filling before baking.

The pies do firm up in the refrigerator after they have cooled.
If you want a custard with more heft you can add 1/2 Cup rice to the filling before baking.
It is very traditional and will be more like a rice pudding, which is more filling.
Like I said, Ma wanted to get full value for the time she put into her baking.

The pies can also be topped with fresh fruit or canned pie filling, either blueberry or cherry or apple.
Or you can make the pineapple topping Carmela made for her Ricotta - Pineapple Pie.
This recipe is enough to top one pie:

Saving 1/2 Cup of the syrup, drain well
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in syrup

In a medium saucepan combine
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch  
Stir in
1/2 Cup reserved pineapple syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Cook, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute.
Add
the drained pineapple
Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread the pineapple mixture over the pie.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.


                                                Pat-in Pie Crust

Place in each of two 9-inch pie pan
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar         
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together.

Place in a measuring cup
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons cold milk
Beat together until creamy.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture in one pan and blend well.
Spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.
Set aside.

Make another mixture of oil and milk and add to the flour mixture in the second pan.
Blend well, spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.
Set aside.


                                                Ricotta Pie

Preheat the oven to 325º F

Ricotta Filling

Place in a large bowl
2 pounds ricotta cheese
6 large eggs
Stir together until smooth.
Stir in
1 1/4 Cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour the ricotta filling evenly into both pie pans.
Cover the edges of crust all the way around with foil.
Place pies in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Take the pies from the oven and remove the foil.
Bake an additional 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool completely, then refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream and lemon zest if desired (or see hints).

Bread Recipes made with Yeast, Baking Soda, Baking Powder or Sourdough Starter

Thanks to the COVID-19 virus we’ve been staying home more than we ever thought we could.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Staying at home is always better than having to stay in a hospital.

For one thing, the food is always better.

Speaking of food, I’ve heard that bread making has become popular.

According to the old Ukrainian folk saying 

Bread is the head of everything.

If you have all of the ingredients, and have no problem with carbs, go for it.

Bread is a safer sedative than booze or drugs.

But, thanks to panic buyers, some items - including staples - have suddenly become hard to find in our grocery stores.

Some substitutions, such as serving frozen mixed vegetables instead of corn with dinner, are easy to do.

Baking ingredients can be a little trickier.

If the recipe calls for yeast, well, you need yeast.

But not all bread recipes call for yeast.

I’m not talking about sourdough, which is a project all by itself.

Some bread recipes just need baking soda or baking powder.

Bread is a funny thing.

Buy a loaf and it’s just bread.

Bake it and you’re suddenly Mother Walton.

Somehow making a loaf makes a person feel like she or he is able to survive through any crisis, like a Depression or a pandemic.

Homemade bread does add a certain oomph to a meal.

Don’t be put off by the idea of making four loaves at one time.

Homemade bread is a treat.

With butter or jam, it’s as good as any cake.

Believe me, it won’t last long enough to go stale.

And most of these breads can easily be frozen.

Stay safe and well!

Anna Sultana’s Halloween Barmbrack

Anna Sultana’s Orange Cranberry Bread

Anna Sultana’s Coconut Bread 

Anna Sultana's Hot Cross Muffins

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Bread

Anna Sultana’s Lost Bread & Berry Compote 

Anna Sultana’s Apple Kuchen

Anna Sultana’s Cornbread and Polenta

Anna Sultana's Lemon Monkey Bread 

Anna Sultana's & Mrs. Kekelia's German Rye Bread & Sourdough Starter

Anna Sultana's White Bread / American Bread

Anna Sultana’s Apple Cinnamon Bread

Anna Sultana’s Banana Bread

Anna Sultana’s English Muffins / Quicky Bread Pudding / English Muffin Pizza

Anna Sultana’s Crumpets

Anna Sultana's Pane di Pasqua all 'Uovo / Italian Easter Sweet Bread

Anna Sultana's Saffron Paska (Saffron Easter Bread)

Anna Sultana's Anise Biscotti, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Hobz - Maltese Bread l Quick Cheese Pizza

Anna Sultana's Crusty Italian Bread

Anna Sultana's Sausage Bread, Maltese Style

                      ~ ~ ~

Carmela Soprano's Prosciutto Bread / Glazing Bread Loaves

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini l Melon and Prosciutto

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Caesar Salad and Homemade Croutons 

Carmela Soprano's Stromboli Bread with Provolone and Meat Filling

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Bruschetta / Grilled Garlic Bread

Carmela Soprano's Italian Easter Sweet Bread

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Di Scarola - (escarole or romaine or spinach bread)

Carmela Soprano's Anisette Toast / Anna Sultana's Biscotti

                      ~ ~ ~

Folklorama: Meat Croquetten and Khubz

Folklorama: Slovak Poppy Seed Rolls and Virtiniai

Folklorama: Grand-pères and Bannock

Folklorama: Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread

                      ~ ~ ~

Safeway French Bread

Caraway Seed French Bread 

BeaverTails 

Bannock and Corn Dogs

Gingerbread and Seven Minute Frosting 

NY Daily News' Irish Soda Bread

Christmas Breads: Italian Panettone and German Stollen

Mrs. Kekelia's Stollen, German Christmas Bread

Aunt Betty's Panettone, Italian Christmas Bread

Swedish Cardamom Wreath for Saint Lucia Day (Christmas Bread)

Anna Sultana's Roasted Cornish Game Hens / Chicken and Meat Recipes for 2 Links

I know… it’s tempting to go to the store to get just the thing to make this holiday dinner special.

Fight that urge.

Make do with what you have.

Catching the COVID-19 virus and infecting your family with it is not the best of ideas.

Good health is the best gift you could give yourself and your loved ones.

It’s almost guaranteed that you have more on your shelves that the stores do.

Shop your shelves. Please.

This easy recipe will give you moist  and tender hens with a nice spicy flavour.

Happy Holidays!

Hints:

This is a recipe for two. 

If you're a family of four, or more, just increase as needed.

If you want to make a complete meal in a pan you can do this:

Chop

2 peeled carrots

1 celery stalk 

Slice

1 yellow onion

Spread out the vegetables in the bottom of the greased pan and season with

1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary 

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place the hens on top of the vegetables and continue following the recipe.

If you found a chicken instead of cornish hens in your freezer you can make the same recipe, but roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

                        Roasted Cornish Hens

Thaw overnight

2 cornish hens

Combine in a smal bowl 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

About 4 hours before you wish to to roast the thawed hens, pat them completely dry, both inside and out.

Place the two cornish hens in a greased pan.

Rub olive oil lightly over them. 

Sprinkle the spice mixture generously over the hens and inside them as well.

Cover, refrigerate and let marinate for at least 3 hours for maximum flavour.

Preheat oven to 450º F

Have on hand

1 Tablespoon butter, divided into 2 pieces 

Run your fingers under the skin of the hens' breasts to loosen them.

Place a piece of butter under the skin of each hen.

Sprinkle on more parsley.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, depending on the size of hens.

Let the hens rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Since we won't be socializing in crowds for a while here are a few menu planning ideas:

Menu Planning for One or Two

Chicken Recipes for 2

Baked Chicken with Ginger root (Hawaiian Style) 

Baked Chicken with Curried Fruit (Middle Eastern Style)

Baked Chicken with Curry Powder (East Indian Style) 

Baked Chicken with Cardamom (Middle Eastern Style) 

Baked Chicken with Coriander (East Indian Style) 

Baked Chicken with Cinnamon (Greek Style) 

Baked Chicken with Paprika (Austrian Style) 

Baked Chicken with Basil (Middle Eastern Style)  

Baked Chicken with Garlic (Italian Style)

Anna Sultana's Baked Chicken with Thyme (Mexican Style) 

Anna Sultana's Tuscan Sun Chicken

Anna Sultana’s Capellini Caprese

Anna Sultana's Broth / Chicken Noodle Soup

Carmela Soprano's Spiedini - Stuffed Veal or Chicken Rolls 

Carmela Soprano's Veal Piccata with Capers l Chicken Piccata

Carmela Soprano's Chicken Francese - Fried Chicken in Wine Sauce, Italian Style

Carmela Soprano's Fried Veal Cutlets or Chicken Breasts

Carmela Soprano's Pollo Cacciatore al Forno - Baked Chicken Caccitore 

Carmela Soprano's Baked Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon and Oregano

Carmela's Crunchy Baked Chicken

Carmela Soprano's Veal Scaloppine Marsala with Risotto / Chicken Scaloppine

Carmela Soprano's Chicken with Parsley Crumbs 

Meat Recipes for 2

Anna Sultana’s Pork Chops with Capers, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Easy Shepherd’s Pie 

Anna Sultana’s Meatloaf and Red Cabbage 

Anna Sultana’s Cottage Pie 

Anna Sultana’s Corned Beef Hash

Anna Sultana's Pork Chops in Lemon Caper Sauce 

Anna Sultana's Rouladen (German Style Simmered Beef Rolls)

Carmela Soprano's Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Bistecca Pizzaiola, Steak Pizzamaker's style

Carmela Soprano's Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers / Garlic Hints

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions 

Carmela Soprano's Osso Buco a la Bucco 

             / Braised Veal Shanks (Braised Rabbit in White Wine)

Happy Year of the Rooster, 2017 / Chinese New Year Traditions

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year - the Year of the Rooster, the Fire Rooster, to be exact.

The Rooster brings surprises in both adventures and romance.

The festivities will end with  the Lantern Festival, which happens two weeks from now on the 15th day of the first month.

Plenty of time to party hearty!!

A New Year always means a new beginning. 

To celebrate properly one should have paid off all debts, purchased new clothes, painted the front door, and gotten a new haircut.
Maybe trying a new recipe counts, too.

Homes are cleaned before the beginning of the new year.

So give the place a quick once over.

And put away all cleaning equipment before New Year's Eve because good fortune may be swept away if you are tempted to clean on New Year's Day.

Firecrackers are set off on New Year's Eve to welcome in the New Year.

Flowers are an important part of New Year decorations. 

Red is a key colour, as it symbolizes a bright and happy future.

Homes are usually decorated with special red and gold banners, to represent happiness and prosperity.

There are many different traditions observed over the New Year period:

 • Decorate your house with apricot and peach blossoms, 

                 symbols of new beginnings

 • Share a New Year’s feast: enjoy uncut noodles, symbol of longevity, 

                 and fish and chicken, symbols of prosperity

 • Traditional dishes are steamed rice pudding, long noodles, and dumplings

 • For luck, wealth, good health, and a long life eat oranges and tangerines

 • For happiness and wealth eat persimmons

 • Do not cut your hair or use sharp knives or scissors on New Year’s Day 

                 as you may cut off good fortune

 • Wear red to scare away evil spirits and bad fortune

 • Give red envelopes to friends and family for good luck and prosperity

About food...

 • Many people avoid meat on the first day to bring good luck in the New Year. 

 • Day seven is the birthday of human beings, and long noodles (for longevity) 

                 and raw fish (for success) are eaten. 

 • On the 13th day, people eat rice congee and mustard greens
                 to settle their stomachs.

 • The 14th day is spent getting ready for the Lantern Festival on the 15th night
                 and eating some leftovers. 

Your behaviour on New Year’s Day sets the tone for the year.

No pressure.

Just so you know… the Year of the Rooster is

 • the Best Year for: Dragons
 • an Amazing Year for: Rooster, Ox, Snake
 • a Good Year for: Tigers, Rats
 • a Mixed Year for: Pigs, Goats, Monkeys
 • a Difficult Year for: Dogs, Rabbits, Horses

Sometimes the year of the Rooster is called the year of the Phoenix or the year of the Chicken. Two recipes that might suit the chicken theme, Italian style:

Carmela Soprano's Chicken with Parsley Crumbs 

Carmela Soprano's Chicken Paillards with Tomato-Olive Salad 

About the ‘do not use sharp knives on New Year’s Day’ rule…

Maybe you should pick up some chicken parts.

Better to be safe.

Carmela Soprano’s Italian Main Courses with Meat

The family is coming for a big family dinner.

Are they ever in for a treat!

Carmela's appetizers. Check. 

Carmela’s vegetable and pasta courses. Check. 

Carmela’s desserts, cakes and cookies. Check.

Something for everybody… 

More or less.

There is Uncle Vito.

Uncle Vito… the family patriarch… 

The family meat eater.

No way will he be satisfied with Baked Ziti in Bechamel Sauce.

Uncle Vito wants… no, needs… meat to make his meal complete.

Aunt Carmela will give you THE LOOK if Uncle Vito goes home unhappy.

It won’t end there.

Aunt Carmela will call the relatives.

She'll tell everybody - yes, everybody - Vito had to sit through a cheap meal that didn’t have meat.

And we all know how Uncle Vito needs his meat.

It's for his health, for Christ's sake.

Are you trying to kill an old man?

He needs his protein from REAL MEAT.

No problem.

Here are a few of Carmela’s best meat recipes.

Uncle Vito would love each one of them.

And Aunt Carmela won’t give you THE LOOK.

Bonus!!

Carmela Soprano's Sunday Gravy (Tomato Sauce with Meat) and Homemade Meatballs

Carmela Soprano's Lasagne / Anna Sultana's Lasagne, Maltese Style

Carmela Soprano's Meat Sauce and Lasagne #2, with Basil Leaves

Carmela Soprano's Cannelloni (Pasta with spinach / veal / pork filling)

Carmela Soprano's Ziti al Forno / Baked Ziti with Tiny Meatballs

Carmela Soprano's Veal Piccata with Capers l Chicken Piccata

Carmela Soprano's Pollo Cacciatore al Forno - Baked Chicken Caccitore (for 4 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions (for 4 or 50)

Carmela Soprano’s Desserts, Cakes and Cookies

After feasting upon Carmela's appetizers and Carmela’s vegetable and pasta courses your guests might still have a tiny bit of room for a dessert.

Why not treat them to a total Soprano feast!

Since I first started posting Carmela’s recipes there have been two top favourites:

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake and

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake)

About the Ricotta - Pineapple Pie…

If you’re looking for a cheesecake recipe, you’ll find an assortment in this post.

Some take a bit of effort, while there are a few that just need refrigeration.

All are good.

If you’re looking for something a little different - or would like to prepare a platter of cookies - here are a few recipes you might like to try.

DESSERTS

Carmela Soprano's Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce and Blueberries

Carmela Soprano's Pears al Vino Bianco  - Pears in White Wine

Carmela Soprano's Tortoni - Almond Cream Dessert

Carmela Soprano's Zuppa Ingles - Neopolitan Trifle

Carmela Soprano's Cream Puffs - Baked Sfingi and Ricotta Cream Filling

CAKES

Carmela Soprano's Cassata - Iced Sponge Cake with Ricotta Filling 

     Palm Sunday Customs

Carmela Soprano's Tiramisu - Ladyfingers and Nillas

Carmela Soprano's Almond Torte with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate Glaze

Carmela Soprano's Almond Roll with Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream Filling

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake

Carmela Soprano's Baba au Rhum - Rum Cake

Carmela Soprano's Torta Caprese - Capri Chocolate Almond Cake 

     How to Separate Eggs

Carmela Soprano's Chocolate Fudge Sheet Cake

Carmela Soprano's Baci Cake, Glazed Chocolate Cake with Hazelnuts

COOKIES

Carmela Soprano's Anginetti - Italian Lemon Knot Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Pinoli - Pignoli Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti Regina - Sesame Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Venetians - Rainbow Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Mostaciolli - Spiced Chocolate Cookies with Rum Frosting

Carmela Soprano’s Vegetable and Pasta Courses

Okay... you've had a chance to view and pick a few of Carmela's appetizers.

The next course could be vegetables.

Either in a salad or a special dish.

A vegetarian course is always a safe bet.

You never know if someone has decided to avoid meat, whether by choice or for health reasons.

But fresh vegetables well prepared and beautifully served are usually safe.

And, during Spring and Summer, they are an absolute treat.

Italians can serve their families a completely filling and satisfying dinner without having to go anywhere near the meat counter.

Picture a starch covered with a delicious sauce and served with beans or cheese.

You might even go straight from the pasta to dessert.

If anyone is still a bit peckish after all those carbs!

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Pepper Salad / Broiled Pepper Salad

Carmela Soprano's Red, White and Green Salad

Carmela Soprano's Caesar Salad and Homemade Croutons (for 6 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Insalata di Mare / Seafood Salad with Dressing (for 6 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Insalata Caprese (Mozzarella and Tomato Salad)

Carmela Soprano's Verdure alla Griglia - Grilled or Broiled Vegetables

Carmela Soprano's Eggplant Parmigiana (for 6)

Carmela Soprano's Giambotta - Meatless Vegetable Stew

Zucchini: Carmela Soprano's stew Googootz Giambotta 

and Anna Sultana's Minestra tal-Haxix (soup, Maltese Style)

Carmela Soprano's Panzerotti - Neopolitan Style Potato Croquettes

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Carmela Soprano's Pasta e Patate (Pasta and Potatoes)

Carmela Soprano's Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans) l Preparing Dried Beans

Carmela Soprano's Pasta E Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas) l Preparing Dried Beans

Carmela Soprano's Pizza - Ah Beetz' (for 8 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Sfinciuni - Sicilian Onion Pizza (for 10 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Manicotti with Ricotta Filling / Filling for Large Shells

Carmela Soprano's Baked Ziti In Bianco and Bechamel Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Vegetarian Baked Ziti