Irish Soda Bread and recipes for St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's Days

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Irish Soda Bread is easy to make and doesn’t need special ingredients.
It goes well with a corned beef and cabbage dinner, or anything else.  

Here's the Irish Soda Bread recipe that I clipped from The New York Daily News fifty years ago.  
Faith and beggorah!  'Tis a fine recipe.
Absolutely Hobbit free.  
And the cops will love you.  


Hints:

You can also make a buttermilk substitute for baking.
Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup milk.
Let it sit for 2 minutes.


                                         Irish Soda Bread
          
Grease a cookie pan         
Preheat oven to 375º  F        

Combine in a large bowl
3 Cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in
1/2 Cup currants or raisins
1 1/3 Cups buttermilk

Knead the dough on a floured board.
Shape into a round loaf and place on the prepared pan.
Cut a cross on top of the loaf.
Bake 45 minutes.

Combine for a glaze
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons hot water
Remove loaf from oven and brush with glaze.
Bake 10 minutes.


This post has links for more Irish recipes, as well as recipes for St. Joseph’s Day, which we’ll be celebrating on March 19:

https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2020/03/anna-sultanas-onion-soup-lamb-barley.html

                                                          ~~~

Years ago I wrote for and told my stories on the CKUW radio show 2000 & Counting.
Here’s one I wrote for St. Patrick’s Day…

Remember how we were all gaga about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?  

I mean, even if you didn't know enough Astrology to know your own sign - let alone what house you were mooning - you couldn't avoid Hair, the song, play or movie.  And everybody saw the 5th Dimension on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Remember how they just stood there, swaying and singing When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will fill the stars?  

Ok, Janet Jackson it wasn't.

So who are Aquarians? 
Kim Novak, Vanessa Redgrave, Jeanne Moreau, Mia Farrow, Carmen Miranda and, the comeback king, John Travolta.  We're talking a major sign here.

Some people poo poo all this but I think we'd better start paying attention.  This is a new millennium and cosmic forces are just itching to find any teeny tiny hole where they can get a toehold to shake things up on dear old planet earth.  

No kidding.


Take St. Patrick's Day.  I'm from New York where St. Patrick's was like Christmas.  Everybody - no matter where they came from - sat down to a corned beef and cabbage dinner on March 17. 
Hey, nobody was dumb enough to not notice all the Irish cops, carrying billy clubs, pounding down Fifth Avenue in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.  

Trust me, you didn't want to make a New York cop mad.

For decades I used an Irish Soda Bread recipe that I'd clipped from The New York Daily News.  
Then, like everybody else, I discovered Martha.  Ok, she's Polish, but she had a humdinger of a recipe.  I watched her teach it to some Irish lady who said, "Faith and beggorah!  'Tis better than me own sainted Mum's recipe."  

When I heard the 'Tis word, I was hooked.  

I downloaded the recipe from Martha's website and everything went tickety boo.
Until Martha got convicted.
Well, that shook everybody up.  
Her stock took a tumble and you could've shot a cannon through the department store aisles where her household items were gathering dust.  
Frugal housewives were clipping Martha Stewart labels from towels and sheets.  

With visions of mad cops marching in my head, I thought it wouldn't be kosher to whip up a loaf of Martha's Irish Soda Bread.  
Back to the computer.

There's lots of stuff about Ireland on the internet.  
Did you know that corned beef is not the national dish?  It was eaten as a last resort during hard times.  
Irish coffee was the invention of the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.  
When Irish Eyes are Smiling is an American song.  
And many Irish people consider green to be an unlucky color.
    
Finally I found The Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and double clicked.  

Now how was I supposed to know the cosmic forces that click would unleash?  
Before you could say "Faith and beggorah", my computer started to glow, I heard a banshee wail and my printer took on a life of its own printing sheets of I didn't know what.  

Odd characters strolled around my room.  They looked like a touring company of The Lord of Rings.  Some were chanting, some were crying and some were doing tai chi.  

This was not a good thing.
     
Enough was enough.  I pressed the option and command keys, made the sign of the cross and punched the escape key.  
It worked.  
iMac 1, Druids 0.
The pages were all over the floor.  
Seems somebody is holding a cosmic grudge.  

According to legend, St. Patrick put a curse on venomous snakes in Ireland.  Then he drove all the snakes into the sea.  
Well, according to my visiting Hobbits, the snakes were a popular tourist attraction, their version of the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area.  

You've heard of Narcisse, where thousands of red-sided garter snakes emerge from the limestone sinkholes in late April and tangle in a mating ritual for three weeks.  Ok, it's not Disneyland, but tourists come and spend and that's always a good thing.  
Why wreck a nice little cottage industry?  
Why, indeed.  
I guess History rewrites by the winner is not a new thing.

Oh, among the pages was a recipe for traditional Irish Soda Bread.  
I don't think I'll try it.  
No, the corned beef and cabbage is enough.  
I don't need the bread.  

Hmm... the Atkins diet, which cuts out bread, is sure popular in the Age of Aquarius.  

Coincidence?  
I think not.

Anna Sultana’s Onion Soup & Lamb Barley Soup / St. Patrick’s Day & St. Joseph’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is on Tuesday.

Thursday, officially the first day of Spring, is also the feast of St. Joseph.

Do you ever wonder how St. Patrick and St. Joseph feel about the fact that their feast days always happen in Lent?

Sometimes St. Valentine’s also falls in Lent.
Lent or not - people celebrate St. Valentine's.
A loved one's fury, and revenge methods, are a lot scarier than God's judgment.
And, anyway, church rules have been known to change.

But, for Pat and Joe, it’s guaranteed that their big days will land in the no-frills, no-fun, no-treats-for-you, season of Lent.

It’s enough to make a saint curse.
I mean, Pat went to Ireland and Joe, well, who has better family connections?
What does a guy have to do to get a decent holy day?

Well… I think that this is not the time to worry about Lent.

Not when there are so many great traditional recipes to enjoy!

Here are a few traditional dishes for St. Patrick.
Don't forget to toast him with a few traditional Irish drinks:

Anna Sultana’s Cottage Pie #3

Anna Sultana’s Colcannon and Irish Cream  (a drink) 

Anna Sultana’s Irish Cakes / Boxties

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie 

Potato and Cabbage Casserole

NY Daily News' Irish Soda Bread   

 

Irish Coffee Recipe and Irish Fix Recipe  (2 drinks)

Enjoy a pastry or two - Italian or Maltese style - in honour of St. Joseph:

Anna Sultana’s Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp II / St. Joseph's Zeppole

Carmela Soprano's Sfingi (St. Joseph's Day Zeppole)

Anna Sultana's Zeppoli ta' san Guzepp 

Carmela Soprano's St. Joseph Zeppole 

Cream Puffs - Baked Sfingi / Zfineg ta San Guzepp

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

Carmela Soprano's Sfingi, Anna Sultana's Zfineg ta San Guzepp

Next Tuesday we'll have a new moon.

No big whoop… pretty much a night like any other night.
Well, we can say that about most days.

But we still have to eat.

Warm weather is still a long way off, so why not make some soup?

Hints:

For the Onion Soup…

For something a bit different use one pound each of red onions, sweet onions and yellow onions.

The red onions’ colour will bleed into the broth, but it’s the thought that counts.

Also it’s a way to use onions before they start to sprout.

The soup can be prepared, cooled, then refrigerated up to 2 days. 

When ready to serve, bring it to a boil, ladle into the bowls and continue.

If you want to omit the dry sherry, increase the beef broth to 7 1/4 cups.

About the Lamb Barley Soup…

If you have a lamb leg or chops dinner, be sure to save the bones. 

Place them in a large pot, cover with water, add a diced onion or two along with a few bay leaves, and simmer for a few hours. 

If you have an envelope of onion soup mix handy you can add that, too.

A teaspoon or two of chill powder adds a nice touch.

Let the broth cool and then strain it.

Pick any meat off the bones and add the bits to the broth.

If you haven’t had lamb since last Easter, use broth or water.

Ground beef will work with beef or vegetable broth.

Ground chicken or turkey is good with chicken or vegetable broth.

                        Onion Soup

Cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into thin slices

3 pounds onions

Place in a large pot 

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil 

Heat over medium heat and add

the sliced onions

Stirring frequently, cook 10 minutes.

Lower the heat and, stirring occasionally, simmer 40 minutes until the onions are golden brown.

Add

2 teaspoons dried thyme 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 Cup dry sherry 

Cook and stir on medium-high heat 1 minute.

Add
7 Cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 bay leaves 

Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. 

Cover, simmer on medium-low heat 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the bay leaves and discard. 

While the soup is simmering, toast 

16 French bread or baguette slices (1/2 inch thick)

Heat the broiler. 

Ladle soup into 8 ovenproof bowls.

Top with 

the toasted bread slices

1 1/2 to 2 Cups shredded Swiss cheese 

Broil, 4 inches from heat, 3 to 5  minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. 

Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty rolls or bread.

                        Lamb Barley Soup

Finely chop

2 medium onions

4 medium carrots

Place in a large pot 

1 pound ground lamb 

the chopped onion

Heat over medium-high heat and stir until the meat is evenly browned and the onions are translucent. 

Discard any excess grease. 

Stir in 

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 Cups lamb broth

1 can condensed tomato soup 

the chopped carrots
1 Cup barley 

1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Cover and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes.

Serve with crusty rolls or bread.

Anna Sultana’s Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp II / St. Joseph's Zeppole

St. Joseph’s feast day is this weekend.

Back in March, 2010 I wrote about Carmela Soprano's Sfingi, and Ma's Zfineg ta San Ġużepp.

Funny to think Carmela and Ma have something in common.

But, yes, if you’re from that part of Europe, you just have to celebrate St. Joseph by enjoying a pastry.

Since then I’ve posted a few other recipes that would be suitable for St. Joseph’s big day:

Anna Sultana's Zeppoli ta' san Guzepp 

           - Fried choux pastry with sweet ricotta filling and honey coating

Carmela Soprano's Sfingi (St. Joseph's Day Zeppole)

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

Cream Puffs - Baked Sfingi / Zfineg ta San Guzepp 

Okay… those are the recipes that most Moms would make.

But then, of course, there’s a more elaborate Zeppoli.

It’s kind of like Sfogliatelle, better known as Shfooyadell’. 

Great to eat, hell to make.

This is not something for a beginner - or a sane person - to make on a regular basis.

But, if you want to show off, or put an in-law in her place, this recipe could do it.

And all the while that your in-law is fuming, you could smile sweetly and say you went to all that trouble for good old St. Joseph.

Yeah, right, like the Blessed Virgin would’ve done the same.

Hints:

If you don’t want to peel the fruit use

2 teaspoons lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

This also saves the mess of fishing the peels out of the pudding.

The peeled fruit could be added to a pitcher of sangria.

The egg whites could be used for the cookies, Dead Man's Bones, or Baked Alaska, or a healthy egg white omelet.

Waste not, want not.

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and turn brown in 1 minute.

Try to not fill the Żeppoli until you are ready to serve them.

They really don’t age well.

Well, the same could be said about that in-law.

                        Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp

Filling

Peel

2 lemons
1/2 orange

Set aside.

Beat together

2 Cups Milk

6 egg yolks

Place in a small pot

1/2 Cup and 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 Cup and 2 Tablespoons flour

Stir them until they are well blended.

Gradually stir in 

2 Cups Milk

Gradually stir in the milk / egg yolk mixture.

Add the lemon and orange peels.

Place the pot on the stove over low heat.

While stirring constantly, cook until the milk thickens.

Remove the pot from the heat and discard the peels.

Set the pot aside and let the pudding cool to room temperature.

Stir occasionally to prevent a thick skin from forming.

Pastry

Combine

2 Cups flour

1/2 Cup sugar

In a large pot place

1 3/4 Cups water

4 ounces butter

Place the pot on the stove over high heat.

Heat to boiling.

When the butter has melted, reduce the heat.

While the pot is still on the stove, gradually stir in the flour / sugar mixture.

Stir until the mixture forms a ball.

Continue stirring the dough on the stove for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Let the ball of dough cool completely.

While the dough is cooling, cut a dozen 4 x 4 inch squares foil.

Beat into the dough, one at a time

6 eggs

Beat until smooth.

The dough will become softer, almost like a batter.

Place the dough in a pastry bag.

On each square of foil, starting from the centre, squeeze the dough from the pastry bag to form a bird's nest with a hollow space in the middle. 

The bird’s nest is called a Żeppola.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

about 2 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 375º on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough (see hints).

While the Żeppola is still on the foil, put 2 or 3 into the hot frying oil. 

Don't crowd or they won't fry properly.

The paper will separate from the Żeppola and you will be able to remove it.

Turn them several times until they turn golden-brown on both sides, about 3 minutes.

Remove the Żeppoli with a slotted spoon.

Drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cool the Żeppoli thoroughly.

Arrange the Żeppoli on a platter.

Put the filling in a clean pastry bag.

Fill the centre of each Żeppola with some custard.

Garnish the custard centre of each Żeppola with

a maraschino cherry

Dust with 

Confectioners’ sugar

Serve, sit back and expect compliments.

Links for St. Patrick / St. Joseph / Easter / Mother's Day recipes

The holidays are the times for traditional recipes.

And it doesn't hurt to try something new.

Here's a collection of some old favourites.

And, hopefully, something that will become a new favourite.

Happy Holidays!!!

NY Daily News' Irish Soda Bread

Potato and Cabbage Casserole for St. Patrick's Day

Carmela Soprano's Potato Pie

Irish Cakes / Boxties

Irish Coffee Recipe and Irish Fix Recipe

****
Anna Sultana’s Simnel Cake / Mother’s Day Cake / Easter Cake

Anna Sultana's Hot Cross Buns

Anna Sultana's Zeppoli ta' san Guzepp 

       - Fried choux pastry with sweet ricotta filling 

Carmela Soprano's St. Joseph Zeppole 

Carmela Soprano's Sfingi (St. Joseph's Day Zeppole)

Cream Puffs - Baked Sfingi / Zfineg ta San Guzepp 

****
Carmela Soprano's Cassata
   - Iced Sponge Cake with Ricotta Filling l Palm Sunday Customs

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Rustica recipe / Pizza Gaina 

     - Italian Easter Pie with Ricotta and Meat

A Healthy Pizza Rustica (Ricotta Pie, Maltese Style)

Carmela Soprano's Italian Easter Sweet Bread

Carmela Soprano's La Pastiera - Easter Ricotta Pie, Italian Style

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

Anna Sultana's Figolli recipe 

- Traditional Maltese Easter Sweet with Royal Icing and Almond Filling

Saffron Paska (Saffron Easter Bread)

Snow, St. Patrick’s Day, Soda Bread and Stuff by Margaret Ullrich

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

With the winter we’ve been through, it doesn’t look like it’s really his feast day.

The windrows of snow in the back lanes are about a meter high.

For sure they don’t remind me of the type of weather we had for St. Patrick’s Day when my sister was being born in 1955.

Yes, I really thought my sister came from Ireland.

The 50s were a simpler time.

College Point was settled by Germans and Irish people.

During those days traditional recipes were shared.

At the very least, everyone there ate a slice of Irish Soda Bread on March 17.

Back to St. Patrick…

In 432, he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to the Irish people.

But the celebrations in his honour don’t stop at the Irish border.

Montreal, whose flag has a shamrock, stages a huge Saint Patrick's Day parade.

In Manitoba, the Irish Association of Manitoba runs a festival of music and culture.

Yes, enjoying a slice of Irish Soda Bread is the very least one can do.

Tonight’s full moon is called a Lenten Moon by some.

Especially when, as in this year, Lent has already started.

Lent gives us forty days to do a bit of fasting and penance.

And to do Spring cleaning to get ready for Easter.

Maybe it was inspired by the ancient Roman celebration Lupercalia.

If you didn’t have time to celebrate Lupercalia last month, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a Feng Shui thing after you’ve done your Spring cleaning:

Light a sandalwood or frankincense incense stick.

Beginning at the front door, walk the main floor in a clockwise direction. 

Let the smoke clear the spaces of stagnant energies. 

Don’t forget corners, closets and rooms with little foot traffic. 

Return to the front door, sit and let the incense burn out. 

It's important to intend a cleanse, not just to be a walking air wick. 

Even if you did do it last month, it wouldn't hurt to do it again.

Paul and I have been tossing more stuff.

Guess we still have a touch of that feng shui fever.

With any luck we should roll out another cart - or two - for recycling before Easter.

About tonight’s full moon in Virgo…

It’s also called a Full Worm Moon or a "Sap Moon", but it’s too cold for that here.

According to the folks at astrology.com:
Are you content? Full Moons highlight your emotional connections with others, as well as your own personal feelings of well-being. 

Since Virgo represents your day-to-day work, and routines, the way in which you approach this important area of your life is extra-important now. 

Are you organized? 

Or do you find yourself trying to catch up on all the things you need to do? 

As you think about how you handle your daily life, make a plan to take better care of yourself… use this time to implement a sensible plan to make yourself more emotionally content.

Time to get organized… to become more content...

and to make some Sfingi to enjoy on St. Joseph’s Day on March 19.

Carmela Soprano's Sfingi (St. Joseph's Day Zeppole)

Salads are great.

They leave plenty of room for desserts.

To my way of thinking, it all balances out in the end.

I’ve noticed that people have searched for traditional recipes at a variety of times.

I’ve seen people look for fruitcake recipes in the spring.

Maybe they just like to plan ahead.

If you’re in the mood for a doughnut - or just want to get ready for the feast 

of St. Joseph on March 19 - here’s the recipe for Carmela’s Sfingi from Entertaining with The Sopranos.  It is also called St. Joseph's Day Zeppole.

Sfingi has a lot of Mediterranean mojo attached to it.

As Carmela explained: 

If it is not St. Joseph's Day, you can just shake these, without the filling, 

in a bag with cinnamon sugar and serve them like donuts.

If there's someone in the crowd who is lactose intolerant, Bobby's recipe for Zeppole in his chapter If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family Cookbook is also good.

Or you can just serve them as unfilled donuts.

Hint:

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and turn brown in 1 minute.

                        Sfingi 

Makes 12

For the Filling

In a medium bowl whisk together until smooth

15 ounces ricotta

3/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in

1/4 Cup mini chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon finely chopped candied citron or orange peel

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the Sfingi

In a medium saucepan place

1 Cup water

1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook until the butter melts.

Remove from heat.

Add all at once

1 Cup flour

Stir well until the flour is completely mixed in.

Return the saucepan to the medium heat.

Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, until the dough

begins to leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

(Don’t rush this - you want the dough to dry so the puffs will be crisp.)

Scrape the dough into a large bowl.

With an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat in

ONE AT A TIME

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Continue to beat until smooth and shiny, about 2 minutes.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

about 3 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 375º on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough.

With a tablespoon, scoop a rounded spoonful of batter.

With another spoon, carefully scrape the dough into the hot oil.

Be careful that it doesn’t splash.

Continue to add spoonfuls of dough.

The dough will puff up, so don’t add too much.

Don't crowd or they will stick together and won't fry properly.

Cook, stirring a couple of times, about 4 minutes,

until the balls break open.

Continue to cook another 2 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.

Remove the sfingi with a slotted spoon.

Drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Let cool slightly.

With a small knife, split the sfingi partway open.

Spoon the Ricotta Cream Filling into the puffs, allowing a bit to show in the split.

Press into the cream of each

a halved candied cherry (12 halves)

Place on a platter.

Sprinkle the sfingi with 

2 Tablespoons chopped unsalted pistachios

Dust with 

Confectioners’ sugar

If filled, they are best served right after they are made.

Anna Sultana's Zeppoli ta' san Guzepp - Fried choux pastry with sweet ricotta filling and honey coating

Back in March, 2010 I wrote about Carmela Soprano's Sfingi, and 

Ma's Zfineg ta San Ġużepp.

I wrote about them, but I didn't give the recipes. 

Yes, I know, beginner's mistake.

I had said that Sfingi and Zfineg are pretty much the same.

Both are prepared for the feast of St. Joseph.

Well, here's the recipe for Ma's Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp.

The recipe makes about 24 to 30 Żeppoli.

Yes, they are small.

If you've never had a Żeppoli, it's a tiny ball of puff pastry which is fried like a doughnut ball, split open and stuffed with a ricotta and candied fruit and nut filling.  

The filling is strictly for St. Joseph's Day.

Well, that's what tradition says.

But sometimes  Żeppoli is the perfect ending for a meal.

Or for the budget.

So suit yourself.

St. Joseph knew what it was like to feed a family on a budget.

Hint:

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and turn brown in 1 minute.

Want to avoid the whole frying scene?

Try the recipe for Cream Puffs. 

                        Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp

Filling

Place in a bowl

350 grams ricotta

Mash it to remove any lumps.

Add

50 grams milk or dark chocolate, chopped

100 grams candied cherries, chopped

100 grams roasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped

Stir in 

50 grams confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix well.

Pastry

In a medium saucepan place

125 ml water

50 grams margarine or butter

Simmer until the margarine melts.

Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in

100 grams flour

Stir until the mixture forms a ball.

Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

Beat in, one at a time

3 eggs

Beat until throughly mixed and smooth.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

about 2 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 375º on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls into oil.

Don't crowd or they won't fry properly.

Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Remove the Żeppoli with a slotted spoon.

Drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cool.

Slice before serving and fill with the ricotta mixture.

Arrange them on a platter.

Pour over the Żeppoli

liquid honey

Sprinkle over the Żeppoli

100 grams roasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped

Żeppoli is just another word for Zfineg.

Yes, really.

Carmela Soprano's St. Joseph Zeppole / Yeast Proofing

Tomorrow is St. Joseph's Day!!

Now we're talking celebrating, Mediterranean style!!

In Entertaining with The Sopranos there was a recipe for Sfingi, also called St. Joseph's Day Zeppole.

Carmela Soprano called it Sfingi, Anna Sultana called it Zfineg. For St. Joseph, the Sopranos and the Sultanas are one.

Sfingi / Zfineg is a tiny ball of puff pastry, fried like a doughnut ball, split open and stuffed with a ricotta and candied citron filling.  

The filling is strictly for St. Joseph's Day.  

Sfingi / Zfineg has a lot of Mediterranean mojo attached to it.

As it was explained: 

If it is not St. Joseph's Day, you can just shake these, without the filling, 

in a bag with cinnamon sugar and serve them like donuts.

Religion doesn't have to make sense.  

It just has to follow the rules and be done right.  

Even for Tony and the boys, some things are sacred.

Maybe in Tony's line of work, only a lucky few turned 60.

For those of us who have, well, some old favourites can cause problems.

Cream Puffs are baked and they can be stuffed with the ricotta filling.

If there's someone in the crowd who is lactose intolerant, Bobby's recipe for Zeppole in his chapter If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family Cookbook would at least show you cared.

And St. Joseph would understand.

Hint:

Proof means you let the yeast sit to see if the liquid gets foamy.

If, after 10 minutes the liquid has no foam, the yeast has died.

It will not work.  You've been warned.

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and turn brown in 1 minute.

                        Zeppole

Serves 10 to 12

In a bowl sift together

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine

1 Cup warm water (110º to 115º F)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

Stir until the yeast has dissolved.

Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

Add the sifted dry ingredients.

Stir until well blended.

Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 1/2 hours.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

about 2 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 375º on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough.

Drop the dough by tablespoons into the hot oil.

Don't crowd or they won't fry properly.

Cook, stirring a couple of times, about 2 minutes,

until they are crisp and golden.

Remove the zeppole with a slotted spoon.

Drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Put the zeppole in a paper bag.

Add

1/2 Cup confectioners' sugar

Shake the zeppole until coated.

Serve immediately.

Would I make Zeppole again?

Sure, one can't hurt.

Everything in moderation.

Including moderation.

One recipe down.  Thirty-two more to go. 

Cream Puffs - Baked Sfingi / Zfineg ta San Guzepp or Valentine's Day Cream Puff Heart - Margaret Ullrich

It's official!

It's Spring!

Really Spring for us in Manitoba, where we've been having 

record breaking warm days!!

Hurrah for Spring!!

I wasn't surprised to see that my post on Carmela Soprano's Sfingi, Anna Sultana's Zfineg ta San Guzepp was the week's top post.

Hurrah for Saint Joseph!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful time.

One thing that bloggers do, besides writing, is check what people are searching for when they find one's blog. 

Really, we care.

So I just checked my Search Keywords. 

And I was saddened to see a couple of searches for "sfingi +baked".

I'm so sorry that I didn't think of this sooner.

Doughnuts can be a bother.

And many wish to avoid them, for health or other reasons.

But everyone does want to celebrate.

So here's something you can use instead of doughnuts.

This recipe makes 10 large puffs.

If you're having company, increase ingredients.

It's a really easy recipe.

Honest, St. Joseph won't mind.

                        Cream Puffs

          

grease a large cookie pan         

preheat oven to 425º           

bake 45 minutes 

In a medium saucepan place

1 Cup water

1/2 Cup butter (or margarine)

Heat to boiling.

When the butter has melted, reduce heat.

Stir in

1 Cup flour

Stir until the mixture forms a ball.

Remove from heat.

Beat in, one at a time

4 eggs

Beat until smooth.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto pan.

Bake.

Cool.

Slice before serving and fill.

St. Joseph Sfingi filling

ricotta and candied citron 

or 

Zeppoli ta San Guzepp

fill with sweet ricotta, then close and dip in honey and chopped nuts

So much for St. Joseph's Day.

Cream puffs can also be filled with ice cream, custard or whipped cream.

They can be topped with fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce or sweetened berries.

If you want to make a fancy shape, like a heart for Valentine's Day,

Drop the spoonfuls of mixture close to each other so they'll touch.

They'll bake as one.

Just before serving, slice as you would a large cake, fill and serve.

Happy Holidays... or any days!!