Anna Sultana’s Bread Pudding with Thick Sauce, and with Vanilla Sauce / Easy Vanilla Sauce / Walnut Bread Pudding / Custard Bread Pudding, with and without Vanilla Sauce

Bread prices, just like most food prices, keep rising.

Loaves of plain, basic white and whole wheat bread at our local grocery store went up ten cents a loaf last week.
Sometimes there are deals: if you buy more than one loaf the price per loaf is reduced.
Wrapped in plastic, a loaf of bread can be stored in the freezer.
If there’s room.
If the freezer is full the second loaf could go stale and dry.

At these prices no one wants to toss any food out.

No problem. The second loaf can be used to make a dessert.
Bread Puddings are easy to make and are cozy warm endings to winter meals.
And there are so many variations!
You’re sure to find one that will use what you have on hand.

Custard Bread Pudding, with and without Vanilla Sauce, are cooked in a water bath.
It’s worth going the extra mile and using the second pan.
The water bath insulates the custard bread pudding from the direct heat of the oven and prevents curdling of the custard.


Ma made use of every loaf of bread that came into our home.
Especially when Pop was out of work.
To take a look at her favourite recipes, ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz’ and ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz #2’, just paste ‘pudina’ in the search space and click.

Ma’s bread puddings had a lot of heft to them.
Well, I guess you can say that about many Maltese, too.


Hints:
Be sure to use a baking dish that’s deep and large enough for the recipe you’ve chosen.

If your bread is too stale to cut easily, wrap it in a damp kitchen towel, set it on a pan and heat it in a 350º F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

About Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
Instead of the nutmeg you can use cinnamon.
For a lighter dessert replace the heavy cream with half and half or milk, either whole or 2%.

You can substitute finely chopped green apples and/or cranberries for the raisins.

Leftover hamburger or hotdog buns or rolls can be used instead of French bread.

This recipe makes a sweet dessert. You can reduce the amount of sugar.


About the Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe…
Instead of the milk and half and half you can use 1 cup heavy cream or just milk, even skim milk or non-dairy milk.
Don’t rush adding the warm milk to the yolks. If you add it too quickly the yolks will cook and the sauce will curdle.

You can add some dark rum at the end to cut some of the sweetness.
You can also add ground cinnamon or cloves, if you want.

To reheat, place the vanilla sauce in a small pot, warm over very low heat, and stir constantly while heating.

Easy Vanilla Sauce is also known as Creme Anglaise and can be used to top fresh fruit, or paired with any baked dessert.
You can also make a gingerbread trifle: gingerbread, Creme Anglaise, raspberries, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and topped with raspberries.


About Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
The outer crust is crispy while the custard-like interior is soft. Make sure your stale French bread is dry. If it isn't dry you can lightly toast the bread cubes in the oven or leave it out on the counter, unwrapped, for a day or two.


About Custard Bread Pudding…
This recipe has more custard than bread.


                       Bread Pudding with Thick Sauce

Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
                     
Cube 8 slices white bread
Place in a large bowl and add
1/2 Cup raisins, any kind

Combine in medium saucepan
2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup butter
Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, 4 to 7 minutes.
Pour milk mixture over bread, and let stand 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 325º F 

Add to bread / milk mixture
1/2 Cup sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until centre is set.

Place in 1-quart saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 Cup heavy cream
Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

To serve, spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes and serve with sauce.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                       Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Lightly grease a deep 2-quart baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375° F

Cube enough to make 4 Cups
French bread
Place cubes on pan. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375° F

Place in large bowl
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1⁄2 Cups sugar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
Blend well to combine thoroughly.
Stir in
1⁄4 Cup butter, melted
2 3⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Gently stir in
the cubed French bread
3⁄4 Cup raisins
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 20 to 25 minutes.
Let pudding stand 10 minutes before serving with sauce.

While the pudding is baking prepare the Vanilla Sauce

Place in in a heavy saucepan
1⁄2 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
Remove saucepan from heat and stir in
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Serve warm or at room temperature.


                       Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe

Place in a small, heavy saucepan
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup half and half
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat.

Place in a medium bowl
4 large egg yolks
3 Tablespoons sugar
Whisk together.
While whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks.
Gradually pour the mixture into the saucepan and, whisking constantly, heat the sauce over medium low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and let sauce cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve if desired.
Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator.


                       Walnut Bread Pudding

Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
    
Preheat oven to 350° F

Cube 10 slices raisin bread, or other dried-fruit bread  
Spread bread cubes on baking sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool.

Place in a large bowl                                 
2 1/4 Cups milk                                                                                                    
3 large eggs                                                                                                      
6 Tablespoons sugar                                                                           
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon                                                                                          
3/4 teaspoon vanilla  
Whisk together.
Add
the toasted bread cubes                                                                                      
6 Tablespoons walnuts, coarsely chopped                                                    
Stir to coat bread cubes.
Let stand 15 minutes, stirring half-way, until bread is completely soaked.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, until golden and egg mixture is set.
        
To serve: drizzle prepared caramel sauce over warm pudding (optional)


                       Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Butter well a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole

Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound loaf of day old French bread
Set aside.

Place in a large bowl
3 Cups whole milk
1 Cup heavy cream
1 1/4 Cup half and half
7 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cup sugar
zest of half an orange (optional)
Using a whisk, mix well until the eggs are fully blended, 6 to 7 minutes.

Pour this mixture into the prepared casserole.
Add in the bread cubes and gently toss until all the bread is coated.
Don’t stir more than 10 minutes. You don’t want the cubes to break apart into pieces.
Cover the casserole tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator.
Leave overnight, or at least 2 hours, until all the custard mixture has been soaked up.

Preheat your oven to 350º F

Set the covered casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.
Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake for 90 minutes, uncover the casserole and bake until the crust becomes browned and crispy.
Remove from oven.
Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes before slicing it.
Top with berries, powdered sugar, or caramel sauce.


                       Custard Bread Pudding

Place in a blender
1 quart half-and-half
4 large eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blend until smooth.

Butter well a 2 to 2 1/2 quart casserole

Cube 4 slices white bread
Place bread cubes in prepared casserole.
Sprinkle over bread cubes
1/4 Cup raisins, more or less
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat oven to 300º F

Set the casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.

Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake 1 1/2 hours, until set.
Serve warm or cold.

Merry Christmas! Christmas Cookie Cake & Cannoli Cake (Cake Mix) / Anna Sultana's Pound Cake & Cannoli Pound Cake / A Big Kid’s Christmas by Margaret Ullrich

                             Happy Holidays, everyone.
                               Wishing you and yours
                a Christmas filled with all you hold dear!
                             Thank you for visiting ~
                                       Margaret

Well, the big day has come!
We’ve made it!
Hope you are having a lovely day, filled with everything you wished for.

You’ve earned it… all that baking, ready for everyone to eat.
Soon it’ll all be gone.
No problem. There’s always something new for you to bake.


Hints:

About the Pound Cake…
You can line a greased loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about a 2 inch overhang on the sides so that you can remove it easily.

Instead of the orange or lemon extract you can use 2 Tablespoons of vanilla or any citrus juice in the cake.

You can use 1 Tablespoon each of your favourite three from the following: orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit zest, finely grated, instead of 3 Tablespoons of one type of zest.
Or you can use half and half, or two to one. Your choice. It’s your cake.

While you’ve got the grater out it wouldn’t hurt to grate a bit extra. You can wrap zest in plastic wrap or aluminum, then place in a container and freeze up to a month.

About the Cannoli Pound Cake…
Instead of the chocolate topping you can top the cake with a Simple Syrup:
Place in a small pot
3 Tablespoons water
Heat until hot.
Add
1/4 Cup sugar
Stir to dissolve.
Stir in
1  Tablespoon lime juice *
1  Tablespoon lime zest, finely grated *
Allow simple syrup to cool to room temperature.
Brush over the completely cooled cake.
Let the syrup soak into the cake at least 15 minutes before serving.

* Instead of lime juice and zest, you can use orange, lemon or grapefruit.

If you’re in a rush, or prefer a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, that works, too.
It’s your cake.

                        Christmas Cookie Cake

Grease well a 9 inch springform pan
Heat oven to 325º F

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 box French vanilla cake mix
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup olive oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoons almond extract
Beat until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.
Place the cake on a serving platter.

Place in a small bowl
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat together, then drizzle over cake.
Sprinkle with multi-coloured sprinkles.
Allow frosting to set 1 hour before slicing and serving.

                        Cannoli Cake

Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans

Prepare and bake according to package directions
1 box French vanilla cake mix
A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For filling
Place in a large mixer bowl
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat until blended.
Stir in
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or miniature chips

For frosting
Place in a clean large mixer bowl
16 ounces Mascarpone cheese
3/4 Cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 Cup whole milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat on medium speed until creamy. Do not over mix.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
Spread with 3/4 of filling.
Top with second cake layer.
Spread remaining filling over top of cake to within 1 inch of edges.
Spread frosting on sides and top, covering the area within 1 inch of edges.
Press into sides of cake
1 Cup sliced almonds
Sprinkle over the seam where the frosting and filling meet on the top
4 Tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Refrigerate until serving.


                        Pound Cake

Heavily grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Sift together into a medium bowl
1 3/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Set aside.

Combine in a small bowl
1/4 Cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon orange or lemon extract
3 Tablespoons zest, finely grated
Set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter
1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350º F

Add half of the dry ingredients into the large mixer bowl.
Blend on low speed until just combined.
Add the sour cream mixture and mix until well blended.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend just enough to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 70 to 75 minutes.
A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.
Remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
When cooled, place the cake on a serving platter.

                        Cannoli Pound Cake

Chop finely
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Cut horizontally into 4 slices
1 prepared pound cake

Place in in medium mixer bowl
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding 

1 Cup cold milk 

1/2 teaspoon orange extract or orange juice
Beat 2 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup chopped chocolate
Fold in
1 1/2 Cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

Place bottom cake slice on serving plate.
Spread 1/3 of the pudding mixture over the layer.
Place a layer of cake on top and spread the pudding mixture over it two more times.
Top with remaining cake slice.

Place in a small pot
the remaining chocolate

1 Tablespoon butter
Place the pot over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate are melted and mixture is blended.
Spread on top of cake and allow to drip down sides.
Refrigerate until serving.                              


                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote a story about when I was 5-years-old and worried if Santa Claus would find me after we moved. I read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’.
After I had first read the story we chatted about when we were children and had realized that our parents were Santa’s main helpers. Here is what I remember of that discussion. Merry Christmas!

So, Santa did find me and my nine-month-old sister.

My fifth Christmas was a time of change for our family. I was becoming American. Thank you, Nonni.

Christmases marked the milestones in my family’s changes. The next Christmas, in addition to a sister, I had a 15-day-old brother. Well, it was the 1950s.

That was a huge Christmas for our family. Santa was in a very generous mood that year. Pop was in his glory. He finally had a son, an heir. Pop's dynasty could begin. He was one up on England’s Prince Philip. We had his family's name. Visions of grandsons were dancing in Pop's head. And there'd be hundreds of descendants to come. He'd be another Abraham. In the 1950s all things were possible.

Another thing that was possible was my learning how to read and write. The next year I was able to write my own letter to Santa. I wanted a bicycle. I asked my parents if they thought Santa would give me a bike. Pop said that I'd been a good girl, helping Ma with the two babies. Ma agreed, saying that I was becoming really good at changing diapers and giving bottles. Yes, they thought Santa would grant me my wish.
 
My siblings were also growing and going after what they wanted. While George had barely been aware of his first Christmas, that year he was a toddler and was fascinated by the Christmas tree. He kept trying to grab the ornaments. Every chance he got, he'd climb onto the sofa and reach out to the branches.

We weren't worried. He just sat on the couch and reached.  

Then George figured out that he'd get closer to the tree if he got on the armrest and then reached for a shiny ball or two. I think he'd have done it, if he hadn't lost his balance and landed on the three kings' camel. That camel wasn't exactly built to carry a toddler. No problem. There were more camels in the 5 & 10.


The big day came.  
I got my bike.
It was blue.
I called it Blue Bird.

I was so glad that I had learned how to write and read. I read anything and everything I could, including the labels on Blue Bird. The seat had been made in one country. The tires in another. The frame in yet a third.  

Suddenly, I had an awful thought.  
The parts of my Blue Bird had been made in different countries.  
Not one label said made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made by Santa's elves.   

My parents looked at each other, shrugged, and finally admitted that, yes, my bike hadn't been made by Santa's elves. They had bought it. Didn't I like it? Was blue still my favourite colour?
I admitted it was perfect. But what about Santa? Didn’t he like me any more?

They smiled, hugged me and said I was a big girl. I was too big to still believe in Santa. But, since I was a big girl, it was now my job to help the babies believe in Santa for as long as possible.

I was seven… the oldest… not a baby anymore.

In a way I was proud when they called me a big girl.
But I was also scared.
I wasn’t ready to be a big girl.
I felt like I was George reaching for the shiny balls.
I was afraid I would lose my balance and fall on the camel.

Anna Sultana's Zuppa Inglese and Zabaione with Berries / Would Santa Ever Find Me? by Margaret Ullrich

 

Five days until Christmas!
We’ve had over a month of baking - and eating - platters of traditional breads, cakes, cookies and pies.
Time to enjoy something a little less starchy.
A bit of alcohol would be a good idea, too.

The name of the Neopolitan Trifle, Zuppa Inglese, translates into 'English Soup'.
The original recipe called for Alchermes, an Italian liqueur. It was prepared by infusing spirits with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, herbs, vanilla, and other flavouring agents. Its scarlet colour came from the addition of cochineal.

Some say the name is a little joke to tease the English about their love of rum.
It was first served to Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton in the 18th century and there was so much rum in it that it had to be eaten with a soup spoon.
It’s a good idea to eat it with a spoon in the twenty-first century, too.

Zabaione is an Italian dessert made with eggs, sugar and Marsala wine.
It was invented in the 16th Century in the Medici court in Florence, Italy. It is classified as a sauce, and was used to fill pies and tarts. It is not a custard because it does not have milk or cream in it.
It is usually served warm, though it can be served cold, as a sauce, or even frozen.

Hints:

About the Zabaione with Berries…
You can substitute any other sweet wines that you prefer, or have on hand. Try sherry, port, Madeira, Moscato d'Asti, or Grand Marnier.
If you prefer your Zabaione sweeter you can add more sugar, a tablespoonful at a time.

The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
Zabaione needs constant whisking, so that it doesn't overcook or curdle.

Whipped cream can be added to the cooled Zabaione and gently folded together.

It can be served with fruit, such as canned or baked peaches, or between cake layers, or on chocolate pudding, or to fill cream puffs.



                        Zuppa Inglese

Combine in a small bowl
2 1/2 ounces cocoa
1 1/2 ounces sugar

Place in a small pot
1 ounce milk
Heat to boiling, then remove from heat and slowly add
the cocoa / sugar mixture
Blend together and let cool.

Peel the zest from
1 lemon

Combine in a medium pot
3 Cups lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place in a large pot
5 large egg yolks
5 ounces sugar
Beat together until well blended and slowly add
3 1/2 ounces flour
Add
the lemon peel
the milk / vanilla mixture
Put the pan on the stove and cook over medium heat.
Stir continuously until the ingredients reach the boiling point.
Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool.
Stir occasionally and remove the lemon peel. Let cool.

Have on hand
7 ounces lady fingers, approximately
1 Cup rum
1 Cup maraschino

Dip a lady finger on one side in rum and the other in maraschino and place in a deep glass flat-bottomed bowl.
Repeat with enough lady fingers to make a layer on the bottom of the bowl.
Add a layer of chocolate and a layer of the sugar / egg mixture.
Repeat the layering process.
Garnish the top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.


                        Zabaione with Berries

Place in a bowl that fits in a double boiler
6 large egg yolks
1/3 Cup sugar
Add
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 Cup Marsala



Fill the pot of a double boiler halfway with water.
Over medium heat bring the water to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Set the bowl containing the custard mixture over the water. 


Whisk the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale. 
Longer cooking will thicken the Zabaione, giving it the texture of a mousse. When it reaches the desired consistency, take the container out of the pot of water.
Pour it into a serving bowl and serve warm.

If you want to serve it cool, set it aside for about 15 minutes.
Ladle the Zabaione into individual dishes and serve with whipped cream, berries, and / or cookies, such as biscotti.


                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote this story and read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’. I got a few e mails asking if I could post the original story.
Here it is… Merry Christmas!

Change follows us from the cradle to the grave. When I was five years old I was hit with a megadose of change - I moved to another town, got a baby sister, got to go to kindergarten and got Santa Claus.
    
Five years earlier my parents and I had emigrated from Malta to New York and settled in Corona. We didn't have much choice. Five of Pop's brothers and sisters lived in Corona. So, we had to live in Corona, too. 
    
Corona was a little slice of Italy on Long Island. The store clerks were bilingual: English and Italian. The grocery stores in Corona were stocked with Italian necessities. Almost everything in all the other stores had been imported from Italy. 
Corona was where we learned how to be Americans. 
    
Nonni's children, Betty and Angelo, had married two of Pop's siblings, Joe and Helen. So, Nonni was a double Grandma in my family. Since all my grandparents were in Malta, Nonni treated me as a grandchild, too.     
    
Every Christmas Eve we gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home. A whole corner of their living room was filled with Nonni's manger scene. It was not just a shed with Mary, Joseph, three kings and one shepherd standing around Baby Jesus. Nonni had a complete village with houses, trees, hills, paths, ponds and animals. There were people walking around just minding their own business. Some of the figures were really old and we couldn't play with them. But each year Nonni added something new: a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a farmer carrying a head of cabbage, a man carrying a bundle of wood. Nonni’s manger scene was better than any store window on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
    
Dinner was a feast. Fish was traditional - eel for the parents, bluefish for the children. There was also soup, pasta and vegetables, followed by ricotta pie, anise biscotti, pizzelle and cuccidati cookies, strufoli, creamy roasted chestnuts and torrone candy. My favourite was the huge golden mound of strufoli: tiny doughnut balls covered with honey and multi-coloured sprinkles. After dinner we played games and our parents talked until it was time to walk to the Midnight Mass at St. Leo's. After Mass we returned to Uncle Joe's for some panettone, a holiday bread made with butter, raisins, almonds and citron.

Then Nonni would tell us to look at the manger scene for the surprise. The blessed Bambino, Baby Jesus, had suddenly appeared!
    
Christmas Eve was a wonderful night. But the big day for us children was January sixth. The night before we had hung our stockings and waited for La Befana to bring us toys. 
    

For those unfamiliar with the story, La Befana was a little old lady who had been sweeping her house when the Wise Men knocked on her door. They were looking for Baby Jesus and asked La Befana for directions. They then invited La Befana to join them. The old woman refused, saying she had work to do.
    
When it was dark, a great light and angels appeared in the sky. La Befana realized that the Wise Men weren't kidding about somebody special being born that night. Broom in hand, La Befana tried to catch up with the Wise Men. She never found them or Baby Jesus. Every year she searches for Baby Jesus and leaves presents for good little boys and girls. 
    

La Befana took care of me for four years. Then we moved to College Point so we could live closer to Lily Tulip where Pop worked. Then it was time for my sister to be born. While Ma was in the hospital I stayed with Aunt Betty, Uncle Joe and their daughters, MaryAnn and Carol Lynn. It was nice living in Corona again. The next day, Nonni diNoto took me to the local 5 and 10 and gave me a quarter.      
"Buy for sister."       
I didn't have any idea what a baby sister would want. I liked westerns, so I grabbed a toy gun.      
"No. Buy a rattle."    
A rattle? That sounded boring, but I bought a pink plastic rattle. 
    
In those days children were not allowed to visit anyone in the hospital. When Aunt Betty visited Ma, she gave the rattle to my new sister. I waited outside the hospital and waved to the window of Ma's room. When Aunt Betty returned she had a gift from my new sister for me: three pieces of chocolate. 
    
Well, wasn't that nice of her. Not as nice as a toy gun, but maybe that was all she could get from where she'd been.   
    

After Rose was born we didn't go to Corona as often. It was easier to walk to the local church instead of driving to St. Leo's. I missed seeing my family. 
    
That September I started kindergarten in St. Fidelis School. Some of the good sisters had wanted to travel and meet exotic heathens in far away places. Well, they almost got their wish. I was the first Maltese child they'd ever seen. College Point had been settled by Irish and German families. It was time for me to learn about America through their eyes. 
    
As Christmas approached, the windows of the German bakeries were filled with the most beautiful cookies I'd ever seen. They were in all kinds of shapes: stars, angels, animals and wreaths. They were decorated with coconut, jam, icing and tiny silver balls. Some of my classmates brought in samples of their mothers' baking. I brought some biscotti. My friends were polite and tasted the dry, double-baked bread. Then we ate the lebkuchen, pfeffernuesse, zimtsterne, and jam filled spitzbuben. The stollen reminded me of panettone. I thought a German Christmas was delicious. I planned to eat German and Italian holiday food every Christmas for the rest of my life.

We helped Sister decorate the Christmas tree with sugar cookies which had been twisted into figure eights. Then Sister told us to gather around her. She was going to read us a story. Sister showed us the picture of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer. My friends were delighted.
    
I was confused. 
    
I had never heard any of this before. Santa was supposed to slide down a chimney and land in a fireplace. We didn't have a fireplace. We had a huge, oil-burning furnace in the basement. Ma hung our stockings, along with all the other wet laundry, on a clothesline near the furnace. It made awful noises and had fire in it. If Santa landed in it he'd fry like a strufoli. That would end Christmas forever. I didn't think Santa would take such a risk for a total stranger. The lovely cookies felt like lead in my stomach.
    
Sister talked about Santa checking his list of good little girls and boys. Santa had a list? I knew we were on the Registered Aliens list. Every January the TV reminded Ma to fill out green cards so we wouldn't go to jail or Malta. How could I get on Santa's list? Could Santa get my name from the Aliens list? Did I need to fill out another card? 
    
The afternoon went from bad to worse. Sister told us we could put our letters to Santa in the special mailbox in the classroom. A letter? What language did Santa speak? He'd never heard from me. I wasn't on his list. What could I say? 
    
"Hi, you don't know me, but I'd like some toys." I'd never written a letter to La Befana. She just gave me toys. Would Santa shoot La Befana if she came to College Point? Oh, boy… I was in big trouble.    
    
In kindergarten we learned about God the Father, about how we should pray to Him and tell Him what we needed. I didn't need another Father. I figured if my Pop was always busy working, this guy who took care of everything in the whole wide world would really never have time for me.
    
I needed a Grandma.
    
The next time we went to Corona I told Nonni about Santa Claus and that he was in charge of Christmas in College Point. Nonni listened patiently as I explained the rules.
    
She repeated the main points, "Santa Claus. A letter."     
I nodded.    
"I fix. I write letter to Befana. She give to Santa. No hard feelings. Christmas come."
    
I had my doubts. Nonni had never been to College Point. Maybe nobody ever had to change from La Befana to Santa Claus. Maybe Christmas was lost forever, like some of the packages we never got from Malta.
    
On Christmas Eve we all gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home in Corona. We had the Christmas Eve dinner. Then we went to St. Leo's for the Midnight Mass. Everything was familiar. Latin and Italian. Why couldn't we have stayed there? 
    
When we were leaving the church I saw a pale cloud in the sky. It looked long and thin, with a sort of lump on one end. For a moment I thought it looked like Santa and his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer. I kept looking at that cloud. It followed us from the church to Uncle Joe's house, where we had panettone. When we left, the cloud was still there. I watched from the car. The cloud followed us from Corona to College Point. 
    
I never noticed clouds before. Did clouds always follow people from one town to another? Was it really a cloud? Sister had told us that Santa had millions of helpers, tiny people called elves. Could it have been an elf picking up the letter from La Befana?
    
Christmas morning, Pop was eating breakfast while Ma was cleaning Rose. Ma sent me to the basement to get some dry diapers that were hanging by the furnace. Being a big sister wasn't much fun. I pulled down two diapers. Then I noticed some lumps by the furnace. I thought some clothes had fallen off the line. I walked toward the furnace. 
    
But the lumps weren't clothes. 
They were boxes. 
They were wrapped. 
They were presents! 
They were for me!!

Santa had found me.

Anna Sultana's Ricotta Cheesecake and Cannoli Cheesecake (Baked and No-Bake) / Muriel’s Family Christmas by Margaret Ullrich

Thanks to a huge Colorado Low we folks in Winnipeg have been having our first major snow storm of the season.
And we’re not finished shovelling.
We’re supposed to get more snow during the next two days.
When it comes to Winnipeggers getting exercise in winter, who needs to join a gym?


It’s been a while since I posted a recipe for the no-fail edible tranquilizer, a cheesecake.
In honour of the holiday season, and all its stresses, I’m posting three recipes!

The Ricotta Cheesecake is nice and light and the recipe is pretty simple.
Don’t be confused about the Cannoli cheesecakes.
Many of you know that Cannoli is an Italian pastry made of fried pastry dough tubes, ranging in size from 3 to 8 inches, and filled with ricotta and chocolate bits.
You won’t be expected to deep fry or stuff anything for the Cannoli Cheesecakes.
They are just ricotta cheesecakes with a bit of chocolate.

Ah… cheesecake and chocolate!
Don’t you feel calmer just thinking about that?


Hints:

About the Ricotta Cheesecake and No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake…
If you have a package of graham cracker crumbs, you could use their recipe for the crust.

Don’t have mini chocolate chips? Don’t make an extra trip to the store.
Just use what you have. You could even chop finely a chocolate bar, or two.

About the Cannoli Cheesecake…
If you don’t have a box of cannoli shells you can use any cookies you like or have already.


                        Ricotta Cheesecake

Generously grease a springform pan with butter.

Melt
1/2 Cup butter

Place in medium bowl and crush
18 graham crackers
Stir in the melted butter.
Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and along the sides of the springform pan, then set aside.

Sift together into a small bowl
1/3 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar

Place in a medium bowl
4 Cups ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoons orange extract
Stir together, then slowly fold in the flour mixture until well blended and smooth.

Preheat oven to 325º F

Add, one at a time
6 large eggs
Continuing to blend after each addition.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour cheese mixture into the graham crust and gently smooth top with a spatula.       
Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cake is firm throughout the centre.  
Remove pan from oven and let sit on counter 2 hours.
Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.
Generously dust the cheesecake with sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                        Cannoli Cheesecake

Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment.

Crush
7 ounce package cannoli shells
Stir in
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of pan.
Bake 10 minutes, then let cool.

Place in a large mixer bowl
4 Cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup flour
Beat on medium speed until well blended.
Add
1/2 Cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Add, 1 at a time
5 large eggs
After each addition mix just until blended.
Pour cheese mixture over the crust.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle over top
1/3 Cup mini chocolate chips
Press chips in lightly.
Continue to bake 10 more minutes, until centre is almost set.
Remove from oven and let sit on counter 2 hours.
Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.

Before serving sprinkle with
1/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar
Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.


                        No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake

Generously grease a springform pan with butter.

Melt
1/2 Cup butter

Place in medium bowl and crush
18 graham crackers
Stir in the melted butter.
Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and along the sides of the springform pan, then set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
Beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Add
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream
Beat until fluffy, then add
1 Cup ricotta
2/3 Cup confectioners’ sugar
Beat until fluffy.
Stir in
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Fold in
1 Cup mini chocolate chips
Pour cheese mixture into graham crust and gently smooth top with spatula.
Top with
1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
1 Cup crushed cannoli shells, for garnish (optional)
Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
Let soften 15 minutes before serving, then slice.
Run a knife around to loosen the cake before removing the outer part of pan.
Store leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator.

                                                       ~~~
This was a holiday piece I wrote a few years ago for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’ when we decided to chat about family holiday dinners. 
Being politically correct - and politically sensitive - was just starting around the turn of the century.
It was and is still a part of menu planning.

The family that eats a holiday dinner together… can still be in for a whole lot of trouble.


My friend Muriel still hasn't recovered from last Christmas.

The poor dear had tried to please everybody. Solomon couldn't have pulled that off. Muriel was willing to go with the flow, but she was caught in a tsunami. Her husband Tom is a simple man with simple tastes. He just wanted a roasted bird with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

He should never have had children.

Their eldest daughter, Donna, keeps up with trends. Muriel had asked Donna to bring the appetizers. Muriel expected their traditional celery sticks with cream cheese, crackers and cheese cubes. Donna waltzed in with an oriental party pack and assorted seafood and chicken wing platters. Something for everyone. Uh, huh.
Tom backed off when he saw the egg rolls. "I don't like Chinese."
Donna said, "I got you BBQ chicken wings."
Ignoring her, Tom said, "They don't serve bread." He went to the kitchen for bread.


Then Betty arrived. Betty lives in a commune and supports the rights of everything and everybody… except those of the hostess. Betty always carried tofu because she never ate dairy products or anything with eyes or eggs. Muriel had prepared a nice salad for Betty. Not good enough.
"Were the pickers paid a decent wage?"
"The lettuce had a union label."
"I only eat organically grown food. Did they use manure."
"We had to scrub the carrots with bleach to get the E coli off."
"Oh... okay."
Tom heard E coli and reached for another slice of bread.


Finally their son Bill arrived with his wife Carol and their children, Krystal and Jason. Bill and Carol had every allergy in the book. Bill also had high cholesterol and Carol had her waistline. They avoided the platters of appetizers and drank the water that they had brought.

Krystal, a tender-hearted child, burst into tears when she saw the chicken wings.
"Oh, those poor birdies. Do you know how they treat chickens, Grandma?"

Muriel figured the birds were better off than she was. They never had to make a holiday dinner for the family. But this was her granddaughter.
"Krystal, dear, these birdies lived in a happy place where they laughed and played and sang songs for a long, long time. Then one day they just went to sleep and, just like butterflies, they turned into chicken wings."
"Oh... okay."
Who says the next generation knows it all?
Tom heard Muriel's tale of the laughing, singing chickens, figured she'd finally lost it, and ate more bread.

Ignored by his elders, Jason gobbled a fistful of seafood appetizers and started wheezing. Muriel packed away the appetizers before her children could start a food fight and led them to the main event.


The table looked like a sailboat regatta that had been designed by Martha Stewart. Every dish had a tiny flag listing all of the ingredients. Muriel did not want to have to call the paramedics again. Krystal cried when she saw the turkey.

When Betty reached for the potatoes, Bill said, "But they have eyes". Betty meant to kick her brother, but got her sister-in-law, Carol, who screamed and kicked back. Muriel yelled at her kids. The holiday dinner was just like always. Damn.

After everyone had eaten what they could, Muriel brought out a carafe of hot cranberry apple cider. This was her gift to herself. Seeing all the different coffees at the supermarket had made her go all whoozie. Whatever happened to plain old coffee, black or with cream? Muriel’s children didn't say a word while visions of cappuccinos, espressos and lattes danced in their heads.

Betty was in charge of the dessert. She had created something that was just what the doctor ordered. No eggs, no cream, no butter, and no taste.
Tom just saw a pumpkin pie and it looked fine. He helped himself to a slice, smiled and thought that Betty was returning to the food of her mother.

But, something tasted... off. Maybe a new spice?
"Betty, what's in this pie," he asked.
"Tofu."
"Geez." Tom reached for the bread.

Jason had wheezed throughout the whole meal.
All in all, it had been just another family holiday get together.


God help Muriel. The holidays are back.

Anna Sultana's Pasta e Piselli, Shrimp Carbonara, Tomato Bruschetta, and Bagna Cauda / Oh, Christmas Tree! by Margaret Ullrich

 

Happy December!
Somebody once said
Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I’m wishing you a few breath taking moments this holiday season!
Stay safe and well!

It looks like the holiday season this year is going to be a return to December as it should be.
Gatherings, customs and food.  Yes, lots of food!

After our tree hunting adventure way back when, we gathered in a co-worker’s home, where she had a platter of cookies, and apple cider simmering in a huge slow cooker.
Ma would’ve been horrified.
All that work should have rewarded with more food.

This is how she would’ve done it.
Well, to be honest, she would’ve just gone to a lot and bought a tree.
Followed by a food spread with a bit more heft.


Hints:

About the Pasta e Piselli…
If you’re in a rush, instead of cooking the pasta separately you can place 2 1/2 quarts water in the dutch oven instead of 2 quarts, add the onion, etc. and proceed with the recipe.
When you add the peas also add the 1 pound elbow macaroni. Then cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Add the parsley, taste and season and add more water if you want, along with the oil.

About the Shrimp Carbonara…
For a little more flavour you could add a bit of garlic.
You could use evaporated milk or heavy cream instead of the cream cheese.
This recipe also works with strips of chicken breasts.
The sauce can be served separately so that each person can add as much, or as little, of the sauce and cheese as he wants.

About the Bagna Cauda…

It can be used as a dip for vegetables, such as roasted peppers, or, using olive oil instead of butter, as a hot salad dressing.
For a bit of crunch you can add chopped walnuts.
Don’t dip bread into the pot until everyone has had his fill. Bread would absorb too much of the sauce.
It can also be served over polenta and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and pepper.





                        Pasta e Piselli

Chop
1 large onion

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
1 pound elbow macaroni
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain and set aside.

WHILE THE WATER IS BOILING:
Place in a dutch oven
2 quarts water
the chopped onion
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Add
1 pound peas
Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked pasta, mix well and drizzle olive oil over the top.



                        Shrimp Carbonara

Serves 4

Chop
4 slices bacon

In a large pot place
2 quarts water
salt to taste (optional)
Bring to a boil.
Add
1/2 pound spaghetti
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain and set aside.

WHILE THE WATER IS BOILING:
Place the chopped bacon in a dutch oven and cook until crisp.
Remove bacon from skillet with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Drain bacon drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Add
1 pound large shrimp, uncooked, deveined and peeled
Cook and stir on medium heat 5 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink.
Stir in
1/2 - 1 Cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables or broccoli
Cook 1 minute.
Add
1 Cup cream cheese
1/2 Cup milk
Cook and stir 5 minutes, or until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened.
Do not let the sauce come to boil.
Add the drained spaghetti to the dutch oven.
Mix lightly and add
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese


                        Tomato Bruschetta

Stem, seed and dice
4 large ripe tomatoes

Mince
2 cloves garlic

Place in a small bowl
the diced tomatoes and the minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Mix well.

Cut into 36 slices
1 baguette
Place the slices on a large cookie sheet.
Brush bread slices with
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
Broil under preheated broiler until toasted.
Remove from heat and place slices on a platter.
Top slices with the tomato mixture.
Garnish with chopped fresh basil (optional)

                        Bagna Cauda

Finely chop
4 cloves garlic

Place in a saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
the chopped garlic
2 cans anchovies fillets, including the oil
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh pepper to taste.
Stir and cook gently for 10 minutes.
Serve with raw or slightly blanched sliced vegetables and crusty bread.


                                                            ~~~
For another broadcast of our CKUW radio program ‘2000 & Counting’ we planned to reminisce about when we had gone out into the woods to chop down a Christmas tree.
Yes, this was, and is, a popular Winnipeg Christmas tradition.
And, yes, in Manitoba it can get cold enough to make trees brittle!


God, it was cold.

I didn't know it could get that cold.
I didn't know I'd ever be stupid enough to be outdoors in that kind of cold.
I didn't know I'd been stupid enough to marry someone stupid enough to work with people stupid enough to be out in that kind of cold.

It was December in Winnipeg.

Paul and I had grown up in New York City. There people went to an empty parking lot where the trees had magically appeared, like the pre-wrapped ground beef at the local supermarket. No questions asked. No one wanted to get too personal with an ornament that would be out with the trash in a matter of weeks.

At the New York parking lot we'd browse, find a tree we liked and switch the price tag with the cheaper tree which no one liked. Then we'd carry the tree to the clerk, who gave us the fish eye as he noticed the fullness of such a good find, sighed and took our money. The whole deal was done in ten minutes. Another Christmas had begun.

Apparently, that isn't good enough for Winnipeggers.
Oh, no, they have to get down and dirty with their holiday bushes.


I'll never forget how happy Paul was when he came home and told me we'd been invited to join his co-workers, a group of Winnipeggers, for a real, old-fashioned Christmas experience. If I'd had a clue I'd have realized that giving birth in a barn, unaided, would've been an easier old-fashioned Christmas experience.
We were going to chop down a real Christmas tree, just like our ancestors.

Well, my parents are from Malta, a sunny Mediterranean island. It just wasn't in my genes to know how to dress for a freezing, miserable, forced march through a blizzard-hit forest. The windchill - which I still didn't understand - was in the exposed skin can freeze in 2 minutes range.

That didn't sound good, so I said, Thanks, but no thanks.


Somehow Paul convinced me that his entire future career prospects, our unborn children's college fund, our grandchildren's lives and our golden years' security and comfort would all go up in smoke if I didn't join in the mighty tree hunt.

His Jewish co-workers were going. Everybody, even that ditzy receptionist who always dressed like a showgirl wannabe with skirts up to there, was going.

So, we were going.


God, it was cold.

I thought I had dressed warmly.
That fink, the ditzy receptionist, showed up looking like the Michelin Man. She was ready to march to the North Pole for the perfect tree, if necessary. So were the three other women co-workers. The other wives - who all knew better - had begged off. One was even pregnant. Or so she said.

I was alone with four career women who were full of the 1970s I am woman, hear me roar career fever. While they talked shop I felt as welcome as a lump of coal in a kid’s Christmas stocking.

The Jewish co-workers - who I had hoped would keep the tree hunt frenzy within limits - had turned into lumberjacks. They were also ready to march to the North Pole for the perfect tree, if necessary.

After walking five minutes I couldn't feel my toes. We hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot. I was doomed.

I didn't know it could get that cold.
We marched. Finally, someone approved of a tree. The men chopped. The tree crashed. The branches that hit the ground broke off the tree.

I said, The bare side could be placed against a wall.

The heat from their glares should have restored my circulation. It didn't. We marched. Someone approved of another tree. The men chopped. The tree crashed. It broke.


God, it was cold.

We were doomed to spend all day wandering like Flying Dutchmen on a quest to find the perfect unbreakable tree. The lot was littered with other broken felled trees. Some trees had landed across their comrades in a criss-cross pattern that looked like a cradle.
A cradle, something soft, something to receive and hold...

Hold it… something to catch a damn tree!

Dripping snot and tears had frozen my mouth shut. If I'd had the equipment I would've written my idea in the snow. I slapped my face trying to restore circulation to my lower jaw. Finally my lips parted. I clutched Paul's arm.

Cradle... tree... cradle, I mumbled and criss-crossed my arms.

The women thought I was pregnant and wanted a homemade cradle. Thank God, months of marriage, misery and love had united Paul's mind to mine. Months of marriage had also taught us that Paul was no carpenter. He knew the homemade cradle idea was bunk. Paul caught on to my pantomime and told the others of my plan.

Someone approved of another tree. It could land on four broken trees. The men chopped. The tree landed on its fallen comrades. It survived.
We marched. Someone approved of another tree. It, too, survived.

Christmas was saved.


God, it was cold.

I didn't know it could get that cold.
I couldn't believe it.
Some fool was planning the next year's tree chopping expedition.

Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Sausage or Meatball Soup with Tortellini, Baked Broccoli and Tortellini / A Christmas Bargain by Margaret Ullrich

I won’t lie to you.
Any and all shopping this holiday season is going to be a challenge.
The supply chain has gotten all tangled up, meaning staples we’re used to finding aren’t in their usual places, while something that must have been gathering dust in some warehouse since the last century is suddenly in a store.
And, thanks to higher transportation costs, the prices - even for that piece of junk from the 1990s - are unbelievable.

Okay… if you remember the inflation we had during the late 70s and early 80s you’ve been through something like this before.
We got through a messed up economy then and we can do it again.

Break it down into manageable pieces.
We do have to eat.
Regular meals are always good.
Food prices have gone up, so we have to do a bit of work.
We’ve done it before and we can do it again.

Here are four of Ma’s budget savers.
These recipes were old standards a hundred years ago and will do their magic now.
Ma used to make her own tortellini and ravioli.
Yes, well that was then, this is now.
Tortellini and ravioli can be found in most supermarkets, usually in the deli section.


Oh, if you’re curious about a recipe mentioned in the story, just copy it and paste it in the ‘Looking for a recipe?’ space, click ‘Search’ and enjoy!


Hints:

About the Spaghetti alla Carbonara…
You can use any type of pasta you have in the house.
Carbonara comes from the Italian word for coal, carbone, because it was a dish eaten by coal miners and sellers. 



About the Sausage Soup with Tortellini…
Packaged sausage meat can be found in the store.
If you have sausages on hand, remove the meat from the casings.
The leftover soup freezes very well.

About the Meatball Soup with Tortellini…
You can use homemade meatballs made from
1 pound ground beef or pork or a mixture of the two
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Or you could buy frozen meatballs.

Baked the Broccoli and Tortellini…
You can stir 1/3 Cup cooked chopped bacon or ground meat or poultry into the pasta mixture before spooning it into the prepared casserole dish.



                        Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Serves 4

Have on hand
1/4 pound grated Romano cheese

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta and set aside.

WHILE THE PASTA IS COOKING:
Place in a small bowl
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Beat well and set aside.

Cut in small pieces
1/4 pound bacon or pancetta

Place in a dutch oven
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fry the bacon pieces over medium heat, about 4 minutes.
Turn down the heat to very low.
Add the drained spaghetti and the beaten eggs.
Toss the pasta very quickly and thoroughly.
Add 1/8 pound Romano cheese and toss again.
Garnish with fresh pepper and 1/8 pound Romano cheese.


                        Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Finely chop
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic

Place in a dutch oven
1 pound sausage meat
the chopped onion
Sauté the sausage and onion over medium high heat until the sausage is no longer pink.
Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium and add
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Cook 1 to 2 minutes and add
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 Cups beef broth
Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.
Add
2 3/4 Cups cheese tortellini
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add
1/4 Cup half and half cream or evaporated milk
Stir until combined.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.


                        Meatball Soup with Tortellini

Finely chop
1 medium onion
1 small zucchini
2 carrots
2 stalks celery

Place in a dutch oven
6 Cups water or beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
the chopped vegetables
Simmer over medium heat 20 minutes.
Add
1 pound meatballs
Simmer over medium heat 45 minutes.
Add
2 3/4 Cups tortellini, meat or cheese
Add more liquid if you want a thinner soup.
Simmer over medium heat 15 minutes.
Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.


                        Baked Broccoli and Tortellini

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish that has a cover (or cover with foil)

Place in a medium pot
1/4  Cup margarine
Melt over medium heat.
Blend in
1/4 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stir in
2 Cups milk
Cook and stir over low heat until thickened.
Stir in
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
2 3/4 Cups cheese tortellini
Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
Add
3 Cups broccoli florets
Cook another 5 minutes.

Preheat oven 350º F

Drain the pasta and broccoli and place in the prepared casserole dish.
Add the sauce and mix lightly.
Top with
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cover and bake 20 - 25 minutes.
Remove dish from oven and heat broiler.
Broil uncovered casserole 4 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned.

                                                       ~~~
Back in November, 2002, I wrote an essay for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting' about getting Christmas gifts.  
It was a meant as a light piece, filled with hints.
Many of our listeners were seniors or college students, folks known for having to stretch their dollars.
Now, in addition to Covid-19 and its variants making us nervous about going to crowded places, we’re facing problems in the supply chain.
Christmas shopping never gets any easier.  Darn!!


Okay… listen up! There are five weeks left until Christmas. That means gifts. I know, I know, it's more blessed to give than to receive. But, unless you have ways of shopping that you'd like to keep secret, giving gifts means money.  

It's a little late to start a Christmas gift account at your bank and the utility companies really lose that Ho Ho Ho spirit if you try to skip paying their bills. 
 
If the charge cards are already maxed out - or you just want to keep your nearest and dearest on a cash and carry basis - gift getting is going to take a little effort.  

Desperate times call for desperate measures. As we're all stuck with holidays - oh, lucky us - I'll tell you some of my desperate measures.

Live off your hump. You know what I mean. Things like the 18 cans of tuna you have left from the time you bought 20 cans so you could get 50 bonus airmiles. Now's the time to crack those babies open. I know the family hates tuna. That's why there are 18 little cans of fishies swimming around your pantry.
Well, the family would hate a Giftless Christmas even more.
Think about it. Lousy dinners happen to everybody. But the family Grinch who comes up giftless at Christmas gets blabbed about throughout the neighbourhood and the generations.
You don't want to be remembered by your great-great-grandchildren as Granny Grinchie.

Try creative cooking. Pretend you're on the TV show Iron Chef. You've just been given a tube of ground beef, a bag of marshmallows, a jar of salsa, a bottle of raspberry vinegar, a carton of frozen spinach, a jar of maraschino cherries and a box of rice-a-roni. Think only a nut throws odd things together? How do you think raspberry vinegar was invented?
If the family gets snarky, tell them you found the recipe in a magazine. Drop names. Martha is always good, and if they can't appreciate all the effort you put into making dinner interesting… Well!
You know the speech.
Remember, guilt, when the other person has it, is a good thing.

Go ethnic. Granny's recipes don't have to be saved for Folklorama. God bless family. Go to an Italian restaurant and get a load of the prices they charge for a plate of Pasta Fagioli. That's two cheapies: noodles and beans! Grandma would die laughing if she saw those prices. Starch and beans got millions of people through tough times. Go thou and eat likewise.
  
Beans aren't good enough? Go past the recognizable cuts and shop the mystery meats. Put enough spices on them and the family won't know what hit them. I once made spaghetti and meatballs using animal organs only a mother could love. Guess what? Hubby had invited a friend. Well, the buddy was getting a free meal, so I followed the Cook’s Golden Rule: Don't apologize and don't explain.
The buddy said it was delicious, like the meatballs they serve at the Bay.
Hmmm… I notice the Bay is still in business. There's more than one way to skin a cat.   
  
Shop your house. No kidding. Grab a bag and stroll through your house. Look for things somebody foisted… uh… gave to you. Well, why should you be stuck with it until you're six feet under? Unless it was made by your preschooler - don't even think it, they DO remember - you're free to pass it on to someone else.
Just don't give it to the person who gave it to you.
   
Pack your own. Ever notice the little overpriced goodies the stores stuff into baskets and bowls? One current gift item is a box of pasta, a tin of sauce, some cheese and some wooden spoons nestled within a large bowl.
Are you too stupid to do the same thing? I didn’t think so. It's one way to get rid of some of those extra airmiles purchases. Let somebody else eat the tuna.


Still thinking about the folks in the flyers looking wildly happy over a toaster? 
Toss the flyers. Those models were paid big bucks. Stores want you to buy. A stress-free family holiday is not their goal. If they had their way you'd replace everything and pay 50% interest.
     
Remember how the best presents were things that showed that someone cared? Maybe somebody hunted down an out-of-print book by your favourite author. 
The gadgets that looked amazing seem strange on December 26.  
     

While you're shopping, get yourself some treats. 
I have a friend who picks up a bag of  pfeffernusse cookies every year. When she feels like all she's doing is giving, giving, giving, she pops a pfeffernusse into her mouth and gives herself an old time Christmas. It doesn't take much.   

God bless us, everyone.

Anna Sultana’s Ross il-Forn and Macaroni and Cheese / My Daddy-Daughter Date

 

Well, here we are, the last weekend in August.
There are a few more official summer days we can enjoy this week.
Let’s make them good ones!


Covid-19 is still affecting our food supplies, giving us record-breaking high food prices.
Supply chain problems are also affecting what we can actually find on the store shelves.
It’s time for us to get back to cooking basics.

Rice, pasta, eggs and cheese can usually be found in grocery stores.
They are sometimes on sale.
They can be prepared in dozens of meals at reasonable prices.
Maybe that’s why they are in so many Comfort Food recipes.

Have a large bag of rice in your pantry?
Make a pot of ross il-forn.
Macaroni was on sale and you have cheese in your fridge?
Make a pan of macaroni and cheese.


Hints:

Either recipe can be served with a salad or cooked vegetable.

About the Ross il-Forn...     
it’s an easy, economical recipe, but it has to bake for 90 minutes, so plan ahead.

About the Macaroni and Cheese...
Instead of the dry mustard you could also use onion powder, Worcestershire sauce or prepared mustard.

Old Cheddar Cheese is usually used in the traditional recipe, but this recipe also works with Gouda, mozzarella, marble cheese, Feta, Asiago, Emmental - also known as Emmenthaler, Emmenthal or Emmenthaler - or jalapeño cheese or your favourite blend.

Instead of topping with tomatoes you can use buttered breadcrumbs:
Place in a small pot
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter  
Melt over medium heat.
Add
1/2 Cup fine breadcrumbs 
1 teaspoon salt                 
1/2 teaspoon pepper         
Stir to coat the crumbs.


                                                               Ross il-Forn

Finely chop
1 onion
2 slices bacon

Place in a dutch oven
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Fry over medium heat
the chopped onion and bacon                     
           
After the bacon has cooked add
12 ounces ground beef or pork, or a mixture of the two
Stir until the meat has browned.

Add
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes, undrained                                    
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350º F  

Mix into the sauce
1 1/2 Cups uncooked white rice
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 Cups water
Stir well, cover and bake 30 minutes.  
Take the pot out of the oven and stir the mixture thoroughly.
Sprinkle on top
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Continue baking for 60 minutes.
                                                                               

                                                               Macaroni and Cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Grate
1 pound old Cheddar Cheese
Set aside.

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
4 Cups elbow macaroni
Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta well and set aside.

WHILE THE PASTA IS COOKING:
Place in a dutch oven
1/2 Cup margarine
Melt over medium heat.
Blend in
1/2 Cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Stir in
4 Cups milk
Cook and stir over low heat until thickened.

Preheat oven 350º F

Stir in
the grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Add the cooked macaroni and stir gently to mix well.
Turn into the greased pan.
Spoon over the macaroni
28 ounces canned whole tomatoes, drained
Bake 40 minutes.


                                             ~~

PBS recently had a documentary, 'On Broadway', about the history of Broadway over the past 60 years.
Ah, Broadway… what changes you’ve seen since the 1960s!
I wouldn’t recognize the place now.

The PBS show reminded me of a story I wrote a few years ago about when Pop was my escort for our first taste of New York culture.


A few weeks ago there was an article called Daddy-Daughter Date in the newspaper.
No, they weren't going all pervy.
The Winnipeg Free Press is a family paper.
No funny business. Hey, this is Winnipeg.

The date in the article took place in Chicago.
A nice dinner and a Tony-award-winning comedy.
Shopping at the Oprah store.
No funny business. Hey, we're talking Oprah.


Daddy-Daughter Date.
What can I say?
Been there, done that.
More or less.

The pair in the article was going for a bonding experience.
When Pop and I had our date, I was a teenager living at home.
We’d had more than enough bonding.
The date wasn't our idea.
We were being ordered to go out together.

The date was Ma's idea.
No funny business. Hey, we're talking about my Ma.


One of the illusions about New Yorkers is that they fill their days going to plays, symphonies, operas and ballets.
Yeah, right.
Maybe some folks live like that.
The folks who live in Manhattan.
Not the bridge and tunnel crowd of New York.
Not folks, like us, who live in Queens.


One of the perks of colleges in New York during the 60s were the ticket offers.
We're talking plays on Broadway, opera and ballet at Lincoln Center.
Discounts, two-fers, buy two/get one free.
Anything to get butts into the seats.
If New York had had dollar stores then, they would've sold tickets there.

I was going to Pratt and had my own column in the school paper.
Shakespeare it wasn't, but I was being published every week.
I wrote about the tickets available at the student services' desk.

I picked up tickets every week, along with press releases.
They were reference material for my article.
After I wrote my piece, I just tossed them.
It was only a matter of time before I'd want to use one.

Only problem was, all the shows were in Manhattan.

Let me explain.
Ma had a terror of me going into Manhattan alone.
My choice of colleges was limited to what was on Long Island.
So I ended up at Pratt.

Pratt was in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a rather unpleasant area.
My first week at Pratt, the top story in the school paper was the rape, in broad daylight, of two nuns.
It had happened a couple of blocks from our campus.
We were being told to "Be Careful". Okee dokee.


I really wanted to see The Nutcracker.
It was being performed at Lincoln Centre.
Ma panicked when she heard where I wanted to go.
The only way I could go to Lincoln Centre was if my Pop took me.
Pop was outnumbered.
The poor guy was going to get some culture.


Showtime!! We were in our bargain balcony seats at Lincoln Center.
Pop wasn't thrilled.
He was more uncomfortable than Cher's Dad was in the movie Moonstruck when they met at Lincoln Center.

The music began.
Pop settled down in a chair and, within minutes, was sound asleep.
Or so I thought.
He was wide awake for the belly dancing bit.
Then he was asleep again.
So much for sharing great art in Manhattan.


A few years after our date, my parents visited us in Winnipeg.
Lucky for Pop, Winnipeg keeps farmer's hours.
The theatre, ballet, etc. shut down in the summer.
Paul and I decided to take them for a riverboat ride.
That's what passes for an experience in Winnipeg.

So we went to the Red River.
Pop wasn't thrilled at the idea, but he was outnumbered.  Again.
We were on the deck.
Pop settled down in a chair and, within minutes, was sound asleep.
Or so we thought.

Ma and I started talking about what to make for supper.
Ravioli... lasagna... ross il-forn?
Pop muttered, "Ross fil forn."
Then he was asleep again.

I'll always wonder if Pop did actually watch and hear The Nutcracker.

Anna Sultana’s German Potato Soup with Rivels and Peasant Bread

 

Last December was dry, much like the earlier months of 2021, and we didn’t have much snow in Manitoba.
Well, January has been playing catch up on the snow and temperature front.
We’re back to having every-other-day snow falls, strong winds, and our traditional ‘skin can freeze in 5 seconds’ temperatures.

With traditions like that, it’s best to stay home.
While you’re hunkering down, why not make a big pot of soup and a loaf of bread?


My family has been Maltese since before St. Paul's shipwreck, when he dropped in for a visit on his way to Rome.
But, in the 1950s we moved to College Point, a German / Irish town on Long Island, and my parents worked at Lily Tulip.
Other women worked with Ma and, as usually happens, recipes, including soup and bread recipes, were exchanged.

In addition to being a warming meal during winter, soup is usually a great way to use up bits and pieces in the kitchen.
Soup is also delicious a few days after it's been made, making it perfect for busy women who came home tired from a full day of working at the factory.
Ah, the good old 1950s, when men weren’t expected to know their way around a kitchen.

Whatever... we’re still busy and a leftover meal is always a good thing to have.
German Potato Soup is an old recipe and, like most other old recipes, there are many variations.
Experiment and enjoy!

Peasant bread is easy to make, nothing like making sourdough bread.
The crusty loaf is delicious served warm and buttered, with soup or salad.
Or with Anna Sultana's Minestrone with Garlic Croutons or Garden Soup.

Hints:

About the German Potato Soup...
You could substitute 1 Cup heavy cream and 1 Cup whole or 2% milk in place of the 2 Cups whole milk to make it richer.
Or you can use 1 Cup evaporated milk and 1 Cup water.

Don’t have cream but want a thicker soup? No problem.
Boil a few potatoes in enough water to cover.
Drain, mash and stir into the soup.
Add whole milk and butter for taste.
You can also use chicken stock in place of the water for more flavour.

Or you could make a roux to thicken the soup.
A roux is a mixture of fat, margarine or butter, and flour, and is used to make sauces.
Just melt the butter, stir in an equal amount of flour and cook, stirring, a few minutes.
Slowly stir in the milk or other liquid and cook a little longer until you have a sauce.

You can add:
cheese and sour cream
onion and garlic
some diced pork chop
chopped or shredded carrots (about 1/4 Cup)
sliced hard boiled eggs
a teaspoon of cider vinegar in the soup and chopped onion sprinkled on top

You can also leave out the bacon and add more butter.

Rivels are little homemade egg noodles.
They are good in beef and chicken stew, as well as in vegetable soups.
If you’re in a rush you can substitute 2 cups egg noodles.

About the Peasant Bread...
You can add different spices for a little extra flavour.
Flour your hands to make it easier to handle the dough.

You can use bread pans or you could shape each half into a loaf and place the loaves on a greased baking sheet. 

If after the bread has baked you decide you want a browner loaf you can place the loaves under the broiler for a few minutes.

                                                               German Potato Soup with Rivels

Serves 6 to 8

Peel and dice
3 Cups potatoes

Chop fine
3 slices bacon
1 small onion
2 stalks celery with leaves

Place in a dutch oven 
the chopped bacon
Fry until crisp and brown.
Add
the diced peeled potatoes
the chopped onion and celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cover with water and cook until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

While the soup is simmering make the rivels:
Place on a flat surface such as a cutting board
1 Cup flour
Make a well in the centre, then add
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Scraping the board when needed, work these ingredients together.
Knead once or twice, then chop the dough into small pieces.

Put the rivels into the gently boiling soup, stirring constantly so they stay separate.
Stir in
2 Cups milk
3 Tablespoons butter
Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until rivels or noodles are done.
Ladle into bowls.
Garnish each serving with a bit of butter and fresh minced parsley (optional)

                                                               Peasant Bread


Place in a large bowl
2 Cups warm water
Stir in
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
Let sit for five minutes.

Add

4 Cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
Stir until the dough forms a ball.
You do not knead this dough.
Cover with a cloth and place in a warm place.
Let sit for 1 hour.

Grease 2 1-quart bowls.
Remove the cloth, punch the dough down and divide the dough into two pieces.

Place each piece in a prepared bowl.
Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425º F

Brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Turn heat down to 375º F and bake for another 15 minutes.
Let bread cool for 15 minutes before removing from bowls.