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

During Prince Charles and Camilla's recent visit to Winnipeg I posted Ma’s recipe for crumpets.

I also explained the difference between crumpets and English muffins.

You’re right, I should’ve included the recipe for English muffins.

Well, here's the recipe.

English muffins were also a regular part of my childhood.

Luckily they were easier to find in our German / Irish town.

So easy that a German neighbour introduced me to a quicky bread pudding recipe, which used English muffins.

English muffins are a little different from crumpets.

English muffins are similar to bagels in that they are split before serving.

But both crumpets and English muffins make use of those tuna tins.

Hints:

If you want to check the temperature of the liquids, warm means about 115º F.

If you want to store a few for later, allow them to cool before placing in plastic bags.

                              English Muffins

18 muffins

Have on hand

cornmeal

Place in a small saucepan

1 Cup milk

Heat it gently until it bubbles, then remove from heat.

Mix in

1 Tablespoon sugar 

Stir until dissolved. 

Let cool until lukewarm.

In a small bowl combine

1 Cup warm water (110º F)

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine

the warmed milk

the yeast mixture

1/4 Cup melted margarine

3 Cups flour

Beat until smooth. 

Add

1 teaspoon salt

3 Cups flour

Stir in the additional flour.

Knead 10 minutes. 

Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour.

Punch down. 

Sprinkle cornmeal on waxed paper.

Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. 

Cut rounds with an empty tuna can (or a biscuit cutter or drinking glass).

Set the rounds on the cornmeal. 

Dust the tops of the muffins with cornmeal. 

Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.

Heat a greased griddle on medium heat.

Cook muffins on the griddle about 10 minutes on EACH side.

Keep cooked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked. 

To use, split and toast. 

Great with butter, or cream cheese and jam.

You could also make a small pizza from the split English muffin.

All you need do is top each half with tomato sauce, cheese and salami.

Or anything you like.

Then broil a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Oh, about that quicky bread pudding recipe…

Sometimes Ma asked our German neighbour to babysit me.

She and her husband didn’t have children, so they didn't have kiddie type snacks.

Which was lucky for me.

Mrs. Kekelia would make a bread pudding, just for me.

                              Quicky Bread Pudding

Split 1 English muffin and butter both of the cut surfaces.

Place in a small saucepan

1/2 Cup milk

the buttered English muffin halves

Heat the milk gently until it bubbles, then remove from heat.

Place the English muffin in a bowl.

Pour the warm milk over it.

Top with

1 Tablespoon sugar (or cinnamon sugar)

Preparing more than one serving of Quicky Bread Pudding?

Nothing could be easier.

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

About a month ago I posted a pizza recipe from Charmaine Bucco's chapter 

Cooking for the Whole Famiglia in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Charmaine has another pizza recipe: Sfinciuni - Sicilian Onion Pizza.

This recipe is a little different from the other recipe.

It's in her chapter, so here it is.

Most likely Charmaine cooked it when Carmela was feeling a bit low.

It's a Sicilian recipe.

And even a tough Sicilian like Carm can us a bit of comfort food.

Hints:

An envelope of yeast is equal to a Tablespoon.

The tins and jars of yeast are cheaper than the sets of 3 envelopes.

You let the yeast sit for a minute to see if it starts bubbling.

If it just sits there, the yeast is dead and won't do anything for the dough.

If you're making the 5 pizzas, divide the dough and knead a quarter at a time.

If you have fresh, 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 

equals one 28 ounce can of tomatoes. 

Ten cups of tomatoes equals three 28-ounce cans.

One 2-ounce can of anchovy fillets will give you 8 fillets.

You'll need a total of 1/4 Cup olive oil for the topping for one pizza, 

1 1/4 Cups olive oil for five.

                        Sfinciuni

Serves 10 (1 pizza)                                             Serves 50 (5 pizzas)

In a bowl combine

1 Cup warm water                                                        5 Cups

1 Tablespoon yeast                                                       5 Tablespoons

Let sit 1 minute, then stir until the yeast dissolves.

In a large bowl combine

3 to 3 1/2 Cups flour                                                  15 to 17 1/2 Cups                  

1 teaspoon salt                                                               5 teaspoons

1/4 teaspoon pepper                                                      1 1/4 teaspoons

Add the yeast mixture and

2 Tablespoons olive oil                                                    10 Tablespoons

Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out and knead on a floured surface,

adding more flour if necessary.

Knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil.

Place dough in oiled bowl.

Rotate dough to cover with oil.

Cover with plastic wrap or a towel.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

The Topping

In a medium saucepan place                                       In a dutch oven place

2 Tablespoons Olive oil                                                 2 Tablespoons 

Cook for about 7 minutes

1 large onion, thinly sliced                                            5 onions, thinly sliced

Add

2 Cups peeled, chopped canned Italian tomatoes           10 Cups

1 teaspoon dried oregano                                              5 teaspoons

salt and pepper                                                             salt and pepper

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, 

until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Stir in

8 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped                          40 anchovy fillets

Remove from heat.

Let the sauce cool.

In a skillet heat

1 Tablespoon Olive oil                                                   5 Tablespoons

Add

1/2 Cup plain bread crumbs                                          2 1/2 Cups 

Cook over medium heat until toasted and browned.

Oil a 12-inch round pan.                                               Oil 5 pizza pans.

Flatten the dough.

Place the dough in the pan and stretch to fit.

Cover and let it rest 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 425º

With your fingertips, firmly press the dough to make

dimples about an inch apart all over the surface.

Leaving a 1/2 inch border around, 

Spread half of the sauce over the dough.

Bake 25 minutes.

Remove the pizza(s) from the oven.

Spread the remaining sauce over the dough.

Scatter over the top

1/2 Cup provolone, cut into 1/2-inch cubes                2 1/2 Cups                     

Sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs.

Drizzle with

2 Tablespoons olive oil                                              2 Tablespoons olive oil each

Return the pizza(s) to the oven.

Bake 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned.

Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Would I make Carmela's Sfinciuni again?

No.

It's a nice enough recipe.

I just still prefer Ma's pizza.

One recipe down.  Eleven more to go.

Anna Sultana's Pizza, Maltese Style

While I was growing up, pizza was a regular meal.

Not the round pizza in the frozen food section or the pizza we see in commercials

for take out or delivery vendors.

Just a simple, homemade pizza.

Easier, and maybe healthier, than Carmela Soprano's Pizza.

I couldn't say how many this would feed.

Sometimes it was the main course.

Sometimes it just added a bit of heft to a soup dinner.

It was Ma's pizza.

Hint:

The toppings (spices, tomatoes and cheese) are the total amounts for both pizzas.

Just use half on each.

Or modify to suit your family… or budget.

                        Pizza

In a large bowl combine

3 Cups warm water

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons yeast

Let sit 10 minutes.

Stir in

2 teaspoons salt

8 Cups flour

Knead 15 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl.

Rotate the dough to cover the surface with oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel.

Let rise 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before the dough is finished rising

combine in a small bowl

1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 teaspoons oregano

Slice

8 ounces pepperoni (optional)

Shred

16 ounces mozzarella

Grease 2 large cookie pans

Divide the dough and knead each piece on a floured surface.

Roll out a piece of dough, place it in a cookie pan and stretch it to fit.

Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Preheat oven to 450º F

Top each pizza with

3 Cups crushed tomatoes

Sprinkle the cheese / spice mixture over the tomatoes.

Drizzle over each pizza

1/4 Cup olive oil, about

Run the back of a spoon over the tomatoes to blend the ingredients.

Top with

the prepared meat and cheese

Bake 25 minutes.

Serve hot.

Ma's pizza is also good cold.

Carmela Soprano's Pizza - Ah Beetz'

There's a new moon tonight.

Sometimes a new moon means it's the perfect time to do something new.

And sometimes it's the perfect time to enjoy an old favourite.

Charmaine Bucco's chapter Cooking for the Whole Famiglia in Artie's

The Sopranos Family Cookbook has some nice realistic recipes.

No Penne alla Vodka for Charmaine.

Gather your family and friends and enjoy some Pizza.

Hint:

An envelope of yeast is equal to a Tablespoon.

The tins and jars of yeast are cheaper than the sets of 3 envelopes.

If you're making the 6 pizzas, divide the dough and knead a quarter at a time.

                        Pizza

Serves 6 - 8 (1 pizza)                                             Serves 50 (6 pizzas)

In a bowl combine

1 1/3 Cups warm water                                               8 Cups

1 Tablespoon yeast                                                      6 Tablespoons

Let sit 1 minute, then stir until the yeast dissolves.

In a large bowl combine

3 1/2 Cups flour                                                           21 Cups                  

2 teaspoons salt                                                           1/4  Cup

Add the yeast mixture.

Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out and knead on a floured surface,

adding more flour if necessary.

Knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil.

Place dough in oiled bowl.

Rotate dough to cover with oil.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch cookie pan.                  Grease 6 cookie pans.

Flatten the dough.

Place the dough in the pan and stretch to fit.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest 1 hour.

The Sauce

In a large saucepan combine                               In a dutch oven  combine

2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes,                           12 pounds fresh plum tomatoes

    peeled, seeded and chopped or                            or

    1  28 ounce can crushed tomatoes                  6   28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 clove garlic, finely chopped                               6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 Cup olive oil                                                       1 1/2 Cups olive oil

salt                                                                                  salt

Bring to a simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add

4 fresh basil leaves, torn into bits                       24 fresh basil leaves, torn into bits

Let the sauce cool.

Preheat oven to 450º

With your fingertips, firmly press the dough to make

dimples about an inch apart all over the surface.

Leaving a 1/2 inch border around, spread the sauce over the dough.

Bake 20 minutes.

Remove the pizza(s) from the oven.

Arrange over the top

12 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced             4 1/2 pounds mozzarella, thinly sliced

Sprinkle with

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan or Romano          3 Cups grated Parmesan or Romano

Drizzle with

olive oil                                                                    olive oil

Return the pizza(s) to the oven.

Bake 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned.

Cut into squares and serve hot.

Would I make Carmela's Pizza again?

No.

It's nice enough.

I just prefer Ma's pizza.

Links for Easy Family Recipes

This is a busy time for everybody.

But, there are some things that, busy or not, you've just gotta do.

Like eat.

Okay.... these recipes are easy.

And, in many cases, cheap.

As Red Green said, "I'm pullin' for ya!"

The 1960s Co-Op Refrigerator Cheesecake

Anna Sultana's Orange Cranberry Scones

Anna Sultana's Cream Puffs

Anna Sultana's Seven Layer Dinner

Anna Sultana's Pizza Rustica

Anna Sultana's Qassata

Easy Raisin / Sultana Cake - Margaret Ullrich

Easy as Pie Crust - Margaret Ullrich

Easy 2 Egg Spongecake - Margaret Ullrich

Dump Cake - Margaret Ullrich

Easy Chicken Paprikash - Margaret Ullrich

Easy Hot Cross Buns - Margaret Ullrich

Kugel - Margaret Ullrich

Carmela Soprano's Cheese Puffs

Kids' Favourites - Healthy Style

Make a big difference by making small changes. By simply switching one ingredient for another, you can reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar. Here’s how to makeover your kids favourite foods so they can become heart healthier.

Mac ‘n’ cheese
Try our recipe for homemade macaroni ‘n’ cheese. When using boxed kinds, add frozen peas and carrots while boiling the noodles and use low-fat milk. You can also skip the addition of margarine or butter.  

Hot dogs
Choose chicken or turkey varieties. Limit serving sizes. Serve hot dogs with a colourful veggie platter. Limit salty condiments like ketchup and mustard. Serve with whole-wheat buns.

Chicken fingers
Make homemade ones using whole-wheat bread crumbs and bake them. Try our recipe for baked chicken nuggets.

French fries
Bake your own using sweet potatoes, which contain loads of vitamin C. Slice thinly, drizzle with olive oil and bake them for 30 minutes at 200º C (400º F) or until crispy. Add seasonings such as paprika, rosemary or garlic.

Hamburgers
Make with ground chicken or turkey or extra-lean beef. Or look for pre-made varieties that contain 10% or less fat. Try meat alternatives like soy burgers. Serve with whole-wheat buns.

Pizza
Make your own - go easy on the cheese and load up on the vegetables: sweet red pepper, fresh tomatoes, broccoli. Try vegetarian pepperoni made from soy. When consuming frozen varieties or ordering fast-food types, go vegetarian to avoid high-fat meat toppings. Choose whole-grain crusts.

Ice cream
Use plain low-fat frozen yogurt and load up on the fresh fruit toppings instead of sugary ones. Keep portion sizes small (125 mL or 1/2 cup) and serve with sliced, frozen red and green grapes. 

Cookies and cupcakes
Make a big batch of whole-grain cookies and freeze. Watch portion sizes and set guidelines for when they are to be eaten.  Serve with fresh fruit, such as slices of apples. Try our recipe for chocolate carrot cupcakes with yogurt icing.

By Alyssa Rolnick RD., MHSC.

Fennel (seeds and ground) - Margaret Ullrich

Okay...  Fennel ain't famous.

But, it's still good.

And you've probably been enjoying it already.

Really.

Do you like sweet Italian sausages?

Surprise!

You can thank fennel for that.

You can also turn plain sausage meat into sweet Italian sausages by working in 

fennel seeds and sage and refrigerating the sausages overnight before cooking.

Wondering what else you can do with the seeds?

Add a few to a hearty fish soup.

Homemade or canned.

Perfect for Lent.

Stir some fennel into bread dough or sprinkle a few on top of loaves before baking.

Add fennel seeds, peppercorns and thyme to a marinade for olives and carrot slices.

Bought ground fennel?

Great!!

Sprinkle some lightly over a sausage pizza for a bit of a zing.

Stir a half teaspoon of ground fennel into coffeecake batter.

Mix some into bread crumbs to coat fish before pan frying.

Add a pinch to eggs or fish sauces.

Fish...  Eggs...

Just call Fennel Lent's best pal!

Don't forget that you can easily grind Fennel seeds.

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

Like I said, maybe Carmela just popped into
a good Italian bakery for a few loaves of
Italian bread.

In New York, Italian bakeries are a dime a dozen compared to Maltese bakeries.

Ma had no choice.

If she wanted a taste of home, she had to bake it herself.

And so can you.

Don't get excited by the number of loaves.

Hobz loaves are small.

Orange-size balls of dough can only get so big.

Well, good things come in small packages.

A small hint:  While kneading the dough, dip your hands in water to give the 

dough a smooth elastic finish.

                        Hobz

Makes 7 - 9 loaves 

In a small bowl, pour

1/2 Cup warm water (@ 110º F)

Sprinkle over the water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

Let stand about 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve.

In a large bowl combine

2 teaspoons salt 

6 Cups flour

Make a small depression in the center.

Combine in a small bowl

1/3 Cup milk

1 1/2 Cups warm water (@ 110º F)

dissolved yeast/water mixture

Pour liquids into flour/salt depression.

Mix the flour with the liquids.

Make sure to knead in all the flour.

Knead until it is smooth and the sides of the bowl are clean.

Don't forget to occasionally dip your hands in water.

Cover dough with a towel and let rise in a warm place, about 3 hours.

Pull out orange-size balls and form into smooth balls.

Place them on a towel.

Cover with another towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Roll one piece into a 1/4-inch thick circle.

Place it back on the towel.

Repeat with remaining balls.

Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 475º 

Place dough directly on hot racks in oven.

As soon as dough rises into a mound (2 to 5 minutes), place under broiler 

for a few seconds until lightly browned.

Cool.

Hobz freezes well.

Slice and serve, just like regular bread.

****

Or you can make a quick Cheese Pizza

In the side of a Hobz, slice a pocket 

In the pocket arrange slices of

fresh tomatoes

cheese (mozzarella is nice)

Sprinkle with

oregano

Place Hobz on a baking sheet.

Bake in a hot oven until the cheese is melted.

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Style Potatoes (Patate Alla Pizzaiola) and Anna Sultana's Patata Fgata (Smothered Potatoes with Fennel, Maltese Style)

Like the song says
You say po - tay - to
I say po - tah - to.

Carmela and Ma knew what to do with a potato, no matter what they called it.

In Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, there's a nice variation on her roasted potatoes - Patate Alla Pizzaiola.  

Don't panic.  

It's Pizza Style Potatoes.  

Easy.  No crust.

In a roasting pan place, in a single layer
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

Toss with
6 large plum tomatoes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
A sprinkling of
garlic, oregano, salt and pepper

Make it as spicy or mild as the family likes.

Roast the vegetables at 450º, stirring twice, for 1 hour, until the potatoes are cooked.

Sprinkle with
1/4 cup grated Romano and cook 5 minutes more.
Serve hot.

Ma had something similar.  Patata Fgata.
Smothered Potatoes with Fennel.  No, this isn't a stew.
I'm talking fennel seed, not the vegetable.
Although that could work, too.  

Back to Ma's Patata Fgata

Slice
6 potatoes
2 onions
Place them in a dutch oven.

Add
1 chopped clove of garlic
a sprinkling of fennel seed

1 cup of stock (chicken, beef, vegetarian - your choice)
2 tablespoons olive oil.  

Season with
salt and pepper

Cover and cook over high heat to bring it to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer another 15 minutes, until done.

Would I make Patate Alla Pizzaiola again?  

Sure, with Parmesan.  When the oven is on.

And I wouldn't peel them.

Would I make Patata Fgata?

Why sure.  When the oven is off.

Another recipe down.  Thirty-nine more to go.

A Healthy Pizza Rustica (Ricotta Pie, Maltese Style)

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

I received a few e mails with healthier versions of Carmela's Pizza Rustica.

Here is Maria D.'s recipe.
Enjoy!!

  

                        Pizza Rustica

grease 9 inch spring form pan          

preheat oven to 400º           

bake 45 min. 

with electric beater mix

1 pound ricotta cheese

1 1/2 Cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract

beat until smooth

set aside

-----

sift together

3 Cups flour

1/2 Cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

-----

cut in

1/2 Cup margarine or 3 oz. oil

-----

pour in

1/2 Cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

mix quickly 

Knead 5 turns on a floured board

add more milk if dough is too stiff to roll

Use 2/3 of dough for bottom crust 

Roll out remaining dough 

cut into 1/2 inch strips

Pour cheese mixture into pan

Form lattice top

bake 45 minutes or until brown

cool on a rack

Anna Sultana's Torta ta' l-Irkotta / Easy Maltese Ricotta Pie

Okay...  I received a few e mails asking for Ma's healthier version of Carmela's Pizza Rustica.  

Relax.  It's really easy to make.  Plenty of time to make it before Easter.

                        Torta ta' l-Irkotta

grease 9 inch pie pan          

preheat oven to 400º           

bake 30 min. 

400 g flaky or puff pastry

line the bottom and sides of the dish

with 3/4 of the pastry

-----

mix together

400 g ricotta

3 large eggs

season with salt and pepper

spoon mixture into the pie dish

-----

Cover the mixture with the remaining pastry

brush with milk or beaten egg

prick all over with a fork

bake 30 minutes or until brown

Easy, no?

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Rustica, Anna Sultana's Ricotta Torte (Ricotta Pie, Maltese Style)

Don't get excited.  This isn't your usual When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie pizza.  This is more like a cheese pie.  Sort of a quiche.  With a lattice top crust like a cherry pie.  Like Americans have for Presidents' Day.  It's traditional to make Pizza Rustica for Easter.  Warn the kids.

  

If you didn't know, "pizza" means pie.  Yeah, it is silly to say "pie pie", but everyone knows what you mean, so don't worry about it.  Keep saying "pizza pie".  Nobody cares.

Carmela's Pizza Rustica is not exactly what the doctor ordered if you have a cholesterol problem.  Frankly, sometime's Carmela's recipes are more deadly than what Tony and the boys do to people they've decided should be sleeping with the fishes.  And if Carmela's always using traditional recipes, it's no wonder the guys look the way they do.  

Her pie crust is a killer: shortening, butter and eggs.  If you're trying to cut the fat, if not the cheese, go to my pie crust recipe.  That'll make for a lighter bottom crust.  It'll be our secret. 

But then there's Carmela's filling.  Okay... ricotta's safe.  But, then she throws in eggs, romano, mozzarella, ham, prosciutto and soppressata (salami).  In an aside, Carmela added:    

You can substitute other meats or cheese as you prefer, like capicola (gobagool), cooked sausage, mild pepperoni, provolone, etc.  Some people add sliced hard-cooked eggs too.

You get the picture.  What's nice to know is that this artery buster can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, up to 3 days.

  

Ma's Ricotta Torte is lighter and simpler.  No meat.  No hard-cooked eggs.

I'll stick to that.

It's traditional.

But still, remember to warn the kids.

Another recipe down.  Sixty-nine more to go.