German Potato Pancakes and Crispy Latkes - Margaret Ullrich

Happy New Year!

I hope this will be the start of a great year and an even better decade for you.

I’ve noticed that the post ‘Hoito Restaurant’s Finnish Pancake Recipe’ has regularly been a popular one.

I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it, and I’m going to post more pancake recipes.

In fact, today I’ll start with two!

Every Jewish family has its own latkes recipe - some produce pancakes that are flat and lacy, while others give pancakes that are thick. 

They’re all good, so think of this recipe as a starter.

Tomorrow’s full moon is the Full Wolf Moon, so named because in midwinter the wolves howled hungrily outside native villages. 

Sometimes it was also called the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. 

There will also be also a full Wolf Moon Eclipse, which will be visible in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa. 

North Americans will not be able to see it since it takes place during our daytime.

Oh, well, there’s bound to be one we’ll be able to see, too.

Hints:

For both: Don’t crowd - you want the pancakes to brown and be easy to flip.

About the German Potato Pancakes…

If this is your first time making potato pancakes, relax. 

German potato pancakes are a bit more forgiving than latkes, and have ingredients most folks have in their pantries.

Don't bother patting to dry the potatoes. The flour takes care of any remaining liquid. 

If a little seeps while it’s frying it will add a bit of crispiness to the edges.

They can be served with fried apple slices and maple syrup for a brunch.

They are also good with cranberry sauce. 

Good to know if you’re serving them as a side dish with poultry. 

Leftover pancakes can be used in sandwiches. 

Just butter the bread, layer the pancakes, and season with salt and pepper.

                                                        ~~

About the Latkes…

Latkes recipes demand that the potatoes be as dry as possible. 

Russets, high in starch with a dry, mealy texture, work best since their dryness helps to create a crispy texture.

You can use the large shredding blade on your food processor to grate the vegetables.

Matzo meal is made by grinding matzo, an unleavened cracker, into coarse crumbs. 

Give the matzo crumbs a few minutes to absorb the liquid before frying.

Use your fingers to blend the potato starch into the potato mixture.

Traditional recipes call for latkes to be fried in a blend of half oil and half schmaltz, which is clarified chicken or goose fat.

It is sometimes flavoured with onion, and is a staple of traditional Jewish cooking.

You can also just use an oil like peanut, canola, or olive.

When you flip the latkes they should hold together and not break apart.

After frying latkes can be kept warm in a 200° F oven for up to 30 minutes.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
Recrisp in a 300° F for 5 to 10 minutes. 

                        German Potato Pancakes

Peel and shred

6 medium potatoes

Place in a colander over a bowl to drain away excess liquid.

Finely chop

1 medium onion (enough to have 1/2 Cup)

Place in a large bowl

2 eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper 

Beat together and mix in the shredded potatoes and finely chopped onion.

Place in a griddle

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

Allow the oil to heat to 350º - 400º F.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into the griddle.

Press each mound to flatten and let brown on one side, about 3 minutes.

Flip the pancakes over and cook for another 3 minutes. 

The pancakes should be browned and crispy. 

Drain on paper towels, then remove to warmed plates and keep warm.

Repeat until all of the mixture is used.

They are traditionally topped with sugar and served with applesauce on the side.

For more of a meal, serve with bratwurst sausage and boiled cabbage.

                        Crispy Latkes

Makes 12 (4-inch) latkes

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200° F. 

Line 1 rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. 

Fit a wire cooling rack into another baking sheet. 

Set both aside.

Scrub 

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes 

Peel and quarter

1/2 medium yellow onion

Line a bowl with three layers of cheesecloth.

Grate into the cheesecloth lined bowl

the prepared potatoes and onion

Gather the corners of the cloths and tie around the handle of a wooden spoon. 

Hold the bag over the bowl and squeeze the liquid from the vegetables. 

Squeeze as hard as you can until no more liquid comes out of the vegetables.

Set the vegetables aside and give the liquid a few minutes so the starch will settle.

Pour off and discard the liquid but leave the potato starch in the bowl.

Add

the dried potatoes and onion

1 large egg

2 tablespoons matzo meal or unseasoned dry breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper 

Mix well, making sure that the potato starch is evenly distributed. 

Set batter aside for 10 minutes.

Place in a large skillet

1 cup canola oil or chicken schmaltz, or a combination of both

You want enough to have a depth of 1/4 inch of fat.

Heat over medium-high heat until a piece of the latke mixture sizzles immediately.

Scoop 1/4 cup of the mixture, drop into the skillet, and flatten to make 4-inch patties.

Repeat until the skillet has a few pancakes in it.

Cook until a dark brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat if necessary.

Place the latkes on the paper towelilined baking sheet to drain for 2 minutes.

Transfer the latkes to the wire cooling rack set in the other baking sheet.

Keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes while you cook the remaining batter.

Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Eaton’s Chicken Pot Pie and Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls / April's Full Pink Moon

Happy Earth Day!

It’s been a long winter here on the prairies, and we have just gotten into double digit temperatures this past week.

Everything is a bit behind schedule, including the return of our geese.

We’re a bit late seeing greenery, but at least it isn’t a test of endurance to go outdoors.

Hope you’re enjoying Earth Day with proper Spring weather, birds and foliage.

A few years ago I posted the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake that was served in Eaton’s, a local department store.

Eaton’s was a mainstay of downtown Winnipeg, providing the complete department store experience, plus many delicious meals.

It was torn down and replaced by Bell MTS Place, an indoor arena.

A few people have asked if I had any other Eaton’s recipes.

These recipes are from the book A Store Like No Other: Eaton's of Winnipeg by Russ Gourluck, a book filled with the history of the store and its importance in Winnipeg.

It also had a few surprises. 

Apparently Eaton’s Grill Room had a slightly pudgy ghost!

The chapter The tastes of Eaton’s brought back many memories.

The introduction to the Chicken Pot Pie recipe and Asparagus Rolls says that the recipes come directly from food services manager Alan Finnbogason.

In Winnipeg the individual Chicken Pot Pies were served in oval green bowls.

The Asparagus Rolls were served, three on a plate, with a generous serving of Eaton’s own Thousand Islands Dressing in a silver sauce boat.

A meal in Eaton’s was not eaten with plastic cutlery or on paper plates.

Yes, a meal in Eaton’s was a dining experience.

But times change, and some places are just a memory now.

I hope that pudgy ghost is happy in Bell MTS Place.

Hints:

About the Chicken Pot Pie:

If you have chicken stock you can use 4 Cups of that instead of the water and chicken soup base mixture.

You can also use the puff pastry that can be found in the frozen food section.

These notes weren’t mentioned in the book, but they answer a few questions:

Tuck the crust into the ramekins or casserole and pinch the edges against the sides of the dish. 

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. The casserole doesn't need a baking sheet. 

Cover the pie(s) loosely with aluminum foil before placing in the oven. 

Check the pie(s) a few minutes before the end of baking time. If the crust isn't browning properly, remove the foil and continue baking.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty: 18-20 minutes if using ramekins, 25 to 30 minutes if using a large casserole.

About the Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls:

Some people add a bit of garlic.

A few people insist that sandwich bread is better than regular bread in this recipe.

In a rush? You can use processed cheese spread and/or canned asparagus.

The rolls can also be served with a spritz of lemon.

                        Chicken Pot Pie 

6 servings

Heat in a medium pot

4 Cups water

Stir in

1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons chicken soup base

Place in a dutch oven

1/3 Cup margarine

Heat over low heat.

Add

3/4 Cup carrot, sliced

3/4 Cup onions, chopped

3/4 Cup celery, sliced

Cook a few minutes.

Stir in

1/4 Cup cornstarch

Stir in

the heated chicken stock

Bring to a boil.

Add

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon savoury

1/4 teaspoon basil

3/4 Cup green peas

Place cooked chicken in 6 ramekins or a large casserole.

Cover with sauce, mix, then top with raw pastry.

Bake at 350º F 

Bake until the pastry is browned and the contents are heated thoroughly.

                        Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls

Cut the crusts from one large fresh loaf of bread and cut into 3/4 inch slices.

Place a slice of good quality cheddar cheese, sliced thin, on each slice of bread and place some butter and a fresh asparagus spear in the centre of each slice.

Roll each bread slice and hold it together with a toothpick and place them on a cookie sheet.

Add a bit of melted butter to the top of each slice and place under a broiler for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove toothpicks and serve with Thousand Islands Dressing.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

Hope you enjoyed the Lyrid meteor showers this weekend. Its meteors are often bright. The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years; Chinese records say “stars fell like rain” in the shower of 687 B.C. Quite spectacular displays have also been witnessed at least a dozen times since. These meteors are the dust left behind by Comet Thatcher, which visited the inner solar system in 1861.

If you missed them, don’t fret. They return every April when Earth passes through the dusty tail of the Comet Thatcher, consisting of debris traveling at 110,000 mph, disintegrating as ‘fireball’ streaks of light when they hit the earth’s atmosphere.

April 22 - First Quarter Moon, 5:46 p.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way toward full.

April 29 - April's Full Pink Moon will be astronomically full at 8:58 p.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it will appear full for about 3 days. This is the first full Moon of the spring season.

Anna Sultana’s Roasted Garlic Hummus, Salad Dressing and Onion Spread

We’re now officially having another cold January here in Manitoba.

The temperature is hovering at minus 30º C.

With the windchill it’s feeling like minus 40º C.

Yeah… that’s cold.

We were kidding ourselves back in December when we thought we were going to enjoy a mild winter during the start of 2016.

Well, Winnipeggers can dream, can’t we?

I recently posted the recipe for Roasted Garlic and Roasted Garlic Butter.

The butter isn’t the only thing you can make with roasted garlic.

Here are three more recipes.

But feel free to experiment and create a new family favourite!

Hints:

Don’t store any of these garlic recipes in plastic containers.

The scent tends to linger.

The amount of garlic cloves in the recipes is just a suggestion.

If you'd like a milder or stronger flavour, no problem.

Just use less or more garlic.

The roasted garlic gives the hummus and dressing a sweeter, milder taste than hummus made with raw garlic.

The kiddies might like the gentler garlic flavour with their fresh veggies. 

The mashed roasted garlic paste can be refrigerated in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Or frozen, if you’ve made more than you can use in a couple of weeks.

Roasted Garlic and Onion Spread is good served with cheese and crackers.

Or spread it on bread for sandwiches.

It’s particularly good with a Panini or in a grilled cheese sandwich.

You can also use it on garlic bread, garlic toast, bruschetta, crostini and canapé.

Freeze any Roasted Garlic and Onion Spread you’ll be storing for over a week.

                        Roasted Garlic Hummus 

Place in a blender

1 can (19 oz / 540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pulse until smooth. 

Add by squeezing out into the blender

4 to 8 roasted garlic cloves 

Purée until well combined. 

Transfer to a serving dish.

Sprinkle over hummus

1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Serve it with crackers and vegetables.

                        Roasted Garlic Salad Dressing

For the Roasted Garlic Paste:

Squeeze into a small jar with a tight fitting lid the cloves from

8 whole roasted heads of garlic

Mash gently with a fork.

For the Dressing:

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid combine

1 teaspoon roasted garlic paste

1 teaspoon honey or sugar

1 Tablespoon vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Close the jar and shake vigorously or stir with a fork.

                        Roasted Garlic Onion Spread

Peel, roughly chop and place in blender

2 large sweet onions

Pulse until finely chopped.

Place in a medium saucepan 

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

The chopped onions.

Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes, until soft. 

Add by squeezing out into the pan of chopped onions

2 - 3 heads of roasted garlic

Cook for another 10 - 15 minutes, or until the excess moisture starts to cook off.

Add

1/4 Cup packed brown sugar

3 Tablespoons vinegar (wine or balsamic)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook, stirring often, for another 15 - 20 minutes.

The mixture should be thick and deep golden.

Taste to adjust the seasoning. 

Pour into a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Cool and refrigerate until needed.

Links for Father's Day / Salad / Barbecue / Grilling Recipes

Ah… June in Manitoba!!

Time to be outdoors, live outdoors, eat outdoors!

Time to celebrate - Father’s Day, graduations, whatever.

Make a great salad, fire up the grill and have fun!

Father’s Day has changed a bit over the years.
In 2006 I wrote a piece for the CKUW radio show 2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser.
The story got a chuckle from the other hosts and the staff then.
I hope it will get the same today…

I also hope all you Dads will have a great Father's Day!

Here's a collection of some old favourites.

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

Carmela Soprano’s Appetizers

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Pepper Salad / Broiled Pepper Salad

Carmela Soprano's Red, White and Green Salad

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

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

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

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

Carmela Soprano's Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers

****

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Bruschetta / Grilled Garlic Bread

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini with melon and prosciutto

Carmela Soprano's Mozzarella in Carozza / Toasted Mozzarella Sandwich

Carmela Soprano's Hot Meatball and Mozzarella Heroes

Carmela Soprano's Peppers and Eggs Sandwiches

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

Anna Sultana's Beef and Bacon Rollettes, Maltese Style

Carmela Soprano's Salsiccie alla Griglia - Grilled Sweet and Hot Pork Sausages

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Meatball and Sausage Skewers

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Spareribs

Carmela Soprano's Balsamic Grilled Veal Chops l Balsamic Grilled Loin Pork Chops

Carmela Soprano's Spiedini - Stuffed Veal or Chicken Rolls

Beer Can in Chicken's Butt Barbecue Recipe

Anna Sultana's Broiled Chicken Oregano, Maltese Style

****

Carmela Soprano's Tonno alla Griglia - Grilled Tuna Steaks or Chicken Breast

Anna Sultana's Pixxispad Mixwi - Grilled Swordfish, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Grilled Grouper with Mustard Sauce, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Coronation Chicken

We just celebrated Queen Victoria’s birthday.

The British Royals have been in the news recently, what with the birth of Queen Elizabeth’s new great-granddaughter, Princess Charlotte.

In 1952 Elizabeth II was crowned Queen.

In honour of the occasion, Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume invented Coronation Chicken.

Coronation Chicken, an easy chicken salad recipe, may have been inspired by jubilee chicken, which had been prepared for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth’s father, George V in 1935.

For the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, a second Jubilee Chicken recipe was created.

I know... you’d think they’d have a fancy beef roast, like a crown rib roast.

Maybe the royals just like chicken salad.

As Malta was part of the British Empire, the recipe found its way to Malta.

It was printed in Maltese newspapers and magazines.

A clipped recipe was sent to Ma when we were living in New York.

So, as British subjects, we were able to celebrate the coronation properly.

Hints:

If you’d like a bit of crunch, lightly toast a few almonds, let cool, chop and add.

You can also use flaked almonds, toasted or not, if you have some in the pantry.

You can add raisins in addition to, or in place of, the apricot jam.

If you’d like a deeper yellow colour add a bit of turmeric.

This can be prepared the day before you need it.

The flavour will improve if you give it a bit of sitting time.

This can also be used as a filling in Cream Puffs which looks a bit festive.

Or you could serve it over cold rice as a buffet dish.

Not as pretty, but good.

                        Coronation Chicken

Serves 8

Have on hand

4 cooked chicken breasts or leftover roast chicken breast, diced

In a large saucepan heat over low heat

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add

1 small onion, finely chopped

Cover and let cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned.

Stir in

1 tablespoon curry powder

Cook for another 2 minutes.

Add

1/3 Cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1⁄2 lemon, juice of

2 - 3 tablespoons apricot jam

Stir until the mixture begins to bubble.

Simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

Allow to cool for half an hour.

Stir in

1 Cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons heavy cream 

Add the diced, cooked chicken and mix throughly.

Cover and place in the fridge.

Let it age for a few hours for the flavours to meld.

Put the filling on bread to make 8 sandwiches.

Quarter the sandwiches and arrange on a platter.

A nice pot of tea would add the right touch.

Carmela Soprano's Veal and Pepper Heroes

With Carmela’s recipes, as with most things in life, you win a few and lose a few.

Mozzarella in Carozza was a bit of a hassle.

Carmela's recipe for Veal and Pepper Heroes looks nice and simple.

It’s in the Small Events for Men Only chapter in Entertaining with The Sopranos. 

Yeah, well, this recipe also presents a few problems.

Veal can be hard to find.

And asking for it can give a butcher hysterics in some grocery stores.

Veal?  Neither of my local supermarkets carries veal.

They carry 5 kinds of hamburger.

Don’t get me wrong.

The stores in my neighbourhood do try.

For example, there’s our local Liquor Mart.

They try to have something for everybody.

And they go way beyond mere bilingualism.

Back to the veal…

I’ve made a habit of substituting chicken breasts for veal.

And who doesn't have chicken in the freezer?

Especially from stocking up when it was on sale.

                              Veal and Pepper Heroes 

Serves 6

Trim and cut into 3 x 1 x 1/2 inch strips

1 1/4 pounds boneless veal shoulder

Core, seed and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

3 large bell peppers

2 red peppers

Halve and thinly slice

1 large onion

Heat in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add the veal and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Sprinkle with

salt and black pepper

Remove the veal to a plate.

Pour into the large heavy saucepan

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add the peppers.

Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the onion.

Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with

salt and black pepper

Remove the peppers and onions to a plate.

Add

28 ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of crushed red pepper

Stir well and season to taste with 

salt and black pepper

Return the veal to the skillet and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat to low, partially cover the pan and simmer 40 minutes.

If the sauce becomes too dry add a little water.

Stir in the peppers and onions and cook 5 minutes.

Season to taste.

Open and pull out some of the soft bread of

6 crusty hero rolls

Fill the rolls with the veal and vegetables.

Serve hot.

Carmela Soprano's Mozzarella in Carozza / Toasted Mozzarella Sandwiches

A grilled cheese sandwich.

What could be simpler.

You’d think that, wouldn’t you.

Wait till you see what Carmela does to it.

Carmela recipe for Mozzarella in Carozza is in the chapter Small Events for Women Only in Entertaining with the Sopranos.

Carmela uses mozzarella.

No problem there.

Mozzarella is easy to find.

It’s Carmela’s extra touches that make this sandwich formal dinner quality.

There’s a sauce, so don’t serve this to the really small fry. 

There are also anchovy fillets.

Maybe you should serve the sauce on the side.

You’ve been warned.

                        Mozzarella in Carozza 

Serves 4 to 8

SAUCE:

In a small saucepan place

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

6 anchovy fillets, chopped

Heat until the butter melts.

Stir in

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Cover and keep warm.

SANDWICHES:

Pour into a shallow dish

3/4 Cup milk

Spread on a piece of wax paper

1/3 Cup flour 

In another dish beat together

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon water

have on hand:

8 slices white bread, crusts removed

4 ounces mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

Make 4 sandwiches.

Melt over medium heat in a large skillet

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Dip each sandwich lightly on both sides first in the milk, then dip in the flour and finally dip them in the beaten eggs.

Place the sandwiches in the pan and cook 4 minutes, until golden.

Flatten the sandwiches and turn with a pancake turner.

Add to the skillet

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Cook another 4 minutes, until golden and the cheese is melted.

Cut the sandwiches into quarters on the diagonal.  

Place the quarters, overlapping slightly, on a warm serving platter.  

Top the sandwiches with a lemon anchovy sauce.

Sprinkle with

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Serve immediately.

Give me a break.

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini l Melon and Prosciutto

Not all of Carmela's recipes are as difficult as Carmela Soprano's Baci Cake.

Here are two real quickies from the book Entertaining with the Sopranos.

Actually they barely qualify as recipes.

But they published the Crostini - with a picture - in the Welcome to the Family chapter.

The Melon and Prosciutto - also with a picture -  was in the Dinner for Twelve chapter.

Go figure.

I originally posted about them, without actual measurements, in March 2010.

But some people like measurements when trying something new.

And they are handy recipes to have before the holiday season.

These recipes are perfect as appetizers, or as something light to snack on while watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

I mean, after a certain age, how many potato chips can one eat?

Hint:

I left the anchovies out of Paul's Crostini.  He doesn't like them.

                        Neapolitan Crostini

Serves 6

In a medium bowl place

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Cut in half through the core

2 ripe medium tomatoes (Carmela used New Jersey beefsteaks)

Squeeze gently to extract the seeds and juice.

Trim away the core.

Chop the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and toss them in the seasoned oregano.

Preheat the oven to 450º

Oil a large baking pan

Arrange on the baking pan

12 thin slices Italian bread (Carmela used semolina bread)

Toast the bread 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, but keep the oven turned ON.

Cover each slice of bread with 1 slice and 1 anchovy each from

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

12 anchovy fillets

Spoon a few of the seasoned tomato pieces over each slice of bread.

Drizzle each slice with a few drops of

Extra virgin olive oil

Return the pan to the oven and bake 5 to 7 minutes.

When the cheese is slightly melted, remove from the oven and serve.

                        Melon and Prosciutto

Serves 12 (2 melon slices each serving)

Cut into 12 slices each

2 large cantaloupes or small honeydews, chilled

Scoop out the seeds and cut off the skin.

Place 2 slices on each serving plate.

Drape 2 or 3 paper-thin slices from

12 ounces Italian Prosciutto (Carmela used Prosciutto di Parma)

over each pair of melon slices.

Sprinkle with 

freshly ground pepper 

Garnish with 

a lemon or lime wedge on each plate

And let the countdown begin!

Carmela Soprano's Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches / Potato Omelet

No, I didn't forget.

So you can stop e mailing.

A little while ago I mentioned that Paulie Walnuts had said that he makes the guys a potatoes and eggs sandwich to improve their morale.

He also said:  I like to cook for my friends and associates at work. On a cold day down at the shop, I'll cook up a nice beans and 'shcarole soup and warm our collective cockles, so to speak.

Why he didn't work for Artie instead of Tony we'll never know.

He wrote a half page on Rules for Sanitary Cooking and Cleaning.

Maybe Artie didn't measure up.

Anyway, without further ado, here's Paulie's Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches from his 

chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

And you know why I gave the credit to Carmela.

Clean as Paulie is, he just doesn't have the image Carmela has.

                        Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches

Serves 4

Cut in half

3 medium potatoes, peeled

Slice each half into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel.

Pour into a large skillet

1/4 Cup olive oil

Heat the oil over medium heat.

It should sizzle when you put a piece of potato in it.

Place the potatoes in the oil.

Cook, turning frequently, until the pieces are tender, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with

salt

Beat

8 large eggs

Add

salt and pepper to taste

Pour the eggs over the potatoes.

When the eggs have almost set, turn the potato / egg mixture.

Continue turning the mixture and cooking until the eggs are done.

Cut a lengthwise slit in  

1 loaf Italian bread

Pull out the soft part.

Fill the bread with the potato / egg mixture.

Cut the loaf into 4 sandwiches.

Serve hot or warm.

Would I make Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches again?

Yes and no.

I've cooked the potato / egg mixture dozens of times.

And served it on a plate, with toast, for a brunch.

Paulie's talking about his Ma and this recipe reminded me of Ma's Spaghetti Pie.

Which I also served on a plate.  

Without the toast.

And so should you.

One recipe down.  Fifty-one more to go.