In this special holiday episode of The Italian American Podcast, I speak with the three winners of our Italian American Recipe Contest that we recently held. They are Christine Simolke, Mariann Dirico-Raftery, and Jennifer Perrine Nevins. We talk about their wonderful recipes as well as the rich Italian American traditions that their recipes represent. At the end of the episode, I’m going to bring you with me to my family gathering where I will be cooking these wonderful recipes.

We want to thank Botticelli Foods and Cooking with Nonna for teaming up with us for this special Italian American Recipe Contest.  They both helped spread the word about the contest, Rossella Rago and Nonna Romana of Cooking with Nonna selected the winning recipes, and Botticelli Foods provided all of the food for me to cook the winning dishes.  Grazie mille!  Photos of me cooking everything are at the bottom of the post.

Episode Quote

“Food and that table is the magnet that pulls everybody together.” – Lydia Bastianich

Tweetables

• “It’s not about the food or the recipes, it’s about the rich Italian tradition.” – Anthony Fasano
• “You uncover some really interesting things when you just talk to family members.” – Anthony Fasano
• “My grandfather wanted to keep his family together, even though he had issues.” – Christine Simolke
• “We never did anything with just one family, it was always five families together.” – Mariann Dorico-Raftery
• “I don’t know what it is about Italians, but we just connect on a different level.” – Mariann Dorico-Raftery
• “Food represents family and love.” – Mariann Dorico-Raftery
• “It’s not just the taste of the cookie, it’s the feeling you get when you see them and that connection to family.” – Jennifer Nevins
• “Being Italian is more about eating just the food, it’s about tradition, what the food symbolizes and bringing people together.” – Anthony Fasano

Our Winning Recipes:

Linguini with Anchovy Sauce Recipe (submitted by Christine Simolke)

Ingredients:

• I (2 oz.) can Anchovies-flat fillets in olive oil-make into paste in
  a mortar & pestle(use the oil from the can)
• 4 large cloves Garlic-minced
• 1/4 c. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 (28 oz.) can Roma whole or diced tomatoes-puree in blender or food processor
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed Roma tomatoes
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

In a large saucepan, add 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, anchovies, and garlic. Saute on low heat, do not brown. Add both cans of tomatoes, the remaining olive oil, basil, parsley, salt & pepper & crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Cook on low heat for 45 minutes. Cook 1 1/2 lbs. linguini in salted water to taste. Serve sauce over pasta. Garnish with fresh basil & Parmesan/Romano cheese.

Baccala Recipe (submitted by Mariann Dirico-Raftery)

Ingredients:

• 1-pound Baccala (salted cod fish fillets)
• 2 – 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup flour
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine

Method:

DAY BEFORE – Place the fish in a deep pan or container. Rinse with cold water and repeat. Cover fish with cold water to soak and place in refrigerator overnight. Next morning, drain, rinse and fill with water again, leave till ready to prepare for dinner. Drain the fish on paper towels and pat dry. Cut into smaller pieces about 2 to 3 inches long. In a large size frying pan, add olive oil to cover the bottom of pan and heat on a medium flame. Dredge the fish pieces in flour and saute in olive oil until brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. In a medium pot, parboil the potato wedges in water until al dente. When still a little hard, but cooked, drain the potatoes and leave in the pot until ready to use. Meanwhile, in the same pan that the fish was browned, add the garlic, pepper, and onion and cook until tender. Add crushed tomatoes and oregano to the pan and continue to simmer. Add the wine, blend it in and then add the fish back to the pan. Cook covered for about 10 minutes. Add potato wedges to pan, cover and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until potatoes are fork tender. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Cassadele Cookies recipe (submitted by Jennifer Perrine Nevins)

Ingredients:

• 5 Cups Flour
• 1 ½ Cups Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Baking Powder
• 2 Sticks of Butter, Room Temperature
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla

Method:

Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder with the butter until the dough has a crumbly texture. Make a well in the center and add 4 eggs and the vanilla. Knead by hand until smooth. Form dough into rings. Dip into colored sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. The finished cookie should be light brown and slightly crisp (not hard).

Episode Sponsors

The National Italian American Foundation
ItalyLegalOnline.com
Mediaset Italia
Holidaze App – For IOS
Botticelli Foods
Cooking with Nonna

Resources Mentioned

The New Neighborhood
Somebody’s Mom
Vanessa Racci
Children of Italy