Top Ten Superbowl Snack Foods

Even if you don't really follow football closely or at all - everyone celebrates the Superbowl. There is fun for everyone, like new and funny commercials, over the top pre-game and half time shows, and an excuse to have a party, eat and drink too much.

The foods that are most famously associated with this event are admittedly geared more towards men and carnivorous choices but, you can find a vegetable or legume on the list too. Some items on the list can be made as unhealthily or healthful as you like by the ingredients you use.

Most would agree that the Superbowl is all about food, friends and fun!

Okay, Here is my list of the top italian dishes:
 
Chips, Dips, Salsa and Nuts

This is a big umbrella of general "snack food" or " junk food". Beer nuts or any kind of nuts are almost a pre-requisite for a Football party anyway. There are some really great appetizers that are now almost synonymous with Football. For example: Nachos - whether you just pour some melted cheese on them or go all out with salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, black olives, refried beans and spiced ground meat - these are always a crowd pleaser. There's also the "old fashioned" Chex mix that is really quite a nice retro snack. Purchase, various Chex cereal flavors, add mini pretzels, some peanuts, melt some butter and honey with some kicked up seasonings - mix them all together and spread them out on a cookie sheet in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes. Great stuff.

BBQ Baked Beans

The classic baked bean recipe can take over 24 hours to prepare and serve. It involves soaking the dry beans which takes up most of the time, and marinating and baking the beans in a combination of Molasses, brown sugar and BBQ sauce. It normally has Pork in it too and that adds a really great flavor but, if that's not your bag you can substitute ground turkey or have no meat at all.

Steak Tips

There are also Turkey, Swordfish and Chicken tips out there too now a days. Whichever you choose, marinating them in a good marinade first is a must. Steak will need the longest in a marinade but, all of them will be great once they are grilled on a nice hot grill. Pair tips with Salad and a mixed rice and you are all set! 

Sandwiches

I prefer the foot long Italian hoagie from the local deli cut up into 2 or 3 inch size sandwiches. Hot peppers are a necessity but should probably be "on the side" for the less inclined. Any kind of sandwiches will work really and Calzones which are not really considered sandwiches are a great choice because they are easy to eat while not sitting down and come in all kinds of yummy flavors.
 
Pizza

Well, I had to put it on the list. It is really popular as a football food. It's not truly my choice but, considering that watching football is a male oriented past time and most men are not into cooking, it makes sense that something you can pick up the phone and have delivered within 30 minutes (men are not normally planners either) would be on the list. PS: Anything that can be ordered, created and delivered within 30 minutes is not something I would recommend for adults - Children...okay.

BBQ Pork with all the fix'ins

This choice is really for a dedicated BBQ'er and will take some time to do right but, boy. It is well worth it. You really have to start this menu item the day before you want to enjoy it. It takes a smoker and a pork butt, some good dry rub, a mop sauce (this is important as far as I am concerned) and some good BBQ sauce along with a dedication to the low and slow way of cooking. In addition to the pulled pork, lay out some hamburger buns, home made cold slaw, and some chips and you have the perfect football party meal.

How to make Authentic Italian Pasta with Potatoes

You are not going to see Pasta with Potatoes in any Italian restaurant, but out here in the South of Italy, most Italian families have this dish on the menu at least once or twice a month in their homes. This particular version of the dish, was given to me by my Italian Mother in Law, who is from Sicily, and it has been passed down through the generations with very little variation. Pasta and potatoes may sound a little odd as a combination, but I can assure you that if it is cooked right, then it is one of the great Southern Italian dishes. This recipe serves about four people.

Ingredients.
Extra virgin Olive oil
One medium onion
A piece of stewing or braising beef
A medium tin of Italian peeled tomatoes
One carrot
About seven medium potatoes
Pasta (not spaghetti)
One chilli pepper. (optional)

Step one. Prepare the tomato sauce, which forms the base for most pasta dishes. Cut and fry the onion, and add the diced stewing beef. When the onions and beef are nicely cooked, add some water. Continue boiling the mixture, adding water as it reduces, until you have dissolved most of the onion. Take out the beef and put to one side, to be eaten later.

Step two. Add the tin of tomatoes, and grate the carrot into the mixture. Continue simmering, then dice the potatoes and add to the pan. Simmer for about five to ten minutes, then add about 160 grams of Pasta. Continue to cook the mixture until the pasta is ready.
Step three. This is an optional step which will liven up the taste of the meal. Before serving , you can add a diced up chilli pepper, which will give the potatoes a bit of 'bite.' If you want to give your guests the option of making the dish 'hot,' then you can prepare a chilli sauce which can be added at the table.

To prepare a chilli sauce in the Southern Italian style, you need about five chilli peppers and a little olive oil. Fry the chilli peppers in the oil, until they are starting to burn. Remove from the heat and put in a glass container, preferable with a lid. Cover them with olive oil and put the top on the container. Leave to cool, and shake from time to time to release the flavour. This chilli sauce, can be put on the table to be used at will, with numerous past dishes, including pasta and potatoes.

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Traditional and Delicious Italian Chicken

It is an easy and quick chicken recipe that can be prepared by using marsala wine. Whenever you are in hurry and do not feel like having enough time to cook something, then this dish is perfect option to prevent your family members to eat outside junk food. This dish is quite a simple and quick chicken recipe that can be prepared under an hour. The marsala wine which is basically a sweet one is very often used in making this world famous chicken marsala dish which is served at Italian Dishes around the world.

Here we won't be discussing any chicken marsala recipe but will try to make beginners understand one by one what all points should be kept in mind while cooking perfect chicken marsala dish:

1. Pick the ratio of ingredients properly.

Here for chicken marsala the proper ratio of marsala wine and mushrooms need to be selected. It can also be combined with black or white wine, pepper corns, fresh thyme or chopped garlic or marsala sauce which gives a different tinge of flavor to it. The quality of mushrooms needs to be checked in properly and they should be brought in from the grocery store in air tight containers. Mushrooms which are quite nutritious add a superb taste to the dish. The ingredients which are added with distinct flavors are basically an entire foundation of this dish.

2. Cut the chicken meat properly and put it into the salt water and donot put them into the flour batter.

For starters it's not easy to do the coating with flour as if you might have noticed when preparing chicken marsala, that when you coat the chicken cutlets with flour while cooking it the flour drips down and hence it effects the entire taste of the dish. While if flour is used in little amount it might not actually serve your purpose. Only experts can do the flouring properly over the chicken meat that too in the right proportion. Simply dip the chicken meat cuts into the salty water for 4-5 hours only not more than that as it may unnecessarily turn the chicken more salty.

3. Cooking chicken is the final and most crucial step.

You are supposed to keep watch over the chicken and make sure it is not overcooked which will unnecessarily burn its pieces. Check the color of the liquid in which meat is soaked it should be clear with no lumps in it. Also the chicken cuts when checked should be tender. Boneless and skinless chicken is mostly used for making this amazing dish.

The above listed basic steps for preparing chicken marsala is very easy to cook savory and flavorful chicken recipe. Remember these useful tips before starting to cook this dish in order to save time, it will definitely be perfect when you will serve it to your family members.

Paccheri With Fresh & Canned Tomato Sauce

Every Italian family has their favorite tomato sauce recipe, often one that has been passed down through generations. It may be a simple sauce made with fresh garden tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, or a long cooking sauce flavored with a variety of different types of meat. I have to say that my preference is seasonal, and when fresh tomatoes are in season, there is nothing better than a barely cooked sauce that is all about the tomatoes. 

During cooler months however, I love to prepare a sauce that simmers on the stove for hours flavored with meat and vegetables. I do not think I could even pick a favorite tomato sauce, at least until now. I recently read about a sauce using both canned tomatoes and fresh chopped cherry tomatoes, and since we have an abundance of cherry tomatoes in our garden, I decided to give it a try. When fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes are available, especially from our garden, I rarely touch canned tomatoes, but I was intrigued by the idea of using both together.

I knew this sauce would taste good, but I was surprised just how good it tasted. Such a small change creates great results as the sweetness and vibrancy of the fresh tomatoes brings the sauce to life, while the canned tomatoes add a complexity to the sauce. Since most of us can buy decent cherry tomatoes year round, this is certainly a sauce I’ll be often making. I chose to use paccheri, a thick tube type of pasta shape that works well with chunky sauce although you could use just about any pasta shape with this sauce. For best results, do use good quality canned San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil.One can learn to cook Italian dishes who loves to eat.

Paccheri With Fresh & Canned Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 2 (14 Ounce) Cans Chopped San Marzano Tomatoes
• 5 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil, Divided
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• 15 Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped
• 1 Pound Package Paccheri Pasta (Or Pasta of Choice)

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onions.
• Cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook another minute or two until fragrant.
• Add the canned tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of basil, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and cook another 15 minutes, stirring often.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta according to package instructions until it is “al dente”.
• Stir the remaining basil into the sauce, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
• Add a ladle or two of sauce to the pot and toss until the pasta is coated.
• Served in individual bowls topped with a spoonful of additional sauce.
• Offer grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese at the table if desired.

Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

 Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, but you really can only do so much with zucchini day after day before you become a tad tired of it. Thank God I have chickens who appreciate leftover zucchini! Knowing I had family coming to visit, I spent the early part of July baking treats to freeze, so I’d have snacks I could thaw out quickly.

I used some of my zucchini harvest to make some muffins and a few loaves of this tasty quick bread. This loaf turned out to be a big hit with the grandkids, even those who do not like vegetables. I would pull a loaf out of the freezer first thing in the morning, and it would be devoured before lunch! The addition of yogurt plus the grated zucchini helped to create a very moist loaf; the nuts added texture, and the loaf was not overly sweet.

Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Light Farro (Spelt) Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs At Room Temperature
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 Cup Grated Zucchini

Topping:

• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease and flour a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.
• In one bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and yogurt.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until mixed.
• Fold in the walnuts and zucchini.
• In a small bowl, stir together the chopped nuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the loaf.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

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Zucchini, Ricotta, & Egg Pie

We enjoyed this dish for lunch along with a mixed salad, but it would  be a great breakfast or brunch dish as well. It could also be an option for a vegetarian entree at dinner served with whole grain crusty bread and a big vegetable salad. I prefer a dish like this served at room temperature, so the flavors stand out, but it was also tasty the next day cold from the refrigerator for breakfast.

Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you prefer, change the grated cheese if you like, and maybe combine some summer squash with the zucchini. This dish works best if the zucchini are sliced very thin, and a mandolin works well for this.

Zucchini, Ricotta, & Egg Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 (8 Ounce) Container Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups Milk
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves
• 2 Pounds Small zucchini, Thinly Sliced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees> F.
• Rub the oil over a 9-inch quiche pan, then pour in the breadcrumbs.
• Twist the pan around to cover the sides and bottom with the crumbs.
• In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, half the pecorino, eggs, and milk until smooth with a whisk.
• Season the mixture well with salt and pepper, and stir in the red pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley.
• Add the zucchini and gently stir to coat the zucchini with the egg mixture.
• Spoon the zucchini and egg mixture into the prepared pan, then sprinkle with the rest of the grated pecorino cheese.
• Bake the zucchini until puffed, browned, and set, about 50 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature and serve.

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Anchovy Crumb Stuffed Peppers

A person can enjoy Italian fine dining in their own home, in a classy restaurant or even in a less than classy restaurant. The great thing about Italian food is that it's just not that fussy. The ingredients are fresh, robust and most are easy to find even in American markets. Even Italian gourmet recipes are relatively easy to concoct.

To experience Italian fine dining at home, of course, the diner has to set a beautiful table with their best dinner service, linens, candles and a floral centerpiece. They may or may not want to have place settings and menus printed out for their guests.

Anchovy Crumb Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 Large Red Peppers

Topping:

• 2 Anchovies
• 3 Tablespoons Flavorful Pitted Olives, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Salted Capers, Rinsed
• 1 Garlic Clove, Peeled
• 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Blanched Almonds
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• 1 Small Red Chili Pepper (Optional)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the peppers into quarters, and remove the seeds and membranes.
• Lay the peppers cut side up on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.
• While the peppers are baking, add the anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, parsley, and almonds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Season with salt, pepper, and the red chili if using.
• Drizzle in about 3/4 cup of olive oil, and pulse until blended.
• Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, and add about 1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of the anchovy mixture and stir to mix well. (Keep the rest of the anchovy sauce for another use)
• Remove the peppers from the oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of each pepper.
• Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature before serving.

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Hot and Cold Italian Foods

When it comes to Italian foods, it is important to note that there are many forms of food that will grace a table. Some foods will be hot, while some will be cold. It is must be understood that regardless of the type of food that you try, it should not define and or forge your opinion on Italian food as a whole. There are just too many types of food to be enjoyed in the Italian culinary arsenal, and you would be hard pressed to try everything that it has to offer in your lifetime.

From Cold Cuts To Baked Ziti

It really does not matter what it is that you are enjoying in regards to Italian foods, as each and everything that you try will most likely tickle your senses. One moment you could be enjoying a great platter of cold cuts such a soppressata or mortadella, and the next you could be enjoying a wonderful baked ziti. Both have their merits and appeal, yet both are so opposite in the food spectrum. There is no question that you are going to enjoy both of these delightful entries in the fascinating world of Italian cuisine. Often you can find many items that are both hot and cold that can be combined or share space on the Italian dinner table at the same time. This is nothing more than a delight for those that are going to dine, as it offers you much in the way of variety and culinary experimentation.

Hot Pasta And Cold Pasta

Italian foods are not temperature specific, and this can be attested to by perhaps the most popular of all Italian foods in pasta. While some may assume that pasta is something that is always served hot, this is not the case as there are several dishes old and new that revolve around the use of pasta that has been chilled prior to serving. Great pasta and even Greek salads are known to be served in the warmer months in the Mediterranean region, and this is a great way to dine in the early afternoon on the terrace of a cafe. Cool pasta tastes just as delightful as hot pasta, and the great thing about pasta is whether it is served hot or cold the texture always remains the same. This makes pasta an ideal food to work with, and it is obvious why it is a top choice for many chefs worldwide today.

Even Soups Have Variations

When it comes to Italian foods that are hot and cold, even soup has its own distinct differences. Many soups in Italian culture have been made specifically hot or cold depending on the season. One of the most common and popular cold soups in Italy is known as gazpacho, and this soup consists of several different finely chopped vegetables. All are mixed in a large pot and chilled for hours; the result is an absolutely wonderful flavor and simply refreshing texture.

3 Fun and Easy Grilled Pizza Recipes Perfect for Beginners

Cooking pizza on a grill will give it a delicious smoky flavor that cannot be achieved when cooked in a regular oven. Pizza is easy to grill and inexpensive, too!

Here are 3 easy and delicious grilled pizza recipes perfect for beginners:

All-Veggie Pesto Pizza

What you need:

• 1 regular-sized refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large Portobello mushroom, sliced
• 1 cup bite-sized broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup cubed fontina cheese
• 3 tbsps. olive oil

Brush a grill pan with 2 tbsps. olive oil and arrange zucchini, squash, mushroom, broccoli and onions onto it. Cook in a pre-heated grill over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from grill and set aside. Grill pizza crust for 3 minutes per side or until browned. Remove from the grill then spread with pesto sauce, top with grilled vegetables and sprinkle with 2 cheeses. Return to the grill, cover and cook for 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Mushroom and Sausage Cheesy Grilled Pizza

What you need:

• 1 regular-sized pizza dough
• 1/4 kg. Italian sausage, cooked
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup Italian cheese blend
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Snipped fresh basil

Divide dough into 8 equal round portions. Brush 1 side of each dough circle with olive oil. Arrange dough circles in a covered, pre-heated grill lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil oiled side down. Cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until bottom is browned and firm. Transfer to a large flat dish, grilled side up. Spread with pizza sauce then top with sausage, mushroom and cheese blend. Return to a covered grill and cook for 2-3 minutes until cheese has melted and bottom has browned. Garnish with red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving.

Classic Grilled Pizza Margherita

What you need:

• 1/2 kg. pizza dough
• 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup whole basil leaves
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Divide the pizza dough in half and roll into a 10-inch diameter circle. Place dough circles in a grill pan or paddle and cook in a covered, pre-heated grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until grill marks appear. Remove from the grill and place in a work surface grilled side up. Brush each dough with olive oil and spread with Asiago cheese. Top with tomatoes, basil and Mozzarella then season with salt and pepper. Return to grill, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until crust is lightly browned and cheese has melted.

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Umami Chicken Cacciatore Recipe, Will Tantalize the Taste Buds

Umami- is a Japanese word meaning savory a "deliciousness" factor deriving specifically from detection of the natural amino acid, glutamic acid , or glutamates common in meats, cheese, broth, stock, and other protein-heavy foods.

This is the new catch phrase or hot word around for chefs in the industry. It has been around for a hundred years or so but people are just now starting to really talk about it in food circles and starting to use it more in every day cooking to really pack a punch in everyday meals. This is a dish that will do just that with the flavor of a cooked or rendored pancetta.

Ingredients you will need: Chicken 4 breast- 4 ounces of Pancetta, 1 large red bell diced 1 small onion diced, 3 garlic cloves minced, 1 - 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, 3 ounces of olive or canola oil, 3/4 cup of white wine-one that you would drink, 3 cans of chicken broth, 3 Tablespoons of capers, 2 Teaspoons of dried oregano, 1/4 Cup of fresh minced basil leaves, 1/2 Cup of flour, salt and pepper to taste.

First you will slice you pancetta and brown off in the pan. You will remove and set aside. You will then salt and pepper your chicken and then dredge your chicken in the flour, and sauté your chicken in the pan with your oil. You will then remove the chicken and set aside and add your garlic to the pan over a low heat and let it bloom. Add the rest of your flour if there is any left over, and the wine and let it cook off or brown ever so lightly and then add your tomatoes. The acid from the tomatoes will remove any fond or flavor from the bottom of the pan. You will then add your pancetta and all other ingredients except the chicken to the pan and let it simmer down until the sauce has reduced by a quarter if you want a more runny sauce, or by half if you prefer a thicker sauce. Then you will add back in your chicken to the dish and let it heat back up to a good serving temperature to make sure that the chicken is warm through, and then serve with any pasta or bread you like. I hope that you enjoy this dish it is really good!

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Chicken Cacciatore Recipes

These chicken cacciatore recipes are delicious. Just check these out and I'm sure you'll be amazingly surprised.

So here we go for some chicken cacciatore recipes:

>>Quick Chicken Cacciatore

4 chicken breast halves boned skinless (1 lb total)

1 cl garlic minced

1 t oregano crushed dried

1 tb cold water

1/4 c green pepper chopped

1/4 c onion chopped

1/4 ts salt

2 ts cornstarch

3 tb dry red wine

3/4 c mushrooms sliced fresh

7 1/2 oz 1 can tomatoes cut up

Rinse chicken; pat dry. In a medium skillet combine un drained tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, wine, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper; place chicken atop vegetable mixture. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 20 minutes or till chicken is tender and no long pink.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Stir together water and cornstarch; stir into skillet mixture. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Here is a crockpot recipe:

>>Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

2 med onions; peeled, sliced

1 1/2 ts dried oregano; crushed

1 bay leaf

1 c tomato sauce; 8 oz

1 c tomatoes; 16 oz

1 ts salt

1/2 ts dried basil; crushed

1/4 c dry white wine spaghetti; cooked

1/4 ts pepper

2 c garlic; minced

3 lb chicken; cut up

Place onions in slow cooker. On top of onions place chicken pieces, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, herbs and wine. Cover pot. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or high 3 to 4 hours. Serve chicken with its sauce on spaghetti which you have prepared.

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Lasagna - The Real Italian Dish

Do you think of lasagna as a sublime gourmet sensation or a stodgy, school food staple?

In Tuscany I've tasted exquisite layers of meltingly tender, fresh pasta fusing into a poem with creamy béchamel and a sparing distribution of rich ragù. This traditional meat sauce of central and northern Italy is made with finely minced beef and chicken livers or pancetta and simmered gently for hours until the flavours mellow. In spring the delicate pasta sheets have been layered with tender artichoke hearts, béchamel and ham, a marriage of delicate flavours to delight the most gourmet palate.

Lasagna (having replaced its plural e with a singular a) is however a dish that has left home and travelled the world. It has made it into the mainstream of microwave meals, supermarket suppers and been massacred in the process. Thick, stodgy sheets of pasta sandwich oozing quantities of sauce and bear little resemblance to their Italian forbears.

To taste the real Italian lasagne that I'm describing, you must take a gourmet trip to Italy, visit the hills of Tuscany or Emilia Romagna with its rich, butter-based cuisine and multitude of fine restaurants. In Ferrara, Bologna or Parma or any other of its beautiful cities, you will be able to appreciate the delicacy of flavour, the melting texture with which genuine Italian lasagne can delight the palate.

Here the lasagne is only a part of a leisurely meal. In autumn you might have started with an antipasto of Parma ham and ripe figs, tasted some fettuccini with truffles, then sampled the lasagne, leaving enough room for your main course of a bistecca ai funghi porcini, steak with fresh porcini mushrooms harvested from the wooded hills around you.

Lasagne is a dish designed for feasting - to make it properly is time consuming: rolling out your own freshly made pasta to make sheets that are thin enough not to be stodgy, boiling it briefly a few sheets at a time; making fresh meat sauce and allowing it three or four hours to simmer unhurriedly; stirring a béchamel sauce carefully so it doesn't burn; lastly assembling all the different components and layering them, judiciously spreading just the right amount of sauce for the pasta to absorb and have a bit left over; adding in freshly grated parmesan to get the balance of flavours just so; baking it all in the oven for just the right amount of time for the flavours to meld into a divine whole. It is a labour of love made at home for special occasions or ordered in a restaurant where you know they do it well.

If you want to try your hand at making an authentic lasagna from Emilia Romagna, seek guidance from Marcella Hazan. Her cook books are the best I know to help you reproduce the flavours of Northern Italy at home. I confess to not having the patience for making my own fresh pasta and so do without lasagne altogether at home. I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get back to Italy so that I can indulge in a gourmet holiday, feasting on lasagna, porcini mushrooms and truffles!

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Another Peasant Italian Dish - For Kings

Another Peasant Dish That Will Leave You Begging for More

My grandmother passed down an incredible dish that is very popular in Italian Restaurants. Because of interpretation or taste, it is also destroyed by them most of the time. The dish is called Pannacotta, but it's not the dessert. Pronunciation: Ponna-gawt.

It is nothing more than left over Escarole and Beans, stretched out with stale bread. I will take you through the entire process.

Ingredients:

• 1 - Head of Escarole. Coarsely Chopped and soaked in water
• 1 - 28 ounce can of Cannellini Beans. Drained and rinsed
• 5-6 Cloves of Garlic
• Salt, Black Pepper and Red Pepper. Olive Oil, Corn Oil whatever you have.
• Day Old or Fresh Italian Bread Cubed into the size of your liking. Crust on or off -- it's your choice

Directions:

1. Heat a small pot over medium/ high heat.
2. Add/Throw in a couple of shakes of Red Pepper to flavor the oil
3. Throw in the Garlic and sauté until golden brown
4. Throw in the Escarole add salt and pepper to taste
5. Toss to coat for five minutes and add a couple of Cups Water, Broth, etc.
6. Bring it to a boil and simmer.
7. When the escarole is softened, throw in the beans and simmer 15 minutes.

Refrigerate 1-2 days. Now, it is magic time.

Magic Time

1. Heat up some oil and sauté more garlic/red pepper.
2. Throw in the cubes of bread and sauté until lightly toasted and firm.
3. Take out and place on the side.
4. Place the leftover escarole and beans in the pot and heat up.
5. Once hot, throw in the cubes of bread and toss.
6. Take it off to the heat after five minutes and have an incredible meal.

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