Ricotta Pie
Traditionally an Easter pie, it has made its way onto the Thanksgiving menu as well. It’s often served with a little whipped cream on top. Some people like a bit of orange or lemon peel added. You can mix a...
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Cioppino
Christmas Eve tradition – Cioppino, the most efficient way to cover the Feast of the Seven Fishes in an Italian-American-Californian home. I inherited the Christmas Eve family dinner a few years back to offload the full annual holiday meals burden...
Arancini
Arancini, or rice balls, are a family favorite any time, but they are a Thanksgiving tradition. My grandmother, Rose, made them every year as far back as I can remember. They were lovingly referred to as “those damn balls” by...
Ellen’s Vegetable Soup
This recipe was brought to us by Ellen Filice and first appeared at our Thanksgiving dinner table as a one time substitute for the traditional Italian Wedding soup (which if you’re a card carrying Italian you know, has nothing to...
Chili
A winter staple in our house. I use substitute ground turkey for the beef and it’s perfect. One pot makes a good weeknight dinner and some hearty weekend lunches. Ingredients: 1 large yellow or white onion 5 cloves garlic, minced...
Mom’s Cabbage with Wine
This is a simple side dish my mom used to make a lot. I don’t think I’ve had it for decades but I can still smell the savory aroma. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of butter 1 head cabbage, sliced salt and...
Apple Pie
This may not be “Mom’s” apple pie. But we had to have an apple pie recipe in the book. Ingredients: Double crust basic pastry 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1/3 teaspoon...
Apricot Glazed Sweet Potatoes
We prepared this sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving 2003 instead of what had become a standard holiday yam dish. The potatoes were a big hit and will likely prepared again next year. Ingredients: 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into...