Easy Italian Style Recipes

Cocozza Recipe for St Joseph's Day

2010-03-03T22:39:00.000-08:00

Cocozza Alla Festa di San Giuseppe, March 19th

In August when squash are nice and tender (about 5" to 6" long), pick and lightly scrap but do not peel. Halve squash and then cut in 1/4" wedges, or slice if preferred.

Spread wedges or slices on cake racks. Salt heavily and place in the sun. Be careful they do not get wet. As they dry thoroughly for several week,s the salt dries into the dehydrated vegetable. Put wedges away in covered container until March.

To prepare for the festa, soak the Dried wedges overnight in warm water. Remove and wash again with fresh water. Dry with paper towels. Drip wedges in white flour and saute in vegetable oil until nice and crisp.

In a saucepan, slowly saute in olive oil green chopped Italian olives, raisins, and capers. Add tomato paste, begin careful the mixture doesn't stick (keep it on a low flame).

As ingredients become blended together, slowly add, a small amount at a time, tomato paste with warm water or tomato sauce. Just enough to keep mixture from burning. Then add a little red wine or Marsala so that the mixture is not too watery but nice and thick.

Layer the fried cocozza pieces in a dish and pour the sauce over.

Italian Feasts and Festivals (Le Feste)

2010-02-28T00:40:00.000-08:00

There are numerous feasts and festivals in Italy. The majority are religious, and every city, town, and hamlet honors a favorite patron saint. All honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as well. Three important ingredients of a le festa are religion, food, and music. The celebrations last from one to several days.

Since the primary reason for the le festa is to honor the Blessed Virgin, the local patron saint, or another popular saint, the festa always begins with a Mass in the local church or cathedral. After Mass, a procession takes place through the streets and squares which includes the statue of the saint adorned with flowers and set on a special base carried by the men. The priests are followed by altar boys, young girls dressed in white carrying flowers, a band playing music, and all the people.

Later in the day, the people go to an area set aside for the le festa which is decorated by multicolored lights and paper garlands, with food booths surrounding the whole area and a stage for the singers or bands who entertain. Each night festivities conclude with a show of fireworks.

There are three famous music festivals in Italy:

San Remo Festival of Music
Piedigrotta, an annual fesitval in Naples with outdoor competition to choose the best of the new songs
Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto

The composer Gian-Carlo Menotti originated this festival of art and music which has its counterpart in the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.

Easy Italian Hot Anchovy Dip (Bagna Cauda)

2010-02-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here is an easy hot Italian appetizer recipe made with anchovies.

Hot Anchovy Dip Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 oz or one small can flat anchovy fillets, drained and mashed
salt to taste

In a 3-quart pan heat oil and butter until butter is melted and begins to foam. Saute garlic briefly but do not allow to change color. Add anchovies and stir over very low heat and cook until sauce is smooth. Taste and add salt if needed.

Pour into a serving dish and place over a candle warmer or on a hot plate to keep warm. Serve with a generous amounts of raw vegetables and crusty Italian bread.

Suggested Vegetables: carrots, beans, green or red bell peppers, squash, radishes, turnips and mushrooms.

Easy Italian Herbed Artichokes (Carciofi Con Erbe)

2010-02-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

These herbed artichokes are a cold vegetable you can make as an appetizer.

Ingredients for Italian Herbed Artichokes

20 oz frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes until artichoke hearts are tender. Take artichokes out of the liquid and place in a bowl.

Boil liquid for 10 minutes more. Do not cover the pan.

Strain the liquid over artichokes.

Chill several hours and serve col.d

Easy Italian Stuffed Eggs Recipe (Uova Ripieni)

2010-02-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes these are called Deviled eggs but here we call them Italian Style stuffed eggs or Uova Ripieni.

Ingredients for Stuffed Eggs:

6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon capers, chopped
olive oil
Paprika
salt and pepper

Hard boil eggs, shell and cut in half lengthwise. Put

Put yolks in a bowl and mash thoroughly with softened butter, mustard, capers, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add just enough olive oil to give yolks proper consistency and blend well.

Fill egg whites with mixture. Dust with Paprika and chill before serving. A small bit of anchovy or a sprig of parsley may be used as a garnish.

Easy Italian Antipasto Recipe

2010-02-21T17:48:00.002-08:00

Italian Antipasto makes an excellent party platter.

Ingredients for your Traditional Italian Antipasto

1 head of lettuce, washed, drained, and dried
4 tomatoes, quartered
10 oz tuna fish
14 oz artichoke hearts, drained
8 slices of salami
8 slices of ham
8 radishes, cut in half
8 black olives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
Italian dressing

Place the lettuce leaves on a large platter to make a bed. Arrange tomatoes, tuna fish, artichokes, salami, ham and radishes on the lettuce. Sprinkle olives, parsley and capers over all.

Pour Italian dressing over the antipasto and allow to marinate about 1/2 hour before serving.

Italian Wine Parings

2010-02-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Seldom will you sit down to a great Italian meal without the accompaniment of a good Italian wine to enhance the enjoyment of the good food you prepared. Everyone has a favorite among the wide a variety available. Among the better known wines are the following:

Red Wines: Included in this grouping are Barolo, Barbera, Bardolino, Brolio, Chianti, Ciro de Calabria, Faro,and Valpolicella

White Wines: Included in this wine grouping are Frascati, Lacrima Christi, Monetfiascone, Orvieto, Sansevero, Soave, Terlano, Valtellina, and Vernaccia del Capidano

Dessert Wines: Included are Aleatico di Puglia, Flore della Alpi, Greco de Gerace, Marsala, Moscato di Salento, Nasco, and Vin Santo

Sparkling Wines include: Asti spumante, Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio, Moscato, and Prosecco de Conegliano.

After the great Italian meal you just cooked and presented to your family and friend you could have a fragrant liqueur serve in small glass to finish off the night.

About and Contact Information

2010-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

If you like Italian food as much as we do then you will love our recipe site. We find and try out great recipes that have a Italian flavor and flair and that are easy to make too. Nothing fancy, nothing hard, and just good Italian food.

If you have a recipe you would like to share, a correction you would like us to make in something you read on our site, or a concern just drop us a line at easystylerecipes@gmail.com

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2010-02-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

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Books on Italian Cooking, Recipes, and Culture

2010-02-20T21:45:00.000-08:00