Traditions

I am a person who values tradition. It plays an important part in our family. As the seasons change, we look forward to special events, family visits, road trips and of course, special meals!

A few years back, my Uncle started a tradition of making his own home-made wine. Like many Italians from generations past, he takes great pride in crafting his wine and passing out the bottles for all to share. His passion and dedication inspired me to start my own tradition – making home made orangecello. The recipe I chose takes about 3 months to age, so this is the perfect time of year to prepare the liqueur in order to enjoy it during those hot summer nights. I made my first batch last year and named it Domenicello. We had the ceremonial unveiling after the birth of our second daughter, Ava Lynn. I have to say…I was very pleased with the end result, as were everyone else who shared in drinking it. There was no doubt that making orangecello would become an annual event for me.

As I was sitting in my kitchen just the other night, shaving down the orange peels for this year’s batch, it occurred to me that I was not only starting my own tradition, but also carrying on the tradition of my grandfathers. My Grandpop Condo was a brick layer, responsible for helping build many of the churches, schools and some of the most famous sports facilities in the Philadelphia area. My Grandpop Ricciuti was a chemist and a professor at Drexel University, whose works and studies have been documented in chemistry books. Here I am, many years later, using my hands to carefully craft and scrape the key ingredient to my orangecello, and eventually I will be measuring and scaling the remaining ingredients, making sure to that the end result is balanced out to perfection. While a simple bottle of orangecello is not nearly as impressive as the works that both of my grandfathers helped create, it has taught me to appreciate the love and dedication that they both showed for their craft. And I’ll be sure to toast them both with my first sip of my 2009 Domenicello.

NOTE – While I love posting recipes and hearing great feedback on your great dishes, Domenicello is my own special little baby. So, I’ve decided to keep that recipe to myself. However, I am always more than happy to share a glass with you! Salute.

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

A cold and dreary Sunday afternoon, with the potential of a major snowstorm on it’s way…what better excuse than to stay in and cook a hearty meal! Today, I decided to make a a rustic chicken, sausage and potato dish. Our friends Lorena and Mike made a similar dish for our group’s annual holiday dinner that they hosted this past year. It’s a filling and tasty dish, with lots of delicious and juicy chunks of meat and potatoes. Goes perfect with a nice glass of red wine or a good, dark winter beer.

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

6 potatoes, cut into chunks
4 lg. onions, halved
6 chicken thighs
1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 handfuls baby carrots
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
4 tbsp. olive oil

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Coat potatoes, chicken, carrots and onions with oil and spices. Add sausage, stir together, and spread out in a medium-size roasting pan. Bake high heat, 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, lower heat to 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Romantic Red Wine Risotto

Looking for a recipe to “WOW” that special someone with on Valentine’s Day? Here’s a fantastic Red Wine Risotto with Peas recipe that I found on the Giada De Laurentiis website. My wife and I made this dish together a few years ago when the bad weather squashed our Valentine dinner reservation plans. It is tasty, filling, smells fabulous and is the perfect dish for two!

RED WINE RISOTTO WITH PEAS
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

For more information on this dish, please visit the Giada De Laurentiis wbesite.

Sambuca Shrimp Wrapped in Prosciutto

Here’s an incredible appetizer suggested by my friend and co-worker, Rachel. It’s a top-shelf dish that’s sure to impress your guests — in name, taste and presentation. Plus, anything wrapped in prosciutto has me listening!

I had given this recipe to my friend, Kerry Jo, as a suggestion for a New Year’s Eve party. It went over so well, she immediately decided to make it again for another party. Less preparation time was left for round two, so instead of wrapping the shrimp in prosciutto, she decided to go rustic-style by chopping all of the ingredients and serving it with crackers. Whichever method you decide on, I’m sure it will go over extremely well.

SAMBUCA SHRIMP WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO
Submitted by Rachel Renshaw

1 pound large or jumbo shrimp
8 slices of prosciutto (or more, depending on how wrapped you want your shrimp)
Sambuca
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 TBSP Fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Devein shrimp; peel, leaving tails on. In a shallow baking dish, arrange shrimp in one layer and pour in enough Sambuca to cover shrimp. Marinate for at least 4 hours. Drain shrimp. Combine finely chopped rosemary, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in bowl. Rub on shrimp. Use prosciutto in strips, tearing these with your hands, wrap and secure with a toothpick.

In a TBSP of olive oil, saute shrimp over medium-high heat until pink through and the prosciutto is crisp.