EASTER 2013

EASTER PIZZA – CALZONE (AUNTIE ANGE’S RECIPE

It's that time again to repeat my favorite Easter Recipe.


The Easter weekend is here. I can look back at the years and remember all those Easters spent on Racine Avenue. It evokes so many many fond memories. Of the many memories, I can still picture Auntie Ang taking Rocco, Patty Boy and me to RB's. It was located at the intersection of Ashland, Milwaukee and Division, near the Wicker Park neighborhood. I think we walked to Ashland Avenue and caught the CTA Bus and headed North. There we got to pick out new Easter clothes. I am sure we got clothes during the year but this was special. We got to buy them all at once, shoes, pants, shirts and even hats if it were the style.

Another part of Easter were the Church Services. We all went to Catholic Schools as kids - when tuitions were affordable to working class families and ALL of the teachers were nuns and priests. We were required to attend all the Holy Week services. Rocco, Pat and I were altar boys and participated in the services on the altar for servarl years.

For years, my mom would make Easter baskets for all the cousins. I can remember waking up on Easter morning and seeing the dining room table full with Easter baskets.

And, of course, Easter meant food and lots of it. We fasted all during Lent so Easter meant the breaking of that fast and indulging in the great food preparted for Easter. My dad's family celebrated Easter Breakfast with pickled pigs' feet. I can honestly say, I never ever in my life (nor I doubt that I will) ate it. I can still see and smell the pigs' feet in the pot on Holy Saturday evening cooking on my mother's stove!!!! Ha. Of course, I look at that now with great fondness and smiles.

By far the greatest food memory I have is Auntie Ang's Calzone. This was definitely a once year event. She would start to perpare it days in advance and would give each family a huge piece. As I got older and on my own, I got my own piece. I am putting that recipe in here exactly as she wrote it down and passed it on.

ENJOY. Please try this recipe. It's worth the time and effort. As always, leave your comments at the end of this post.

EASTER PIZZA – CALZONE (AUNTIE ANGE’S RECIPE)

DOUGH:

3 OR 4 CUPS FLOUR

1/2 TEASPOON SALT (optional)

3/4 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

1 1/2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR

3/8 CUP OIL

3/4 CUP MILK

3 EGGS

Sift dry ingredients, beat eggs, add milk and oil. Add dry ingredients a little at a time. Let dough rest in refrigerator for ½ hour before rolling out. Divide into 2 pieces (1 for top and 1 for bottom). Add filling, then top crust, hold with toothpicks on top and pinch with fork around the sides. Rub or brush top with 2 egg yolks. Bake at 350 until done (45 minutes to 1 hour).

FILLING FOR SAUSAGE CALZONE:

5 POUNDS ITALIAN SAUSAGE (hot or mild)

(Or 5 pounds of pork butt mix. Add red pepper, salt and fennel seed. Mix well.)

1 TO 1 1/2 POUND MOZZARELLA CHEESE CUBED

½ TO 1 CUP GRATED CHEESE (Parmesian, Aziago or Romano)

4 EGGS

Brown Sausage and drain. Add mozzarella, grated cheese and eggs. Put in crust and cover with top crust. Bake until done (should be a nice golden brown color).

FILLING FOR SWEET CALZONE:

3 POUNDS RICOTTA

1/2 CUP SUGAR

1 HEAPING TEASPOON CINNAMON

3 EGGS

Mix well and put in crust and bake until done.

MY GODFATHER SALVATORE

Saying you were Italian AND say you were Catholic to me was redundant. Your Italian, therefore you are Catholic.  We did actually have relatives who weren't Catholic.  My mom told me that they were 'duped' in changing their religion by a fast talking PROTESTANT minister. Yet it didn't affect the relationship because after all they were still family.  It wasn't until I was 33 years old and living in New York City did I actually meet an Italian who was Jewish (Was was that?)

The Italian/American subculture was and, to a large extent, is intertwined with religion..  Being born in the same family is the primary connection.  And, of course this means aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd cousins and even 3rd cousins.  I went to a family reunion this past winter and meet 3rd cousins whom I had seen in years.(But that's another story.)  To a lesser extent, family also meant your cousins' Aunts and Uncles. I can remember referring to my Aunt Ang's sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law as Aunt and Uncle.  And they referred to my mom and dad as Aunt and Uncle.

And just as important as being related by BLOOD, was the relationship you had with people contected with RELIGION. The term COMPARE (GUMANDI in Italian dialect.)  I remember in the film The Godfather, an American referred to all Italians as GUMBAS.  He meant as a derogatory term.   But being a COMPARE to Italian is a sacred relationship (We got got even with the Americans by referring them as MEDIGANS. This is another dialect term for which I have no idea how it would be spelled but it is spelled here phonetically.  Being a member a bridal party is the first way to establish this relationship because you are at the alter with the bride and groom and are witness to this religious sacrament. Many times, family members are part of the wedding party but just as many times, friends were chosen.

The second and probably more important religious connection was through Baptism. Being chosen as Godmother and Godfather was an important privilege.  This established your connection with the family and it was meant to mean everlasting.  You then became connected with your Godparents families, if they were not already connected.

I love the above picture so much. It SAYS more than I can ever aptly put into words. This picture was probably taken in 1948. The baby in this picture is me. The little boy in front of me is cousin Rocco. The older boy is cousin Dan and the girl is my sister Annette. The man upon whose lap I am sitting, is my Godfather, Salvatore Imbraguglio (I will have more to say about him and his family in a another blog). And the faceless man in the background is my father. I just love this picture, it’s so indicative of my Italian-American family experience. In this picture are members of my immediate family, my dad and sister; members of my extended family, my cousins; and my godfather, who though not related by blood, is connected to me by religion.

I wondered what recipe I could use with this narrative and because this is the Lenten Season, I thought I would use this one.  Enjoy.  And please add your comments at the end of this narrative.  If you would like to see some specific recipe please add that to your comment also.

 

                                                   ROASTED STUFFED PEPPERS

 

4 medium onions or red peppers

1 package (10 ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 egg

1 lb. fresh ricotta cheese or 1 lb. feta cheese, crumbled

1-teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup grated Romano, Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1.  Cut tops off of pepper and remove pulp and seeds and set aside. Set in roasting pan.

2.  Drain off excess water from spinach and set in large mixing bowl.

3.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.

4.  Fill centers of peppers with mixture and bake for 50 minutes.