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Recipes & Traditions

Below you will find a selection of our favorite recipes, links to our favorite cooks, and a collection of other Italian traditions.  Godere!

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Nona Pia

Originally from Italy and now residing in the United States, Nonna Pia is a social media sensation for her candid glimpse into traditional cooking and time honored recipes.

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Italian Grandma Gina

Find authentic recipes from Italian Grandma Gina including Easter Bread, Arancini, Lasagna, Minestrone Soup, San Giuseppe Zeppole, Cavatelli, Homemade Pasta, Meatballs and Sunday Sauce, Tiramisu, Taralli, Eggplant Rollatine and so much more.....
Watch her videos and remember your own Grandma cooking these same good old fashioned, savory recipes! ENJOY!!!

WINE COOKIES
(Maria Cefaloni Bernardi)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 & 1/2 cups of Sugar

  • 2 cups Oil (1 vegetable & 1 Olive)

  • 4 cups White Wine

  • 3 to 5 TBL Anise seeds or extract

  • 3 pinches of salt

  • 12 TSP baking powder

 
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Spread sugar on a large plate for use in dipping cookies prior to baking & pre-heat oven of 375
    degrees In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. All mixing done in the bowl. Add flour slowly to
    mixture using a fork or sometimes kneading with your hands. If too moist add more flour. Cover bowl
    with plastic wrap so it stays moist & rises while in bowl.

  2. Roll small pieces of dough between hands to make log, shape into a circle. About 2 inches long, fold in
    half, braid, (rope like). Also can make into a circle. Place on sugar plate on one side only & place on
    long flat greased pan that you have prepared. Place approximately 1⁄2 inch apart. Bake in pre-heated
    oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. After cookies cool, they should be hard & crisp.

CIAMBELLE DI CAPODANNO
(Yolanda Cefaloni)

INGREDIENTS

  • Wooden Board – flat surface

  • 8 lbs. All Purpose Flour (Gold Medal/ Pillsbury Flour)

  • 3 Eggs

  • 3 TBL Salt

  • 1/4 cup oil

  • 3/4 stick Yeast (2 pkgs. Fleishman’s)

  • 3 TBL Fennel seeds

  • 1 pot of water to boil the ciambelle

  • Pre-heated oven 375 to 400 degrees depending on oven

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make a well with flour on board, add eggs – mix together, add salt, dissolved yeast (follow pkg instructions to dissolve yeast) & oil.

  2. Mix all ingredients together. With hands mix & knead ingredients, adding water slowly as mixed. Keep kneading until all ingredients are mixed well together. Mixture will have a tough consistency. Add fennel seeds, keep kneading them into crease of dough mixture. Divide into portions & cover kneaded dough with cloth in bowl to keep moist.

  3. When this part of our work is complete, clean surface of your work area completely.

  4. Take a chunk of dough & stretch it into a log style, sausage shape (about 12 inches). Put log shape on the floured wooden board, flatten it, press slightly, now every inch or so, pressing with side heal of your hand, fold the dough over so that decorative edges are created. (This technique is like large crimping a pie crust).

  5. Shape the folded flat crimped piece of dough into a circle & intertwine, then cut each end of the folded piece of dough, making 1⁄2 inch slits. Now should be pretzel shaped, only thinner. Place Ciambelle into pot of boiling water & wait for them to rise to the top.

  6. When all Ciambelle are boiled (risen to top of water) place in pre-heated oven 375 degree oven on racks to bake until golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes depending on oven. Watch baking on racks very carefully, when ready, remove Ciambelle and place in dry place.
     

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Before placing Ciambelle in oven to bake, be sure to make a sign of the cross!!! God Bless.

GNOCCHI
(Maria Cefaloni Bernardi)

INGREDIENTS

  • 10 lbs Potatoes

  • 6 Eggs

  • 5 lbs Flour

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, peel potatoes & add to pot, when cooked, drain, cool & mash with potato masher or fork. Make a well of mashed potatoes, mix together with eggs & flour. Knead mixture with heel of hand (not soft, if too soft add more flour. When mixture ready, cover with plastic to prevent drying out.

  2. Clean your board thoroughly before next step. Put corn meal flour coating on bottom of a tray.

  3. Shape small portions of the dough into long “snakes”. On a floured surface, cut “snakes” into half inch pieces. Then either place on fork, press one turn & slip off fork or roll on board for one turn. Make sure is floured well & place on corn meal tray.

  4. In pot of boiling water, place Gnocchi for a few minutes until they rise from the bottom to the top. Ladle lift onto dish a few at a time. Serve with your favorite sauce.

  5. ENJOY!

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