Pizza Rustica - An Italian Easter Tradition

"Tradition!  Tradition! "  As Zero Mostel so famously belted out in Fiddler on the Roof, it is what grounds us to our own history.  I love family traditions. They fill me with memories and smiles, good times and laughter of being together as a family.   And for me, a big part of that was being in the kitchen with any one of the 3 incredible women who inspired my love of cooking and baking.  My Italian grandmothers and mother: Powerhouses in the Kitchen. As a little girl I would watch them and help whenever and wherever I could.  I studied, learned and committed most of what they did to memory. Thankfully, some recipes, like this one, Pizza Rustica were written down, so I can keep the tradition going.  Today's recipe is brought to you by these two amazing woman, my grandmothers.  

Trofimena Carmela Annunziata
aka - Mildred Majewski, mom's mom
Photo Credit: Paul Majewski

Carmela Marie Giovanna
aka - Mildred Perri, dad's mom

The 3 Powerhouses of the Kitchen - Literally making Pizza Rustica.  That's my gorgeous Mom. I can't believe I found this photo!!!  A treasure.

For the past few years, I have been making Pizza Rustica for Easter.  What is that, you ask? Well, pizza, in Italian, simply means pie.  Rustica means rustic. Duh! So this is a rustic pie packed with cheeses and meats served typically at Easter to break Lent.  For those who might not know, Lent is that period of time prior to Easter when Catholics are supposed to abstain from eating meat (which I do daily anyway, so no sacrifice for me, hehe). Thus, this 'more torte than' pie celebrates the return to eating meat. It was a definite tradition in our home growing up and one I'm trying to keep afloat. 

It is rich. It is dense. It is a delicious and decadent pie. One that my parents, in particular my dad, absolutely love.  Nothing brings me more joy than making traditional recipes for them and seeing their happiness.  I relive the moments of my childhood. This recipe is not difficult to make, just a little time consuming.  You may see versions where the filling combines all the ingredients together. That is the easy way out.  But my grandmas patiently and lovingly created layers. So that’s what I do.  Plus, I think it looks beautiful that way.  (Funny thing is my mom and I were in heated debate about this methodology.  She swears her mom used the layering method, of which I have no doubt.  But claims my dad's mom mixed it all together.  I remember them both layering it, so that's that. Take the time to layer it and do it the pretty way.) 

I like to think of this as a three part recipe.  1- Make the dough.  2- Make the filling. 3- Then layer the meats and cheeses.    Here we go.

Ingredients

Dough
2 lb. Flour (approx. 6 cups)
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 c. milk
1 c. oil
5 eggs
dash of salt & pepper

Combine all the above ingredients in a big bowl. I add the eggs last. Once all the dough comes together, knead on a board until dough is smooth.  Divide dough into two sections (2/3 and 1/3).  Roll out the 2/3 portion and place the dough into a 9" x 3.25" liter spring pan. (Because the pie is so dense and heavy, I suggest using a spring pan so you can remove it.  If you don't have one or don't mind serving it from the baking pan, then just us the largest pan you have. My grandmothers like making this in a deep pan, but you can make it in a long rectangle. You will just have less layers.)

Combining into a ball.

Kneading until smooth

Roll it out to size.  If the dough breaks, just patch it.

Now onto the filling.

Filling
½ - ¾  lb. Prosciutto, sliced thin
½  lb. Genoa salami (sliced thin)
½  lb. Soppressata (sliced thin)
1 whole Basket cheese (farm fresh cow's milk cheese made & left in the basket)
3 lbs. Ricotta cheese (whole milk)
6 eggs
fresh parsley, chopped (optional, another debate. sometimes it was added, sometimes not)
Salt

Cheesy deliciousness

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, basket cheese and parsley with the eggs and season with salt.  

You have to crack some eggs in this recipe

Get all the meats items ready for assembly.  Begin the layering by first adding a layer of the cheese mixture, spreading evenly to cover the bottom. You want about 1/2" of the cheese mixture. Then add a layer of the prosciutto, followed by another layer of the cheese mixture. Next layer the salami, repeat the cheese layer. Then a layer of soppressata, and repeat the process until you fill up the pan.

First layer of goodness going down.

Layering up and up, overlap the meat so there is a good amount.

I use an offset spatula to spread the mixture around.  It makes it a lot easier.

Roll out the remainder of the dough a little larger than the top of the pan.  Place over the top of the pan. Trim the excess but leave enough to seal. Then using two fingers, pinch to crimp and seal the top.

Since the dough is quite pliable, it's much easier if you roll it onto the rolling pin and they roll it onto the top.

Trim the excess

Using two index fingers, pinch the dough together to create a seal AND a pretty border.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.  Let rest and cool before lifting it up through the springform pan.

This monster of a "pie" feeds an army, so we usually serve it as an appetizer with very few, or light apps to accompany it.  Like olives, or fennel with olive oil and course salt.

Our line up of apps one year.  Roasted red peppers, burrata with fresh tomatoes/basil, fennel with coarse salt/pepper/oil and the of course, the towering Pizza Rustica.

Layers of rich deliciousness.

Serve up a slice. Yes, an Italian Easter Family Tradition... but delicious anytime.

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Food photos in this post credited to: www.asithappens.me

Never Too Many Tulips

Nothing says spring like tulips.  A burst of bright, cheeriness is what springs forth. They come in an abundance of colors and different sizes, too. They are a welcomed arrangement in my house anytime, but even more ideal for Spring, and especially bright for an Easter table.

If you are not hosting a special dinner, then just go for a simple arrangement of all one color in a wide mouthed vase to add a burst of life to your home.  

However, if you are hosting and want to glam out your table, Go big and bountiful with your tulips and add some daffodils.  You actually don't need a ton of flowers, just several vases to help trick the eye into thinking you spent more!

Tulips, daffodils and baby's breath

For this arrangement, I knew I wanted the tulips in the main center vase with the daffodils lined up an either side. This meant I needed one wide mouthed vase and 6 small ones. I found these tall heart vases on the cheap at the Christmas Tree Shop.  You can use whatever vases you have handy, even simple glass jars will do the trick.

I first began by arranging the daffodils in the smaller vases.  Note that when you cut these down a bit you will have the outer stems left.  Keep those on the longer side and add them in to give height and another element of greenery.

Once you get all your smaller vases done, line them up to ensure that they all look the similar. The idea here is simplicity in sameness.

Then move onto the larger vase.  I started by placing frogs at the bottom of the vase, arranging rocks around.  I know I am the author of The Grumpy and Careless Frog books, but not that kind of frog. A floral frog is a pronged piece that helps to keep stems in place.  Since I own a few, this is what I use.  If you don't, you can put tape across the mouth of your vase in a checker board pattern.  This will help hold the flowers upright. This link will show you how using regular clear tape.

Floral frogs set amongst decorative stones.

Push the stems into the frog prongs.

Keep the extra daffodil stems for the main arrangement as well.  Don't throw these out just because they don't have a flower attached to them.  They have their own beauty and offer a great contribution to this arrangement.

Leftover stems reserved so you place these in among the daffodils and the tulip arrangement.

Once you have all the tulips in, fill in with the baby's breath to create fullness.  Try to fill all the open spaces so the entire mouth of the vase is completely filled with flowers. Use longer ones for the middle section, and cut some shorter for around the edge of the vase. This creates dimension. 

Then using the leftover green stems, strategically place them throughout the arrangement.  

The combination of these 3 elements using 2 colors keeps the arrangement simple and focused while still feeling bold, bright and abundant.  Happily place these on your prettiest table linens and watch your guests smile.

Prohibition - Restaurant & Speakeasy

Miami is like a second home to us.  As many of you know, JuanCarlos and I met there, got engaged there, honeymooned there and have an apartment there.   So, naturally we like to visit there. Of late, instead of cooking at home as much we have been testing out Miami's restaurant scene, which is really upping its game. 

On our last visit to the sunny city while my parents were visiting at the same time, one of our intentions was to show them a few new restaurants to try.  I immediately thought of Prohibition, a vibe-y hot spot in the Midtown district of Miami.  Don't let the name fool you.  The only thing prohibited here is to not have a good time.  I thought they might enjoy it too.   It's a throw back to the Speakeasy lounges of the Prohibition days, hence the name and offering all the energy of that era. It's interior decor is moody yet inviting.  It's a mix of Hollywood glam and Miami chic.  The crowd is a cool combo of both young and old alike, where everyone feels right at home.  

This was not my first visit. The first two times I frequented this cool hangout was for drinks and snacks at the bar. Both times I thoroughly enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere.  This time we were there to check out the joint for a sit down, relaxed dinner.   We were hoping for a good meal and good vibe.  And it didn't disappoint.

The menu seems to follow a new style of offerings.  Small and large plates for sharing.  What I do love about this concept is that with so many interesting items on the menu you don't have to just choose just one entree and hope you chose wisely. You can choose several, share them and enjoy the tastes of all.  

We started off with the fresh Sea Bass Ceviche and Shrimp Cocktail.  The ceviche was fresh indeed, beautiful balance of Sriracha sauce and citrus, served with a generous portion of plantain chips.  The shrimp cocktail was classic and good.

Sea Bass Ceviche with the right amount of heat and citrus. And a generous amount of crunchy plantains.

Shrimp Cocktail, fresh and yummy.

Then came the homemade Spicy Meatballs with parmesan crostini.  The meatballs, made of beef and veal, were tender and flavorful.  The sauce had a sweet note provided by the caramelized onions followed by a spicy hit. Both team Perri and Casas enjoyed them, however given the traditional Italian roots of the former, felt that the sauce was a bit too spicy, yet ate them up just the same.

On to the larger plates.  We ordered two from this category to share.  Out came two stunning dishes. 

Lamb Chops, which my mom loves, were tasty and tender.  A smooth red wine reduction pooled around a heaping helping of chunky mashed potatoes scented with a bouquet of rosemary.  Just the bones were left.

Lamb Chops were finger licking good.

Pan Roasted Salmon was cooked perfectly and set atop a bed of warm potato and crab salad. The salmon had a gorgeous crust of spice rub. The salad was flavor power-packed with a well balanced combo of potatoes, crab, grape tomatoes, scallions and herbs.  I really enjoyed this unique salad mix. 

As we settled in and were enjoying all our selections, we chatted it up with the manager Amin, who is Iranian.  JuanCarlos immediately perked up to tell him how much he loves making Iranian rice dishes. To which Amin then informed us that the chef is also Iranian and one of his specialities is the Cilantro Rice dish.  He graciously offered us a plate to try.  As we each took forkfuls of the fluffy herb scented rice, we tried to figure out all the flavors but were told that the chef is secretive about the ingredients.  That said, I am pretty sure there was dill, and of course, as the name aptly states, cilantro.

Although we were all stuffed and completely content, Amin said we couldn't leave without a dessert.   Bring on the Tres Leches Cake that was lovingly soaked in 3 milks. Some versions of this cake can be very sweet due to the condensed milk addition but this one was not.  It was just the right amount of sweet topped with bananas and toasted marshmallow for an extra special touch.  Even though we thought we couldn't eat another bite after our magnificent meal, we polished off the entire thing.  

Tres Leches Cake... before.

Tres Leches Cake... after.

As our meal came to a close, we sat back to enjoy the some soulful sax tunes while sipping on Port 20, a fortified wine of tawny, nutty flavors. I noticed the table next to us had a large group that seemed to be equally enjoying themselves. I asked the woman what she thought of her meal.  As expected, her group thoroughly savored all their choices.  And although she doesn't normally eat octopus she ordered it.  Much to her pleasant surprise, she absolutely loved it.   Now that says a lot.

The days of prohibition may be a thing of the past, but visiting Prohibition Restaurant & Speakeasy should be high on your list to enjoy the great, food, drink and cool atmosphere of this happening addition to the Miami restaurant scene.

For more info on all that Prohibition has to offer visit them at:

3404 N Miami Ave
Midtown Miami  33127
(305) 438-9199
info@prohibitionmiami.com

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

Raw everything is all the rage these days, and shaved brussel sprout salad is so in vogue.  I get a huge belly shake of laughter seeing how vegetables are taking center stage, becoming mega stars in a social media video blitzkrieg.  It is about time that vegetables got their due.  For too long now, bacon and butter have dominated the stage, whoa-ing audiences with their fatty appeal.  I am glad to see these vibrant, nutrient packed edibles get their trophies. That said, enough with cauliflower pizza making. I’m wheat and yeast free and can tell you NOTHING replaces a yeast rising doughy bite!!  Move over cauliflower because Brussel Sprouts will soon have their own youTube channel!!

This veggie craze is a good thing.  I've been doing it for awhile now. Which is why it's funny that years ahead of the raw craze and fascination with vegetables I served a shaved broccoli and brussel sprout salad.  My attempt back then was almost successful.  I say almost because I served it without testing it first. (As usual, but the no testing in this case didn't serve me well.) I didn't quite realize just how intense, sometimes bitter these greens can be when served raw.  I can't even remember what dressing I used, but I can attest that I didn't finesse them enough.  What a novice!  I've learned a thing or two.

My recent lure back to raw brussels came when my friend, Tecla, and I were enjoying each other's company for lunch at Lure, and we ordered a shaved brussel sprout salad.  We did so to be healthy knowing that we would be consume some Rosé wine and a few other items with a higher calorie count.  Yes, that's what ladies who lunch do. The salad was good. But it awoke a definite redemption itch in me.  I needed to conquer this salad on my own terms ensuring that I calm it's intense flavors and cox it's crispy freshness to palates far and wide.  

The opportunity was ripe when I bought a bunch of enormous brussel sprouts from the new organic market by our house.   Alas, I ran out of time to make them before we left on our trip to Miami. So what did I do??  NO, I didn't throw them away.  No, I didn't give them away, as it was too early in the morning to call anyone.  So, I did the next best thing.  I packed them in Juan Carlos' bag!  

Once in Miami, more good fortune came my way.  On our way to Key Largo we happened upon a farmer's market with glorious produce.  Even though we only had a few more days in Miami, I HAD to buy some. So I picked up the biggest radishes I'd ever seen (and a few other items including the sweetest cantaloupe ever).

As I cut the brussel sprouts, I knew I wanted to add more than what I've seen in other sprout salads including the one at Lure. Since I had those radishes they got shaved in.  With these two intense flavors some sweetness was in tall order.  Call upon the carrot to do what it does best, add sweetness.  Grated that up, added scallions and red onion, some chopped parsley for that earthy herb note, and for another crisp and refreshing bite I added some celery.

The salad at Lure was just brussel sprouts and pine nuts with a creamy dressing.  But JC can't eat dairy, plus I didn't have anything like that in our Miami fridge.  Also, I really felt that this salad needed to be fresh and bright with a hint a sweetness.  Orange was my answer.

Here's the nuts and bolts of this recipe.

Ingredients

8 c brussel sprouts, shaved
2 c carrot, shredded
3/4 c radishes, shredded
2 c celery, shaved or sliced thinly
3/4 c red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c scallion, sliced
1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped
2 oranges, segmented (blood orange if you can find it)

 

dressing

2/3 c juice of an orange
2 T lime juice
2 t balsamic vinegar
2/3 c Olive oil
salt, pepper

Instructions

Prep all your vegetables as noted above.  I used a mandolin on the sprouts, the onion and celery. I used a box grater for the radishes and carrot.  If you don't have, or don't feel comfortable with a mandolin then simply thinly slice the vegetables.  

Shaved, sliced, chopped and ready to go.

Place all the cut vegetables in a large serving bowl and set as you prepare the dressing.

Segment the orange.  As I mentioned, I was fortunate to find blood oranges but you can use a perfectly good navel orange.  As you cut the segments, do this over a bowl so you can catch any of the juices that may drip down.  Squeeze whatever juice you can get out of the pulp. You will most likely need one whole orange to get 2/3 of a cup.  Whisk together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad, tossing thoroughly.  Add the orange segments to the top and serve.  This salad is best when it is dressed at least 15-20 minutes prior to serving.

Awaiting the marriage.

When I made this salad in Miami, I didn't think of using orange segments in the salad, just the juice.  Mostly because I only had one orange and that got all squeezed up for the juice. This time around back in NY I found blood oranges and had that aha moment. When I cut them open and saw the ruby red glory, I knew these needed top the salad and shine their unique sweetness on this salad.  

I must say, and my niece, Gianna, will confirm these added a great, bright burst of flavor.  You don't really need me to list the pairing suggestions for this one, but here is a photo of who my sister, Alyssa, served it when I brought the salad to her house.  

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Potatoes Anna turned Potatoes Dana

The pizzazz of the potato.  The fluffy filling, the creamy texture, the crispy crust, the endless uses. Oh, my love affair with this starchy spud is deep.

I adore the versatility of these lumpy tubers.  Slice 'em, dice 'em, fry 'em, mash 'em.  I could go on and on.  The adaptability of a tasty tater is so vast that you can create dishes that range from super simple to elaborate, from rustic and hearty to elegant at any dinner party.  Which is why I'm always on the hunt for new ways to serve them. Awhile back I was fishing around the web and happened upon a recipe for Potatoes Anna from Martha Stewart. It seemed super easy with a crunchy outcome.  As we all know by now, I love crunchy things so it seemed like a no brainier, except that the recipe called for butter which my hubby, JC, can't eat.  But there was an emergency in my house. Potatoes were in abundance coupled with my severe hankering for some starchy goodness.  A recipe intervention was desperately required. So with two types of potatoes about to expire, tons of onions on hand, and toss in the elimination of butter, the time was ripe to modify Potatoes Ann a and make it my own.

Click here for the original recipe, in case you want to try the butter, no onion version.

Here's how it went down the first time.  Keep on reading to see what I recently did to make them even more satisfyingly star spudded.

Ingredients 

Idaho potatoes, thinly sliced
Red new potatoes, thinly sliced
Red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Magic 3 (olive oil, salt, pepper)

The reason I haven't given exact amounts is because you can make this if you have 3 potatoes or more. It depends on the size of our pan or how many layers you want. Also you may get more slices depending on the size of the potato.  I used a 12" cast iron pan for about 6-7 potatoes.

Instructions

First things first, using a mandolin start thinly slicing your onions and potatoes. If you don't have a mandolin, do not freak out. Do it the good old fashioned way and slice them with a knife, (or even a box grater on the widest cutter).  

It's best if you use a cast iron pan for this recipe, as it holds the heat and creates the crust you want.  Again, no need to freak, If you don't have one. (Although I would highly recommend investing in one as a cast iron pan has tons of uses.)  Just use a pan that is oven safe and start placing the potato rounds in an overlapping circular fashion around the pan covering the entire bottom in one layer.  Add the onions slices, drizzle some oil, salt, pepper. Continue layering alternating between the two potato types, adding the onion, oil, salt and pepper to each layer. Keep going til you fill the pan up or run out of potatoes, whichever comes first, but do not add onions to the final top layer.

Continue layering adding onions, salt, pepper and oil to each layer.

On the burner, cook at medium high heat until you hear the sizzle.  You want to create a crust on the bottom. Then place the pan in a 450 degree oven for an hour.  Test it with a knife to see if the potatoes are done.  You want them to be tender in the middle but crusty on both top and bottom.  

A good amount of crust.  Now you can remove it from the oven. This will be on the bottom once you flip it over.

Once they have reached the perfect crust on top, carefully, and with oven mitts, place a large plate over the top of the pan and flip over so the bottom crusty part is the top.  You are going to squeal with joy when this crispy creation is revealed.

SQUEAL!! Smaller version made in a cast iron pan.  Shhh, this one has the cheese!

Use a serrated knife to cut cake like slices.  Ok, here is the rundown of ways you can serve this. It's a great dish for a party since you can serve it room temp.  It's ideal as a side dish to any meat, fish or chicken meal. It's a no brainier plate for a brunch table to be served with eggs.  Or how about with some smoked salmon and sour cream.  Oh, you don't need me to tell you how to eat this satisfying spud.  Just dig in, damn it!

 A slice with greek yogurt and scallions

A great complement to smoked salmon and sour cream.

Just recently I made this again but had the brilliant idea to add cheese to each layer.  Ok, so maybe I'm not so brilliant since it is a well known fact that adding cheese to anything makes it better. Here is an inside look at that version.  I used a Spanish cheese, L' Alt Urgell, since it was the only one I had in the fridge and it created cheesy, gooeyness that upped the ante on these layers of lusciousness.  I'm glad I had this cheese as it added an earthy, nutty flavor to the dish. Use whatever you like but I would avoid any really soft creamy cheeses like goat or ricotta, as it might ooze too much during the cooking process.  

I made this baby one using a smaller 8" cast iron pan.  I used about 4-5 potatoes.

If you love spuds like I love spuds you going to fall in love with this one.  Hope you enjoy how Potatoes Anna turned into Potatoes Dana!

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