HOMEMADE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

No need to buy expensive Crème Fraîche in your supermarket. You can easily make this at home.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T fresh lemon juice

Pour cream into a clean canning jar fitted with a clean lid and screw on band.

Add the lemon juice.

Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to thicken the cream.

Remove lid and cover with a clean cloth secured with a rubber band or loosely covered with plastic wrap.

Let sit in a warm spot for 24 hours.

Stir contents and screw on lid and refrigerate up to two weeks.

TED & MARIE (NOVELLO) CASAZZA

Somewhere in Virginia, summer of 1944

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP - Zuppa di Funghi

Cool evenings are perfect for this wild mushroom soup. The addition of Marsala wine adds a wonderful flavor to the soup. Marsala wine is a fortified wine named for the city in Sicily. This can be served as a first course in smaller bowls or as a main entree with a salad or panino. 

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1 oz dried portabella mushrooms

3 T avocado oil

3 T unsalted butter

1 lb wild mixed mushrooms (oyster, chanterelle, cremini) wiped clean and sliced

2 cipollini onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 shallots, cut in half and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T flour

2 t finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 t dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Marsala wine

2 quarts chicken stock or broth

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Italian bread, sliced and grilled or fried with a little extra-light olive oil

White truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)

Place the dried porcini and portabella mushrooms in a bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover; set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the wild mushrooms and cook until golden and their liquid has evaporated about 20 minutes.

Remove the porcini mushrooms from the liquid, chop, and add to the pot. Save the liquid.

Add the cipollini onions and shallots and sauté another 10 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Sprinkle flour into pot and cook, while constantly stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the thyme and bay leaves.

Add the wine to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon.

Strain the porcini and portabella liquid through a fine mesh strainer and add to the pot.

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Before serving, remove bay leaves and stir in the chopped parsley.

Ladle into soup bowls, add a slice or two of the Italian bread, sprinkle with grated cheese and a little drizzle of truffle oil, if desired.

Serves 4

ELISABETTA GRECO NOVIELLO

This is Elisabeth, aka "Mamaw" in her kitchen in Richmond, Virginia, stirring the salted pasta water. She was always in her kitchen cooking. She was raised in Little Italy, New York City before moving to Portsmouth, Virginia. She met Ernesto Noviello who was from Montefalcione, Italy in Portsmouth. They were married on the 26th of October 1919. I took this photo back in the mid 1970s and told her to stir something. She stirred the boiling pasta water. Ernesto changed his name to Ernest Novello.

ROASTED CHICKEN LEGS WITH BACON & CRISPY CROUTONS

My husband absolutely loves this one-pot meal. It is an excellent autumn dish to serve for your family or guests. The bread gets so crispy but moist and delicious on the inside, but you can omit the bread if you prefer.

1 cup Italian or sourdough bread, chopped into bite-size pieces

4 whole chicken legs

4 slices applewood or peppered bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Yukon Gold potatoes or 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium red onion or yellow onion, coarsely chopped

6 cremini mushrooms, cleaned, ends trimmed, left whole or cut in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

4 sprigs oregano, leaves removed

4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed

¼ t red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, add the chicken legs.

Scatter the bacon around and on top of the chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped bread, potatoes, onion, mushrooms, garlic, butter, oil, oregano leaves, thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes.

Toss to combine and pour over and around chicken legs.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake 45 minutes, or until chicken registers, in thickest part of thigh registers 170 degrees F.

Serves 4

CANNED ITALIAN TOMATOES WITH BASIL

Canning your own tomatoes is so rewarding. I actually had enough Roma tomatoes to make a total of 8 quart-size jars. That should keep me supplied in tomatoes for my Italian recipes through the autumn months. I have a total of 4 Roma tomato plants and 14 other tomato plants. I am still getting ripe ones off the vine and it's the end of September now.

4 to 5-quart size jars

80 to 85 medium-size Roma (plum) tomatoes
4 to 5 cloves garlic, 

16 to 20 large basil leaves

2 to 2 ½ t sea salt

Cut an “X” on the bottom of each tomato.

Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil.

Boil totatoes, in batches, for one minute and remove to a bowl of ice water, using a large spider or slotted spoon.

Place a strainer over a medium-size bowl and peel the skin from tomatoes over a strainer, to catch the liquid.

Cut tomatoes in half and remove the hard center cores.

Add a basil leaf to the bottom of each jar.

Pack in tomatoes and press down to release air with a wooden spoon handle.
Add a clove of garlic and 3 more basil leaves with some of the reserved tomato juice to within ½ inch of the rim.

Add ½ t salt to each jar, wipe the rim with a clean paper towel and add the lids.

Process in a boiling water bath for 40 minutes.

Remove and let cool, then adjust lids to tighten and let cool completely.

Store in a cool dark pantry.

SOMEWHERE IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Marie Noviello Casazza, Ted Casazza, and Sister, Gloria Casazza

GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Grilled asparagus is a simple summer side dish. I used 2 long metal skewers and threaded the asparagus through the center. If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using. A little oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and grated asiago cheese made these asparagus delizioso!

Lee's Kitchen Tips:
Don't use your good extra-virgin olive oil when you cook, especially on high heat. 
Extra-virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 375 degrees F.
Extra-light olive oil has a smoke point of 468 degrees F.
Avocado oil has a smoke point of 400 degrees F.

1 lb fresh asparagus
2 t extra-light olive oil
½ t garlic powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 T grated cheese, for topping (I used grated asiago)

Cut off tough ends of asparagus and thread through skewers.

Drizzle with oil and garlic powder.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place over coals and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Remove from skewers onto a platter, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with grated cheese.

Serves 4

WHITE PIZZA WITH PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA & ARUGULA

Once a week we have pizza night for dinner. I love white pizza and with the addition of Prosciutto di Parma and arugula, the pizza is even better. Make your dough at least 24 hours in advance.

Casa Pizza Dough
¾ cup lukewarm water

1 t active dry yeast

2 cups unbleached bread flour

1 t fine sea salt

1 t extra-light olive oil

Pour some of the lukewarm water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Sprinkle in yeast and let proof for 10 minutes, until the yeast is creamy and foaming.

With the mixer running, slowly add the flour alternating with the rest of the water, salt, and olive oil. Continue to mix until a ball forms, about 10 minutes.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until dough is soft and not sticky. Place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Spread a little oil on top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 to 36 hours.

Remove from refrigerator and let bowl with dough come to room temperature before shaping. Divide into 2 balls for round 12-inch pizzas.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

Lightly oil two pizza pans.
Preheat a pizza stone on the rack of oven for 15 minutes.

Extra-light olive oil

8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced

4 oz asiago cheese, grated

1 t freeze-dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 handfuls arugula

¼ lb. Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shaved

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

Place a ball of dough onto the center of each pan. Use your hands to stretch, form, and flatten each ball of dough to a 12-inch round.
Brush the rolled-out pizza dough with extra-light olive oil and add half of the mozzarella and half of the asiago cheese.
Sprinkle with half of the oregano and garlic.
Place pizza pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake 5 minutes; then slide the pizza directly onto the heated stone and bake another 10 minutes.
Repeat with the second pizza and top each with a handful of arugula, half of the Prosciutto, some shaved Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas