Cioppino, pronounced “chuh-Pee-no,” is an Italian-American seafood stew made with the catch of the day. San Francisco Italian-Americans invented this recipe in the 1800s, and it must include Dungeness crab. Most countries that border the ocean have their own seafood stew. The French have a Provençal stew called bouillabaisse. In Chile, they have caldillo de congrio. In Brazil, it’s moqueca, and in Positano, Italy, they have pesce all’aqua pazza or “fish in crazy water.”
This is a collection of recipes from Teresa Lapetina Greco (Big Mamma), her daughter Elizabeth Greco Noviello (Mamaw), her granddaughter Marie Noviello Casazza and her great-granddaughter-in-law...Lee Casazza. My cookbook is now available in a hard cover and in Kindle on Amazon. If you live in the USA, you can order it now from my website. I will personally inscribe and sign the book for you, just leave instructions. www.leecasazzacooking.com...Buon appetito!
Saturday, December 18, 2021
SANFRANCISCO-STYLE CIOPPINO
Thursday, October 21, 2021
CHICKEN LOMBARDY - Pollo al Marsala Lombardo
In Italy, this dish is called Pollo al Marsala Lombardo (Chicken Marsala) and made without cheese. With the addition of cheese and green onions, it is an Italian-American version. The capital of Lombardia is Milano (Milan). The regional cuisine is based on butter, lard, pork, and veal.
Serve with risotto, or pasta, or even roasted potatoes and a green salad.
4 T avocado oil
Lower heat to medium and add the onion and cook another 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Spoon half of this mixture into a baking dish and the rest in a bowl and set aside.
Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise.
Pour flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess.
In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil and brown half of the chicken on both sides until golden, about 4 minutes per side.
Place cooked chicken on top of mushroom mixture in baking dish.
Add the final tablespoon of oil to the skillet and brown the rest of the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
Spoon the rest of the mushroom mixture on top of the chicken.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the wine and chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Add the butter and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over the chicken in the baking dish.
Combine the cheeses with the scallions and sprinkle over chicken.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serves 4 to 6
Monday, August 2, 2021
FARFALLE PASTA SALAD
Farfalle (butterflies or bowties) are one of my favorite pasta types. Serve with grilled salmon or chicken. . .even as a complete entree.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
CLASSIC CAPRESE SALAD
Serves 2 to 3
Sunday, June 20, 2021
PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH DRY VERMOUTH
There are two kinds of scallops, sea and bay scallops. These are large east coast sea scallops. Make sure they are very fresh. They should smell like the sea or almost sweet.
Suggestion: Serve with a green vegetable and risotto.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
BAKED EGGPLANT PARMIGIANO WITH PROVOLONE & SWISS CHARD
The eggplants are so crispy and are baked in the oven. I made a marinara sauce with canned cherry tomatoes and sautéed some Swiss chard and that was spooned under the marinara sauce. I peel the eggplant leaving stripes; otherwise, the peel can be quite chewy.
Lee's Kitchen Tips:
I saved the larger slices for the dishes and just had a few smaller ones for my husband to enjoy, plain, right out of the oven.
Baked Eggplants
2 large eggplants, partially peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 T water
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Cherry Tomato Marina Sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 14-oz cans cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Swiss Chard
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed of middle stems and chopped
In a shallow bowl, add the flour and season generously with salt and pepper.
In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the water.
In a third shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, panko, and grated Parmigiano.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Drizzle some oil on a large baking sheet pan and set aside.
Dip eggplant slices in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture and finally in bread crumb mixture.
Place eggplant slices on the baking sheet and drizzle a little more oil on top.
Bake for 20 minutes, flip each one over, and bake another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little more Parmigiano and add a piece of provolone cheese on top.
Place back in oven for cheese to melt, about 3 to 4 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and sauté
the garlic red pepper flakes for a minute or two.
Add the cherry tomatoes and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher. Leave the tomatoes mostly whole. Simmer for 20 minutes, add basil and season with salt and pepper
Set aside and keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté
the Swiss chard until soft, about 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Set aside and keep warm.
To Assemble
Spoon half of the chard in the middle of a plate.
Ladle on some cherry tomato sauce.
Add 4 slices of the eggplant and garnish with basil, if desired.
Serves 2
Sunday, June 13, 2021
PIZZA WITH CAPICOLA HAM
Capicola, capocollo, or coppa, is a traditional Italian cold-cut (salume) made from pork.
One recipe for pizza dough or already-prepared dough
One recipe for pizza sauce or store-bought pizza sauce
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
4 oz capicola him, thinly sliced
Oregano for sprinkling on top of the pizza
2 t extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Lightly oil two pizza pans.
Preheat a pizza stone on the bottom rack of oven for 15 minutes.
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 10 or 12-inch round.
Spread a ladle of pizza sauce on the rolled-out pizza dough, leaving a border all around.
Sprinkle with a little Parmigiano cheese, 4 slices of the mozzarella cheese, and 4 slices of ham. Sprinkle with a little oregano.
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.
Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and add a garnish of basil when finished baking.
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas or 4 personal size pizzas
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
FARFALLE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGES, PEPPERS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, & FENNEL
This is one of my Go-To meals on a weeknight. It is so delicious, you may want to serve it for company. . .after this pandemic is over. This recipe includes Italian sausages (pork or turkey), sun-dried tomatoes, and fennel. Farfalle (pronounced fa-FAR-lay) translates to "butterflies". Get the onion, fennel, peppers, and garlic chopped up on a cutting board ready to toss into the skillet. Dinner in under 40 minutes!
2 T extra-light olive oil, divided
1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages
1 T sea or kosher salt, for the pasta water
1 lb farfalle (butterfly) pasta
Boil the farfalle pasta for 10 minutes, until al dente.
Drain pasta and set aside.
Add the wine and cook another minute.
Add 1 cup of the pasta water and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.