INTERNATIONAL: ITALIAN REGIONS 4 - Molise

Wines

Bottles that come from Biferno, named for the river, produces mainly blends of rossos, biancos and rosatos. The main grapes are Trebbiano Toscano and Bombino for whites, and Montepulciano (the prevalent Abruzzo red grape) and Aglianico (common in Campania) for reds and rosatos. Pentro di Isernia also produces the same sort of blends with the distinction that its reds are Montepulciano and Sangiovese, and the wines tend to be lighter in body and more acidic than those from Biferno. These are each hilly growing zones, with good sun exposure and favorable weather conditions for grape-growing. 

Two Provinces in Molise

Besides Italian they speak Molise Croatian, or Slavomolisano, a variety of Croatian spoken by small numbers in a few hill villages (Italian names Montemitro, Acquaviva Collecroce, San Felice del Molise: recognisably transformed into the Croatian names Mundimitar, Živavoda Kruč, Štifilić) in the province of Campobasso, well down on the east coast . The language came over from Dalmatia with refugees from the Ottoman Turks. 

Molise Recipes Link for Recipes Below

Focaccia con Olive e Pomodori Secchi

Focaccia with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ceci con Pancetta e Pomodorini

Braised Chickpeas with Pancetta and Tomatoes

And more.  Click on this LINK

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Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto 

Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto - Recipe by Giada

Olive Oil, Garlic, and Crushed

 Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

LINK to Typical Molise Food

LINK to Molise Video 2017 with music

REPOST 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - Homage to Chinqua-Penn Plantation PART 3

Links to Parts One and Two:

One:

http://internationalfoodblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/homage-to-chinqua-penn-plantation.html#.UJpoPsXA-uk

Two:

http://internationalfoodblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/homage-to-chinqua-penn-plantation-part.html#.UJppF8XA-uk

In Part Two (see blog archive) I talked about the cookbooks that "might" have been in the butler's pantry.  Now we need to talk about recipes that might have been prepared during Chinqua Penn's days with the Penn family.

The "red plaid book" or the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (my own personal copy from 1953) featured Chapters on 1. Meal Planing and Nutrition 2. Special Helps such as Ideas for lunch-box meals 3. Appetizers such as: fruit cocktails, fruit and vegetable juice cocktails, seafood cocktails, hors d'ouevres, canapes AND Beverages such as: hot and cold beverages. 

Appetizer recipe: Shrimp New Orleans = 1 1/2 lb fresh shrimp cooked or 2 6 1/2-7 oz cans shrimp; 1/3 cup salad oil; 1 TBSN vinegar; salt & pepper; 2 TBSN prepared mustard; 1 tsp paprika' 2 green onion tops, minced; 1 celery heart minced.  ** Clean shrimp. ** Combine remaining ingredients over shrimp and toss lightly. Chill 2 hr in the refrigerator.  ** Serve with shredded lettuce or in scallop shells. ** Makes 6 servings. 

Appetizer recipe: Oahu Frappe = Cook 1/2 sugar & 3/4 cup water 5 minutes. ** Cool slightly ** Add 3/4 cup strained orange juice & 1 1/2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice ** Freeze to a mush ** Serve in chilled sherbet glasses ** Garnish with grated orange peel ** Makes 6 servings.

Other appetizers in the book include: crab-meat cocktail, Crab Meat-Bacon Rolls, Blue-cheese rolls. 
Beverage Recipes include: hot chocolate, hot spiced tea, mint lemonade, lime tinkle, tutti fruitti-ade.

Beverage recipe: Golden Summer Punch = 1 6oz can each of frozen orange juice concentrate & lemonade concentrate, 1 12 oz can apricot nectar, 1 No. 2 can (2 1/2 cups) pineapple juice  ** Add water to frozen concentrates as directed on cans ** Chill  ** Serve in punch bowl ** Float block of ice in punch ** Garnish with orange slices ** Makes about 3 quarts.

*Continuing with the cookbook the 4th chapter is all about breads:  
Quick breads, muffins and yeast breads.
Quick breads include: 
     date & cheese bread, kaffee kuchen, cowboy coffeecake, blueberry buckle
Muffins include:  best-ever muffins, pineapple muffins, swedish timbale cases
Biscuits include: orange biscuits, biscuits supreme
This chapter also covers griddle cakes, waffles, doughnuts, yeast breads, raised rolls, sandwiches

* Chapter 5 Cakes Frostings and fillings
* Chapter 6 Candy
* Following chapters include Canning & Freezing, Casseroles & One-dish meals, Outdoor cooking, Table settings and much much more!!

You can still buy this book on-line. Great read!!

REPOST 1 YR ANNIVERSARY - Homage to Chinqua-Penn Plantation PART 2

See above:  ^^^^^^^^ 1953 red plaid cookbook featuring more than 1,000 recipes for appetizers, candy, canning, jiffy cooking, pies, vegetables, and more. Original, vintage illustrations, more than 50 color photos of finished foods, more than 250 black-and-white how-to and food identification photos, all reprinted with a gently aged, nostalgic patina. 19 chapters filled with hearty, beloved ‘50s favorite recipes such as mouthwatering Buttermilk Biscuits, Raised Doughnuts, and Feather Sponge Cake. Entertaining advice for buffets and holidays, plus a table setting and etiquette guide. Hundreds of time-tested hints and tips ensure standout results.

Recipes especially prepared for the General Electric refrigerator by Miss Alice Bradley, principal of Miss Farmer's School of Cookery, Cooking Editor of Women's Home Companion, Author of: Cooking for Profit, Candy Cook Book, For Luncheon and Supper Guests.

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  See above:  Electric Refrigerator Cookbook 1927. Recipes especially prepared for the GeneRecipes especially prepared for the General Electric refrigerator by Miss Alice Bradley, principal of Miss Farmer's School of Cookery, Cooking Editor of Women's Home Companion, Author of: Cooking for Profit, Candy Cook Book, For Luncheon and Supper Guests.

To the right above >>>>>>: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook circa 1896. A best seller for over a century for those who want to do traditional American cooking.  1380 recipes. A collectors item and you should have it in your collection. AKA 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cookbook. Download pdf of newer version at

Google Play

 See above to the right:  ^^^^^^^^^ 1861 Beetons Book of Household Management. First edition 1861 but it was used on into the early 1950's and you can still buy it in a new form or an older form. This time (over 1000 pages) was a guide to all aspects of running a household in Victorian Britain. Interesting read. You can download the entire book on line at www.exclassics.com/beeton

To the right:  >>>>>> The Compleat Housewife, or Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion. Even though published in London in 1727 it is believed to be the "first" cookbook to be published in the US. Recipes for cooking, medicines and how to run your household among other. 

The White House Cookbook 1929:  

The title page states: " A comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home, containing cooking, toilet and household recipes, menus, table etiquette, care of the sick, health suggestions, facts worth knowing, etc. by Hugo Ziemann and Mrs. F. L. Gillette, steward of the White House. Revised by Mrs. Mary E. Dague."

THESE ARE ONLY A FEW COOKBOOKS THAT I THINK MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE BUTLER'S PANTRY BACK IN THE LAST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY.  THESE ARE REALLY HISTORIES OF COOKING AND HOUSEKEEPING. 

LEST WE FORGET - Titanic Tribute 1 - Traveling in Style - REPOST

Taking a break from Toscana.  A special tribute must be paid to the lives that were lost on the Titanic on 4/14/1912. What better tribute than to talk about the entertaining portion of the trip (the music, food and more) because the Titanic was one of the first ocean liners to take food seriously for its passengers. See menus below:

There were 3 classes: first, second and third. Main course: From 11 courses in first class to 4-7 courses in 2nd class and 4 courses in 3rd class the food was a top priority.  There were over 6,000 meals prepared on the maiden voyage of the Titanic from a la carte to the "Ritz" dining room.  The ship left Southampton in the UK, went to Cherbourg in France then to Cobh in Ireland and then towards Canada.  All the while the passengers were sipping on cocktails, walking and sunning on the decks, swimming and more!!

It has been said that there were over 2200 passengers and 33 nationalities.  The top four (in numbers) were Americans, British, Canadian and French. What a mixture of cultures and food choices!

British preferred scones and the Americans corn bread!

British puddings and the Americans ice cream!

French and Italian wines on the list!

To be continued on 4 12 2012 and 4 16 2013.

Apulia Puglia, Italy meets the B&B cast for June 2012 wedding Part 2

The B&B soap is off and running at Puglia, Italy.  

(pronounced Pooh-lee-yah)

The wedding party is staying at Masseria San Domenico.  See photo above. 

Since this is a soap opera I thought maybe the hotel was fictional but it isn't!!

If you like ancient buildings and beautiful water views then Puglia is for you!!

  

  

 

Let's talk about popular food and drink in Puglia.

BREADS - Most popular - focaccia

Food & Wine magazine (one of my favs) has a nice article about dining in Puglia.  Here is the link:

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/puglia-italys-next-great-escape

From the article: 

 Get the boutique olive oils, wines and pickles, fruit gelati and dark, slushy coffee granita. 

We sampled fig, lemon and the astounding caffè-nocciola gelato, peppers and figs, smoked mozzarella with tiny clover bouquets, topped herb pasta with a luxurious saffron sauce and doused fried lampascioni (wild hyacinth bulbs) with orange-blossom honey.

Delallo talks about Puglia

http://www.delallo.com/articles/puglia

This website and author has provided some "awesome" food photos!!

http://mymelange.net/mymelange/2012/06/food-specialties-puglia-italy.html

MORE to come!

National Shrimp Day Recipes

 

National Shrimp Day Recipes

For more information on National Shrimp Day go to this great website:

http://foodimentary.com/2012/05/09/may-9-national-shrimp-day/

Indian Spiced Shrimp :  If you like onion, cloves, cumin coriander, cilantro and shrimp  AND wine pairings  with then visit:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Indian-Spiced-Shrimp-108490

Italian Fra Diavolo : If you like shrimp, tomatoes, onion, parsley, oregano and basil AND wine pairing then visit Giada on foodnetwork.com

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/shrimp-fra-diavolo-recipe/index.html

French Cognac Shrimp with Beurre Blanc Sauce:  If you like shallots, cream, butter, cognac then visit:

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/cognacshrimp.htm

Suggested wines: This one is tough because of the beurre blanc sauce:

·         Albarino from Spain/Portugal

·         American or Australian Chardonnay

·         White Alsatian

American/French Cajun Shrimp:  featuring paprika, thyme, garlic, cayenne then visit:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cajun-shrimp/

Possible Wine Pairings with Cajun Shrimp:

·         Chablis

·         Pouilly-Fume

·         Alsatian white

·         Albarino

·         Gavi

·         Sancerre

·         Borsao

·         Chardonnay

Spanish Shrimp Paella:  Like saffron (that golden color), EVOO, onion, bell peppers, garlic, rice then visit:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/PaellaShrimp.htm

Suggested wine pairings for this seafood paella: 

·         American Sauvignon Blanc

·         Gewurtztraminer

·         Rioja

·         Albarino

·         Chablis

Oriental Shrimp:  cherry tomatoes, lime juice, ginger, garlic, shrimp, cashews, curry powder then visit:

http://www.food.com/recipe/lets-get-together-thai-shrimp-478317#

Possible wine Pairings with Thai Shrimp:

·         Sauvignon Blanc

·         Pinot Blanc

·         Muscadet

·         Orvieto

·         Gewurtztraminer

       Happy Shrimp Day!!!

Mother's Day Tuscan Recipes

Tuscany is a provincia in central Italy.  The finest virgin olive oils are made there. Meats: beef, chicken & rabbit are roasted or grilled (to disperse fat) with rosemary or fennel. Fish is also popular. Olive oil is used in  the cooking of sweets (don't knock it till you have tried it!!).

Desserts:  Biscotti dipped in Vin Santo wine (indigenous to Tuscany; castagnaccio is a cake made with chestnut flour, fennel, raisins and pine nuts. 

1. Check out this website. They have it all together. There are a lot of Tuscan favorites that you can make for mom (mom or la mamma o mia madre) on Mother's day such as:

Tuscan Cheese Souffle or  Souffle al Formaggio Facile

Tuna Panzanella or Panzanella al Tonno 

Tuscan Ribollita Soup or Ribollita Toscana 

Traditional Tuscan dishes

2. Pressed Tuscan virgin oil, aged wine, pecorino cheese, rosemary, sage, prosecco or chianti - just a few

How about thyme, sage, rosemary, tarragon, fennel and chile pepper.

Vegetables are served with olive oil. Popular sangiovese grapes are the basis of chianti classico and brunello

Yum!

  3.  Want some interesting information on Tuscan spices and herbs?

  Visit these links of some of my earlier blog entries:

Tuscan spice

Tuscan spice mix

Tuscan spice mix uses