Cooking Pop by Margaret Ullrich

Some folks have asked me why I've been writing about Pop in this blog.

'Turning 60' is mostly about food and recipes.

Wasn't that Ma's domain?



Well, Pop cooked, too.

He was in charge of our meals from 1952 to 1955.

It wasn't by choice.

It was that, or go hungry all day.





When we moved to College Point in 1952, Ma also worked at Lily Tulip.

For the 50s, she was a woman ahead of her

Carmela Soprano's Peaches in Red Wine

What can I say?

Sometimes great minds just think alike.



And sometimes everybody is sick of cooking.

Especially during the summer.





When it comes to summer, what can beat fresh fruit?



In The Final Celebration chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, 

there's a recipe for Peaches in Red Wine. 



About the wine, Carmela said "preferably homemade".

Why do I have trouble

Anna Sultana's Peaches in Wine

We're almost done with June!



Next weekend is Holiday Time, both in the US and Canada.

Look, I'm all in favor of just getting a bucket and relaxing.

So was Ma.

I mean, she wasn't a martyr.

And it gets awfully hot and muggy in New York.





This is a really easy dessert.

Nothing last minute.

Nothing to bake.



Peaches are fairly reasonable now.

They can be peeled and sliced before your

Father's Day by Margaret Ullrich

A few weeks ago there was an article called Daddy-Daughter Date in the newspaper.No, they weren't going all pervy.The Winnipeg Free Press is a family paper.No funny business.Hey, this is Winnipeg.
The date in the article took place in Chicago.A nice dinner and a Tony-award-winning comedy.Shopping at the Oprah store.No funny business.Hey, we're talking Oprah.

Daddy-Daughter Date.What can I say?

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Beef Tenderloin - Holiday Dinner Menu

Tomorrow's the big day for Dads.

Happy Father's Day!!



I have yet to meet a Vegetarian Dad.

Dads I've met refer to salads as 'rabbit food'.

And not with a smile on their faces.





That's right, Dad, or hubby, will be expecting meat.

A nice cut of meat.

No, you can't get away with hot dogs.





In the Fit for a Bride chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, 

there's a

Anna Sultana's Laham fuq il-fwar - Steamed Beef with Garlic, Maltese Style

Don't panic at the title.

And don't get snarky about the second word.

Fuq is Maltese for steamed.

It's just Steamed Beef with Garlic.

Don't panic at the 'Steamed' Beef.

It'll work.



If Dad's the type of guy who gags at the cost of high end roast, 

this will make him smile.

This is a recipe for beef rump, an economical cut.

But it won't be tough.

And it's easy to make.

Trust me.

Feeding by Margaret Ullrich

Last week I wrote about how Pop had kept us fed after Lily Tulip moved to New Jersey.

We were well-fed from his garden.

Especially from the green beans he grew.



A few friends e mailed me and asked if we were vegetarians.

Uh, are you kidding?



To paraphrase a rather famous quote, "Man does not live by green beans alone."





Like I said last week, Pop was a farmboy.

He was a MALTESE

Carmela Soprano's Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce and Blueberries

Wasn't Ma's Prinjolata easy to make?

It uses ingredients you can keep in the pantry.

It can be prepared in advance.



And it's easy on the budget.

Yah, Ma!!





Okay... now we'll have a recipe from Carmela.



Check out the Dinner for Twelve chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos.  There's a recipe for Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce and Blueberries.



Carmela has a different

Anna Sultana's Prinjolata - Maltese Carnival Sweet with Butter Cream Filling

You've had a few days to get used to June.



Not so bad, is it?



Time to plan something special for a dessert.

For Father's Day.

For weddings.

For graduations.

For whatever.





Maltese recipes, for the most part, are pretty simple.

Mostly fruit and something dairy.

Great for the health, lousy for the presentation.





Okay... the family is expecting something pretty.

They've been

Weeding by Margaret Ullrich

There must be something in the air.Maybe the planets are in alignment... or out of it.
Last week I weeded out a few FaceBook friends.I was a little nervous about it.I was afraid I'd get a tearstained email.Or a FaceBook message.With a sad face or a :-(  
Nope.
To be honest, I don't thing they even knew or cared.
I feel like a weight's been taken off my shoulders.Or at least my computer's mail

Carmela Soprano's Eggplant Fritters (appetizer)

In food, as in life, timing is everything.



Like I said a few weeks ago, eggplants are like potato chips.

It's hard to stop at just one.

There are so many recipes.

That eggplant sure does get around.



In that post I mentioned a recipe for 'The Imam Fainted'.

This weekend on CBC Manitoba Weekend Morning Show, Chef Karen Peters cooked a Turkish eggplant dish called Imam Baldi.



Is that a

Anna Sultana's Fritturi tal-Pastard - Cauliflower Fritters / Cauliflower Casserole, Maltese Style

June... time for graduations, weddings, Father's Day.



Time to feed the family.

Big time.



Yeah, I hear you.

You just get finished paying off Christmas, and now....



Okay, don't panic.

You've lived through June before.

You'll do it again.





Families in Malta face the same June crunch.

And Maltese sure do like to eat.



Maltese mothers live by two rules:

If you can fill their