Carmela Soprano's Quail Sinatra-Style, with Stuffing and White Wine Sauce

Our local grocery's staff is beginning to look forward to my Soprano-inspired visits.

I'm becoming good for a laugh.

This week was no exception.





Artie Bucco is a bit more chatty than Carmela is.

It's just as well he never got into 'The Business'.

Loose lips sink ships is still a good motto.

And no one wants to sleep with the fishes.



Anway, Artie has a chapter about his training and

Dump Cake with crushed pineapple and cherry pie filling l Dump Cake with Eggs l Flavour Variations - Margaret Ullrich

When you're right, you're right.

Where's a quick dessert to go with the Seven Layer Dinner?



Here's a quickie.



And it bakes at the same temperature as the Dinner.



Perfect.





No, Ma didn't make it.

She drew the line at cake mixes.



If you don't have such scruples, this is a handy recipe to have.





                        Dump Cake



Preheat oven to 350º

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Anna Sultana's Seven Layer Dinner (casserole recipe)

Lately stores have been having 'case lot' sales.

And 'buy one, get one free' sales.

Gotta love those sales!!



Okay... now to cook that stuff.

Especially before the veggies turn into compost.



But who wants to slave in the kitchen now that Spring is finally here?

Winters in Manitoba are long enough.

And the yard is calling.

I mean, the garden isn't going to plant itself.





Ma didn't

Anna Sultana's Rouladen (German Style Simmered Beef Rolls)

Got a few emails after I posted Carmela Soprano's Braciole.

I had mentioned that it's similar to the German recipe Rouladen.



So, folks asked, what's this Rouladen?

Think of it as the German Braciole.

You just can't keep a good idea down on the farm.

Or just in Cooking the Neapolitan Way.





How did Ma know about Rouladen?

We lived in College Point, an Irish / German town.

The grocery

Anna Sultana's Queen Elizabeth Barley Water Drink for Skin Care

Ma's Queen Elizabeth Cake is becoming popular.

Guess everyone wants to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

Well, it is easier - and cheaper - to bake a cake, than to fly to London.



When Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married, lots of folks baked something 

fitting, such as scones, to have something proper to munch while watching 

the fun on the telly.

Same thing happened

Anna Sultana's Other Bragoli with Leftover Pork and Bread Crumbs

A little over a year ago I posted Ma's recipe for Beef Olives / Bragoli.

Well, that was one recipe for Ma's Braġoli.

That recipe calls for ground pork, chopped ham and bacon.



Ma had another recipe.

It's a little simpler.

A recipe she pulled out when she was using up a bit of leftover pork.

No ham.



And more of a budget stretcher.

It calls for bread crumbs to soak up some of the flavor

Carmela Soprano's Braciole / Stuffed Beef Rolls in Tomato Sauce

Last weekend we watched the movie Sex and the City on TV.

Not the second movie.

The good one.



Anyway, when I saw Kim Cattrall rolling up raw fish sushi rolls, 

then posing as a human platter with sushi on her naked body 

- a little something to spice up Valentine's Day - I got to thinking.

It was time to try something new.

We were getting in a rut.

Night after night.

Same old, same old

Anna Sultana's Risotto, Maltese Style, with Variations

Risotto is a fairly simple recipe.
If you don't use champagne and truffles, as Carmela did in her recipe.

Time consuming, but easy.



For special occasions, Ma would make some.

But, it had to be a special occasion.

A really special occasion.



Ma served risotto as a side dish.

It went further that way.

Usually a cup of raw rice stretched to 6 servings.

Ma made sure of that.

Carmela Soprano's Risotto with Truffles and Champagne

The Queen and Mother's Day got me thinking about The Sopranos.

I don't know why.

Maybe it's early dementia.

Whatever... 



It was fun cooking my way through Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos.

No, really, it was.



Last February I posted a recipe for Tomato Sauce from The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Yes, the Sunday Gravy recipe.
It also includes a recipe for meatballs.



The post got

Anna Sultana's Mother's Day Brunch: Baked Bread Pudding

Time sure does fly.

We were just talking about Wills and Kate's first anniversary. 

And taking a look at plans for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.



Don't worry.

They're not expecting a gift.



But next week is Mother's Day.

And, yes, she IS expecting a gift.





A staple of comic strips and sit coms is the Mother's Day Brunch.

The kids cook up something awful.

And, of course, they

Anna Sultana's Queen Elizabeth Cake (Date and Walnut Cake) l Brown Sugar Coconut Topping

Time sure flies.

It's been a year since Wills and Kate got married.

I can remember when Princess Di showed off her bundle of joy.





I wonder if Kate smirked when she said, "For richer, for poorer."

What, like they'd lose a castle or two?

Never mind.

They looked adorable.

They kissed twice on the balcony.

Her sister's rear end made world news.





And this year we're celebrating Queen