Carmela Soprano's Fiori di Zucca Fritti (Fried Zucchini (Squash) Flowers)

If you garden in Canada, September is a cruel month.

Plants, like tomatoes and zucchini, are still making flowers.

But you know darn well that there isn't enough time for them to ripen.

Another month, the garden will be compost fodder.



Still, there are those honking big yellow flowers on the zucchini plants.

It's a shame to just waste them.

So, don't...





In the Mia Cucina chapter of

Paul, Pop and Wasps by Margaret Ullrich, part 6, Weeding

A few weeks ago I mentioned how, while watering, one gets to really see a garden.

Last week I was giving our tomato plants a much needed soaking.

Then I happened to glance at our chokecherry.





Let me tell you about our chokecherry...

When Paul planted it in 1989 it was just a stick.

It's now about as tall as our 2 story house.

In the spring it's a mass of lovely white flowers.

Well, it

Anna Sultana's Ricotta Stuffed Shells, Maltese Style / Recipes Using Various Pasta Shapes

Got an e mail about the pasta shells in the store.

Yes, they do come in different sizes.



Some are small.

You can cook and serve them as you would elbow macaroni.

They are very nice with a seafood sauce.

Makes it look like you were going for a theme night.

Little kids really like theme nights.





Then there are the jumbo shells.

Yes, they do look like you're supposed to put something in

Carmela Soprano's Cavatelli - Homemade Pasta Shells

Okay...  The Meatless Marinara Sauce was a quickie.



Great for hot summer days.

And busy back to school days.



The recipe for Cavatelli (Gavadeel') isn't a quickie.

And not really worth the bother.



Cavatelli is Italian for pasta shells.

Yes, you can find shells ready-made, next to the spaghetti and other pasta shapes.

So, why bother?





The Cavatelli recipe is in the Sunday Dinner

Carmela Soprano's Meatless Marinara Sauce

Back in February I posted the recipe for Carmela's Deluxe Tomato Sauce.

Her Sunday Gravy is a fantastic recipe.

It has veal, pork sausages and tiny meatballs.

Something for everybody.

Not something you'd throw together at the last minute.

But worth the effort.





But, let's be honest, most of the time there isn't the time for the effort.

But the family wants dinner.

And the spaghetti

Folklorama, Pop, Zorba and Facebook's Timeline by Margaret Ullrich, part 5, Weeding

We had a wonderful time visiting countries during Folklorama!

We didn't see all of the pavilions as we had in the 1970s.

Now we pace ourselves.

And get home at a decent hour.

No more bunny hopping out the door while the pavilion is being closed at midnight!



Someone once said,

Only seeing one country is like only reading one page of a book.

We absolutely enjoyed reading more pages of the

Carmela Soprano's Balsamic Grilled Veal Chops l Balsamic Grilled Loin Pork Chops

I was getting wishes above my station and location.

Lofty dreams were filling my head.

The Salsiccie alla Griglia were great.

As were the Grilled Spareribs.

And the Verdure alla Griglia made the gang sit up and notice their veggies.

Really.



Then I noticed the Balsamic Grilled Veal Chops recipe.

The veal recipe was opposite the Grilled Spareribs recipe in the Grilling - Italian Style 

Carmela Soprano's Verdure alla Griglia - Grilled or Broiled Vegetables

When you barbecue, are your vegetables same old, same old?

You know...

Corn on the cob, potato salad, green salad.



Would Tony approve of that?

Hell no.





Grilled vegetables can be exciting!!

Really.

Check out Grilling - Italian Style in The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



If the vegetables are getting browned too quickly, move them to a cooler spot.

This recipe should feed eight.

If

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Spareribs

It's still August.

It's still hot.

They're still hungry.



Don't like grilled sausages?

No problem.

Back to The Sopranos Family Cookbook's chapter on Grilling - Italian Style.



Some hints about grilling:

If you're slow cooking, have the grill further away from the heat.

A steak cooks quickly, so have the grill about 2 or 3 inches above.



Not sure how hot it is?

Place your hand 6

Pop, The Plaza and Folklorama by Margaret Ullrich, part 4, Weeding

Here in Winnipeg, Folklorama is winding down.

We've enjoyed visiting a few old favorites, and catching the fun at new, to us, shows.



A couple of weeks ago I talked about when we had taken Pop to new places.

Sometimes it didn't quite work out.

Oh, well, that didn't make me stop trying.





In 1993 my parents visited us during August.

Pop had never been in Winnipeg during Folklorama.

So,

Carmela Soprano's Salsiccie alla Griglia - Grilled Sweet and Hot Pork Sausages

It's the middle of August.

It's too hot to cook.

But, for some strange reason, the family still wants to eat.



Okay... fire up the grill.

It gets you out of the kitchen.

And it can make for some fun family moments.

Who can forget Tony using a string of sausages as a stripper's tassles?



Before you do that, make sure the cameras are all packed away.

Really.

And avoid lighter fluid.

Carmela Soprano's Sfogliatelle / Shfooyadell' (Baked Ricotta-Filled Pastries)

It's summer.

It's hot.

It's certainly too hot to make Sfogliatelle.

Or Shfooyadell' if you want to sound like a paisano.



For the most part, I really like Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

The Sfogliatelle recipe is in the If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die chapter. 

This chapter is making Artie's Mia Cucina chapter look practical. 

I mean, you could f**king die making some of the

Carmela Soprano's Osso Buco a la Bucco / Braised Veal Shanks (Braised Rabbit in White Wine)

For the most part, I like The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Artie's Mia Cucina chapter is about his training and his own creations.

It's also a laugh riot with my local butcher.



In May I  tackled Artie's Quail Sinatra-Style.

More or less.

I used cornish hens.

Nobody from the mob dropped by.

And it turned out fine.            



Okay... this recipe calls for veal shanks.

Right.

In this

Caterpillars to Butterflies by Margaret Ullrich, part 3, Weeding

The Mama Robin and her chick have come back to our yard.

Compared to the youngster who was here a few weeks ago, this kid is better behaved.

He likes to walk around and explore.

He doesn't just stand and squawk, with its mouth wide open.

He's actually trying to find his own food.





A few years ago I bought a package of butterfly-attracting plants.

There were four different types of plants

Carmela Soprano's Cannoli Dessert with Ricotta Cream Filling

Cannoli was a holiday staple at Aunt Betty's house.




They came fresh in a nice white box.




From a local bakery.



And we ate them right away.



They don't keep well.

The shells get soggy.



In Malta we also have a dessert called Cannoli.

It's way easier than Carmela's recipe.

And healthier.

Check out my Ma's recipe for Cannoli.

Easy, right?





Italian Cannoli, like doughnuts, are

Carmela Soprano's Ziti al Forno / Baked Ziti with Tiny Meatballs

Ah!  Ziti al Forno!

It's perfect for a holiday dinner.

Like the August long weekend or Labor Day.



This recipe, in The Sopranos Family Cookbook's Feeding My Family chapter, 

is another macaroni and cheese dish.

But, what a macaroni and cheese dish!

It has little meatballs!



Ziti al Forno can be proudly served at any big family gathering.



But, be warned:

It can't be thrown together at

Carmela Soprano's Penne alla Vodka / Penne in Cream Sauce

I've enjoyed remembering when Paul and I travelled across Canada 40 years ago.

But I've gotten some e mails. 

Where are the recipes?



You're right...

Back to The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Artie's chapter Mia Cucina is about his training and his own creations.

In it he also talks about a recipe that annoyed his parents.

Penne alla Vodka.



Vodka?



Actually, it's really good.

And pretty

Pop and The Godfather by Margaret Ullrich, part 2, Weeding

Tonight there's going to be a full moon.

No, I won't say anything like "Hail, Luna" to the moon.

I also won't howl at it.

I just like having a sign that a month has passed.



Since being over 50, I've lost a time marker, a period.

Yes, ladies, that period.

It had marked the ending and beginning of another cycle.

It had been the messenger of good and bad news.

But now it's gone.

So, in