Happy New Year!

A brand new year, 2014, is just around the corner.  

I'd like to thank everyone who has visited since I started in 2009.  

I hope visiting I'm Turning 60... has been helpful and enjoyable for you.



I'd like to make my blog better, and for that I need your help.



Could you please post a comment on what types of recipes and posts you'd like.

Also I'd like to know what you don't want to read

Wishing you all the blessings of the season...

Wishing you a Christmas filled with all you hold dear

and a New Year filled with all the best!

Thank you for visiting!!

Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Mushrooms

The holiday season is in full swing.

Yes, I know, the past weeks just flew.

Unfortunately your company's appetites didn't fly away, too.

Okay… time to fill their tummies with bread cumbs.

Seriously.



In 2010 I posted a quick description of Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Mushrooms 

from Entertaining with the Sopranos.


I also quoted what Hugh Jackman had said in Kate & Leopold...

In a perfect

The Grinch, St. Nicholas and Moonlight Upon the Snow by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number twelve for 2013.

The last one for the year.

No, we did not get a blue moon this year.

No problem… I don't think anyone missed it.



Here in Manitoba, witnessing a full moon during winter is a mystical experience.
Add the occasional Northern Lights and it can be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

When viewed through a frosted window, the night scene is truly magical.

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini l Melon and Prosciutto

Not all of Carmela's recipes are as difficult as Carmela Soprano's Baci Cake.

Here are two real quickies from the book Entertaining with the Sopranos.

Actually they barely qualify as recipes.

But they published the Crostini - with a picture - in the Welcome to the Family chapter.

The Melon and Prosciutto - also with a picture -  was in the Dinner for Twelve chapter.

Go figure.



I

Would Santa Ever Find Me? by Margaret Ullrich

In 2004 I wrote a story and read it on the CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'.  For a while it was an annual tradition.  I got a few emails asking if I could post it.  Here is a  short version.  
This is a busy time...   Merry Christmas!




     When I was a baby my family moved from Malta to
America.  Pop's brother and sister were in Corona.  So, we had to
live there, too.  

Carmela Soprano's Baked Ziti In Bianco and Bechamel Sauce

In February, 2010 I compared Carmela Soprano's Baked Ziti In Bianco to Ma's Timpana.

Well, I compared the importance of Baked Ziti to Timpana.

Only a fool would think they are just plates of pasta.

We're talking about respect must be paid, iconic pasta dinners.



Christmas is coming.

If you haven't decided on a main course, this could be it.

Or, at the very least, a first course.



As I

Anna Sultana's Spaghetti Pie and Pasta with Butter and Ricotta, Maltese Style

As I said in 2010, Carmela's recipe for Crunchy Chicken is better than Ma's.

But then, Ma's recipe for Spaghetti Pie is better than Carmela's.

What can I say - win a few, lose a few.



I had posted a recipe for Ma's Spaghetti Pie - Froġa tat-Tarja - a few months ago.

Of course, she had another recipe.. or two... for vermicelli.

And here are a couple of them.

Try them both.



Ma's recipes

Carmela's Spaghetti Pie

Back in 2010, in that second post, I also compared a second recipe.

Like I said, I was a beginner and, in addition to being snide, I wasn't pacing myself.

Okay… now I know better - one recipe per post.

Less risk of getting lost in all the directions, too.



Carmela's recipe for Spaghetti Pie in Entertaining with The Sopranos is a little pricey.

Like she's trying to prove they have the bucks

Carmela's Crunchy Baked Chicken

Alrighty, then… glad to see you liked the lasagne recipes.

Lasagne is also great to add a bit of heft to the Christmas and New Year's Eve menus.

When Ma had the gang over, she served lasagne as a second course, after the soup.

That made the turkey go further and left a bit of the bird for the following week.



Now let's go on to the second post I did comparing Carmela Soprano's and Ma's

Anna Sultana's Lasagne, Maltese Style

Okay.. you now have two versions of Carmela's Lasagne:

one with meatballs and one with basil.

Hope you enjoyed them both.

I also hope the recipes don't discourage you from making Lasagne.

Really, there is a simpler - and cheaper - way to make it.



Like I said back in 2010…  

my Ma, Anna Sultana, might've made lasagne with lots of fresh basil when she lived in Malta. But, when I was

Boomers Against Elder Abuse l US Senate FRAUD HOTLINE

What happens when incapacitated elders are stripped of constitutional rights?



Today elders deemed incapacitated by the courts are in grave danger due to the fact that their rights are removed by mandate of the probate courts in all fifty states. 



Abuses occur because people who lose their rights are no longer equal in the eyes of the law.



People who are denied rights suffer due to the

Carmela Soprano's Meat Sauce and Lasagne #2, with Basil Leaves

I've been writing this blog for over four years.

Long enough to know I didn't do a very good job at the beginning.

On January 17, 2010 I started comparing Ma's recipes to those of Carmela Soprano.



I had bought the book Entertaining with The Sopranos almost four years ago.

The recipes were familiar, more or less.

I did a rather quick job of comparing the differences between Carmela's and

Feng Shui and Christmas in My Favourite Home by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow there will be a new moon.

The last new moon of the year.

The bad news - Christmas is just three weeks away.

The good news - the days will start getting longer.



I now feel like I'm at peace with my home.

As Katherine and Frances in Under the Tuscan Sun might say...

It's a nice little villa. Rather run down, but redeemable...

It's not a villa, and, yes, it's a little run down,

Anna Sultana's Aljotta - Fish Soup #2, Maltese Style

Maltese have been Catholic for a long time.

Since St. Paul was shipwrecked there in the year 60.

Yes, it's been that long.



The Catholic Church used to have a lot of rules about food.

Especially about fish.

Oh, yes, they wanted us to eat fish.



About a month ago I posted a recipe for Aljotta, fish soup.

Well, guess what, here's another recipe for Aljotta.

Just so you don't get bored.

Anna Sultana's Kawlata #2 - Vegetable Soup with Meat, Maltese Style

Maltese are not, for the most part, vegetarians.

And we sometimes get bored with a recipe.

Even with good recipes.

Same old, same old.



On Tuesday I posted Ma's recipe for Vegetable Soup with Meat.

Of course she had another recipe for Kawlata.

Pick the recipe according to what you have on hand.

Or according to what was on sale.





                        Kawlata #2





Chop 

1 1/2

Anna Sultana's Kawlata - Vegetable Soup with Meat, Maltese Style

Some people are vegetarians.

And some people are not.

Some people are satisfied with a meatless soup.

And some people are not.



I posted the recipe for Ma's Brodu taċ-Ċanga a while ago.

It's a recipe for soup that uses beef.

But just like with Ma's Minestra or vegetable soup, Ma had another recipe.

This recipe uses cubed pork or sliced Maltese sausages.

Or any sausages you prefer.

Or

Anna Sultana's Minestra tal-Haxix #2 - Vegetable Soup, Maltese Style

In 2010 I compared  the recipes for two zucchini favourites: Carmela Soprano's Googootz Giambotta and Ma's Minestra tal-Haxix.

Well, if you're tired of making those two vegetable soups, here's another of Ma's recipes.

It's similar to her Minestra or vegetable soup.

It just has a slight variation in ingredients.



Soup is a dish that allows for a cook's creativity.

Or for what's in season or

Anna Sultana's Brodu tat-Tigiega - Chicken Broth, Maltese Style

We've been told - Get the shot, not the flu.

And most of us have done that.

But it is Autumn in Winnipeg.

Which, temperature-wise, is a lot like Winter in many other places.



Because it's colder people stay indoors more.

Germs are indoors more.

Indoors is now the perfect place for catching a cold, or the flu.



When we lived in New York, chicken soup was called Jewish penicillin.

Well,

Anna Sultana's Soppa ta' L-Armla - Widow's Soup, Maltese Style

Hot drinks like Mulled Wine and Mulled Apple Cider are all well and good.

But, to paraphrase a rather famous saying, man does not live by hot drinks alone.

It's getting cold… it's time to make and serve some soups.



Sometimes Maltese recipes have some rather strange names.

I mean, cookies named Dead Man's Bones?

And then there's Soppa ta' L-Armla - Widow's Soup.

Not exactly the most

Anna Sultana's Nonalcoholic Hot Chocolate

I hear you… not all your friends want Spiked Hot Chocolate.

Nothing wrong with that.

Especially if they have to drive home.



Ma made nonalcoholic hot chocolate.

Especially for uncles who had to drive home.

Or when she was preparing drinks for us kids.



When Ma made hot chocolate for the younger set, she usually left out the coffee.

She figured we were jumpy enough without the caffeine.

Feng Shui, My Favourite Home, and Christmas Preparations by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number eleven for 2013.

We've been enjoying very mild Autumn weather for Winnipeg.

Yesterday the Santa Claus parade was staged, and folks in downtown Winnipeg - both those marching in the parade and standing on the sidewalk - were comfortable.
Yeah, well, we woke up to about three inches of snow this morning.
Seasons change in an instant in Manitoba.





Back to Tisha

Carmela Soprano's Hot Buttered Rum for One Serving l Hot Buttered Rum for Many

Enjoyed the rum in your Spiked Hot Chocolate?

Looking for another rum recipe?

You've come to the right place.



Rum has always been a classy drink.

In an 1824 essay about the word rum's origin, Samuel Morewood, a British etymologist, suggested it might be from the British slang term for "the best", as in "having a rum time."  He wrote:

As spirits, extracted from molasses, could not well be

Carmela Soprano's Spiked Hot Chocolate with rum and hazelnut liqueur

Back in December 2010 I posted two drink recipes:

Carmela Soprano's Candy Cane Martini and Carmela Soprano's Spiked Egg Nog.

Both drinks have a bit of alcohol in them.

Both posts have remained popular over the years.



About a week ago I posted the recipe for Anna Sultana's Mulled Wine.

It is also a drink with a bit of alcohol in it.

This post is also becoming popular.



Okay… I can take

Anna Sultana's Tuscan Sun Chicken

Yes, my Ma was Maltese.

No, she never went to Tuscany.

But, to me, this recipe will always be Ma's Tuscan Sun Chicken recipe.



Sometimes recipe names are pretty straightforward.

Take peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

What you said is what you get.



Then there are recipes that have a little story that only means something to the cook.

For example, in The Sopranos Family Cookbook Artie

Anna Sultana's Mulled Apple Cider l How to Open a Pomegranate Easily

Yes, Ma's Mulled Wine is great for cold winter days.

No, it isn't great to serve vast quantities of mulled wine to little kids.

Especially not in these politically correct, totally 'no physical contact in school' days.

And it's not good for the kiddies to tell the teacher that they love mulled wine.

Trust me.



But the kids do get cold.

And hot chocolate and cocoa do have sugar and

Anna Sultana's Mulled Wine

We had to pack away our bird bath this week.

There's something sad about watching birds, desperately thirsty, pecking at a slab of ice.

Not even a very determined blue jay had any luck.

That ice is as hard as a brick.

Yes, it's definitely wintery here in Manitoba.



Warm and hot drinks are perfect for times like this.

But how much coffee or tea can one drink?

All the caffeine can't be

Halloween, Feng Shui, Reunions, Dr. Who and My Christmas Cactus by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight there will be new moon number eleven.

It just missed adding a bit of light to Halloween for the kiddies.

Ah, Halloween… even kids from countries that don't have the Christian / Celtic background are getting into the fun of trick or treating.



And what could possibly be wrong with a bit of fun?

We're not as easily duped as folks had been by the 1938 broadcast of Orson Welles' radio

Shrikhand for Diwali by Margaret Ullrich

Living in the north end of Winnipeg, I sometimes can't find some exotic items in my local grocery store.

However, one of the nice things about the north end of Winnipeg is that - due to the luck of having neighbours who are an incredible mix of people from all over the world - 

I get to taste food from other countries.



And I'm not talking the bland, toned-down stuff you find in stores, but

Be a Halloween Crone, not a Menopausal Witch by Margaret Ullrich

A few years ago I wrote essays and stories and read them on the CKUW radio program '2000 & Counting - Older and Wiser'.  Sometimes the essays were about aging.  
This was the essay I wrote for Halloween 2001. 
If I were writing it now, I would have added: 
As Katy Perry sang:





I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Anna Sultana's Stewed Octopus, Maltese Style

Last August I posted Ma's recipe for Stuffat tal-Qarnit.

Qarnit is Maltese for octopus. 

For many the stew recipe was something fun to read.

Octopus just isn't common here on the bald prairies.

Or in most other places, I would imagine.



Octopus is the stuff of legend.

And sometimes the stuff of science fiction.

I hope you've seen It Came from Beneath the Sea.

It's a dandy 1955 Sci-Fi

Spice Blends: From Fish Seasoning to Salads and Noodles - Margaret Ullrich

There are a couple of new commercials about a young woman adding a mix to a pound of ground beef to make a meal.

They are trying to make an honest buck, I guess.

But, really, what's so special about that?



Still there's nothing special about making mixes to add to other ingredients.

You don't need a degree or years of study.

Just a few spices.



This Spice Blend is delicious with fish.

Spice Blends: Tandoori, Curry, Chinese Hot Mustard - Margaret Ullrich

I live in the north end of Winnipeg.

My neighbours are a pretty diverse bunch, ethnically speaking.

One thing we have in common is having to make dinner for the family.



Kids are great at loving to try something different, food-wise, especially if their friends are eating it.

There are worse things they can want to do.



One day when I was getting groceries, a Filipino mom approached me

Spice Blends: Fajita, Chili, Taco Seasoning Mixes - Margaret Ullrich

Years and years ago a local department store named Eaton's had an annual event.

It was meant to bring a bit of warmth to our Winnipeg winters.

They called it Eaton Uncrates The Sun.



Every year, usually in February when we were truly good and sick of winter, the managers would pick a sunny spot and try to recreate it, complete with decorations, food and cooking demonstrations.

One year

Spice Blends: Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Sugar & Spice - Margaret Ullrich

The holiday baking season is here.

And that means spices.



A couple of years ago spice companies started selling prepackaged spices for recipes.

I don't know if you've seen them in your spice shelves.

Really… a teaspoon of this, a teaspoon of that.

And they charge an awful lot just because they hired someone to go to the trouble of spooning out the spices and put them in little plastic

Anna Sultana's Aljotta - Fish Soup, Maltese Style

It's almost November.

Light salads just aren't going to satisfy anyone's appetite.

It's definitely time to start making soups.



As we've been doing fish recipes, I thought I'd post a fish soup recipe.

This recipe is a bit of a hassle.

Well, the 'removing the bones from the cooked fish part' is.

But the soup is delicious.

So it goes.





Just so you know... Mackerel is nice in this recipe

Anna Sultana's Tuna Pie, Maltese Style

About a week ago I posted Ma's recipe for Baked Tunny.

Looks like it's become a popular recipe.

It's one of the month's top posts.

That's great to see.





That post has some information on big tunny and little tunny. 

Yes, there is such a thing as little tunny.

I'm not making some kind of gangster joke.

Yes, I miss Carmela and the boys, too.



Fresh tunny, big and little, isn't easy to

Four Year Anniversary! by Margaret Ullrich

Happy Fourth Birthday to I'm Turning 60!!

And THANK YOU for visiting, whether you're a daily, weekly or occasional guest.



I started this blog because I was going through some major changes.

In 2009 both my parents and our last dog, Bobo, died.

Funny thing about changes…

As soon as you get used to one change, another comes along.

But, somehow, you can get used to that, too.

So it goes.

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 7 by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number ten for 2013.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving on Monday.

And are still enjoying the leftovers.



The week before Thanksgiving we were enjoying mild weather.

Perfect weather for moving the plants in our yard.

So I did.



I had weeded our yard after we returned from Ottawa over a month ago.

The garden had been put to bed before the first frost.

The tomato plants

Anna Sultana's Baked Tunny, Maltese Style Fish

Looking for more fish recipes?

You're in luck.



Malta's an island and fish is a basic part of the menu.

Of course no one wants fish served the same way every day.



Which brings us to Ma's recipe for baked tunny.

Well, that's what she said sometimes when I asked, "What's for dinner?"



Being an immigrant is sometimes like being the Peter Graves character in Stalag 17.

Graves was the

Coloring a Laser-Art Structure Using Eye Makeup by Margaret Ullrich

If you've been thinking of starting a hobby, but don't want to go to much expense 

(who knows, you may end up hating the hobby), this might give you some ideas.



The following article was recently published both in the United States in The Thousand Lakes Region of the National Model Railroad Association's publication, 'The Fusee', and in Canada in The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's publication

Anna Sultana's Fried Swordfish in Caper Sauce, Maltese Style

Ma's recipe for Grilled Grouper with Mustard Sauce has become very popular.

I'm happy to see that I've posted something you like.

But even a good recipe can become boring.



So, here's another of Ma's recipes for serving fish with a sauce.

This recipe is for swordfish.

Swordfish is in another of Ma's top fish recipes - Grilled Swordfish.

Hope you've tried it, too.



Swordfish is like

Anna Sultana's Cerna Fl-imbjank - Poached Grouper, Maltese Style

Hope you enjoyed Ma's recipe for Grilled Grouper with Mustard Sauce.

But it is getting colder.

The weather… not the grouper.

Time for some recipes to cook indoors.



In the post for Grilled Grouper there was some information on the fish.

A quick refresher…

Groupers are hefty, like a mackerel or tuna.

Their steaks would be large.



This would not work with sole.

But the sole would work

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 6 by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight there will be a new moon - number 10 for 2013.

A week from Monday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving here in Canada.

Thanksgiving has always been my favourite holiday.

We have our health, and much more to be thankful for.





I'm also thankful this year to have thrown out two whole, roll out, 

big blue cartloads of recyclable stuff from my least favourite room.

Yes, the big blue

Anna Sultana's Grilled Grouper with Mustard Sauce, Maltese Style

In August I posted Ma's recipe for Pixxispad Mixwi - grilled swordfish.

It's been a popular post.

Guess people are enjoying the outdoors before winter hits.



If you'd like a little variety, here's another fish grilling recipe.

It calls for grouper, what folks in Malta call a sea bass.

In Japan the call a sea bass a Suzuki, which made me think of David Suzuki.

No real connection to the

Anna Sultana's Imqarrun il-forn - Baked Macaroni, Maltese Style

If you're not Maltese, I'll let you in on a little secret.

Timpana is near and dear to every Maltese person's heart.

But there's something that is very similar, and that we love just as much.

Imqarrun il-forn… Baked macaroni.



Imqarrun il-forn is basically Timpana without the crust.

When Ma was in a rush, she would skip adding the crust.

And then she would apologize.



She didn't have to

Easy Brownies by Margaret Ullrich

Just found out some of you don't normally use condensed milk.

The leftover milk from making the fudge created a problem for some of my readers.

Well… worry no more.

Use the leftover milk to make some brownies.



Really into chocolate?

Try this recipe for Double Chocolate Brownies.



Hint:

You might want to check the brownies after 20 minutes.

You want them to be a bit moist.

if you

Fast Fudge by Margaret Ullrich

I know fudge isn't really healthy.

I'm sorry.

But sometimes one just has to indulge.

And this is an easy recipe.



So just humour me and enjoy.

And eat an extra vegetable tomorrow.



While we're talking chocolate...

Here's a recipe for an easy fudge cake - perfect for the Fall Supper.

Yes, it's an easy recipe.



Hints:

If you don't have unsalted butter, use what you have and don't add

Anna Sultana's Baked Stuffed Lampuki - Baked Fish, Maltese Style

Since it's the Lampuki Season - at least it's the Lampuki Season in Malta - 

I thought I'd mention another lampuki recipe.

This is a baked fish recipe.

So, yes, it is a little healthier than a fried fish recipe.



If you can't find lampuki, substitute another dense fish.

Ma used bluefish and haddock.

I've used this recipe with salmon, too.



Hints:



You can place 3 strings on the

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 5 by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow is Full Moon number nine for 2013.

Just three more full moons to go.

Followed by a few new moons.

Yes, the year is just zipping by.

Yes, I'm stalling.



I'm still on the same project from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...



Make your least favourite room your favourite.



Yes, I know I've been working on it for three months, more or less.

Summers in Manitoba or short.

So

Anna Sultana's Fried Lampuki - Fried Fish, Maltese Style

In Malta its Lampuki Season.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba - the heart of Canada - it's not.

Oh, well, this is a simple fish recipe.

So, use what you have.





About lampuki…

Other names for it are dorado, mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish.

No, it's not the endangered marine mammal dolphin.



It is a surface-dwelling fish found in temperate, tropical and subtropical 

waters, such as the Caribbean

KFC Chicken Spice Recipe - Margaret Ullrich

The heart wants what the heart wants.
Well, to paraphrase that..
The mouth wants what the mouth wants.
And sometimes the mouth wants some good old KFC chicken.


About 40 years ago, while we were living in British Columbia, Paul heard a rather humorous story from his co-worker whose relatives were visiting from Fiji.
All was going well, until the little boy started to cry.
Seems he was

Anna Sultana's Bringiel Mimli II - Stuffed Eggplant, Maltese Style

Got an e mail about a recipe I posted about two years ago.

It was for Ma's Brinġiel Mimli.

That's stuffed eggplant, Maltese style.

Is there a variation?

Of course there is.



Eggplant isn't quite as popular as potatoes, tomatoes and corn.

At least not for many North Americans.

Which is a shame.



Eggplant is low in fat and carbohydrates. 

A 1998 study in Brazil found that eggplant

Anna Sultana's Bzar Ahdar Mimli II - Stuffed Green Peppers, Maltese Style

Okay.. you know what's coming.
Ma's recipe for Stuffed Green Peppers with meat is great.

But of course Ma had more than one way to stuff bell peppers.

And a good thing, too.



Some people object to eating meat.

Especially as a stuffing in a vegetable.

No problem.

Ma had a recipe for Bżar Aħdar Mimli that is meatless.



The peppers in this recipe are fried on their sides, after they have

Anna Sultana's Bzar Ahdar Mimli - Stuffed Green Peppers, Maltese Style

A few days ago I posted about Ma's Qarabali Mimli.

Ma always prepared stuffed vegetables.

Her motto was 'have bread crumbs, will stuff.'



The only vegetable Ma didn't stuff was…

No, I've seen her stuff that, too.

At least twice.





Some vegetables, like Qarabali Mimli, could be turned into a total meal.

Some vegetables just became heftier side dishes.

All were good.



Ma's Bżar Aħdar

Anna Sultana's Apple Pudding

Ah… Autumn.

What taste brings autumn to mind more than an apple does.

And there are so many different kinds!!



When apples were at their peak, Ma made Apple Pudding.

Back in the 50s and 60s, Ma mostly had to settle for macintoshes.

And that was fine.

But if you prefer a different apple - or if the store has a particular variety on sale - then buy a few kilos.





About peeling and coring

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 4 by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow will be 2013's new moon number nine.

A new moon is supposed to mean a new beginning.

I'm not ready for a new beginning.

I'm in a rut.

I'm still on the project from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...



Make your least favourite room your favourite.



Yes, I know I've been working on this for over two months.

And I'll probably still be working on this when the moon turns

Anna Sultana's Qarabali Mimli - Stuffed Zucchini, Maltese Style

While I was growing up, Pop had a garden.

Over the past forty years, I've usually had a garden.

It was just a given, a natural part of life, like having a toilet.



Pop wasn't the crunchy granola type.

I'm not the crunchy granola type.

A garden is just what one sometimes needs to cook Maltese style.



Take the ever popular zucchini.

Zucchini are usually available in grocery stores.

Yes,

Anna Sultana's Qaghaq tal-ghasel #2 - Treacle Rings, Maltese Style

I once heard that if you asked ten Jewish philosophers about a point in the Bible, you would get ten different interpretations.

Maltese cooks are like Jewish theologians.

There isn't one definite recipe for anything.

And they - the recipes - are all good.



Even Ma had a few variations on her old favourites.

I recently posted a variation Ma had on bread pudding or Pudina.

Back in 2010 I

Anna Sultana's Bread and Butter Pudding

A couple of days ago I posted a different recipe for Ma's Pudina tal-Ħobż.

Pudina was the dessert that got us through the times when Pop was out of work.

And, no, Pudina is not what most North Americans expect to be served when they hear the words 'bread pudding'.



But Maltese did learn a few recipes while we were part of the British Empire.

Especially when we visited English friends or

Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz #2 - Bread Pudding, Maltese Style

A little while ago I posted a recipe for Ma's Pudina tal-Ħobż.

The pudding that eats like a cake.

It's a great way to use up stale bread.

Waste not, want not.



Well, as with most Maltese recipes, there's more than one way to make Pudina.

And everybody has his own variation.

And they are all good.



Ma had another Pudina recipe up her sleeve.

This recipe is simpler.

Try them both. 

Anna Sultana's Zeppoli ta' san Guzepp - Fried choux pastry with sweet ricotta filling and honey coating

Back in March, 2010 I wrote about Carmela Soprano's Sfingi, and 

Ma's Zfineg ta San Ġużepp.

I wrote about them, but I didn't give the recipes. 

Yes, I know, beginner's mistake.



I had said that Sfingi and Zfineg are pretty much the same.

Both are prepared for the feast of St. Joseph.

Well, here's the recipe for Ma's Żeppoli ta' san Ġużepp.

The recipe makes about 24 to 30 Żeppoli.

Yes,

Anna Sultana's Turtle Stew, Maltese Style (Chicken Stew or Rabbit Stew)

I've been reading Yann Martel's Life of Pi.

It's an amazing book and was the source for an incredible movie.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, it's about a shipwrecked boy and a Bengal tiger trying to survive for 227 days while lost at sea in the Pacific Ocean and the boy's efforts to get food.



It's always about food.



Chapter 70 was about butchering a turtle.

Not the

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 3 by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight will be full moon number eight for 2013.

Full moons are supposed to mean a job's been completed.

Well, I'm still working on the same project I started two months ago

from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...



Make your least favourite room your favourite.



And I'll probably still be working on it when the next full moon appears.

But I feel pretty good about the progress

Anna Sultana's other Qaqocc Mimli - Stuffed Artichokes, Maltese Style

A few months ago I posted Ma's recipe for Qaqoċċ Mimli.

It's my favourite.

And I hope you enjoyed it, too.



Like I said in that post, Maltese recipes are often just a guideline.

Some folks prefer a certain flavour, like garlic.

Other folks hate a certain flavour, like garlic.

Sometimes there's a sale.

Sometimes a gardener has a good crop and wants to use it before it goes bad.





That

Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz - Bread Pudding, Maltese Style

Ma was not big on baking desserts.

Most of our meals were finished off with fresh fruit.

There were some traditional treats for the holidays.

And Maltese pastries on Sundays.



But then there was Pudina tal-Ħobż...

We had quite a bit of Pudina when Lily Tulip left College Point. 

Pop was out of work.

Every week he'd bring home a few bags of day-old bread.

Ma would turn them into Pudina

Anna Sultana's Stuffat tal-Qarnit - Octopus Stew, Maltese Style l Octopus Information

Okay, some fish can be easily replaced.

Bluefish can replace lampuki in Ma's recipes.

Haddock is another good substitute.





But, then there is the octopus situation.

Ma sometimes made Stuffat tal-Qarnit - Qarnit Stew.  

Qarnit is Maltese for octopus.  



Octopus is the stuff of legend.

And sometimes the stuff of science fiction.

Check out It Came from Beneath the Sea, a dandy 1955

Anna Sultana's Lampuki and Qara' baghli biz-zalza pikkanti - Fish and Marrows with Piquant Sauce, Maltese Style

One of the things Paul and I have done during summers is fishing.

Our first catfish was a real adventure, both to catch and to eat.

We're not artsy when it comes to fish.

We don't mount them as souvenirs.

We eat them.





When people move to another country they often have to face a change in diet.

Sometimes it's obvious - spaghetti in Italy, tacos in Mexico.

A more subtle problem is the

Anna Sultana's Pixxispad Mixwi - Grilled Swordfish, Maltese Style

A while ago I posted Carmela's recipe for Tonno alla Griglia.

Tuna Steaks with Lemon and Oregano.

It's an excellent recipe for the barbecue.



Ma had a recipe for Grilled Swordfish.

She couldn't easily find it, either.



Ah… swordfish.

It's something guaranteed to bring a smile to my local butcher/fish monger.

He gets a laugh whenever I ask for exotic ingredients.

Swordfish is exotic

Anna Sultana's Bebbux bl-Arjoli - Land Snails or Seafood with Hot Arjoli Sauce, Maltese Style

Ma's recipe for Bebbux bl-Arjoli is one of my most popular posts.

If you haven't tried it, it's a recipe for Snails with Arjoli Sauce.

Yes, snails.

But it's a very good sauce recipe.



This is a slightly different recipe.

Try both and see which you prefer.



In Malta snails are collected after the first Autumn rains in mid-October.

Then the snails are starved before being cooked.  

This

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 2 by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight will be new moon number eight for 2013.


It's been a whole month since the last full moon.

And I'm still working on the same project I started a month ago

from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...



Make your least favourite room your favourite.



I'm still working in baby steps.

That room is not really that big.

There's just so much crap in it.





The worst of it is over.

Anna Sultana's Ful bit-tewm - Broad Beans and Garlic, Maltese Style

Got an e mail…

Is there a Maltese recipe that is good for serving broad beans cold?

Yes, of course.



Bigilla, which is also prepared from broad beans, is best served hot. 

But broad beans can be cooked in advance and served cold.



For the Ful bit-tewm recipe the beans are not mashed.

It would be messy on a cracker.

But it can be served cold as a protein side dish with a salad.



It can

Anna Sultana's Fazola bit-tewm - Butter Beans with Garlic, Maltese Style

Sometimes the easiest meal is the best meal.

Especially when it's hot.

Instead of a hot meal, serve a healthy light cold spread.

A nutritious dip with some bread and fresh vegetables can be just enough.



Ma's dips were protein packed.  

Her Bigilla was to us what peanut butter is to a North American kid.



Bigilla is a bean dip that can be served with crackers or raw vegetables.  

It's

Anna Sultana's Froga tat-Tarja - Spaghetti Omelette, Maltese Style

In addition to Barbuljata, Ma had another quickie egg meal.

Froġa tat-Tarja, Spaghetti Omelette.

It takes a little longer, but not much.



Apparently Spaghetti Omelette is popular in Italy, too.

Back in 2010, when I started comparing Carmela Soprano's recipes to Ma's recipes, 

I posted about Carmela's Spaghetti Pie.

It's similar to Ma's recipe, but it is a bit more complicated.

And more

Anna Sultana's Barbuljata - Scrambled Eggs, Maltese Style

It's summer.

It's hot.

People still want to eat.

Bummer.





Ma had days when cooking was the last thing she wanted to do, too.

Either it was too hot, or she was catching up with a pile of chores.



Vegetables were no problem.

Something fresh from the garden or some leftover cooked vegetables.

Starch was easy, too.

Fresh bread or some leftover pasta or timpana.



Meat usually took the

Who Do You Think You Are? by Margaret Ullrich

Monday is Full Moon number seven for 2013.

Usually I like seeing full moons.

Well... not this month.





I was so confident after reading Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life.

Tisha made getting rid of the crap in my house sound so easy.

Each project had been covered in a couple of pages.

A couple of pages should have translated into a couple of days to finish a job, right?

Wrong.



I

Anna Sultana's Imqaret - Deep-fried Date Slices, Maltese Style l Jelly Doughnuts

Some of Ma's recipes were similar to those my Sicilian Aunts cooked.

And some were similar to what our German neighbours cooked.

Hard to believe?

Ma said Mrs. Kekelia's German rouladen reminded her of Maltese bragoli.





But there are a few recipes that we Maltese can claim as strictly our own.

One such recipe is the one for our imqaret.



Imqaret is kind of like a jelly doughnut.

Jelly

Anna Sultana's Timpana - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

Got a few e mails asking when I was going to post recipes again.

Especially Ma's recipes.

So, it's time to get away from my least favourite room.

To be honest, I was looking for any excuse to take a break.

How do you think it became my least favourite room?





Back in 2010, when I started comparing Carmela Soprano's recipes to what Ma cooked, I was a little carefree about giving actual

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room by Margaret Ullrich

Monday night will be new moon number seven for 2013.

New Moons are supposed to mean a new beginning.

Yeah, well, this new beginning is going to need some more time.



I'm still working through this item from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life. 

I've been working on this phase two item for the past couple of weeks.

That's why I haven't been posting any recipes.





I have to admit that

Canada Day, Moving, Mad Men and Parenting by Margaret Ullrich

Happy 146th Birthday, Canada!!

On March 1, 2013 Paul and I had celebrated the thirty-sixth anniversary of our moving from our apartment to our first house in Winnipeg.

And today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of our moving to our present home.



After you get to a certain age, it feels like every day is a special day.

Not just because, Surprise!, you've made it to another day.

But because

Nearer My God to Thee by Margaret Ullrich

A couple of weeks ago I took the advice of the folks at astrology.com and tried to create a plan for applying feng shui to my home.

Well, within limits…

Yesterday was the first day of summer.

Tomorrow is Full Moon number six for 2013.

June is the time for folks in Winnipeg to plant their gardens.

Plants need a bit of time to get settled in before July's heat bakes the life out of them.

So

Beer Can in Chicken's Butt Barbecue Recipe - Margaret Ullrich

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Father's Day.

It was about how Dads have changed since the 1950s.



I also talked a bit about Dads barbecuing…

     Speaking of the kitchen, a Dad's cooking used to be basic.  Raw meat plus fire produced small hard hockey pucks served with ketchup and relish in a bun.  Raw onion slices were added for the July first weekend.  Up to now the most exciting

Carmela Soprano's Panzerotti - Neopolitan Style Potato Croquettes

Happy Father's Day!



This is really it.

The last Soprano recipe.

And what a perfect ending.

The recipe for Panzerotti - Neopolitan Potato Croquettes - is from Junior's chapter The Soprano Family Tradition in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



Panzerotti are a bit heavy.

But that's what an immigrant family wanted for dinner.

Something that made you feel full, like you'd really eaten

Carmela Soprano's Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers

Father's Day is this weekend.

Yes, we've covered main courses.

And we've touched on desserts.

Now for a vegetable.



You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Paulie Walnuts has a sweet side.

He said he often makes a potatoes and egg sandwich to improve the guys' morale.

They are in a high stress line of work, after all.



His chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Pinoli - Pignoli Cookies

I can't believe it.

We've come to Carmela's final dessert recipe.

And it's really simple.

Only four ingredients.



The big surprise is that the recipe is in Bobby Bacala's chapter If I Couldn't Eat, 

I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



Yes, Bobby's recipes are often in the The recipe is interesting to read,

but I'd f**king die if I had to go to the trouble to

Carmela Soprano's Chicken Francese - Fried Chicken in Wine Sauce, Italian Style

Further thoughts on Father's Day…

Sometimes a Dad thinks it's loads of fun to show off at the grill.

And sometimes a Dad has a 'Been there, done that' attitude about being the chef.

Either that, or he's figured out he was doing some actual work.



Humour him.

It is his day.

A simple main course for the family will be just fine.

And you don't have to spend all day in the kitchen, either.

My Bedroom, My Sanctuary by Margaret Ullrich

Time is just flying by, in a good way.

Tonight we'll have new moon number six for 2013.

Yes, the new moon is the blacked out moon.

Still... gotta love a new beginning, even if we can't really see it.





I've been trying to follow Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life.

Yes, I'm still going at my prenatal rate.

And I'm not quite following her plan exactly.

Tisha did say: …if and when you

Carmela Soprano's Tonno alla Griglia - Grilled Tuna Steaks or Chicken Breast

Tomorrow is Friday.

It's a good time to prepare Carmela's final fish recipe.



The recipe for Tonno alla Griglia - Tuna Steaks with Lemon and Oregano - is in 

Tony's chapter Grilling - Italian Style in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Yes, I know it's not Lent, but fish is good for you.

And this is another recipe for the barbecue.





I must have eaten a hundred times my weight in

Carmela Soprano's Almond Torte with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate Glaze

Father's Day is coming.

It's time to buy a gift.

Gather the family.

Feed the family.



Now, lots of Dads love to show off at the grill.

Perfect.  That takes care of the main course.

All you have to do is provide a suitably festive dessert.

No, a bucket of ice cream won't quite cut it.



Artie's wife Charmaine has a chapter called Cooking for the Whole Famiglia 

in The Sopranos Family

Father's Day by Margaret Ullrich

     People talk about how Christmas has changed over the years.  Well, I think Father's Day has changed even more than Christmas has.



     In the fifties, Father's Day was pretty simple.  It was a snap to shop for Dads.  Moms were hard.  There were so many different toilet waters.  Lipstick colours changed every year.  One year Lucille Ball Red was popular.  The next year every lady was

Carmela Soprano's Fried Veal Cutlets or Chicken Breasts

The Fried Veal Cutlets is the recipe I suggested you serve on Thursday.

Today is Thursday.

Here's the recipe.





Paulie Walnuts didn't cook fancy complicated dishes like Artie did.

His recipe for Fried Veal Cutlets in his chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook is easier than Artie's recipe for Veal Piccata with Capers.

But it's just as good.

And, if you didn't buy the

Carmela Soprano's Spiedini - Stuffed Veal or Chicken Rolls l Menu Planning for One or Two

In the old days (okay, when I was a kid) food was packaged on site, as per your order.

You'd look through a glass pane and see a display of meat, of all sizes and shapes.

Ah, there!  You'd see a few chops and point out the exact ones you wanted.

Two, four, six, thin or thick cut, lean or fatty… all according to your choice.



In the twenty-first century meat is usually sold pre-packaged.

Carmela Soprano's Veal Piccata with Capers l Chicken Piccata

A couple of weeks ago I posted the recipe for Carmela Soprano's Swordfish Rolls.

I admitted to using chicken breasts for the Rollatine di Pesce Spada recipe.

You can substitute for some ingredients in a recipe.

And then there are some ingredients you can't substitute.

Usually it's the spices.



The recipe for Rollatine di Pesce Spada called for capers.

I admit capers are not as commonly

The Mall of America, a Tornado and Feng Shui by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow is Full Moon number five for 2013.

My first Full Moon since turning 63.

All in all, it's been a very good month.



Paul and I went on a small trip to the National Model Railroaders Association's Convention in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis.

It was nice seeing friends we hadn't seen for a year.

The Convention was held at the Best Western Mall of America, across the street from

Carmela Soprano's Bistecca Florentina - Porterhouse Steak Florentine style

Summer in Manitoba is a very short season.

We're cooped up for most of the year.

No one likes to go out when it's -40º.

Yes, -40º is just as cold in either C or F.

So, when it's summer, we want to get out.



The swordfish recipe I found in Tony's chapter Grilling - Italian Style in Artie's 

The Sopranos Family Cookbook was an education, if not a practical recipe.



But there was a nice

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies

The three fancy dessert recipes which I posted recently - Torta Caprese, Tortoni, 

and Pear and Grappa Pound Cake - were nice for Mother's Day.

But sometimes you just want a light dessert.

Especially when the thermometer is rising.





Bobby Bacala's chapter If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's 

The Sopranos Family Cookbook has something for everybody.

Yes, some of his

Carmela Soprano's Rollatine di Pesce Spada - Swordfish or Chicken Breast Rolls / Swordfish, Mackerel, Tuna and Shrimp

The weather here in Manitoba has finally made up its mind.

It's Spring - time for some barbecuing.

Tomorrow's Friday.

Why not fire up the grill for some fish?



I found a recipe for grilled Swordfish rolls - Rollatine di Pesce Spada - in 

Tony's chapter Grilling - Italian Style in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.





So I went to the butcher/fish monger at my local market.

He usually

Carmela Soprano's Sfinciuni - Sicilian Onion Pizza (for 10 or 50)

About a month ago I posted a pizza recipe from Charmaine Bucco's chapter 

Cooking for the Whole Famiglia in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



Charmaine has another pizza recipe: Sfinciuni - Sicilian Onion Pizza.

This recipe is a little different from the other recipe.

It's in her chapter, so here it is.



Most likely Charmaine cooked it when Carmela was feeling a bit low.

It's a

Mother's Day by Margaret Ullrich

     Isn't it great.  Mother Nature has finally realized it's Spring!



     Parents in the wild weren't confused by the crazy weather we've been having.  We live in a cul de sac near farmers' fields in the north end of Winnipeg.  Geese and ducks have been making nests and babies in our local ponds.  We've been watching bush bunnies chase each other like race horses at the track.  Our kitchen

Carmela Soprano's Arancini (Rice Balls) / Saffron Substitute / Testing a deep fryer

Some people really like to pull out all the stops when company is coming.

A few loaves of crusty Italian bread just won't do.

Well, it takes all kinds.





Artie's chapter Mia Cucina in The Sopranos Family Cookbook has quite a few impressive and time-consuming recipes.

His recipe for Arancini - Rice Balls  - takes a bit of effort.

But, if you have an in-law who'll give you grief over being

Carmela Soprano's Pollo Cacciatore al Forno - Baked Chicken Caccitore (for 4 or 50)

The desserts I posted this week - Torta Caprese, Pear and Grappa Pound Cake and

Tortoni are great, both for special and regular meals.

But they aren't really a meal in themselves.

Time to find a main course.





Charmaine Bucco, Artie's better half, has a chapter in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook that has recipes which are perfect for big family meals.

Her recipe for Baked Chicken

A Solar Eclipse Done Told Me by Margaret Ullrich

Okay…  I've been 63 for a week.

All in all, it was a pretty good week.



The snow is gone.

Mother Nature has finally decided to go into her Spring mode.

Yes, we still have to get through a few below-freezing nights.

But we're used to that in the prairies.

I won't plant my garden until after June first.

That's one lesson I, a former easterner, learned the hard way.



Last weekend I enjoyed

Carmela Soprano's Tortoni - Almond Cream Dessert

Carmela's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake is fine for the adults.

But family get-togethers also often include kiddies.

And you wouldn't believe the trouble an Aunt can get into if a niece or nephew

mentions, during show and tell, that he'd been given some rum.

Not worth the hassle.





Bobby Bacala has a kiddie friendly dessert recipe, Tortoni, in his chapter

If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake

Okay… there are families.

And then there are families.

Some families are better faced with a bit of lubrication.

In one form or another.





Carmela's Mom is Sicilian.

So were some of my Aunts.

Some of our family get-togethers were a bit tense.

Nobody pulled out a knife or a piece.

But the bottles of wine and liquor were handy.

Just to keep the family lubricated.





Carmela's chapter

Carmela Soprano's Torta Caprese - Capri Chocolate Almond Cake / How to Separate Eggs

Mother's Day is this Sunday.

Time to make a nice dessert if you've invited Mom to a family dinner.

A dessert that can serve a crowd, if you know what I mean.



Bobby Bacala doesn't have Paulie Walnuts' reputation as a Mama's boy.

But Bobby does have some fantastic dessert recipes in his chapter

If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.





I know

Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti Puttanesca - Whore's Style Spaghetti

Tomorrow's my birthday.

I'm still a little rattled by the Jay Leno turning 63 kerfuffle.

I could do with a heavy dose of carbs.

it's time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

I know she is nowhere near 63.

But she always tries to help, no matter how old her client is.



Bingo!!

Jennifer's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family

Carmela Soprano's Chicken Scarpariello - Chicken and Sausage Casserole

Sunday dinner with the family.

You just know somebody is going to complain.

It's best to have a sort of 'surf and turf' main course.

Something for everybody.  More or less...





There's a something for everybody main course in Artie's chapter Mia Cucina 

in The Sopranos Family Cookbook: Chicken Scarpariello.

Maybe Artie and Charmaine had invited a few relatives to dinner.

Some wanted

Anna Sultana's Qaqocc Mimli - Stuffed Artichokes, Maltese Style

I recently posted Paulie Walnuts' recipe, Stuffed Artichokes - Carciofi Ripieni.

It's okay, but I mentioned I prefer my Ma's recipe.



When I started posting Carmela's and Ma's recipes, I wasn't too exact.

I had posted Ma's recipe for stuffed vegetables, more or less.

Okay… way less.  I'm sorry.

So, of course, I got some e mails.





Maltese recipes, except for cakes and pastries, are often

I'm Turning 63 by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow is Full Moon number four for 2013.

It's also my last Full Moon before I hit 63.

Next week is my birthday.

So it goes.



Recently NBC announced that Jimmy Fallon will be hosting The Tonight Show. 

They said that Jay Leno was ready to retire.

As further explanation, they mentioned that Leno was in his mid 60s.



Excuse me?

Jay Leno was born on April 28, 1950.

He is three days

Carmela Soprano's Carciofi Ripieni (Stuffed Artichokes) l Vegetable Stuffing Recipe

Today is Earth Day.

I'm old enough to say I've seen them all.

Okay, it's not like being able to say "I've seen every Christmas".

But still, it makes me feel like I've been part of an era.

Yeah, it doesn't take much.





When the first Earth Day was held in 1970 I was a student at Pratt Institute.

Classes were cancelled for the day.

We had a big inflated balloon on campus.

We entered it,

Carmela Soprano's Tortellini in Brodo - Tortellini in Broth l Broth Recipe

Junior's Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans) is a basic staple.

As are most of the recipes on his chapter.



Then there is Artie's chapter Mia Cucina in The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Don't get me wrong.

The recipes are good.

They are just, well, not always regular people friendly.



Tortellini in Brodo - Tortellini in  Broth - is an example of this.

A great recipe from the sound of it.

It's

Carmela Soprano's Pasta Fagioli - Pasta and Beans l Preparing Dried Beans

April… Taxes… Oy!!

Stlll, a person has to eat.

Maybe not so high off the hog.

Not after filling out those tax forms.

But that doesn't mean you can't eat something delicious.



As I've said before, Junior's recipes in his chapter The Soprano Family Tradition in 

Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook are really basic, right off the boat recipes.

Here's a classic: Pasta Fagioli - Pasta and

Anna Sultana's Pizza, Maltese Style

While I was growing up, pizza was a regular meal.

Not the round pizza in the frozen food section or the pizza we see in commercials

for take out or delivery vendors.

Just a simple, homemade pizza.

Easier, and maybe healthier, than Carmela Soprano's Pizza.



I couldn't say how many this would feed.

Sometimes it was the main course.

Sometimes it just added a bit of heft to a soup dinner.

Carmela Soprano's Baba au Rhum - Rum Cake

Years ago, when Eaton's was still in business, I bought a tin of Baba au Rhum.

We quite enjoyed them.

It was a nice surprise to find the recipe in Bobby Bacala's chapter

If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



Baba au Rhum sounds rather exotic and difficult.

If you've made monkey bread, you've made a G-rated Baba au Rhum.

Now it's time to make

Carmela Soprano's Polipetti in Salsa di Pomodoro - Baby Octopus in Tomato Sauce l Preparing Octopus and Friselle

A few days ago I was posting 'I'll never make that' recipes for relaxation.

Well, here's another one.

Unless baby octopus is a common item in your neighbourhood.





The librarian, Natalie Del Greco, had written an interesting chapter called

Cooking the Neapolitan Way for Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Octopus is a common food in Mediterranean and Portuguese cuisine.

So I guess

Carmela Soprano's Pizza - Ah Beetz'

There's a new moon tonight.

Sometimes a new moon means it's the perfect time to do something new.

And sometimes it's the perfect time to enjoy an old favourite.



Charmaine Bucco's chapter Cooking for the Whole Famiglia in Artie's

The Sopranos Family Cookbook has some nice realistic recipes.

No Penne alla Vodka for Charmaine.

Gather your family and friends and enjoy some Pizza.



Hint:

An

Our Forty-first Wedding Anniversary by Margaret Ullrich

Time….

On Good Friday there was a Harry Potter marathon.

Oh, they were so little when the series started!



Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third in the Harry Potter series.

In it Harry and Hermione time travel using Hermione's time-turning device.

She got it so she could take two classes at the same time.

Yeah, Hermione would want to do that.



They went back in time to

Carmela Soprano's Scungilli in Hot Tomato Sauce l Preparing Conch and Friselle

The turkey leftovers are getting on everyone's nerves.

And the sugar and caffeine from the chocolate isn't helping either.

Time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.



Jennifer's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a recipe for conch.

The recipe is simple enough.

It's just a bit of a hassle to find scungilli.

Especially

Carmela Soprano's Baccala Pizzaiola - Salt Cod Pizzamaker's Style

Tomorrow is Friday.

Lent is over.

And there's still turkey to finish off.



Junior's recipe for Baccala Pizzaiola - Salt Cod Pizzamaker's Style - in his chapter 

The Soprano Family Tradition in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook

is another of the 'I'll never make that' recipes.



The recipe itself isn't hard.

But, salt cod is pretty much a distant memory.

Junior would have remembered

Carmela Soprano's Mille Foglie - Napoleons / Pastry Cream Filling

There is a ton of Easter leftovers in the fridge.

And another ton of chocolate bunnies, eggs and assorted shapes on the counter.

No need to do any baking now.

Perfect time to sit down and read an 'I'll never make that' recipe for relaxation.



And where better to find a recipe like that than in Bobby Bacala's chapter

If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's The Sopranos Family

The Promise of Easter....

May joy fill your day,

Hope light your path,

And the many blessings of Easter
warm your heart....

Wishing you a Happy Easter!!



Thank you for visiting!

Sweetened Condensed Milk Cheesecake, with and without fruit / Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk - Margaret Ullrich

Holy Saturday!

No, I'm not swearing.

Tomorrow is Easter.



Everything is ready for the family's feast.

Yeah, sure… you just got a phone call.

Would it be alright if a few more people joined your festivities?

You don't want to trash all the goodness you've developed over Lent.

I mean, you could drop dead right now and go straight up.

Sure, what's a few extra mouths… I mean… welcome

Carmela Soprano's Insalata di Mare / Seafood Salad with Dressing (for 6 or 50)

Tomorrow is Good Friday.

Time for another fish recipe.



I really like the recipes in Charmaine Bucco's chapter, Cooking for the Whole Famiglia 

in her husband Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Charmaine gives recipes for a regular crowd and for when you've invited all the
in-laws, cousins and relatives over.

As often happens during the holidays.

Like Easter.





Charmaine's recipe for

Carmela Soprano's Calamari Ripieni / Stuffed Squid in Tomato Sauce

Today is the start of Passover, an important time for the Jewish people.

On Friday it will be Good Friday, and on Sunday it will be Easter.

It's almost the end of Lent!





This isn't just a special time for folks of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Tomorrow is Holi, a Spring festival celebrated by Hindus as a festival of colours.

The backstory is that viruses and colds are caused by Spring's

Carmela Soprano's Cassata / Iced Sponge Cake with Ricotta Filling l Palm Sunday Customs

It's Palm Sunday!

And almost everybody has fresh palm leaves to prove it!



In Malta, on Ħadd il-Palm, both palm leaves and olive leaves are used.

Many parishes there have a shrine of 'Jesus prays in the Olive Garden' (Ġesù fl-Ort).

In memory of that, people take a small branch of olive to their homes.



In Italy palm leaves and small olive branches are also used.

These are placed above

Carmela Soprano's Salmon Steaks with Avocado Salsa

Today is another Friday in Lent.

But we're in the home stretch.

Only another week to go until Easter.





Lent is a good time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

She can't absolve us of our guilt, but she does try to help in her own way.



Dr. Jennifer Melfi's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in in Artie's

The Sopranos Family Cookbook actually has some

Anna Sultana's Pane di Pasqua all 'Uovo / Italian Easter Sweet Bread

The First Day of Spring!!



I have to admit Spring in Manitoba is not the same as Spring in Queens, New York.

There's something about shovelling snow and slipping on ice that just doesn't make it feel springlike.

Oh, well... the calendar says it's Spring, so, it's Spring.





While I miss the New York Spring weather, there are some things I don't miss.

My family's Easter celebrations were

Carmela Soprano's St. Joseph Zeppole / Yeast Proofing

Tomorrow is St. Joseph's Day!!

Now we're talking celebrating, Mediterranean style!!





In Entertaining with The Sopranos there was a recipe for Sfingi,  

also called St. Joseph's Day Zeppole.

Carmela Soprano called it Sfingi, Anna Sultana called it Zfineg.

For St. Joseph, the Sopranos and the Sultanas are one.



Sfingi / Zfineg is a tiny ball of puff pastry, fried like a doughnut ball,

Potato and Cabbage Casserole for St. Patrick's Day - Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.

As the patron saint of Ireland, well, he wasn't exactly a biggie in Mediterranean circles.

Still, we ought to prepare something to remember him by.

I mean, he is a saint, and still on the calendar.



When I was growing up in College Point I had many Irish neighbours.

The big debate among my classmates was whether the proper meal was
corned beef and cabbage or

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti Regina (Sesame Cookies) / Cookies for Lent

I know this is Lent.

Strictly speaking we should confine ourselves to very plain fare.

And no desserts.



Well… There are ways to get around that.

Think it through.

We're allowed bread and pasta, which are made from flour.

Eggs are an economical source of protein.

Cookies are made from flour and eggs.



So, if we make very plain cookies, like Carmela Soprano's Quaresimali or

Ma's

Carmela Soprano's Ravioli alla Bucco / Anna Sultana's Ravjul and Ravjuletti

Sometimes recipes, like Melfi's Minestrone, are quick.

And sometimes recipes aren't.

Artie's Ravioli alla Bucco, in his chapter Mia Cucina in The Sopranos Family Cookbook, 

is one that takes a bit of time.





Ravioli, like pyrogies, is basically dumplings.

Making things like ravioli can be a sociable event.

Our parish, which has a Polish base, has pyrogy making days.

Especially before

Carmela Soprano's Baked Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon and Oregano

Today Daylight Savings Time begins for Canadians, except if you live in Saskatchewan.

As I mentioned a little while ago, Saskatchewan doesn't get as much notice as other Canadian provinces.

Which is a shame, because it has a lot of history and a certain quirky charm.




Growing up, Sunday always was a day for friends and family to gather.
So, Sunday is a perfect time to go to Carmela's chapter

Carmela Soprano's Giambotta - Meatless Vegetable Stew

Friday in Lent.

Time to eat fish.

Or a nice vegetarian dinner.



Whenever I want a taste of what I had as a kid, I turn to Junior's chapter The Soprano Family Tradition in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Nice basic dishes that folks off the boat survived on until they settled into the country.

Nothing fancy, just healthy and filling.

Lots of pasta with seasonal vegetables.



And

Carmela Soprano's Calamari Fritti (Fried Calamari) / Maltese klamar mimli / Squid information

Past a certain age, we can't exactly eat whatever we want.

If you're a Catholic of a certain age, you remember when The Church also had a say in your meals, especially during Lent.

There was a time when Wednesdays in Lent were also meatless days for Catholics.

If you don't remember those days, well, there'll be another Friday in Lent.

Or just another day when you'd like some seafood.

Carmela Soprano's Pasta all' Amatriciana (Bucatini Amatrice - Style) / Pasta and Bacon varieties

March may have come in like a lamb.

But it can't  seem to make up its mind.

Hope you didn't pack away your toques and mittens just yet.





Eating out is a funny thing.

There are some folks who love to try something they've never had before.

To be honest, some of the latest in food recipes seem to me a little out there.

But, what the heck, everybody needs a little excitement in his life.

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions (for 4 or 50)

Okay… travelling is nice but it's time to get back to the recipes.

March has just come in like a lamb, thank goodness!

As the days get longer, they just seem to fly.

Before you know it, it's going to be April.



I don't know what it is about April in Manitoba but it always is a very busy month.

Churches have teas, couples have socials, families have gatherings.

Maybe it's just that we're

Little House on the Prairie in Winnipeg by Margaret Ullrich

Sunday's Academy Awards had a salute to James Bond.

Fifty years of hearing someone saying "Bond… James Bond."

And fifty years of listening to Bond theme songs!

It was great to see Dame Shirley Bassey belt out the Bond classic Goldfinger.

This year's Skyfall was a nice Bond song, too.



Bond was based on William Stephenson, from Winnipeg's Point Douglas area.

Let's hear it for James Bond,

Barefoot in the Park in Winnipeg by Margaret Ullrich

Last summer I posted about our move to British Columbia in 1972.

I explained that I had been deeply impressed by seeing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's 

movie The Long, Long Trailer when I was in elementary school.

Inspired by Lucy's adventure, I was sure that one day I, too, would live in a trailer.





A few years later, Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park premiered on Broadway in 1963.

That

Regina - Qu'Appelle - Moosomin - Brandon - Portage la Prairie - Winnipeg by Margaret Ullrich

Last Sunday we watched the 85th Academy Awards, hosted by Seth MacFarlane.

Lots of old favourites.

And many Taurus stars, I was proud and happy to notice.



The Oscars show is a regular 'must see' show for us.

On April 10, 1972, two days after we had married, we were watching The Oscars.

Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jack Lemmon were hosting.

The French Connection was the

Lethbridge to Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw to Regina by Margaret Ullrich

Waking in Lethbridge thirty-eight years ago was a good thing.
We had slept well the night before.
Supper at a normal hour, no paint fumes, no more mountains to drive through.
Lethbridge in 1975 was a quiet town, with half the population it has now.




The mild chinook winds were making Alberta quite comfortable that February.
We drove 51 km northeast to Taber, the intersection of Highway 3 and

Trail to Crowsnest Pass to Lethbridge, Alberta by Margaret Ullrich

One day down… Three more to go...

The paint fumes combined with the stress of driving through mountains got to us.

We asked the motel clerk where we could get something for our stomachs.

He pointed out the drug store, and we got some gravol.

After we paid our bill, the clerk said there had been an avalanche the week before.

We really didn't need to know that.



Driving up the hill to

Surrey to Hope to Osoyoos to Trail by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow is the second full moon of 2013.

In 2011 and 2012 we were having mild winters.

Well, mild for Winnipeg winters.

There wasn't much snow.

We had thought that was due to global warming.

Nope, just a fluke.



This year we're having a more normal Winnipeg winter.

An exposed skin freezes in a matter of seconds winter.

We had replaced our windows last year.

Now, thanks to the

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta Cheesecake / Uses for Ricotta

A little while ago I posted Carmela's Ricotta-Pineapple Pie.

And, yes, I do like it better than Carmela's New Jersey Cheesecake.

It's an almost guilt-free cheesecake.



Ricotta is low in fat.

It is similar in texture to cottage cheese, but lighter.

And, like cottage cheese, it is a dieter's friend.



It can be a substitute for mayonnaise in egg or tuna salad.

It can be used as a sauce

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Rustica recipe / Pizza Gaina / Italian Easter Pie with Ricotta and Meat

It's Louis Riel Day in Manitoba.

Family Day in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

We're also in the Church season of Lent.

That means Easter is coming.

That means it's time to make traditional recipes.

Remember: 

For the traditionalist, holy day does not mean holiday.





Some readers told me that I hadn't given a proper recipe for Pizza Rustica.

It's an Easter recipe in Entertaining with

Carmela Soprano's New Jersey Cheesecake recipe / Graham Wafer Crust

The post about Carmela Soprano's Ricotta-Pineapple Pie got some folks curious.

Curious enough to request the recipe for Carmela's New Jersey Cheesecake.

Yes, the post I did in 2010 did not have an actual recipe.

All it had was a beginner blogger getting herself into a lot of trouble.





Back to the cookbook Entertaining with The Sopranos… 

Here's the straight recipe.

No wisecracks.

I've

Carmela Soprano's Uova in Purgatorio - Eggs in Purgatory / Valentine's Day Traditions

Happy Valentine's Day!

January's flower is the carnation.

The carnation should have been the flower for February.

The deeper red carnation represent true and lasting love.

Deep pink and light red symbolize a relationship full of admiration and respect.





In Korea, young girls braid three carnations in their hair so they'll be lucky in love.

Live outside of Korea but you're looking for

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake)

I haven't posted a dessert recipe in quite a while.

Well, what with trying to drop the holiday pounds, it didn't seem like a good idea.

But Valentine's Day is coming up.

And what's a Valentine's Day without a dessert?





Carmela's chapter Feeding my Family in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a nice dessert recipe.

Ricotta - Pineapple Pie.

This recipe comes highly recommended by

Carmela Soprano's Chicken with Parsley Crumbs / Chinese New Year Traditions

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year - the Year of the Snake!

The festivities last until the full moon rises, about 2 weeks from now.

Plenty of time to party hearty!!





There are many different traditions observed over the New Year period:

• Decorate your house with apricot and peach blossoms, 

                 symbols of new beginnings.

• Share a New Year’s feast: enjoy uncut

Carmela Soprano's Pasta e Patate - Pasta and Potatoes

Those were three very nice recipes for Valentine's Day.

But we're still in the middle of winter.

And sometimes nothing hits the spot like a big plate of carbs.





In Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook, Junior's chapter, The Soprano Family Tradition, is my go to chapter for memory meals.

When a family is right off the boat there are so many things that have to be bought.

Clothes, bedding

Carmela Soprano's Veal Scaloppine Marsala with Risotto

Talking about Carmela's Truffle Risotto and Ma's Risotto got me thinking…

Valentine's Day doesn't have to mean a special trip to the store.

With a little extra effort, something from the freezer can be something special.





There's a couple's dinner in Adriana's chapter Cibo D'Amore in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook that I actually believe Adriana could afford to prepare often.

I mean,

Carmela Soprano's Shrimp Scampi - Shrimp in Garlic Butter Sauce

Ah, yes, a Tad's steak dinner was once the food of love.

It was our weekly date dinner.

But, we're not teenagers any more. 

And we'd like to get older.

Which means watching our cholesterol.

And saving steaks for extra extra extra special occasions.





Think that means folks over 60 can't celebrate Valentine's Day in style?

No way.

Adriana La Cerva's chapter Cibo D'Amore has something

Carmela Soprano's Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Today is Groundhog Day.

No, you don't have to cook one.

And, if you live in Manitoba, the shadow doesn't make any difference.

We will have winter weather for another couple of months.

At the very least.

Makes Groundhog Day a waste of time for the groundhog, 

but what else does he have to do?





Groundhog Day is a reminder that we have to get ready for Valentine's Day.

Even though Carmela

Carmela Soprano's Caesar Salad and Homemade Croutons (for 6 or 50)

There are salads... and then there are salads.



Caesar Salad is a classic.

And a potential slapstick comedy routine.

Who could forget Lucy trying to make one while in a moving trailer in

the 1954 movie The Long Long Trailer?



Even though Lucy's movie was one of the major influences on my life,

I'd never gotten around to making a Caesar Salad.

No, I don't know why.



Charmaine Bucco,

Carmela Soprano's Minestrone using Canned Vegetable Soup

Carmela's, excuse me, Paulie's Chicken Soup with Orzo is a fine, homemade recipe.

I'm sure everyone's got a version of the recipe in the family.



But, sometimes you want, no... need, soup in less than 3 hours.

No problem.



Time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

And just as much in a rush as the rest of us.





There's a fine quickie soup recipe in Jennifer's

Winnipeg Bound in 1975 by Margaret Ullrich

Today is the first full moon of 2013.

The full moon usually means the end of a moon's cycle.

In 1975 it was the end of the cycle of our living in British Columbia.



We had just been through a rather strange few months.

The previous July we had gone camping in Alberta.

Saw the Stampede in Calgary… camped in the parks… toured Edmonton.



We liked Edmonton quite a bit.

We even toyed with the

Uncrate the Sun at Winnipeg Mardi Gras by Margaret Ullrich

Winter in Manitoba...

If you're of a certain age, and weren't a snowbird, you remember when Eaton's held the Uncrate the Sun event every winter at about this time.

For a few days we'd pretend we were someplace warm.

Spain... Mexico… warm, with different, spicy food.

I mean, how many pyrogies can anyone eat?





Last week Paul and I attended a food tasting event for Winnipeg Mardi Gras.

A

Carmela Soprano's Homemade Chicken Soup with Orzo

Paulie had a point about soup warming collective cockles.

I mean, it is January.

Another nice thing about soup is it is a budget stretcher.

Like I said, it is January. 





My Ma usually balked at the prices charged for chicken breasts, legs and thighs.

So she'd buy whole chickens and cut and cook the pieces she wanted.

The parts she didn't want, like the wings and backs, she'd store in the

Obama, Death, Ma and Emeril Lagasse by Margaret Ullrich

Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. 

The inauguration was one of the world's most watched events.

A New Birth of Freedom, a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, was the theme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln.





January 20, 2009 was also the day my father died.

It wasn't totally a surprise.

He had been in poor

Carmela Soprano's Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches / Potato Omelet

No, I didn't forget.

So you can stop e mailing.



A little while ago I mentioned that Paulie Walnuts had said that he makes the guys a potatoes and eggs sandwich to improve their morale.

He also said:  I like to cook for my friends and associates at work. On a cold day down at the shop, I'll cook up a nice beans and 'shcarole soup and warm our collective cockles, so to speak.



Why he didn't

Carmela Soprano's Bistecca Pizzaiola, Steak Pizzamaker's style

It's too soon to pull out those turkey leftovers.

Every time you go near the freezer, some wise guy starts to cluck.

The gang wants meat.

So, let 'em have it.





Cooking The Neapolitan Way in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook, was written 

by Ms. Natalie Del Greco, a Newark librarian.

She gave a nice bit of history about Naples and its food.

She described Neapolitan food as being

Carmela Soprano's Amaretti - Almond Macaroons (Cookies)

Everything in moderation.

Including moderation.

After the holidays a meal just isn't a meal without a dessert.

It's just too shocking to the system to cut desserts cold turkey.

Life is stressful enough.



Eat a cookie for mental health.



There's a nice simple cookie recipe in Janice Soprano's chapter Sunday Dinner 

in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Almond Macaroons.



The recipe

Carmela Soprano's Peppers and Eggs Sandwiches

Bought more peppers than you used for the marinating peppers recipe?

No problem.



Back to Paulie's chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

No, this isn't the potatoes and egg sandwich recipe.

But it's a great way to use peppers.

If you'd like to be a bit neater, you can dice the pepper strips.

Diced peppers are also nice in a salad.



I will get to the potatoes and egg

Carmela Soprano's Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers / Garlic Hints

Paulie Walnuts is a bit of a Mama's boy.

He said he often made the guys a potatoes and egg sandwich to improve their morale.

From the way he acted, who knew?



Paulie's chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has easy recipes.

I'll get to the potatoes and egg sandwich recipe later.

This recipe is a handy way to use the leftover marinated peppers.
Paulie does get a bit

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Pepper Salad / Broiled Pepper Salad

Even Janice Soprano has a salad recipe in her Sunday Dinner chapter 

in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

I know, Janice doesn't look like she would like salads.

But, maybe it was from her Hippie days.



I also find it a little hard to believe this was a recipe from Livia.

From what I remember of the 50s, green peppers were the only ones available.

But, I'm not going to argue with

Carmela Soprano's Tuna Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes ............ Salad Niçoise

There's a recipe that reminds me of Salad Niçoise in Jennifer's chapter

Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.



Don't panic at the fancy French name.

It's another raw salad, alright.

It's just something that can be served to non-dieters, too.

It has a bit of heft to it.





Oh, about Salad Niçoise  ( French pronunciation: niˈswaz )…

It is a salad of

Carmela Soprano's Arugula and Parmesan Salad / Arugula Information

This is another easy salad recipe from Jennifer's chapter

Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

This recipe reminds me of an old Fred Astaire song:

"You say tom-AY-toe, I say tom-AH-toe."



Arugula goes by a few different names:

salad rocket, roquette, rucola, rugula, colewort.

That's just in the supermarket.

Let's not get into the scientific names.

Carmela Soprano's Orange and Fennel Salad

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!!

For many of us the holiday season is over.

And we have the extra pounds to prove it.



It's time to get back to our day to day lives.

It's time to eat healthy again.

It's time to visit the good Doctor, Jennifer Melfi.



There are some easy and low calorie recipes in Jennifer's chapter 

Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family