When it comes to food traditions, what is better than Sunday Dinner? For us, that means a pot of sauce simmering on the stove, soon to be spooned over pasta - vermicelli or capellini if we have our way. This is the recipe of our family, and while we've come to realize that every Italian family likely has their own special recipe they would never dream of deviating from, we wanted to share ours all the same.
This will be the first of several Sunday Dinner recipes to share, and the base of many future recipes as well.
-Cindy & Lydia
Italian Tomato Sauce
By Cooking in Cashmere
Simple tomato sauce.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time: 2
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients: 2 28 oz cans of whole Italian plum tomatoes (no puree, but with basil is okay)
3 oz Italian tomato paste 1/3 cup of olive oil 4 whole cloves of garlic
8-10 leaves of fresh basil or half a teaspoon dry 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Place food mill over pot and turn heat up to medium. You want it to be hot enough that the tomatoes will sizzle a bit when you put them in.
Run the tomatoes through the mill until nothing remains in the mill but skins and seeds.*
Add in basil, paste, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, and place flame tamer** under pot.
Simmer with lid slightly ajar for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste.
*If you don't have a food mill, run the tomatoes through the blender briefly. If you prefer a chunky sauce, put the tomatoes in a bowl first and crush with your hands.
**If you don't have a flame tamer, be diligent about the stirring, you don't want it to burn in the middle.
Chocolate Lemon Pie for me, is one of those things that conjures a combination of memories, mostly of my fathers love for it. He was almost joyous in his cutting of the first piece, sometimes singing or whistling a little tune. I only found out in recent years how very special that pie was, and is still. It seems like it is only really made in Connecticut. I found it a few years back in a bakery and was so excited to taste it after not having it for so long. I have also learned that is is made at the Twin Pines Diner in East Haven. I had had it in my mind to make it as I knew the ingredients were simple and I would be able to recreate the recipe that was in my mind. So, when Lydia told me about Pie Day, this was the perfect time to give it a try. I think it came out delicious and my father would be very pleased.
-Cindy
Chocolate Lemon Pie
By Cooking in Cashmere
This pie is a Connecticut classic.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: One 9" Pie
Ingredients: Pie Filling 1 double pie crust (homemade or store bought) 1¼ cups sugar 2¼ tablespoons flour 3½ tablespoons cornstarch pinch of salt 2 tablespoons powdered lemon pie filling 12 ounces water 2 fresh lemons, zested and juiced 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten 1 tbsp butter Chocolate Ganache ¼ cup heavy cream 4oz ( by weight) semi sweet chocolate chips 1 tbsp corn syrup
Instructions:
Mix sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, pie filling and water in pan on low heat. When mixture thickens, add lemon juice, zest and egg yolks. Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring just barely to a boil. Mixture should be very thick.
Remove from heat and sir in butter.
While filling cools, roll out pie crusts and place bottom crust into a 9" pie pan.
Add filling to pie, place top crust on, folding it under the bottom crust to seal.
Bake on the middle rack of a 350° oven for 35 minutes, or until crust is golden.
Prepare ganache by placing chocolate chips into a medium size bowl, then heat cream to barely a simmer. Pour over chocolate and allow to sit undisturbed for five minutes. Whisk to combine, add cornstarch, and allow to cool.
When pie has cooled, spread chocolate ganache over top.
Chicken potstickers would have previously been filed under "too intimidating to attempt", but then I took a cooking class one Tuesday night at my local Shoprite where I then discovered not only how easy they actually were, but how completely, utterly, delicious as well.
After the class, since I was you know, already in the grocery store, I bought all the ingredients so that I could have more, as soon as possible. Normally ground chicken is not something I'd buy, though perhaps this recipe has not only opened my eyes to the world of potstickers, but also to ground chicken?
Mixing up the insides to these is quite simple, the labor comes in carefully tucking the filling inside the wonton wrappers. I looked up a few videos on how to get all fancy on YouTube, but of course a single fold will do the trick. I'd recommend getting an extra set of hands to get all these done so that you can get to the eating part faster.
You should note that to cook these, you are going to need a pan with a proper fitting lid, and try to avoid non-stick, they are called potstickers after all - that golden crispy part is the best! Plus, once the water is added and they finish cooking with the steam, they become unstuck, like magic.
This recipe does make a ton, which is perfect for a party or if you love the idea of having leftover potstickers in the fridge (which I do). They can be served with a few fresh chopped chives, toasted sesame seeds, and of course tamari for dipping.
Enjoy!
-Lydia
Chicken Potstickers
By Cooking in Cashmere
Probably not super authentic, but easy potstickers made with ingredients from your regular grocery store.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 46 Potstickers
Ingredients: 1 pound of ground chicken 1 cup of shredded brussels sprouts (about three buds) 2 thinly sliced green onions 2 cloves of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar 1 tablespoon of grated ginger 2 tablespoons of sesame oil 1 package of wonton wrappers olive oil for frying tamari, sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for serving (optional)
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, shredded brussel sprouts, green onions, garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil.
Using a small scoop or two teaspoons, place a small amount of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet a finger, and run it along the edge of the wrapper. The water acts as a glue and will seal the wrapper when you fold it in half.
To cook them, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pot with a lid. Put the potstickers in the pan in a single layer and fry for two to three minutes, until the bottoms are golden, and possibly stuck to the pot.
With the lid ready, pour about a quarter cup of water into the pot, place the lid on, and lower the heat slightly. Cook for three more minutes.
Ideally, at the end of the cook time, all the water should have evaporated, the potstickers will be completely cooked, and no longer stuck to the pot.
Always check for doneness, and if needed adjust cook times and water quantity for the next batch to be cooked.
