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Hello My Foodie Friends!

[From the 2023 Holiday Magazine]

For our holiday article, we want to make a tribute to our moms, both mine and Paula’s, and to honor both the traditions and the spectacular foods that were part of our lives -and remain with us, to this day. 

This has been a challenging year. I lost my mother in 1999, and Paula lost her mother this year. The holiday season becomes a reminder of the deep family and holiday traditions that our Italian mothers instilled in us with over the years. Holiday food and family stories go together. Most of us think of holiday food and smile, as it takes us back to a time with our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and parents. When we are asked about our favorite holiday memories, most answers that pop out of our mouths are food related. Why? Because food elicits memories! 

Both mine and Paula’s mothers were the masters of their kitchens. The planning of the holidays included making the traditions. In many of my past stories, I have written about the cooking prowess of my Italian mother, reflecting on her near magical ability to conjure up enough food to feed 15 people at our regular Sunday supper. This was certainly the case with planning holiday meals. Starting the holiday season was the grandeur of the Thanksgiving feast. Paula and I were not raised with the “traditional” Thanksgiving. In the Italian household, the visions of roasted turkeys, stuffing and mashed potatoes dancing in our heads as we prepare for the carb overload of a dinner served at 3 p.m. was not the tradition we grew up with. What we considered a normal holiday offering turned out to be rather strange to some but is beloved to us. 

Growing up in an Italian American household, it was not uncommon to think that pasta had to be part of all Thanksgiving meals. The Thanksgiving Lasagna was part of the multiple course meal that would come BEFORE the turkey.  Of course, we needed to begin our Thanksgiving feast with the antipasti that included a few types of salami, cheese, olives, spreads, and crackers and you are good to go. This encouraged everyone to try something new while also working as a great conversation starter surrounding what everything is. Many Italian families also include soups during this Thanksgiving antipasti course—like Italian wedding soup or tortellini en brodo. 

Christmas was always the premier of holiday cooking. The best part of the holiday tradition was the Christmas Eve feast called “the feast of La Vigilia” or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. There are various types of seafood prepared for this feast that can include combinations of anchovies, sardines, dried salt cod, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, oysters, clams, or lobster.  

Let’s not forget the desserts. Though it might seem impossible that anyone is still hungry after all the amazing foods for the holidays, dessert is just as important as the meal itself. And while Italian Americans bring plenty of pies to both holiday affairs, it’s the traditional Italian desserts that provided a sweet end to the eating festivities. It would not be an eating event without some strong espresso amped up with sambuca. And when you’re finally ready to call it a night, finish off with a touch of Frangelico or Asti. 

As I tell these stories, there are so many memories of my big Italian family making food and carrying the traditions that I hold dear in my heart. Take time to enjoy the holidays. I do miss the days celebrating with a large family but grateful for the many good times and traditions that our mothers brought to our lives. 

Italian Lasagna

Ingredients

Meat Sauce: 

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 5 cups Italian sauce or marinara 

Ricotta Cheese Filling:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ medium white onion diced
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Lasagna Layers:

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 9-12 cooked lasagna noodle

Recipe courtesy of Amanda at scarlatifamilykitchen.com

Instructions

Meat Sauce:
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ and heat a skillet or pot over medium heat. 
• Add olive oil, ground beef, ground pork, salt, and pepper. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally until browned and cook through. 
• Add in the Italian sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes while the ricotta cheese filling is made.

Ricotta Cheese Filling:
• Heat a skillet or pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the oil and diced onions and cook while stirring occasionally for 3 minutes until softened.
• Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and continue to cook, while stirring for an additional minute. 
• Remove the pan off of the heat and place into a mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir together the ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined. 

Lasagna Layering:
• In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan and mozzarella cheese. 
• In a 9x13 baking pan, spread approximately 1 cup of the meat sauce over the entire bottom of the pan. 
• Place three of the lasagna noodles over the sauce and top with one third of the ricotta mixture. Spread the mixture around to cover most of the noodles. Top the ricotta mixture with one third of the shredded cheese mixture and then top that with half of the remaining meat sauce.
• Repeat the process for the next layer with 3 more noodles, the second third of the ricotta mixture, the second third of the shredded cheese, and the remaining meat sauce.
• To complete the third layer, add the last three noodles, the final third of the ricotta mixture, and the final third of the shredded cheese. 
• Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven on the middle rack to bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time to allow the cheese to brown. 
• Remove lasagna from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

This holiday season, stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs, NY. What can be better than family and friends coming together to eat something delicious that you’ve eaten together for years? Sometimes unitedness comes in the preparations, sometimes it comes in the eating of the holiday food and sometimes it proves to be a catalyst to bring new friends and family into the fold. It is important for families to carry on the traditions. That is really what keeps us together. 

Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. Happy Holidays. We wish all our foodie friends many blessings for 2024. 

Take Care, John & Paula