Char Siu Pork

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Peter Bocchieri

You read it right, Char Siu Pork. It’s a Chinese barbeque pork recipe. Now before I hear from someone that this is not Italian comfort food, I beg to differ. Hear me out. What Italian American growing up in the New York area in the 50’s and 60’s did not go out to eat Chinese food? What I mean is, when we went out to eat it was ONLY for Chinese food. I’m sure I was not the only family that did that. We never went to an Italian restaurant. Why would we? We had the best Italian food at home. Going out for Pizza was not considered going to an Italian Restaurant. It was going out for Pizza. The only thing we ate at a pizzeria was pizza, calzones and zeppoles. Period. Maybe an Italian ice or spumoni in the summer, but that’s it. So going out to eat for us was going for Chinese. It was good, plenty and CHEAP. I don’t know about you but my parents grew up during the great depression and they were extremely frugal. Back then the cheapest items were at the top of the menu and got more expensive as you went down. My father never ventured past the third item! Chinese food was the best deal in town. We always went out to eat as a family. The only spot on the menu my father choose from was the “Special Family Dinners” Choose 1 from group A and 2 from group B for a whopping $2.50 per person. For $3.00 per person you can choose two from group A (the more premium items) and two from group B. And of course it all included soup, egg roll, rice, tea, ice cream and fortune cookie.

So naturally eating in a Chinese restaurant was always a unique experience. Nothing we got there was ever made at home. Even the tea was special. I remember drinking the hot tea from those little cups without any handles. No milk, just sugar. I loved it. And the crispy noodles dipped in the duck sauce was their Italian bread at the table. My mother loved the hot mustard and put it on everything she ate. After the soup was served we were served our egg rolls. After that we all got clean plates and the waiter brought out the main dishes in those metal covered serving stands. It was always a thrill opening the dish and spooning out some chow mein onto our crispy noodles and white rice waiting on the plate. A few dabs of Chinese mustard and a sprinkle of soy sauce, mix and enjoy.

I loved the roast pork dishes. This recipe is for the Chinese barbeque pork. We have all had it. It’s delicious and sweet and savory with that signature red color on the outside. It comes in many different varieties like the strip of pork in lo mein and bits in fried rice and has morphed into many different items over the years, like boneless spare ribs.

Char Siu pork is made from the fatty cuts of pork like boneless pork shoulder roast. Boneless country ribs are also a good substitute to use. The leaner cuts of pork can also be used but will lack in tenderness and flavor. You need the fat. Pork belly is probably the best to use but I use a boneless pork shoulder roast for this recipe.

I cut it long ways along the grain into 1″ slices or strips. When the pork is cooked you slice it against the grain and enjoy a delicious tasty morsel with rice or noodle accompaniment.

Char Siu Pork

  • 2 pounds of boneless pork shoulder roast cut into 1 inch slices or strips
  • 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce*
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce*
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine*
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil*
  • 1 cube fermented red bean curd, regular red or rose are both fine*
  • 3-5 drops of red food coloring, optional
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder*

* Can be found in many Asian grocery stores and the Asian isle of your supermarket. If you don’t have any in your area, they are all on Amazon.

For the honey glaze:

  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon water

In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the pork shoulder. Smash up the fermented bean curd in the bowl using the back of a fork.

With the tines of your fork, puncture holes in the meat all around so it will absorb the marinade better. Place the pork shoulder or country ribs in a gallon zip lock bag, along with the prepared marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Massage the marinade all over the pork for at least 2 minutes to get into every piece of pork. Refrigerate and allow the pork to marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

One hour before you bake the pork, take the marinating pork and leave in the bag on top of your counter to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Prepare a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and a roasting rack on top.

Place the marinated pork on the prepared roasting rack, leaving as much space in between each piece as possible. Reserve the leftover marinade and place in a bowl.

Bake the pork for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, flip each piece of pork and baste on a layer of the reserved marinade. If the marinade dripping starts to burn, add some water to the pan and refill as needed if the pan becomes dry.

While the pork is cooking make the honey glaze. Just combine the honey and water in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

After the final 15 minutes of roasting the pork should be juicy and perfectly cooked on the inside and slightly charred and caramelize on the outside. If it isn’t set the oven to high broil setting for a couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Once the pork is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. While resting, lightly brush some prepared honey glaze on the char siu. Make sure you use a clean brush.

After resting, cut the char siu into 1/4″ slices. Drizzle a bit more honey glaze on the char siu and enjoy!

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Pasta with Ricotta and Pesto

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

My grandparents used to have macaroni with ricotta quite often. It’s a simple yet tasty way of dressing your pasta. Aside from adding some black pepper, the dish only included those two ingredients. I’m a big fan of ricotta. It’s the freshest cheese I know of. I like using a dollop or two of ricotta next to my macaroni and Sunday sauce. Ricotta and pastina was always a favorite as a child, and even as an adult for some comfort food. And a special mention of ricotta filled ravioli and manicotti. I love ricotta cheesecake, cannoli, and all the other sweet Italian treats made with ricotta. It’s a very versatile ingredient used in Italian cooking.

Adding pesto to macaroni with ricotta is an excellent way of adding a creaminess to your pesto dressing. You can use a traditional pesto of basil, garlic, Pecorino Romano cheese and pine nuts or add other ingredients to suit your taste. I like adding sun dried tomatoes to my pesto. https://cookingitaliancomfortfood.com/2010/08/29/pesto-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/ In this case I used basil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, walnuts and Pecorino. Of course adding extra virgin olive oil to any pesto is part of the recipe. You can make your own pesto or buy ready made pesto. I usually make my pesto in the summer when my basil plants are in full production. I pack it in small containers and freeze to use all year long.

Here is a basic recipe for making homemade pesto:

3 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup roasted pignoli nuts

Salt to taste, about 1 teaspoon

Add all the ingredients to a food processor except the olive oil. Pulse the ingredients until they are all blended. In in steady stream, add the olive oil until the pesto is creamy. Add more if needed.

Pasta with ricotta and pesto

  • 15 ounces of whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup pesto of your choice
  • 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
  • Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl add the ricotta and mix in the pesto well, stirring till combined. Allow to reach room temperature.

In the meantime, boil water in a 5 quart pot with a tablespoon of salt and add the linguini. Cook according to package directions. Save two cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta.

Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the ricotta pesto mixture and mix well. Add some pasta water to get the consistency you like, you don’t want it watery but add till you get a creamy texture.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Apple Crostata

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

A crostata is an Italian baked pie or tart. Recipes go back to the 1400’s. It’s a rustic pie that has many variations. Usually it’s filled with some type of fruit. And fall in the northeast means it’s apple season. So what better way to use the huge varieties of apples we have this time of year. I’m a firm believer of using fruits that are in season. Sure apples are available all year long, but non have the freshness and quality that you get in the fall.

It’s not fall unless my house smells of cinnamon and apples. And usually when I visit the local farms I go to the cider mills because nothing says fall better than fresh pressed apple cider. Two of the mills I go to up here press the cider and just bottle it when you buy the gallon. They don’t use any preservative and don’t pasteurize it, so when I buy a gallon I fill up a half gallon pitcher with it and freeze the rest until I’m ready to use it. That way I’m sure it’s safe and fresh. I call it nectar of the Gods. And the only time I drink it is between September and November. Again, you can get “apple cider” all year long in the supermarket but I stay away from it because it’s filled with preservatives, and you can taste it. Buy in season!

This is a very simple crostata and easy to make. I have no trouble working with homemade pie crust. I think you are cheating yourself if you buy the ready made crust. Give this a shot, there is plenty of room for mistakes and no one will know but you. I promise, you will get better with a little practice. It’s worth it.

For the Crust:

  • 1 cup of all purpose flour
  • 3/4 stick of cold salted butter
  • dash of salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water

For the filling:

  • 2 Jonagold apples or similar baking apple
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/8 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnimon
  • 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
  • 3 pats of butter

In a medium bowl add together the flour, salt and sugar. Mix to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. I combine the butter and flour with my hands, squeezing them together and mixing until most of the butter is incorporated into the flour, and you have most of the butter the size of peas. Add the cold water and continue mixing with your hands until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix, you want to keep the butter pieces whole. Once it comes together lift the dough out of the bowl and form and press between your hands to form a ball. Place the ball back in the bowl and put in the refrigerator until your ready to use it.

Skin and core the apples and slice them fairly thin into a medium size bowl. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix with a spoon until all the apples are coated with the sugar flour mixture.

Place some parchment paper, at least 12″x12″, on your table top and liberally sprinkle with flour. Place the chilled dough ball on the floured parchment paper, and sprinkle some additional flour on top of the ball and on your rolling pin. Start to roll out your dough, lifting and turning a quarter of a turn each time you roll it out, until you have a 12″-15″ circle. As you lift and turn the dough make sure you pick up some flour underneath from around the parchment paper. Place the apple mixture in the center of the pie leaving some space around the edges. Place the pats of butter around the apples. With the help of the parchment paper, lift the edges of the dough to cover the apples, working your way around the pie. Gently press the dough around the apples. The dough should come up at least 1/4 of the way around the apples. As long as it forms a wall around the apples so the juice doesn’t spill out. This does not have to be perfect, it is supposed to have a rustic look.

Lift the crostata with the parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown and the apples caramelized.

Pass the vanilla ice cream!

Posted in Dessert, Fruit | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Fretta & Miletti Pizza & Sausage Company

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

Prosciutto Bread/Lard Bread 

If you’re ever in the vicinity of North East Pennsylvania, more specifically Lords Valley, on Route 739 you will run across Fretta and Miletti Pizza And Sausage Company Limited. For all my transplanted Brooklynites you should remember Fretta’s Pork Store from 86th Street under the El. And more recently, Fretta’s Pork Store in Milford, PA. The Milford location closed a number of years ago as Joe Fretta was looking forward to retirement. But alas, you can’t keep a good man down. Recently Joe and his older son Joe Jr., partnered with Paul Miletti. Two legends and masters in their culinary field, Joe and Paul opened Fretta and Miletti Pizza and Sausage Company, 625 Route 739, Lords Valley, PA., phone 570-775-3740. Joe Fretta has raised the bar on all his specialties that include fresh pork Italian sausages, all his homemade cured dry sausages, sopressata, and salami, huge hero sandwiches packed with Italian meats, cold cuts and the best accompaniments to any sandwich. This also includes homemade fresh mozzarella, the imported logs of Italian Provolone that hangs from the rafters giving off that beautiful pungent aroma that you notice as soon as you walk in the door. You get the picture, a true artisan bringing the best of Italian delis’ and salumerias home to you.

Homemade Italian sausage, sauteed peppers and onions

Now, as if that weren’t enough, Paul Miletti, third generation pizza maker, is carrying on the family tradition of his grandfather and father bringing you the “area’s best Pizza”. The Miletti family started making pizza in upstate New York in 1938 at The Dash Inn run by Joseph Miletti. In 1968 Nicholas and Delores Miletti opened up The Puzzle Lounge in Jamestown, New York. They developed a reputation in that entire region as “the areas best Pizza”. The way Joe Fretta raised the bar on his delicious food, Paul Miletti has done the same with the Miletti family Pizza. He has certainly raised the bar for pizza in NEPA.

You can’t put a label on the style of Miletti’s pizza. It’s not Sicilian, or Napolitano, nor New York Style or Chicago or Detroit. And there is nothing like it in NEPA. I can only describe it as the best of everything. It’s like the best homemade pizza you ever had, only better. The hardest part of buying a Miletti pizza is the ride home. It’s the smell of every delicious Italian meal you ever had and ever will have. If I ever get stopped by the police speeding home with a Miletti pizza all I have to do is tell the police officer to stick his head in my window and they should understand. You can smell and taste the quality of the pie through and through. The crust is light yet crunchy, the sauce is thick and tangy with just the right amount of sweetness. The mozzarella sits on top of a sea of sauce that is a true sign of grandma’s homemade pizza. Paul also goes the extra step in preparing all his toppings. He uses both spanish and red onions that he sautees in his onion topping. The sausage topping is real homemade Italian sausage, Mushrooms are fresh and sauteed along with his green and red peppers. The meatball topping is homemade as well as the homemade pepperoni topping. He has an extensive list of toppings, but each is fresh and homemade.

Another sign that you are getting amazing food is both Paul and Joe are proud of the meals they are serving you. When Paul makes his pizza he brings it out from the back and shows it to you before it goes in the box, like showing a new born baby to his expecting father in the waiting room. And like all expecting fathers you are getting a prized possession.

Prosciutto Bread/Lard Bread Recipe

Lard has been vilified over the last 50 years. Like so many other food items, including butter and saturated fats, the “experts” told us this stuff was not healthy and told us to use margarine instead of butter and seed oils like Canola and Vegetable oil. We are now finding out that Vegetable oil, although it sounds healthy, is the most processed and unhealthy oil you can put in your body. And we all found out about how unhealthy margarine is. Believe it or not, Crisco was first manufactured in the 19th century from an abundance of cotton seeds. They found a way to extract oil from the cotton seeds but it produced a oil that was dark and smelly. It was used for mechanical lubrication. Then a chemist named David Wesson found a way to bleach and deodorize the oil. After a successful marketing campaign that highly process sludge became Crisco. It was cheaper and easy to obtain. Lard took the back seat to this new shortening.

Today we are finding out how these highly processed oils can cause untold inflammation in the body and many other health concerns. It turns out, butter, olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, lard and saturated fats are not the villains they were made out to be in order to sell more cheaper and processed foods. Have I convinced you to start cooking with lard and bacon fat? Our bodies recognize those substances and will process them way better than the fake stuff. But don’t take my word for it, do your own research.

Anyway, this recipe calls for lard. I use the lard I rendered from the pastured pig I get each year. If you buy lard make sure it’s from pastured pork (you can find lard made from pastured pork on Amazon). If you don’t want to use lard, you can use grass fed butter like Kerry Gold or bacon fat. This bread is also enriched with salty chunks of prosciutto and Pancetta, so either way you’re getting your dose of pork in there. I also use a good imported provolone cheese mixed in with the pork. I assure you this bread is not short on flavor.

Once this bread is baked it is best eaten warm and fresh. Any leftovers can be reheated but once I make this there usually isn’t any leftovers.

  • 2 1/4 cups of bread flour, plus more if needed
  • 1 packet dry instant yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1-2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp lard (or bacon fat or butter)
  • 1/2 cup sharp provolone cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup pancetta, diced
  • 8 oz 1/8″ thick cut prosciutto, diced

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and the sugar. add 1/4 cup of melted lard, salt, pepper and flour and mix until the dough comes together. Knead by hand, or a dough hook in a mixer for 10 minutes. Dough should be sticky,but if it’s too sticky add another tablespoon of flour at a time as needed. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, cover and let rest for one hour, until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, fry the diced pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat until rendered and crispy.

Invert dough onto a large sheet of floured parchment paper. Roll it into a large oval about 15″ x12″. Spread the prosciutto, pancetta and provolone on top. Starting from the long end, roll the dough into a log then twist the dough a few turns. Form the dough into a ring and connect the two ends. Cover with a towel and let rise again for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large cast iron Dutch oven, or pizza stone, or la Cloche bread baker in the oven until it heats. Melt the remaining lard and brush onto the bread. When the oven is heated, remove the cooking vessel or stone and use the parchment to transfer the bread onto it. Cover the bread if you’re using a dutch oven or La Cloche. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown. If covered, remove the cover for the last 15 minutes until dark golden brown. Brush the bread with the lard at least 2 more times while browning. Remove from the oven and brush with remaining melted lard.

Posted in Antipasto, Bread, pizza, Pork | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Spaghetti with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

This is not the classic pesto recipe with adding sun-dried tomatoes. There are no nut meats here or grated Pecorino Romano cheese. This is an uncooked pasta dressing that comes from Sicilian peasantry. The addition of toasted breadcrumbs is the alternative to grated cheese when cheese was not readily available. Of course like all peasant cooking, the ingredients became a staple for certain dishes even when the more expensive ones were available.

I use an organic sundried tomato without the sulphur dioxide. These are preserved by sea salt. Also, these tomatoes are actually dried in the sun and not mechanically dehydrated. The brand I choose was Berrilys Sun-dried tomatoes. They are available on Amazon. I didn’t realize how much 5 pounds of sun-dried tomatoes were. When the package arrived I knew I had ordered too much. I packaged some away for both my sons and anyone else who passed by my house. If they come in smaller sizes, get them. Other than that the tomatoes were excellent. These tomatoes have to be soaked in boiling water for a half hour before using them. That helps soften them and get rid of some of the salt. It’s not necessary to add salt to this dish. You can use whatever sundried tomatoes you can get your hands on, just follow the sellers suggestion on how to prepare them before eating.

  • 3 ounces of unhydrated sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • A handful of fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon of Sicilian oregano (regular oregano will do as well)
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs toasted in 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/2 pound of spaghetti or linguini

Pictured are the sun-dried tomatoes, Sicilian oregano, garlic, cayenne pepper and fresh basil.

You can use a food processor to chop the ingredients but I prefer hand chopping, that adds more body to the dressing.

Chop the tomatoes, garlic, and basil until you have moderately fine paste.

Add that to a small bowl and mix in the olive oil, oregano and cayenne pepper. Mix well, add more olive oil if you think it is too dry. Set aside.

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the breadcrumbs. Toss around until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted. Don’t burn them. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions in salted water. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the tomato mixture to the hot pasta and mix well. Add some pasta water if the spaghetti is too dry. A little moisture at the bottom is fine, the pasta will absorb it.

Plate the dish and serve with the the toasted breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.

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Fermented Eggplant Appetizer

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

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Posted in Antipasto, vegetable | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Macaroni with Bacon and Peas

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

This is a very satisfying meal. I’ve seen it made many ways. Some add tomato sauce, some prepare it like a soup. I love the combination of smokey American bacon and peas, if you use pancetta it changes the whole flavor profile. I also like a creamy consistency which is obtained by cooking the macaroni in the water you serve it with. Adding the grated cheese also adds to the creaminess. Strike the balance by only adding more water if you need to. Another technique I use is when I cook the peas, before adding the water and macaroni, I mash the peas up a bit with the back of my spoon. This also adds to the creaminess. You can use any small pasta you prefer, small shells, elbows, but my favorite is Ditalini. Overall, it’s a sweet savory dish that’s sure to please. Give it a try.

This dish should be neither soupy nor dry.

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 pound extra thick cut bacon, diced
  • 1 medium onion, small dice
  • 1 pound frozen peas
  • 3 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoons of salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 pound Ditalini pasta
  • 3 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

In a 5 quart pot over medium heat pour in the olive oil and diced bacon and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook another 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas and cook for 4- 5 minutes. Add the boiling stock to the pot and when it continues to boil add the salt and pepper and pasta, stir well. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Do not drain the liquid. The pasta should be not too dry or too soupy, but just enough to form a cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese and stir well. Add more stock if too dry. The dish becomes even more creamy with the addition of the cheese. Taste for salt and serve.

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Our Daily Bread

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

There are a lot of things in this world that can harm us. Unfortunately, one of those things is our food industry. I’m not going to lecture anyone on what you should eat or not. We all have freedom to choose our own lifestyles. But we should be all aware of the obesity problem we have in our society and the increase of diabetes and chronic diseases. I made a choice a while ago to avoid at all cost consuming refined sugar, simple carbohydrates in our bread and cereals, highly processed seed and vegetable oils, all soda and sports drinks and fruit juices, just to name a few. I stick to foods with one ingredient like grass fed beef, pork, lamb, pastured chicken, all vegetables and fruits, healthy fats such as cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, butter from grass fed cows, whole raw milk, pastured eggs. I avoid the center aisles of the supermarket and stay away from processed and prepared foods. That’s not to say once in a while I won’t enjoy a vanilla ice cream cone in the summer or a plate of pasta for a meal. But it has become the exception not the rule. Following this change in diet and lifestyle, since 2018 I lost over 65 pounds and recently taken off my diabetes medication and I’m working on stopping my high blood pressure medication as well. Of course, all this has been done under a doctor’s supervision.

So one of the changes I’ve made is to stay away from store bought bread and started making my own sourdough bread every week. If you check the ingredients of a loaf of sliced bread at the supermarket you will find dozens of ingredients that are bad for you, mainly white bleached flour, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and dough conditioners unhealthy vegetable and seed oils and other things I can’t even pronounce.

There are healthier breads on the market than Wonder Bread, but their ingredient content is not much better.

So, what goes into my sourdough bread? Organic unbleached bread flour, 100% whole wheat flour, filtered water, sea salt, olive oil, honey and sourdough starter. That’s it. Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker’s yeast, to leaven the dough. It’s richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker’s yeast. So in essence, sourdough bread is a fermented food. Lactic acid bacteria are also naturally found in several other fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Starters with high levels of acetic acid bacteria also take longer to ferment and rise, giving sourdough bread its characteristic texture and taste. It’s a longer process but well worth the results.

I’ve had this starter for many years.

The first thing you need is the sourdough starter. I’ve had mine for over 25 years. Talk about renewables! Once you have a starter it will last you a lifetime. The process is quite simple. In a clean glass jar ( I use a quart size wide mouth Bell jar with the seal and rim) mix 2 cups of unbleached organic flour (preferably flour that is not enriched with synthetic vitamins) with2 cups of filtered or spring water (no chlorine in the water). Leave the mixture on your countertop loosely covered for 24 hours. The next day after stirring the mixture discard one cup of the starter and add another cup of flour and filtered water and mix well. Do this every 24 hours until you see some bubbling activity. You should see something happening in about 3-4 days, it could take up to 7 days. You will notice a yeasty smell and bubbles forming in the batter. At that point mark the level of the batter with a rubberband around the jar. When the starter rises a few inches over the rubber band or reaches the top of the jar after feeding within the 24 hours you now have an active sourdough starter. You can now use this starter to make bread, pancakes, waffles, etc. The starter should resemble a consistency of pancake batter. Add more or less flour to achieve that.

After feeding my starter it becomes active and starts to expand in the jar. The rubber band allows me to see how much it expanded. It’s ready to use.

After you make your bread and you replace the starter you took out with equal amounts of flour and water, you can loosely cover the jar and allow to rise. Then you can place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make another loaf. The day before you make your bread, take the starter out of the refrigerator and discard a cup of starter and replace it with the cup of water and flour and this will help reactivate your starter for your next loaf you will be making the following day.

No Knead Sourdough Bread

My version of King Arthur’s baking recipe

  • 1 cup (227g) ripe fed sourdough starter
  • 1 3/4 cups (397g) filtered water, lukewarm
  • 120g whole wheat flour
  • 482g organic unbleached bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon Celtic salt or sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon natural raw honey

This is what the dough looks like after mixing.

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I use a Pyrex bowl with the cover. Mix everything together with a big spoon or dough whisk to make a sticky, rough dough.

One hour rise.

Leave the dough in the bowl, cover it with the lid or a piece of plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour. I place my bowl in the oven with the oven light on and that creates the perfect temperature for the dough to rise, unless your kitchen is over 75 degrees.

After wetting your hands, grab the dough and lift up to stretch.

Fold the dough over itself.

Take the bowl out and with wet hands gently pick up the dough and fold it over on itself several times, turning the bowl a quarter turn to get all four sides. Cover the bowl again, and let it rise for another hour.

This is what the dough looks like after 3 hours of resting and stretching.

Repeat the rising-folding process one more time (for a total of 3 hours), folding it again after the last hour. Then place the bowl covered in the refrigerator, and let the dough rest for at least 8, up to 48 hours. The longer it ferments in the refrigerator the more sourdough taste your bread will have.

After 18 hours in the refrigerator the dough is relaxed and expanded.

Roll the dough between both your hands, pulling down and under. This will strengthen the dough. Notice the air pockets already developed in the dough.

When you are ready to make bread, turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and shape it into a rough ball. Leave the dough seam side up, cover it and let it rest on the floured surface for 15 minutes.

Gently roll the dough with your hands to fit the size of the loaf pan

Next, shape the dough to fit the vessel in which you’ll bake it. I use a 13″ x 4″ pullman loaf pan made by USA Pan Bakeware. It gives me the perfect size for sliced bread. You can also use a large round boule or Dutch oven for a round rustic loaf. Place the shaped dough into the lightly greased base of the baker and cover it with a towel or lid. Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise, this should take 3 hours. It won’t appear to rise upwards that much, but will relax and expand. Again, I place it in my oven with the oven light on to keep it at the perfect proofing temperature.

With the rack positioned in the middle, start preheating the oven to 500 degrees F about a half hour before you’re ready to bake. Obviously, take the rising baker and dough out of the oven while you preheat it and place it on the counter. (Did I really need to tell you that?)

Just before baking dust the loaf with a fine coat of flour and use a sharp knife to make one or several 1/2″ deep slashes through its top surface. If you’re baking a long loaf, one arched slash down the loaf lengthwise is nice, or if baking a round, a crosshatch or crisscross pattern works well.

Cover the baker with its lid and place in the oven. If you’re using the long Pullman pan leave the lid off. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake the bread for 45 minutes for the Pullman loaf. If you’re using a dutch oven remove the lid after the 45 minutes and bake the bread for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the bread is deep golden brown and crusty.

Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it from the pan to a rack to cool completely, about 3 hours.

Store the leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days, freeze for longer storage. I slice the bread as I use it. After 7 days I preslice the rest and place in the freezer until I need it. It toasts up real well but don’t expect the golden brown toast you get from the store bought bread. It doesn’t have enough sugar and sweeteners in it to brown that way.

This is the way bread was meant to be eaten. Cut a slice of warm sourdough and spread on some butter and slow down a bit. Life goes by too quickly, take a moment and enjoy it.

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Fusilli with Meat Sauce and Peas

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

Enemies At The Gate

Ever had a childhood memory that became an Urban Legend? Well, this is one of them. This story has been told more times at family gatherings then the time my cousin stole and hid my grandfather’s night cap and got barred from the house for months. This story does include my two cousins and my brother. Yes the same cousin that hid my grandfather’s sleeping cap.

This is the old house today. I believe the new owners put in a metal fence.

This is the old house today. The new owners installed a metal fence.

We lived on 77 Street in Brooklyn where the row houses were semi-attached. We shared a driveway with our neighbors the Volaro’s. At the back of the houses we each had our own garage and next to the garage a small plot of dirt that my grandfather used for his vegetable garden. It didn’t get much sun back there but God forbid if you planted a vegetable garden in the front of the house. That was not considered proper, at least on our block. At the foot of the driveway my father made a wooden fence that we closed at night to keep the driveway private I guess. The fence was about 6 foot high and each side swung in when it was opened. On this particular day the fence was closed.

Me on the left and Junior a few years before the incident.

At the top of the driveway my brother Richard and cousins Johnny and Ralph (my grandmother’s sister’s boys) were horsing around with our pedal cars. Junior, my best friend that lived next door to me had a modern red sedan and my car looked more like my grandfather’s 53′ Hudson Wasp, bad paint job and all. That is how I remember them. My brother must have been around 11 years old, my cousins Johnny and Ralph a little older. Junior and I were about 3 or 4 years old and playing with our cap guns and plastic horses and cowboys in the back yard.

The day started out innocent enough with one of my cousins in a car, my brother in the other, and my second cousin was the engine, pushing both down the driveway in a race to the finish line, which ended just before or at the fence. Now, if there was an angle to create chaos my cousin Johnny was always the instigator. On a trip to the home town in Sicily, Johnny was throwing bags of water out the hotel window and hitting the grounds crew. When the manager came up to complain my Aunt Angie insisted it couldn’t be her boys! Like a true Italian mom Aunt Angie!

The boys about six years later in 1964. Left to Right, my cousin Johnny, Ralph and brother Richard.

So back to the Bensonhurst 500. On this one trip down the driveway my cousin Johnny gave the cars too much umph, or didn’t bother to stop pushing until they got within inches of the wooden fence. With that amount of force and giving the fence had many years of service, both cars and their passengers went crashing through. As my cousin likes to describe it, ” pieces of the fence flew everywhere”. My cousin Ralph and brother Richard were shocked and mortified as they flew through the fence. First thing out of my brothers mouth was, “my mother is going to kill us!” But this didn’t faze Johnny, his devious mind had a plan. They pulled the cars back and gingerly put the fence pieces back together so it looked like nothing had happened. But it didn’t stop there.

They brought the cars back to the top of the driveway where Junior and I were playing and offered to allow us to race down the driveway like the big guys. Holy smoke! I would always do anything to be included with my brother and cousins. Junior and I gleefully accepted and got into the cars. I’m not sure who pushed us but we had an engine for each car. We flew down that drive way so fast that our feet couldn’t keep up with the pedals circling under us and had to lift our feet up to save our soles. About halfway down the driveway they stopped pushing and at that point we were scraping our feet to the driveway trying to stop the cars. All I remember is the cars barely tapped the fence and they went flying off their hinges. Immediately my cousin Johnny summoned my mother out of the house and found me and Junior under the carnage. Yes, Junior and I got blamed for wrecking the fence. WE HAD NO CLUE! We thought we did it. Well, such is the price you pay for playing with the “big guys”.

The fence was never repaired after that. My father just took everything down, nothing was salvageable. Not even my cousins conscience.

This traditional Sicilian dish is an old standby for a hearty meal. It has all the major food groups and is easy to prepare. I bought a good fusilli imported from Italy that made this meal even better. This is enough to serve 4-6 people with a side salad and some bread. For this meal I had some chopped beef from grass fed cows which adds to the nutritional aspect of the meat. I like to use plumb tomatoes because I like the sauce chunky. I prefer Redpack brand but you can use whatever you desire. There is nothing fancy about this dish, I only ask you never to use dried basil. Fresh basil really makes the difference. After all, this is America and you can get fresh basil year round. Nothing is worse than dried herbs in a tomato sauce, in my opinion. Go the extra step and always use fresh. The peas add a little snap and texture and a bit of freshness. Sicilians love to add peas to a dish, especially pasta. I think it comes second to eggplant.

  • 1 Pound chopped beef
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 1 cup any red table wine
  • 1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, mashed by hand or with a potato masher
  • 6 basil leaves torn
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • A touch of sugar if desired
  • 1 pound fusilli

In a pan large enough to cook the sauce, brown the chopped meat. Remove the meat from the pan and drain all the fat. Over medium heat add the olive oil to the pan and cook the chopped onions until soft. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the chopped meat back to the pan and stir to combine everything. Add the red wine and cook down for about 5 minutes. Put the crushed tomatoes in along with 3 torn basil leaves, salt and pepper and a little sugar. Cook uncovered about a half hour stirring occasionally. Just before the pasta is cooked add the peas and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining basil once the pan is off the stove.

In the meantime, cook the pasta till desired doneness in salted water. Reserve a cup of the pasta water. Drain the cooked pasta and add the meat sauce to the bottom of the pasta pot. Add back the pasta and pour the remaining sauce over the pasta. Do this over low heat, stirring the pasta till everything is covered with the meat sauce. Add a little pasta water if too dry. I like to add the pasta water to the leftovers before putting them away.

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Escarole and Bean Soup

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Peter Bocchieri

Here is a real simple yet hardy soup my grandmother and mom used to make. This is a great meal that takes no time to prepare, and with a loaf of crispy Italian or sourdough bread to dunk into the soup, can be your entire meal. Did I say it was healthy? We ate it anyway because we loved it and it tasted so good. You can feed a family of 6 for pennies with this soup. That’s why when you are brought up with parents that went through the depression this meal becomes a staple. Chances are if you grew up in an Italian family you have had this soup before. This is our version. Hope you enjoy it!

Escarole and Bean Soup

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 large head of escarole, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 – 32 oz containers of chicken stock
  • 3 – 15.5 oz cans of cannellini beans, drained
  • a 3″ block of Parmesan cheese rind or the cheese itself
  • 1/4 pound of Ditalini pasta or any small soup pasta
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In an 8 quart stock pot add the olive oil and place on medium low heat. Add the whole garlic cloves and allow to cook till tender. Smash the cloves with a fork to distribute the flavor.

Before the garlic burns add the escarole to the pot. Sprinkle with some salt and sauté until the leaves start to wilt, about 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and add the two containers of chicken stock. Stir and cover until the stock starts to boil. Once the stock is boiling add the 3 cans of drained cannellini beans and the hunk of Parmesan cheese. Stir and bring back to a boil, then add the pasta. Stir well and allow to cook for 11 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and the soup is ready.

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