The New Orleans Italian Cookbook

By Italian-American Society of Jefferson Auxiliary

Celebrate the sweet and spicy marriage of two of the world’s most delicious cuisines!
 
Shrimp Italian . . . crabmeat Contessa . . . stuffed artichokes—in New Orleans, Italian cooking means a unique combination of spices, sauces, and flavors. Compiled by the Italian American Society of Jefferson Auxiliary, The New Orleans Italian Cookbook includes recipes for traditional favorites such as Ravioli, Pizza, and Eggplant Parmesan, as well as special creations by some of New Orleans’s best cooks.
 
The blending of two cultures, Creole and Italian, has produced culinary delights that rank with the finest of New Orleans’ world-renowned cuisine. The recipe for spicy shrimp mosca has been included in this cookbook, as has the original recipe for the Creole-Italian muffuletta, first created at Central Grocery in New Orleans. There are also instructions on how to prepare Aunt Jennie’s Italian red beans—easy to make and utterly delicious. Try them all, but don’t forget to save room for such delectable desserts as cassata, fig cookies, and almond biscotti!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 31, 1999
• ISBN: 9781455609550

Book preview

Antipasto

ITALIAN OLIVE RELISH

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Drain and wash broken olives thoroughly; this is very important. Clean and reserve jar. Cut large olives in 8 pieces; small olives cut in 4 pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Marinate over night before serving. Return to cleaned olive jar and place remaining olive relish in any clean jar; never store in plastic container. If family members permit, Italian Olive Relish will remain in refrigerator in tightly sealed glass jar for 2 to 3 months. Always serve at room temperature.

Appetizer: Italian Olive Relish with crackers or Italian bread.

Salads: Italian Olive Relish in mixed green, crab, or combination salads. Use relish sparingly in potatoe or egg salads.

Sandwiches: Italian Olive Relish on hamburger, ham, combination or muffuletta sandwiches.

Seafood: Add Vi cup Italian Olive Relish to six marinated crabs; especially good.

Pizza: Add Italian Olive Relish and make a party pizza out of a peperoni, sausage, cheese or any plain pizza.

Marie Gattuso

SWEET AND SOUR OLIVES

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PROCEDURE:

Saute' onions in olive oil until light brown. Add drained olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Add vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until liquid thickens.

Katie Ceravolo

Caponiatina alla Sicilana

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Peel and dice eggplants. Soak for 15 minutes in salted cold water. Drain dry on paper towels. Saute in one cup of oil until lightly browned. Remove eggplants from frying pan to sauce pan. Add remaining oil and onion.

Saute onions until soft and golden. Run tomatoes through a strainer and add to onion along with the celery.

Let simmer for about 15 minutes or so, add capers, olives, pine nuts and eggplants.

Heat vinegar in sauce pan. Dissolve sugar in vinegar and pour over eggplants. Add salt and pepper.

Adjust to taste and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool caponiatina before serving. The remainder may be stored in refrigerator.

Grace Panepinto

ANTIPASTO

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PROCEDURE:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, garlic, and cook until it's golden. Discard garlic. Into hot oil, put green beans, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, carrots, eggplant appetizer, celery and bay leaf. Cook vegetables until tender. Stir in ripe olives, green olives, pimento, ketchup and wine vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes longer. Store in refrigerator.

Mary Eason

CAPONATA

Cold Eggplant Appetizer

Makes Approximately 8 cups

2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut in Vi inch cubes (Approximately 4 small eggplants) Small eggplants because they are tender

Vi cup olive oil

2 cups finely chopped celery

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/3 cup wine vineger mixed with 4 teaspoons sugar

3 cups drained canned Italian plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

6 large green olives, pitted, slivered and well-rinsed 2 tablespoons capers

4 flat anchovy fillets, well rinsed and pounded smooth (Be sure pounded to paste)

Freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the cubes of eggplant generously with salt and set in a colander to drain over paper towels. After approximately 30 minutes, pat cubes dry with fresh paper towels and set aside. In heavy skillet, heat XA cup olive oil then add celery and cook over moderate heat stirring frequently for approximately 10 minutes. Then stir in the onions and cook for another 10 minutes or until celery and onions are soft and lightly colored. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl Pour the remaining V* cup olive oil in skillet and over high heat saute' the eggplant cubes stirring and turning them constantly approximately 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Return the celery and onions to skillet and stir in vinegar and sugar mixture, drained tomatoes, tomato paste, green olives, capers, anchovies, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently for approximately 15 minutes. At this point, taste and season with salt and pepper and a little extra vinegar if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes approximately 8 cups.

Sue Dandry

ANTIPASTO SARDI SALATI

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PROCEDURE:

Wash and fillet sardi (very easy to do). Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice over sardis. Add pepper to taste. Arrange on tray along with Italian cheese, olives and bread.

Frank Vincent Zaccaria, Sr.

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

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PROCEDURE:

Mix first eight ingredients. Drain mushrooms well. Combine mushrooms and sauce and let stand at room temperature overnight. Serve as an appetizer.

Mrs. Esther Stringer

MARINATED FAVA BEANS

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PROCEDURE:

Cook fava beans until tender. Drain. In lidded jar, mix next six ingredients. Add fava beans and marinate several days, stirring now and then. Serve using toothpicks. Can be added to tossed green salad.

Mrs. Dolores Zaccaria

MOCK ARTICHOKE DIP

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PROCEDURE:

Mix all above ingredients together. Heat at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until hot. Serve as a dip with party crackers.

ARTICHOKE SQUARES

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PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain hearts and set water aside in bowl. Mash hearts and add bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and oil. Add egg to water and beat. Add this to mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into a buttered casserole dish or pan, bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let cool, refrigerate, cut into squares.

Constance Savoie

ARTICHOKE BALLS

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PROCEDURE:

Mash artichoke hearts with a fork. Fry the onions slowly in the olive oil. Cook till onions become clear. Add all remaining ingredients except the 1 cup crumbs; cook for a few minutes to melt cheese. When mixture cools, roll into bite size balls. Use an ice tea spoon to scoop mixture for uniform size. Roll the balls in the one cup crumbs. Before serving, heat in a 300 degree oven 15-20 minutes.