Wine Custard (Zabaglione)

Eat this thin custard freshly made and warm.
It is also a
wonderful sauce for fresh berries, plain cake or fruit-filled
crèpes.

4 egg yolks
1 egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Marsala wine or sherry
Dash of salt

Beat egg yolks and egg in small mixer bowl on high speed until
thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes.

Gradually beat in sugar, scraping bowl occasionally.
Beat in
wine and salt on low speed.
Pour mixture into top of double boiler.
Add enough hot water to bottom of double boiler so that top does
not touch water.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until
slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
The water in the double boiler
should simmer but not boil.

Remove from heat.
Serve immediately.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Zucchini Omelet (Frittata di Zucchine)

A variety of vegetables may be used in place of zucchini.

6 eggs
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons minced parsley
3 tablespoons soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
All-purpose flour
Grated Parmesan cheese

Beat eggs, water, parsley, bread crumbs, salt and garlic.

Heat oil in 8-inch broiler-proof skillet over medium heat until
hot.
Coat zucchini with flour; cook until golden, about 2 minutes
on each side.
Pour egg mixture over zucchini.
Cook until eggs are
thickened throughout but still moist, 3 to 5 minutes.
Gently lift
edge with fork so that uncooked portion can flow to bottom.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F.
Broil omelet with top 5
inches from heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Loosen edge
with spatula; slip omelet, cheese side up, onto serving plate.

Yields 3 servings.

Rum Custard Cake

Orange cake
4 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Orange-Rum Syrup
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup light rum

Custard
4 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light rum
1 cup whipping cream

Frosting
1/2 cup whipping cream
Sugar

Grease and lightly flour a 9- to 10-inch springform pan, at
least 2 3/4 inches deep.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until
thick and light-colored; gradually beat in sugar, beating until
thick and pale.
Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
In small
bowl, combine hot water, lemon juice, and orange peel.
Add flour
mixture to beaten egg yolks alternately with hot water mixture,
stirring to blend after each addition.

Using clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until
soft peaks form.
Stir a fourth of the beaten egg whites into flour
mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites carefully but
thoroughly.
Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake is
golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and
springs back when touched lightly in the center.
Let cool
completely in pan on wire rack.

To make syrup, combine sugar, water, orange peel, and lemon peel
in a small pan over high heat.
Bring to a boil then cook rapidly
for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Blend in the 1/3 cup
rum.

To make custard, place eggs and sugar in the top of a double
boiler and mix thoroughly.
Scald half and half; gradually stir into
egg mixture.
Place double boiler over gently simmering water.
Cook,
stirring constantly, until custard coats a meta spoon in a velvety
smooth layer (10 to 15 minutes).
Remove from heat and mix in
vanilla extract.
Place top of double boiler into ice water to stop
cooking; stir custard frequently until cool.
Stir in rum.
Whip 1
cup of cream until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.
Fold
into cooled custard.

To assemble dessert, remove pan side from cake, leaving cake on
base.
Carefully cut cake horizontally into 3 equal layers and lift
off the top two layers.
Replace the pan sides around pan bottom
holding the remaining cake layer.

Drizzle cake bottom layer with a third of the syrup, then cover
with a third of the custard.
Carefully place the middle layer of
cake in the custard, sprinkle this layer with another third of the
syrup, then another third of the custard.
Set top cake layer in
place.
Sprinkle with remaining syrup, pour on remaining custard,
and spread evenly.
Cover cake lightly to protect top.
Refrigerate
for at least 6 hours or until the next day.

Remove pan sides.
Whip the 1/2 cup whipping cream until stiff.
Sweeten slightly with sugar and spread on cake top and sides.
Cut
into wedges.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Sicilian Supper

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups egg noodles, cooked
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup milk
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Brown meat.
Add onion and cook until tender.

Add tomato paste, water, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
In same pan heat milk and cream cheese.
Blend well, then stir in
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and green bell pepper.

In a casserole dish alternate layers of noodles and meat sauce.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle on remaining cheese
and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

This pasta sauce is from Naples, Italy.
Its title means
“spaghetti in the manner of a prostitute.” Regardless of its name,
it is delicious.

1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
1 small chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon capers
2/3 cup pitted black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water with a dash of
olive oil.
Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic, anchovies and
chile; cook for a few minutes.
Add tomatoes, capers and olives and
simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir
in parsley and cook for another minute.
Drain spaghetti and put
into a warm bowl; pour over the sauce, toss spaghetti in the sauce
and serve immediately.

Spaghetti all’Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil)

This dish comes from Campania, Italy.
The flavor of the olive
oil is what makes this dish, so use the finest extra virgin olive
oil.

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling, salted water, with a dash
of olive oil.
Heat olive oil with cloves of garlic but do not let
the garlic brown.
Warm oil gently to release the flavor of the
garlic.
When spaghetti is cooked, drain it and transfer to a warm
serving bowl.
Pour over the oil and garlic and toss the spaghetti
well.

Serve immediately.