The Endrizzi Site

Hillbilly Italian Food

A polenta I just made.  In the background, you might be able to tell I had a little bite...

Sorry about the photo quality; the wife took the good camera with her.

Welcome!  Learn how to Cook Hillbilly Italian Food!

Some recipes from the Old Country (many thanks to my aunt Rita Reinke nee Endrizzi for digging in to her Master Chef recipes):

• Sausages
• Risotto (rice)
• Polenta (cornmeal mush - my memory of how to make polenta, with commentary)
• Torta Di Patate (baked potato pancake)
• Patao (mashed vegetable casserole)
• Polenta Nera (black polenta - this is Nonna's recipe)
• Grostoi (rum wafers)
• Canederli (meat dumplings)
• Deep Fried Zucchini

SAUSAGES

Recipe By : GERMANO ENDRIZZI
Categories : Italian, Pork & Ham

Ingredients:
-----------------------------
GERMANO'S:

10 pounds ground pork butt
3 oz salt -- (3 to 3 1/2)
3/4 ounce pepper (white)
1/2 ounce each:

- paprika
- cloves
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- allspice
3 cloves garlic -- minced (3 to 4)
1/2 glass wine

RAY ENDRIZZI'S:
10 pounds ground pork butt
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (optional, or omit allspice and use 1 teasp. cloves)
3 cloves garlic -- minced (3 to 4)
1/3 cup white wine -- (1/3 to 1/2)

Mix all ingredients and let sit 1/2 hour in cool place. Test fry small sample. Adjust seasonings to taste. Form into balls the size of a softball. Let sit another 1/2 hour before making into sausage patties, or putting into casings.

***********************

Uncle Bruno's (Lochner) method: Buy pork butt; trim some fat. Have it "coarse ground". The night before, mix meat and spices. Leave over-night in fridge. The next day, fill with casings. Casings are about $12 for 50#???? I think he said freeze the casing in a bag of water. Then he also said, fill the whole casing-then twist each sausage. It's also easier to put into the casings when either the casings are cold or the sausage mix is cold; can't remember what he said about this.

For 2/2 pounds (1 kg) of meat, he adds 25 gm salt and 2.5gm of pepper. Can also add 2.6 gm fresh garlic and 0.5 gm nutmeg

For 8.82 # (4 kg) of meat, he adds 100gm salt and 10gm pepper; 10.4 gm garlic (fresh) and 2.0 gm nutmeg

The salt and pepper are most important.

RISOTTO

Categories : Italian rice

Ingredients:
--------------------------------
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onions
2 cloves garlic -- (2 to 3)
1/2 cup finely minced carrot
1/2 cup finely minced green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely minced celery
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup V-8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon chicken base
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups boiling chicken broth -- (2 to 3)

In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil. Sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and vegetables and sauté lightly. Add wine and V-8 juice and simmer until almost evaporated and thick, stirring occasionally. This should take about 20 minutes. 

Add white pepper, the 1 teaspoon chicken base and rice and cook about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the boiling broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add another cup and continue cooking and stirring until absorbed. Add part of the third cup of broth. When almost absorbed, taste rice to see if it is soft. If not, add the remaining broth and continue cooking and stirring, until rice is soft. Rice should be soft in about 20-30 minutes.

NOTE: Arborio rice or regular rice can be used. Arborio rice is a little creamier, but will stick to the bottom of the pan more easily.

POLENTA (from Dan Endrizzi's memory)

I am going to get it so bad for attempting to write this down and getting it so wrong, but here goes:

Ingredients:

-------------------

coarse-ground corn meal (several cups)

buckwheat (maybe 1/4 cup)

water

salt (maybe a tablespoon or 3)

gravy

Boil water in a large pot, preferably a copper pot known as a paiolo (my family calls it a "paderl") specifically used for this purpose.  The heating is spread more evenly, and creates less burn.  Instead, the corn will form a crust known as "grostoi" which you can eat like a potato chip.  Incidentally, grostoi also refers to a thin, fried, sugary snack - not the same thing.

  The cornmeal should be a yellow, coarse ground meal (Italians call it farina - which just means "flour").  You can use whatever you want, but your results will vary.  The stuff we use looks a bit like the grains of dirt large ants make anthills with.  I know, unappetizing... but I can't think of anything else the right size.  Anyway, mix the cornmeal, salt and buckwheat together before putting in the water.  You can add them separately to the water, but it is more work.

   Add the cornmeal mix to the boiling water slowly, whisking as you go to prevent lumping.  Keep adding the mix until you can feel resistance to your whisking.  As you whisk, the mixture will slowly firm up over about a 5 minute period as the meal absorbs water.  Avoid firming up the mixture too fast, as it will continue to thicken, and you will be eating a corn brick.  Eventually, the mixture will bubble violently.  When mixture is too thick to bubble, you should have a decent consistency - something like a porridge.

    Cook the polenta over a medium or low-medium heat for at least 1/2 hour.  Some weirdos say 1 hour or more, but as my grandfather used to say, polenta is a lazy man's food.  You must stir the polenta at 1-5 minute intervals to prevent burning.  This is usually done with a heavy wooden spoon known as a glava (also used to discipline young Italian children!)

   When the cooking time is finished, overturn the pot onto a wooden cutting board and cover with a clean dishtowel to keep warm until serving.  You can then slice off chunks with a large knife or a special wooden serving knife (I don't know what you call it in Italian).  Polenta is served with gravy, but this is optional.

Leftovers:

   Leftovers are almost the best part.  When done serving fresh polenta, place the leftovers on a plate and store in your cabinet.  The outer surface will dry and crust.  Over the next couple of days, you can slice off chunks of polenta and fry them in butter (if you are from the north) or olive oil (if from the south).  Mmmmmm!

   Oh, and by the way, that sugared crap they serve in restaurants is NOT polenta!  It is crap with sugar on it.  Don't eat it.  Remember, true Italian hillbilly food is cheap; that is why they made it.  If they stick a truffle on it and charge you $20 a plate, you are not a true hillbilly Italian - you an Austrian!

PS: I would love for someone to explain to me how polenta came to be, since corn is a New World food.

Torta Di Patate (baked potato pancake)
from "She Cooks from Memories"

10 medium potatoes

1/2 medium onion

salt and pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, finely minced

3 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)

2-3 tablespoons milk (about)

     Wash and peel potatoes.  Keep in cold water to keep from turning dark.  Grate potatoes and onion into large mixing bowl.  Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the oil and milk (add less milk to runnier mixture.)

     Grease 13 by 9 inch baking pan with enough of remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat pan.  Place pan in oven at 425 degrees 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.   Pour potato mixture into hot pan.

     Bake at 425 degrees 55 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked.  If top is not nicely browned, place under broiler a minute or two after pancake is done.  Cut into squares and serve.  Makes 5 or 6 servings.

Patao (mashed vegetable casserole)
from "She Cooks from Memories"

1 cup water

2 beef or chicken bouillon cubes

3 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 pounds zucchini, peeled and sliced

1 pound fresh green beans, cut up and parboiled

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 rib celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 green pepper, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 or 2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

3 strips of bacon, chopped fine

1 teaspoon flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese or more to taste (optional)

     In 1 1/2 or 2 quart saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Dissolve bouillon in water.  Add potatoes, zucchini, green beans, onion, celery, green pepper, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper.  Cover and boil over medium or medium high until vegetables are thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes.  Drain off some of water if mixture seems too soupy, leaving 1 to 2 tablespoons.

     In small skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.  Drain off grease as desired, leaving at least 1 to 2 tablespoons in skillet.  Stir in flour and cook about 1 minute or until golden.  Pour over cooked vegetables.  Mash with potato masher until near consistency of mashed potatoes.  Over medium low heat, simmer about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  If desired, stir in cheese.  Serve as a side dish with chicken or beef.  Makes 6 servings.

Polenta Nera (black polenta - this is Nonna's recipe)
from "She Cooks from Memories"

3 3/4 to 4 cups water (about)

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

     In large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, bring water to boil.  Add salt to boiling pot of water.  Reduce heat to medium and slowly sprinkle cornmeal over water, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  (Use wire whisk, if necessary, to remove lumps.)  When all cornmeal is added, cover and simmer 2 minutes.

     Meanwhile, bring additional water to boil in tea kettle and keep hot.

     Slowly add buckwheat flour, stirring constantly.  Cook over medium heat 25 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until mixture is very thick (thicker than mashed potatoes).  Mixture will form crust in pan.  If mixture becomes too thick (crumbly texture) before cooking time is up, stir in additional boiling water, a few tablespoons at a time.

     Invert on board or serving plate in 1 piece.  Cut into wedges.  Serve with meat and gravy.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Grostoi (rum wafers)
from "She Cooks from Memories"

5 cups flour

6 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) brandy or rum

1 teaspoon salt

cooking oil for deep frying

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (divided)

powdered sugar in a shaker

     Sift flour onto board or counter.  Make well in center.  Add eggs one at a time, beating slightly with a fork.  With fork or fingers, start to pick up flour and incorporate it gradually into eggs until they are no longer runny.  Add sugar, rum or brandy and salt with last egg.

     With hands, bring all flour from outside well to center; press together to form into ball and squeeze with hands to firm.  Knead well about 10 minutes.  Cover and let rest 1/2 hour.

     On floured board, roll out dough as thin as possible, no more than 1/16-inch thick.  (Use pasta machine if available.)  Cut into strips 3 inches by 1 1/2 inches.

     In deep skillet or deep-fryer, heat oil with 1 tablespoon of the shortening to 375 degrees or until hot but not smoking.  Deep fry strips, 1 at a time, about 30 seconds a side, turning when golden.  Carefully place on paper toweling to drain.  When towel is full in single layer, sprinkle powdered sugar on both sides.  Place in container.  Repeat with remaining strips.  Halfway through deep-frying, change oil, adding remaining tablespoon vegetable shortening, in deep-fryer to prevent burned taste.  Store in tightly covered container.  Makes about 75 wafers.

Canederli (meat dumplings)
from "She Cooks from Memories"

4 cups loosely packed 1/2-inch bread cubes (preferably Italian bread)

3 strips bacon, diced

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled

1 Italian sausage (about 1/4 pound), skinned and crumbled

5 thin slices large salami, chopped fine

3 thin slices precooked ham, chopped fine

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

pepper to taste

1/3 cup flour (about)

2 quarts chicken or beef broth

     In large bowl, soak bread in water to cover 1 to 2 minutes.  Thoroughly squeeze out water.  In skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until almost crisp, about 5 minutes.  Drain off grease, if necessary, to leave about 1 tablespoon in skillet.  Add celery and onion.  Saute 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Stir in bouillon cube and Italian sausage and cook, stirring, until sausage is cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Stir in salami and ham and cook about 1 minute longer.

     Add mixture to soaked bread; mix well.  Stir in eggs, grated cheese and pepper.  Form into 16 balls a little larger than golf balls.  In shallow dish, roll balls in flour.

     In large kettle or Dutch oven over high heat, bring broth to a boil.  Carefully drop in a few dumplings at a time in single layer, leaving ample room between balls.   Balls must be covered with broth; add more broth if they aren't.  Return broth to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and boil slowly about 15 minutes or 10 minutes after meatballs come to surface.  Remove dumplings and keep warm while cooking remaining dumplings.  Serve with broth on side as soup.  Makes 8 servings of 2 dumplings each.

Deep Fried Zucchini

• fresh zucchini
• flour
• eggs
• milk
• bread crumbs (not cracker meal, preferably fresh bread)

Slice zucchini into long sticks.  Moisten zucchini with water.  Prepare three bowls with flour, one with combined eggs and milk and the third with bread crumbs.  (Beat the eggs while adding the milk.)  Roll moistened zucchini in flour, then dip deeply into the egg-milk mix and roll in bread crumbs.   Deep fry until brown at 375 degrees.

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