Pickled Eggs - A Fall Favorite

For some reason, I love to make pickled eggs in the fall. This is most likely due to the canning season. Italians love to prepare for winter in Upstate New York. This tradition most likely has ties to the Great Depression. As many canned and brined to help get through the long winters in Upstate NY.

I remember as a child bottling and pickling many vegetable treats. Pickling Eggs would become a bar favorite in our area. I remember walking into a bar and seeing a dingy pickled egg bottle. I thought to myself, who in the world would eat that. 

Ingredients

• 1 Dozen Hard Boiled Eggs -10 minute boil. (Dad Tip) Peeling the eggs can be difficult. Add a tsp of baking soda to the water so the shells come off easier.
• 1 cup of apple cider/white vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon of table salt
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-3 slices of cherry peppers or long hot pepper. (Any pepper to your liking) 
• 5-10 slices of red/sweet onions
• A sprig or two of dill

Preparation 

This is a quick fun process. Roughly 20 minutes. You set up the canning jars on your counter. Add the salt and spices to the bottom along with a few onion slices. Next, add about 1/3 of the vinegar. Once you add the eggs, the volume of the vinegar will reach halfway up the canning jar. I like to add the garlic cloves, a sprig of dill, and peppers in the middle. I will add another 1/3 of water to the brine. I add the additional eggs and top the jar with the rest of the onion slices. Place the cap and refrigerate for 7-10 days to allow the eggs to soak up the flavors. Brines are a great alternative to canning. Pickled eggs last up to 3 months in the fridge. 

Pickled eggs are a fun project for you and your kids. You can feel free to tinker with the recipe. Some people add beets to the brine as it turns the eggs into a reddish/purple color. Another great tip I tried recently was making deviled eggs with pickled eggs. That frown you just had as you read this was the same as mine. I have to say, you might be quite surprised as I was. Try them and see what you think. Feel free to comment on the blog.

Jack's Peas and Eggs Soup (zuppa di piselli e uova)

Italians have traditions that tend to originate from the Great Depression. Sometimes, the traditions can be traced back to regions of origin in Italy. One such delicacy is Peas and Eggs soup. Now I have to admit, when I heard about it, I was thinking it was going to be a typical Depression Era soup. However, to my surprise, it was very unique. I learned about the soup from a friend of mine at work. He told me that the origin of this recipe is Sicilian. Since my family came from Sicily, I asked if they heard of the soup. To my surprise, Joe was correct. 

I decided to make soup for my family. I felt a bit of skepticism. Amazingly, when they tried the soup, they had the same reaction. It was delicious. The soup is easy to make, and you will have will most likely have skeptics at first. However, once the try it, they will say, "Can I have seconds on the Peas and Eggs?"

Ingredients

4-6 Eggs

Potatoes (Red are best)

Garlic (4 or 5 large cloves)

Cracked Pepper and Course Salt (Tsp each) 

Yellow or White Onion

Olive Oil 

2 cans of Peas - (Sweet)

Optional - Garlic and Onion Powder tsp each

Preparation

Drain the juice from the peas in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Fill 3/4 of the can with water. (Each can) Do not use too much water. The pea juice is your base and you do not want to dilute it too much. Next, thinly dice your onion. Add this to the broth. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Do not mince. You want thin slices as part of your broth. Peel the potatoes. (I live the skin on) You want to make small cubes for your soup. Add two-three tablespoons of olive oil. 

Bring the soup to a boil. Cook the potatoes so they are tender. You don't want them to be mush. 8-10 minute boil should be enough for them to be tender. Once tender, add the peas. Stir and add your seasoning. You always want room for adding salt and pepper after the soup is complete. Be careful not to add too much salt. 

The potatoes will add a creaminess to the soup. Generally, I have to add another 3/4 to a cup of water. You need the soup base at a boil to cook the eggs. You will crack 4-6 eggs on top of the soup. The whites will separate and you will boil for an additional 2-3 minutes. It's okay to have a firm yolk. Some people like the yolk to be a bit runny. I like it both ways. 

Immediately serve once complete. This recipe can easily serve 4-6 people. 

(One more thing - Jack's Peas and Eggs is dedicated to my friend's father. Since this is a cooking blog that encourages Dads to cook with the children, I can't think of a better example than the homage a son gives to his father by naming a recipe after him) 

Tripe (Yes Tripe) So Good!

If you ever want to see funny expressions come from your friends and family, mention to them you are making Tripe. So many people have a negative response, and for some rightfully so. Let's clear up one thing, the origins of Tripe usually bother people. It is of course a cow's stomach. But ask yourself, anything from a cow is pretty much the eating of an animal corpse. Right? The hamburger itself is pretty much a ground-up cow and fillers depending on what you buy at the supermarket.

The secret to Tripe is the cleaning process. You can buy Tripe cleaned by the butcher, but trust me, you have to boil it for many reasons. I boil each round around 10-minute increments 3 - 6 times. Each time, I give the Tripe a cold water bath, then reboil. There are 2 reasons for doing this. The first obviously is the cleanliness. The second is I am trying to increase the tenderness of the Tripe. This allows for the Tripe to be cut into small pieces and cook in the sauce. The way I make my tripe, it resembles pinwheel pasta and has the consistency of pasta. 

Your sauce should be either thick for Tripe on its own, or soupy if you make Tripe with other items to compliment the dish. For example, in this recipe, I will add onions, garlic, and potatoes. Despite what people might tell you, I love vegetables as an add-on including celery and carrots at times. The other secret is the sauce. You can use the sauce recipe on the blog on the sauce recipe I include for this recipe.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 32 oz can of Organic Tomato Sauce

1 32 oz can of diced tomatoes

1-3 oz of butter

1 tsp of cinnamon 

3-5 cloves of garlic

Italian seasonings (Parsley and Basil)

Salt and Pepper (Cracked) to taste

Garlic and Onion Powder - 1 tsp each

Cherry Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp

Cherry (Hot) or Long Hot peppers (One long hot or a few Cherry Pepper Slices. You can also do both) 

Sweet Pepper - 1 -5 slices 

1 White Onion (Diced and Sauteed or right in the sauce) 

Directions - I make the sauce in a Crockpot. I add everything at once. Let the sauce cook for about an hour and a half - 2 hours on low. Stir the sauce periodically and season to your personal taste. 

Once the Tripe is prepared via the boiling process (as described above) You will cut the tripe vertically into smaller pieces. You want the shapes to be the size of a larger pasta like a pinwheel or bowtie. (Try not to cut too small.) Once cut, add the Tripe to your sauce. Leave at least 1 - 1.5hrs for the Tripe to simmer in the sauce. Similar to Pasta, you want to check for tenderness prior to finishing. 

Potatoes - Dice your potatoes into cubes. Only use 1 -3 small potatoes. You don't want to overwhelm your sauce. The diced potatoes, as with all vegetables is a compliment to your dish. What makes the potato unique is you have to pre-boil them for about 6 mins. You want them to be firm, not squishy. The reason for the pre-boil is to get the starch out of the potato. I set them aside and put them in at about 5-10 mins prior the Tripe being finished.

As with all recipes on Cooking it Up with Dad, try different variations. Involve the kids. A cow's
stomach when they are younger is like a science experiment. They might complain in the beginning, however by the end of your recipe they will think it is pretty cool. 

Sausage Bread

Sausage bread is a tradition in many Italian-American families. This recipe can have many variations. I will share two, however, as with all recipes, you can add and delete ingredients as you see fit. Your kids will love making bread with you. 

Ingredients 

Dough - (Our Recipe or Bakery)

Olive Oil 

Garlic 

Garlic Powder

Broccoli Cuts (Frozen) 

Sweet Sausage 1lb (Hot or any variation you enjoy)

Four Cheese Italian Blend

Parmesan Slice

Grated Romano 

Salt

Pepper

White Onion (Diced)

Sausage Links (Sweet Italian) or Prepared Sweet Italian Ground Sausage

1-2 eggs

First Step - Double risen dough

Layout your baking sheets. In the center of the sheet, roll out about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil in the center of the sheet. Place a dough ball on top of the olive oil. Spread the dough so that it overlaps the baking sheet. Set aside and allow the dough to rise again as you prepare the rest of the recipe.

In a skillet, prepare the sausage. I prefer Italian Sweet Sausage in the link. The flavors have been infused in the link, and I think you get a better result with links, You can buy prepared ground sausage as an alternative. Coat the skillet with olive oil and thinly sliced garlic. Saute the sausage until lightly browned. Do not over cook the sausage. Be sure to finely chop the sausage into crumbles.  

You will coat the bottom of the dough with a thin layer of Parmesan and Four Cheese Blend. The thin layer will combine with the dough to make a firm base. This firmness allows for cuts to stay a bit firm.

In the skillet, (leave sausage oils) cook up the broccoli cuts so that it is tender. (You can use a steamer bag and do a quick infusion of the sausage flavors as an alternative) Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs into a scramble. 

Layering your bread - You will layer the sausage crumbles on top of the cheese. Add a thin layer of grated cheese. Next, infuse half of your egg mixture lightly on the crumbles and cheese. Next, add a layer of broccoli and sausage crumbles. Lightly add an additional layer of the Cheese Blend. Add what is left of your egg mixture, diced onion, and garlic powder. You also can add salt and pepper to your own preferred taste. 

You will fold the dough into 2 layers. One side on top of the other. You will add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the dough with seasoning. (You can also add a thin layer of grated cheese if you would like) 

Some people overlap the layers throughout the bread. I prefer the layers on top of the bread. The thickness allows for the seasoning to immerse itself on the top to compliment the inside of the bread.

As with all recipes on this blog, experiment with your kids a bit. Use different seasonings, meats, and cheese combinations. This recipe also serves as
a base recipe for calzones and pepperoni bread which we will add to our blog in future posts. 

Gnocchis - Ricotta Cheese Recipe

Gnocchis are a lot of work, and if you are a dad wanting to spend time with your kids, this is a great activity. You will need a gnocchi board, or you can use a fork. Truly simple.

Ingredients

6 cups flour
2 eggs.
Garlic Powder 1-2 tsp
Salt 1-2 tsp
16ox Ricotta Cheese

 

Equipment - Gnocchi Boards


In a large mixing bowl, add the 6 cups of flour. Swirl once or twice around the bowl the garlic powder and salt. Mix both into the flour. Add 2 eggs and hand mix the eggs. Next, add the Ricotta cheese and you will start to form a consistency for pasta dough. During this process, you want to monitor the moisture of the dough. Spread a thin layer of flour as needed on the surface you are

kneading the dough. You want the dough to form a firm ball. Once firm, continue with the next step.

Using a knife, slice a 1/2 inch (similar to a slice of bread. Roll the dough into a long snake (like when you were a kid playing with playdough) Center your hands on the Gnocchi Board. Roll your dough one complete cycle. Your ridges will generally connect once a full circle is achieved. 

You want to place the gnocchis on a cookie sheet. Wax paper is generally recommended as a foundation. You want to freeze the trays once full for firmness so you can place the gnocchis in one-quart freezer bags. Gnoccis generally freeze well for 6 months when you use a high-quality freezer bag. Squeeze the air out or use a vacuum sealer. 

It takes a long time to accumulate a pound on Gnoccis. That's why this is a great father/child activity. You will have a few hours to chat and enjoy the activity. 

The Iron Skillet, Oven Roaster, and a Good Steak

Wintertime and grilling can be a challenge in the northeast. Some dads think the best steak comes from a grill. Not true. You can have a great steak using your cast iron skillet and an oven roaster.
Great cuts of steaks are T-Bone, Prime Rib, Sirloin, and Tenderloins. A marbleized flank steak is also one of my favorites. With this recipe, you should be good with most grades of steaks.

Prepping is the most important aspect of a good steak. I am a strong proponent of a 1-hour salt bath. For prime rib, I recommend an encrusted rock salt recipe for the entire process of cooking. However, for this recipe, we are going to keep it simple.

A good cut of meat will come with fat. Trim the large chunks of fat from the steak. On a cutting board, place a layer of Himalayan or  Kosher salt cuts. Firmly press the front and backside of your cut of meat so that the chunks of salt are embedded into the meat. Let the steak set out at room temperature for about an hour. The salt will draw out the liquids and break down proteins tenderizing the steak. The thicker the steak, the more salt you want to use for your preparation. Some chefs call this process osmosis.

Ingredients

Cut of steak.
Salt - Himalayan, Rock, Sea or Iodized
Olive Oil 3 tablespoons
1-2 cloves of garlic

The next step is to warm up your skillet. Skillets hold the flavor better than any cooking device for the stovetop. For this recipe, you will turn the heat on your stove to med-high or slightly higher. Poor in the olive oil and bring the heat to the desired temperature. Prior to adding the steak, mince some garlic to flavor the oil.

The purpose of the skillet is to seal the brine from tenderizing your steak. You will cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. This will brown the surface of your steak while leaving the center rare, which is exactly what you want. If you have multiple steaks, you can brown longer for a med-rare center for one steak, and keep the other rare.

Ingredients for Roasting Oven

6-8 potatoes
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery
4-6 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
(Feel free to add corn or anything else you like)
Cracked pepper and salt
Italian seasoning
Olive oil 2-3 tsp.

Cube and slice your vegetables and place them in a bowl.  Pour the olive oil on the vegetables and mix to ensure they are coated. Next, add the cracked salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Again mix to ensure they are well seasoned. In the oven roaster, place 2 sheets of aluminum paper on top of the metal basket (optional - makes clean up easier) Spread the vegetables evenly across the roaster. Place your seasoned steaks on top of the vegetable mixture. Close the lid. Set the cooker for 200 degrees. The next step is up to you. You can cook for 2 hours at 250 degrees for a rare steak. Or you can slow cook for 4 hours at 200 degrees for a med-rare steak. The longer you cook the steak, it will become increasingly tender. Use a meat thermometer to check for a safe temperature prior to removing from the oven. You may have to cook the vegetables a bit longer for a rare steak. You can turn the oven up to 350 or 400 degrees. You should have tender vegetables in 20-30 mins.

Turkey Stock

Turkey stock is easy to make and freeze for multiple soup recipes. After making a Turkey in the oven or an oven roaster, take out the turkey. Using a skimmer, take out the impurities (bones, meat fragments veggies etc.) Allow the liquid to cool and congeal. After many hours, the liquid will turn into a gel. Skim the gel use about a cup for every 7 quarts of water to make a great broth. I use 1 cup freezer Tupperware to save the gel for future soups. You can put the frozen mixture in your water and it will dissolve perfectly The nice thing about making your own broth like this is that the flavors from your preparation of the turkey are concealed in the gel. This gives a rich flavor you can not get from commercially made broths. Simple to make, it will serve you well as a substitute for chicken broth.