Italian Easter Pie: Torta di Pasqua

Torta di Pascua

Puff pastry or pie dough, enough to line and cover an 11-inch pie-plate

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 lbs. of ricotta cheese, well-strained to remove all liquid (setting the ricotta cheese in a strainer over a bowl overnight is best)

1/2 lb. mild or hot Italian sausage, sliced and lightly fried in olive oil

8 to 10 slices of prosciutto ham, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of diced mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons of chopped or dried parsley

Freshly ground pepper, and salt, to taste

One egg-yolk and one tablespoon of water for glaze

Prepare your pastry. Beat the eggs into the ricotta cheese, and add the rest of the ingredients. Roll out the pastry or pie dough, and line the pie-pan with one-half of it. Pour filling into the dough-lined pan, and lay the rest of your dough on top of it, sealing, trimming, and crimping the edges. Brush the top with an egg-yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water. Make pretty slits in the top of the crust, and bake in a moderately hot 350* oven for forty-five minutes to an hour, until the top of Easter Pie is golden. Serve Torta di Pasqua either warm or at room temperature. This recipe serves 8 people.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Pantry Essentials

Ingredients for a Well-Stocked Pantry
Elegant Survival Kitchen Essentials

• Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate or Bottled Apple Juice

• Cornstarch

• Unbleached White Flour

• Rye Flour

• Yeast

• Gelatine

• Almond Extract

• Vanilla, Imitation or Pure Extract

• Rum Extract or Flavoring

• Aluminum-Free Baking Powder

• Baking Soda

• Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

• Chocolate Chips

• Cinnamon

• Salt

• Peppercorns

• Dried Red Chiles

• Dehydrated Mixed Vegetables

• Brown Rice

• White or Basmati Rice

• Corn Meal or Grits

• Dried Pasta

• Alfalfa Seeds

• Wheat Berries

• Dried Parsley

• Dried Chives

• Dehydrated Onion

• Dehydrated Garlic or Garlic Powder

• Soy Sauce

• Powdered Ginger

• Toasted Sesame Oil

• Sesame Tahini Paste, Joyva brand of Brooklyn is best
• Almond Butter
  

• Popcorn, loose: Jolly Time Organic is better than Orville Redenbacher, at one-third the cost
• Peanut or Corn Oil

• Olive Oil

• Mustard Powder, Colman’s English

• Spanish or Hungarian Paprika

• Capers

• Green Peppercorns in Brine

• Rose’s Lime Juice

• Maggi or another brand of Chicken Bouillon Powder

• Canned Tomato Paste: store brand

• Canned Whole Tomatoes: store brand

• Canned Beets: store brand or generic

• Canned Small, Peeled Potatoes: store brand or generic

• Canned Green Chiles, whole or chopped

• Coconut Milk, Canned

• Whole Water Chestnuts, Canned

• Canned Ham

• Canned Vienna Sausage

• Canned Beef (usually from Argentina)

• Canned Pineapple, No Sugar Added

• Peanut Butter

• Raw Walnuts

• Almonds

• Powdered Sugar

• Brown Sugar

• White Sugar

• Molasses

• Honey

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• White Vinegar

• Boxed Red Wine, and a Cube of White Wine, both for Cooking

• Frozen Peas

• Dried Split Peas, Green or Yellow

• Freeze-Dried Coffee

• Coffee Creamer (not Coffee-Mate, which contains aluminum–check ingredients)

• Coffee Beans

• Tea Bags

• Non-Fat Dry Milk

• Powdered Buttermilk

• Powdered Eggs for Emergencies

• Bottled Lemon Juice
• Herbes de Provence (a combination of marjoram, thyme, rosemary and savory, available at Costco)
  

To Be Continued….

Compiled by M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Quinoa Casserole

Quinoa, an Ancient Incan Delicacy

Bring to a boil 2 1/2 cups of water.

Add 1 1/2 cup of quinoa, stir, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese,

One tablespoon of white flour,

One egg, and

One cup of milk.

Seasoning Salt and Pepper of your choice (Lawry’s, Plain or Himalayan Salt; Cayenne pepper, white or black pepper). Or, use a tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon (Maggi or Knorr brands, for example).

Chop a fourth-cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Add it to the milk and egg mixture.

Mix all ingredients together and place in a greased or buttered 9″ round or square glass casserole dish.

Decorate the top with any grated cheese.

Bake for forty minutes.

Variation: Omit the sun-dried tomatoes and substitute chopped green chiles (El Paso or Hatch brands, for example). Substitute Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese for the Parmesan.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008
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