Pittsburgh Dish

Bloomfield in bloom

Dish's Food Fellow Buzz Pusateri goes from market to kitchen

Two Italian markets in Bloomfield - Donatelli's and Groceria Italiana - are a little bit of the Strip District in Bloomfield. Yesterday, I picked up red bell peppers for $1.29/ lb. and whole chicken breasts (that looked like they came from a turkey) for $1.99/ lb. They sell essentials for Italian cooking and other cuisines - fennel, rapini, dandelions, escarole. At both stores you can buy fresh pastas and raviolis made on site. There are desserts such as cannolis, pastaciotti, sfogliatelli, tiramisu and biscotti. You should stop by soon.

On to the recipes...

Springtime Frittata

6 eggs
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 C Baby Spinach Leaves
1/2 C Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C Red Pepper, sliced
6 Green Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Chives, minced
White Pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and set aside. In a non-stick skillet, add the garlic, spinach, mushrooms and red pepper. Sauté gently over medium high heat until tender soft, about 5 minutes. Gradually pour the beaten eggs over the sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle with the green onions and chives. Lower heat to medium and cook until the eggs are set and the underside is browned.

Cut the frittata into four pieces. Gently transfer frittata one piece at a time to plates, flipping so that the browned side faces up.

This recipe serves: 4
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

This is a great recipe to utilize some of the zucchini from your garden or a neighbor's garden this summer. They are Ersatz Crab Cakes made from zucchini!!!

1 egg
1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs Minced Onions
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 1/2 C Zucchini, peeled and grated
1 C Plain Breadcrumbs
1/2 C Flour
Oil for frying

Combine the egg, seasoning, onion, butter and zucchini. Stir in breadcrumbs. Shape into cakes and roll in flour. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve with cocktail or tartar sauce, if you like.

Buon Appetito,
Buzz

Cooking with Buzz: Go nuts for donuts

Fried dough for St. Joe

"Cooking with Buzz" is a new column by Buzz Pusateri, menu coordinator for the Shepherd Wellness Community and beloved co-worker of Mrs. Dish.

My mother's family celebrated St. Joseph's Day (today) with Sfinghi. Her grandmother would make it for all her grandchildren on her saint's day (her name was Josephine). One piece had a prize inside and one lucky child would be the winner. Here's that recipe without the prize. That comes from the enjoyment of eating them.

Recipe

Sfinghi (pronounced Svingee)

2 Eggs
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Ricotta
1/2 C Milk
1-1/2 C Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Salt
Oil for Frying
Powdered Sugar

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until light in color. Add the ricotta and beat well. Thoroughly mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in another bowl. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until smooth.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a deep pan to 375 degrees on a cooking thermometer. Drop one tablespoonful of dough into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Drain the sfinghi on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Sift powdered sugar over the warm sfinghis. Serve warm.

To reheat, place the sfinghi in a baking dish or pan covered with foil. Heat in a 350 degree over for 10 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the rewarmed sfinghi and serve.