Zia Maria's Recipes
POLLO AL PADRONE
1/2 lb fatty salt pork
3 cloves garlic
4 each: chicken breasts, thighs and drumsticks
5-6 large mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Remove rind from salt pork and discard. Finely dice salt pork and garlic, mashing both together with side of cleaver. Place in covered iron skillet over medium heat for about ten minutes until it melts down, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove salt pork and garlic; set aside.
Salt and pepper chicken pieces; brown in skillet over fairly high heat. Turn to medium-low and add salt pork and garlic. Cover pan and let chicken cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally and adding water as necessary. When almost done, add sliced mushrooms and finely chopped parsley. At the last minute, add the wine vinegar. Turn heat up very high; cover and cook about 30 seconds longer.
Serve with pasta or rice, roasted red peppers, a salad and hot bread.
DOLCE TORTA PICCANTE
(SPICE CAKE)
1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk, if preferred)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugars well in a large bowl. Add the eggs and blend. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, soda and spices. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture, blending well after each addition. The mixture shouldn't be too thin, so you might not have to use all of the milk.
Lightly grease and flour a 9" square pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. As ovens vary, start testing for doneness after 30 minutes. Cover with:
QUICK CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
4-5 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp sweet butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3-4 tbsp evaporated milk
Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter over very low heat. Remove from heat as soon as they're melted; add the vanilla extract. Sift the confectioner's sugar in a bowl and blend into it the evaporated milk, a tablespoon at a time. You want to keep the consistency fairly thick, so don't add too much milk at a time. Add the chocolate to the sugar and milk mixture, blending well. If it seems too thick, gradually add a little more milk until it's easily spreadable but still fudgy. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake, and enjoy!
1/2 lb fatty salt pork
3 cloves garlic
4 each: chicken breasts, thighs and drumsticks
5-6 large mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Remove rind from salt pork and discard. Finely dice salt pork and garlic, mashing both together with side of cleaver. Place in covered iron skillet over medium heat for about ten minutes until it melts down, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove salt pork and garlic; set aside.
Salt and pepper chicken pieces; brown in skillet over fairly high heat. Turn to medium-low and add salt pork and garlic. Cover pan and let chicken cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally and adding water as necessary. When almost done, add sliced mushrooms and finely chopped parsley. At the last minute, add the wine vinegar. Turn heat up very high; cover and cook about 30 seconds longer.
Serve with pasta or rice, roasted red peppers, a salad and hot bread.
DOLCE TORTA PICCANTE
(SPICE CAKE)
1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk, if preferred)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugars well in a large bowl. Add the eggs and blend. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, soda and spices. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture, blending well after each addition. The mixture shouldn't be too thin, so you might not have to use all of the milk.
Lightly grease and flour a 9" square pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. As ovens vary, start testing for doneness after 30 minutes. Cover with:
QUICK CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
4-5 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp sweet butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3-4 tbsp evaporated milk
Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter over very low heat. Remove from heat as soon as they're melted; add the vanilla extract. Sift the confectioner's sugar in a bowl and blend into it the evaporated milk, a tablespoon at a time. You want to keep the consistency fairly thick, so don't add too much milk at a time. Add the chocolate to the sugar and milk mixture, blending well. If it seems too thick, gradually add a little more milk until it's easily spreadable but still fudgy. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake, and enjoy!