Author: La Ciociara

I was born in the U.S., but my heart belongs to Italy. I have developed this blog to talk about all things Italian, including travel, art, food, history, and life in general. I lived in Italy when I was a child, in Milano, went to first grade there, and, even though I was so young, it has left quite an impression on me. In fact, to this day I have been trying to find my way back to a life there, but having a family makes it a not so easy thing! Of course, I go there every chance I get, having my father's side of the family there, mostly in the Lazio region which is in central Italy. By the way, here's a bit of useless information - my name, Marcia, means belonging to the Roman god Mars. In Italian, it's actually spelled Marzia, but my name is in Portuguese.

Tomato Sauce (Pasta Sauce)

Posted on May 31, 2016 by La Ciociara

Tomato sauce (pasta sauce, or some people call it gravy) is considered to be one of the five “mother sauces” that all cooks should know how to make, along with béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, and espagnole. If you can make these sauces, you can make any variations of them for every type of cuisine.

I like to use fresh herbs when they’re available but you can use dried herbs also. Just remember that dried herbs have a more concentrated and powerful flavor and so the quantities need to be adjusted (use more fresh herbs, less dried herbs). I add them in the beginning so that the sauce absorbs their flavors as it simmers.

I make either marinara, which is plain tomato sauce, ragù, which is a meat sauce (add meatballs, chicken pieces or sausages), or seafood (puttanesca, zuppa di pesce, etc.), depending on what we feel like eating.

Ingredients
2 cans tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (non-GMO if you can find it)
1 T olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, smashed and sliced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground dried sage
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil or 3 fresh basil leaves
1 T fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
a splash of red wine
salt (if needed)

add olive oil to the pot and sauté the garlic cloves.
add the rosemary and continue to sauté (this will give it a stronger taste which I love!).
add the cans of tomatoes and stir.
add the herbs, and onion and garlic powders, stir.
add the bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.
add a splash of red wine, stir.
simmer for about an hour. Add salt if it needs more. If it gets too thick, add a little bit of water or wine.

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Stromboli Roll

Posted on May 23, 2016 by La Ciociara

This recipe serves approximately 4 -6 people if sliced and served as an appetizer, or 2 people if it is the main dish. You can leave out the prosciutto if it is too salty for your liking.

Ingredients

12 oz. pizza dough
4 slices of ham
4 slices of mozzarella
4 slices of salami
2 long slices of prosciutto
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano
pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 T olive oil

preheat oven to 375°.
in a large pizza pan spread the olive oil with your fingers.
stretch the dough out in the pan and sprinkle onion and garlic powder according to your taste.
spread the slices of ham, mozzarella, salami and prosciutto across the dough, leaving about an inch around the dough with nothing on it.
fold about an inch of the dough on opposite ends, then roll one of the other ends until you have a log.
sprinkle some oregano and grated cheese on top.
bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

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Veal Saltimbocca (alla Romana)

Posted on May 23, 2016 by La Ciociara

Veal saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish. Saltimbocca literally means “to jump in the mouth”. You can use fresh sage leaves when available for each cutlet or rubbed dry sage which comes in those small spice and herb containers, which is what this recipe uses. You can also leave out the tomatoes and use dry white wine instead.

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

3 lbs. thinly sliced veal leg (cutlet)
2 oz. butter
¾ c. olive oil
3 lbs. canned plum tomatoes, chopped fine
3 T fresh parsley
3 tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp sage or 1 fresh sage leaf to place on every cooked cutlet
12 oz. prosciutto ham, very thinly sliced
12 oz. mozzarella or provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Pound veal slices thin if necessary.
Heat oil and butter in a saute pan. Saute veal slices and remove when done to a sheet pan.
After all veal is cooked use the same pan with the remaining butter and oil to cook tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and sage. Cook and stir about 10 minutes.
Arrange veal slices in plates.
Cover each portion of veal with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese.
Neatly cover each veal portion with some of the sauteed tomato mixture.
Sprinkle each portion with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Warm in low oven if prepared in advance then broil just before serving to lightly brown top.

Braised Octopus

Posted on May 23, 2016 by La Ciociara

The octopus is a type of mollusk. Although not many people in the U.S like the idea of eating octopus because of the way it looks, it is considered a delicacy in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. It has a mild flavor, similar to squid. You can eat it as an appetizer or as a main dish.

It is not a complicated food to cook, it just takes time because of its tough consistency. If you do not cook it long enough it can be rubbery. Some people like to boil it before simmering. Some like to remove the skin from it. Whatever you do, make sure you remove the “beak” which is underneath the head in the center of it.

Although 2 octopi for 2-3 people sounds like a lot, it actually does not render much because all the liquid comes out and it shrinks. Once you start cooking it, it will turn pink.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

2 small octopi, fresh or frozen
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and sliced
1/2 cup (approx.) of either white wine or beer
2 T olive oil

rinse and cut up the octopus into 1 – 2 inch pieces.
saute garlic in olive oil.
add the octopus along with beer or wine and simmer for about 2 hours until tender.

There is no need to add salt because the octopus is naturally salty. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze the juice over it.

It is also very tasty when cooked with cubed potatoes.

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Pesto Sauce

Posted on May 3, 2016 by La Ciociara

I love pesto sauce so much I can eat it on Italian bread as a spread! The scent of basil reminds me of when I was little. My family and I lived in an apartment so we didn’t have a garden, but that didn’t stop my parents from planting herbs and vegetables in buckets and keeping them out on the fire escape during the summer. When they finally bought a house, basil was one of the first things they planted, along with tomatoes of course.

Pesto sauce is made with lots of fresh basil, although I’ve seen recipes substituting some of the basil with spinach and parsley to give it that nice green color. The basil in pesto will actually change to a brownish color after a short time because of oxidation (when certain substances react to being exposed to oxygen), but you can drop the leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds to destroy the enzymes that cause it (read Why does my pesto turn brown?)

It also calls for pignoli, or pine nuts, which can be expensive so I usually leave them out and the sauce still has a wonderful, aromatic flavor. And for the best flavor, I always use extra virgin olive oil. My favorite unfortunately cannot be bought here because it is made in my father’s town, Selvacava.

I like to use the food processor to mix the ingredients, but traditionally it’s made using a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
3 T of grated pecorino romano or parmiggiano reggiano
1 T pine nuts
50 leave of basil, rinsed and dried
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

in a food processor, add garlic, cheese and pine nuts and mix until it is a paste.
add basil and salt and mix.
slowly add the olive oil.

If you do not use it right away, the oil will separate from the rest of the ingredients so you have to stir it before adding it to anything.

I like to make a lot of pesto and freeze it because I don’t always have the time to prepare it just before I use it.

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Pasta alla Caprese (with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella)

Posted on May 3, 2016 by La Ciociara

Here is a simple but tasty pasta recipe for when you have to cook dinner in a hurry or are just not in the mood for anything fancy.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 box (1 lb.) of penne pasta, or any other short pasta
4 small tomatoes, cubed
2 c of fresh mozzarella, cubed
4 T pesto sauce
salt to taste

1. cook pasta, drain and reserve some water (in case the pasta is too dry).
2. add tomatoes and mozzarella to the hot pot that you used to cook the pasta in to warm them up a bit.
3. throw pasta and pesto sauce into the pot and mix well.
4. add salt to taste.

If the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water a little bit at a time.

Polenta

Posted on April 8, 2016 by La Ciociara

I love polenta. I love it as a side dish with Chicken Alla Ciociara, with the gravy and pan drippings drizzled over it, or with thick tomato sauce spooned over it, known as Polenta alla Ciociara.

Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

You can prepare it with either water or milk. Use water if you’d like a lighter version of it so that you can eat it with chicken or meat, or even shrimp. It comes out a little stiffer and can actually be sliced and fried for an Italian version of corn chips. Use milk if you’d like a creamy taste and to eat it as a main dish.

Polenta made with water.

Polenta

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 cups of cold water, or 2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk (for creamier polenta), or 3 cups of milk (for an even creamier and denser polenta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
onion powder, to taste
salt, to taste

in a large measuring cup, dissolve bouillon cubes in the cold water (or milk).
sauté garlic in oil in a pot .
add cold water to the pot.
slowly add the cornmeal into the water while stirring.
add salt and onion powder to the pot.
cook on low heat, constantly stirring so as not to burn or stick to the pot, for about 1/2 hour. If you undercook it, it will feel gritty in your mouth. Add more water or milk if you see that it is becoming too dry.

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Chicken alla Ciociara

Posted on February 22, 2016 by La Ciociara

serves 4 to 5 people

Ingredients

8 – 10 chicken pieces on the bone (whole legs or thighs and drumsticks, breasts) with skin removed
6 T olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 shallot, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary; can also chop the leaves or use dried rosemary (1/2 tsp)
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
red wine, approx. 1 cup
red wine vinegar
salt, to taste

sprinkle chicken pieces with vinegar and salt.
sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil; add rosemary.
place chicken pieces in pan and sprinkle half of the parsley on them, and brown them, about 15 minutes.
turn chicken pieces over and sprinkle remaining parsley and brown them for another 15 minutes.
cook on medium low heat for another 45 to 60 minutes, until cooked through. If it gets dry, add red wine, a little bit at a time (or you can add water or chicken broth).
serve with polenta or mushrooms on the side and a salad.

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Monte Fammera

Posted on February 15, 2016 by La Ciociara

Monte Fammera is a very distinctly shaped mountain which overlooks the municipalities of Ausonia and Spigno Saturnia. It is part of the Aurunci Mountains in the Apennine Mountain range.

I’ve heard many stories regarding this mountain during World War II from family members. There is a cave somewhere in this mountain where the residents of Selvacava and the surrounding towns used to hide in during WWII. Since the mountain is at a higher level than the towns, it was a good vantage point for spotting invading soldiers not only on the ground, but also from the Tyrrhenian Sea in the distance.

Selvacava, with its many olive groves, looking toward the Tyrrhenian Sea

My father told of how Nazi soldiers tried to get him to fight with them and when he refused, he was shot in the leg while running to the mountain, and how they were so hungry while hiding out that they had to kill their donkey and eat it. In fact, I still have the horseshoe that my father saved.

My dad’s donkey’s horseshoe

My uncle also told me of how one day all the shooting and bombing had stopped. My great aunt decided to leave the cave to see why there was a great silence and when she peered over a small hill, she found herself with a submachine gun pointed at her face! It turned out that the war had ended and the French were looking for Nazis and she had spooked them.

When I was little and lived in the Bronx, my father belonged to a club of “paesans” from Selvacava. One time they had a Christmas party at the old Alex and Henry’s Catering Hall, where they usually had their parties, and hired this old guy as entertainment who told jokes and stories about WWII in Italy and did sound effects to go along with it. I remember feeling very uncomfortable watching the old Italians around me laughing at something I found so terrifying but then I realized that was how they dealt with what they had gone through, just like when I lived in Italy and my father and uncle would often break out their old record of war songs and play them. I didn’t know at the time that they were war songs until years later when I was watching the movie Moon Over Parador and heard one of the songs, “Lili Marlen” in one of the scenes and I looked it up.

For travel arrangements, go to Travel and Tourism.

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Ausonia, Frosinone

Posted on February 5, 2016 by La Ciociara

Ausonia is a medieval municipality of Lazio located in the Aurunci Mountains in the province of Frosinone. It includes the villages of Selvacava, Correano, Madonna del Piano, Pastena, Bastia di Selvacava, Case, Cavone, Corevento, Orfanotrofio, Pantana, Pantane, Pantanelle – Renchiuse, Ranella, Rotondoli, and Trifolle.

The name Ausonia comes from the legendary italic people called the Aurunci who inhabited the lands in this area before it was destroyed by the ancient Romans in the 4th century BC.

Places to Visit in Ausonia

The Church of Santa Maria di Correano, located in the village of Correano is an ancient Roman church. According to local stories, it is the first church that was built outside of Rome. It is said that Augustus Caesar himself loved vacationing here and would often visit. It is also believed that the wife of Emperor Nero was buried in the sarcophagus in front of the church.

Church of Santa Maria di Correano

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Piano (Madonna of the Plain) is a Roman Catholic Church built during the 15th century in place of the original structure that existed here. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to a young shepherd girl and asked her to have an orphanage built here.

The Sanctuary of Madonna del Piano

The medieval castle of Ausonia was built in 1000 AD by the princes of Capua. It was used as a military fortress to guard the strategic road from Monte Cassino to Gaeta which cut through Ausonia.

The Castle of Ausonia with Monte Fammera in the background
Photo Credit: Man In The Maze @Flickr.com

Ausonia and the surrounding area suffered brutal battles during WWII. Many people emigrated from here after the war to the eastern United States.

Ausonia, Frosinone, May 14, 1944, during WWII

Ausonia, May 14, 1944, during WWII

Taking a drive through Ausonia.

For travel arrangements, go to Travel and Tourism.

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