It’s no secret my Maw Maw is a top chef in my book and once again this month’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe is inspired from her kitchen.
 
This stove-top chicken and rice recipe was a staple in my southeast Texas home and we would often whip it up when the leaves started falling from the trees, when we were feeling a tad bit under the weather or when we needed some good ‘ole fashioned home cooking to stick to our ribs.
 
I’ve continued that tradition here in Calabria.
 
The basic recipe, aka, Maw Maw’s recipe is made without the onions and mushrooms. She adds a bag of onion soup mix to the water when she adds the chicken. Feel free to try both versions as they are drastically different and equally as fulfilling.
 

 
Ingredients:
>> 3 cups white rice
>> 2 pounds chicken (I cut the chicken into small cubes, my grandmother pulls hers.)
>> 1/2 onion
>> 1 pound mushrooms
>> Black pepper
>> Salt
 
Directions:
 
1. In large pot, measure water for rice. Add chicken, salt and black pepper.
 
2. Cook chicken 10 minutes.
 
3. Add rice and cook according to directions.
 
4. In separate pan, saute onions and sliced mushrooms.
 
5. When rice is fully cooked, stir in mushrooms and onions.
 
6. Black pepper is the most important ingredient to make this dish a hit, so taste the rice and add black pepper, as needed.
 

Enjoy!

In Italiano

Ingredienti:

>> 3 tazze di riso
>> 900 gr pollo
>> 1/2 cipolla
>> 450 gr Funghi
>> Pepe nero
>> Sale
 
Preparazione:
 

1. In una pentola larga, mettere il pollo, il sale, ed il pepe nero, nel frattempo misurate la quantità di acqua necessaria per il riso.

 
2. Il pollo deve cucinare per 10 minuti.
 
3. Aggiungere il riso.
 
4. In una padella separata, mettere la cipolla ed i funghi.
 
5. Quando il riso è completamente cotto, mettere il composto di funghi e cipolla e poi mescolare il tutto.
 
6. Il pepe nero, è l’ingrediente più importante per fare bene questo piatto, quindi assaggiatelo ed aggiungetene quanto necessario!
 
Buon Appetito!
 
Buon Weekend!
 

 
In the land of pizza and pasta who needs to add more starchy sugar to their diets?
 
Uhm … we all do! Enter – the potato.
 
2008 is the International Year of the Potato - did you know that? I for one am all about celebrating. This is also the first week of the O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest, so a Baked PotatO is the perfect American food to highlight as we bring back La Buona Cucina Americana.
 
I *heart* potatoes. I love them boiled and fried and stewed. I love them with butter, I love them alone, and they always make me think of home.
 
Baked potatoes are my absolute favorite and for the first year I was in Italy I missed them. We don’t have bacon bits, there is no sour cream and well, no one eats them here.
 
But that, my friends, is changing.
 
I found an incredible website with step-by-step instructions on how to bake the perfect potato, however the site isn’t online anymore. So I’ll share that wisdom with you here.
 
Ingredients:
 
>> 2-4 medium-sized potatoes
>> Olive oil (4 tablespoons)
>> Salt (1 teaspoon)
>> Black Pepper
>> Provola cheese
>> Pancetta
>> Butter
 
Directions:
 
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
 
2. Scrub the potatoes under warm water and remove any imperfections with a small knife.
 
3. Use a fork to pierce each potato five times.
 
4. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and salt.
 
5. Roll the potatoes in the olive oil and salt mixture and set aside.
 
6. Put the potatoes directly on the oven rack, placing a pan below them to catch drippings.
 
7. Bake 50 minutes, or until the potato skin is crispy.
 
8. While the potatoes are baking, grate cheese and cook pancetta.
 
9. Remove the potatoes from the oven, slice open and add butter, cheese, pancetta and black pepper.
 

 
Delicious!
 

 
 
Ingredienti:
 
>> 2-4 patate (medie)
>> Olio di oliva (4 cucchiai)
>> Sale (1 cucchiaino)
>> Pepe’ nero
>> Provola
>> Pancetta
>> Burro
 
Preperazione:
 
1. Preriscaldare il forno a 200 gradi.
 
2. Pulire le patate sotto aqua calda e togliere le imperfezioni con un coltello.
 
3. Con una forcetta, fare un buco in ogni patata cinque volte.
 
4. Unire olio di oliva e sale.
 
5. Mettere le patate dentro l’olio ed il sale and mettere a parte.
 
6. Mettere le patate sopra il forno, con un pan sotto.
 
7. Infornare per 50 minuti, fino a quando le patate saranno croccanti.
 
8. Mentre le patate sono in forno, grattugare della provola e cucinare della pancetta.
 
9. Togliere le patate, aprirele e aggungiere del burro, provola, pancetta ed un po’ pepe’ nero. 
 

 
Delizioso!
 

There is nothing like homemade macaroni and cheese to turn a bad day around, and this recipe, complete with spicy red peppers and cherry tomatoes kicks this comfort food to a whole new level.

I first started making homemade macaroni and cheese a few years ago after my Bleeding Espresso buddy shared her mamma’s recipe with me.

Like Michelle, I like to play around with ingredients … and this is my new specialty!

Ingredients:
(Serves two)

>> 1/2 pound fusilli pasta (you can substitute any thick pasta, such as penne, macaroni, farfalle, etc.)
>> 1/2 cup, skim milk
>> 1 1/2-2 cups Provola cheese, cubed (again, you can play around with the amount and types of cheese you use, but provola is a staple at casa nostra!)
>> 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
>> 2 small spicy red chili peppers, cut into small pieces
>> garlic
>> salt
>> olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted water until it is very al dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, saute tomatoes, garlic and chili peppers in olive oil. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Drain pasta and return to pot.

4. Stir in milk and cheese. Cook over low heat and continue stirring, ensuring cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

5. When cheese is fully melted, add tomato and pepper mixture and lightly stir.

6. Serve and enjoy.

Buon Appetito!