The Silver Spoon

The hubby bought me a new cookbook, "The Silver Spoon." The book, which is also known as "the bible of authentic Italian cooking," boasts over 2000 recipes. While first published in Italy in 1950, it was only recently translated into English.

The Silver Spoon is a virtual treasure trove of Italian cooking. It contains recipes for everything from basic sauces and marinades, to salads, soups, appetizers, pizza, eggs, vegetables, fish, meat, pasta and baked goods. Each section is color coded to make browsing easy. The recipes are simply written and rarely longer than a brief paragraph.

One of my favorite things about The Silver Spoon is that it truly captures the Italian perspective and approach to cooking. As I've mentioned before, my hubby is Italian. After we were married, I was able to spend some time cooking with his Sicilian grandmother. What a treat!

One of the things that surprised me was the simplicity of her recipes. This book captures that essence... Non-fussy, yet incredibly flavorful recipes that enable any cook to prepare a delicious meal for their family.

After browsing through the book for several hours, I am having difficulty deciding which recipe to try first. It would literally take me years to try them all. Maybe I should make that a personal goal. I can't think of anything more delicious.

Green Chili

Hello dear, ever patient readers. I am afraid that I have been terribly neglectful of this blog. While I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, I have decided to be more deliberate about posting recipes in the coming year.

To kick things off, I would like to share one of my favorites... Green Chili. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Being from Colorado, I love Mexican food. Sadly, good south of the border fare is in short supply here in the south. As a result, I have resorted to making it at home.

This recipe is so versatile, it will quickly become a staple around your house too. The Green Chili is delicious on it's own served like a soup or poured over burritos and other Mexican dishes. You can also use it to make a mean Huevos Rancheros.


Green Chili

1 large pork butt or pork shoulder roast
salt & pepper
garlic powder
1-2 Tbs. bacon grease
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small cans diced green chilies
1/4-1/3 c. flour
2 quarts chicken stock
hot sauce, to taste
salt & pepper

Season all sides of the pork butt with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in a roasting pan fat side up.


Roast the pork at 350 degrees F. for 2-4 hours, depending on the weight. The pork will be nicely browned and the juices should be clear.


Allow the pork to rest for 15-20 minutes, reserving the pan drippings.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the bacon grease.


I know what you're thinking... "bacon grease?! Is this woman crazy?" Trust me, it adds a depth of flavor to the Green Chili that is well worth any additional calories.

Add the onions and garlic.


Allow them to cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes.


Pour some of the reserved pan drippings into the pot. It will add incredible flavor to the Chili.


Add the canned green chilies and stir to combine.


Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes.


Add the chicken stock and continue to stir, making sure to scrape all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pot.

Reduce the heat and allow the Chili to simmer until slightly thickened.


Meanwhile, place the pork butt on a large cutting board.


Remove all the crispy fat from the top.


Go on ahead and pop some of that crispy goodness into your mouth. I hear it tastes just like bacon... not that I would ever eat that stuff.

Cut the pork into smaller, more manageable chunks. Using two forks, shred the pork.


Place some of the shredded pork into the now thickened Green Chili. Allow the pork to simmer in the pot for a few minutes.


Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add hot sauce to increase the heat to your liking.

To serve, place a little additional shredded pork in the bottom of a bowl. Pour the Green Chili over the top and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Warm corn tortillas are the perfect accompaniment.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I would like to share one of my favorite holiday recipes, Sweet Potato Casserole. What sets this recipe apart from all those other sweet potato dishes is the candied pecan topping. It is so good, I could eat it for dessert.

Here in the South, the key ingredient in most sweet potato casseroles is marshmallows. Now don't get me wrong, I love toasted marshmallows just as much as the next person. I just prefer them to be on a s'more, not in a casserole.

Even if you aren't usually a huge fan of sweet potatoes, I want to encourage you to give this recipe a try. I'm sure it will become a family favorite around your house as well.


Sweet Potato Casserole

2 c. sweet potatoes, mashed
1 stick of butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 c. pecans, chopped
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Place your mashed sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl.


Add the sugar and brown sugar.


Add the nutmeg and cinnamon.


Whisk the ingredients together.


Add the melted butter, eggs and milk.


Stir until combined.


Pour the mixture into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes.


Meanwhile combine the nuts, brown sugar and butter.


Once the sweet potatoes are bubbly, spread the topping evenly over the top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Perfect Pie Crust

I posted a recipe for my boy's favorite pie this summer. In that post, I wrote that my recipe for the crust would "follow in another post." Better late than never I suppose.

For some reason, pie crust is one of those things that brings stress to many cooks. I honestly don't understand why. My seven-year-old son has made this crust on a number of occasions, quite successfully I might add.

This crust is incredibly easy to make and turns out light and crispy every time. Seriously, I have never had the crust turn out poorly. Lay aside your fears and give it a try.

I know that some recipes call for the use of butter in the crust. I prefer to use a good quality vegetable shortening or lard. I find that it results in a better texture.

Pie Crust

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. shortening or lard

1/3 c. cold water

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the shortening or lard.

Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the shortening. I prefer using the fork method.


Within a minute or two, the mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.

Add the cold water and stir until the dough just starts to come together. Use your hand to gently form the dough into a disk.

If time allows, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes. While many chefs deem this as a necessary step, I have made a successful crust even when the dough is at room temperature.

To roll out the crust, lightly flour your work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface, lightly sprinkle with flour and roll out to the desired thickness.

Invert your pie plate onto the crust. Using a knife, cut out your crust leaving a 2 inch boarder around the dish.

Remove the pie plate and fold the crust into quarters.

Place the point of the wedge in the middle of your pie plate.

Unfold the crust into the pie plate and tuck the excess edge under. Gently press into place.

If desired, you can crimp the edge of your crust.


Pour in the desired filling and bake. In this case it was pumpkin.

To prepare an empty crust, simply fill the unbaked shell with pie weights. You can also prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.