Hot From The Kettle ®
Here's the recipe for my grandmother's favorite Easter Pie. Enjoy!
Yield: 1 large 10 inch pie and 4 small pies
Italian Dough for Crust
6 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 Eggs (separated)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbls Crisco
2 Tbls Vegetable Oil
Mix Crisco, oil and eggs. Add flour and warm water to form a ball. Then knead. Allow to rest. Then roll out.
Just as cookie baking commences during Christmas time, in Italian households, pie making occurs around Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.
This is a very old recipe, so there are many different variations. For me, the ground clove in this recipe is what makes the pie so memorable.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ricotta
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cocoa
Grated chocolate
Just when I got serious about the "no white flour diet," suddenly it's Pie season!
It's time to start rolling out those fantastic sweet and savory Easter Pies and no one's doing it better than The Pie Store in Montclair.
Watch the video for taste of what's to come.
Stay tuned to Hot From The Kettle for more Easter Pie recipes.
Whether you’re in the market for a great meal at a local BYOB, or looking to secure your own Montclair liquor license, then Richie Cecere’s, 2 Erie Street, Montclair, is the place to be.
Though patrons could still sip a Martini at the white onyx bar, Richie Cecere Sr. is welcoming diners to bring their own favorite bottle to accompany their meal.
Cecere, in an effort to transform the swanky supper club into Montclair’s favorite BYOB, has put its liquor license up for sale, priced at $850,000, through broker, Rich Hewitt (908-963-2684; Liquor License PA-NJ Sales LLC, 770 Route 220, Ste. 1, Muncy Valley, PA 17758).
Want to take a peek inside Cecere’s? Check out this video with executive chef Michael Couso and watch him cook up a delectable Pork Chop with Apple-Bacon Demi-Glace.
With appetizers priced from $9 to $14, and entrees starting at $16, it’s a very affordable evening. So if you’ve never experienced a dinner at Cecere’s, grab your favorite bottle (or bottles), and head on down.
The first time walked into Lorena's in Maplewood, I felt as if I were walking into someone's home; kindness at the door, and great aromas from the kitchen.
Lorena's is owned and operated by Chef Humberto Campos and his wife, namesake for the French eatery, Lorena.
Chef Humberto's cooking is as initimate as the space he serves it in. And though intimate, the fare is unwaveringly upscale and masterfully executed.
There's a bit of a coincidence to this story as well. Lorena's is located in the former location of Jocelyn's, another acclaimed NJ restaurant that was owned by Chef Mitchell Altholz, who also named it after his wife, Jocelyn.
But on with the story! I recently spoke with Chef Campos about his his journey to celebrity chef status.
Click here for the interview!
Fascino's Zucchini BlossomsWhat do you think of when you hear zucchini blossoms, ramps, and lamb? Spring of course!
While it may not be apparent in the air, spring is upon the menus at many of our local restaurants! So what are our local chefs excited about this season? There are the perennial favorites like, lamb, veal, halibut, but it’s the produce that really makes spring a unique culinary time. Ramps, zucchini blossoms, spring onions, spring garlic, baby carrots, peas and fiddlehead ferns!
At Fascino, 331 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, Chef Ryan DePersio is reprising his signature dish, Crab stuffed Zucchini Flower with yellow tomato marmalade. DePersio doesn’t obscure the delicate, golden, blossoms in a heavy breadcrumb fry, but instead opts for the much lighter Japanese Tempura. When combined with the mellow sweetness of crabmeat, the tender flavor of the blossom is truly enhanced.
For this seasonal gem, Kathy Brindle, of Gary’s Wine and Marketplace recommends:
Since the tempura is lightly fried and the main component is seafood, something bubbly and crisp would work well with this dish. Because the tomato marmalade probably has a hint of sweetness you can’t go totally bone dry. I would pair this with Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rose, a sparkling wine from California crafted from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that is dry but has a nice roundness and fruity berry notes that add a little extra flavor. $20.99
DePersio also added a new dish; butter poached lobster with English pea and basil risotto. The spring menu will also feature, a broad, beautiful, freshly made spinach pappardelle with braised veal. For the carnivore, Fascino is offering lamb shank with baby carrots, baby spinach, and black olive potato puree.
RampsI chatted with our own Top Chef, Ariane Duarte, owner of CulinAriane, 33 Walnut Street, Montclair. Like many chefs, Ariane is excited about “Ramps! Ramps! Ramps!”
A ramp is a spring delicacy that is sometimes referred to as a wild leek. The bulb appears similar to a scallion, but unlike a scallion, the leaf is very broad, and tender, with a flavor profile somewhere between garlic and onion. According to Ariane,
[w]e all love ramps because the flavor is just great and we could only get them for maybe four weeks. We did a special last night where we grilled them. I made a vinaigrette, and put it on Burrata with broccoli rabe. It was to die for!
In addition to this fleeting green, here’s what you could expect from the Spring Menu at CulinAriane:
It’s been really beautiful. I lightened up the menu not so much, but just enough. We’re getting beautiful spring peas; chefs love spring onions, and spring garlic. And also the little nettles, and the Fiddlehead ferns.
In addition to the green produce, CulinAriane is bringing in lamb, and halibut from Alaska and Boston. On the spring menu, and worthy of salivation is a Rabbit dish, served Yukon Gold potato gnocchi, baby carrots, pearl onion confit carrot juice reduction, herb sour cream.
Fiddlehead FernFor the perfect bottle to accompany Ariane's Rabbit dish, head over to Amanti Vino to pick up that perfect bottle of wine. For Ariane’s Rabbit dish, Sharon Sevrens, proprietor of Amanti Vino, suggests Domaine Michel Caillot, at $29.99, Caillot, or, if you prefer reds, Le Potazzine Toscana Rosso, a baby Brunello at $21.99.
Print this article, and bring to Amanti Vino to receive 10% off either suggested bottles.
Stay tuned to Hot From The Kettle and Montclair Patch for more updates on Spring Menus!