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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Cookbooks and finds

If you find a cookbook with these pictures you grab it.

You look through its many recipes, and you fall in love with its simplicity, its exquisite simplicity.
The cookbook: Savoring Italy, by Robert Freson, 1992 is now in my son's possession, one of the things that I rediscovered.

In spring, when the first peas and favas are barely ripe, when artichokes are barely big enough, Mother prepared stuffed artichokes with peas or favas.

Ingredients:
2 or 3 small artichokes per person
2 lemons
1 lb of fresh peas or favas
Olive oil
Bread crumbs
garlic cloves
one onion, sliced thinly
parsley, minced.
salt and pepper

Trim the artichokes, remove center and stalk. Peel the stalk and dice to mix with the peas. Parboil the artichokes in boiling water with lemon slices for five minutes. Drain and set aside while you prepare the stuffing.

To the breadcrumbs made fresh with your day old bread,  add minced parsley, minced garlic, salt and pepper and  enough olive oil for the mixture to stick together.
Stuff the artichokes and place in a baking dish. 
Add peas and onion slices  to cover all areas around the artichokes. Add 1/2 of water. 
Drizzle additional olive oil all over.  Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread and a fruity wine.
Add grilled lamb chops to complete the meal.

A true spring meal.



Ingredients

5 comments:

  1. Ooooo! I will be coming back here as soon as I see these at the farmer's market! I love spring in the Northwest!
    Happy Travels!

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  2. I seldom ever use my cook books anymore and I have many. I am always in a hurry and if I want something new I just feed it into a search engine and hey presto - the lazy way. It is a shame really as I have some beautiful books :( Diane

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  3. Rosaria, absolutely beautiful cookbook page. We don't eat many artichokes, but a "crusty bread and a fruity wine. Add grilled lamb chops to complete the meal" sounds like our kind of meal.

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  4. You always have the best recipes and ideas.

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  5. Thanks, everyone.
    I'm missing my kitchen, here in my bachelor son's house. He probably cooks now and then, but not as much as I do. I miss my big counters, and trusty cookbooks.
    This one that my hubby gave me years ago was "borrowed" by my son, and since it weighs a ton, it will stay here in his house.

    I do hope he appreciates the sacrifices I make for my children.

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