MATEO'S MAMA'S
ITALIAN
HOMECOOKING

This page is dedicated to my "Ma" and will contain all her beloved family recipes that have delighted Italian and Chicano tastebuds for many years! A long time ago my "Ma" gave me a Christmas gift--a recipe book of her favorite recipes (many created by herself). Unfortunately the book was EMPTY!! She promised to write all her recipes in it, a few at a time. Life, as it tends to do, intervened. Now I have taken in upon myself to preserve my mother's recipes on the web, a sort of "cyber-cookbook." My "Ma" suggested the title, and though she has never been online, she is excited to know that others will be able to try out her recipes. For those of you who are just visiting this new site (still under construction) for the first time...you don't know how lucky you are!
RECIPE #1: SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

This is one of my mother's favorite recipes. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't liked it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 packages of sweet or mild Italian sausages
4 bell peppers
1 LARGE yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic
1 15 ounce can of Del Monte tomato sauce (or any other brand, but it must be tomatoe "sauce" not puree or stewed tomatoes)
Vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper (black)
Onion salt
Garlic salt
Oregano (dried)
Parsley (dried)

PREP WORK:
-----Cut bell peppers vertically into 3/4 inch strips, then cut again horizontally.
-----Cut onion vertically into 1/2 strips, then cut again horizontally.
-----Peel garlic cloves.

STEP ONE:
-----In a large frying pan, brown the 6 cloves of garlic in the vegetable oil on a medium high flame (adjust as needed)
(Don't worry about exactly how much oil; you will be pouring off and discarding all the excess oil at a later step.)

STEP TWO:
-----Add the whole sausages and cover lightly with oregano, poking them with a fork to allow the juices to escape (without the sausage breaking open).
-----Brown these sausages on the outside.

STEP THREE:
-----Cut open sausages length-wise, to allow the browning of the meat.
-----When the sausage is nicely browned, remove sausage and garlic from pan.

STEP FOUR:
-----Put slices of bell peppers into frying pan and brown until halfway done (soft)
-----Add sliced onion
-----Cover pan and simmer till onion is soft.

STEP FIVE:
-----Drain off oil and discard.

STEP SIX:
-----Cut each half sausage width-wise into three pieces.
-----Add sausage and garlic back to pan.

STEP SEVEN:
-----Add 1 can of Del Monte Tomato Sauce
-----Sprinkle lightly with dried oregano
-----Sprinkle lightly with dried parsley
-----Add salt and pepper to taste
-----Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and onion salt
-----Stir

STEP EIGHT:
-----Cover pan until sauce begins to bubble (stirring occasionally)
-----Once sauce bubbles reduce heat to a medium-low flame, uncover pan and simmer for up to one hour (stirring occasionally as needed).

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
-----Serve on French rolls or, preferably, some good Italian bread!
-----Feeds four.

RECIPE #2--RICOTTA BALLS

This recipe is a favorite dessert. It is not hard to make but requires a deep fryer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb of ricotta cheese
2 cups of flour
5 eggs
3 tablespoons of baking powder
6 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 box of powdered sugar
48 fluid ounces of vegetable oil

PREP WORK:

Mix all the ingredients (minus the powdered sugar and the vegetable oil) in a plastic bowl until it is uniform. The mixture will be very sticky.

STEP ONE:

In a deep fryer, heat up 48 fluid ounces of vegetable oil until hot (donut setting is fine).

STEP TWO:

When oil is ready, drop [heaping] teaspoon size balls of the mixture into the hot oil. When golden brown on each side, remove and put on paper towels (helps remove excess oil).

STEP THREE:

As each set of ricotta balls is fried, move the fried ricotta balls onto a tray and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

STEP FOUR:

Serve warm and ENJOY!

This site was established on Sunday, December 20, 1998.