Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (58 page)

SERVES 8

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the mushrooms, bay leaf, and salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are just about tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and heat through. Add the parsley, basil, bread crumbs, and cheese and moisten with the reserved tomato juice, stirring to combine.

Place in a buttered shallow casserole and bake until crusty and hot throughout. Discard the bay leaf. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SERVES 8

Cook up the bacon in a large skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels and when cool, chop into small bits and reserve.

Mix the anchovy paste, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a salad bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the EVOO nearly to a boil, then stream the hot oil into the bowl, whisking to combine. Stir in half the cheese. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl; toss to combine. Season with pepper. Toss with the bacon and croutons, and serve garnished with chopped eggs and the remaining grated cheese.

As a young woman, I spent as much of my time outside as I could. I loved to jump and could do quite a high jump, always reaching for the sky. My dad said over and over again that it was because I ate my dark greens—escarole, endive, and dandelions. I loved them all! —Elsa

SERVES 8

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

Strip the leaves from thick stems such as chard; if you're using dandelion greens, remove the stems and chop them along with the greens. Salt the boiling water, then add the stems (if using), and then the leaves. Blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain well.

Heat the EVOO in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two. Add the drained greens, toss to heat through, and season with salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and the lemon zest. Top with the toasted almonds and serve.

Our favorite potato dish! When Daddy served this, all of us kids ate it as the main event, ignoring anything else on our plates. —Elsa

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel and very thinly slice the potatoes.

Generously brush a high-sided 8-inch baking pan or ovenproof skillet with butter. Arrange overlapping slices of potato around the side of the pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with potato slices, overlapping them; brush with butter, sprinkle with grated onion, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cover the pan with foil or with the lid if using a skillet. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown.

At the end of the summer my family was involved in the preserving of fruits, vegetables, and chicken. Potatoes also were put away for the winter months, stored in bins in our stone basement. This classic potato casserole needed no accompaniment to constitute a meal—even though it was the starch we often served with our fish dinners. We heaped our plates over and over again until all the potatoes were gone. —Elsa

SERVES 8

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a shallow casserole with butter. Arrange a layer of potatoes in the casserole and season with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg. Sprinkle one third of the minced garlic, one third of the onions, and a handful of the Parmigiano over the potatoes. Repeat to make 2 more layers.

In a bowl, stir together the cream and ½ cup water. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 90 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the top is brown and the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Let the casserole stand for a few minutes before serving.

SERVES 4

Place the potatoes in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Mash the potatoes over low heat, adding the hot milk, EVOO, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chives, and parsley.

When we were growing up, we loved this as a sandwich on Wonder Bread. If we took it to school we had to eat it quickly, because all of our friends wanted to trade their sandwiches for ours. Our mother had quite the reputation as an excellent cook.—Vicki and Annette

SERVES 4 TO 6

Place the eggplant slices in a strainer or colander and place a weight, such as a plate with some heavy cans, on top. Press the eggplant until most of the moisture is released, about 15 minutes. Heat some EVOO in a large sauté pan. Salt the eggplant slices lightly and add to the skillet, cooking in batches if necessary. Cook until the eggplant is tender and brown, adding more oil as needed. Remove from the skillet.

Place slices of eggplant in a single layer in a 8 × 8-inch baking dish, then alternate thin layers of marinara sauce, eggplant, grated cheese, and sliced hard-boiled egg. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours, or overnight.

Serve cold on crusty Italian bread with a tossed green salad.

My grandpa Emmanuel was a fantastic cook because the food he made was filled with his love of food itself; the land it comes from; and the people he was feeding: his family. My mom is lucky (and I am lucky to be her child) because she was my grandpa's first born, and the older kids got to spend the most time in the kitchen with Emmanuel. My mom has taught everyone in our family to make this recipe and we will be making it for generations to come. At every holiday or gathering we serve each person half of a large artichoke as an appetizer, but they are huge, so unless you are a relative of mine, make one for every four guests. —Rach