Pizzagaina

This is the baking dish Grandma Rose used to make the pizzagaina. The dish, as well as the tradition of making the Italian pie on Easter, was passed down to Lisa

"Pizzagaina—the 22-pound (OK, maybe not 22 pounds, but close) Italian pie our Grandma Rose would make every Holy Thursday to be eaten on Easter Sunday. I was lucky enough to watch her many times making it as well as take her from store to store to buy the many, many ingredients needed for this holiday delight (or "heart attack in a pan," as we used to call it). We’d go to one bakery to get the dough (we now use pie crusts), then another store—usually Fiores in Hoboken—to get the cold cuts, and then the grocery store to get the eggs and cheese. It was quite an afternoon Once all the ingredients were in hand, the fun began. She spent hours rolling out the dough, cutting up the cold cuts and mixing, mixing, mixing. What I remember best was the smell that would fill the house and make my mouth water. She would start it on Thursday night and when we woke up on Good Friday, all we wanted was a piece of that pizzagaina. But, as all good Catholics know, you can’t eat meat on Good Friday so we had to wait until Saturday to sneak a piece. But it was a race to the table on Easter Sunday when the entire pie was up for grabs. Although I now make the pizzagaina for the family, I only go to one store for my ingredients. I do, however, make it in the same baking dish my grandma used."—Lisa

You'll need:

2 lbs ricotta cheese

8 eggs, whole 

1 egg white for wash

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

2 tbsp black pepper

1 lb mozzarella, cut in cubes (Fresh tends to fall apart so used packaged. I prefer Polly-O.)

4 oz salami

4 oz soppressata

4 oz capicola

5 roll out pie crusts

Grandma Rose with Lisa's son Jimmy, now 20.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the ricotta, eggs, parmigiana cheese, pepper and mozzarella in large bowl.  Cut the cold cuts in cubes or small strips. Combine with cheese mixture.

Take 2 of the pie crusts and form to cover the bottom of rectangular baking dish. 

Pour mixture into baking dish. Cover with remaining pie crusts, rolling sides over top to make a ledge.  Brush with egg wash. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off oven and let sit for two more hours. 

Remove from the oven, let cool, and cover with aluminum foil. If cooking in advance, refrigerate. We always ate it cold, but some people like to warm it to take the chill out. 

Jill's Summer Bruschetta

"I dont know about the rest of the world, but down in Memphis it's 80 degrees and sunny. We tend to skip spring in the south and although its technically the beginning of Spring, we are in Summer mode already! People are out running and the smell of people firing of their grills fills the neighborhood. Here is a recipe I love in the warm weather—my summer bruschetta. It can be a side dish that you bring to a cookout or it can even be a light lunch. It's deliciously healthy so it will help you get summer ready without sacrificing any taste." —Jill

 You'll need:

Your favorite crusty bread (whole grain, wheat or ciabatta)

1 can organic northern beans (in my grocery store, the organic beans are actually cheaper)

1/4 red onion, sliced

1 small container yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

2 roma tomatos, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.

Mix all ingredients in bowl and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. 

Slice the bread thin on the bias. (Slicing on the bias gives you more surface area, which means more room for the bruschetta!)

Toast in oven under broiler for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Flip, and toast other side. 

Top bread with bruschetta. Add an squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil and enjoy! Goes great with a cold beer or your favorite glass of vino. Ah yes...it's almost summertime!