Serena is a dear friend of mine, but when she asked me to prepare with her a lecture on the lunch box I didn’t take her seriously.

“Paolo it’s a new topic fun and it is for charity; I will do the demos and you tell the history”.

I started to do some research and I found lot of material. Another friend and my eldest daughter did it in other countries and, in a few hours, I had a lot of material.

Although with different names, I realized that lunch boxes have existed for 3000 years. In Milan they are called schiscette in most places they are called cestini, but they are always lunch boxes…

This article is featured in the May-June 2012 issue of our e-magazine Cibo. To read the full article and for more recipes, stories, health and entertaining, subscribe to CIBO!

Consequently he reinvents himself and started in London his “Sicily in London Ltd.” a Business to Business importing Sicilian specialty. He is a good cook and, to make sure his daughters will be well aware of the food and culture of his native land, Sebastiano wrote a very nice book full of beautiful photos and exceptional recipes. The book is made precious by interesting stories and legends of his beloved Sicily.

101 Sicilian Recipes
History, Legends And Food From Sicily
By Sebastiano Accaputo

Click here for more info.
.

Cooking For Rookies will give you always simple and tasting recipes in addition to the basic ones that you will find any time you may need them in the House dedicated and located at LA PIAZZA ITALIANA-The Italian Square. To find all passed recipes and the basics just Click Here.

This basic recipe calls only for olive oil and basil as flavorings. During the summer months, use fresh plum tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes as we suggest below, for an even fresher, homey flavor

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 basil leaves
5 cups peeled chopped plum tomatoes (canned chopped plum tomatoes are fine if fresh tomatoes are not in season)
salt

Heat the olive oil in a 11/2-quart pot. Add the basil and cook for 5 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt, and bring to a boil; cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months. Makes about 1 quart

• For more Cooking for Rookies recipes, subscribe to cibo!

The word gnocchi derives from the Longobard knohhil, meaning knot of wood. Gnocchi was actually present in medieval Italian cuisine, but it was not the potato dumplings that we eat today. Rather, it was a round, doughy pasta made from either flour or semolina. Our beloved potato gnocchi only first came into existence at the end of the 18th century because the potato came from the New World, and when it was first introduced to Europe everyone had strong aversions to it. When solanin and scopolamine were discovered in the potato’s leaves, it began to be used to feed the infirm and sickly. But, despite its virtues, reactions to the potato remained ambiguous since these compounds had the ability to produce hallucinogenic effects and were believed to give witches the power fly.

After 1663, when famine struck Ireland, Europeans began to see the potato as another source of nourishment. However, it was not until the famous French scientist and agriculturalist Antoine Parmentier, that the potato became a fundamental part of the continent’s cuisine. While being held captive by the Prussians during the Seven Years War (1756-1763), Parmentier witnessed firsthand the potato’s uncanny ability to nourish people, even a group as large as an army. Upon returning to France, he studied the potato extensively and discovered that it was healthy and full of nutrients. Thanks to Parmentier’s efforts, the potato became recognized as an edible food and many potatobased recipes followed, like the famous soupe Parmentier, made from potatoes, cream, chervil, salt and pepper, which is named in his honor. Parmentier was able to bring such fame to the lowly potato that he even managed to convince Louis XVI of its virtues, which made the king decide to grow them in the royal gardens.

At the beginning of the 19th century the potato received its definitive consecration through Antonin Carême, one of the era’s great chefs who was famous for preparing meals for the European nobility, when he included it in his haute cuisine. Thanks to this blessing, potatoes became an ingredient worthy of the most exquisite dishes, which helped turn the gnocchi into the gnocchi di patate.

by Christopher O’Leary

1 pound baking potatoes,scrubbed and unpeeled
1 egg
salt
1 cup flour, plus extra
4 cups pre-made sauce, heated
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. While still hot, peel, put through a potato ricer onto a clean work surface and set aside to cool. 2. Mix in the egg and a pinch of salt, then add the flour, a little bit at a time, until the dough comes together. 3. Cut the dough into 3 pieces and roll each one into long, even ropes, about the thickness of your finger. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll each piece off the grooves of a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork. Spread them out on a floured surface. 4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and drop in a few gnocchi at a time. As soon as they float to the surface, lift with a slotted spoon, drain well and place in a bowl. 5. Serve with you favorite pre-made sauce and Parmigiano. Serves 6 to 8

• For more recipes, stories, health and entertaining, subscribe to CIBO!

4 pieces top round beef,
1⁄2 lb. each
3 eggs
2 c. breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄4c. olive oil for frying
1 lemon, juice only, plus slices for garnish

1. Place the beef between 2 pieces of waxed paperand pound the pieces with a mallet, until 1⁄4-inchthick. 2. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs togeth-er. In another shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbsand season with salt and freshly ground pepper. 3. Dredge each beef cutlet in the eggs, shaking offany excess, and then in the breadcrumbs, shakingoff any excess. 4. Meanwhile, in a skillet over highheat, warm the olive oil. Add the breaded cutletsand cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. (This can be done in batches if necessary.) 5. Drizzle the lemon juice evenly over the beef. Serve immediately with the lemon slices. Serves 4

1. After pounding the beef, dip it into the eggs and coat completely.

2. Next, dredge the cutlet in breadcrumbs and shake off the excess.

3. Cook beef for 2 to 3 minutes per side in a hot pan with olive oil.

Note: This is a great dish to make more for a quickdinner another night. Follow the steps above, butdo not add the lemon juice. Allow the cutlets to cooland then wrap them individually in plastic wrap, label and freeze in freezer bags.

To defrost: Remove the cutlets from the bags and plas-tic wrap. Transfer them to a baking sheet and cookunder the broiler for 4 minutes on each side. Add lemon juice and more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Replace: top round beef with veal, eggplant or chicken

Medium to full-bodied red wine, such as a Super Tuscan or Barolo

• For more recipes, stories, health and entertaining, subscribe to CIBO!