BELOW STAIRS: Recipes for Readers and Writers

Readers and writers do not live by intellectual sustenance alone—sometimes they need the real thing! I was fortunate in having an Italian mother who came from a very large family of talented cooks. My nana was the best of them, and never used a recipe in all the years she turned out fantastic pastas, roasts, Italian pastries, and pizza. My mother, Flora, was a great cook too, often developing her own special dishes or expanding on family recipes.

Here are some of the best recipes from my childhood. I’ll be updating them frequently, so be sure to check back. And, if the mood strikes me, I might even throw in a Regency recipe, or two!

And don’t forget to check my News page to find out the latest news about my Books.

Flora’s Famous Beef Birds (Braciole)

This is a classic Italian recipe, and not one you will find in many cookbooks. It takes some time, but is well worth the effort. Don’t skip pounding the meat – that’s what makes it so tender. Feel free to make it the day before and then reheat. In fact, it probably tastes even better the second day!

• 1lb. 13oz. can of Italian tomatoes; remove cores and mash up pulp
• 6 oz. can of tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried sweet basil
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 3 (three) ¼ inch thick slices of top round beef (about 2 lbs.)
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 tsp. snipped parsley
• 1 tsp. herb blend: dried oregano, rosemary, basil & marjoram
• 2 TBL. Bacon drippings or butter
• 2 TBL Grated parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp. salt
• pinch of pepper
• 2 TBL. olive or canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and salt. Let simmer while you fix beef roles.

Pound the beef slices until thin, scaloppini style. Cut into smaller pieces, a few inches long and wide – something that will roll up into a nice little roll. In the middle of each slice of meat, put a piece of the sliced garlic, a dab of bacon drippings or butter, a sprinkle of cheese, and sprinkles of salt, pepper, parsley, and the herb blend. Roll each piece from the short side, jelly roll fashion, and tie with a kitchen string.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, adding the whole garlic cloves for flavor. Brown the beef rolls on each side, watching carefully so as not to burn them. Once the rolls are browned, add them to the tomato sauce, along with any meat drippings from the pan. Simmer uncovered over medium-low to low heat for three hours.

If preparing for the next day, cool and refrigerate, then reheat. Serve with boiled potatoes, pasta, or rice.

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