Category Archives: Lunch/Snacks

Pepper and Egg Sandwich

June 15, 2023 robiulo Leave a comment

Pepper and Egg Sandwich

The Pepper and Egg Sandwich is a classic Italian lunch. You could find it in any luncheonette, coffee shop or deli in any Italian neighborhood.

Ingredients:

Salt and black pepper
1 green bell pepper, sliced
3 large eggs
Italian bread

Begin by preheating the broiler with the upper rack as high as possible. In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil and add the sliced green bell pepper. Season with salt and black pepper, and sauté until the edges of the bell pepper begin to brown.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring gently to coat the pepper slices with the egg mixture. The ratio of one bell pepper to three large eggs is just about the right blend of ingredients. Allow the eggs to set, but ensure the top remains slightly moist.

Finishing Touches Under the Broiler

For the finishing touch, place the pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the sandwich filling to cook to perfection.

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Lunch/Snacks

French Ham Sandwich

March 17, 2023 robiulo Leave a comment

French Ham Sandwich

I recently was about to take a road trip with some friends when we stopped in a deli for some sandwiches to bring along. The orders were turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese, etc. Everyone asked for mayo on their sandwiches except me. I got mustard. When I was growing up in New York the delis were either Italian or Jewish and the choice of condiment on your sandwich was either mustard or no mustard. Mayo wasn’t a choice. I still prefer mustard and wouldn’t consider mayo. I guess it all depends on what you’re used to.

I used to live near a great German restaurant called the Bavarian Inn. The kitchen closed at 11pm but they continued to make sandwiched until 1am. No matter what sandwich you ordered, the bread was buttered. If you wanted mustard, you got that too. Mayo wasn’t a choice. So, it’s mustard for Italian and Jewish sandwiches and the addition of butter the German ones. Now let’s get to French sandwiches. I recently read an article by Florence Fabricant. It was all about a classic and simple sandwich consisting of bread, ham, and butter or jambon beurre — ham on a buttered baguette.

It made me hungry and reminded me of my Bavarian Inn sandwiches, so I tried it. Ham, baguette and butter, no mustard, and it was terrific.

The foundation of any exceptional sandwich lies in the quality of its ingredients. For the perfect French Ham Sandwich, start with a crusty baguette. Get the ham freshy sliced at your local deli. I prefer BoarsHead Brand, and finish it with unsalted or salted butter, it’s up to you.

Florence Fabricant‘s Th e Proustian Ideal of a Ham Sandwich

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Lunch/Snacks, Vegetarian

Roasted Chickpeas

February 24, 2023 robiulo Leave a comment

Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpea is English, ceci is Italian, and garbanzo is Spanish – whatever you call them, this s a great snack.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas – one 15 oz. can, rinsed, drained, and dried
Olive oil – about 3 – 4 tbsps.
Salt – to taste
1 to 2 tsps. of any 2 of the following spices (I’m using garlic powder & ground oregano)
- Chili powder
- Curry powder
- Cajun seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
- Paprika

Preheat the oven to 350˚F

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Leave the chickpeas on a towel until they’re thoroughly dry.

Place the ceci in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes. Shake the pan and roast for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice, let cool and serve.

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Lunch/Snacks, Sides, Vegetarian

Basilicata Frittata

April 9, 2021 robiulo Leave a comment

Basilicata Frittata

I had some leftover fresh horse radish from the Basilicata Style Pasta, so I used it for a frittata.

Ingredients:

About 12 oz./2 cups of potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
8 eggs
3 oz. grated Parmigiana cheese
3 oz. grated fresh horseradish or more to taste
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough olive oil for frying

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the cheese, horse radish, parsley, and seasoning. Mix in the mashed potatoes and blend until you have a fairly smooth mixture. Don’t worry about a few little lumps. If you made the mashed potatoes fresh, make sure they cool off before you mix them so they don’t cook the eggs.

Heat the oil in an oven proof 10 inch pan, pour in the egg mixture and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the eggs begin to set, place the pan under your broiler for another 5 minutes to cook and brown the top of the frittata.

Slice and serve either hot or at room temperature.

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Lunch/Snacks, Vegetarian

Lentils and Greens Bruschetta

September 5, 2020 robiulo 2 Comments

Lentils and Greens Bruschetta

Here’s an easy one, lentils and greens bruschetta. No cooking necessary. The acid from the tomatoes tenderizes the Swiss chard leaves. And the lentils are canned.

Ingredients:

2 large beefsteak tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. finely chopped shallots (or onion)
2 tbsp. vinegar
3 cups Swiss chard – stems removed and leaves cut into narrow strips
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 can (14 oz.) rinsed lentils
Italian toast

Cut the beefsteak tomatoes in half cross wise. Grate them on the large holes of a box grater over a large bowl. Discard the skin.

Now add ingredients 2 to 8 into the bowl. Thoroughly mix and then add the cherry tomatoes. Let it sit for a half hour and add the lentils. Gently mix and serve on the toast being careful not to add too much of the liquid or the toast will get soggy. Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

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Simple Focaccia

May 22, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Simple Focaccia

Here’s a basic and simple focaccia recipe using just 4 ingredients. The total time spent on it is about half an hour – not counting rising.

Ingredients:
1. 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2. ½ tsp. dry yeast
3. ½ tbs. kosher salt
4. 4 tbs. olive oil divided + more for greasing

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the water (about 1 ¾ cups) and stir with a spatula until you have a sticky dough. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in another bowl. Add the dough and roll it around to coat it with the oil. Cover it tightly with Saran and refrigerate for at least 1 and no more than 2 days.

2. Brush ¼ baking sheet (9”x13”) with oil. Put the dough in the pan and spread it with your fingers. Add more oil if it starts to stick. If it doesn’t get to the edges of the pan it will when after it rises. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour until it doubles its size. Pat down the dough down to about 1 inch thickness and dimple the entire surface with your fingertips. Sprinkle or brush it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. While you’re waiting for it to rise pre-heat the over to 450 degrees.

That’s basic focaccia but the toppings are up to you and now is the time to add them. Sprinkle it with coarse sea salt and herbs, chopped tomatoes, chives or scallions, sliced pitted olives, sesame seeds and/or onions. (Be creative. If you’re feeling artistic you can make a focaccia garden.) Lightly press the toppings into the dimpled dough before you add the olive oil. I often make it plain because I like it for breakfast with butter and preserves.

3. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes rotating the pan once, front to back. Let it cool and then remove it from the pan. It’s good while it’s still warm and will last another couple of days unrefrigerated if wrapped in Saran. It’s thick enough to slice and use for sandwiches.

With Butter and Raspberry Preserves

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Lunch/Snacks, Vegetarian

Cast Iron Margarita

June 28, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Cast Iron Pan Margarita Pizza

This recipe is for a 12 inch pan. Smaller pan = less dough. I buy my dough ready made for a nearby pizzeria. Here’s a link to a recipe if you want to do it yourself. I don’t buy jarred marinara sauce. It’s too easy to make. There’s a recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pizza dough
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
3 oz. marinara sauce
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil

Start by heating the oven to 500 degrees. Flatten and shape the dough to fit the round pan. Pre-heat the pan so it’s hot but not smoking. Spray or brush the pan with olive oil. Place the dough in the pan and stretch it across the bottom and up the sides. Touch the dough, not the pan – it’s hot.

Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the pan on a burner at medium heat. Just when it starts to bubble pour on and spread the sauce. Place a few thinly cut slices of mozzarella on top, leaving some spaces so the red sauce shows. A Margarita should be red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (basil) like an Italian flag.

Put the pan in the 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the over and scatter torn basil leaves over it while it’s still hot. Let it cool and slice.

Marinara Sauce for Pizza

3 tbsps. olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
Salt, black and red pepper to taste
1 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes

Put the oil in a pan on low heat and lightly saute the garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Don’t let the garlic brown. Pour in the tomatoes, stir and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

That’s marinara sauce – easy, right? You can also make this with crushed tomatoes but puree is better for pizza. After you use 3 ounces for the pizza you’ll have enough left for to serve with a pound of pasta.

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Lunch/Snacks, Restaurants

Blistered Peppers

May 3, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Blistered Peppers

I went to a great restaurant in Harlem last week called Hop House (full menu here). You can tell from the name that they have a great selection of beer and the food was very good too. We tried a few appetizers before the main course and SHISHITO PEPPERS – blistered with sea salt, recommended by Erin the proprietor really stood out. They weren’t exactly hot but they did have a spark to them. We liked them enough to make them at home.

It’s very simple – put the washed and dried peppers in a hot dry heavy frying pan (no oil). Flatten them a bit with a spatula so they make contact with the pan. After a couple of minutes turn them. When done give them a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. That’s it.

If you like peppers with a little more heat, use serranoes.

And if you don’t like “HOT” you can use the same process with green bell peppers. No heat at all and still very tasty. But since you can’t blister them whole you have to cut them into strips first.

Whatever type of pepper that you use, they’re perfect for eating plain but I scrambled some with eggs and made an excellent sandwich.

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Lunch/Snacks

Fried Baloney

February 12, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Fried Baloney

There used to be a grocery store where I grew up on Mott Street called May’s. I’d go there for lunch because May made great sandwiches, especially fried baloney sandwiches. I know a lot of people have never heard of fried baloney but it really tastes great and is very simple to make.

For some reason, we call it baloney when it’s spelled Bologna, the city in Italy where it was first made. I guess that’s an Americanization, like saying “gabagool” for “capicola.”

All you need is bread, baloney and a little oil to fry it in. The better the bread, the better the sandwich. I like mine the way May used to do it, with mustard, relish, and lettuce.

My Baloney Has a First Name

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Sfincione – Sicilian Pizza

December 14, 2018 robiulo Leave a comment

Sfincione – Sicilian Pizza (adapted from Frabrizia Lanza’s recipe)

Real Sicilian pizza, Sfincione, (sfeen-CHO-neh) isn’t covered with gooey melted mozzarella. It has a simple sauce flavored with a little onion, some grated pecorino, and breadcrumbs – with or without anchovies, it’s up to you.

(if you want to make your own dough click here – I get mine in a pizzeria)

Sauté the onion in oil with black and red pepper until it’s translucent. Add ½ cup of water and raise heat until it almost evaporates. Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer. Allow the sauce to cool. When cool add the bread crumbs, cheese, and anchovies. Taste for seasoning. The cheese and anchovies can be salty so you may not need any additional salt.

Pre-heat the oven to 400^o. Spread the dough in an oiled 9 by 13 baking sheet. Spread the sauce mixture over the dough in an even layer leaving about ½ inch of the dough exposed around the edges.

Drizzle it with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. When it’s done sprinkle with oregano.

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Pepper and Egg Sandwich

The Pepper and Egg Sandwich is a classic Italian lunch. You could find it in any luncheonette, coffee shop or deli in any Italian neighborhood.

Ingredients:

Finishing Touches Under the Broiler

French Ham Sandwich

It made me hungry and reminded me of my Bavarian Inn sandwiches, so I tried it. Ham, baguette and butter, no mustard, and it was terrific.

The foundation of any exceptional sandwich lies in the quality of its ingredients. For the perfect French Ham Sandwich, start with a crusty baguette. Get the ham freshy sliced at your local deli. I prefer BoarsHead Brand, and finish it with unsalted or salted butter, it’s up to you.

Florence Fabricant‘s The Proustian Ideal of a Ham Sandwich

Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpea is English, ceci is Italian, and garbanzo is Spanish – whatever you call them, this s a great snack.

Ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Leave the chickpeas on a towel until they’re thoroughly dry.

Place the ceci in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes. Shake the pan and roast for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice, let cool and serve.

Basilicata Frittata

I had some leftover fresh horse radish from the Basilicata Style Pasta, so I used it for a frittata.

Ingredients:

Heat the oil in an oven proof 10 inch pan, pour in the egg mixture and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the eggs begin to set, place the pan under your broiler for another 5 minutes to cook and brown the top of the frittata.

Slice and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Lentils and Greens Bruschetta

Here’s an easy one, lentils and greens bruschetta. No cooking necessary. The acid from the tomatoes tenderizes the Swiss chard leaves. And the lentils are canned.

Ingredients:

Cut the beefsteak tomatoes in half cross wise. Grate them on the large holes of a box grater over a large bowl. Discard the skin.

Now add ingredients 2 to 8 into the bowl. Thoroughly mix and then add the cherry tomatoes. Let it sit for a half hour and add the lentils. Gently mix and serve on the toast being careful not to add too much of the liquid or the toast will get soggy. Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

Simple Focaccia

Here’s a basic and simple focaccia recipe using just 4 ingredients. The total time spent on it is about half an hour – not counting rising.

Ingredients: 1. 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour 2. ½ tsp. dry yeast 3. ½ tbs. kosher salt 4. 4 tbs. olive oil divided + more for greasing

3. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes rotating the pan once, front to back. Let it cool and then remove it from the pan. It’s good while it’s still warm and will last another couple of days unrefrigerated if wrapped in Saran. It’s thick enough to slice and use for sandwiches.

Cast Iron Pan Margarita Pizza

This recipe is for a 12 inch pan. Smaller pan = less dough. I buy my dough ready made for a nearby pizzeria. Here’s a link to a recipe if you want to do it yourself. I don’t buy jarred marinara sauce. It’s too easy to make. There’s a recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pizza dough

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

3 oz. marinara sauce

Fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil

Put the pan in the 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the over and scatter torn basil leaves over it while it’s still hot. Let it cool and slice.

Marinara Sauce for Pizza

3 tbsps. olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

Salt, black and red pepper to taste

1 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes

Put the oil in a pan on low heat and lightly saute the garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Don’t let the garlic brown. Pour in the tomatoes, stir and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

That’s marinara sauce – easy, right? You can also make this with crushed tomatoes but puree is better for pizza. After you use 3 ounces for the pizza you’ll have enough left for to serve with a pound of pasta.

Blistered Peppers

It’s very simple – put the washed and dried peppers in a hot dry heavy frying pan (no oil). Flatten them a bit with a spatula so they make contact with the pan. After a couple of minutes turn them. When done give them a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. That’s it.

If you like peppers with a little more heat, use serranoes.

And if you don’t like “HOT” you can use the same process with green bell peppers. No heat at all and still very tasty. But since you can’t blister them whole you have to cut them into strips first.

Whatever type of pepper that you use, they’re perfect for eating plain but I scrambled some with eggs and made an excellent sandwich.

Fried Baloney

There used to be a grocery store where I grew up on Mott Street called May’s. I’d go there for lunch because May made great sandwiches, especially fried baloney sandwiches. I know a lot of people have never heard of fried baloney but it really tastes great and is very simple to make.

For some reason, we call it baloney when it’s spelled Bologna, the city in Italy where it was first made. I guess that’s an Americanization, like saying “gabagool” for “capicola.”

All you need is bread, baloney and a little oil to fry it in. The better the bread, the better the sandwich. I like mine the way May used to do it, with mustard, relish, and lettuce.

Sfincione – Sicilian Pizza (adapted from Frabrizia Lanza’s recipe)

Real Sicilian pizza, Sfincione, (sfeen-CHO-neh) isn’t covered with gooey melted mozzarella. It has a simple sauce flavored with a little onion, some grated pecorino, and breadcrumbs – with or without anchovies, it’s up to you.

Pre-heat the oven to 400o. Spread the dough in an oiled 9 by 13 baking sheet. Spread the sauce mixture over the dough in an even layer leaving about ½ inch of the dough exposed around the edges.

Drizzle it with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. When it’s done sprinkle with oregano.

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Reveries and Recipes

Florence Fabricant‘s Th e Proustian Ideal of a Ham Sandwich

Ingredients:
1. 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2. ½ tsp. dry yeast
3. ½ tbs. kosher salt
4. 4 tbs. olive oil divided + more for greasing

Pre-heat the oven to 400^o. Spread the dough in an oiled 9 by 13 baking sheet. Spread the sauce mixture over the dough in an even layer leaving about ½ inch of the dough exposed around the edges.