Cookbook in Progress

It has long been my ambition to write my own cookbook. I'd always thought, "where do I start? What should I do? How should I go about this?" Well, now I'm finally putting my foot down and starting her up. I will fill this cookbook with family recipes, my own recipes, and everything else that has to do with food. Then I will edit it again and again and again. I will even illustrate it. That's right-- and illustrated cookbook. It's a personal project I've wanted to do for a long time, and since graduation is fast approaching, I think I'm overdue for a little self-indulgence. So throughout the next few months, year, or however long this takes, I will be posting my progress here. Isn't it great to know I'm using my creative writing minor so well?

Anyway, let's get started! Since Easter is fast approaching, I'll start off with my family's traditional Easter recipes: Easter Frittata and My Grandmother's Leg of Lamb. On every single holiday my family does the same thing: we'll eat a rich, filling breakfast. We won't have an actual lunch, but around midday we'll have some antipasto. This will be followed by a large dinner, which always feature some type of slow-cooked meat, and tons of dessert. The rich and savory frittata is the perfect complement to Easter candy, while the lamb... Well, frankly I don't care, it's just delicious. Now, without further ado:

Easter Frittata

7 extra large eggs

2 Tbs. milk

1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese

3 medium sweet Italian sausages (about 1/2 lb.)

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Poke holes into the sausages and then bake them on a greased cookie sheet for about 20 minutes (or until cooked through). Cut up the sausage into about 1/4 inch thick rounds and set aside.

Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together.

Spread the ricotta cheese evenly in a 9"x9" pan (I usually use a Pyrex, because of the rounded corners). Place the sausage slices in the ricotta, spacing them evenly. Pour the egg mixture on top, then drag a butter knife back and forth through the mixture in a swirl pattern. Bake uncovered (still at 350) for 30 minutes, until frittata is set.

My Grandmother's Leg of Lamb

1 leg of lamb (I usually get 7 lbs. for 5 people)

6 - 7 medium white onions

Gravy:

1 cup flour

1 cup water

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Rinse the leg, then place it in a roasting pan. Surround it with the onions. Bake it in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes per pound, basting every 30 - 60 minutes. Once meat is well-done, place it on a serving platter with the onions. Skim the drippings for any solids.

Fill a jar with the flour, water, and pepper and shake vigorously until a thick liquid is formed.

Heat your two front range burners to medium, and place the roasting pan full of drippings across both burners. When drippings begin to boil, start to whisk in the flour mixture until your gravy is the desired color/consistency. Heat the gravy while lightly whisking for 5 minutes or so, to cook out the taste of the flour.

Serve lamb with gravy and onions.

I absolutely love having mashed potatoes with the lamb, and this year a friend of mine is making the classic Campbell's green bean casserole as our veggie. Believe it or not, I've never had green bean casserole before. Another exciting addition to this year's menu will be zeppole! I absolutely love zeppole, especially homemade. For a little spring freshness I'll be adding orange zest, then I'll coat them with some cinnamon sugar. They'll be the perfect accompaniment to my annual Cadbury Cream Egg!