PRHthe menu Courtesy of Maria Merlino
Pasta Ca’ Muddica
{Sicilian Pasta with Anchovies & Breadcrumbs} My father, Paul Merlino, was a proud Sicilian who loved cooking the recipes of the “cucina povera” or the poor man’s kitchen. His mother brought this centuries-old recipe to her new country from her hometown of Calvaruso, Sicily, in the 1900s. It’s quick to make and perfect for a nice midnight supper. Anchovy has always been a part of the diet of the Sicilian people. Muddica, or breadcrumbs, were used instead of pecorino or Romano cheese, since only the wealthy could afford it. In the 9th century, the Arab conquest of Sicily changed the gastronomy of the area with the introduction of pasta and the methods of drying it. In the 12th century, the first pasta factory in Europe was built in Palermo. Sicily quickly became the center of pasta production in the Mediterranean and exported it to Southern Italy. ➻
Ingredients ➜1 pound of spaghetti,
➜1 pinch red pepper flakes ➜4 1/2 ounces of homemade
capellini or linguine ➜1 flat can of anchovies packed in oil ➜1 clove of garlic, smashed ➜ ¼ 1 /4 cup extra virgin olive oil
breadcrumbs, coarsely chopped
➜S alt for pasta water
Preparation Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, place a pan over low heat and add half the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the anchovies with their oil and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the anchovies break down. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Remove garlic. While the anchovies are cooking, place another pan with the remaining oil over me-
dium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes. Toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden. Once the water is boiling, add salt and cook the pasta following the cooking time written on the box. Drain the pasta when done and toss with the anchovy sauce and toasted breadcrumbs.
PRH Suggested Wine Pairing Roero Arneis $9.99
Philly
Courtesy of Stephanie Eaves
Sweet Potato Pie
This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. My great great-grandmother’s name was Elizabeth Atkisson. She was the youngest of seven born in McLemoresville, Tennessee, (a very small town of about 100 people) and lived there until the day she died. The reason this sweet potato pie is so dear to my family is because when Grandma Elizabeth and Grandpa Richard Atkisson were on their first date, she made him a sweet potato pie. When they married, instead of cake, they had her sweet potato pie. That is why we only had it on Thanksgiving and Christmas because we were all together to celebrate them, their union and our family. My grandmother passed it down to my mother and my mother passed it down to me. Now I make it with my daughter Brooke. ➻
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| rowhome magazine
Ingredients ➜1 /2 stick of butter (softened) ➜1 1/2 cups of sugar ➜2 eggs lightly beaten ➜3 /4 cups of evaporated milk ➜1 teaspoon vanilla extract
➜1 /2 teaspoon nutmeg ➜1 /2 teaspoon of cinnamon ➜1 /4 teaspoon of salt ➜2 cups mashed sweet potatoes ➜1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Add evaporated milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and mix well. Add sweet potatoes and mix well. Mixture will be a little runny. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Drop temp to 350 and cook for 45-50 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a knife into center of pie. Knife should come out clean. Cool before serving.
gohomephilly.com
Serves 8
PRH Suggested Wine Pairing Robert Hall Orange Muscat $15