Cuisine Featured: Italian
The Melting Pot section is where we have placed recipes for cuisines brought to America by the many immigrants to our shores. Over the years these cuisines have been Americanized, i.e., most viewers of our site have probably been exposed to many of these cuisines, either via the dining-out route or, perhaps, directly within our own families due to the multi-ethnic makeup therein. As an example of this multi-ethnicity within a single family, I can cite my own case-- My family consists of the following ethnicities: English, Irish, Scottish, German, Polish and Greek. Is it any wonder then that America is called the Melting Pot?
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
1 quart water 2 medium-sized zucchini, scrubbed
½ pound (1 c) dried pea beans, or and cut into ½-inch pieces (1½ c)
Great Northern beans 4 medium-sized carrots, scraped and
½ pound salt pork, cut into ¼-inch thinly sliced (1 c)
dice (1 c) 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 c)
1½ c finely chopped onions 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and
1 tsp finely chopped garlic cut into ½-inch pieces (1¼ c)
¼ pound turnip, peeled and cut ½ small white cabbage, shredded(2 c)
into ½-inch pieces (1 c) 6 c beef broth, fresh or canned
2 leeks, including 1 inch of green 1 T tomato paste
leaves, washed and cut crosswise ½ c elbow macaroni
into ¼-inch-wide rounds (1½ c) 2 tsp salt
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
coarsely chopped
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In a heavy 2- to 3-quart casserole, bring the water to a boil over high
heat. Drop in the beans. The water should cover them by at least 2 inches;
if necessary, add more water. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 2
minutes, then turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour.Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Drain them through a sieve set over a bowl, and set them and 2 c of the cooking liquid aside separately.
Fry the salt-pork dice in a heavy 3- to 4-quart casserole over moderate heat, stirring the dice frequently with a slotted spoon until they are crisp and brown and have rendered all their fat. Transfer the dice to a paper towel to drain and pour the fat into a measuring cup. Pour 4 T of the fat back into the casserole and set the casserole over moderate heat. Stir in the onions and garlic and, stirring frequently, cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the onions are a light gold. Add the turnip, leeks, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, beef broth, the 2 c of reserved bean liquid, tomato paste and macaroni. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover the casserole and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cooked beans and diced salt pork, sprinkle with the salt and black pepper, and serve directly from the casserole or from a large heated tureen. Serves 6 to 8.
