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.
½ pound dried red pinto beans 1 tsp salt
2 c water
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BEANS: Place the beans in a sieve and wash them thoroughly under cold
running water. Transfer the beans to a 1- to 1½-quart pot, add the water
and 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat
and soak the beans for 1 hour, then bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat
to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 1 hour, or until they are tender.
Drain the beans in a sieve and set them aside.SAUCE:
4 slices bacon 1 tsp finely chopped hot red chilies
1 c finely chopped onions 3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled,
2 tsp finely chopped garlic seeded and coarsely chopped
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SAUCE: Place the bacon in a large heavy skillet and, turning the slices
frequently with tongs, fry over moderate heat until they are crisp and
brown. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and pour the fat into
a measuring cup. Pour ¼ c of the fat back into the skillet and stir in the
onions, garlic and hot red chilies. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8
minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped
tomatoes, cover the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes.PASTA:
2 quarts water 1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt 1 tsp salt
1 c egg pastina (small pasta)
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PASTA: In a 3- to 4-quart pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tsp of salt
to a boil. Drop in the pastina and boil briskly for about 5 minutes,
or until it is soft. Drain thoroughly in a sieve and stir into the tomato
sauce; add the beans and the grated cheese. Crumble the bacon over the top,
sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, stir and taste for seasoning. Simmer over low
heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the beans are heated through, then transfer
to a large serving bowl and serve at once. Serves 6.
