When I first arrived in the USA, at age 20, I was not familiar with “American Cuisine” beyond hamburgers. My mother-in-law, Ernestine Tolisano gave me a few “typical” recipes to expand my cooking repertoire. I tasted these mostly during my first Thanksgiving dinners at her house in those years.

By Ernestine Tolisano

by Ernestine Tolisano

By Ernestine Tolisano

by Ernestine Tolisano

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
I egg
Flour
Salt

Directions:
Bake potatoes in microwave.
Peel potatoes, then mash them.
Add egg and salt.

Add small amounts of flour to mixture at a time and knead the dough until dough not “wet” anymore.

Cut a small amount from dough, roll into a long “snake”, then cut into small pieces. Roll each of these pieces off the Ñoqui wood.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ñoquis one at the time and let them boil until they swim at the top of the water.

Scoop them out of the water, add Tomatoe sauce (tuco) and cheese and put them into oven for about 20 more minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of frozen Spinach
• 1 package of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package of mild Italian Sausage
• 2 fresh pizza doughs

Directions:

• let the pizza dough rise
• defrost the frozen Spinach, then drain off excess liquid
• take the skin off the sausage and brown
• mix spinach, sausage and cheese well
• roll out dough
• spread mixture on dough
• roll dough and tuck the ends under the bread
• put two loafs into oven
• bake at 375 until brown

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Garbanzos
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Parsley

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a food processor