Recipes from Lago Maggiore, Italy

1) Spinach Crepe Casserole, shortcut version

Cook two lbs. of fresh, washed spinach in a deep frypan with sauteed sweet onions (Vidalia). Sprinkle
with salt very lightly. Put lid on the frypan and let the spinach steam with the sauteed onions until wilted
but not limp like seaweed on a clam. Blend slightly on low speed for 30 seconds. Add one half cup of
ricotta cheese that has been drained in a fine sieve for hours. Let the whey drip from the ricotta, so it
does not add moisture to the spinach. Add ricotta to spinach. Add salt, black pepper, and a dash of
nutmeg. Mix lightly. Add one half to two thirds cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Blend all ingredients for
one minute on low speed.

Grease a casserole dish and line with crepes. Overlap the crepes for more sturdy bottom lining. Add
spinach mixture on top, then another layer of crepes, overlapping each other. Top with more Parmesan
cheese. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes until bubbly and brown.

You can buy crepes frozen, separated by paper layers in the grocery store. Instead of crepes you can use
“No boil” thin lasagna strips. Grease the casserole dish as before and line with the dry “no boil” lasagna
strips, overlapping. Sprinkle or better yet, use spray bottle to moisten the lasagna strips with one third
cup of hot water, coating the strips. If you don’t have frozen crepes or “no boil lasagna strips, you can
use flour tortillas. Do not overlap flour tortillas making this dish. It will make the layers much too thick.
Add the spinach mixture as before. Add another layer of lasagna strips on top and sprinkle with another
half cup of boiling water. Add thin slices of butter, spread on top of the strips. Add grated Parmesan
cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes or until lasagna strips are tender at 400. When
strips are tender, take off the foil and run under the broiler on low for 3 minutes until top is brown and
bubbly.

Crepe recipe for Spinach Casserole

Have wax paper squares cut out and ready to separate the cooked crepes. Make at least a dozen sheets
of 5”x7” rectangles prepared and set on the counter beside your cooktop.

Mix in blender one egg, one cup of all-purpose flour, one to one and half cup of water, and 1/8 teaspoon
of salt. Start with one cup of water. If batter looks thick like pancake batter, add more water and blend
again. Butter or oil spray an 8inch nonstick fry pan and heat on low flame. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the
heated pan, swirling to cover the whole pan surface. Return to the heat. When bubbles begin to form
around the edges of the crepe, shake the pan slightly by the handle to loosen it. When the middle looks
firm, flip crepe to reverse side and cook for one minute. Place the finished crepe onto the wax paper
rectangle prepared. Stack crepes on top of each other with wax paper separating each crepe. Let cool
for one half hour. They can be stored in the refrigerator for two days or freezer for two weeks for future
use.

2) All-Purpose Herb Mix from Provisions Store, Lake Maggiore

Add one third cup of dried basil, rosemary, a tablespoon of oregano, a teaspoon of lemon zest, pinch of
kosher salt, pinch of ground chili pepper, and teaspoon of smoked paprika. Mix. Add one tablespoon of
Parmesan cheese. Store in a glass jar and cover to top with black pepper corns. The pepper corns will
absorb the moisture and avoid spoiling. This herb mix is perfect for pasta cooked with a few pats of
butter and olive oil tossed with the herb mix by itself. You can also add sauteed spinach, broccoli rabe,
steamed fresh asparagus in addition to small sauteed shrimp or salmon cut into bitesize pieces. Garnish
with chopped flat leaf parsley. This mix can be used as a rub for steak and chicken.

Recipes from Austria

These signature dishes are typical of the cuisine of the alpine countries and are found with slight
variations. These recipes are the Austrian versions of these dishes.

Austrian Dumplings, also called Tyrolese Knodel

The plain version is served with a ragout of mushrooms, onions and rosemary. The dumplings can be
made with spinach as well. Typically the spinach version is served with a topping of Parmesan and a
glass of Riesling.

6 slices of stale white bread, crusts cut off and reserved for another use, for example, making bread
crumbs.

Half cup of milk, warmed.

Half cup of warm water.

2 large eggs, slightly beaten.

Half teaspoon of salt.

Sprinkling of black ground pepper.

Two tablespoons of grated sweet onion, like Vidalia onions.

Half teaspoon of dried or fresh rosemary.

Half teaspoon of fresh chopped chives.

One tablespoon of olive oil, one pat of butter.

White flour as needed.

Two quart pot of salted, boiling water, two thirds full.

Method:

Cut off crusts of stale white bread and cube into half ich pieces. Fill large bowl with cubed bread and mix
with salt and pepper, and rosemary.

Pour water and milk into a pot and bring to a slight boil. Pour over the cubed bread. Mix together well
and let stand in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or dish to help the steam from the liquid to process
softening the bread. Let the bread rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, sauté the onions with one pat
of butter and one teaspoon of olive oil. Let cook briefly while stirring. When onions turn translucent,
remove from the heat and put aside.

After the bread has rested 10 minutes, add slightly scrambled eggs and cooled cooked onions. Mix
thoroughly with your hands. There should be no hard pieces of bread in the mixture. If the mixture feels
too dry to work into a two-inch ball, add more warm water. If the mixture feels too loose, add a
tablespoon of white flour. Wet hands and form bread into two inch balls. Consistency of the mixture
should be firm but sticky. Do not overwork. Do not add more flour than is necessary to have the balls
stick together.

Bring pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Lower to a simmer and gently add the dumplings one at a
time. Cook for fifteen minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Platter and garnish with chopped chives.

Serve with pork, beef stew, or with mushroom ragout.

For a variation with spinach, sauté a half pound of fresh spinach in olive oil and chopped sweet onions.
Sweat the onions and spinach together in a frypan and salt slightly. As spinach wilts, cover pan and shut
off heat. Let the spinach wilt for 10 minutes. Drain off water, squeezing the spinach with a clean tea
towel. You can use frozen spinach also. Use the process outlined above to make the bread dough for the
dumplings. Cool the spinach for 30 minutes. Add cooled spinach to bread mixture. Add eggs and half cup
of Parmesan (Reggio Parmesano or Grana Padana) a twist of ground black pepper, and a pinch of
nutmeg. Shape into dumplings the size of ping pong balls. Meanwhile, have a large pot of salted boiling
water as described above. Lower the heat to medium and gently drop the dumplings into the pot. Cook
for 25 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve on a warmed platter and
dot with butter. Sprinkle with more grated cheese and serve as a main dish or with fish. Dumplings can
be added to chicken or beef consume as a hearty simple soup.