Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
Italian Roasted Chickpeas were a childhood favorite and every time I make these they bring back a flood of memories.
Growing up in a Catholic home, the churches had feasts in the summertime.
We would walk several blocks to get there but before we reach our destinations we could smell those roasted chickpeas from several blocks away.
The roasted smell was similar to chestnuts to me, that smell was just mouth-watering and I couldn't wait to taste those salty hard crunchy beans that tasted like nuts after roasting.
One of the things different in this recipe, there was never seasoning on them and honestly, they didn't need any, they tasted fine but these enhanced with a little more flavor makes them really over the top.
If you prefer to make the original style just added kosher or sea salt on them and that's it, simple and easy.
Truly Roasted chickpeas are the healthiest or at least one of the healthiest snacks on the planet.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
Midnight mass on Christmas Eve, wrapping gifts and frosting cookies, we make great memories in our family year after year.
Over the years we have lost lots of our loved ones but continue to instill the traditions with the new generations, hoping they fall into our footsteps of great memories someday in their futures.
Making those special moments with Mom and Dad, our Grandparents, and years of gatherings with cousins, Aunts, and Uncles have distant memories now but they molded our lives with the best holidays.
Here are just a few of our favorite things we make to celebrate the season and foods we love.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
Easy to make individual cheese and beef Mexican Meatloaf cups are so much fun to eat.
Filled beef cups filled with melted cheese, and refried beans, with a delicious fork full of yumminess in every bite you take!
These are perfect for an appetizer for a fun Mexican buffet gathering with friends.
The recipe is super easy and the kids just love these flavors as you can make them spicy or mild in flavor just by the kind of salsa added.
Our super easy-to-make meatloaf cups are just perfect for Cinco De Mayo celebrations.
Setting up a garnish bar is fun plus you can add all your family and friends' favorite toppings with a little of all our suggestions below to build their own meal and perfect when hosting a party.
We will give you all those suggestions below in the recipe card as you scroll through the step-by-step recipe.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
One of the last things I do before Christmas is making chocolate candy clusters and they are so easy whether done in a slow cooker, microwave or double boiler, if I don't wait until the last minute they would be gone in a New York minute.
We love all the favorite kinds, barks, toffee,caramel, peanut brittle and so many holiday candy treat this is the easiest made in a slow cooker with melted chocolate and anything you can dip into it to make a cluster of delicious candies.
I was in the market today, and the memories of mixed nuts still in the shell were looking at me which were a pain when making candy but less money and that's what mom would use.
My mom would buy all the nuts roast them in their shells in the oven then crack each one to get the meat out of them after cooling to make candy.
We just didn't have nut clusters, she used, coconut, dried figs dates, and even pretzel sticks.
I am sure you all have those Christmas traditions in your home this slow cooker easy chocolate treat was always my favorite as a child and still is
Now instead of using a double boiler, I make this in a slow cooker and it's so much easier and you can also melt this in the microwave.
Mom would put them on a cookie sheet to dry but I like to add the candy to paper liners for gift-giving, they make great gifts for candy lovers.
Scroll through all our tips, substitutions, and filling ideas, these are fun to make and everyone will rave about them!
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
If you like Peanut Butter these are going to be a new candy on your Christmas baking list.
These are so simple just using peanut butter, cereal, butter, and powdered sugar then dipped in melted chocolate.
They can be rolled in nuts color sprinkles and left plain to look like a no-bake peanut butter truffle.
These peanut butter balls even freeze well in a sealed tight container.
The recipe has been in the family since the early 1970s and remains a family favorite and the most asked-for candy treat that I make.
One bite and you'll be hooked on these creamy crunchy confections they are so delicious.
These are a family no-bake favorite holiday cereal-style candy.
I make them every year. He always said that dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate in flavor.
I usually make a batch of both. The milk chocolate seems to be a little sweeter but I prefer the milk chocolate.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
Mom's Italian Sausage Links Homemade Recipe In Bulk is always made for most holidays.
A festive Italian Breakfast with the family every year on Christmas morning.
The reason for the season is remembered sharing the morning Christ was born with your family and loved ones.
A glorious birthday celebration is enjoyed by many families and friends.
My very favorite day of all.
The meaning sometimes is truly forgotten of how this wonderous day came about and celebrated by Catholic families around the world.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine
Feast of 7 Fishes is a Traditional Italian Christmas Eve serving 7 Fishes and as long as I could remember as a child I helped clean the octopus and learned how to make baccala along with more than even 6 more.
This is a long story of my childhood and memories made celebrating the birth of Christ and the meaning behind all Italian traditions.
As the years went by, Grandma, Grandpa, my mom, and dad continued to instill their traditions from their Regions in Italy brought to America with their teachings.
Now as an adult and they have long passed on, I continue to do the feast of 7 fishes to celebrate the birthday of the lord, midnight mass, and food traditions.
The memories that were made are priceless, and although the food continues to evolve from generation to generation in taste, quality, and presentation, we still always stick to those yearly Christmas Eve special foods.
Our Italian family will always remember the reason for the season first and are very thankful no matter what our table has on it year after year we are grateful we have each other.
Although born in America and raised in Utica, New York, (also referred to as "Little Italy") our values were instilled by our parents and grandparents and several of us still carry on traditions from one generation to another.
