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Zaeti (Corn meal cookies)	Finnish Salmon Soup	Czech Sauercraut	Peperonata
Ragù

Zaeti (corn meal cookies)

180 gr sugar
2 eggs
125 gr room-temperature butter
200 gr white flour
300 gr corn meal
1 tbsp rising powder
2 tbsp rum (or aroma)
lemon zest
100 gr raisins, soaked in lukewarm water or in the rum

These cookies are originally from the Veneto region in Northern Italy.

Mix eggs and sugar into a smooth batter, add butter and mix. Add flower, corn meal and rising powder, rum and lemon zest. At the end add the raisins and turn with a wood spoon. Make tiny balls from the batter (you'll get approx. 32 cookies) and lay them on an oven plate (use parchment paper if you have it).

Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C (355°F). They should be golden, thoroughly cooked and soft inside.

You may dust the cookies with powdered sugar after letting them cool off (otherwise the sugar tends to melt).

Finnish Salmon Soup

16 small new potatoes
6 small onions
mixed frozen veggies
milk
dill
cream
butter
500g fresh salmon (1 lb.)
salt, pepper.

Clean potatoes and boil them with the skin in just enough salted water to cover them for 5 minutes. Add the onions and the frozen veggies and the salmon, cut into chunks. Pour enough milk (so that all vegtables and the salmon are covered).

Boil for 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft) and add the remaining ingredients.

Serve hot.

Czech Sauerkraut

1 medium size cabbage
1 big onion
oil
2 tsp. sugar
salt
2 or 3 tbsp vinegar
caraway seed

Cut the cabbage in thin slices (half cm) and pass it in boiling water for 5 min. Light fry onion, with the remaining ingredients. Transfer cabbage to the pan and let cook very slowly, covered, until tender.

Peperonata

4 large red or yellow peppers
1 onion
olive oil
2 tsp. sugar
2 or 3 tbsp vinegar
1 cup tomato sauce or strained tomatoes

Sautee the coarsely sliced onion in olive oil, in a large and deep pan (with lid!). In the mean time, wash, clean and cut the peppers in chunks roughly 1 by 1 inch wide and add them to the pan. Medium heat. When the peppers start to be slightly cooked, add the tomato sauce and some water. Let simmer at low heat for 40-50 minutes, adding water as needed. The peppers will become soft and they should be always in a semi-liquid sauce. Don't let dry up! Towards the end, add sugar, vinegar and salt.

Eat warm or cold from the fridge, as side dish to fish, egg-based dishes and poultry, as a pasta sauce or on bread. Excellent when eaten cold during hot summer days!

Ragù

500 g (1 lb) ground meat (beef or mixed pork / beef)
1 onion
2 carrots
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. sugar
400-500g (1 lb) tomato sauce or strained tomatoes
2-3 bay leafs
nutmeg, salt, pepper

Sautee the finely sliced onion and grated carrot in olive oil, with garlic in a pot or pressure-cooker (with lid!) until barely golden. Take out the garlic. Add the beef and briskly cook (2-3 minutes), while tearing apart the miced meat to make it crumbly. When the meat is not red anymore, add tomato sauce, bay leaf, spices, sugar. If necessary, add enough water to cover the meat. Set to minimum heat and slowly cook 45 minutes, covered. If using pressure cooker, run it for just 15 minutes.

Eat with short pasta (penne, rigatoni) or with egg tagliatelle.

Last Modified: July 2, 2006