P092718

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 7
Home remedy memories:
Pasta fagiole, caramel bread pudding
By Rosalie Harrington
Chicken soup, also known as
Jewish penicillin, is often called
upon when a person needs
healing from a cold or just basic
sadness. My memories of a pot
filled with chicken feet, herbs
fresh from Noni’s garden simmering
on her wood-burning
stove seems to clear my nasal
passages and ease my heart with
just a whiff.
My working mom, who
didn’t have the time, would
often open up a large can of
College Inn chicken broth. Into
the simmering broth would go
an egg lightly scrambled with
a fork, and in one minute this
comforting potion would come
together with nary a stir. Head
over steaming soup, we inhaled
the broth, opening our heads or
throats to its healing powers.
The broth, canned or homemade,
is a good healing thing.
Or, we have convinced ourselves
of this, at least.
Last week, I learned that my
friend Kristen had pneumonia.
My first thought was ‘’chicken
soup to the rescue,’’ but I
wanted something quicker that
I could bring her right away. I
would make the soup another
day, when it wasn’t so hot.
Another “go to” remedy is
old-fashioned, what we called
growing up in Eastie “pasta
fazool,” translated to the Tuscan
Rosalie’s pasta e fagiole.
it is Pasta e Fagiole, a vegetable
and bean soup. Making it to go
so the pasta doesn’t get too soft,
I put the broth and veggies in a
jar and place the pasta on top.
It makes a pretty presentation
and all that’s needed is to pour
it into a pan and heat it up. You
can add a little chicken broth
to make it more soupy. With
a chunk of country bread, it
makes a nice lunch for a sick
friend. The day I delivered it,
Kristen was sleeping so I left it
in the fridge. Her husband said
she enjoyed it.
Another comforting food
that might help her heal is my
Caramel Bread Pudding. It always
makes me smile thinking
about how it came to be a regular
staple at Rosalie’s. The delivery
guy from Vie de France and I
would chat over a cup of coffee,
and one day I asked him what
they did with the day-old croissants.
He said they couldn’t sell
them. I offered to “take them off
their hands” for a small token.
The next day, he arrived with a
large bag of day-old croissants,
which I quickly turned into
bread pudding.
My inspiration came from
Gwen Gaillard’s Nantucket
cookbook. She and her husband,
Harold, owned one of
my favorite restaurants, the
Opera House, on the island.
She was a weaver and a great
cook who also had a terrific
personality. On Sunday mornings,
she would make omelets
in full view at her restaurant.
She gave me an autographed
copy of her book, which I still
treasure. I make her pudding
with croissants and I sprinkle a
layer of chocolate chips on the
bottom of the casserole. I still
save croissants that don’t get
eaten the first few days. There is
something about the chocolate
that is very comforting, as well.
This time of year I feel blessed
to have generous friends with
gardens. One was nice enough
to start a few bulbs for me and I
am thrilled to see that these late
bloomers are about to produce
giant flowers. My mother’s
name was Dahlia and it is my
middle name, so it is a special
flower to me. Russ Brown, a
wonderful friend and gardener,
planted a special yellow tomato
plant just for me because the
yellow ones have lower acidity.
I can go to his garden and pick
my own, which is really fun, a
sweet reminder of picking and
gathering veggies in my Noni’s
garden.
Sharing meals and the fruits
of one’s labor is a beautiful
thing, whether you are the gardener
or the lucky recipient of a
bit of the bounty.
Pasta e Fagiole
There are beautiful carrots in a few colors available at Trader Joe’s.
— Peel and dice small about 3 carrots.
— Heat 4 rashers of cut up bacon in a heavy pot. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the
bacon and the fat that it rendered.
— Add the carrots, 1 small diced onion, 3 cloves of diced garlic, and 1 cup of
chopped celery, leaves and all.
— Stir the pot to coat the veggies. Cook for a few minutes.
— Add a few tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley and 1 ½ cups of
chopped fresh tomatoes and a few tablespoons chopped fresh basil; cook for
10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
— Add 2 cups of chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for a few
minutes with 2 cups of drained and washed canned cannellini beans.
— At serving time, add 2 to 3 cups of cooked elbow macaroni and 1/4 cup of
grated Parmesan cheese and stir into the pot. Don’t mix the pasta too early with
the veggies or the pasta will get mushy.
— Pass more cheese.
— If you are making it for a friend, place the veggies and broth in a jar and
add the cooked pasta last.
Some special treats for a sick friend: Place a bar of good chocolate, a pretty
candle and/or a small container of fall flowers in a basket. So many dishes that I
love end with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese. A nice chunk
of this for eating or grating with a baguette is bound to please, as well.
Caramel Croissant
Bread Pudding
When I had my first restaurant, I got friendly with the delivery man from Vie
de France. I asked him one day what he did with the leftover croissants and he
said they went in the trash. So, I added this dessert to my menu at a good price.
— Sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar on the bottom of a Pyrex dish.
— Add a generous cup of chopped walnuts and ½ cup raisins previously
soaked in Marsala and drained, OR a generous cup of chocolate chips.
— Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup heavy cream and 2 cups milk, add 1 tbsp. vanilla
and a pinch of salt. Allow to rest so the air bubbles will subside.
— Cut up 4 large croissants and lay over the sugar and nuts or chocolate
chips and slowly pour the beaten egg and milk mixture over them.
— Gently press the croissants down and allow the milk to absorb into croissants.
This takes about 15 minutes.
— Place in a larger pan with water — this is called a bain-marie and is not
totally necessary, but for puddings it is a good technique. Bake in a 325-degree
oven until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
— Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
— This dessert makes its own caramel sauce at the bottom, but if you like,
you can beat a little maple syrup with the cream for a caramel treat.