Simple Italian Cookery | Page 8

SAUCE
Take a small piece of beef, a small piece of ham, fat and lean, one
tablespoon of butter, a small piece of onion, a small piece of carrot, a
small piece of celery, a pinch of flour, one-half cup of bouillon (or
same amount of water), pepper. Cut the meat into small dice; chop up
fine together the ham, onion, carrot, and celery. Put these all together
with some pepper into a saucepan with the butter, and when the meat is
brown, add the pinch of flour, and the bouillon a little at a time (or the
water), and cook for about one-half an hour. This sauce should not be
strained.
BECHAMEL SAUCE
Take one tablespoon of flour, and one tablespoon of butter. Put them
into a saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until they have become a
golden-brown color. Then add, a little at a time, one pint of milk; stir

constantly until the sauce is as thick as custard, and is white in color. If
it grows too thick, a little more milk may be added; or if it is too thin, a
tiny lump of butter rolled in flour will thicken it.
Now take the cold Indian meal and cut it into squares about two inches
across. Take a baking-dish of medium depth, butter well, then put in a
layer of squares of Indian meal close together, to entirely cover the
bottom of the dish. Sprinkle over it grated cheese; then pour on the top
enough meat sauce to cover the layer (about two tablespoons), then on
the top of this add a layer of Bechamel sauce. Then put another layer of
the squares of Indian meal, sprinkle with grated cheese as before, add
meat sauce, then Bechamel sauce, and continue in this way until the
baking-dish is full, having for the top layer the Bechamel sauce. Put the
dish into a moderate oven, and bake until it is a golden brown on top.
POLENTA CAKE (_Migliaccio di Farina Gialla_)
2 cups of coarse Indian meal 1/2 cup of raisins 1/2 teaspoon of salt 3
teaspoons of sugar (granulated) 3 tablespoons of lard
Mix the salt, sugar, and raisins with the Indian meal in a bowl, then
pour in boiling water, a little at a time, and stir well with a wooden
spoon until you have a stiff paste and no dry meal remains sticking to
the bottom of the bowl.
Then take a cake-tin and grease it well with one-half of the lard. Then
turn out the Indian meal into the pan, and even it out with the wooden
spoon. Spread on the top of this the rest of the lard, softened slightly so
as you can spread it easily. Cook in a slow oven until a golden brown.
Serve hot.
GNOCCHI OF FARINA (_Gnocchi di Semolina_)
1 pint of milk 1 egg 1/2 cup of farina Butter and cheese
Put the milk on, and when it boils add salt. Take a wooden spoon and,
stirring constantly, add the farina little by little. Cook for ten minutes,
stirring constantly. Take off the fire and break into the farina one egg;

mix very quickly, so that the egg will not have time to set. Spread the
farina onto the breadboard about the height of a finger. Allow it to cool,
then cut it into squares or diamonds about two or three inches across.
Butter well a baking-dish, and put in the bottom a layer of the squares
of farina; sprinkle over a little grated Parmesan cheese (or Gruyere),
and put here and there a small dab of butter. Then put in another layer
of the squares of farina; add cheese and butter as before. Continue in
this way until your baking-dish is full, having on the top layer butter
and cheese.
Bake in a hot oven until a brown crust forms. Serve in the baking-dish.
GNOCCHI OF POTATO
Take six medium-sized potatoes and put them on to boil in their skins.
When they are done, peel them and pass them through a fine colander.
Add a little salt. Take one cup of flour, and mix on the bread-board
with the potatoes until they form a paste. Roll this paste with the hands
into a sausage about the thickness of three fingers. Cut this roll across
into pieces about an inch long. Press these pieces lightly with the finger
or the handle of the knife, so they will take little cup-shaped forms.
Leave these to one side, and put two quarts of salted water on to boil.
When it boils add the gnocchi a few at a time, until all are in the water.
When the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, take them out with
the skimmer. Put them into a platter a few at