Toast 'Sopranos' finale with Italian-American fare

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 6, 2007 | by Jenny Slafkosky

2 16-ounce jars hot or sweet cherry peppers (Mezzetta brand works well)

6 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto

6 to 8 ounces asiago cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/4to cup extra virgin olive oil

6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced

1/2teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (minced)

Drain the peppers and use a paring knife to carefully cut the stems and cores out of each pepper, leaving the peppers whole. Scrape out seeds. Reserve any particularly small peppers for another use. If using hot cherry peppers, rinse under cold water for a few seconds to tone down the heat. Cut prosciutto slices into 1/2-inch strips. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around a cube of asiago and stuff into a cleaned pepper. Repeat until all peppers are filled. Drizzle "shooters" with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic and optional rosemary and toss. If using sweet cherry peppers, add hot red pepper flakes to taste. Let "shooters" marinate for an hour, or up to overnight. Serve with toothpicks and drinks.

Makes about 25 "shooters."

Per serving: 86 Calories; 6g Fat; 4g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 837mg Sodium.

Sausage, Pepper

and Onion Heroes

From "Entertaining with The Sopranos: As compiled by Carmela Soprano" by Allen Rucker, Michele Scicolone and David Chase (Warner Books, $29.95).

4 Italian-style pork sausages

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bell peppers, preferably 1 red and 1 green, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 crusty hero rolls or Italian bread cut into wedges, split

Place the sausages in a medium skillet with 1/2cup water. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until the water evaporates and the sausages begin to brown. Uncover and cook, turning the sausages occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove the sausages to a plate.

Add the oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the peppers and salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook, stirring often, until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook 10 minutes more, until the peppers are tender and lightly browned.

Add the sausages to the pan, with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover and cook 5 minutes more.

Open the rolls and pull out some of the soft crumb. Stuff the rolls with the sausages, peppers and onions. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Per serving:898 Calories; 50g Fat; 29g Protein; 82g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 86mg Cholesterol; 1825mg Sodium.

Cannoli

Adapted from "Italian Baking Secrets" by Father Giuseppe Orsini (Thomas Dunne Books, $25.95)

These famous Sicilian favorites get their name from the Sicilian imagination. Cannoli means curls, the attractive curls on the hairstyles of beautiful Sicilian girls and women.

To make the pastry shells by hand is a long and tedious process; I suggest you buy boxes of pre-made cannoli shells. These can be purchased by mail order or from an Italian import store near you, you can get them there. (Ferrara is the brand I use the most.)