Iron Mountain Mom's Italian Ravioli

Iron Mountain Mom's Italian Ravioli

In the early and cold part of 1991, an old-school Italian mom, used to making meals for dozens at a time, shared this story and recipe.  She and her husband had raised their children in an old mining neighborhood in Iron Mountain, Michigan.  The houses are still there, nestled up along the hillside overlooking the now defunct iron mine on Highway 2.  Her yard rested next to the railroad, and the children just had to learn to move out of the way when the train rolled through!  Families grew their own grapes and made their own wine.  It was not uncommon for a family to own a cow and a few chickens.  Some of the grape vines and old cow sheds (converted into one-car garages) are there today.  - Submitted by a friend of Mary's Missionaries

This recipe feeds a large family.  Some ingredients and directions were less exact than others.

Italian Ravioli

Ingredients for FILLING:

1 pound (about .5 kg) mozzarella cheese
1 pound (about .5 kg) brick cheese
4 ounces (about .10 kg) Parmesan cheese
1/2 stick (probably about 4 ounces or .10 kg) cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 pound (about .5 kg) Ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon (15 g) black pepper
4 cloves garlic
Dried flaked, or fresh chopped, parsley, about a handful or two

Directions for Filling:

Mix together and form into one-inch balls.

Ingredients for DOUGH:

5 pounds (2.25 kg) flour
About 15 eggs
Water, if needed

Make into dough.  Let rest 1/2 hour.  Roll to 1/8-inch (about 1/3 cm) thickness.

Directions to put together raviolis:

Cut dough into squares of about 3-inches or less.  Make raviolis as you would make a sandwich:  Bottom layer of dough, a spoonful of filling, and a top layer of dough.  Press together sides to seal in the ingredients.  Drop into boiling water (a slow boil) for about 12 minutes.  When finished, remove from water, place in bowl or on plate, and serve as desired (spaghetti sauce was the favorite).  Side note:  The raviolis may be frozen raw or already cooked. 

Rina's Favorite Italian Crostoli

 

Rina’s Favorite Crostoli                

Rina submits this recipe from Australia.  She and her husband are of Italian descent, so Rina loves to cook Italian!  The directions and comments are very short and simple, and delightful to read.  We encourage you use your creative juices if you have never made this before.  However, if you need further instructions on how to make or cut the dough, we suggest you go online and take a sneak peek at pictures to get an idea. 

“I have attached a recipe that we enjoy to cook up for celebrations sometimes.  I do them on my own or with others helping.  This recipe is a little easier to do [than some of the other recipes].”
 
Crostoli
 
Ingredients:

3 cups (about 750 mL) all purpose flour
6 eggs
6 tablespoons (90 mL) oil
6 tablespoons (90 mL) sugar
Vanilla essence (one recipe suggests 2 tablespoons / 15 mL)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder 
 
Oil for deep frying

Icing sugar (Powdered sugar) for dusting the crostoli afterward
 
 
Directions:

Make up dough.
Roll out with rolling pin thin.
Cut up in to long strips.
Deep fry until golden.
Drain on to paper.
Dust with icing sugar.
 
This will keep for a long time in air tight container.
When you start eating you cannot stop.
Enjoy
 
Rina

Joyous' Delicious Date Bread

Hi Everyone,

Our next wonderful story and recipe was shared by Lena Krueger, Mankato, MN.  Back in 2003 she shared some of the bread with friends and family.  She explained that in days gone by Joyous lived across adjoining properties.  This was when the large backyards served more as football fields for the children rather than as lush green lawns.   Back then Sundays were days to attend church services and days of rest.  Dads grilled hamburgers and an occasional steak.  Moms prepared the potato salad and fresh garden vegetables and cut the watermelon.  The family gathered together around the picnic table to enjoy it all. 

The recipe was so well-liked that she offered to pass it on.

Joyous’ Delicious Date Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter or margarine

1 egg

1 cup dates (8 oz.) (250 mL)

1 cup (250 mL) boiling water

1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1 ¼ cups (300 mL) flour

½ cup (125 mL) walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla

 

Directions: 

Mixture #1.  Dice dates.  Add baking soda.  Pour boiling water over dates.  Let cool, stirring occasionally.  Let sit overnight.    

Mixture #2.  In separate bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add egg.  Mix well. 

Mixture #3.  In another separate bowl mix flour and salt. 

Gradually and alternately blend mixtures #2 and #3 into Mixture #1.     

Add vanilla and nuts. 

Coat bottom of baking pan with grease or non-stick spray.   

Pour into loaf pan for bread, or a cake pan for cake.  Bake about an hour at 350 degrees

Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).

Welcome to Stories With a Side Dish

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to Stories With a Side Dish!

This blog is designed with you in mind - your memories and stories, woven around your favorite recipes and those with whom you shared them.   

Take a look around...Mary's Missionaries invites you to submit a story - with a recipe attached.  Your stories and memories are so important!  And we love hearing them and sharing them with others. 

Be sure to read the submission guidelines before sending any recipes.  For now, submit your recipes by snail-mailing them to Mary's Missionaries, P.O. Box 11, Iron Mountain, MI 49801.

Any names posted are by permission of the person submitting the recipe.

To start your creative ideas flowing, check out Jean's Apple Delight, shared by Kathy Bal.  We've added metric conversions for our visitors from around the world. 

Submissions can also be viewed directly on the blog site.

The following recipe was generously forwarded to Mary’s Missionaries from Kathy Bal.  She explains:

“The recipe is from my Aunt Allegra Winters. She should be credited. My mother entered it in a cookbook for the Methodist church in the early 60's. But it was a family recipe for many years before then. We never ate it with ice cream or whipped cream as written. We poured milk over it and ate it for breakfast as a treat. We make it now as the doctor told us not to eat any margarine, butter, etc.   We can have certain oils and love this recipe.”

This recipe has metric measurements (in parentheses) for our international readers.  Enjoy!

JEAN'S APPLE DELIGHT 

4 cups (1 Liter) sliced apples
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
2 cups (500 mL) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
2 teaspoons (10 mL) cinnamon
2 eggs (well beaten)
3/4 cup (175 mL) salad oil
2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) nuts

Mix together the apples and sugar.
Mix the next 4 ingredients together and add to the apple mixture.
Mix the next 4 ingredients together and add to the first mixture.
Blend well and pour into a 9x13 inch (3.3 L, 33x23x5cm) pan, greased and floured.
Bake in 350 degree F. (177 C) oven for 50 minutes.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.