Cooking with Love

Welcome to January 2022

There are so many emotions we are bringing to this new year.

Fears about the pandemic, fears about our future. You know what? We don't have any control to guarantee happiness in this life. But, we do have food to enjoy and family to love and cherish.

My friends, please be kind and remember that we're all in this together. 

My memories of New Years Eve bring back my father's face wearing a paper hat, blowing on a noisemaker. He looked so silly, but it makes me smile.

My parents always cried at midnight on New Years Eve. I used to ask them why the tears? They would respond that they were reminded that they are getting older.

Mom would work so hard in that kitchen frying zeppoles for midnight. Of course there were liquers on the table with shot glasses.

Homemade zeppole

These are so delicious. They're very easy to make......here's all you need:

Prepare the dough ahead with:

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon salt

 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

vegetable oil for frying

powdered sugar

Directions:

In a small bowl add water, then add yeast, sugar and salt.

Let stand for about 2 minutes, and stir to dissolve the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a nice sticky dough forms.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours.

In a deep saucepan, pour in vegetable oil (about 3 inches.)

Heat the oil to 370 degrees (use a frying thermometer). Use two tablespoons to scoop out the dough and drop it into the hot oil, by using one spoon to push the dough off of the other.

Do this for about 4 zeppole at a time, do not crowd them in the pan. Cook until golden brown and puffy, turning with a slotted spoon to fry evenly on all sides.

Remove the zeppole from the oil with the slotted spoon, and transfer to a  tray lined with paper towels to drain.

When all zeppole are fried and drained sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve hot. 

Serve in brown sandwich paper bags. 

Warning: once you taste them, you will want to eat the whole brown bag.