Festa Italiana, oh how I miss you!

This weekend, at the Milwaukee Summerfest grounds, Festa Italiana will take place. My family is heavily involved in this annual lake front festival celebrating all things Italian. For the second year in a row, and third time overall, I am really bummed to be missing out.

Festa is always a fantastic time to meet up with (extended) family (I have a LOT of cousins - I think the rule goes: if you are Italian and someone else is Italian -> you are cousins) and friends, eat great Italian food and joyride with my sister in the golf cart assigned to our exhibit for "official" business. (Just try to convince SGS and I that random joyrides around the grounds and canoli runs aren't official - they are ABSOLUTELY necessary. Yeah huh, they are.)

One of the friends/family members that we usually see at Festa is Gram Edie. While she is not at all biologically related to us, she is as much a grandmother to us as she is to her own grandkids - we get birthday cards and special treats, pizzeles, brought all the way from Washington state for us. She is a dear. I LOVE her pizzeles.

Luckily for all of us, she gave me the recipe, which I am posting here. You do need a pizzelle iron (which can also make waffle cones and waffle bowls - but hey it makes pizzelles!), but it is a wise investment anyway - so run out and grab one...... then make these. (no, SGS - Mickey cannot make pizzeles)

Gram Edie's Pizzeles
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil (she says Mazola or Wesson)
2 t anise flavoring
4 cups sifted flour

Beat ingredients, then drop by small teaspoon-full into heated cookie iron. Brown cookies, then cool on paper towels. Store in airtight container.

Canoli
No one makes them better than Nino's. Especially when he makes the chocolate covered ones. Mmm.

Canoli Shells
1 1/2 cups flour
1 T cocoa powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
2 T vegetable shortening
1/2 c water

Sift together dry ingredients, then work in the shortening and water. Knead well (or use your dough hook). Roll the dough VERY thin, roll pieces around canoli tubes, overlapping ends. Deep fry in Crisco, when browned - remove and place on paper toweling to cool. (~32 shells)

Canoli filling
3 lbs Ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups milk
8 T cornstarch
1 T vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Bring milk to a boil slowly. Mix in cornstarch and sugar, then add the eggs. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Cool.

Beat the cheese until creamy, adding the custard mix and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill shells from both ends, top with powdered sugar.

Rice Balls (Arranchini)
No one will ever make rice balls like Mrs. Josephine Rampola. That lady was a legend - and even well into her 80s, she made them every year. This isn't her recipe - but it is a starting place. Mmm.

1 pound rice (2 1/2 cups)
5 cups boiling water
5 eggs, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup butter
1/2 pound ground beef
2 T chopped onion
1 1/2 T olive oil
bread crumbs

Cook, drain and cool rice. Add 2 eggs (well beaten), cheese and butter. Mix until it is capable of holding form.

Make your favorite meatball recipe or simply brown the ground beef with onion in the olive oil.

Make a ball of rice (tennis ball size), make a thumbprint deep into the ball and fill it with meat. Close up the ball, dip in beaten eggs, roll in bread crumbs, then deep fry until golden brown.