Sunday, February 14, 2010

A Valentine




Happy Valentine's Day!
Gian Luca and I have been celebrating all week ( which may explain why I have not posted)!
Our celebrating started early in the week when we got a big surprise that has kept smiles on our faces this whole week ( sorry, I won't say what it is just yet).
Then, on Wednesday, when I came home from work, I found a huge package from my parents on our doorstep. My brother Joe is an actor and a member of SAG so I knew my parents were sending me a bunch of movies that he gets to review ( and we all get to watch) but I had no idea what could have possibly made up the other ten pounds in the box. My first thought, cookies.
My mom loves to bake even more than I do and it seemed logical that she'd send some our way.

Link
Well there were some Biscotti di Prato inside the box, but she didn't stop there. She sent a humongous jar of Nutella, perfect for making these, a box of Ferrero Rocher candies ( Gian Luca's favorite), some amazing scallion and black olive stuffed focaccia ( I promise I'll get the recipe soon), and all the fixing for my favorite soup- Stracciatella.

That's right, my mom sent me frozen blanched escarole and frozen mini-meatballs so that I could combine them with chicken stock and an a few eggs and enjoy a little taste of home.
It was by far the best care package I've ever gotten. How is it that moms just know?



Stracciatella is also know as Italian Wedding Soup, though, growing up we never referred to it as anything but Stracciatella ( which, by the way, is also the name of a very popular gelato flavor).

Stracciatella Soup
There is no recipe for this soup, just a few instructions and links to other posts. Enjoy.

For Chicken Stock click here
For the meatballs click here just be sure to roll the meat into tiny tiny balls ( about 1/4 inch round). They cook up faster than the larger ones so keep your eye on them.

For the soup:
2 quarts of chicken stock
2 cups mini-meatballs
1 head of Escarole- chopped and blanched.
2 large eggs- beaten

In a large stock pot, heat chicken stock, 2 cups mini-meatballs and escarole. Bring to boil.
Add beaten eggs into the soup and stir. Let simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Top with freshly grated cheese and enjoy with crusty bread!

7 comments:

  1. You have a very thoughtful mom. But how did the meatballs stay frozen in shipment?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your Mom. I love the soup. Frozen blanched escarole - perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah! I knew I had heard that before: my son Franchi loves that gelato flavor!! I haven't made this soup yet! I just finished learning about Ribollita;). I am so glad your mom sent you that care package; it reminds me how much I love being a mom;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your mom is the best - I would love to get a package like that! The stracciatella soup looks awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an awesome mom and a totally unique care package.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the comments everyone!

    Linda- She froze the meatballs and placed them in a zip lock bag. Same with the blanched escarole. Then she packed it all in an insulated lunch box with lots of ice packs. They were all still frozen when they got here.

    Claudia- I love her too!!

    Janelle- I love the Gelato flavor too, but my favorite is Riso Panna- which I've only ever had in florence!

    Jen- thanks! She is the best!

    Pam- thanks, yes, it was totally unexpected.

    ReplyDelete
  7. there is nothing better than a care package to put a smile on your face. Your soup looks delicious... I love anything with escarole..mmmm.

    ReplyDelete