Mom's Mushroom Stew

Many years ago mom would make this Mushroom Stew many times during cold wintery snow days


We would pour this fabulous sauce over homemade crusty Italian bread, a vintage old recipe from childhood in Central New York.


It was actually a specialty in many local Italian Restaurants there in Utica, New York, and still is.


Always a Tuesday special somewhere in good ole Utica also referred to as "Little Italy".


Lucky for us our mom Margaret Ann Fanelli Colenzo was such a great cook we never had to visit those local establishments and at one time she even owned her own Italian deli.


Well to date I still make this even though the recipe now if around 90 years old because she learned from her mom.


Amazing the years that go by we still can remember through home-cooked meals the wonderful memories, aroma's and keep them going generation to generation.


Simple, easy, and just plain delicious.


The second recipe is from my late Aunt Mary Di Orio who always used Italian sausage in her recipe also very delicious.


I have both recipes in the printable recipe card below, just scroll to the end to print it off.

Utica Style Breakfast

Amazing what you can do with leftovers. Buttered potatoes, spinach or escarole, ham, peppers and eggs make this the most delicious combinations of flavors and really can be a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. Check out this meat packed meal that everyone in the house will love. Oh and you can add whatever you like I have some other suggestions below.

So don't throw out those leftovers let's get creative!

Italian Pizza Fritta Fried Dough

Italian Traditional Fried Feast Dough, Italian Pizza Fritta or well known as Zeppole!


If you have never tried fried pizza dough, you are missing out.


This is a special Italian treat we make often here in our home.


Mom would start our Sunday breakfast off with this delicious fried dough before our big traditional Sunday Sauce meal.


We always looked forward to Sunday morning with that fresh smell of fried dough.


This is a specialty at every American Italian church feast in Central Utica, New York.


Utica, New York is noted for the best homemade fried dough at all the church events during the summer months and so many other fine Italian specialties.


Here are some other must-tries from my hometown:  Italian Greens, Italian Lemon Ice,  Tomato pie, Chicken Riggies, Manny's Cheesecake, Oscugnizzo Pizza, and Pusties Rosato Chocolate Cookies.


It's usually fried right in front of you and served with either sugar or powdered sugar in paper bags.


This recipe is the true experience of delicious sugar-coated sweet treat that is fried to perfection in any Italian household growing up.


Scroll down for the complete recipe, it's easy, delicious and makes a wonderful memory etched in our family mind forever.

Italian Roasted Chickpeas

Italian Roasted Chickpeas were a childhood favorite and every time I make these they bring back a flood of memories.


Growing up in a Catholic home, the churches had feasts in the summertime.


We would walk several blocks to get there but before we reach our destinations we could smell those roasted chickpeas from several blocks away.


The roasted smell was similar to chestnuts to me, that smell was just mouth-watering and I couldn't wait to taste those salty hard crunchy beans that tasted like nuts after roasting.


One of the things different in this recipe, there was never seasoning on them and honestly, they didn't need any, they tasted fine but these enhanced with a little more flavor makes them really over the top.

If you prefer to make the original style just added kosher or sea salt on them and that's it, simple and easy.


Truly Roasted chickpeas are the healthiest or at least one of the healthiest snacks on the planet.