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The Cabinet of Culinary Curiosities:

In The Kitchen with The Paris House

American breakfast looks different depending on where you are. Every meal connects to a place and a moment. My Italian grandparents came from Rome, Naples, and Sicily and settled in Upstate New York. In Italy, breakfast was just coffee and a pastry. After moving to America at age seven, their mornings included strong coffee, toast, and something sweet. On weekends, they added eggs, bread, jams, cheese, meats, fruit, and something homemade. Their breakfast became a mix of Italian traditions and American ways. As a child, I loved waking up to the smell of coffee, eggs, fresh bread, and my grandmother’s baked treats.

Food evokes my strongest memories, making me pause to savor each experience—a sentiment likely kindled by my appreciation for Proust’s Swann’s Way. I remember nearly every meal: crème fraîche-smoked salmon in Edinburgh, escargot in Lyon, smoked fish at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, hummus in Bahrain, tacos in Mexico City, pancakes in New England

with butter and maple syrup, ricotta lemon pancakes in D.C., pastries in Prague, ice wine in Canada, tapas in Barcelona, and steamed lobster shelled at the table in Nova Scotia. The list goes on, but let’s return to the American breakfast.

I’m at the cottage in Maine, baking brunch. I’ll wait for blueberry season, but for now, I made a raspberry cream cheese almond coffee cake from the cookbook A Real American Breakfast by Cheryl Alters Jamison & Bill Jamison. We had raspberries on hand, and the recipe doesn’t need much sugar. It’s simple for experienced bakers and easy for beginners if you follow the steps. The authors suggest a 10-inch springform pan, but I used a 7x10 Pyrex dish, and it turned out great. Coffee cake and black coffee are a classic New England breakfast and bring back memories. You can add herbed eggs, country bread with butter, and Vermont maple-glazed bacon. For more brunch ideas, check out our blog for yogurt fruit parfaits—these meals might become your own traditions.

Pizza Rustica

Every Easter at the end of Lent, my Italian grandmother, Carmella, would make her own Pizza Rustica. Our family has kept this tradition alive. The recipe below is from Paris House, inspired by my Napolitan, Sicilian, and Roman roots. Pizza Rustica has been made in Naples since at least the 17th century, maybe even earlier. You can use your favorite cheeses and meats to make it your own.

Ingredients For Filling:

1lb fresh ricotta cheese, strained using cheesecloth (disregard liquids)
1lb shredded mozzarella cheese (not fresh)
4 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces ham, diced
6 ounces prosciutto, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh parsley
Large Handful of chopped fresh spinach (I do not use frozen)

Filling Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until blended. Set aside.

All-Butter Pie Dough

You will need to make two batches of this pie dough: one to line the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan, and one for the top crust or lattice.
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
¼ cup ice water

Dough preparation:

In a food processor, combine flour and salt and pulse until mixed.
Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form.
Gradually add ice water, pulsing just until the dough begins to come together.
Turn out the mixture, shape it into a ball, and flatten it into a disk.
Wrap the dough disk in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
After chilling, let it soften slightly at room temperature.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to fit the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan.
Gently press into the pan and trim the edges.
Reserve any dough scraps for the top crust or decorations, if desired.

Assembly:

Lightly grease and flour a 9” springform pan.
Line the pan with the rolled-out dough.
Add cheese and meat mixture.
Top with lattice or decorative strips, if desired.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan.
• 1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon of water
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
Cut an X in the center for steam release.
Lightly grease and flour a 9” springform pan.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Baking Instructions: Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
After 30 minutes, cover the edges with foil if needed.
Remove from the oven when golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve warm.
Reheat in the oven if needed.

Crostini Bruschetta

Paris House Kitchen: Crostini Bruschetta

Caramelized onions, sweet syrupy balsamic reduction, salt, pepper, excellent quality goat cheese, chunked, in little squares, caramelized walnuts, not melted just topped on toasted