Nonna Pina's Egg Sandwich

This is a simple (and quick!) recipe to add flavor to a boring ham and cheese sandwich. It was passed on to me by my best friend's grandmother, a woman whose generosity and class have been an inspiration to many. Year after year, Nonna Pina and her husband Mario welcomed me with open arms into their beach house in Sicily. They gifted me with some of my best teenage memories, allowing me to spend my summers eating fresh seafood and rolling around in the sand from dusk till down (all of my Sicilian adventures and misadventures have been well documented through travel journals and nostalgic pictures, always available to my best friend Federica and I every time we are in need of a good laugh). A big GRAZIE goes to Nonna Pina and her entire family for making me feel part of the clan, and for feeding me food that was beyond delicious.

The original recipe is a simple "egg bread" (as pictured). To make the sandwich just add a slice of cheese and a few slices of ham (because of the rich texture and flavor of the bread, that is all you need).

Ingredients (makes one sandwich):

• 2 thick slices of rustic bread 
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 slice cheese of your choice (I like Swiss)
• 2 slices ham

Steps:

1. Beat eggs and grated cheese together. Add salt and pepper and whisk until well blended. Pour into a shallow bowl.
2. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing bread to soak up some of the mixture. Grill on a large skillet on medium high heat (you can use some butter or olive oil). Cook until brown on both sides, flipping the bread when necessary.
3. Add slice of cheese and ham. Cook until cheese is melted.

Tortellini in Brodo

This past summer I spent 2 amazing weeks in my homeland, and my taste buds must have readjusted to the deliciously fresh and organic flavors of Italia, because several months later even thinking about eating something from a can makes me shiver. So here I am, watching football (yes, you read it correctly, football, not soccer) and making homemade beef broth, which takes only one thing: TIME (now you know why I waited for football season to start to make this yummy recipe). You literally throw everything in the pot, cook for three hours, add the tortellini and serve. It is that simple.

Ingredients

Broth:

• 2 lb short ribs (I used Hereford short ribs)
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery ribs
• 3 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Tortellini:

• 2 packages of tortellini

Steps

1.       In a large pot, add water, vegetables, salt and meat.

2.       Cook for 3-3 ½ hours

3.       Add tortellini and cook for 8-10 minutes (follow package instructions)

4.       Transfer to serving bowls. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Voila! A perfect yummy cold-weather meal is ready to be enjoyed!