L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 34 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 " Alla gloria di Dio, ci'a ra- commando a papà mio" is what my mom says every time she makes this dish – an Italian tradition of sen- ding a salute to a loved one when eating or drinking something you know they loved. In my family's case, this acknowledgement is sent to my nonno who loved this dish and even more so loved the way my mom made it for him. Eggs with tomato and onion, or uova del diavolo, is an Italian egg dish very common in the southern parts of Italy. "Eggs in Purgatory" is another common name for this re- cipe. Both my mother and father come from the tip of the boot in Calabria so needless to say I grew up eating southern Italian food. For the most part, this means super simple dishes. As a grown woman, I now realize and appreciate the simplicity and healthiness of the food I was taught to make as a child. Some of the most memora- ble dishes have only a few ingre- dients, but pack powerful flavor like these eggs poached with to- matoes and onions. If you can get your hands on farm fresh eggs they are the best. They get gently placed in an already hot onion and tomato mixture which contains their shape and they become plump and super tender. The eggs were always ser- ved piping hot as soon as mom took off the lid. The onions and to- matoes break down to an exquisite sweetness and create a beautiful orange fusion of oils that lightly coat the egg whites. The egg yolks were always perfect - just runny enough to dip your chunk of bread into and catch the runoff with the all that surrounding flavor good- ness! The best part was the pan in the middle of the table so we could all use up our bread to soak up what was left of the tomato mixture at the end. I love eggs any way they're cooked, but there's so- mething about the way my mom makes them that is extra special - isn't that always the case! Every time I eat this dish I re- minisce of a time in Italy as a tee- nager. I was helping to pick the cle- mentine harvest when my nonno was sick. My uncle and mom were also there from Canada, my mom tending to my nonno and nonna and my uncle helping to ensure that the harvest went smooth so that my nonno didn't worry so much about it. My nonna, bless her soul, always cooked lunch for the workers – both migrant and fa- mily. This one week she cooked a large amount of ceci (chickpeas) over the fire and that's what we ate….for four days! Don't get me wrong, I love pasta e ceci, or pasta with chickpeas, but after four days my uncles and I were not exactly thrilled at the sight of a steaming pot arriving! On the fifth day, as we joked about waiting for the ar- rival of what we hoped was the end of the chickpeas, lo and behold, a basket with bread and wine and a big pan of eggs with tomato and onion. Just by looking at it we knew this was my mom's doing and everyone dove in. It's one of those dishes that you forget how good it is until the first bite, every time. It was a very welcomed first bite! It put everyone in good spirits, at the farm and at home. This is a dish my mom grew up with, since they were lucky enough to have a farm and therefore have chickens and plenty of vegetables. At a time when extra food and mo- ney were scarce and the house was filled with nine children, she says this was always a treasured meal. It's so fast, and easy to make for two people, or twenty, and holds its own for a complete meal. In fact, this is a dish that can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Eggs with Tomatoes and Onions Ingredients 2 large cooking onions or 1 large Spanish onion, roughly chopped • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1 litre jar tomato pieces (or sauce if you don't have pieces) • 10 eggs • 1 teaspoon salt Instructions 1. heat oil in a large pan or skillet over high heat 2. cook onions until they start to brown 3. add tomato pieces and salt to the onion 4. mix lightly and let cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat 5. lower heat slightly 6. break eggs directly into to- mato-onion mixture 7. when egg whites are par- tially cooked, very gently nudge around eggs so that the onions and tomatoes get in between the eggs 8. sprinkle a little more salt on eggs 9. once egg whites are almost cooked through, gently nudge them around a little bit and place cover on pan for 2 minutes 10. very gently cover eggs with a little of the tomato-onion mix- ture and cover for another minute 11. eat immediately Buon appetito! Uova del diavolo: eggs with tomatoes and onions Eggs with tomato and onion, or uova del diavolo, is an Italian egg dish very common in the southern parts of Italy. Photo: Nonna's Way ANNA ROMANO & ANGELA DESALVO

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