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[pizza]

Maggie writes


I found your web site quite by accident. I retired to Mississippi several years ago. I love the area but they don't know squat about Italian ingredients. I have been searching for escarole to no avail. I finely decided to check on live for an alternate ingredient. That's how I found your web site. Do you have any ideas where I can find seeds to grow my own escarole next year ? Thanks for you time. I am Italian and love to cook . There are so many things I can't find here. Never thought about this before I moved.


My Response:

I'm sorry that you are having a hard time finding escarole.

You may want to try the produce at a large city market.

As far as finding escarole seeds you may want to go to this resource:

http://www.growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=009&DEPT=1070796442&BACK=A0001A1

If anyone has any ideas to help Maggie, please post them.

thanks in advance,
albert
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[dfandreatta]

That's one down side to moving to a "foreign" area. I came to Florida in 1991 - try to find some Chicago-style Italian beef here...... I was finally able to find a recipe that replicates the flavor of "Panetti's" in south Chicago, that taste I remember from when I was knee high to a grasshopper. It takes about a half day to prepare the broth.... heavenly!

So, you have to be resourceful. Growing your own is probably your best bet!

If you Google "escarole seeds" you'll find plenty of resources.
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"Papa Don"
Apollo Beach, Florida

[DonB]

Papa Don,

Can you share that Roast Beef Recipe ? I to am in Florida and can't find a lot of goodies that I am used to.

The Don

[dfandreatta]

OK, I will divulge my secret. Not responsible for any overindulgence.

“CHICAGO STYLE” ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

A true “Chicago Style" Italian Beef Sandwich (known merely as an Italian Beef Sandwich on Chicago area menus) is made with thin sliced beef. It took years to track down the secret: make your own beef stock, use a sirloin tip roast, and double cook the meat.

BEEF STOCK
Commercial canned beef stock often contains MSG and an excessive amount of salt, as do bouillon cubes. Both products provide an inferior stock lacking in flavor. A large quantity of stock is easily made, and can be packaged into convenient meal-size Ziploc bags.

INGREDIENTS
10 lbs. beef bones (neck bone, tail bones, or small shanks will work well also, and contain meat that may later be separated and used separately... these cuts are more also more expensive).
4 medium onions
5 cloves garlic, crushed (feel free to increase the garlic.....)
1 lb carrots
1 bunch celery
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon whole pepper corns
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 - 1 cup dry red wine

PREPARATION
Arrange bones in a high sided roasting pan and place in 450°F oven. Roast for 2 hours until bones are deep brown in color. Quarter onions, retaining root, stem, and dried top layers. Rough cut carrots and celery (including tops) into 1" pieces. Add vegetables to bones and continue baking for an additional 1/2 hour. Remove roasting pan from oven, being careful to retain all juices. Transfer bones, vegetables, and juices to a large covered pot (2 gallon minimum). De-glaze roasting pan and add to pot. Fill pot with water until several inches below top. Add spices and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for a minimum of 2 hours. Strain stock, discarding solids (see note below for using this for soup stock). Cool stock with tight sealing cover overnight in refrigerator or similar cool location. Remove solidified layer of fat, and package into individual containers. I prefer quart size Ziploc freezer bags, which permits the removal of all air. Freeze until needed.

After you make the beef stock, you can add more water and make a pretty good stock for beef vegetable soup. Save the vegetables with the soup stock.

THE BEEF:
1 large (6-10 pound) sirloin tip roast
2 quarts BEEF STOCK

PREPARATION
In a roasting pan, bake the roast at 375°F until medium well (160°F internal temperature). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Remove from pan and refrigerate. De-glaze pan and add juices to strained stock. When cold, trim roast(s) of all fat, gristle, etc. Slice roast(s) as thinly as possible, or have a butcher run it through his slicer. Simmer the sliced meat in the stock for 1 hour. The meat can be packaged in individual meals (with a portion of the stock) and frozen at this point, and heated before serving.

I add green peppers (cooked until done in the simmering stock & beef). Serve in a Chicago hard roll, with ample stock spooned over the top. The rolls are a critical element of the whole sandwich. Too soft and fresh, and the roll will become saturated with juices and fall apart in your hands. The rolls work much better if they're rather hard and crusty... maybe even a day old.

Serve with fries or potato chips, pepperoncini, and Heileman's Old Style for the full effect.
_________________
"Papa Don"
Apollo Beach, Florida

[amybrodney]

I know this was posted more than a year ago, but I came across this site that recommends similar food items as substitutes. For escarole, you can use: