WINSTED — The first episode of "What’s Cooking Winsted," a new television show on Channel 13 with Theresa Cannavo, will air Friday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. The Winsted Journal has been given a sneak peak of the menu for the evening.
While future episodes of the show are anticipated to be live and digitized, the first show was pre-recorded, giving the chef and her crew a chance to get comfortable with the show’s format.
"It was fun to do and I can’t wait for the next one and the one after that," said Cannavo, who decided to go with a bread-themed show for her first episode.
Cannavo starts with a recipe for banada based on her husband’s grandmother’s recipe. The second bread, a recipe from her mother, Irene Parsons, is a stuffed bread.
"And as always, garlic was a big part of the first two breads," said Cannavo, who has become known for her garlic recipes.
"The next bread we made was a sweet, dessert bread. My mother-in-law, Emily Cannavo, has been making this cookie bread for many years at Christmas time and it is one of my favorites," Cannavo said. "She would bake it together with her best friend, Gert Lovetere, getting into the holiday spirit. There is nothing better than making or baking something together with the people who you love to be with."
Guests on the first show were friends and family members of the host and included Darlene Grant, Terrie Walker, Connie Zaccara, Joe Cannavo Sr., Tessa Cannavo and Sophia Cannavo. Musicians were Frank Marzullo, Peter Walker, Joe Cannavo, Cecelia Cannavo and Ines Segarra.
Cannavo said at one point during the tasting, Joe Cannavo Sr. and Connie Zaccara had a brief conversation in Italian and she would love to hear back from any viewer who knows what was said. Anyone who thinks they have an idea can send an e-mail to whatscookingwinsted@gmail.com.
For insterested cooks, Cannavo’s recipes are printed below.
Maria Cannavo’s
banada
1 stalk of fresh broccoli or 1 package frozen
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sausage (Substitute chicken or flaked fish)
salt and pepper to taste
1 prepared dough recipe
2 potatoes, previously boiled, peeled and cut into 1â„4-inch slices
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave broccoli for three to five minutes or steam over boiling water; let cool.
Sauté onion over medium heat until translucent, add garlic and sausage and break up sausage into small chunks.
Cook for six to eight minutes, add broccoli and season with salt and pepper, mix together. Let mixture cool for a few minutes while rolling out the dough to a 12- by- 15-inch rectangle.
Place filling down the middle of the dough, leaving about 1 inch of space at either end. Break up potatoes and place on top of filling. Fold one-third of dough over filling, paint with beaten egg.
Fold the other third over and paint the entire top of dough with egg wash.
Place in a preheated or convection oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bread is a golden brown.
Let bread rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Salami stuffed bread
1 pizza dough recipe
15 slices of Genoa salami
15 slices of cappicola
8 large slices of cheese — any cheese will do, Havarti, mozzarella, American, cheddar, etc.
1â„2 package spinach, wilted in the microwave and cooled
1 tomato, thinly sliced and placed on a paper towel to drain
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 beaten egg for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough out to a 12- by- 15-inch rectangle. Layer the salami, ham and cheese down the center third of the dough. Place the spinach and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle garlic over the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Slice the long edge of the dough into 1-inch slices and braid dough over the filling.
Tuck in the ends of the braid, egg wash the entire top of the bread. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired. Place in a preheated or convection oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bread is a golden brown. Let cool before slicing.
Dough for pizza or stuffed breads
1 tablespoon or 1 package of fresh yeast
1 cup water, 115 to 120 degrees
3 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil, extra for bag or bowl
Pour yeast over water, mix to dissolve, let proof for a few minutes.
Place 1 cup of the flour in a mixing bowl or food processor. Pour water over and mix for one minute, scraping sides of bowl.
Pour in the rest of the ingredients and knead with dough hook or food processor blade for four to five minutes. If kneading by hand, six to eight minutes.
Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to cover all of dough with oil or place in an oiled, 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Let rise in a warm area (about 80 degrees) for 30 minutes. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Emily Cannavo’s tutti-frutti
For dough:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon anise extract
For filling:
1 small can crushed pineapple
1â„4 cup dried cranberries
1â„4 cup dried apricots
1â„4 cup dried figs
1â„4 cup dates
1 apple, cut into 1â„4-inch cubes
1 small jar maraschino cherries
Juice of half an orange, plus the other half of the orange
Mix dough in a mixer or food processor. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For filling, place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil for three minutes, reduce heat to simmer for 10 to15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove the orange rind. Let cool.
Roll dough out to an 8- by- 12-inch rectangle, 1/8 inch thick.
Place filling down the center of the dough. Fold one-third of dough over filling. Use milk to seal edges of dough. Fold the other side of dough over and seal edges. Roll the log onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, with sealed edges facing down. Brush with milk and sprinkle with crystallized sugar.
Bake the sweet bread in 375-degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Let cool completely before slicing on an angle.
Submitted
