A Taste of Haldimand – April 25, 2024

This week I want to introduce my Auntie Anne – my mother’s sister. My grandparents, Marianna and Guiseppe Scime (pronounced She-May) immigrated to Canada from Racalmuto, Sicily, settling in Hamilton. They raised nine children. My mother and my aunt were 19 months apart, growing up close with many mutual friends. After my mother passed away, when I was a teen, the connection with my aunt grew stronger. My children and grandchild affectionately call her “Grandma Auntie Anne”. In 1952 she married Ray Mariutti. They raised six children, and the family has grown to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Anne still resides independently in her family

Auntie Anne

home.

When I stopped by Auntie’s house my cousin Joanne was visiting from British Columbia, along with her son Spencer. I asked her what she thought was her mom’s best dish. Without hesitation she said her green beans. Green beans?! Auntie said her mother-in-law made beans this way and my uncle liked them, so that was all that mattered. She said there really is no recipe, but I insisted I needed to know approximately how much of each ingredient to use. My aunt always cooks the beans in her pressure cooker on the stove. You could also steam them, but the secret is to make sure they are soft. 

The other recipe we discussed was “Impinulata”. This is a Sicilian dish of onions and ground pork that looks like a strudel. I can remember my grandmother making this often. Grandma also made her own dough, which Auntie Anne says she could never replicate. Now she buys pizza dough to use for this recipe.  

My aunt is a strong, faith-filled woman who is very special to me. Even at the tender age of 93 (94 in June!), her home is still a meeting place where the coffee is ready, there is a sweet treat in the cookie tin, and she always welcomes you to her table. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Green Beans

  • 2 quarts of green beans
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Wash and remove the stem tip of the bean.  Leave them whole.  

Cook in a pressure cooker until very soft.  They could also be steamed or cooked in an instant pot.

Place cooked beans in a bowl. Drizzle oil and vinegar over and toss with two forks to coat. Add salt, pepper, and be very generous with the garlic powder.  Adjust to your taste. Serve.

 

Impinulata

  • Pizza dough
  • 1 pound of ground pork
  • 6 onions, sliced very thin
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 egg yolks for basting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. One of the secrets to this dish is to roll out the dough as thin as possible into a circle.

Slice onions julienne style about 1/4” thick. Sauté in light vegetable oil with a little salt until they carmelize. Place in a colander to drain and cool. 

Sauté pork in the same pan with a little salt. Turn up heat just before it is finished browning to release oils.  Remove pork and set aside in colander to drain.

Sprinkle black pepper generously on the surface of the dough.Sprinkle cooled onions over the dough. Sprinkle pork over the onions. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Slowly roll the dough from the bottom to the top. Tuck in the dough to create a strudel shape. Mix egg yolk and, using a pastry brush, brush the egg yolk over the dough. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

The strudel bottom will be brown when done. Cool and enjoy.