'Cooking with Rizzi' features favorite recipes, family's heritage
Rizzo's Malabar Inn has been a family affair for 75 years.
"My dad still cooks on the line with my brother and me. We all stand side-by-side. And my mom works as a hostess in the dining room," says Rezero "Rizzi" DeFabo, one of the chefs at the Crabtree restaurant.
His "Cooking with Rizzi" by Rizzi DeFabo (Crabtree Press, $29.95) was presented with the Jack Robertshaw Cultural Heritage Award by the Westmoreland County Historical Society last week.
Rizzi, who lives in Greensburg, has fond memories of growing up during the restaurant's early days and says he wanted to preserve the family's history for future generations. In anticipation of the restaurant's 75th anniversary this year, he took on a project he always wanted to tackle: He began working on a cookbook of family recipes and stories from the past.
Compiling the family's history proved to be a daunting task, Rizzi says, because his grandfather was deceased and his aunts Mary and Lucy were getting older. Besides gathering as many details as possible about his extended family, he did extensive research on the history of the region, including the local mines where his great-grandfather worked.
"I asked a lot of questions," Rizzi says. "It took three years to complete the book. A lot of times, I was ready to burn it."
For four generations, Rizzo's Malabar Inn has prided itself on its authentic Italian family recipes -- some made with Rizzi's great-grandmother Anna DeFabo's traditional spaghetti sauce, one of five signature sauces at the family's 350-seat dining establishment.
The restaurant's menu reflects the culinary tradition of the Abruzzo and Molise regions located south of Rome in the Mezzogiorno peninsula. Rizzi's great-grandparents lived in the village of Montepagano in the Abruzzo region before coming to America. Anna came to this country in 1916, after her husband, Lorenzo, had immigrated and settled in the then small coal-mining town of Monongahela.
They eventually moved to Crabtree, where they opened a grocery store in the mid 1920s that evolved into Rizzo's Malabar Inn. The restaurant, which opened in 1935, was handed down from Lorenzo to his son, Rezero DeFabo (Rizzi's grandfather, nicknamed "Rizzo"), and then to Rizzo's oldest son, Jerome (Jerry) DeFabo (Rizzi and his brother Jerry Jr.'s father), who operates the family business today.
Rizzi's father was born in the upstairs living quarters, which now is a dining room. In 1969, Jerry married Greensburg resident Mary Frances "Chic" Rocco. Jerry's family came from the Provence of Teramo, and Mary Frances' family came from Cercemaggiore.
"This book is a beautiful compilation of the legacy and cultural heritage of the DeFabo family," says George Fetkovich of Apollo Design Group, Latrobe, who was art director of the publication.
The goal of the project was to chronicle the history of the DeFabo family and Rizzo's Malabar Inn and provide recipes with easy-to-follow directions that readers could replicate at home with minimal effort, he says..
"Cooking with Rizzi" includes restaurant-patron favorites -- Eggplant Parmigiana and Gram DeFabo's Lasagna, and recipes for a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner, featuring baccala (salt cod), fried cauliflower and smelt. It also includes a special section about St. Joseph's Feast, held on March 19.
"St. Joseph's Feast is not only the largest celebration in our restaurant, but one of the most important feasts in all of Italy," Rizzi says.
Families gather and special foods are made, including a variety of sweets and calzone (cavazoon), a stuffed pastry filled with a chickpea paste and shaped like pants, known as "St. Joseph's Pants."
According to tradition, cavazoons are to be given away and never sold, and the kitchen staff at Rizzi's Malabar Inn prepares some 3,000 cavazoons the month before the celebration that are given to patrons, family members and friends. The restaurant sets out an elaborate display of flowers, breads and sweets on a celebratory table to St. Joseph, carrying on the old world tradition.
Rizzi's book focuses on the history of his family, but the success story of Rizzo's Malabar Inn is best told by its customers who regularly dine there.
Jack and Donna McDowell of Ligonier say they've enjoyed family meals at the Crabtree restaurant since before their daughter Kersten, now 25, celebrated her first birthday. Jack's favorite dish is the Veal Parmesan -- and Asiago Peppers.
"They're to die for," he says. "They're addicting."
Don and Sally Hayward of Greensburg celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Rizzo's.
"The food is always good there," Don Hayward says, "and they take very good care of their customers.
The wedding or marrying of the ingredients gives it the name.
For the meatballs:
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup dried unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup oil for frying, plus extra for oiling pan
For stock:
• 4 cloves garlic ,halved
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 6 large ribs celery, halved with the leaves
• 6 medium-size carrots, peeled and halved
• 6 sprigs flatleaf Italian parsley
• 2 1/2 gallons cold water
• 10 peppercorns
• Salt to taste
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
For the soup:
• Salted water
• 1 pound frozen crinkle-cut carrots, thawed
• 2 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup Romano cheese
To make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the meat, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, eggs and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix well and shape into 1/2-inch balls. Place on an oiled sheet pan or plate. When all of the meatballs have been made, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet and heat for a few minutes. Working in batches, fry the meatballs until brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.
To make the stock: Place all of the stock ingredients in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
To finish the soup: Strain the broth through a fine strainer. Let the vegetables drain for about 5 minutes to release the juices. Set the chicken breasts aside to cool. Return the broth to the stove over medium heat.
Remove the chicken from bone, discarding the bones and skin. Shred the chicken by hand, and return to the broth.
Cook the pastina in plenty of salted water until al dente, for about 3 minutes. Drain and add the pastina to the broth. Add the carrots and chopped spinach.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Bring the broth to a steady boil. Gently pour the eggs into the broth in a steady stream, stirring continuously until all of the eggs have been added. Add the meatballs and Romano cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve.
The soup may be frozen in plastic containers. If freezing, do not add Romano cheese until ready to serve.
Makes 20 servings.
This family favorite has become a banquet and catering specialty. Soak up the juices with crusty Italian bread for a delectable treat.
• 16 assorted chicken pieces (breasts, legs, wings and backs)
• 4 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 to 5 baking potatoes, cut in half, then quartered
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium, canned chicken broth
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Clean the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken, skin side up, in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Add the celery, onion, garlic, rosemary and parsley. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay the potatoes around the chicken and add the chicken broth. Cover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the cover to allow the chicken to brown. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. Turn over again, submerging the potatoes into the chicken broth. Place under the broiler. Broil until the top of the chicken is crisp and golden, even slightly burnt, and the potatoes are tender.
Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a large serving platter. Pour the collected pan drippings and vegetables over the chicken. Serve.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
This pizza was a Friday specialty in the kitchen of my great grandmother, Rosina DeFloria, Nonna Rocco's mother. It began with making bread, but she always set aside enough dough to make pizza. We offer it in the summer when the tomatoes from Jerry's garden are ripe.
For the dough:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon shortening
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (.6-ounce) fresh cake yeast or
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
• 2 to 3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
• Vegetable cooking spray
For the topping:
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 to 12 anchovy fillets, optional
To prepare the dough: Place the milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Heat the milk until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Do not boil. Remove the milk from the heat. Add the sugar, salt, shortening and 1/2 cup water. Set the milk mixture aside to cool until it is lukewarm.
Place the yeast in a small bowl and mix with the lukewarm water. The water must not be too hot (100-115 degrees), or the yeast will cook and the bread will not rise.
Add the yeast mixture to the milk. Gradually add the flour, mixing thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and satiny, for about 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a small ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until the dough doubles in bulk, for about 1 hour.
Using your fist, punch the dough down and turn over. Cover and allow to rise until it doubles again in size again, for about 45 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to the size of a jellyroll pan, about 10 1/2-by-15 1/2 inches. Coat the bottom of pan with cooking spray. Fit the dough into the pan. With a fork, pierce the entire surface of the dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare the topping: Wash the tomatoes and cut into 1-inch dice. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, dried basil and fresh basil.
Drizzle the dough with the olive oil and spread the tomato mixture evenly over the dough. Season the pizza with salt and pepper. If using anchovies, spread the desired amount on top of the tomatoes beforehand. Bake in a heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pizza crust begins to turn golden brown.
Makes 1 pizza (12 to 15 slices).
Orange Salad is made for the Feast of St. Joseph and other special occasions. While some Molise cooks simply drizzle olive oil and sugar over the salad, we enhance the dressing with sweet basil, garlic and other seasonings. A mixture of different varieties of oranges creates a beautiful presentation.
For the dressing:
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh sweet basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• Garlic salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon celery leaves, chopped
• 1 small piece of fresh orange
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
For the salad:
• 1 rib celery with leaves, diced
• 1/4 cup Italian black olives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To prepare the dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. The dressing is best when made a day ahead and refrigerated.
To prepare the salad: Peel the oranges. Remove the pith and seeds. Cut the oranges into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the sliced oranges on a platter, alternating navel, blood and caracara varieties. Scatter the celery and olives over the oranges. Top with freshly ground black pepper.
Drizzle the entire salad with dressing to taste. Allow the salad to stand for 10 to15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
This style of polenta comes from the Guarlotti family. Dr. Clem Guarlotti, who has patronized Rizzo's Malabar Inn for many years, always orders his polenta this way. It has earned its way to our menu as a permanent feature.
• 1 jar Rizzo's Malabar Inn Marinara Sauce
• 9 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups instant polenta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese, freshly grated
• 12 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
Place the marinara sauce in a medium-size pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.
In a deep, heavy pot, add the water and salt; bring to a boil. While constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly pour a fine, steady stream of polenta into the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring. Add the butter and Romano cheese. Stir until the polenta is cooked, for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the polenta and spread in a deep, ovenproof casserole dish. Let the polenta stand for about 10 minutes.
Cover the polenta with the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and place under a broiler until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with the simmering marinara sauce. Serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
