Served as a side dish or appetizer, Cowboy Caviar from Ann Pelligrino, of Monongahela, was selected as a Home Plate winner by the Westmoreland County Community College judges for its versatility, beauty and, above all, taste.
"This is a very colorful dish," said judge Cindy A. Komarinski, certified chef d'cuisine, certified culinary educator and assistant professor of WCCC hospitality programs.
And that's the way Pelligrino planned it. "That's why I used the black beans; black beans give it more color." She added, "I've made it with kidney beans, too."
"It has a lot of versatility," Komarinski added. "It says it can be prepared as a side salad with the cole slaw vegetables, or as a salsa-type dip without them. But I also used it in a wrap, and it was delicious."
"And, in keeping with the Reunion theme of this month," added judge Mary Zappone, certified culinary educator and professor of WCCC hospitality programs, "it is a good night-before dish. In fact, it's better made the night before so the vegetables marinate and the flavors blend."
"I'll probably be making this a lot this summer," Pelligrino said. "Twice a month, on Sundays, we have a picnic with the neighbors. We like to serve things that don't have to be refrigerated."
And, another good thing about this dish, Pelligrino pointed out, "It's very low in calories. You can see how little oil is in it."
And, it may be considered even healthy — with the fresh vegetables and herbs. And made Pelligrino's way — with 3 cloves of garlic instead of the 1 clove called for in the recipe — it also might ward away evil spirits.
"I'm great for garlic," she said. "I think it perks everything up."
In fact, Pelligrino said she makes a garlic sauce for a Greek dish that "calls for four cloves of garlic, I use eight."
Zappone suggested this dish be served with broiled or grilled seafood or chicken. She also said, "It would be excellent made using fresh roasted corn-on-the-cob."
Cowboy Caviar
Ann Pelegrino, Monongahela
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1 (15 ounces) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 (15 ounces) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 pint Roma tomatoes, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cole slaw vegetable mix
- 1 clove minced garlic
In a large bowl, mix vinegar, hot sauce, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss gently. Chill before serving.
Serve as a cold salad, or eliminate the slaw vegetables and use as a dip served with tortilla chips.
Makes about 8 servings as a side dish.
About the cook
Ann Pelligrino, 78, is no cowboy nor did she grow up with caviar-level tastes, but she comes from a long line of farmers and knows the value of good old-fashioned fresh food.
Pelligrino grew up near Imperial, on a dairy and produce farm that is now part of the Pittsburgh International Airport. As the second oldest of four children, "I probably started cooking when I was 10. My mother taught me. We ate mostly out of the garden."
She remembers fondly those years on the farm, where her uncle named all the cows after the kids, and her father and uncle took produce to market at Pittsburgh's Strip District.
"We were poor," she said. "But we had a good life."
With an ethnic heritage of German on her maternal side and Italian on her father's, Pellegrino has developed a repertoire that embraces those styles plus a lot more.
So, believe it or not, she said she's "famous for my grape leaves" as well as her marinara sauce and dumpling soup, which she calls Ribley Soup.
"My husband worked for an ad agency in Monessen and in Uniontown," she said. "When we first moved here, to the Valley, I made friends with a woman who was Greek who taught me everything. I cook mostly Italian, but I love Greek."
Her marinara sauce, which she cans every year, is coveted by friends and family, including one granddaughter's husband who is a chef at Nemacolin Country Club. "He wants to come down to make marinara sauce with us next time we make it," she smiles. "He's a chef; I think that's quite a compliment. He also tells me I make the best stuffed cabbage."
"Just give me a kitchen," Pelligrino said. "I don't like outside work, or housework; just give me a kitchen."
And that's just fine with her friends and family — two sons, one daughter, nine grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, two spoiled dogs and one cat.
