Conference turris::cooks

    I believe the dish you're referring to is "muffaleta". It is a
    Cajun/Creole sanwich found primarily in New Orleans. I have a recipe
    for it at home. I'll try to remember to bring it in and post it.
    
    Debbie
    

    Debbie....thanks for the response.  I saw it being made on a cooking
    show "The Pizza Gourmet" - and once on "Ciao Italia" but didn't 
    write it down.  It looked so good and sounds like something I would
    like to make for a crowd.
    
    Besides, spelling it wrong here in the file didn't help.
    
    Thanks, I would appreciate your giving us the recipe.
    
    Marilyn
    
    

    I have a cookbook at home that has the recipe,will try to remember to
    bring it in and post for you.
                                  Mary
    

    It sounds of Italian extract, but the Jeff Smith says it's from New
    Orleans, too.  Here is the recipe from his Cooking with Wine book:
    
    Muffaletta from New Orleans
    
    
    Olive Salad (to be made the day before)
    
    3 large garlic cloves crushed
    1 cu chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
    1 cu pitted and chopped "black-ripe" olives or Calamatas
    1/2 cu roasted sweet red peppers cut into chunks
    1 cu olive oil
    3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsely
    2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
    
    Mix and let stand overnight.  Need not be refrigerated the first night.
    
    1 large, round, freshly baked Italian loaf
    1/3 lb. salami, sliced thin (Genoa or Italian wine cured)
    1/2 lb. provolone sliced thin
    1/2 lb. sliced mild cheese (like havarti)
    1/3 lb. sliced mortadella or prosciutto or coppa (coppicola ?jp) or ham
    
    Cut the bread in half horizontally, scoop out the center of the loaf
    and drizzle olive oil on both halves.  Use plenty!  On the bottom half,
    place the salami, olive salad, provolone, mild cheese, and mortadella. 
    Top with the other half of the loaf and slice into wedges.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    In the version that was made on Ciao Italia, the whole thing was
    compressed and weighted for a day, by the way.

    Here is my recipe for the Olive salad for Muffuletta:
    1 anchovy fillet,mashed
    1 large clove garlic,crushed
    1/3 c. olive oil
    1/2 c. chopped pimineto-stuffed olives
    1/2 c. chopped greek olives
    1/2 c. chopped mixed pickled vegetables
    2 T. snipped parsley
    1/2 t. dried oregano
    1/8 t. pepper
    
    Stir anchovy and garlic into oil in small glass or plastic bowl until
    well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and marinate in
    refrigerator at least 8 hours,stirring occasionally.

    I found the recipe from the CIAO! program which is called PITTA -
    stuffed round bread. I have never made this but sounds like a great
    recipe for a picnic...
    
    Spread ingredients:
    
    1 cup of black & green olives (pitted)
    6 oz. pimentoes
    3 cloves garlic
    1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
    3-4 anchovies
    1 tsp olive oil
    1 tsp basil & parsley
    
    Put the first 5 ingredients in a food processor & coarsely chop, add
    olive oil and spices. Set aside
    
    Round bread 
    Slices of :						
    		Procuitto	
    		Mozzarella
    		Genoa salami
    		Provolone
    		Capacolla
    
    
    Cut off the top of the round bread and save the top. Hollow out the
    bread. Spread half of the above mixture in the bottom of the hollowed
    out bread then layer slices of the above cheeses and meats until you
    reach the top of the bread applying pressure as you go. Take the
    remaining spread mixture and place it on top of all the meats/cheeses
    and again press down. Place the top of the bread back on and wrap the
    entire loaf in aluminum foil with weight on top to compress in fridge
    overnight. Just slice to eat. 
    
    Notes: 
    
    I don't know what quantities of meats/cheeses are called for. I think
    if I was making this I'd start with about 1/2 - 3/4 lb. each. (You can
    always make sandwiches with the remainder.) I would wrap the bread in
    plastic first then aluminum and just place a good size cook book on
    top. I'd also save the inside of the bread to make my own bread crumbs!  
    
    Enjoy! 

    Thanks for the reply's this is going to be our Saturday meal this
    week-end!
    
    Marilyn
    

    Marilyn:
    
    How was it?
    
    
    
    
    Jackie

Thanks you authors of .4 & .6 for the recipes.  I took some liberties with 
your recipes and made the muffilata 2 weeks ago.  It was easy, attractive 
to look at and most importantly, it was just delicious.  My guests all 
raved!

Here's my list of ingredients.  See the other replies for instructions.

For the olive spread I used:

	3/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
	3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
	2 tbs. olive oil
	6-8 oz. roasted red peppers (from jar)
	2 tbs. chopped parsley
	2 garlic cloves

For the layers I used:

	1/3 lb. hot capricola
	1/3 lb. proscuitto
	1/3 lb. genoa salami
	1 lb. provolone      

    
    I also made the .6 recipe that I posted and it came out wonderful. I
    also received rave reviews at the brunch it was served at. 
    
    I used the same ingredients for the layers as .9. I will vary the
    ingredients for the spread next time and probably use less olives. I
    like the idea of the roasted peppers in the spread. 
    
    I did have a difficult time finding the round bread....I live in the
    Leominster area and finally found a loaf at Shaw's bakery.
    
    Rachelle �
    

    Just wanted to tell you that I made this also over the Memorial Day
    weekend.  I combined ideas from the Jeff Smith, Ciao and Barbara W's
    recipe.  It was a real hit.  I was so impressed when I cut it open.  It
    was beautiful to look at and delicious to eat.
    
    Thanks.                                                           
    
    Mary Lou

    Rachelle - I too live in Leominster.
    
    I make my own bread - which is why I wrote the base note - something I
    could do different with a loaf of bread.  
    
    I believe my recipe for homeade bread is in here somewhere - and if you
    have any questions - just call.
    
    Marilyn
    

    I'm having some ladies over from church tomorrow and I'll be making
    this. I bought all the meats, plus greek olives and even found roasted
    red peppers in the deli on special.  I bought a loaf of round bread and
    plan on putting the whole thing together tonight. Also, smoking a
    turkey and making one of the cole slaw recipes I think I found in this
    file.  Thought I'd also make the strawberry pie that has been posted.
    
    Right now I'm drinking slim fast!!!!!

Last weekend I decided to try a vegetarian variation on the meat and cheese 
muffilata recipe.  My goal was to get a lower calorie, lower fat version.  It, 
too, met with rave reviews.  In fact we liked this version better.

For the top and bottom layer I used (just because I had this in the house & 
I forgot to buy olives):

	small jar of fried onions & peppers

I found this in the Italian section of a grocery store.  They weren't 
really fried, just seemed to be cooked and quite oily so I wiped them off 
with paper towelling.  You could either use 2 jars of this or use the 
original olive mixture or leave out altogether for fewer calories.  I also 
did not sprinkle olive oil on this one nor the first one I made.

For the rest I alternated layers of:

	spinach				8 oz, rinsed, zapped in microwave 
					3-4 min on high, chopped, WELL DRAINED
					(you could probably substitute 
					frozen, partially cooked, well 
					drained)

	ricotta cheese			8 oz.

	eggplant			1 medium, peeled, 1/2 inch slices,
					grilled 4-5 min. each side 

	roasted peppers			6 (?) oz. jar, drained (could also
					use pimentos or roast your own)

	mushrooms			8 oz, sliced, steamed on med-high in 
					a small amt. of water in a covered 
					fry pan (this way eliminates fat)

	
The above amounts are only approximate, and a lot depends on the size of 
the bread. Mine was a little on the small side.  You can also change the 
vegetables, based on what you like.  Green peppers, onions and chopped 
broccoli would be good.  I would, however, stick with the ricotta rather than 
going with a hard cheese.  For an even lower calorie version, you could use 
low fat cottage cheese (drained if creamy).

    I have made for my family a few times, but in June of this year
    I made (three) for a Father's Day picnic.  My brother calls it 
    "the ultimate grinder" ... he just loves it.  I find that each
    Muffaletta serves 12 people and will last in the refrigerator
    for a week.  The kids loved it and even people who supposedly
    "hate" olives - black and/or green.  I also gave some to my 
    neighbor and her husband raved about it.  I ended up giving her 
    two more pieces for him to take for his lunch.
    
    As a variation I have assembled it in a loaf of Italian bread - 
    which works really well.  It's still attractive when cut and 
    that style of bread is more readily available.
    
    Also, I filled a round one by layering the bottom with lettuce, 
    then a thin layer of purple onion, three cans of tuna mixed
    the way you like it, the next layer was that of a mild cheese
    and the last a layer of lettuce.  I was worried the lettuce might
    wilt but it didn't.  It was also a hit.
    
    
    

This is a recipe that appeared recently in Bon Apetite Magazine.  I
have not tried it yet, but it looks wonderful.

Meatless Muffuletta

1 		9 1/4 jar olive salad
1 		9 1/2 jar mixed pepper salad, drained
1/2 	cup	sliced drained pickled hot cherry peppers
3 	Tbls	olive oil
2 1/2 	Tbls	balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2	Tbls	minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried, crumbled
2		garlic cloves, minced

1 		large round semolina or sourdough loaf, about 7
		inches in diameter and 3 inches high
12	oz	smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced, room
		temperature

Combine first 7 ingredients in bowl.  Let stand at room temperature 30
minutes.
	Using serrated knife, cut bread in half horizontally.  Remove
some soft interior pieces from each half, leaving shell of bread about
1 inch thick; reserve crumbs for another use.  Spoon 2/3 of olive
salad mixture into bottom half of bread.  Place mozzarella over.  Top
with remaining olive salad.  Cover with top half of bread and press
to compact slightly.
	Transfer muffuletta to large play.  Weight it with heavy
saucepan or skillet and let stand 30 minutes.  Remove saucepan.  Cut
sandwhich into 4 wedges.	

    How on earth does this stay together?  I would think that once you cut
    it, all the filling will fall out once you pick it up.  
    
    cj