Mangiare Bene: The easy way to introduce tasty 'Endroits' to your dining table

Farina is to Italy as grits is to the South - a staple in the pantry that will take you from breakfast to dinner, from the cradle to the grave.

My mother made me farina every winter morning I went off to school. I liked it savory, so a dollop of butter and salt accompanied my breakfast bowl. On the weekends, she would substitute a full tablespoon of Nutella, (a chocolate hazelnut spread) in the center and swirl around the sweet and salty confection into a hearty morning helping.

During Lent, my grandmother always made farina on Fridays. Mixed with raisins, grated cheese and fried into a pie in a well-seasoned heavy bottomed cast iron skillet, it would accompany a tomato basil arugula salad or be served alongside a home made pizza. Either way, it was a great source of iron and a hearty meatless meal for Lent.

Years later, when I met my husband’s family -- they hail from Bari -- they introduced me to a family favorite made from farina called endroits.

Unfortunately, the recipe was never written down so I have had to improvise with a little help from basic pasta knowledge and remembrances of my husband and his brother.

These delectable morsels are a great alternative to the same tried-and-true egg noodles for your homemade chicken soup. These tasty farina “caterpillars” are sure to please.

This recipie makes enough to feed an army - Mangiare bene!

I’m always open to new dishes so drop me a line at JDelBuono@cnglocal.com

What you will need:
2 cups of farina (I use Cream of Wheat)
1 cup of flour (any kind will do)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of oil
2 - 4 tablespoons of ice water (depending on the humidity of the day)
Justa Pinch, (2 teaspoons) of salt
1/2 teaspoon of double acting baking powder
A box grater
Large baking sheet
Cotton kitchen towels

Mix the farina, flour, eggs and oil in the food processor, slowly adding the ice water until the mixture forms a ball around the blade. Remove onto a floured board and lightly knead to fully incorporate. Be careful not to over-knead as it will make the noodles tough. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle on additional flour, until it looks just about right. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest and chill in the fridge for about one hour.

Remove dough ball, cut into quarters. Take one quarter and grate on the side with the large-sized holes, making caterpillar shaped noodles. Spread out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and dry for approximately 1 - 2 hours.

The noodles will then be ready to add to your simmering chicken soup. Cook until tender (about 10-12 minutes). Taste for doneness and enjoy.

Joanna DelBuono grew up in Gravesend, Brooklyn and learned to cook at her grandmother’s knee. “Justa pinch” and “looks about right” were her only guidelines — who knew from Escoffier?

She now lives in Staten Island with her husband and daughter. She commutes daily via two trains and a boat — this makes dinnertime a chore, but thanks to grandma’s recipes, she’s able to put a tasty meal on the table before the troops mutiny.

For more words of wisdom, check out Joanna’s weekly column, “Not for Nuthin.’”