Ep 15. Braciole: A Cinnamon Roll

In this episode of Lidia's Italy, Lidia Bastianich prepares a traditional Italian recipe called braciole. Braciole is a dish made of thinly sliced meat, rolled up and stuffed with a filling of cheese, bread crumbs, and sometimes vegetables. Lidia uses flank steak for her braciole and begins by pounding the meat to create a large, thin piece of meat.

Lidia's filling consists of breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and a little bit of olive oil. She spreads the mixture onto the pounded flank steak, leaving about an inch of space at the edges. Then, she rolls up the meat tightly and secures it with toothpicks or kitchen twine.

To cook the braciole, Lidia first sears the rolled meat in a pot with olive oil until it's nicely browned on all sides. Then, she adds diced onions, carrots, and celery, along with some canned tomatoes, to the pot. She lets the ingredients simmer together for a couple of hours until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and flavorful.

While the braciole is cooking, Lidia prepares a sweet treat that she calls a "cinnamon roll." This dessert has nothing to do with the American-style cinnamon rolls that most people are familiar with. Instead, it's a classic Italian pastry made with puff pastry, cinnamon, sugar, and almonds.

Lidia starts by rolling out the puff pastry and then sprinkling it generously with cinnamon and sugar. She adds a layer of chopped almonds on top of the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and then rolls the dough into a spiral. She cuts the roll into individual pieces and bakes them in the oven until they're golden brown and crispy.

Once the braciole is done, Lidia serves it with a side of creamy polenta. She also slices up the cinnamon rolls and serves them alongside the meal for dessert.

Throughout the episode, Lidia shares stories and memories of her childhood in Italy, where braciole was a common Sunday dinner. She talks about how her mother used to make the dish, and how it always brought the family together around the table. Lidia's passion for Italian cooking is evident in every step of the preparation, and she takes care to explain each technique and ingredient in detail so that viewers can follow along at home.

Overall, this episode of Lidia's Italy provides a warm and comforting glimpse into traditional Italian cooking. From the flavorful braciole to the sweet cinnamon rolls, Lidia shows that simple, honest ingredients can come together to create a truly memorable meal.