At the first taste of a Timballo, memories of nonna and mamma in the kitchen and families gathered around the table flood back to any Abruzzese living abroad.   Served for special occasions and made in the style of a lasagna but with thin crepes instead of pasta,  this version is classic, well-balanced and pure in taste.  As with many regional dishes they vary not only from region to region but from village to village.   Other regional versions may add spinach, artichokes and other local ingredients and the use of chicken and veal in the meat portion give this dish a delicate flavor.  This is the Scarpone Family recipe for Timballo Abruzzese that Nonna Lidia and Grazia Scarpone made for the Golden Glass and the Villa Italia 20th Anniversary celebration.    Please enjoy!

Timballo Abruzzese
(serves 8 people)

Ingredients to make crepes:
8 eggs
8 tablespoons of flour
water ( add enough water to make the batter thin & liquidy)

Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat. Add enough batter to cover pan, but the crepe should be thin. Use entire batter, then set aside.

Ingredients for the tiny meatballs:
11 oz. ground beef (for tiny meatballs)
4 oz. of bread crumbs ¼ tsp. nutmeg
4 Tbls. Parmigiano Reggiano salt & pepper

Mix ingredients, roll into ½ inch tiny meatballs and fry in vegetable oil until thoroughly cooked. Set aside.

Ingredients for the filling:
11 oz. ground pork
11 oz. ground chicken or turkey
11 oz. of ground beef
3 or 4 eggs
12 Tbls. of Parmigiano Reggiano
½ tsp. of nutmeg
18 oz. of bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Mix ingredients together then spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 250 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. When done, cut meat mixture into ½ x ½ in. square sections. Set aside.

11 oz. of gizzards
8 oz. of white wine
4 Tbls. of olive oil
1 carrot (roughly chopped)
1 stalk celery (roughly chopped)
1 small onion (roughly chopped)
salt, pepper & nutmeg

Sautee the the vegetables with olive oil for about 2 minutes, then add the gizzards and white wine. Cook for about 25 minutes, until cooked. Cut the gizzards into tiny pieces. Set aside. Toss away the remaining ingredients.

Ingredients for the 1st phase of sauce:
1 small carrot
1 small onion
1 stalk of celery
2  24 oz. cans of tomato sauce
6 oz. of pork cut into pieces and some bones

Put ingredients into a blender or Cuisinart and blend or chop into tiny pieces. Sautee in vegetables in olive oil, then add the pork and cook for a 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook for another 25 minutes, then set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Ingredients 2nd phase of sauce:
5 eggs
4 cups of milk

Whisk eggs and milk. Add tomato sauce and whisk together.
Mix the tiny meatballs and tiny squares of meat together in a bowl. Set aside.

Ingredients for filling:
22 oz. fresh mozzarella
6 Tbls. Parmigiano Reggiano

Cut mozzarella into ½ x ½ square inches and mix together with the meat and cheeses.

Assembling the timballo:
*Prepare a minimum of 6 layers.

Line a casserole dish with parchment paper and dot with butter.
Line the casserole dish with about 5 crepes, overhang half each crepe over the edges and around the casserole dish. (make sure there are no empty spaces).
Add about ¾ cup of tomato sauce onto crepes.
Add about a cup of meat mixture & cheese mixture onto the crepes.
Repeat for 5 more layers then fold over dampen edges with sauce onto the timballo. Dot timballo with butter and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. After 30 minutes, remove foil paper and let it bake to a golden brown. When finished, let the timballo cool for about 5 minutes. Place a platter over timballo in casserole dish and quickly turnover onto platter. Cut into 8 individual pieces.
Buon Appetito!
Grazia Scarpone

$1,000 – $5,000
Bari Ristorante in Memphis Tennessee
Capannina Restaurant in San Francisco, CA
Amoroma Pizzeria in Orinda, CA
Farina Focaccia and Cucina  in San Francisco,CA
La Ciccia Ristorante in San Francisco, CA
Baccus Society of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, CA

$500 – $1,000
Aqua Pazza Ristorante in San Mateo, CA
D’Antiche Terre in Manocalzati, Italy
Filippo Gallino Winery in Canale, Italy
Le Fonti Winery in Panzano in Chianti, Italy
Ruggeri Prosecco Winery in Valdobbiadene, Italy
La Montecchia Winery in Padova, Italy
Raina Winery in Montefalco, Italy
Sassotondo Winery  in Sorano, Italy
Marotti Campi Winery in Morro d’Alba, Italy
Il Convento in Massa Lubrese, Italy
Tranchero Osvaldo Winery in Mango, Italy

Up to  $500
Ciao Vito in Portland, OR
Rose’s Cafe in San Francisco, CA
FIVE in Portland Oregon CA
A.G. Ferrari

We also wish to thank our other annonymous donors for their contributions to help the farmers of Abruzzo.

Please check back soon for pictures of the construction underway at the Galano Farm.

Hello, today we finished raising the roof of the shed and finally I am able to see my cows sheltered from the rain and snow.  I took pictures while they were assembling the shed and I will send them to you as soon as I can.  I wish you the best for a happy holiday and a prosperous new year.

I was able to visit the Sustain Abruzzo website and I was impressed and moved by the beautiful work you are doing.  I thank you heartily.

Hugs from Enzo and Dina Galano.

Note: The name “aquila” means “eagle” and with the help of various organizations, such as Sustain Abruzzo, the region is beginning to rebuild and will soon soar once again.

Thanks to our sponsors across the nation as well as the Villa Italia Wine producers in Italy, Lorenzo Scarpone presented a check to the Galano Family Dairy with the donations raised the past few months. Check back soon for photos showing the progress of the rebuilding.

Why am I writing now about heritage turkey Italian style? Certainly most of you have already bought your turkey. This heritage turkey will be best only if it has eaten natural food. I would like to suggest a traditional Italian way of preparing it. You will need only a few inexpensive ingredients:

- white wine that you will be drinking on Thanksgiving day, full bodied, not aged in wood but in steel
- coarsely ground salt, kosher or sea salt
- rosemary
- mild garlic
- best quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 7-9 whole chestnuts

Marinate the turkey for 5-7 hours in the oil, salt, garlic, rosemary, and wine. Put the chestnuts inside the cavity and roast the turkey as you would any other turkey. Baste the turkey with the juices and wine marinade during the cooking.

Happy Thanksgiving, buon tacchino!

Lorenzo Scarpone.

P.S. Please join me at the upcoming Sustain Abruzzo dinners at Umbria Ristorante, 13 December, and Acqua Pazza, 17 December 2009. Please visit our events page for more information.

We are now tallying up the donations and trying to solicit any funds we can before Lorenzo Scarpone goes to Italy at the end of this month to bring the Galano Family 100% of the funds we have raised for them.

Please view new photos of the Galano Family Dairy here

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Please click here to see photos from the event http://photos.imagesbyvi.com/p1016238305/e3086e6e5