Each time I prepare for a return visit to my childhood hometown, I begin to dream about the local foods and recipes I will enjoy. Utica, NY is well known for its great Italian-American cuisine, including tomato pie, Utica greens, a mildly spicy pasta dish called chicken riggies, salt potatoes, and the famous Hemstrought's bakery half moon cookies.
Often, when one moves away from the area where they were raised, they gain a new appreciation and fondness for the local traditions and culinary customs -– I am no exception! I have improvised and found copycat recipes for several of my favorite Utica dishes, which are enjoyed by my family and serve as a “home away from home” connection. Hopefully you can enjoy a taste of upstate NY in your home.
The origin of Chicken Riggies, also known as Utica Riggies, is not well documented. Some credit chefs Richi Scamardo and Bobby Hazleton at the Clinton House restaurant in the 1970's. The lawyers, doctors and union workers would come in to play cards and enjoy this pasta dish. Others argue that the dish got its start at the Chesterfield Restaurant in Utica when they first put it on the menu in 1989. Despite the hazy backstory, locals agree Chicken Riggies are delicious. There are multiple variations of the recipe however, it is a pasta based dish consisting of chicken, rigatoni, hot or sweet peppers in a spicy creamy tomato sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsp butter
2 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
8 oz pkg mushrooms, sliced (optional, I use broccoli as replacement)
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 hot cherry peppers (seeded, roughly chopped)
3 large cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups water
2 tsp chicken bouillon (or 2 cubes)
1 cup tomato sauce
½ pint heavy cream
1 tsp parsley
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup large black olives (cut in ½)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 lb rigatoni cooked, and drained.
dash of crushed red pepper for a little extra “zing” (optional)
Fresh Parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pan, melt the butter, and add the chicken.
Cook over medium heat until tender.
Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes (if doing broccoli omit this part and add fresh broccoli at end about 10 minutes into simmer)
Add pepper, jarred pepper, onion and minced garlic; cook until soft, about 5-7 min.
Add water, bouillon, sauce, heavy cream, and spices (spice to taste).
Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add olives and simmer for 5 more minutes.
In a small bowl mix 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp cornstarch until dissolved. Add to the sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens. (Sometimes the sauce is not thick enough and I add more cornstarch and water)
When thickened in a deep bowl mix the sauce and the rigatonis together.
Serve immediately.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
In the early 1980’s, Grimaldi’s restaurant, a local favorite, which has since closed, offered greens as a seasonal special. Chef Joe Morale started serving Utica greens as a regular appetizer item on the menu at Chesterfield’s restaurant in the late 1980’s. Italian restaurants in Utica began serving variations of the traditional Sicilian and southern Italian sauteed greens. Utica greens are a signature side dish made of hot peppers, chicken stock or broth, escarole, cheese, pecorino cheese, bread crumbs and variations of meat and prosciutto.
INGREDIENTS:
1-2 heads escarole, cleaned, chopped
4 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup hot pickled cherry peppers, chopped
½ cup prosciutto, diced
1 cup breadcrumbs
½ cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, freshly grated
¼-½ cup chicken stock
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the escarole and chop into small pieces.
Bring salted water to a boil and blanch the escarole for 1-2 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water.
Reserve 2-3 tbsp each of breadcrumbs and cheese for topping.
In a large ovenproof saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and onion, oregano, pepper, as well as the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the drained escarole, cherry peppers and chicken stock. Stir it all together and add a little salt and pepper if desired.
Cook until the escarole is wilted, about 7-8 minutes.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining bread crumbs and cheese
Heat oven to broil
Cook under the broiler for 4-6 minutes to brown the top.
Salt Potatoes can be traced back to the 19th century, originating in Syracuse, NY. Irish immigrants working the salt mines would prepare this dish on their lunch break. Small unpeeled potatoes were boiled in a salt brine that was collected from the salt springs. The salty water forms a seal on the potato skin preventing it from having the soggy taste and texture of boiled potatoes. Traditionally they are served whole, skin on, with a pick to dunk them in melted butter. They are a staple food at fairs and backyard barbeques in the summer when young potatoes are first harvested.
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds mini potatoes, scrubbed and clean
4 quarts water
1-2 cups finely grated salt (~2 tbsp salt per cup of water)
1 stick melted butter
DIRECTIONS:
Bring potatoes, salt and water to a boil in a large stockpot or soup pot over high heat.
Reduce to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes (potatoes should be fork tender.
Pour the water and potatoes into a colander in the sink and leave to air dry for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with drizzled butter or a side of butter to dunk
Half Moon cookies are a sweet treat that is quintessential to Utica, not to be confused with the “black and white” recognized in New York City. The Half Moon cookies have a soft fluffy devil’s food cake base (chocolate or vanilla) while black and whites have a thin shortbread like cookie base. Half Moons are slathered with vanilla buttercream (white) on ½ of the top and the other half with a chocolate fudge. Black and whites are glazed.
In the early 1920’s, former architect, Harry Hemstrought, crafted this recipe as he opened a small bakery in Utica.
Hemstrought’s bakery is now closed however they do continue to take online orders and ship to your door, In 2000, the recipe was scaled down to a manageable 30 cookie recipe and released to the public.
INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
16 tbsp butter softened
3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
Frosting:
6 tbsp butter softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fudge Frosting:
Half of the vanilla frosting
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
DIRECTIONS:
Cookies:
- Adjust the oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
- Beat the butter at medium speed for 30 seconds to loosen it up. Keeping the mixer running, gradually add the sugar, and cocoa powder and then gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour in four additions and the milk in three additions (beginning and ending with flour), and mix until just combined.
- Give the mixture a few final stirs with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the flour has been incorporated.
- Use a #20 Scoop to portion out mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about two inches apart. Using an off-set spatula, gently press each mound of dough into a 3-inch circle. Bake until the edges of the cookies are set and light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Frosting:
- Cream the butter in a small bowl. Blend in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, alternately with the 1/3 cup milk. Beat until the consistency is creamy, with no lumps!
- Remove just over half the frosting into a separate bowl, leaving the remainder to be turned into the fudge frosting
Fudge Frosting:
- To the mixing bowl, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder, plus 1-2 Tbsp of additional milk.
- Beat until the cocoa is all mixed in and the frosting is nice and smooth.
- Frost the top of the cookies, half of the cookie should be frosted with the white frosting. Half the cookie should be frosted with the chocolate.
Anyone who has grown up in central NY knows what real tomato pie is. Tomato pie is sold in most local bakeries. Despite being called “a pie” and sold at bakeries, Tomato pie is not a pie, it's not pizza, but it is more pizza-like than a pie. Utica Tomato Pie has a thick, soft, savory-cakey crust comparable to focaccia or Sicilian pizza. The tomato sauce topping is thick, sweet, slightly chunky, and slightly acidic. The sauce is sprinkled with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a light sprinkling of dried oregano. It is then baked in a shallow rectangular pan, cut into squares, and served at room temperature. It is regularly served at holiday parties or any event that offers food.
INGREDIENTS:
For the tomato sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoons olive oil
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
For the pie:
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup hot water
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Parchment paper, coat sheet pan
Cornmeal to dust dough
1-1½ cups grated parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
Tomato sauce:
- In a large saucepan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until fragrant for about two minutes, being careful not to brown.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer for approximately 30 minutes on low heat, remove from heat.
Tomato Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat 1/2 sheet pan with cornmeal.
- In a bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water, and gently whisk to combine. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add 3/4 of the flour, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated, and the dough starts to release from the bowl.
- Add some flour to your countertop and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Form the dough into a round and place back in the mixing bowl. Coat the dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location for 30 minutes - 1 hour until the dough almost doubles in size.
- Gently press dough towards the edges of the pan until it’s 1-inch thick and spreads to the rim.
- Coat dough with oil, and use a fork to prick the surface of the dough.
- Store in a warm place for 1 hour to let rise and double in size.
- Coat dough with tomato sauce and bake for 10-15 minutes or until dough is cooked through.
- Cut and garnish with parmesan.
Joleen Volz DMSc, PA-C, is a PA with US Dermatology Partners, just south of Dallas, in Waxahachie and Corsicana, TX. She appreciates the variety of general dermatology, as well as surgical and cosmetic procedures. Outside of the clinic, her interests revolve around spending time with her husband, 2 daughters and their families, especially her 1 year old granddaughter. Beyond her human family she has 2 Toy Goldendoodles and Silkie Chickens that keep her busy.