[senior citizen]

Most Italian Americans were raised on both "potatoes and eggs" and "peppers and eggs" for an easy lunch sandwich to be served on good Italian bread.......my dad's version was exact to what Maryanne Esposito of Ciao Italia on PBS describes below.....

My dad did use the red pepper flakes, but I do not.

I do use the red and green peppers in peppers and eggs.....another great lunch. Those Italian grandma's of days gone by would send off their "men" to work with hearty sandwiches, made with natural ingredients.......plus eggplant parm.

We didn't call them frittata's.....just "potatoes and eggs" and "peppers and eggs".........my dad and his brothers were taught to cook (as well as his sisters) from a young age, by their mom.

　

MARY ANN ESPOSITO POTATO & EGG FRITTATA *
CIAO ITALIA


SERVES 4 TO 6

A frittata is really an omelet and makes a quick and nourishing meal in a matter of minutes. Often it contains combinations of leftovers, but this one is a favorite of both Alessio and his father, and it's always made the same way to celebrate the way their ancestors prepared poor food. No matter how simply one lived, there were always chickens providing eggs and potatoes from the garden. It may be an old recipe, but it's still satisfying today!



INGREDIENTS


4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut in quarters, and boiled for 5 minutes
3 or 4 large eggs
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 red sweet pepper, cleaned and diced
Red pepper flakes to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil



DIRECTIONS


When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, thinly slice them into a bowl and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the salt and beat together with a fork until the eggs are frothy. Add the cheese and mix thoroughly.

Carefully add the potatoes and mix gently to coat with the egg mixture without breaking the slices. Sprinkle the red pepper and pepper flakes over the top. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and when it is warm, wipe most of it out of the pan with a paper towel. This seasons the pan so the frittata won't stick as it cooks.

Pour in the egg and potato mixture and shake the pan gently to settle the potatoes evenly over the bottom of the frittata. Let cook for about 4 minutes.

When the frittata moves easily in the pan and the liquid is set, put a large plate over the pan and invert the frying pan so the frittata comes out onto the dish with the uncooked side down.

Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil to the pan and tilt the pan to coat the entire bottom and a little way up the sides.

Slide the frittata back into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes have finished cooking.

Slide the cooked frittata onto a serving platter and slice it into pie-shaped wedges. Serve immediately...........as is.........or on nice Italian bread.