Who's Cooking: Maria Stanco of Glen Cove

MARIA STANCO

A biller and bookkeeper at a Roslyn nursing facility, she lives in Glen Cove with her husband, Michael, and son, Michael, 26. Another son, Angelo, 29, lives in California.

What is your ethnic background, and how does it impact the way you cook? I was born in Italy in a small town called Sturno, near Naples. A lot of people in Glen Cove are from Sturno. I came to the United States in 1966, at the age of 9. Coming from an Italian family, cooking Italian food is second nature to me. I watched my mother cook all the dishes I grew up with during childhood.

What are some of your greatest hits?I make biscotti, tiramisu, vegetable lasagna and country-style ribs in Sunday sauce over pasta.

What do you do when the holidays roll around? My sister-in-law is also a wonderful cook. On New Year's Day and Easter Sunday she and I go to my mother's in Glen Cove at around 10 a.m. and cook everything. We have antipasto, always a rib roast, lasagna and cakes. Espresso at the end. Too much food.

If you could invite anybody for dinner, who would you invite? I would invite Lidia Bastianich because I love her shows, and I would make my homemade pasta from scratch -- fusilli, cavatelli, linguine, fettuccine, even ravioli.

When you're not cooking at home, where do you like to eat? I try not to eat Italian food out because we can have it at home, but I do. I like La Piccola Bussola in Syosset. For Mexican food I like Poco Loco in Roslyn.

What about pizza?I usually make my own at home with vegetables. When we go out I like Amalfi and La Familia (in Glen Cove). I usually order plain Neapolitan pie.

Ziti with Sunday Sauce
 

3 fillets of beef chuck or top round steak for braciole

Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced and divided

2 tablespoons chopped parsley
String

1 / 4 cup olive oil, divided

1 pound country-style pork ribs (about 4)

6 sweet Italian sausages

1 medium onion, minced

2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil, to taste

1 pound ziti, cooked according to package directions

1. Line up the beef fillets flat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, 1 / 3 of the minced garlic and chopped parsley, spreading evenly. Roll up each filet and tie with a string. need string in ingredient list

2. Over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the rolled beef fillets first ref here? , pork ribs and sausages in pan. Brown meat, turning as needed. Set aside.

3. In the same pan over medium heat, add remaining olive oil; sauté onion and remaining garlic until translucent. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper. Cook 15 minutes.

4. Add pork and braciole to tomato mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add sausages and continue to cook the meats an additional 45 minutes at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove meats from sauce, remove string from braciole and place on a platter.

6. Cover ziti with tomato sauce; add Parmesan and basil to taste; serve meat separately. Makes about 6 servings.