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Labor Day weekend in Lawrence means a weekend of celebrations, from the Lebanese celebration at Mahrajan to the Bread & Roses Festival to the Feast of the Three Saints. This is my fourth Labor Day in the Merrimack Valley, and every year around this time the newsroom talk turns to rice balls, crispellis and all the other treats to be enjoyed at the festivities.

This year I got to try some of the treats myself. On Thursday, writer Rosemary Ford, who wrote about all the events for Thursday’s paper, went to the famed Italian Kitchen to bring rice balls and crispellis back to the newsroom for us. Both were yummy.

Crispellis, for those who aren’t familiar with them, are a variation of fried dough. I was considering eating them with sugar, but was told that was “for kids” and the authentic way to enjoy them was with anchovies and/or cheese. I passed on the anchovies. I only bought one, but could easily have eaten half a bag of the small fried dough balls. I was anticipating a gooey yellow cheese, but they were neatly packed with a ricotta type. 

The rice ball was like a large meatball except not as dense. Lightly friend and topped with spaghetti sauce, a pleasant surprise of chicken and peas was found in the middle. Just the right size for lunch!

If you can’t make it downtown this weekend, you can try this recipe for the crispelli as provided in The Italian Kitchen and printed in The Eagle-Tribune nearly 10 years ago. 

Crispelli

Ingredients:

2 cups very warm water

1 pound flour (or more to achieve desired consistency)

1 ounce yeast

1 ounce salt

1/2 ounce sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking power

1 can anchovies (optional)

2 cups oil, or enough to fry in a skillet or sauce pan.

Confectionary sugar

Mix above ingredients except for the oil.

After the dough is made, let it rise for at least 45 minutes. You will have a very sticky dough that is hard to work with. For plain crispellis, you can scoop ping-pong ball sized dollops into hot oil.

For anchovy crispellis, take a handful of dough. Using lots of flour makes the job easier. Place an anchovy or two in the middle, wrap it in the dough to form a ball. Carefully drop into oil. You should have enough in the pan for the dough to float. Fry one side and then the other for a few minutes until they are a golden brown. Do not burn the oil. For a sweet touch, sprinkle the plain crispellis with some confectionary sugar.

While reading in about the Peach Festival this weekend at Smolak (rhymes with Stollak) Farms, I was reminded of one of my favorite pasta salads. I found the Peach Tortellini salad last summer while looking for peach recipes. The salad calls for regular cheese tortellini, mixed with a peach vinaigrette and red bell peppers.

How do you make a peach vinaigrette? With peach vinegar of course. But chances are you’re not going to find peach vinegar very easily and will likely have to make your own. It was an exercise reminding me of great chefs as I boiled sugar, vinegar and water and added them to pureed peaches. The vinaigrette came out well and came in handy for other salads.

Craving peaches? Check out Smolak Farm’s festival this weekend. Details, plus more peach recipes can be found in Thursday and Friday’s editions of The Eagle-Tribune.  For now, here’s the salad recipe, courtesy of kitchenlink.com and about.com.

Peach Tortellini Salad

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
3 cups sliced Georgia Peaches
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into match sticks
1/4 cup basil peach vinaigrette or more to taste (recipe follows)
4 cups mixed fresh salad greens

Preparation
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse until cool; drain well. In medium bowl, combine tortellini, peaches and red pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
Drizzle vinaigrette over mixture, toss gently. Place salad greens on large serving platter, or four (4) individual salad plates. Arrange peach tortellini mixture over greens

To make a peach vinaigrette

2 ripe peaches (about 12 ounces total), peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 cup Japanese brewed rice vinegar, or a good distilled white vinegar with an acid content between 4 and 5 percent
3 Tablespoons sugar

Preparation:
Puree the peaches in a food processor, then pour the puree into a medium-size bowl. (There should be 1 cup of peach puree.)
Combine the vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the vinegar mixture into the peach puree. Let cool.
Sterilize a 16-ounce bottle (or two 8-ounce canning jars). Sterilize the cap (or lid) according to the manufacturer’s instructions or have ready a clean cork.
Skim the foam, if there is any, then strain the vinegar mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids.
Drain the bottle, then fill with the strained vinegar. Seal with a clean cork (or sterilized lid). Store in a cool, dry place or refrigerate.

Dinner tonight: Open-faced ham and cheese English muffins. Yes, the cheese oozes all over, but if you put the ham on top, it won’t ooze quite as far. Can’t wait until tomatoes from the garden come in to add to the mix!

If you’re a “foodie” you’ve probably noticed the art of cooking is about to get a big boost by the new movie that comes out today, Julie & Julia. It’s based on a book by the same name that chronicles the yearlong adventure of a 30-year-old woman, Julie Powell, who decides to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” She chronicles her adventures in her blog.

The minute I saw the movie trailer, I felt an instant connection. A woman teaching herself to cook and blogging about it? That’s me! I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I did read the book and there was a lot I could relate to, both in and out of the kitchen.

For a review of the movie, a look at Julia Child’s story and my column about my take on the book, be sure to check out Sunday’s Eagle-Tribune.

My mother has a theory about why I don’t eat shrimp. It has something to do with the fact that I need to be wearing shoes to reach a height of 5-feet, 1 inch. We’ve agreed to disagree on this. Still, the fact remains I don’t eat it. All my relatives know not to pass the shrimp tray at holidays because I always refuse.

I feel like a traitor saying this in New England, but I simply don’t like seafood. I never have. Tuna fish from a can is about as much as I can handle. Yet there are times when I’ve wondered what I’m missing as others rave about shrimp, scallops, oysters, etc. I’ve wondered if this was just a childhood fish phobia that I should try to overcome.

So I’ve resolved to taste whatever seafood makes its way to our Saturday night buffets. This winter I tasted a crab and avocado dish that combined two foods I usually avoid. I lived to talk about it. A couple months ago I tried sushi and could acknowledge it wasn’t awful. Last night came the big test - a tray of cold shrimp and cocktail sauce.

My co-workers know I avoid the seafood so they were quick to ask whether I’d have some. I eyed it off and on, and finally decided it was time to try. I dipped it in a little sauce, took a tentative bite, and … no. If the US developed a new method of torture by force feeding shrimp, I could live, but I have no reason to try it again. Though I have been told that prepared a different way, I might feel differently. So maybe.

I’m glad to know I am conquering my fears, but I don’t see myself becoming a convert any time soon.