Two tablespoons of sugar (brown or white)
One-half a cup of currants
A quarter of a bar of grated chocolate
One tablespoon of chopped candied orange
One of lemon-peel
One of capers
One cup of vinegar

"Take two tablespoons of sugar (brown or white), one-half a cup of currants, a quarter of a bar of grated chocolate, one tablespoon of chopped candied orange, one of lemon-peel, one of capers, and one cup of vinegar. Mix well together and let soak for two hours; pour it over venison or veal, and simmer for ten minutes."

This recipe was taken from "Simple Italian Cookery" written by Antonia Isola (pen name for Mabel Earl McGinnis). It was published in the United States by Harper and Brothers in 1912. It is believed to be the first American cookbook that contains Italian recipes. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org. For a variety of recipes from this cookbook see Italy Revisited/"XXX Italian Cookbook by Antonia Isola"....Photo: Mary Melfi.

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