Pastry dough for 2 pie crusts

For filling
3 ounces butter
6 ounces currants
4 hard boiled eggs
3 eggs
1/2 pint milk
grated rind of 1 lemon
a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg
2 ounces sugar
a dessert-spoonful of orange-flower water

For garnish
Sugar

Line a pie-dish with very light past; pout in four hard-boiled eggs cut into slices, mixing them with three ounces of butter.

Sprinkle over them six ounces of currants; add the grated rind of one lemon and a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg.

Pour in half a pint of milk beaten with three eggs, two ounces of sugar and a dessert-spoonful of orange-flower water.

Cover dish with a crust, and bake for half an hour.

Serve cold, sprinkled with sugar.

The recipe in this entry was taken from "Italian Recipes for Food Reformers" translated and arranged by Maria Gironci. The book was published in London by George Bell and Sons in 1905. Most of Maria Gironci's recipes in "Italian Recipes for Food Reformers" were originally published in the author's first book, titled, "Recipes of Italian Cookery." The second edition of this cookbook was published in 1892 in London by Gaskill & Webb. "Italian Recipes for Food Reformers" caters to vegetarians, omitting all meat-based dishes. Unfortunately, Maria Gironci's wonderful cookbooks are not yet available at www.archive.org, though reprints are available through reputable publishers. According to the Library of Congress all books published before 1923 are in the public domain.... P.S. This recipe was tried and the result was quite unique. Unique, but not delicious (In this home cook's opinion that is). The pie is a bit similar to the rustic cheese pies that are commonly made in Southern Italy for the Easter holidays, but while those country pies are savory, avoiding the use of sugar, this pie alla Campagnola attempts to be both sweet and sour. Often, combining sweet and sour flavors works wonders, but it doesn't seem to do so in this recipe. Still to connoisseurs of Italian food and for those who like to try out unusual old recipes this might be of interest.... Personal notes and photo: Mary Melfi.

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