Italian Market Shops Help Customers Prepare For Easter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- At South Philadelphia's Italian Market on Friday, customers and the workers inside the shops were getting ready for Easter.
Marrianna Occhiuzzo, who lives near Valley Forge, walked 9th Street to get the ingredients for her family's specialty, or should we say "specialita."
"Easter Pie. I like to refer to it as a heart attack pie. Usually it's made with a sweet pie crust," she said.
Inside, it's loaded with Italian meats, cheeses, and eggs.
"Hot and sweet sausages, gabagool, pepperoni, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, all in a typical pie pan. Some ladies here just told me they make their's in a lasagna pan," said Occhiuzzo.
Prepping is key, as all the ingredients need to be chopped and diced.
"Because you're mixing all of these meats together. There are no chunks. You don't want chunk chunks. Chop, chop, chop, all day, all day," Occhiuzzo said.
And bake at about 350.
"My grandmother would do 20 pies. I'm only going to do five," she said.
At the family-run Cannuli's Meats, established in 1927, owner Charlie Cannuli is hauling out lambs and other meats.
"The legs of lamb are the most popular. People know it's killed nearby and brought here fresh, daily," he said.
They're roughly four-to-five pounds, and will feed around eight people.
"We'll leave the bone in or debone it, whatever you chose. Bone in is great, it makes the best sauce. You'll get a nice gravy with it," said Cannuli.
Frank brought his mom to the Italian Market.
"We order the spring lamb," he said.
"I put a little olive oil, potatos, onions, and parsley, and cook it at 350," his mother explained.
There's another option, according to Charlie.
"We also do little lollipop lamb chops, for the younger generation who may not want to see a piece of whole lamb on the table," he said.
