I usually spend an entire weekend making ravioli. I start with a 5 pound bag of flour poured directly on the clean kitchen table and make the dough from there. As far as the filling goes....well, I did swear on the Holy Bible that I would never give the receipe away. I will say it involves chicken and spinach with several different (secret) ingredients. The actual receipe makes approximately 95 dozen ravioli of which I give as Christmas gifts with printed instruction on how to "dress" the cooked filled pasta. I always recommend a light dressing so as not to cover the taste of the filling. A mix of toasted walnuts with XV olive oil/butter, toss and sprinkle with a nice peccarino or romano cheese is all the additions you need. When preparing the ravioli you also need alot of freezer space to store on aluminum foil covered cardboard so the pasta lays flat while freezing.

Of course I also make the family receipe biscotti with almond and anise. These are the basic biscotti that are made at least a month before Christmas. They are stored in air tight containers, sometimes also given as gifts. My favorite way to eat these is dipped in red wine. This way the hardness is softened up for those of us who have delicate teeth. The cookies are also good dipped in Amaretto, any kind of coffee and of course milk. The treasured pieces are the ends of the biscotti loaf. Ok, so what if I do hide those pieces for myself. Afterall, I went to all that time and trouble to preserve my family tradition!