Ronzoni Sono Buoni Macheroni Pasta

RONZONI

MEZZE RIGATONI

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"Ronzoni Sono Buoni," if you are Italian and grew up in the New York area in the great decades of the 1960's and or 70s you know the slogan. We Italians do love our pasta, we're weened on it! Pasta is the main staple of our diet. Many are fanatical about and love it so, they insist on having it several times a week. I'm one. Pasta, can be covered in a wide variety of sauces,  in some soups like; Pasta Fagoli (Pasta Fazool), in Minestrone's, with Pasta and Peas, and Pasta con Ceci (Chick Peas). Yes, we are weened on it. Mommy gave me, my bothers and sister Pastina coated in a bit of butter and Parmigiano when we were just toddlers  and every so often I have to pick up a box of Ronzoni Pastina, as I love and crave it still, and of late as with many my age, you start craving things you loved as a child, thus my stints with PASTINA ."Ronzoni Sono Buoni," it means, Ronzoni is So Good, and that it is. This brand of  Pasta, born in New York City at the turn of the 20th Century has been a mainstay of not only Italian-Americans of the East Coast but, for all. For years before the surge of many a imported pasta product in the U.S., Ronzoni, was not the only game in town for Macaroni, there was the Prince and Creamette, as well, but Ronzoni dominated the market and though I don't have stats, I would wage to say that 85 to 90 % of all commercial pasta sold in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia areas was Ronzoni, the pasta in the bright blue boxes, Ronzoni Sono Buoni. God I wonder how many plates and bowls of Spaghetti, Ziti and other Ronzoni pastas I ate over the years, starting with Pastina as a toddler  and moving to Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce or Meatballs, Baked Ziti, Stuffed Shells and more. Oh “Stuffed Shells,” they bring back memories of my mother who loved them. We had them often, along with Lasagna made with Ronzoni Lasagana. You don't see Stuffed Shells around that much any more, they used to be on many a restaurant and even more home menus. There popularity has waned, but every once and a while I'll pick up a box of Ronzoni large shells, just for the purpose of bringing back those memories of mom making them and me loving them as  a child. I'll make a batch of tomato sauce, cook the Ronzoni Shells, and stuff them with ricotta and Parmigiano, bake them in tomato sauce, and "Voila" Stuffed Shells of days gone by. I do the same with a Pastina as I still love the dish so, dressed with butter and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano, “makes me feel like a kid again!” Yum, delicious little pleasure you can whip up in minutes and bring back visions of your youth. All with some butter, Parmigiano and a box of Ronzoni Pastina. That's Ronzoni, every bit a part of my life and youth as a spring ol Slinky, Etch-A-Sketch, The Three Stooges, Saturday Morning Cartoons, and all the favorites of my youth, Ronzon Sono Buoni, “Ronzoni it's so good!”

SPAGHETTI

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SEGRETO ITALIANO

SECRET ITALIAN RECIPES

SALSA SEGRETO

FAMOUS PASTA SAUCE

RECCIPE

Of GINO'S

NEW YORK


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Positano Amalfi Coast TravelGuide Cookbook Recipes

"IT'S ALMOST HERE" !!!

POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK - TRAVEL GUIDE

COMING November 28th 2020

"The BEST THING to HAPPEN in 2020"

AMAZON.com

Yes boys and girls, Ladies & Gentlemen, it's almost here. Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook / Travel Guide is coming. It will be available on Amazon.com on Novemeber 28, 2020, "The Best Thing to Happen in 2020," so the saying goes. The book is like no other ever written on Positano, Capri, Naples, and the Amalfi Coast. Anyone who gets it, will see that it's one of the best Italian Cookbooks ever published on the specific region and cuisines of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. There are lots of great recipes that I have collected and developed over a 35 year period of going to the beautiful island of Capri, Positano, Napoli, and the Amalfi Coast of Southern Italy, which most people have just recently discovered in the past 15 years or so, I made my first of many wonderful trips way back in the Summer of 1985. I've been going ever since, and have stayed in and explored almost every inch of this one of the World's most beautiful areas, and in particular, the food, the people, and the natural beauty of the Amalfi Coast, the surround area and islands.

Yes I have a wealth of knowledge that you will not get and most other cookbooks or travel guides of the area. Did you say travel guide you say? Yes, this book is like no other ever written on the Amalfi Coast in that is a cookbook and travel guide, with true stories of Naples, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast written by me. Why both a cookbook slash travel guide. Well, I love cooking and I love travel, and I am, if I must say so myself, well versed on both. I worked in the restaurant and wine business in New York for more than 30 years, cooking for 10 years, and then as a wine director specializing in Italian Wine. I got to know and become friendly with hundreds of Italian people who make wine and own wine estates all over Italy. Yes my knowledge of wine, food, cooking, writing Italian Cookbooks, and Italy and World Travel are quite extensive, and I bring this experience to you within the front and back cover of this book, Positano - The Amalfi Coast Cookbook / Travel Guide.

This book first started out as a travel guide of Positano and the Amalfi Coast with Naples and Capri. Yes a travel guide, with essays as well as having 30 or so recipes of the best loved most popular dishes of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Somehow as books often do, it morphed into something else. It became more of a cookbook than a travel guide, but never-the-less, a travel guide as well, not only in the traditional travel guide sense of chapters on specific places, and info on the best hotels, and restaurants in Naples, on the islands, and all around the coast. So, info in the traditional sense, but a great deal of wonderful info and little known secrets translated in the stories I tell of my frequent trips and all the eating, chatting, maneuvering around and all sorts of little tidbits for you to divulge.

There's no pictures you say. Yes this is true, no pictures other than the beautiful cover ("I think so"). No I don't do pictures in my books but stories that people seem to like quite a bit, "my storytelling of food, experiences, travels, and what-not." If you want pictures though, you are in luck. I've created a companion website to this book, Positano-Amalfi-Coast,com, and it has all the gorgeous pictures of Positano, Naples, Capri, and the whole of the Amalfi Coast that you could ever want, they're on my website, so use it in conjunction with this book.

Why the recipes. I love food, especially Italian Food, my specialty, and I love the food of this area, and I want to tell you something. The reason for all the wonderful recipes that I've amassed over the years, through having so many meals at wonderful restaurants, trattorias, and pizzerias in Naples and all around the coast, talking to the cooks and chefs, going home and re-creating these dishes, and writing up recipes on how to make them, and jotting everything down. It's been a 35 year journey. I want you to read the book and pick out the dishes you love, maybe you had a certain dishes at a special little trattoria where you had a most memorable time, and now that you're home and you miss being on the Amalfi Coast, you want to learn how to make that special dish and cook it at home for friends, family, and loved ones. It's a way to relive all those wonderful memories of Capri, Positano, the Amalfi Coast, no matter where you stayed or went, this book will help you relive all those wonderful times, as well as help you plan future trips whether you been there before, or this will be your first time, we are here to help and inspire you to have the Dream Vacation of your life. This is my hope.

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Spaghetti Nerano Recipe Amalfi Coast

 

SPAGHETTI NERANO

"SPAGHETTI with ZUCCHINI"

SPAGHETTI NERANO - Recipe

Spaghetti is one of the most famous dishes of the Amalfi Coast. The dish comes from the town of Nerano on the coast of the Sorrento Peninsula just across from Capri. The dish was created by Maria Grazia at her trattoria in Nerano. The primary ingredient of the dish is Zucchini with Povola or Caciocavallo Cheese grated into the pasta. Many restaurants on the Amalfi Coast and Capri serve this dish, and most locals know how to make it, and cook it at home, especially if they happen to have a little garden growing Zucchini, Tomatoes, and other vegetables. It’s easy to make and soul satisfying. If you’ve been to the area you may have already eaten it, and so know you can make it back home. Enjoy.

Ingredients :

3 medium sized Zucchini, washed

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and cut in half

¼ cup fresh Basil, washed and leaves torn in half

¾  cup of grated Caciocavallo Cheese

1 pound imported Italian Spaghetti

Sea Salt and ground Black Pepper

Slice the Zucchini into ⅛” rounds.

Fill a large pot ¾ full of water, with 2 tablespoons salt and bring to the boil.

Place the Olive Oil  in  a large frying pan, and turn heat to a medium flame. Add the Zucchini and start to cool. Sprinkle the zucchini with about ½ teaspoon each of salt and Black Pepper. Add the butter and garlic and cook the zucchini for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

Add about a ¼ of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the zucchini, turn the heat to low and cook for about 6 minutes on low heat. Stir the zucchini with a wooden spoon as it is cooking.

Put the spaghetti into the rapidly boiling water and cook according to the directions on the package and the spaghetti is al dente (slightly firm toi the bite) usually about 10-11 minutes.

After the zucchini has cooked for a total of about 11 minutes. Turn the heat off. add the Basil and stir. Taste 1 piece of zucchini for seasoning to see if you want to add any more salt or pepper.

When the spaghetti is cooked, turn the heat off and drain the spaghetti into a colander, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water in case you need to add to the sauce.

Return the spaghetti to the put that it cooked in. Add all zucchini and all the juices from the pan in the pot with the spaghetti and stir.

Add half of the grated Caciocavallo cheese and stir. The consistency should be just slightly loose. If it is too tight, add a little pasta cooking water and stir. 

Plate the spaghetti on 4 plates, giving each person an even amount of zucchini. Drizzle a little olive oil over each plate and serve.

Note :  It’s best to make the dish with Caciocavallo Cheese, but if you can’t find, a combination of half grated Pecorino and half of Parmigiano Reggiano is a good substitute, or just Parmigano or Pecorino on their own.

Note II : Once you know how to make Spaghetti Nerano, you can make little variations, simply by adding one other ingredient that marries well with the dish. A great addition to this dish is to make Spaghetti Nerano just as above, and to add 4 or 5 pieces of sauteed shrimp on to each plate. Just have the shrimp ready and cook them in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper, and cooked for about 2 minutes on each side. Turn the heat off and add 4 or 5 pieces of shrimp to the plate with the Spaghetti Nerano and enjoy.

Excerpted from POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE by Daniel Bellino Zwicke ... November 2020

POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE

COMING NOVEMBER 25, 2020

CLICK HERE to READ MORE

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Big Dogs of Italian Wine New York Revisited 2020

   

ITALIAN WINE CULTURE of NEW YORK

   

Marchese Lamberto Frescobaldi 

with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke 

and Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi

in NEW YORK

SASSICAIA Winemaker SEBASTIANO ROSA

with Friends Daniel Bellino-Zwicke 

and GIOVANNI FOLNARI of NOZZOLE

TRE BICCHIERI NEW YORK

                                                                                                                                   September 20, 2020

Yes for 20 years I was a Big Dog of Italian Wine. Italian Wine in New York that. You see, New York is the # 1 Wine Wine Market in the entire World, meaning they sell more wine the any other place on Earth, so if you make wine, you want to sell it in New York more than anywhere else on the Planet. And if you have a good presence in New York, not only that your wine is sold here, but that you sell a good amount of it, and that the New Yorkers know, like or love, and recognize your name. And not only the people who love it, but the people selling it, which includes; owners and sales people at wine shops, restaurant owners, Wine Directors (for those restaurants who have them), waiters, bartenders, and waitresses, as well as Wine Distributors, which include the owners, managers, and sales force of these companies. Yes, if you make wine anywhere in the World, New York City is the place you want to be, and as far as these people who like, buy, and love your wine, I was one of those, and in a very big way. Not all wine, but Italian Wine in particular. You see, I became, as they say,

"A Big Dog of Italian Wine." 

It all started around 1995 when, I had seen a small article in the Sunday New York Times about Venice, and the wine-bars of this enchanting city. The wine bars in Venice are called Bacaro, meaning the House of Bacchus, and they have been around for more than 600 years now. These Venetian Bacari sprung up first in and around the famed Rialto Market a long time ago. They were a place where the vendors of the market would go to rest and get into the shade, and because of this,  and as a result of this little ritual, a glass of wine in Venice became known in the Venetian dialect as an Ombra. Ombra is Latin for shade, thus a glass of wine, known as an Ombra in Venice, translate into "shade." The Venetian food merchants and other Venetian's of course could go and have a glass of wine or two and perhaps a little something to eat. There are all sizes and shapes of Venetian Bacari, some quite small, other a bit larger, and others still larger yet. They all have a good assortment of local wines and wines from all over Italy, and they served Cichetti. Cichetti are small tidbits of food, of which there is usually a large variety for you to choose from, much like Tapas Bars in Spain, although the Venetian wine bars have been around much longer. So you belly up to the bar, see what kind of wine they have, make a choice, order your glass of wine, perhaps a glass of Valpolicella or local Cab Franc, and you start drinking. You look of the offerings of Cichetti, pick a few that you like, the barman makes you a plate and sit back (usually you stand) sip your wine, and enjoy your Cichetti.

So to, make a long story a bit shorter, I read the article, it sparked my interest, I said, "I'm going to open one of these things," and I bought a plane ticket to Venice, hopped on the plane and flew over there. This was a trip of discovery, to explore these Venetian Bacari, go to as many as I could in 8 days times, see how they operated, watch to the owners, and local patrons, feel the places, and find out as much as I possibly could so I could go back home to New York and open one myself. This was my dream, and I did make it come to fruition. 

Yes, I went to Venice and explored the Wine Bars of Venice. I learned a lot, as I set out to do. At that time, I had been in the restaurant business for 23 years, starting as a busboy (4 years), I went to Culinary School, I started cooking, I cooked for 10 years, and my first 7 years working in kitchens, I also worked 3 nights a week waiting on tables and tending bar. Once I took a job as a chef, I had to leave the part-time waiter job, and of course just work at the one restaurant as the Head Chef. 

So with all my experience in the business, my sense of style, love of food and wine, and Italy, I began to form my plan. The plan of my Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) and what it would be like. I made a business plan, I found a partner, he loved the idea, and we decided to do it. So we set out to build and open our place, Bar Cichetti which would turn out to be the 1st ever Venetian Wine Bar in America. At Bar Cichetti, I was the Chef, Wine Director, and managing partner. 

Now as for the wine part. The Italian Wine part. Now, as I've already explained, New York is the number 1 wine market in the World. The Italian love New York, they love coming over here a few times a year, promoting and selling their wine, and they do this by bringing there wines around to as many Italian and other restaurants to taste and hopefully buy their wine. While in New York, the proprietors of various Italian Wine Estates usually host a luncheon and or dinner at Italian Restaurants in New York. These luncheons / dinners are usually for about 16 people or less, and only the top Italian Wine People of New York are lucky enough to be invited to these events. I was one of those lucky people, as I became one of the 3 Top Italian Wine Professionals in New York. I had the good fortune to be invented to numerous Italian Wine Dinners, luncheons, tastings, and symposiums over the year. A lot of very special occasions they were. 

So my partner Tom T and I went about the building of our restaurant wine bar. First we had to find a space, and that was a whole big aspect in itself. After a few months trying as we worked on the plans of the wine bar, we finally settled on a spot on Houston Street, in New York's Greenwich Village. We signed a lease and soon began construction. There was already a restaurant in there before, so the the biggest and hardest part of the physical construction of a restaurant was already in place, that being the vent for a commercial kitchen and the kitchen itself, which included sinks, stoves, and refrigeration. We had to make just a couple minor adjustments to the kitchen and we were all set there.

Now for the design of the place. My partner Tom pretty much designed the whole place, but of course I helped and had some input as well. We agreed on wainscoting, Venetian Glass Chandeliers, mirrors, banquets, sconces, and other things, and when all was said and done, the place looked quite nice.

Anyway, enough of all that. We opened and when we did, all the the Italians, meaning the owners of Italian Wine Estates, their daughters (usually doing PR and Sales for the family) and Italians who lived in New York and worked in one of the various Italian Wine Importers and distributors went totally nuts for what we were doing at Bar Cichett, the first ever Venetian wine Bar / restaurant in The United States. Quite an accomplishment, and one I'm very proud of. Anyway, as I said all the Italian went nuts for what we were doing, and what I created along with Tom "T" ...  So, right away all the Italians wanted to meet me, and so whenever any Italians came to town, the managers of the companies that were importing and distributing there wine,  they all wanted to come and see me at Bar Cichetti, and so they did. And I'd be invited to all the tastings, luncheons, and special wine dinners held by whichever Italians were in town that week. People like' Jacapo Bionde Santi, Giovanni and Gianpaullo Venica, Caveliere Luigi Cappellini, Nadia Zenato, Marilsa Allegrini, Giovanni Folnari, Piero Antinori, and many more. Being in the restaurant and Italian Wine years before I opened Bar Cichetti I already knew some prominent Italians who owned vineyards and made wine, but once I opened Bar Cichetti, I was the Chef and wine buyers, and a partner in Bar Cichetti, as they say, "The Floodgates Opened," I got to know everyone and anyone who made wine in Italy as well as the top Italian Wine sales professionals who sold Italians Wine in New York. Many of these people have become very good friends. And so I became one of the top Italian Wine Guys in New York, and I loved it. I loved having all these Italians come to my place and taste me personally on their wines, tell me all about the wines, chit chat and break bread together. As time went on I became better versed and quite knowledgeable on the wines of Italy, and all the Italians quite like that I was so well versed on their wines.

Well we had a good little run with Bar Cichetti, but sadly we dissolved the partnership. I then went on to work as a Manger / Maitre'd at the famed Celebrity Hot Spot, da Silvano for a 3 year stint. It was quite exilerating as Da Silvan was the # 1 Hot Spot of the Celebrity Crowd in New York, and it was quite exciting taking care of people like; David Bowie, Gwyneth Palthrow, Graydon Cater, Calvin Klein, Uma Thurman, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney to name but a few of the many celebrities who dined at Da Silvano almost every night of the wee, week after week. Silvano Marchetto was a SOn of a Bitch to work for (he has that reputation), but although he was a bit difficult, I did learn quite a bit from the man and working at Da Silvano, and I loved working there, and cherish my times at that restaurant.

I left Da Silvano to take a job as the Wine Director at Barbetta to run the wine program in a famous old Italian rstaurant that just so happened to have the greatest Italian Wine Cellar of any restaurant in America, it's quite something. I went up and interviewed with the owner Laura Magiolio. We sat and chatted for more than 2 hours, at which point Ms. Magiolio offered me the job. I loved working at Da Silvano, but the one thing I missed tremendously was being the Wine Director and all that went with it. Having people bring me Italian WIne to taste every other day, going to the tasting, and being invented  all the wonderful Italian Wine Dinners and various events. I missed being a Big Dog of Italian Wine, and now I was, once again, and I loved it.

We had an increidable wine cellar at Barbetta. It was in fact one of the greatest Italian Wine Cellars in the country, and as far as Barolo's go, one of the best Barolo Cellars in the World, including Piedmont where Barolo and Barbaresco's come from. We had verticals of all the famed Barolo Crus of Piedmont. A cru is a wine that's made with fruit from sit specific vineyards. In Barolo they have many famous hills and plots where vines are planted, and the fruit harvested from them is vinified into famous cru Barolo, like' Brunate, Villero, Cirequio, Canubi, Lazzarito, Vigna Rionda, Monprivato, Rocche dell Anuzziata, and a few other famed vineyards (hills). Yes, hills? All of these great Barolo Crus come from the best sights of named vineyards that are always southern facing hills, which are the best plots to grow Nebbiolo Grapes to optimum perfection.

At Barbetta, we had Barolo from all the famous crus and all the famous producers (wine estates) of Barolo. And we had multi year verticals of these crus. A vertical is when you have 3 or more different vintages of top end quality wine, such as, Barolo, Brunello, Barbaresco, Amarone, Taurasi, varios Super Tuscans, and other high-quality Italian Wines, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and other respected wines of the world. We specialized in Italian Wine, but we also had verticals of famous California wines like, Opus 1 , Insignia, Grigich Hills Cabernet and other famous California wines. We also had  a great selection of vintage Champagne.

It was a wonderful job, being the Wine Director of Barbetta with all the great wines in the cellar, I was able to get at least a little taste of many famous older vintage: Barolo's, Barbaresco, Amarone, Champagne, and other wines. Being able to do so, broadens your understanding, knowledge, experience, personal education wine. I was quite lucky to be in the position, but I earned it through years of study and hard work. Working for myself, employers, and work doing my own personal studies of the wine, through many tasting, reading, traveling to vineyards all over Italy, and by whatever other means available to me.

Fast forward. It's the year 2020, one of the worst years in American History. A horrible year fro us, and practically everyone around the World. The whole of the United States of America and practically every country around the World has been struck by a Pandemic caused by the Covid19 Virus that began in China, and rapidly spread around the World as a result of the Chinese Government keeping it a secret and not informing the rest of the World about the virus, that started in a wet market in Wuhan China. President Trump calls it the Chinese Virus.

Anyway this horrible virus spreads fast among the population, some people become very sick from it and many die. Many people in Italy died from Covid19. Italy was one of the first countries after China hardest hit by the Corona Virus. The New York, my home town was hard hit by it, but after about 3 months we got it under control. Sadly almost 24,000 people died in New York City alone from the Corona Virus. Very sad. New York, America and the World has been crippled by this horrible virus. As a result of the Pandemic, the economy of the city, New York State,a and America, and the World has been crippled. Almost instantly 12 million people in America became unemployed.  We have to wear mask, social distance, restaurant and many businesses have been closed and shut down due to the virus.

So we have to social distance, restaurants have been closed, business is way down, people are losing money and many businesses have gone bankrupt because of the pandemic. The World has changed drastically, what you can and can not do, due to the virus. As a result, something that I have done for more than 20 years and enjoyed immensely, all the big portfolio Italian Wine Tastings helf by all the big players in Italian Wine in New York, and are held every year in September, obviously this year they have all been cancelled. So many thing have been cancell. So many things have changed. Some things will disappeared and likely never come back again, or if they do, not for 2 to 3 years or so. It's all so sad.

To be continued ...

With Leonardo Locassio and Marilisa Allegrini

..

With the Great Vittorio Fiore

One of ITALY'S Greatest Winemakers

With My Good Friend 

FRANCESCA PLANETA

Me and The MARCHESE FERDINADO FRESCOBALDI

A man I like to call the "MICKEY MANTLE of ITALIAN WINE"

Jose Rallo

Of Donnafugata Wines

Marsala, Sicily

With my Pal PIETRO CAVALLO

Roberto and Vittorio Fiore

with a bottle of their Il CARBONAIONE

With my pal CAVELIER LUIGI CAPPELLINI

Owner of CATELLO VERRAZZANO

Greve in CHIANTI CLASSICO

Luigi makes my Favorite CHIANTI of All

When I was the WINE DIRECTOR at BAR STUZZICHINI

NEW YORK, NY

With some of my BEST FRIENDS WINES

CAMPACCIO from my pal ROBERT GUNDELER 

at TERRABIANCA

"MILLE Una NOTTE" from Antonio Rallo

at DONNAFUGATA

NARBI BRUNELLO from Serena Columbini

RONCEO del MELE SAUVIGNON BLANC

from GIANNI VENICA

COLLIO in FRIULI

"I Love this Guy" !

Hanging with my pal ITALO STUPINO

"He makes the Worlds Best Barbaresco"

Much Better than GAJA !

Me and The Count

One of my Favorite CHIANTI Wines

VILLA CALCINAIA

GREVE

From my friends Nicola and Sebastiano Capponi

The CONTI CAPONE

Marchese Piero Antinor 

with New York Writer Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

MARCHESE FERDINANDO FRESCOBALDI 

meets  with Friend DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE 

at BRUNELLO EVENT

 

in NEW YORK

Count Francesco Muroni Cinzano (R) 

Propietor of Col D'ORCIA

Meets with DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

in NEW YORK

Gianpaoulo Motta 

& Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

at Bottega del Vino, Verona Italy

During VINITALY 2003

Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata

with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

SUNDAY SAUCE

AMAZON.com

Hanging with Sebastiano Rosa

At The WINE SPECTATOR GRAND TASTING

NEW YORK

"We're drinking some Cheval Blanc"

Winemaker of Sassicaia & Punica Wines SEBASTIANO ROSA

with Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke and Roberta Morrel of Morrel WInes

Get Toegther for a lillte Wine and Chat at Kobrand Italian Portfolio Tasting

at The Bowery Hotel, New York, New York

Alberto Chiarlo with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Alberto Chiarlo the proprietor of Michele Chiarlo  Wines 

of Piedmonte got together for a tasting of Alberto's latest vingtages

of wine, including Barbera Le Orme, Barolo Tortoniano 2010,

Michele Chairlo Barbaresco 2011, Barolo Cerequio 2010,

and Barolo Canubi Michele Chairlo 2007 & 2001 Vintgaes ..

Daniel said the whole line-up of wines was absolutely Amazing! 
everything was in perfect balance, full of flavor and a joy to drink.

Emelia Nardi with Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Tasting some Great Brunello 

and Rosso di Montalcino

The 1999 Il PARETO From Nozzole Was ROCKING !!!

I normally don't go crazy for non-native Italian Varietals when drinking Italian Wine. That said, I absolutely loved the 1999 Vintage of Tenuta Nozzole's "Il PARETO" a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based wine that was amazing. It was full of flavor,perfecting and a absolute Joy to Drink. I loved It!

The WINES From MASI Where Also AMAZING !!!

Masi Agricola

I loved all of the Amarone 's that Masi was showing at the Italian Portfolio Tasting ..

The were showing Amarone Mazano 2007 which was really nic and heavy on the prune flavors.

The 2007 Amarone Campolong was awesome as was the Amarone Costera 2009 ..

My favorite Amarone of the day was Seregho Aligheri 2008 which is one of the few wines in the world aged in large Cherry Wood Cask .. The wine was AMAZING !!!

Giovanni Manetti

FONTODI

Greve, Italy

 

In The Cellars of FATTORIA BARBI

MONTALCINO, ITALY

2001

"BRUNELLO"

.

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Amazon.com

Sunday Sauce with Sinatra - Recipe

FRANK SINATRA

COME FLY WITH ME



SUNDAY SAUCE and SINATRA

RECIPE

It's an old tradition in my family, that most Sunday the Bellino Family gathers together and we eat Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy. The whole family gets together and Grandma House, or Aunt Helen's, but mostly at Aunt Fran's House in Lodi, New Jersey. It's a wonderful all day affair, starting with a little antipasto, followed by the star of the show, Sunday Sauce. Aunt Fran or Aunt Helen usually make the Sauce (Gravy), which is the most supreme dish of all. It's a long simmered tomato sauce laden with special meat treats, that include: Sausages, Meatballs, and Braciole. We eat it with short maccheroni, usually rigatoni. "It's the Best Thing ever," we all just love it, and who wouldn't, it's so damn tasty, it is.

After the Sunday Sauce, it's on to dessert and coffee, which is a 3 or 4 hour affair, as the grownups sit around the table drinking Espresso (with Anisette) and eating all the tasty desserts that's made of a whole array of sweet treats, like: Aunt Fran's Ricotta Cookies, Cannoli, Sfogliatelle, and whatever sweets that other visitors might bring. And there's a whole lot of talking about this that and every other thing: sports, politics, gossip and what not, all as Frank Sinatra records play softly in the background. Always. Aunt Wanda loves Jerry Vale, and Dino has his turn too. Those were warm and wonderful days spent with loved ones, and sadly all of the older generation is gone, and we miss them dearly. But me, I think of them often, and especially when it comes to Sundays, eating all day long, cahtting and having fun, eating maccheroni, sausage, Meatballs, and Braciole, listening to Sinatra, and loving it all. My cousins Joe, Tony, and I keep it going. We try to organize as many get-together s as we can, always centered around food, whatever it may be: fresh fish, pasta, Steak, and our all-time favorite Sunday Sauce. And don't forget Sinatra, Francis Albert that is. Or just simply Frank. 

Basta !

LEARN HOW to MAKE

SUNDAY SAUCE alla SINATRA

RECIPE

Frank Sinatra

The SUMMER WIND

A Pot of SUNDAY SAUCE

"GRAVY"

RECIPES

FRANK and FRIENDS

At GILLY'S

NEW YORK

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Chianti Brunello Italian Wine

   

TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE

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A Scene in TUSCANY

Toscano

Tuscany

Girasole

A FIELD of SUNFLOWERS in TUSCANY

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

DANNY BOLOGNESE

A Bridge

Tuscan CountrySide

Vines of Castel Verrazano

Greve in Chianti

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Castello Verrazzano

Greve, ITALY

Italian Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino "Z"

with good friend CAVELIERE LUIGI CAPPELLINI

the owner of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

Greve ITALY

The CELLARS

CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

"There's a lot of Tasty CHIANTI in those BARRELS" !!!

Large Slovenian Oak Cask in the Cellars of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

My Favorite BRUNELLO of ALL

BRUNELLO Di MONTALCINO FATTORIA Dei BARBI

In the Cellars of FATTERIA Dei BARBI

"Drink some Brunello" !!!

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

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