Monday, February 17, 2025

Cucuzza Sicilian Soup Recipe Sicily

 





ZUPPA di CUCUZZA SICILIANA









MINESTRA di CUCUZZA



ZUPPA di CUCUZZA

RECIETTE SICILIANA

SICILIA







SICILIAN RECIPES



NONNA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

RECIPES From MY SICILIAN NONNA




Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Read about Venice - La Tavola by Bellino





La TAVOLA

Daniel Bellino Zwicke





La TAVOLA



You  can read about the magical city of Venice in a multitude of books both fiction and non-fiction. And this is quite a wonderful thing to do whether you have wandered the maze of alley-ways, Fondamentas (walk-ways along a Canal), portegos, Canals, over this Bridge or that, or not. If you've been to Venice, you read and it brings you back. If you've never been to La Serinisema and dream to be in the enchanted city one day, reading about Venice helps to fuel you cherished dreams, and Venice is if anything a "Dream City" filled with enchantment at every turn.

La Tavola by Italian-American New Yorker Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is not about Venice per say, but Venice is in there, as is New York, a most Italian City, Rome, Tuscany, Chianti Classic, Garda, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily. La Tavola is a wonderful book that is so much. It's Italy, it's Italian-America. It's Italian-American New York. It's Wonderful.

La Tavola is manily about Italian-American New Yorkers and their adventures of kitchen and Table "La Tavola." La Tavola is of food, Italian and Italian-American food. It is of Italy, the people, the food, the places (Venice, Rome, Vineyards, Churches, Salumerias, Market The Rialto and more ..), vineyards, Wine Estates, islands, everything. 

Italy is never ending. The author Daniel Bellino in telling a story of Italian-America, Italian Americans and Itlian New Yorkers, tells a story of Italian American Food, which is Italian-Food with variations here and there. La Tavola tells a stories of Italian-Americans and their food, the ways of cooking and "all that is tied together with it." Italian American Food, people and the rituals starts in Italy and cross the Atlantic Ocean to America. Italian American immigrants keep most of their ways. But it's impossible for everything to be exactly the same. Different geographic locations have their influences. This is how Italian-American Cuisine came to be. It's Italian Cuisine with slight modifications here and there.

Yes there is quite  a lot in la Tavola. It is of food, Italian Food and of people, Italian and Italian-American like the great Frank Sinatra who is woven into the stories. As is Venice, the enchanted city on the Adriatic. Venice is in there and is within a wonderful chapter on Italian Wine.
La Tavola? It's got Sunday Sauce, Meatballs, Braciole, Veal Parms, New York, Salumerias, pork Stores, Italian Restaurants and Caffes, Italian Wine, Rome, Venice, and SInatra. "It's all in there."










"SOPHIA & JAYNE"

SOPHIA LOREN

with JAYNE MANSFIELD

ROMANOFF'S













Monday, February 3, 2025

On Italian Wine Tips

 



NEW YORK ITALIAN WINE GUY

Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE






SEBASTIAN MESSINGER

On ITALIAN WINE

3 SPECIAL TIPS








Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

A WINE BAR iN VENICE

With Cousin JOE MACARI - MACARI VINEYARDS




Saturday, February 1, 2025

Homemade Pizza in ISCHIA





MAKING PIZZA

BARTOLA & GIOCONDA

In ISCHIA

With VEGETABLES from Their GARDEN

TOMATO, EGGPLANT, GARLIC, BASIL, & ONIONS






GIOCONDA'S Homemade TOMATO PASSATA







BARTOLA & GIOCONDA Make PIZZA

On The ISLE of ISCHIA

ITALY









READY to GO !!!

Into The OVEN







MAKE PIZZA at HOME !!!



POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

PASTA - FISH - SOUPS

And More ....








HOMEMADE PIZZA

ISCHIA




Monday, January 6, 2025

Chianti Primer

 



CHAINTI

OLD VINTAGES From My FRIENDS

SEBASTIANO CAPPONI - VILLA CALCINAIA CHIANTI 1969

LUIGI CAPPELLINI - CASTEL VERRAZZANO CHAINTI 1969




IL BAND dei VINI di COSIMO III


The Grand Duke Cosimo Medici III proclaims a decree to define the zone where wine could be produced in the Chianti Region of Tuscany in The Year 1716 on September 24th of the year. This edict can be rightfully considered as the World's 1st Territorial Designation of wine, anywhere in the World, and setting forth Quality Controls and Guarantees of Quality to the consumer of these wines. 

This was the announcement of the "Declaration of The Borders off the Four Regions of Chianti : Domino, Rufina, Carmignano, and Val di Arne di Sopra, in which the boundaries of the areas within which which the aforementioned wines could be produced were specified. 

This provision establishes the fundamental principal of each subsequent Protected & Controlled Designation of Origin, that is, the essential correspondence between a denomination and the production territory.

It must be said that the Grand Duke, two months earlier on July 18, 1716 had issued a proclamation establishing a Congregation that would would have to control the wines "Which are Committed to Sailing" that is suitable to travelling by Sea, always Carmignano, Domino, Rufina, and Chianti Val di Arno di Sopra.

The Congregation had to ensure that the wines were not tampered with or adulterated during the journey, as they were considered important for the "Decorum of The Nation" (the nation being Florence). 

In practice, Cosimo III created the historical precursors of the current Consortia. The Congregations had in fact the purpose of checking that the production standards required to obtain the denomination, established in the same provision, were respected. The decree establishing the Supervisory Congregations can therefore be considered by right, together with territorial delimitations notice, the first true production specifications in history. 

to conclude the discussion on the first DOC in history, we must remember that, in memory and pride of this right of primogeniture over all other denominations in the World, however prestigious, the "Coat of Arms" of Chianti Classico, featuring the traditional Black Rooster bears the words "Since 1716". For everlasting memory.








Consorzio Chianti Classico Nowadays


So, at over 300 years old, today’s production of Chianti Classico DOCG still contains minimum 80% Sangiovese along with maximum 20% native grapes –Canaiolo, Colorino– or international varieties –Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. The denomination is limited exclusively to roughly 180, 000 acres at the very heart of Tuscany covering 4 entire municipalities – Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti; and parts of five other municipal territories –  Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.


To this day, the Consorzio Chianti Classico, the association counting over 180 wine estates and nearly 700 DOCg wines – some 96% of production– continues to protect and promote the territory’s iconic wines and culture. Two ways they have revamped Chianti Classico’s image and helped boost sales are through showcases like the trendy Enoteca in the Mercato Centrale, just steps from Florence’s Duomo, or Cathedral, and the Casa Chianti Classico, in the converted Franciscan Monastery of Santa Maria del Prato at Radda in Chianti near Siena, with its charming restaurant, museum, conference facilities and wine shop.


Chianti Classico embraces a huge variety of estates and exceptional quality wines with major players like Antinori, Barone Ricasoli, Banfi,  Cecchi, Rocca delle Macìe, Ruffino to name a few, meaning the sky really is the limit here. But let’s look now at three perhaps less well-known wines with a few common features. All three of these Chianti Classico DOCG reds hail from small boutique wineries, and received top ratings for their 2013 Riserva or Gran Selezione.







GALLO NERO




STORY of The BLACK ROOSTER



Throughout Tuscany wine bottles and many a restaurant feature a black rooster, the famed 'Gallo nero', a marketing logo with a history that stretches back to the Middle Ages.

Legend has it that the Black Rooster, initially signifying the whole of the Chianti and now indicating the Chianti Classico region, was chosen for the following reason: 

In the Middle Ages when Siena and Florence were fierce rivals and wished to locate the boundary between them, it was decided that two knights would set out on horseback from their respective hometowns at cockcrow and where they met would be the boundary. 


BLACK vs. WHITE


The Sienese chose a beautiful white rooster, raised sleek and fat with the idea that it would loudly wake their knight at dawn; the Florentines, on the other hand, provided their knight with an underfed black rooster. On the day of the race, the black rooster was so hungry he began to crow even before sunrise, causing the knight to set out much earlier than his counterpart, whom he met at Fonterutoli, near Castellina in Chianti – a mere 12 km fron Siena. In this way, almost all of the Chianti was under the role of the Florentine Republic and the black rooster much celebrated.







CHIANTI CLASSICO - MAP


Wines labelled “Chianti” can come from a vast region within Tuscany, from the foothills of the Appenines to the flatter plains. For some of the best expressions of Sangiovese, you need to look into higher elevations. 

The original boundaries of Chianti, where wines are made in smaller quantities and of higher quality, come from Chianti Classico DOCG. These wines tend to age well. The best wines from Chianti Classico will be labelled as Riserva or Gran Selezione.

Within the larger DOCG of Chianti there are seven sub-zones:

  • Colli Senesi
  • Colline Pisane
  • Colli Aretini
  • Montalbano
  • Montespertoli
  • Rufina
  • Colli Fiorentini





GOING to The AMA




POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE















WHAT is CHAINTI ???


The main grape used in Chianti is Sangiovese. It is a thin-skinned variety and, therefore, makes pale-colored wines.

In the glass, Sangiovese is ruby red with flashes of bright burnt orange — a hue commonly associated with aged wines.

Besides Sangiovese, Chianti wines may contain wine grapes like Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even Merlot. White grapes were once allowed in Chianti Classico, but not anymore.

The best example of Chianti is a visceral tasting experience. Imagine the smells as you walk through an Italian grocery store: at the entrance, there’s a bowl of preserved sour Amarena cherries. You walk under bunches of dried oregano, past a wall of dark, aromatic balsamic vinegar, and then pass a counter where dry salami is being sliced. At the bar, dark espresso drips into a ceramic tazza. A whisper of sweet tobacco wafts in the door from an old man’s pipe outside.

Chianti smells and tastes like Italy. There will be a little coarseness and tartness on the palate, but these aren’t flaws; they are classic characteristics of Sangiovese.





Aging & Classifications of Chianti

As Sangiovese (Chianti’s main grape) grows, it becomes savory, loses color, and softens its tannins. But only the best wines can age over a long period of time. Here are some labelling terms that you might see on either Chianti or Chianti Classico wines.

  • Chianti: Aged for 6 months. Young, simple, tart, and fresh.
  • Superiore: Aged for a year. Slightly bolder wines with smoother tannin.
  • Riserva: Aged for 2 years. Usually, the top wines of a Chianti producer. These will normally have some oak aromas, such as vanilla or spice.
  • Gran Selezione: Aged for at least 2.5 years (only found in Chianti Classico). Some of the most sought after wines in Tuscany with intense tannins, flavors, and aromas ranging from dried cherry, smoke, balsamic, and leather aromas.



Sunday, January 5, 2025

Secret Recipe Ragu Bolognese

 




PASTA with RAGU BOLOGNESE







MAKING RAGU BOLOGNESE










The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

FAMOUS SECRET RECIPE

VOTED BEST BOLOGNESE in AMERICA







Friday, January 3, 2025

Arigo Cipriani Harrys Bar Venice

 





ARIGO CIPRIANI

HARRY'S BAR

VENICE









ARIGO CIPRIANI on HARRY'S BAR

VENICE







HARRY'S BAR









HARRY'S BAR

VENICE








ARIGO CIPRIANI

Interview in ITALIAN









POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

CAPRI NAPLES RAVELLO & ISCHIA

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK











Amarone Bertani

 




"BERTANI"

AMARONE della VALPOLICELLA








A Day at BERTANI


Bottega del Vino Verona

 



Inside BOTTEGA del VINO

VERONA









LUCA DUSI

At BOTTEGA del VINO






At The BOTTEGA del VINO

VERNONA, ITALY

With FRANK PRISINZANO


Soave

 




SOAVE - The TOWN








SOAVE - VALPOLICELLA TOUR




SOAVE - The Region

Soave wine producing area lies on the eastern end of Verona province, on the foothills of the Lessini mountains. It comprehends the valleys of : Mezzane, Illasi, Tramigna (with the meddle-age village of Soave) and Alpone.

The whole region is divided into 3 sub-zones.

The Classica area is the historical wine region and it comprehends the hillside vineyards around the 2 villages of Soave and Monteforte. The soil in the Soave region is very complex and it changes completely in few meters of distance. However in the Classic area, is mainly volcanic soil, “tovo” is the dialect name. In fact the black, basaltic stones are well visible in many vineyards and they give to Soave Classico wine the signature mineral note.

The Colli scaligeri sub-zone surrounds the northern part of area Classica, with a horseshoe-shape. The vineyards are planted in hillside and the terrain is a mix of limestone and volcanic soil. Soave Colli scaligeri is another high quality wine, intense and mineral.

Soave DOC covers the south valley floors and the wines produced here are lighter and less intense than those of the hilly parts. 


The GRAPES


Soave wine is made with Garganega grape, a white indigenous variety, which constitutes at least the 70% of the blend. However  it is not unusual to find Soave wine made with 100% of Garganega. It is an ancient local variety, with a big, pyramidal bunch. It’s a late-ripening grape (end of September) and it gives to Soave wine the signature flavours of white flowers and almonds.

By law, also Trebbiano di Soave (Ugni Blanc) with an high acidity or the international variety of Chardonnay can be part of the Soave blend.


The WINES


Soave DOC has been for many years the most exported white Italian wine and still today is among the most famous Italians whites. It’s a fresh white wine with straw yellow color, light bodied, delicate aromas of elderflower and the slightly bitter after-taste of almond. The Classic version is more complex and can be aged a couple of years more.

Soave Superore DOCG is the highest quality dry wine of the region. The grapes are cultivated at lower yields, only in the hillside vineyards. Soave Superiore has to have minimum 12% vol. of alcohol and it is matured some months before the release for consumption. The color is more golden and aromas are deeper and more intense.

Recioto di Soave DOCG is the most ancient wine of the region. In fact this wine is mentioned in some Romans written records with the name “White Acinatico”. It is a sweet, dessert wine typically paired with Italian almond cookies (Cantucci) or dry pastries. The name Recioto comes from the dialect word “Recie”, which means “ears”, the most external part of the bunch. Traditionally only this parts were selected to make Recioto because better exposed to the sun and, as a result, richer in sugars content. The harvest still today is manual in order to selecet the best bunches. Then the grapes undergoe the so called “appassimento”. This means that they dries from 4 to 6 months stored in a wide and well aired winery room called “fruttaio” . Recioto is a golden nectar with a complex bouquet with notes of honey, dried apricots, ginger and vanilla.





MAP of SOAVE VINEYARDS




The Village of SOAVE


Soave is not only the wine but also the name of the main village of the region. It’s a middle-age hamlet, which worths a visit. In Italian the name “Soave” means “delicate”, “gentle” but despite what one thinks, it doesn’t come from the features of its wines. Instead it derives from “Svevi”, a German population who settled down in the valley after the fall of the Roman Empire, in 476 a.D. However the first inhabitants were the Romans and it is not uncommon for the local farmers, to find remains of the Romans presence, working their fields.

Today, Soave has a medieval aspect, completely surrounded by 2 km of well preserve city walls, with 24 towers and the imposing Scaliger castle on the top. A stroll through its peaceful roads where the time seems to have stopped or a visit at the castle can be included in the tour. 







READ ABOUT VERONA

And WINE REGIONS of GARDA



La TAVOLA

ITALIAN-AMERICAN NEW YORKERS

ADVENTURES of The TABLE

NEW YORK & ITALY TOO

As Told by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE








 


POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

NAPLES CAPRI & ISCHIA TOO

With 100 REGIONAL RECIPES









SOAVE INAMA