Showing posts with label PASTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PASTA. Show all posts

Thursday, June 12, 2025

The Worlds Tastiest Pasta

BolognesePICIiiRECCIPE


PICI BOLOGNESE

And The WORLDS BEST EVER RAGU BOLOGNESE RECIPE

by DANNY BOLGONESE

aka Daniel Bellino Zwicke

RECIPE  in The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

 

It's The #BestTHINGever !!!



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BOLOGNESEraguBOOK

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

And The WORLDS BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE

by Danny Bolognese

AMAZON.com



     The Best Things in Life are Free ... It's a great old saying. A wonderful old song was evven written on the sbject. The song The BEST THINGS in LIFE are FREE starts out with the lines "The Moon Belongs to Everyone. The Best Things in Life are Free." The song mentions "Flowers in Spring," "Robins that Sing," and "The Sunbeams that Shine." They don't mention Bolgonese Sauce, though they easily could, for it is without question, one the Best Things in life, and it certainly is one of "The Best Things Ever." No doubt. And it can even be free, and if not free, and if you are making it, and paying for the ingredients to make it, it may not be free, but it's dam near it, costing a measly .95 Cents to serve a portion of it. Bolognese the taste is so devine, almost orgasmic, "seriously, it is." It's that good. The taste of properly made Ragu Bolognese, dressing whatever pasta you choose; Spaghetti, Tagiatelle, Rigatoni, whatever, a proper made Ragu Bolognese is one of the most devine dishes imaginable. The great Marcell Hazan said of it, "There is no more perfect union in all Gastronomy than the marriage of Ragu Bolognese and homemade Bolognese tagliatelle." Well I couldn't agree more with Marcella, except that, though homemade tagliatelle is absolutely wonderful, it is not absolutely essential for the great dish of Pasta w/ Ragu Bolognese, they very most improtant element is that you have a perfectly made Ragu Bolognese, the thing that will give the dish 90% of its unmatchable sinfully luscious flavor. The Pasta and the grated Parmigiano Reggaino are great, but "it's all about the Bolognese (Sauce)."

There are many great dishes in the World, and of many different international cuisines, but nothing quite like a well made "Ragu Bolognes," trust me. I love a great Bouf Bourgonnone, Coq au Vin, Foe Gras, Vietnamese PHO, lush American BBQ Ribs, the perfect Hamburger, a juicy Prime New York CUt Sirloin Steak, Tandoori Chicken, a NY Pastrami Sandwich, Belgian Chocolate, perfectly Roast Chicken, I could go on and on, I love these dishes and a couple hundred more, but there is no dish that I love more than a properly made Bolognese, and no Bolognese Sauce that is better than mine, "None," not Marcella's, not anywhere in Bologna, Italy, nor anywhere in all of Emelia Romagna the region it comes from. I know it may sound pompous and egotistical for me to brag about my Bolgonese as I do, and I know people would call me insane, for me to think that of all the great Italian Chefs all over Italy and especially in Emeia Romagan, that I would have the nerve to think that I make "The Worlds Best Bolognese," but it's TRUE, "I do!" I make without a doubt, the single Best Ragu Bolognese in the entire World. Yes it may sound absurd, but absurd it's not. Just ask the some four or five-hundred people who've had it, they'll all confirm the fact that the worlds single best tasting most perfect Bolognese Sauce is made by none other than Italian-American Italian-Cookbook Author (formerChef) Daniel Bellino Zwicke of Greenwich Village, New York.

I was taught the recipe of this the Worlds Greatest Bolognese when I was a cook at the now defunct Caio Bella Restaurant, up on Thrid Avenue at 75th Street in New York back in 1987 by Chef Pasquale, sorry I can't remember his last name. Anyway, Chef Pasquale was from Brindisi Italy, a city in the South of Italy in the region of Puglia. Pasquale started working in kitchens in Brindisi where he first honed his craft. He later went on to work in kitchens in Milan, Bologna, Parma, London, and Tokyo, Japan before moving to New York and becoming the Head Chef at the restaurant Mezzaluna, the 1st restaurant to make and serve real Italian Pizza made in a wood-burning Pizza Oven in New York and in the United States. The restaurant was a big hit, and a couple of the waiters at the restaurant, a guy named Rocco and my ex-boss Enrico Proetti wanted to go out on their own and open their own restaurant, and so they did. They got togehter with a wealthy older Italian man "Fred" who became their partner and put up all the cash to open the restuarant up the street, called Caio Bella. Caio Bella was a big success, and a quick one at that, and it was soon one of the hottest restaurant of the day, back in 1987 when I went in looking for a job. I met Pasquale, we chatted, I told him about my background and my asperations with Italian Food. Pasquale hired me, and the rest is history. I had mostly worked in French Restaurants before that, and I'd gone to New York Technical College in Brooklyn where they taught Classical French Cusisine, which is the food I wanted to cook when I first got started. Yes I first wanted to cook French. But after I made my first trip to my ancestral home of Italy in the Summer of 1985, I caught the bug, and from then on, i wanted to cook authentic Italian Food. I soaked up and learn all I could of true Italian Food, made the Italian way, and I don't mean Italian-American, but by Italians. So I decided I needed to get a job at a great Italian Restaurant in New York that had a great Italian Chef from Italy. I went to Sandro's and Arqua first, and they both offered me jobs, but when I went up to Caio Bella and Chef Pasquale hired me as a line-cook, I decided to take the job at Caio Bella.

Pasquale was a great teacher, and he showed me personally how to make all the dishes on the menu, including his great recipe for Ragu Bolognese. I made it just the way Pasquale showed me how to make it, and from then on, I was the person at Caio Bella who always made the Ragu Bolognese. Pasquale liked the way I made it, exactly the way he showed me, and that was that. And I've always made my Bolognese just like that. No matter what others may tell you, every Bolognese is at least a little different from all others, and so was Pasquale's which latter became mine, and ever since I've made it at Caio Bella in 1987, I've never tasted one quite like mine, which as you know by now, is "The Worlds Best Ragu Bolonese Ever." No Brag, Just Fact as Walter Brennan used to say in his Cowboy TV Show back in the 60s.

In 1998 I finally acheived my dream of opening my own restaurant. I opened up what turned out to be the 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in the United States of America in Bar Cichetti. I was the Chef / Wine Director and managing partner of Bar Cichetti. I received numerous accolades from the New York Times, Time Out Magazine, New York Magazine and other publications, including my favorite one of all, a 5 page spread about me and my restaurant Bar Cichetti, and my favvorite line of all from The Journal of Italian Food Wine & Travel Magazine which saide, "Daniel (Bellino Zwicke0 makes the Best Ragu Bolognese in America." Yes they said that, I couldn't agree with them more.



  Thanks, Daniel    


      



  THE BEST THINGS in LIFE are FREE  - LYRICS The moon belongs to everyone The best things in life are free The stars belong to everyone They gleam there for you and me The flowers in spring The robins that sing The sunbeams that shine They're yours, and they're mine love can come to everyone The best things in life are free The moon belongs to everyone The best things in life are free The stars belong to everyone They gleam there for you and me The flowers in spring The robins that sing The sunbeams that shine They're yours, and they're mine love can come to everyone The best things in life are free The moon belongs to everyone The best things in life are free The stars belong to everyone They gleam there for you and me The flowers in spring The robins that sing The sunbeams that shine They're yours, and they're mine love can come to everyone The best things in life are free ooh... Lord... Everything... Every one of those good things The best, best things in life are free...  


 

#BestThingYouEverATE !!!









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Thursday, March 6, 2025

Ragu Napoletana with Gnocchi - Recipe

 





ANNA Serves Up Some GNOCCHI

With SMOKED PROVOLA & SALSA

The SALSA is Just The TOMATO SAUCE

From Her RAGU NAPOLETANO

She MIXES it With SMOKED PROVOLA

The MEATS in The RAGU Can Be SERVED AFTERWORDS

As The MAIN COURSE

Or SERVED The NEXT DAY or ANOTHER TIME









ANNA Makes RAGU

RAGU NAPOLETANO with Homemade GNOCCHI












NONNA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

RECIPES From MY SICILIAN NONNA

PASTA CAPONATA ARANCINI RAGU

And MUCH More ...









GOING to NAPLES ?

The AMALFI COAST ?



POSITANO The AMALFI COAST 

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

With 100 REGIONAL NEAPOLITAN RECIPES

And BEST TRAVEL INFO & TIPS

VOTED BEST AMALFI COAST GUIDE BOOK










 



ANNA'S GNOCCHI con PROVOLA

ANNA Has Made Her HOMEMADE GNOCCHI & RAGU

She will GET NUMEROUS MEALS From These DISHES

LEARN HOW to COOK NEAPOLITAN










ANNA & HER GNOCCHI

With TOMATO SAUCE & PROVOLA

SMOKED PROVOLONE CHEESE

And PECORINO TOO !








Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Sinatra Eats

 




SINATRA EATS

Frank Sinatra at GILLY'S New York

With Daughters NANCY (L) and TINA SINATRA

And FRIENDS

One of Frank's favorite spots when in New York was owned by one of his closest friends (and Bodyguard) Gilly Rizzo .. Jilly's served Chinese Food and Franks's favorite was their Chicken Chowmein .. 

Frank threw many parties there, eating, drinking, telling stories and what-not.





Frank Sinatra Out on The Town

With ED SULLIVAN and Other Friends




The SINATRA COOKBOOK



NONNA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

aka The SINATRA COOKBOOK

LERCARA FRIDDI - SICILY






FRANK MARTY DOLLY & DANNY


Frank Sinatra's father was born and raised in the town of Lercara Friddi, Sicily, about 45 minutes south of the Sicilian capital of Palermo. Frank's father Saverio Martino Sinatra immigrated to New York City with his mother in 1903. His father FRancesco Sinatra was already living there and working in a pencil factory. 

Frank Sinatra's mother Dortea (Dolly) Gravante was born in Lumarzo, Italy, a small town near Genoa. She was born the day after Christmas, December 1897. Her family immigrated to America when she was just and infant. 

Dolly and Marty Senatra met and married in 1913. There only child Frank Sinatra was born December 12, 1915. The rest is history.

Of Frank Sinatra's two parents Dolly and Martino, they both cooked, but Marty was the better cook of the two, and often cooked dinner for his wife and child, and himself. Martino learned to cook from his mother and aunts who were all Sicilian, and Martino cooked most Sicilian dishes like, Caponata, Pasta con Sarde, and Baked Ziti with Meatballs.

Italian-American author Daniel Bellino Z's maternal grandparents, Giuseppina Salemi and Fillipo Bellino were both born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, the same town that Frank Sinatra's father comes from. The women in Danie's family were wonderful cooks, including Daniel's Aunt Fran, Wanda, and Aunt Helen, an his mother's mother Giuseppina, the woman named in his cookbook 
Granma Bellino's Italian Cookbook, "Recipes from My Sicilian Nonna" This cookbook is the closest we get to a Frank Sinatra Cookbook, and so some people have refered to it 


To Cook and Eat like Frank Sinatra, Grandma Bellino's Italian Cookbook is the closest cookbook that comes clost to the recipes of dishes that Frank Sinatra ate, growing up in Hoboken, New Jersey. It's available on Amazon.com ...








MARTINO & DOLLY SINATRA

WEDDING DAY

1913





DOLLY FRANK & MARTINO SINATRA

Hoboken, New Jersey





FRANK & DOLLY SINATRA





The SINATRAS

At GILLYS

NEW YORK




     

                Frank Sinatra, both the greatest singer and greatest entertainer of the 20th Century. No question. Sinatra was a legendary icon whose star still shines bright. He was a musical icon, celebrity, international personality, and to millions of Italian-Americans he was our own, a paisan. Frank was an Italian-American whose ancestry is from Genoa on his mother's side of the family and Sicilian on his father's side. And being Italian, Frank loved the food he grew up with, Dolly made a mean Marianara Sauce as well as Meatballs and the all-time Italian-American favorite Sunday Sauce (aka Gravy). Frank loved the food of his childhood; the Spaghetti & Meatballs, Stuffed Artichokes, Pasta Fazool, Frittata, Eggplant Parmigiana and all the usual suspects of the Italian-American table. It's a well known fact that Frank's favorite restaurant was Patsy's on 56th Street in New York ... When Frank went to Patsy's his favorite dishes were Calms Posillipo and Veal Milanese with a nice plate of Spaghetti Pomodoro in-between, and maybe a slice of Cheesecake to finish if Frank was in the mood.






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FRANK and AVA

"MANGIA BENE"




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FRANK'S FAVORITE RESTAURANT

Patsy's 56th Street, NEW YORK, NY




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VEAL MILANESE and CLAMS POSILLIPO .. Two of FRANK'S Favorites



Screen Shot 2015-11-11 at 6.34.01 PM


CLAMS POSILLIPO

"One of FRANK'S FAVORITES" !





SICILIAN FOOD RECIPES

FROM LERCARA FRIDDI

The SAME TOWN as The SINATRA FAMILY

SICILY




GRANDMA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

The CLOSEST THING to a SINATRA  COOKBOOK

With RECIPES FROM SINATRA'S HOME TOWN in SICILY

SOUPS - PASTA _ EGGPLANT - ARTICHOKES & MORE

All of FRANK SINATRA'S FAVORITE ITALIAN FOODS







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Frank tosses the Spaghetti





Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.51.49 PM

     
Dean Martin with Frank as Sammy Davis Jr pours Frank a Jack Daniels






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Frank Sinatra dines with Marylyn Monroe





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Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.51.33 PM


Frank Sinatra with Lauren Bacall at 21 Club , NEW YORK




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Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.57.21 PM

Gnocchi Pomodoro

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Screen Shot 2015-11-11 at 6.16.12 PM


Frank Sinatra 's Egg Sandwiches



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Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 8.53.15 PM

Frank Eats a Donut




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GINO'S on Lexington Avenue was a Sinatra favorite ..



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A waiter and the famed Zebra Wallpaper of Gino's ..

GINO'S "SECRTE SAUCE" SALSA SEGRETO








PJ CLARKE'S

One of Frank's favorite Bars 

PJ CLARKES - Fine Art Print

16ea5-screen2bshot2b2015-10-032bat2b10-47-012bpm


Learn How to Make SUNDAY SAUCE alla SINATRA

And SPAGHETTI MEATBALLS alla SINATRA

Recipes in SUNDAY SAUCE by Daniel Bellino





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SPAGHETTI & METBALLS

alla SINATRA


RECIPE






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VISITING NEW YORK NEW YORK

ANYWHERE WORLDWIDE




FLIGHTS & HOTELS

WORLDWIDE







.

Monday, April 24, 2023

I LOVE This BOOK

 



SUNDAY SAUCE







Cutomer Reviews






I loved this book. I grew up in a town that was a little United Nations of nationalities. The majority were Italian and some of my best friends and even married some family. Living in different parts of the country I find the food is just not the same even when they say they are from the same providences. I greatly miss the Pork Stores with its sausages hanging from the ceilings. Cases full of cheese and open barrels sitting all over the stores. You will have to read to find out what a port store is. But you will not get that wonderful aroma as you open the door of cheese, sausage, spices and all the other wonderful ingredients. Need a pick me up, enter a pork store. How could you be down with all that good smell swirling around.Making gravy was an all day event on Sunday. Saturday was for making the pasta. I had a neighbor that would allow me to help her on both days. On Sunday all the family would show up at her house for dinner after Church. It was ironic because she was not Italian, her husband was. She was considered the best cook of the family and Sundays and holidays were at her house. Make some good memories for your family and friends. These are comfort foods for me.





I’ve read a lot of cookbooks in my day, but nothing prepared me for the absolute joy that came with checking out this one. “Sunday Sauce” floored me with good humor, great recipes, and just a fun read. To even further my enjoyment, I tested out the Goodfellas Sauce alla Prigione, and was absolutely impressed. It is one of the best tasting recipes I’ve ever tasted and for that alone, you have to pick up this cookbook.

If you love real Italian cooking, this book will be the one that you want to keep around on your Kindle for a lifetime. The recipes are simple enough, and the humor and storytelling is spot on. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone that wants a bit of story, a bit of good humor, and amazing Italian food. It’s wonderful, check it out.




In PAPERBACK & KINDLE





Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Feast 7 Fish Italian Christmas Fried Baccala Cauliflower Recipe

 



Fried Baccala


When I was a little one, each year at Christmas, my grandmother would make these wonderful fried cod or cauliflower delicacies wrapped in seasoned dough! Bowls of baccala (cod fish) and cauliflower fritters would be set out on the Christmas Eve table and we would eat our fill! My little sister would eat them until she literally got sick much to the dismay of my father who would warn her of the imminent danger of her over indulgence!

What can I say; these Christmas Baccala and Cauliflower Fritters are absolutely delicious; and though I am not that big on fried foods in my normal diet, the Holidays just beg to differ! Enjoy my Christmas Baccala and Cauliflower Fritters this month at Christmas or whatever Holiday you observe; these fritters don’t discriminate, they just taste good! 





Fried Cauliflower



RECIPE 

INGREDIENTS:


In a large bowl make the batter with

1&1/2 cups organic all purpose flour 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 cup water

(Note if you need more batter, increase the flour to 2 cups and add another egg, adjust seasoning)

24 ounces grape seed oil for frying

For the Baccala 

1 lb cod fish fillets, water, salt and pepper

Boil the fillets in the seasoned water until just cooked yet firm

Drain on paper towels, break up in chunks

For the Cauliflower 

1 large head organic cauliflower, leaves trimmed, water, salt, pepper 


Boil the whole cauliflower in the water until just cooked yet firm(5-7 minutes), drain in colander, break up in large chunks.


Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium high until fry ready.


Dip the cod chunks and cauliflower chunks in the batter.


Immerse the batter coated chunks in the hot oil, fry until golden brown .


Drain fritters on paper towel.

 

If not serving immediately, the fritters can be heated in a hot oven to crisp up! 


Enjoy!






"La VIGILIA"

The FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK









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Thursday, September 8, 2022

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Worlds Best Recipe Ragu Bolognese

 




Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta

With Ragu Bolognese






HOW to MAKE TAGLIATELL PASTA

with RAGU BOLOGNESE







The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK



The RAUG BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

The WORLDS BEST RECIPE

For PASTA BOLOGNESE







Thursday, March 3, 2022

Dinner at Bar Pitti NYC

 




BAR PITTI

Joe Macari, Eddie Macari, Dakota, Tommy Macari

Chris, Terik, Michele, Daniel Bellino Zwicke



Another dinner at Bar Pitti. There have been many over the years, both lunch and dinner, it's always a good time at Bar Pitti, a restaurant that makes some of the best Italian food in New York.

Cousin Joe gave me a call on Sunday saying he wanted to have a dinner at Bar Pitti this week. A great idea, as always. So Wednesday roll around and Joe calls me, and tell me they are on their way (Joe and Tommy).
A couple hours later, they call and tell me to meet them at Houston and Macdougal. It's Ash Wednesday and I was inside Saint Anthony's Church on Sullivan Street, so I was two minutes away. So I go over to Houston and Macdougal and I see Joe inside a Black Landrover. Joe says, "Tommy's inside (Song Napule Pizza), getting a Pizza." Cool. We wait in the SUV. Tommy caomes back with a nice Pizza Margherita. We're starting the day off right.







Pizza Margherita

Song Napule Pizzeria



I've been going to Sogno Toscano for the past 3 months and posting pictures on Instagram, so Tommy and Eddie have been wanting to go there, so before our dinner at Bar Pitti, we're head over there to drink a little wine and have some Salumi. It's myself, Tommy and Joe, and Terik and Tommy's friend Dakota meet up with us a bit later. We get a nice bottle of Sardinian Vermentino. 
Tommy orders a plate of Salumi and Cheese. Joe's looking at all the food products (Tarrali, Olive Oil, Pasta and assorted Italian Food Products) on the shelves, and says, "I gotta get a bag of some of this stuff." We drink the wine. It's really good. Everyone loves the place, the vibe, the workers, the Salumi, Formaggio, and everything about the place. It's really a nice little Italian Wine Bar / Salumeria, and they are doing well. Bravo.





Sogno Toscano

Perry Street, NY NY





A Glass of CHIANTI

SOGNO TOSCANO

GREENWICH VILLAGE



We had a great time at Sogno Toscano. We finsih up and head over to Bar Pitti.






Inside BAR PITTI



We get to Bar Pitti, and are warmly welcomed by Roberto, Enzo, and the guys.
Giovanni comes over and gives us the warmest welcome imaginiable. He hasn't seen Joe, Tommy, and Eddie in a while, and we're all hugs, and happy to see one another. We chat a few minutes and Giovanni puts down two bottles of Solaia, and says, "This is for you guys," My cousin Joe, says "No, you can't do this," but Giovanni won't take no for an answer, and says, "No baby, this is on me. It's from my own personal collection." I tell you, two bottles of Solaia 2017 is quite a nice gift. Giovanni says, "You guys never let us pay for the Pizza. This is on me." And so we drink the Solaia, and it's damn good. I Love it. Waht's not to love. If you know Soalai, you know what I'm talking about.

Michele comes in, and a few minutes later, Cousin Eddie arrives. We drink the wine, and are having quite a nice time, chit-chatting, and sipping on Solaia. We take quite a little while before we order some food, but when we do, it's serious.





"A Gift From GIOVANNI"

2 Bottles SOLAIA 2017

Excellent Wine






We finally get around to ordering, and we get Eggpkant Parmigiano, Meatballs,
Sauteed Spinach, and Shrimp. It's all good, especially the Melanzane Parmigiano, which is the best in town. I really love the way they make the Eggpalnt here. It is spot on and as good as can be.

We then had a pasta course of Spagehtti Vongole (Clam Sauce), Tortelloni that were quite tasty, and an awesome plate of Paparadelle with Duck Ragu. "Outstanding."





FONTALLORO

And PAPARADELLE w/ DUCK RAGU



We order our main courses. I get the Bolito di Manza. It's boiled beef, and for those of you who do not know, it taste much better than it sounds. It's Beef Short Ribs and it's tasty and succulent. Joe got the Oxtails (Coda di Vaccinara), and iI was a lucky recipient of one of his Oxtails. Along with the Calves Liver, these two dishes (Bolito & Oxtails) are the dishes I get most, whenever I eat at Bar Pitti, a place I started going to with my ex-girlfriend Dante when the place first opened. I was one of their first customers. My girlfriend and I discovered it, ans started eating there every week. We told my friends John O', Michael, and Jorge about it, and we all started having lunch there (or Lanza's) every Saturday for lunch, befroe we all went into work at Les Halles's at night. Good times.

Well, back to our dinner last night. Everything was great. We all got to chat a lot and Michele was telling some great stories, including when her and Giovanni got married in Greve, at Vicchomaggio, an Italian Wine Estate that makes Chianti in the town of Greve.

We got some Panacotta for dessert, and Robero brought us all some Passito di Pantelleria Italian dessert wine on the house.

Yes, it was quite a nice night, and we were all happy to get together.

Basta and Ciao for now.



...... Daniele





Thursday, March 3, 2022

Daniel Bellino Zwicke









POSITANO The AMALFI  COAST

TRAVEL GUDIE / COOKBOOK









The SOPRANOS

SATRIALE'S ITALIAN PORK STORE