The NEW YORK ITALIAN FOOD & WINE GUY Blog is dedicated to many things, but mainly to three very GREAT ONES being NEW YORK, ITALIAN FOOD, and ITALIAN WINE. What's greater than these?
Most Americans may not know this, but we Italians love our Egg Dishes, and I don't mean just for Breakfast ... We Eat Eggs all the time, for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner and for a great Snack in-between meals we just Love our Egg Sandwiches. Witness Frank Sinatra who ate them all the time ...
Sicilian-American Frank Sinatra with his Sicilian-American daughters Nancy and Tina at JILLY's in NEW YORK ...
Not many would think of Italians as being big egg Eaters, but if you thought that, you’d be wrong. Italians probably eat more eggs than Americans, and they certainly have more ways to prepare them, especially in the form of the marvelous Italian Frittata. Italians eat Hard-Boiled Stuffed Egg at Wine Bars all over Italy, and they eat all kinds of Frittati mostly for lunch, but for dinner with a salad or as a late night snack as well. The fillings for Frittata are endless, with spinach, spaghetti, potato, and mushroom being most common.One famous Italian Egg dish is Uovo en Purgatorio, a dish of a couple eggs cooked in spicy tomato sauce and serve over toasted Italian Bread.But when it comes to Italian-Americans vs. our Italian brethren in Italy, Italian-Americans eat quite a bit more eggs than Italians in Italy. Where Italian-Americans beat out Italians in Italy in egg consumption is in the area of Egg Sandwiches, of which we just love and is our little secret, Italian-American Secret that is. American’s of other ethnic origins might not know of these tasty little sandwiches as we mostly eat them at home and the only Italian Egg Sandwich you are likely to see in an Italian-Deli is one of Sausage Pepper and Eggs. And you’re gonna have to go into a real heavy duty Italian neighborhood in Philly, Chicago, Brooklyn, and other parts of New York to find one, and even then you’re not gonna see many around.My favorite Egg Sandwiches are the previously mention Sausage Pepper & Egg and one my dear Aunt Helen (born in Salerno) taught me way back when. It’s a sandwich that’s not that well known and is sort of a family secret. I’ve cooked it for my friends, who have all gone nuts for it, and love it so much that since we have a good number of dinner parties, my friends asked me to top crostini with this egg sandwich filling. Oh, “So what is it,” you want to know? Well, it’s quite simple, but supremely tasty. It’s spinach sautéed with butter and olive oil then mixed in with eggs (Scrambling) and top quality grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padana Cheese. The result is amazing. One day I went over to Aunt Helen’s house to pay a visit to her and my Uncle Frank. As always Aunt Helen asked me if I wanted to eat. Well, more of an order than a question. “Heck yeah,” Aunt Helen, not what I said, but in my mind. OK, is what I said to Aunt Helen, one of the greatest Italian home-cooks this country has ever seen, her food was marvelous. Aunt Helen’s Meatballs are my all-time favorites.Anyway on this day, Aunt Helen gave me this sandwich. It was a Sandwich of Eggs scrambled with spinach and Parmigiano, and I was in Love at first bite. Dam, this sandwich was a revelation. I asked Aunt Helen how she made it, she told me and the rest is history. I made it for my friends who all went nuts for it as well, and I still make it to this very day, keeping my Aunt Helen’s memory alive, I always think of her and that day whenever I make it, Panino di Uovo e Spinaci. Yumm! You just gotta try one.
Aunt Helen's Panino di Uovo e Spinaci
So Frittata? They are quite a wonder this flat little Italian Omelette that can take on just about anything, the fillings that is. You can make them with an assortment of vegetables, with mushrooms, Spinach and Cheese, or my favorite, which I’ve never seen in Italy, I think I invented it, cause I’ve never seen anyone else make it, is Sausage & Peppers. Dam tasty.Frittata are amazingly versatile. In Italy they are most often serve thin and whole for most typically lunch, with maybe a little salad on the side. Over here, we Italian Americans like to make them thicker and cut them in to wedges to snack on, stuff in sandwiches, and bring along on a road-trip or in a picnic basket with Salami, Cheese, Bread and Wine. Now that’s a good picnic basket.
Excerpted From SUNDAY SAUCE - WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
Uovo in Purgatorio
SAUSAGE & PEPPER FRITTATAINGREDIENTS:
Olive Oil 8 Large Eggs, beaten and season with Salt & Pepper4 links Italian Sweet Sausage2 Red Bell Peppers, cleaned and cut in 1 inch strips2 medium Onions, sliced in 1” slices2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin1 bunch Italian Parsley, washed and chopped roughhalf cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana
Place sausage in a small pot and cook in low simmering water for 10 minutes.
Remove sausages from water and cut in to 1” pieces.
3. Sauté sausages in a 10” non-stick pan with Olive Oil for about 6 minutes at medium heat until all surfaces of the sausage is nicely browned.4. Remove sausage and keep on the side. Put the Bell Peppers in the same pan. Sauté over low heat for 10 minutes. Add onions and sauté for 8 minutes.5.Add Sausages back to pan and continue cooking on low heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes.6. Beat eggs in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and most of the chopped parsley, reserving some of the parsley to sprinkle over the finished Frittata.7. Turn the heat up high and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggs and cook while constantly mixing the eggs with other ingredients.8. When most of the eggs have cooked but there is still some uncooked eggs on top, take the pan off the heat. Let cool a few minutes. Take a plate that’s larger than the diameter of the pan you’re cooking in. Place the plate over the pan, then flip over so the uncooked part of the Eggs is on top of the plate.9. Add olive oil to pan and turn heat up high for 1 minute. Slide the frittata back in to the pan with the raw egg side of the frittata going in to the hot pan. Turn heat down to low and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the eggs are completely cooked through. Cut into wedges and serve hot, or put into a picnic basket or your lunch box and enjoy whenever.
Sfincione (Cristmas Pizza) is a special treat served at served at The Feast of SanGiovanni in San Giovanni Sicily on Christmas Eve, new Years, and Good Friday .. Sfincione is one of Palermo's most popular dishes along with Pane e Milza also known as Vastedda a sandiwhc made with Beef Spleen Ricotta & Caciocavallo Cheese. Sfincione is quite different from the hugely popular Neapolitan Pizza that everyone knows. Very few people know about real Scilian Pizza which is Sfincione and not the so-called Sicilian Pizza of America which like the real Sicilian Pizza Sfincione, American Sicilian Pizza is made in a pan and has a thick crust and is topped with tomato and mozzarella like Neapolitan Pizza .. Sfincione is topped with a breadcrumb topping that is made with onions sauteed with anchovies and has a little bit of grated Parmigiano in the breadcrumb mixture that is baked on top of the dough. Sficione is quite tasty and unique and if you ever have the chance to eat it, if you're in Plaermo or other parts of Sicily or in one of the few places that makes it in the States, like Ben's Pizzeria on Spring Street in Soho, New York, NY ... If you can't find it, you might want to take the task of making it yourself and it would be quite a treat to eat in you no-meat Christmas Eve Feast whether you are makeing the Christmas Eve Feast of The 7 Fish, called La Vigilia, which is the Vigil of waiting for the Birth of The Baby Jesus .. And it doesn't have to be Christmas for you to make it, in Palermo they enjoy all year roudn every day of the year where it's served in Panfico (bakeries) or on the street as one of Palermo's most popular strret foods, it's absolutely awesome and a real special unique treat to eat. Bon Appetito e Mangia Bene Sempre ...
Recipe SFINCIONE :
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 + 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water*
Topping
3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
olive oil, for sauteing
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
28-ounce can chopped or diced tomatoes
3 or 4 anchovies, chopped, optional
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 + 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs, like Panko or seasoned Italian
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano, divided
1. Combine all of the crust ingredients and mix and knead to make a smooth, soft dough, using a stand mixer, bread machine, or your hands. 2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and allow it to rise until puffy about 90 minutes. 3. While the dough rises get your toppings ready. Fry the onions in a large skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Stir every five minutes until browned, about 25-30 minutes. 4. Add in the tomatoes, anchovies and a teaspoon of oregano, simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool. 5. Stir together the bread crumbs, oil and oregano, set aside. 6. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet (a 13″ x 18″ half sheet pan) with non-stick spray. Drizzle it with olive oil, tilting the pan so the oil spreads out a bit. 7. Gently deflate the risen dough, and stretch it into an oval in your hands. Put it on the baking sheet and gently knead and stretch it out to fit the pan. If you have a hard time stretching it leave it alone for five minutes and try again. 8. Cover the dough, and let it rise again for about 90 minutes. 9. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Uncover the dough and sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over top, then spread the tomato/onion sauce over top, sprinkle with Parmesan, then the bread crumbs. 10. Bake the pizza for 35 minutes, or until the crust and crumbs are brown. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes before slicing. To keep the crust crispy cut pizza in half or in quarters and place on a wire cooling rack. Slices can be cut with kitchen shears. Serve hot or cold.
Awesome SUNDAY GRAVY From a Great ITALIAN-AMERICAN COOK
GIANNI
Our Pal Gianni makes an awesome Sunday Gravy and we just love his passion. This recipe is for the Gravy that his Mom and Aunt Fran would make when Gianni was growing up in New Jersey where they make along with New York the Best Sunday Sauce Gravy to be found on the planet ..
SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA
From The GODFATHER
This Sunday Sauce video is from our friend Daniel Bellino, author of Sunday Sauce -
When Italian-Americans Cook ... We love Daniel's book, his Sunday Sauce (Gravy) recipe, and especially Daniel's great passion and love for Italian-American food and the rituals within ... Daniel just like our buddy Gianni is "The Real Deal," and these guys are both Italian-Americans from Jersey, one of the strongest Italian enclaves in the country. Bravo Daniele ! Bravo Gianni !
CARLA'S SUNDAY GRAVY NAPOLITAN
Carla mkaes an Awesome Sunday Gravy .. She's so Sweet, we just Love her. Her and her awesome Gravy Napolitan .. Brava Carla !!!
"THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S CALLED GRAVY" !!!
This girl just cracks us up .. And she's from Jersey .. We swear, we didn't plan this, but we realize most of the best Sunday Sauce gravy recipes come from New Jersey, more than anywhere else in the country, even Brooklyn and the rest of New York .. Well I guess Jersey Wins Top Prize for The Best SUNDAY GRAVY in All of America ..
LEARN How to Make SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA
From THE GODFATHER
Cousin's Antony & Daniel make an awesome SUNDAY SAUCE with Sausage, Meatballs. and Pork Spare Ribs .. We just love it .. Here they make this Gravy at Tony's father's house in Lodi, New Jersey which was at one time 100% Italian, mostly from Sicily and Napoli .. Tony & Daniel's grandfather and grandmother were from Lercara Friddi Sicily, the same town that one Charles "Lucky" Lucciano was from, as well as another Jersey Boy named one Francis Albert Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) ...
Excerpted from SUNDAY SAUCE - When Italian-American Cook
Of all the fine traditions of the Italian-American enclave in the United State, the Sunday afternoon ritual of making and eating a Sunday Sauce, a.k.a. “Gravy” is Italian-America’s most Time-Honored of all. Mamma, Grandma (Nonna) will make her celebrated “Sunday Sauce” and all is glorious. Sunday Sauce? What is it? Well, first off, Sunday Sauce, or as some call it, Gravy or simply “Sauce,” is without question thee number-1 undisputed “Supreme Dish” of our great Italian-American Cuisine and the Italian-American enclave as a whole, “It doesn’t get any better than a Sunday Sauce.” Ok, now, to be more specific for those who may not know about Sunday Sauce, there are a number of variations on the theme. Most Sunday Sauces are made with Italian Sausages, Braciole, and Meatballs. Some people make their versions with; Beef or Pork Neck, while others make their Gravy (Sunday Sauce) with just Sausage and Meatballs, like Pete Clemenza, or the most popular version of; Sausages, Meatballs, and Braciole. Some may throw some Chicken Thighs or a Veal Shank into this mix. Sunday Sauces can be made with any combination of these aforementioned meats. The meats are slowly simmered for several hours in a “Sauce” made with tomatoes, minced onions, and garlic. I generally like to make my Sunday Sauce Gravy with Sausages, Meatballs, and Pork Ribs. Other times I’ll make it with Sausage, Meatballs, and Braciole. An old tradition in some families is that mother or Grandma would start the Sauce early on a Sunday morning, get all the ingredients in the pot and start the Gravy simmering away for a couple hours on top of the stove, then put it in the oven for a couple hours while everyone goes to Church. When you get back home, the Sauce would be ready, “ready to be devoured that is!”
Our family would usually start our Sunday meal with the most traditional Italian-American-Antipasto of roast peppers, Salami, Olives, Celery, and Provolone. After that, it’s on to the Main Event of Maccheroni and Sunday Sauce, a dish which is something so Blissfully and Pleasurably Sublime, that it is almost “Sinful.” Yes it is.
When a meal centered around a Sunday Sauce is announced, one can have visions of Blissful Ecstasy at thoughts of eating Pasta laden with Italian Sausages, Savory Meatballs, Beef Braciola, and succulent Pork Ribs. All this has been slowly simmered to culinary perfection. Yes just the thoughts can enrapture one into a delightful frenzy of the “Most Blissful Feelings” of smelling, seeing, and consuming all the ingredients, the Sausages, Meatballs and Gravy. Yes a Sunday Sauce can and does have such effects on one’s mind, body, and soul. And, I do not want to sound prejudice, but this is pure fact, it is the Male of the Italian-American species who Love The Sunday Sauce in all its form, far more than the female sex. True! Meatballs too! And Italian-American men and boys Love and hold oh-so-dear, their Meatballs, Sunday Sauce, Sausage & Peppers, and Meatball Parm Sandwiches.
Wanna Eat like the late great Frank Sinatra? Who wouldn't? Frank was Sicilian-American and ate Sicilian food, but even more so he loved classic Italian-American Neapolitan Cusisine, with dishes like Clams Posillipo, Spaghetti Marinara, Eggplant Parmigiano, and Veal Milanese were Frank's favvorite dishes, and his favorite restauarnt to eat these dishes at was the great Old-School Italian Red-Sauce Joint on West 56th Street in New York called Patsy's .. Yes it was Frank's favorite, and when in New York Frank also like to go to The 21 Club, PJ Clarke's, Gilly's, and Gino's on Lexington Avenue ...
The Italian Christmas Feast of The 7 Fish? Ever Wonder about it" Its meaning, make-up, rituals, and of course "How To Make It?" Well Ladies and Gentlemen, You're in Luck." Renowned Chef and Cookbook author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke has just come up with his latest "THE FEAST of The 7 FISH" An Italian-American Christmas Eve Feast, and just in Time for Christmas. If you've ever wanted to know about this wonderful Italian Christmas Tradition and How to make it, then this book is for you. It has Everything you need to know to make this Wonderful Italian Feast and on all levels ..
THE FEAST of The 7 FISH
Feast of The 7 Fish
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
in PAPERBACK & KINDLE EDITIONS AMAZON.com
La Vigilia My Aunt Helen used to make the famous Italian Christmas Eve Dinner, The Feast of 7 Fishes, The 7 Fish of the Seven Sacraments. I know she made it because I used to hear her talking about it when I was a little kid. Although I shared many wonderful meals with my dear Aunt Helen, I never had the pleasure of having the famous Christmas Eve Dinner “La Vigilia” Feast of Seven Fish with her. We always had Christmas Eve dinner with the immediate family and Aunt Helen had the Christmas Eve with her brother and sister and other family members. Aunt Helen was born in Salerno, Italy and was my Uncle Franks (1 of my Mother’s 3 brothers) better half. So for our Christmas Dinner my mother would make an Antipasto of Salami, Provolone, Peppers, and Olives, followed by Baked Ziti and a Baked Ham studded with cloves and Pineapple rings. The first time I ever had the mystical dinner was about 14 years ago with my cousin Joe, his family and my girlfriend Duyen. We had been talking about this famous Italian Feast a few weeks previous, and were thinking of making it. Joe told me he wanted to have the Christmas Eve Meal of The Feast of The 7 Fishes, known in Italy as La Viglia (The Vigil) or “La Festa Dei Sette Pesci,” which is also known in Italian-America as The Feast of The 7 Fish, the 7 Fish representing the 7 Sacraments. This Dinner, La Viglia originated in Southern Italy, especially in and around the environs of Napoli. The Feast of The 7 Fish is a Southern Italian tradition that does not exist in the rest of Italy, it is of the South. La Viglia, or “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” as it is known to Italian-Americans commemorates the waiting (Vigil) of the Baby Jesus to be Born at Midnight and the Seven Fish represent the Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. Some also believe that the Seven Fish might signify the 7 Days of Creation, or The Seven Deadly Sins, but most believe the 7 Fish pertain to the Seven Sacraments. So Joe asked me if I wanted to make this festive and all important dinner, to perform the ceremony. He didn’t need to ask twice. I had never made it before and was dying to do so. For a long time I had yearned to partake in this celebrated old Southern Italian Ritual, and this was my chance. Naturally I was excited, so was Joe. So it we had great anticipation of the grand Feast to come and we were filled with happy expectations of the meal to come.And what for the menu? I know Aunt Helen made Bacala, Shrimp Oreganata, Mussels, Baked Clams, Calamari, Octopus, and eel, all much loved Southern Italian (especially Napoli and Sicily) creatures of the Sea. We decided which fish we wanted and how to cook each one. Much thought and planning went into the menu and its execution. Joe wanted; Langoustines, Lobster, and Bacala. Alexandra asked if I would make Stuffed Calamari. We also decided on Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Clams Oreganata, and Cozze al Posillipo. The menu was set. Duyen helped me with the Calamari which we stuffed with Shrimp, parsley, breadcrumbs, and Peas. We braised the Calamari with tomato, white wine, and herbs, and if I must say so myself, the Calamari came out superbly. The Stuffed Calamari were a lot of work to make, but well worth the effort as they were a huge hit with all. The Macari boys, Joey, Edward, and Tommy, as well as sister Gabriella, Alexandra, Little Joey, Duyen, Jose, and Sergio from Barcelona were all in attendance. The Mussels Posillipo, a great favorite of both Neopolitans and their Italian-American brethren, were cooked with garlic, white wine, parsley, and tomato, of which the sauce is always great to dip your bread into. This dish was one of my mother’s favorites back in the days when few Americans other than those of Italian origins ever ate these wonderful little bivalves. Now-a-days every-body does. As a young boy I remember my mother sending me to Bella Pizza in East Rutherford to get an order of them for her. She always gave me a few mussels to eat, and I have loved them ever since. Joe helped me to cook the Langoustines. They are hard to find and I had to order a ten-pound box from Silvano in order to get them. The best way to cook langoustines is to split them in half and sauté them on each side in olive oil with a little butter and garlic. We served the Langoustines the same way as Silvano does as we feel his recipe is the best and everybody loves them that way. The Langoustines are served with a salad of thinly shaved fennel and celery dressed in olive oil and lemon with some split cherry tomatoes. Absolutely delicious!!! The Lobsters we prepared the best way possible, the New England way, steamed and served simply with drawn butter and lemon wedges. There’s nothing better on Earth, well except for Sunday Sauce of course. Well, that Christmas Eve Dinner The Feast of Seven Fishes was quite a wonderful experience. It was a huge success though quite a lot of work and actually, too much food, everyone was kind of full already by the fifth fish. The following year we decided on incorporating the Seven Fish into three courses instead of seven separate. It was a good decision. We still had 7 different fish, which is a must. Serving these 7 Fish in three courses was a good idea as it is much more manageable that way, both to cook and to eat. So, you will see later on that you can have this great Feast of 7 different Fish in a number of ways; either 7 fish in seven courses or do the 7 fish in three, four, 5, or 7 separate courses, whatever you choose, it’s up to you. On this particular Feast of The 7 Fish in 3 courses, we decided to make the Stuffed Calamari, which I would not have chosen again because it was a lot of work, but it was Alex’s and Joe’s favorite and they said that it was a must whenever we make the meal. We had the Stuffed Calamari as our Antipasto Course. Alexandra and her mom helped me, so the amount of work was cut down and divided into three.The stuffed calamari took care of two of the seven the shrimp that were stuffed into the squid. The second course (Primi) of Linguine Frutti de Mare consumed four of the Seven Fish required for the meal. It consisted of Mussels, Clams, Lobster, and Scallops cooked with garlic, oil, herbs, and just a touch of tomato. The seventh and final fish was fresh Cod that I roasted and served with a sweet and sour onion sauce (Bacala Fresca Agro Dolce). Everybody went bananas for it especially cousin Joe who raved at each and every dish I put down. It’s a pleasure cooking for Joe as his passion for eating and for the Italian-American way of life, the food, the wine, the rituals. Joe truly loves and savors the experience, so I always love to cook for him, Alexandra, their children, or just about anyone for who savors the experience so well. This goes the same for my cousin Anthony Bellino his wife Debbie and their three girls Chrissy, Danna, and Allison, along with all my close friends and family who I share my meals with. It makes cooking a joy rather than a chore, when cooking for family or friends, you give two of life’s great gifts, a tasty Home-Cooked meal combined with a little bit of love. Scratch that, “A Whole Lotta Love!” If you don’t want to go so crazy, with 7 Fish as it’s quite an undertaking, you should try to do an odd numbers; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11. Three (3) is a Nice Number and represents the Holy Trinity of The Father, Son, andHoly Ghost. Basta, e Buon Natale!
EXCERPTED from THE FEAST of THE 7 FISH by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
