STUFFED SHELLS

RECIPE COMING SOON !!!!

RONZONI SONO BUONI "RONZONI IS SO GOOD" Was The Slogan of AMERICA'S FAVORITE MACCHERONI .... When I was growing up it was the only pasta we ate. Our Favorites were Spahetti, Pastina, rigatoni and Stuffed Shells which my mother (Lucia Bellino) used to make a couple times a month. The Stuffed Shells were always a Special Treat, filled with creamy Polio Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmigiano which we grated on a box grater from a nice big chunk. Never any of that Green Can Garbage (Kraft Parmesan) for us. Yes Stuffed Shells was a favorite of mine and my sister Barbara. Will be posting my Mothers Recipe soon.




RECIPE For STUFFED SHELLS In Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's "La TAVOLA"

SPAGHETTI With TOMATO SAUCE

Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti Marinara, Spaghetti Pomodoro? Whatever you call it, it's one of both Italy's and America's favorite dishes. Hundred of millions of plates of it are consumed every year. In Italy, pretty much all of them are delicious, and correct. In America, that's another story. Most are not, and are abominations of what this simple but great dish should be. Canned or jarred Tomato Sauce, "Fougettaboudit!" In America, no self-respecting Italian-American would ever serve it. We make our own. The rest of the people, again that's another story. Blahhh!!! Spaghetti Pomodoro, as it is known in Italy is a "Supreme Dish." It's simple, but is exacting in getting everything just right. It's not hard to make it, but one must know and be taught the proper way. Here's were we come in. The instructions and recipe for making proper Spaghetti Pomodoro follows (you may use another Pasta such as Rigatoni, Penne, linguine, whatever).

First I must dispel a couple major misconceptions about this great sauce, Salsa Pomodoro, Tomato Sauce, Marinara. First misconception, Tomato Sauce does not cook for hour and hours, it can be made in just 10 minutes or may cook for 30-45 minutes, but that's it. No more. In Italy Salsa Pomodoro does not have Oregano in it, this is a major American misconception, even among many Italian Americans. Tomato Sauce is simple made of; Olive Oil, Garlic, Pepperoncino (Red Pepper Flakes), Fresh Basil, Tomatoes, and Salt . Basta! That's it! No more is needed.

You start with olive oil, saute garlic in it, add Red Pepper Flakes and these two items flavor the oil which will flavor the tomatoes. You add you tomatoes to the hot flavored olive oil, cook for 10 to 40 minutes depending on what size pan you have and whether you want a sauce that has a fresher or more cooked flavor. Any way is good.

OK get to it. Here's The Recipe excerpted from Daniel Bellino-Zwicke book on Italian-American new Yorkers, their Kitchen, Food, Table, Rituals, and joys of being Italian, making food and sharing at the Table "La TAVOLA."

TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients:

2-28 oz. cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes

or other good quality Italian style tomatoes

4 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion, minced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ cup virgin olive oil

¼ chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

Salt and pepper to taste

1)   In a 6 quart or larger pot, saute onions over a low flame for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook

      for 3-4 mins. Do not let the garlic get dark or burn.

2)   Add tomatoes, turn heat up to high and stir. When sauce starts to bubble,  turn flame down 

      so  the sauce is at a low  simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes while frequently stirring  the bottom 

      of  the pan to keep sauce from burning.  Add fresh basil in the last ten minutes of cooking.

3)   Cook whatever pasta you choose (spaghetti is best) according to directions on package.

      Drain pasta, toss  with tomato sauce and drizzle of olive oil, plate, and serve w/Cheese

THIS RECIPE Is A CLASSIC and TOMATO SAUCE The Right Way. Excerpted From 

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's "La TAVOLA" Filled with Wonderful STORIES and RECIPES of The ITALIAN and ITALIAN-AMERICAN LIFESTYLES ... We HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT  ..

RONZONI

ITALIAN AMERICA'S FAVORITE PASTA

"RONZONI SONO BUONI"
RONZONI IS SO GOOD !!!

SUNDAY GRAVY

The aroma of a garlic-laden tomato sauce spiked with sausage, meatballs, and rolled-up meat Braciola can bring tears to the eyes of many Italian-Americans.

Sunday gravy, also known as Sunday sauce, evokes memories of weekend family gatherings in which mom or grandma presided over the constantly stirred pot of sauce and meat, and various relatives were tasked with procuring the essential provisions—the cannoli and sesame bread from the bakery or the wine from the cellar.

Sunday gravy was more than just a big, belt-loosening meal. In close-knit Italian-American homes, it was a virtual religion. “Each Sunday, we were constantly traveling to homes of different relatives,” says John Mariani, a New York food author whose books include How Italian Food Conquered the World. “It truly was a moveable feast.’’

The proprietors of Frankies Spuntino restaurant in Brooklyn, Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, write that “Sunday sauce—the meal, the menu, the way of life—is the source and summation’’ of their restaurant business.

They recall how on Sundays their family kitchens would “start to fill with that hunger-inducing humidity, the tomato and pork simmering away in the pot.’’

Castronovo remembered that Sundays “even when I was a teenager and wanted to be a punk … I’d still stop and eat at my grandma’s house before the rest of the day went down.”

The best Sunday gravy simmers on the stove for hours, permitting the ingredients (the meat choices are seemingly limitless) to infuse the sauce with an unparalleled meatiness that no quickie marinara could ever hope to replicate. The long, slow cooking time was also time for families to spend with each other, reinforcing ties that could withstand the harsh realities of the outside world.

In a way, the history of Sunday gravy encapsulates the story of Italian immigration to the U.S. and the prosperity succeeding generations found in America. “Very, very impoverished Southern Italian women, whose only reason for living was giving birth to children and feeding them, suddenly found an abundance of cheap food in the U.S.,” Mariani says. “It radically changed their self image.”

The meats in the sauce became a symbol of plenty. Meat had been a rarity in the old country, and if there was any of it at all in a meal, it was usually pork. But in the U.S., immigrant women bought beef “because they could,” 

Along with the other staples of Italian-American cuisine, Sunday gravy has vaulted from family food to the culinary mainstream, even as a once-in-a-while treat for today’s health-conscious eaters. TV food stars Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis regularly feature touched-up variations on the classic Italian-American repertoire. And, although “The Sopranos” is widely despised by Italian-Americans for its twisted depiction of their cherished family values, the show often featured sumptuous Sunday meals with pots and pots of sauce, meat, and pasta—and the cookbook spawned by the show features a Sunday gravy recipe.

For better or worse, 21st-century America has made celebrating the Sunday tradition much more difficult for families. “Sunday is now a time for attending soccer games, getting in 18 holes of golf … or watching three NFL games without interruption,” Mariani says.

But Mariani and other Italian-American food advocates nevertheless remain intent on keeping tradition alive. “My family still gets together on Sunday afternoons just as it always has, and the food is as good as it ever was,” Falcinelli wrote in The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual. “Growing up, I didn’t see it as an amazing culinary tradition, but I did appreciate how good the eating was.”

SUNDAY SAUCE

all CLEMENZA

RECIPE from The GODFATHER

With AL PACINO

AMAZON.com 

.

WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE SUNDAY SAUCE

SUNDAY GRAVY

$35.00 A JAR

The  WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE

ITALIAN JARED PASTA SAUCE

Mamma mia! That’s a lot of money to mangia.

At $35 a jar, Sunday Gravy is the most expensive pasta sauce in town — and the price tag is giving some people agita. “You’re kidding me, right?!” belched one Facebook poster. “Who in their right mind would pay $35 for sauce?”

The ruby-red delicacy costs far more than celebrity blends made by Mario Batali ($7.80), Lidia Bastianich ($6.80) or Rao’s ($8).

And it’s more than double the $16 for a plate of pasta with meat sauce at Eataly’s La Pasta or even a $22 penne with veal and pork ragu at Il Buco.

IF YOU THINK THIS IS An ABSURD PRICE and WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN TASTY ITALIAN SUNDAY SAUCE GRAVY alla CLEMENZA alla FRANK SINATRA

GET YOURSELF A COPY of DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE'S AWESOME BOOK

"La TAVOLA" ITALIAN-AMERICAN NEW YORKERS ADVENTURES of THE TABLE

With MANY GREAT RECIPES INCLUDING SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA, THE WAY FRANK SINATRA LIKED IT ... MANGIA!!!

MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAY SAUCE For MUCH LESS, RECIPE In "LA TAVOLA"

Worlds Best Sunday Sauce Gravy Recipe

LEARN HOW TO MAKE

SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA

GODFATHER STYLE

The RECIPE Is In "La TAVOLA"

CLEMENZA MAKES SUNDAY SAUCE GRAVY 

As MICHAEL CORLENONE )AL Pacino) LOOKS ON

ITALIAN
SUNDAY SAUCE GRAVY

BROOKLYN NEW YORK

NEW YORK'S BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT BAR PITTI

When it comes to great Italian Food, in a city (New York) that is known to have the Best Italian Food in the World outside of Italy, it's hard to beat Bar Pitti, which is why Bar Pitti may very well be the "Best Italian Restaurant" in New York City! Yes!

Wait a minute, scratch that "maybe." No, Bar Pitti serves without a doubt, thee "Best Italian Food in New York." You don't think so? name one that is better. And please only qualified people please. No followers or Hack Food Critics like

Frank Bruni.

Who could compete? Maybe Babbo, Del Posto, Elio's, Lupa. They are all good, but none as good and consistent as Bar Pitti.

Il Mulino is absolutely "Aweful!" An "Overpriced Lackluster Restaurant" with horrible ambiance, mechanical annoying service, and food that is merely good, and no better and insanely "High Prices." It's a place for "Followers" who run with the crowd and wouldn't know real good Italian Food if it came up and Bit Them in The Ass.

Babbo many would say. Well Babbo is quite good, but just can't hold up to Bar Pitti with more of a true Italian feel, great food at truly real Italian Prices. Babbo is a great Special Occasion restaurant, but for everyday eating, Babbo doesn't even come close to Bar Pitti for "Great Quality Price Ratio," and even not considering the prices, if they were the same, though the food at Babbo is very good and I've had a few very enjoyable meals there, I have been disappointed a couple of times, something that has "Never" happened to me at Bar Pitti and I've eaten there more times, yet never been disappointed, not once, and always had a great time. So even if the prices were the same, Bar Pitti still has an edge, with Better More Consistent Authentic Italian Food than Babbo.

How bout Maialino, Laconde Verde, Osteria Morini, and others? As MC Hammer would say, "Can't Touch This."

So if you're looking for Thee "Best Italian Food in New York" there's one name, "Bar Pitti."

Recommended Dishes:

Coda d'Vacinara (Braised Oxtails) 150 Points on a 100 Pt Scale

Bolito d'Manzo (Boiled Beef) Taste a whole Lot Better than it sounds!

Polpettine d' Vitello (Veal Meatballs)

Fegato al Salvia (Calves Liver sauteed w/Sage)

Paparadelle con Sugo d'Coniglio (Pasta with Rabbit Ragu)

PUNTARELLE Wild Roman Greens Salad w/Anchovy Dressing

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

SPECIALS BOARD BAR PITTI

IT'S THE WAY To GO!

How to Make PASTA FAZOOL

PASTA FAZOOL ...

OTHERWISE KNOWN as PASTA FAGOLI

How to Make SUNDAY SAUCE & PASTA FAZOOL

Recipe from "La Tavola'

 by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Ingredients

1 lb Dried Cannellini Beans soak overnight in water

3 oz. Diced Pancetta (may be omitted)

6 cloves Garlic peeled and chopped

6 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Carrot, chopped

1 medium Onion, peeld and chopped fine

2 Stalks Celery, chopped fine

15 oz. can chopped Tomatoes

1 quart Chicken Stock

1 1/2 quarts water

1 lb. Italian Ditalini Pasta

1 sprig Fresh Sage

1) Drain Beans and wash in water.

2) Saute Pancetta in a large pot that is big enough to hold all

ingredients when added. Saute for 4 minutes over low heat

then drain off half the fat rendered from Pancetta.

3) Add next 5 ingredients and saute over low heat for 6 mins.

4) Add tomatoes, saute for 6 minutes.

5) Add chicken broth, water, Beans, and Sage.

6) Cook at a low simmer for about 1 hour until Beans are

cooked but still have a slight bite to them.

• Daniel Bellino Zwicke