Saturday, July 26, 2014

Lucys Peach Salad


PEACHES 





PEACHES alla LUCY  

... Excerpted From Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's forthcoming book SEGRETO ITALIANO !
                                                                   Favorite Dishes & Secret Italian Recipes

My mother used to make this when I was a kid. I can remember my dad bringing home a big bushel basket of ripe summer peaches when they were in season. The basket was so big and with so many peaches that they were too much and my mom would split the peaches with the neighbors who had a large family with lots of kids. I really loved these peaches when I was a boy, and always looked forward to eating them. They were “oh so Yummy.” They still are. I had forgotten completely about the peaches and the way my mother used to make them until this past summer when I bought a few fresh peaches from my local Fruit & Vegetable guy on West 4th Street in Greenwich Village. The Peaches smelled good, nice and perfectly ripe. And it hit me! I remembered back to the days my mom used to make them, and one day specifically in our neighbors back yard. The neighbors had a couple of Geese and they were running around the yard. My mom and Mrs. Griffin sat in lawn chairs peeling peaches from the large bushel. I watched them, and watched the Geese. We ate the Peaches, and I can still taste them till this very day.





 LUCY’S PEACH SALAD

This recipe is as simple as can be. It’s only Peaches and a little sugar. No cooking! The hardest part is getting the rip peaches. Make, it and you’ll be amazed at how unbelievably tasty these peaches are. It’s great to give to kids, as a much better sweet alternative to super sugar and floured full cakes and cookies. Get the kids hooked on these peaches and tasty Watermelon and Cherries and they might not want too many cakes and cookies. They’re fine, but too many are not. Eat healthy.

INGREDIENTS:

12 large ripe Peaches
7 teaspoons of granulated Sugar


Wash the Peaches well. Do not peel. Cut the peaches in half, removing the pit in the center. Cut each half peach into 5 or 6 wedges each and put into a large glass or ceramic bowl that you will serve the Peach Salad from. Once all the peaches are cut up and put into the bowl, add the sugar. Mix thoroughly, then give to your guest and see how much they love it, and how amazed out how tasty and easy this wonderful little dessert is. Buon Appetito!




In MEMORY of My MOM "LUCIA BELLINO"



La TAVOLA

Stories & Recipes
of 
ITALIAN AMERICA









Tuesday, July 22, 2014

New York 5 Best Burgers


SCHNIPPER'S Is # 1


SCHNIPPER CHEESEBURGER





JG MELON
Upper East Side Manhattan



JG MELON BURGER ROCK at SECOND BEST

"Some Would Say First. Even Me"





SHAKE SHACK BURGER # 3

"MANY SAY IT'S THE BEST"

We Wouldn't Disagree, But You Gotta Pick Some Kind
of Order .. Everyone Has Their Own Choices, and These Are Ours
"GUESS WHAT? We LOVE THEM ALL, and FEEL THEY'RE 
ALL # 1 The BEST, or DAM CLOSE To IT" !!!



The LUGER BURGER at PETER LUGER
The WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS STEAK HOUSE
Is a STEAL at Just $11.95
GET With THEIR FAMOUS BACON
"IT ROCKS" !!!



THE LUGER BURGER
With LUGER BACON & CHEESE

"DAM THAT BABY Is TASTY" !!!





photo DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE

MINETTA TAVERN

GREENWICH VILLAGE NEW YORK


MINETTA BURGER

TAKE The "MINETTA BURGER Over The
More Famous BLACK LABEK BURGER ...

"IT'S BETTER" !!!
The MINETTA BURGER TAHT IS !!!

And IT'S CHEAPER To BOOT !!!

"TRUST Us On THIS ONE" !!!

..............................................................


NEW YORK'S 5 BEST BURGERS

1.  SCHNIPPER'S
2.  JG MELON
3.  SHAKE SHACK
4.  PETER LUGER
5.  MINETTA TAVERN


New York's 5 Best Burgers? Wow! Who are they? Who right? Who's Not? Yes, it's not easy, and who's to say who is the best, who's not, and that they are thee authority and decider of who is # 1 and Who's Not? Well, there are any number of people, magazines, newspapers, and other intitties doing articles, stories and what-not on the Best Burger or Best Burgers in town and around the country. It's a big and popular subject.
Well, this is just ours. Not seeing that his is the definative list and list to end all. It's just ours. And of these 5, we ourselves what put any number at the Top of The Heep, they're all great burgers.

THE SKINNY On EACH

SCHNIPPERS

Schnippers is awesome. They came on the scene a couple years ago. They didn't make all that much of a splash in the first year or year 1/2, but now? They've Splashed, and in quite a big way. They just opened their 3rd location in Manhattan and seems like their expansion will lead to any number across the country, alla Shake Shack. Spaeaking of Shake Shack, Schnipper's opened their first place less than 200 feet from Shake Shacks hugely famous Flagship Burger Joint (and 1st) at Madison Park at 23rd Street and Madison Avenue.

Anyway, the Schnipper Burger is awesome. The Schnipper Burger is a classic straight forward burger. It's 5 ounces, fresh beef (never frozen), cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. We love it, and think it taste exactlt as a burger should, with an emphasis on the tasty beef patty.

JG MELON

JG Melon is one great old institution up on 3rd Avenue at 74th Steet on New York's Upper East Side. The Melon is a cool classic old school bar, the kind that just can't be duplicated. Great natural vibe, and un-contived. And guess what? they've got one of New York top burgers, if not thee # 1 tops .. Some say, they are the best. Their Burger, and we wouldn't give them a fight on that. We love em too, and almost picked them for the # 1 spot on our list. What do you think.

SHAKE SHACK

A Great Burger! Some say the Best. We did too for some time, but we feeel that Schnipper's has edged them out. Though we wouldn't gie anyone a hard time if they Shake Shack is # 1 ... They're Buger is Classic, just the right size, seasoned and cooked to beautiful tasty perfection. We just Love Em.


PETER LUGER

The Luger Burger is awesome. It's quite tasty, and makes our top 5 list for it's tastieness and the fact that you can go into this Mecca of Steakdom and get a Burger for just 12 Bucks .. But you probably won't. You gonna want some cheese on that $1.50 and the Bacon ($4.25) is a "Must Have" at Lugers. If you go for Fries (Only $1.95), your burgers gonna cost you about $19.00
But hey, "It Peter Luger" and that's a bargain. 
You can only get The Luger Burger at Lunch, and we just love hopping over the Williamsburg Bridge every 2 or 3 months to get one. You will too.

MINETTA TAVERN

You can't beat the ambiance and History of Minetta Tavern .. This Historical Old Greenwich Village Haunt is cool as can be. And you'll feel you are too once and if you secure a seat inside. The master of the restaurant business in New York, Keith McNally rescued this great old joint, spruced it up just a bit, retaining its wonderful origianl decor, placed a couple great chefs at the helm and opened her up to rave reviews. The menu is French Bistro Steak House, with big juicy Steaks, Bistro Classics, and a pair of New York's Hottest and most loved burgers; The Famed Black Label Burger ($24.00) and The Minetta Burger ($16.00) .. The Black Label Burger is by far the most famous of the two, made with the Black Label Blend of Dry Aged Beef from famed New York Butcher Pat La Freida .. Dry Aged Beef may be great for Steaks, such as the ones so famous at Peter Luger and Minetta Tavern, but we feel that this beef doesn't translate so well to Burgers ... We prefer the Minetta Burger. How bout you?





LEARN How To MAKE The Perfect BURGER
in
GOT ANY KAHLUA?
Its
The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK









Friday, July 18, 2014

We Talk About Food

WE TALK ABOUT FOOD

Excerpt from Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's La TAVOLA



    They say one of the telltale signs of a true Gourmand is that as  you  are eating  one  special meal, you are already talking  about the next  one.  You only have to pick where, when, and  what (the food) it’s going to be.
    It can be  at a restaurant,  or a meal that you cook yourself, or one cooked by a friend or family member. It  might be a private dinner-party or backyard barbeque.  You  might be checking out a  new place in town.  One  that  has been  creating quite a buzz, or you’re going back to a beloved old spot, your favorite “Bistro,” that  makes the most amazing Cassoulet, a Trattoria  for  your  favorite Pasta, or a  Vietnamese Restaurant that makes the  best Pho in town . When the first White Truffles are in  season, it’s off  to the Italian joint that knows just how to serve them, and at a fair price to boot. If a fair price for White Truffles is ever possible. You know,  you just wouldn’t be a  true gourmand if  you  weren’t  thinking, talking, and dreaming of that first plate of the season, of the Planets most delectable little morsels of all, White Truffles from Alba “Ah Heaven!”
     If  you’re  in  Paris you might be heading to Tour d’Argente for the famously exquisite “Pressed Duck,” where there is no place else on God’s good Earth that makes one quite like theirs.
     Maybe you’re going to La Coupole for the stupendous Fruits d’Mere, laden  with  crisp fresh delicacies of the sea. No place does it like La Coupole with its Grande Café feel of the 1920’s, alla “Ernest Hemingway,” and all.
    If you’re in Venice you’ll  go to Harry’s Bar for a  Bellini and  “Carpaccio” (both of  which were invented there).   And you might follow the Carpaccio with a plate of Risotto Nero and perfectly cooked Fegato alla Veneziana.
    In  Positano you’ll go to Vincenzo’s for the Greatest plate of  Spaghetti Vongole on Earth, and, not far away in Napoli you’ll  feast on the World’s Best Pizza Possible. There are actually a few places in New York that can give Naples a run for the money in the Great Pizza department. The Great Pizzeria’s of New York being;  Patsy’s in  East Harlem,  Totonno’s  on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Lombardi’s on Prince Street in  Soho,  and  the Fantabulous Pizza of  Mr. Dominic DeMarco at Difarra’s in Brooklyn. On top of serving some great pizza, Lombardi’s just so happens to be  America’s first ever  Pizzeria. That’s History!  
     You’ll get the best Sam Tam (Green Papaya Salad)  in Assam in  North Eastern Thailand, Primo Sushi in Tokyo, and a delicious steamy bowl of Pho in Saigon or somewhere along the Mekong Delta.
      There is no  place but Philadelphia for a perfect Philly Cheesesteak, Katz’s Deli  for the World’s Best Pastrami  Sandwich,  and for Fish Taco’s it can only be San Diego or Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
    “We Talk About Food.”  When you are in the process of  eating  one  meal  and  planning for  the next,  you  will  get excited by  “This Dish” or  That;  like a great  Cassoulet,  Bolito Misto, Peking Duck, a Barbequed Pig,  Gumbo in  New Orleans, the perfect Fried  Chicken, or Nonna Bellino’s Rigatoni with Sunday Sauce (Gravy). Now we’re talking!
    When certain foodies talk about Italian Food, the conversation is sure to include renowned food-products, such as; Prosciutto San Danielle, Fennel Salami from Forloni in Greve, or the ethereal Wild Boar Salami from Dario Cecchini the “Crazy Singing Butcher of  Panzano.” Go to Modena for the 100 year old  Baslamic Vinegar.  It is pure nectar.
     A  true gourmand will fight over which brand of pasta or olive oil is better than another,  who makes the  best Cassoulet in Toulouse, the best Bouillabaisse in  Marseille,  the best Cheese Steak in Philly (Tony Luke’s), or the best Cheesecake in New York. You will salivate when the conversation turns to rare and   expensive delicacies such  as Beluga Caviar,  White Truffles, or Foe  Gras.  Why not? After good loving-making, there is  not a thing  on this  good Earth that can give one more pleasure or enjoyment than  a bowl of  Tagiatelle con Tartuffo Bianco,  perfectly made  Pate d’Foe Gras, or a plate of properly made Spaghetti Bolognese. Have a great old Barolo with the Truffles or a fine  Sauterne like Chateau  Ye’Quem with the Foe Gras and you will be in Seventh Heaven.
     One time I was at  Caffe  Dante with my good friend  Mario Flotta, the owner, and he told me about  the pasta  he made the night before.  The pasta is called  “Sciaffoni.”  It is from Napoli as Mario is of the area, Avelino to be exact, which is  about one hour  east of  Napoli and is the home  of  the famed  white  wine Fiano de Avellino.
      I never heard of this particular shape before. Mario  told me that  it  is like a  large  rigatoni. It does not have ridges (rigate) and  it is almost three times  the size of rigatoni.  You  will  not  find this pasta in supermarkets. You have to go to an  Italian Specialty Shop in order to get it,  and most of them  will probably not have it as well, only a very few. You will most likely have to place a special order to obtain a bag or two.
    Mario talked of  Sugo d’Pomodoro for his “Sciaffoni.”  We started talking about  cheese and I told him that I  loved to  grate Ricotta Salata  on some sauces and  that  you  grate it on  the  large holes of  a  Box-Grater  so you get long  thin slivers  of cheese. Mario said, “No, No Danny, for me, I only put Pecorino on Tomato  Sauce!!”  Mario was  very adamant  on this point. Spoken like a true Neapolitan. We both agreed that  Ricotta  Salata  is the  proper  cheese to put on  Pasta alla’ Norma.  The sauce for  Pasta alla Norma is made with eggplant and tomatoes.  To hear Mario speak with so much fervor and “Reverence” about his  “Sciaffoni” and  the fact that you  never put any kind of cheese on a  Sugo d’Pomodoro,  except for “Pecorino Romano,” is to hear one truly passionate Gourmand,  Mr. Mario Flotta.  “Come to think of it, when it comes to being really passionate about food, and Italian Food in particular, what Italian is not?” 
    Many times when I’m in Caffe Dante on weekday afternoons, I chit-chat with Rose (one of Dante’s few remaining  Maltese waitress’s) about  food.  It’s usually I who starts the conversation about a dish I made the night before,  or it can be about a  particular way I roast a  Rack of  Pork (Arista), how I make Caponata,  my Bolognese, or  my justly  famous Duck Ragu.  Rose will tell me about  the way she makes Pheasant or Venison  when her husband Tony brings home his bounty  from one of his many hunting trips.  As we speak,  Rose just told  me that Tony brought home some Doves the other day. Rose told me she braised them, and said, “Oh My God Danny,  they taste so good.” Often times I will describe to Rose the way I make this dish or that and she’ll start salivating, and says to me, “Danny,  please Stop, Stop! You’re making me so hungry.” That’s a fact!
    It’s great talking about food  with friends, or anyone,  trading  recipes or telling  each other where you can get the best  Sweet Sausage (Florence Meat Market on Jones Street in New York’s Greenwich Village), the most  authentic Sopressetta,  or  the freshest fish. Which butcher is the best (toss-up between Florence Meat Market or Pino’s on Sullivan  Street),  which bakery makes the best Cannoli (Pozzo’s or Rocco’s), bread, or Biscotti?
    Where do you go to get the best  prices on cheese  and  which pasta shop  makes  the best pasta fresca? Everybody has his or her own favorite places and lit-tle secrets.
    I  remember  telling my  buddy  Jorge Riera (a serious Gourmand  if  there ever was one) about this great  Fried Chicken Salad I  had at a street stall in Bangkok. It was phenomenal. In return, he told me the place he thought had the best Pho in Vietnam.
      I  will  tell friends about the Spaghetti Vongole at Vincenzo’s in  Positano,  Porchetta  Sandwiches in Roma,  the Best Burger in New York,  as of this writing,  for  me,  it’s a  “Toss Up” between The Shake Shack Burger,  Peter Luger’s, and Minetta Tavern’s “Minetta Burger,”  not  the Black Label Burger. In New York who has the Best Burger in town, can be almost as Heated-a-Debate as which Cheesesteak is  the  Best in  Philadelphia, or  who makes Chicago’s Best Italian Beef in Chicago. For New York’s best Thai Restaurant,  go to Shirapaia in Woodside, Queens,  and you  might start a fight if you want to talk about New York’s Best Pizza where you’ll find  America’s Best  whether it’s at Totonno’s in Coney Island, John’s on Bleecker Street, Totonno’s on Coney Island, or Lombardi’s on Spring Street (America’s 1st Ever Pizzeria). “Fug-getta-Bout-It  Chicago!  That’s  not Pizza,  it’s  Deep Dish Pie, but just don’t call it Pizza! Better stick to Italian Beef and Hot Dogs.”
    You pass on what you know to one-and-other, the Hottest new restaurant of  the moment,  a new Bahn Mi Joint,  the best butcher for  Veal  Scallopines and such.  You  tell each  other how  to  make  different dishes and where  to get the  best products. You are in your own particular network of local gourmands. This is the Passion for Great Food. It is a “Marvelous Culinary Adventure.”  Explore it. The rewards are great, and oh so very tasty!

    We Talk About Food! “You Talk About Food.”






La TAVOLA is NEW YORK ITALIAN

Available in Paperback & Kindle on AMAZON.com