Showing posts with label Daniel Bellino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Bellino. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2015

Sicilian Christmas Pizza Recipe

 
 
 
Panificio Graziano ..  Palermo Sicily
 
 
 
Sfincione (Cristmas Pizza) is a special treat 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. 
    1.  
 
A Slice of SFINCIONE
 
Real Sicilian Pizza
 
 
 
 
 
 
The FEAST of The 7 FISH
 
ITALIAN CHRISTMAS
 
 
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know
About The Italian Christmas Feast of The 7 Fish
But Were Afraid to Ask
 
 
THE FEAST of The 7 FISH
 
by Daniel Bellino Z
 
 
 
 
 
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Monday, June 10, 2013

CARBONE TORISSI BOYS OPEN "ZZ" CLAM BAR




Torrisi Boys "Carbone Team" scrap Lobster Club idea to open "ZZ" Clam Bar, the  Carbone-Torissi Boys Trilogy is complete .. The so-called Torissi-Boys team of Rich Torissi, Mario Carbone and Jeff Zalaznick will now each have a restaurant named after themselves.
 Looks like Mario Carbone got his way on this one. Rumor has it that Mario was never in to the Lobster Roll idea. Zalaznick was hot on jumping on the Hot Lobster roll Band Wagon, Mario Carbone not so much, and we don't know how Rich Torissi felt on the subject. We're sure they all talked it out and in the end all decided against the Lobster Roll Joint in favor of  The Clam Bar which should complement their presence on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village along with, of course their hugely successful "Carbone" at 181 Thompson. Sure Foodies and most of New York is anxious to see the new joint ZZ Clam Bar and hoping for the best, and the Clam Bar should be a consolation prize for those trying to get into Carbone, but can't. Well, maybe not, the Clam Bar is to have just 12 seats itself. Should be interesting ....




“We are crazy about high-end raw fish,” he said. “And obsessed with cocktails.” 
...... Rich Torrisi, Chef / Partner ZZ CLAM BAR, CARBONE, & PARM









Picture Art-Work Property of Daniel Bellino-Zwicke













La TAVOLA Is ITALIAN In GREENWICH VILLAGE; Meatballs, SUNDAY SAUCE, PIZZA at JOHN'S PIZZERIA, ESPRESSO (Caffe Dante & Caffe Reggio) RAFFETTO PASTA for 100 Years, PORTO RICO COFFEE 100 YEARS, DaSILVANO,  BABBO, CARBONE,
BAR PITTI and More .. In Italian-American Greenwich Village Native's Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's "La TAVOLA"



Saturday, February 16, 2013

TRE BICCHIERI and The BIG GUNS of ITALIAN WINE





SASSICAIA 2009

WINE of THE YEAR
at 2013 TRE BICCHIERI

also BARUA 100% Carrignano 





Lambrusco Grassparossa di Castelvetro
And a Pretty Italian Girl






SEBASTIANO ROSA
Famed Winemaker of SASSICAIA and BURUA
with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke



The Big Guns of Italian Wine were out at the annual Tre Bicchieri Tasting held at the Metropolitan Pavillion on West 18th Street yesterday. M. Rallo of Fiarrato was on hand with 3 Glass Winner Rebecca 2010 as was famed wine-maker Sebastiano Rosa who makes a great Sardenian Wine based on 100% Carrignan. It's called Barrua and a joint venture with Cantina Santadi and Mr. Rosa. Sebastiano just so happens to be the winemaker of Italy's most prestigious wine "SASSICAIA" which won Red Wine of The Year this year for the 2009 Vintage at the 2013 Tre Bicchieri. Wow, this is the "Best Vintage of Sassicaia" that I've had in the last 10 years. The wine is perfectly balanced, and when a wine is in perfect balance, there's nothing else to say except that "It's as Good as It Gets." Bravo Sebastiano! Sebastiano Rosa is a member of the Incis Rochetta family who own the famed Tenuta San Guido Estate that makes Sassicaia in Bolgheri on the Tuscan Coast. Sebastiano's cousin (Cujino) Piero Incisa Rochetta, who is usually on hand at the Tre Bicchieri Events was nowhere to be seen today. No matter, I had a nice little chat with the affable Sebastiano before I went on to taste more wine.
More wine yes. And if I was to pick out just two wines on the day that really blew me away, it was the Sassicaia 2009 and a great Barolo from my friend Giuseppe Vjra and his offering of Barolo Cerretta Luigi Baudana 2008. This wine was amazing and a perfect example of what a great and classical Barolo should taste like, with wonderful Earth, Mushroom, and fruit. The wine, if I must use the phrase again, was in perfect balance and a text-book Barolo. So if you know Barolo, you know what I'm talking about, it is a great wine. Basta!
So another Tre Bicchieri in the bag, my 17th, and as usual a great day to drink great italian Wine, but even more so, see and hang-out with a few Wine-Making friends from Italy and fellow New York Italian Wine Guys. A great day.





Giuseppe Vajra
with a Bottle of His
BAROLO CERRETTA LUIGI BUADANA 2008
"Bravo Giuseppe" !!!






Raffaele Cani
of SANTADI
with
Antonio D'Ambrosio





MARCO De BARTOLI
Trapani, Sicily
Whose Family The De Bartoli's and Rallo's
Make The World's Greatest Marsala and Other Wines
Like Donnafugata Mille Una Notte (Cousin Antonio Rallo) 
and Ben Rye Passito D' Pantelleria
Marco Holds a Bottle of His Ribecca Here