Thursday, May 1, 2014

FEAST of 7 FISH ITALIAN CHRISTMAS





THE FEAST of THE 7 FISH ITALIAN CHRISTMAS by Italian Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke ...


“La Vigilia” The Feast of The 7 Fish  .... Italian Christmas


      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 12 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, that signify the 7 Sacraments. Now, how’s all that for a mouthful?
   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. The anticipation of the Great Feast to come was of happy expectations and excitement.
    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. 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, Alex,  Joe,  Duyen,  Jose  and Sergio from Barcelona were all in attendance.
   The Mussels Posillipo were cooked with garlic, white wine, parsley, and tomato. The sauce is 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 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 but quite a bit too much 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  ones  as it’s just
too much,  too much to  eat and too much to cook, a lot of work,  and who needs to  work that hard on Christmas.  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.
    On  this  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 and Joe’s favorite and they said that it was a must. This was our Antipasto Course.  Alexandra and her mom helped me,  so the amount of work was cut down  and  divided into three, “A good thing.”
    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.
    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, and Holy Ghost. Buon Natale!




 La Vigilai "The Fest of The 7 Fish" 
EXCERPTED From The FEAST of THE 7 FISH
                                   by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke



Free Recipe From Daniel Bellino-Zwicke


PESCE en SOAR “SWEET & SOUR FISH

  Pesce en Soar is derived from the famous Venetian Dish “Sarde en Saor” or Soar Sardines. This dish is served in restaurants, Trattoria, and Wine Bars (Bacaro) all over Venice, but is especially popular at the many Venetian Wine Bars, known as Bacaro “The House of Bacchus” in Venice, where the Sarde en Saor is one of many great little dishes known as “Cichetti” (Small Bites). This dish is also known as Sarde Agro Dolce in Sicily, Agro Dolce meaning Sweet & Sour.
   Pesce en Saor (Sour Fish) is a wonderful dish to pick for your Feast of The 7 Fish. It is especially great at this meal or any dinner party as it can and should be prepared a day in advance, as the fish needs to marinate in the sweet and sour onions.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds Monkfish Filet cut into ¾” medallions
3 medium Onions, peeled and sliced ¼” thick
5 tablespoons Olive Oil
5 tablespoons Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar
4 tablespoons Sugar
5 tablespoons Raisons
Sea Salt & ground Black Pepper to taste
Flour (about 6 tablespoon
2-3 Tablespoons Fresh chopped Parsley or Chives



1) Place onions in a large frying pan with Olive Oil
and cook over low heat for 25 minutes.

2) Soak Raisons in hot water for 20 minutes then drain.

3) Add sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and raisons to onions and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

4) Season Monkfish with salt & pepper. Dust each piece of fish into flour. Shake off excess flour.

5) Place olive oil or vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook fish in pan about 1 ½ minutes per side over a medium heat until all the fish is cook. Put on a plate and let cool to room temperature.

6) In a shallow glass or ceramic Casserole Dish, place
a third of the onion mixture across the bottom of the casserole. Then place a layer of half the fish over these onions. Place a third of the onions over the fish, then
top with the remaining fish. Top with remaining onions. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 2 hours) to serve the next day.

7) To serve remove the fish at least 45 minutes before serving. Place two pieces of fish on each person’s plate in a crisscross fashion. Garnish, by sprinkling Chives or Parsley over top.


NOTE:  You can serve Buffet Style, leaving the Pesce en Saor in the casserole or other nice serving dish for guest to help themselves. You can also place a piece of toasted bread on plate or nice slice of ripe tomato, or Cucumber, then top with Fish and Onions.

PS .. You can use practically any fish you like for this preparation. Good alternate choices of fish would be; Sardines, Swordfish, Shrimp, Sea Scallops, or any fish that you might catch yourself. And remember, this dish is not just for The Feast of The 7 Fish but any day of the year. An optional garnish that is very nice for this dish is toasted Pignoli Nuts sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!






                               Daniel Bellino's Recipe For STUFFED CALAMARI
                                                                    Is IN
                                                 THE FEAST of THE 7 FISH
                                                      ITALIAN CHRISTMAS






 The Feast of The 7 FISH is Available in Paperback & Kindle on AMAZON.com


  1. The Seven Virtues – faith, hope, charity, temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice
  2. The Seven Deadly Sins – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride
  3. The Seven Sacraments – baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance or reconciliation, anointing of the sick, holy orders, and marriage
  4. Seven days it took God to create the world
  5. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel (right judgment), fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety (reverence), fear of the Lord (wonder and awe)
  6. The number of days it took Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem
  7. Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fish – Jesus fed 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish
  8. Miracle of the Seven Loaves and Fish – Jesus fed 4,000 people with only seven loaves and fish
  9. Biblical perfection – biblical number for divinity is three and the most perfect earthly number is four, so combining them represents perfection, God on Earth, or Jesus Christ
  10. 10. The Seven Hills of Rome 







Friday, April 25, 2014

Colbert Celebrates at Carbone







Stephen Colbert
Arrives
At
CARBONE

On Thompson Street

GREENWICH VILLAGE NEW YORK




Jerry Seinfeld with David Letterman
On
LATE NIghT With DAVID LETTERMAN




GOT ANY KAHLUA?
The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK


Sunday, April 20, 2014

Recipe GINOS SECRET SAUCE






Is He Giving Away The SECRET ?

NOT !!!


SECRET SAUCE 


“SEGRETO”

    Tagliolini with Salsa Segreto. Secret Sauce? Shhhh!!! We lost our beloved Old-School Italian Red-Sauce Joint Gino’s of Lexington Avenue a couple years back. Gino’s opened in 1945 by Neapolitan Immigrant Gino Circicello, was a Gem of a Restaurant loved by its many loyal customers who kept the place packed and vibrant night-after-night, year-after-year. The place was perfect; Great Food and good wine at reasonable prices coupled with excellent service by friendly attentive waiters inside a homey comfy dining-room that everyone loved, from its cozy little Bar at the front of the restaurant, its Phone Booth (one of the last surviving in New York), and the famed Scalamandre Zebra Wallpaper that is as much a part of Gino’s as the tenured old waiters, the Phone Booth, and the popular Chicken Parmigiano.
    Among all the tasty pasta dishes, the Pasta with Salsa Segreta, (Segreto) “The Secret Sauce,” was a perennial favorite at Gino’s. All of Gino’s legendary clientele loved it. Some of the clients just happened to be, people like; Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Joe DiMaggio, to name a few of a large string of luminaries to grace Gino’s over the years. Gino’s had many wonderful dishes that were soul satisfy, unpretentious, and tasty as heck. They were all the usual suspects of Italian Red-Sauce Joints everywhere; from Baked Clams Oreganata, to Shrimp Cocktail, to Spaghetti With Clam Sauce, Lasagna, the famed Veal Pamigiano, “the entire menu.”     I used to go to Gino’s with my cousin Joe quite a bit. My sister Barbara came a couple times, as did my brother Michael. But it was usually me and Cousin Joe, and if anyone else was tagging along as well. Now I love my pasta as all good Italian-Americans do, but my cousin Joe? He had me beat. The guy loves his pasta, and wanted it practically every day. I believe we tried the Salsa Segreta (Secret Sauce) on our first trip there. I think with Tagliolini, but you can have it with Spaghetti, Rigatoni or whichever pasta you like. Well we loved it from the very first, and would get it every time we went. Often we’d get Baked Clams and Shrimp Cocktail to start, followed by a Half Portion each of Tagliolini with Salsa Segreto, and as our main we might split a Veal Milanese with a “Nice Bottle of Chianti.” We’d finish the meal with Espresso and a couple of Desserts, maybe a Tiramisu and a Chocolate Tartufo.

    So the Secret Sauce, what’s in it, you want to know? Yes I identified the Secret ingredients one day, I made it, and it tastes exactly the same, and that’s as tasty as can possibly be, a 10 out of 10, you can’t get any better. It’s quite simple and you’d be amazed, but that’s the essence of all Italian Cooking, simply tasty. The Secret of The Secret Sauce is, “I shouldn’t tell you but I will.” I should be charging you $100 just for this one recipe but I won’t. “I hope you know what a bargain you people are all getting; my Sunday Sauce, Clemenza’s Sunday Sauce, my Lentil Soup recipe, Marinara Sauce, my famed Bolognese and more. I’m getting robbed here!” But here you go, The Secret-Ingredients in the Secret Sauce from the former Gino’s Restaurant on Lexington Avenue across from Bloomingdales are  _ _ _ _ _ _ _  and  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  added to a simple tomato sauce. That’s it! Basta ! The Cat is out of the Bag. Enjoy! Are you Happy? “You better be!”


Excerpted from SUNDAY SAUCE by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

The RECIPE and "SECRET INGREDIENTS" 

For SALSA SEGRETA "GINO'S SECRET SAUCE are in SEGREO ITALIANO

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke








screen-shot-2016-01-20-at-2-06-30-pm

SEGRETO ITALIANO !

The FORMER GINO'S

On Lexington Avenue, New York, NY



NOW SADLY CLOSED









GINO'S Was A FAVORITE 
of
FRANK SINATRA 







f0016-sundaysauce-small-new-cvr


SUNDAY SAUCE

alla SINATRA
.
.

CARBONE USED To Be ROCCO





CARBONE

USED TO BE ROCCO'S


















Thursday, April 10, 2014

Jean Georges Keeps Stars


Jean-Georges 
The RESRTAURANT
And The MAN
KEEPS THEIR STAR




JEAN-GEORGES 4 STARS NEW YORK TIMES




JEAN GEORGE
And His MONEY MAN
PHIL SAUREZ



 HOW TO MAKE A MILLION


I LOVE IT !!!

THIS REALLY WORKS !!!!



Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Carbone Going Corporate


CARBONE
and
The Former ROCCO'S SIGN

Thompson Street
GREENWICH VILLAGE
NEW YORK


The juggernaut, as the New York Times recently called then, The Torris Boys (Major Foods) is going corporate. "Watch Out Boys and Girls," that means exclusiveness, cachet, and overall cool factor goes down. Major expansion, they going corporate, McDonaldesque if you will. Well not quite, but you know what I mean. The so called Torrisi Boys, Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and partner Jeff Zalaznick who own and operate; Carbone, Parm (2 locations), Torrisi Italian Specialties, and ZZ plan on major expansion in the next couple of years with a large bakery/ restaurant downtown, that will partner with Melissa Weller and feature fresh baked; Bagels,Danish, Bear Claws, Challah Bread, yeast based and other baked goods. Jeff Zalaznick states, "It's going to be our version of Barney Greengrass."
     The partners whose Parm Restaurant on Mulberry Street next to their first place Torrisi Italian Specialties has been super successful from day one and quickly spawned a sister Parm at Yankee Stadium. The Torrisi Boys (Major Foods) plan on opening several more outposts of PARM all over New York, in; Battery Park, 2 in Brooklyn of which one be near to The Barclay's Center and another in Williamsburg, the Upper West Side and who knows where else? The New York Times says they plan on building Parm into a citywide Shake Shack style franchise. "Good Luck." Corporate, make a ton of money, but majorly lose cachet and so-called cool-factor. You can't have it all boys. They probably do.
    Most well-heeled New Yorkers hate chains a corporate conglomerates when it comes to restaurants. Many giant nation-wide food chains who've made it big in a large part of the country thought they'd come in to New York and knock-em-dead. Not! Discerning New Yorkers tend to like small independent restaurants, not corporate like Applebee's and Bennigans. When you see restaurants like Red Lobster and Olive Garden doing well around Times Square it's tourists and the less well healed New Yorkers going to them, the rest of us hate chain restaurants. 
    So it will remain to see what happens with Parm, Carbone and the now much smaller Major Foods (Torrisi Boys) empire. With a good number more Parm Outlets open, will the original loss it cachet and hot-factor? Who knows? Probably. And what of Carbone, the flagship of the corporation which has from day one and to this point (March 20, 2014) been uber-hot and still New York's Hottest Restaurant Ticket in Town? Time will tell, and ...


DBZ





PARM

Mulberry Street


Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin



FRANK & DEAN

NOW THAT'S COOL" !!!!











Saturday, March 8, 2014

MEATBALL PARM MONDAYS



The MEATBALL PARM





MEATBALL PARM MONDAYS


   The Meatball Parm Sandwich, as stated earlier, the Meatball Parm is one of thee Italian-American males most treasured things in life.  Things he needs to live a happy, normal, satisfying life, and an actual necessity for true Happiness. It’s right up there with Mom, Grandma, Sausages and Sunday Sauce. We ask not for much!
    No you do not have to be a Man or a Boy to eat one. Ladies and Girls eat them as well.  It’s just that the male of the species happens to Eat 5 Times the amount that Italian-American Women do. Not only that, but the male of the species holds Meatballs and Meatball Parms in much Greater Reverence, than do the females. They “Exalt” it, as the Meatball Parm, it deserves such adulation.  The men and boys adore it and get quite excited at the prospect and act of eating one, the “Meatball Parm.” And ladies who make them, know how much it is loved, cherished even.
    Yes Italian-American ladies and girls like this thing called the Meatball Parm too, but they  don’t get quite as excited about this sandwich as the males do.  Meatball Parms are held  quite dear  to Italian  men. Yes, it’s a guy thing, and more specifically, an Italian Guy thing. Yes, Italian-American males have given the Meatball Parm Iconic Status within our lives and realm of food. Why? We’re Italian, that’s all.
     The Great Ritual of the Meatball Parm Monday and it ties to the Sunday Sauce. You make the Meatballs for the Sauce, The “Gravy.” On Saturday you will buy all the meat, the Sausages and the rest of the ingredients for your Sunday Sauce (Gravy) to be made on Sunday.  However, on Saturday you are already thinking about  those Meatball Parms for Monday’s lunch.
   Yes Meatball Parms on Monday, following the previous days Sunday Sauce. You see, you have to think ahead.  Every good Italian knows that when you go through all the effort and time it will take to make a  pot  of  Sunday Sauce,  that you don’t just make it  for  Sunday’s consumption alone. No, that would be a waste of time to make just enough to eat on Sunday. It takes  time, effort,  energy,  and work to make  a  Sunday Sauce,  which  of course  is well worth it. You do not mind the work involved at all, for in the end, the “Rewards are Great.”A Sunday Sauce will yield, the beloved Sausages,  Gravy,  Braciole, succulent Ribs,  and Meatballs for Monday’s Meatball Parms.
    It does not really take much more time to make a larger quantity in order to have leftovers for the next day or two, and this is just what one wants to do, is to keep  the sauce going,  and going  for  another day, even two.  And in those leftovers are the much Prized at Monday’s Lunch for, of course “Meatball Parms.”  Yes, the men love and need Meatball Parms on Monday,  for the Ritual  of the Meatball Parms of Monday  is  “Time-Honored” and enjoyed by many. As the saying goes, “The Simple Pleasure of Life,” here it is quite apropos.
    So, you see, on Saturday when one goes to buy the ingredients to make the Gravy, they automatically  know to make sure they get  enough  ground meat to make plenty of  Meatballs that will last the  Sunday  Supper  as well  as yielding numerous left-overs for Monday’s Meatball Parms for Monday. The men, methodically make sure that there are enough leftover Meatballs for Monday’s lunch. When all are finished eating the great “Sauce” on Sunday, they set some Meatballs aside for the next days Meatball  Sandwiches. These sandwiches will make a dreaded Monday so much better. Think about?
    And if there are leftover Sausages? On Tuesday one can make Spaghetti with Sauce and Sausages, or even a Sausage Sandwich.  Think ahead boys and girls, and Mangia Bene!”




by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Excerpt from SUNDAY SAUCE



SUNDAY SAUCE is Available in Paperback and Kindle Editions on AMAZON.com