On BRUNELLO

BRUNELLO Di MONTALCINO  

 

Vines of Brunello in Montalcino

 

Brunello di Montalcino is a robust Italian red wine grape produced in vineyards in and around the town of Montalcino, about 120 km south of Florence in Tuscany.

The word Brunello is derived from the Italian masculine form Bruno, which means “brown.” 

 

BRUNELLO FACTS

1. The origins of Brunello di Montalcino can be traced back as far as the 14th century. A red wine praised by the nobles of Tuscany as the “best wine in Tuscany,” Brunello is considered the youngest of Italy’s prestigious wines.

2. Brunello is made from 100% Sangiovese Grapes, also know as Brunello .

3. Originally, in Montalcino, it was believed that Brunello was a single individual grape grown just in that region. Extensive study was done in 1879 by the Province of Siena’s Amphelographic Commission and concluded that it was in fact a particular clone of the Sangiovese grape.

In 1888, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi bottled and formally named the first Brunello di Montalcino. Biondi-Santi is also credited with isolating the superior Sangiovese clone found only in the Montalcino wine region.

4. By WW II, Brunello developed a reputation for being one of Italy’s rarest and most expensive wines. More producers wanted in on the action.

By 1960 there were 11 producers following Biondi-Santi’s success. Brunello evolved into a designation of wines made with 100% Sangiovese grapes. In 1968, Brunello di Montalcino is awarded DOC status.

BRUNELLO

aka SANGOVESE

ON THE VINE in MONTALCINO

5. By 1980, there are 53 Brunello di Montalcino producers and the wine was awarded the higher level DOCG status.

Today, there are 200 producers of Brunello di Montalcino in Italy and it remains one of Italy’s best known and most expensive wines.

Climate has the most influence on the deep characteristics of Brunello di Montalcino. Montalcino sits south of Florence and enjoys warmer, drier growing seasons than that of the other popular Tuscan Sangiovese region Chianti. It is the driest of all Tuscan DOCG zones.

Cool, south-west maritime breezes also help ventilate late afternoon warmth and bring cooler nights. Sunshine on the northern and southern facing slopes are used to full advantage creating earlier or later ripening as desired.

The particular isolated superior Sangiovese clone unique to Montalcino region imparts distinct characteristics in Brunello di Montalcino. Aromas include blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, leather, chocolate and violets. Perhaps fleshier in taste than Chianti.

Brunello di Montalcino producers divide their production into two categories: normale or riserva. By DOCG law, Brunello di Montalcino must be aged longer than the majority of Italian wines.

Normale requires 4 years, two of which must be in oak. Five years of aging are required for riserva Brunello di Montalcino, 2.5 years of which must be in oak.

The kinds of oak varies. Traditionalists will use the large old Slovanian oak casks that don’t impart significant character to the wine.

Modern producers will use smaller French barriques that give more structure and vanilla, but require some management of overwhelming characteristics of oak and vanilla by the winemaker.

Fun fact: 1 out of 3 bottles of wine sold in the United States is Brunello di Montalcino, mostly in restaurants.

Brunello di Montalcino food pairing with grilled meats and game.

 

My Favorite BRUNELLO

 

Fattoria di Barbi

 

 

 

AnothER FAVORITE BRUNELLO

 

 

Me & Conti Francesco Cinzano

at DeGrezia, New York

 

Francesco Tasted Me on All His Current Vintage Wines

Including Rosso di Montalcino

His Awesome RISERVE BRUENLLO Con VENTO

and

MOSCADELLO di MONTALCINO

 

 

 

COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO Di MONTALCINO

 

 

 

 

Me & My Buddy

 

MARCHESE FERDINANDO FRESCOBALDI

 

with Author ITALIAN NEW YORK WINE GUY Daniel Bellino Zwicke

in

NEW YORK

 

 

 

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

 

 

SUNDAY SAUCE

 

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

 

 

BABE RUTH Ate HOT DOGS & Drank BEER at RUTTS HUT

 

DID YOU KNOW ???

The BAMBINO

EATING another HOT DOG

 

BABE RUTH ate HOT DOGS at RUTT'D HUT

 

 

 

RIPPERS Are DEEP FRIED HOT DOGS

 

at RUTT'S HUT

 

Clifton NEW JERSEY

 

 

 

RUTT'S HUT

 

"HOME of THE RIPPER"

 

 

THE BAMBINO

 

 

THE BABE BELTS ONE OUT of THE PARK

 

1 of 714 LIFETIME HOMERUNS

 

for

 

THE SULTAN of SWAT

 

 

 

 

 

The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

The COLLECTED RECIPES of The DUDE

BURGERS TACOS BURRITOS

CHILI DOGS & MORE

AMAZON.com

DANNY & JIMMY Go to RUTT'S HUT

For The 1,000th Time

DANNY & JIMMY

EATING "RIPPERS at RUTT'S HUT"

2010

CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY

These two BROTHERS Have BEEN 

Going to RUTT'S HUT for more Than 50 YEARS

 

 

 

 

Can You Get Table at RAOS ? Frankie No Says "NO" !!!!!!

FRANKIE NO Says "NO" !!!

FRANK PELLIGRINO Sr.

RAO'S OWNER

RAO'S the historic Spanish Harlem restaurant is as elusive and alluring as ever. It's still nearly impossible to secure a seat without serious connections — but Grub tracked down thirteen people who revealed their strategies for getting in and dished on their best nights (though a few of them were so concerned about revealing their secrets that they didn't want us to use their names).

Strategy 1: Don't Take No for an Answer
"I had a business partner who was this fastidious attorney who would never take no for an answer. In 1995, someone who works for us wanted to go there for dinner. My business partner called [co-owner] Frank [Pellegrino] 500 times. Finally he said, 'Oh my God, come in. I can't take it anymore.' My partner wore him down. That first time, we became friends with everyone there. Frankie Jr. bonded with me, for some reason, and we became good friends. I was very active in the restaurant business for a long time, and I think that helped as well.

I don't have a standing table. I think in the seventeen years I've been going, I've only had legit reservations three or four times. Every other time, I just go on a Monday night, sit at the bar, and hope to get seated. I text one of the main guys to let them know and ask them to seat me. I brought my wife there on our first date fourteen years ago. She was definitely impressed.

I once had a great encounter with Johnny 'Roastbeef' [a character actor best known for his small role in Goodfellas]. We were at the bar, and, all of a sudden, the theme from Cats comes on. Johnny put his glass down hard, and he said, 'Every time I hear this song, all I want to do is eat pussy.' Without missing a beat, the woman next to him, who was in her sixties, asked, 'Does anyone know where I can get the CD really quickly?' I started laughing, and the bartender said that I couldn't laugh. We didn't know if it was a joke. I've seen amazing things there. A guy who had just gotten out of the slammer after twenty years showed up to celebrate, wearing clothes from twenty years ago: a skintight black sleeveless shirt and tight jeans." —Anonymous

Strategy 2: Be Eddie Huang
"I went the first time with Zach Chodorow with his girl and some other girl. Zach has friends that have a standing table. In the winter, they go away, and I hit him up. It was cool. We had a good time. They definitely have the best meatballs in the city. You go for the environment. You walk in, you walk out, and there's no better entrance to a restaurant. I take a Town Car, whatever. You walk into a movie. 

The second time, it was my girl's birthday, and it was right after Hurricane Sandy. She's an Italian girl who lived in Harlem and had never gone, so I said, 'I gotta take you.' We went on November 4. I talked to Nicky the Vest at the bar, and he said he recognized me. I was like, 'You don't get many Chinese people in here?' He said, 'Why don't I get you a table?' Then Frank comes over and said, 'Welcome back. If I have a table available, do you want to sit down and have dinner?' Absolutely! We had dinner. It was the best birthday she ever had. You wish more people with that passion and that character were opening restaurants in New York.

But if you just want to just try the food, go to Vegas. That's where my first Rao's experience was, and I actually like Uncle Vincent's chicken and the on-the-bone veal Parmesan better there. You can just walk into the Vegas location: It's a twenty-minute wait, tops. You know how people say things just based on what sounds good? The fact of the matter is that the food is better in Vegas. But the Rao's in Harlem is a New York institution. The moment you see it, you know why. It's got that swag." —Eddie Huang, Baohaus chef and soon-to-be television star

Strategy 3: Shower the Pellegrino Family With Gifts
"I used to work for an Academy Award–winning actor. It opened up a lot of doors in New York, but it never got me a table at Rao's ... until the actor's executive assistant tracked down a member of the Pellegrino family and showered her with gifts: flowers, spa gift cards, and movie-premiere invitations. That's how I scored my first reservation. I took my best friend, who'd also been trying (and failing) to get a table for many years. We feasted like kings. After dessert, the bartender asked us if we wanted a final drink 'with Frank.' Of course we said yes to this. The drink was served, but we didn't touch it. We wanted to wait for Frank to join us, but an hour later, he still hadn't come by our table. Eventually, the other tables emptied out. Rao's was closing, and we realized that the drink wason Frank, not with him. Embarrassed, we quickly paid and departed.

More recently, I was able to get another reservation. A woman I knew was friends with Johnny 'Roastbeef.' Turns out knowing Mr. Roastbeef is a much better connection than any award-winning movie star because we landed the best table and had multiple drinks with Frank." —Anonymous

READ MORE : Click Here!

What Do You Call a Submarine Sandwich

 

YOUARE WHAT YOU EAT

YOU ARE WHERE YOU EAT

 

WHAT DO YOU CALL a SUBMARINE SANDWICH ???

 

A HOAGIE ???

 

A HERO ???

 

A SUB ???

 

A GRINDER ???

 

 

A PO BOY ???

 

NEW ORLEANS

 

LOUISIANA

 

The GULF COAST

 

 

 

YOU CALL IT A HOAGIE?

 

YOUR'RE FROM PHILLY or SOUTH JERSEY

 

THE HOAGIE

 

Of PHILADELPHIA

 

Which Spread to NEW JERSEY

 

SOUTH JERSEY ONLY

 

 

 

 

UP NORTH

NORTH JERSEY

 

IT'S a HERO SUB or SUBMARINE

 

 

 

CLASSIC SUBMARINE SANDWICH

 

 

 

THE GRINDER

 

 

IF YOU SAY GRINDER, YOU'RE From NEW ENGLAND

 

or

 

THE MID WEST

 

 

You CALL IT a TORPEDO

 

 

"YOU CALL It a TORPEDO"

 

 

YOUR'RE From The TRI-STATE Area of NEW YORK,

NEW JERSEY, and CONNETTICUT

 

In JERSEY People Call The ICONIC SUBMARINE SANDWICH

a "SUB" SUBMARINE, HERO, and Yes "TORPEDO"

 

They USE ALL THESE NAMES, But MOST Often It's a "SUB"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK BEST COFFEE

NEW YORKS BEST COFFEE 

JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE

at

MISS LILLY'S

GREENWICH VILLAGE

NEW YORK

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The BLUE MOUNTAINS

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MELVIN'S JUICE BOX

BEST JUICE BAR

in 

NEW YORK

 

Dirty French 2 Stars NY TIMES PETE WELLS

 

Pete Wells of New York Times 2 Stars Dirty French

Dirty French Dining Room

 

Ludlow Street

 

Lower East Side of New York

 

Pete Wells, New York Times Food Critic gives Dirty French a lukewarm

2 Star Review .. Two Stars is not what you thrive for when you open a restaurant like this. You strive for 4 Stars, are happy if you get 3, not dejected with 2 but you really want at least 3 ..  So The Torrisi Boys Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi are at it again, with their latest venture Dirty French, and as the name would imply, it's a French Restaurant serving French Food, but French Food The Torris Boys way, and we here it's most Rich Torrisi at the helm on this one.

 

Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi actually met a  French Restaurant, Daniel Boulud's Daniel where they were both cooks, met, became friends, and the rest is New York Restauramt History as this dynamic due went on to creat the hugely popular Torrisi Italian Specialties, Parm, and uber hot Carbone, as well as an outpost of Parm at Citi Feild, and now Dirty French their first forray into the French Culinary World as owners.

 

Carbone and Torrisi though their frist few establsihments are Italian, the two have extensive training with French food in culinary school, at Daniel, and working abroad in French Restaurants. 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FEAST of THE 7 FISH 

 

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SAUCE

 

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

 

LEARN HOW to MAKE

 

SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA

 

 

FEAST of THE 7 FISH

                                              

The Feast of The 7 Fish

The Feast of The 7 Fish

Kindle Edition

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, and Holy Ghost. Basta, e Buon Natale!   EXCERPTED from THE FEAST of THE 7 FISH   by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

  

The Feast of The 7 Fish

SECRET ITALIAN RECIPES 

SEGRETO ITALIANO

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke