As I've said and written before, Daniel makes probably the finest Bolognese Sauce in the country, among other dishes. Daniel besides creating America's first ever Venetian Wine Bar, has now created and given America another great wonder, in his marvelous new book "La Tavola" Italian-American New Yorkers Adventures of The Table, a wonderful book with wondrous stories of Sunday Sauce, Meatball Parms, The Feast of The 7 Fish and much more. La Tavola is one of the finest books ever written on Italian-American Food and Cuisine, with some excellent wine info and stories as well. This book take the read on a journey through the Italian-American culinary world; the Food, Cooking, people, and time spent at the table with wonderful stories of all the great dishes, rituals, and the realm of Italian America. This book is a "Must Read" for anyone interested in Italian food and food in general.
Robert Roma article from JOURNAL of ITALIAN FOOD WINE and TRAVEL
Wow! What a Great Shot of Keith .. You gotta love it! Keith Cooking, and he looks pretty proficient. Like he knows what he's doing. He does! He's Keef for goodness sake. What's in the Pan? What is Keith Cooking? Could it be BANGERS and MASH Keith? No, it looks like a couple fried eggs in there.
Hey Where's The CIGARETTE KEITH ?
This picture was taken was taken in Montauk, Long Island, New York in 1975 .. A great candid shot of our hero Keith Richards. You just gotta love it. Keep on Rockin Keef.
WE HEAR KEITH"S FAVORITE New Cookbook is "GOT ANY KAHLUA" ? The DUDES BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK .. KEEF and The DUDE "They Go Together!"
Yes Boys and Girls, great News today, Big News, or as The DUDE would say," New Shit Man." It's The Dudes Cookbook, "GOT ANY KAHLUA" The Collected Recipes of The Dude, by Daniel Zwicke author of La Tavola and other titles. The book is Awesome, and a must read for any fan of The Dudes and the great "Cult-Classic" The BIG LEBOWSKI. The book is filled with recipes and stories by The Dude of all his favorite dishes and philosophy on food and cooking it. The Dude is a pretty dam good cook. Who knew? Fans of the Dude are gonna just Eat this One Up, no pun intended. Some wonderful recipes in the book, complete with wonderful antidotes, stories, and Dudeisms, are; The Dudes Cowboy Chili, Maude's Meatloaf, Berkholtzer's Sauerkraut "I told that F_ckin Kraut I Don't Roll on Shabbos," gooey Chop-Meat, Da Fino's Meatballs, Bozos Clam Chowder, and instructions on how to make great Tacos, Burritos, and of course the perfect White Russian. "You gotta Love it!" And we're sure you will.. It's a Great Day in Big Lebowski and Duderly History. Abide!
Another unfortunate accident in New Orleans. The Hubig Pie bakery was destroyed by a fire last week. Hubig's Pies have been a beloved mainstay in New Orleans ever since there inception way back in the 1920's of the last century. Yes there is a good amount of history there. OK they may have not been a immediate institutional mainstay at first, but in time they did, for you can find these lovely little packaged treats in just about every little grocery store and many Po-Boy Shops all over New Orleans and throughout southern Louisiana.
These little pies are fried and Sugar Glazed, filled with apple, cherry, pineapple, and Chocolate. The Hubig Pie is half moon shaped flaky crust that is made with lard. In the fall, Hubig's makes pies filled with fresh Louisiana Yams. They're always a big hit. Yes, you find Hubig's Pies all over the big Easy and Louisiana the same as we New Yorkers would find the similar Hostess Pies in many a grocery store in the Tri-State area growing up. Only difference the Hubig Pie is far more beloved in New Orleans than the Hostess Fruit Pies were ever loved here. Company heads say they will rebuild and will be back once again. Right now and for an undetermined time there will be many sad new Orlineans and Louisiana folk unable to pick upa fix of a Hubig's Chocolate or Apple Pie whenever they might have a hankering. They will miss seeing them at every little convenience store and many gas stations between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and all over the great state of LA. The Hubig Pie Co. has gone through some rough times in the past 8 years or so, with Hurrican Katrina doing damage shutting the company done and now the disaster of this fire that has destroyed the bakery for who knows how long.
We send out prayers for Hubig's, and hope they will be back soon, stocking every supermarket, gas station and grocery stores with there beloved little Half-Moon Sugar Glazed Chocolate and Fruit Pies. Bet those New Orlineans just can't wait.
My Morning Coffee. Couldn't live without it. Get's me goin, hundreds of Millions a day. each and every day. You just gotta have that cup of Joe. For most Americans, they drink it at home, though millions get it out, on the go, at the office, or if your lucky, you'll sit down and enjoy it leisurely at your local cafe, the way I like mine, and I don't mean at Starbucks which I only do in a pinch when there's no better alternative. To me and millions others, Starbucks is too commercial, it's the "Bottom of the Barrel" and akin to McDonald's of the Coffee World.
I Love my morning Coffee, the Coffee itself, but it's not just the coffee, it going to the cafe, chit-chatting with the counter girls, maybe bumping into a friend or two, or having a conversation with a cafe regular like me.
I'm happy to get my Coffee, jump onto my Laptop, read the News, my emails, Surf, do a bit of writing, Or a lot!
And that first sip, it Taste so Good. I just Love it, "warm and Comforting" that Morning Coffee is. Don't you just Love it? I do! How many Millions do? Americans, Italians, the French, Swedes, an-on-and-on, 1 Billion people every day, Two or Three, who knows. OK, I just did a little research (I wouldn't have been able to do this Pre-Internet Days). OK, about 150 Million Americans drink about 225,000,000 cups of coffee every day. Worldwide about 1.5 Billion people drink about 4.8 Billion cups of Coffee a day. That's a lot of friggin coffee. In the United States alone we drink about 480 million cups a day, almost a 1/2 billion cups of Coffee consumed a day in the U.S. or almost 3 1/2 Billion cups of coffee a week, tallying up to about 172 Billion Cups of Coffee a year in the United States of America. Wow!
In Italy, your morning Coffee could be either an Espresso or Cappuccino, but after 1130 A.M. Italians no longer would drink Cappuccino or Caffe Latte any longer in the day, and they laugh at Americans who order a Cappuccino in a restaurant after Dinner.
For me, my morning Coffee has just gotta be a regular. Nothing else will do. Well maybe an occasional Cappuccino which was my morning coffee for years at what used to be my favorite Caffee for a couple decades, Caffe Dante. I Loved my Cappuccino, but many a time, I sat there in Caffe Dante wishing I had a Regular Cup of Joe. The cappuccino doesn't last as long as that Cup of Joe, plus it's "Twice the Price," and when you go out for about 800 Coffees a year, as I do, the price of the Cappuccino plus tip can add up to quite a lot more Money. I've figured it out, to about $750 difference between getting a Cappuccino as opposed to a much cheaper American Coffee. Yes I was spending about $2500 a on coffee when I was having about 1.2 Cappuccinos a day and 1 regular coffee. Now that I drink mostly just American Coffee (Regular), about 2.2 cups a day, with just an occasion Cappuccino, I spend about $1,750 a year, for a "Savings" of about $750 a year since I switched. In the 7 years that I've drastically reduced my Cappuccino consumption I have saved $5,200 .. Pretty dam good. And I've saved it and put it in the Bank. Yes besides the taste, this is a good reason to love that Regular Cup of Joe.
A regular American Coffee is more satisfying, just the right balance of roast Coffee Beans brewed in the drip method with just the right amount of water. I add some Milk, no sugar, and for me, that is my perfect cup of Morning Coffee. You can keep your high priced Cappuccino, Espresso, and those ridiculous things they serve to Amateur Coffee Drinkers at Starbucks. It's all Marketing which most Americans are easily Brainwashed into. The same reason that "Ridiculous Sitcoms like Two and a Half men and other sitcoms are popular. And the same reason why that "Awful Garbage Hip Hop" is so popular. Most Americans have "Horrible Taste," are Followers, and easily Brainwashed. Sorry, but this could be the only reason why Millions would pay Millions of Dollars every day for "Abortionated Drinks" like Caramel Lattes and the like, and such "Awful Tasteless Noise as Hip Hop."
Ok, I've made my point. Back to my Morning Coffee, and it's just gotta be a "Regular." In New York, a "Regular Coffee" is King. No matter that many Cappuccinos, Espresso, those ridiculous Starbucks Concoctions are drunk everyday. In comparison they make up just a small percentage of the many various forms of coffee that can be made. Regular American Coffee is king, whether in your home, on the go from a Deli, after Lunch or Dinner in a restaurant, or even in, yes Starbucks. More than 85% of the millions of cups of coffee made every single day in New York, day after day, 365 of them a year, 85% of them are the good old American Classic, American Coffee. A Regular. Daniel Bellino Zwicke
Prime-Rib and Ringo! What you say? Yes I say "Prime-Rib and Ringo."
What the Hell do they have to do with one-and-other? Isn't Ringo a Vegetarian? Yes? But isn't he English, Prime Rib Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding? Yes? Ringo is a Vegetarian, but he probably ate and loved Prime-Rib Roast Beef before he stopped eating meat, no? Yes, we thinks so. Question to you Ringo, "Did you eat and like Prime-Rib of Beef before you became a vegetarian?" We'd love to know. Please.
So, what the Hell does Ringo have to do with Prime-Rib you want to know. OK, I'll tell you. Number one, I've loved Ringo way before I ever loved or ate my first tasty piece of Prime-Rib way back when. I've loved and known Ringo and The Beatles ever since I was 4 or 5 years old. Yes I did. I grew up with Ringo and The Beatles. They were the biggest thing on Earth, practically any ways. "Love Me Do," I Wanna Hold Your Hand, "She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah," The Beatles, Fab Four, John, Paul George, and Yes RINGO. And yes this was the order you would say their names when saying them one by one; first John, then Paul, George 3rd, and then at The End, for the Grand Finale "Ringo."
OK so you love Ringo, you grew up with him and The Beatles you, "But What the Hell Does Ringo have to do with a juicy piece of Prime-Rib of Beef that he probably wouldn't or couldn't even want to eat?"
OK so as you all know by now, I love Prime-Rib, I love The Beatles, I love Ringo, so what does one have to do with the other? Where's the tie-in?
Mr. Ringo Starr, some years ago put together a band called The All Stars. Being a Beatle, a drummer, musician, and performer Ringo as it so happens still loves playing drums and performing live.
Lately I have been thinking and dying for me a nice "Juicy" Piece of Prime-Rib. Dam they're so yummy, so tasty. Having grown up in Jersey, I love me a nice piece of Prime-Rib of Beef every now and then. Prime-Rib of Beef is a big item in restaurants in Jersey, and many will have once a week Prime Rib Night where you can get yourself a nice piece of Prime Rib, a salad, vegetables, and potato, and maybe even some desert and or soup to start or a All-You-Can-Eat "Salad Bar" all for one nice very affordable price, somewhere around $19.99 to $24.95, whatever.
.
"PEACE & LOVE"
I've lived in the great city of New York for more than 25 years now, and if there's two things a former Jerseyite can't get in New York, it's Taylor Ham a good piece of reasonable priced
Prime Rib. Two things people in Jersey really love. You just can not find Taylor Ham in New York anywhere. Taylor Ham is a Jersey thing.
Now your'e talking about Taylor Ham you say? What the Hell? Real quick for those who don't know, Taylor Ham is a commercially made pork-product similar in taste to "Spam" only better that was created in 1856 in Trenton, New Jersey by John Taylor. It's yummy, and Jerseyites love it. It's in there blood. Taylor Ham is sliced and pan-fried and usually goes on a plate with eggs for breakfast or in its most famous way with scrambled or fried eggs on a Taylor Ham & Egg Sandwich. Yumm! My mouth waters just thinking of one.
OK so that's the quick skinny on Taylor Ham, along with Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and yes Prime Rib, the most beloved of Jersey Eats. So to Prime Rib and New York City. Well Prime Rib is no where near as big, popular, or beloved in NY NY they way it is New Jersey, but you can get it here, and another "but," but for a "Price." And a big price at that. Pretty much the only place more or less that you'll find Prime Rib in Manhattan is at any one of New York's great Steak Houses. Yes, besides Sirloin Steaks, T-Bones, Porter House Steaks, Filet Mignon, and Jumbo Lobsters, you can get a nice piece of juicy Prime Rib of Beef at any Steak House in New York.
A Prime Rib dinner at a New York Steak House? What's it gonna cost? Be prepared to dish out about a Hundred Bucks, maybe a little less depending upon if you go for lunch or dinner, lunch being a bit cheaper of course. Let's take Smith & Wollensky one of New York's great and most icon steak houses. At lunch you can get a nice piece of juicy Prime Rib for $36.50 .. You do mot get any vegetable or potato on the plate so add $6.50 for a baked potato. You have to have a least one drink, a beer, or glass of wine, add another $12.00 and your sub-total is $55. You gotta pay tax and leave the waiter a good tip, so your grand total is gonna be about $72 for a bare minimum Prime Rib lunch, at dinner your gonna be around a hundred bucks. No thanks unless you are rich or have a rich friend picking up the tab. Oh yeah I can afford this, but not very often, as most of us out there in the year 2012, 11, 2010, we hope 2013 will be better and 2014, the U.S. economy booming or near to it once again. "Hope and Pray my friends," all of us 99%ers.
OK so I been dying to have me some Prime Rib of late. Even thinking of taking a trip out to Jersey to get one in one of the World's Prime Rib meccas. Yes.
I have also been wanting to see Ringo and His All Star Band for some years now. Every time I'd see his name up on the Radio City Marquee, I'd say to myself "Self, one of these days you just gotta go see Ringo." Yes.
So it's June 2012 and I see Ringo is playing at the Jones Beach Theater and I might want to go. He's not playing Radio City this year and getting to Jones Beach from Manhattan without a car can be though not impossible, a bit difficult it is, especially as compared to jumping in a cab or hopping a Subway up to Radio City, easy and just a matter of minutes. Well I started doing some research and went on to good ole Ringo's website at RinogStarr.com .. As I browsing through I see Todd Rundregn is in this years (2012) All Star Band ... This seals the deal for me. Todd is awesome. I continue to look on the website and see the schedule for the whole concert tour. Ringo is playing The Mohegan Sun Casino Arena on June 17, a Sunday and my day off. Perfect. It's my day off and it will be easier to get to the Mohegan Sun than to Jones Beach, and cheaper too with all the casino bus discounts and special offers. "I'm in." I go on line and buy some tickets. Yee-Ha I'm all set. Gonna go see Ringo, finally, and this will complete me see each and every Beatle in person. I went to a George Harrison Concert at Madison Square garden when I was just a teenager. My first Beatle. Second was John Lennon as I saw him walking down West 72nd Street one day. Quite a thrill. Even more of a thrill was when I was the Maitre'd at Da Silvano Restaurant and met Paul McCartney twice. One of those days, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and the great Bozz Scaggs just happened to be dining at Da Silvano as well. Paul chatted with both of them for several minutes. Quite exciting. So that's three Beatles down, John, Paul, George, and now Ringo. I can't wait, and there's going to be a bonus, my Prime rib Dinner, and it's almost for free.
A free Prime rib Dinner you say? Where? At the Mohegan Sun Casino at their buffet restaurant Seasons. Well I got on the Casino Bus, rode up there to Connecticut to the casino. The bus trip is only $15 round trip and when you get to the casino and get off the bus you get two $20 betting vouchers and the all important $20 food voucher good at any Mohegan Sun Restaurant. Yeah Babee! I did as most people do opt for the big Buffet Dinner, just $24 and all the Spare Ribs, Oysters, Clams, Fried Clams, Fried Chicken, Pasta, Stir Frys, Fish, Roast Turkey, Salads, Veggies, "PRIME RIB" and tasty deserts you can eat. And believe me people eat.
So I get there, get on line, then pay just $4 after giving them my $20 food voucher. Awesome! We sit down, and I go up for my first bit of food, the appetizers. I get 1 piece of fried chicken, 2 Spare Ribs, and some Fired Clams. Yumm! Dam the Barbecued Spare Ribs are some of the tastiest I've ever had and if it was 2 or 3 years previous and I wasn't eating healthier, I swear i would have eaten at least 8 or 10 of these Tasty Little Bad Boys. They were so dam tasty that I was seriously tempted to go get a couple more, as opposed to getting 6 or 8 more which I would have done a few years back. I'm proud of myself I had will power, I did not get any more Spare Ribs that I desperately wanted. good boy.
After I finished that 1st plate it was time to go up and get the Main-Event, the Prime Rib. As I approached the Prime Rib Roast Turkey Carving Station i noticed the carver guy was cutting the Beef kind of thin, especially for Prime Rib, "Man Prime Rib Has Just Gotta Be Thick!" You can't eat it any other way. So I approached the guy cutting the Prime Rib and said nice and friendly like and with assertion, "Hey Buddy Give Me a Nice Thick Slice of That Prime Rib Please." And he did, twice the thickness of others I'd seen him slice. Thank You Sir! I appreciate that. As you know, the Prime Rib has just Got To Be Thick.
Yes, the Prime Rib was Excellent, nice and Juicy, Dam tasty, just like the Pork Spare Ribs. Yummm!!!! We had a few deserts and it was off to see Ringo.
Needless to say, the concert was great. Ringo, Todd and the rest of the Band were absolutely Awesome. The All Star Band also had in it Steve Lukather of Toto (Friggin GREAT Guitarist), Rochard Page of Mr. Mister, and founding Santana keyboard player and lead singer Greg Rolie, aka "The Duke" of Santana. Todd did Hello It's Me, a "Rockin" rendition of Bang The Drum, and my favorite Rundgren song "I Saw The Light." Love it! The Band led by Santana keyboardist Greg Rolie did awesome renditions of "Black Magic Woman," Everbody's Everything, and Evils ways and former Toto guitaristist Steve Lakather was every bit Carlos Santana's equal in lead guitar roll for the Santana songs along with Lakather playing guitar and lead vocals for Toto Monster Hits done by Ringo and The All Stars, which included the iconic "Roseanna" (written about actress Roseanna Arquette, along with "Africa." Awesome Show and it exceeded our expectations.
I Loved it, "Prime-Rib and Ringo." a Tasty Combination to say the least...
Well I was wondering what to expect when my cousin Joe asked me if I wanted to go to Brunello tasting at City Winery with him. He said it was with James Suckling (a Top guy at Wine Spectator and # 1 with Italian Wines for WSp) and David Suckiling.. Joe didn't give me details so I figured it was a Wine Spectator Event which is usually more about a lot of BSing making Money for the Wine Spectator and Markin Shanken as well as sucking up than anything else. Well me being in the wine and restaurant industry for more than 20 years, I go to a multitude of industry Wine Tastings, Wine Luncheons and Wine Dinners along with other events of the highest caliber. this tasting was geared toward retail buyers and novice wine enthusiast, a pay to go to event. Not the kind I usually go to, mine are more of the insider type. Well my cousin Joe wanted to go, so I went along for the ride. The day of the event I went on line to see what it was all about. It was not a Wine Spectator Event but one held and organized by James Suckling and David Sokolin. Ok. I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary. My cousin drove in from Long island and met me at my house (apartment in Greenwich Village). We walked over to City Winery. I saw my friend Marco poring a wine and went over to his table. It was the Brunello Normale 2007 from Fabio Tassi. Wow! It was great and a precursor of things to come. The Tassi Brunello 2007 was outstanding. i couldn't beleive my eyes. My tastebuds. This wine was a perfect textbook Brunello, perfectly balance, correct in weight, not too heavy not too light but full of wonderful and perfect Sangiovese Grosss taste. The tasi Brunello Franci Riserva 2006 was equally good. Excuse me great! oh and by the way, this tasting was one special one as the wines being tasted, the Brunello di Montalcino 2007 and Brunello Riservas 2006 where two back to back vintages where of the highest caliber of ratings of mid-90s fro each vintage as a vintage overall. Outstanding, the pair of 2007 Normale and 2006 Riserva Brunellos. It's hard for me to remember back when I tasted so many great wines at one tasting. I was shocked. when after wine, Brunello after marvelous Brunello were oustanding. I couldn't believe it. they were almost all good. "Excuse me, Great!" All except for those offerings of Capanna and Uccelliera fo which neither of these producers thrilled me with their offerings as almost all others did.
As I stated, pretty much all the the Brunello on hand were outstanding, well balanced, tasty and indicative of what great Brunello should taste like.
Here is a list of the standouts:
Valdcava Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Valdcava Brunello Di Montalcino Del Piano Riserva 2006
Carpzao Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Carparzo Brunello Di Montalcino 2006 Riserva
Poderina Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Poderina Brunello Di Montalcino 2006 Riserva
Lisini Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Livio Sassetti Brunello Di Montalcino "Pertamali" 2007
Tassi Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Brunello Di Montalcino Castello Banfi 2007
Silvio Nardi Brunello Di Montalcino 2007
Silvio Nardi Brunello Di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara 2006