Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Bucatini Pasta Shortage NewYork Recipe

 




Is there a BUCATINI PASTA SHORTAGE in NEW YORK ?

I don't know, but I'll investigate on the matter, and write about it when  I have the time. Right now I'm quite busy trying to get my latest book out ( POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK - Travel Guide), as well as other projects. 

By the way, if you Love Bucatini, and Bucatini Amatriciana in particular and you are looking for the recipe for the Best Amatriciana Sauce that you've ever had, there's an amazing recipe in 
Mangia Italiano - Memories of Italian Food on AMAZON.com ...

Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke is renowned for his meat ragu an some of the Best Pasta Sauce recipes out side of Italy. He's justly famous for his DUCK RAGU,  Ragu Bolognese , and of course his Bucatini Amatricana .. Well that's it for now kids, gotta finish the book.






MEMORIES of ITALIAN FOOD

Including the Recipe for PASTA AMATRICIANA







BUCATINI AMATRICIANA






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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

History of the Submarine Sandwich in America

 





ITALIAN SUB SANDWICHES

FAICCO'S

GREEWNWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK









The HISTORY of The SUB SANDWICH

Excerpted from SUNDAY SAUCE

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke





The FEAST of 7 FISH Italian Christmas Cookbook







The FEAST of The 7 FISH "ITALIAN CHRISTMAS"

Are You Making it This Year ?


RECIPES in The FEAST of The 7 FISH

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke




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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 Vigilia

"The Feast 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 Raisins
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 Raisins in hot water for 20 minutes then drain.

3) Add sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and raisins 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


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 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 

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Celebs Drinking Coffee

 



DALI










GEORGE HARRISON



AL PACINO








SOPHIA LOREN









The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

GOT ANY KAHLUA ?




.





Pasta with Broccoli Rabe / Sausage - Recipe

 



Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage





See How to Make PASTA 

with SAUSAGE and BROCCOLI RABE

"RAPINI"






FAVORITE ITALIAN FOODS

And SECRET RECIPES





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Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Porchetta in Rome - Recipe

 




Porchetta in Rome





Salsicce 






La NORCINERIA

ROMA





The PORCHETTA KING of ITALY




WANT to MAKE PORCHETTA at HOME ?

The RECIPE is in "MANGIA ITALIANO"




MANGIA ITALIANO

PORCHETTA RECIPE

And More ..






La PORCHETTA


"Yumm" !!!





Mangia Bene la Porchetta 




.


















Friday, December 11, 2020

Remembering Frankenstorm Hurricane Sandy Odyssey NYC


REMEMBERING HURRICANE SANDY

And WHY STARBUCKS SUCKS !




"STARBUCKS SUCKS"

Read Article Below

and Find Out Why STARBUCKS SUCKS
and How Starbucks Let NEW YORK
and New Yorker's Down

During HURRICANE SANDY


Do you believe that after  breathing of Air, Water, Food, Clothing, and Shelter, Coffee is the single most important thing and one of life's necessities to millions. Take it away, you'll survive but you won't be happy. You want it, you love, you need it. Coffee!     

Late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy, aka "Frankenstorm" Hits New York and a much of the East Coast and inflicts quite a bit of devastation.  A large part of New York City loses electricity including Lower Manhattan below 26th Street, the rest of the lucky SOBs above 26th had power. Now we're in our apartments no Electricity, No Heat, No Hot Water, No TV, No Internet, No Power !!!      We lost power at about 9 PM at night. I went downstairs and hung out with Giovanni and the boys at Bar Pitti . They lost their electricity, but their Emergency Lights were on. We sat around, drank some good Italian Wine, at Salami and talked about the Storm. Frankestorm as it would come to be known.      So I had some batteries for my portable Radio and knew they had electrical power above 26th Street .. So I hung out at Bar Pitti until their emergency lights batteries went dead, th lights went off, Giovanni closed down the restaurant and we all went home. Me to a dark apartment, no girlfriend, no lights, no TV, no nothing. I listened to the Radio and fell asleep about 1 in the morning.

     I awoke about 9, turned on the radio, went to the bathroom, boiled some water to take a bath, took a bath, got dressed and left the house on what would become my FrankenStorm Odyssey. I left the house (apartment) about 10, walk around the hood to see what was up. I saw my buddy Jimmy B and Charlie outside on Cornelia Street .. We chatted for about 15 minutes and I told them I was heading up to Midtown. I needed some Coffee and was looking to charge my Cel Phone and Laptop Batteries and looking to see if I could get some Internet Access.  I told them their was electricity up there and I was going to go to a Starbucks, get a Coffee and see if I could charge-up and get on The Net ... So I walked a half block from Jimmy's place to Sixth Avenue and I was on my way up 6th, to Midtown in Search of Electricity and Coffee. I thought for sure I'd find them at Starbucks. As I turned out I couldn't have been more wrong ...      Anyway I walked up 6th Ave which about 40 years ago the city tried naming Avenue of The America's. It never caught on. New Yorkers wouldn't have it. They wouldn't call it that, but continued calling it 6th Avenue and the city was forced to keep it at that. That's New Yorkers. And during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers just like they have many times, on 9/11 and other tough times, we'd show what we were made of. We're "Tough," we're Strong, we pull together and are at our Best when the going gets tough.      I'm walking up Sixth Avenue and at this new little cafe were Joe Jr.'s Diner and Burger Joint used to be (now sadly GONE), the cafe was open for business and people were in there hanging out and drinking stuff, and of course talking about the storm, being without power and what not. So I go in. They have hot Tea, bottled juice, and mineral water, but no coffee. I get a bottle of juice, sit down, relax, and convert with others around me. I hung for about 15 minutes, then took-off, it was back up 6th ave. I decided to head over to the Ace Hotel on 29th Street and Broadway .. I often go there for some Stumptown Coffee and to hang out in the lobby banging stuff out on my laptop. I got there, and plenty of people were outside, but the hotel which is always quite cordial, were not letting and outsiders in and the lobby was just for guest of the hotel and no-one else could hang out in the what would now be a Paradise in the midst of a Blackout, a bi g spacious hotel lobby that had Electricity, Coffee, tables and chairs. Couldn't get in. Hey, I don't really blame them, they have to take care of their guest and it would have been a mob seen if anyone was aloud in. On my way to The Ace I passed a Starbucks at 1140 Broadway. They had electrical power here but Starbucks was closed. I walked past 2 other Starbucks as I continued walking around Midtown in search of coffee, power, and open Starbucks, but there were none to be found. There were Starbucks, they had power, but none were open for business. Now I'm no idiot, and I relive we are in the middle of a crisis and that although these Starbucks have power, the people that work at them, many might like in the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, the Subways are shut-down ("Oh I forgot to mention that! That's why I'm walking!") and "most" people can't get to work. That's most, "but not all." There's like 100 Starbucks around. I realize that they wouldn't be able to open all of them. But I just don't believe that every single one is closed, that not even a few are open. Those SOB's at Starbucks let us Down! We needed Coffee more than ever, there was not a Starbucks open anywhere insight. "They let New Yorkers down." BIG TIME! I do not believe that they could not muster opening a fraction of their many Starbucks Shops with Skeleton Crews. Impossible! There were McDonalds and other businesses open, but "No Starbuck!" No Coffee when New Yorkers needed Coffee and Starbucks most, Starbucks let New Yorkers down. They are not New Yorkers! They don't have the New York Spirit, the company, otherwise they would have had a few places open, serving New Yorkers Coffee, Wifi, and a bit of charging. They let New York down during Sandy and for this, i will never forgive them, "Starbucks Sucks!"      I never really liked them. I'm a New Yorker, "I hate chain corporate places." I love cafes and go to independent ones, not Starbucks, not often anyway. I only use them rarely and out of convenience when I'm in a neighborhood other than my own and I need to get to a cafe for coffee to sit down and get on the laptop, if there is no other place around, I'll go to Starbucks, then and only then, I don't really care for Starbucks.     Anyway, I've gone on and on. The point is Starbucks Sucks. They let New York City and New Yorkers down in the time we "Needed" them most, Starbucks was not there for us, and I find this unforgivable. Daniel Bellino-Zwicke PS During my Hurricane Sandy Midtown Odyssey that lasted 14 hours from the time I left my apartment in Greenwich Village at 10 AM and got home right at the stroke of Mid-Night 14 hours later, i went to the little Cafe on 6th Ave & 12th Street, walked around looking for Starbucks (never found 1 open though I passed about 20), I went in the Benjamin Hotel used their bathroom then hung in the lobby for about 30 minutes. I then went across the street to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where I sat down on the rug, plugged in my Cel Phone and Laptop and hung out for 2 and half hours. "Thank You Waldorf." I then  started to walk towards Times Square and found a McDonalds open on I believe it was East 46th Street between Madison and 5th Avenue. I sat down, got a Angus Burger with Cheese, Fries and a large coffee, "McDonalds did not let New Yorkers down as those SOBS from Starbucks." I was at McDonalds eating my Burger and Fries for about 30 minutes. I then went to the nice atrium next door with half of my McDonalds large coffee, and hung out their with my laptop and their Wifi for about 20 minutes. I then decided to walk over to Times Square. I walked over to Times Square, nothing much was happening and I had an idea.  I love the Algonquin Hotel and decided to go over, have a couple cocktails and hang in the beautiful lobby for a while. It was great there. I sat down at a nice table and ordered a Bourbon Old Fashion. The service there is great, I was welcomed and well taken care of. There were electrical outlets and I charged my Cel Battery and my laptop and settled in, writing, sipping my Old Fashion and just having a grand time. I ordered a couple more drinks, I had a Turkey Club Sandwich and a couple pots of Tea. I was at the Algonquin for 3 and a half hours and had an absolutely wonderful time. The service was impeccable.     At 11:15 PM I decided it was time to go home. I left the Algonquin, walked down over to Broadway and walked down Broadway past Macy's and The Empire State Building, the lights were on, but when I got into the high 20s I could see darkness below. I continued walking down Broadway and when I got to 26th Street, there was Electricity and lights-on on the North Side of 26th Street, but just a few feet away on the Southern Side of East 26th Street at Broadway there was no Electricity, no lights and i could see down south to what looked like a dark abyss, and I was walking down into it. I walked down Broadway and made a right on23red Street. It was pitch black. I walked across the dark of 23rd Street and made a left onto 6th Avenue and down 6th to my building on 6ht Avenue and Bleecker. It was exactly 12 Midnight when I walked into the Pitch-Black of the hallway of my building and up the stairs with my little flashlight. My Odyssey was over. I got Coffee but not at a Starbucks. I got on my Computer and Charged my batteries, not at Starbucks but at The Waldorf, The Algonquin, and McDonalds. "Hey did I tell you, Starbucks Sucks!" 











The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

GOT ANY KAHLUA ?

The COLLECTED RECIPES of The DUDE







The CHRYSLER BUILDING

On My HURRICANE SANDY ODYSSEY

October 22, 2012 





ONE MANS HURRICANE SANDY ODYSSEY 

Watch The Video

"FRANKENSTORM"

October 22. 2012






SULLIVAN STREET, GREENWICH VILLAGE 

NEW YORK

"The start of my HURRICANE SANDY ODYSSEY"

The Day After it Hit

October 23, 2012

LOOKING for ELECTRICITY (Charge Batteries) and COFFEE

The 2 PRIME OBJECTIVES of The DAY




The WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL

NEW YORK, NY

I Hung out here for two hours, charging the batteries on my Laptop and Cel Phone

"Thank You WALDORF"







Walking up 6th Avenue

LOOKING for COFFEE

The EMPIRE STATE BUILDING in the Distance





Walking up 5th Avenue

The FLATIRON BUILDING





Looking down to the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

Corner of 5th Avenue and 37th Street

New York NY

"FRANKENSTORM"




Corner of 42nd STREET and LEXINGTON AVENUE

NEW YORK NY

The CHRYSLER BUILDING 




The CHRYSLER BUILDING






The WALDORF








The ALGONQUIN