Sicilian flavors: Caponata at Cacio e Vino

August 31, 2010

Several Italian news and travel web sites (www.siciliaonline.it and www.myluxury.com to name a couple) are reporting that Sicily has defeated Sardinia as the favorite summer destination of local and, mostly, international stars. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Elton John, Giorgio Armani, Sting and many more prefer the still uncompromising beauty of this island to the pretentiousness of a natural paradise that has been turned into a sort of circus by the wannabes. A round trip ticked to Palermo, this time of the year, starts at $523 on Meridiana (available only until mid September) but if you are like me, meaning you don’t have much time off so going all the way to Italy is practically impossible, you’d be happy to know that Sicily can be “tasted” in the East Village. At Cacio & Vino to be exact.

The menu is a never ending (but in a good way) and features some of the most traditional and flavorful Sicilian dishes (including Sarde a beccafico con cipollata,
baked Mediterranean sardines stuffed with bread crumbs, pine nuts, raisins, orange zest, sweet and sour onions; Involtini di melanzane, stuffed rolls of eggplant with pine nuts, raisins, basil, pecorino cheese, tomato sauce; Spaghetti con pesto trapanese, homemade spaghetti, fresh tomato, basil, garlic and almond pesto; Gnocchi di fico e primosale, potato and fig gnocchi in a Sicilian cheese fondue sauce and Pesce spada all’agrodolce,
pan-seared swordfish in sweet and sour sauce with olives and onions and vegetable ratatouille.
Every time I go I am undecided on what to order as everything looks, and tastes so good, but one thing I know for sure is that I will order Caponata (as a cold appetizer). At Cacio e Vino caponata consists of Sicilian style sweet and sour eggplant, celery, olives, onions, served with chick pea fritters and goat cheese. Bursting with color and flavor, it is blend of eggplants and tomatoes, balanced with green olives, capers, celery, sugar and vinegar for its characteristic sweet and sour taste. Caponata can be served cold or at room temperature and it should be prepared a day in advance so the flavors will have time to blend and settle. It can be served with pasta, rice, or omelets but the more traditional way is to serve it as an appetizer with crackers or accompanied by fresh crusty Italian bread or, in the case of Cacio e Vino, with freshly baked pizza dough cut into small slices.
Enjoying it with a glass of wine while waiting for the next dish to arrive is absolute bliss.

- Natasha Lardera

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Porchetta Sandwich – Juicy Perfection

June 18, 2010


One of my closest friends works in a lovely wine bar in NYC – Cellar 58. So as I love to see my friend and drink some good Italian wine, (in Italian we call this “Prendere due piccioni con una fava” which basically means “To kill two birds with one stone”) I go to visit her as often as possible. Needless to say I have elected my favorite dish on the bar menu: the porchetta sandwich. Porchetta is a succulent pork roast, typical of the traditional cuisine of Lazio, Marche, Umbria and Tuscany (Cellar 58’s menu has been inspired by the cuisine of these regions). The exact location of where porchetta was first conceived is still a culinary mystery. People from Ariccia, in Lazio, claim paternity of the original recipe, while in Umbria it is told that Norcia, town known for pig farms since the times of the Ancient Romans, is the culprit. Apparently even the people of the Marche have claimed to be the originators…

Porchetta is a tender and juicy hunk of pork encased within fatty, crispy skin (crackling) made by cooking together rosemary, garlic, fennel, sage, salt and pepper and spreading them over pork loin. The meat is then rolled up before being tied with butcher’s twine and roasted (usually for about two and a half hours). The pork is so flavorful you really do not need any other accompanying ingredient. There are however regional differences: tradition calls for two basic ways to season porchetta. In southern Tuscany, southern Castelli di Roma and in other areas of Central Italy, it is seasoned mainly with rosemary. In northern Lazio, Umbria and Marche it is seasoned mainly with wild fennel which gives it a unique taste and aroma.

The Porchetta sandwich is not commonly eaten during a meal, but between meals as a “snack” or as a craving after a long night out (drinking and dancing). It is usually eaten warm, sliced and stuffed into fresh bread (ciabatta is a fave) on the street (from special trucks), outside a nightclub, during concerts, open air markets, town sagre and sporting events. Porchetta needs to be eaten right away, there is no time to waste. The most flavorful parts are those with equal parts of fat and lean meat that are marbled with stuffing. The crispiness of the skin best indicates the freshness of the meat.

In Tuscany or Umbria, street sellers are called porchettai, while in the Castelli di Roma area they are known as porchettari. NYC is still porchettari-free so when in need of this special sandwich going to Cellar 58 is the best solution. (One can also stop by Porchetta, where Chef Sara Jenkins makes porchetta sandwiches to takeout).

By Natasha Lardera

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Genuinely Italian Lecture Series At NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’

April 27, 2010

Food is a topic that is on everyone’s mind and these days what is genuine Italian is a hot topic. This evening, three owners of Italian Specialty shops in New York city will share their secrets and talk about smart shopping. The lecture is part of a series of six educational lectures organized by Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ and the Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani.

The panel includes Lou DiPalo of Dipalo’s Fine Foods whose family originally hails from Basilicata. DiPalo’s family opened its first shop in 1910. Today’s store is much larger than any of its previous incarnations and Lou’s son has opened his own wine shop next door.

The second guest at the lecture will be Louis Coluccio Jr of DColuccio & Sons in Brooklyn. Louis Jr. is very entertaining and passionate about food, especially those that his family has been importing for decades.

The third speak is Antonio Magliulo of Buonitalia in the Chelsea Market. Buonitalia is very well known in New York restaurant circles and many order directly from his wholesale business. There is also a lovely cafe’ within the premises and many consider it to have some of the best espresso in New York. All told, the evening should be exciting with tidbits and new information. I’m looking forward to going.

-Susannah Gold

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8 Comments | Cheeses, Coffee Bars, Cooking, Cured Meats, Dining, Events, Fresh Pasta, Fruits, Grains, Ingredients, Restaurants, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Bianca, A Home Away From Home

September 15, 2009

Dining out in New York can be delightful or difficult and everything in the middle. What it should be, at all times though, is relaxing. Bianca, a restaurant in lower Manhattan is just such a place.

Eating there a handful of times already gives you the feeling that you are a home. The manager will suggest you go next door and have a drink at Von while you wait for your table. The wait may even be long but no one seems to mind. It is a testament to the service, the food and the ambiance of Bianca.

Make no mistake, this is a local trattoria-style joint with an inexpensive and cash only menu all the time. It gets a fairly young and hip crowd from Nolita and the East Village but everyone’s always welcome and it feels that way.

The pasta are generally delicious and lasagna is always on the menu. The Chef leans towards dishes from Emilia Romagna. On a recent visit, the Tagliatelle with Sausage and Broccoli Raab were delicious. On another trip, the Ravoli di Ricotta with butter and sage did the trick. The portions are also quite generous.

Other recent dishes that we sampled include the Stracetti di Manzo, Carciofi fritti, Radicchio alla Griglia in Coperta (with prosciuto and cheese) which sounds odd but is delicious and the ever present Caprese salad.

A neat little wine list completes the picture. If you go, be patient and bring cash. Bianca is a sister restaurant to Celeste on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, also inexpensive with delicious pizza and a loud crowd as well as Teodora, a more upscale dining experience in Midtown.

The group, created and run by Chef Giancarlo Quadalti, is also associated with Fiore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where Chef Roberto Aita runs the show.

Eating at any of these restaurants is a real pleasure and sends you home feeling not only satisfied with the food and wine but relaxed, as if you had just dined at a friend’s home.

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A Ligurian Treat: Trofie al Pesto

August 27, 2009

All 20 of Italy’s regions have specific culinary traditions but most have at least one or two signature dishes that are on almost every menu in the region. One of the most ubiquitous and the most delicious of Ligurian treats is their homemade squiggly pasta called trofie which are generally served with pesto. Pesto can be made in a number of ways. The basic pesto ingredients are basil, garlic, pinoli nuts, cheese and oil. In Liguria, many cooks add green beans and potatoes to the dish. You can either purchase pesto or make it at home.

The pasta is a bit more laborious but here is a great recipe from a blog by Helen Rennie. Buying trofie in New York can present somewhat of a challenge but fresh pasta producers such as Raffetto’s in the West Village or Borgattis on Arthur Avenue would be a good place to begin your search.

If all of this seems too much, you can hop over to Scuderia on 6th Avenue and order this lovely dish. A great wine to drink while eating pesto is the local Vermentino, a white wine which is made in Liguria, in parts of Tuscany and in Sardinia. The best Vermentino from Liguria come from an area called Colli di Luni. This summer dish is light and is always a crowd pleaser at dinner parties as well.

Often overlooked by tourists who opt to vacation in Tuscany, Liguria has much to offer. Renowned for its small picturesque villages perched on hills overlooking the Mediterranean, it is also a wonderful place to hike as well as scuba dive or sail. Many northern Italians tend to spend their weekends here and part of the summer. Liguria can also be a great place to vacation with young children as the sea is relatively shallow and calm close to the shoreline. On your next visit, keep Liguria in mind for a holiday jaunt. You won’t be disappointed.

DSC02174

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Food For Thought: Evolving Ideas About Italian Cuisine

August 11, 2009

In recent conversations about Italian food in America, a few interesting themes keep popping up that have to do with what defines “authentic” Italian cuisine. Is it the origin of the chef? The ingredients? The recipe? The ambiance of the restaurant?

While this used to be easier to define, these days, everything is murky. In today’s world, many of the heads of top Italian restaurants aren’t Italian and most of the ingredients are bought locally and are no longer imported. With the greening of America, people are now quite conscious of the carbon footprint of imported goods.

Additionally, all sorts of restaurants are making new versions of Italian stalwarts. Most Italian restaurants are making their recipes with a twist and few seem to follow the original script. Some people protest changing a time honored tradition in the way a recipe is prepared.

At the end of the day though, most of these issues are personal and subjective and there is no one right answer. Everyone has a different view but one thing is sacred to all, the quality of the food and the freshness of the ingredients. That seems to be the one theme that everyone agrees upon.

As the world continues to evolve and Italian products make their way to every corner of the Earth, strict boundaries will fray and definitions of what is or is not Italian food will become more lax, we suspect.

Perhaps this is really the point then, it would be good to start using the phraseology – Italian inspired cuisine. This alerts the person ordering that dishes will be familiar but not the same as what you have had previously.

This would be the perfect way to define Italian-American cuisine as well. How many times have people noted that spaghetti and meatballs are not served together in Italy or that pizza doesn’t have oregano?

The new way of looking at this issue is that perhaps it’s okay that the cuisine in Italy is one thing and that Italian-American cuisine is something else, Italian inspired cuisine. After 120+ years of living in the U.S., shouldn’t Italian-Americans also have their own cuisine. Yes would be the resounding answer.

Traditions are quite often linked to a particular location and a certain culture. There is without a doubt, an enduring culture of spaghetti and meatballs in the United States. Should this be curtailed because you don’t see this plate on menus in Milan, of course not.

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Espresso Bars Abound in New York City but Traditional Italian Espresso Remains a Rarity

June 23, 2009

The Espresso Bar used to be a foreign concept in the United States. While that is no longer the case, it still is rather difficult is to find a good Italian espresso, the kind that brings you back the next day for more. The problem is usually that the coffee is too bitter, the portion size is wrong and often there is much too much milk in the espresso macchiato. This doesn’t even begin to touch on another problem, the cost of an espresso in America which hovers around $2 and $2.50 for an Espresso Macchiato.

Italians all agree on very few things but the uniformity of their views on New York’s espresso scene is quite remarkable. Most Italians go to Sant Ambroeus, Via Quadronno, Tarallucci e Vino and Buon Italia. Are these the only bars in town then, one could legitimately ask? The answer is not by a long shot. What is amazing though is that top New York newspapers cite the city’s best espresso bars without ever mentioning one owned or run by Italians.

On the last count there were more than 30 espresso bars in New York City. While the Italians may prefer only a few spots, the rest of the coffee drinking population has decided to embrace espresso-based drinks: cappuccino, espresso latte, mocha and café au lait offered at a variety of locations. Many of the bars have plans to expand in the coming months or have just recently opened a new branch of their store.

Truth be told, there is a difference in the taste of the coffee and in the ambiance in the different bars. They can be divided into three distinct groups: espresso bars run by Italians or with an Italian barista, espresso bars run by non-Americans from countries with a strong café culture, and espresso bars run by Americans or third wave espresso bars whose roots tend to come from the US coffee heaven – Seattle, not Italy.

Whatever your personal preference, espresso bars, it seems, are a permanent fixture on the New York scene to the joy of many happy consumers.

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Food For Thought: Identita’ London Set To Explore Innovative Themes June 28-29

June 18, 2009

Paolo Marchi, journalist and founder of Italian food conference and website Identita Golose, has just launched a new adventure which promises to create ferment in the culinary world of Italian chefs, Identità London. The Italian Chef Congress in London will be a place for chefs to exchange ideas and learn about other professionals’ techniques and ideas. Some of the questions that the chefs in London will pose are the same that chefs in New York are asking themselves as well. Issues that may arise include those of what makes Italian cooking authentic, is it the ingredients, the nationality of the cook, or some secret sauce. There is no one right answer surely to any of these issues.

Identità London will be held at Vinopolis World of Wine located next to the Southbank’s historic Borough Food Market. In addition to world renowned chefs, the event will showcase Italian artisanal producers.

The line-up of chefs includes Massimilano Alajmo, Le Calandre, Corrado Assenza, Caffé Sicilia, Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana, Moreno Cedroni, Madonnina del Pescatore, Carlo Cracco, Ristorante Cracco, Enrico Crippa, Ristorante Piazza Duomo, Anthony Genovese, Il Pagliaccio, Ernesto Iaccarino, Don Alfonso 1890, Norbert Niederkofler, St.Hubertus, Giovanni Santini, Dal Pescatore, Emanuele Scarello, Agli Amici, and Ciccio Sultano, Ristorante Duomo.

A few non-Italian chefs will also be presenting their ideas including Angela Harnett, Murano (UK) and Giorgio Locatelli, Locanda Locatelli (UK), Rene Redzepi, Noma (Denmark) and Alex Atala, D.O.M. Restaurante.

It sounds like a great event for those who can attend. Surely this first edition will be a success and if you can’t get there this year, you will have the opportunity in future years.

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New Trends in New York Dining: Offal Based Dishes Abound

June 16, 2009

New York is famous for creating and perpetuating new trends in food, design, and everything else under the sun. One of the latest fashions comes from the butcher shops in Rome’s Testaccio area. At the end of the 19th century, these slaughterhouses created a variety of dishes which are now making a splash in New York. Dishes such as stewed oxtail (coda alla vaccinara), veal intestines in tomato (pagliata di vitella), tripe alla Romana and sweetbreads (animelle) are no longer oddities on just a few menus. Some of the older New York restaurants that serve these dishes have remained quite famous but it is the newcomers who will make these meals everyday fare. In fact, in recent months, a few restaurants which primarily serve these Roman dishes have opened, including Quinto Quarto and Sora Lella, to name a few. Quinto Quarto mean’s the fifth quarter. There are many interpretations of what this word means including that an animal has four legs which can be translated into four quarters. The fifth quarter is the offals or the interior part of the animal. Additionally, the offals taken together weigh one-quarter or the carcass of an animal.

Both of the restaurants which have opened in New York have sister restaurants in Italy. Quinto Quarto is part of David Ranucci’s empire. He owns two restaurants in Milan, Giulio, Pane e Ojo and Casa Tua and one in Montecarlo. Sora Lella instead is a very well known restaurant on Rome’s Isola Tiberina. The restaurant has been going for more than 50 years and the relatives of the original owner are now making their foray into the New York marketplace. Not only is this good for Roman cooking but also for wines from Lazio which have been woefully underrepresented on the New York market. Check out this post from a few months ago on Altacucina’s Website.

One well known Roman chef who has not yet come to New York but perhaps we will see her here in the future is Sora Anna. One never knows. Her son, Fabrizio, when speaking about the menu of offals jokingly called it the menu macabre. Check out their website Osteria di San Cesario

Sora Anna

Sora Anna is a true character and anyone traveling to Rome should check out her cuisine. She is the essence of this type of Roman cooking and character. If you can’t get to Rome though, at least, you now have more than one option.

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