Author: Daniel Bellino

Daniel Bellinohttp://thedannyreportdotcom.wordpress.comHello All ! I'm Daniel Bellino "Z" Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author and Publisher of Positano The Amalfi Coast ... I have traveled the World extensively and have been going to: Napoli, Capri, Positano, and The Amalfi Coast of Italy Since 1985 ... I live and write in New York's Greenwich Village. I am the Best Selling author of such Books as : SUNDAY SAUCE , The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKOOK, The FEAST of The 7 FISH, and the soon to be released POSITANO - Capri The Amalfi Coast , a book that tells stories of Napoli, Capri and Psoitano, and is part Cookbook of Regional Dishes of the area, as well as being a Guide Book of this region of Italy. I have been a Restaurant and Wine Professional for more than 30 Years, and I Created America's 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in 1997, in Bar Cichetti, where I was the Head Chef / Wine Director and Managing Partner.

My Trip Villa Maria Minori Italy

Lemon Grove, Villa Maria, Minori

My Breakfast Table Villa Maria

My Daily Breakfast

Villa Maria Agroturismo is a beautiful Lemon Grove Farm in Minori Italy on the Amalfi Coast south of Positano and the town of Amalfi .. The owners Vincenzo and his wif Maria turned there lovely little farm in to an Agroturismo an 2000 .. An Agroturismo is a farm or vineyard in Italy where you stay on the property and have wonderful meals made from the products of the farm .. Villa Maria is primarily a Lemon Farm, but Vincenzo has Olive Trees (Olive Oil), Fruit Trees (Peaches, Pears, Apples), and Grapevines of which Vincenzo makes his own tasty white and red wine .. Yes he makes his own Olive Oil, Salami & Prosciutto from the pigs he keeps, as well as Eggs and Chicken from his poultry. So Vincenzo tends to the farm and makes Olive Oil, Wine, Salami, Fruit Preserves, and his own Lemoncello. Vincenzo’s wife Mari does the cooking with her sister fro the most amazing Breakfast you’ve ever had in your life and fabulosu 4 Coruse Dinners every evening on the terrace. Villa Maria is a very special place that everyone who makes it there falls in love with the place, with Maria & Vincenzo as well.

Antipasto Misti

My Lunch

Pacceri al Vongole

Me & My Buddy Vincenzo – Villa Maria

Maria in The KITCHEN .. Villa Maria

View of Minori from Villa Maria

Minori e Mare

zzzzManzoVINCENZO

VINCENZO MANZO

The Man Behind VILLA MARIA

zzAMALFIbv

AMALFI

Villa Maria Terrazzo at Sunset

Sophia Loreen with PIZZA

COOKING on THE AMALFI COAST

How to Make Italian Frittata

Zucchini Frittata

Frittata

Frittata, they’re quite a wonder. Italian Flat Omelets that are tasty, versatile and easy to make. I’ve been making them for years. They’re one of my favorites. Frittata are quite versatile. You can fill them with a endless variety of ingredients, both fresh made or leftover, and this is one of the great uses and attributes of this Italian wonder, The Frittata. Americans are just recently learning about them. Italian Americans have known of, made, and have been eating Frittata in many forms for years. In the past several years you see them popping up in cafes, delis, and restaurants as the rest of American is now catching on to what Italian-Americans have known for years.

There are several different ways to eat and use Frittata. You can make a small one with two or three eggs and what ever filling you choose like Spinach and Parmigiano or Mushrooms and eat the whole Frittata for one person for lunch or dinner, with or without a green salad on the side.

The best and most useful use of Frittata is to make a large one using 8 to 12 eggs and whatever filling you choose. My favorites are Sausage & Pepper, Broccoli with Goat Cheese or Fontina, and the Spaghetti Frittata

that has a cute little story behind it with me and my Aunt Fran. Anyway, when you make one of these large Frittata, the great thing is that you let it cool down, serve it at room temperature, cutting the frittata into wedges and eating it this way. A wedge of frittata can be a antipasto item on its own, part of a mixed antipasti misti, or my favorite, pulling a already made frittata out of the refrigerator and just cutting off a wedged shape piece and eating a piece any time day or night when you are hungry and need a little snack.

Frittata are great items to include in a picnic, at a barbecue, and are especially goo if you’re on a long road trip in the car, in a bus, train, or plane, a piece or two of frittata is great to bring along. If you’re on a plane, get hungry, and you have a wedge or two of frittata with you, you’ll be happy as heck that you brought it along. Yes they make great travel food, The Frittata. They’re also great as part of a buffet or to pass around little pieces as Hors D’Oeuvres at a cocktail party.

CLICK HERE For The RECIPE

Excerpted From SUNDAY SAUCE by daniel Bellino Zwicke

RONZONI PASTA MACARONI COMPANY

Rigatoni No. 27

“Ronzoni Sono Buoni,”
if you are Italian and grew up in the New York area in the great
decades of the 1960’s and or 70s you know the slogan. We Italians do love our
pasta, we’re weened on it! Pasta is the main staple of our diet. Many are
fanatical about and love it so, they insist on having it several times a week.
I’m one. Pasta, can be covered in a wide variety of sauces, in some soups like; Pasta Fagoli (Pasta Fazool),
in Minestrone’s, with Pasta and Peas, and Pasta con Ceci (Chick Peas). Yes, we
are weened on it. Mommy gave me, my bothers and sister Pastina coated in a bit
of butter and Parmigiano when we were just toddlers and every so
often I have to pick up a box of Ronzoni Pastina, as I love and crave it still,
and of late as with many my age, you start craving things you loved as a child,
thus my stints with Pastina. “Ronzoni Sono Buoni,” it means, Ronzoni
is So Good, and that it is. This brand of Pasta, born in New York City at the
turn of the 20th Century has been a mainstay of not only
Italian-Americans of the East Coast but, for all. For years before the surge of
many a imported pasta product in the U.S., Ronzoni, was not the only game in
town for Macaroni, there was the Prince and Creamette, as well, but Ronzoni
dominated the market and though I don’t have stats, I would wage to say that 85
to 90 % of all commercial pasta sold in the New York, New Jersey, and
Philadelphia areas was Ronzoni, the pasta in the bright blue boxes, Ronzoni
Sono Buoni. God I wonder how many plates and bowls of Spaghetti, Ziti and other
Ronzoni pastas I ate over the years, starting with Pastina as
a toddler and moving to Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce or Meatballs,
Baked Ziti, Stuffed Shells and more. Oh “Stuffed Shells,” they bring back
memories of my mother who loved them. We had them often, along with Lasagna
made with Ronzoni Lasagana. You don’t see Stuffed Shells around that much any
more, they used to be on many a restaurant and even more home menus. There
popularity has waned, but every once and a while I’ll pick up a box of Ronzoni
large shells, just for the purpose of bringing back those memories of mom
making them and me loving them as a child. I’ll make a batch of
tomato sauce, cook the Ronzoni Shells, and stuff them with ricotta and
Parmigiano, bake them in tomato sauce, and “Voila” Stuffed Shells of
days gone by. I do the same with a Pastina as I still love the dish so, dressed
with butter and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano, “makes me feel like a kid
again!” Yum, delicious little pleasure you can whip up in minutes and
bring back visions of your youth. All with some butter, Parmigiano and a box of
Ronzoni Pastina. That’s Ronzoni, every bit a part of my life and youth as
a spring ol Slinky, Etch-A-Sketch, The Three Stooges, Saturday Morning
Cartoons, and all the favorites of my youth, Ronzon Sono Buoni, “Ronzoni it’s
so good!”

Sunday Sauce

Ronzoni Sono Buoni “Ronzoni is So Good”

Sunday Sauce

Italian Hot Dogs of New Jersey

An Italian Hot Dog you want to know? What is it? Well it’s a Jersey thing, and you’re not gonna find them anywhere else other the in-and-around Newark, New Jersey and some of the towns surround it. Burgers and Hot Dogs are really big in Jersey and there once was a guy named James “Buff” Racioppi who first served this thing called the Italian Hot Dog. James and his Italian Buddy’s used to have many a card game in Newark’s 9^th Ward way back when. One day Jimmy’s wife threw together something for her husband and card playing cronies to eat. She fried up some Sweet Bell Peppers, Potato, Onions, and Hot Dogs, and when everything was finished frying she put it all between some bread and served it to all the hungry card players. Well everyone just loved the sandwiches and whenever they played cards they begged for her to make the Italian Style Hot Dogs. These Hot Dogs were so popular and everyone just love them that Jimmy decide to open a little stand and sell them. You know the rest, the Italian Hot Dogs were a huge success and Jimmy Buffs Hot Dog empire was born (1932 in Newark, New Jersey).

And oh by the way, Jimmy Buff Racioppi is the one who always gets credit for inventing this awesome culinary delight, but the real inventor was Jimmy’s wife Mrs. Racioppi.

My Dad used to take use to all the Diners, Hot Dog & Burger Joints around. We’d go to Jimmy Buffs maybe 3 or 4 times a year. My mom learned how to make these tasty Italian Hot Dogs and we’d have them at least once a month when we couldn’t make it down to Jimmy Buffs. My mom made them so good, they were just as good as Jimmy Buffs. Now you can make them too.

INGREDIENTS :

4 Hero Rolls

1 small Red Bell Pepper and one Green, seeded and sliced

2 medium Onions, peeled and sliced

8 best quality Hot Dogs

2 Idaho Potatoes, peeled and slice ¼” thick

Salt & Black Pepper

¼ cup Canola Oil

Place the potatoes in a small pot of water. Add 1 tablespoon Salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes at the boil for 2 minutes. Turn heat off and drain the potatoes in a colander, shaking off as much water as possible.

Add 1/3 of the oil to a medium frying pan. Turn heat on to medium and add the Hot Dogs. Fry the Hot Dogs until they get golden brown and crunchy on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Turn heat off and leave in pan covered with aluminum foil.

Place the ¾ of the oil in a large frying pan and heat to high. Put the potatoes in the frying pan and season with a little salt & Black Pepper and fry the potatoes on high heat for 6 minutes. Add the Bell Pepper to the pan, turn down the heat and cook the peppers with the potatoes on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring as you cook. Add the onions, season with Salt & Pepper and cook the onions with the Peppers & Potatoes over low heat for 8 minutes.

Put the Hot Dogs in with the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes and cook on very low heat for 2 minutes. In the mean time, split the rolls in half but not all the way through, leaving a sort of hinge on one side of each roll. Place in the pan that the Hot Dogs cooked in, turn heat on to high and toast the rolls until they get a little crunchy.

Place two Hot Dogs on each roll and fill each roll with some of the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes mixture. Serve to your buddy’s and enjoy.

The HALF & HALF

The half & half is even better that the regular Italian Hot Dog. To make one, instead of putting 2 Hot Dogs in each roll with the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes, you cook up some Italian Sausages and put one Hot Dog and one Sausage Link into each roll with the Potato, Onions, and Peppers and you’re all set with a Italian Hot Dog Half & Half. You’re gonna Love It!

Excerptd From THE RAUGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke aka Danny Bolognese

BIG DOGS of ITALIAN WINE – Barolo Barbaresco Brunello

Winemaker of Sassicaia & Punica Wines SEBASTIANO ROSA

with Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke and Roberta Morrel of Morrel WInes

Get Toegther for a lillte Wine and Chat at Kobrand Italian Portfolio Tasting

at The Bowery Hotel, New York, New York

Alberto Chiarlo with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Alberto Chiarlo the proprietor of Michele Chiarlo Wines

of Piedmonte got together for a tasting of Alberto’s latest vingtages

of wine, including Barbera Le Orme, Barolo Tortoniano 2010,

Michele Chairlo Barbaresco 2011, Barolo Cerequio 2010,

and Barolo Canubi Michele Chairlo 2007 & 2001 Vintgaes ..

Daniel said the whole line-up of wines was absolutely Amazing! everything was in perfect balance, full of flavor and a joy to drink.

Emelia Nardi with Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Tatsing some Great Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino

The 1999 Il PARETO From Nozzole Was ROCKING !!!

I normally don’t go crazy for non-native Italian Varietals when drinking Italian Wine. That said, I absolutely loved the 1999 Vintage of Tenuta Nozzole’s “Il PARETO” a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based wine that was amazing. It was full of flavor,perfecting and a absolute Joy to Drink. I loved It!

The WINES From MASI Where Also AMAZING !!!

Masi Agricola

I loved all of the Amarone ‘s that Masi was showing at the Italian Portfolio Tasting ..

The were showing Amarone Mazano 2007 which was really nic and heavy on the prune flavors.

The 2007 Amarone Campolong was awesome as was the Amarone Costera 2009 ..

My favorite Amarone of the day was Seregho Aligheri 2008 which is one of the few wines in the world aged in large Cherry Wood Cask .. The wine was AMAZING !!!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

GRANDMA BELLINO’S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Party alla Bolognese

Pasta Bolognese

Recipe

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE

Party alla Bolognese , ever hear of it? No, I didn’t think so. I coined the phrase, just like I coined the phrase Meatball Parm Mondays , which I first wrote about in my best selling Italian Cookbook Sunday Sauce. So, you want to know what a Party alla Bolognese is, a term you are no doubt hearing for the first time. Well as you might have already surmised, number one, it’s a party that has to do with Bolognese. A party where you eat Pasta with Ragu Bolognese you’re asking? Well yes, you are quite correct, you’ll be eating the famed Italian Ragu from the city of Bologna, Italy. This is a party centered around eating Pasta all Bolognese. Now what’s better than that?

So, as we know Ragu Bolognese is the famous meat-sauce for pasta from Bologna, Italy. Now, hopefully by the time you read this part of the book, you’ve already made your first Ragu alla Bolognese. Well congratulations are in order to you, you’ve learned something that is infinitely important, and something that will serve you the rest of your life. You now know the infinite glories of the Bolognese, that lush pasta meat-sauce from Bologna, Italy known as Ragu Bolognese. You know the wonderful flavor, and are sure to crave it often. No problem, if you have a craving, you can just make it. You have the recipe, you’ve made it once or twice, you can make it any time you want.

So, you want to throw a dinner party for friends? I certainly hope you do. If you’ve never done so before, I’d just like to tell you, you have no idea, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised, surprised how great it will be, ” a Party alla Bolognese.”

Making this famed Ragu and throwing a party centered around the Bolognese where you’ll feed Maccheroni alla Bolognese to friends and family, this is such a wonderful thing, you just can’t imagine. Do it once and you’ll see. You will make your friends oh-so-happy in more ways than one. They will thank you and sing your praises, and you will feel their joy. A joy that you gave them by making them Ragu Bolognese. Yes it has this affect.

Throwing a dinner party you say? It seems so daunting. Hey, you’ve made Bolognese, throwing a dinner party centered around Bolognese is as easy as pie, and I’m going tell you how. You will amaze your friends with this one! Trust me! Hey, I’ve already told you pretty much, 90% of all you’ll need to know to do your first fabulous Party alla Bolognese. “What,” you say? Well I’ve written the recipe for you, and you’ve already made your first Bolognese, maybe even two or three by now. You know how to make one of the World’s great dishes Pasta alla Bolognese, all you need now is some good music, good Italian Wine, and some sort of Salad or Antipasto to start you off.

You will make the Bolognese ahead of time, either the day before or early in the day before your party starts. You can either make a salad to have before the Bolognese, but a better choice would be either a Caprese Salad of fresh Mozzarella & Tomatoes, a lovely mixed Antipasto, or something as easy as Prosciutto & Melon would be very apropos, considering the Bolognese and the famed Prosciutto di Parma are both from the same region in Italy of Emilia Romagna.

The WORLD’S TASTIEST DISH

PASTA BOLOGNESE

AMAZON.com

PASTA with RAGU BOLOGNESE

RECIPE

So you go out and get some Provolone or other cheese if you’re going to serve a mixed antipasto before the Bolognese. Get some good Sweet Sopresseta, a jar of good quality Roast Red Peppers, and the best Italian Olives you can get, and your mixed antipasto is all set. Tell each guest to bring a nice bottle of Italian Wine, unless you prefer to buy the wine yourself, it’s all up to you. And there is nothing wrong with your guests each bringing a bottle. When they do so you end up getting a nice variety of different wines for everyone to taste, making your party not just a Party alla Bolognese but a pleasant little wine tasting as well. Nice, no? Yes, this works out quite well, and it makes the party a little more interesting, tasting the different wines. Tell your friends to bring Chianti, Barbera, Montepulciano di Abruzzo, or Lambrusco which is from Emilia Romagna and is the perfect wine if you’re having either Prosciutto & Melon or a Mixed Antipasto with some nice Salumi and Cheese to start.

You’ve got to have some nice background music for your party. The best music would be a mix of first and foremost Frank Sinatra, with Dean Martin, a little Tony Bennett, and some Louis Prima to boot. Hip Hop and Heavy Metal are strictly forbidden and an absolute no-no, you don’t want to ruin your party with bad music, do you?

Dessert and coffee are always great. They are not an absolute must, but I do highly recommend you serve coffee and dessert. Again, you may want to have one or two of your friends pick up some dessert. Italian desserts like: Ricotta Cheesecake, Italian Pastries and or Cookies, or Gelato are all great, but not absolutely necessary that the dessert be Italian. Maybe one of your friends makes a great Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a Red Velvet Cake or something like that is great. What’s important is you have a dessert, it’s just another little facet of your dinner party, your Party alla Bolognese. And don’t forget the Bolognese is the centerpiece and as they say in France The Piece de Resistance!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE CHECKLIST

Get your ingredients for the Bolognese; the ground meat you choose. Tomatoes, wine, pasta, milk, butter, Olive Oil, and dry Porcini Mushrooms if you decide to use them.

2. Get your ingredients for your Antipasto course.

3. Buy at least two bottles of good Italian Wine, even if you have your guest bring wine, you’ll still want to get at least two bottles of your own.

4. Have plenty of spring or filtered water. Buy gallons of Spring Water (at least 2 gallons or more).

5. Buy one or two loaves of good Italian Bread.

6. Make the Bolognese! It’s great to make the night before the party. Just to let you know, it doesn’t hurt that the Bolognese is made the night before, it’s actually better.

7. Make sure you have some great music; Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and or some nice mellow R&B music.

8. Before your guest arrive, get your antipasto or salad ready to go when you need it. Keep it simple. If you choose one of the antipasto items from the antipasto section in this book, you can’t go wrong, they’re all real simple and don’t require any cooking, other than if you choose the Shrimp Cocktail, which is super simple and takes just a few minutes and can be done ahead of time, a few hours before or the day before your party.

9. A few minutes before you will be serving the antipasto, put your pot of Bolognese on the stove and turn the heat onto the lowest flame possible to heat up the Bolognese Sauce. If after the Bolognese is simmering for twenty minutes, it looks like it is getting dried out, you can add some water.

10. Put a large pot of water on to cook the pasta. Put a lot of salt in the pasta cooking water.

Serve the antipasto course to your guest and make sure you have some nice Sinatra tunes playing. Enjoy the antipasto with your guest.

12. Turn the water for the pasta on to a high flame. After you have eaten your antipasto with your guest wait about 15 minutes or more before you serve the Pasta alla Bolognese.

13. Rigatoni, Cavatappi, Fusilli, or some sort of short pasta are the best type of pasta to serve with your Ragu Bolognese at Party alla Bolognese party, as it’s easy to serve and to eat short maccheroni as opposed to long pasta like Spaghetti or Tagiatelle for your guest. Got that? Serve a short pasta.

14. After everyone has eaten their antipasto and are enjoying their wine, throw the pasta in the water to cook. The pasta will take about 12 minutes to cook. You want to have about 20 minutes in-between the antipasto and Bolognese course, so throw the pasta in the boiling water 10 minutes after everyone has finished eating the antipasto.

15. Follow the directions for cooking the pasta that is on the pasta package. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about a ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the pasta back to the pot that it cooked in. Add some of the Bolognese with a couple knobs of butter to the pot and mix the pasta and Bolognese Sauce together. Have a plate ready for each guest and plate each one with an equal portion of the Pasta Bolognese. Serve to your guest and make sure to pass around grated cheese.

OK So How Do you make The BOLOGNESE you want to know? The RECIPE is in The COOKBOOK, The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK, where else?

WANT to MAKE SUNDAY SAUCE ?

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

AMAZON.com

RAGU BOLOGNESE Secret Recipe

GREATES PASTA SAUCE EVER

Is RAGU alla BOLOGNESE

SECRET RECIPE

by DANNY BOLOGNESE

Dom DeMarco The MASTER of PIZZA – DiFara Pizza

RAGU BOLOGNESE by Danny Bolognese New Cookbook

BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK Author

DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE

a.k.a Danny Bolognese

About to Release His Latest Book

RAGU BOLOGNESE

The SECRET RECIPE & More …

Bolognese Sauce. You gotta just love it. It’s one of the greatest things ever, oh-so-tasty and soul satisfying. Do you know it? Have you ever tasted the Real Thing? Well here it is, in all its glory and wonderfulness that is a properly made Ragu Bolognese, rich, lush, Soul Satisfying and oh so fantastic, it’s Bolognese! Sorry I’m going on-and-on, but that’s the affect this wonderful thing called the Bolognese, has on one. It’s just so wonderful and blissfully delicious. So, whether you’ve ever had the real thing or not, here it is. If you are one who has tasted a properly made Bolognese then you must now be in love with it, that’s a given with all its deliciousness, you no doubt crave it all the time. Well now you can make. This Famous Secret Recipe of which I was taught to make form my former boss Chef Pasquale when I was working as a cook some 25 years ago.

Excerpted from RAGU BOLOGNESE – The Secret Recipe and More …

by Danny Bolognese