RUCHE di MONFERRATO MONTALBERA 2012
SUNDAY SAUCE
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
Available on AMAZON.com at
http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Sauce-When-Italian-Americans-Cook/dp/1490991026
The HERO “The SUB”
A Submarine Sandwich, also known as a “Hero” in New York, Hoagie in Philadelphia, and “Grinder” in New England the Mid-West & California, and a Bomber in Upstate New York. These Sandwiches consists of Italian or French Bread split down the middle in two long pieces. In between the bread goes; Salami, Cheese, Ham, slice tomato, lettuce, and sliced onion topped with Olive Oil, Vinegar, Oregano, Salt & Pepper. This is the basic “Hero” Sandwich, Sub, Hoagie or whatever you call it depending on where you live. In Jersey they are Submarines or simply Subs. Hero Sandwiches (Northern NJ & NY) were invented around the turn of 1900’s by Italian-American immigrants on the East Coast of the United States, in cities such as; New York, Boston, Portland Maine, Providence Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Paterson, New Jersey where it is said the first Submarine Sandwich was invented by one Dominic Conti (1874-1954) an Italian immigrant from Montella, Italy a town in the province of Avellino near Naples (Napoli), Italy where much of Italian-America’s dishes come from along with Sicily, Calabria, and Abruzzo. Conti is said to have named his sandwiches Submarines after seeing a Museum Exhibition at The Paterson Museum of a recovered 1901 Submarine The Fenian Ram. As his sandwiches made on long loaves of Italian Bread resemble the Submarine, Conti named his sandwiches Submarine Sandwiches, which later became known as Subs.” Conti’s granddaughter says, “My grandfather came to America in 1895 from Montella, Italy. In 1910, he started an Italian Grocery Store in Paterson (Silk City), New Jersey, which was called “Dominic Conti’s Grocery Store” on Mill Street where he was selling traditional Italian Sandwiches. His sandwiches were made from a recipe he brought with him from Italy which consisted of a long crusty roll filled with cold cuts, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, Oil & Vinegar, Italian Herbs & Spices, Salt & Black Pepper. The sandwich started with a layer of cheese and ended with a layer of cheese (so the Bread wouldn’t get soggy).
So these Italian Submarine Sandwiches as they are known in Jersey, are Grinders in New England, Hoagies in Philly and in New York they’re most commonly known as a Hero, of which the name is credited to New York Herald Tribune food-writer Clementine Paddle-ford in the 1930’s. As far as who invented these sand-wiches, there are a few different theories of who invented the first one and where it was. Some say in the sandwich was created in Scollay Square to entice Sailors stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, and that the term Grinder the name of the sandwich in New England (as well as the Mid-West) comes from dockworkers who were called Grinders. Another theory has the Sandwich originating in Portland, Maine. We feel this is highly unlikely and that it was Dominic Conti of Montella Italy and Paterson, New Jersey who invented this Italian-American icon, and one that has been adopted by the whole country after its birth on the East Coast and of Italian neighborhoods.
Now a days there are a multitude of horrible chain Sub Stands like Subway, of which the ingredient are inferior to the original sandwiches of which you can still get at any good Italian Deli in New York, New Jersey, in Philly, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Boston, and Baltimore.
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
Excerpted From Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s latest book SUNDAY SAUCE … When Italian Americans Cook …
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READ ALL ABOUT SUBMARINE SANDWICHES
The HISTORY
and How to Make One
RECIPE in SUNDAY SAUCE
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Dom DeMarco
The “PIZZA MASTER”
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“Yes!!!” Eating Pizza Made by The Maestro DOM DeMARCO
Is a Religious Experience !!!
Much has been said of the now famed Pizzeria (DiFarra Pizza) on Avenue J in Brooklyn, New York the Capital of Thee Best Pizza in the whole United States of America, bar-none, even Manhattan. Brooklyn lays claim to the Top two Pizzerias in the country, the top of the list 1 and 2, number 1, The Best and number 2, the second best. Well no, I don’t know if I should put it that way, as it sound s as one is better than the other, which is not ht e case, as they are both equally good, equally Great and equally the Best Pizza and the Best Pizzerias in the United States, though they are are little different than one another. The Pizza at both Totonno’s on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York and Di Farra Pizza on Avenue J in Brooklyn are both otherworldly specimens of some the Finest Pizza on other and the Undisputed Best Pizza in America.
Wow, got off on a tangent about both Di Farra and Totonno’s when I just intended to talk about Di Farra Pizza, Dom DeMarco the Maestro of Di Farra’s and the Religious experience that it is to go there, watch Dominic masterfully make Pizza after glorious Pizza (without the help of anyone else), to watch in awe and anticipation and Salivation til you finally get yours (after about a hour or hour and a half wait), you hold it in your hand like a precious baby, and then to sink your teeth into it, savoring each wondrous bite after the other. “Yes,” it is truly a religious experience, that is, if you are a great lover of this wonderful invention, created in Napoli, spread throughout the the Italian Peninsular and then across the Atlantic to America from Italian Immigrants where Gennaro Lombardi opened the First Pizzeria in America on Prince Street in New York City some 100 years ago or so.
Back to Di Farra and Pizzaiolo Extraordinaire, Mr. Dominic DeMarco. It is Dominic that makes Di Farra what it is, it certainly isn’t the Pizzeria itself which is ultra plain and even appalling to some. Mr. DeMarco’s pizzas are just about as close to absolute perfection in the Pizza Making World, a world in which New York City excels and has only one rival in Naples, Italy and the whole of Italy itself. Mr. De Marco has the magic touch, with perfect dough, the perfect balance of ingredients, tomato and other ingredient ratio to cheese, and this include Mr. Demarcos judicious use of Olive Oil which is right-on and a little magic touch that whoever complains about it, just does not know there Pizza and Italian Food on a whole. We Italians love our olive oil. And those who complain are unaware that it is a condiment that adds the final last touch to many dishes before they are eaten. Dominic knows this and should not be discourage against his generous use of it by those who do not understand the proper essence of the Italian Table. So please, keep your traps shut, if you don’t like it don’t eat it, this countries finest examples of the Pizza Art.
And on to the religious experience of Di Farra, Dom DeMarco and the mans artistry with Pizza. There is nothing quite like it in the entire Pizza World. There does not exist, to my knowledge any place in the world that has an elderly man making a hundred plus Pizzas a day in a place that has endless lines, day and night. Pizza that are so perfect, words can not describe People line up for greatness and artistry, and for a couple of slices of the most marvelous pizza this side of Naples, and to watch this passionate little old man work his heart out, not getting, not allowing anyone else to make a pie at his beloved Pizzeria. The man is elderly. He’s worked his whole life. He makes such a magical thing that people line up each and every day to see him and eat one of his many masterpieces. With business like this, he could hire to other Pizzaiolos to help him, doubling or tripling his business and and financial intake. He could hire two guys and make pizza aloing with them, or sit back and get three guys to do it. At his age, he’s entitled to. But know, Dom DeMarco loves what he does, he loves his Pizza, each and every one that passes that counter and into thousands of appreciative hands. The man feels that no one else can make a Pizza the way he does; and wants; he grinds
chunks of Peceriono Romano in an old hand cranked meat grinder and sprinkles on each pie just before serving, along with cutting fresh Basil onto the Pizza at the last moment after Dom’s prerequisite drizzling of the Olive Oil giving two different taste and contrast on the same pie, one baked on (Cheese) and one applied at the last moment, devoid of the hot oven heat. Dom guilds the Lilly, so to speak. This is truth, not just a figure of speech.
Yes Dom makes each and every Pizza that goes out or is consume on the spot, at DiFarra’s. No one else has his skills, his passion and love for the Pizza, thus he does it all himself. And this my friends is the reason that going to Di Farra’s to watch Dominic the maestro in action, all by himself while hundreds of people line up every day, waiting an hour and a half to two hours just to get a Pizza (not just any old Pizza mind you). “It’s a Religious Experience.” Truly! A show and there is nothing like it in the World, Dom DeMarco, a man and his Pizza, America’s Best, and something to rival that other World Pizza Capital, Napoli.
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SUNDAY SAUCE
by Daniel Bellino
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Big Paulie: “Don’t put too many onions in the Sauce Vinny!”
Vinny: “I didn’t Paul. I put 3 small onions, that’s all.
Johnny Dio: “3 Onions? How many cans of tomatoes did you use?”
Vinny: “Two.”
Johnny Dio: “That’s too many onions!”
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After the scene in The Godfather with Clemenza showing Michael how to make “Sauce,” and the construction of the Timballo in Big Night, the prison dinner scene in Goodfellas is one of the most famous of all. Johhny Dio is cooking up Steaks, as Big Paulie slices garlic razor thin and lectures Vinny on how many onions go in the “Sauce.”
Myself, I like to use a good amount of onions just like Vinny, who is played by Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese’s father Charlie. When it comes to “Gravy” aka Sunday Sauce, a.k.a., or simply “Sauce,” there are almost as many different recipes and versions as there are cooks who make them. You can make yours according to your own taste and family tradition and put more or less onions and garlic, with Pork Ribs like mine, or not, with Sausage, Meatballs, and Braciole (the most popular), or just with Sausage & Meatballs like Clemenza’s Godfather Mob War Sauce. Just make it good. Use one of the recipes in this book, as a starting point and alter it to your own taste if you like. “Basta e Mangia Bene!”
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THE 2014 Tre Bicchieri Tasting in NEW YORK Today
Tre Bicchieri is the most improtant Italian Wine Tasting of the year for people like me, New York Italian Wine People, including; restaurantuers, Wine Directors (Me), Wine Jounalsit (Me), and lovers of the grape of Italy .. In Italy the magazine Gambero Rosso is the equivalent of Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate combine .. Gambero Rosso publishes each year an extensive and exhaustive book Vini Italia every year and rates practically all of the wines of Italy, from North to South East to West .. Gambero Rosso unlike Parker, Wine Spectator, and Wine Enthusiaist rates the wine tasted and reviewed with 1, 2, & 3 Glasses (Bicchieri) as oposed to Parker, WS, and WE … The Tre Bicchieri Tasting are of all the 3 Glass Winners (Tre Bicchieri) of the year, and these tasting are held around the World in appointed cities like; New York, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Sna Fransisico, Chicago, and others …
For me, yes the annual New York Tre Bicchieri Tasting is a great wine tasting, but for me it’s more of a “Social Event” were I get to see many of my friends from Italy who are in town with their wine. As well as seeing my Italian friends, all the New York Italian Wine People are on hand, so you see a lot of people in one shot and accomplish quite a bit in a few hours time .. Anyway, I will sign off for now, go up to the tasting in an hour, taste wine, take notes, visit with friends, have a good time, and tomorrow or the next day I will report back on my findings, stories of friends, of Italy and my favorite wines of the day. All Italian. Basta !
Sebeastiano Rosa (Winemaker of SASSAICAIA) Me,
and Giovanni Folonari (Nozzole) at 2011 Tre Bicchieri New York …
The Annual Italian Wine Bible “Vini Italia”
Published by Gambero Rosso
SUNDAY SAUCE When Italian Americans Cook
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke .. Available on AMAZON.com
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
So The Brunello Triple Header, you ask? This is my phrase for my two days of events during Benvenuto Brunello 2013 .. Game 1 of the triple-header is Benevenuto Brunello (The Brunello Tasting) itself and as a whole, a wonderful thing in itself and much anticipated by any and all Italian Wine Geeks as myself. Well I normally don’t use that term for myself, in fact I never have. This is the first time, only done to make a point in just a couple words “Wine Geek.”
Brunello Triple-Header Game 3 ? Not for the 100 or so few seats at Kevin Zralys Brunello Seminar, nor the, I guess 2 to 3 thousand people who attended the larger Brunello Tasting, Benvenuto Brunello. Game 3 was a private Tasting of the wonderful Brunello of The Count Francesco Maroni Cinzano from his World Renowned Estate “Col D’Orcia” in Montalcino. We tasted through 8 of the Counts fine wines, which include; Rosso di Montalcino 2010, Brunello Col D’Orcia 2008, the current vintage and featured wine of Benvenuto Brunello. The Count then tasted me on the fine Col D’Orcia Brunello 2001, and then his Brunello Poggio Vento 2004. Stop! Wow! Do you know what Wow means, in wine-speak? Well it means Wow, “This is Phenomenal! It doesn’t get better than this.” I was bold over by this wine, the Poggio Vento Brunello Riserva 2004. The Count told me that the wine was just released. OK, now, at this point in time, January 2013 Montalcino is releasing the 2008 Brunello and 2007 Riservas. Poggio Vento is a Brunello Riserva that is not released after the 5 years require, but 3 years later, for a total of 8 years aging before the wine is released from The Col D’Orcia Estate and ready for sale. And let me tell you, this wine is something special. A Perfect Brunello that any other Brunello could aspire to. Naturally this wine was started in the vineyard with meticulous care of the vines of which produced perfect Brunello Grapes (Sangiovese Grosso). I know this, as this wine could not be as great as it is without perfect fruit. Or if not perfect, for those who might think there is “no perfect,” then as close to perfection that is at all possible. It was acheived in the grapes that went into Count Cinzano’s Brunello Riserva Poggio Vento 2004, “Beleive me.” Then with the wonderful fruit, the grapes had to crushed and fermented to, “if not perfection, then darn close to it.” The, near perfect aging in various oak barrels, and then the selection of which of the many barrels in the Col D’Orcia Cellars would be used to make this, The Count Cinzano’s “Premier Wine”
“Game 2 of My Brunello Triple-Header”
Sports a BRUNELLO Jacket …
“Don’t Touch It! Don’t touch it !!!” shouts Kevin Zraly, near the beginning of his seminar. He know there are always people on every level of experience at any one of the many wine seminars he has conducted over the years, including the most experienced and at least one or maybe several people who have never ever been to a Seminar Wine Tasting like this in their lives. This maybe their first one, “Don’t Touch Don’t touch!!!” It’s quite funny and a bit shocking the way Kevin does these as he sets the tone for his style of wine seminar, which is “No Muss No Fuss No BS,” and as Mr. Zraly says no English Poetry, in an effort to say there will be none of that overdone pontification, just straight normal talk, and talk even a beginner could grasp about wine, and with Kevin his approach will make you love the object and the subject of “Wine” even more. That’s what a great wine educator does. There are not many better than Kevin Zraly, “if any?”
Yes, the seminar was quite wonderful. If being at the most important Brunello Tasting of the year wasn’t enough, and being the first in the World to taste the 2008 Vintage and 07 Riservas, in a beautiful setting like Gotham Hall, in The Greatest City in The World, and as the Head of The Brunello Consorzio stated this glorious day, “New York Is The Greatest and Most Important Market in The World For The Producers of Brunello di Montalcino.” Yes Sir “It Is.”
“Smell it 3 times. Cover the glass with your hand. Sniff! Toast the person sitting next to you and drink. Think about it for 1 minute at 15 second intervals. Do you still taste it? What do you taste?” Well, we tasted 8 very fine offerings of this fabulous wine, Brunello di Montalcino. The wines were all wonderful, and being at Benvenuto Brunello in such a gorgeous setting as Gotham Hall and being led in a Tasting of Great Brunello by one of the World’s Greatest Authorities on Wine, this was a combination that was unbeatable. Being in the Italian Wine and Restaurant Business for more than 25 and writing for another 8, I can tell your that I’ve been to many a incredible wine event, like: a Vertical Wine tasting and Luncheon with the Marchese Piero Antinori, Dinner at Spark’s Steak-House with Jacopo Biondi Santi and his wines, as well as lunches and dinners on many great wine estates in Italy. The kind of events people would kill to be able to attend, I’ve been to many, and this Brunello Seminar tasting with kevin Zraly shall be filed in my head with some of those other great wine moments. It was most enjoyable, and I’m so glad I made it (almost din’t go).
So Bravo Brunello! And Bravo Kevin for your passion, love of the wine, and the way you lead others, in your very Zraly Direction.
BRUNELLO SEMINAR with KEVEN ZRALY .. January 31, 2013 …. Afternoon Seminar
WINES: BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO
As all wines were wonderful, I must admit that there were 3 wines that we all got a bit more excited and super-charged over. These wines were; the Brunello Uccelliera 2008, the Brunello Col D’Orcia 2001, and the Brunello IL Poggione 1999 … Without going into any, as Kevin Zraly would say “English Poetry” these 3 wines were just wonderful. The kind of wines you light up over and just saying “Wow,” is enough to say that they had everything you want in a great Brunello or any great wine, great aroma, Wonderful Taste combined with “Perfect Balance,” and simply greatness.
Again, a great tasting, overall Benvenuto Brunello, lots of great wines, wonderful people, and a fine Seminar-Tasting of Brunello conducted by Mr. Kevin Zraly. Again, BRAVO !!!
GREENWICH VILLAGE ITALIAN 