Restaurants

Nathan’s Famous

July 5, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Nathan’s Famous

There are Nathan’s all around the world but the original is still on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn and it’s been at that location since 1916. It’s open every day – winter too.

The Surf Avenue location is special and has a larger menu than the branches. You can get calamari, lobster rolls, clams on the half shell and even fried frog legs.

They have an annual hot dog eating contest. Last year’s winner, Joey Chestnut, won with a new record of 74!

If you’re on the beach and don’t feel like walking to Surf Avenue for a hot dog, they have a location right on the boardwalk.

https://www.facebook.com/robert.iulo/videos/10219635984360289/?t=1

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Lunch/Snacks, Vegetarian

Cast Iron Margarita

June 28, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Cast Iron Pan Margarita Pizza

This recipe is for a 12 inch pan. Smaller pan = less dough. I buy my dough ready made for a nearby pizzeria. Here’s a link to a recipe if you want to do it yourself. I don’t buy jarred marinara sauce. It’s too easy to make. There’s a recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pizza dough
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
3 oz. marinara sauce
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil

Start by heating the oven to 500 degrees. Flatten and shape the dough to fit the round pan. Pre-heat the pan so it’s hot but not smoking. Spray or brush the pan with olive oil. Place the dough in the pan and stretch it across the bottom and up the sides. Touch the dough, not the pan – it’s hot.

Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the pan on a burner at medium heat. Just when it starts to bubble pour on and spread the sauce. Place a few thinly cut slices of mozzarella on top, leaving some spaces so the red sauce shows. A Margarita should be red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (basil) like an Italian flag.

Put the pan in the 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the over and scatter torn basil leaves over it while it’s still hot. Let it cool and slice.

Marinara Sauce for Pizza

3 tbsps. olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
Salt, black and red pepper to taste
1 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes

Put the oil in a pan on low heat and lightly saute the garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Don’t let the garlic brown. Pour in the tomatoes, stir and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

That’s marinara sauce – easy, right? You can also make this with crushed tomatoes but puree is better for pizza. After you use 3 ounces for the pizza you’ll have enough left for to serve with a pound of pasta.

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Miscellaneous, Poultry

The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook

June 21, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook

Hailed as “One of the year’s more engaging cookbooks...” by the New York Times, the book has sold well over 100,000 copies.

“…a one of a kind collection of heartwarming stories and authentic recipes that you’ll want to have for your cooking library…these recipes recall special memories of far away lands or of dearly loved relatives…much more than a recipe compilation, it is a personal journey with stories and reminiscences that will touch your heart.” ~ Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book Club

Arroz Con Pollo – adapted from the Ellis Island Immigrant Cook Book

Ingredients:

3 lbs. of chicken pieces (I used breasts and thighs cut into smaller pieces)
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper sliced thinly
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded & chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 cups uncooked rice
3 cups hot chicken broth divided
juice of ½ a lemon
1 tsp. saffron
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt

Equipment – You’ll need a large oven proof pan with a cover for this. Mine is 15 inches. If you don’t have one that big, cut the recipe in half.

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chicken until golden brown. Do same to pork and remove.

Sauté the pepper and onion in the drippings until the onions are transparent. Add tomato, parsley, garlic and bay leaf. Mix well and cook until soft. Set skillet aside.

Add the chicken and pork to the pan with the vegetables. Take 1 cup of broth and dissolve the saffron in it. Add the wine and lemon juice to the broth and pour this mixture into the skillet over the chicken and pork. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Add the rice between the chicken pieces. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth. Stir carefully. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in the preheated 325° oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove, let stand 15 minutes covered.

Purchase a copy of The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook here –

Click here for information on Save Ellis Island’s HARDHAT TOURS.

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Restaurants

The Churchill Tavern

June 14, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

The Churchill Tavern

We had a great lunch last Sunday at the Churchill Tavern. They served their traditional Sunday Roast – a choice of roast beef, lamb, pork or chicken with a bunch of sides – and regular menu of English favorites.

Full menu here

They have a wide beer and cider selection on tap and in cans and bottles, including many English brands. There’s a nice selection of Single Malt Scotch too.

If you’re in New York and want good English food and ambiance you should try the Churchill Tavern.

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Meat

Neapolitan Meatballs

June 11, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Neapolitan Meatballs – (Polpette Alla Napolitana)

This is an old-fashioned recipe. You can leave out the pinoles and currants but if you use them it makes these polpettes special.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried currants (soaked)
A small loaf of day-old Italian bread with the crust removed
Some milk to wet the bread
About 1 lb. of ground beef chuck
A handful of chopped parsley
1 finely chopped garlic clove
Salt and black pepper
1 beaten egg
1 cup grated Parmigiana cheese
1/3 cup pinoles (pine nuts)
Olive oil for frying

Soak the currants in a little warm water. Soak the bread in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk, break it apart and put it in a bowl with the beef, parsley and garlic.

Mix it well and add salt and pepper, the egg, cheese, the pinoles and drained currents. Mix this thoroughly with your hands.

Shape the mix into small balls (I use an ice cream scoop to get them the same size) and let them rest for 15 – 20 minutes and then fry in a good amount of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pan.

Keep rolling them to brown on all sides. Drain and serve with tomato sauce. They’re very good plain too.

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Miscellaneous, Restaurants

Eating in Little Italy

June 7, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Where to Actually Eat Well in NYC’s Little Italy

I came across an interesting article in Eater New York. It’s a list and description of the best places to eat in New York’s Little Italy.

Here’s Eater’s list –

You can find the complete article here.

If you’re in NYC, you might find this list useful, and I’ll help with my opinion on the places that I’m familiar with.

Eating in Little Italy

I’ll start with their No. 1 – Emilio’s Ballato. I agree that it should be No. 1. It’s my favorite Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Not only that, it’s located in the building that I grew up in -55 E. Houston St. I remember the original Mr. Ballato and Emilio has continued his high-quality cooking tradition.

After that, I’d rate Il Cortille and Forlini’s as the same quality. They’re both excellent and stand out from the mediocre red sauce restaurants in the area.

For pizza Lombardi’s is the best. They brought Napolitano pizza to New York when they opened on Spring Street in 1905.

Umberto’s Clam House is pretty good and famous for that Joe Gallo incident but they should have also included Vincent’s, on the corner of Mott and Hester Street. It’s been around for a long time and was always one of my favorites.

Di Paolo’s is a first rate food store on Mott and Grand Street. I’m surprised the equally good Alleva on the then same block wasn’t also on the list. It was my mother’s go-to Latticini e Salumi.

Their only pick that I take issue with is Ferrara’s. It used to be good but not anymore. Instead of trying to educate their non-Italian customer on what good Italian pastry is all about, they dumbed-down their menu and quality. There are much more authentic patisseries in the area. My choices are Caffé Roma – 176 Mulberry St, Caffé Palermo – 148 Mulberry St. and La Bella Ferrara – 108 Mulberry St.

Caffe Roma

Caffe Palermo

La Bella Ferrara

The restaurants on the list that I didn’t mention are new to the neighborhood. Maybe you should give them a try and let me know what you think.

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Miscellaneous

Peugeot

June 4, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Peugeot

When you hear the name “Peugeot,” cars come to mind. But what a lot of people know them for are high-quality pepper mills. We’ve had 2 of them for a very long time. They’re reliable and make a precise grind. Peugeot didn’t start out a s a car manufacturing company. There was a recent article in FOOD 52 about Peugeot and their exceptional pepper mill.

3 Little-Known Facts About Peugeot & Their Iconic Pepper Mills

by: Amanda Sims

“It hardly matters what’s being served (simply dressed greens, strawberries and cold whipping cream, cardboard)—top a plate or bowl with freshly cracked black pepper from a proper grinder and it will take on an air of sophistication. Become something to sit down to. Wine might appear on cue. . . “

The complete article here –

Our 2 Peugeots – old but still going strong.

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Condiments

Birds Eye Chilis

May 31, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Bird’s Eye Chilis

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I like spicy dishes. I’ve posted a few simple recipes for hot pepper infusions and sauces and here’s another one. This calls for Bird’s Eye Chilis. You can usually get them in Chinese markets. There’re about an inch long and look like little red fire crackers. They’re small but have big heat, somewhere between Jalapenos and Habenaros.

There’re not always available but last winter I came across some in a Manhattan Chinatown sidewalk stand. I asked if they were “Hot,” and the merchant said I should taste one. I did and although it was 22 degrees my face started sweating. They were hot.

I found some in Italy that were the same as the ones I get in Chinatown. I was surprised to see them there since they were typically Asian but they were the same. Different food cultures sometimes come together.

The infusion is simple. Get a handful of peppers, about 20-25. Cut off the stems and tips so the interior of the pepper is accessible to the olive oil. Put them in a liter bottle and fill it with oil. It doesn’t have to be EVOO.

Give it about a week for the oil to pick up the flavor and get a reddish tint. You can use the oil for frying and it’s also very good for drizzling on a sandwich, or pasta or any dish you’d like to give a little kick.

The best part is when the bottle of oil and peppers is just about empty, shake out the remaining peppers and oil into a frying pan and scramble some eggs with it – excellent!

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Drinks, Miscellaneous

Starbucks in Italy

May 28, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Starbucks in Italy

I’ve had espresso from vending machines in Italy that was better than any coffee I ever had at Starbucks. Now they intend to open a branch in Milan.

Here’s an excerpt from an article in L’Italo Americano that deals with the issue.

Does Italy Really Need Starbucks?

By francesca bezzone

” . . . there’s little doubt that Italian coffee remains the best in the world: it’s a typical case of “why should you change or improve something that’s already perfect?” Italian coffee is not a matter of variety, but of extremely high quality: from the selection of the coffee, to the way it’s toasted and brewed, every drop of caffé has to be absolutely perfect. And whoever had coffee in Italy knows it pretty much always is.”

Read the whole article HERE

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Drinks

Negronis

May 24, 2019 robiulo 1 Comment

Negronis

Classic Negroni

Ingredients:

1 oz. Campari
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. gin

Pour all 3 ingredients over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with an orange wheel.

Spagliato Negroni

A relation of the negroni. Spagliato means broken in Italian. This one replaces the gin with Prosecco.

Ingredients

1 oz. Campari
1 oz. sweet vermouth
3 ozs. Prosecco

Add Campari and vermouth over ice in a flute. Stir and top with Prosecco and garnish with an orange twist.

The Old Pal Negroni Cocktail

This is a whiskey version. You can use Bourbon, Canadian or rye.

Ingredients:

1 oz. Campari
1 ¹⁄₄ oz. whiskey
1 oz. Dry vermouth

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Each different but they all have Campari in common. Campari has been around for a long time. Gaspare Campari founded the company in 1860. The basic Campari aperitif is simply Campari and soda with a lemon twist – simple and perfect. Throughout the years Campari has been noted for the beautiful graphics used in it’s advertisements. Here are a few –

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Nathan’s Famous

There are Nathan’s all around the world but the original is still on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn and it’s been at that location since 1916. It’s open every day – winter too.

The Surf Avenue location is special and has a larger menu than the branches. You can get calamari, lobster rolls, clams on the half shell and even fried frog legs.

They have an annual hot dog eating contest. Last year’s winner, Joey Chestnut, won with a new record of 74!

If you’re on the beach and don’t feel like walking to Surf Avenue for a hot dog, they have a location right on the boardwalk.

Cast Iron Pan Margarita Pizza

This recipe is for a 12 inch pan. Smaller pan = less dough. I buy my dough ready made for a nearby pizzeria. Here’s a link to a recipe if you want to do it yourself. I don’t buy jarred marinara sauce. It’s too easy to make. There’s a recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pizza dough

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

3 oz. marinara sauce

Fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil

Put the pan in the 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the over and scatter torn basil leaves over it while it’s still hot. Let it cool and slice.

Marinara Sauce for Pizza

3 tbsps. olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

Salt, black and red pepper to taste

1 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes

Put the oil in a pan on low heat and lightly saute the garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Don’t let the garlic brown. Pour in the tomatoes, stir and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

That’s marinara sauce – easy, right? You can also make this with crushed tomatoes but puree is better for pizza. After you use 3 ounces for the pizza you’ll have enough left for to serve with a pound of pasta.

The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook

Arroz Con Pollo – adapted from the Ellis Island Immigrant Cook Book

Ingredients:

3 lbs. of chicken pieces (I used breasts and thighs cut into smaller pieces)

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper sliced thinly

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded & chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 cups uncooked rice

3 cups hot chicken broth divided

juice of ½ a lemon

1 tsp. saffron

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

Equipment – You’ll need a large oven proof pan with a cover for this. Mine is 15 inches. If you don’t have one that big, cut the recipe in half.

Preparation:Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chicken until golden brown. Do same to pork and remove.

Sauté the pepper and onion in the drippings until the onions are transparent. Add tomato, parsley, garlic and bay leaf. Mix well and cook until soft. Set skillet aside.

Add the chicken and pork to the pan with the vegetables. Take 1 cup of broth and dissolve the saffron in it. Add the wine and lemon juice to the broth and pour this mixture into the skillet over the chicken and pork. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Add the rice between the chicken pieces. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth. Stir carefully. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in the preheated 325° oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove, let stand 15 minutes covered.

The Churchill Tavern

We had a great lunch last Sunday at the Churchill Tavern. They served their traditional Sunday Roast – a choice of roast beef, lamb, pork or chicken with a bunch of sides – and regular menu of English favorites.

Full menu here

They have a wide beer and cider selection on tap and in cans and bottles, including many English brands. There’s a nice selection of Single Malt Scotch too.

If you’re in New York and want good English food and ambiance you should try the Churchill Tavern.

Neapolitan Meatballs – (Polpette Alla Napolitana)

This is an old-fashioned recipe. You can leave out the pinoles and currants but if you use them it makes these polpettes special.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried currants (soaked)

A small loaf of day-old Italian bread with the crust removed

Some milk to wet the bread

About 1 lb. of ground beef chuck

A handful of chopped parsley

1 finely chopped garlic clove

Salt and black pepper

1 beaten egg

1 cup grated Parmigiana cheese

1/3 cup pinoles (pine nuts)

Olive oil for frying

Soak the currants in a little warm water. Soak the bread in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk, break it apart and put it in a bowl with the beef, parsley and garlic.

Mix it well and add salt and pepper, the egg, cheese, the pinoles and drained currents. Mix this thoroughly with your hands.

Shape the mix into small balls (I use an ice cream scoop to get them the same size) and let them rest for 15 – 20 minutes and then fry in a good amount of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pan.

Keep rolling them to brown on all sides. Drain and serve with tomato sauce. They’re very good plain too.

Where to Actually Eat Well in NYC’s Little Italy

I came across an interesting article in Eater New York. It’s a list and description of the best places to eat in New York’s Little Italy.

Here’s Eater’s list –

If you’re in NYC, you might find this list useful, and I’ll help with my opinion on the places that I’m familiar with.

Eating in Little Italy

After that, I’d rate Il Cortille and Forlini’s as the same quality. They’re both excellent and stand out from the mediocre red sauce restaurants in the area.

For pizza Lombardi’s is the best. They brought Napolitano pizza to New York when they opened on Spring Street in 1905.

Umberto’s Clam House is pretty good and famous for that Joe Gallo incident but they should have also included Vincent’s, on the corner of Mott and Hester Street. It’s been around for a long time and was always one of my favorites.

Di Paolo’s is a first rate food store on Mott and Grand Street. I’m surprised the equally good Alleva on the then same block wasn’t also on the list. It was my mother’s go-to Latticini e Salumi.

The restaurants on the list that I didn’t mention are new to the neighborhood. Maybe you should give them a try and let me know what you think.

Peugeot

3 Little-Known Facts About Peugeot & Their Iconic Pepper Mills

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chicken until golden brown. Do same to pork and remove.