Another Wonderful 'Agritainment' Day of Phoodographs, Finds & Sincerely Nice People From Houston Street to Bleeker Street, New York City

Hellooooo Everybody....
My personal food continuum continues...

From 'agritainment' on the North Fork seeking food and wine at their sources ...to cooking ...to going to great food stores and restaurants...I love it all every step of the way from seeds to stomach.

Today I phound some wonderful shops, eateries and sincerely nice people in my travels along Houston and Bleeker Streets in the Big Apple.

My 9-5 was to start off in Soho and phinish up in the meatpacking district. In between, the experiences were worth the collective entry you are about to enjoy.

Paula 

                                                                   The Cone Zone

It all started with the Boston based Emack & Bolio's "Ice Cream for the Connoisseur" on Houston St.

The day was hot and I needed something cool and refreshing. It was their Iced Coffee that did it for me...not to mention the famous "Oreo Original" no trans-fat Ice Cream. Wow...and a big thank you to Paula and her smile for the tour. Just one of many all day long. You shoulda been there with me.

Continuing west on Houston Street, the next thing that catches my eye is a menu in front of Pizza Mezzaluna with a 7" personal pizza for $5. That was for me. In I go and the fun begins with two ladies from Chicago having a great time in NYC and raving about a wine tour they took in Paris. Paula (one of the Chicagoans) sent me an email with a list of the vineyards (Anybody want the list, just ask me below in the comment box).

My waitress, Adriana was chock full o personality as we all were discussing restaurants we enjoyed in and around the city and Brooklyn. Even Marcos, the chef,  was gracious enough to come out from the kitchen to take a picture. I love this job! Speaking of jobs...Love 'em and they're not work.

I really hated to leave...however I didn't walk 5 seconds out of  Mezzaluna before I came to New York City's version of Borgatti's of the Bronx...

Raffetto's Fresh Pasta & Ravioli. I just had to go in...and I'm glad I did.

Raffetto's Pasta Menu

100 Year Old Pasta Cutting Machine

Inside I met another lovely soul by the name of Jude. It wasn't hard sell, and when I asked what was her favorite pasta, without skipping a beat...she said "rosemary"! A quick taste and I was sold. I even bought some for my buddy Lew Falzon of Theory fame.
FYI...Jude also writes a food column for the Catskill Chronicle. Just go to www.the catskillchronicle.com and look for "Tales From the Scrawny Gourmet"
Mangia Jude!

The next thing that caught my eye as I was cruising down Bleeker Street over to Gansevoort was a cool looking Italian restaurant by the name of Trattoria Spaghetto. I just loved the name and the look of the place and had to stop and take a picture. At that same moment, a hear a voice next to me asking if the restaurant is famous. I guess since I was taking a picture, one might think the location had a history to it...but I explained to the next sincerely nice person I had the pleasure to meet today that it was simply the look that caught my eye.
She seemed genuinely interested, so I couldn't help but tout the virtues of Roio's traditional pizza just up the street and took from her some direction in finding a good gluten free pizza restaurant just up Bleeker St..
Well, Perry Lambert from the UK, the only pizza restaurant I saw was Johns...and I'm not sure that's the one you meant.
So...when you read this, please let me know if it was John's or help me out with the name I may have missed. If I ever get to Trattoria Spaghetto (the restaurant in the pic) and something in there is worth writing about, the only way you'll know is by staying posted to phoodographs...
Safe flying...say Hey to Cheltenham...and please keep in touch!

It's not over. Almost to Gansevoort in the meatpacking district and I look up to see Tortilla Flats on Washington Street.
If you've never heard of this restaurant, you are missing out on some exciting Mexican food and a 'Fun'tastic' bar.
Back in the early 1980's my second baseman in the GCSL, Barry Secular, decided to open up this restaurant. His brother Andy now presides over the Flats and I just had to stop in and reminisce.
Thanks Andy for your usual fine reception...part of your success formula I'm sure.

Well folks...that's it for today.
Please feel free to comment below...and Have a Fab Summer!
         

                                                                     Mangia Baby!
                                                                            Bert

Fresche Verdure Arrostite con Olio Extra Vergine D'oliva, Aglio Fresco e Limone

Pre-Roasted Fresh Veggies 

Roasted Veggies

Fresh Roasted Veggies with Fresh Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Lemon

Buon Appetito!

I'm finally posting a recipe that I've wanted to share for quite a long time.
What I learned after many attempts at trying to perfect this dish is that you can't overcook the veggies and they need to be a certain size prior to roasting. If you cut them too small, the roasting process can render them barely recognizable.
So here goes folks...

Ingredients
1 large yellow zucchini cut into 1 1/4" pieces
2 very large peppers cut into 1.5"-1 3/4" pieces (I like red, yellow and/or orange. Save the green pepper for another time). Remove the core, seeds and ribs
18-20 whole baby carrots
1 medium unpeeled eggplant cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2-3 large shallots sliced 1/2" thick
20-25 cherry tomatoes (pinched prior to roasting to remove seeds). Heck, you can take some plum tomatoes, seed and quarter them for that matter. How about both?
10-12 small (peeled) garlic cloves. Unpeeled cloves are fine, however remember to squeeze garlic out of peel when roasting process is complete
Fresh Basil (about 1 cup coarsely chopped)
1/4 to 1/3 cup EVOO*
Juice from one small lemon
About 2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 lb pasta
White and/or black mill pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

Process with Technique

*Mix veggies in bowl with most of the EVOO, 1 tsp. salt and some fresh pepper, reserving some EVOO to drizzle over final dish
*Place mixture in roasting pan (you may need two of them) and roast in preheated 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes...stirring once or twice in this time
*While veggies are roasting, cook pasta. I like shells or rotini or farfalle or any combination of these shapes, however you know the story...whatever shape makes you happy is what you use.
It's not necessary to cook the pasta al dente for this dish.
Reason: If you do, it could dry out the pasta salad as liquids will be soaked up by pasta prepared al dente.
This is one dish that I will not cook pasta al dente.
*Drain pasta, reserving about 1/3-1/2 cup pasta water and rinse with a little water to cool.
*Place roasted vegetables, basil, fresh squeezed lemon, reserved pasta water and pasta back into the pasta pot and toss thoroughly, but gently. Salt and pepper to taste
*Place on platter, drizzle rest of EVOO on top and feel free to sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano
*Best served at room temperature

                                                                   Mangia Baby!
                                                                          Bert

                                    As usual, please feel free to comment below...and remember:
                                                    Pasta Must Never Be Kept Waiting

BetsaPasta Caesar Salad circa 1956

One of my first major food experiences was when I was taught how to make a Caesar Salad by Captain Bosso at the at the Piccadilly Restaurant on the famed Restaurant Row on La Cienaga Boulevard in Los Angeles, California in 1956. I can still picture the giant wood bowls that were always used to make their Caesar salads. They must have been two feet in diameter.
Bosso taught me that tradition demands these salads be made in wood bowls and that they only used these wood bowls for their, at the time, 'famous' Caesar Salads prepared tableside on wheeled carts.
They would roll the cart over with all of the ingredients in separate dishes and this is how it went down:
A clove, or cloves, of fresh garlic would be mashed into the side of the wood bowl.
To that, Bosso would add French's yellow mustard (Dijon mustard, used in many Caesar Salad recipes today, didn't make it to the USA as a popular choice until the late 1970's), Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, fresh lemon, a coddled egg yolk,  olive oil, parmesan cheese, romaine lettuce, fresh made croutons and fresh black pepper from a mill.
Although some recipes call for anchovies, they were always optional at Piccadilly.
The fact remains that anchovy is one of the key ingredients in worcestershire sauce and to many that's just enough anchovy to savor the true taste of a Caesar Salad. 
Nowadays, the raw egg (even though coddled) is also an option I offer.

I cannot honestly say I remember whether the olive oil used was extra virgin...nor can I make the claim that Parmigiano Reggiano was their choice for parmesan cheese. 
What I do know is that after making this salad since 1956 when Booso would let me prepare it along with his guidance in the restaurant, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and Parmigiano Reggiano are the ingredients I choose to use and the flavor remains as consistent as ever.

My recipe since 1956

Ingredients & Technique:
Serves 4

1 Tbsp. & 1 tsp. French's yellow mustard...yes, French's yellow mustard
2 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
Juice from 1/2  of a fresh squeezed lemon
1 small coddled egg yoke (optional for some health reasons unless you can find pasteurized eggs)
1 anchovy mashed (for me, seriously optional) I find white anchovies are not as strong a flavor, thus this is an alternative to the darker traditional anchovy. Remember, anchovy is in the Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup EVOO of garlic infused EVOO (I infuse EVOO with fresh pressed garlic). There are too many tender stomachs nowadays to use the raw garlic, and I find that if the oil is **infused properly, the correct flavor will be imparted into the dressing. Thus, use  one medium size clove of pressed garlic for every 1/2 cup of EVOO
1.5 cups grated Reggiano Parmigiano
3/4 cup croutons ( I like Rothbury Farms Cheese Garlic)...however use what you like or bake your own
2 medium heads of Organic romaine lettuce cleaned and dried thoroughly ... coarse chop or rip and then toss with a few pinches of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper...no dressing yet


Method

In a separate serving platter or serving bowl...prepare the lettuce with the kosher salt and fresh mill pepper
Whisk  mustard , Worcestshire and lemon in a mixing bowl.
Slowly add the EVOO and whisk briskly until all oil is added and mixture thickens
Add the croutons,  2/3 of the Parmigiano and 2/3 of the dressing to the lettuce and toss
Add the rest of the dressing and toss. If you feel there isn't enough dressing...as this can happen depending on the size of the heads of romaine...simply add a bit more EVOO and toss.
Use the rest of the Parmigiano to cover salad in the bowl...or divide into individual portions and top with Parmigiano.
Kosher Salt and Fresh Mill Pepper to taste


                    The Caesar Salad according to Rosa Cardini

 

  Although the origin of the Caesar Salad is a topic hotly debated by epicures, the generally accepted version is that it was first popularized in the United States in the late 1920s by an Italian immigrant, born Cesare Cardini. He and his brother Alessandro moved to San Diego from Milan after the Great War and then decided to open a restaurant just across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, to attract Americans frustrated by Prohibition.

The family legend assiduously recounted by Rosa was that on Independence Day 1924, business was so brisk that the kitchen began to run short of ingredients. Cardini decided to cobble together a salad from leftovers, including romaine lettuce, olive oil, raw egg, garlic, parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce. The dressing was originally mixed at the table and used to coat the lettuce leaves, which were presented stem outwards so that it could be eaten with the fingers, in the time-honoured Italian fashion.

This new dish, named Caesar after its creator, soon became popular with visiting Hollywood stars and is said to have been introduced to Europe by Mrs Wallis Simpson. In 1953, a toque of Paris's leading chefs pronounced it to be America's greatest contribution to world cuisine, a judgement of which Rosa Cardini was very proud.

She had frequently, however, to defend her father's claim to have invented the recipe. Others advanced the case of a Chicago-based Italian chef, Giacomo Junia, while some held that Cardini had appropriated the idea from a Sicilian waiter at his restaurant. Cardini's brother Alessandro also tried to take credit, but he made it with anchovies. Rosa Cardini frowned on all additions to the classical ingredients, particularly anchovies and croutons.

By the 1990s, one in four of all salads sold in American restaurants were made to her father's method, although its popularity in California was briefly threatened when a law was passed banning dishes made with raw eggs. The combined scorn of California's society women and Rosa Cardini was too much for the state legislature, however, and the act was swiftly repealed.

Rosa Maria Cardini was born in San Diego, California, in 1928. When she was 10, the family moved to Los Angeles, where her father ran another restaurant. As a child, she helped to bottle the dressing he made and sold it at local markets.

In 1948, Cardini obtained a patent for his recipe, although not for the name "Caesar Salad", which was held to be already too widely known. After he died in 1956, Rosa Cardini took charge of the business, jealously guarding her father's legacy and patenting another 17 vinaigrettes.

She gradually built up the Cardini brand until by the end of the 1980s it was a household name in America.  

One thing I would like to add...

There was no mustard in the original recipe...however mustard found its way into many Caesar salad recipes of today.

The French's yellow...well, that's the way I learned it and that's the way I think it tastes best. Now and then, I'll add a little Dijon (my favorite is Bournier) in order to take into account the taste buds of today.

**Infused olive oil is made by taking fresh squeezed or thinly sliced garlic and letting it sit in the olive oil for about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic and you have infused oil. You can always add some of this garlic back into the recipe if you feel you want more garlic flavor.

Mangia Baby!

Bert

PIC Coming...and remember...Don't be shy...please comment below. I love hearing from you!

Fresh Homemade Croutons up next!

Bert's Brooklyn & "A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour"...Abbondanza!

Let me start by saying that although I was born and raised on Long Island, I have many memories of old Brooklyn.

My grandparents lived in Brooklyn at 385 Argyle Road, and although most of my food inspiration came from my grandparents on both sides, it was in Brooklyn where I experienced by first pizza. Around the corner from Grandma Hazel and Grandpa Sid on Cortelyou Road was Ebinger's Bakery (famous for their "blackout" cake). A block further down the street was where I think I first tasted pizza in 1954...and it wasn't in, as they called them back in the 1950's, a pizza parlour. It was in a bakery. 

 As history tells it, GI's returning from Italy after World War II created a nationwide demand for the pizza they loved.

There were perhaps a dozen or so pizza 'restaurants' in all of  New York and Brooklyn dating back as far as the early 1900's with Lombardi's NYC, however most pizza was found in a bakery. You wanted pizza, you either went to one of the several pizza restaurants, such as Lombardi's or John's in NYC or Totonno's in Brooklyn...OR...you went to the bakery.

Some of the old time bakeries, and some newer ones knowing the obvious relationship between baking bread with cheese, are still making pizza.

That was my memory of pizza.

My grandparents Birdie and Henry on my father's side were responsible for my introduction to the New York City "deli" scene. It all started at the Stage Delicatessen...which we will save for another entry.

I'm not sure why I hadn't written about this sooner, however after visiting L & B Spumoni Gardens several times after meeting Tony Muia on his "A Slice of  Brooklyn Pizza Tour"...I figured it was about time I said something.

Therefore...Meet Tony Muia, owner and operator of  A Slice of  Brooklyn Pizza Tour since 2005.

Tony and his fuhgeddaboudit smile

All you have to do is get yourself into Manhattan in Union Square to get on board the "A Slice of  Brooklyn Pizza Tour" coach style bus complete with TV screens and the fun begins.

A Brooklynite himself, Tony takes you on a memorable tour of Brooklyn and two legendary Brooklyn restaurants in the world of pizza.

The first stop for us was Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge (northern Italian style brick oven pizza) and then L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst (authentic Sicilian style pizza).

In between, the tour takes you through unique neighborhoods in Brooklyn such as Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Coney Island (& a tour of the boardwalk sites), Brighton Beach and Bensonhurst. Clips from movies such as Goodfellas, The French Connection, Saturday Night Fever  and more are part of the tour as the bus stops in front of the locations where segments of these iconic movies were filmed and where they are played for you right on the bus.

Tony's tour has evolved...and although I'm not sure if it is exactly the same...I'm sure you will have a great time with Tony on this half day romp through Brooklyn.

 I ran into Tony on the street this last Christmas 2012 on his "Christmas Lights & Cannoli Tour" (another of Tony's tours...and another story) and was greeted with the same cordial sincere smile that reminded me of when we first met on the Brooklyn Pizza Tour.

If you want a unique experience that you will always talk about...this tour is for you.

After all, if Sandy and I didn't take the tour with Tony, I would never have have been able to experience my (in the whole wide world) favorite L & B Spumoni Gardens calamari salad. Another raison d'être...or in Italian...ragion d'essere

Truly brillante Calamari Salad

Goodness! What texture and flavor. Just check out the picture and that says it all. It tastes as good as it looks. Famous last words..."trust me"!

And for both of us, their eggplant parmesan and famous spumoni for dessert. Abbondanza!

Oh...one more thing. Here's a pic of my pizza at home. Brilliant!

Mangia Baby!

Bert

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Remember...Please feel free to "post a comment" below

 

2013 Int'l. Food Show of N.Y ...Best Tomatoes...Bottled Sauces...BetsaPasta Filetto di Pomdoro con Prosciutto...BetsaPasta Peperoni Arrostiti...& Lorenzo's Raw Marinara Sauce

Where does one begin when it comes to choosing the best tomatoes? We know, for the most part, fresh tomatoes taste depends on climate, soil, and weather.

Whether they are fresh or in cans...It's not like all tomatoes are equal. Even canned tomatoes can differ from batch to batch.

Although producers strive for consistency, I have experienced inconsistencies not only in flavor, but texture as well.

My point: Taste and texture always vary and therefore the definition of  "best tomatoes" can be elusive.

Let's also not forget about the great equalizer. Not everyone's taste buds are the same.

With David D, one of my chefs, I recently attended the 2013 International Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC and met Rocco Macri, who presides over his family's business A & G Food Distributors.

To the point, their canned Nonna Artemisia Italian peeled plum and cherry tomatoes are wonderful!
If you look closely in the picture below, you will see Rocco's famiglia cooking and preparing foods to taste.

This family owned and operated business offers artisanal style pastas, extra virgin olive oils, vinegars, coffees and sparkling water...all products of Italy and many of  which I have yet to taste and expect to very soon.

If the rest of the products are anything like Rocco's personality, I've found myself another great source.

                                                        Strada da per correre Rocco!

                                                                    Rocco & Bert

      A & G Products

         Ahhhhhhhhhh!

French Pistachio Macarons  

Macarons (spelled this way to differentiate from macaroons) are a sweet meringue based confectionery made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar and almond powder.

They are filled with ganache or buttercream or a jam filling between two cookies and they are knock your socks off delicious. Expensive and worth the splurge. My grandson Benji's favorite!

Mine too!

Here is where it gets dicey.
Are the revered D.O.P. San Marzano canned Italian tomatoes better than other canned Italian produced plum tomatoes?

                                                                   Pasquale & Bert

According to Pasquale D' Ambrosio of Cento Fine Foods, there is no question. Yes!
He's a firm believer, as many purists are, that these tomatoes, grown in the San Marzano region near Naples are the best in the world. Those cans stamped with the D.O.P. seal signifies that they contain only tomatoes grown in the province of Salerno, Italy. 
Another consideration is "the best" worth  the price. The San Marzano is more costly and it's then up to you to determine if they are worth the difference in cost.
It reminds me of the way one approaches where and when to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for cooking.
Some chefs absolutely must  use EVOO in their cooking process and others feel results can be achieved just as effectively without having to use the more costly EVOO or olive oil blends.
It's similar with the San Marzano tomatoes.
Some chefs swear by the San Marzano and will use nothing else...where others feel the results are just fine with another tomato of similar quality from Italy..
In my humble opinion, it goes right back to taste.
Now...to expound a bit on taste. San Marzano tomatoes are fabulous...no doubt...and they produce a superior final product. I have splurged on them myself for a marinara sauce with minimal ingredients.
When, however, the chef has applied his technique, it would be quite difficult...in my humble good tasting opinion... for most diners to tell the difference between the revered San Marzano and another great quality Italian plum tomato.
The exception is Raw Marinara Sauce.
I think San Marzano tomatoes are special enough to savor their uncooked flavor. Many raw tomato sauces of this type, however, include red peppers and/or sun-dried tomatoes and other herbs such as oregano and/or parsley.
I, for one, am partial to what one would find in a typical marinara sauce...nothing more...nothing less. That's the reason I call it raw "marinara"...with 4 basic ingredients plus salt and pepper to taste.
Therefore I bring to you... from Woodbury Pizza in Woodbury, L.I. N.Y.... a wonderful recipe from Chef/owner Lorenzo that he uses for special applications to pizza and some pastas.

Raw Marinara (uncooked)

1 28 oz can Cento San Marzano tomatoes (squeeze and throw out water and seeds and juices from the tomatoes).   

1 clove garlic (sliced very thin)

2 TBSP EVOO

2 Basil leaves (chiffonade)

1/2 lb pasta

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

Technique:

- Hand squeeze tomatoes, removing all juices/seeds and place in bowl

-Mix with garlic, EVOO, basil, kosher salt & pepper

-Marinate overnight

-Cook your favorite pasta al dente

-Drain pasta (saving 2-3 TBSP of starched pasta water). Add all ingredients back into pot with pasta along with reserved starched water

- Mix thoroughly while pasta is still warm. Salt and pepper to taste again

-Serve immediately...and remember...Pasta Must Never Be Kept Waiting

Once again...

I’m not a fan or grated cheese for marinara...however you have that option.

BOTTLED SAUCE...another story!

I'm always on the lookout for a bottled sauce that is different.
If I found one worthy enough, I just might consider using it in a pinch along with a bit of technique.
At the recent 2013 International Food Show of NY in the Javits Center I just happened to have found two of them.
In many bottled sauces today, oregano is over-used. Rarely do you find a sauce that balances the use of oregano with other spices, herbs and flavors.
Bea's of Brooklyn was an exception.
Chef Gregory Adams interesting use of honey blended nicely with all the other  ingredients (even though oregano is included), and exuded a fresh flavor with no over spiced tones.
Get this...they also produce a fabulous B.B.Q. sauce!

Another exception to the rule was The Original Jersey Italian Gravy. When one hears "gravy", it conjures up images of Sunday dinner at grandma's house with all sorts of delectable meats tossed into tomatoes and cooked all day long. It impressed both David and me with just 5 ingredients. Tomatoes, onions.olive oil, cane sugar (there's that sugar some disdain, however they make it work) salt...and no meat.
Carlos and Connie Vega, the owners, were fun to chat with and I will for sure be following up with them.

Coming Up....
My recipe for Filetto di Pomodoro with Prosciutto using Nonna Artemisia Italian plum tomatoes from
A & G.
This recipe was my mother Joan's favorite sauce and the ingredients are all the same with the exception of the white wine I think adds to it (I've seen recipes with red wine. The choice is yours). Many recipes don't include any wine...but the prosciutto made me do it. You know the story. It's all a matter of taste.

-Serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients:
Two 28 oz. cans of plum tomatoes (broken up by hand)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf "Italian" parsley
One large onion (chopped coarse)
1/4 cup *EVOO
8 oz. thin sliced prosciutto...first sliced thinly against the grain and then coarse diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine (not "cooking" wine)
1/2 tsp red crushed pepper or cayenne or to taste
1 tsp. kosher salt (remember prosciutto is salty, so be careful with the salt)
-1/2 tsp for sauce in the beginning
-1/2 tsp for pasta and sauce mixed in the last step
Fresh black mill pepper (about 8 turns)...or to taste
 1 lb. pasta
-A few leaves of fresh basil chiffonade added in the last blending step

Technique:

-Saute onions in *EVOO on medium high heat until soft
-Add diced prosciutto and cook until almost crispy...about 6-7 minutes
-Add chopped parsley and bay leaf...stir to coat... add white wine and cook off...about 3 minutes
-Add both cans of tomatoes, 1/2 t.salt, both red and mill pepper
-Cook until boiling...reduce to medium low and cook for about 40 minutes or until tomato water is cooked out of the sauce. Stir frequently to keep sauce from sticking to bottom of pot
-Whatever pasta you have chosen, cook in plenty of salted water until al dente and drain...reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water
-Ladle 2 cups of sauce and reserved pasta water into pot on high heat. Immediately add pasta, the other 1/2 t.of salt, fresh basil and then pepper to flavor. STIR QUICKLY for about 30 seconds to integrate and to maintain your al dente texture
-Serve on platter...and ladle desired amount of sauce on top. Serve Immediately!

Remember: PASTA MUST NEVER BE KEPT WAITING

Betsa Roasted Peppers

Ingredients:

4 Lbs. red, orange and/or yellow peppers
1.5 Tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup capers in salt (rinsed of salt)
1 cup olives (calamata and/or geen Silclian)...optional
Several grinds of white pepper or blended peppercorns

Technique:

-Slice peppers in half lengthwise...clean out seeds and pare away the white membranes inside as they can turn bitter
-Toss peppers  and  most of the EVOO in a bowl and place face hollowed out part up
-Toss capers and olives in the same bowl with the rest of the EVOO  and spread this mixture into the open peppers. Otherwise, simply toss the capers with the peppers if not using olives
-Grind fresh pepper over the peppers
-Place in a pre-heated 350degree oven for about 30-35 minutes. It's a good idea to open the oven half way through and shift around the peppers
-Remove from oven and serve with EVOO and your favorite Italian or French loaf of bread
-Kosher salt and pepper to taste. since capers and olives are salty, be careful with additional salt

*You can cut them up into smaller pieces and serve on pasta if you are so inclined.
*Regarding the olives,  I like to blend both kinds... and if you can find the Sicilian olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, there is an extra added bonus of flavor to be found.


A note re technique:
Every chef has his or her technique.
As always, it's proportions and technique that make all recipes with the same ingredients different.
One of mine is to cook sauce until there is little or no water from the tomatoes at the bottom of the pot.
I simply cannot understand why one would serve pasta with sauce and have left over water from the tomatoes floating at the bottom of the dish. Not only does it dilute the flavor, it continues to absorb into the pasta to make it soft and/or mushy. The exception is clam sauce. There is soooo much natural juice from the clams it cannot be helped. Just make sure you have plenty of bread to sop it up. Yum!

Some chefs cringe at the use of sugar, however some use it sparingly and some prefer not to. You have the option of using a pinch of sugar, depending on the sweetness in taste you desire. Remember...it's all about taste and not everyone's is the same. In short, when it comes to taste...There are NO RULES!

In sauces and gravies there is a place for the carrot and/or the onion to sweeten naturally...and you will see that in other recipes I have entered over the last few years. The onions in this recipe should supply enough natural sweetness, thus the use of sugar here...eh!
FYI...The most widely used method to naturally sweeten any sauce,  gravy or soup is a Mirepoix..In Italy it is known as Soffritto, a chopped  blend of carrots, celery and onion and not to be confused with Spanish Sofrito.






                                                                       Mangia Baby!
                                                                             Bert

*EVOO= Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lindenhurst Linzer Tarts at Cieslaks Bakery & Joe's Meat Market Re-visited

                                                                         

My first Linzer tart tasting experience was back in the 1950's at Lindy's restaurant in NYC on Broadway & 51st street. The menu was German inspired and the baker was German. My grandfather Henry was from Hamburg and I'm proud to say I was inspired my many of his food eating habits. I can't say I'm a big fan of German restaurants, however the baking skills that came out of Europe years ago  in countries like Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy and France could not be beat.

Though Lindy's was remembered for their  famous cheesecake, I remember the incredible taste and texture of their linzer tarts and their chocolate covered jelly roll. Ever since then, linzer tarts should taste like those.

What exactly is a linzer tart? Here's a little history:

Linzer Torte is a holiday classic in the Austrian, Hungarian, Swiss, German, and Tirolean traditions, often eaten at Christmas. Linzer Torte is often made like small tarts or cookies in North American bakeries.

Linzer sablés (German: Linzer Augen, "Linzer eyes") are a cookie-sized version, made by cutting a circle of a similar dough, covering it with jam, placing a donut-like circle with a hole in the center piece of dough on top, and dusting with confectioner's sugar.

Which brings to the Cieslak family who opened Cieslak's Modern Bakery in Lindenhurst, LI. NY back in 1934.

I'm not totally clear on what "Modern" means in the name since all I see and feel here is tradition.

Whatever! There has to be something said for a family bakery that thrives for almost 80 years.

A quick aside...On my visit a few weeks ago  to Joe's Meat Market in Lindenhurst (See March 16, 2012 for original entry), I took my daughters Alison & Lindsay to experience Joe's for lunch. The fresh sliced turkey sandwich with roasted peppers, lettuce, tomato,  fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar was, according to Alison, the "best turkey sandwich I've ever had". Lindsay ordered a grilled chicken with fresh mozzarella sandwich and ordered one more to go. Al has a special way he prepares his grilled chicken and I cannot put the technique in this entry. You'll just have to get their and order one and tell him Bert sent you in for it.

A week later, I'm back at Joe's because wanted to bring what I felt was the best in comfort food to a shiva we were attending that evening and then asked Al where I could find some great baked goods...ie...where was a great bakery?

Without hesitation he said to go just down the block and ask for Joe to Cieslak's Bakery.

In a coincidence, Joe came into Joe's and in just a few minutes Cieslak's Joe was very cordially giving me a tasting tour of tons of wonderful baked goods.

Joe @ Cieslak's 

Without having the luxury of visiting Cieslak's but just this once, the only thing I can write about was what I took home myself and enjoyed the most. The standout's for me were the Linzer tarts that met the Lindy's taste criteria and the bear claw. I am most familiar with bear claws from the west coast...so to find a bear claw so enjoyable here on the east coast was a find.

I left with 9 dinners Al prepared for me and a selection of baked goods that we left for consumption.

The feedback:

Where did all that food and cake come from?

Al...and Joe...Eileen (Zach) and Grandma Cieslak...you now have more followers. Everyone knows where you are..."and in the end...the love you take is equal to the love you make" in the kitchen!

                                                                        Mangia Baby!

                                                                            Bert     

Mario Di Rienzo...The Real Original Ray...Re-opens After Many Years in NYC as The Famous Roio's

"I'm coming back. New York needs me" said Mario Di Rienzo.
 So you're asking who is Mario Di Rienzo?
To me...and many many others over the last 40 years, he was the Original Ray of Ray's Famous pizza fame.
As history tells it, a fellow by the name of Ralph Cuomo ("no one ever called me Ralph") opened the first Ray's pizza on Prince Street in Little Italy way back in 1959. Over the next 50 years, the name Ray's became so popular that it was hard to tell who was the original. In the early 1970's, Mario Di Rienzi opened his Ray's (Ray was a family nickname in his home town of Roio del Dangro, Italy). From there, the name Ray's became synonymous with great pizza and other companies sprouted up with names such as Ray's Famous Original, Ray's Original, etc. etc. It got so hard to tell who was the original unless you knew who it was from the beginning.
Original Schmoriginal! I could always tell the difference, and in my humble good tasting opinion, it was Mario Di Rienzo who had the best.
I'm not sure exactly when he closed up his pizza restaurant at 6th Avenue and 11th Street in NYC, however after many years, I discovered he had opened up again in the same location under a new name...Famous Roio's Pizza.
WOW!
Let me make clear one very important distinction between the types of pizza that exist when I say "the best".
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Grana Pizza in Jamesport on the north fork of Long Island.
Roio's (Ray's) is a totally different style from that of Grana and others that are thin crusted artisanal style pies, usually made with fresh mozzarella and baked in a wood burning oven. Ray's is a heavier slice piled high with a great mozzarella cheese and a wonderful pizza sauce, reminiscent of the Brooklyn style of pizza baked in the traditional pizza oven.
Getting back to the discovery of Roio's...the timing was perfect. My friend's Jimmy  and Terry were coming in from California and New Jersey for a college reunion and they wanted a "traditional slice of great New York pizza".
Where else could I possibly take them but to Roio's...home of the best tasting cheesy slice of pizza anywhere!
When we walked in, I introduced myself and my friends to Mario who was genuinely happy to hear old pizza stories  from the 70's and of how my taste buds danced in anticipation of coming to back to The Famous Ray's back in the 1970's.
A gracious man, he introduced me to his cast and crew. We ate, reminisced, smiled and took pictures.
I told him I wrote a food blog and that I would create an entry about our visit.
 It can take weeks, or even months, by the time I get to entering all my stories. In this case I'm sad to say I wasn't able to create the entry in time for him to read, as Mr.Mario Di Rienzo...pizza master extraordinaire...passed away just 6 weeks after our visit.
I found this out on my last visit to Roio's in January where I met Nina (Mario's niece), who informed me about her uncle's passing. Sooooo sad.
 I was fortunate to meet Christian (Mario's nephew) as we were leaving and they were both gracious enough to take pictures with me and let me write about my past and present experiences at The Famous Ray's...now The Famous Roio's.
 They are now the new guard at Roio's, along with brother Armando and sisters Amica & Natalia. The pizza tastes the same, which means Mario taught them well enough to keep the comeback alive and well.
Mario would be proud to know they were able to carry on the family tradition and deliver the same taste we all knew and loved way back when.
According to a Greenwich Village Soho DNAinfo article, one customer described how he felt as he tasted his first bite of Roio's formerly Ray's after so many years. My sentiments were the same.
"The memories came back to me with that first bite. It tastes exactly the same"
For Mario Di Rienzo, it was what he always wanted to do in the first place...name his pizza restaurant after his hometown in Italy. In his words, "It's time to not get confused anymore with the other pizzerias"
Long Live The Famous Roio's...And Welcome Back!

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120419/greenwich-village-soho/famous-rays-pizza-village-reopens-with-new-name-original-owner#ixzz2JmWn9EA0


Mangia Baby!
Bert

Please feel free to comment



Roio's Pizza

   

Bert with The Famous Mario Di Rienzo
 

The Famous Mr.Di Rienzo In The Early Days

The Famous Roio's  is back on 11th St. & 6th Avenue in NYC  

 
My Slice with Oregano, Red Crushed Pepper & Garlic Powder

Interview with the Famous Mr. Di Rienzo

 

Christian & Bert/ Check Us Out With The "A" 

Danny Lovin' His Roio's

Terry & Jimmy Lovin' Their Roio's

The Famous Ray's on 11th St. & 6th Avenue...Now Roio's




We'll Miss You Mario (;