Luigi's NYC...Starring the "Chicken Salad"

From top: Bolivar, Alfredo, and Luis

Bottom: THE CHICKEN SALAD

I was speaking to my surfing buddy Freddy this morning on the LIRR. As usual, the conversation gravitated to food and how one of his friend's has a concept Italian restaurant in Maryland.
The concept: Self serve "Gourmet" Italian food.  Order your meal...pick it up at the counter...and enjoy fine Italian dining fast food style. I'm thinking out loud and asked him why we haven't seen such a concept in New York...and he shrugged his shoulders as if he can't imagine why.
Next thing you know, I'm walking on 8th Avenue in Manhattan after visiting my Mikey my accountant, and staring me in the face is the word "gourmet" on an awning for Luigi's. Right away...gourmet Italian, my conversation with Freddy, and NO WAY pops into my head. Could it be I've walked smack dab into the 'concept'?
As you know by now, I'm not a critic in my reviews. I will, however, write about what I "find" that I love, what I experience and what I eat. To the point: Luigi's IS a find!

Upon entering, I spot a customer eating chicken Marsala with mushrooms, another munching on tenderly coated fried calamari, and another about to dig into the house salad with mozzarella (they were gracious enough to let me take the picture seen above). All looked tantalizing.
 I saw wonderful and fresh looking pizza pies. Among them, Luis holding a tray of 3 different kinds of  Sicilian style slices...namely  Feta, Bruschetta, and Fresh Mozzarella with tomato and basil. The latter will be on my list for the next visit.
Back to Lunch: Perusing the rather lengthy menu of about 100 choices...and staring at a large bin of  mixed lettuces, bin of olives, bin of cucumbers, tomatoes, pizza pies, calzone's, hero's, soups and main dishes...I decided to ask the fellas who look very happy about what they are doing what they suggest. "The Chicken Salad" with a big smile was the response. I think it was the smile that sold me.
I then watched as they proceeded to plop into a bowl a huge handful of greens, black and/or green Sicilian olives, unwimpy slices of cucumbers and tomatoes.
They then slap the chicken on the cutting board and with a few quick chops, they cover the entire bowl of veggies with the biggest and juiciest piece of chicken (cutlet or grilled) you ever saw in your life. Luis was gracious enough to let me taste both types.
The dressing is made with garlic infused EVOO***, sherry vinegar and their own secret blend of spices that makes the salad sing!
With regard to the word "gourmet" so proudly emblazoned on their awning out front, I can say
the chicken salad, as simple as it is (sometimes the simpler the better), fits that billing.
As I'm finishing up and getting ready to leave, a young lady sits next to me with a slice of pineapple pizza and a bowl of pasta faggioli (pasta and white bean soup). "I love this place..." with that yum look in her eyes was her response to me when I asked her about the soup.
As I'm walking out of Luigi's behind two fellows with food to go, I see them pop into their car.
I said to them "you drive here to get your lunch"?
"Yeah", one of them says, "we come down here all the time from Harlem. The other says "the office wants chicken salads...so we come down to Luigi's".

Note: I'd like to thank Bolivar, Luis and Alfredo for posing with their chicken salads and pizza... and their big proud smiles. As well, I would like to thank Luis and the management of Luigi's for their cooperation and permission to let me write about my experience in their restaurant.
I never had the opportunity to meet Luigi. Perhaps next time.

Luigi's Gourmet Grill is located at 936 8th Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets in NYC, NY

As usual, EVOO*** = extra virgin olive oil

Mangia Baby,
Bert

Italian Heaven at Joe's in Lindenhurst, L.I., N.Y, USA!

 Joe, Vinny, & Alessandro ie "Al"

  Joe, The Sausage King

   

 

 

 A Dependable Customer

 

 

 
I have this habit. It started a long time ago when I used to do a lot of travelling through New Jersey.
I'd travel to visit customers in all these little towns and invariably find myself looking for a specialty "salumeria" for lunch. There's something about the word "salumeria" that invokes genuine Italian...and New Jersey is chock full of them.
If it wasn't a salumeria, it would have to be a unique looking pizzeria...like the one I found in Connecticut by the name of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Wow to their white clam pizza!
Today I found Joe's Gourmet Meats... & Salumeria... and want to share with my readers this one of a kind market, butcher, deli and restaurant all wrapped up in one.
There is a certain type of personality that will make or break a business...no matter how good the food is.
So just imagine what it's like to find happy people serving fabulous food to happy people!
Take a look at the picture of Joe and his sons Vinny and Al.
The picture without the smile is my fault. I asked them to be Smooooooth on the outside.
Inside these fellas and inside the market it's another story. It's all heart & smiles.
They sell dried pastas, tomatoes, olive oils, vinegar, cheeses, their own pasta sauces and fresh made ravioli(s).
The butcher shop sells fresh Bell & Evans chicken, steaks, braciole, veal, lamb, pork, fresh duck, rabbit, turkeys, pig, goat, marrow bones, baby back ribs and...ohhh yeahhhh....Joe's famous sweet, hot, cheese & parsley, peppers & onions, scallion, brocolli rabe & mozzarella,chicken w/roasted papper & onion, lamb w/ garlic, parsley, tomato & cheese and veal sausage.
Did I forget Pizza?
They sell Boar's Head fresh sliced meats and cheeses at an average price of 5.99 lb. to 6.99 lb. I see 7.99-9.99 in the supermarkets all day long.
They even offer tur ducken!
They make soups, salads, wraps, & hero sandwiches.
I had a truly exquisite blend of grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, and red roasted peppers with olive oil and vinegar on my sandwich and wound up stuffing it with their best I ever ate potato salad(s). Shhhhh.
The real pleasure here is the "Cheers" environment. Customers walk in and are family...and not the family you find it that restaurant chain that advertises you are "like" family. Sure.
Here, I got the distinct feeling it was one big family and for the hour I was there, I felt like I belonged.
 These are my kind of people. Friendly, Real and Passionate about what they do.
Egos are left at the entrance.
You want to hear a type of music, they'll put in on for you if they have it...and when Joe comes out from behind the counter to do his La Bomba, you know you have come home!

http://www.joesgourmetmeats.com/

ps
I have 4 meatballs sitting in my fridge that I can't wait to taste.
For sure, a follow up entry is in the future.

pps
For an extra added special treat, Google "Joe La Bomba onYoutube"

Mangia Baby,
Bert

"Authentic" Marinara?

There are soooo many variations of Marinara and Tomato sauces I have to wonder if there ever was an "authentic" marinara sauce recipe to begin with.
Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. People say that marinara sauce must contain fish from the sea...anchovies, shrimp, etc. Actually this is not the case. The origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that was made in Naples, Italy for the sailors when they returned from the sea.
Either way, the quality of your marinara sauce will be directly proportional to the quality of the tomatoes that you use. Period! 
As stated in my previous blog entries, I think Stanislaus tomato products of California are the absolute best. "Alta Cucina" and "Voloroso" plum tomatoes are my favorites and can be obtained from Restaurant Depot in the #10 cans (each can is equal to approximately 3 1/2  28 oz. cans). You can become a member to obtain them or, alternatively, you can find the best Italy has to offer in San Marzano tomatoes from the supermarket or use whatever different brands that you may like.
For as long as I can remember, I've made marinara sauce the way I believed was the authentic way.
Canned tomatoes or Fresh tomatoes in the summer, Olive Oil....Garlic...Fresh Basil... Salt & Pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a little zing-ahhh...no oregano...no onion...no sprinkled cheeses...no nothing.
On occasion, I would tweak the flavor with a small bay leaf (my friend David Mannes, former chef at Carmines in NYC, put a bay leaf in his pomodoro sauce) or perhaps I cheat and add a little sugar to counter the acidity of the tomatoes.

A traditional Ragu or Bolognese meat sauce is made with a carrot, onion and celery combo, otherwise known as Mirepoix...and for a reason. Onions and carrots are natural sweeteners that help create a sweeter...not unctuously sweeter...flavor.

With that thought in mind, I decided to make my marinara just this time with onion and carrot and no sprinkle of sugar. This is no big secret as a lot of "marinara" recipes do include onion. I stuck in the carrot as well, however chose to remove the carrot at the end of the cooking process and snack on it.You can, if you wish, Cuisinart your carrot first and leave it in with the sauce.
In short...what happened next was a major social success. The sauce had a sweeter flavor and was a huge crowd pleaser.
I guess there is a now a place for this sauce on my menu...however my own personal favorite still remains the 'authentic' way...even if I have to cheat a little with a bit of sugar.
The recipe is simple...


This recipe feeds 8-10 as a main course (depending on what else you serve)

3-4  28 oz. cans of your favorite canned tomatoes or 1 #10 can of the Stanislaus product tomatoes
1/4 cup *** EVOO plus 2 TBSP. for the final prep
1.5 lbs. of your favorite packaged pasta (preferably a product of Italy) prepared AL DENTE (this is a must). Try to find pastas that contain only semolina and water. Too many pastas are enriched (ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT) and I try to stay away from those.
1 huge onion (chopped coarse)
1 large whole peeled carrot
1 bay leaf
Fresh flat leaf parsley (app 1/4 cup chopped)
3-4 large cloves fresh garlic (pressed)
Fresh Basil (large handful either whole leaves or chiffonade/ see pic below)
1 TBSP kosher salt in a minimum of 8-9 quarts of water plus some salt for final prep to taste
Fresh mill white pepper...to taste
Pinch of oregano
A few shakes of red crushed pepper


*Saute 2-3 cloves of pressed garlic in ***EVOO  on medium heat until golden
*Add onions. Stir immediately. The liquid in the onion will stop the garlic cooking process so the garlic doesn't burn. Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent...not browned.
*Break up tomatoes by hand by squeezing them through your fingers and add to pot with juices tomatoes were packed in
*Add carrot, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, parsley, pinch of oregano and 1 tsp salt to start/more salt later to taste.Cook on medium low uncovered (3 to 4 on your stove dial) for about 1 hour stirring at least every 10 minutes.
*When sauce looks like the water from the tomatoes is cooked off...turn off the heat and add white pepper to taste.


*Cook your pasta in plenty of salted water (1/2 tsp. per quart) and drain...reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
 I spray a bit of cool water on top of the drained pasta  to remove some of the starch and help stop the cooking process of the pasta...being careful to not spray too much water as I don't want to lose all the starch.
*Now is the time to remove the bay leaf. In a conversation I had with restaurateur Joe Bastianich, he voiced a valid point that one could choke on a bay leaf...thus I now remove them before serving.
*On medium high heat put about  2 TBSP of EVOO and one pressed garlic clove into the pasta pot and cook garlic until golden. Immediately add to that  your reserved 1/2 cup of starched pasta water (stand back a bit), 2/3 of the fresh basil leaves...and bring to a quick boil on medium high heat. Add about 3 cups of sauce and cook for a minute or two until the starched water is reduced.
* Immediately add the AL DENTE  pasta to the pot and stir vigorously for about 30 seconds until pasta is coated. Add salt to taste. Stir again for just a few more seconds.
Both of these stir processes MUST BE DONE QUICKLY so as not to overcook the pasta.
Empty pasta onto platter, ladle some sauce over the pasta and then top with the rest of the chiffonade of  fresh basil leaves.

Mangia Baby!
Bert

Very Important Cooking Technique:
Total cooking time will reduce if you want to remove by hand the small core from each tomato ( I learned this technique from the folks at Rao's) since you will also lose water from the tomatoes. Use and do not throw away, however, the tomato juices the tomatoes are packed in.
Removing the cores of the tomatoes maximizes the flavor as a core from a tomato can create a bland tasting chewy bite.
You will then reduce the cooking time to about 45-50 minutes since water from the inside of the tomatoes comes out when removing the cores.
Since cooking times can vary, the most important thing is to cook the sauce down until most of the water is cooked out and the sauce has thickened.

Suggestion:
Even though tradition demands a sprinkle of grated parmigiano or grana on this type of sauce...I resist. I think it gets in the way of the flavor of this sauce and for sure a seafood sauce. I do, however, wholeheartedly support cheese till your hearts content on meat sauces. Bottom line...your choice.



***EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil






Chiffonade of Basil

The First Snow of 2012 with BetsaPasta Fresh Tomato Soup & The Warmth of the Suns

"Lazy day, something good to eat"...Must be soup today, 'cos we need the heat.
What better way to keep warm than having a bowl of hot soup and anticipating the ahhhhhh...the warmth of summer...with some nice sunrise and sunset summer pictures?

First, the recipe:

Betsa Fresh Tomato Soup   

3 celery sticks (chopped coarse)

2 medium-large onions (chopped coarse)

3 oz. sweet butter

3 lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes (peeled and seeded)

4 cups demi-glace “poulet gold”chicken stock or vegetable stock (for the vegetarian). Mix 4 cups hot water with 1/4 cup of demi-glace) or any 4 cups of your *favorite stock.

Small handful of fresh basil leaves (Chiffonade)    

Kosher Salt (1/4 tsp. or to taste) and a few turns of fresh mill white pepper

Sauté the celery and onions in butter until translucent...not brown. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for about  5 minutes on medium heat. Pour in the chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool for about 20 minutes and then puree with an immersion blender.

If you don’t have an immersion blender that I have previously suggested you get as a valuable kitchen staple, then puree in a blender.

Stir in chiffonade of fresh basil...return to medium heat for about 10 minutes and serve.

Optional: top with your favorite croutons ( Home made or "Rothbury" store bought)

*Suggestion: I'm not a fan of "College Inn" stocks..."Campbell’s Healthy Request" or "Swanson" chicken broth are suggested canned brands of stock if you do not have More Than Gourmet's products.

More Than Gourmet stocks are readily available and always preferred over canned stocks.
Suggestion: Drizzle a great Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top of the soup.
Suggestion: NOW go out and get that immersion blender!

Mangia Baby!

Bert

Next...the warmth of the suns...
Florida
Long Island
Long Island Expressway
Long Island
NYC Skyline
Long Island
Florida

Georgian Bread with Jan & Bert

My fellow food buddy Jan took me to another obscurely located food find in, where else, Brooklyn.
A couple/few years ago he introduced me to the culinary delights of Brighton Beach Blvd. and most recently
to, for lack of a better understanding as to what the writing on the awning says, Georgian Bread.
We met "Badri", a gentle man, gentleman, and THE baker. See him above using his paddles to place and remove the bread from the oven.
He bakes in a clay oven smack in the middle of the store called a tone'...or tandoor (seen below).
A bread called shoti is placed  literally on the inside side of the oven (I still don't get the gravity end of this) and bakes in about 8 minutes. It 's shaped similar to a ciabatta and comes out crispy and smelling (no surprise) delicious.

Below is the bread named  Khachapuri (Georgian: ხაჭაპური - xač’ap’uri or "cheese bread").
.

It is a filled bread dish from Georgia where bread is leavened, allowed to rise, and is shaped in various ways. The filling contains cheese (fresh or aged, most commonly suluguni), eggs and other ingredients.
Each Kcachapuri is $6 and, although relatively expensive (an entire pizza pie almost anywhere is $12)... you don't get something like this anywhere else...and you certainly don't get to smile like a loon from ear to ear or jump up and down tasting a slice of pizza as you do once you had your first bite of Kcachapuri.
It's better than the "A" word which, beginning this year, we have decided to remove from our vocabulary...along with "my bad" and a few others.
Either way..... this "find" is worth the trip to Brooklyn.

Georgian Bread

265 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11235 

718-332-8082

Mangia Baby!

Bert