Leave the gun, take the cannoli! Many Italian-Americans grow up thinking the specialties prepared by their grandmothers are authentically Italian. Though certainly rooted in recipes from the “old country,” many were changed as immigrants adapted to their new home in America and to the ingredients they could find. “It is the memories and experiences the Italian immigrants brought with them, coupled with the products they found, that developed into today’s Italian-American cuisine,” says renowned Italian chef and author, Lidia Bastianich. Much of mainstream America was introduced to this immigrant culture through movies like “The Godfather.” This week’s menu highlights some of the most beloved dishes made famous by the movie. Menu NY “Antipasta” Salad Mixed lettuces, tomato, provolone, “mutzadell,” salame,...
Poggio Badiola, Mazzei, 2017, Super Tuscan Deep, inky purple in color. On the nose, intense aromas of red berries and cocoa. Soft and smooth on the palate, with flavors of wild blackberries and raspberries; well balanced, with great depth and a long finish. This every-day Super Tuscan, that has garnered acclaim and high ratings from the Wine Spectator, comes from vineyards located at a great altitude in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, around a Romanesque church dating back to the 10th century. It uniquely combines the freshness and elegance of Sangiovese with the soft structure of Merlot, to which a refined touch is given by Petit Verdot. For 26 generations, the Mazzei family has been producing benchmark Italian...
The Wheat Harvest: Hard work, good food and allegria!
Another fun week of stories from living in the countryside in Tuscany -- this time around the yearly wheat threshing festivals. You worked hard together, but then were always rewarded with an amazing meal -- on tables set up in the middle of the fields.
This week's menu is the one that the Chef ate all those years ago in the fields after a long day's work with her neighboring farmers.
Le Marche: The Secret of Santa Vittoria.
Food and entertainment are great diversions. On occasion, it is good to get lost in an old movie especially when it tells the story of man’s past struggles and creative solutions to catastrophic situations.
The Secret Life of Santa Vittoria, a delightful classic Italian-American film, is based on a true story of resolve, courage, community spirit, and…one million bottles of wine! It is set in Italy’s beautiful Le Marche region, the backdrop for this week’s authentic late August dinner.
Barbarossa, Lacrima di Morro D'Alba, Tenuta di Tavignano, 2018, Le Marche If ever a wine was a beacon of joy, it’s wine made from the rare Lacrima di Morro d’Alba grape from the region of Le Marche, near central Italy’s Adriatic coast. The wine’s perfume of lavender, roses, and wild berries is pure ambrosia. It’s bright, juicy, fresh flavors are heavenly pleasure. A specialty of the hills around the town of Morro d’Alba, the Lacrima grape — named for the teardrop-like shape of its berries — was all but extinct when a handful of estates in Le Marche recovered and revived it. Among them was the Tenuta di Tavignano and its owners Stefano Aymerich and wife Beatrice Lucangeli. The estate...
