Monday, October 27, 2025

Ava Makes Meatloaf - Italian Recipe



AVA Makes MEATLOAF

"ITALIAN STYLE"





AVA & HARPER

Another EPSISODE of PASTA GRAMAR

"POLPETTONE". - ITALIAN MEATLOAF








AVA Makes MEATLOAF

TWO of THEM !!!

"POLPETTONE"







FAVORITE ITALIAN DISHES

And SECRET RECIPES

SOUPS PASTA DOLCE & MORE

And ANOTHER ITALIAN MEATLAOF







 

Sunday, October 26, 2025

The Sinatra Cookbook for Christmas Gift 2025

 




"SINATRA SAUCE"

aka The SINATRA COOKBOOK

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN FOOD RECIPES






SINATRA SAUCE “Music Meatballs & Merriment”

Daniel Bellino Zwicke


Sinatra Sauce "Music Metaballs & Merriment" and Living The Good Life. "Like Frank" .. Yes, it's about Frank. That is one Francis Albert Sinatra, the Greatest Singer of The 20th Century, and Icon of American, especially of the Italian-American Enclave in America. Frank Sinatra was many things, first and foremost a Great Italian-American singer, Love & Adored by Millions. Mr. Sinatra was also an actor, citizen, and Entertainer Par Excellence. Yes this book is about those things, Frank Sinatra : the incomparable singer, actor, recording artist, Teen Idol of the 1940s, philanthropist, and Las Vegas & Nightclub Entertainer. He was like no other, Sinatra was one-of-a- kind, and he had a lust for life, “Hanging with Friends,” - sipping cocktails, with good food, and making good times. That's what this book is about, Frank Sinatra, eating (Italian Food), enjoying a cocktail or two, and the company of family and friends. Yes, Frank Sinatra lived life to its fullest. He wouldn't have it any other way, but "His Way." 

This book “Inspires” and gives you the tools to live out your Sinatra Dreams. You can make it reality, with recipes of Frank’s Favorite Italian Foods, Pasta, Meatballs, Posillipo, Eggplant Parm and more. Eating, drinking, and having good times, all the time as Frank did. Meals with friends and family. Meals you can cook, with recipes in this book. The info and recipes are all here in Sinatra Sauce. Read it, put on some Sinatra (music), cook, eat, and create memorable times at the table, just like Frank. That’s what this book is about: Sinatra, Family, Friends, and Good Times. “The Best is Yet to Come”


Visit SINATRA SAUCE - The Website @ https://sinatrasauce.com


Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a lifelong Sinatra fan. He is a Best Selling author, who lives and writes in New York’s Greenwich Village. Daniel is currently working on several other projects. 

He has authored : Sunday Sauce, La Tavola, Mangia Italiano, Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook, Segreto Italiano, and Positano The Amalfi Coast - Travel Guide / Cookbook.



Recipes : SINATRA SAUCE

SINATRA TOMATO SAUCE

DOLLY'S MEATBALLS

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

CAPONATA

ARTICHOKES SICILIAN STYLE

ARANCINI (Sicilian Rice Balls)

MINESTRONE alla DOLLY

DINO'S PASTA FAZOOL

MACCHERONI al FORNO

SICILIAN LASAGNA

CHICKEN VESUVIO

VEAL MARSALA

STEAK - SINATRA'S WAY

MARTY'S SICILIAN MEATLOAF

FRANK'S ITALIAN CHEESECAKE

REGINELLA SICILIAN COOKIES

And Much More !!!





GET SINATRA SAUCE

AMAZON.com



READ MORE !!!


The cookbook is 
Sinatra Sauce: Music Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke. It was published on November 7, 2024, and is available for purchase on Amazon. The book features recipes of Frank Sinatra's favorite Italian dishes, combined with stories about the legendary singer and his favorite restaurants. 

About the Cookbook

Recipes and stories: The book combines recipes with anecdotes and stories about Frank Sinatra's life, his passion for Italian food, and dining experiences with friends and family.
  • Family connection: It includes classic Italian-American recipes inspired by meals made by Sinatra's mother and father.
  • Dining experiences: It covers Sinatra's experiences dining at famous establishments such as Patsy's in Manhattan and Jilly's in New York.
  • Featured dishes: Recipes include classic Italian-American dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, and clams posillipo.
  • Author: Daniel Bellino Zwicke is an Italian cookbook author and lifelong Sinatra fan who lives in New York's Greenwich Village.

Based on documented reports from his favorite restaurants and anecdotes from his family, 
Frank Sinatra had several favorite Italian dishes. The recipes for these classic Italian-American foods are featured in the cookbook Sinatra Sauce: Music Meatballs & Merriment by Daniel Bellino Zwicke. 

Veal Milanese
A breaded and fried veal cutlet was one of Sinatra's all-time favorite meals. At his regular New York haunt, Patsy's Italian Restaurant, the chefs would make his cutlets pounded extra thin and served crispy with a light arugula salad on top.
Clams Posillipo
A Neapolitan dish, Sinatra regularly ordered this plate of littleneck clams served in a light tomato and herb sauce. Because he was not a fan of overpowering garlic, Patsy's chefs would sauté whole garlic cloves in oil to extract the flavor, then remove them before adding the sauce ingredients. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Sinatra had a deep appreciation for the Sunday sauce and meatballs he grew up with. He was known for his simple yet classic spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce. The Sinatra Saucecookbook features his mother Dolly's meatballs and a recipe for "Sunday Gravy". 
Fusilli with Garlic & Anchovies
At Patsy's, Sinatra also enjoyed this simple pasta dish, which featured fusilli pasta with garlic, anchovies, and breadcrumbs.
Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes
Sinatra's preferred appetizer was stuffed artichokes. Just as with the clams, he requested that the restaurant go light on the garlic.
Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
For dessert, Sinatra's sweet tooth was often satisfied with a slice of lemon ricotta torte.
Frank Sinatra did not eat a lot of sweets, but he loved this Cheesecake, and another favorite were "Regina Cookies" which are Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies, and the recipe is in "Siantar Sauce" (Cookbook).

SINATRA BELLINO & "LUCKY" LUCIANO
Sinatra Sauce Cookbook by Daniel Bellino Zwicke, whose family is from the same town in Sicily that Frank Sinatra's father - Martino Severino Sinatra was from, the town of Lercara Friddi, Sicily. Also from this town was infamous Mafia Boss - Charles "Lucky" Luciano, born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, his parents immigrated to New York City 1906. The Luciano family settled into an apartment on East 10th Street in the East Village of New York City. Incidentally the author of  the Sinatra Sauce Cookbook, Daniel Bellino Z, lived in the East Village as well when he firsted moved to New York City. Daniel had an apartment on the corner of Avenue A & St. Marks Place, just two short blocks from where "Lucky" Luciano once lived.









At JILLY'S

Frank Sinatra, Holds Court at "JILLY'S" New York

With Daughters Tina & Nancy Sinatra & Friends







CHARLES "LUCKY" LUCIANO

of Lercara Friddi, Sicily

And NEW YORK CITY







Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

NEW YORK CITY







SINATRA SAUCE
The COOKBOOK








.





















.






Thursday, October 16, 2025

Feast of 7 Fish Italian Christmas Recipes

 




The FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

Daniel Bellino







Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is the author of 
The Feast of The 7 Fisha popular cookbook celebrating the Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition. The book features recipes, stories, and instructions for preparing the multi-course seafood meal, often called La Vigilia. 
About Daniel Bellino-Zwicke: 
He is a long-time Italian food and wine professional from New York.
  • He has worked as a chef, wine director, and managing partner at various restaurants, including 
    Bar Cichetti
    , which he founded
    .
  • Bellino-Zwicke has authored several best-selling Italian cookbooks, including Sunday SauceRagu Bolognese Cookbook, and Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook.
  • He often writes about Italian-American cuisine and culture, incorporating personal stories and travel experiences. 
  • About the bookThe Feast of The 7 Fish: 
The book serves as both a cookbook and a cultural guide to the traditional meal.
  • It provides historical context for the Southern Italian and Italian-American Christmas Eve feast.
  • The recipes include traditional dishes such as Baked Clams Oreganta, Seafood Salad, Linguine with Clam Sauce, and Mussels Marinara.
  • The book aims to preserve and share the family tradition, which has often been passed down orally through generations. 
  • The tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes:  
Origin: It is an Italian-American tradition that evolved from the Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on the eve of holy days. While fish-centric meals are common in Southern Italy, the specific "seven fishes" tradition is largely an American development.
  • Symbolism: The number seven can symbolize various things, including the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, the seven hills of Rome, or the seven days of creation.
  • The meal: It is a multi-course dinner featuring a variety of seafood, which can include baccalà (salt cod), calamari, clams, mussels, and eel. The specific dishes often vary by region and family tradition

Friday, October 10, 2025

Bellino and Pacino

 



CLEMENZA SAUCE

PETE CLEMENZA Teaches MICHAEL CORLEONE 

HOW to MAKE SUNDAY SAUCE

RICHARD CASTELLANO & AL PACINO

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S "The GODFATHER"




Based on recent culinary publications, the connection between Al Pacino and Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is a recipe for Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil, which Bellino-Zwicke named "Spaghetti alla Pacino"
. The recipe was featured in Bellino-Zwicke's 2025 book Sunday Sauce and was based on a dish the actor supposedly enjoyed at a New York restaurant. 
The story behind the recipe:
Culinary author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke was inspired to write about the dish after hearing that Al Pacino enjoyed a simple pasta with garlic and oil while dining at the restaurant Barbetta in New York.
  • Bellino-Zwicke included his version of the recipe, along with the story of Pacino's meal, in his cookbook Sunday Sauce.
  • Following the book's publication and coverage by Parade Magazine in April 2025, the story of "Pacino's favorite pasta" gained widespread attention. 
  • No credible sources indicate a more substantive or personal connection between the two individuals. The association appears to be centered entirely on Bellino-Zwicke naming a recipe after the actor. 
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is a culinary author and chef known for creating New York-Italian cuisine inspired by classic mafia movies like 
The Godfather. His connection to actor Al Pacino comes from writing about Pacino's favorite pasta dish. 
The story behind "Pacino Pasta": 
Bellino-Zwicke previously worked as a chef at 
Barbetta Ristorante
, a New York City restaurant that Al Pacino frequented
.
  • He prepared Pacino's favorite dish, spaghetti with garlic and oil (aglio e olio), for him multiple times.
  • Bellino-Zwicke included the story and the recipe, which he named "Spaghetti alla Pacino," in his book Sunday Sauce.
  • The story gained wider attention when it was featured in Parade Magazine in April 2025. 
  • Other links to Al Pacino
  • The Godfather Cookbook: Bellino-Zwicke has promoted a cookbook inspired by The Godfather, with recipes for dishes like "Sunday Sauce alla Clemenza".
  • Online content: Bellino-Zwicke writes about his New York-Italian food and the Pacino story on his websites and social media. 

  • Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's background -
  • He is a New York-based Italian-American chef and food writer.
  • His work often blends his family's Sicilian-American culinary traditions with references to Italian-American culture, including movies and mob history.








SPAGHETTI AGLI e OLIO

"GARLIC & OLIVE OIL"

AL PACINO'S FAVORITE PASTA









SUNDAY SAUCE

SUNDAY SAUCE & MEATBALLS

SPAGHETTI alla PACINO

And MORE ....





Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Bellino Eats Polpo Octopus Sandwiches

 




PANINO col POLPO

BARI








MAX Makes an OCTOPUS SANDWICH

"PANINO col POLPO








PANINO col POLPO

PUGLIA, ITALY







POSITANO The AMALFI COAST 

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

With 100 REGIONAL RECIPES

NAPLES - POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

PIZZA PASTA & SEAFOOD RECIPES

CHEF DANIEL BELLINO









CHEF / AUTHOR DANIEL BELLINO Z

BARIVECCHIA, BARI, ITALY









OCTOPUS SANDWICH

BARI, ITALY





OCTOPUS SANDWICHES !!!



STREET FOOD in BARI

PANINO col POLPO











LUNCH in CISTERNINO

At a BUTCHER SHOP - TTRATTORIA

"La LANTERNA"

Author DANIEL BELLINO with COUSINS DEBBIE

And ANTHONY BELLINO

CISTERNINO APULIA









PANINO de POLPO