NEW YORK IS THE WORLD CAPITAL of STEAKS !

Italian Immigrant Butcher Jack Ubaldi Created The Famed NEWPORT STEAK at His Italian Butcher Shop "Florence Prime Meat Market" on Jones Street in Greenwich Village 1947  ...

photo Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

New York is a Steak Kingdom. One of the greatest places on Earth and a World Capital of  Steaks. Some would say Argentina. Yes Argentina is a land of Steaks, and the Argentinians eat more steak then any other peoples on earth. However when it comes to Steak Houses and Steaks and the experience of going to a great Steak House and having Great Steak Houses, there is no place on Gods good Earth that comes near New York "The Steak House Capital of The World" with the # 1 most Famous Cherished Steak House in all the World "Peter Luger's" in Brooklyn, New York ... Luger's is legendary and in terms of Steak House's "God Like," no other can touch it. New York has other great and famous Steak Houses such as; Smith & Wollensky, Frankie & Johnnies, The Old Homestead, Keens, and others including the famed Sparks where Mafia Boss Paul Castellano was gunned-down "Whacked" in on e of the most famous "Mob Hits" of all-time.
    Yes, New York is the World Capital of Steak Houses, as it is a World Capital and Thee American Capital of Pizza, World Capital of Jewish Delis, Pastrami and Corned Beef, a Burger Capital and in competition with Paris for the # 1 Dining Restaurant Capital of The World. A Lot of Capitals ! And that's just food, not to mention, Capital of The Publishing World, Finance, Art, Music, Theater, Fashion, writing and what-not.
   Back to the Steak Capital. Do you know where the Newport and Porterhouse Steak was invented? Yes, New York of course. The Newport Steak, a great steak that's relatively unknown even in its native Greenwich Village where it was created by Italian immagrant butcher Jack Ubaldi at his little Butcher Shop in the heavily Italian populated neighborhood back in the 1940. The Newport Steak is quite wonderful, a tasty little steak cut from the Tri-Tip Bottom Sirloin. If you've never had one, do yourself a favor and run over to the Village a snag a Newport or two from the famed famed butcher shop still open, where the Newport was created, Florence Prime Meat Market in Greenwich Village. Pino's Prime Meats, a 100 plus Year Old Italian Butcher Shop on Sullivan Street cuts a mean Newport as well.
    Well, now on to the Porterhouse King of Steaks. Back in the early days of our lustrous city, in the 1700 and 1800 there were places (Inns / Restaurants) called Porterhouses where weary travelers; sailors or whom ever would go to and rest, eat, have a ale or two or what-not. Porterhouses were usually located at Stagecoach stops, Railroad Stations, and sailing ports. They got their name Porterhouse in that they served Porter Ale, along with certain eats such as soup, stew, steaks, and various other foods.
  The invention, creation of the Porterhouse Steak? It was at a Morrison's Porterhouse on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan in or around 1814 .. A sailor who was quite hungry walked into Morrison's Porterhouse on Pearl Street and ordered a steak. Not too many minutes Martin Morrison had served up the last steak he had on hand. None left he told the hungry sailor. The sailor was not having it. He was dam hungry and said he must have a piece of Beef, and only Beef would do. Morrsion had a large Roast Cooking up in his kitchen that was a long way off from being done. Martin Morrsison had an idea. An idea that would satisfy and make the hungry sailor quite happy. He was gonna get the steak, piece of beef he said he just had to have. Not only would the sailor get his steak, but now, here we have this very day, Martin Morrison being written and talked about and acknowledged as the man who created the famed Porterhouse Steak. A bit of Culinary Fame, but no compensation for creating such a glorious thing. Well Morrsion never knew, and hopefully he was a happy man. Anyway, what did Morrsion do you say? That large Roast Beef he had that was far from being finished, well Morrsion cut a piece off the end. That piece included a piece of sirloin and a piece of the filet of the beef with a bone in-between the two cuts of meat, a 
T-Bone. Morrison cut this piece off the big roast, cooked it up and served it to the Hungry Sailor. The sailor devoured that Steak (The First Ever Porterhouse Steak), of course with a stein of Porter Ale to wash everything down. The Sailor was satisfied. Very much so, and ordered up another, and told Morrsion, "For now on, I'd like my Steak always served this way," exactly  the same cut and everything. And so it was. Morrsion had hios butcher cut him steaks this way, what we now now as a Porterhouse Steak, created in Lowere Manhattan, New York, NY, World Capital of Steaks and Steak Houses, "There is No Disputing This," New Yoprk and Steaks, they go together.



Article: Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

"SUNDAY SAUCE" SAUSAGE MEATBALLS PASTA FAZOOL

Some Great News in the World of Italian-America, Sunday Sauce, and Meatballs, and for Italian 
New York's who Love nothing better than a "Big Pot of Sunday Sauce." Daniel Bellino's latest book
"SUNDAY SAUCE" - SAUSAGE MEATBALLS & FAZOOL was just released today on AMAZON KINDLE and is available for Kindle iPhone iPad and Android Devices.
   "Sunday Sauce" is filled with wonderful Stories and recipes of Meatballs, Tomato Sauce, Sausages, Brociola, "Pasta FAZOOL" and yes the beloved Sunday Sauce, aka "Gravy" and all of Italian America's favorite foods. This book is a great little read and sure to make Italian-Americans, or anyone for that matter quite happy.
     Check out Sunday Sauce - Sausage Meatballs & Fazool, read it, Savor It, Cook and Mangia.
Sunday Sauce is sure to please.

HOW to MAKE SUNDAY SAUCE

Joe Coppezetti

BAR CICHETTI AMERICA'S 1st VENETIAN WINE BAR

BAR CICHETTI

There was a guy named Daniel who took a trip in 1995 to Explore, seek-out, and Study the BACARI (Venetian Wine Bars) of the Magical City ofVENICE, Italy. He had read a article in the New York Times about these treasures of the Enchanted City of the Adriatic, "La Serinisima"Venice, "or as the Italians say VENENZIA."
Daniel was quite intrigued by this little article. It was only 1 page long, but it was magical, and it sparked Daniel's interest enough that he decided he would go to Venice, an Exploritory Trip by which he in a weeks time would go to as many Bacari as he possibly could, eating Lunch, inbetween Lunch, Dinner and all through each and every night of the week. he tried as much CICHETTI (Venetian Tapas-Like little plates of all sorts of Venetian Specialty Foods.
Daniel ate Bacala Mantecato, Sarde en Soar, Bigoli, Fegato alla Venenzian, Riso Bisi, Mortadella, Speck, and all sorts of other Cichetti, Antipasti, Pasta, Fish, Shell Fish, Meat, Poultry, this that and every other thing he could get his hands (Mouth) on.Before he went, he did as much Pre-Trip Research as was possible in the "Times Previous to the internet"
When Daniel was in Venice, he asked as many questions as he could, striking up conversations with anyone who would listen, "many did." !!!!
Daniel took lots of pictures, ate, drank Wine, and gather recipes. He was smitten with Venice, its Wine Bars (Bacari, BACARO the singular).Daniel "Fell in Love," with the Wine Bars (Bacari) of Venice and felt he just had to open one in NEW YORK. He vowed. Knowone had ever done it. He would be the "FIRST" Daniel gathered all his info, his RECIPES, pictures, book, everything. He worked on all his recipes, cooking constantly for Friends and Family, he made a Business Plan. He found a partner who "Loved the Idea" as well. They shook hands and vowed to open "BAR CICHETTI" the BACARO (FIRST VENETIAN WINE BAR) "EVER in the United STATES.
Daniel and Tom created a BEAUTIFUL BACARO/ TRATTORIA, with special Imported Venetian Fabric for the banquettes, wainscotting, a beautiful Wood Bar, and fabulous Venetian Glass Chandeliers and scones.
Besides coming up the Idea and Concept of Bar Cichetti, Daniel was the Wine Director andExcecutive Chef. Daniel's food was incrediable.His CAPONATA was the best in town, his Paparadelle with Duck Ragu was justifiably Famous, and as theJournal of Italian Food and Wine stated, hisBolognese Sauce was considered to be one of the "Best in the Country" Daniel garnered many accolades for the Wine List he created, but especially for his true and tasty Regional Italian Cusine, gaining positive reveiws from "The New York Times"New York Magazine, Crains, TimeOut New York,Wine and Spirits Magazine, and even a 5 Page Color Spread in a Newspaper in Sao Paolo, BRAZIL.



 Robert Roma 2009

SUNDAY SAUCE CLEMENZA STYLE

Hey, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for twenty guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs; heh?... And a little bit o' wine. An' a little bit o' sugar, and that's my trick.

-Clemenza teaching Michael to cook. The Godfather, Part I.

Clemenza (Richard Castellano) teaching Michael (Al Pacino) how to cook his 

SUNDAY SAUCE alla Clemenza's.  The Godfather, Part I.

RECIPE for SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA can be Found in 

Daniel Bellino's new book "La TAVOLA" ITALIAN-AMERICAN

ADVENTURES of THE TABLE

Filled with wonderful stories and Recipes of "SUNDAY SAUCE"  Meatballs, Sausage and Peppers, Sugo di Pomodoro, Italian Wedding Soup (served at Connie Corleone's Wedding) and more ...

CLICK HERE !

In NEW YORK REGULAR COFFEE is KING

My Morning Coffee. Couldn't live without it. Get's me goin, hundreds of Millions a day. each and every day. You just gotta have that cup of Joe. For most Americans, they drink it at home, though millions get it out, on the go, at the office, or if your lucky, you'll sit down and enjoy it leisurely at your local cafe, the way I like mine, and I don't mean at Starbucks which I only do in a pinch when there's no better alternative. To me and millions others, Starbucks is too commercial, it's the "Bottom of the Barrel" and akin to McDonald's of the Coffee World.

    I Love my morning Coffee, the Coffee itself, but it's not just the coffee, it going to the cafe, chit-chatting with the counter girls, maybe bumping into a friend or two, or having a conversation with a cafe regular like me.

      I'm happy to get my Coffee, jump onto my Laptop, read the News, my emails, Surf, do a bit of writing, Or a lot!

      And that first sip, it Taste so Good. I just Love it, "warm and Comforting" that Morning Coffee is. Don't you just Love it? I do! How many Millions do? Americans, Italians, the French, Swedes, an-on-and-on, 1 Billion people every day, Two or Three, who knows. OK, I just did a little research (I wouldn't have been able to do this Pre-Internet Days). OK, about 150 Million Americans drink about 225,000,000 cups of coffee every day. Worldwide about 1.5 Billion people drink about 4.8 Billion cups of Coffee a day. That's a lot of friggin coffee. In the United States alone we drink about 480 million cups a day, almost a 1/2 billion cups of Coffee consumed a day in the U.S. or almost 3 1/2 Billion cups of coffee a week, tallying up to about 172 Billion Cups of Coffee a year in the United States of America. Wow!

      In Italy, your morning Coffee could be either an Espresso or Cappuccino, but after 1130 A.M. Italians no longer would drink Cappuccino or Caffe Latte any longer in the day, and they laugh at Americans who order a Cappuccino in a restaurant after Dinner.

      

For me, my morning Coffee has just gotta be a regular. Nothing else will do. Well maybe an occasional Cappuccino which was my morning coffee for years at what used to be my favorite Caffee for a couple decades, Caffe Dante. I Loved my Cappuccino, but many a time, I sat there in Caffe Dante wishing I had a Regular Cup of Joe. The cappuccino doesn't last as long as that Cup of Joe, plus it's "Twice the Price," and when you go out for about 800 Coffees a year, as I do, the price of the Cappuccino plus tip can add up to quite a lot more Money. I've figured it out, to about $750 difference between getting a Cappuccino as opposed to a much cheaper American Coffee. Yes I was spending about $2500 a on coffee when I was having about 1.2 Cappuccinos a day and 1 regular coffee.  Now that I drink mostly just American Coffee (Regular), about 2.2 cups a day, with just an occasion Cappuccino, I spend about $1,750 a year, for a "Savings" of about $750 a year since I switched. In the 7 years that I've drastically reduced my Cappuccino consumption I have saved $5,200 .. Pretty dam good. And I've saved it and put it in the Bank. Yes besides the taste, this is a good reason to love that Regular Cup of Joe.

     A regular American Coffee is more satisfying, just the right balance of roast Coffee Beans brewed in the drip method with just the right amount of water. I add some Milk, no sugar, and for me, that is my perfect cup of Morning Coffee. You can keep your high priced Cappuccino, Espresso, and those ridiculous things they serve to Amateur Coffee Drinkers at Starbucks. It's all Marketing which most Americans are easily Brainwashed into. The same reason that "Ridiculous Sitcoms like Two and a Half men and other sitcoms are popular. And the same reason why that "Awful Garbage Hip Hop" is so popular. Most Americans have "Horrible Taste," are Followers, and easily Brainwashed. Sorry, but this could be the only reason why Millions would pay Millions of Dollars every day for "Abortionated Drinks" like Caramel Lattes and the like, and such "Awful Tasteless Noise as Hip Hop."

      Ok, I've made my point. Back to my Morning Coffee, and it's just gotta be a "Regular." In New York, a "Regular Coffee" is King. No matter that many Cappuccinos, Espresso, those ridiculous Starbucks Concoctions are drunk everyday. In comparison they make up just a small percentage of the many various forms of coffee that can be made. Regular American Coffee is king, whether in your home, on the go from a Deli, after Lunch or Dinner in a restaurant, or even in, yes Starbucks. More than 85% of the millions of cups of coffee made every single day in New York, day after day, 365 of them a year, 85% of them are the good old American Classic, American Coffee. A Regular.








Daniel Bellino Zwicke

"La TAVOLA" The HOTTEST NEW BOOK on ITALIAN-AMERICAN FOOD and ITALIAN-AMERICAN Way of Life... HOT SUMMER READ 2012

"LA TAVOLA" The HOT SUMMER READ 2012

Available on AMAZON.com   Paperback and Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android

SUNDAY SAUCE .....an ITALIAN-AMERICAN WAY of LIFE

SUNDAY SAUCE





One of the great traditions of the Italian American enclave in the U.S. is the ritual of Sunday afternoon when the entire family gets together for Mama’s or Nona’s famed “Sunday Sauce.” What is it? Well there are a number of variations on the theme. Most Sunday Sauce’s are made with Italian Sausage, Braciola, and Meatballs. Some people make theirs with pork ribs, beef neck, and possibly chicken thighs and backs. These meats are slowly simmered for several hours with tomato, minced onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. I generally like to make my Sunday Sauce with sausage, meatballs, and pork ribs. Other times I’ll make it with sausage, ribs, and braciola. An old tradition in some families is that mother or grandma would start the sauce early on a Sunday morning, get it simmering away for a couple hours on top of the stove, then put it in the oven for a couple hours while everyone goes to church, the sauce slowly simmers and when you get back home, the sauce is ready.
The Sunday Sauce that my mother would make was with sausage, meatballs and beef braciola. My memories are vivid watching my mother stuffing the braciola with garlic,
parsley, Pecorino, and pignoli nuts, then sewing up the bundles with a needle and thread so they would hold together while simmering in the gravy (many families all over the New York and around the country simply call Sunday Sauce “Gravy”). Another fond memory was helping my mother roll and shape the meatballs.
As for me, my Sunday Sauce will vary depending on my mood. One thing I love to do when making the sauce is the addition of pork spare ribs, which not to many people use, I love it.
Whenever people eat my sauce, they go nuts for the ribs and some are surprised cause they might never have had them in a sauce before. They didn’t know that you could use pork spareribs. The ribs are traditional with some but not everybody. It is quite a shame for those who don’t add the ribs because they give the sauce some wonderful flavor and they are incredibly delicious to eat after braising in the sauce for a couple of hours. Whenever I make the sauce and I’m dishing it out to friends and family, I always make sure that I have my fare share of the ribs. Pork ribs cooked in this manner, simmering in the sauce are oh so succulent and tasty. They are far beyond compare. “They are Out-of-this-World!!!” The friends, one-by-one, go nuts for them. “Yes they are most than tasty!”
And what to serve with the Sunday Sauce you ask? It should be a short macaroni; rigatoni, ziti, or gnocchi are best.
The rituals of cooking, serving, and eating Sunday Sauce is a time honored one. It is a beautiful thing. If you mention the term Sunday Sauce to any number of millions of Italian-Americans, the wheels start turning in their heads. Thoughts of how tasty it is, all the different components; the meatballs, sausages, braciola, (maybe ribs, beef or pork neck), the pasta, and the gravy itself.
They think about sitting at the table with friends and or family, people they love. They think about the antipasti that will start the meal and about some good Italian Wine, maybe a nice Chianti. They think about the warmth in the air, loved ones, Dino, Sinatra, and of course, the
Sunday Sauce itself. “It’s a beautiful thing!!!” If you’ve never done it, “Try it!” If you haven’t cooked one for some time, plan a get-together soon. “Sunday Sauce, it brings people together,” in a most delightful way.

"SUNDAY SAUCE" is excerpted from Daniel Bellino Zwicke's
upcoming book "La Tavola"