New Italian Cookbook RAGU BOLOGNESE

BEST SELLING COOKBOOK Author

ABOUT to RELEASE LATEST BOOK

BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK Author

DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE

a.k.a  Danny Bolognese

About to Release His Latest Book

RAGU BOLOGNESE

The SECRET RECIPE & More  ...

AUGUST 2015

Sicilian Rice Balls Recipe

 

ARANCINI in CAPRI

A Plate of Fresh Made Arancini

Rice Balls

ARANCINI

   Excerted from Daniel Bellino-Zwicke's forthcoming book; 

GREATEST HITS ITALIAN COOKBOOK

100 Recipes of Italian-America's Favorite Dishes

Rice Balls are a great favorite of the South of Italy where they can be found all over the place, in restaurants and trattorias, grocery stores, Salumerias, at Wine Bars, and caffes. Arancini are beloved by Italian-Americans as well, but nowhere near the extent that they are eaten in the mother country of Italy. I love them, as they remind me of the many places I have eaten them on wonderful ttrips to Italy. I especially remember having real tasty ones on the beautiful Isle of Capri and one wonderful Salumeria, Capri Sulumeria Rosticceria near the Piazza Umberto. I had come up from Marina Grande after a boat trip around the island and a visit to the Blue Grotto, followed by a wonderful swim at the beach. I took the little yellow bus up to Capri Town. After getting off the bus I spotted this lovely little Salumeria and popped in. I saw the Arancini on the counter and just had to have one. I got a bottle of water and walked over to the terrace of the piazza to admire the gorgeous view of Capri at this particular location, which is absolutely spectacular. I took a seat on the bench, cracked open my water and dug into the Rice Ball (Arancino). Wow! It was delicious, and one of the best I’d ever had. After that, I went back to the Salumeria every day for an Aracini or two, including the day I was going to swim at the famed Faroglioni Rocks. I first stopped by the Salumeria and got one of their tasty Arancino along with some Eggplant Parmigiano made by Mamma. I got some water and a small bottle of local Aglianico Wine from Benevento. I took the scenic walk down to the Faraglioni where I swam all day and had one of the most memorable lunch’s of my life. The setting was one of the World’s most beautiful, at the Faraglioni on the beautiful Isle of Capri with my wine, the eggpalant, and my tasty Arancino from the Salumeria Capri. It just doesn’t ever get any better than that. Basta.

Arancini

Conical Shaped Rice Balls

RECIPE:

The FILLING

½ pound Ground Beef

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small Onion, peeled and minced fine

½ cup Tomato Sauce (optional)

Salt & Black Pepper to taste

3/4 cup Frozen Peas

RICE :

1 pound Arborio Rice

4 cups Chicken Broth or water

1 small pinch Saffron

2 tablespoons Butter

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1 extra Large Egg

Salt & White Pepper to taste

½ pound of Provolone or Cacciocavalo Chesse,

cut into small chunks

BREADING

½ cup Flour

2 beaten Eggs

2 ½ cups Plain Breadcrumbs

4 cups Canola Oil for frying

Place the ground beef and onions in a pan with the Olive Oil and cook on a low flame until beef is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, about 1/ teaspoon each, or to your taste. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes. Turn heat off, and set aside to cool.

Add Chicken Broth (or Water if using) to a 6 quart pot with the rice, butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring liquid to the boil and stir as you do this. Once the liquid comes to the boil, turn heat to lowest flame possible and let cook without stirring for 16 minutes. Turn heat off and let rice set in the pot for 12 minutes.

Place the rice in a large glass bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

Once the rice is completely cool, add ½ teaspoon white pepper and a ½ teaspoon of salt and the grated Parmigiano and mix. Add 1 beaten Egg and mix.

Take a handful of rice and place between both your hands and roll into balls that are just slightly smaller than a baseball, or you can make smaller if you like. Once you have shaped the rice into a ball, hold the rice ball with your left hand and push the thumb of your right hand into the ball to make a hole that goes to the center of the ball, making a hole that you will put the beef filling into.

Take about a tablespoon of the beef filling and put it into the hole. Place 1 or 2 pieces of the Provolone into the hole. Press rice around the hole to cover it up, and then round the rice between your two hands again to make the Rice Ball into a perfect ball shape.

Continue this process until all the rice is gone and made into Rice Balls.

Get 3 small shallow bowls and put the flour in 1 bowl, the breadcrumbs in another bowl, and the beaten eggs into the 3^rd bowl. Take a rice ball and put it into the bowl with the flour and gently roll it around until it is completely covered with a light coating of flour. Gently shake off any excess flour.

Now place the ball into the eggs and completely cover with the egg. Gently shake off any excess egg.

Now roll the rice ball with the egg on it into the breadcrumbs until ball is completely covered with breadcrumbs. Shake off excess. Repeat these last 3 steps with each rice ball until they are all coated with breadcrumbs.

Place the canola oil (or any vegetable oil) in a medium sized frying pan and heat to high. Fry a few rice balls at a time until golden brown. Fry all the rice balls and place on paper towels and let cool a few minutes before serving, at which point they will still be hot, but not too hot. Or you can let them cool further and serve at room temperature with or without Marinara Sauce on the side.

NOTE: To make the Rice Ball that I describe in my little story above, substitute pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese for the beef mixture and you will have a rice ball like the one I had on my lovely little Isle of Capri. Either way, both ways are equally tasty.

This Recipe is a Gift form Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke to Celebrate the release (July 2015) of his latest book ; Grandma Bellino's Italian Cookbook  ... Recipes from My Sicilian Grandmother  ..... Broadway Fifth Pres, NY NY

CAPRI SALUMERIA ROSTICCERIA

Near The Piazza Umberto, CAPRI

Just Past The Bus Stop 

ARANCINI, PANNINI, PIZZA

and Other GOODIES at CAPRI SALUMERIA

PHOTO TAKEN by Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

From Summit of Mt Solaro

Anacapri, Capri ITALY

My Favorite Lemonade Granita Stand in Capri

Near The Caeser Augustus Gardens, Capri

Behind The Qusisanna Hotel

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

 

GRANDMA BELLINO'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

Recipes From my Sicilian Grandmother

by Daniel Bellino Z

 .

AL PACINO

Grandma Bellino Sicilian Cookbook

Publication of GRANDMA BELLINO 'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN GRANDMOTHER

Available on Amazon Kindle .. Available in paperback July 31, 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hello! I am pleased to announce the publication of my latest book, Grandma Bellino's Italian Cookbook  -  Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother ..  It is now out and available on Amazon Kindle, and will be available next week in Paperback , publication Friday July 31, 2015  .. It's been a labor of love to get this one out. Well, they're (my books) all a labor of love, and this one is no exception. The book is comprised of recipes from my Sicilian Grandmother Giuseppina Bellino who left Lercara Friddi Sicily with her husband Philipo (my maternal Grandfather) in 1904 for the shores of New York and a new a better life in America .. My maternal grandparents Philipo and Giuseppina settled in in the Yorkville section of Manhattan and lived and worked there for a few years before moving to the Italian enclave of Lodi, New Jersey where my grandfather Philipo set up a shoemaker shop on Main Street in Lodi .. My grandfather worked hard and he and his wife Giuseppina had five children; my mother Lucia, her sister Lilly, and their three brothers Frank, Tony, and James .. My grandfather worked hard, but never made much money .. Often times their low earnings reflected in the family meals which where heavy on Soups and Pasta, and not all that much meat or fish on its own, never-the-less the Bellino's had a good healthy life .. My grandmother had wonderful recipes from back in Lercara Friddi, and she made friends in Lodi with women who came from Abruzzo, Napoli, Lazio, and Calabria and had regional recipes of their own. The ladies became friends and talked about and swapped the local recipes, so although this book is made mostly of Sicilian recipes from Giuseppina, there are Neapolitan recipes and one from Calabria, and Abruzzo as well. There are also recipes from Giuseppina's offspring and grandchildren like myself, my cousin Tony and my sister Barbara. The dishes and recipes in this book are filled and come from love, and do hope that people will cook and enjoy this eclectic collection of Sicilian and other italian recipes, some that are popular and well known, along with others that are rarer and less well know, yet wonderful never-the-less. I sincerely hope you all enjoy Grandma Bellino's Italian (Sicilian) Cookbook, the stories and recipes within.

Daniel

The BELLINO 'S

Phillipo, Lucia, Tony, Giuseppina

Lodi, New Jersey

1941

SUNDAY SAUCE 

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

by Daniel Bellino - Zwicke

Recipe Caprese Salad

INSALATA CAPRESE

Salad of Mozzarella Tomatoes & Basil

As the name might imply, this salad (antipasto) comes from the beautiful Island of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Well yes, this salad made of fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil (Baz-ZEE-na-gOl) is eaten all over this lovely island by both natives and the many tourist who go to Capri to delight in its natural beauty, make a pilgrimage to the famed Grotta Azzura, swim its pristine deep blue waters, and of course eat some tasty local food of which the Insalata Caprese is the most famous of all.

This salad is the easiest thing in the world to make, with the hardest part being to find perfect rip tomatoes to complement the fresh mozzarella and basil. Once you find good fresh rip tomatoes, and you’ve got your mozzarella and basil, all you have to do is slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and dress all with a little salt & pepper, the basil, and good quality Italian Olive Oil and you’re all set. Put on some nice Italian Music, get a nice bottle of white or red wine that comes from the region and you’re all set. Pretend you’re on Capri and you’re in Heaven.

 INGREDIENTS :

1 pound Fresh Mozzarella

3-4 ripe Salad Tomatoes (washed)

8 fresh Basil Leaves (washed & dried)

3 tablespoons Italian Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

1. Slice the Mozzarella into 8 equal slices.

2. Place the Basil leaves one-on-top-of-the other. Roll them up. Slice the roll of basil leaves to get thin slices of Basil.

3. Put half the olive oil onto a plate. Slice the tomatoes into 12 equal slices. Place the tomato slices down on the plate of olive to coat each tomato slice with olive oil. Turn each slice over. Sprinkle a little salt and black pepper over each slice of tomato. Evenly distribute the Basil over all 12 slices of tomato.

4. Get 4 clean plates that you will be serving the Caprese Salad on.

5. Place one slice of tomato down on the plate. Then lay one slice of mozzarella halfway over the tomato slice. Add another slice of tomato to go halfway over the 1^st slice of mozzarella, then place another slice of mozzarella halfway over the 2^nd slice of tomato. Place a 3^rd and final slice of tomato over the 2^nd slice of mozzarella. Repeat this process until you have four plates of Caprese Salad of equal portions. Serve to your guests and enjoy.

INSALATA CAPRESE

A UNIQUE WAY TO SERVE

CAPRESE SALAD

FRESH MOZZARELLA TOMATO & BASIL

Humprhrey Bogart in Capri During Filming

of BEAT The DEVIL

 

Clock Tower

Piazza Umberto

Capri Town

CAPRI, ITALY

.

.

.

Grandma Bellino 's Italian Gravy Recipe

Charlie Scorsese Makes Gravy in Goodfellas

by Martin Scorsese

GRAVY

My grandmother simply called this tasty meat sauce Gravy. It’s made with Veal Shank, chunks of pork shoulder, and Sweet Italian Sausages braised with a bit of wine and tomatoes. You need long slow cooking to get the meat tender, and you end up with a hearty, extremely tasty Gravy that everyone will love. All those except people who don’t eat meat, or don’t eat pork. Well, “Sorry for them,” they don’t know what they’re missing! As for you, make it, serve it, and relish it!

1 Veal Shank

2 pounds Pork Shoulder Meat cut into 2” cubes

1 large Onion, peeled and minced

8 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

2 carrots, peeled and minced fine

2 stalks Celery, washed & minced fine

¼ cup White Wine

5 – 28 cans Crushed Tomatoes

3 tablespoons Tomato Paste

1 Bay Leaf, ½ a teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

2 pounds Sweet Italian Sausages

Season the Veal Shank on both sides with salt & black pepper. Place half the Olive Oil in a 8-quart non-corrosive pot and brown the veal shanks on high heat until the veal is nice and golden brown on both sides, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

Season the Pork Shoulder meat with Salt & Pepper. Add Pork to the pot and brown over high heat in two separate batches.

Once all the meat is nicely browned, remove from pot and set aside. Add onions, celery, and garlic to pot and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Season the onions with a bit of salt & pepper. Add wine to pan and cook on high heat while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This will dislodge and brown bits that have a lot of flavor from the bottom of the pan (deglazing). Cook until the wine is reduced by half its original volume.

Put all the Veal Shank & Pork back in the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, Bay Leaf, Red Pepper flakes, and tomato paste to pot. Fill an empty tomato can with water and put the water in the pot. Bring all to the boil, then lower flame to a low simmer.

Simmer for 2 hours 15 minutes, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan occasionally with a wooden spoon so the sauce doesn’t stick.

After the sauce has been simmering for 90 minutes, brown the sausages in a pan with a little olive oil over medium heat until the sausages a lightly browned on all sides. Remove from pan and let cool for a few minutes.

Once the sausages are cooled, cut each link into 4 equal pieces each, then put into the sauce.

Remove the Veal Shank from the pot and let cool for a few minutes.

Once the veal has cooled enough to handle, remove the meat from the veal shank and break into pieces that are about 2” square. Put the veal meat back in the pot, and let everything simmer on low heat for another 45 minutes.

To Serve : Cook 1 or 2 pounds of your favorite maccheroni following the directions on the package. We like to use; Rigatoni, Mezze Monica, Cavatappi, Cavatelli, or any short maccheroni that you like.

When the pasta is ready (finished cooking), remove from heat, and drain in a colander, reserving ¼ cup or so of the pasta water to mix with the pasta and sauce. Put the pasta back in the pot it cooked in. Add some of the sauce with the pork and sausages to the pot. Drizzle a little olive oil over all and mix.

Spoon pasta onto however many plates you need. Top pasta with some more sauce on top and pass some grated cheese for your guest to apply them-selves. Buon Appetito!

Excerpted From Daniel Bellino "Z" s new upcoming cookbook, 

GRANDMA BELLINO'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK  

"RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN GRANDMOHER"

Available July 2015 on AMAZON.com & Barnes & Noble Book Sellers

Grandma Bellino 's Italian Cookbook

Recipes from My Sicilian Grandmother 

by Daniel Bellino Z

PAULIE SLICES The GARLIC

Nice & Thin For The GRAVY

Paul Castellano & Al Pacino

in

Francis Ford Coppola's The GODFATHER

.

CLEMENZA SHOWS MICHAEL How to Make SAUCE

aka 

GRAVY