Synopses & Reviews
Little Italyis as much a state of mind as a geographic location. Even those of us not born Italian can feel Italian for a little while when we cook Little Italy-style. It's about cooking with love and pride. It's about making soul-satisfying meals for family and friends. It's about using ingenuity to transform a few humble ingredients into sublime creations.
In Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returns to his Italian roots. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms, and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.
With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Coney Island to Mulberry Street--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.
Little Italy Cookbook is the companion volume to the public television series "Little Italy with David Ruggerio."
Synopsis
In
Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returned to his Italian roots for his first cookbook. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.
With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Mulberry Street to Coney Island--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.
About the Author
Brooklyn-born David Ruggerio has worked in professional kitchens since the age of 14 and apprenticed with some of the greatest chefs in France, including Michel Guerard, Roger Verge, Jacques Maximin, and Paul Bocuse.Photographer Melanie Acevedo lives and works in New York City. She loves to cook, eat, and photograph food (especially Italian).
Table of Contents
Introduction
Nonna
Like every true Italian nonna, my grandmother, Mary Lazzarino, epitomizes all the love that goes into Italian-American cooking. In this chapter you will find those special recipes that my nonna cooked for me, and that still evoke warm memories of my childhood, including Potato Frittata, Prosciutto Bread, Bracciole, Eggs in Purgatory, and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.
Mulberry Street
Mulberry Street in lower Manhattan, with its many restaurants, cafes, and groceries, represents Little Italy for millions of people across America. You can create the spirit of Little Italy in your own kitchen with such classic dishes as Mozzarella in Carrozza, Caponata, Pasta e Fagiole, Pizza Margherita, and Rigatoni alla Vodka.
Sheepshead Bay
Cooking seafood always takes me back to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, the inlet between Coney Island and the Rockaways with its mile-long waterfront strip where the smells of the sea mingle with the delicious aromas of the restaurants. Sheepshead Bay has inspired recipes like Brochettes of Octopus and Squid, Crostini of Clams, Mussels, and Shrimp, Spaghetti with Crabs, and Swordfish and Shellfish Stew.
Mimmo's Garden
Vegetable gardens are a strong tradition in our community, and my friend Mimmo had one of the best in the old neighborhood. Mimmo's abundant crop resulted in many memorable recipes, including Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Pasta with Wild Greens and Ricotta, Sicilian Roasted Pepper Salad, Stuffed Escarole Leaves, and Vegetable Tart.
La Caccia
La caccia, the hunt, always meant brisk days in the country, the companionship of close friends and family, and the great meals and story-telling that accompanied these special times. Whether we were hunting mushrooms for the sauce or game for the main dish, these hearty dishes--Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Rigatoni with Mushroom Sauce, Wild Duck with Lentils--always tasted just right when we came in from the cold.
La Festa
The two biggest and most sacred holidays in our culture are, of course, Christmas and Easter. Special seafood dishes, such as Christmas Eve Fried Eels, Christmas Fish Stew, and Baccala with Potatoes and Olives, always signaled Christmastime, while Easter celebrations called for the traditional Roasted Suckling Lamb, Pizza Rustica, and Pizza di Grano (Grain Pie).
Dolci
Like most people I know, I have a sweet tooth. Luckily for me, the cuisine of Little Italy features many excellent desserts, from simple Almond Biscotti to rich Zabaglione. This chapter also includes fruit-based delicacies such as Sicilian Citrus Granita, Honey-Fried Canteloupe, and Peaches in Red Wine, as well as the incomparable Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake.
Amici
Friends are sacred to Italian-Americans. The recipes in this chapter are adapted from dishes my friends have cooked for me over the years, including Cousin Vinny's Linguine with Scallop Sauce, Tortellini alla Danny, Mamma Palumbo's Egg Croquettes, and Joey "Bats" Cannelloni.
Basic Recipes
Tips and Fundamentals
Conversions
Mail-Order Sources
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