Pizza Wars

I watched a program on Travel channel the other day that pitted New York-style pizza against Chicago-style pizza… so basically thin crust pizza vs deep dish pizza. It was an entertaining program to watch and highlighted the history of pizza in the US. Apparently the restaurant I took a photo of and posted on the last time I was in New York (Lombardi’s) is widely credited as being the first official pizzeria in the US. I’ll have to give it a try next time I’m in the big City.

Here are a few comments and questions I had as I watched the program:

New York Style = thin crust pizza… New York style?? you mean Italian Style.
Ike Sewell opened the first deep dish, Chicago-style pizzeria called Uno’s and followed that with another pizzeria across the street called Due. Sewell doesn’t sound like an Italian name, yet he called his place Uno’s? hmmm, why would he do that? (brand Italy.)
Soon after Uno’s became popular in Chicago, two cab drivers opened a pizzeria (Gino’s East) neither one was named Gino and neither was Italian…. hmmm, why would they do that?

There are certainly plenty of pizzerias in the world and the guys over at Slice highlight over 21 regional styles here in the US. What’s your favorite Pizzeria?? and why?

Share this post:

Salumi Calabresi - Italian Cured Meats

It was a full day of making soppressata, salsiccia and capocollo on Saturday. It was a regular salumificio around here! Add to that my mamma’s cooking, a little homemade wine and quattro chiacchiare and it equals a good time! In about a month, we’ll be able to taste the fruits of our labor.

Click here for more details on making Italian cured meats.

I’ve received a lot of emails regarding making homemade soppressata over the last few years. Some people just want me to hand over the recipe, others ask advice and some just want to chat because they make homemade soppressata too. I appreciate all the emails… so keep them coming.

Here are a few things I need to clarify about Soppressata:

Yes, Calabresi make the best Soppressata… listen, Calabresi don’t claim to make the best mozzarella di bufala or the best pizza or the best wine. CALABRESI MAKE THE BEST SOPPRESSATA.
Timing is everything… there’s a reason why we make it in the winter months (no flies, less humidity)
Air pockets in your salumi are NOT good. Make sure to poke your salumi with a toothpick or similar sized object to get the air out when your making them. Those nets shown above also help push out any air trapped inside and squeeze the meats as they cure.
There is no substitute for real casings… if it grosses you out, think about becoming a vegetarian.
I have never purchased a soppressata that has even come close to a homemade soppressata (my father’s, uncles, other Italians.) Store bought soppressata is over-priced and overall not good. If you don’t agree, send me one and I’ll do an honest review and hold a blind taste test…. I’ll even put your logo on Italyville for a month if I’m wrong.

On another note: Thanks to everyone who participated in the Olive Oil Shop giveaway. I picked the winner using a random number generator and the winner is… Liz from Life in la Citta’ De Rosas. Congrats Liz! For everyone else, there is still time to get 25% off your order at oliveoilshop.com by entering promo code: Italyville during checkout until March 15th so head on over and get some olive oil (make sure it’s Italian!) Keep checking back for more giveaways coming soon on Italyville and don’t forget to follow Italyville on Facebook and Twitter.

Share this post:

Learning Italian - Italian Language Vacation

Thanks to all my readers and friends for helping me reach 50 Comments on my post, Q&A with ABC Italiano author Sonya Caruso! I ordered the 50 books Tuesday and they arrived today. With the help of Linda, Claudia, Marie and Barbara, I hope to get these books in the right hands and help some children take their first steps in learning Italian.

I decided to give away 3 books to those of you who were kind enough to leave a comment. I removed any double comments and pushed everyone up and then used a random number generator: Congratulations to Gabriele, Girasoli and Pete Maserati! (I will contact you all soon for mailing addresses.) If you still want a book, make sure to head over to Sonya’s website www.italianbabybooks.com/italyville and use promo code: Italyvilleamici for 20% off!

A very special thanks goes out to Mr. James Brady for contacting me to let me know that he was purchasing 10 books from Sonya and working with a local Italian restaurant in his area to distribute them as well. Thanks for making a difference James!

Are you serious about teaching your child Italian?

If you are, or you want to take a few classes yourself and you live in the Yonkers, NY area: Make sure to check out La Piazza di Carolina. Carolina Gengo Di Domenico has a wonderful school with classes for children starting as young as 6-13 months and working up to adult classes as well. Carolina takes it a step further however…. how about Italian Language Camp in Italy! She’s offering Italian classes June 26th – July 17th in Lido di Camaiore, Toscana. Go to Carolina’s website to see more details on the summer programs for children and adults along with the classes offered at her school in Yonkers. Brava Carolina!

**There’s still time to participate in the Olive Oil Shop Giveaway (see below.) You have until 11:59pm tomorrow.

Share this post:

Q&A with ABC Italiano author Sonya Caruso

Not too long ago, I received an email in my inbox about ABC Italiano an Italian baby book by Sonya Caruso. I went to the website and immediately thought of my nephew (who is also our godson.) It didn’t take me long to buy a book for him and email the author telling her that not only did I think it was a GREAT idea but to keep a look out for a post on Italyville in the near furture.

This was a few weeks ago. I wanted to see the book and give it to my nephew before I posted about it. (Then I decided to give Italyville a face lift!) The book is wonderful and my brother and sister-in-law were very excited. Hopefully it won’t be long before my nephew starts adding some Italian to his vocabulary.

When my siblings and I were growing up we spoke mainly Italian in the house… mostly because my parent’s had only been in the US for a few years but I am forever grateful that we had the opportunity. Like Sonya, I want to teach my own children Italian someday. Sonya outlines many of the benefits of teaching children Italian in our Q&A below but for me, the most important reason is to preserve our culture and pass it along to the next generation.

GIVEAWAY

I think this subject is so important that I’ve decided to do something to help move it along. So, Sonya and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth and this is what we are going to do.

For every comment I receive on this post (up to 50 comments, one per person) I will buy a book from Sonya.
In addition, Sonya will extend 20% off a purchase of a book for Italyville readers by clicking on this link www.italianbabybooks.com/italyville and using promo code: Italyvilleamici

With the books I purchase (with your help 50), I will be sending 10 to Linda at Ciao Chow Linda, 10 to Marie at Proud Italian Cook, 10 to Claudia at Journey of an Italian Cook and 10 to Barbara at Dish n That who have all graciously agreed to help pass them along in various ways and get them in the hands of children so that we can help pass along the Italian language and our Italian culture to the next generation. Many thanks to these wonderful ladies for their help. With the remaining 10, I will give 1 book away to one of the first 50 people to leave a comment (chosen at random) and either donate the rest or give them away on Italyville in the future.

I really want to get to 50 comments/books in record time… so please leave a comment and any help my blogger friends can give me would be very much appreciated as well.

Many thanks to Sonya for her great ideas and hard work with this and hopefully future books! Gazie Sonya!!

Q&A with Sonya Caruso

What inspired you to create ABC Italiano?

My inspiration is il mio primo figlio, my son Luca! My husband is Italian from Cagliari, Sardinia. I love the Italian culture and with my husband being Italian, we think it is really important to raise Luca in an Italian speaking home. When Luca was born, I could not find many Italian baby books. I have a background in arts including ceramics, fashion design and painting, so it came natural to me to start drawing animals and pictures thinking of what Luca would have liked the best. Without knowing it, I found myself with my first ABC Italiano book. I thought that this sweet little book could have made other Italian moms happy. I love the idea of bringing joy in other Italian homes.

Did you speak Italian in your home as a child?

No, I learned Italian much later in life, when I met my husband. I have always loved the Italian culture, so he did not have to convince me to take the first step. But it was pretty challenging to learn a new language as an adult. Now, when I see how easily Luca switches from Italian to English, I wished I had the same opportunity.

Why is it important to you to pass along Italian to your children?

I am close to my husband’s Italian family, so it happens quite often to spend vacations with them (not to mention, they have a nice house by a gorgeous white sandy beach and we try to go there every summer). It is important for my son Luca to be able to communicate with his nonni and cousins. In addition, this opens him so many doors. We want Luca, one day, to be free to experience Italy as an Italian and have the freedom to choose to spend more time there, maybe for studying or even for living.

What are some of the benefits for children that learn to speak Italian?

First, it is proven that learning a Latin based language like Italian has improved children’s test scores time and again (see the “Experts” section on www.italianbabybooks.com). This includes having an easiness to learn other languages as well. Second, we live in a global world: kids with a broader cultural background, later in life, find themselves with a tremendous advantage when compared to monolingual kids. Last, but not least, the Italian heritage will be important for Luca to ground him and also connect with all those others with an Italian heritage. We don’t want him to miss such an opportunity.

How has ABC Italiano helped your son?

The book really helped Luca when he started talking. For the book, I chose those animals that I noticed made an impression on him, such as the ape (the bee) or the elefante (the elephant). Shortly after his first year of age he could identify all the images in the book and then he began to refer to them in everyday context. Today at 22 months, he is referring to the images in the book as he sings the alphabet song. This experience has been an inspiration for me and motivates me to create more books!

How did you decide what words/illustrations to use when creating your book?

Most of the words refer to things or animals that Luca was in contact with when he was learning to talk. For instance the elefante is the first animal he recollected from our many zoo visits. The corallo and the pecora come from Sardinia, where there is a lot of both.

Did you illustrate the book yourself?

Yes. The illustrations are meant to be kid friendly and simplistic also by the use of color. I wanted to give a look that was a little naive and childlike. My hope is that children will easily identify and relate to the images.

Did you find it difficult to create ABC Italiano?

No. It was a pleasure and I felt I was doing something that could benefit not only my family but many others.

Where can visitors and subscribers of Italyville find ABC Italiano?

ABC Italiano is available on the web at www.italianbabybooks.com. Please visit and tell your family and friends!

Tell us 3 interesting things about you.

I moved from the U.S. to Sardinia, Italy at the age of 28, crazy in love and speaking not a word of Italian. Two years later, I was fluent and happily married to the Italian that lured me to that beautiful place!

I love running and I have also run some marathons, crossing the finish-line with some competitive times.

I have a masters degree in Arts Administration (non-profit management), so I have lead several wonderful organizations toward their next stage of growth and worked with some fabulously talented, dedicated and creative individuals.

Do you have any additional books in the works?

Yes! Colori Italiani is in the works. I am very excited to get it out there, because I think it is a beautiful book. I love the idea of having another Italian language book available for the very early beginners!

Share this post:

Italian Lentil Soup

The east coast has been been getting hit pretty hard with winter weather recently and with another major storm heading this way, it looks like winter is far from done. (Damn that groundhog!) If you’re looking for a hearty dinner for a cold winter’s night, look no further than this Italian Lentil Soup. It’s quick, easy and delicious… and will warm your bones!

Here’s what you need: (hopefully you won’t have to venture out into 25 inches of snow to get it!)

lentils
extra virgin olive oil
3 stalks of celery – chopped
2 carrots – diced
1 onion – diced
1-2 tomato or a small can of diced or crushed tomatoes
box of spaghetti
salt and pepper

What you need to do:

Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil and add your lentils (we use about 1/2 a bag for the 2 of use and we have plenty of left-overs) Let the lentils boil for about 2-3 minutes, then remove and rinse them. In a large pot, add your olive oil, celery, onion, carrots, tomatoes, lentils and enough water to cover all your ingredients. Then add your salt and pepper, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until your lentils are tender. You can serve as-is for a more traditional soup or make it Italian by adding some pasta… (Come on, make it Italian… you know you want to!!)

In a separate pot, cook your pasta. I like to use spaghetti and break it in quarters for this dish because that’s the way mom used to do it for our family growing up (and mom is always right… right?) Once your spaghetti is cooked to your liking, add it to your lentils, give it a stir and your done! Serve with grated parmigiano or romano cheese. Enjoy and buon appetito!

Share this post:

Italian Fruit Juice

Italian kids around the world have grown up with these tiny juice bottles (125ml/4.2 oz) I can remember going to the “bar” with my father and the barista would bring my father an espresso and me a “succo di frutta.” I always asked for it in the bottle because it was fun to drink out of. It was so much better than any “American Juice” that my mother bought at the grocery store. It still brings back great memories and whenever I see it, I can’t help but buy one.

Yoga1

My favorite is Pera (Pear)… what’s yours?

Share this post:

Pasta con Pollo e Funghi

Ever since Linda from Ciao Chow Linda sent me some dried morel mushrooms that her brother found, I’ve been thinking about what to make with them. If you don’t know yet, I’m a huge fan of foraging for wild mushrooms. You can read about some other wild mushroom recipes here and here.

So I decided to make a pasta recipe and it did not disappoint!

This is what you need:

1 pound of short cut pasta – I used ziti
1-2 oz of dried morel mushrooms
olive oil
pancetta – handful, diced
1/4 pound of chicken breast cut into small cubes
1 shallot – chopped
1-2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of grated parmigiano
salt & pepper

Morel Pasta

This is what you need to do:

Bring approximately 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot, then add your dried morel mushrooms and let them boil for about 15 minutes so they reconstitute. Take your morel mushrooms out, chop them into small pieces and put the water aside (do not throw the water out.)

In a large sauce pan, add a splash of olive oil, your garlic, shallot and pancetta and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then add your morels and chicken. Let it cook until the chicken is almost completely cooked through (about 10 minutes.) Add the water from your morels and bring it to a boil, then add your cream, salt & pepper and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered to let the liquid reduce. Lastly, add your parmigiano (which will thicken the sauce)… mix in your cooked pasta and give it a good stir. Pour 2 glasses of Pinot Noir (one for you and one for your significant other… you don’t want to get in trouble) and serve. Enjoy and buon appetito!

Share this post:

Cucina Povera – Gizzards

When my parents were growing up in Calabria, they didn’t have much and when it came to cooking, nothing went to waste… especially since they grew up in large families (mom is one of 8 and dad is one of 6.) Many of the foods and recipes that they made came with them to the US and became a part of our meals. The cycle in my family goes a little something like this:

Young child: put food in front of them – if they like how it tastes, they eat it, if they don’t, they won’t
Teenager: tell them what you’re making – if they like the sound of it, they’ll eat it, if they don’t they won’t
Adult: if it tastes good, who cares what it’s called or what it sounds like or what it is. IT TASTES GOOD.

Gizzards are one of those foods and in this economy, a great way to save a buck.

Gizzards1

What you’ll need:

Gizzards
olive oil
1/2 onion – chopped
1 clove of garlic – diced
red wine
salt & pepper

Gizzards2

What to do:

Gizzards are very tough, so start by boiling the gizzards for 1 hour. Once you’ve boiled them, add a splash of olive oil in a sauce pan or frying pan with your onion and garlic. Let them simmer for a few minutes and then add the gizzards and enough water to almost cover the gizzards. Then add a splash of red wine and your seasonings… I used salt, pepper and adobo (which is an all-spice.) Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low for about 15 minutes. Then uncover your gizzards and let the water reduce for another 10-15 minutes. Cut up a nice loaf of bread and pour yourself a glass of red wine… enjoy and buon appetito!

Share this post:

Curing Black Olives Part II

In my last post on curing black olives I mentioned that I was making them 2 ways: sott’acqua (in a simple brine of salt and water) and al forno (oven dried black olives.) The black olives “sott’acqua” don’t take much maintenance… once you make your brine and drop them in it’s a waiting game. The dried black olives however, are more involved.

Olivetray

The olives we had were late season olives and were a little banged up so I separated the ones that were really bruised to use for drying.

Here’s what you need to do: Take your olives and place them in a large bowl with a lid. Sprinkle salt over the olives (I used an entire 26 oz pack of salt) and cover them. You do not need to refrigerate them. Mix your olives twice a day for 2-3 weeks. Water from the olives will start to collect at the bottom of your bowl but don’t remove it… just keep mixing them twice a day. After a few weeks, you will have mushy looking olives in water and you’ll know they’re ready (I kept them in the bowl for 3 weeks.) Drain the water from your bowl and rinse your olives several times to remove the excess salt (otherwise they will be too salty.) Once you have rinsed your olives, lay them on paper towel in a baking tray or cookie sheet and turn your oven on to 125 degrees F (50 C) Place your olives in the oven for several hours and check them periodically until your satisfied with how dry your olives are. This method can take up to 12 hours to dry them out, so you might want to consider leaving them in your oven overnight. The key is to expose your olives to low heat over time so that they can dry out slowly. Another variation is to preheat your oven to 200 degrees F (95 C) and once your oven is preheated, turn it off and put your olives in… that way you can leave the house and not have to worry about the oven being on. You can repeat this process over several days as I did.

driedblackolives

Once you have your olives at a level of dryness that you like and they have cooled, place them in a bowl, add a splash of olive oil, oregano, crushed red pepper and mix. They’re ready to serve. They also freeze very well. Enjoy and buon appetito!

Share this post:

Search

la Piazza di Carolina

Difference Makers

Pizza Wars

Salumi Calabresi - Italian Cured Meats

Learning Italian - Italian Language Vacation

Q&A with ABC Italiano author Sonya Caruso

Italian Lentil Soup

Italian Fruit Juice

Pasta con Pollo e Funghi

Cucina Povera – Gizzards

Curing Black Olives Part II

Italyville.com