Category — Restaurants

Egg and Cheese Fritters from Tarallucci e Vino

In Italian,” finire a tarallucci e vino” (literally,  to finish up with cookies and wine), means to say that there was a happy ending.  At the Tarallucci e Vino restaurant at 15 East 18 Street near Union Square in NYC,we were happy not just with the ending of the meal, but everything else from appetizers to dessert.

We had the tasting menu, so we got to try a number of different things.  My photos don’t really do them justice, so I’ll just post a few of the best ones.  Above is a roasted sea scallop with wild mushrooms and a poached quail egg.

Among the starters were these fried sage leaves stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella.  I like to stuff zucchini blossoms this way, but this inspired combination means that I can make them even when the blossoms are not available.  The sauce was nice and fresh, but the crunchy sage and tasty filling really didn’t need it.  Many more good things followed.

Did I mention the bread basket?  Charles could not stop eating the flatbread flavored with squid ink, rosemary and olive oil.  I know it sounds odd, but take my word for it, I was glad he ate it all so I could not.  There were also warm little baguettes and olive rolls.

We’ve long been fans of Tarallucci e Vino and weekend mornings often find us there enjoying one of New York’s best cappuccinos and a perfect Italian-style cornetto.  On our recent trip to Abruzzo, we met Lorenzo, who is the manager for all 4 of the restaurant’s branches.  He invited us to come by for dinner to the 18th Street location and we were glad we did.  It’s one of New York’s best kept Italian restaurant secrets.   The place was cozy and the atmosphere lively.  Charles had only good things to say about the wine list and in honor of our last trip ordered the Cantina Frentana Coccociola, an unusual white wine from Abruzzo, and the Emidio Pepe 2003 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, which was superb.

We ended with this dark, totally fudge-y semifreddo topped with chocolate and cognac gelato.  We’re looking forward to going back again soon to try the rest of the menu.

Joel Peterson, the owner of Ravenswood Winery, has been called both a vino-revolutionary and the godfather of zinfandel.  That may be, but it doesn’t give you any idea of how knowledgeable he is, or that he is a delightful dining companion.  You may already have guessed that he makes a superb line of California zinfandels.  Joel was in town last week and together with some other writers, I had a chance to chat with him and taste his new vintages over lunch at A Voce in the Time Warner Center.  As far as I’m concerned, there is no better way to taste a wine than to accompany it with food, and A Voce turned out to be the perfect choice.

Joel organized the tasting in 3 flights.  We began with the lightest wine, the Dickerson Zinfandel, named for the vineyard where the grapes are grown.   This wine is made from 100% zinfandel grapes.  As soon as I lifted my glass, I noticed the aroma — like a big bowl of fresh ripe raspberries. It was a perfect way to the start the tasting and went great with the first course, crisp fried cassoncini, little turnovers filled with crescenza, a creamy cheese, and swiss chard, plus tender sliced prosciutto and stracchino, a soft cheese best known as the stuffing in burrata, and fresh fava beans.  Then we moved on to the Big River Zinfandel, also 100% zinfandel, which had a more subtle fruit aroma and concentrated flavor.  The third wine in the flight was the Belloni Zinfandel made from a blend of grapes.  Joel described the aroma as dark fruit like plums, which was true, and boysenberry, but since I ‘m not sure I know what boysenberry smells like I’ll have to take his word for that.

Joel made it clear that he wants to avoid what he called the “3 sins of Zin”:   high alcohol, high sugar, and too much oak.  With the next course we  drank Barricia Zinfandel fom the vineyard of the same name, made with 76% zinfandel grapes blended with petite sirah.  This wine was more complex than the first three with a better balance.  The Old Hill Zinfandel, so called because the vines are thought to be the oldest in Sonoma, went great with my pasta, Sagne alla Amatriciana.  Sagne is a wide fresh pasta ribbon and in this version it was sauced with a smooth tomato sauce flecked with smokey bacon and fresh marjoram.   The wine tasted of dark cherries with a rich leathery quality.  The bacon, tomatoes and spicy pecorino cheese on the tender pasta matched up with the wine beautifully.  The Teldeschi Zinfandel was particularly interesting to me.  Joel said that the blend of 4 grape varieties — zinfandel, petite sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouschet — used were originally planted by Italian immigrants and this wine was a favorite with traditional grape growing families.

We ended with two more wines.  According to Joel,  the ICON Mixed Blacks was the wine that should have been and would have been made in California if it had not been for Prohibition.   The blend of grapes is the same as the above Teldeschi, but the proportion of zinfandel is much lower — 37% for ICON as opposed to the 75% in the Teldeschi.  That’s why the ICON cannot be called a zinfandel on the label.  To go with the wine, I had grilled quail glazed with fig reduction resting on a bed of fregula, tiny Sardinian pasta similar to couscous.  This was outstanding and the flavors of the fig glaze and grilled meat were an ideal match with the robust flavors of the ICON and the final wine of the day, the Pickberry Red.  This is a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend that shows promise, and will really come into its own with a few years of aging.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, I learned the proper Irish way to eat butter.  According to Molly O’Loughlin of the Irish Dairy Board, the way to do it in Ireland is to scrape a knife across the surface to create a soft, creamy wave to spread on bread.  Who knew?   To make the scraping and spreading easier Kerrygold, a cooperative comprised of small Irish dairy farmers, is introducing a specially formulated easy spreading butter packaged in a small tub.  Even straight out of the refrigerator, this butter will always be spreadable.  (Not that I need to make it easier for me to eat more Kerrygold butter, which I confess to being somewhat addicted to.)  The really good news is that Kerrygold Naturally Soft Pure Irish Butter is 100% butter, with no additives.  The butter’s softness comes from the milk that cows produce during the summer months that has a naturally softer milkfat.

The spreadable butter was introduced this morning at a breakfast along with another new Kerrygold butter that has 25% less fat and 50% less sodium made without artificial ingredients.  For me the flavor is all important, and like the spreadable butter, the reduced fat Kerrygold delivered on that score as well.  Light and creamy, the flavor that reminded me of whipped cream and it melted easily in my mouth.  The spreadable butter was deeper and richer in flavor with a satin smooth texture.   Both will be available in stores this summer.

Putting a fresh new spin on the classic Irish breakfast was chef Neven Maguire, of MacNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion, County Cavan, Ireland.  The charming young chef is quite a star in Ireland where his hotel and restaurant have received numerous awards and he appears regularly on tv.  His menu began with a real eye-opener:  Blacklion Porridge with Irish Mist, Honey and Cream.  I usually need a cappuccino or two to get me moving in the morning, but I can see how the Irish Mist might have a stimulating effect as well, if one were so inclined.   Me, I would be happy with a couple of the chef’s buttery Lemon and Sultana Scones, generously smeared with that Kerrygold butter.

The chef also prepared Warm Herb Pancakes with Smoked Irish Salmon and Citrus Creme Fraiche, Spring Onion Soad Bread, Multi Seed Wheaten Bread and my favorite Smoked Bacon and Dubliner Cheese Frittata.  Dubliner is a cheddar-like cheese made by Kerrygold with a sweet and nutty flavor.   For more information about Kerrygold and some great looking recipes, go to http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/index.php

“It’s Chianti Classico Time” was the theme of a lunch today at Manzo Restaurant at Eataly, but if you ask me, it’s always time for Chianti Classico. Chianti comes in many different styles and goes with many different foods so it just might be the perfect red wine.  Do you like your wines young and fruity or aged and mellow –no matter, there is a Chianti Classico to suit every taste.  No wonder it has been around for hundreds of years.

Chianti Classico comes from Tuscany, so the chef at Manzo prepared a special menu based on the classic foods of the region.  To start, there was Tonno del Chianti, meaning tuna from Chianti, which sounded like a strange choice.  You see, Chianti, in addition to being the name of the wine is also the name for the completely landlocked portion of Tuscany known as Chianti.  What kind of tuna would you find in Chianti, I wondered?  One taste and it was obvious that it was not tuna.  It tasted great, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was.  Fortunately, Silvia Fiorentini from the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico was there to explain.  Tonno del Chianti, she said, is a dish made famous by Dario Cecchini, Tuscany’s most famous Dante-quoting butcher.  Cecchini makes it by marinating cubes of lean pork shoulder with herbs and spices, submerging it in olive oil and cooking it slowly until the meat is falling-to-shreds tender.  The tender pork was served on arugula leaves topped with slivers of pickled red onions and sweet dried tomatoes.

The next course was Ribollita, Tuscan vegetable and bean soup recooked with cubes of bread until thickened.  A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil from Tenuta San Felice was all it needed and I felt as if I had been transported to Tuscany.

Wild boar, known as cinghiale, thrive in Tuscany and are something of a nuisance to farmers, much as deer are here.  Their meat is rich and flavorful and prized by Tuscan cooks who use it for slow cooked winey pasta sauces and stews as well as salumi.  At Manzo, it was prepared “hunters’ style”, alla cacciatora, in a thick tomato sauce studded with bits of carrots and celery and accompanied by polenta.

Our dessert was Schiacciata all’Uva. In Tuscany, this is a simple focaccia-type bread (schiacciata means flattened) topped with tiny and intensely flavored wine grapes and dusted with sugar that is eaten around the harvest time.  But Manzo’s version was a tender little round of sweet bread served with satiny honey ice cream and drizzled with honey.  Worth every calorie!

There were over 20 wines to taste.  I wish I could have gotten to all of them, but unfortunately I did not.  I did enjoy the Tenuta di Lilliano 2008, the Castello di Ama Riserva 2006, Cecchi Riserva di Famiglia 2005 and the Banfi Riserva 2007.

Last Thursday at Keste Pizza and Vino, Roberto Caporuscio, the pizzaiuolo and owner, brought us a slice of La Pastiera, a dessert that is not on the menu.  Also known as Pizza Gran or Grain Pie, this classic Neapolitan cake is made with ricotta, wheat berries, and candied fruits.

“Try this,” Roberto said, “It was made by one of Naples’ finest pastry makers.”  Roberto is not only the best pizzaiolo in America, but he also knows good pastry. The tender, delicate crust enclosed a light and creamy filling subtly flavored with orange and studded with slightly chewy grains of wheat.  It was sweeter and less dense than most versions I have tried. Roberto said that it had been made earlier that day by Sabatino Sirica, owner of Pasticceria Sirica in Naples.  Sabatino had come to the States to teach pastry making at A Mano, a restaurant and pizzeria in Ridgewood, in Northern New Jersey where Roberto conducts his professional pizza making classes.  In fact, Roberto suggested, would I like to attend a pastry class at A Mano the following day and meet Sabatino?  There was no need to ask me twice!

A Mano, which means by hand, is located in the center town, a short block from the Ridgewood train station.  Roberto told me that he had helped design the restaurant, which has not just one, but two enormous wood fired pizza ovens that are lined with volcanic stone.  Just about everything, from the floor and wall tiles, to the counters, equipment, tables, and chairs had been imported from Italy.  At the entrance, there is a counter where you can buy homemade gelato, pastry, or have an expertly made espresso.  The high ceilings made the room seem enormous, but the design and wine red color of the walls give it a warm feeling.  It seemed like a piece of Naples in New Jersey.

The class was about to start, but first Roberto introduced me to Sabatino Sirica and his assistant, Raffaele Cristiano.  Mr. Sirica has been a pastry maker for over 50 years and appears often on Italian TV.  The lesson of the day was pasta bigné, the pastry used to make cream puffs.  Sabatino brought water to boiling and added butter.  As soon as it melted, he began stirring the mixture and adding Caputo 00 flour, which he said is perfect for pastry.  The mixture formed a ball but Sabatino continued to stir it so that the dough would lose some of the liquid and puff up properly when baked.  Then he scraped the dough into a slowly turning heavy-duty mixer and began adding eggs.

When the dough was ready it looked smooth and shiny.  The chefs demonstrated how to handle a pastry bag and form the dough into puffs or a large ring.   While the puffs baked, Sabatino gave suggestions on how to vary the recipe and demonstrated how to make crema pasticcera, pastry cream flavored with vanilla and lemon.

During his 4 day visit, Sabatino also demonstrated how to make the pastiera that I tasted at Keste; two kinds of sfogliatelle–the familiar clamshell shaped riccia and the less well known frollamade with tender pasta frolla, a sweet pie or cookie dough; and baba al rhum, small yeast cakes soaked in rum syrup.  It was a great opportunity to learn about Neapolitan pastry from a true master.

Classes are held at A Mano every few months.  There is plenty to taste and everyone went home with a box of pastry.  A Mano is certified by two organizations that assure the quality and tradition of genuine Neapolitan pizza, the Vera Pizza Napoletana and the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli, sometimes called the pizza police.  The restaurant’s standards are exacting and only all natural Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes are used.  Mozzarella is made fresh daily in the restaurant’s kitchen.  In addition to its pizza menu, A Mano also has a menu of traditional Neapolitan dishes.   For information on upcoming classes, check their website at www.amanopizza.com or call 201-493-2000.  A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Avenue and is open daily.

Representatives from nine wineries belonging to the the Vignaioli Piemontesi Association arrived in New York this week to introduce a marketing campaign aimed at promoting the region of Piedmont and its magnificent wines. The wines are being featured all week at Eataly, the new Italian market and restaurant complex located at 5th Avenue and 23rd Street.

Along with a group of restaurateurs, wine buyers and other journalist, I had a chance to sample some of these wines yesterday at a luncheon at Del Posto Restaurant, which was recently given a 4 star review in the New York Times. Gianluigi Biestro, director of the Vignaioli Piemontesi Association, gave us a presentation on the current situation in Piedmont. The region, located in northwestern Italy is separated from France to the west by the Alps, and is one of the most prestigious Italian winemaking regions. Mr. Biestro said that “to a Piemontese, the first job of a wine is to be red”, though the region is also know for its excellent white wines.

We began the meal with one of those whites, Alta Langa Spumante Contessa Rosa NV from Fontanafredda. Dry, crisp and sparkling it was a refreshing starter and a delicious match to the first course, Lidia’s Lobster Salad Catalana, cold poached lobster in a spicy tomato sauce with celery and yellow zucchini for a bit of crunch. Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2005 from Cantina di Govone was an alternate wine choice.

Agnolotti dal Plin, meaning a local variety of ravioli  with a pinch for the way they are shaped, are the quintessential stuffed pasta from the Piedmont Region.  Typically the agnolotti are served with a meat ragu, or butter and sage sauce, but at Del Posto they were sauced with a bright green puree of ramps,  a kind of wild leek, and butter.  The slight bitterness of the sauce did not overwhelm the delicious meaty filling and with the pasta we drank Dolcetto di Dogliani 2009 and the Dogliani “Il Clou” 2008, also from Clavesana.

The next course was a classic New York Strip steak with crisp fried potatoes, arugula and tomato raisins, tiny roasted cherry tomatoes with a sweet, concentrated flavor.  With it we sampled four different wines.  The first, was the “Paesi Tuoi”, a 2005 Barolo from Terre da Vino.  Next came my favorite, the Barbaresco 2004 from Vignaioli Elvio Pertinace.  This was followed by the Barbaresco “La Casa in Collina” 2003 from Terre da Vino and Barolo Serralunga 2005 from Fontanafredda.

Unfortunately, I had to get back to work, so I did not stay for dessert, a Tartufo al Caffe, with Dark Chocolate, Sant’Eustachio Coffee & Cinnamon Croutons which was served with Moncucco Moscato d’Asti 2009 from Fontanafredda.  As I write this, I am really regretting that I had to miss it.

The luncheon was a splendid opportunity to sample these outstanding wines as they should be enjoyed, with food inspired by the classic cooking of the region.  For me it was a preview of the good food and wine I will be enjoying when I go to Piedmont in a few weeks.  I wonder if I can find that Tartufo in Alba.