Though Italian food may now be known for its abundant use of tomatoes, this was not always the case, and pre-Tomato italian food was very different. Tomatoes were introduced to Italy in only the 18th century, having originated in South America. Gapers Block has an example of food representative of pre-Tomato Italy: Genovese Onion Sauce.
Tag Archives: Italy
Argentina and Italy: Il Pollaio
Il Pollaio
555 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA
The eaters are Italian – so we pretty much avoid Italian food out unless it is something special. We heard that Pollaio’s chicken was indeed special. We headed up to North Beach, a long-standing Italian enclave that borders Chinatown in SF. The signs literally turn from Chinese characters to Italian in the course of one block. The streets are lined with Italian and Italian-American Trattorias and Cafes catering to locals and a fair share of tourists.
We arrived at Pollaio on a Friday night with no reservation (potentially dangerous) – but were welcomed right in. The ambiance is that of a cozy neighborhood cafe, and the service should not have been friendlier. It is truly a mix of Argentine and Italian in there (not surprising since many Argentines have Italian heritage) with Italian advertising and Argentine soccer paraphernalia.
As previously stated, Pollaio specializes in chicken, so we barely had to hesitate with the menu. I suppose you could order other things, but WHY would you?!? We ordered a whole chicken ($13) along with a side order of fries. The chickens, which seemed to account for most of the orders in restaurant, came out of the kitchen quickly. The whole chicken that arrived at our table had an amazing char and a delicious but not overpowering flavor of garlic and oregano. Even the white meat was tender and juicy. These people were truly experts. M and I polished off the entire chicken – save one drumstick. The fries were good, but paled in comparison to the chicken.The entire meal topped only $20, and we were really pleased with our meal. While Pollaio may not be a single menu-item restaurant, it might as well be one since it does this single item so well!
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Annual St. Joseph’s Day Post
Zeppole by Caleb Lost
We here at ETW do a St. Joseph’s Day post every year, mainly as a reason to feature zeppole, a delicious custard-filled doughnut. Currently I (L) am in a location where the zeppole landscape is unknown to me, so I’ll be up bright an early to see if I can find any at the local bakeries. But in the meantime here’s a recipe from Giada.
Filed under Finer Things Club, Holidays, World Eats
Italy: Bagna Càuda
Bagna Càuda (or Bagna Calda) Piemontese for “hot dip” is one of our family holiday favorites, so perfect to share on Thanksgiving. It’s a traditional recipe from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy and is replete with – wait for it – anchovies. So maybe a pungent dip made out of garlic and anchovies is not your thing, but I swear, barely any of us like anchovies even a little bit, and we all love this dip. It’s perfect for sopping up with bread, and if you feel ‘healthy’, veggies. I was intrigued to see a reprint of a 1960s recipe for Bagna Cauda in the New York Times. I’ve only seen it prepared freestyle at home, and as you can see the recipe is basically made to be tinkered with.
Bagna Cauda by Rowena
The recipe is as follows (directions and all from 1960):
Ingredients (Serves 10):
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced tissue-thin
- One 2-ounce can anchovy fillets, drained
- Salt, if needed
- Fresh vegetables, for serving.
Procedure
- Combine the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes without letting the mixture boil.
- Chop the anchovies and add to the oil. Stir until the anchovies dissolve. Do not let the sauce boil or brown. Season with salt if needed. Keep hot over a candle or spirit lamp. (See note.)
- Prepare an assortment of raw vegetables, like cucumber, cauliflowerettes, strips of green pepper, celery, carrots and endive. Serve separately for dipping.
Filed under Recipes
Zeppole for St. Joseph’s Day
Happy St. Joseph’s Day! Why not celebrate with a delicious Zeppole? I got this one from Bennison’s Bakery (1000 Davis in Evanston).
A trip to DiBruno Brothers Market in Philadelphia
DiBruno Brothers
930 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19145
As you can tell by reading this blog, both L and M are big fans of cheese. When we’re traveling we never miss an opportunity to scout out the local cheese shops. On a recent trip to Philly had the chance to visit one of our favorite cheese shops – DiBruno Brothers. When L used to go to school in Philly, she visited this DiBruno Brothers location at least every couple of weeks (she also turned M into a convert). Though M is not from Philly, he lives in Wisconsin, so needless to say, he takes his cheese very seriously. It’s our cheese-loving opinion that DiBruno Brothers is one of the best cheese stores around. The first thing DiBruno Brothers has going for it is its location smack dab in the middle of Philadelphia’s Italian Market. The Italian enclave in South Philly is big, bustling and vibrant, unlike many others (our trip to the NYC Little Italy was underwhelming and frankly kitschy), and the famous Italian Market is located in the middle of this Little Italy. Philadelphia’s Italian Market, though perhaps less impressive than it was a few decades ago, still provides a wide range of small, authentic, family-run Italian shops that would be right at home on a street in Parma or Naples.
Though the market is full of great specialty food store, DiBruno Brothers has always been out favorite for its great selection and friendly staff. When you enter, the first thing you notice are the huge cheeses hanging from the ceiling, cured Italian meats sitting on sample plates to eat, a huge cheese counter on one side of the narrow store and a wide variety of dry goods on the other. It goes without saying that cheese is the star of the show. From Italian favorites like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Mozzarella di Bufala to Scandinavian and Argentine cheeses, DiBruno brothers has it all. If there is any variety you would like to try, DiBruno Brothers is generous with samples. The staff are all knowledgeable and helpful and have made great suggestions over the years. The selection is wide and varied, though some of the more unique varieties can be a bit pricey. On our last visit, however, M was on a mission for Garrotxa, a Spanish goat milk cheese he fell in love with back in Wisconsin. Since then he had not seen it anywhere, but DiBruno came to the rescue.
Along with a copious variety of cheese from around the world, DiBruno Brothers also boasts a selection of olives, meats and ready made foods. There is enough here to keep you occupied (and fed) for days. The DiBruno empire also stretches into a ready-made food store further up the block in the Italian market, and to a large store and cafe in Rittenhouse Square. However, for us, the DiBruno Brothers cheese store in the Italian market will always be the real deal. This is what heaven looks like!
Filed under Finer Things Club
Finer Things Club: Torrone for the holidays
As the holiday season draws to a close, we are finishing up the last of the Christmas goodies – including one of our favorites torrone. It’s a pretty simple confection made of egg whites, honey, almonds and sugar. Popular across Southern Europe, this almond nougat is known as Turrón (Spanish), torró (Catalan), or torrone (Italian).The origin of Turron is Arabic, and was created by moors in the town of Jijona, in Valencia, Spain. Spanish turron comes in 2 basic varieties – soft Jijona or turrón blando, and hard Alicante or turrón duro, similar to peanut brittle.
Torrone is most commonly consumed around the holidays – La Florentine is one of the most popular varieties in the US, and has individually-warpped portions of soft torrone in Vanilla, Lemon and Orange flavors. You can even get La Florentine torrone online, though it is pretty commonly available in larger grocery stores. Delicious Days even has a recipe to try on your own, even though it seems pretty tricky.
Filed under Finer Things Club, Holidays, World Eats
Recipe Monday: Lemon Risotto
M’s mother sent along this risotto recipe from Epicurious.com, which we were excited to try out. This was our first time making risotto from scratch, and it was actually very simple, though a bit time-consuming.
Ingredients:
6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Instructions:
Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
We were apprehensive at first since we heard risotto was difficult to make very well. However, we were very pleased with our results. As previously stated, this recipe was super easy, and we didn’t need to make any adjustments to the recipe. The end result was lightly lemon flavored and also super rich and creamy. Though, of course, we added some extra cheese as a garnish. The recipe makes enough for about 3 or 4 people – the 2 of us had plenty of leftovers.
Filed under Recipes
All About St. Joseph’s Day Food (especially Zeppole!)
Following my post on St. Paddy’s day eats, I have to mention St. Joseph’s Day, a holiday in Italy 
which is accompanied by a delicious treat called the Zeppole. A zeppole is a fried donut-like pastry that is filled with jam or cream and topped with powdered sugar. They are traditionally made especially for St. Joseph’s Day. About.com has a simple recipe, as well as an extensive history of the humble zeppole.
St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) is one of the biggest holidays in Sicily (and some other parts of Southern Italy). Joseph is the patron saint of Sicily since people say that in the middle ages peasants prayed to him and he ended a drought. Now, in remembrance of this feat, some Sicilians create altars full of food and plenty in honor of the day. Fava beans, the crop St. Joseph saved, are popular, as are citrus fruits, which happen to be prolific in Sicily. The tradition has spread to places with large Sicilian immigrant populations, especially New Orleans. There is a lot of interesting history of Louisiana altars (like the one at right) at the Houston Institute for Culture.
This year, I found a list of places with “St. Joseph Tables” in Chicagoland in the Sun Times. I imagine it would be a cool experience to go to one.
Filed under Holidays, World Eats
Old-School Italian in the Loop: Italian Village
Italian Village
71 W. Monroe
Chicago, IL
Italian Village touts itself as the longest-running Italian restaurant in Chicago (opened in 1927), we’ve been here several times over the years and have had a pleasant experience each time. There are 3 levels to the Italian Village, each boasting a separate restaurant and style; Vivere is fine dining, La Cantina is a steakhouse and The Village is mid-range Southern Italian. The Village is where we usually go, and is a great place for groups. The ambiance is old-school and kitschy, with a faux Italian palazzo under a night sky. In the dining room, there are little secluded booths along each wall which are cute for couples or fun for groups of up to about 6. The location alone can’t be matched, in the heart of Chicago’s Loop, though it typically tends to attract many tourists and pre-theater crowds. At pretty much any time of the day, you can expect for the dining room to be packed to the brim, with Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin/Connie Francis tunes spinning.
The Village Interior.
The last time we ate at The Village was for a birthday lunch for a younger sibling. Arriving at noon on a weekday, the dining room was already packed, but we had a reservation for a booth which sat our party of 5 comfortably (and secludedly). Our server was efficient and professional and promptly brought out olive oil and a basket of good crusty bread. We perused the menu which consisted of simple pastas, salads and meat dishes, typically heavy on the cheese and red sauce. With each main course came a soup or a simple green salad. The salads were average, but the minestrone got a thumbs up. For our mains, my mom ordered the Eggplant Parmesan – the highlight of the night – generously portioned and slathered with sweet marinara sauce and a layer of parmesan and mozzarella melted on top.
The rest of the table was split between orders of Tortelli Tre Formaggi and Agnolotti al Pomodoro e Basilico. The Tortelli were filled with mascarpone, ricotta and mozzarella and served with a light tomato and garlic sauce. The tortelli were homemade and very tasty, though the sauce was a touch on the sweet side and (surprisingly) could have been more garlicky. The agnolotti were stuffed with ricotta and spinach and came with a basil and tomato sauce. Again, the homemade agnolotti were tasty and fresh, but the sauce was a bit too sweet for some tastes. All in all, the food was good, but not stellar, and we enjoyed the convivial atmosphere. At The Village you won’t find anything innovative or exceptional, but you’ll walk away pleased and satiated (and probably with a doggie bag or two).
Italian at Mia Francesca
Mia Francesca
3311 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
We are pretty picky about Italian food. Finally, the hipsters get some good Italian food! For now, we’re believing the hype, Mia Francesca is a good enough restaurant to merit all the crowding and ink it gets. The menu changes every six days, so return customers (us, soon?) will be pleased. The place itself is crowded and noisy, and big groups fill the upstairs dining room. However, the atmosphere is convivial rather than chaotic. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to hear your dining partner talk. When the sun shines, terrace dining is available, too. The service at MF is friendly and efficient, providing a bottomless supply of water and bread.
Natural and fresh, the food is worth more than a passing nod. With a wide range of rustic and satisfying central-Italian pizza, pasta and meat dishes, there is something for everyone. For starters, the rarely seen appetizer of Carpaccio (raw, thinly-sliced sirloin steak) makes a flavorful appearance. Pasta dishes are big enough for two, and if you say you’re splitting, they’ll divide up the meal for you in advance (with no splitting fee). The cheese ravioli with garlic-alfredo sauce was a cheese-lovers heaven. For dessert, MF provides a selection of gelati, tiramisu and cakes. The molten chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla gelato was out of this world, gooey and chocolately enough to please even the biggest dessert snob. For less than 20 bucks per person we left satiated, and very, very happy. As plus for people living outside the city proper – there are several suburban “Francesca” locations.
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Italian gelato at Linz & Vail [closed]
One of the absolute best things you can have as a snack is gelato (even if it is below freezing out). So of course, I couldn’t help myself when I passed this coffeeshop/gelateria combo, Linz and Vail (2012 Central Street, Evanston, IL). The shop is tiny and cute, with a window counter in the main room, and a small dining room with comfy chairs, a few tables and… A box of Mr. Potato Heads. Linz & Vail serves Intelligensia coffee, which will probably appeal to the caffeine-inclined, but I made a beeline for the homemade gelato.
A single scoop cost about four bucks with tax, but had the neat option of allowing you to choose up to 4 flavors for your cup. I chose chocolate and nutella: other options were Stracciatella (chocolate chip), Pistachio, Coffee, Vanilla, and Lemon (I hear it changes daily). All in all, the gelato was good, but not amazing. The flavors were great, but the texture seemed a little light, I’m for dense gelato, so that put me off a bit. The chocolate was better than the nutella, which almost tasted like it was whipped. All in all, it was definitely tasty – plus the staff was very polite and friendly, which I cannot say for some other coffeeshops I’ve been to recently.
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Eating The World 