Sunday Sauce - Food Blog with Italian Recipes

Brooklyn Bronx Pizza Crawl - Sunday Sauce Visits DiFaras, Motorino and Louie Ernies

Posted by Jonny

Not even 24 hours after the Thanksgiving feast, I went on a Brooklyn pizza crawl with my sister Chessy, Uncle James and Cousin Jimmy. We visited two of Brooklyn's vaunted pizzerias - DiFara's and Motorino. And to top it off, later that evening I decided to drive down the Hutch and paid a visit to Ernie and Louie's in the Bronx. So yes, three pizzerias in one day makes for a crawl, and the gory details have been noted.

I will follow up with a longer, more detailed post about the experience, but for now enjoy the photo gallery and video.

 

VIDEO FROM DiFARA'S PIZZERIA

Italian Thanksgiving Recipe: Artichoke Pie

Posted by: Nikki

If your family is anything like mine, you know it's tough to introduce (and permanently add) a new dish to the family's typical Thanksgiving menu that is built around tried and true, time-tested dishes.  That's why a few years ago, it was an absolute coup when my aunt introduced her artichoke pie.  With Italian-favored mozzarella as an ingredient, she got this dish to not only be a contender, but to take its place amongst the definites on the menu -- to the point that she's been threatened that if she fails to make it, she should find somewhere else to celebrate Turkey Day... hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

AUNT JO ANN'S ARTICHOKE PIE

Ingredients:

Two 1 lb bags of bakery dough

Two 10 oz packages of Artichoke hearts (Cara Mia or Birdseye are both good)

4 Eggs (beat)

4 Tbsp pecorino romano cheese, grated

Cooking Oil

At least 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 small (8 oz) mozzarella (Auntie uses Polly-O brand),sliced

Here we go!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare a deep dish/bowl by spraying with Pam
Mold 1 lb of dough as the pie bottom in the bowl. Work it from bottom then up
the sides.

In a separate bowl:

Beat 4 eggs in bowl
Add Mozzarella
Add grated cheese
Set aside

Cut artichoke hearts in half; saute garlic in the oil until golden color (use just enough oil to cover bottom of
pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in artichokes and saute for 25 minutes stirring frequently.

Drain oil and pour artichokes and garlic into pie bottom. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add rest of
ingredients, blending with spatula.

Mold the second bag of dough into a pie cover, pinching/molding the top and bottom
edges together. Brush top with beat eggs. Make fork marks on the cover.

Put a cookie sheet tray as a base in oven and place pie bowl on (this catches
any drippings).

Bake 40 minutes at 375.

Note: Because this version uses dough and not the traditional pie crusts,
it will look like a chef's hat as it is baking in the oven!! It may even ooze a
little, so don't worry. Enjoy!!

Recipe: Great-grandma Carmela's Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted by: Nikki

OK folks, this one's pretty long in the tooth -- 4-plus generations long -- and you know that's a good sign when it comes to recipes.  It's a recipe for that favorite dish which is a part of EVERY Italian Thanksgiving meal -- the stuffed mushroom.  In my family, this dish not only gets its legs because of the sheer tradition in making it, but because it is wholeheartedly THE BEST recipe for stuffed mushrooms that you will ever taste.  I am not the biggest fan of stuffed mushrooms, but I have made it a point to taste them wherever I go -- at restaurants, other home-cooked meals, etc.  They are bland and pretty nondescript in comparison, even when incorporating "other" ingredients such as tomatoes and melted cheese.  No rendition has compared to the pow-in-your-mouth taste of this one.  Hands down, my great-grandma Carmela --from Salerno, Italy -- mastered the best recipe for Italian stuffed mushrooms... The best part is, it is so simple to make...enjoy!

GREAT-GRANDMA CARMELA'S STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

1lb of large white mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
small handful of fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Here we go!

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Remove stems from mushrooms; set aside.  Wipe down mushrooms with a paper towel and place hole side up on cookie sheet.  Take mushroom stems and mince until fine.  In glass bowl, bring mushroom stems, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper; stir until combined.  Take a tablespoon of mushroom mixture and place into mushroom cap without packing tightly.  Sprinkle a little bread crumb on each of the stuffed mushrooms and drizzle each cap with an extra teaspoon of olive oil.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Recipe: Grandma Judy's Italian Thanksgiving Stuffing

Posted by: Nikki

If you want to wow them this year with a tasty, authentic ITALIAN stuffing, then you'll want to make this one folks!  This stuffing recipe has been in my family for decades and is a staple that is made by my Grandma Judy at each Thanksgiving. 

As most of you know, Italian grandmothers don't usually refer to cookbooks or use precise measurements, so the following is based on approximations.  We'll be sure to post some pics alongside this delicious dish following this year's Thanksgiving feast and keep it in the archive.  This stuffing is not cooked in the turkey, but is instead served as a side dish....It is a surefire winner!

GRANDMA JUDY'S ITALIAN THANKSGIVING STUFFING

1 1/2 lb of sweet Italian sausage meat
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 dozen eggs
1 cup uncooked rice, (not instant)
14 oz package of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
pepper and salt to taste

Note: First cook the rice, then add to the other ingredients.

Preparation of other ingredients:  In a skillet add 1 stick of butter.  Then, saute the sausage meat over medium flame.  Continue to saute meat while adding beaten eggs, cooked rice, mushrooms, grating cheese, salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1/2 stick of the remaining butter to moisten the ingredients while continuing to blend together.

Delicioso!!!

Clam Pizza Pie

Was going through my iMac's hard drive and came across this picture of a clam pizza...I believe this was taken at Frankie and Fanucci's pizzeria of Hartsdale in Westchester County.  I liked their clam pie. Not as good as Frank Pepe's, but at least they were brave enough to actually make one, as they are very difficult to find.

Clam Pizza at Frankie Fanucci's pizzeria of Hartsdale, NY

Italian Thanksgiving Dinner

Let's face it, even with the football games, the parade, March of the Wooden Soldiers and the old King Kong movie marathon on WPIX Channel 11, Thanksgiving is about the food.

So, in this most American of holidays, how does your family Italian-ize it?

The inclusion of an antipasto, some type of pasta for a first course and then an Italian twist to the stuffing (sausage base) is pretty typical in Italian-American households.

Here's our family's typical menu :

- Antipasto (pictured below and a FAVORITE part of the meal)

- Manicotti or some other pasta & Sunday Sauce

- Turkey and Baked Ham

- Sides of Italian sausage stuffing, string beans, fennel, stuffed mushrooms, cranberry relish, salad, sweet potatoes, fried artichokes. 

 

Nikki's Antipasto, inspired by Mom G.

The combination of all of the starches usually renders all the men in the family asleep by the time dessert is rolled out.  And of course, dessert consists of an abundance of pies, espresso, sambuca etc etc.  Ahhhhhh good times.....

TELL US WHAT'S ON YOUR T-DAY MENU...

Lidia's Recipe: Pasta with Eggplant (Pasta alla Norma)

This was last night's dinner....yum.

If you are looking for an egpplant and pasta recipe, this is one to try. Nikki took Lidia's Pasta alla Norma recipe from the book "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" and pretty much followed the recipe word for word. Eggplant came out a little tough, that would be the only criticism. Other than that, the dish was excellent. Looks pretty damn good as well, huh? 

Nikki will follow up with the recipe.

Nikki's take on Lidia's Pasta alla Norma, or, Pasta with Eggplant.

Frank Pepe's Pizza Yonkers...Again....

We received this email the other night from someone and I found it rather confusing/amusing and worthy of posting. I think Nik and I have been rather forthright in our support of Frank Pepe's Pizzeria in Yonkers and we were very positive in our review of the place. However that hasn't stopped the flood of emails and some comments on the blog blasting the place. I've even had people call my cel phone telling me how bad they thought the pizza was. But still, Nik and I maintained our support.

Then we get this email from "Janice"...(edited down)

My family and I just ate at Pepe's in Yonkers and it was fantastic.  We had the clam pie and the regular cheese pie and they were both great.  The place was packed with people and our service and Pizza were super. 

 

I understand that you are not really a food critic but rather a blogger but you really should not let emails change your review of this pizzeria.  We almost did not go after I read your comments about "how many people wrote you to complain about the pizza".  I am glad that I did not listen to this advice since we truly loved this thin crusty well done pizza.  It was a gourmet pizza at a very reasonable price.

 There are many people that are "negative" or are biased since they do not want a new place to succeed.  After looking at Pepe's history, which spans 85 years this new place is producing a superior Pizza for the area, after only a few weeks of being opened.

END

Let's take this piece by piece.....

1. I understand that you are not really a food critic but rather a blogger...

Yes, we are not food critics. Never purported to be. We enjoy food and talk about it online and have developed a readership by doing so. Food critics probably won't be around in a few years, as the web has democratized the restaurant review business. More on that in another post though, we're talking pizza now

2. ... but you really should not let emails change your review of this pizzeria..."

WHEN DID WE CHANGE OUR REVIEW OF THE PIZZERIA?????

3. ...We almost did not go after I read your comments about "how many people wrote you to complain about the pizza. I am glad that I did not listen to this advice.."

ADVICE? The only advice that we gave was telling people they need to go for themselves and judge with their own taste buds. This is actually what we wrote...

In closing, I'll put it on the record that Nik and I want Frank Pepe's to succeed (and it looks like it's doing so because the parking lot is always jammed). Why? I am tired of driving into NYC, Brooklyn or out to NJ to get killer wood or coal-fired pizza. So trust me, no one wants this place to succeed more than us. 

Frank Pepe's Clam Pizza, as photographed by Jonny Mangia

Pizza alla Tonno - Pizza with Tuna

Back during the days of wine and roses, Jonny Mangia and myself ventured upon one of the most eclectically delicious slices of pizza while on vacation in the mother country, and specifically, in Florence.  While walking hand in hand upon the cobblestone streets of that richly historic slice of the world, we wandered into one of those bustling pizzerias that had sheet after crunchy sheet of pizza with different toppings.  Because we were so hungry at the time (what's new?) we quickly decided on a slice of the pizza alla tonno.  As we stood there in the street, we took one hungry bite after the next of the same slice of pizza (how romantic), the crunchy crust, the zesty tomato, the oil of the fish dripping down the sides of our mouths... it was pure heaven.  Years later, I knew trying to replicate those flavors on this side of the pond would be close to impossible, but if I could just get close... Then I had an idea.

Pizza alla tonno

I've been making amazing Italian tuna sandwiches for years now, after Mom B. told me about Genova brand "tonna", or Italian tuna, which is premium yellowfin tuna in olive oil.  Although the cans are more expensive than your run of the mill Chicken of the Sea, they are worth every penny.  The olive oil is of an obviously higher quality and the tuna is fresher and tastier.  Usually, I prepare it in the Italian tuna tradition, which is mixing the tonna with its oil with a little salt, pepper and chopped onion and spreading onto Italian bread.  If I'm feeling ambitious, I may add chopped olives or capers to the mix, but it is just as good straight out of the can.  So one night, I tried to replicate the famed pizza alla tonno in Florence by dolloping some of the Genova brand tonno on a grandma slice (its crust was sturdy enough to hold the oil of the tonna) and presto! I had the tastiest tonna slice that I've had here in the states.  Thought I'd share with any tonna fans out there!

Another Update on Frank Pepe Pizza Yonkers

After last week's positive review of Frank Pepe's pizza in Yonkers on Central Avenue, we continue to get inundated with emails, mostly negative, about the pizza. Here is the latest to come through the transom:

From Bob in Yonkers:

I live close to the new Frank Pepe's in Yonkers and have been waiting anxiously for it to open. Now that it is open my family and friends were totally disappointed with the service and the pizza. We were there twice (hoping the second time would be better). We ordered 4 different pies and not one was worth ever going back for. Sorry Frank Pepe but you need to stay in Connecticut. We New Yorkers know our pizza.

Folks, we're standing by the positive review, but damn, there are quite a few people out there who aren't digging this pizza whatsoever.