La Bella Ferrara

Hi Everyone.  I recently went to my favorite Italian cafe in Little Italy in NYC for an espresso and cannolo.  La Bella Ferrara, NOT to be confused with Ferrara, the tourist attraction, has some of the best espresso this side of the Atlantic.  Franco, the seventy something, Sicilian owner of Bella Ferrara explained to me that one reason his coffee is so good is that he never turns off his espresso machine.  Franco is also very hands on.  He's owned the establishment for over forty years, and you can usually find him there greeting his customers.  On the weekends he sings and he was recently in an indie movie called, "Meatballs, Tomatoes and Mobsters".  One day we were talking about life as a proprietor of a New York City cafe, and he brought out a little wooden box from behind the counter.  The box was filled with little slips of paper.  Franco explained to me that these were papers upon which women had written their phone numbers, and secretly slipped to him while they were with other men in his cafe.  How many he followed up on, he did not say.  

His pastries are indeed the best in Little Italy and you can eat them in the cafe or buy them next door at La Bella Ferrara bakery.  There is outdoor seating and during nice weather it's a real treat to sip your espresso and watch the world go by.  You can also get pizza and Italian style sandwiches as well as wine and beer.  Once again, let me make it clear,  do not confuse La Bella Ferrara which is on Mulberry Street between Canal and Hester with Ferrara on Grand Street.  Ferrara is a famous tourist attraction and is a disappointment.  For the real deal, head over to La Bella Ferrara, and enjoy!  Xo  

This is a picture of the Sicilian town Colesano, where my grandmother was born.

Fritata in Italy

Hi Everyone, some years ago my daughter spent a full school year in Florence for her junior year of college.  I visited her there during christmas break.  I find international flights quite hard on the system.  Between what is supposed to pass for food, and that I'm too excited to sleep on the plane ( and they wake you for "breakfast" at what your body knows is 1 o'clock in the morning ) I usually arrive in rather shaky condition.  This was indeed the case when I made it to my daughter's apartment.   Her apartment was situated across the square from the huge indoor market which contained every food item one could desire.  There were meats, breads, chocolates, olives, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, fish, and all of excellent quality.  During my stay, it was a great treat to shop there and procure the ingredients for our next meal.  For the day of my arrival, my daughter had bought some finger-thin, impossibly fresh zucchini and planned to cook a fritata for my breakfast!   She sliced the zucchini, which raw, had a deliciously nutty flavor.  She sauteed the zucchini and onions and added to the pan some freshly beaten eggs.  She let the eggs cook without mixing or flipping, added salt, and covered the pan to let everything cook through.  A little pamigiano on top and we were good to go.  What a restorative meal!  Fresh vegetables and eggs cooked together with love and the promise of two food-filled weeks in Firenze! 

Below, I have another recipe for zucchini.  Zucchini is best when picked very small as it is more flavorful when young and tender.

Sauteed Zucchini:

Slice about six small, slender zucchini for 2 people.  Crush a few cloves of garlic and put in a pot with olive oil and salt.  Add the zucchini, cover, and turn the flame to medium low heat.   Let the zucchini cook and check it periodically.  When some has browned, you may stir it gently.  The zucchini will brown and soften.  Do not let it cook 'til it's mush!  When done, sprinkle salt and a little bread crumbs on top.  Mmmmmmm, I'm cooking this tonight.  Enjoy.  Xo

PS  This zucchini is also good over linguine.

Adventures in NYC

Hi Everyone, I just back back from a few days in NYC.  I had gotten tickets to the live taping of the "Wendy Williams Show" for my daughter and me.  Now,  that I enjoy the "Wendy Williams Show" had been my "secret pleasure" but I'm letting the secret out because it was so much fun!  All the people working on the show ( including Wendy ) were friendly, positive and upbeat.  The deejay kept the dance music thumpin' and we had a little dance party before the show started, complete with disco balls ( which reminded me that I still have to get one )!  The following evening, we went to Broadway and saw "West Side Story".  Seeing the professionals dance Jerome Robbins brilliant choreography, was really quite a thrill for me and the tragic love story never disappoints ( I realize that I harbor a faint hope that things will turn out differently for Tony and Maria and Chino won't find them! ). 

I decided to cap off all of this entertainment with brunch at one of my favorite places on the Lower East Side.  'inoteca is a cozy little authentically Italian  ( as opposed to Italian-american ) bistro serving tasty, fresh food.  Their cafe americano is always strong, rich and smooth, one of my favorite cups.  They have a "to die for" warm scone filled with Nutella cream, and a Truffled Egg Toast, which is a thick piece of toast with an egg poached in a hole in the center with truffle oil, a truly brilliant combination!   For a while now, my favorite item on the menu has been the Basil Pesto and Egg Panino.  Yesterday's panino was the best ever!  The eggs were exactly the way I like them, lightly scrambled and buttery with the basil pesto flavoring the eggs just enough, not overpowering them.  The bread had just the right amount of of crispiness on the outside.  I was in breakfast heaven for the whole time it took me to eat!  It was a perfect way to end a few days in the greatest city in the world!   Xo

Lentil Soup

Hi Everyone, I think it's time for soup.  When I was four years old my grandmother taught me how to cook lentil soup.  I remember being in her kitchen, standing on a chair next to the stove with her beside me.  I did what she was doing in my very own little pot.  Later that day my cousin Roseanne and her mother, my great aunt Isabel came to Grandma's house.  I idolized my cousin Roseanne who was four years older than I.  She made me laugh uncontrollably and got us into mischief which always got her into trouble because she was older.  Well, that afternoon I gave Roseanne some of my lentil soup and she turned to her mother and said, "this is better than yours" whereupon Aunt Isabel slapped her!  Well, I know that my Italian family thinks food is very important, but this was going too far!  So be careful with this recipe, it's been known to make people violently jealous.

Lentil Soup:

Saute a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, a medium onion, 2 or 3 chopped celery stalks, and salt in olive oil.  When the onions and celery soften, add about 2/3 of a cup of lentils and about a quart of water and salt.  Let it come to a boil the reduce the heat and let it simmer.    While the soup is simmering, add two sliced carrots and about 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley and about 1/2 cup of a green of your choice.  Escarole is good as is spinach, swiss chard, kale etc. Let the soup cook for about an hour.  It's ready when there are no more individual lentils and the lentils are all blended.  At this point my grandmother would add some pasta and let it cook in the soup.  She used linguine.  Shells are good too.  If you add pasta only use a little as too much will eat up all of your soup.  Some grated parmigiano cheese sprinkled on top of your bowl finishes it off nicely.  Of course, as with most soups, it is even better the next day.   Mmmmmmmmmm, soup.  Enjoy!  Xo