For years now, many so called food Experts who thought they knew more than they actually did wrote disdainfully of the famed Italian dish Spaghetti & Meatballs, saying “it was not authentic Italian food,” and is Pseudo Italian. Well, “oh Contraire.” Guess what? Spaghetti & Meatballs is Italian. Or should I say Pasta & Meatballs. Yes, pasta with meatballs is a dish eaten quite often in southern Italy and the regions of Puglia, Sicily, and Abruuzo, a native dish is Pasta, (usually short Maccheroni) dressed with Meatballs as a special treat .. The names pf these dishes are called Pasta Seduta, meaning Seated Pasta and Maccaroni Azzese .. Yes Pasta w/ Meatballs, “It’s really Italian.” I myself have written about this in my book SUNDAY SAUCE -When Italian-Americans Cook, where I stated at the time that I had hear of certain areas serving Meatballs along with their pasta. And even before I heard this I surmised that out of so many millions of poor Italians over the years it was most certain that in poor family’s not wanting to wash more than 1 dish per person eating that momma would not serve pasta and meatballs in separate courses but together on one plate of Pasta & Meatballs (Spaghetti Meatballs). And so as stated before Pasta with Meatballs is an authentic dish served all over Southern Italy, it’s reall Italian Food and has names for it, again Pasta Seduta and Maccheroni Azzese .. So there, “In your face Food Snobs,” snubbing our beloved Spaghetti & Meatballs, no it’s not just Italian-American, which is not a bad thing, it’s really Real Italian and the mystery and controversy is now settled, it’s Spaghetti & Meatballs, millions love it, and billions of plates have been served over the years. Why? People love it, as simple as that ..
LASAGNA CARNEVALE alla NAPOLETANA Has Little Meatballs Inside
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Mangia Bene !!! .
Sicilian American Wedding Dinner
Pasta Seduta from Puglia
are Ziti (Zite) Baked with Meatballs & Mozzarella
In Sicily Zite used to be the Riguer at Weddings Maccarrune di Zita was served with stew pork or Meatballs and was made in large quanities as it was the tradition to bring a hearty plate of pasta as a gift to neighbors both rich and poor. Today in Sicily the word Zite means Bride. Maccheroni di Zita got its name from its role in wedding banquets, the name meant Maccheroni della Sposa, “of the Bride.” A little before my time, most Italian-American Weddings were helf in family homes at local club or in a church basement or similar circumstance and the food was made by friends and family and not a caterer. By the time I was a child often at birthday parties, baby christenings or wedding rehearsals, the family would make it’s own food for the event and not have it catered. And I remember at all these Christening and what-not, the spread of food was usually Mixed Antipasto Platters and trays of Eggplant Parmigiano and Baked Ziti, along with all sorts of sweet treats like Cannolis, Cookies, and cakes for the dessert course.
Ah, “the Good Old Day,” those dishes cooked by my Aunts Helen and Fran along with my Uncle Tony who was quite a good cook as well, were better than any catered wedding or other party I’ve ever been to. No comparison. Basta !
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Greenwich Village Newport Steak, French & Italian Wine Dinner on Thompson Street in “The Village.” My buddy Chris B. and I had another nice little Wine-Dinner this past Sunday with his girlfriend Maria … It was quite the dinner … We had some really nice wine to drink, with cheese a Steak-House Salad, and the famed Newport Steaks of Greenwich Village … Chris gave me a call on Wednesday and said we where on for dinner this coming Sunday Night (Jan. 12, 2014) .. We were both quite excited for a nice dinner and the prospect of drinking some great wines and The Newports, our favorite steaks. “A little Cote de Beaune” Chris uttered, immitating Miles in the greatest wine movie of all-time “Sideways” And so it was to be “a little Cote de Beuane” from Michele Bouzereau 2001 and Sancere from Les Mont Damnes 2012, both wines quite lovely and very good examples of their prospective zones … Chris always picks out nice White Burgundy’s and the Bouzwereau was no exception, it was wonderful … Anyway, let me get back to the Newports and the order of things as concerned the dinner which was awesome as usual, and maybe a bit more awesome than usual … So Friday I called Chris and asked hwo many we were gonna be for dinner as the butcher shop is closed Sunday and I was going to get the steaks on Saturday for Sunday . We agreed on the 3 of us so I was set with the number of Newport Steaks I needed to pick up … Oh yes, and the butcher shop in question was none other than the butcher shop where the Newport Steak was invented by one Italian-Butcher named Jack Ubaldi way back in 1947 .. Jack wanted to able to sell his cuts of Tri-Tip Sirloin more readily, so instead of selling
Our THREE NEWPORTS From FLORENCE MEAT MARKET, GREENWICH VILLAGE
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Tri-Tip in one piece which didn’t sell as well, Jack cut the Tri-Tip Sirloin into 3-4 individual Steaks from the one triangular cut of beef .. He named the Steak after the Nike-like logo on a box of Newport Cigarettes and the rest is history as they say .. Florence Prime Meat Market is still open on Jones Street in Greenwich Village and that’s where I get my Newports, either there or at Pino’s Prime Meats on Sullivan Street which cuts a Great Newport and makes tasty home-made Italian Sauages as well .. Pino’s is great, but I prefer and give an edge to Florence Market as they are the originator of the Newport and they look of the shop is much “Cooler” with all its original old fixtures …
Our Line-Up of WInes For The Night
NEWPORTS In THE PAN
NEWPORTS COOKING on 2nd SIDE
So I go to Florence and ask them to cut me 3 nice Newport Steaks .. One of the butchers goes to the walk-in (Refrigerator) and comes out with a nice fresh looking Beef Tri-Tip .. He puts it down on the thick wooden butcher block and starts trimming the tri-tip of some of its fat .. He then cuts me off three nice 2 1/2″ thick Newports and wraps them in butchers paper .. The counter lady tells me it $18.99 for the Newports (about $6.50 a piece for 3 Prime Steaks). “A Bargain.” I pay the lady, get my steaks and walk the 3 blocks back to my apartment, where I
put my Newports in the frig to the next day.
The Hearts of Romain with Tomato Onion & Bleu-Cheese Dressing
“A STEAK HOUSE SALAD”
So I get to Chris’s house and as I’m climbing the stairs to his apartment I can hear some great Jazz playing . It was Dexter Gordon and quite fine . I was tired from walking up 5 flights of stairs, so I told Chris to crack open a bottle of wine, “I need to relax.” Chris cracked open the Cote de Beaune Bouzereau, and it was quite nice and everything you’d expect from a nice mid-road White Burgundy. We both loved it .. Chris broke out some nice Brie Cheese and we sipped the wine, ate cheese and relaxed listening to some nice tunes before I started on the dinner; prepping the salad, the mushrooms, potatoes, and onions for our dinner to come ..
Cooking Italian 