RECIPES

Sinatra Sauce The Cookbook by Daniel Bellino Zwicke – Franks Favorite Italian Recipes

 


SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK




SINATRA SAUCE

MUSIC MEATBALLS & MERRIEMENT

Daniel Bellino Zwicke is the 

author of the cookbook Sinatra Sauce: Music Meatballs & Merriment, which features Italian-American recipes inspired by Frank Sinatra’s favorite foods. The book is about Sinatra’s love for Italian food and the meals from his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey. It is not just a cookbook, but also includes stories about Sinatra’s life and dining experiences. 

About the Book
  • SINATRA SAUCE –  The book explores the Italian dishes that Frank Sinatra enjoyed throughout his life, including those made by his mother, Dolly, and father, Martino, who was also a good cook.
  • Recipes: It features recipes for classic Italian-American dishes that were a part of Sinatra’s life, such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Lasagna, and Spaghetti and Meatballs.
  • Stories: Interspersed with the recipes are anecdotes and stories about Sinatra dining at famous restaurants like 
    Patsy’s

     in Manhattan and 

    Jilly’s

     in New York.

  • AvailabilitySinatra Sauce is available for purchase on Amazon. 

  • About the author
  • Daniel Bellino Zwicke: The author is a lifelong Sinatra fan and a prolific writer on Italian cuisine.
  • Other works: Zwicke is also known for other cookbooks, including Sunday SauceLa Tavola, and Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook. He also has a background as a wine and restaurant professional in New York City. 


Frank Sinatra had a special relationship with several New York restaurants, especially Patsy’s on West 56th Street, and was a regular patron of Jilly’s, a nightclub owned by his friend

. 


PATSY’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
New York
Favorite dishes: Sinatra’s go-to dishes at 

Patsy’s

 included clams posillipo, spaghetti and meatballs, and veal milanese. He was known for having very specific preferences. The kitchen crew would prepare his favorite veal milanese, served crispy and lightly garlicked with an arugula salad, precisely to his liking.

  • Regular patron: He was such a regular that he had his own special table, and 
    Patsy’s

    would even serve him on holidays like Thanksgiving.

  • Celebrity gatherings: After performing in New York, Sinatra would bring his friends, including members of the Rat Pack like Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, to 
    Patsy’s

    . There, they would dine and socialize upstairs in a private room.

  • Legacy: The restaurant still honors Sinatra’s memory by serving his favorite veal milanese on his birthday, December 12th, even though it is no longer on the regular menu. 

  • JILLY’S SALOON – (Jilly’s

    )

  • The nightclub: Located on West 52nd Street, 
    Jilly’s

     was owned by Jilly Rizzo, a close friend of Sinatra. It was a popular hangout spot for Sinatra and the Rat Pack during the 1960s.

  • Relaxed atmosphere: While Patsy’s offered a dining experience, 
    Jilly’s

     was more of a casual hangout where Sinatra could relax with his friends.

  • Social hub: It was a place for drinks, music, and mingling with other celebrities and friends. While not specifically a culinary destination, it was a central part of Sinatra’s nightlife and social scene in New York. 
  • The stories in Sinatra SauceDaniel Bellino Zwicke’s book Sinatra Sauce draws on these stories and settings to give readers a taste of the Italian-American food and dining experiences that were central to Frank Sinatra’s life. It sets the recipes within the context of the restaurants and home kitchens that shaped Sinatra’s palate. 

OTHER FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

P.J. CLARKE’S 
  • What he ordered: When visiting this historic saloon, Sinatra was known to sit at his preferred table and order a burger and a Bloody Mary.
  • Historical context: Dating back to 1884, this establishment holds deep New York history, and a waitress who knew Sinatra worked there for over 44 years.
  • “21” CLUB
    • The setting: The 
      ’21’ Club

      , known for its speakeasy-era history, was another of Sinatra’s destinations.

    • His visit: He typically dined at a large table in the main room. 
    • PATSY’S PIZZERIA – Eat Harlem NYC
    • The East Harlem Original: The legendary pizzeria in East Harlem was a favorite of Sinatra and other celebrities like Dean Martin and Joe DiMaggio.
    • Loyalty from afar: Sinatra’s dedication was such that he had 45 pizzas flown to him in Las Vegas for a concert
    GINO’S –  Lexington Avenue
    Gino’s was another favorite of Frank’s as well as numerous other Celebs, including : Marilyn Monroe, Ed Sullivan, and others. Gino’s was beloved by its loyal clientele who loved the solid Old School Italian dishes, and its old world charm, and naturally the famed Salamandre ZEBRA Wallpaper. It was also famous for its “Pasta Segreta” – Pasta with Secret Sauce.
    Like at Patsy’s, Sinatra would eat Clams Posillipo and Veal Milanese, and loved just a simple plate of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce.
    Basta !





GINO’S of CAPRI

Inside GINO’S 





Sinatra’s simple Pasta Sauce recipe –

While Bellino’s book contains many recipes inspired by Sinatra, the singer’s own straightforward tomato sauce recipe has been shared in other publications and on food websites. It is a simple marinara sauce, meant to coat the pasta lightly.
  • Ingredients: Olive oil, thin-sliced onion, garlic, canned Italian-style tomatoes, salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, and fresh grated parmesan cheese.
  • Instructions: The recipe involves sautéing garlic in olive oil, then removing it before adding the onion. Canned tomatoes are briefly blended, then added to the pan and simmered with the herbs and seasonings. Butter is sometimes added to the cooked spaghetti before adding the sauce.

Renaissance Recipe Pasticcio alla Contessa ARCELLI FONTANA – Piacenza Italy



PASTICCIO alla PIACENTINA

RENAISSANCE Recipe from COUNTESS ARCELLI FONTANA





ANOTHER TIMBALLO

PASTICCIO alla PIACENTINA

RENAISSANCE Recipe from COUNTESS ARCELLI FONTANA


“La PALTA RISTORANTE”







PASTICCIO alla CONTESSA FONTANA

PIACENZA, ITALY




RECIPE :


For the shortcrust pastry

Flour 250 g
Butter 80 g
Egg 1
Egg yolks 2
Sunflower seed oil 30 g
Sugar 25 g
Powdered sugar 25 g
Baking powder 4 g
Black pepper to taste
Fleur de sel to taste

For the filling


Pasta 300 g
Roe deer 500 g
Onion 1
Butter 100 g
Amaretti biscuits 30 g
Grana Padano 50 g
Egg 1
Juniper berries 2
Cypress pine cone 1
Black pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Bay leaves 2
Salt to taste





MORE GREAT ITALIAN FOOD


MANGIA ITALIANO

“MEMORIES of ITALIAN FOOD”

In STORIES & RECIPES
by Daniel Bellino Z
MANGIA ITALIANO


MANGIA ITALIANO ! You Know What It Means?Yes! “EAT ITALIAN” !!! 

Everyone LOVES ITALIAN FOOD ! Right? We’ll Take This “MAGICAL JOURNEY” A Journey To The World of ITALIAN FOOD of “Mother Italy” and The ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. Take it with BEST SELLING Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke and his DELIGHTFUL STORIES of ITALIAN FOOD, of ITALY, and the Italian-American Culture in all its most Wonderful Glory, “THAT’S ITALIAN” MEMORIES in ITALIAN FOOD, RECIPES and more … “COME TAKE THIS WONDERFUL JOURNEY With US”Mangia Italiano, Memories of Italian Food is a decades long journey of Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino “Z” and his lifelong experiences and love of Italian Food from the beginning of being weaned on Pastina, the first Pasta in a long life of eating Maccheroni (Pasta) as the staple food of his Italian-American family’s diet. Moving on to Spaghetti & Meatballs, Daniel’s First Experience in eating White Truffles with Pasta, to dining out in local Italian Restaurants over the years, along with taking numerous cultural and culinary journeys to the Mother Country, Italy. The author traveled to: Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Napoli, The Amalfi Coast, Verona, Sicily, and the whole of the Italian peninsula and its many lovely islands. He ate, he learned, he lived the Italian Life in all its many splendors. In Mangia Italiano the author recalls all his many experiences with Italian Food over the yeas, both in New York and Italy. Mangia Italiano is filled with Daniel’s delightful stories of a his remarkable journey into all of Italy’s cherished Regional Cuisines, counting a multitude of ingredients turned into a variety of savory recipes. Among the mouthwatering dishes, are recipes for such items as: Sicilian Stuffed Artichokes, Mudica Steaks, Venetian Braised Duck, Italian Wedding Soup, Ragu Napoletana (Gravy), Umberto’s Shrimp Sauce for Pasta, Nonna Bellino’s Tomato Sauce, Pasta Rotta, Spaghetti Carbonara, Porchetta, Frank Sinatra’s Egg Sandwich, Amalfitana Lemon Cake, and more. Mangia Italiano will “Inspire” you to your similar Italian Experiences as well and is a book that’s sure to bring you much JOY all through the years. Read the stories, cook these fine dishes and enjoy a splendid life, Italian Style!Author’s 

Bio: DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE is the Best Selling Author of: La Tavola, The Ragu Bolognese Cookbook, Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook, The Feast of The Seven Fish / ITALIAN CHRISTMAS, and SUNDAY SAUCE

Daniel created BAR CICHETTI, America’s First Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro), he lives and writes in New York’s Greenwich Village, New York City

BOOKS : SUNDAY SAUCE, THE RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK, 
“SINATRA SAUCE, GRANDMA BELLINO’S ITALIAN COOKBOOK
The FEAST of The 7 FISH “ITALIAN CHRISTMAS”


MANGIA BENE TUTTI !!! 



BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOKS on AMAZON.com















.


What is Red Sauce – author Daniel Bellino Explains

 


“RED SAUCE”




What is Red Sauce? A question often asked. Well, there is no one sauce that is Red Sauce. When using the term “Red Sauce,” you are talking about any one of several different Italian Sauce (Italian-American), made with Tomatoes, and mostly served on and of 100 types of different pastas (Maccheroni), but not only on Maccheroni.
Red Sauce can be a Tomato Sauce, without any meat in it, just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, and maybe oregano, or not. Then the other Sauce that falls into the category known as “Red Sauce,” is what is known as Sunday Sauce, Gravy, “Gravy,” or simply SAUCE. These are all Red Sauce’s. These Red Sauce’s that have meat in them might be made with tomatoes of course that have Sausages, Meatballs, and Braciole, and other meats according to what the person cooking it likes in his Sunday Sauce (Sunday Gravy, Gravy). For instance, my favorite way of making Sunday Sauce, is with Sausages, Meatballs, and Pork Spare Ribs slowly cooked in the sauce. But I don’t always make it this way, I with it up according to my mood. Sometimes I make it with Sausages, Meatballs, & Pork Ribs, while other times I might replace the Meatballs with Chicken Thighs and make my “Sauce” with  Sausages, Ribs, & Chicken Thighs. Yes, I said “Chicken thighs which taste great, slowly cooked in the Sauce. All of these sauces mention, are Red Sauces.

When making the a Sunday Sauce, I make enough to last at least 3 days, and we get a number of meals out of the one sauce. You put the time in to make the sauce, you should make it last. It take about the same time to make a small pot of sauce as it does to make one two or three times larger. It doesn’t make sense to me to make a small pot of sauce, that I will only get 1 or two meals from. I want to get a minimum of 4 meals or more out of the one pot of sauce. For example, when I make a sauce that has meatballs in it, I always want a good amount of meatballs in the sauce. We eat the Maccheroni with all the meats, the Sausages, Ribs, & Meatballs on Sunday. Monday rolls around, which is what I (Daniel Bellino Zwicke) have coined years ago, “Meatball Parm Mondays” which I wrote about in my book Sunday Sauce, way back in 2013. So, “Meatball Parm Mondays?” We Italian (Italian-American) men love our Meatball Parm Sandwiches. We make the Sunday Sauce on Sunday (sometimes Saturday), and we eat it with Maccheroni (short pasta) on Sunday. When Monday rolls around, we take the leftover Meatballs from the previous days Sunday Sauce, and we make Meatball Sandwiches for Monday’s lunch or dinner, and we are happy campers. On Tuesday, whatever is left of the Sunday Sauce, we’ll cook up some Maccheroni, and eat it with whatever is leftover from the sauce made on Sunday. Maybe it’s just tomato sauce which is left, which we dress the Maccheroni with. Maybe there’s a little meat left which is thrown on as well. Sometimes I’ll put quite a good amount of Sausages in the Sauce when I make it on Sunday, and if any sausages are left in the sauce come Tuesday, I might make a Sausage Sandwich. You see, you want to get a lot out of that one Sauce that you make on Sunday. Take my advice, and do it.
 
Red Sauce (Tomato Sauce) is the backbone of Italian-American cooking, which many dishes are made with tomato sauce. You use Red Sauce to make dishes like: Eggplant Parmigiana, Chicken Parm, Lasagna, Baked Maccheroni, Eggplant Rolatini, baked Ziti, and more.

Oh, by the way. Some Italians use the term Red Sauce, but it is more of a non Italian-American thing than an Italian-American thing. Americans who are not of Italian heritage, are the people who use this term (Red Sauce) most. Some Italian-Americans use the term, but when talking about a sauce, Italian-Americans are more prone to using the actual name of the sauce, saying, Marinara or Marinara Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Sunday Sauce, “Gravy,” or Sunday Sauce, than using the term “Red Sauce,” which is used more by non-Italian.

The there is the great debate, on Sunday Sauce, Sauce, Gravy, and Sunday Sauce, which are all sauces made with various meats that are slowly cooked with tomatoes. Many call it Sunday Sauce, and some call it Gravy. It all depends on what your family comes from where your origins are in Italy, and what Italian Enclave you live in in America, whether in Brooklyn, Jersey, Boston, Baltimore, or New York. What do you call it? Don’t get in a tiff over it. The most important thing to remember, is the taste of your Sunday Sauce, and the people you share it with. The Sauce must be tasty. That goes without saying. Enjoy!



Daniel Bellino Zwicke









SUNDAY SAUCE 

LEARN HOW to MAKE “RED SAUCE”

All DIFFERENT KINDS !!!


Authentic Ragu Bolognese Recipe and Rules of The City of Bologna Italy

 

This is The OFFICAL RECIPE for BOLOGNESE RAGU of BOLOGNA, ITALY

This RECIPE CRITERIA for a Properly Made “RAGU” (of Bologna) according to 

AGRICOLTURA Di BOLOGNA (The Agricultural Commission of BOLOGNA)


This is the renewed recipe for the real ragù alla bolognese:

 
INGREDIENTS AND DOSES (FOR 6 PEOPLE)

Coarsely ground beef: 400 g; Fresh sliced ​​pork belly, 150 g; half an onion, about 60 g; 1 carrot, about 60 g; 1 stick of celery, about 60 g; 1 glass of red or white wine; Tomato puree: 200 g; Double concentrated tomato paste: 1 tablespoon; 1 glass of whole milk (optional); Light meat or vegetable broth (also stock cube); Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons; Salt and pepper.

400 grams Ground Beef
150 grams Pork Belly
1/4 cup minced Onion
1 stalk Celery, minced fine
1 small Carrot, peeled and minced
8 ounce dry Red or White Wine
1-2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 cup Tomato Puree
1 glass Whole Milk
1 cup Beef or Vegetable Broth or water
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Black Pepper to taste


PROCEDURE

In a non-stick saucepan (of excellent quality, heavy) or made of aluminum or enameled cast iron (once upon a time the earthenware pot was very popular) of 24-26 cm in diameter, melt the minced or chopped bacon with 3 tablespoons of oil. Then, add the finely chopped herbs on the cutting board (do not use the mixer) and slowly fry the mixture over medium-low heat, always stirring with a wooden spoon (the onion must absolutely not take on a burnt flavor). Raise the heat and add the minced meat and, always stirring carefully, cook it for about ten minutes until it “sizzles”.

Pour the wine and let it evaporate and reduce completely, until you no longer smell the wine and then add the concentrate and the puree. Continuing to mix well, pour a cup of boiling broth (but you can also use just water) and cook slowly, with the container covered, for about 2 hours (even 3 hours depending on your preferences and the meats used) adding the hot broth as needed. 

Halfway through cooking, according to an advisable ancient tradition, you can add the milk that must be reduced completely. 

Finally, once cooking is finished, season with salt and pepper. The ragù should be a nice dark orange color, enveloping and creamy.


NOTE :

Traditionally in Bologna they used the “cartella”, that is the diaphragm of the beef, today difficult to find. In its absence, or in addition, the front cuts rich in collagen are to be preferred such as the muscle, the shoulder, the under-shoulder, the belly, the brisket. Mixed cuts can be made. According to a modern processing technique, the meats are browned well separately, alone, and then mixed with the chopped herbs, also already browned.


VARIANTS ALLOWED :

1) Mixed meats: beef (about 60%) and pork (about 40%) (loin or neck);
2) Minced meat;
3) Rolled or flat pork belly instead of fresh bacon;
4) A scent of nutmeg;

VARIANTS NOT ALLOWED
 
 1) Veal pulp;
2) Smoked bacon;
3) Only pork;
4) Garlic, rosemary, parsley, other herbs or spices;
5) Brandy (in place of wine);
6) Flour (to thicken).

BOLOGNESE RAGOUT CAN Be ENRICHED With :

 1) Chicken livers, hearts and gizzards;
2) Peeled and crumbled pork sausage;
3) Blanched peas added at the end of cooking;
4) Soaked dried porcini mushrooms.






The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
AMERICA’S FAVORITE RECIPE
TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE

“Over the years, the recipe registered in 1982 has been reported in books, magazines, newspaper articles and websites in Italy and the rest of the world, constituting a clear and reliable point of reference; however, after four decades, a study of the changes that have occurred in the creation of this symbolic dish of Italian cuisine, loved throughout the world, was required.

There have been improvements in ingredients, in the quality of containers and in heat sources, as well as changes in eating habits which have had partial effects on the way ragù is prepared.

The three Bolognese Delegations have therefore set up a “Study Committee” for the updating and improvement of the recipe for Ragù alla Bolognese and, in order to obtain a current and complete overview, the Committee has consulted, through a specific questionnaire: the best restaurants in the city, custodians of tried and tested recipes; families with ancient traditions; expert gastronomes.

Ragù alla Bolognese, like all long-standing recipes, is made in families and restaurants in ever-changing ways, as demonstrated by the fact that the recipes received during the study are all different from each other, often in small details but, at times, also with substantial differences.

The “Study Committee”, making a reasoned synthesis, has therefore drawn up a new version of Ragù alla Bolognese which is very detailed in the procedure, with variations (allowed and not allowed) and advice on the cuts of meat and on possible “enrichments”.

The three Bolognese Delegations of the Italian Academy of Cuisine have thus decreed which recipe currently adheres most closely to the formula that guarantees the classic and traditional taste of the true Ragù alla Bolognese, which is what is made, cooked, served and enjoyed today in homes, in restaurants and in bars.

trattorias and restaurants in learned and fat Bologna.
The registered recipe is not intended to be the only possible one, but rather to be a safe guide to the creation of an excellent dish that does not betray traditional customs and establishes some fixed points, with the awareness that, as with musical scores, the true art lies in the execution”.
 
The notarial deed of the recipe is now jealously guarded in the Palazzo della Mercanzia. It completes the collection of thirty-four recipes of the Bolognese gastronomic culture deposited. All the result of the collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna and the Italian Academy of Cuisine that began on April 16, 1972 with the deposit of the golden measure of the authentic tagliatella alla bolognese.





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