Did someone say Cacciatore?

The old adage about ‘nice guys finish last’ comes to us from the world of baseball by Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher in 1946. In the cooking world it’s a bit different as a nice dish can finish first and be very popular. Having just returned from 2 weeks of hell in the Pacific Northwest I was craving a nice, easy home cooked meal and decided a chicken cacciatore style plate is what I’d like to eat to bring some joy back into my life.

Many things in life start with desire and once I set my mind on this plate it was easy to pull together.

Sauce is a big part of a pasta dish and making a good one from scratch usually takes the better part of a day or a second day to have it set right. I decided to cut corners and use Private Selection sauce made in Italy and distributed by Kroger of Cincinnati. I actually used 2 jars of sauce. The first jar was Porcini Arrabbiata and the second jar was Tomato and Black Truffle.

Below is the simple ingredient list and procedure for preparation.

Kroger Private Reserve sauce – 2 jars
1 Porcini Arrabbiata and 1 Tomato Black Truffle
1 chopped yellow onion
6 chopped garlic cloves
1 tray of rubbed chicken: 8 legs
salt
pepper

Mushrooms, grated carrots, celery, olives or any other favorites are ingredients that could also be added to this dish.

Start by chopping up the onion and garlic. Put a small amount of wine in a pan and warm. Once the wine has warmed and the alcohol will lift. Then add a little olive oil into the pan with a touch of butter and salt and the onions. Simmer the onions on low to medium heat. When the onions begin the clear up add the garlic and let them warm up. Once the garlic has had a chance to expand and begin to release its flavor it’s time to add the 2 jars of sauce. Stir, cover and let simmer on a low heat, stirring occasionally.

As the sauce does its magic it is time to start heating the rubbed chicken. Get another pan and add a small amount of olive oil and a touch of water and heat. As the pan heats add the 8 rubbed chicken legs, lightly salt and cover. Pan fry the chicken on stove top over low to medium heat. You are trying to heat the chicken thoroughly but not overcook or dry out. Low and slow is the way of the heat.

Time to check the sauce and stir.

Next add a pot of water to the stove top to boil the pasta and begin to heat. Salt can be added to this water if you salt your pasta water. Some folks do.
Boil enough water for 1lb of fettuccine or your favorite noodle shape.

Now you have all the moving parts working and it’s time to clean up as you monitor and stir the heating pans.

The noodles will be ready first. Drain the pasta and add a little of the starch water to the sauce. Cover the drained noodles and let sit.

Once the sauce has simmered enough to be considered ready and the chicken is cooked enough to eat turn all of the heat off and prepare to plate these items.

Start by adding a lump of pasta in plate center.
Surround pasta lump with chicken legs.
Scoop sauce over noodles with plenty for the chicken too.
Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Bon appetit.

Pasta Carbonara is awesome.

Carbonara is a popular dish throughout the world. Luca Di Leo from Barilla pasta says, “One of the great traits of pasta is its extraordinary versatility. You can combine it with pretty much anything. A carbonara base allows one to create different variations from experimenting from a roasted artichoke to sautéed shrimp. You can also make a great variation of carbonara with spices different from black pepper. Carbonara is a truly global recipe which can help bring people together.”

Carbonara di mare or “seafood carbonara” is an Italian beach favorite. For instance, in place of cured pork, three-star Michelin chef Mauro Uliassi substitutes virtually anything from the sea; smoked trout, small raw clams and even canned tuna.
Norbert Niederkofler, another Michelin three star chef famed for his “Cook the Mountain” philosophy, has created Tyrolean Carbonara, a reinterpretation that features Italian Alpine ingredients including leeks, Malga cheese, dehydrated speck powder and spelt flour fusilli. No beaten eggs appear in this version – instead, he places one whole yolk on top of each bowl of hot seasoned fusilli.

Italians might embrace variations but there are limits. A national culinary crisis arose when the French attempted to reinvent this beloved dish as a quick one-pot meal. This action dubbed “Carbonaragate” sparked international debate and outrage among Italian food writers, bloggers, chefs, home cooks and pasta makers. A video demonstrating the French style carbonara went viral, being viewed by more than a million Italians. They were appalled to witness bow tie pasta cooked in the same pan as diced bacon and onions, finished with crème fraiche and an unidentified cheese, topped with a raw egg and parsley. Commenting on the social media uproar, Adam Gopnik said in New Yorker magazine ‘Carbonara purists cannot stop the pasta revolution.’ He argued that the concept of one-pot pasta has already ‘swept through American kitchens’ citing the popular Martha Stewart and Food52 recipes.
Two Michelin star chef Marco Sacco offers a middle path. “In the kitchen, the protection and care of tradition must be able to coexist with the desire and the possibility to innovate and experiment” he explains. “The original recipes must be defended and preserved, just as an artistic asset is protected in a museum or a UNESCO site. But this does not mean that maximum freedom should not be given to experiment, innovate or adapt to the territory with new ingredients. After all, it is just food. Various lands offer various cultures and preparation techniques can differ just like people do.”

Traditional Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients

12 oz of spaghetti
7 oz of guanciale
4 whole medium eggs (1 egg per serving)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon of grated Pecorino Romano
ground black pepper

Step 1 – Boil the water for the pasta while you prepare the carbonara sauce. Remember: 4 cups of water for every 3.50 oz of pasta and 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt per 4 cups of water.
Cut the guanciale into small pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it cooks evenly. The more the guanciale cooks, the more its fat will melt and its meat will become crispy. The level of crisp is up to you. Some people like their guanciale well cooked and others prefer it soft.
No need for oil: guanciale is already fatty, oily and fabulous on its own. If you want, you can add a tablespoon of cooking water and emulsify. This will create a great oily sauce to season the spaghetti nicely. When it’s ready, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside.

Step 2 – Prepare the pecorino cream. In a bowl put the eggs and pecorino Romano cheese.
Use the whole egg. Pecorino Romano, the only cheese that is recommended for making carbonara, is a very salty and flavorful Italian cheese so there is no need to add salt.

Step 3 – Add freshly ground black pepper and mix quickly until you have a creamy sauce.

Step 4 – This egg and pecorino cheese sauce should be quite thick. Set it aside for the moment.
The water should now be boiling so add the salt and cook the spaghetti. If you chose a fairly large pot, the spaghetti should fit comfortably without breaking them. Whole, unbroken spaghetti is best, so you can more easily roll them around on your fork.

Step 5 – Drain the pasta when ready. Then place them in the skillet, over high heat, to season well with the guanciale.
At this step, we have reached the crucial moment of spaghetti carbonara. Not to put tension on it, but this is the fleeting moment in which you can make an immortal dish or one that will be a real failure. So now you have to be quick, ready and ruthless. Here’s how to do it:

Step 6 – When the spaghetti and guanciale sizzle in the pan, TURN OFF THE HEAT, otherwise the eggs will overcook and you’ll end up with scrambled eggs and pasta!
Now quickly add the eggs and pecorino cream to the hot pasta and stir. The pan is not too hot, this way the eggs will cook without lumps. Pay attention to the consistency, which should be creamy, but not runny. If you notice that your carbonara is too runny, add some grated pecorino cheese. On the other hand, if you see that it’s too sticky and dense, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cooking water.

Step 7 – Carbonara is ready. With the help of a ladle and a fork, create a pasta nest and place it on a plate.

Step 8 – Add what’s left of the guanciale, freshly ground black pepper and grated pecorino romano to taste.

There are many quality recipes online. Check these sites out to get started.

https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/roman-spaghetti-carbonara
https://skinnyspatula.com/tagliatelle-carbonara/
https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/
https://recipe30.com/french-spaghetti-carbonara.html/

Seafood carbonara art rendition by p3

Guasacate Beach Treats – Popoyo

Recently, there was a 3 week period when my path stopped and all I did was hang out in the Popoyo Beach, Guasacate, Nicaragua area. The time was spent with a buddy either going to the beach, doing little things around the pad, eating or going to get some more beers before going out to eat again. It was pretty terrific and as much as the insects, reptiles, barking dogs and heat can be annoying it was far better than the traffic, homeless issues and silly political news games presented to US back home. My heart rate easily decreased by 15 beats a minute after a few days of adjustment.

As mentioned there are a number of really good places to eat in the area. They are all run by fine people who create quality foods of all kinds. There is a variety of places to choose from and below are some of the places that stood out the most to me. They are listed in alphabetical order and show no preference by the place in order. Read each listing to find out more about the places.

https://goo.gl/maps/aPEzYy5FLo8skJFi8 This link will take you to Guasacate’s main beach road on Google maps and will help guide to some mentioned eateries.

Amahula Hostel – This place is located on the south end of the main beach street. They have nice rooms, a cool staff, a big open bar/cafe/board stash-shower/hang out area and organize parties in the area. They can be found on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amahulahostel/

Amaros – Amaro is a really nice guy who just opened a new restaurant in town. Located in a central spot on the main road near the salt flats this is a great place to eat breakfast. The huevos rancheros is the best in town. The staff is sweet and I loved going here.

Casitas Pacific – This place offers nice rooms and has a cafe you’ll be happy you discovered. If you want to enjoy lunch at a table looking out to the beach while sipping a cool drink in the shade, then you should find your way to this spot and enjoy. https://www.casitaspacific.com/cafe-restaurant

Dutchy’s Deli – Always cheerful and welcoming, this is a place I like to see the doors open at. You can change your spirit simply by walking in, saying hello and having a refreshing smoothie in the patio area. The tuna sandwich, roast beef sandwich and hamburger are all winners. If they have the homemade lox you must have it. They also make good fresh bread and have menu items for those who choose not to eat meat. There might be a dog sleeping in the bathroom and chances are he’s not gonna move so aim carefully. Lastly, if you notice the place has a nice charm, it is most likely because the owners wife is a very talented designer with a great eye. Both are very cool people who host an excellent staff that helps them run an awesome establishment. They can be found on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/dutchysdeli/

La Loma Del Sabor Restaurante – This was the first place I ate in the Guasacate/Salinas area and was always happy to return. The banana con leches were so good I would ask for 2 every time. The menu offered many good options and were more of a locally known spot. They aren’t on the main beach road but on the main highway. They are on Instagram too. https://www.instagram.com/la_loma_del_sabor/

La Tica #2 – This place is located at the end of the road and everyone knows Jessica. She is super cool and besides being the hostess that holds down the hostel she is the cook that manages the nightly BBQ on the grill outside that is a big hit for everyone in the neighborhood. They offer none meat, chicken, cow or fish options along with a plate full of salad and potato star things. The nights they offered Dorado as the fish option were my favorites. This place is just good all around. Not sure why Trip Advisor has the ratings it does but you can be assured Jessica has got it handled. Eat, drink, surf, sleep and be happy. https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1025477827/la-tica-playa-guasacate-popoyo-nicaragua/

Magnific Rock – This place is an awesome location perched on the point above the surf break and when the waves are firing this place would be the bar where the judges would be sitting. It is priced more on the higher end of the scale like a couple others on this list but what you get in return is worth the extra couple dollars when you are enjoying the coffee in the am or a refreshing drink at sunset. https://magnificrock.com/drink-dine/magnific-rock-cafe/

Restaurant Kathere Abierto – This one you may have to keep an eye out for as I don’t remember seeing a sign and it looks like it’s part of something else. It is located on the main beach road right next to and on the north side of Vibra Guesthouse. The patio, which from the street you enter the center, runs sort of parallel to the road with the kitchen counter towards the back of the patio away from the street. This place can seem odd at first but be cool, act patient and enjoy the food. Trying to get fancy or act touristy will not help. The menu is typical Nicaraguan food and is done properly. We ate here on several occasions and one night I enjoyed the fish special which was called like citrus fish or primo fish or something like that and it was worth every penny.

PIZZA – there are a couple of places you can find pizzas in town and all are pretty good. On the main beach road you will hear about pizza night and just follow the crowd. It can get crowded and you can wait an hour or they could even run out as once happened to us.

Club Surf Popoyo – https://www.clubdelsurf.com/ Good Italian in a chill spot.

Viento Este Popoyo – https://www.instagram.com/viento.este.popoyo/?hl=en Popular pizza nights.

Farther away from the beach is Mad Dog’s Pizza. They are kind of located in a spot by themselves but follow the sign and you’ll easily find it. The owner is a nice guy and they had a pretty cool set up where we watched 2 periods of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The food was good, the beer was cold and the hospitality was genuine. https://www.facebook.com/maddognicaragua/

Well that is what I have to share. Muchas gracias to all the fine folks in the beach community of Guasacate y Las Salinas, Nicaragua.

Pasta, Angels, Family & the Dude of Food.

Cooking With Grandma Gina

The Dude of Food grew up an only child with a working mom who disliked cooking. Her 3 motto’s in life to me were:

‘where there’s smoke, there’s dinner’
‘you can never be too rich or too thin’
‘go play on the freeway’

The refrigerator to me was something to go look in at someone else’s house. That is how I learned about food, by looking in other peoples fridges and lunch boxes to see what they ate like. It took me years to get over just casually opening and looking inside of someones fridge.

On special Saturday mornings as a kid I used to make a can of Spaghettios or Franco American Macaroni with cheese sauce as a treat.

One of the places I would wander over to visit was the house of the Italian family down the street. They had 3 older girls and a boy my age and they always had food. Their kitchen was the best. Something was always out on the table or on the stove top, warmed and ready to be eaten. Homemade pastas, sauces, pizzas, rapini and as we got older everything with onions in it so our lungs would stay healthier. This Italian mother even made liver taste good with thin slices and loads of onions.

When we would go back east to visit their Italian relatives I would be blown away that every Italian kitchen was the same, warm and full of food. We couldn’t go anywhere without eating a plate of food and sipping some homemade wine. By the third or fourth visit you’d be pretty full but the hosts would get offended if you didn’t eat their food and thought you liked the other family better so you had to eat, drink and be merry. It was great.

When I went to visit the youthful home of my buddies father in Italy I was blown away at the genuine love, hospitality and meals shared with me.

This love of family and food has never left me and recently I began preparing homemade pasta noodles after a lesson from my friends father’s sister, Aunt Mary, whom I’ve known since I was in 5th grade. I’m now 56 years old. In researching how to make a better noodle I was directed to Youtube and discovered the next best thing since beer was created. The name of this Angel is Grandma Gina Petitti. She has a food channel that you must see.

Grandma Gina is precious and I instantly fell in love with her. She speaks just like everyone in my buddies family and reminds me of the best of my childhood. If you are still reading this then you must go to visit Gina https://www.youtube.com/c/BuonAPetitti/videos and see for yourself.

Learn to make noodles, ravioli or whatever else you might be interested in preparing but be ready to get sucked in. You will learn to cook and have your heart warmed at the same time.

You can also purchase Gina’s cookbook online as well. It’s titled, ‘Cooking With Grandma Gina’.

Grazie Nonna Gina. May God continue to bless you.

According to Buzzfeed Pasta Facts, https://www.buzzfeed.com/jesseszewczyk/pasta-facts ,
the average Italian eats 60 pounds of pasta a year while Americans average eating just 26 pounds per year.

October 25 – World Pasta Day
January 4 – National Spaghetti Day

“Now I’ma gunna maykeh a pasta carbonarra.” the Dude of Food.

La Tur cheese will mooove you, baaaaa.

This blend of cow, sheep and goat milk from Italy made by the fine folks at Caseificio Dell’Alta Langa is absolutely delicious. Soft enough to spread on crackers and easily melts into hot pasta. The flavor in this cheese is rich enough for cheese experts and lively enough to wake up a boring appetizer party.

The Dude of Food melted a good chunk of this cheese into some hot noodles the other day and was stoked I did. I can see myself craving this in the near future.

Thank you Caseificio Dell’Alta Langa for your La Tur cheese. It is delicioso.

The Dude of Food continues his Best Pizza in LA search.

It seems, as the Dude of Food continues to gain weight driving around Los Angeles eating at various pizza places in search of the ‘Greatest LA Pizza’, the list has room to grow. If you make pizza and think it’s good enough to be on a top 10 Pizza’s in LA list then please find the Dude of Food on Facebook and let me know to come in.

The Dude of Food finds 1 of the best pizzas in Europe, at the Dusseldorf airport!

The Dude of Food had just left Munich. It was with a painful heart that he dragged himself away from Minga, a city that he loves. He had prepared for the long flight back to LA by staying up all night on his last visit in town before he left. He knew he had a 1 1/2 hour layover in Dusseldorf Airport’s Terminal ‘C’. Upon arrival to Gate 32 Terminal C a vision similar to an oasis housing a food mermaid revealed itself to this hungry traveler. A restaurant at the next gate had a sign announcing food and beer that read Zigolini.

At gate 34 this small restaurant named Zigolini offered some good looking pastas and pizza for a reasonable price. The Dude of Food asked for a large beer. The guy next to me received a veggie pizza and that was it. I needed one also. A sausage and bacon pizza was asked for. There is no exaggeration in saying that this may be one of the best pizzas ever!

The next time I flew through Dusseldorf it was a no brainer to go back. Zigolini was still there waiting for me in all her delicious glory. The only thing that was different was the sign now reads Marche. You can read more about Marche at http://www.marche-restaurants.com.

Muhamad Ali, the head chef and designer, personally told the Dude of Food that the restaurant is still called Zigolini even though the sign has changed. The receipt still reads Zigolini. Chef Ali has one of the best secret recipes ever and is a sweet guy that loves sharing with his customers. His pizzas are simply amazing and he will happily add the ingredients you may want if you don’t see the combination you like on the menu.

This pizza was better than nearly all I’ve ever had in Firenze, Rome, Germany, New York, Chicago, LA or maybe even ever! Certainly the Best Valued and Best Tasting Airport Food that the Dude of Food has ever encountered. If you are ever near the Dusseldorf airport and have some time to kill, the Dude of Food highly recommends that you go see for yourself about the pizza at Zigolini Italian Food.

Chef Muhamad Ali is doing it right and deserves the title of ‘the Champ’!

Zigolini

Dusseldorf Flughafen Terminal B or C by Gate 34 Airside 40474 Dusseldorf

Check out the United Nations World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Program is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. This agency and the good people that work here are doing something to help. Go to their web page and get educated about what is going on and how your business can help.

You may be able to help pick up the waste left over by these camps too.

http://www.wfp.org/

“Wait until they discover Il Barroccio.” the Dude of Food.

It’s true what they say about Il Barroccio on Trip Advisor and elsewhere on the internet. It is just a matter of time before folks will discover and be flocking to Il Barroccio . It is located just around the corner from a huge crowded plaza and under the jail window that once was home to Niccolo Machiavelli and is an easily found hidden gem.

The Dude of Food wanted ‘to try the homemade noodles wrestling with soft chunks of wild boar in a seriously delicious sauce, please.’

It looked unbelievable and truly tasted better as it made it’s way over my taste buds followed by a bath of decadent Tuscan red wine.

Giovanni and Roberto are top notch folks and Il Barroccio offers food to match. Grazie.

San Gusme’s best restaurant – Sira e Remino

The Dude of Food recently visited the Tuscan region of Italy. Luckily, my aunt and uncle were in the area and invited me stay at their rented villa for a night which happens to be a short walk from the cool old Italian village called San Gusme. In this village you will find one of the world’s finest culinary dreams come true. A place called Sira e Remino.

The restaurant’s sign which says Sira e Remino un cult, is exactly the kind of cult I need to join. Their place is located within the small old village walls and is awesome. The greeting and hospitality were warm and genuine. Our party of 7 were shown to the ‘Frank Sinatra room’ in the back away from the local soccer club filled bar.

We began this heavenly experience with lots of wine followed by salads, anti pasta, then more wine followed by incredible sizzling meat trays. There wasn’t a thing that wasn’t perfect about this entire place, staff and meal. The prices were generous considering the quality and portions.

Thank you Sira e Remino. Now I’m thinking I should get a job here just to be close to your quality food.

The Dude of Food can be reached on Facebook.

facebook.com/thedudeoffood