SicilianCulture.com

Broccolini

sicilianculture — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:45:54 +0000

Broccolini – A “New” Vegetable

Broccolini

Earlier this season I saw my dear friend Vito growing what looked like broccoli in his garden. They are fairly large plants, basically the size of a small shrub. Because he is a native of Calabria, his English is limited and he referred to it as broccoli, but its actually Broccolini.

Broccolini is similar and often mistaken for broccoli because of its green color and appearance. Broccolini has smaller florets and long, thin stalks. It is actually a cross between broccoli and the Chinese broccoli known as kai-lan. The flavor of b

roccolini is sweet with notes of both broccoli and asparagus, but much more tender after a shorter cooking time.

Today for lunch we had a LOT of broccolini as you can see from the plate, it was all good and served with Vito’s homemade wine we made last fall, some of the soprosatta he made over the winter, and of course some good Italian bread, peppers, olives, and other cold antipasti items.

From Wikipedia: Broccolini is a registered trademark of Mann Packing Company, Inc. Its generic name is baby broccoli with product look up number 3277. It is also known by the names Asparation, Asparations, Bimi, broccoletti, broccolette and Tender Stem. Sanbon Incorporated originated a commercial program for asparation in Mexico in 1994 and first brought it to the U.S. market in 1996. Mann Packing Company introduced the new vegetable to the US market in 1998. They grow the vegetable year round in California and Arizona. Today, you can find broccolini throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.

The entire vegetable is consumable, including the occasional yellow flower. Rather delicate, common cooking methods include sauteing, steaming, boiling, and stir frying. B

roccolini is high in vitamins A & C, calcium, folate and iron.

Sicilian Limes

sicilianculture — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:22:17 +0000

Are there Limes in Sicily?

Just got an interesting email from someone stating that the Italian Government claims there are no exports of lime juice from Sicilian Limes. While it might not be exported, I have in fact seen limes in Sicily. In my cousin’s grove across the street in Mascali (Catania, Sicily), I saw huge limes, but they were perhaps lemons green in color. There is a very popular scent/cologne from Crabtree & Evelyn called “Sicilian Limes”. To state that a citrus fruit could not possibly grow in Sicily defies logic. We know about Sicilian Blood Oranges, which are reddish in color and taste more tangy than regular oranges, are grown in Sicily (and recently California), we know that Sicily is a tropical-like island with palm trees (Rome has them too) and to get such an odd email saying there is inaccurate information on SicilianCulture.com about citrus is a bit strange. So, I am reaching out to the rest of you. I know lemons and oranges exist, but what about limes? If one citrus would grow, why not another? Any input or ideas?

Spring is Here!

sicilianculture — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:21:59 +0000

Spring is here, and now is time to do some very basic things like find a few small square feet in your backyard to dig up and plant things you know will yield a lot like : Tomatoes, basil, peppers, parsley, cucumbers, zucchini and/or eggplant. All of these items are known to grow fairly easily with no attention other than watering — you can then bottle, jar, freeze or process these vegetables for use in your coming dinner dishes.

Italian Hospitality

sicilianculture — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:56:46 +0000

Great article in the NY Times on Italians, food, and hospitality!

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/travel/11Frugal.html?emc=eta1

First Pizza Since Lent

sicilianculture — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:35:39 +0000

Today I had my first Pizza since Lent began. I gave up both Pizza and Chinese food for lent in case I broke down and consumed either. I made it through successfully, And this must have been my longest stretch of no pizza in my life. My mother would make it each and every Friday till her passing. My favorite was pepperoni, but in lent she would put black sliced olives. So, I grew tired of the old things, giving up meat, candy, cursing, gin, soda, etc. This year I gave up something I would truly miss, especially in my mother’s absence, so that would be the pizza she would make every Friday regardless. So now that Easter has passed, my dear elder Calabrian friend wanted pizza, as did I after a few months. So, I tried a new place in town. They made a great vegetable pizza (fresh broccoli, onions, peppers, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, little cheese and a thin crust). They did a great job, and I will be back for their “Grandmas” square but very think pizza only topped with basil, tomato and little cheese. This, by the way is the REAL pizza. Sure, there are many claims as to which is real, but for us Sicilians, this is the real deal. Its good to know a new place which opened between Domino’s & Pappa Johns is thriving… they will get all my business and support. There are still real pizza makers, they are not all chains and/or people who were handed the business who found shortcuts from their ancestors… this is a good thing!

Buona Pasqua

sicilianculture — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:14:56 +0000

Buona Pasqua & Happy Easter!

In these times, its important we recognize our tradition, faith and appreciate that we have a day of feasting with our family and/or friends. Christianity is constantly under attack. And while I do not appreciate all the stories coming out in the press about the Pope hiding sexual misconduct, we always have to remember that the Catholic Church does NOT corner the market on use/abuse of its powerful status in society. Extreme liberals and/or athiests will be very quick to point out all the faults of the Catholic/Christian church, and I have to reluctantly have to side with the Pope on this one, to cancel out billions of Christians who try to do the right thing each and every day, we can’t let the few handful, dozen or hundred that don’t bring us all down. We are good people, there will always be an abuse of power, but we should not let that define the rest of us who are sincere and devout. My personal strategy this year is to not give money to my local church, but give it to a local charity instead… maybe even an international charity like Haiti or Chile, or the Red Cross as they see fit. I am still a Christian, and just because are not 100% one hundred percent of the time, does not mean we are to be taken likely as hypocrites. We have power as a people to still be true to our religion, faith, culture and tradition to continue on with our good will. We just have to direct it in a different direction, charity or way of helping others.

Nothing in life, faith or even death is without its problems. However, we can compensate for shortcomings by doing the good deeds Christ wanted us to do. If its not appreciated, its fine. Because someone, somewhere, is very very thankful they have a new pair of (old) jeans, a hot meal or even an old TV so they can watch their favorite show or even the news or sporting event.

While January 1st may mark the beginning of a new year, It is actually Easter that marks the new beginning of the new year. Spring arrives, we come out from our homes because the weather is warmer, and this is the time to make new vows, resolutions and make a better life for ourselves, our families, friends and those around us in the community. New Year resolutions come out of regret of over eating, over drinking maybe even over sexual conquests, but Easter truly is the start of a new season where we can make a difference and go forward with a new attitude we normally would not have after partying from Thanksgiving through New Years. Now is the time to renew — step up to the plate and let’s finish this year with a series of positive actions rather than self-centered ones that only server ourselves.

Easter Arrives

sicilianculture — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:56:25 +0000

Easter Arrives a bit earlier this year. After the winter we had here in the Northeast, its more than welcome! So what will you be serving or eating for Easter Dinner? Ham? Lamb? Of course if you are Italian there is plenty of Antipasti,Pasta and other Italian delights as well as side dishes and desserts, but I would be curious on specifics, please reply and let me know!

Spring Arrives With a Bang & Blackout

sicilianculture — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:35:58 +0000

Spring has finally arrived here in the Northeast. Not a moment too soon. Its been the roughest winter on record, in fact, the worst one this century, and the previous, the only one worse was in the late 1890s when they first started keeping records. Last week in North Jersey we were greeted with a noreaster which left more damage than any hurricane I can recall. Telephone poles and trees twice as thick and twice as tall cracked in half, uprooted and knocking down powerlines. The Willowbrook Mall was flooded and did not reopen for 3 days. Many were without power for days, schools were closed and a week later, things are still not back to “normal”.

Spring 'Storm' March 2010

While I have never embraced the whole “Global Warming” warning from Al Gore, now I reconsider ONLY because it was billed wrong. Its climate change, and its real. Let’s face it, the planet has been here for 4 billion years, and nothing we have done in the last 100 is going to change it so drastically that mother nature herself won’t do with our without us on this planet. The fact is, if it were not for the last ice age, the dinosaurs would not have died, and we would not be here if not for global climate change. This however, is something to be concerned about. Its most important we are aware of it and don’t laugh it off as I have done in the past. The fact is, in the last 5 years we have had 1 major tsunami in southeast asia, devastating hurricanes in both Haiti and the USA (Hurricane Katrina), and most recently, the Hatian earthquake followed by the earthquake in Chile all within a few weeks of each other. They say this has knocked the Earth’s rotation off. I am not saying the sky is falling or we are all doomed and death is upon us. But we do need to take global climate change more seriously. Whether we stock up on more canned foods and propane, or we start freezing food items that can be easily defrosted, or having enough firewood if the heat goes out for days. When my power went out, the oven went dead and I had half-cooked chicken I had to cut up and finish outside on the grill in high winds just to eat dinner.

But beyond that, we need to plan escape routes, know which areas and highways flood, and think of areas we can go to if this happens again anytime soon, or anytime not so soon. Be prepared. Have canned foods in the house, a non-electric can opener and propane in your grill to cook the food. Never let your car gas tank fall below half or 3/4 in case you have to head to higher land (you should anyway, its better for your car). No one wants to live life paranoid, but some peace of mind will serve you well. Always keep plenty of fresh, bottled water on hand, flashlights, and be sure your cell phones are charged. If you don’t have a fireplace, get some of those large candles from any retail store so you can at least “see” a little better during blackouts.

The world is changing… let’s not be naive about it. Let’s plan to live in it.

Friday In Lent

sicilianculture — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:30:06 +0000

“Non preoccuparti di quello che si mette in bocca, preoccuparsi delle parole che vengono fuori di esso.”

This is what my elder friend said to me when I went over to his house for lunch today. He had out salumi he had made by hand the old fashioned way. Dried hot sausage, prosciutto & sopressata. I told him, “Its Friday and it is Lent, we should not be eating meat” and he said “Don’t worry about it. Like my mother would always say, its not what you put in your mouth, its what comes out of it”. And he was right. Yes, its Lent, and we should avoid meat on Fridays, not because its a sin, but because its a way for us to remember its the season of lent. Well, I know its the season of Lent, as does he, and that being a given, we enjoyed the food he prepared. Sure, there was some guilt, but its all good, because, its not a sin, its just a way to remind us of the season. I was once on vacation in South Lake Tahoe and they were cooking steaks on Good Friday. They wanted to know why I did not want the steak but was content with eating the salad, stuffing and other side dishes… but one cleverly pointed out after reading the ingredients on the box that the stuffing was made with chicken stock. Well, guess what? That is fine, but that does not make me a sinner, non-catholic, or non-observant. I didn’t know there was chicken broth in it, and at the end of the meal I knew I was observing the Lent tradition of NOT eating meat. Its not about what you eat or don’t eat, its about the fact that you realize its Lent and you make the sacrifice. Its more about observing the season, in fact, I don’t feel guilty (ok maybe a little) about consuming a small amount of meat, but I gave up what I love most: Homemade pizza on Fridays. And to back it up, I also gave up Chinese Food and lamb. So, I think I am being very observant of the season, of course me giving up some favorite foods will never cancel out Christ’s suffering on the cross, but I am doing what I can to be respectful and observant of the season.

One last example, while you should not eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, remember these are also days of fasting. So going out to eat lobster is not honoring the season. Lent is not an excuse to eat luxury foods like lobster, seafood or other such things, but to cut back on our consumption in order to just realize that a minimum sacrifice reminds us of what Christ went through this time of year, for us.

Celebrity Dishes

sicilianculture — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:34:30 +0000

I was listening to WOR 710AM Radio Today, and the Legendary Joan Hamburg had the even MORE legendary chef/owner from Patsy’s Restaurant in NYC as a guest. “Pasquale” (AKA Patsy) was his grandfather and the same hotspot in NYC for generations is still in operation and owned by the same family. Not only did Joan Hamburg go there with her parents on special holidays, birthdays and events, but its also known that it was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite places while in town. Here are some of the famous celebrity favorite dishes:

Frank Sinatra: Veal Scallopine (veal pounded nearly paper thin, tender, usually served with lemon and/or Marsala wine sauce)
Dean Martin: Linguini & Clams
Tony Bennett: Chilean Sea Bass with Eggplant & Olives
Jackie Gleason: Roast Sucking Pig (usually delivered to his hotel room)
Rosemary Clooney: Pasta e Fagioli (tube pasta with tomato sauce, chicken broth & white beans)
Scott Baio: Baked Clams

The list goes on with P. Diddy (Sean Puffy Combs); Jennifer Lopez; Alec Baldwin, and of course, the ultimate New Yorker, Rudy Giuliani where Frittata, Lobster Fra Diavolo, and leftover pasta dishes which are even more delicious the next day when they are served, are all are part of the charm and history of Patsy’s.

http://www.patsys.com

Mangiare!