| |
| |
|
Recipes Information |
|
|
|
What Wise Guys Eat
When I lived in the North End of Boston, in the nineteen eighties and nineties, I hung around a neighborhood bar from time to time, called The Corner Café. It was located on Prince Street near the corner of Salem Street. And it was indeed a neighborhood place. The owner, Richie Longo, was a neighborhood kid who grew up on Prince Street and duly attended Saint Leonard's School-as his first generation Italian-American parents had-along with all the other neighborhood kids. The regular patrons at the time, were neighborhood people too; all of whom seemed to have nicknames. (although, the nicknames were useful for identification purposes). There was Joe the Lawyer, who wasn't a lawyer at all, but worked as an insurance investigator. Then there was John the Lawyer, who was a stockbroker, and John the Lawyer, who really was a lawyer with an office across the street. And I was always confused about Mary the Nurse, whose nickname seemed unnecessary; she was indeed a nurse, but she was the only regular named Mary. Then there were the rest of the regulars: mostly young men ,who fancied themselves to be wise guys. Their conversations were peppered with phrases like 'fuggeddaboudit,' and 'ba-da-bing!' And they often talked about 'needing to see this guy,' or 'having to take care of that thing.' But despite the fact that they revered Robert DiNiro, and may have harbored dreams of being known by a nickname like "extreme unction," the most serious crime any of them may ever have committed was betting on the Red Sox late in September. When these local heros weren't talking about 'this guy,' or 'that thing,' though, the conversation tended to stray toward food; often, toward Chicken Scarpariello. This was a hot dish-literally, and figuratively-during my years in Boston. And the folks often debated the qualities of one preparation over another. The talk often centered around the merits of Cantina d'Italia's recipe, that included sausage, over Felicia's, that didn't. Sausage or not, though, Chicken Scarpariello is the kind of dish that would please any wise guy because it encourages eating with a fork in one hand an a torn-off piece of crusty bread in the other; the latter, used for sopping up the sauce, and for punctuating various exclamations of 'fuggeddaboudit,' or 'ba-da-bing.' The short version of the history of Chicken Scarpariello, 'shoemaker's-style', is that it was named for the humble fellow who cobbled together the ingredients for the dish from his meager pantry. How it became a wise guy favorite is more obscure, and very likely lost to history. But I suggest that when you serve Chicken Scarpariello at home, the dinner table conversation will become animated and rise a decibel or two above normal. And will you and your fellow diners enjoy it? Fuggeddaboudit. Skip's Chicken Scarpariello Ingredients: 2 ½ - 3 Lb. Frying chicken cut into 8 pieces Preparation: Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the chicken pieces to the sauté pan without crowding. Do this step in batches if necessary. Cook the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, until they're golden brown all over; about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and reserve on a plate, covering them with aluminum foil. Raise the heat to high, and add the wine. Boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of chicken that may have caramelized on the bottom of the pan, for about 2 minutes. Add the cherry peppers, chicken broth, parsley, and butter. Allow the mixture to return to the boil, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Lower the heat to the simmer, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. For a real wise guy presentation, add the sausage at this point too. To Serve Remove the chicken (and optional sausage) pieces to a platter, cover with the sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve with plenty of Italian bread for sopping up the sauce. Serves four Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks: http://www.skiplombardi.com. For comments or questions, e-mail at info@skiplombardi.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Recipes - Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Cooking Roast Prime Rib on the Grill Love the taste of prime rib? Love the taste of barbecue? You can combine them together for cooking roast prime rib on the grill. It takes a bit longer than hamburgers, but cooking roast prime rib on the grill gives you a fabulous roast that everyone enjoys. How to Make Your Own Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream Sometimes, when you have set yourself in the weight loss journey, you may miss your old friends: snacks.But life does not have to be miserable for you to lose weight. Weight Loss Recipe: Crustless Quiche Crust-less QuicheQuick and easy, this meal is great either hot or cold. Stores well in the refrigerator and can be frozen. Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake Bottom Layer:1/2 cup butter or margarine1 cup sugar2 cups flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 cup milk2 eggs1 teaspoon vanillaCream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. London Broil - Garlic eRix Recipes London broil - Garlic Ingredients: ? 2 lbs. London Broil beef ? 1 ½ cups cubed, peeled carrots? 1 ½ cups cubed cabbage? ½ cup cubed Spanish yellow onion? 2 cups halved, unpeeled red potatoes? 1 teaspoon salt? 1 tablespoon of canola vegetable oil? 4 quartered cloves of garlic from bulb? ½ cup of water Step One - take the 2 lb. New York Style Cheesecake Recipe New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular silky style of cream cheese was developed in the New York area. Parmesan Crusted Sole with Lemon Beurre Blanc Sole/flounder is a refreshing sweet and mild flavored fish which allows it to be used in a variety of ways. With its long thin flesh, sole is often stuffed or used in other extravagant plate presentations. Cookware: What You Need And What You Don't Cookware is always a rather contentious subject. I have seen chefs turn up to even the simplest of cooking jobs carrying more than it would take to maintain your average oil tanker (though maybe this is not the best use for your cookware), when all that was really needed was a knife and something to sharpen it with. Low Fat Salmon Recipes Finding delicious low fat salmon recipes has just become easier since you found our website. There are many wonderful low fat salmon recipes that will please your palate plus the palates of your dinner guests or family. Summer Salads Green vegetables are the food most missing in modern diets. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium (120 -190 mg per cup!) They're also high in magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and they are a power house for Vitamin A, C, E and K. Weight Loss Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken Enjoy the sensation of fried chicken without the extra calories of deep frying. This recipe is sensational either hot or cold and is great for taking to work to avoid the unwanted 'canteen calories'. Fire Cracker Italian Sausage Pasta You will find that this recipe is very easy to make. And you can prep all of your ingredients in advance. A Healthy Summertime Snack For Your Kids Oh, for the lazy days of Summer.. Low Carb Barbeque Sauce Is there such a thing as low carb bbq sauce recipes? The answer is yes! You can enjoy all that barbequing has to offer with several different low carb barbecue recipes.The main item in BBQ sauce that causes the high carb levels is of course sugar, so you should look for recipes that do not have any sugar or substitute the sugar with a substitute like Splenda. The Creamy Taste Of Fudge! Fudge is a treat that everyone loves. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, the taste of a smooth, creamy piece of delicious Fudge appeals to everyone. Planning Help: Meal One It's nice when I find a meal where the foods compliment each other because it simplifies my life by knowing what to serve with what. Of course I don't have to stick to any one meal plan; I can mix and match the main dishes and sides, but a lot of the time I'm in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to think about it. In Grandmas Kitchen (Part I) One of my fondest childhood memories is being in the kitchen with my Hungarian grandmother. I loved watching her chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and leaning over bubbling pots in a kitchen that was always filled with wonderful aromas. Spanish Food - The Tasty Tortilla It certainly is a poor man or woman who cannot find a few eggs, a couple of potatoes and an onion in their store cupboard!The ever-practical Spaniard realized this and thus created their marvellous "tortilla" - an easy-to-make dish that could be savoured by rich and poor alike.Not only cheap to make the tortilla, or Spanish omelette, is immenseley adaptable: you can eat it hot or cold, depending on the weather and your mood; you can enjoy a small slice as a "tapa" (snack) in between meals; or, accompanied by a multi-coloured mixed salad and crusty, fresh Spanish bread, you have a marvellous main meal! Should unexpected guests come knocking at your door . Pasta Recipes - The Very Best In Italian Cuisine! These pasta recipes are excellent for dinners or parties.In this article, I'm going to share with you three delicious pasta recipes that you can prepare for any occasion that suits you. Low-Carb Pastry Pizzazz This delicious treat adds only 1.9 grams of carb for a Superb Roll of any size.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
