| |
| |
|
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:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Zucchini Carrot Salad Summer is nearing and it is time to start thinking about serving succulent garden grown or farm fresh salads. This zesty Zucchini Carrot Salad recipe is certain not to disappoint you or your guests as it is an attractive meal to dish out after a hot summer's day! No cooking is involved; consider serving it with bread, if so desired. Limes Limes were originally grown in Asia,introduced by the Arab traders to the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and then brought to Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. They are a great source of vitamin C and their zesty flavor refreshes the palate. Sweet & Sour Fish Sweet and sour fish is one of the most popular traditional Chinese dish, normally cooked with carp. The method to cook an authentic Chinese sweet and sour fish (Tang Tsu Yu) is to use what we call 'Liu', meaning 'quick-fry'. Weight Loss Recipe: Apricot Chicken Just because you are watching your weight, doesn't mean the whole family can't enjoy your health enhancing meals! The kids will love "Apricot Chicken" and you will love it because it is so low in calories and fat!Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. Sicilys Great Eggplant - Tomato Stew I ran into a friend yesterday, who tells me that he should be harvesting eggplants from his garden any day now. Of course, this got me thinking about Caponata, the famous Sicilian eggplant and tomato stew. Chocolate Zucchini Cake Creates National Zucchini Shortage There are few garden vegetable that are prolific as zucchini squash. Around my part of the northeast, beginning in mid summer till frost, zucchini squash is the number one garden commodity. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch (in 2 hours or less!) If I've heard it once, I've heard it a dozen times: "Make homemade cinnamon rolls? From scratch? Are you crazy? That takes all day!"Actually, it depends upon the recipe.I have several recipes for homemade cinnamon rolls that do, indeed, take at least all afternoon, if not all day -- scald the milk and let it cool to room temperature (30 minutes); mix the dough and let it raise for an hour (1. Easy Gourmet Recipes You and I can do! So, you don't think you can find easy gourmet recipes? Yes, you can! While most people think that gourmet recipes are hard to make, time consuming, or too expensive, you can find things that are gourmet and easy to make. You just need to look in the right places and know what you are looking for! First of all, finding information on gourmet recipes on the Internet is easy to do. School Lunches the Frugal Way! It seems that school starts earlier every year. So it's time to start thinking about what to put in those school lunches every morning. Summer Basil Pasta Salad With the long hot days of summer, you will find that you will need something lighter than a T-bone steak. If you are seeking a fresh and light pasta salad, they you will need to serve this at your next gathering. Four Easy Zucchini Bread Recipes Tired of the same old zucchini bread recipe and want to try something new? Here is a standard zucchini bread recipe in addition to three variations your family is sure to love.Zucchini Bread3 eggs 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups peeled and grated zucchini 3 tsp. Sauted Family Bean Curd Family bean curd is Sichuan's famous characteristic dish. Its main ingredient is bean curd. Chicken with White Wine & Pasta Here is a great recipe that is so simple to make. You will find that most of the ingredients are relatively inexpensive as well. Nutritious Chocolate Recipes Are you eating enough fruit lately? How about chocolate? Well, here are three cool ways to make sure you're getting enough of both of these important foodstuffs this summer and both are very quick and easy.Godiva Chocolate Covered Banana DrinkIngredients:2 oz Godiva Liqueur1/2 oz Myers's Rum1/2 Banana, Sliced1/2 c Vanilla Ice CreamMethod:Pour Godiva into blender. Easy Trail Mixes Before you set off on your next family walk or outing, try making one of these super easy trail mixes to keep your energy up.* Quick Fix Mix2 cups mini pretzels1 cup cheese snack crackers1 cup honey roasted peanuts1 cup raisinsPlace all ingredients into a plastic baggie, seal, and then shake. 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. So, You Have A Crockpot - Now Youll Want Crockpot Recipes To those of us that don't know, crockpot recipes are among the best out there! Did you receive a crockpot as a gift at your wedding shower or perhaps as a birthday gift and have no idea how to use it? Crockpots are great kitchen tools that offer a convenience like none other. Many meals from basic chicken recipes to fancy Christmas recipes can be made in the crock pot. Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie: Strudel Makes the Woman Strudel Makes the WomanGrandpa Max loved butter cookies. He liked his Chivas Regal from a heavy cut-glass decanter, but the little butter cookies with coarse sugar sprinkles just had to come from a can. Fortunate Lemon Chicken A delicious chicken meal for you to prepare at home. The lemon sauce is fresh and tangy and somehow I always end up eating too much :-). How to Make Beer Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun. With the rise in popularity of homebrewing, there are a wide variety of top quality ingredients available.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
