Mobster Recipe Book to Hit the Shelves
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is not afraid to spill the beans on secret sauces in his new book, SUNDAY SAUCE “When Italian-Americans Cook.” Fans of The Godfather will be pleased to know that of the several Italian-American dishes covered in the book, the Clemenza Sunday Sauce “Gravy” made famous by Al Pacino is included.
SUNDAY SAUCE: When Italian-Americans Cook is available now in paperback and on Kindle from the Amazon store.
With more than 25 years experience as a Chef and Wine Director in some of New York’s most renowned restaurants, including; Del Posto, Barbetta, Odeon, Corrado, Daniel Bellino-Zwicke has delighted foodies and gastronomic adventurers with the book. Many of the meals that make Italian-American so famous as a food genre within its own right are there: Sausage & Peppers, Pasta Fazool (Pasta & Bean Soup), Spaghetti & Meatballs, Meatball Parm Sandwiches, Sunday Sauce aka Gravy, Mussels Marinara, and many more.
If you have ever wondered How to make Clemenza’s Sauce, you’ll find the secret here, alongside recipes for Sinatra’s Meatball Sunday Sauce and Mamma DiMaggio’s Sunday Gravy (Joe DiMaggio’s Mother), as well as Goodfellas Veal & Peppers.
Daniel Bellino Zwicke lives and works in New York City where he has been a wine and restaurant professional for more than 25 years. The renowned creator of Bar Cichetti “America’s First Venetian Wine Bar,” Daniel worked hands-on as the chef, Wine Director
and managing-partner. Daniel has also authored “La TAVOLA, The Feast of the 7 Fish,” “Italian Christmas” and “Got Any Kahlua?” “The Collected Recipes of The Dude” and he is currently working on a new cookbook, yet to be named … Daniel is one of America’s foremost authorities on the subject of Italian Wine.
Sundays are very important in Italian-American culture. It’s a time when all the family comes together to celebrate over a meal. With recipes that have become synonymous with Italian-American with entertainers and movie stars in many an epic movie over the years, the recipes included in this book will make that Sunday even more memorable.
Targeted Age Group:: 18 -80
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
My Aunts Fran & Helen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsIc1Z6OEY
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I Knew Them.
Book Sample
When a meal centered around a Sunday Sauce is announced, one can have visions of Blissful Ecstasy at thoughts of eating Pasta laden with Italian Sausages, Savory Meatballs, Beef Braciola, and succulent Pork Ribs. All this has been slowly simmered to culinary perfection. Yes just the thoughts can enrapture one into a delightful frenzy of the “Most Blissful Feelings” of smelling, seeing, and consuming all the ingredients; the Sausages, Meatballs and Gravy. Yes a Sunday Sauce can and does have such effects on one’s mind, body, and soul. And, I do not want to sound prejudice, but this is pure fact, it is the Male of the Italian-American species who Love The Sunday Sauce in all its form, far more than the female sex. True! Meatballs too! And Italian-American men and boys Love and hold oh-so-dear, their Meatballs, Sunday Sauce, Sausage & Peppers, and Meatball Parm Sandwiches as well.
The Sunday Sauce that my mother would make was with Meatballs and Beef Braciole. My memories are vivid watching my mother stuffing the Braciole with garlic, parsley, Pecorino Romano, and Pignoli Nuts, then tying the bundles with butchers cord to hold the Braciole together as they slowly simmered in the Gravy. Another fond memory was helping my mother roll and shape the Meatballs.
As for me, my Sunday Sauce can vary depending on my mood. One thing I Love to do when making my sauce is to add Pork Spareribs to the “Gravy.” “Gravy” by the way is what many people in the New York, New Jersey (Soprano Territory) area call Sunday Sauce, particularly in Brooklyn. Not many people make their Sunday Sauce with the Pork Ribs, but to me they are phenomenal, and anyone who tries them, they are immediately hooked. As I think back, none of the ladies in our family put Pork Spare Ribs into their Gravy. I guess I read or heard about some people doing it, and I believe it was about 14 years ago or so that I started adding the Ribs into my Sauce. I haven’t looked back ever since. I Love them, as does everyone whom I serve them to, and when I make a Sauce, these babies go fast.
Whenever I make my sauce with Pork Ribs, my friends go nuts for them, and most are surprised, as they might never have had Ribs in a Sunday Sauce before. They didn’t know that you could use Pork Spareribs.
The ribs are traditional with some but not all. It is quite a shame for those who don’t add the ribs as they give the sauce a quite wonderful flavor, and the Ribs themselves, “Yumm.” The Ribs that simmer long and slow become quite tender, and they literally “Melt-in-Your-Mouth.”
Whenever I make the “Sauce,” and I’m dishing it out to friends and family, I always make sure that I have my fare share of the Ribs. Pork Ribs cooked in this manner, simmering in the sauce are oh so succulent and tasty, they are Beyond-Belief-Tasty. These Sunday Sauce Ribs are, “Out-of-this-World.” And what to serve with the Sunday Sauce you ask? Any short Maccheroni such as Rigatoni, Ziti, or Gnocchi are best.
The rituals of cooking, serving, and eating Sunday Sauce is a time honored one. It is a quite a beautiful thing, same as making a Mole in Mexico, or Cassoulet in France. They are all wonderful things of beauty that delight mans every sensory perception; sight, smell, taste, and feel. First, you probably smell the “Sauce’s” heady aroma wafting through the air. The smell is so intoxicating, it gets your juices flowing immediately. Once you smell it, you want it, and can’t wait to sink you teeth into it. Second you will see it in all its gloriousness. You will then eat, whereupon you taste and feel and experience one of Italian-America’s greatest pleasures, the Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy. A Sunday Sauce (Gravy) takes time and effort to make. It is made and served with Love. All these great dishes bring together friends and family, and for Italian-Americans, Sunday Sauce is King of all dishes.
If you utter the term Sunday Sauce to any number of millions of Italian-Americans, they will immediately start salivating at the simple mention of its name. The wheels start turning in their heads, with thoughts of how tasty it is, with its various components; the Meatballs, Sausages, Braciole, maybe Ribs, Beef Neck, or Pig Skin Braciole, as well as the Pasta, and the Gravy itself. They think about sitting at the table with friends, family, people they love. They’ll ponder the Antipasti, wondering what it might be; mixed Salumi, Baked Clams, Grilled Calamari? And with the meal, there will surely be Wine. Italian Wine, which might be a good Chianti, or perhaps Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. With Uncle Frank and Uncle Tony, the wine was usually Carlo Rossi Paisano or Gallo Hearty Burgundy, two solid Italian-American Winemakers.
When thinking of a Sunday Sauce, you’ll think about the warmth in the air, of loved ones, Sinatra, Dino, and the Sunday Sauce itself. “It’s a beautiful thing!” If you’ve never done it, “Try it!” If you haven’t cooked one for some time, plan a get-together with friends and family, soon. Sunday Sauce, It brings people together, in a most delightful way. And as the Big Boys would say, “It’s a Beautiful Thing.”
About the Author:
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke.
Author : La Tavola, Sunday Sauce, The Feast of The 7 Fish, Got Any Kahlua?
Restaurant & WIne Professional for more than 25 Years .
Created Bar Cichetti, America’s 1st Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro)
Daniel Is One America’s Foremost Authorities of Italian Wine
Attended New York Technical College
Chef / Wine Director – Managing Partner Bar Cichetti
Wine Director Barbetta Restorante .. NY, NY
Daniel Lives and Writes in New York’s Greenwich Viilage
Currentley Working on a Cookbook and Book on Chianti
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy SUNDAY SAUCE Print Edition at Amazon
Link to SUNDAY SAUCE Print book for sale via at CreateSpace
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy SUNDAY SAUCE On Amazon
Social Media:
Author Interview on BookGoodies
Goodreads
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Book Sample:
