Recently in Italy Category

Canning Tomatoes: Passato di Pomodoro (Puree of Tomato)

By Vincent Scordo on August 23, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photos: Jersey plum tomatoes washed and ready to be cut)

August is prime season for canning tomatoes and this year's Jersey plum tomatoes are outstanding! The Scordo family purchased about five bushels of locally grown plum tomatoes and canned only passato (passato is essentially pureed tomato, in the past we canned a combination of passato and whole tomatoes). As the site e-rcps.com points out:

Tomatoes are usually preserved in three different forms, each of which has its particular uses. First there are the ordinary tinned or bottled whole tomatoes, 1. pomodori pelati, which contain a high percentage of liquid and are best used for dishes that require a tomato base but need a long cooking time. Secondly there is the puree, 2. passato di pomodoro, which is a much thicker reduction of tomatoes, sometimes flavoured with celery, onion, carrot and basil, then called pomaruola or conserva. This is ideal for sauces which need a rich body of tomato. Thirdly there is the tomato concentrate, 3. concentrato di pomodoro, which is the tomato reduced to a very strong paste and flavour and is useful for colour and flavour in a dish where bulk tomato is not required.

The advantage to canning passato is that when it comes time to make tomato sauce for dinner or lunch, there is no need to food mill whole tomatoes!

You can read my detailed article on how to can tomatoes here. Enjoy the photos from our 2010 tomato canning extravaganza:

(photos: cutting the plum tomatoes into sections and removing some of the seeds)

(photos: cooking cut tomatoes in large aluminum pots)

(photo: stirring the tomatoes)

(photo: almost ready for the large food mill)

(photo: Italian-made food mill being set up)

(photo: food mill set up)

(photo: tomatoes being put through the food mill for passato)

(photo: pure tomato passato!)

(photo: the food mill does a great job of removing the skins from the tomato, tomato skins are the enemy of a good tomato sauce)

(photo: preparing sterile mason jars with basil)

(photos: fresh garden basil)

(photo: moving passato into mason jars)

(photo: the tomato canning process is intense and very hands on, but the end result is terrific)

(photo: future canning expert examining the end result" tomato bliss in a Mason jar!)

(photo: strainers help wash whole tomatoes)

(photos: bushel crates, five in total for the Scordo family)

Scordo Pasta Challenge #96 Pappardelle with Garlic, Parsley, Olive Oil

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By Vincent Scordo on July 27, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Think of Pappardelle as fettuccine on steroids (basically very broad fettuccine). Pappardelle derives from the word "pappare" which means "to gobble up." The pappardelle I consumed was egg based and made by Rustichella.

I always associate Pappardelle with meat sauces, specifically a ragu made out of rabbit (it was a favorite of mine growing up in NJ). Pappardelle also pairs well with a sauce made out of wild boar. Like many Italian food types, there is a festival in Italy honoring pappardelle (yes, food is honored in Italy!); Sagra delle Pappardelle al cinghiale (Pappardelle with wild boar festival) is held every August in the city of Gemmano in the Emilia-Romagna Region.

The Scordo Pasta Challenge putters along even in the oppressive East coast heat - long live the king of starches.

(photo: the main ingredients outside the pasta)

(photo: the boil; 6-7 minutes)

(photo: tossed in olive oil, parsley, and garlic)

(photo: the pasta obsession is passed on to the next generation)

Scordo Pasta Challenge #25 Chitarra with Pesto

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By Vincent Scordo on June 14, 2010 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: completed pesto sauce in a bowl made from the famous ceramic factories in Bagnara Calabra)

Chitarra is similar to spaghetti, but with squared edges. It was once cut on guitar strings, hence its unique name. Here's a great link to a "guitar pasta maker"

(photo: Chitarra with pesto and a glass of Pinot Noir from Chile <light years ahead of any under $20 Pinot from Oregon or California>)

I used Rustichella Chitarra and prepared a pesto sauce to accompany the pasta. The squared edges on the long pasta did a great job of adhering to the wonderfully thick and aromatic pesto sauce (see my recipe via Genoa-born neighbor Amelia). The pesto sauce recipe has an interesting ingredient, so be sure to click through!

(photo: pesto via machine. proper pesto is made from via mortar and pestle but I have soar arm from my poor, tennis, serving technique )

(photo: close up of the pesto)

(photo: salad with Romaine, dandelion greens, tomatoes, Persian cucumber, red onion, Greek feta with a mustard dressing)

My pasta intake is increasing in proportion to my current home improvement projects; good for getting weekend project completed but not for the author's waistline. Long live the Scordo Pasta Challenge.

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #98 Pasta al Ceppo with Tomato Sauce

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By Vincent Scordo on June 3, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Pasta al Ceppo is literally translated as pasta on a stick and knitting needles were once used to shape the pasta. The pasta has a nice texture and works well with hearty sauces.

The Scordo Pasta Challenge continues!

Recipe: How to Make Ricotta at Home

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By Vincent Scordo on April 28, 2010 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: courtesy of Dr. K)

My first memory of ricotta wasn't pleasant. I remember thinking that the cheese was tasteless and had a consistency of something akin to white mud rather than some wonderful food concoction. Fast forward about 20 years and I'm in love with ricotta and value its subtle flavor profile and creamy texture (not to mention it's versatility). Note to parents: introduce as many foods to your young kids as possible!

On the versatility front, Ricotta can be used as a spread on crunchy slices of bread, as a simple sauce for linguine (with plenty of fresh ground pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and grated cheese), and, of course, baked with tomato sauce, pasta, and a good melting cheese like mozzarella.

Making ricotta at home should be made mandatory in my view given the tasteless junk sold at most supermarkets and the outrageous premium "gourmet markets" charge for homemade ricotta. Ricotta is very easy to make and it stores fairly well. My mother makes homemade ricotta about oncee per month and you can make it more often if you'd like, especially if your carton of milk is about to expire! Here's a quick and easy recipe:

1. Heat one gallon of whole milk in a large pot (it's important to use whole milk) until it reaches about 200° and transfer milk to a clean pot so that it can cool to about 100°

2. Add 2 tsp of kosher salt and stir well

3. Add 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar and stir gently. At this point, you'll notice curds will begin to form (this is good). Mix and then cover the pot with a clean dish towel and let sit for about two hours.

4. After the ricotta has rested for 2+ hours, take cheesecloth and place it over a colander and ladle the ricotta into the colander. Drain as much as the water from the mixture as desired (depending on your preference for how creamy you'd like your ricotta). You can also lift the cheesecloth and create a small bundle and squeeze out any excess water (this will get most of the water out and yield a super rich ricotta!).

Ricotta will stay fresh for about a week in your fridge. Note: you can use rennet, which consists of enzymes that act as a coagulant, instead of the vinegar. Some folks claim the rennet produces a richer and finer curd then vinegar. Try both ingredients and let me know which works best for you!

Scordo Pasta Challenge #35: Ditalini with Chickpea and Brocolli soup

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By Vincent Scordo on April 26, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

For many Italians, soup equals pasta (that is to say, a primo serving of soup in many Italian households includes some sort of pasta mixed in with Lentil, Peas, Chickpeas, etc.). Adding a small amount of pasta to a soup increases the hardiness of any given soup dish and can also elevate soup to a meal in and of itself.

For the last installment of the Scordo Pasta Challenge I made a simple chickpea soup with onions, brocolli, fresh parsley, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I also boiled a small amount of Ditalini (pasta shaped like a small tube) and added it to the soup. My dish also included plenty of grated Grana Padano.

National Arancini Day: May 1st 2010

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By Vincent Scordo on April 16, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

If you haven't noticed I've been consuming a ton of pasta lately given the Scordo Pasta Challenge. I've had everything from bucatani with olive oil and parsley to tripoloni with tomato sauce. However, I've also been consuming another starch with equivalent joy, namely the almighty arancini or rice ball (click here for my recipe)! And while my love and devotion for pasta will continue given the aformentioend challenge I wanted to also pay homage to the rice ball.

So, the executive staff behind Scordo.com (there are actually no executives or staff at Scordo.com) have decided to designate May 1st as global Arancini Day. The designation is a first (according to a few informal web searches) and I'm asking that loyal Scordo.com readers fry up their versions of Arancini on May 1st, 2010 and send in photos of their golden and crisp rice masterpieces. Thereafter, I'll post any photo and recipe here and we can continue the tradition every year! The logic behind Arancini Day is that rice balls require a little bit of time to prepare and carefully fry (I don't make them more than 2x per year, for example) so why not designate a single day throughout the year to fry up a patch and share on the web!

Please share this post on Twitter and Facebook and via eMail with friends and family! Send all photos (and/or recipes) to blog at scordo dot com. And rice balls aren't just an Italian thing, for example there's the equivalent of a Filipino rice ball that is also deep fried!

On What Italian-Americans Can Teach You About Personal Finance: 10 Tips

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By Vincent Scordo on April 16, 2010 | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: my mother, her sisters, and my grandmother on the family farm just outside of Pellegrina in Calabria <probably some time in the 1960s>)

Both of my parents were born in Southern Italy where unemployment is high and quality of life is superb. My mother, A., made it to the 7th grade and my father, T., recieved the equivalent of a technical high school diploma. Both of my parents immigrated to the US in 1975 and are currently debt free, own their own two-family home, and have plenty of cash in savings. They are, in many ways, leading the American dream - by not adopting the principles of American consumerism.

The lessons below may be be described as "old school" and overly simplistic, but the hard truth is that each tip works! And, moreover, are used frequently by recent immigrants to the United States (and are often forgotten by the 2nd or 3rd generation):

Tip 1: "Save like you have no job and 6 mouths to feed."

For my parents, saving was akin to a religion. They didn't save 10 or 20 percent of their paycheck; rather they saved close to half of their take home pay. I suspect the urge to save is an instinctual feeling for many recent immigrants who arrive in a new country with no job and no home. The ability to save such a large percentage of what they made was dependent on controlling how much they spent each week. If you live well below your means you can save a large percentage of your weekly income.

Tip 2: "Look for non-material ways to feel rich."

My parents have never owned a fancy car or purchased luxury clothes or items. My parents hardly dine out or buy pre-cooked or packaged food. Rather, A. and T. find true fulfillment in family, great food, wine, and visiting the country where they were born. My parents appreciate nice, material things, but they are not defined or fulfilled via acquiring the aforementioned things.

Tip 3: "Use your network for help."

This means finding an uncle who does plumbing and a cousin who is a paralegal at a law firm. My parent's family network has helped me, personally, with home improvement, legal advice, emergency situations (taking care of babies or a ride to the hospital), etc. If I had to pay a stranger every time I needed something done in my life, I would not only be broke, but I would lack real friends and family. The real life lesson here is to nurture family relationships and not rush to pay someone to do something for you. (There are other ways to reward people without a large check).

Tip 4: "What's a credit card?"

If you look at my dad's wallet on a typical day it would resemble George Costanza's wallet from Seinfeld - full of notes and papers and a good amount of cash. My father pays for everything in cash, and if he doesn't have the cash, he will either not purchase the item or go to the bank and take out money. My parents have had very little credit card activity over the last 30 years, and I think it's a key component to their practical lifestyle - (that is to say, you can't buy stuff if you don't have the cash!).

Tip 5: "You can't count on your job - always have other sources of income."

My parents bought a two family home shortly after arriving in the US. The logic behind purchasing a two family home centered on having a monthly reoccurring revenue stream outside of a normal job. Sure, they would have liked a single family home with a larger yard and without constant maintenance in their rental unit, but they like the cash more! Do you have cash coming in every month outside of your normal job? If not, you may not be as financially secure as you think you are!

Tip 6: "Do it yourself."

My parents are both incredibly crafty. My dad performs his own car repairs, produces homemade wine, renovates his own home (including plumbing and electrical), cuts his own grass, and more. My mother makes all of her own food, cans tomatoes and vegetables, sews, cleans, and grows and tends a garden, among many other things. My parents have often told me that if the world were to fall into disrepair they would have no problem living their life. (They are independent and self sufficient).

Tip 7: "Trust your family, be wary of everyone else."

This may sound like a line out of the Godfather, but the fact that American society is based on a capitalist operating principle will motivate everyone from the shop owner to the general contractor to make as much money as possible from you, and there are no safety nets when it comes to preserving the wealth you've worked hard to acquire. This life lesson is akin to former Intel CEO Andy Groove's line: "Only the Paranoid Survive."

Tip 8: "You are not defined by your job or fame."

A job or career usually defines most adults in Anglo-Saxon cultures. Ask any typical American about their life, and the narrative usually centers on their work or job. If you ask the typical person from Southern Italy about their life, they'll tell you stories about their family, homeland, last name, daughters, sons, food they grow, or wine they make. (I swear this isn't connected to the high unemployment rate.) My parents are defined by who they are and not the job they do for someone else or the amount of money in their paycheck each week. This is a powerful principle to live by, and once you truly embrace it, the byproduct can be quite liberating.

Tip 9: "Think big picture."

Do you ever become overwhelmed by a problem you can't, for the life of you, see past the immediate future? Maybe you're worried about your job or if little Timmy will get accepted to Harvard in a few years, for example? These are illustrations of "small picture" thinking, and it can handicap many individuals from getting through tough moments in their life. Like many immigrants, my parents had to somehow block out the immediacy of not having much when they arrived in the US, in order think long term about the type of life they would someday lead.

Tip 10: "Ignore your neighbors."

I'm convinced that many individuals lead their life according to the goings-on of their neighbors. For example, if Doris next door leases a shiny new German sedan, you may be compelled to question the worth or legitimacy of your 10-year-old Ford sitting in the driveway. If, by the miracle of home refinancing, Doris adds another 800 square feet to her over-leveraged center hall colonial, you may all of sudden feel cramped in your tiny Cape-Cod-style home. What is my parents' opinion of neighborhood goings-on? Make friends, and be a good neighbor, but don't follow the neighbor into debt and materialism.

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #23 Cencioni with Tomato Sauce

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By Vincent Scordo on April 13, 2010 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

With some spectacular weather here on the East Coast my mind turned to the outdoors the last week or so, hence the long stretch without a post (my apologies).

My latest pasta conquest centered on the Cencioni, a little known pasta from the Basilicata region of Italy. Cencioni, or translated as "little rag", is perfect for loose sauces. Cencioni has great texture and could work well as a substitute for baked ziti. The pasta is a bit difficult to cook as the outer edges cook before the dense center,

I consumed the Cencioni as a "primo" with tomato sauce, followed by some roasted chicken with sauteed escarole. The meal was extra special because it was accompanied by some newly bottled homemade wine (courtesy of Tommaso Sr.).

Arancini Love or Rice Balls as Food Porn

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By Vincent Scordo on April 7, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: lots of mozzarella, aborio rice, a bit of tomato sauce, and a few bits of beef)

Sometimes food photos are better than the actual food item. I can wholeheartedly say, however, that when it comes to rice balls or Arancini the photos below look as good as they actually taste.

You can find my recipe for Arancini here. Enjoy a few photos of a recent rice ball extravaganza held in New Jersey and leave a comment on how you make rice balls!

Enjoy a hot rice ball with a cold Sam Adams Lager or Brooklyn Lager!

(photo: two of my favorite US beers)

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #72 Linguine with Escarole, Garlic, Onion, Potato and Provola

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By Vincent Scordo on April 1, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: final product with a bit of extra provola and olive oil)

When it comes to living life, I'm a sucker for both luxurious and practical things. I'm equally comfortable driving a Honda or a Mercedes-Benz or living amongst nose-in-the-air snobs or dyed in the wool blue collar types. I lean towards the practical and modest side of living, but who doesn't like nice, luxurious, things on occasion.

When selecting vegetables at the market I'm drawn to fancy Sicilian eggplant or in season fava beans (think of these vegetables as the equivalent of fancy German vehicles), but when it comes to the ultimate practical (or working class) vegetable it's Escarole that gets me excited (think of Escarole as the Honda Accord of greens).

Escarole is a workhorse vegetable and is incredibly easy to prepare and almost impossible to overcook. Escarole goes well with beans and a hearty broth or as an alternative to sautéed spinach. Recently, I've been experimenting with escarole and pasta combinations (given, you guessed it, the Scordo Pasta Challenge). In turn, I've come up my definitive escarole and pasta dish: Sauteed escarole with garlic, onion, potato, red pepper flakes, and imported Italian provola.

Here are the ingredients:

- ¾ of a head of escarole (small to medium size head)

- 4 large cloves of garlic

- ¼ of a potato, thinly sliced.

- ½ a large onion (red or white)

- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

- ½ cup of pasta water

- ¼ pound of linguine

- 3-4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

- 1 cup of grated imported provola (by the best you can afford and grate it like you would for a pizza <shredded>)

(photo: combined ingredients minus the pasta and provola)

(photo: shredded imported provola, which is a great melting cheese)

In a sauté pan, add 2 teaspoon of olive oil and heat. Next, add your sliced garlic, onion, and potato. Sautee the three ingredient for 5-10 minutes or until soft (add salt and pepper). Next, add the red pepper flakes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add you're your bite size pieces of escarole and sauté until the liquid begins to leave the escarole (for about 5 minutes). Season the mixture again with salt and pepper. When your pasta is cooked drain it and save some of the pasta water.

(photo: always add pasta to the pot containing the sauce)

Add the pasta to your sauté pan with the escarole mixture. Mix well and add in a bit of the pasta water (just enough to loosen up the sauce). Finally, add a bit of shredded Provola and mix well. Plate the pasta and add a bit more provola and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy during lunch with a glass of Ciro Rosato from Calabria.

(photo: end product ready to eat)

Recipe: Italian Leftover Salad with Parsley, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Artichoke Hearts

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By Vincent Scordo on March 30, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Next to incorporating the right leftovers into a great sandwich, putting together a "leftover salad" is one of my favorite food shortcuts; that is to say, having a great meal full of flavor without a big undertaking. After all, what's the point of cooking great food if you're chained to your Wolf stove for half the day (this is why I'm not a fan of formal French cooking, sorry all you trained chef's out there).

Recently, I put together the following salad for a weekday lunch (including a fresh baguette and a few glasses of Cotes de Rhone).

Here are the ingredients:

- 2 large organic romaine hearts

- 1 bunch of fresh parsley

- 8-10 sun dried tomatoes

- 3 large scallions

- 5-6 artichoke hearts (I used hearts that were coated in breadcrumbs and baked with lots of olive oil)

You'll want to cut the scallions, sun dried tomatoes, and romaine lettuce into, roughly, the same shape. You can tear the leaves off of the parsley being careful not to include too much of the stem.

For the dressing, I used my classic vinaigrette recipe which you can find here.

That's it, enjoy the salad with some good bread and a bottle of Cotes de Rhone. Include some cheese if you'd like. I finished the meal with an orange and ripe pear, followed by a small piece of dark chocolate. You can also treat yourself to a post dinner Amari, if you'd like.

Scordo Pasta Challenge: #45 Fettucine with Tomato Sauce and Breadcrumbs

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By Vincent Scordo on March 29, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: With the Imperia in the background, tiny mounds of Fettucine lay to dry)

My wife's family celebrates Palm Sunday via a never ending feast of homemade Fettucine (made via the standard Imperia pasta machine). The homemade fettucine are delicate and wonderfully light ("light" is something you hear lots of people say about homemade pasta, I agree but I'm not sure it's wholly accurate). My wife's mother serves the Fettucine with a simple tomato sauce and toasted breadcrumbs (grated Roman cheese is present as well).

(photo: Lots of tomato sauce, breadcrumbs, and grated Romano cheese)

Fettucine is a classic pasta shape and known throghout the world. Fettucine is a flat thick noodle and is sometimes referred to as tagliatelle in other parts of Italy. The Scordo Pasta Challenge continues on...

(photo: T. and E. in awe of the pasta traffic jam)

Scordo Pasta Challenge: #9 Bucatini with Alio and Olio + Parsley

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By Vincent Scordo on March 26, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Last Thursday I consumed Bucatini (from Colavita; decent pasta given price) with Alio and Olio. The Scordo Pasta Challenge lives on; six shapes down and a little under 300 shapes to go!

On the Virtues of Italian Sausage and the Almighty Pig

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By Vincent Scordo on March 26, 2010 | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: diced up and waiting for the pan!)

UPDATE: 4/2/10 Annelle Williams is the winner! Contest is now closed!

I've written on virtues of salumi, but to my surprise I haven't waxed philosophically on sausage - that other ideal representation of the almighty pig.

Italian Sausage, as it's referenced in the States, is often grilled, used in stuffings, soups and pasta. I've prepared sausage with soft polenta during harsh winters, crumbled it for use in afternoon frittatas, and grilled a few links on the barbecue for use as a sandwich with some good pane Pugliese .

Happy Pigs

Mass produced sausage (pork in general) will turn away even the most dyed in the wool pig lovers, but when sausage is done right, with an ideal combination of salt, spices, natural casing and, of course, well raised pigs, it's an incredible food product. Pork from the Berkshire region of New England is very good (given the manner in which the pigs are raised and treated) as are other smaller producers along the east coast. The Italians take their pork seriously and much of it is still produced on small, local, farms where the pigs eat and live like kings (on Nonno Latella's farm in Calabria his pigs often held special status, receiving extra special attention when it came to food and, no pun intended, creature comforts>).

I often stay away from supermarket sausage simply because it tastes bad, however I've come across product from Nieman Ranch which I thought was quite good but a bit expensive. I think the high cost is directly correlated to the high standards on the farms producing pork for Nieman Ranch brand (click here to read the standards documentation for their pigs are raised ).

Creminelli, in addition to producing salumi, also produces seven varieties of pork sausage. I had the pleasure of tasting three of their varieties (pesto, piccante, and porcini) and like the sweet Italian sausage from Niman Ranch, the end product had a higher fat content (in a good way), top quality spices, natural casing, and, overall, oozed with real pork flavor. Piccante was my favorite variety and it had just the right amount of spice (that is to say, I could taste both the Pepperoncini and pork). Creminelli uses pork from animals that have a diet of white grains and whey with no antibiotics or other synthetic feeds.

Gourmet Sausage Giveaway

Given my love of pork and closely associated belief in raising animals in the correct manner before they reach out tables, I'm offering a sausage giveaway in partnership with Creminelli including 1 pound each of piccante, pesto, and porcini Creminelli sausage). As usual you can find the contest rules below and I hope you take a minute to enter so that we can all move away from eating supermarket sausage!

- 1. leave a comment under this post on your favorite sausage recipe (doesn't need to be a fancy or an authentic Italian recipe, just how you like to eat sausage), 2. "share" the Scordo.com on Facebook here fan page on your profile (you can do this by going to any article on the Scordo Facebook fan page and clicking share at the bottom of the entry) and 3., sign up for the Creminelli Facebook Fan Page.

- You can also sign up for the Scordo.com newsletter and follow us on Twitter if you'd like, but it's not a requirement).

- Only one entry per person please and the winner must be US based (sorry to all my Italian fans!).

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 4/1 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org. The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Friday, 4/2.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your shipping address).

- Creminelli will send out the sausage to a single contest winner during the week of 4/5.

Scordo Pasta Challenge: #13 Cannelloni with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce

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By Vincent Scordo on March 23, 2010 | 6 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Cannelloni ready to eat! Because the pasta is baked after boiling, the tomato sauce tends to thicken up a bit).

Cannelloni have a special place in my heart as I've always consumed them on special days (such as a holiday or a birthday). My favorite Cannelloni are prepared in a simple manner, that is, with fresh ricotta, parsley, and tomato sauce. Cannelloni are typically boiled and then stuffed with ricotta and thereafter they are baked in the oven with tomato sauce.

(photo: Cannelloni up close in the tray)

I enjoyed the above pasta with a simple glass of Burgundy.

(photo: Cannelloni in the baking tray)

How do you prepare Cannelloni and do you refer to them as Manicotti? What's the difference?

Scordo Pasta Challenge: #94 Paccheri with Olive Oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Course Ground Pepper

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By Vincent Scordo on March 19, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Paccheri is one of those shapes I wasn't aware of until I stumbled across it in the Rustichella catalog. Paccheri is a super variant of rigatoni (without the ridges) and best prepared with chunky sauces (such as a ragu with rabbit, for example).

However, I cooked up a batch of Paccheri and simply added very good extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, and lots of coursley ground black pepper for my Scordo Pasta Challenge this past Thursday. If I had fresh ricotta (recipe to come!) in the house then I would have included a bit of it as well.

I enjoyed the dish with a glass of Aglianico from Campania or Basilicata. Now go and enjoy the weather if you live on the East Coast!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review and Vittorio Cassini Giveaway Contest

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By Vincent Scordo on March 17, 2010 | 13 Comments | 2 TrackBacks

(photo: Latella family olive orchard outside of Pellegrina, Italy)

(3/22: Update - Contest is closed and the winner is Joe. D., congratulations! And thanks to everyone for leaving a comment)

Click here for my other olive oil reviews!

Images have always played a large role in my life. I still have vivid images in my mind of childhood events like playing hide and seek at dusk on my New Jersey block or the fierce eyes and large breasts of my sixth grade teacher Mrs. Salzarulo. I shut my eyes and mental pictures bring me back 5, 10, even 20 years ago to seminal and not so important events in my life. I don't consider conjuring vivid imagery a particularly impressive ability, just a function of how my brain works. Some images are romanticized, and I'm sure not wholly accurate, while there are other mental pictures that I've shelved as eternal truths.

One such mental image is that of my grandfather Latella in Calabria. The mental image I have is of Nonno under one of his beloved olive trees. The image is simple enough; namely, an elderly man sitting underneath an ancient olive tree. But the image in my mind is more detailed; it includes a weathered face molded by a happy, but difficult, life working the land, large hands gently removing leather working boots, and the same hands reaching for a bottle of cold wine to quench a thirst brought on by the mid-day Mediterranean sun. The image of Nonno Latella represents the Southern Italian life for me; that is, a life of simple pleasures, fierce individualism, and a love for the land.

Nonno's love for his land, combined with his paternalistic tendencies towards his olive trees, yielded some pretty intense, first cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil (I describe it here in my Guide to Olive Oil). The Italians from the rural South use olive oil from everything from simple tomato salads to deep frying arancini to lubricating shotguns and polishing leather shoes. In the US, of course, we're a bit more selective about how we use olive oil and it's mostly a culinary lipid / liquid (thankfully!).

Recently, I had the good fortune to sample some new extra virgin olive oils from Italy, including Titone (from the Trapanesi Valley in Sicilia), Frescobaldi Laudemio (from Firenze in Tuscana), Vittorio Cassini (from Liguria), and Frantoio Di Sommaia (from Calenzano in Tuscana), all imported by Manicaretti.

Titone Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced by a father / daughter team Nicola and Antonella. The 5000 tree olive farm in Sicilia is organic and has a D.O.P status. The Titone oil is limited quality and has a deep golden yellow/light green color. The Titone family also hand picks all of their olives and the resulting oil has a sharp and pepper flavor base as well as complex grass and earthy elements. I think Titone would work best with hot pasta or in a rustic (hot) potato salad.

Frescobaldi Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has won a ton of awards, including #1 Tuscan oil in 1997 by Wine Spectator and "Best of Olive Oil" at the 2001 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. The consortium that produces Laudemio has been around since the early 1990's and the filtered oil has nice notes, again, of pepper and lemon zest. I like Laudemio drizzed over a hot bean soup or over roasted broccoli and red pepper flakes.

Vittorio Cassini was my favorite amongst the 4 olive oils I sampled. Cassini is made from 100% Taggiasca olives and is a limited production oil. The olive farm is located in the hills above the Ligurian coast between Nice and Genoa. The olive oil itself has less pepper than the aforementioned oils and has a wonderful raw nut flavor which is clean and almost sweet. Cassini is ideal for making pesto, tomato salads, or drizzling on a freshly baked pizza. This is the least bitter and intense oil.

Frantoio Di Sommaia has been made by the Marini Bernardi family for almost 200 years. The olives are hand picked and pressed via stone in Calenzano, Tuscana. The family uses 100% Bianca olives. The oil is unfiltered and extremely pungent, but has a wonderful buttery mouth feel. Frantoio would work well with an arugula salad or drizzled over fresh basked bread with coarsely ground black pepper.

In honor of Nonno Latella (who's still alive but upset he doesn't get to go to the farm as often as he once did) Scordo.com is giving away a bottle of Vittorio Cassini Extra Virgin Oil! The oil was my favorite amongst the four bottles I recently sampled and I'm sure you'll enjoy a bottle of the expertly crafted oil.

(photo: Latella family olive orchard outside of Pellegrina, Italy)

Here's what you need to do to enter the Nonno Latella Extra Virgin Olive Oil Contest:

- 1. leave a comment under this post on how you use olive and which olive oil you normally purchase (doesn't need to be a fancy kind, just what you use and like) and 2. sign up as a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook here or Scordo.com newsletter, it doesn't need to be both). If you've done both already, then I'll ask you if you can please re-tweet the article on Twitter and include the article URL in the RT: http://bit.ly/cVgYQT and @scordo in your tweet)

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 3/20 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org. The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 3/22.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your shipping address).

- Manicaretti Italian Food Imports will send out the bottle of Vittorio Cassini olive oil to the single contest winner during the week of 3/29.

That's it, so please sign up for a chance to win a wonderful bottle of extra virgin olive. If you can't wait to sample the olive oil then head on over to the Manicaretti site to find out how to buy some!

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #151 Paone Tripolini w/ Braised Meat Tomato Sauce

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By Vincent Scordo on March 15, 2010 | 9 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Tripolini close up)

The Northeast saw a monster wind and rain storm over the weekend with many downed trees and electrical lines. Some of our neighbors in NJ also lost water pressure. Luckily our home was spared and we didn't see any crashing white pine, sycamore, or silver maple, as was the case a couple of years ago when a large silver maples crashed into our neighbors front porch.

(photo: Meatball close up)

With high winds and rainy weather I become like a house cat looking for comfort and, as you've probably guessed it, my mind turns to the ultimate comfort food: pasta!

On Sunday I consumed pasta shape #149 Tripolini (via the Scordo Pasta Challenge) with a braised meat (baby back pork ribs, pork sausage, and meatballs) tomato sauce. Tripolini are oversized fettuccine with ridges on both edges of the pasta. Growing up, Tripolini was a specialty pasta we only had once or twice a month (I suppose it was hard to find and commanded a higher price) and we consumed it with a braised chicken tomato sauce.

The pasta brand is Paone.

(photo: braised meats: spare ribs, sausage, and meatballs)

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #149 Trenne w/ Peas, Red Onion, and Garlic

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By Vincent Scordo on March 12, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: close up of Trenne before mixing with sauce or condiment).

Here we go, the first pasta dish consumed for the Scordo Pasta Challenge or Vincenzo Eats His Way Through Every Pasta Shape Known to Man!

#149 Trenne

Think of Trenne pasta as the "quill" pasta; that is to say, Trenne are shaped like a writing instrument that is triangular in shape. Trenne is a more modern and angular version of Penne (Trenne has the lines of a new Cadillac or Acura sedan). Trenne is probably best consumed with an abundant and loose codiment or sauce (think of a cream based sauce or maybe summery marinara with chunks of tomatoe, basil, and garlic).

>>New to cooking pasta, here are my 8 Tips for making perfect pasta at home!

I decided to pair small peas with Trenne and the pasta didn't disappoint (the brand was Rustichella). Here are the ingredients for the sauce:

- Half a package of frozen, organic, peas (if you have happen to have fresh peas then go for it!)

- 3-4 cloves of garlic diced on a diagnal

- Half a red onion finely diced

- Freshly ground pepper and Kosher salt to taste

- 1 tablespoon of salted butter

- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano

- 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water

(photo: after mixing the sauce with the Trenne)

In a large sauté pan add your olive oil and butter (pan should be hot before adding fats). Next, add your onion and garlic and begin to slowly sauté over medium heat. Add some salt and pepper. Next, add your peas and stir well. Add a bit more salt and pepper and reduce your heat. Drain your pasta and add the Trenne to your pan containing the sauce; mix the pasta with your condiment and add some of the starchy pasta water (your pan should have a medium flame going) . Next, add a bit more olive oil and the grated cheese.

Follow the pasta with a piece of salmon and a small arugula salad. Pair the dish with a chilled Ciro Rosato!

>>New to cooking pasta, here are my 8 Tips for making perfect pasta at home!

The Scordo Pasta Challenge: Vincenzo Eats His Way Through Every Known Pasta Shape

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By Vincent Scordo on March 11, 2010 | 13 Comments | 2 TrackBacks

Update: 3/15/10: Manicaretti, who imports Rustichella into the US, told me there are closer to 310 pasta shapes, as opposed to the 158 I had researched earlier. Specifically, the good folks at Manicaretti pointed me to the seminal pasta book, Encyclopedia of Pasta by Oretta Zanini de Vita (here's the review from the NY Times). And, in fact, when checking the preface of the book de Vita (no de Ziti!) mentions there are 310 standard pasta variations (not including the sub variations which are basically off-springs of 310 basic shapes). In turn, my quest deepens and stretches to 2014 (adding another, roughly year and half, to eating every known dry pasta shape on the planet.

I woke up this morning and had a revelation! Well, it wasn't exactly a revelation of grand proportion like when Einstein told Newton he was all wrong about the physical world back in the early twentieth century rather my revelation was epicurean and it concerned my favorite food on the planet; namely, Pasta!

Like Julie Powell's idea of cooking through all the recipes in Julie Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I wondered this morning if it was possible for one individual to prepare and consume every conceivable (and available) commercial pasta shape ever produced?

A quick search reveals well over 150 (158 to be exact) pasta shapes - click here for a visual look at most of these shapes. Attempting to cook and consume one's way through 150+ pasta shapes would be quite the challenge; after all, one couldn't make a different pasta shape each night because of issues with weight and general diet (and this is coming from an Italian-American with the metabolism of a humming bird). But what if we took the Italian-American tradition (at least the one I grew up with in Northern New Jersey) of only consuming a starter (or primo) portion of pasta every Thursday and Sunday night? If two unique pasta shapes were cooked twice a week then one could get through about 100 pasta shapes in one year and 158 shapes in about one and half years (this is assuming the pasta shape world ends at about 158 unique shapes). Thus, one could complete the above project in about 547 days!

Today is, indeed, Thursday and I'm eating pasta tonight! The shape will be Trenne and the sauce will be comprised of peas, butter, olive oil, red onion, garlic, and grated Grana Padano.

So, let the challenge begin! I'll check off "Trenne" tomorrow from the list of 158 pastas (see below) and in turn reach my goal by, roughly, September 9, 2012.

(Little Tommaso says, "Dad, you can do it!" Big Tommaso is a little more skeptical and says, "You're crazy!")

I've set up some rules and guidelines for myself:

1. Any claims of consuming a specific shape will be accompanied by photos of me in my home kitchen, along with said pasta shape in at least one photo! Ordering a pasta shape at a restaurant will not count.

2. I hope to include a recipe with each pasta dish, but I don't expect to be able to come up with 158 unique sauces (don't push your luck).

3. There may be times when said pasta shape will be difficult to secure, in that case I may need to either, 1. get on a plane to Italy and conduct a search for the missing pasta shape 2. make the shape at home (if possible) or 3. do a pasta shape substitution. I'm hoping to avoid #1 and #3!

That's it; if you can think of another guideline just let me know and I'll include it above. I'll be updating the list below by simply adding the date of pasta consumption and a strikethrough on the given pasta shape (as well as a link). I'll be posting individual entries with pasta photo and recipe (hopefully each Friday and Monday).

Oh, if you'd like to contribute photos of you and your family cooking you favorite pasta shape then please send pics via email and I'll be sure to post them!

List of 158 Pasta Shapes (let me know if I've missed any):

1. Acini di pepe

2. Agnolotti

3. Alfabeto

4. Anelli

5. Anellini

6. Barbina

7. Bavette

8. Bavettine

9. ~~Bucatini~~

10. Calamarata

11. Calamaretti

12. Campanelle

13. ~~Cannolicchi~~

13. ~~Cannelloni~~

14. Capelli d'angelo

15. Capellini

16. Capunti

17. ~~Casarecce~~

18. Casoncelli or casonsèi

19. Casunziei

20. Cavatappi

21. Cavatelli

22. Cellentani

23. ~~Cencioni~~

24. Chifferi

25. Chitarra

25. Ciriole

26. Conchiglie

27. Conchigliette

28. Conchiglioni

29. Corallini

30. Corzetti

31. Couscous

32. Creste di galli

33. Croxetti

34. Ditali

35. ~~Ditalini~~

37. Elicoidali

38. Fagioloni

39. Fagottini

40. Fantolioni

41. Farfalle

42. Farfalline

43. Farfalloni

44. Fedelini

45. ~~Fettuccine~~

46. Fettuce

47. Fettucelle

48. Fideos

49. Fideuà

50. Filini

51. Fiorentine

52. Fiori

53. Foglie d'ulivo

54. Fregula

55. Funghini

56. Fusilli

57. Fusilli Bucati

58. Fusilli lunghi

59. Garganelli

60. Gemelli

61. Gigli

62. Gnocchi

63. Gomito

64. Gramigna

65. Israeli couscous

66. Lagane

67. Lanterne

68. Lasagne

69. Lasagnette

70. Lasagnotte

71. Linguettine

72. ~~Linguine~~ (parsley, olive oil, and garlic)

73. Lumache

74. Lumaconi

75. Macaroni

76. Maccheroncelli

77. Mafalde

78. Mafaldine

80. Maltagliati

81. Mandala

82. Manicotti

83. Marille

84. Marziani

85. Mezzani pasta

86. Mezze Penne

87. Mezzelune

88. Mezzi Bombardoni

89. Mostaccioli

90. Occhi di Lupo

91. Occhi di pernice

92. ~~Orecchiette~~ ~~(with broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, and onion)~~

93. Orzo

94. ~~Paccheri (olive oil and black pepper)~~

95. Pagliaioni

96. ~~Pappardelle~~

97. Passatelli

98. ~~Pasta al ceppo~~

99. Pastina

100. Pearl Pasta

101. Penne

102. Penne lisce

103. Penne rigate

104. Penne Zita

105. Pennette

106. Pennoni

107. Perciatelli

108. Pici

109. Pillus

110. Pipe

111. Pizzoccheri

112. Quadrefiore

113. Quadrettini

114. Radiatore

115. ~~Ravioli~~ (with a mushroom tomato sauce)

116. Ricciolini

117. Ricciutelle

118. Rigatoncini

119. Rigatoni

120. Risi

121. Rotelle

122. Rotini

123. Sacchettini

124. Sacchettoni

125. Sagnarelli

126. Sagne 'ncannulate

127. Scialatelli of Scilatielli

128. Seme di melone

129. Spaghetti

130. Spaghetti alla chitarra

131. Spaghettini

132. Spaghettoni

133. Spätzle

134. Spirali

135. Spiralini

136. Stelle

137. Stelline

138. Stortini

139. Stringozzi

140. ~~Strozzapreti~~

141. Tagliatelle

142. Taglierini

143. Tarhana

144. Torchio

145. Tortellini

146. Tortelloni

147. Tortiglioni

148. Trenette

149. ~~Trenne~~ (3/12/10, Sauce: peas, red onion, garlic, and grana padano)

150. Trennette

151. ~~Tripoline~~ (3/15/10, Sauce: Braised meat tomato sauce with meatballs, ribs, sausage)

152. Trofie[2]

153. Tuffoli

154. Vermicelli

155. Vermicelloni

156. Ziti

157. ~~Zitoni~~

Wines of Calabria

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By Vincent Scordo on March 9, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: Nonno Scordo's vineyard overlooking the sea near Bagnara Calabra)

Ciro is the most well known Calabrian wine here in the US and it's for good reason. The region of Ciro is situated on the eastern tip of Calabria, about a 4 hour trip north from Reggio Calabria. Ciro is designated a DOC wine or Denominazione di Origine Controllata, DOC is basically a fancy label meaning that any particular wine from an officially recognized region of Italy must be produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules designed to preserve the traditional wine-making practices of the individual regions. Other, more famous, DOC wine regions include Chianti Classico and Barolo. There are three other labels you may see on wine bottles from Italy including Vino Da Tavola (table wine) , Vino a Indicazione Geografica (IGT), and Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) - just think of all these classifications as standards for wine making (with DOCG being the strictest standard). Here's a nice map that points out both DOC and DOCG regions in Calabria.

Back to Ciro, there are three standard types produced including a rosso (or red) made from the Gaglioppo grape, rosato (rose), and biano (white) made from the Greco grape. Some rosso wines also contain a mixture of Greco and trebbiano white grapes, but it must be less than 5 percent to meet DOC standards. Like most wines produced throughout the world, Ciro is meant to be consumed 3-4 years after production, but some Ciro Rosso can be aged 10+ years.

(photo: Nonno Latella and my father at the vineyard)

As the UndertheGrapeTree states, The Gaglioppo grape is usually left for blending, giving its blend a softer edge. Ciro Rosso is like Beaujolais or red Bourgogne (both from Fance), with soft red fruit, allspice and cinnamon flavors, notes of walnuts, and a bright, acidic stricture that matches up nicely with spicy meats, stuffed peppers, and pizza, lamb, and even fish like swordfish and sardine. If you've come across any Calabrian wines in your local wine shop, it's probably Librandi Ciro Rosso, which is a fine representation of the Gaglioppo grape (read on for a great, exclusive offer on Calabrian wines from Winechateau)

Another DOC zone in Calabria is Melissa (about a 30 minutes drive south of Ciro). The region of Melissa produces Ciro-like wines (mostly from Gaglioppo and Greco Nero) but doesn't have the same reputation (at least outside of Calabria) as Ciro.

Calabria has 12 DOC regions and they include:

- Ciro

- Bianco

- Bivongi

- Donnici

- Isola di Capo Rizzuto

- Lamezia Terme

- Pollino

- San Vito di Luzzi

- Savuto

- Scavigna

- Verbicaro

- Melissa

There are other wine producing regions in Calabria, but they all have the lesser IGT label which, in my view, doesn't take away from the quality of the wine produced in these areas. For example, near my parents place of birth in the province of Reggio Calabria there are many IGT zones including Arghillà, Costa Viola, Locride, Palizzi, Pellaro, and Scilla Given the intense regionalization in all of Italy it's common for locals to drink wines only from their specific micro-regions (hence the wine world's golden rule of drinking wines associated with a given regional cuisine; this rule is flexible, but I think drinking wines from the Costa Viola region along the western Calabria seacost with Swordfish and goat dishes for example is a great way to map foods with wine).Made In Italy also has a nice overview of wines from Calabria as well as Italian Made.

Finally, in honor of Calabrian wines, I've partnered with the good folks at Winechateau.com to offer free shipping on any wine in their online shop to one lucky Scordo.com reader, including some great Calabrian wines such as Librandi Ciro Duca Sanfelice Riserva and the Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico.

Here's what you'll need to do:

- 1. leave a comment on your favorite Italian wine (doesn't need to be from Calabria) and 2. sign up for the Scordo Facebook Fan page or Scordo.com newsletter, it doesn't need to be both). If you've done both already, then I'll ask you if you can please re-tweet the article on Twitter and include the article URL: http://bit.ly/ae4RqH and @scordo in your tweet)

- Only one entry per person please and only to US residents.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 3/13 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org. The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 3/15.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your email address to email you the free shipping code).

- You'll select and order your wine and enter your free shipping code at http://www.winechateau.com/ . Wine Chateau reserves the right to limit the amount of bottles ordered via the free shipping code promotion.

8 Tips to Make Great Pasta at Home: From My Childhood Block in New Jersey

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By Vincent Scordo on March 7, 2010 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: the backdrop isn't New Jersey but rather Nonno Scordo's farmland in Calabria. Nonno is in the center while my father is on the right and my Uncle is positioned on the left. All three men are/were excellent pasta eaters and the photo above is one of my favorites <as my father often says, life in Post War southern Italy was difficult, but the quality of life, including food, was wonderful.>)

Growing up in Northern NJ on a densely packed block full of immigrant families (mostly from Calabria) both Thursday and Sunday were special days. That is to say, for many of the families on our tiny New Jersey block from Pellegrina, Bagnara Calabra, Grimoldo, and Ceramida Thursday and Sunday were designated as pasta days! My mother, from Pellegrina, would often make pasta with Tomato sauce on Sunday and then a more exotic pasta condiment on Thursday (maybe a ragu of rabbit with Pappardelle, for example). And I'm convinced our New Jersey block had a higher relative humidity on the aforementioned days because of of all the pots of boiling water going at once (ever notice why Italian kids have great skin!).

Here, then, are eight pasta tips gathered from the many Calabrian women on Oregon Avenue (from, say, 1979-1994) in New Jersey. Oh, enjoy your pasta today!

1. Buy the best possible dry pasta on the market. Like fine dress shoes, you get what you pay for in terms of dry pasta. Good dry pasta usually comes from Italy and is made with 100% semolina (Durham wheat) flour and spring water. The better Italian products are also made by hand. De Cecco is a fine readily available pasta brand. Rustichella d'Abruzzo uses slightly better ingredients for a nicer end product and is usually sold at Italian specialty shops.

2. Use lots of fresh boiling water. I have a dedicated pot when it comes to boiling water for pasta and I always overcompensate when it comes to the amount of water needed. You want lots of water so that the pasta doesn't stick during the cooking process.

3. Salt the water right before adding your pasta and as soon as you have a good, rolling, boil going. Not including a healthy amount salt in your pasta water is the equivalent of eating a tomato without salt, so please use plenty of it!

4. Once you add your dry pasta to the pot stir often and don't walk away from the pot. You don't need to nurse a pot of cooking pasta like risotto, but you should certainly stir every 2-3 minutes.

5. Most brands include cooking times depending on pasta shapes so it's important to time when you add your pasta to the boiling water. Al dente (or to the tooth) is the golden rule, but I know plenty of dyed-in-the-wool northern and southern Italians who go well beyond the al dente cooking time period, Nonno Scordo, for example, preferred rigatoni and penne at 1-3 minutes over al dente. Like finding your niche in the wine world, you should cook pasta to your taste, but please don't turn it into mush (just keep in mind there should be some give when chewing pasta). Finally don't add olive oil (or any oil for that matter) to your pot.

6. Add your drained pasta to your hot pan containing the condiment or sauce and never vice versa. Adding your pasta to the hot pan containing the sauce will allow you to cook through the pasta for an extra 30-90 seconds. You should also save some of the starchy pasta water just in case you're looking to change the consistency of your sauce. You don't always need to add pasta water to your sauce, as many FoodTV personalities do. Moreover, do not rinse your pasta after the cooking process (again because the pasta contains a coating of starch that allows your condiment to adhere to the pasta).

7. Finish your pasta with a bit of olive oil (I almost always add a bit of olive oil to my completed pasta dish). The oil gives your pasta dish an additional fresh oil component and just finishes the dish. You can add grated cheese to your pasta during the mixing of pasta and sauce in your pan and then again at the table. You can use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Pa'dano (a great substitute for the more expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano) , or Pecorino Romano (note Pecorino Romano is not a substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano)

8. Watch your portions. Most Italians have pasta as a starter for any given dinner or lunch and not as the main dish. A quarter pound of pasta for two people, for example, is deal.

History of Calabria

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By Vincent Scordo on March 5, 2010 | 5 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: the picture is taken from Pellegrina looking down on the seacost <Mediterranean Sea> town of Bagnara Calabra.)

As many of you know, my parents (and extended family) were all born in the southern Italian province of Calabria (specifically in a tiny hilltop village called Pellegrina). The region of Calabria is comprised of mountains, multiple seas, farms, small and large towns, and even a few urban centers. The history of Calabria is tumultuous and is part of why the Italian region has been so underrepresented in the Italian storybook (afterall, you don't hear tourists talking about their trip to Reggio or their recent wine and food tasting tour of the Calabrian country side <this is changing, however, and the secret may be getting out!>).

(photo: the village of Pellegrina and associated villages.)

If you're interested in reading more about Calabria you can quickly read a history of Calabria via Michelle from Bleeding Espresso. Michelle also has a great book resource page where she highlights books about the Calabrian region (make sure to sort the books by "southern Italy").

In terms of an accessible cookbook on the food of Calabria, I really like Mary Palmer's Cucina di Calabria. Not only is Palmer's book full of easy recipes, there's also some great content on the history of Calabria, the story of immigration, and the beverages and wine of the region.

Portable Espresso Take Three: MyPressi Twist Review

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By Vincent Scordo on March 1, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(Photo: Espresso machine meets the Star Trek Enterprise)

I was a big fan of the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar, as it was known to series insiders, was serious science fiction that was elegantly produced with big ideas, a great script, and blissful (almost film noir) type visuals. The central plot of Battlestar centered on man made machines called Cylons that evolved into sentient and free will-laden beings that ultimately destroy all of humanity (this is why we shouldn't train primates) except, of course, for a few interstellar space ships and it's human inhabitants (I forget how much of humanity was left, but I think it was under 500 and it didn't include Joan Rivers).

The very first iterations of the Cylon machines were robot-looking with lots of shiny stainless steel, curved surfaces, and proportions that weren't exactly right (kind of like an Audi TT). The Cylons evolved and eventually came to look like humans, but it's the first iteration of the Cylons that I immediately thought of when I layed eyes on the MyPressi Twist portable espresso machine by Espressi, Inc. No, I didn't think the MyPressi espresso machine was going to obliterate New Jersey and most of my Italian friends and family, but the large circular head and sleek curved handle somewhat mirrored the Cylons or better yet the StarTrek Generations version of the space ship Enterprise.

I can assure you after using the MyPressi Twist for a few weeks that the machine has only one major existential goal, namely, to produce world class espresso at home. And produce quality espresso the Twist surely does!

(photo: packaging is nice, but Handpresso had nicer packaging materials ala Apple)

Here are the produict details: The MyPressi Twist is comprised of aluminum (I'm making an assumption) and plastic components and weighs about 38 ounces (or a little over 1 kilogram). The unit measures in at less than 11 inches in length and is capable of producing 135 psi or 35 bars of pressure (this is important). The unit comes with a ton of accessories including a carrying case, tamper, drip catcher coaster, o-ring replacement kit, and baskets for both fine espresso and more coarse espresso used in a stovetop espresso unit like the Bialetti. The pressure is derived from N20 gas cartridges which are recyclable. One gas cartridge will produce 8 single or 4 double shots of espresso. The Twist handles freshly ground espresso or ESE pods and a typical extraction lasts about 25 seconds. The unit requires hot, boiling, water. The unit retails for $169.00 (you can find it for $149.00 at OpenSky and help support Scordo.com!) and comes with 5 N2O cartridges; you can purchase additional cartridges for $15.84 (24 pack).

(photo: all the parts!)

(photo: group head)

(photo: closeup of water chamber, where's the water line? took some time to find)

I used my Twist in a home environment with fresh boiling water produced via a Krups water kettle. I used both illy fine grind coffee and Lavazze Crema e Gusto Ground coffee, 8.8counce brick. I didn't use freshly ground coffee with the Twist because I don't think most users purchasing the unit will be grinding their own beans via a burr grinder (unlike say a coffee enthusiast purchasing the Rancilio Silvia). Twist espresso was sampled by 6 individuals (including yours truly, my Italian born father/mother/aunt/uncle, and US born cousin (all are avid espresso drinkers and have experience drinking coffee in Italy and the US <at cafes, via semi and full automatic machines at home, and standard Bialetti stovetop espresso>). Here are my wholly unscientific observations:

1. The Twist produces semi-automatic type espresso at home, meaning the coffee is similar to espresso brewed in units costing between 4X-8X more than the $169.00 Twist. And even with pre-ground coffee, the Twist produced a lovely crema head that hung to the side of the espresso cup. The espresso itself had complex notes of chocolate and almond. The espresso had a nice consistency and was very "clean" tasting but maybe a little "bright" as other reviewers pointed out. Twist espresso is no where near a ristretto type of espresso, even when pulling a single shot. The Twist easily produces a better cup of coffee than most mediocre semi and fully automatic home machines and in terms of coffee quality beats both the Handpresso Wild Domepod and Wild ESE.

(photo: required top water lid)

(photo: pulling a shot, took a couple of trials to learn the machine)

(photo: with my third pull I was finally producing good crema)

2. The Twist is a cumbersome and a bulky son-of-a-gun to use. The unit is comprised of a group head, handle, water container, water container top, basket, and diverter lid (which funnels the coffee into a one or two cups). It took me multiple times to learn how to assemble the unit and moreover align both the group head and diverter lid to the handle set (even with clear indicator marks visible). Moreover, filling the water container and thereafter the basket with coffee can get messy so it's best to do this over a large kitchen towel. Unscrewing all the components after use was also messy and I had to use a dish towel to unscrew the group head from the handle because some of the part stuck. Dumping the coffee grounds from the small basket required the use of a spoon to dig out the grinds. In terms of ease of use I'd opt for the Handpresso Domepod.

3. It's no secret the Twist produces great espresso because of the use of N20 cartridges, the cartridges produce the necessary pressure but there are two huge drawbacks to this system: 1. cartridges are expensive and yet another required accessory and 2. a single cartridge only lasts 3-4 (double) shots. A single shot was not enough coffee for an individual, in my view (and my guests agreed). A single shot is appropriate when drinking authentic ristretto or corto because of the richness of the end product, but in all other espresso drinking cases a long or double is the appropriate amount of coffee for a single person (or an almost full standard espresso cup).

(photo: you need N02 cartridges for the MyPressi)

4. The temperature of the espresso was not adequate. I used boiling water (seconds after coming to a boil) and also preheated my espresso cups with boiling water for several minutes and all my guests had the same reaction: the coffee is excellent but the coffee temperature is not correct or appropriate (this equivalent to making a wonderful tomato sauce and buying imported dry pasta from Italy only to bite into your first forkful of linguine and realize you undercooked the pasta and it's incredibly crunchy, it just ruins the whole experience).

5. The Twist uses a considerable amount of coffee. The standard basket uses 21 grams of ground espresso or almost 4.5 teaspoons of coffee for a double shot. The unit is designed for single coffee drinker so don't plan on using the Twist for a dinner party.

6. From an industrial design perspective, and like the Chemex drip coffee maker, the Twist is a nice piece of consumer gadgetry and design and all Sci-Fi analogies aside it looks nice and will easily impress your techie and art scene friends, if that's your goal in life.

Overall, the MyPressi Twist surprised me immensely as I didn't expect the unit to pull the quality shots it did and when compared to some semi-automatic home machines it's a steal in terms of price and size (there's no bulky machine sitting on your counter top, just slide it into your kitchen drawer).

However, only single cup espresso drinkers should purchase the Twist because it's really designed for single use and moreover requires additional components to work (namely, the purchase of N20 cartridges on a consistent basis which makes my frugal alter ego cringe).

If you're willing to sacrifice how your espresso tastes and want ease of use without the additional expensive of buying cartridges (including easy clean up) then opt for a Handpresso Wild Domepod for $88.95 (non ESE pod version). If you're the occasional, single dose, espresso drinker and value quality over an easier use experience go and get yourself a MyPressi Twist!

Here's the NY Times Magazine take on the MyPressi Twist.

Recipe: Uovo Rotto al Aqua con Cipolla e Prezzemolo or Poached Eggs with Onion and Parsley

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By Vincent Scordo on February 28, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: poached eggs with parsley and onion)

My mother can pretty much make a fabulous meal out of anything she has laying around the house (her culinary skill set constantly amazes me). Here's a classic example: uovo rotto al aqua con cipolla e prezzemolo, literally translated from the Calabrian dialect, "egg broken over water with onion and parsley" or poached eggs with parsley and onion.

My mother's recipe is not technically a variant of poached eggs but rather a type of gently fried egg.

Let's start with what you'll need:

- 4 large eggs (buy good eggs as they're the king of the show)

- 2 tablespoon of olive oil

- 2 tablespoons of water

- 1 large onion finely diced

- Bunch of parsley fined diced

- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano

- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Start by sautéing the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil (add salt and pepper to taste). Once the onion has become softened and slightly caramelized add the chopped parsley and stir well. Next add the remaining olive oil and water and crack 4 eggs into your sauté pan (in separate parts of the pan). Sprinkle the eggs with the dried parsley and a bit more salt and freshly grounded pepper. Cover the sauté pan with a lid and gently cook for 5-10 minutes depending on how cooked you like your eggs (I prefer my egg yolk runny).

You can serve uovo rotto al aqua with some good wheat bread, cured green olives, and some simply prepared risotto, and an arugula salad with vinaigrette. Serve the eggs with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand.

Elegant and Sustainable Coffee: Chemex, Filter Drip, Coffee-Maker

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By Vincent Scordo on February 11, 2010 | 6 Comments | 2 TrackBacks

(photo: thanks to Dr. K, Chemex in action during brewing process)

I was flipping through the latest issue of the New Yorker and an article by Malcom Gladwell caught my eye, as it usually does whenever I see his name in the table of contents. Gladwell writes clearly and as deeply as a popularizer of big ideas can so I look forward to his articles (you'll never get all the details with writers like Pinker, Dennett, and Gladwell because they often write for a mass audience - this is just a small critique).

Gladwell's piece was on the drinking habits of two distinct people; the Cambra of Bolivia and the Italian-Americans of New Haven, CT (circa mid 1940's). The reference to the latter group caught my eye and I read intently as Gladwell points out that for both the Bolivians and Italian - Americans a great deal of alcohol is consumed on a day-to-day basis, but unlike many other ethnic groups, the propensity for alcoholism is low (versus the Irish - American class in New Haven, CT of the same generation, for example). Gladwell attributes the idea of "drinking responsibly" to cultural norms in the aforementioned groups that don't tell it's members: "drink and get loud or violent", "drink until you can't stand up", or "drink when you have a problem" as is the case for some college students, tailgating sports fans, or unhappy suburban dads.

(photo: thanks to Dr. K; close up of "bloom" during brewing process)

The New Yorker got me thinking about other positive habits that Italians and Italian-Americans take part in on a daily basis (I'm not talking about watching the Jersey Shore on MTV). And like having a daily glass of wine or aperitif, many Italians begin their day with coffee (usually in the form of a single espresso or a cappuccino <if you want to stand out as a tourist in Italy just order a cappuccino after 10:30 AM; it's not accepted for most natives>).

I witnessed the coffee ritual first hand growing up in NJ, as the first thing my parents did in the morning was reach for the Bialetti stovetop espresso maker. I should also say that the second thing they both did was kiss their kids (bad breath and all, sorry ma/papa'). For Italians in Europe the morning coffee ritual often takes place at the local bar (short for café) with customers ordering a short or single espresso and consuming it quickly (while standing) at the bar). The process is usually repeated again after lunch.

(photo: thanks to Dr. K; part of unit that collects coffee)

I've expressed my love for all types of coffee here on Scordo.com, including stovetop espresso, French press, handheld espresso, single cup Americano, etc. And all for good reason, I truly love coffee and I couldn't imagine not taking part in my twice a day coffee ritual (either a latte or Americano in the AM and a single shot espresso after lunch; caffeine after 2PM doesn't work for me). Recently, I've shared my love of coffee with Dr. K. from Philadelphia (Dr. K is married to my wife's college roommate and we've gotten to know each other over the last couple of months). And one recent discussion centered on how difficult it's been to find an easy to use, drip style, coffee maker for larger amounts of coffee (read more than a few cups). Being self described coffee aficionadas we shied away from plug in drip style machines (which are often expensive, yield bland brown liquid, and consume a ton of counter top space) and messy French press machines (which yield a good cup of coffee but often include sediment and are finicky with bean grind). Just as our quest for a simple drip style seemed futile, Dr. K. stumbled across the Chemex filter drip coffee maker from his favorite online shop Sweetmarias.com.

(photo: with the first pour of water using my trusty Krups electrical hot water kettle, a must have for any kitchen)

The Chemex is an elegant coffeemaker made out of glass and natural wood and has been produced for forty years (the product is made from International Housewares Corporation in Pittsfield, MA). The 10 cup model I used basically looked like an oversized science beaker (Chemex was started by a Chemist!) yet with a lot more style. The Chemex works with a proprietary bonded coffee filter (available in both natural, non dyed, brown and regular, bleached, white). The square shaped brown filters can be used in a compost and are relatively cheep ($7.50 for 100). At the heart of the Chemex is the aforementioned paper filter which according to the company is 20-30 percent heavier than standard filters. The Chemex filters brew coffee slower than most drip style machines but do not let any nasty sediment or paper taste come through. And brewing via a longer time period is something you want in a drip style machine, as the grinded coffee bean has more time to "sit with" the hot water and creative flavor.

The process for brewing a pot of Coffee is fairly straightforward with the Chemex unit. You start with hot water at 200 degrees F. and thereafter place the custom paper filter over the opening of the unit. Next, you place one tbsp of coffee per 5 oz cup (grind it fresh please, preferably with a burr grinder, but if you have a traditional blade grinder the Chemex filter is pretty forgiving) - you can add more or less to suit your taste. The trick with the Chemex coffee maker is to add just enough hot water (with the first pour) to allow the coffee to "bloom" or develop that nice crema (you'll see it when it happens). Thereafter, you keep on adding water and stop just before reaching the top (you'll need to do this several times if you wan to brew the full 10 cups). That's it for the process.

(photo: close up of glass and wood/leather handle)

Here are my quick observations on the Chemex unit and the coffee it produces:

- It's incredibly easy to use and clean up is quick (as you just throw away the filter with grinds and wash out the glass container and let dry).

- The coffee is very good and it does exhibit some nice complexity. The coffee flavor is, indeed, better than a standard drip style coffee maker, but I do find a French press or Aeropress cup of coffee to have more complexity and richer overall flavor. The coffee is incredibly "clean" with the Chemex; that is to say, there is no harshness or bitterness but it does lack a depth of flavor that I've found with other manual type machines. I may need to try adding more coffee grinds than the 5 oz per cup recommended by the company.

- The coffee does not remain hot for a long period of time after the brew period. As Dr. K recommends, it's best to have a large stainless carafe ready so you can move the contents of the Chemex to an insulated container as quickly as possible.

- From an industrial design perspective, The unit is well executed. The wood and leather used in the middle of the unit serves as a handle and from an ergonomic perspective is almost perfect (think of Oxo products without the plastic). The model I used was made with machined glass, but there are more expensive models made with hand blow glass.

- The unit is inexpensive and requires no electricity. The 10 cup (50 oz) model I tried retails for $37.50 at Sweetmarias.com

(photo: packaging has an Apple-like feel, very simple and elegant)

- Like any glass coffee maker you do need to be careful when washing / cleaning the unit. I have friends who have broken countless Bodum glass French press coffeemakers.

- The unit requires proprietary filters and is akin to a vehicle needing premium gasoline to run (yes, in some cases, an engine will yield more power or run more efficiently, but at a higher price point). The filters, as I said, are not expensive, but you need them in order for the unit to work the correct way (trust me, I tried using a regular paper coffee filter as a test)

- The unit is perfect for a large dinner party when you want to brew up a large batch of quality drip style coffee (just make sure you have an insulated carafe waiting and your guests will not be disappointed).

Pre-Dinner Cocktail: Introducing The Scordoni

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By Vincent Scordo on February 9, 2010 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Scordoni awaits grapefruit juice and a quick stir)

I didn't always like Campari; in fact, I thought the liquor was bitter, fowl, and just unappetizing. I remember ordering a Negroni (made with gin, sweet/red vermouth, Campari, and bitters) at a fancy New York restaurant and thinking this drink is strong, but it's really not doing much for me on the flavor / experience side of things.

Fast forward a couple of years to present day and I love most Italian amari and/or digestivos. The "loving" part came about slowly and I still prefer to mix a liquor like Campari with other ingredients to create the perfect cocktail. One recent cocktail experiment yielded what I believe is the definitive pre-dinner drink or apéritif; namely, the "Scordoni"

(photo: Scordoni ingredient from left to right: red vermouth, Campari, St. Germain, and unsweetened white grapefruit juice)

Here's what you'll need to create the Scordoni:

- 1 tumbler glass filled with 5-6 ice cubes (or about half way up the glass)

- 1 ounce of Campari

- 1 ounce of red vermouth (Martini and Rossi is fine)

- 1 ounce of St. Germaine (a French liquor made from elderflower blossoms)

- 2-3 counces of unsweetened white grapefruit juice

(photo: the ingredients and tumbler glass chilling)

Add the ingredients to your glass and stir well; you can add a twist of lemon, if you'd like. I like to serve the Scordoni as an apéritif (you can whip up a pitcher and serve it before a large dinner party; I guarantee it will stimulate everyone's appetite!). The cocktail is also very refreshing and especially tasty during the summer months.

(photo: mixed Scordoni)

(photo: mixed Scordoni in tumbler glass)

Tarallini: The Perfect Italian Snack Food

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By Vincent Scordo on February 8, 2010 | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: tarallini made with red pepper flake)

I'm going to ask the inevitable question; how many bags of chips did you consume this weekend? And did you include some dips like sour cream and chives or salsa to go with the multiple bowls of corn and potato chips? Well, I'm not going to scold you because it was Super Bowl weekend and what better to go with a cold beer than some salty chips (my favorite beer/chip combo is Brooklyn Lager with Cape Cod Chips; don't tell any of my foodie buddies!). Oh, burgers go great with beer as well; here's my recipe!

When I'm not consuming chips and beer, however, my favorite all time snack food are taralli (sometime called tarallini or Italian pretzels). Tarallini are very popular in Southern Italy and go well with wine. Tarallini are formed into tiny rings and baked and have a crunchy texture and the better varities are made with wine, olive oil, and any number of fresh spices (including red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and black pepper).

Like buying a good quality extra virgin olive oil, the selection process for finding a good quality Taralli can be hit or miss (unfortunately, this is the case for many Italian specialty products). Most Italian specialty shops carry a local product, probably made from a near by bakery (this is the case in my area) or have the bread snacks imported from Italy. Most of the Taralli that I've tried in the NYC/NJ area have been poor representations of the original product that I first tasted in Calabria. Taralli should have a crunchy and flavorful consistency and the olive oil and wine components should be nicely pronounced. Moreover, the bread flavor shouldn't be stale or flat. When Taralli are made with a particular spice, such as fennel seed, then the spice should be baked throughout the taralli and really stand out as the main flavor component.

(photo: Aroma Antico tarallini and aroma stix <or bread sticks> made with red pepper flake, sesame seed, and fennel seed)

Recently, I had the chance to sample some taralli made by a Lynbrook, NY company called Aroma Antico (translated as "traditional flavor"). Aroma Antico makes a wide range of products, but their bite size, and flavored, tarallini (branded as Rallini) stand out as one of the better Italian bread snacks I've tried in the US (and believe me my mother kept a well stocked Italian pantry!).

Aroma Antico's Rallini are made without preservatives, artificial flavorings, and GMOs. Aroma Antico also uses real extra virgin olive oil, NY Finger Lakes region white wine, and unbleached Dakota wheat flour to make their product. The spices used in the Rallini are also top notch and include red pepper flake, black pepper, garlic, and fennel seed.

(photo: tarallini made with black pepper)

I sampled all four of the spiced Rallini and each tarallini had the spice baked all the way through the product and the flavor component was huge. The red pepper flake Rallini was nice and spicy and you could see how the olive oil and red pepper flake baked into the product when examining the Rallini closely. The black pepper variety had a pronounced flavor and was quite good, but my favorite, slightly ahead of the red pepper flake flavor, was fennel seed. Like the Columbus' Artisan Finocchiona salami), the Rallini fennel tarallini had great fennel seed flavor and were nutty, vibrant, and slightly tart. I went through a bowl of the Fennel Rallini within minutes; they were that good.

On a separate occasion I had my parents over for a quick taste and we consumed the remaining Aroma Antico Rallini with some cacciatore, extra sharp provolone, and a bottle of Morellino di Scansano. My father enjoyed the fennel variety while my mother was impressed with both the garlic and red pepper flake flavors. We also sampled the Rallini without meat or cheese. Rallini are especially good as a sort of wine cracker.

(photo: aroma stix made with extra virgin olive and tons of sesame seeds)

Aroma Antico also produces Aroma Stix, Pastelle - tea cookies, and Friselle. Without sounding overtly bias, I didn't try a product that I didn't think was well made and incredibly authentic (in relation to the same varieties made in Italy). The sesame seed Aroma Stix were particularly good (and full of sesame seeds!) and both my mother and wife enjoyed the tea cookies (and commented how "home made" the product tasted).

You can order Aroma Antico products via their web site or via Amazon in 6 pack bundles (at a great $16.00 price).

Italian Dried Pasta Taste Test and Rustichella d'Abruzzo Contest

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By Vincent Scordo on February 2, 2010 | 14 Comments | 3 TrackBacks

(photo: incorporating olive oil, garlic, and parsley with spaghettini)

Update: Congrats to Susan for winning the contest. The giveaway is closed.

Back in September of 2009, in my overview of dried pasta entry, I made the claim that dry pasta is NOT inferior to freshly made pasta (this is the type of pasta which I often make at home with my classic, hand cranked, Imperia pasta machine). Don't get me wrong, I love homemade pasta, especially ravioli, but I don't exactly look forward to the work effort involved to make it at home. There's the making of the dough, the flattening of the dough into sheets, cutting the pasta, and finally flowering and air drying the product. The process is messy and unless you make large quantities it's tough to justify making pasta at home on a consistent basis (this is just one home cook's opinion, of course).

Enter the revolutionary idea of dry pasta. OK, maybe the idea of pre-packaged pasta isn't revolutionary but it's one of those food products that actually makes sense to acquire in an already completed fashion (read: not making it at home from scratch).

Dry pasta has it's origin in 8th century southern Italy; specifically, in Palermo, Sicilia. The most accepted theory of pasta being introduced in Italy is not via Marco Polo and China, but rather in Sicilia via one of the many Arab conquests of the 700's (this was a time period when the Middle East, part of North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula all came under Arab rule). Moreover, as the web site LifeinItaly.com states:

Like so much of southern Italian life, the Arab invasions of the 8th century heavily influenced the regional cuisine and is the most accepted theory for the introduction of pasta. The dried noodle-like product they introduced to Sicily is most likely the origins of dried pasta and was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at this time. The modern word "macaroni" derives from the Sicilian term for making dough forcefully, as early pasta making was often a laborious daylong process. How it was served is not truly known but many Sicilian pasta recipes still include other Arab gastronomic introductions such as raisins and spices like cinnamon. This early pasta was an ideal staple for Sicily and it easily spread to the mainland since durum wheat thrives in Italy's climate. Italy is still a major producer of this hard wheat, used to make the all-important semolina flour.

By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for long ship voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. By that time different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life.

(photo: Rustichella pasta line up)

Fast-forward 700 years or so and there are an abundance of dry pastas on the market in both the US and in Italy/Europe. The very best dry pastas are manufactured in Italy and are made with locally grown Durham wheat. The hard Durham wheat is what yields semolina flour, which is used in all types of quality dry pastas. In the US, the most common pasta brands are Ronzoni, Barilla, Colavita, De Cecco, etc. Of the brands found in the typical US supermarket, De Cecco, in my view, is the best choice. You can see De Cecco's quality via it's color and firmness out of the package and once you cook up a batch of linguine fine, for example, you can taste the quality in the semolina flour used.

One readily available "luxury" pasta found at most Italian specialty shops (as well as Whole Foods) is a brand called, Rustichella d'Abruzzo. Rustichella sits along side other premium pasta brands such as Martelli, Latini, Benedetto, and Setaro. The premium pasta brands command prices as high as $8.80 for 18 ounces (Bendetto), for example. Rusticella pasta commands a price of about $6.60 per 18 ounces (a little over a full pound) and is priced in the middle of the luxury pasta segment.

I, along with various relatives from Calabria and Sicilia, had the pleasure of tasting 10 distinct Rustichella d'Abruzzo pastas, including Bucatini, Trofie, Cencioni, Paccheri, Linguine, Spaghettini, Penne, Rigatoncini, Trenne, and Farafalloni. All of the Rustichella products are handmade and use Italian Durham wheat and spring water. And according to Rustichella bronze moulds are used during the extraction process yielding a pasta with a course exterior texture (the logic here is that the condiment or sauce can better adhere to the pasta). Another product differentiator according to Rustichella is that their "drying process is slow and takes place at a low temperature (up to 50 hours and at temperatures of around 35 degrees) which is the opposite to the industrial process, mass produced pastas, of 4/5 hours at 90 degrees."

(photo: getting ready to chop garlic and parsley)

(photo: raw garlic)

(photo: parsley ready to chop)

(photo: slowly frying some sliced garlic and red pepper flakes with extra virgin olive oil)

The first pasta I tried was spaghettini with a simple alio e olio sauce (olive oil, garlic, and parsley). I choose a simple sauce because I wanted the pasta to be the star and the Rustichella spaghettini didn't disappoint. Unlike mass produced pasta brands, the Rustichella spaghettini had a wonderful texture and had none of the "cardboard-like" taste found in brands like Ronzoni. The spaghettini also had some wonderful nutty and malty flavor components, especially when sampling it without the sauce or condiment. When I did mix the alio e olio with the spaghettini the pasta quickly absorbed the extra virgin olive oil and the tiny bits of parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes hung closely to the pasta. The idea of the sauce "sticking" or melding with pasta is a key concept and I look for this trait in any pasta. A high quality pasta should also allow for the sauce to integrate into the overall texture of the product (think of those nasty cream cheese and celery appetizers you may have consumed at cocktail parties; the celery, however unfortunate, is a vessel for cream cheese, just like a good pasta, fortunately, is a vessel for the sauce or condiment).

(photo: adding salt to pasta water at the boil)

(photo: measuring pasta)

(photo: drain pasta and save some of the starchy water for the condiment)

Next, I sampled the Paccheri (smaller, and plain, rigatoni - no ridges) with a tomato sauce and again the pasta shined. I was looking for the tomato sauce to slide off the pasta or for a little more blandness because of the larger size of the Paccheri, but the flavor was tremendous (kind of like a clean and crisp Sauvignon Blanc).

My extended family sampled the rest of the Rustichella pastas and all but a few of the pasta critics enjoyed the high quality and texture of the product. Some of the more critical comments from family members centered on price point and similarity to De Cecco pasta. More specifically, one Uncle couldn't justify price versus flavor (he was hinting at value and while he thought the product was of high quality he had concerns about why it was priced 2-3x that of other, typical, Italian brands like De Cecco).

(photo: do you think he will grow to like pasta?)

Pasta Content Giveaway!

As with any food experience the ultimate judgment comes by way of the consumer of the product and his or her relation to other, similar, products they've sampled. So, Scordo.com has teamed up with Rustichella d'Abruzzo to offer one lucky Scordo.com reader a pasta sampler gift package consisting of 1 package each (4 total) of the following pastas: Linguine, Spaghettini ,Penne, and Paccheri. I'm looking for you, the "end pasta user", to be the ultimate critic! Here are the details on the pasta package giveaway contest:

(photo: end product!)

- What you need to do to enter: 1. leave a comment under this post on a favorite pasta brand and shape (no, it doesn't need to be Rustichella!) and 2. sign up as a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook here or Scordo.com newsletter, it doesn't need to be both). If you've done both already, then I'll ask you if you can please re-tweet the article on Twitter and include the article URL: http://bit.ly/ceTiVa and @scordo in your tweet)

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 2/6 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org. The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 2/8.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your shipping address).

- Manicaretti Italian Food Imports will send out the pasta package to the single contest winner during the week of 2/8.

That's it, so please sign up for a chance to win a sampler package of, quite possibly, one of the best food products on the planet (i.e., pasta)! If you can't wait to sample Rustichella pasta you can buy it online here!

Also, be sure to search Scordo.com for a ton of pasta recipes!

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