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Pancetta and Red Onion Risotto (Acquerello Riso Carnaroli) with Pan Fried Skate

By Vincent Scordo on November 22, 2011 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

One of my favorite ways to eat is to simply head to the market and pick out items that look fresh, tasty, and don't break the bank. Don't get me wrong I'm not heading to the market every other day (like Nonna and Mamma did/do) but I usually reserve a mid week shopping trip to supplement my usually Saturday shopping trip.

The Scrumptious Pantry: Durum Wheat Rigatoni and Farfalle, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

By Vincent Scordo on November 11, 2011 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo:Italian durum wheat pasta made by Carlo)

When it comes to reviewing Italian products we're pretty blunt and we've, unfortunately, offended a few Italian product manufacturers with not so positive feedback. In fact, when companies approach us to review already prepared products we often turn them away for fear of writing yet another negative review. In turn, many of our favorite Italian products are simple and basic items like extra virgin olive oils, artisan pastas, salumi, cheese, canned items, etc. There are exceptions like Gelato Di babbo, Aroma Antico tarallini, etc. but you won't find us talking about canned tomato sauce or frozen Italian meals produced by large consumer packaged good companies.

So, with the above in mind, I was skeptical when Lee Greene approached us about giving our honest feedback on the products her company, The Scrumptious Pantry, produces. I was expecting yet another jarred tomato sauce or even worse some sudo seasonal Italian American junk full of preservative with a long shelf life. What I discovered was the complete opposite; namely, basic food made with care on small, family run, farms in Italy and America.

The Gracious Gourmet Spreads and Tapenades

By Vincent Scordo on November 7, 2011 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Over the last few years there's been renewed interest on the topic of what makes people happy (or happiness studies). "Renewed" is probably the wrong word since humans have been chasing fulfillment and happiness since we picked up traits such as language, consciousness, and the need to write things down and keep records. The interest in happiness I'm talking about is the modern kind and the type that Harvard Professor Dan Gilbert has studied in depth and popularized through books such as Stumbling on Happiness.

The field of happiness studies is full of interesting fun facts like the general claim that happiness does not scale with income and that after an individual has attained certain material items (i.e., a comfortable home, adequate savings, a full belly and the prospects of keeping it full long term, et. al.) he or she doesn't become happier with more stuff. Increased happiness, in turns out, comes by way of non material interactions and experiences.

Why Italian Food is Not Simple and a Pasta and Olive Oil Challenge Giveaway

By Vincent Scordo on September 22, 2011 | Comments | 2 TrackBacks

(photo: spaghetti chitarra with tomato sauce, ricotta, and peas; see below for recipe)

The now immortalized copywriter turned French cook Julia Child remarked once that, "anyone can make a bowl of pasta but it takes a skilled chef to put out a fine French meal." You can imagine my reaction to the quote and my thinking on Child's comment; namely, she's full of rubbish, to put in mildly.

The act of making pasta, to address the specific attack on Italian food, is not a simple task. Preparing a dish such as linguine fine with pesto requires that the home cook understands when to pick fresh basil (did you know basil becomes more and more bitter as you pick more leaves?), how much olive oil to add to the pesto mixture, how long to cook the pasta, how much starchy water to save and add to the condiment, how much extra virgin olive oil to add to the final step of marrying pasta with condiment, how much heat to apply to the mixing of pasta and condiment so as not to destroy the basil flavor, what sort of grated cheese to use, etc.

2010 Sangaspano Extra Virgin Olive Oil

By Vincent Scordo on June 24, 2011 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Sangaspano extra virgin olive oil from Messina, Sicilia)

On the morning of December 28th, 1908 a massive earthquake and associated tsunami hit the western province of Calabria and moved across the Stretto di Messina into Sicilia destroying city after city (including Reggio Calabria and Messina). In Messina alone 60,000 people were killed and in Calabria our family lost many people, including small children. In total, over 100,000 people were killed in 1908 making it the deadliest earthquake in European history.

Prior to the earthquake, Messina was home to ancient architecture and a vibrant port. And although the city did re-build, it was bombed extensively in 1943 by the Allies killing thousounds of Italians. However not all of the goings-on within the Province of Messina are gloomy. For example, the olive oil producer Sangaspano is located in the hills of Valle del Mela overlooking the Gulf of Milazzo and the islands of Stromboli and Panarea. The land and region is beautiful and the extra virgin olive oils coming out of Sicilia rival some of the best Tuscan oils.

Cento Italian Pantry Giveaway

By Vincent Scordo on June 22, 2011 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: some of the items in the Cento Italian Pantry Giveaway, including pasta, olive oil, hot peppers, etc.)

Last summer I espoused the virtues of the Italian pantry and the concept of being prepared to cook and eat well every day of the year regardless of access to "fresh ingredients." Specifically, I suggested lovers of Italian food keep a well stocked pantry including varying dry pasta shapes, canned fish, cheese and salumi, beans, etc. so that a quick meal can be put together on the fly and, more importantly, independent of visiting your local restaurant or take out establishment.

The well stocked pantry has a special place in my heart because the Italian homes I grew up in, including my grandmother and mother's kitchens, never lacked staples for creating wonderful, and simple, meals. My grandmother's pantry, as an example, included homemade pickled vegetables (i.e., eggplant, carrots, green tomatoes, spicy peppers), oil cured sun dried tomatoes, provola, 2-3 variations of salumi, oil cured black olives, larger green olives, salt cod, pasta, dry beans, twice baked bread with a long shelf life, etc. Many of the items in the pantry were homemade and represented a way of living and eating that was tied to life in Calabria during 1940-1970's; including the basic principles of eating on the cheap, eating well, and preparing your own food.

Amaro Averna: The Rock-star Sicilian Aperitif

By Vincent Scordo on May 20, 2011 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: Averna on the rocks with a slice of orange)

Averna, the amaro and aperitif/digestif from, and still produced in, Sicilia, is a bona fide rock-star. Yes, like Bono, Freddie Mercury, or Roger Waters, Averna makes you tingle all over and has you wondering how anything can be (taste) so damn good.

For those of you not in the know, Averna is a Sicilian liqueur made of herbs, roots, and citrus rinds which are soaked in alcohol; caramel is also added to give the product a distinct color. Averna was founded in 1868 by Salvatore Averna and is still produced by the same family. Averna is usually served straight (on the rocks) with a slice of orange and is 32% alc/volume (64 proof). There are also some classic cocktails made with Averna including Vertigo, the mojito Italiano, and the Sicilian triangle.

Grilled Chicken and Fennel Salad with Feta

By Vincent Scordo on January 18, 2011 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: grilled chicken, fennel and feta salad, a few pieces of good bread and a bottle of Brooklyn Pilsner)

We eat tons of fennel during the winter months and usually consume it in a salad or immediately after a meal (as a digestivo). Recently, we put together a fennel salad comprising of a simple vinaigrette and lots of good feta cheese from a local Greek market. The salad was a side for grilled chicken that was marinated in soy sauce, honey, and orange zest.

Easy Espresso at Home: MyPressi Twist Review

By Vincent Scordo on December 29, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: very good crema and taste profile, including notes of chocolate and hazelnut with very little bitterness)

When it comes to making great food at home you have two options in my view; namely, 1. try and replicate the same process that takes place in great restaurant kitchens irregardless of time, money, ingredients, and skill and 2. buy the best, and most available, ingredients you can afford, work efficiently and quickly, and improve your recipe every time you prepare it.

11 Last Minute Italian Gift Ideas

By Vincent Scordo on December 23, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: left to right, tarallini snacks, myPressi Twist espresso maker, extra virgin olive oil, Rustichella pasta, and Creminelli salame)

If you've waited until now to buy your special somebody a gift for the holidays then you're probably in a little bit of a jam. Just think, you have no idea what to get him or her, will need to contend with traffic and super cranky shoppers, and are probably a little stressed overall.

Review: Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2009

By Vincent Scordo on December 1, 2010 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: great, bright, yellow color in the Gargiulo oil)

Olive Oil Tasting

There are a few Italian food products that take some getting used to; I would include items like amari or digestivi, authentic espresso, meats such as rabbit and goat, etc. High quality extra virgin olive oil may also take some getting used to if the individual is not accustomed to the intense flavor profile of, say, a first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (he or she may only experience bitter and sour flavors at first).

The Review

The 2009 Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus organic extra virgin olive oil is an example of a well made oil that has no learning curve or entry level barrier. That is to say, Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus organic is "mild" and "sweet" by Italian extra virgin olive oil standards and is an ideal "starter" extra virgin olive oil.

The oil color is bright (yellow with very little green overtones). The Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus works well as a finishing oil in soups and with fresh salads like tomato or mozzarella. The oil would also work well with simple pasta dishes like parsley, red pepper flake and garlic or clam sauce. The only negative to the organic olive oil is that it's slightly greasy on the palate with a bit of heaviness (in terms of mouth feel).

Gargiulo is produced, since 1849, in Sant'Agnello, Sorrento (south of Naples and on the mainland near the island of Capri). The oil is made from the following olives: Ogliarola (Minucciola), Rotondella, Frantoio, and Leccino.

I like the Gargiulo Sorrentolio Venus organic extra vigin olive oil so much that it's going to be my go to olive oil for holiday gifts (perfect for that person who's just starting to appreciate fine olive oils). You can find the oil at the excellent online shop olio2go.com, run by a wonderful woman named Luanne!

Review: Columbus Wine Salame and Limited Edition Porcini and Truffle Artisan Cacciatore

By Vincent Scordo on November 29, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Columbus Artisan line seasonal cacciatore)

I've written about Columbus' Artisan salumi line in the past (including their hot sopressata, cacciatore, finocchiona, crespone, salami secchi, and standard Sopressata) and their high-end line is outstanding as it's made with a higher grade of pork, allowed to age 21-90 days, hand tied and stuffed, and made with natural casings. Click here if you're interested in learning more about how salumi is made.

(photo: Artisan truffle cacciatore before hand slicing)

Columbus recently released a new line of holiday salame aimed at a larger, mass market, audience; namely, "wine salame" The salame collection includes: Cabernet Sauvignon (with juniper berries), Pinot Noir (with pink peppercorns), and Pinot Grigio (with lemon zest). The salame is aged minimally and has no natural casing. Columbus also recently introduced a seasonal, artisan, line of cacciatore made with both porcini and truffles.

(photo: wine salame on left and cacciatore on right; the photo doesn't do justice to the differences in exterior mold and composition of the meat itself)

(photo: wine salame and aged Italian provolone platter)

Our family sampled both types of salumi during the Thanksgiving holiday and we were impressed, as in the past, with the Columbus artisan line. The porcini cacciatore, specifically, had a deep, woodsy, flavor component with a good combination of fat and meat (I would have liked to have seen a little less fat in the pork mixture but with all handmade salumi it varies from batch to batch). Both the porcini and truffle salumi had nicely aged natural casings with good mold development (this is the white component on the exterior of the salame and does many things including help the meat maintain good moisture as well as impart flavor). The wine salame we sampled was an entirely different experience and more akin to a US deli type of salame. The wine components in each of the three salumi were minor with very little of distinct wine characteristics coming through. I would aim to use the wine salami, cut very thin, as a sandwich ingredient, where as one should experience the Artisan cacciatore with nothing more than a piece of crunchy bread and a few olives.

(photo: one of my favorite cheeses, Reggianito, great with all types of salumi)

Review: Frankies 457 Organic DOP Valli Trapanesi, Sicilia 2009 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

By Vincent Scordo on October 22, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: the beautiful, 1 liter, tin housing Frankies Sicilian olive oil and a salad of tomatoes, red onion, and basil)

Amongst southern Italians there's a deep rivalry between Calabrians and Sicilians. If you travel to Calabria's old capital Reggio Calabria, you'll see many Sicilian influences from the regional dialect to arancini and the breakfast delicacy brioce (a type of sweet bread that is served with a scoop of ice cream). Both regions have unyielding loyalty to their traditions and way of life and it's not entirely clear what food or cultural item or tradition originated in which region (at least that's what the locals will tell you).

There is, of course, a rich tradition of producing olive oil in Southern Italy (including my mother's side of the family in Calabria). I remember tasting my first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil on Nonno Latella's farm as a 10 year old and thinking this is quite possibly some of the nastiest liquid on the planet. Jump forward about 20 years and I'd probably label Nonno's olive oil as some of the finest unfiltered oil I've tasted (having matured later in life as a proper "foodie", as much as I hate to use the phrase). Nonno's olive orchard was small by Italian standards and he only made enough for the immediate family (and, in especially good years, sell a few bottles to the locals). See my general guide to olive olive here and some photos of Nonno's orchards here (including a review of other top olive oils).

My mother still talks about smothering freshly made, and still hot, bread with Nonno's extra virgin olive oil as do a few Sicilian aunts (with similar bread and oil from their small villages on the Island adjacent to Calabria). Recently, I had the pleasure of tasting an olive oil made from organically grown olives in Trapani, Sicily (situated on the western coast of the Island, near Palermo). Produced under the Frankies 45 brand name (by the same family operating two Italian American restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan), the oil is made from first cold pressed green Nocarella del Belice olives and has a good bright and spicy flavor profile. The oil has very good fruit and a minimal spicy aftertaste, making it a good introductory oil and also well suited for general use (in salads, as a base for any number of pasta sauces, and sautéing vegetables and meats). Frankies 457 Extra Virgin Olive Oil is mono-varietal, (or single varietal), certified organic, and unfiltered (it's style of production is DOP certified). The oil comes in a 1 liter, uniquely designed bottle and at $32.00 it's a good bargain.

You can find the oil at the excellent online shop Olio2go.com.

Quick Review: Single Cup Coffee Dripper from Sweet Maria's

By Vincent Scordo on October 20, 2010 | Comment | 0 TrackBacks

I'm a big fan of the AeroPress single cup coffee maker, but one minor drawback of their simple system is that there are quite a few parts to assemble and clean (the inexpensive AeroPress still, however, brews a great cup of coffee). Recently, I was given a nifty single cup coffee maker (by way of Dr. K, a dedicated Scordo.com reader) made by Sweet Maria's called the Clever Coffee Dripper ($15.00).

The Coffee Dripper uses a filtercone and is simple to use (in fact, I think this is one of the easiest consumer coffee products to use on the planet). The unit differs from a normal filtercone via a stopper added to the bottom and as the product description states, "water only drains once the filtercone is placed onto a cup."

The Dripper is a kind of a French Press and filter brewer all in one (but it combines the flavor and quality of the French Press method with the ease of use (brew time is 4 minutes) and easy clean up of a filter drip brewer). In my view, the Dripper is perfect for use at the office or at home when you're only looking to make a single cup of coffee. The unit does require a filter ($3.95 for 40) and it is not safe for washing in the microwave.

On the Italian Life and Consumerism: My Take on Eataly

By Vincent Scordo on October 20, 2010 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: the ideal Italian life represented in Pellegrina, Reggio Calabria)

Italian Shopping on Steroids

You'll have to excuse me if I sound a bit crabby this morning, as I just finished reading a New York Times review of the mega supermarket Eataly (located in New York City). While the Times article was somewhat critical of the 50,000 square foot space (including multiple restaurants, an espresso bar, butcher, fish shop, wine store, cooking school, etc.) calling it, "...a mass-market retail play that capitalizes on the fame of its most visible partners, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and his mother, Lidia Bastianich", they also applauded the store for possibly, "represent[ing] a step forward for Italian food at the upper end of the economic spectrum of New York" (I hate to think of the hidden implications behind this statement).

The Authentic Italian Life:
The Mom and Pop Shop Versus the "Unlimited Brand Experience"

What gets me all fired up is the fact that one aspect of what makes Italian life so special is the experience of purchasing and consuming food. That is to say, in many small villages in Italy the average Italian visits the cafe for an espresso in the morning, the Salumeria for some sausage and salumi, the Panificio for bread, and a local farmer for fruits and vegetables (or their own farm if they're lucky) - this may be changing in large Italian cities where "supermarket" shopping is beginning to take hold. If Eatly-like establishments were to open throughout Italy (there are, in fact, a chain of Eataly like Über stores in Italy) then we could all say good by to the small, local, shops and the idea of supporting local farmers and artisans directly. And while Eataly claims to carry some local products, most of their items are brought in from overseas (as the Times article points out).

What Eataly is telling it's customer is to shop here and you can find everything you need (and, by the way, screw the mom and pop shop selling cheese and salumi next door, because they don't offer cooking classes, a handmade pasta station, and the option to have "dinner" in the middle of a super market). The question that keeps popping into my mind is why would I shop at Eataly and, beyond the novelty of seeing a 50,000 sq. ft. Italian circus (as, again, the Times suggests), would anyone would want to form a relationship and shop in an overly exploited corporate environment? And, moreover, haven't we had enough of Home Depot, Starbucks, Staples and the idea that every consumer niche in the US (including our beloved Italian lifestyle) can become a brand commodity?

Simple Advice

My advice this morning is to continue (or start) to support the local shops in your area that offer wonderful products, great service, and that one to one relationship and connection that makes living life the Italian way (i.e, the good life) so special.

Farro: History and Guide to the Ancient Grain

By Vincent Scordo on October 13, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: farro salad with red onion, plum tomato, and feta)

The whole wheat grain farro has a long and interesting history and for many years fed almost the entirety of the Mediterranean and Near East. Specifically, it fed the vast majority of Romans from 44BC to the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476. The poor of the Roman Empire ground farro and included it as an ingredient in a type of polenta called, plus. As other grains become more easily cultivated farro lost it's popularity until the French began using the grain in soups.

The Italian Pantry - 12 Ingredients To Keep In Your Kitchen at All Times

By Vincent Scordo on August 31, 2010 | Comments | 8 TrackBacks

(photo: a typical trip the market for some fresh ingredients for our kitchen, including bread, fruit, whole chicken, yogurt, etc.)

Hello Wisebread.com readers!

I've always equated good cooking with being prepared, just like a fine carpenter has the necessary tools to build a bookcase or a deck on hand at all times, a home cook should always have a well stocked pantry to prepare meals. The following is a list of items that I always keep in my kitchen, in addition to the impromptu shopping I do for vegetables, fruit, meats, and fish throughout the week (here's my guide on how to buy fish, fruit, and vegetables). Contrary to what you see in cookbooks and FoodTV, it's impossible to make grand meals every night and simple, high quality, meals made from good ingredients are often a reality of modern life (here's my view on cooking 30 minute meals).

Eating well, therefore, is about access to ingredients and if you keep the following items in your kitchen or pantry at all times you'll always be able to eat like a king!

1. Canned Tomatoes

Tomatoes serve as a base for all types of sauces (or condiments) for pastas, but canned tomatoes (either concentrato di pomodoro, passato, or pelati) can also be used in soups and roasted meat dishes, as well.

2. Canned Tuna, Sardines, and Anchovies

I love, high quality, canned fish and in some instances they can be much better than mediocre fresh fish. I always keep 4-5 cans of Italian tuna in olive oil (preferably from Sicilia) as well as a few sardines packed in oil and one large jar of anchovies, again packed in olive oil. You get what you pay for with canned fish, so buy the best you can afford (same rule applies to buying shoes!). I like the Scalia brand.

3. Homemade Breadcrumbs

Buying store breadcrumbs is the equivalent of buying water at your local market; that is to say, there's just no need to do it. If you always have bread in your kitchen, then you'll always be able to make fresh breadcrumbs.

4. Fresh Bread

I aim to buy a fresh baguette every other day or so. We tend to have a bit of bread with our meals when we're not starting with pasta and especially during the summer months when we consume a ton of tomatoes with olive oil and basil. Good bread is crunchy on the outside and has airy interior texture that's not too dense.

5. Beans

Keep as many dry beans in your pantry as possible, as well as a few cans of ready to cook beans. I keep garbanzo, kidney, black, cannellni,

6. Olive Oil

Olive oil serves as a base for both simple meals and extraordinary dishes. Buy a good quality first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for tomato salads, salad dressings, finishing pastas, etc. and buy a good, super market, olive oil for cooking. For all olive oils, consume it quickly and store it in a dark and cool spot. Here are some of my olive oil reviews.

7. Vinegar

I keep a high quality red wine vinegar and a decent bottle of balsamic vinegar. Click here for a review of the brands I like.

8. Garlic

I keep 5-6 bulbs in the kitchen at all times. Buy fresh garlic that is compressed tightly and doesn't have it's skin falling off at the market.

9. Dry Pasta

I keep about 6 dry pastas in my pantry at all times (here's my guide to dry pasta). 3 short (penne, rigatoni, etc.) and 3 long (linguine fine, spaghetti, etc.). De Cecco may be the only super market brand worth purchasing (Colavita isn't bad), while Barilla made a very good product up until about 5-7 years ago when I think they switched to an inferior flour or manufacturering process (whatever the case, the quality of the pasta has changed dramatically, in my humble view). If you can stomach the price, Rustichella is a fine every day pasta. You can certainly make your own pasta and store it, short term, in your freezer.

10. Cheese and Salumi

I keep 2 quality cheeses in my fridge for a light Sunday or Summer meal and 3-4 large pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano (a cheaper substitute with near, identical, flavor and texture) in my basement kitchen. I only grate the hard cheeses before I consume them and store the pieces in my fridge in a vacuum sealed bag. My fridge also includes pieces of either Cacciatore, Finocchiona, Crespone, Salami Secchi, and Sopressata (whatever I can find). Here's my guide to salumi or salami, including a review of Creminelli and Columbus Artisan brands!

11. Sun Dried Tomatoes

It's very easy to make your own sun dried tomatoes and I primarily consume them with bread and cheese. I know folks tend to cook with sun dried tomatoes but I'm not a big fan. Click here to learn how to make your own!

12. Whole Wheat Toasted Bread

I know I told you not to buy store made breadcrumbs, but I think it's nice to have a few packages of pre-made toast in your pantry for an impromptu meal or party. I love the Grissin Bon Light brand and you can make a quick breakfast with them (with jam and butter) or add tomatoes and salt for a quick appetizer.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Italian Spice Review: La Poderina Toscana, Rosselli del Turco Chianti Classico, and the Canonica Verde Umbrian Spice Blend

By Vincent Scordo on August 23, 2010 | Comment | 2 TrackBacks

(photo: The Canonica Verde Umbrian Spice Blend including rosemary, sea salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes)

Click here for my other olive oil reviews!

As you've probably noticed, Olive Oil and Pasta are at the heart of Italian cuisine (both above and below the mezzogiorno, the geopolitical dividing line of Italy). Specifically, my love for both products started in Nonna Scordo's New Jersey basement (we all lived in the same two family home for a few years before my parents purchased their own home). As a small boy I was incredibly skinny and, as the legend goes (Italian mothers are tremendous storytellers with penchants for stretching empirical truths), I would not eat much. One day, Nonna Scordo discovered I had a particular fondness for large rigatoni rigate with her blended olive / corn oil mixture (olive oil, athough still expensive today, was particular difficult to acquire in the mid 1970's through the mid 1980's, at least for folks in the lower to middle class ranks in the US), hence Nonna's move to stretch her olive oil. Neverthless, rigatoni with oil and an abundance of mixed (again another "food stretch") Pecorino Romano and Pamigiano Reggiano cheese became my favorite meal (allowing me to reach puberty with some fat on my bones).

(photo: the Zitoni Cararecci - notice the length of this mammoth pasta shape!)

As a dish, pasta with olive oil is still one of my favorite simple pleasures in life and I, indeed, wax philosophical about my beloved Nonna Scordo every time I take a bit of rigatoni. One such emotional moment came when I bit into a piece of Zitoni Casarecci from the producer Pastificio Vicidomini. While I had the Zitoni with a chicken ragu, when I tried the pasta during the cooking process it had the same texture, mouth feel, and flavor of the rigatoni Nonna Scordo made in her kitchen. More specifically, the Zitoni Casarecci had starchy and complex overtones, and while it didn't have the crunch and whole wheat flavor of Rustichella pasta, it certainly tasted and behaved (yes pasta must behave when cooked and tossed with the condiment) like a top flight Italian pasta. Zitoni, as I mentioned in my last Scordo Pasta Challenge post, was a "special occasion" pasta in Italy. As my mother describes, she would often be sent to the local shop near her Calabrian home to purchase a few kilos for Easter or Christmas lunch. Because of the length of Zitoni Casarecci it is cut into pieces by the cook and the size can vary according to whichever pasta dish is being prepared.

(photo: the organic extra virgin olive oil from La Poderina from Grosseto)

On the olive oil side, I was fortunate to try two new olive oils from Italy this past week, including an organic oil from Grosseto La Poderina Toscana IGP, Seggianese monocultivar (made via a unique process called Sinolea) and a Tuscan variant, Rosselli del Turco DOP Chianti Classico. Click here to read about the labels IGP, DOP, etc as they are applied to foods and wines in Italy.

The Grosseto La Poderina is a solid extra virgin oil and can, indeed, be used as an everyday olive oil. The relatively low acidity I found in the oil makes it a nice oil to try if you're new to consuming extra virgin olive oil. I found the organic oil to be great with tomatoes, a salad of beet greens, and in salad dressings. Color was outstanding with nice green/yellow contrast.

(photo: the super pungent Rosselli del Turco extra virgin olive oil)

The Rosselli del Turco was another beast entirely. In fact, the smallish bottle that the oil is packaged in leads one to think automatically that Rosselli is a serious extra virgin. So serious, in fact, that the shop carrying the product claims that it has one of the highest levels of polyphenols of any olive oil they've come across (think of polyphenols as tannins, like found in wine; the medical theory is that there's a correlation between the consumption of polyphenols and good health)! Science aside, the oil was indeed pungent and overly peppery and bitter (I've had first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil straight from the press and the intensity didn't compare to the "attack" at the end of the palate the Rosselli produced; I actually coughed after tasting it). In fact, on it's own (say with bread), I'd say it's a bit much for the American palette, but when drizzled on a piece of skirt stake with lots of black pepper it's quite good and can finish a dish that has complex flavors (maybe a piece of Bluefish or Swordfish for example). The color of the oil was a neutral yellow.

Click here for my guide to olive oil!

(photo: lavish pizza made with the Umbrian Spice Blend)

Finally, I sampled a spice packet containing an Umbrian blend (Canonica Verde Umbrian Spice Blend) of chili pepper, garlic, salt, parsley, and rosemary. I was a bit hesitant to try a "blend of spices" because I'm accustomed to receiving herbs dryed in Italy from my family in individual containers (including oregano, red pepper flakes, rosemary, etc.) - the blending usually happens at home and for a given meal or dish. Nevertheless, I sampled the packet on two dishes, first a lavash pizza with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and provola and second a roast chicken. The spices proved to be a bit salty when used on the pizza, with only the sea salt and rosemary flavor components coming through. However, when I rubbed the blend in a whole chicken and roasted the bird with a bit of olive oil, the spices blended together nicely and both the quality and flavor of the mix came though (including the chili peppers and garlic).

All the products above can be found in the wonderful online shop Olio2go.com.

On the Virtues of Italian Sausage and the Almighty Pig

By Vincent Scordo on March 26, 2010 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

(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.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review and Vittorio Cassini Giveaway Contest

By Vincent Scordo on March 17, 2010 | Comments | 5 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!

Portable Espresso Take Three: MyPressi Twist Review

By Vincent Scordo on March 1, 2010 | Comments | 3 TrackBacks

(Photo: Espresso machine meets Battlestar Galactica)

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: chamber that holds water)

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.

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.

(photo: espresso tamped and ready to go)

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).

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.

A Kitchen Scale for Everyone: Pasta Portion Control and GiveAway!

By Vincent Scordo on February 23, 2010 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(The unit comes in many colors and is perfectly sized. The two simple buttons are large and easy to use. The LCD screen is huge and there's no guessing the amount when scrambling in your kitchen preparing a dinner party)

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

For years, I've used a Salter metal body kitchen scale to measure everything from pasta portions to cups of flour for baking (well, my wife is the baker so she uses the scale for measuring flour for sweets). We also use our scale to measure cereal and oatmeal amounts so we don't overeat (especially when we're consuming Cheerios!) The Salter is a practical enough kitchen tool but I've always had a secret dislike for the product because it 1. is large and takes up valuable countertop space and 2. is not precise. I do like the industrial design of the tool and if our kitchen was a museum I would indeed leave it out for guests to admire, but a home kitchen is first and foremost a practical space where the user (or home cook) completes tasks (that is, makes food)!

In turn, I've been looking for a replacement for our Salter for years and it looks like I just found an elegant and cheap solution, namely the EatSmart kitchen scale. The EatSmart takes up a fraction of the space my old Salter occupied and is also more precise; kind of like an old Model T being replaced by a modern vehicle with a turbo engine and electronic stability control! The electronic kitchen scale can also measure in ounces, lbs, grams, and kgs. It also has a handy tare feature which eliminates the weight of whatever item your flour, pasta, etc. is being held in (a bowl or measuring cup, for example). The scale is easy to use (a big plus for someone who takes ergonomics seriously) and has an auto off button so you don't go wasting battery life! I can't talk to reliability as of yet as I've only been using the scale for a few weeks, but I can say that I've had no significant problems thus far. One thing I was concerned about was moving from a device that didn't require batteries or electricity to another "powered" kitchen item (in the case of the EatSmart, 2 AAA batteries). And while batteries are needed I think the accuracy and functionality of the digital scale outweigh the use of batteries (just a Green acknowledgement). The device retails for $27.99.

>>Order a GardenSmart Scale via The OpenSky Project and help support Scordo.com!

One of the other reasons I get excited about kitchen scales is that they are great mediums to keep calories and portion sizes top of mind when cooking. For example, even though I've grown up with dry pasta and can pretty much tell you how many grams of linguine fine I'm holding in my hand, I occasionally guess wrong and cook too much pasta for one sitting. And what ends up happening inevitably is that I consume a larger amount of pasta (usually with a dish like Alio e Olio) than I would like (especially given that I include pasta as a primo or starter at home between 1-2 nights per week).

Kitchen Scale Giveaway!

(Kind of looks like a space ship from Star Trek Generations)

In an effort to control the world wide problem of eating too much pasta (or any food for that matter!) I'll be giving away a single EatSmart digital kitchen scale to one lucky Scordo.com reader. Here's what you need to do to enter:

- 1. leave a comment under this post on how you use your kitchen scale or an incident on eating too much of one food and not really being aware of it (for example, pasta, potato chips, Cheerios, etc.) 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 URL (http://bit.ly/b6wR9u) on Twitter and include the article URL and and @scordo in your tweet)

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 2/27 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, 3/1.

>>Order a GardenSmart Scale via The OpenSky Project and help support Scordo.com!

- 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).

- EatSmart will send out the digital scale to a single contest winner during the week of 3/1 (you should receive it within 7-10 business days).

That's it, so please sign up for a chance to win a kitchen product that all home cooks should own and use! If you can't wait to use the EatSmart kitchen scale, you can buy it online via the OpenSky Project (proceeds go towards supporting Scordo.com). If you don't see the product on my page right away, come back tomorrow in the AM.

By the way, here's my recipe for my favorite pasta dish of all time.

Wolf Duel Fuel Range Review: My Personal Experience

By Vincent Scordo on February 17, 2010 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: the DF366, or 36 inch, 6 burner, Duel Fuel Wolf range with custom burner lids from Uncle Frank)

Scroll Down for My Review

I live by the rule that you don't need fancy kitchen equipment to produce great food. I'm also a fierce believer in kitchen tools that have multiple uses (via Alton Brown's mantra that single use tools don't have a place in a home kitchen) and I cringe at expensive home cooking machines like the Sous Vide Supreme and gadgets like a mandolin or pizza stone. Of course, the three kitchen tools in the previous sentence all work and do their respective tasks well, but the question every home cook needs to ask (just like any good consumer) is: do I really need a particular tool to cook and eat well? As an example, I turn to the many extraordinary home cooks in my family. Specifically, I remember my well traveled grandmother who prepared all of her food via an aged 1.5 foot by 1 foot maple cutting board and small plastic handled steak knife from Italy. She used the knife to dice, chop, and slice and pretty much utilized the "cut into your pan or pot" method of cooking (the cutting board was decorative). My mother, for example, has never owned a dishwasher, chef's knife, Boos cutting board, All-Clad cookware, etc. and only recently converted over to using a Kitchen Aid Mixer for pizza dough. And let's just say that the type of cuisine both women were/are producing would make even the fiercest food snob / "expert" salivate with envy.

It's with a slightly guilty conscious, then, that I admit to owning a necessary, but highly gluttonous, kitchen product; namely, the gentrified industrial range (it's insulated and will not catch on fire, so it's not truly industrial or commercial). The product in question is the duel fuel 36 inch, 6 burner, Wolf range (model DF366, specifically). Yes, the monstrous cooking machine that contains enough stainless steel metal to sustain 2 or 3 southern Italian provinces (a crafty Calabrian would, for example, sell the metal from the stove and live a comfortable life via the profits; this is what my father thought when I showed him the unit).

Our Wolf stove was installed about two years ago and replaced a 25 year old four burner Thermador range top. Our old Thermador worked but it was reaching the end of its product lifecycle and it required that we light each burner (one of which didn't work) with a match. When it came down to selecting a new stove we turned to the so-called high end brands like Wolf, Thermador, Viking, and a few other manufactures at the local "fancy appliance" shop (like a luxury car showroom without the exhaust fumes).

Click here for my "Guide to Renovating Your Kitchen"

Prior to purchasing our range, I had done my research via third party rating organizations, online message boards and forums (see the GardenWeb Kitchen Forum for a great resource), and, of course, the product literature from each of the manufactures. However, and uncharacteristically, I made my choice based on design/aesthetics and, to a lesser extent, on performance. For example, I knew the Wolf Duel Fuel 36 inch range wasn't going to boil water faster than our 25 year old range top and, most likely, require more maintenance and possibly have some sort of reliability issue down the road (Wolf model DF366 has more electronic wizardry than my Mazda3 station wagon) but I still lusted after the large hunk of metal. I wouldn't necessarily say I made a poor choice when it came to selecting a new stove, but I certainly didn't make the logical choice as there were plenty of smaller, and less expensive, 4 burner gas/convection type stoves on the market.

In turn, I wanted to share some specific insight on my personal experience with a semi-industrial (insulated) "professional type" range with anyone considering the same type of product for their next kitchen renovation. Here are my unstructured thoughts on the $7,000+ Wolf 36 inch duel fuel range (6 burner set up):

Aesthetically, the stove looks great and when all of the stainless steel, black enamel, and burners are cleaned and polished you'll get goosebumps whenever you walk by it. The stove resembles an Audi sedan with conservative, yet elegant, lines. And from an build perspective, the unit is more in line with a fine watch than a box that heats things up. Note, I've experimented with a few stainless steel cleaners and polish and only one has worked well; that is, Wolf's recommended "Signature" polish (which seems to be made specifically for Wolf).
The stove is a royal pain in the butt to keep clean if you cook consistently. The stainless steel attracts smudges and scratches easily. The black enamel cook top requires daily soap and water to keep clean and if it's not buffed with a clean cotton rag you will get annoyed by all of the smudges.
The large, porcelain coated, grates are very heavy and difficult to move ,which is required when cleaning the black enamel surface. Further, the grates quickly turned gray due, I'm thinking, to our metal pots rubbing against the cast iron grates (this happened with our fancy Shaw's Original porcelain sink as well - note to these two manufacturers when constructing items out of porcelain, please use the same material Italian porcelain tile is made out of as they are truly indestructible). To Wolf's credit, when I called to complain they simply sent out new grates.
The sealed burners have a grey, metal material, that quickly stained on our unit and I haven't been able to remove the brown/black spots to date. This is annoying especially when the rest of the stove is clean.
The burners themselves are of high quality and 5 out of the 6 burners are capable of producing 15,000 BTUs and all 6 burners have a simmer setting and 1 burner is capable of a melt feature with only 9,200 BTU.
The auto ignite burners have worked flawlessly and are well engineered overall.
The large oven takes an inordinary amount of time to reach temperature and it's very loud during operation (including venting which happens for a prolonged period of time after the oven is turned off). We purchased a smaller Cadco convection oven and we end up using the unit more than the Wolf oven given the aforementioned issues. The noise and time to reach temperature are all, in my view, pretty big negatives.
The oven has ten cooking modes but beyond the "convection" and "broil" modes I can't differentiate between the remaining eight modes, including "roast" and "bake" (for example, if I want to bake a ham is it the same as roasting it - which mode do I use?).
The pivoting electronic control panel is easy to use and does retract flush against the stainless front (a nice design feature which creates a very clean look when pushed closed).
The adjustable oven racks are well made, yet they're incredibly difficult to adjust vertically. The three racks are very wide and you need both hands to go from one position to another (don't attempt to do this once your oven has reached temperature because once you open the oven door to perform the task you'll lose heat because it takes such a long period of time to perform the task).
The oven cavity has dual halogen lighting so there's plenty of light to see your food. And the oven door construction, along with the oven insulation, is top notch. The oven size is also very nice and especially handy when it comes to baking larger quantities of cookies, pizzas, etc. (of course with a larger size comes a longer heating time, per above bullet).

So, there you have it, overall I like my fancy Wolf range. Would I buy a fancy range all over again if I had the choice today? The answer is most likely no, rather I would buy a higher end version of a standard 4 burner gas range from a company like GE or Bosch (problem is I wouldn't get the same subjective warm and fuzzy feeling every time I walked by a GE Profile). However, and you know what, my pasta water would boil just as fast (somewhere a dead Calabrian relative is laughing at me and my range)!

Click here for my "Guide to Renovating Your Kitchen"

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

By Vincent Scordo on December 30, 2009 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

The Aerobie AeroPress Coffee / Espresso Maker produces the best American/drip style coffee I've ever tasted. There, I've said it and I mean it! I've come out and made the aforementioned claim because the AeroPress looks more like a high school chemistry prop than a world class coffee maker and looks can indeed be deceiving when it comes to making excellent coffee at home.

Here are the facts on the AeroPress:

- The unit retails for $29.99 and was invented by Stanford University engineering lecturer Alan Adler (Adler is also the inventor of all the cool Aerobie sports products).

- The AeroPress coffeemaker makes coffee in about 30 seconds (typically a French Press coffeemaker takes about 4 minutes and a high end espresso machine about 10-15 seconds).

- Adler designed the unit so that boiling water is not needed. Rather, the unit specifies using water at the 175 F (80 C) mark which prevents the typical bitterness and acidity found in drip machines.

- The unit requires fine grind coffee (an espresso grind) as opposed to a course grind used in French press coffee makers. Adler argues that fine grind coffee has more surface area for better extraction of full bodied coffee (I love when products are designed with science/engineering in mind!).

- The unit does require small, paper, microfilters. Thankfully, a large amount of paper filters are included with the unit and they should last 6 months (brewing two daily cups).

- The unit is not made out of fancy stainless steel or tempered glass but rather high quality plastic which is easy to clean, will not break, or become a smudge attractor.

- The unit works by way of creating air pressure in a small chamber that houses both the ground coffee and hot water. After filling the chamber with coffee and hot water, the user stirs the mixture for 10 seconds and thereafter plunges down for a steady 20-30 seconds. The coffee is brewed right into your favorite mug.

Here are my observations on the AeroPress:

- The flavor component of the coffee is excellent but one shouldn't expect the unit to produce true European style espresso with crema and complex notes of chocolate, for example. The AeroPress excels at producing superb American style coffee (and by superb I mean the best cup of American brew I've ever tasted).

- To produce a full cup of American style coffee you actually brew 10 ounces of rich coffee. Thereafter, you top off your mug with hot water (this was strange at first). I consume my coffee without milk and just a bit of sugar.

- The unit comes with a large scooper and requires 2 scoops for about 10 ounces of coffee. The AeroPress unit does require more coffee than, say, a typical French press maker. Specifically, I'm using about twice as much coffee on a weekly basis since incorporating the AeroPress into my early morning and post lunch coffee habit (i.e., two 10 ounce cups per day).

- You can make a great mug of coffee in about 1 minute (20-25 seconds to grind your coffee beans, 10 seconds to stir the hot water/coffee mixture, and 30 seconds to plunge).

- Although the unit creates a cup of coffee in under 1 minute the user does have to fiddle with lots of items. For example , the main unit is comprised of a plunger, chamber, filter holder, and filter. All of the aforementioned parts needs to be assembled and then the user needs to grind his or her coffee and make hot water. Thereafter, the coffee needs to be scooped into the chamber and stirred. Finally, the user has to plunge the mixture into a single mug and add more water to yield a single serving of American style coffee.

- Cleaning is very easy and the plunger also acts as an extractor to gently push the spent coffee grinds out of the unit. The plastic components just need a quick rinse. My French press maker, as a counter example, is a royal pain to clean.

- At $29.99 the price point on the AeroPress is a huge bargain. The unit includes enough microfilters for 6 months (350 individual microfilters) , a coffee scoop, a stirrer, funnel for grounds, and the unit itself.

Overall, I prefer the AeroPress over a French Press maker and the countless drip style makers on the market. The AeroPress produces a rich, flavorful, and hearty cup of American style coffee that is the best I've tasted in both the US and Europe. The AeroPress should not be confused for an Espresso maker, however, as it cannot compete, for example, with a semi pro home machine like the Rancilio Silvia (yet the Silvia costs about 20X more than the AeroPress). I can imagine ubergeeks and techies using the Aeropress along with coffee aficionados looking for a more refined variant of the French pressed cup of coffee.

You can purchase the AeroPress here.

Handmade Salami Review: Creminelli and Columbus Artisan

By Vincent Scordo on December 3, 2009 | Comments | 7 TrackBacks

(photo: notice the natural mold on the exterior of the Creminelli product; this mold imparts lots of taste on meat and also prevents it from drying out, along with the casing)

There are certain items or products that are immediately associated with a given country, for example: ice hockey and Canada, beer and Germany, haute cuisine and France, hot dogs and the USA, and vodka and Russia. As a first generation Italian-American kid growing up in New Jersey, I secretly associated Italy with just one magical product, and it wasn't Ferrari or Soccer (calcio), but rather salami! Yes, salami (or salumi, as the Italians would say), that seductive product comprised of salty / cured / spiced perfection!

(photo: I sliced up four different types of Columbus Artisan product for a Thanksgiving appetizer)

My love of salami started as a young child during summer vacations in Southern Italy, as I described in my recent Guide to Italian Cured Meats and I thought it was a short lived love affair until I rediscovered that there are, indeed, high quality salumi that are being hand crafted and sold in the US (one doesn't need to hop on an Alitalia flight to Rome to find pork perfection).

With the above said, I recently had the pleasure of sampling eight distinct salumi from two US producers: Creminelli Fine Meats of Springville, Utah and Columbus Artisan Collection from San Francisco, CA. On the Creminelli side, I sampled Cacciatore, Sopressata, Piccante and on the Columbus Artisan Collection I tried Cacciatore, Finocchiona, Crespone, Salami Secchi, and Sopressata. Not only did I try the salumi but all of the varieties were tasted by immediate family including many salumi dignitaries who have produced and sampled hundreds of products both in Italy and the US. Some of the comments I heard at the gathering included:

"Is this from Italy?"

"Wow, what great flavor and texture!"

"Vinny, did you fly to Italy this weekend, where did you get this?!"

What follows, then, is an entirely subjective review of the aforementioned salumi (which were enjoyed with simple bread from Angelo's in Jersey City, NJ, homemade wine, and a variety of cheeses). Let's start with the Creminelli products:

(photo: I think the packaging on the Creminelli product is top notch!)

I'll begin by saying that the Creminelli packaging is top notch. Each individual sausage is hand wraped in fine butcher paper and held together by an elegant sticker with the Criminelli logo, name of the product, and ingredients. The passionate owner Christiano Creminelli understands that along with a great tasting product, a customer starts his or her food "user experience" with their eyes and hands. Christiano uses no sodium nitrates in his products and his salumi recipes originated in Italy and are now being duplicated, by hand, in the US (Christiano is a Maestro of Salumi!). The Creminelli products I sampled were naturally molded salumi and were soft to the touch out of the packaging. I would have preferred to have had the salami age for 1-2 months in my cellar before sampling the product so that more complex flavor could develop, but I couldn't wait (I tried the product after having the product sit in fridge for 4 days)!

(photo: Creminelli exterior)

(photo: starting from upper right clockwise: Creminelli Piccante, Sopressata, and Cacciatore)

Creminelli Sopressata
Sopressata is traditionally made with wine and garlic and Creminelli's sopressata was no different, yet the wine and garlic flavor was muted letting the intensity and quality of the pork come through. The meat to fat ratio was also ideal, which is tough to get right in Sopressata. I would have preffered a bit more garlic flavor in the Sopressata and little bit less upfront salt but overall it is a fine salumi. Creminelli Sopressata would work well in a sandwhich combined with other ingredients.

(Photo: Creminelli product)

Creminelli Picante
My favorite of the bunch and not overly spiced with red pepper. The salt content was perfect in the Picante and the combination of high quality pork with mild heat made me quite happy. The color of the Picante was also well done, it's not the typical fiery red color you see in most spiced salami.

(photo: Columbus Artisan Cacciatore)

Creminelli Cacciatore
The first thing that jumped out was the subtle juniper berry flavor in the Cacciatore! Moreover, the consistency and texture was typical old world, as was the physical size of the sausage itself (very small; afterall, tradition has it that hunter's stored the salami in their coats and when they got hungry in the forest they simply cut a few pieces and had a quick bite). Next to the Piccante, I really enjoyed the Cacciatore. There were some bitter components (at the very end) that may have been coming out of homemade wine I was having when sampling the salami, but overall you could tell that high quality ingredients were used in production. Finally, this salami also had a wonderful scent! This is a great all around salami to keep in the house for a quick meal on the weekend or for impromptu quests.

As I said above, I would have liked to have tried the Creminelli salumi after the aging process has a bit more time to do it's thing and, in fact, I do have a few samples aging in my cellar and I'm excited to retry the product in a month or so (stay tuned for an update here).

(photo: The Columbus Artisan collection is top notch and miles ahead of the standard fair salumi, the taste, texture, and ingredients are all old world and fabulous)

Next I moved on to the Columbus Artisan Collection salami which are produced in San Francisco and differ, to a large extent, from the mass production line of cured meats from the same company. Columbus does use sodium nitrates in their products and the salami did arrive pre-aged and hard to the touch. Like Creminelli, Columbus Artisan has a natural mold skin with all natural imported casings.

(photo: Columbus Artisan Finocchiona, my favorite amongst both the Creminelli and Columbus products)

Columbus Artisan Finocchiona
Let me qualify the following sentence first by saying that fennel seed was one of the key ingredients in my grandfather's salumi making arsenal and, as a result, I've been pre-programmed to respond positively to fennel flavor. And there's tons of authentic fennel seed flavor in the Finocchiona, in fact it was my favorite salumi out of the 9 products sampled. The Finocchiona had great texture, rich and flavorful pork, and the perfect balance of salt and bitter that is needed in any artisan salami.

(Photo: Along with the Creminelli cacciatore, the Columbus Artisan Salame Secchi would be an excellent overall choice for pre-dinner appetizers, small parties, and to enjoy with a glass of wine and good bread)

Columbus Salami Secchi
Columbus claims this is their oldest recipe and product and it shows. The Salami Secchi (meaning very dry) is the most subtle of the Columbus salami's I tried and I love the ratio of fat to pork. The salt and spice seasoning was also idle. This type of Salami is a good all round choice for keeping in the house at all times, while the Finocchiona, for example, would be something that you would consume a little less frequently (just because of the intensity of the fennel seed).

(photo: Columbus Artisan Cacciatore)

Columbus Cacciatore
My first thought when trying this cacciatore was, wow, this is kind of sweet tasting with lots of deep flavor. It was difficult to pick a winner between the Columbus and Cremenilli cacciatore, but Columbus had an advantage because the product seemed to have been pre-aged and, of course, the sodium nitrates help quicken the hardening process in the refrigerator. I think with more aging time, the Cremenilli would come out on top because of better ingredients (stay tuned!).

Columbus Crespone and Columbus Sopressata

Similar to the Finocchiona but without the fennel seed Crespone is a very rustic interpretation of salami (I should also say that Crespone and Finocchiona are also slightly larger in size than the rest of the salamis sampled). I found the Crespone, similar to a sopressata, to have a bit more fat composition than I ordinarily like but I did appreciate the simplicity and adaptability of the product (it went well with basic bread and cheese). A bit more course in texture than the Cremenilli sopressata, Columbus Sopressata was also a good basic salami but I would have liked a little bit more flavor profile. The sopressata was my least favorite of the Columbus salamis, but still light years ahead of any mass produced salami in the US market.

(Photo: Columbus Artisan Crespone, Sopressata, Cacciatore, and Salame Secchi, from left to right)

Where to Buy

- You can buy Creminelli products at retail or online at Creminelli.com

- You can buy Columbus products online or at your local retailer.

One observation that many of my family members made about both artisan salamis was the price! At between $25 - $30 per pound for the Creminelli product and between $11 - $15 for the Columbus Artisan, the salamis aren't cheap and are on par with a product like Prosciutto di Parma (which is one of the few Italian cured pork product allowed to be imported into the US). Charging the same amount of money (or more) for a US salumi product is a big risk for hardcore Europeans customers who are particular about value.

Introduction to Italian Digestives and Amari Drinks

By Vincent Scordo on November 24, 2009 | Comments | 13 TrackBacks

Do you do bitter? No, no I'm not asking you if you like to complain or wake up each morning looking for a fight with the world (or worse your spouse)! What I'm asking is if you've ever had the pleasure of experiencing what the Italians refer to as Amari? Amari are traditional digestivos or spirits (read post dinner drinks or liquids that will help you digest your massive meal). Amari are made by distilling a wide variety of herbs and spices - no one Amari shares the same makeup or ingredients. For example, Amaro Averna from Sicily is comprised of citrus, herbs, roots, and caramel and Fernet-Branca includes aloe, gentian roots, rhubarb, galangal, red bark, etc. (Fernet-Branca keeps most of the ingredients a secret).

Generally speaking, and as Eric Asimov explains in a recent "The Pour" article, bitter drinks aren't exactly the rage in the US and, moreover, Americans haven't yet reached the ephemeral state of post digestive bliss. That is to say, Mr. Smith could care less about how his stomach is doing after a large meal, conversely, in Italy, the digestive system is taken more seriously than Catholicism, hence the fascination with post dinner Amari designed to soothe both the stomach and the soul (don't worry I'm not a Cartesian). Also related to post meal digestion, the Italian tradition of fruit after lunch and dinner is also meant to cleanse the palate and help the stomach do it's thing.

I grew up with a few basic Amari including Campari (which is made from cascarilla bark and the insect Dactylopius coccus which gives the liquor it's distinctive red color) and Vecchio Amaro del Capo (an herbal and minty amaro made in Calabria). My parents served Amari before and after lunch or dinner. In terms of consuming fruit after a meal, it was a given that we had a virtually fruit stand at our dinner table every night, including two types of pears, a couple of varieties of apples, oranges, cactus pears, grapes, peaches, plums, etc. (all according to the correct season). I still consume tons of fruit after dinner, but I can't peel a pear like my father or grandfather.

The following is a wholly non comprehensive list of Italian Amari (thanks to both Asimov <NY Times> and Weber <San Francisco Chronicle> for doing all the heavy lifting; let's start with Weber's list (quotes are straight from his wonderful article, That's amari: Italy's traditional bitter liqueurs find new life with American consumers):

Amaro Nonino (about $42). "A lighter style of amaro made in Friuli at the Nonino distillery. Its flavors are warm, with a gentle spiciness and smooth texture. The spice character lingers on the finish, proof that Nonino is one of the more elegant amari on the market. Contains a portion of ÙE Grape Distillate, a proprietary aquavit aged in small barriques of nevers, limousin and sherry woods, plus an infusion of herbs. It is best enjoyed as a digestivo or as an aperitivo with ice and orange peel."

Amaro Averna (about $35). "A sophisticated and complex amaro that hails from Sicily. The addition of blood orange and lemon peels to the aromatic herbs used to make this amaro adds a bright and refreshing character. Averna is widely considered to be one of the most versatile Italian amari."

Vecchio Amaro del Capo. An herbal and minty amaro made in Calabria, my parents place of birth. Capo is excellent when served on the rocks or ice cold from the freezer.

Cynar (about $22). "The earthy flavors in this herbal amaro are enhanced by the flavors of the artichokes used in its production. Cynar also has a relatively low alcohol level (16.5 percent), making it a popular amaro for cocktails, as well as a style of amaro that's enjoyable as an aperitivo."

Fernet-Branca (about $30). "A pungent and black drink made in Milan and considered by many to be the benchmark Italian amaro. Flavors of anise and saffron add complexity to this forceful drink."

Santa Maria al Monte ($38). "This shows an engaging herbal complexity that recalls fresh basil and spearmint. Its strength and power are similar to Fernet-Branca, while the vibrant finish feels spicy and rich." From the Valle d'Aosta, Santa Maria al Monte is a digestivo that uses bitter orange peel and ginseng among other flavoring agents. Menthol presence is heavy.

Ramazzotti ($24). "One of the more popular Italian amaro brands, Ramazzotti is made in Milan. The balance between bitter and sweet in this aromatic amaro feels almost seamless, while the snappy flavor of fresh ginger lingers on the finish."

Other brands mentioned in Asimov's article:

Campari (about $26). Originally produced in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Milan. As stated above, Campari is made from cascarilla bark and the insect Dactylopius coccus which gives the liquor it's distinctive red color (note: as of 2006 insects are no longer used to give Campari it's red color; a red dye is now used). I like Campari via the Negroni, Americano, or with grapefruit juice and a splash of red vermouth)

Girolamo Luxardo of Veneto. A pleasant aperitif liqueur obtained by the infusion of several herbs and fruits such as: sweet oranges, bitter oranges, rhubarb, mint, marjoram and thyme.

Branca Menta (about $27.50). As one online reviewer put it, "Deep chestnut, mahogany. High toned, mineral, alpine herbed, licorice aromatics. Rich texture. Wild, intensely concentrated palate - like liquid Ricola. Very fresh, minty and clean with a powerful infusion of spice. For all its presence, it retains nice balance. Use this in winter - should cure anything."

Inga Mio. More info to follow.

Chinati. Made from wine with the addition of herbs

Portable Espresso Take Two: HandPresso Wild Domepod Review

By Vincent Scordo on November 17, 2009 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

At first glance it just doesn't make any sense. That is to say, how could a shot of liquid gold (aka, fresh espresso) come out of a handheld device? Afterall, if you walk into your neighborhood café or Starbucks you'll mostly likely see a $10,000 plus hunk of steel with a brass broiler, multiple portafilters, a warming tray to accommodate 40 cups and saucers, and enough electrical circuitry to make the latest iPhone 3G S seem like your grandma's beige rotary phone. The handheld device in question is the new Handpresso Wild Domepod.

(photo: product packaging is real nice and is similar to the way Apple packages products)

The Handpresso Wild Domepod is an update to the Handpresso Wild ESE. The key difference between the two models is that the Domepod can be used with freshly ground coffee and cannot be used with ESE pods. As stated in my earlier article on the Handpresso Wild ESE, the Domepod contains the following features:

- The unit does not require electricity but rather creates 16 bar of pressure via a "bicycle pump" like mechanism on handheld device . This method differs from the CO2 cartridges used in products like the MyPresso Twist which I've yet to try.

- The unit contains a filtered plastic/metal basket that holds about 4-5 teaspoons of ground espresso (which is ground to a powder like consistency and different than, say, the ground coffee used for your typical French Press cup of coffee).

- The unit retails for $99.00 at Importika.com (it's not cheap).

I tried a sample version of the Handpresso Wild Domepod for a 1 week period (including a few trials with my Italian born parents). I used both freshly ground espresso from WholeLatteLove.com called Malabar Gold which contains less acid and is milder in form than your typical espresso (it's been called a European type blend) and illy Café pre-ground espresso (find grind). I used freshly filtered water to brew my espresso and what follows are my wholly unscientific impressions of the unit:

- I was excited that the Domepod would allow me to use freshly ground espresso versus ESE pods, yet I was worried about the process of both filling the unit with ground espresso and, thereafter, removing the grounds . I'm happy to report that filling the unit was fairly easy. I used both a standard plastic spoon and typical spoon served with espresso to fill the unit and it was an easy process. Emptying the espresso cartridge which contains the used espresso grounds was easy and simply required a tap against the side of my garbage can to release.

- The pump mechanism seemed improved in the Domepod versus the ESE version, though the product packaging contains no indication the pump is improved or redesigned. The unit required about 7-10 pumps to reach 16 bar pressure; this isn't bad considering that the end user is providing the power and not dependent on a CO2 cartridge or electrical plug!

- As I mentioned with the ESE model, boiling water is required to produce decent results. Using warm water, or water that is even 4-5 minutes off the boil will significantly reduce the quality and extraction of your espresso (unfortunately, this rules out using water at work via a hot water dispenser or even water from a thermos).

(photo: Ground Malabar Gold)

- As stated above I used both Malabar Gold and illy fine grind Espresso. When using the Malabar, which was ground fresh and via a professional grade grinder, the unit extracted the coffee well and there were no leaks at the beginning of the extraction process. However, when using illy ground espresso (direct from the can) the results were disastrous. The unit leaked and splashed water during the extraction process almost as though the ground espresso clogged the head (I tried to brew 5 separate cups using the illy ground espresso and each time I had the same end result) - see picture below. When I used the Malabar Gold, the unit worked effortlessly. My conclusion: the bean grind is critical to the Domepod (this has nothing to do with the quality of illy coffee, but rather maybe a byproduct of the compatibility of certain bean grinds with the Domepod).

- The espresso cartridge housing the ground espresso needs to be lightly tamped with each brew (I did this with the end of my spoon).

- Using the right type of freshly ground espresso greatly enhances the quality of the product. The Malabar Gold produced a rich and flavorful cup of coffee with decent crema and some complex flavors. Don't get me wrong, the Domepod WILL NOT produce café type espresso (like the espresso found in the best spots in Europe; think northern Italy and Austria). However, the Domepod does produce a better cup of espresso than a typical Bialetti stove top unit. I would even go further and state that the Domepod espresso is better than the typical crap you'll find at your local Starbucks (yes Starbucks espresso isn't good, sorry I wish I had better things to say about the chain).

- I was disappointed with the temperature of the espresso coming out of the Domepod. Even with pre-heating my cup and using just off the boil water, my espresso wasn't at the ideal temperature I'm used to (whether I'm comparing it to stove top espresso or café/bar espresso).

- The Domepod model now contains a water level indicator to guide the user as to how much water to pour into the water chamber. This is critical as the flavor and texture of the espresso varies greatly with the amount of water used; using too much water will produce a watery cup without much flavor and using too little will create a super concentrated cup. I found filling the water chamber just below the water line works best (so don't follow the water level indicator exactly)

(photo: explosion when using Illy fine grind espresso, not sure if there is a espresso grind compatibility issue with the unit)

- I'm still experiencing a small amount of water leakage towards the end of the extraction process which is similar to what I reported in the ESE model. The is a little frustrating as any excess water will dilute the flavor of your espresso; in turn, I've learned to move my espresso cup just before the final drops of coffee are being extracted).

- Just as with the ESE model, the build quality is superb with the Domepod and the unit feels solid and should last a lifetime provided you keep the pumping mechanism clean and occasionally change the unit gasket. As I said above, the product design and packaging is at a high level.

- The Domepod, like the ESE model, is really designed for single use. I tried brewing multiple cups of coffee for family members one evening and the process of constantly removing coffee grinds and refilling the unit with water is cumbersome. The unit is best for single service at the office or when traveling.

(photo: Malabar gold espresso ground professionally)

The bottom line is that the Domepod is an improvement over the ESE model simply because the former utilizes freshly ground coffee and other than the aforementioned, the ESE and Domepod are identical machines. While the flavor, texture, and aroma are all improved via the Domepod, I wouldn't want to mess with ground coffee at the office or on a business trip, for example. So, the choice is yours in terms of which model to purchase: The ESE (Wild) is convenient but produces a lower quality cup, while the fresh ground coffee (Domepod) makes a richer and more flavorful espresso but requires carrying and handling finely ground coffee.

Black Friday Holiday Shopping: Just Say No to Coupons, Free Shipping, and Deals

By Vincent Scordo on November 14, 2009 | Comments | 0 TrackBacks

With the notorious holiday shopping season fast approaching I'm having nauseous visions of deals, coupons, free mass produced turkeys and hams, free shipping, wal-mart, and 40 percent off blow out sales. The visions are not only vivid and haunting they are actually true!

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pass up a deal on a particular consumer item that I needed, but much of the typical consumer's behavior and the retail and/or manufacture's promotional tactics to sell a product are logic defying acts. Especially when you think hard about what the entities in question are trying to get you to do and what channels they are utilizing. Let's look at a few examples:

1. Free Shipping. The typical ground shipping cost for a consumer electronic items like a GPS device or digital camera is between $7-$9 (I used Best Buy as an example). The typical cost for a middle of the road GPS device or digital camera is about $150-$250. Using common sense does it make sense to purchase an item you don't need in order to obtain or "save" on free shipping? The answer, of course, is no. This tactic aims to bring a nominal cost, such as shipping, to the forefront of the shopping experience in order to downplay the actual cost of the item. Think actual need ahead of nominal savings.

2. Percentage off / Deals. The main tactic here, again, is highlighting a percentage off a certain item. You see the deals language lots a week or so before "Black Friday" (or the day right after Thanksgiving) so that retailers can attract foot traffic and curious shoppers. Often, if you look closely at the products being discounted they are not only items you can probably do without (mediocre electronic devices, men's gloves made of fake leather, a set of 5 Teflon-like pans, etc.) but the quantity or model number is often limited. This is the same tactic car dealers use to lure you into the dealership in Sunday morning newspapers (i.e., you'll see a ridiculously low price for a certain unreliable and gas-guzzling model which is often tied to a single VIN number). Again, think about whether you need the item ahead of savings measly 10-20 percent.

3. Coupons. The number of coupons sites on the web must double each and every day (I haven't validated this, but it's just a hunch). These days you can save twenty five cents on yogurt at ShopRite, get two large pizzas at Domino's for $5.99, and find an oil change joint that will replace your engine oil and filter for $15. I have to admit that coupons don't excite me, rather what excites me is value. For example, if I see generic yogurt on sale that contains tons of sugar and limited real fruit/flavor I'll often pass on the sale item and spend an extra couple of cents per container because I'd rather purchase the brand that uses real sugar, organic milk, and fresh, real, fruit. With food specifically, I don't want my choices of what I prepare for my family and myself to be influenced by a circular in the paper or a mass email campaign from Stop & Shop. The bottom line is that the choice in the food that I consume is something I value highly and don't want influenced by saving, for example, five dollars at check out at my local market (this shouldn't be interpreted as some sort of elitist, East Coast, view, but rather a viewpoint that is centered on quality of life and the best choice).

Overall, when it comes to shopping and buying stuff (including clothes, food, shoes, consumer electronics, auto renewing services and subscriptions, etc.) I'm a big believer in putting 1. real need and 2. value ahead of spontaneous and pure "saving" shopping behavior. What I'm driving at is that you shouldn't buy what you don't need regardless of a blockbuster deal or free shipping and you shouldn't let important consumer decisions, like food choice, be driven by coupons; instead, look for value when shopping (which I define as the best product for the best price).

Cleaning and Polishing Granite and Stainless Steel

By Vincent Scordo on November 10, 2009 | Comments | 1 TrackBack

Back in February I wrote a short article on how to clean your kitchen and touched on hot topics such as floor washing, stainless steel polishing, and granite cleaning (I'm sure you're thinking: riveting subjects!). On the topic of cleaning granite, I suggested folks use a white vinegar/water solution to clean their granite, but I'd like to now officially retract my suggestion. After a few months of consistent use, I have started to see some very light etching take place. The etching is minor and I may have overdone the percentage of white vinegar to water ratio, thus causing a bit of etching. Moreover, I have started to use a small microfiber towel and regular dish soap to wash and sanitize my granite on a every other night basis (this is a three step process: washing, remove soap, and dry). The dish soap does a great job of cleaning the granite, so long as the granite is free of debris (i.e., no crumbs, ground coffee, etc.) before washing. The dish soap cleaning method also does not cause any etching.

What my new method does not do well, however, is polish granite. Our granite has been fairly shiny and new looking, but now that we're entering year three with our countertop I'm craving that new granite look again and rethinking the idea that you do not need specialty products to clean a kitchen well. Enter Goddard's, a 170+ year old brand that earned it's reputation on silver cleaning products. Nowadays, Goddard's produces a whole range of cleaning products, including a granite polish, stainless steal cleaner, and appliance and countertop polish.

Stainless Steel Polish and Cleaner

I recently sampled the three Goddard products mentioned above in my own kitchen (partly out of pure necessity given that our metal and stone surface were a big old mess and also because of a sample pack). My black/white granite was dull and fading fast and my stainless steel appliances were full of smudges, micro-scratches, and very dull looking overall. The first Goddard product I tried was the stainless steel cleaner. The cleaner had a watery consistency and came in a spray bottle. I sprayed my fridge and dishwasher twice and proceeded to remove the excess liquid with a microfiber clothe (I did this in two distinct stages). I was also careful to wipe with the grain of the steel. Overall, the stainless steel cleaner did not do a good job removing smudges or provide any sort of polish or shine to the metal. The product did remove some of the contaminants on the surfaces of my fridge, stove, and dishwasher, but overall I was disappointed with the product and, to be perfectly honest, the cleaner gave me the same end results as using hot water and dish soap.

I've had much better success with Signature Polish, which is recommended by Wolf / Sub Zero and acts as both a cleaner and polish. I received a sample bottle with my Wolf stove purchase and it has outperformed all of the stainless steel cleaners that I've applied to my appliances in three plus years. The Signature Polish provides a deep shine, removes small scratches, and cleans exceptionally well. Moreover, the polish/cleaner goes a long way and only a small amount of liquid is needed to clean a large area. Overall, when it comes to cleaning stainless and getting that great, smudge less shine, I think it's always best to go with a thicker, polish type, solution versus a water based product.

Granite Polish and Cleaner

I also tried Goddard's granite polish and without jumping the gun the spray solution was outstanding. I applied the polish with a paper towel and removed excess with a microfiber cloth. The solution gave my granite an exceptional shine and provided an ultra smooth feel to my countertop. In fact, my wife thought our granite felt just like the day we installed it some 3 years ago. The only two compliant I have are that the solution is a bit oily, in turn leaving some swirl marks and a bit of elbow grease is required to get the stone dry and free of any polish. The bottle also doesn't state whether the polish is food safe (i.e., whether you can place fruit, vegetables, etc. directly on the stone).

Finally, I tried the much thicker Goddard's Appliance and Countertop Polish on our granite only and compared to the granite polish it did not provide the same sort of shine and feel. The solution was also much thicker and more difficult to wipe up. There may be a better application for the appliance and counter top polish (such as a glass stove top), but it was only average on our granite countetops (the solution provided decent cleaning power, but it did not produce a superb shine). The product would be better labeled as a cleaner versus a true polish. On the positive side, Goddard's Appliance and Countertop Polish is labeled food safe and is also a certified Kosher product. (UPDATE: I tried the Appliance and Countertop Polish on black, stove top, enamel and the result was very positive. The polish did indeed provide a nice, deep, polish and cleaned the enamel quite well. The polish did require a bit of work in terms of removal (it was a little oily) and to get a true shine, but it seems the mirror like finish will last a bit. I'm curious to see how the polish holds up to spills, oil, heavy cooking, etc.)

So, yes I do recommend a good stainless steel polish and granite/stone cleaner for your home kitchen, as well as a basic cleaning kit including white vinegar (floors), Murphy's Oil (wood cabinets), Pine Oil, dish soap (granite, stove burners and top), and Soft Scrub with bleach cleanser (porcelain sink). What are you waiting for, get out there and go clean those hunks of steel and stone in your kitchen!

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware and How Great Companies Are Made

By Vincent Scordo on November 6, 2009 | Comments | 3 TrackBacks

As I stated in my guide to renovating your kitchen, splurging on good quality kitchen cabinets is usually a good idea when it comes to redesigning your home kitchen (especially if you're looking to stay in your home for long term). High quality kitchen cabinets are usually composed of solid wood cabinet faces (e.g., maple), full plywood box construction, dovetail drawers, etc. Moreover, hiring a quality craftsmen to install your cabinets is always a good idea. For example, during our kitchen renovation our cabinet installer Brian was meticulous when it came to hanging lower and upper cabinets, preparing for the install of our farmers sink, installing crown molding, and attaching our cabinet latches and pulls.

One of the small details of our kitchen renovation that I had not given much thought to was cabinet hardware. In fact, the only thought I had when it came to selecting cabinet hardware was to head down to the local hardware store and select a moderately priced set of pulls. Well, as soon as I got a hold of some the "genuine brass" pulls and latches offered at the neighborhood Ace hardware store I knew they wouldn't work in our new kitchen. The hardware store components were cheap looking, didn't function well, and were of a low quality design and construction. That's when I stumbled upon Horton Brasses via a recommendation from the GardenWeb Kitchen Forum.

Horton Brasses, a Cromwell, Connecticut based hardware company, produces more than 1,000+ pieces of cabinet and furniture pieces, from kitchen cabinet pulls to clock finials! For our kitchen cabinets, we choose to go with a traditional pantry latch and drawer pull.

We ordered latches in both polished chrome and antique brass as well as pulls in polished chrome (The pulls and latches are available in seven finished). The first thing I noticed when I received the hardware was the overall build quality of the pieces. Each item had a high quality brass finish and the latches, specifically, had a high quality mechanism. In fact, I had some concern about using pantry latches for our upper cabinets because I heard horror stories about the mechanism failing after prolonged use, but the customer service department at Horton assured me their latches were built to last. And last they have for well over 3 years now! Horton's hardware also comes with historically accurate fasteners (screws) that complete the look of the kitchen hardware.

Where Horton also shines is in the customer service department. I spoke to Amy at Horton several times via the phone/email about both replacement parts and technical issues and she was a pleasure to work with. Moreover, when one of the screw heads broke during a latch install because of tough hardwood and applying too much torque, a technician at Horton got on the phone with me and explained what drill bit to use when pre drilling, how to remove a broken screw head, and, generally, how to install the latch mechanism. The people at Horton went well beyond the typical customer service support call. What also gets me excited about Horton is how well priced their items are and, moreover, that the items are manufactured by the company in the United States. Horton isn't a big company, but it's the type of customer experience I had that makes small companies grow and earn an outstanding reputation for both product and customer service. Building a company is easy when you stick to the basics: great product, fair pricing, and outstanding customer service.

If you're looking for high quality kitchen hardware for your next kitchen renovation project check out Horton's bin pulls, pantry latches, and other fine hardware.

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