Croccantino

For many years I have had the amazing opportunity to be able to travel to a small town in Southern Italy near Benevento called San Marco dei Cavoti.  Steeped in history, this town captivated my heart and soul.  It happens to be the town where my Mother-in-Law was born and raised, where my husband spent his early years before coming to the US and the namesake of my son Marco. Since the day I stepped foot in San Marco, I was also captivated by the famous chocolate, hazelnut and almond confection called Croccantino.  The flavor is something in between Nutella, honey and a Heath bar.  You can eat a lot of them since they are only 2 bites, so be careful, it can be dangerous! They are beloved by everyone in the town and everyone who I bring a box back to in New York.  My Dad ate an entire box in one sitting (about 20 bars) the first time I brought them back to the US.  Of course we always bring an empty bag to ensure that we can stock up!

The first producers of Croccantino started over 150 years ago, they are mostly family run and produce in small batches. This is why it intrigued me to find out that there was someone new on the scene.

About 3 years ago, I stumbled upon Autore online.  The owner Antonio Autore grew up in San Marco dei Cavoti.  He left for a while to study and work in international business throughout Europe, but returned home to, as he says, rewrite the tradition.  He has done an amazing job balancing the tradition of Croccantino while bringing the 150 year old recipe into the 21st century.  What first caught my attention was the beautiful packaging and the multiple flavors.  With flavors like Sicilian Pistachio, Coconut, Honey & Fig and Giundia, Autore extends the idea of traditional Croccantino.  This great YouTube video highlights the production process and gives you more insight into the world of Autore.  

The brightly colored packaging is eye catching and makes a great in-store display.  After six years in business, Autore has started to ship to the US.  If you are in NYC you can find his product at Buon Italia in Chelsea Market.  He also will ship directly to customers through his website.  

View fullsize

Traditional Copper Pot 

Recently, I had the opportunity to do a quick interview with Antonio, here are a few highlights from our conversation:

When did you get the idea to start Autore and what was your inspiration?

I grew up in San Marco dei Cavoti the world capital of Croccantino, this famous crunchy bar of nuts laced with sugar and covered with dark chocolate. I left after high-school for my college studies and then worked abroad for a few years but always brought with me a box of Croccantino. Well wherever I travelled everybody loved the product and the idea of starting my own production started working in my head.So six years ago I returned to San Marco started the Autore chocolate. I created a catalogue adding new chocolate recipes to classic Croccantino and I built up a range of different flavors.

How many countries are you selling your product in now?

We are selling our products in 15 countries (most of the European countries, but also Japan, US and others).

What has been your biggest challenge?

To sell a traditional product with a more dynamic and modern approach, infact our motto is "rewrite the tradition" . We use a intriguing design and innovative packaging solutions that is very much liked by consumers

What is the most popular product?

The classic Croccantino is still the best selling product, but it is followed by Croccantino honey and raisin, Croccantino honey and figs and Pistachio

What is next for Autore? (US distribution, new products/categories)

We have just released the new Winter Catalogue 2016-2017 with quite a few new products: Minuto Ribes (white chocolate and red currant), a range of four spread creams and a few new gift boxes. The spreads have crunchy bites of croccantino mixed with cream and the feedback from the market is very positive.  All our products (except for the Panettone and the chocolate beer) are gluten free. Marketwise we are putting efforts to sell more in the US market through gourmet chains .

View fullsize

Freshly dipped Croccantino

Autore has a very promising future.  With Antonio’s focus on quality and tradition plus a dedicated team he has a very bright future.  Just last week, he opened an official storefront in the town of San Marco.  So, if you happen to be in Naples, plan a trip to San Marco dei Cavoti.  You will get to see a beautiful town and taste some of the best chocolates you have ever had, then you too will be addicted.

PASTA: Why quality counts

One of the cardinal rules of Italian cooking: always use the best ingredients available to you. Pasta is no different.  It is especially important since pasta really brings together the whole dish. There are many, many brands of dried pasta, or pasta secco,  on the market.  Like most people I used to think they were all the same. I would buy Barilla or De Ceicco at the supermarket and that would be it. Then I tasted the difference between those brands and true Italian artisan pasta or Pasta Artigianale,  

Most of this pasta you will see in stores in the US comes from the famous town of Gragnano which sits in between Naples and the Amalfi Coast.  Gragnano boasts an over 200 year old tradition of pasta making.  There are many special steps and details that have to be followed in order to produce pasta with superior taste and texture.  The center of town is even said to be laid out so that the main street captures the salty, cool breeze off the the Mederterainian creating an ideal scenario for pasta drying.  All of these seemingly small details add up and in the end a superior product, both from a taste and texture standpoint, is created.

There are two important differences in the process vs mass produced dry pasta: the pasta is extruded through bronze dies instead of through industrial Teflon, giving it a rough-textured surface to which sauce clings rather than slipping off, and the pasta is dried slowly at low temperatures so that it retains more of the nutty flavor and aroma of durum wheat. 

Pasta from Gragano has become more widely available over the past few years.  In New York City, you can find it in specialty shops as well as some Supermarkets.  Some of my favorite brands can be found at Eataly, Buon Italia or Agata e Valentina.  Look for Afetlra, Di Martino and Garofalo.  Also keep in mind, many shapes come in larger packages, 500g or 1.2 lbs.  Most mass produced pasta comes in 1 lb portions.  Either way you will pay more for the small batch pasta, but you will not be disappointed.  Every time we have guests, we serve this special pasta, sometimes just with a very simple Carbonara or Aglio e Olio, and we get "recipe" requests every time.  

Gragano, Italy

View fullsize

Afaletra Garganelli

View fullsize

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

This year for Easter I decided to try out a new dessert.  My go to Apple Cake is great, but since I always make it, I thought it was time for something new.  I came across this great looking lemon ricotta cheesecake thanks to Cooking With Nonna's Rossella Rago.  It is a classic Italian Easter dessert with a twist and it was a huge hit with my family!  It will be part of the holiday dessert rotation from now on.  Here is the recipe, great for spring and summer!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 6 ounces blanched almonds, ground
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 ounces butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• Zest of 3 lemons
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions/Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8-inch springform pan with the tablespoon of butter.
3. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
4. In a bowl, combine the ground almonds with the flour.
5. Set aside.
6. Using an electric mixer, beat 6 ounces of butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Add the egg yolks. Continue beating until well combined.
8. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until combined.
9. Fold in the almond-flour mixture. Set aside.

- See more at: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/lemon-ricotta-cake.html#sthash.PVJsy995.dpufRemove the cake from the oven when the center is still slightly soft. It is best served warm or at room temperature. When served warm, the luscious creamy center balances the texture of the almonds and tartness of the lemon. Once the cake is refrigerated the center becomes firm. - See more at: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/lemon-ricotta-cake.html#sthash.PVJsy995.dpuf

Food Cravings NYC Style

if you have been reading my posts, you know that I love food.  Sometimes it gets extreme.  Sometimes I HAVE to have something very specific and I don't care if I have to go to great lengths to get it.  Here are my TOP 5 food obsessions in New York City.  Most of them I have gone  on a solo mission to eat on my own, definitely my "happy place".  This list could have been longer, but I forced myself to edit!

1. Luke's Lobster- The cravings usually kick in around April and last through the Fall and they are intense.  I love lobster and this is by far the best lobster roll in NYC. The best part about Luke's is that they do not use mayo just some lemon butter, secret spices and a buttered roll.  The pure Maine lobster meat is the star of the roll. There are a few locations, unfortunately none of them deliver to my apartment.  I have to walk about 6 blocks and 4 avenues to get my roll if the Nauti truck is not close by. Apparently, Caviar the delivery service will deliver Luke's, but I haven't attempted that yet.  I think I like it better when it seems harder to get!

2. La Rosticceria at Eataly-The Prime Rib Panino is my obsession.  The problem is, they always run out.  They start serving at 11am, my advice is to get there on the early side.  Every time I have been there after 5, the Prime Rib and the Carne of the day are sold out.  It is ridiculously flavorful and I have been known to go there alone on a summer Friday and devour the whole panino in Madison Park.  Side note, the rotisserie chickens are delicious as well!

View fullsize

3. Shake Shack-Luckily I do not live far from the original Shack in Madison Park, but it is far enough to check the Shack Cam and see how long the line is.  If the line is not too long, I will volunteer to go, wait and bring back dinner before it gets cold if my husband will agree to eat Shake Shack.  I am a classic girl, Shack Burger with Cheese, fries and a lemonade is the usual order.

View fullsize

4. Marea's Fusilli with Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow-One of the most delicious and unique pasta dishes I have ever had.  It is hard for me to eat at Marea and NOT order this dish.  I have made a trip there, just to sit a the bar and order it.  At $34 it is not a cheap craving, but it is worth it!  Check out this article from Serious Eats that shows how this dish is made.  http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/07/marea-nyc-manhattan-michael-white-fusilli-fussili-pasta-octopus-bone-marrow.html

View fullsize

5. Big Gay Ice Cream- Before they exploded and opened brick and mortar shops, The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck took up residence on the corner of 17th street and Broadway, not far from my apartment.  This was when I got addicted.  Now, I will make a special round about trip to pick my son up at school stopping off at their 7th Avenue location on the way.  My go-to is the Bea Aurther, vanilla soft serve, dulce de leche and crushed up 'nilla wafers, haven!

View fullsize

The Pennsy

A few weeks ago, something amazing happened.  A brand new food hall opened up right across from my office!  It is called The Pennsy and it also happens to be right next to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden in NYC.  It is one of the many new high end food halls to pop up in the city over the past few years, but this one is a little different.  First of all, Mario Batali is involved, so that alone makes it special in my book. Secondly, Pat LaFrieda has a counter in this food hall, the first of it's kind.  For those of you who do not know, Pat LaFrieda provides the best quality steaks and burgers to all of NYCs top restaurants.  The Pennsy has done a great job of curating a stellar line up, mostly focused on lunch which is a home run for the area.  As someone who has worked in the area for a long time, the lunch options are not the best.  Now I have a different issue, a very tempting food hall across the street!  Oh, and they JUST got their liquor license, perfect for game nights at the Garden! Here are a few pictures and descriptions of what you can get and what I have eaten so far.

Mario by Mary

Of course this was my first stop.  Mario by Mary is a collaboration between Batali and Mary Giuliani, his catering partner.  The menu is well thought out consisting of Italian comfort food that reminds me of home.  The grilled cheese with truffle honey is amazing, pictured below.  I got the combo #1 that came with a sandwich and a soup (I got the white bean and escarole, so good!) There is a selection of hot panini and cold panini that can be pared with a variety of soups.  And for dessert, rainbow cookies!   Panini run $9-13, combos are around $15.

View fullsize

Pat LaFrieda

All of the sandwiches entail some sort of meat, of course.  I tried the classic steak sandwich and it was great.  The quality of the steak really shines though, great flavor and very tender.  They also have a hot pressed meatball sandwich, a fresh roast beef toasted sandwich as well as roasted turkey.  The portions are pretty big, so go hungry.  Sandwiches range from $12-15. 

View fullsize

Marc Forgione

AKA Lobster Press, named for the signature hot pressed lobster sandwich that you dip into a delicious chili sauce.  I have sampled a few things from here and all were good.  I think my favorite was the coconut lobster bisque, not too heavy but it has a ton of flavor.

The lobster press is good, I wouldn't say the best lobster sandwich I have had, but the chili sauce really makes it special.  Lobster Press is the priciest place in the The Pennsy, with the signature sandwich running at $17, the combo is $21 and comes with chips and pickled vegetables.  If you are in the mood for lobster and feel like splurging on lunch, check it out. You may even get lucky and have Marc himself serve you one day, that happened to me.  He was very nice and it was great to see a chef connecting with their customers.

View fullsize

Besides these three featured counters, The Pennsy also features The Cinnamon Snail and The Little Beet.  I have yet to try either, but will definitely be back soon to try both of them, that is if I can be strong enough to not get a Mario by Mary grilled cheese every time I walk in!

The Pennsy- 2 Penn Plaza, New York, Ny

Italian Baked Eggs

Winter is finally upon us in New York City and we are all in the mood for some comfort food.  Today as my husband and I came up with a dinner plan, we decided we were in the mood for this delicious comfort dish: Italian Baked Eggs.  This is something anyone can make with only a few ingredients that most people will have on hand most of the time.  

Step 1-Tomato Sauce in a baking dish.  We made our own quick Marinara sauce (1 can San Marzano tomatoes, garlic sautéed in olive oil, salt, pepper, basil).

View fullsize

Step 2-Add eggs to tomato sauce.  We did individual servings in small baking dishes, so 2 eggs per person.

View fullsize

Step 3-Cover with shredded mozzarella and top off with parmigiano. 

View fullsize

Step 4-Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Top with parsley for some color and extra flavor. The eggs should be runny, if you want firmer eggs, bake for a few extra minutes.

You can add other ingredients to the baking dish, some suggestions-sausage, hot pepper if you want some kick, or even shredded chicken for extra protein.

Serve with grilled or toasted Italian bread, you will need it to zuppare! 

View fullsize

San Marco

About 90 minutes outside of Naples, Italy in the Provence of Benevento, lies a magical town. I am lucky to have been there many times as it is the hometown of my Mother-In-Law and my son's namesake.  It is the quintessential Italian medieval town, dating back to the 14th century.  From the outskirts of town, you can see for miles through the clear, crisp mountain air.  Walking through the pristine streets that lead to an adorable piazza, I always feel like I am in a fake Disneyland version of Italy, but then I realize it is real.  

View fullsize

San Marco dei Cavoti is also the home of Croccantino di San Marco, the delightful chocolate covered hazelnut and almond bars that are just the perfect size.  They're not too small, about 2 bites, but not so big that you feel like you are eating a whole candy bar. The town boasts 10 producers of Croccantino in 18 square miles.  Every December they hold the Festa del Torrone e Croccatino, which celebrates the town and their beloved chocolate.  One of the oldest and, in my opinion, best  producers is Borrillo.  Their adorable shop is right in the center of town on Via Roma, a throwback to another era.  Barrillo focuses on a few key products with beautiful packaging such as classic croccantino and my favorite classic torrone  ever. They also sell these amazing Cassatine (below), you can see a picture of Marco enjoying one in my Welcome page.

View fullsize

 A newer producer of croccantino is Autore.  Started by Antonio Autore in 2009, this producer has approached croccantino with a new twist.  There are many flavors like honey with fig or Sicilian pistachio  with beautiful color coded boxes to delineate  flavors.  Autore is now shipping to the US and can be found in Chelsea Market at Buon Italia.  Barrillo was shipping to the US a few years ago, but I believe for now you will have to travel to Italy to get them.  Or put your order in with me for my next trip. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

A beautiful walk through the town

There are a few small Bed and Breakfasts in the town as well as some small restaurants, but I have not tried either.  If you plan a trip, please contact me and I can help guide you.  The croccantino factories also conduct tours.  Autore, for one, organizes tours of his factory as part of an agrotourisum package.

If you find yourself in Naples on your next trip to Italy make a special trip even just for the day to San Marco.  You will not regret it.  

Grand Ticino

Sometimes on Christmas Eve, I stop and think about one very special New York Christmas Eve I had back in 1994.  I was a freshman at Fordham University and got to spend Christmas Eve at a very special old school Italian restaurant. My Dad was working that day, he is a sound engineer for musical acts.  He happened to be working for the legendary Laura Nyro who was playing at the Bottom Line, another historic New York establishment which sadly closed in 2004.

After the show, we went to have dinner at the famous Grand Ticino.  I of course was pleased to be eating Italian and even more excited that this was the location where a scene from Moonstruck was filmed (one my my favorite Newyorkese movies).  

The Grand Ticino had an 82 year run at 228 Thompson Street in Greenwhich Village (1919-2001), it was one of the old classics. From the classic menu to the old word decor, it was Italian-American at it's best. I can still remember the delicious ravioli I had, freshly made of course. I am glad I had the chance to eat there and be part of something with such history, there are not many places left in New York like this.  At the time I did not know how lucky I was.

Olives

Something hit me last week during Thanksgiving shopping, while standing at the deli counter in Lombardy's in Mattituck, LI.  I realized that most people can not tell the difference between olives and have a hard time shopping for them.  A woman next to me started asking me a lot of questions, I guess I looked credible?  She was trying to remember which ones her Dad likes, I finally pinpointed what she was looking for: Gaeta.

I on the other hand was buying my go to cheese/salumi plate olives: Castelvetrano.  The small, bright green Sicilian olives with buttery texture.  They are heaven.

Here is a quick guide to Italian olives to help you out next time you are in your local Italian specialty shop. 

Brine Cured vs Oil Cured-The brine cured olives will be smooth and plum while the oil cured ones will be more wrinkled and coated in oil.

Castelvetrano-A bright green Sicilian olive, great for snacking and of course for cheese plates. Almost always with the pit and brine cured.

Cerignola-From Puglia, come in red, black and green.  Brine cured and quite large.  They are also great for snacking/cheese plates.  They are mild and buttery. 

Gaeta-Dark purple or black. Soft tender flesh, citrus flavor. Can be found both brine cured or oil cured.  Great in pasta, especially Puttanesca.

Saracena-From Sicily, small dark black olives.  Cured in salt and more pungent. Great for pizza!

Taggiasca- Smiliar to a French Nicoise olive, small with a lot of flavor. Grown in Liguria.  Great for tapenade. 

Of course you can mix them all together, a variety is great.  I personally love when they are marinated in oil and citrus rind, amazing.....

I hope this helps, olives make a great addition to any salumi or cheese plate, they are great in pasta, pizza and salads.  They also make the perfect hostess gift when attending a dinner party.