Author: Daniel Bellino

Hello All ! I'm Daniel Bellino "Z" Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author and Publisher of Positano The Amalfi Coast ... I have traveled the World extensively and have been going to: Napoli, Capri, Positano, and The Amalfi Coast of Italy Since 1985 ... I live and write in New York's Greenwich Village. I am the Best Selling author of such Books as : SUNDAY SAUCE , The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKOOK, The FEAST of The 7 FISH, and the soon to be released POSITANO - Capri The Amalfi Coast , a book that tells stories of Napoli, Capri and Psoitano, and is part Cookbook of Regional Dishes of the area, as well as being a Guide Book of this region of Italy. I have been a Restaurant and Wine Professional for more than 30 Years, and I Created America's 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in 1997, in Bar Cichetti, where I was the Head Chef / Wine Director and Managing Partner.

Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe

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Italian Rainbow Cookies

RECIPE :

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
1 8-ounce can almond paste
1 ¹/₄ cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¹/₂ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
1 drop Red food coloring
1 drop Green food coloring
10 ounces raspberry preserves, warmed
7 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Grease, flour, and line the bottoms of three 9- by 13- by 2-inch (quarter sheet pan) with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang.
In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. With the mixer running on high speed, add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl, and wipe the bowl dry with a paper towel.
Switch the mixer to the paddle attachment and beat together the almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well-mixed, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one bowl and green food coloring into another, leaving the third bowl plain. Keep in mind that the batter will bake up darker than it looks pre-bake. Pour the batter from one of the bowls into one of the prepared pans. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter into an even layer.
Bake the layer for 8 to 10 minutes, until just set (the cake may look undercooked, but this is what you want). Repeat with the remaining bowls of cake batter and sheet pans, transferring each baked cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
When all the layers are cool, invert the green layer onto a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet (I like to use one of the cooled quarter sheet pans for this). Peel off the paper from the layer and brush on half of the heated preserves. Flip the white layer on top of green layer and peel off the paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert the red layer on top of white layer and discard the paper.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place another quarter sheet pan on top, right side up. Evenly distribute a heavy weight on top of the sheet pan (2 bags of flour is what I usually go for) and place in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the weights and plastic wrap and let the layer sit on your counter for a few minutes to come to room temperature. Melt the chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, until smooth.
Trim the edges of the assembled layers with a long serrated knife to even them out. Quickly spread half of the melted chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Place the cake back in the fridge to firm up the chocolate, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the chocolate layer, place another quarter sheet pan on top, then invert the cake and remove the paper. Quickly spread with the remaining chocolate. Freeze the chocolate-covered cake until firm.
Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, and then cut each strip crosswise into 16 pieces. I like to use a sharp serrated knife that has been run under hot water to cut into the frozen cake. The cookies are MUCH easier to cut when the big cake is cold, so don’t try to cut the it at room temperature—you’ll just end up making a mess and having a really hard time.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer; I like to keep them in a large flat container and layer the cookies with a sheet of wax paper in between to keep them from sticking. The cookies will keep in the fridge or freezer for a long time and are delicious when they’re slightly chilled.

Court Street Pastry Shop

Carroll Gardens , Brooklyn

New York

Sicilian Maccheroni Pasta and Sauce Recipe

SANTINA

“BELLA RAGAZZA”

MAKING HOMEMADE SICILIAN MACCHERONI

“LOLLI”

SICILIAN RIGATONI

and RAGU

SANTINA

with her Homemade “LOLLI”

SICILIAN MACCHERONI

and SUGO

COOKING SICILIAN

RECIPES

NONNA GIUSEPPINA SALEMI BELLINO

Best Roast Chicken Ever !

The BEST CHICKEN Ever !!!

ROSTICCERIA PAALUMBO

AGRIGENTO

SICILY

PASTA al FORNO

PALUMBO ANTONELLO ROSTICCERIA

Piazza Pirandello , AGRIGENTO , SICILIA (SICILY)

Yes the BEST CHICKEN Ever ! I kid you not. And so Cheap, they’re practically giving it away, Just 3.5 Euros for 1/4 Chicken (Leg & Thigh) and probably the Best Roast Potatoes you’ve ever Eaten as well, “I kid you not.” I couldn’t believe how absolutely wonderful, the kind of place you’re Always Looking For but often don’t find, PALUMBO is Awesome. As soon as I walked through the door of this place and saw the Rotisserie Chickens Cooking, I knew I wanted to have some. It’s a rosticceria and all the food is layed out before you for you to choose from, there’s: Frittata (Italian Omelette), ARANCINI (Sicilian Rice Balls), Eggplant Caponata Fried Eggplant, Eggplant Parmigiano, PASTA , The CHICKEN & Potatoes, and more … It’s a Family run place and has a nice warm friendly atomosphere. You can either Eat In or Take Out as many of the locals do, running in for ARANCINI, Roast Chicken, Eggplant, Frittata and what-not.

I started my meal with Pasta al Forno, Rigatoni Baked with Ragu and Pecorino Cheese (ONLY 3 Euro), and followed the Pasta with the BEST ROAST CHICKEN I’ve ever had in my life, “It was Amazing” !!! I couldn’t believe how wonderful the food was and the price were so low, they were practically giving it away. From going there two times I could see that this Family built their business on having absolutely Delicious Food and super low prices, with food to take-away or eat there in a nice warm ambiance if you like.

When I was leaving the next day to take a 3 hour Bus Ride to Catania, I made sure I came here to get a Couple ARANCINI, FRITTATA , and Fried Eggplant to eat on the long bus ride. When I got hungry on the bus, I was sure glad I did. Love this place, and wish there were more around like it. My BEST MEAL in SICILY !!! No doubt.

GRANDMA BELINO ‘S COOKBOOK

RECIPES From My SICILIAN NONNA

Available on AMAZON.com

Panettone for Christmas

PANETTONE for CHRISTMAS

Italians eaing Panettone is a staple of Italian Christmas festivities that dates back as far as the Middle Ages when to celebrate Christmas, people would replace their daily bread with a richer recipe, a practice clearly documented in a 15th-century manuscript written by George Valagussa, one of the Sforza family’s tutors; however, many legends have grown up around the origin of Panettone.

The popular legend is that of a nobleman and falconer named Ughetto, who fell in love with Adalgisa, the daughter of a baker whose business had hit upon hard times. Ughetto’s family were unhappy with his choice and forbade him to marry such a lowly girl. In a bid to continue seeing his lover, Ughetto in disguise took a job at the bakery where one day after selling some of his falcons, he purchased butter and sugar and added it to the bakery’s bread mix. Ughetto’s sweet bread became popular and the ailing bakery soon began to see better times, which pleased Adalgisa. To continue pleasing her, one day near Christmas, he added candied peel and raisins to the mix and the popularity of his bread surpassed everything the bakery had ever produced before – in fact it became so popular that his family relented and gave their permission for the couple to marry.

A traditional panettone loaf is cylindrical in shape with a cupola (domed) top. It should always be taller than it is wide, with a soft and airy interior beneath a dark exterior. Modern versions are now available with the fruit being replaced by chocolate, however traditionally it should be citrus flavoured fruit bread.

The Best Panettone I’ve Ever Had

by CIPRIANI

How you eat your panettone is entirely up to personal choice. Some Italians will have it with coffee in the morning, while others prefer it as a mid-day treat with a glass of Marsala wine and then, there’s those who choose to have theirs after dinner as dolce with a good sparkling Moscato.

The second legend has to do with the name itself, panettone, which would literally translate in English as ‘bread of Toni.’ The actual translation is ‘big bread,’ from ‘panetto’ meaning dough and the suffix ‘one’ meaning large.

It is said that at the 15th century court of Duke Ludovico, during a Christmas celebration, the chef burned the dessert. When the Duke demanded that dessert be served, the chef became visibly distressed and, seeing this, a scullery boy named Toni approached him and explained that he’d made a sweet loaf out of left-overs and offered this bread to the chef who accepted and served it at court. The dessert was a success and the Duke called the chef to congratulate him in front of his guests, however, unable to take the credit, the chef told everyone who had really made the bread and that’s how it became known as panettone; the bread of the scullery boy, Toni.

Panettone is seen by the Italians as an acceptable gift to take when visiting someone over the festive period and therefore, from the middle of November, Italian supermarkets and stores start to display the commercially made loaves. Packed in elaborately decorated boxes festooned with ribbons, this simple bread can command quite a high price. Very few Italians will make their own panettone, choosing to buy a ready-made loaf, however the internet offers plenty of recipes, ranging from the traditional to celebrity variations, so making it at home isn’t beyond the reach of most competent home-bakers.

The third legend has a less romantic story claiming that the sweet bread wasn’t created by Signor Ughetto, but by Sister Ughetta, a nun that wanted to please her fellow holy sisters one Christmas. The tale tells of a convent where the prospect of Christmas did little to lift the spirits of its poor and miserable nuns. One day while in the kitchen, it is said that Sister Ughetta fashioned a cake out of kindness for her fellow sisters and added fruit and peel and before baking she took a knife and cut a crucifix shape in its top. Once cooked, the cuts left by the knife opened up in the cupola crust making the cake a pleasing addition to an otherwise meagre festive feast for the holy sisters.

The traditional way of serving panettone is simply remove the paper liner and slice the loaf with a serrated knife as you would a cake, to get triangular wedges. A word of warning though, whichever way you choose to serve your panettone: it’s worth noting that Italians consider it bad luck to remove the domed top and to consume it on your own.