Coney Island: Where Italians Know How to Eat

I’m interrupting the Curry Series because this post should have been up last week.  And I’m just in the mood to write about this, so deal with it.

When I was back east for my Uncle’s Funeral, I had a couple of those very thoughtful epiphanies.  I already expressed my feelings regarding the definition of the word ‘home’ and it is time to discuss the power of food.

This was the first time in my adult life that a close member of my family had passed.  It seems rather cliche to talk about how food plays an important part in these type of affairs, but cliches exist for a reason.  And when you’re Italian, food is always a part of every occasion.

So it was really a beautiful experience to see people come together so naturally for meal breaks.  There were two days of wake ceremonies, both with 2 hour breaks in between viewings.  And that was when we ate.  There was little sadness there, replaced with an overwhelming amount of food.  You would turn around and pasta was spilling out of the oven or someone was walking in with a giant tray of cookies.  It was all munching and talking and laughing.  The necessary break where no one had to be serious for a short while.  I met and saw people I never knew, who were close with family.  It was touching.  People reaching out to be helpful because it’s just what came natural.

And of course after the funeral we all hauled ass over to Garguilos, the very restaurant we had celebrated my Grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary when I was 13.  And I might add, quite obviously, an Italian Restaurant.

I’ll take a side bar here to note that I rarely talking about eating at Italian Restaurants.  That is because I haven’t done so in a long time.  It’s hard for me to trust a place, especially here in LA.  But I know I’m in good hands in New York, especially Brooklyn.  ESPECIALLY when it’s a place my grandparents love.  So here we go.

I loved the formalities of this event.  I loved that as I gave hugs and kisses at the funeral, the responses to them were, “let’s go eat.”  A concept I am all too familiar with and couldn’t be happier to be part of a family that takes it so seriously.  Upon arrival we were led to the back room, because they were about to accommodate my gigantic family.  I guess there were probably around 40 people there, but that’s just me eyeballing from memory.

There was the traditional U- shaped layout of long tables.  White tablecloths sat on top with place settings already out.  Two plates, 2 forks, 2 glasses.  This meal was no joke.  Pitchers of water and soda sat in between us with bowls of patties of butter waiting to be used.  When the bulk of us had sat down, waiters rushed around placing corked bottles of red wine that we lavishly poured into glasses before we got a chance to see the bottles of white.  We drank while baskets of bread made their way to us.  Delicious, sweet, Brooklyn bread– something I constantly miss, which I savored with each bite.

The salad came out, which consisted of fresh slices of mozzarella layered with slices of beefy tomatoes.  Fresh basil leaves were floating on top.  I cannot remember the last time I had a tomato that tasted so rich.  There was so much flavor.  And I don’t think I even have to comment on the cheese.  I mean, we were in an Italian Restaurant in NY here.  And I greatly respected the fact that our salad consisted largely of cheese.

Next was a pasta course, duh.  A very simple penne with marinara was placed in front of each of us.  I sprinkled some parmigiana on top and proceeded to annihilate the dish.  I had forgotten how good the simplicity of this dish  was.  And I think I had gotten a little tired of the red sauce that I make.  This was fresh and light, but still sang.

The waiters then came around to the children, asking if they wanted their meals substituted for typical children goodness.  The adults were each getting a plate that was both veal marsala and a piece of chicken parmigiana.  At the news, my brother’s head perked up in excitement.  “We’re getting both on one plate?” he uttered in delight.  It was enough for us to all giggle at our end of the table.  If only he added the visual of Homer Simpson wiggling his fingers.

Both dishes were delicious.  It is important to note here that I ate the veal.  This is a huge step in my food consuming career.  And you know what?  There’s a reason people eat veal.  It is delicious and tender and amazing.  It won’t be a regular habit for me because I do still feel bad in the long run, but I’m glad I ate it.  I had also been jones-ing for a marsala dish.

The Chicken Parmigiana was also very good.  It had been a long time since I had eaten this at all and in the past it was usually homemade.  This piece had a very sweet and dense breading that held strong.  The marinara was a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and rich in flavor.  It was simple and a perfect compliment to the chicken and cheese.  It tasted like my childhood.

After a long wait, where we drank more wine and tried to wake up our tired bodies a bit, coffee was served.  And then came the most amazing dessert I have ever had: a Tortoni.  This is a small cup of ice cream with toasted almonds on top and a cherry for kicks.  I’m not usually one for sweets or ice cream for that matter, but I couldn’t get over how incredible this was.  The almond flavor was so strong that I couldn’t get enough of it.  I was completely blown away, talking about it for hours.

Pastries followed the ice cream (of course) while the cousins were arguing about the proper way to spell sfogliatelle– which I happened to just do right now, correctly on the first try!

We lingered and ate cookies and pastries until we could eat no longer.  The kids ran around the tables, squealing with laughter.  The babies were grabbed and kissed whenever they toddled by.  I took it all in, realizing I hadn’t been at anything like this in quite some time.  When it was finally time to leave the train of hugs and kisses began.  I love that I’m part of a family that demands to feel lips on cheeks even if you’re a 2 year old.  There’s an amount of honor in that.

And then we were off.  Our bellies full.  Our eyelids drooping.  Ready for a nap.  Because damn.  Those Italians know how to do work on food.

Christmas Through Food- Pt II: The Italian Feast of Fish

THE ITALIAN CHRISTMAS FEAST

In my family, Christmas is officially celebrated with our Italian Family on my Mother’s side.  (Don’t worry… Easter gets the Polish side.  We’re very well rounded out.)  Since I’ve been old enough to care less about presents (I’m the baby in the family) this holiday has been strictly about food for us.  Sure, giving out and opening presents on Christmas morning is still fun, but we’re more excited about the cold Antipasto we’ll be eating while doing it.

So naturally, there is a feast, in Brooklyn, comprised of Fish.  This is a very tradition Italian event.  Every year, for as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve was spent dining on various seafood dishes.  And I have a huge family who loves to eat, so there was a wide variety and an abundance.

Unfortunately, like a true ass, I didn’t take any pictures.  This is truly a shame as this feast kicked the behind of all the other years.  So I will describe, in hopes you can gain an idea of the awesomeness I was surrounded by.

This was one of the first years I can remember that each family contributed to the meal.  Back in the day, it was just my Grandma cooking solo.  When the feast moved to my Aunt’s house, it was a combination of her and my Grandma.  A few years ago, all the daughters and granddaughters got together to make 100 rice balls (more on that later!!), but the entrees were still Grandma and Aunt Margaret based.

This year I returned to frigid Jersey to learn that my Father (not the Italian one) would be making his famous ‘Linguine with White Clam Sauce.”  This is truly a masterpiece and one of the dishes my Father has made many a time over the years.  He excitedly told me he bought a huge bag of clams that was on sale, not because he needed that many, but because he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get that many clams for a good price.

THE APPETIZERS

It is traditional for many of us to attempt to starve ourselves day of so that we can eat as much as humanly possible.  Throughout the meal itself, my cousin Margaret claimed she was going to try and stop herself when she became full because the year before she remembered feeling terrible after eating way too much.  With that, we all always arrive starving.  There’s usually crackers and dips and small things ready to wet your whistle.  You do a quick sweep around the room, kissing cheeks and wishing Merry Christmases before you toss your coat down and make way for anything you can shove in your mouth.  In true form, my Uncle Willie greets you with a glass of Sangria that will most likely put you on your ass for 2 reasons.

1.  It’s a Willie Surprise!  Which means it’s laced with booze.

2.  You haven’t eaten anything all day!

Seeing that we had an abundance of clams, my Father threw together a nice clams casino appetizer that my mother paraded around, somehow avoided every sidestep I took to get closer.  After popping one of these in my mouth and relishing in the crisp deliciousness, I went back for another to find a plate of empty shells.  This is another trademark of my Italian Family: gavones.

THE MAIN MEAL

The first course was ready to rock which included 3 different kinds of pasta, set up buffet style on the counter.  You had your choice of the first to be served, then like any other overbearing Italian family, you took what you wanted.  Like I said, we were eaters.  The first was a shrimp scampi my Aunt Margaret made.  Holy Hell!  This was absolutely delightful.  The shrimp were cooked perfectly– tender yet not mealy at all.  There was a perfect butter/oil/wine love affair happening with garlic to give just enough flavor, but allow the shrimp to really sing.

The second pasta dish was a classic and one of my Mother’s favorites.  It was a Cauliflower sauce.  As a kid I remember my Mom making this and to this day, still love it.  It’s a thicker red sauce that surprises you because your typical Cauliflower flavor doesn’t kick you in the face.  All of the ingredients blend together to create a subtle yet flavorful dish.  It was the best I’ve had in a long time.  I would expect nothing less from my Grandmother.  The woman knows her way around a kitchen.

The third option was my Father’s.  As I previously stated, this was a favorite dish of my nuclear family’s.  I was used to it only having baby clams, so it was an exciting voyage when the real shelled boys were out to play.  My brother and I both agreed this was my Father’s best version.  I don’t know what he did to that wine sauce, but it was absolutely perfect.  It was such a light tangy flavor covering the linguine with the clams waiting to burst forth with commanding presence.  A true masterpiece.

Of course there was bread circulating throughout to sop up whatever sauce you were blessed to have left on your plate.  And I’m talking real Italian bread from Bensonhurst– the Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn.  This is the very thing I’m often dreaming of that you just can’t find in LA.

As people began finishing up, we were all instructed (loudly of course) to hang on to your forks and pass your bowls down.  I helped my Aunt J clear off the table while the other dishes that were heating up in various pyrex dishes were thrown onto the table in no particular order whatsoever.  That was another beauty of how our family dines.  You put as much as you can on the table and everyone takes what they can get.  It’s rare that there’s any competitive nature because there’s usually an incredible amount of everything.  So you can eat slowly and savor what you’ve got in front of you.

My attempt was to take small portions of everything, so that I could eat each thing and not want to burst afterwards.  The first thing that came at me was fried Garduna.

I need to break away  here and explain something.  There are two things my entire extended family looks forward to on Christmas Eve, mostly because they are not prepared at any other time of the year: Garduna and Rice Balls.  Garduna is part of the celery family and can be a very fickle beast.  My sister took the reigns one year in preparing this family favorite, so I got all the inside juice.  You need to boil it enough to make it tender, but not too much so it’s limp.  There should be a crisp texture to it, but it can be so tough sometimes that you just want to give up trying to eat it.  It is then breaded and fried and one of the most delicious treats at our table.  I’ve never seen it anywhere besides our Christmas Eve dinner (not that I’ve really searched for it), and I don’t think I’d want to because that’s one of the ways it stays special.  Oddly enough, I couldn’t find any pictures of Garduna, just the place in Italy.  So it’s up to your imaginations!

The rice balls (usually served around the beginning of the meal, but this time were at the very end) are another savory treat.  Rice is prepared with a mixture of butter, oil, cheese, and touch of marinara sauce for color and flavor.  This combination is VERY important and can completely change the taste of your rice ball.  You scoop up a pawful of rice, indent the middle to create a little well, and add a tablespoon of a delicious meat combination with peas.  You then scoop up more rice and cover to create a ball.  You then toss that baby into a deep fryer and viola!  One of my favorite little surprises!

Moving on.  Salmon fillets were passed around.  I LOVE salmon.  I greedily swiped a piece and went for it.  Out of all the fish dishes, this wasn’t my most favorite, but that’s just because the caliber of everything was so high.  It was a little dry, probably due to the reheating process, which is always rough on salmon.  There were hints of dill and light sauce.

The next thing that came across my plate was a Tilapia Fillet.  And Holy Crap I still can’t forget how delicious this was.  I don’t know what sauce this was cooked in, but it was fantastic.  It fell apart as you touched it, teasing you with how juicy it was.  I’m salivating just thinking of it and must get this recipe to try.

The one thing that was missing this year was the traditional seafood salad.  I personally didn’t miss this, as the octopus legs are something I generally steer clear of.  But several family members were sad it didn’t make an appearance.

Oh boy were there mussels making the rotation as well.  I’m sad to report that I can’t remember what kind of sauce they were swimming in.  By that point I had eaten so much and this was a few weeks ago, so memory is failing.  I will say that they melted in your mouth though.  I had been craving mussels for a while and these hit the spot.

Next on the docket were fish cakes.   Yum!  I’ve always been a fan of anything fish that made it into cake form.  From what I remember, these were a touch firmer than they needed to be, but still super delicious.  After all, when you’re cooking for 22 people, you’re going to have to reheat things that were made in advance so not everything is going to be completely perfect.  That being said, I still wolfed down my fish cake rather happily.  My brother actually had the genius idea of throwing the remains from my father’s clam sauce on top.  That guy is somethin’ else!

I know there was a salad (I know, who would dare allow room for salad with all this gloriousness sharing the same table) and probably a few other things I’m not remembering.  Forgive me!  I think I did pretty well with this list.

DESSERT

Every year there is always an array of fruit and cookies.  There’s chocolates being passed around, coffee is being made, and usually some sort of decadent nonsensical cake that has too much fruit packed in odd places.  The most important things are my sister’s rainbow cookies and my grandmother’s cheese cake.  Both are highly envied and of course, only made for Christmas.

The only picture I chose to seek out because you must find these gems if you've never had one!

If you’ve never had a rainbow cookie, God have mercy on your soul.  You are missing out on one of the better creations on this earth.  They can be found at any Italian bakery, and up until a few years ago, it was the only place we knew how to get them.  When my sister decided she was going to master these cookies, we all took a sigh of relief, knowing they would always show up each Christmas.  They are the layered marzipan cookies featured above.  Hence the name, rainbow cookies, and they are absolutely delightful.  You can learn more about them on my sister’s blog.  They are never leftover as my family always greedily enjoys as many as they can.

My grandmother’s cheesecake is the other marvel.  It’s better than any cheesecake I’ve ever had and I always make room for at least a small piece.  My sister also recreated this once in her hometown and claimed that everyone she served it to begged her to make it again.  Like I said earlier, Grandma doesn’t fool around.

This was how we ended the night, with the exception of my Mother and I sneaking small pieces of dried sausage that was specifically bought for the next morning.  This is the part of Christmas I look forward to the most, well, that’s also shared with the Beef Wellington my father makes each Christmas day.  But it’s all about the eating that brings my family together.  And I couldn’t imagine it any other way.