Italian American Cook

Best Italian Food in Chicago’s Ukranian Village

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:54:51 +0000

In my neighborhood? Don’t call me, but do eat some Italian food nearby. Click on the blue bubbles to read about my favs:

View Best Italian Food in Chicago’s Ukranian Village in a larger map

Sausage Cacciatore with Polenta Recipe

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:44:40 +0000

Fast fact: Slaves introduced sausages to Italy

I hate going outside on Sundays. Oh wait…it’s Saturday. Meh, truth be told, I don’t really like going outside any day of the week.

Problem was I wanted to eat polenta for dinner. But I didn’t have chicken, which I usually cook with polenta.

What’s a girl to do in this situation? I decided to prepare a traditional cacciatore recipe but with sausage – the only thing I had in my freezer – instead of chicken.

Totally worked!

Ingredients:

One pound sausage
One 15 ounce can tomato sauce
One finely chopped onion
Two cloves garlic
Salt, pepper, oregano, basil

Directions:

Heat sauce pan. Add olive oil and allow it to heat.
Brown sausage and remove from pan.
Add chopped onion. Saute until yellow – five to eight minutes.
Add garlic. Saute an additional minute.
Return sausage to pan.
Add tomato sauce.
Let simmer for about one hour.
Serve over polenta.

Photo by: Kaihsu Tai/Wikimedia Commons

The McItaly – Critics Debate if McDonald’s New Italian Hamburger Is Mmmm Mmmm Good

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:04:13 +0000

Do they supersize in Italy?

It’s lunchtime. Do you want a panino or a McItaly?

That’s right…the land that invented chicken cacciatore is now home to the McItaly, a new McDonald’s burger. A government official, who went to the grand unveiling in Rome, said the “sandwich has great ambitions.”

The burger is made with beef from Italy, and topped with artichoke spread and asiago cheese.

At first, I agreed with many critics, one of whom (Matthew Fort at the Guardian) called the burgers “a monstrous act of national betrayal.”

But isn’t that just a touch dramatic? I know that other than eating food, being dramatic is many an Italian’s other favorite pastime, but still…Can’t an Italian have some fast food now and again?

Idiot Makes Fun of Lady Gaga and All Italian Americans

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:14:55 +0000

Her BFF hates Italians. I should be her new BFF.

Last week, the New York Post wrote an article about Italian American of the moment, Lady Gaga. Before this article, Gaga had been accused of everything from really being a man to being a big ol’ bitch.

But perhaps the worst thing that’s ever been said about her came from the mouth of her music producer, Rob Fusari. Remembering their first meeting, he said,

“She was a little overweight. She looked like something out of ‘GoodFellas,’ like she was ready to make pasta any minute.”

You know…because only Italian Americans cook pasta. And they cook it All. The. Time.

At any minute, they might just start boiling water. They can’t resist that pasta! (Granted…I am eating pasta as I write this).

Oh, and is if that wasn’t insulting enough, he’s implying the pasta made her fat.

By the way, isn’t Fusari an Italian last name? Sounds like someone needs a real life Dr. Melfi.

I kinda hate her music, but Lady Gaga is a good old Italian girl underneath all the glitter and eyeshadow. Check out this video of her playing at an Italian American benefit back in 2006. No makeup! No blonde hair! Normal clothes!

Photo by Daniel Åhs Karlsson/Wikimedia

Italian Family Reenacts Lost

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:03:03 +0000

Some Italian families cook together. This hilarious Italian family from Long Island acted out the whole fifth season of ABC’s Lost. Must see! Pay attention to the one family member who doesn’t want to participate during the crash scene.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:33:01 +0000

Ingredients

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs and breasts
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper.

2. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

4. Return chicken to the pan.

5. Add the tomato sauce and broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Serve with polenta. If you are freaked out by polenta, try mashed potatoes.

Spinach Vegetarian Lasagna

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:10:32 +0000

I’m off to Mexico, which isn’t very Italian of me, but it’s a lot warmer there than it is in Italy. And a ton less expensive. Plus, I’m traveling to Puerto Escondido, a small beach town that has a huge Italian population.

But I doubt they have anything like my very own spinach vegetarian lasagna recipe. As far as lasagnas go, it’s easy to prepare and not terribly time consuming. Here’s a video on how to make it.

Half of All Italians Under 40 Live at Home – For the Food?

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:09:08 +0000

A new study found that nearly half of all Italians under the age of 40 still live at home with their parents. Government officials claim that adults who live at home with mom are to blame for the country’s low birth rate and economic troubles.

But why would you leave home if you had three top notch meals a day made for you? I wouldn’t.

Guess What Amanda Knox Eats in Prison?

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:00:23 +0000

Is she smiling because she just had lasagna?

On December 4th, when American student Amanda Knox was found guilty of murdering her roommate in Italy, the first thing I wondered was what kind of food she gets in prison.

American prisons aren’t exactly known for their cuisine. The food does not legally have to even meet FDA requirements.

In America, prisoners are often served something called “Nutraloaf,” a food so disgusting many inmates have sued states stating that it violates their Eighth Amendment rights. According to people who have to eat this slop, the food constitutes “cruel and unconstitutional” punishment.

Even worse? According to USA Today, the recession has forced some American prisons stop providing prisoners with lunch. And no more fruit and milk. They can still eat all the Ramen they want, but they have to purchase it themselves.

Because I believe Amanda Knox is innocent, I worried she’d be eating the Italian equivalent of Nutraloaf. So I emailed the Polizia Penitenziaria, the Italian arm of the government that operates the prison where Knox will be spending the next 26 years.

To my surprise, they emailed me back.

An official who didn’t sign his name said Knox gets, “Everything she wants. Pasta, meat, vegetables, fruit, etc.”

Good thing she’s not doing time here.

The Real Jersey Shore Controversy: No Italian Food

Patty — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:43:29 +0000

I fear I look like Nicole from Jersey Shore. Say it ain't so.

Italian-American groups want to whack MTV’s Jersey Shore’s cast and creators (and now they probably want to whack me for that whack reference). What’s got their meatballs in a knot? According to three Italian-American groups:

the cast makes all Italian-Americans look stupid when they refer to themselves as “guidos” and “guidettes.”
the series uses “violence and poor behavior to marginalize and stereotype Italian-Americans.”
and, in a zinger to end all zingers, “They are an embarrassment to themselves and to their families.” (In my book, the Italian-American groups should be scolded for bringing their moms and dads into this brohaha).

Their complaints have worked: Dominos and American Family Insurance recently pulled their ads from the show.

But I do find the show offensive on another level – there is an appalling lack of Italian food and drinks on the show. This was our chance to show Americans how to eat and drink well. Instead, this is what they ate during the season premiere (And I paused a lot to catch the exact foods):

Protein bar
Cheap ass ham that didn’t even come from the deli – it was in a box
Some awful pre-partying cocktail called Ron Ron that contained vodka, watermelon, cherry, ice and cranberry juice. No one taught them the benefits of a nice glass of wine before going out?
White bread. Dear God, they don’t sell Italian loafs of bread on the Jersey Shore?
Peanut butter and Jelly. It’s as if they’ve never heard of Nutella.
Potato chips and cookies. The perfect diet for muscleheads.

In their defense, Mike D and Sammy did make sausage and peppers for the crew one night. The moment was ruined, however, when Pauly slammed Mike’s kitchen kred by saying, “Girls are supposed to cook and men are supposed to eat.”

Mike, here’s a word of advice from your friend, the Italian American Cook: It is 2009, you guido you. Kitchens are open to both sexes.

By the way, I don’t find the terms guido or guidette offensive, mainly because the cast is Italian-American, and they’re using the terms to describe themselves. To me, that’s freedom of speech. Maybe the cast learned about Mussolini – he was no fan of free speech. They’re just exercising their rights as Americans. Tell me what you think.

Photo credit: Animalcub/Wikimedia Commons