Little Italy Cookbook - Hardcover

Ruggerio, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1885183542 ISBN 13: 9781885183545

Publisher: Artisan, 1997

Synopsis

In Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returned to his Italian roots for his first cookbook. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.

With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Mulberry Street to Coney Island--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.

About this title

About the Author

Oh yes, my friends, at one point in David's life, he was a much-celebrated celebrity chef. David honed my culinary skills in France at several of the country's leading restaurants. Among them, the Hotel Negresco with Jacques Maximin; Moulin de Mougins with Roger Verge; Les Pres d'Eugenie with the mythic Michel Guerard, and l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges with the iconic Paul Bocuse. David was honored in 1995 by noted vintner Robert Mondavi as one of the best thirteen Rising Star Chef in America, in the first year of this national awards program.

Ruggerio's experience also includes being the chef and partner of Pierre Cardin's New York Maxims. Yes, that's the same Pierre Cardin with cologne and everything else in the world! With Cardin, David was instrumental in the expansion of Maxim as a brand in restaurants and hotels. David was also the executive chef of the famed Le Caravelle ( David was only 25 at the time-go and figure) and executive chef and owner of Park Avenue's Le Chantilly. All three restaurants received numerous national accolades. 

Ruggerio authored two acclaimed cookbooks, "Little Italy with David Ruggerio" and "David Ruggerio's Italian Kitchen." David hosted my own PBS cooking series; "Little Italy with David Ruggerio." and went on to host my own cooking series on TV Food Network entitled "Ruggerio To Go"(check out some of the episodes on David's YouTube channel, they'll make you smile).

Ruggerio has a wonderfully scary upcoming horror novel entitled; "A Wistful Tale of Gods, Men, and Monsters, which will be released on Halloween Eve of 2019. Could you pick a better day to release a horror novel? Boo!

For more about David Ruggerio, his ongoing escapades, and upcoming events and give-aways please visit his personal website: 
davidruggerio.com

From the Back Cover

Little Italy is as much a state of mind as a geographic location. Even those of us not born Italian can feel Italian for a little while when we cook Little Italy-style. It's about cooking with love and pride. It's about making soul-satisfying meals for family and friends. It's about using ingenuity to transform a few humble ingredients into sublime creations.

In Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returns to his Italian roots. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms, and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.

With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Coney Island to Mulberry Street--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.

Little Italy Cookbook is the companion volume to the public television series "Little Italy with David Ruggerio."

In Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returns to his Italian roots. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms, and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.

With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Coney Island to Mulberry Street--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.

Little Italy Cookbook is the companion volume to the public television series "Little Italy with David Ruggerio."

Reviews

Ruggiero is chef/owner of New York City's three-star Le Chantilly, but, as he says, this is not his "gourmet" cookbook. The companion volume to a new PBS series, it is a nostalgic exploration of his Italian heritage, with lots of recipes from family and friends?the first chapter, in fact, is devoted to the grandmother who raised him. This is simple Italian home cooking, along with favorite dishes served in neighborhood cafes and classic sweets, sometimes slightly refined by Ruggiero but still true to the original. Recommended for New York City libraries and for most other cookbook collections as well.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Eggs in Purgatory

This food was a traditional breakfast at the neighborhood luncheonette for all the guys after a long night out. The only problem was that Frankie the cook never made it as good or as spicy as my grandmother does.

Use a loaf of Italian bread that is about 4 1/2 inches in diameter so the slices will be big enough for an egg to fit inside the cored-out pieces.

Serves 4

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups diced, seeded, peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

4 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium-size sauce pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it turns translucent. Add the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, basil, and parsley. Cook for about 20 minutes over low heat. Reserve.

Cut a circle in the center of each bread slice with a medium-size cookie cutter. Discard the cut centers. (You can give them to your kids or, if you don't have any, to the neighbors' kids; they love the soft insides of the bread.)

Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan. Place the bread slices in the oil. Cook on one side until nicely browned. Flip the slices to the other side. Crack an egg into the center of each slice of bread. Continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until the eggs are firm. Carefully remove the bread-and-egg combination with a spatula and place on a plate. Top with the sauce, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.

Fusilli with Radicchio

Here is an excellent example of a pasta dish that can be the centerpiece of a light meal, preceded by an appetizer and/or followed by a salad. This type of dish is quick and simple to prepare and so delicious. The key is fresh ingredients. The pasta should be served al dente and piping hot.

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course or main dish

1 pound fusilli

3 heads radicchio

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces bacon, cut into cubes

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta as instructed on the package.

Cut the cores out of the radicchio. Remove the leaves and cut out the large, tough white center. Place 2 to 3 leaves at a time on top of each other. Roll them into a cigar shape. Cut into julienne strips.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it is very crisp. Remove and reserve. Add the pepper flakes to the same pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the radicchio and saute for 1 minute. Season with the salt and pepper. Combine the radicchio with the pasta, add the bacon, and toss with the butter. Sprinkle with the

Edition details

• Publisher: Artisan
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1885183542
• ISBN 13: 9781885183545
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232