The Feast of San Giuseppe : Zeppole Time!

Every year on March 19, I know I can look forward to the most delectable dessert in all the land. It is the feast day of San Giuseppe, or St. Joseph (as in Joseph the carpenter, the Virgin Mary’s husband). This means that my Nonna will be hard at work in the kitchen during the wee hours of the morning to make the San Giuseppe Zeppole. This pastry is the ULTIMATE combination of fried dough and sweet cream. It is understood in my household that when Nonna drops off a plate of these bad boys, you must ask me first before eating one.

With that being said, when my family decided to take a road trip to West Palm Beach, Florida this past week for spring break, I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity. I needed to learn how to make these scrumptious pastries. But more importantly, I needed to EAT them.

Before giving away a Basile family recipe I must tell you all this: Yes, almost every Italian bakery carries San Giuseppe Zeppole from March 18-20. However, as someone who has been around the bakery block (even in the motherland), I can assure you that NONE of them can hold a candle to my Nonna’s.

What You Will Need:

For the Zeppole:

• Parchment Paper
• Crisco
• Salt
• Cake Flour
• Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• A Piping Bag

For the Cream:

• Whole Milk
• Egg Yolks
• Cake Flour
• Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• A Piping Bag

For Visual Pleasure:

• Maraschino Cherries
• Powdered Sugar

How To Do It:

The Zeppole:

• Heat 2 cups water
• Add a pinch of salt and 2 ½ tablespoons of Crisco, bring to a boil
• Add 2 cups of SIFTED cake flour slowly, whisking it into the mixture over the heat
• After completely mixed, put the mixture onto a flat surface and knead it for 30 seconds
• Put the mixture into a bowl and add ten eggs, one at a time with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan
• Cut 12 squares about 5 inches by 5 inches of parchment paper and rub vegetable oil on one side.
• Put the Zeppole batter into the piping bag and form a circle slowly. Make the circle almost closed- thick.
• Quickly turn the slabs of parchment paper over, sliding the pastries one by one into the oil (you should turn the heat down when adding the pastries).
• After turning the Zeppole over a few times, when they are about half way done, turn the heat up to high again.
• Place them on a paper towel to absorb the oil.

The Cream:

• Mix 4 egg yolks and ¾ cups of sugar with a hand mixer until creamy
• Add 4 tablespoons of cake flour, mix until creamy
• Simmer 2 cups of whole milk, bring close to a boil
• Add the milk to the mixture and continue mixing.
• Return the mixture to the pot that steamed the milk and mix until it becomes thicker- about 5 minutes
• Add a teaspoon of butter and mix.

The Toppings:

• Top the pastries after cooling them for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

• Add a half of a cherry to each pastry and sprinkle with powdered sugar

• Add an Italian Flag (Nonna’s Tip)

I have included a video to show part of the pastry process because it can be complicated at first.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do! You can see how much we loved them….the picture of my Nonno is worth a thousand words! 

Auguri to all the Giuseppe & Giuseppina’s out there!

P.S. - My Nonna is one of 4 women who have inspired me to eat/cook/bake. She is CRAZY in the kitchen. Everything she makes is a 10. There will be many more special guest appearances by Augusta to come! 

-Gabriella

Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery

Knowing the burger & brew fanatics that we are, my cousins, Christina & Nick suggested Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery in Berkeley Heights, NJ. I had heard of this restaurant numerous times but never actually stopped in. Fabio thought that it would be a perfect place for a Sunday afternoon date. I realized that I would have to fast until lunch because Fabio was already going off about the burger we “had to try”, and of course, the house-brewed beer.

Our first order of business was taking a gander at the beer list. Being a brewery, there was a good amount of hand crafted selections that would make any beer enthusiast ecstatic. We both went with the $5 Pint but they also offer a $6 Jumbo, a $10 sampler, and a $14 Growler. Fabio went with the New Haus Bock, a lager made with English/American hops and German malt. The Ale & Lager menu explains that it was laggered for two weeks. Fabio said he enjoyed it because it was change of pace from the usual bock beer due to the added hops. My first choice was the Hathor Red Lager because I have enjoyed red lagers in the past. This one was light, flavorful and went extremely well with our appetizers. 

While the menu did have a plethora of enticing appetizers, our eyes went to the bottom of the menu under the “Must Haves” section. Call us crazy, but we both smiled from cheek to cheek at the mere thought of “House BBQ Pulled Pork Mac n Cheese”.  I also demanded that we order the butternut squash side. (I’m a nut for butternut.) These side dishes did NOT disappoint.

The mac n cheese was creamy (and oozy) and topped with the most tender pulled pork a carnivore could ever dream of. The combination of the of the four cheese-layered macaroni and the lightly barbecued pork was almost indescribable. I have tried many variations of mac n cheese including the likes of lobster mac n cheese and truffle mac n cheese, but there is no doubt that this one took the cake.

The butternut squash was cubed and to my surprise, not overcooked (I was serious about being a nut). It arrived to the table chewy and glazed in a pecan maple syrup. Topped with cranberry granola and a perfect scoop of cold yogurt, this appetizer made for the ultimate seasonal bite.

We decided to box up half of our appetizers in order to save room for the unbelievable dishes we had ahead of us.

If I had a last meal, make no mistake, short ribs would be on that table. With that being said, I went with the Short Rib and Caramelized Onion Sandwich. Fabio, having heard nothing but great things, ordered the TR Local Grass Fed Burger. In our typical fashion, we split both entrees and shared them.

The sandwich was heavenly. There was a great bun-to-meat ratio. The short rib pulled apart so perfectly on top of the soft pillow-like slabs of bread. The horseradish aioli combined with the juices of the short rib was divine. Topped with watercress and served with a side of house made chips, this sandwich received 4½ olives. OH, and did I mention that the house made chips were probably some of the best potato chips I have ever had? They were salt and vinegar chips that were not too greasy, yet not too dry. YUM.

I almost didn’t give Fabs half of my sandwich. However, I heard some moans emanating from his side of the table, which usually means he’s thoroughly enjoying whatever he is eating. I knew I had to have some of that burger.

This is not your average cheeseburger. Red Dragon cheddar, a Welsh cheese is made with mustard seeds and Welsh ale. It has an incomparable texture. The buttery brioche-like bun was spread with rosemary aioli. The medium-rare beef, covered in cheese was topped with caramel onions and Fabio took it a step further. He chopped up the pickle that came on the side and threw that atop the onions. Savory, Sweet, and Sharp are the 3 S’s I would use to describe this burger. Perhaps it was the flavor of the cheese and the fact that it was new to my taste buds, but this burger truly was unlike any other burger I’ve had before. It was served with an adorable copper bucket of house cut fries that were also quite above average.Overall, this burger receives 4½ olives as well.

Sidenote: I loved these copper serving bowls/buckets. It is not something you see often and went well with the checkered tablecloth and overall ambiance of the restaurant.

I was a little loopy after having a beer on an empty stomach as made obvious by the fact that I thought a French fry mustache was amusing.

Fabio and I also snooped around upstairs and found one of their event rooms set up for a later party. The high ceilings, fireplace, and big leather chairs gave the room a cozy, contemporary feel.

We were so thrilled to have found Trap Rock, and so close to my house. I’m kicking myself for not having visited sooner. As we left the restaurant, good old Thomas Jefferson reminded us why the liquid gold brings us together nothing else:

-Gabriella

Burger Heaven #2: Captain Cafe

Captain Café

Let me preface by warning that the following images and words may cause a sudden urge for grease, meat and all things that may involve a side of french fries.

Working in the great city of New York, one is surrounded by endless amounts of places to grab a bite to eat. However, some days, there are urges that are far stronger than others and thus narrow down your list. This past Friday, a coworker had suggested this hole in the wall diner he came across that offered one of “the best burgers” he had ever eaten. You know what came next: a combination of my eyes lighting up and slight drizzle of drool coming down the side of my lip.

“Let’s do it.”

Nothing says “It’s Friday” more than a good dose of New York grease wrapped in the form of a delicious burger. We took the short stroll down from the office to the corner of East 32^nd Street (between Madison and South Park Ave) and walked into this tiny spot that was dubbed the “Captain Café”. We walked in to find an enthusiastic cook ready to bestow smiles across our faces the only way he could: serving up some BIG and traditional American burgers.

I tried opening the menu but once the cook knew that it was my first time there, he gave me no option when it came to my selection: The Burger Special. Anticlimactic? Perhaps, but don’t sell it short just yet. 8 minutes and $10 later, my perfectly cooked medium rare monster was hand delivered. Ok, here’s where it gets good. (I was serious about the warning at the top of the page, please find the nearest napkin to wipe the drool from your mouth).

Let’s start with the burger. Hold your hand out in front you, and stretch your fingers as far apart as you can, and that my friend was the size of this bad boy. Perfectly melted cheddar provided a solid base for what was about to come.

Bacon. Who doesn’t like bacon? But let me emphasize that this was no regular bacon. My friends, I can easily say that I have never experienced bacon in such a delicious way: perfectly thick, greasy and crispy. If you don’t stray from these requirements, your bacon too shall provide the happiness that I experienced on this Friday afternoon.

The Captain, (the chef) didn’t skimp out too, he laid 4 thick slices of bacon carefully yet perfectly that eventually sank into the melted cheddar at the bottom of the burger. Of course the usual suspects such as lettuce and tomato were there too (I opted to take out my tomato, so I can fully enjoy the other flavors).

Now you might be wondering, ok, well you got a bacon cheeseburger. Incorrect. Two words: Onion Rings. Now, I’m not the biggest advocate of onion rings but let me just make this clear. There a distinct taste that only comes out of the perfect combination of meat, bacon, cheese, onion rings and ketchup that can’t be put into words. Top it off a nice pickle and mayo (I highly recommend it) and you will be in burger heaven.

Oh yeah there’s more. This monstrosity comes with a side of fries that would make any proud Idaho native proud. Thickly cut and perfectly salted, these fries provided the final knock out punch.

And there you have it ladies and gents. There’s something about a big and greasy burger that reminds us all that we live in America. So grab the nearest stack of napkins, because this one is going to get messy. 

-Fabs

Super Bowl Eats

Sundays in general are a huge day in both of our families food wise. However, I have had to endure the agony of the past five Sundays being filled with screaming, high-fiving, and sunflower seeds as the Giants advanced and eventually ended up in the Super Bowl. I am not a fan of football at all, but I promised my parents and Fabio that I would spend the day with them, and ended up cooking with my beautiful Mama all day.

I started off the afternoon with an appetizer that I found online for crostini with avocado and honey. It turned out to be so delicious I made it twice after the first ones were gone.

Ingredients:

Multigrain loaf

Avacado

Olive Oil

Red pepper flakes

Sea Salt

Honey

Slice the bread, toast it, drizzle with olive oil. Slice up avocado and mash on bread. Drizzle with honey, add sea salt and red pepper flake. YUM

For the main course, Fabio once again called for something meaty. I decided to make Ropa Vieja, which is one of my favorite Cuban Dishes. I found an awesome recipe online, and as a side dish, decided to make sweet mashed potatoes. I suppose you’re wondering how the two go together. Well, my favorite Cuban restaurant in Miami, Yuca had a special of Ropa Vieja that they served atop maple sweet mashed potatoes and I literally dream about this dish on a weekly basis.

You can find the recipe for the Ropa Vieja here. I’m personally not a fan of cumin. The recipe called for two teaspoons but I added less than one teaspoon. Also, I found that applewood smoked bacon really enhances the flavor as opposed to regular bacon. You can find thick cuts of applewood bacon at Whole Foods. Other than that, the recipe is AWESOME.

The sweet mashed potatoes were very simple: butter, maple syrup, milk, and salt to taste.

The Ropa was a big hit! Look how beautiful the colors look. The dark shredded beef on top of the bright orange potatoes made for a great picture. 

Fabio picked up some delicious Ramstein beer from the local High Point Brewing Company in Butler, New Jersey. Fabio will be blogging about the brewery very soon. The brews were delicious and complimentary.

For dessert, I found an easy and delicious recipe for a very American dessert, as the day called for just that. Oreo cheesecake cupcakes sounded perfect. The recipe can be found here.

As for the game, my mother and I actually got into it for the final 10 minutes. Fabio refused to watch the game on my upstairs television because he said he was superstitious and the Giants won every single time that he watched the game from my basement TV. He was afraid that if he didn’t watch it downstairs the Giants would lose. So, there you have it ladies and gentlemen, for all you Giants fans, the fate of the team rested in the decision of Fabio Goncalves and which TV he watched from. Ha!

Take a look at their excited faces at the end of the game!

-Gabriella

A Rustic Snow Day Feast

As much as I love this el Niño winter we’ve been having, I must admit that a few weeks ago when it did finally snow, I was as excited as I used to be when I was younger, and snow meant a day off from school. The meaning of snow days has changed over the years and currently, snow equals food. My mother has this thing about snow, any time it so much as flurries, she tells us “the roads are frozen you can’t drive anywhere”. I think she loves the idea that we are all trapped in the house together, unable to escape due to her claim that we’re in a “state of emergency”. If you think I’m exaggerating, my father can confirm this.

With that said, when it did snow a few weeks ago, all I wanted to do was sit by the fireplace. Fabio came over and we decided to put everything we could in the fireplace. We started with chestnuts. While fab was cutting chestnuts, I thought that they needed to be accompanied by a hot wintery drink, so I got the can of Nutella out of the lazy susan. I found a very simple recipe for Nutella hot chocolate:

·      Begin to heat whole milk (I prefer whole milk when making hot chocolate because it’s nice and thick)

·      Slowly add spoonful’s of Nutella and continuously stir

·      Add as much Nutella as you would like, I personally like a lot of Nutella – extra chocolaty!

I don’t think I could ever go back to regular hot chocolate!

Fabio, being the carnivore that he is, decided that we had to eventually throw some meat on that fire. Luckily, we had chorizo that was freshly made by Fabio’s parents a few weeks ago. Don’t worry, there will be an entire post on the preparation of the chorizo! It is undoubtedly the best chorizo I have ever eaten. Fabio put the chorizo in aluminum foil while I sliced up pieces of bread to serve with the chorizo. Once the chorizo hit the fire, the aroma that enveloped us in that living room was like no other. We were salivating. As if this feast wasn’t enough, my mother called for freshly sliced tomatoes with olive oil. We grabbed a couple of beers, and we were set.

We went to town, and my father, who is constantly dieting became frustrated after eating more than his fair share. He told us that he wanted to get an electric collar, similar to the ones that dogs wear. “Every time I go near the refrigerator, I want you to be able to activate the collar so I get electrically shocked and don’t eat.” He was so serious. I could tell that our rustic meal had done some damage.

-Gabriella

Burger Heaven #1: Christopher’s

5 out of 5 Olives

Ok ladies and gents, its time for one of my favorite dishes known to date. Upon starting on our New Jersey burger tour, Gabriella and myself decided to start with Christopher’s ½ lb. brioche short rib burger. Before we move on, I would like to hand you a napkin to wipe off the drool that just emanated from your mouth after just hearing the name of this tasty creation.

Since Gabriella lives down the street from the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick , we took the short walk over and sat down at the eating establishment that would forever change the way I looked at the classic meal that is a hamburger.
But I’m not here to tell you how nice and classy of an establishment Christopher’s is, I mean let’s be honest, if you’ve made it this far, you’re here to hear about the complex flavor warzone that went on in my mouth.

Let’s start with principles, the bun that is. The burger is nestled between two thick pieces of buttered Texas brioche toast that have a tremendous impact on the way in which you enjoy the burger. You might be saying, who cares, bread is bread. Wrong. Hear me out: when you have toppings that consist of perfectly caramelized onions, fried parsley, roasted tomato mayo, and oh yeah BRAISED SHORT RIB, bread MATTERS. The thick buttery outsides soak the flavors of the justly married toppings that sit on the ½  lb. organic beef burger and constantly remind you with every bite that you’ll never look at a burger the same way again.

For those of you who get into the nitty gritty when it comes down to beef, Christopher’s patty is 85% lean and 15% fat. I prefer my burger Medium Rare that leaves room for the toppings to immerse themselves with the beef and yield this unique and rich finish.

Upon first sight, you might tell yourself that there’s just too much going on for you to enjoy the burger itself. Wrong yet again. After your first bite of this thing of beauty, you will look forward to every subsequent bite with the same bit of excitement as the very first time. To be quite honest, just writing about my experience reminds me that it has been too long since I’ve experienced this exact feeling…

Tip: Don’t know what to pair it with? My drink of choice with any burger is always and will always be a cold and refreshing beer. Now with a world of possibilities you might be wondering which one to choose. My suggestion would either be some sort of pale ale or lager and for two different reasons. If you have separation anxiety and don’t want to let go of the combustion of flavors that went on in your mouth 30 second ago, any pale ale will pair the taste of ribs and onions with it’s hops perfectly and keep you smiling.Lagers on the other hand provide that clean finish that will cleanse your palette and get your ready to experience the next bit like it’s your first.

So my friends, today I provide you with the rare and first 5 olive rating for this dish, the standard when it comes for subsequent food ratings on this blog. Quite unanimously, Gabriella and myself knew it was a 5 olive worthy burger after coming to the realization that we didn’t speak during the first 15 minutes of our meal. Silence is always the best judge.