Ringing in the New Year!

For the new year Mario and I set course for our most ambitious project to date. Now, I should clarify what was so ambitious about our new journey. Put plain and simple, the cost. For some time now, one recipe has stood out, but the occasion never seemed appropriate until now. In Simple Family Meals, our Captain introduces us to Roasted Rack of Veal with Orange and herbs (page 217). To be fair, as the book title states, this is a fairly simple meal. All you need is a few ingredients and of course the 6 bone rack of veal.

With Angela's mom and dad visiting for the holidays we had an excuse and a reason to justify such an expedition. We all decided that we would head out early to Eataly on New Year's eve to beat the crowds, grab a bite to eat and collect all of our ingredients. This would be the first visit for Manize (Grandma's nickname, which was given to her by Mariesa at the ripe age of two) and Grandpa to the market. They were both, or should I say Manize, full of anticipation.

We arrived as the store opened and with hardly a soul in sight, it left plenty of room to peruse and describe each of the sections to our guests.  As we made our initial loop around the market we decided on La Pizza & La Pasta to grab a bite to eat. I think the appeal was that this usually bustling restaurant with long wait times was empty. They had just opened for lunch and we pounced on the opportunity to finally sample some of their selections.

We were not disappointed. For the antipasti we started with Formaggi Misit - an assortment of artisinal cheeses, Anglea and I shared a Salsicciotta pizza, Manize selected the Pasta al Forno al Pesto and Grandpa had the Tagliatelle al Ragu di Manzo. We all shared tastes and I have to say the tagliatelle was superb!

After lunch we headed over to the butcher counter. As mentioned earlier the price had always been a deterrent, not so much because we couldn't afford it, but because the pressure of not preparing it correctly and disrespecting the animal. Silly? I suppose. With Angela and her parent's encouragement I placed the order and made the commitment.

The rack was a thing of beauty, all the oohs and awes were a testament to its allure and quite frankly added pressure to get it right. We started by creating the rub, which was made with garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme and basil, orange zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. We rubbed the mixture all over the veal racks, took some photographs, wrapped it up and placed it into the fridge to marinate overnight.

The next evening my heart pounded with anticipation. I pulled out the rack, unwrapped it and the kitchen suddenly filled with the sweet aroma of orange and rosemary. I studiously followed the directions and placed the rack into the oven. For a side dish Mario and I decided on a previous reciepe, Patate al Forno, roasted potatoes with garlic. It is funny how our books have become like old friends, knowing our tastes and preferences, spines easily cracking open revealing trusted recipes.

The allotted time passed, I verified with our thermometer and we were ready to server. The table was alive with chatter and everyone was visibly impressed with our accomplishment. After a period of rest, I sharpened my knife and began the first, second, and third cuts... a success! 

Ciao,
Mario & Mario
The Three Tocayos  

Los Tres Tocayos

Just like you stuff a gordita with flavorful fresh ingredients such as carne molida con papa, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and chile, so has this summer been filled with great memories, sounds and smells. The third tocayo, the  patriarch, also know as "Grandpa Chief" arrived this summer to complete our crew and for the first time since we started the blog all three of us were at work in the kitchen together. We also had another special guest, the heart and soul of the family, Nana. With both Grandpa and Nana at the helm this summer we knew that our vessel would safely be navigated to island coves of delicious food and good times.

For our first meal we asked Captain Batali for permission to cook something outside of his personal library, and were granted approval. With our new orders in hand we swiftly maneuvered to the galley to prepare a family favorite, gorditas. A gordita (Spanish pronunciation: [gorˈdita]) in Mexican cuisine is a corn cake made with masa harina (cornmeal) and stuffed with cheese, meat or other fillings. Gordita literally means "little fat one" in Spanish and is typically fried in a deep wok-shaped comal.

Grandpa Chief quickly took command and showed Mario how to prepare the masa harina, and how to create the small pancake shaped gorditas. The smells, music, and my parents brought back wonderful childhood memories of the family gathering together to cook, eat, play games and celebrate the night away. Once the groditas were formed into the right shape and given the okay by Grandpa they were carefully laid into a pan to fry where Nana watched them carefully not to over or under cook them.

While the gorditas were cooking, we continued to prepare the other ingredients. We julienned the lettuce, diced the tomatoes, shredded the cheese and finished with Nana's spicy green chile salsa. To compliment the main dish we prepared the sides of frijoles refritos and arroz español. The house was buzzing with conversation, music and a wonderful aroma that I can only recall as home. The dinner bell was rung and we all sat down to enjoy this first of many delicious meals.

As the summer days past, Nana wanted to visit the Connecticut coast on her visit, and we quickly charted a course on our map to satisfy the master chef. What other blog could segue from gorditas to lobster rolls? Luckily, I discussed our planned journey with my coworker Nancy and she recommended this quaint seasonal restaurant called Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough at the waters edge.

Now who could visit Connecticut and not have a lobster roll? Mario's eye quickly zeroed in on the quarter-pound lobster roll on Abbott’s menu. He was not disappointed in their succulent, buttered lobster meat, sculptured into a perfect round patty and served on a seeded hamburger roll with a side of potato chips. Grandpa ordered the oysters on a half shell and Mario quickly took a liking to those as well. Poor Mariesa could only look away, but don't feel bad for her, she swiftly devoured a whole lobster and licked her fingers in satisfaction. The next week while reading the New York Times they featured the Connecticut coast with the article On Connecticut’s Quiet Coastand which featured Abbott's.

At the end of the day Angela and I were able to find a quiet bench and enjoy the sweet smell of the Long Island Sound and each others company. Now this is what a vacation is all about.

Ciao,
Mario and Mario

The Three Tocayos

Gorditas

Abbott's Lobster in the Rough

And the winner is...

Rising Up To The Challenge Of Our Rival

Aw, so you think mine are pretty?

Ahoy mates, those of you who are still out there. We must apologize for the long delay, or should I say, I must apologize for the delay. Although my sous is always willing... alas the head of this galley has been somewhat lethargic the last few weeks. But no need for worries as I have caught the bounty of the spring winds and filled my sails with the promise of green grass, budding flowers and full glasses of fine wine.

This past week my degrees of separation from our Captain have decreased significantly as I met one of the silent partners of Eataly. While at lunch with my boss (Craig) at Eataly (between client meetings) sharing a slice of focaccia and a cold beer we ran into one of the partners and Craig introduced me. We quickly discussed the blog and the abundance of selections at Eatlay. As my heart raced I thought of Mario (my son) and of how cool I was going to look in his eyes that night.

The silent partner, Craig and I discussed the beef cheeks and I knew this would be the headliner of our weekend dinner. Later that week as I approached the butcher and asked for the beef cheeks I was told I would have to order them 48 hours in advance! Oh, the agony of defeat, shaking my head back and forth. But the glass always being half full I picked up some prosciutto, olives and peasant bread as appetizers for Saturday's feast!

With our appetizer selected Mario and I had to come up with an alternative to the beef cheek ravioli. We selected the Asparagus and Ricotta Ravioli (page 125 Babbo Cookbook). This would be our second attempt at making pasta and although we were successful the last time we tried, it had been so long ago that our confidence was low. We plowed ahead and prepped the flour, eggs and olive oil. After our dough rested for 30 minutes we began the process of rolling out the pasta and creating the asparagus/ricotta filled ravioli. This is where the night took a dark turn.

As we carefully cut, scooped and trimmed off the access pasta from our raviolis, I noticed through the corner of my eye a stowaway! She slowly crept in and stole all of the trimmings. I left her alone as my curiosity got the best of me, what could this dark shadow be up to? To our amusement she was creating her own "Frankenstein" ravioli, careful not to scope up any asparagus in the ricotta mix. She was a pasta vampire and asparagus was her garlic. Below is the gruesome evidence of her evil plot.

As the sun came up or should I say the lights came on in the dining room we served up the ravioli and we all enjoyed a great meal. Mariesa confessed that she wanted hers to look as pretty as mine, which I replied "Aw, so you think mine are pretty?" We agreed it had been too long since our last Three Tocayo adventure and promised to meet again next week.

Ciao,
Mario & Mario

The Three Tocayos

Toy Story Sophomores

Ahoy fellow shipmates! We have finally returned from our long voyage of crazy deadlines, a huge mural project, trips to the ER and late nights of swabbing the deck after hours. As a family we have been burning the candle at both ends which left little wiggle room for our blog.

We are all very excited about coming to shore to restock on supplies and return to the galley. In the meantime we created a little video of Mariesa's mural project. This was done to support her Sophomore Class in her high school's 2012 Spirit Week competition. We hope you enjoy and we'll see you next week as Mario and I get back to the kitchen.

Ciao,
Mario & Mario

The Three Tocayos