Daddy! Don't do it!

What a day! I knew it was going to be an adventure heading into the studio today. There is always a train delay to look forward to and not to mention all the snow you have to treck through just to get to the train from the parking lot. I arrived in the city and there is no doubt that another 19" of snow fell yesterday. But as I complain, there is also something quite beautiful about the snow, especially if you didn't grow up around it. The fresh snow always looks so tranquil and clean – until the plows come around and turns it grey – you feel like your in another world.

I arrived to the studio safely and continued with the business at hand waiting for my lunch break to see what goodies the market had in store for me. As I mentioned before, I work a block away from Chelsea Market. They have an impressive assortment of food vendors that range from a coffee shop, a meat market, a fish market, and a few bakeries as well as the Food Channel studios! As lunch time approached I reviewed Mario's book, that was packed away in my satchel, bundled up and headed out the door. My destination was The Lobster Place. I quickly spotted my prey as they tried to conceal themselves behind mounds of crushed ice, the red snapper! I quickly flipped through the pages of my book back to the index and found a recipe. Cernia alle Olive - Snapper with Olives (page 289).

The staff was friendly and helpful as usual, they quickly cleaned the snapper and provided me with a small bag of ice for the trip home (not that I would of needed it today).

The only other thing left was a simple and easy side dish or an appetizer. Enter the Caponata di Melanzane - Eggplant Caponata (page 426). With the recipe set, I headed back to work to finish out the day and get home to purchase the last of the indigents at the local grocer.

Both dishes were very simple. Mojo and I have a good system and can make quick work of preparing the ingredients. We dredged the snapper in flour and fried it on both sides to brown, then placed it in the oven for an additional 15 minutes, while also cooking the caponata. One of the main ingredients for the snapper was gaeta olives, which have to be pitted and chopped coarsely. I won't mention any names...but my sous chef, who did a great job of pitting the olives forgot to chop them. We didn't realize this until we threw them into the frying pan. We quickly removed them and tried to chop them but it was a little too late and as you will see in the photos, most of them went in whole.

It was only the kids and me tonight and I knew Mariesa would not be too happy with the menu. She decided on left overs which left us the entire fish to devour. The recipe calls for 3 - 4 lbs, but knowing that our guest list would be small tonight, I only purchased a 2 lb snapper. The snapper was delicious! It was so fresh and had a very light texture to it. Being that Mojo is a young boy, it felt more like a biology class and the fish was his specimen. We quickly opened up the head and the meat just flaked off the bones. I could see Mariesa turning different shades of green... and what kind of dad would I be if I didn't pounce on this opportunity.

"How about the eyes son?"

"Heck ya dad!"

 Poor Mariesa almost lost it as she screamed

"Daddy! Don't do it!"

Mojo and I devilishly looked at each other and popped the eye balls into our mouths! Mariesa jumped up and ran to her bedroom screaming

"You guys are disgusting!"

Oh what fun! Mariesa did try the caponata and we all agreed it was a sweet and spicy treat. We wish you were here!

Ciao,
Mario & Mario

Another snow day!

We picked up another 12" of snow today and this allowed me to work from home. Unfortunately, I was not able to go to the fish market. I plan to take my cookbook with me tomorrow and see what fish are available and what recipe I can pair it with. Sorry for the setback.

This week's menu is...

... I don't know. We want to have fish, but I was unable to make it to the market today to see what is available. I will go to Chelsea Market tomorrow during my lunch and see what trouble I can get myself into. But in the meantime, please see the comments for "That was beast dad". Maneiz cooked the meal and left a great comment detailing her experience. Good job Maniez! Mojo left you a message as well so check it out.

That was "beast" dad!

Okay you might ask yourself what does "beast" mean. Around here it is what "bad" was in the 80's  "cool" was in the 70's and "groovy" was in the 60's, only on steroids. This was the response we received tonight after the first bite was taken of our Pollo al Vin Cotto. It only got better after the Fritelle di Cioccolato was servered. I never seen my daughter and wife melt like this after tasting a desert. Chocolate freaks you might assume (if you received a copy of the recipe)... no...it was just that gooooood!!!! I've been honest with you this whole time and I think the only way to keep my credibility is to continue to do so. So when I say it was that good... it was that good.

Let me start from the beginning. Unlike last week, we were able to get a head start thanks to mother nature. Another storm rolled though New York today and we picked up another 4 inches of the fluffy white stuff which allowed me to work from home (thanks J/C). You might assume the snow would be a set back to our evening, but I actually gained a couple of hours (no need to commute to the city and back).

As soon as 5:00 pm came around... okay 4:30 pm came around Mojo and I headed out to the store to get the last of the ingredients. We got home shortly after stopping by Game Stop to replace a worn out video game (I have to keep my sous chef happy) and started prepping for the main course and dessert.

The chicken recipe was very simple and straight forward. The Vin Cotto filled the house with such a warm aroma that both Angela and Mariesa oohed as they walked up the stairs form the front door. The mixture of the wine, cloves, honey and cinnamon was a hearty treat on such a cold winter day.

Unlike the last time where we strayed away from our captians orders, we stayed true to course and manned the Polo al Vin Cotto with a guard dogs reverence, although we were tested by our so called "loyal" shipmates.

We managed to to fight the distractions and push forward. Following the recipe, talking about the days events, discovering how much kitchen "stuff" Angela really has and Mojo using his math skills to meausre out the ingredients, shined light on the kitchen and it's importance to family life. Where else could all of us gather and share all this dialogue. Something about the kitchen and food just brings out the best in us. I get to hear my daughter speak openly about her day, where as at any other time it may be censored by the T.V. or "grown-up" talk. I get to hear and witness my son using his cognitive skills to measure out sugar and make a delicious desert. My heart fills with warmth and I think back on my childhood days and how my most memorable memories revolved around the kitchen and dinning room table. I remember back when my parents had parties and it always seemed that everyone gathered around the kitchen sink. In my childhood home the kitchen was separated by a half wall to the living room. As a child I remember laying down on the couch and falling asleep to adults talking and giggling away in Spanglish. It didn't matter what they were saying, I felt safe and most importantly at home.

After tonights meal I know when I'm sixty and looking back at my kids childhood I will remember these evenings. I only have them for so long and soon they will be off following their dreams. 

"and the seasons they go 'round and 'round
and the painted ponies go up and down"

But let us get back to the evenings meal. We finished the chicken and we sat down to eat. We were all very excited, the aroma as I mentioned before was amazing and we could only assume the chicken would taste as good or better. Better! Last week we proclaimed O! M! G! This week we could not come up with words or letters, just grunts and smiles.

As always we wish you could have been here with us and we appreciate all the comments, emails and texts we receive. You are always welcome "Mi casa es su casa"

P.S. I hope not to confuse anyone with my mixture of Spanish and Italian. Being that they are both romantic languages I'm sure you will be able to translate either dialect.


P.S.S. I moved the comment area to the top of each post and have added a orange rule at the end of each post to help separate the different postings.

Ciao,
Mario and Mario

Vino-a-doodle-do

Our first dinner was a hit and thankfully the gals did not make us walk the plank! We've set the bar high according to Mariesa and Angela and they are awaiting their next pampering. Mojo and I have reviewed the recipes and have come to an agreement as to which dishes we will attempt next.

We have decided to try our luck with the Pollo al Vin Cotto - Chicken with Cooked Wine (page 314) for the main course and finish the evening with Fritelle di Cioccolato - Chocolate Hazelnut Fritters ( page 477). Being prepared was the most important thing we learned last week and if we hope to have a successful evening we will need to start some prep work for the chicken tomorrow night.

The chicken recipe requires us to make a vin cotto which translates to "cooked wine". According to our captain, this should be an easy task to complete and only requires a few ingredients. Completing this task tomorrow night will free up some time for us to prepare the fritters on Friday night. I will compose an email with all the ingredients and recipes for those of you who have requested a copy of the menu.

Ciao,
Mario & Mario

Mangia! Mangia!

Once again, we would like to apologize for not having a posting up last night. Lets begin at Eataly and then continue with a recap of the evenings events.

EATALY
I was recently sent an article written by Steven Heller for the Design Observer commenting on his overall experience at Eataly. This only increased my curiosity as to what I would find when I first visited. A sensory overload, there were so many people, multiple counters and navigating the floor plan was somewhat challenging at first. After about three trips around the space I had my bearings and began to check things off my list.

My first stop was with the butcher to get eight slices of veal cutlets. Standing in front of the glass partition I felt like a child at a candy store, "I'll have that one and this one and that one" but I shook my head and focused at the task at hand. There was a great selection and it is such a wonderful experience to have the ability to speak with the butchers and see your order being sliced and carefully packaged in brown paper all before you eyes. All I could think of was getting home and unwrapping these little suckers and start cooking!

I recomposed myself once again and moved onto the pasta. Now here I must give you full disclosure. In Mario's book there is a recipe for pasta (page 196), but who are we kidding here. Mojo and I agreed that trying to make pasta our first time out would be a stretch and we wanted our first night to be successful. What better way to ensure that we are being true to Mario's recipe than to purchase the fresh pasta made at his store. So off I went to get the pasta, the staff behind the counter was very helpful. I should also point out that everyone at Eataly is very courteous, and in great spirits, something not usually found in New York City establishments.

All that was left was to purchase the eight slices of prosciutto di parma check out and get back to work! Overall my Eataly experience was pleasant, although I think they would benefit from a wayfinding system that is clearly visible and accessible to new visitors.

CUCINA
Between basketball games, last minute grocery shopping and commuter delays we got off to a late start. It was not until 7:00 pm before we fired up the burners and got things cooking. Our first task was preparing the Saltimbocca alla Romana - Roman-Style Veal Cutlets with Sage (page 357). Mojo was first up to bat, he pounded each veal slice down to 1/8 thickness and then wrapped each one with a slice of the prosciutto and a leaf of fresh sage.

Next we moved onto preparing the Fettuccine al Limone - Fettuccine with Lemon (page 206).
I was up next and proceeded to zest and juice the lemons, dice the onions and jalapenos (for added flavor, que no?) and bring our pot of water to a boil. We were both very excited and things were moving along very smoothly. I'm not sure which of us is the sous chef at this point. We both took our tasks and ran with them. I am so proud of how mature Mario is approaching this experiment. You can see he has a real interest in creating and tasting more complex flavors. The smell of the fresh sage, and lemons was so refreshing and invigorating and although we got off to a late start we were hitting our stride.

MANGIA! MANGIA!
Everything was ready, looked and smelled delicious and we all sat down to see how Mario and I fared. Our first bite was the veal cutlet, we looked at each other and with wide smiles we both cheered.... O! M! G! Everyone at the table agreed. We all had different reactions to the pasta. I thought the pasta tasted great, something I could envision myself eating in the summer with some grilled chicken and a cold beer. I just didn't think that it paired well with the veal and we should have followed our captain's orders and served the veal with some greens. By looking at all the empty plates I can comfortably state that dinner was a success!

DOLCI
Under prepared is how we can sum up our desert menu. Although we had all the ingredients for the Crostata di Limone - Lemon Tart (page 453) we underestimated the amount of time and energy that would be involved in the process. After we had washed all the dishes from dinner and had cleaned the kitchen we took a deep breath and dove into our lemon tart. Vigorously stirring and whipping, and stirring and whipping, and more stirring and whipping we completed our tart and it turned out perfect. I would venture to say that it was the highlight of the evening.

We had a great time cooking and sharing the meal with the ones we love. Wish you were here, just make sure not to forget your orange crocs!

Lovely little lemons

Our captain has blown the horn, the ship has pulled the anchor and as we set course for the horizon, Mario and I enthusiastically realize that there is no turning back now. As mentioned previously we have chosen Mario Batali as our captain and his book Molto Italiano as our log. We have carefully reviewed the book and have decided that, unlike our inspiration Julie and Julia, we will man the galley (kitchen) every Friday and randomly pick recipes until all have been completed.

Wednesday night we will post the menu for that week's meal and  Friday evenings we will cook. At the conclusion of our meal (and a few glasses of wine, adults only of course) we will post our comments and photos. We will go into detail on how we fared with the preparation, presentation and taste of our menu.

We must disclose that we are in no way trained professionals or do we consider ourselves foodies, but we know what tastes good and have the basic tools to get the job done. Like any other New York apartment, we have a small but workable kitchen and although our appliances may not be top tier, the maintenance department somehow keeps them in working condition, God bless 'em. I've only made one large purchase (to date) towards this project and although I should have bought another dutch oven or some other cooking utensil, I must sheepishly admit that I purchased a pair of orange Crocs for Mariesa, Angela, Mario and myself. Life is short, que no?

Drum roll please... this weeks menu will start with:

FIRST COURSE
Fettuccine al Limone - Fettuccine with Lemon (pg 206)

SECOND COURSE
Saltimbocca alla Romana con Limone - Roman-Style Veal Cutlets with Sage and Lemon (pg 357)

DOLCI
Crostatra di Limone - Lemon Tart (pg 453)

As you can see, our theme for the menu is lemon. It just sort of worked out that way and we can not guarantee that future pairings will be this creative, but we sure will try.

As always, we would like you to join us in our quest and would be more than happy to email you the recipes for this weeks meal.

Thank you!

Mario and I would like to thank you for all the phone calls, text messages, emails and comments. Your enthusiasm and support is fuel to the fire.

Before we go any further, some of you have had trouble posting and/or following us. I believe the best and easiest way is to create a GMail/Google account. This will allow you to post comments and follow us with ease.

Mojo has selected our first recipes and we will post them shortly. Because of time and budget constraints we plan to cook every Friday evening. As luck would have it I work in the city which gives me access to Mario Batali's Eataly and the studio where I work is just a block away from the Chelsea Market.

Stay tuned!

Our little experiment

The Three Tocayos (tocayo - Spanish for same first name) was inspired by our love of family, cooking and great food and how they seem to be the components that keep our family connected. My young son, Mario III and I, Mario Jr. have decided to start a little experiment, motivated by the movie Julie and Julia, we have charted a similar course and have chosen Mario Batali as our captain.

While in the Chelsea Market in NYC a little over a year ago I purchased the book Molto Italiano with the dream of expanding our family's pallets one dish at a time. This was tougher than anticipated with my family's grueling schedules between work, baseball and softball practices and all of life's other distractions. As it seemed, the dream would remain just that, a dream. Then last Friday, as we were trying to figure out what to have for dinner my son suggested we look through Mario's cook book. It turned out to be a great suggestion and the family dinned on the Risotto con Agagosta (Lobster Risotto pg 151). During our meal my son and I discussed the idea of challenging ourselves to cook all the recipes in the book a la Julie and Julia. The mission had been set into motion and we began discussing how to tackle the project.

My son is 12 and has always loved to cook. It started simple, breakfast with scrambled eggs and has evolved to more sophisticated omelets with sides of bacon and home fries. His youthful excitement in pursuing our goal was a breath of fresh air. We have always been close and share the same love of experimenting and tasting new food. I believe this is a great way of strengthening our bond, not only between us but with our friends and family as well. We invite you on our uncharted journey.