Imagine going on your own Grand Voyage, traveling from restaurant to restaurant, then ordering their Piatto del Giorno, and having it delivered on an amazingly colorful and often humorous plate. Then after the meal, you get to take that plate home. What a memory!

The Italian restaurateurs' association was born in Italy in 1964, and was the inspiration of ​Dino Villani, a advertising executive who was known for the creation of the Miss Italy pageant.

Villani's dream is now a reality in over 400 member restaurants in Italy, South America (lots of Italians there), New York, Paris and Tokyo! Patrons of these restaurants receive the plates if they order either the Piatto del Giorno or as part of a multi-course Buon Ricordo tasting menu. I've even heard of some restaurants who offer plates even though they are not members of Buon Ricordo!

So, check out the link below to see if there is a Buon Ricordo ristorante in towns on your itinerary.

Buon viaggio e buon appetito! 

--Jerry Finzi

When we traveled in Italy, we needed to hydrate--it's hot there, even in the fall. Of course, we carried Thermos bottles to keep water in (filling them with the public Nasoni and acqua potabile fountains, or we'd pick up bottles of acqua frizzante (sparkling water). Lucas and I also used the water to wet our bandanas, either puttin gthem around our necks or under our caps!

But there were times we just needed to quench our thirst with a bit more flavor--and bubbles. Sure, they have Coke there, but we're not such big Coke drinkers, and besides, it tastes very different there.

As we experimented with Italian sodas, we discovered that the Italian Fanta is amazing. It's not super sweet like in the States, is lighter in color, and in fact contained actual orange juice!  Fresh, fruity and frizzante!
Once in a while here at home, we will order some from Amazon to bring back that Italian thirst-quenching memory. Perfect in summer with a panino out on our patio.

Next is a classic Sicilian flavor...  Néssi's Blood Orange Soda. Again, beautiful, nostalgic artwork on the can of a woman on a bicycle. There's nothing like the flavor of blood oranges in Italy. Their flavors are more profound and the colors much deeper that blood oranges grown in the U.S.. This one is refreshing and might be a great addition to your cocktail mix collection.

If you want to drink a truly Italian, strange soda, you have to try Chinotto. It's a bittersweet flavor halfway between a cola and citrus flavor, but without much sweetness. Apparently, this beverage was popular even in ancient times. This is very popular with many Italians who consider it very refreshing. It's made from the fruit of the citrus myrtle-leafed myrtifolia tree.

When Lucas and I tried it, we decided it was an acquired taste and not for us. Still, it's an authentic flavor that you might very well fall in love with, especially if you like bitter flavors.

Several companies produce Chinotto in Italy, including San Pellegrino (under the brand names Chinò and Chinotto) and  Fanta Chinotto in Italy.

Enjoy your Italian life!

--Jerry Finzi

Buona Festa di San Patrizio!
Yes, even though we're Italian-American, we also celebrate La Festa di San Patrizio, or Saint Patrick's Day. In Italy, it's one of many Saint Days, this one celebrating San Patrizio, and to honor all men or women with that name--Patrizio for males, Patrizia for females. (Click HERE to fine your Name Day). While there are no Patricks in our familia, we do love Irish music, food and especially music. 

Along with our Shepherd's Pie each year, Lisa makes a wonderful Irish Soda Bread--one of the best I've ever tasted. Here is her recipe so you can put together your own Irish feast.

Mama Lisa's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 cup raisins pre-soaked (then drained) in apple juice or lager beer
• 1/2 cup dried dried cranberries

Irish soda bread is fantastic served warm with a generous smear of salted Irish butter (available at most supermarkets nowadays), or spread with jam in the morning, or used as a scarpetta while eating your Shepherd's Pie. That's the way we Italians do it...

Buona Festa di San Patrizio!

--Jerry Finzi

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We Italians often look for connections to St. Patrick so that we can take part in the great celebrations on St. Patrick's Day... the parades, the beer, the music, the dance and of course, the food. We'll even wear green on his day (perhaps with a little white and red too). Here are some reasons to connect St Patrick to Italians and Romans:

• He was born in the year 387 AD, in Britannia, then part of the Roman Empire. (He was enslaved and taken to Ireland when he was 16). So, Italians could argue that he has Roman roots.
• St. Patrick himself exclusively used the Latin name Patricius in his own writings and wrote and spoke Latin, the precursor of the Italian language. Some claim that he is responsible for introducing Latin into the Old Irish Language.
• He used the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity. That makes him Roman  Catholic, through and through. 
• With the shamrock, St Patrick was utilizing the triskele symbol, much like the Trinacria, the three legged symbol of Sicily, which some scholars say came from Britannia. (Read about the Sicilian Trinacria HERE).
• Last, but not least, Guillermo Herries (a Portuguese translation), a member of Columbus' First Voyage, was actually William Harris of Galway. (Read more HERE).

Ok, so maybe I'm stretching a bit here, but on St. Patrick's Day in our home, we go all out and become Irish. Sure, we might wear green (if we remember to), but the more obvious thing is the music and food. We've always loved traditional Irish music. We've gone to several Chieftains concerts, among many other Irish and Celtic musical groups, and I actually play both the penny whistle and the bodhran (Irish hand drum). On St. Patrick's Day we play nothing but Irish and Celtic music. And consider that bagpipes are played in both Italy and Ireland!  (Read our Bagpipe article HERE.)

Our other Irish tradition is also very Italian... we cook and eat!  Each year I make my Shepherd's Pie while Lisa makes her Irish Soda Bread. For drink, it's Harp lager--not wine. All that's missing is the Blarney Stone. A couple of years ago we made a mistake and invited some friends over to share in our Irish feast, but the evening left us without any leftovers! We're now very selfish about our Shepherd's Pie.... locking the doors, turning the music up high,  watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade saved on our DVR and filling our bellies with the Irish starchy equivalent of pasta Bolognese--potatoes, veggies and beef!

Here's my take on Shepherd's Pie...

Babbo Finzi's Shepherd's Pie

Use an larger size pie plate (we use Emile Henry's 11" round pan) or a casserole equivalent to a half size lasagna pan.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Lean Ground beef
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup carrots, 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sliced celery, 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, sliced (not crushed) thinly
8 ounces diced tomatoes (Canned Italian style)
11 ounces canned corn (Green Giant Shoepeg is our favorite)
1 14 ounce can Italian flat beans or golden green beans
1 cup beer (Harp Lager, etc.)
1 cup beef broth
2-3 bay leaves (remember to remove them before filling your pie!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (40 cracks with a pepper mill)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (make a light paste by adding cold water to thicken, as needed)
3 pounds, peeled potatoes (Yukon Gold preferred) boil until tender
1 tablespoon margarine, Parkay Squeeze (substitute butter if cholesterol isn't an issue)
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded  (we use packaged Irish Dubliner)

Babbo Finzi's Shepherd's Pie

Use an larger size pie plate (we use Emile Henry's 11") or a casserole equivalent to a half size lasagna pan.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Lean Ground beef
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup carrots, 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sliced celery, 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, sliced (not crushed) thinly
8 ounces diced tomatoes (Canned Italian style)
11 ounces canned corn (Green Giant Shoepeg is our favorite)
1 14 ounce can Italian flat beans (Del Monte Italian Cut, if canned)
1 cup beer (Harp Lager, etc.)
1 cup beef broth
2-3 bay leaves (remember to remove them before filling your pie!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (40 cracks with a pepper mill)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (make a light paste by adding cold water to thicken, as needed)
3 pounds, peeled potatoes (Yukon Gold preferred) boil until tender
1 tablespoon margarine, Parkay Squeeze (substitute butter if cholesterol isn't an issue)
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded  (we use packaged Irish Dubliner)


Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add quartered, peeled potatoes. Boil until tender as you are preparing the rest of this recipe. A fork should offer no resistance. When done, drain potatoes well before using.
• Heat oil in large skillet and heat on low-medium flame. Place diced onion in the pan and sprinkle sugar over them (this helps with caramelizing the onions). Saute for 5 minutes or more until onions are a light walnut color. If onions are drying out, add a tablespoon of water and continue cooking. 
• Next, add the carrots and celery to the onions and saute for another 10 minutes on low heat.
• Place beef and bay leaves in the pan along with the onion mixture and saute until browned, breaking up the meat with your spoon as you go. If the meat is crowded and is releasing lots of liquid (I've found that ground beef holds a lot of water), use a turkey baster to remove most of the liquid as you render down the beef. About halfway through this stage, sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper and add the garlic.
• After the beef is lightly browned, turn up the heat to high and add the beer to de-glaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a flat wooden spoon to release the fond (the browned bits at the bottom).  
• Next, turn the heat down to low and add the corn, green beans, and tomatoes and stir well.
• Add the broth, and simmer another 30 minutes. If it gets too dry add beer or broth or water as needed to leave enough liquid for a sauce at the end of cooking. (You can always thicken the sauce with a bit of corn starch thickener, but you can't add sauce where there is none at the end!) 
• At the end of cooking, the veggies should be tender, not hard. If the resulting sauce (really a gravy) is watery, raise the temperature up until it boils and then thicken the sauce by adding the cornstarch paste.  (A tablespoon or so of cornstarch with a tablespoon or two of water, then stirred makes a great thickener--but only works when the liquid is boiling).
• Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. This helps to prevent the potatoes from getting mushy when putting the "pie" together.
• Prepare boiled potatoes (this can be done as you are cooking the stew filling). After they've cooled a bit, use a potato masher and mash down to a smooth consistency. The potatoes should be virtually lump free because to allow for piping out of a large pastry bag with a large decorative star tip. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon salt as you are mashing. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Keep the potatoes on the dry side to prevent them from getting mushy when baking.
• Preheat oven to 425.

Putting The Shepherd's Pie Together & Baking

• Remove the bay leaves from the filling, then place the stew filling into a 11-12" ceramic deep dish pie plate or Pyrex casserole. Make certain that your filling has cooled off before topping with the mashed potatoes.  I tend to pipe the potatoes on top with a pastry bag and a large decorative tip. This gives lots of nooks and crannies that will crisp up at the end of baking under the broiler. You may also do this rustic style... spoon and distribute potatoes over the top of the plate, making sure to fill in along the edges. You can then use the spoon or a spatula to create a pattern of ridges on top. The more ridges, the more crunch when browned.
  
• Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. For a richer look, you can place small pieces of butter here and there or spray with PAM butter spray at the end of baking, just before broiling.
  
• Place on the middle rack of a 425F oven and bake uncovered for 5 minutes. It's best to put a sheet pan on a rack under your pie in case yours bubbles over during baking.
  
• Next, turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake covered with a loose tent of foil (or the lid of a casserole) for an additional 30-40 minutes.
  
• Turn on the broiler for another 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese and brown the potatoes. Keep an eye on it--you just want the cheese to bubble and the potatoes to take on a nice crust... don't let it burn!
  

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down a bit before serving. A fruity nut bread or Irish Soda bread goes great with this dish. A green salad is also a great side dish. We like to have a nice Irish lager, like Harp with it... Lucas like's having a glass of sparkling cider.
Lá Shona Fhéile Pádraig!
(Happy St. Patrick's Day!)
--Jerry Finzi

Ingredients
For the Custard

• 4 cups milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp All Purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Zest of 1 orange

For the Zeppole/Donut

• 6 Eggs (whole)
• 2 Cups All Purpose flour
• 1 - 3/4 cups Water
• 4 oz. Butter
• 1/2 Cup - Sugar
• Canola Oil for frying
• Blueberries, raspberries or candied cherries for decoration
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Custard Cream

1. Mix the flour and sugar in a pot and whisk until blended. Turn on the heat to medium.
2. Under medium heat, add the milk and whisk well.
3. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and then whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs to warm them a little bit.
4. Lower the heat to low, then add the eggs into the mixture, whisking continuously as it starts to thicken.
5. Add the vanilla and orange zest and stir continuously until the custard thickens.
6. Allow the cream to cool before piping into the center of each cooled zeppola.

Zeppole

1. In a medium sized pan on medium heat, add the water and butter. Stir until the butter melts.
2. While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour, letting it absorb the liquid until you obtain a firm ball. Mix the dough for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Place the dough ball into the bowl of a stand mixer and while mixing at low speed with a paddle, add the sugar, completely incorporating it into the dough.
4. Stop the mixer and let the dough cool off in the bowl for 15 minutes.
5. When the dough is completely cooled off, with the mixer on low speed, and add one egg at a time until each egg is completely absorbed by the dough. The resulting batter should be very soft.
6. Heat the canola oil in a deep fryer or large sauce pot (at least 3" deep) to a temperature of about 325 F degrees.
7. Cut several 4x4" squares of 4x4 of parchment paper (or foil will also work).
8. Place your dough into a large pastry bag with a large sized star tip and pipe out a 3-4" circular donut with a hole in the middle onto each piece of parchment.
9. While the zeppola is still on the paper, gently place it into the hot oil. Put no more than 2 at a time to prevent over-crowding and lowering the temperature of the oil too fast. The paper will quickly separate from the zeppola and you will be able to remove it with tongs.
   
10. Using a fry spider or large spoon with holes or slots in it, turn the zeppole several times until golden brown on both sides.
11. Remove the zeppole from the oil with the spider, and place on a plate lined with paper towels or brown paper to drain excess oil. Let the donuts cool when all are finished, then place on a serving tray ready for filling.
12. Put the cream in the pastry bag and fill the hollow center of each zeppola, mounding the custard higher than the donut.  Garnish with berries and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve for breakfast with some espresso or cappuccino  or have them for dessert with a glass of Prosecco...

Buon appetito!

--Jerry Finzi

Olive oil has been used in many other ways over the millennium... greasing wheels, cleaning the body, lighting ancient homes in lamps, polishing furniture, but the most important use for the golden elixir throughout the ages is in la Cucina.

But we don't always give our olive oil the respect and care it deserves. After all, we should respect an oil that I've witnessed with my own eyes still coming from trees hundreds and even thousands of years old. Olives are a gift from the gods... a gift of Mother Nature herself. They are a link to our past and a healthy path to our future. Trees that bear this wonderful little fruit can be thousands of years old.

Here are some ways you can give respect to your olive oil...

Bottom line: Store your oil properly and buy the best you can afford. If you use a lot of olive oil, buy it in tins only (we go through about a gallon every 3-4 months or so). Store your oil in a dark place, especially if you buy it in bottles (never buy clear bottles!). Don't keep small, expensive bottles of Extra Virgin on your counter--keep them in your cupboards, away from light. Oxygen is also an enemy of olive oil, so as your larger container gets less full, you might consider transferring the remaining oil into smaller containers. For daily use, keep some oil into small olive oil carafes, such as my favorite from Emile Henry (photo left, on Amazon).

Mangia bene... ama molto!
--Jerry Finzi

Links
Visit our Grand Voyage Italy storefront on Amazon for a selection of Extra Virgin Olive Oils!

OliveOilLovers.com
Zingermans.com
Markethallfoods.com
Gustiamo.com
iGourmet.com

This is it. I'm at my wits end. Is eating out at so called "Italian" restaurants worth the high prices, poorly prepared, unauthentic and inconsistent menu choices?

This past Good Friday evening, my wife, son, his wonderful girlfriend and I went to a "Italian" restaurant called Taste of _____ in a nearby town. (Fill in the blank. It's one of the most overused names for Italian restaurants and pizzerias in the U.S.) The place has been getting mostly great reviews on social media from locals (Italian-Americans are a minority around here), so my wife made reservations and then...

At first, we were confronted with a strong fishy smell as we entered the place (i.e, not fresh). The menu: a very typical Italian-American, overpriced (for what we received) menu with pizza place graphics. There were dishes named after Sinatra and Dean Martin and oddly one named Da Vinci. There was a volcano pile of stuff called Vesuvio and a "meatball salad"--meatballs "alongside" a salad.(Most reviews claimed the meatballs were terrible, so we didn't dare). The antipasti mix had tightly rolled, cheap capicola and a tasteless prosciutto with green and black olives straight out of a plastic 5 gallon restaurant jug. We also ordered a "fried mozzarella" that turned out to be a grilled cheese with mozzarella. The menu was missing any Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta dishes, bistecca, boar stew or even fried/stuffed olives, chickpea fritters or arancini. Some pasta dishes were not finished in the pan, with sauces placed on top. Many were heavily finished with olive oil. The bread in the basket was not great and there was a large slice of butter swimming in a bitter, low grade olive oil mix for dipping (I suppose). There were no Primi or Secondi dishes. Proteins were mixed in with pasta on the same plate--Italian-American style. As for presentation, the portions were HUGE with so many  things thrown on top, creating visual chaos. (Looking like a regurgitated meal). The finisher in the kitchen surely had a heavy hand with many dishes swimming in olive oil. (Many photos on their Google page was evidence of this). 

There were dry pasta dishes with Bolognese sauce (what, no fresh egg pasta?) and other misidentified pasta shapes. There was an extreme overuse of garlic in some dishes, as my son's girlfriend had in her mushroom risotto. Native Italians use garlic only to flavor the oil at the beginning, then remove the cloves. My wife said she had to "saw" through her overcooked chicken cutlet and her gnocchi were definitely made from frozen and were gluey.

At the top of this post is a photo that I took of my "pesto risotto" at the end of our meal... about 45-55 minutes after arriving at the table. You can clearly see the pools of oily fat (olive oil and broken sauce). Responding to my local review, the "owner/chef" claimed I finished 60% of the dish--I actually left 80% or more of this HUGE portion (enough to feed 3-4 people).

Also, I want you to note the huge spoon they placed on the plate, the same many American restaurants use, expecting diners to twirl spaghetti with.

Five minutes into the meal my stomach was feeling queasy. There was a broken, heavy sauce (cream added?) and it looked like they poured olive oil over the risotto, pooling below. Perhaps they added too much butter and cream to finish over heat and the sauce broke. The risotto was not made with carnaroli or arborio rice. When making risotto, this type of rice itself produces its own starchy "cream" and causes l'onda (a wave). This was a gloppy mess. I still felt nauseous 2 hours after.

None of us were satisfied with our meals. My son's pesto pasta had very little actual pesto with olive oil pooling underneath. Instead of a classic dollop of pesto on top, there was ricotta (not mentioned on the menu). He felt thee pesto was made using dried basil with only a blackened chiffonade of "fresh" basil sprinkled on top. I concurred.

My dish sat in from of me for about 45 minutes while I picked away at it during our diner chat. Uncharacteristically, I didn't want to complain on Good Friday and while we were getting to know Lucas' girlfriend. The waitress came over once to ask how everything was, and my wife answered "fine" while I bit my tongue. After asking for the check, someone asked if I was finished, reaching for my plate just as I was pointing my phone at my dish--something that many do nowadays. Seeing me take the photo, they walked away and went right up to the owner, as my wife witnessed.

During this evening, the owner stopped at nearly every table except ours... mostly filled with his "regulars". As we've noticed before in our area of Eastern Pennsylvania, most locals have no idea what a good Italian dish is. Our running family joke is about a German restaurant that is "famous" for its "incredible" pizza--flat, tasteless pizzas made and frozen before reheating! You know when the place that sells "pizza" also has Philly cheesesteak sandwiches on the menu, the pizza can't be good.

Responding to my local review, the owner said he "knew these people would be trouble" as soon as we sat down, and that we just wanted a free meal. He also claimed that I pulled the plate out of the waitresses hand to take the photo, with my "agenda" to give a bad review. Never happened. The waitress (passive aggressively) did come back and asked why I took a picture and why I didn't want a "doggie bag". I then told her how dissatisfied I was and how the sauce was broke and oily. I didn't want to take the rest of the dish home.

She offered to fix it, ridiculous as the bill was being paid and considering their lacking technique for preparing any classic risotto dish. She apologized and I said it was not her fault, and reminded her, "YOU aren't the chef". I never asked to comp my meal, but even after my complaint, the full charge was still on the bill when it arrived. Most places comp without even asking for it. I paid the full bill and a 20% tip and we left.

We only drank water, had no desire to have desserts after our poor meals, and were billed over $150 for the privilege of eating at this phony Italian "ristorante" with busboys wearing Godfather T-shirts and Vic Damone and SInatra music pumping out of their speakers.

Responding dozens of times to our local review, and literally dozens of locals defending this inauthentic place's food, the owner made himself look bad by his ridiculous and insulting accusations. There were also scores of people agreeing with my review and saying how the owner's nasty arrogance and lack of customer relations tact was hurting his own reputation. It was a typical social media flaming event. Shocking, really. All I did was post an honest review.

His belligerence toward a simple, truthful diner's own experience is utterly out of place for someone wanting to make clientele happy. This owner's attitude is going to repel clients... look at other restaurant owners who offer condolence and ways to make them come back until they are served a satisfying meal. There is a New Jersey pizzeria that we order take-out from occasionally that gave me a rubbery chicken dish once. No questions asked, they offered a gift certificate as compensation. This is after all a hospitality business.

Lisa is usually the one that wants to try the new places getting lots of social media buzz. I think after this, even she wants to call it quits. Our biggest complaint--even when we find a place with good food--is lack of consistency. The next time we return, we never are as satisfied as the first time. Bottom line: We've been saying this for years now... "Why waste big dollars on meals that we can cook better in our own kitchen?"

Besides, we are nearing the end of our new kitchen renovation... We can't wait to have an oven again and cook on our new 36" gas cooktop with grill!

Share your experiences from recent years at restaurants that others think are great. Are you disappointed too? Please leave a comment below.

Ciao for now,

--Jerry Finzi

Without a doubt, one of the best ways to discover truly authentic Italian recipes is to subscribe to Pasta Grammar's YouTube channel. Follow them on social media too... @PastaGrammer.

You see, aside from the nonnas on the Pasta Grannies YouTube channel, this raven haired Calabrese, Eva is one of the best cooks who uses traditional techniques for traditional Italian dishes.

Her recipe for ciabatta is one you'll want to make every week.

--Jerry Finzi