Pasta fazool, or pasta e fagioli, quite literally translates to "pasta and beans", but it's so much more than that. It's a bowl of comfort seasoned with nostalgia and a heavy sprinkle of history. And while there are many ways to make it, and many ways to pronounce it, one thing is consistent: it's always delicious!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/FllIY-mtKeI

What is pasta e fagioli?

The only requirement for a dish to be called pasta e fagioli, or pasta fazool, is to contain pasta and beans.

There are many variations but the most common combination is a small-shaped pasta, such as tubetti/ditalini, or elbows, and cannellini beans, navy beans, or borlotti beans.

Some versions will be soupy, while others will be thicker; some may include pancetta, while others will be vegetarian.

Some variations of pasta fazool will include tomato, while others will be "in bianco".

I've eaten many variations throughout my life, and each time I make it I change it up ever so slightly.

No matter how I make it, we always enjoy it and find it ultra comforting.

Why do you pronounce it "pasta fazool"?

I've been pronouncing this dish "pasta fazool" my entire life but I never understood the linguistic background until recently.

In the Neapolitan dialect, fagioli, the Italian word for beans, is fasule; in Sicilian, the word is fasulu.

Considering the fact that most of the Italian immigrants that came to the US are from Southern Italy, that would explain why many here in the US call it pasta fazool.

In this episode, we dive a bit deeper into the linguistic and culinary backstory of this amazing dish!

Resources

Sip and Feast Pasta e Fagioli Recipe

Sip and Feast Sausage Pasta Fagioli Recipe

Sip and Feast Pasta e Ceci Recipe

Sip and Feast Pasta e Patate Recipe

Sip and Feast Pasta e Lenticchie Recipe

Sip and Feast Garlic Butter Roast Chicken Recipe

Philosokitchen History of Pasta Fazool

If you enjoyed the discussion of Pasta Fazool episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Transcript

Intro

James (00:00):Welcome back to the Sip and Feast podcast, episode number 19, I believe this is?

Tara (00:04):18.

James (00:05):Thank you, Tara. This is pasta fagioli or pasta fazool, or pasta and beans. This is a discussion of one of the most quintessential Italian dishes and definitely an Italian-American favorite. And we're going to go into, again, the little bit of history in there, how to make it really good, and we'll share a couple personal stories about pasta fazool. How's that sound, Tara?

Tara (00:32):Sounds good.

James (00:33):So what are we doing next?

Let's describe it

Tara (00:34):Let's talk about pasta fazool. Let's describe it, maybe, for folks who aren't familiar with it, because I think for many people, even if they live in this area, they might not have actually had it. They may have heard about it because it is kind of a thing in pop culture. It's been in songs. Like that song I think everybody knows. That's Amore. One of the line's in it when something starts to drool like pasta fazool.

James (01:04):Oh, really? Yeah, that's right.

Tara (01:05):Yeah. So anyway, I think it would be helpful if you take a few minutes and describe it.

James (01:12):We'll go more into detail later about it, but it's simply, at its core, pasta and beans. Think of this dish as typically done with white beans, sometimes other types of beans, but it's a small pasta, beans in a broth. Some people will make it brothier, some people will make it more thick. Really a peasant dish. Super peasanty and cheap where you can feed a whole family for a few dollars with this one.

Tara (01:42):That's right.

James (01:42):Any more detail you want me to give right now on this?

Tara (01:45):Yeah, I think there's so many different ways to make pasta fazool. Yes, the basics are that it is usually a small pasta shape, like a ditalini, tubetti, or elbows, and then some type of bean like cannellini beans, navy beans, or borlotti beans, which are used widely in Italy, but they're harder to find here.

James (02:10):Also, they're called cranberry beans-

Tara (02:11):Cranberry beans.

James (02:12):Here in America.

Tara (02:12):That's right. Sometimes you start it with some pancetta or bacon, but you don't have to. Sometimes there's tomato, sometimes there's a lot of tomato, sometimes there's no tomato.

James (02:23):And so there's a bunch of different ways to do it. You can start with olive oil, lard. Traditionally, if you go really far back, I would say… And again, we'll get into it in a sec, it would be done with lard, which is most Italian dishes were done with lard instead of olive oil. Olive oil is a more recent thing and a healthier thing, obviously. The main distinction, I would say, with pasta fazool to someone who maybe thinks of themselves as an expert in it or who grew up with it like I did, it's probably the dish I ate the most that I was almost forced to eat. It's a very simple thing. So then restaurants that, or people who maybe don't know so much will try to make it something that it's not. And this could always be from a Bon Appétit article to maybe New York Times cooking, or it could be the Olive Garden or Carrabba's or something. They try to put 48 ingredients in it, and that is really not what pasta fazool is. Though it can be, but it's a dish of the poor.

Tara (03:23):That's right. And it's a soup that I would also say is a very creamy soup, but there's no cream in it.

James (03:30):Yeah.

Tara (03:31):It's creamy because of the beans.

James (03:33):And the way the pasta is cooked.

Tara (03:34):That's right. Right, the starch. So that's an-

James (03:36):The technique of how you cook it.

Tara (03:37):That's an important part of making it, which we'll go into a little bit later. Now, because I just mentioned that there's all different variations on how to make it, and these variations can be from different regions of Italy, but it can vary from even within a family. And I'm using your family as the example because I know your grandma made it one way, your mom made it a different way, and you make it a little bit different than how they both made it. Is that right?

James (04:07):In some of the recipes that have been fleshed out more on videos where I've done maybe four different versions, like Sunday sauce, you might get the feeling that Jim doesn't really cook the same any one time, and you would be correct to assume that. And as you become a better cook, as you really start learning the knowledge of this and taking these recipes, and as I always say, making them your own, you won't have a recipe per se either. But I will just say my grandmother and mothers, they were fairly similar, their recipes. They weren't very different. When I put it on the YouTube video and when I put it on the site, I wanted to make it a little bit different than, I guess, how most people probably around this area of the country will do it. And the way most people in this area of the country, they will do it with a lot of garlic.

(05:01):And I'm generalizing here. No doubt you might be from here too, and you know it might have a really involved version, but for the most part, it would be ditalini pasta. That's the pasta that's used. And then it would be cannellini beans, and it would be olive oil, and it would be a lot of garlic, hot red pepper flakes, and that's pretty much it. And just a little bit of tomato. Maybe three or four tomatoes from a 28 ounce can, take a few of those tomatoes, just squeeze them in there. So not quite a bianco, but very close, and then a lot of water in there. You want to get fancy, you add a little bit of chicken stock, but most people probably weren't doing that. That's my mother and how my grandmother did it, and that is really the core pasta fazool. That is the most common way it's prepared all across the New York, New Jersey metro. How can I speak for all those people? Maybe I'm wrong here. This is a very inexpensive, very accessible, very cheap, quick dinner dish.

Tara (06:08):No, you use rosemary in your pasta fazool. Did your grandma make it with rosemary and your mom didn't or-

James (06:15):Occasionally, my grandmother might've used it, but for the most part she was doing how I just described.

Tara (06:20):And your mom never did use rosemary?

James (06:22):No, no herbs really get into it. That would be more of a northern Italian thing. And I just wanted to make the recipe a little different, so I put a little bit of rosemary in there a little bit.

Tara (06:31):I do like it.

James (06:31):And a little bit of pancetta.

Tara (06:33):I like the rosemary in it.

James (06:34):But as far as the sofrito and stuff like that, and we spoke about that in last week's episode with the chicken parm and it was an offshoot in that discussion about how the earliest immigrants that came to this country, they were doing the bolognese, and then when the great wave happened, that wasn't a dish that they brought with them because they were all from southern Italy. And that whole carrot, celery, onion, sofrito in every dish is not a common thing or as common as it is in other parts of Italy. And that goes to pasta fazool as well. It's rare to see that. So if you google the recipe online and you get Olive garden copycat recipe, it'll have chunks of that. It'll have sausage in it, it'll have a bunch of herbs in it, maybe it'll have multiple beans.

Besides spaghetti and meatballs, no other dish is as wildly popular as Chicken Parmigiana, or chicken parm. This comforting meal can be found in every pizzeria and red sauce joint in the New York metro area but is also available across the country at various chain restaurants. Chicken parm is so synonymous with Italian-American food that many may find it hard to believe it is almost impossible to find anywhere in Italy. So where exactly does chicken parm come from?

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/S8HsBpid8Do

Chicken parmigiana, also known as chicken parmesan or just chicken parm combines thinly sliced breaded and fried chicken cutlets with tomato sauce that's topped with mozzarella cheese and baked until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.

It's loved by all...well, at least by those here in the US.

Chicken parm, while synonymous with Italian-American food, does not originate in Italy and the Italians who are aware prefer to deny its existence and may even find it offensive.

In this episode, we explore the origins of chicken parm, how it stems from melanzane alla parmigiana, also known as eggplant parm, and its importance to the Italian-Americans who proliferated its popularity.

We discuss its ingredients, how it's made, and variations such as our layered eggplant and chicken parm.

Most importantly, we pay respect to a dish that's often looked down upon for seemingly no good reason. We're not ashamed to say we love chicken parmigiana!

Resources

Sip and Feast Chicken Parm Recipe

How to Make Chicken Milanese

How to Make Pasta Bolognese

The Story Behind Chicken Parmigiana

The Origins of Chicken Parm Have Nothing to Do With Chicken

Legacy of Chicken Parmigiana

The Untold Trust of Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parm and spaghetti and Meatballs are not Real Italian Food

If you enjoyed the Chicken Parm episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Transcript

Intro

James (00:00):Welcome back to the Sip and Feast podcast. Today we're going to talk about chicken parmesan or chicken parm. This is everybody's favorite, I would think, especially if you're listening to this content. Before we get into that, I just want to let you know that we're going to be uploading the podcast either on Monday or Tuesday. Now, we're going to leave it to you to tell us which would be your preferred day. Those are the only two choices you have. That's it, but it could be morning or at night. Also, for all your questions, email us at [email protected].

Why should you like it?

(00:32):So before we get into it, I just want to sell you on why you should like chicken parm, why you should be thinking about chicken parm the way we think about chicken parm. Chicken parm really simply is a breaded cutlet that is fried, never baked. It has a delicious sauce. Often it's a fresh sauce, mozzarella cheese melted on top of it. It is comfort food. It is Italian American comfort food. It is uniquely Italian American. It is not an Italian thing, and it is a great thing. It's an amazing thing, and I would go out on a limb and say Italians, people in Italy, wish they could take ownership of it, but they can't. They just can't. So what they do then is-

Tara (01:17):They don't want to take ownership of it.

James (01:19):What they do then is bash it.

Tara (01:21):I actually just read an article, and I was going to save this to talk about later, but this is a good time for me to interject. I read an article saying that Italians try desperately to forget that chicken parm exists in the world, and that they are so traumatized by the fact that this recipe exists.

James (01:43):That's so funny.

Tara (01:44):And the article was written by an Italian, not an Italian American.

James (01:48):Yeah. But again, I don't think-

Tara (01:49):It's a traumatizing dish.

James (01:50):I don't think that person speaks for everybody in Italy.

Tara (01:53):They might not, but I'm just telling you what I read.

James (01:55):Just like people who'd write an article about Americans, and if they're writing it from someone who's in LA or someone who is in Florida, they don't speak for me. They don't speak for you.

Tara (02:04):Right. That's true.

James (02:05):But, yeah, you're saying that they all hate chicken parm.

Tara (02:07):Based on what I've read.

Where to find chicken parmigiana

James (02:09):So I know you love chicken parm, 'cause you're still with me. Let's get into it.

Tara (02:15):So do you want to talk about some of the places you'd find chicken parm or the ways that it would be served here?

James (02:20):Where you would find chicken parm would be from the most inexpensive pizzeria or chain restaurant like the Olive Garden, or Carrabba's, or something like that. All the way to the most expensive restaurants like El Molino, Rao's, Carbone, or Carbone, however people are saying it. Is it better in those restaurants paying 50, 60, maybe $70 for it versus your local pizzeria? I'm not sure.

Tara (02:50):Yeah. I think a lot of it probably comes down to the level of preparation that the restaurant's putting into it. I know there's certain shortcuts that places can take. They can use a frozen cutlet from a bag-

James (03:04):Ugh, that's horrible.

Tara (03:04):… and make it with that, or they can make it-

James (03:07):That's a travesty.

Tara (03:09):They can make it the real way.

James (03:09):I don't think anybody's doing it that way.

Tara (03:11):No, I think they are.

James (03:13):Not your local pizzeria.

Tara (03:14):Not your local pizzeria. But I think maybe in other parts of the country where pizzerias aren't as prolific or available, they are doing it that way.

James (03:27):When I'm speaking about what a pizzeria is doing, I'm speaking about what a pizzeria here in New York is doing. And they wouldn't be caught dead doing a frozen cutlet out of a bag, just like they wouldn't be caught dead not making a pizza the way it's supposed to be made.

Tara (03:43):Is The Olive Garden really using fresh chicken cutlets that they're pounding and frying? I would guess not, but if somebody who's listening has worked at The Olive Garden and you happen to know, let me know if I'm wrong.

James (03:55):You're right. They probably are using it out of the bag. I had a friend who worked at the Macaroni Grill in college.

Tara (04:00):Oh, I remember that place.

James (04:00):Yeah. Yeah.

Tara (04:02):Yeah.

James (04:02):So I would think it's fairly similar.

Chicken parm origin

Tara (04:04):But I think if you're going to some of the more high-end places, they probably are taking the time to pound the cutlet and really just do it the right way. I think it's maybe helpful to back up a little bit and talk about maybe the backstory.

James (04:18):The origin.

Tara (04:19):The origin of Chicken parm, and we already talked about the fact that it is not an Italian dish. However, its roots are in Italy. And it's from eggplant parm, which in Italy is called melanzane alla parmigiana. So there are some speculations by food historians as to what city or what region this dish originated in. It's possible that it's from the city of Parma, which is in the northern part of Italy, and it's actually in the northern part of Amelia Romana.

James (04:59):That's the predominant explanation. I think that's because they're the victors. They get to try to write the history more than southern Italians.

Tara (05:08):So there's a few other theories. Okay? So the reason why that theory exists is because Parma is the name of the city, Parmigiana, but because melanzane alla parmigiana was popular in the southern regions like Campania and Sicily, that's more likely where eggplant parm comes from. So there's an authority on Sicilian food that I read an article about. His name is Pino Correnti. His theory is that the word parmigiana stems from the word damigiana, which is a wicker sleeve that's used for wine bottles, and also the same type of sleeve would be used for the hot casserole dish that eggplant parm would've been served in. Another theory is that the word is derived from the Sicilian word palmigiana, P-A-L-M-I-G-I-A-N-A, meaning the slats on a roof, which would resemble the layering or the shingle-like layering of the eggplant.

James (06:12):That's what I read, but it said parmiciana. So C-I-A-N-C-A is the slats.

Tara (06:19):I'm just telling you what I-

James (06:19):No, keep going.

Tara (06:20):And we'll link all these articles-

James (06:22):Yeah, keep going with what you have.

Tara (06:23):… and sources. So those are the theories as to where melanzane alla parmigiana actually comes from.

James (06:31):Do you have more or is that it? I have another one.

Tara (06:34):Those are the theories on the words that I found.

James (06:36):Okay. I read that it came from the Middle East. All right? That's where it came from. Some food historians speculate that the dish originally was meant to duplicate, I'm thinking of the Greek dish with eggplant in it, it's like-

Tara (06:50):Moussaka?

James (06:51):Moussaka. Yeah. So that's what I read. I did read that.

Tara (06:54):Okay. I didn't even see that.

James (06:55):The early version of moussaka, so layered egg plant, which is what moussaka is. Moussaka, and I'm not an expert on this at all, but it's ground beef, like seasoned ground beef, layered eggplant. I think it's pre-fried or pre-roasted, and then layered potatoes, and then all topped with a bechamel sauce.

In late 2021 I fell in love with a relatively obscure dish, Pasta alla Norcina. Unknown to many in the New York metro area as it deviates from the red sauce-heavy dishes found in most of our local restaurants, it was clear I needed to create an instructional video and recipe to help bring this recipe to our audience. Doing so was not without its challenges.

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/--kYih27ATg

Pasta alla Norcina hails from the town of Norcia in the southeastern part of Umbria, the region nestled in the center of Italy and bordered by Lazio, Tuscany, Marche, and Abruzzo.

The town itself is known for its pork, and the sausage used for pasta alla Norcina, salsiccia di Norcia.

This sausage consists of pork, garlic, white wine, and a touch of nutmeg - nothing like the fennel or spicy sausages more commonly found near my home on Long Island.

Black truffles can also be found near Norcia making them a component of this dish, when in season.

The scarcity and impracticality of these ingredients make it next to impossible for the everyday person to create a truly authentic version of this dish.

In my effort to help shine a spotlight on pasta alla Norcina, I soon realized I had to find ways to improvise and make do with the ingredients available to me.

In this episode, we discuss why pasta alla Norcina is relatively unknown in the US and go into greater detail on the challenges the ingredients present.

We talk through and provide solutions to the ingredients and discuss how best to recreate as authentic a dish as possible for you, the home cook.

Resource Links

Pasta Bolognese Recipe

Pasta alla Norcina Recipe

Chicken Marsala Recipe

If you enjoyed the Pasta alla Norcina - Balancing Authenticity with Practicality episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Transcript

Intro

James (00:00):Welcome back to the Sip and Feast podcast. Today we're going to talk about one of Italy's most underrated pastas. I don't know if that's right. I think every region of Italy thinks that they have the best pasta dishes. So, probably it could be what I would say Americans would think is one of Italy's most underrated pasta dishes. That's probably a more accurate statement, right, Tara?

Tara (00:23):I think the reason we would assign the word underrated to this pasta is because it's not found here in the US. For us, it's underrated because we haven't heard enough about it.

James (00:36):That makes sense completely. So, not to beat a dead horse, but the immigrants that all came to America from 1900 to 1920, it's like five million of them. Almost all of them came from … everybody knows Sicily, Naples, Calabria, Southern Italy, and they didn't come from the area that the dish we're talking about today, which is pasta Norcina, which is Umbria.

Tara (01:00):That's right.

Pasta Norcina background

James (01:01):So, Tara, give people a background on this dish, so our listeners can actually picture what we're talking about and where we're talking about.

Tara (01:09):Norcia, which is where pasta alla Norcina comes from, is a town in the southeastern part of Umbria, which is the region that is north of Rome, but south of Tuscany. So, somewhere kind of like in the middle of the country, certainly not where most of the Italian immigrants came from in the immigrant waves in the late 1800 and early 1900. And Norcia is actually famous for its pork.

James (01:43):Okay.

Tara (01:43):Were you aware of that?

James (01:44):I am aware of that, but I don't think our audience is, so go on.

Tara (01:50):Okay. The pork that is used, or the sausage, I should say, the sausage that is used for pasta alla Norcina uses a sausage that's really just found in Norcia and it's called salsiccia di Norcia. It's different from Italian sausage known here in the US in that it's made with garlic, white wine and actually a touch of nutmeg.

James (02:17):That sounds like a great one. And places here at the specialty stores that we go to, that we frequent, they will have 10, 15 different types of sausage, especially those Italian specialty stores. But I don't ever remember seeing a sausage like this there. Have you?

Tara (02:36):No, not at all. Not at all. And I think what we're going to get into in a little bit are some of the challenges when making pasta alla Norcina, and this is certainly one of them, but we'll talk about how you can navigate those challenges and make adaptations to make the dish at home.

James (02:55):Yeah, we'll talk about that and a little backstory on this dish. The reason we wanted to tell you about this one, and I think we're going to do a lot of these where they're recipe-focused, these episodes, for the future, we want to make them topically relevant to you where right now it's getting cool out. This is the time of year you would be making this one.

(03:13):Why are we picking this one? This one had a big effect on us in the sense that it was one of the first videos that actually did really well for the channel. I think even to this day, our video probably has substantially more views than any of our competitors' on YouTube. And I think part of that is simply the way we titled the video, which was what, Tara?

Tara (03:32):The Most Underrated Pasta Ever.

James (03:35):It's funny, we went with that title. And the reason I went with that title… and I do hate click-baity titles, but I knew if I wrote Pasta Norcina, that you weren't going to click on it, because it is that obscure here in America.

(03:49):We have more Italian restaurants here in Long Island and in basically this corridor of America, which encompasses a little bit of Connecticut, Northern Jersey and the five boroughs, there are just thousands of restaurants, and I've been to hundreds of these restaurants in my life, living here for all but three of the 40, almost 45 years of my life. I've never come across this dish on a menu until relatively recently.

(04:18):Now, obviously the people didn't… They might've started queuing off YouTube videos. The success of it. I'm not positive, but it was kind of coincidental when I saw it in a place I believe out East. And then we have an actual place here that opened that's very special occasion place, expensive, that is called Osteria Umbra, believe it or not. And I believe they have it on the menu too, I would think.

Tara (04:45):I think they have it as a special. So, it's not a recurring thing on the menu.

James (04:50):I always try to find new dishes that I can make for you, and then I would do a little bit of research. When I did that research, and we're going to get into it in a little bit, there would be some hiccups for the average person trying to make it.

(05:04):What I did, and this is essentially what every Italian immigrant did who came to this country, I modified it. And we get a lot of angry comments saying that the recipe is not exact, and we'll go into that in a bit, why it's going to be hard to make it exact, but it doesn't mean it's going to be any less good. It's a delicious dish, and I really want you to make it for your family.

(05:27):I got so many satisfied comments with this one, Tara. You see them all the time, and it's just one of the greatest pasta. And it's a full meal because we're in America. Obviously we're not eating a little bit of pasta. That's a big difference. You would make a whole batch of this for you and your family.

Tara (05:45):Yeah, it's a good one, and definitely because it has that little touch of nutmeg in it, I think it's perfect for the fall.

James (05:53):I don't think I'm selling it adequately for you. I don't think I am. I'm going to give it one more shot here. It is decadent, it is hardy, it is creamy. The combination of the sausage and the white wine and the creaminess of it. Did I already say creamy? I think I did.

Tara (06:15):Yeah.

James (06:16):All right. Well, and the nutmeg, and I didn't even put truffles on it, which is how It's supposed to be done.

Tara (06:24):That was a little outside of our budget.

James (06:25):And it's outside of a lot of-

Tara (06:25):Most people's budget.

James (06:31):… maybe your budget it's outside of, and that's part of what… We're doing this for you, not for me. I'm not going to sit here whipping out a $500 truffle and telling you that my dish is going to be better than yours. I want you to make the exact same dish that I'm making.

Challenges to making the authentic version

Tara (06:47):I think we should go over some of the challenges in making what would be a, "authentic pasta alla Norcina" for the everyday people here in the US.

James (06:59):Let's define authentic. Let's rattle it off quickly what makes it authentic. I have actually the Umbria Tourist Board's recipe. You want me to do that quickly or do you want to go into it?

Tara (07:09):No. You can read it.

James (07:10):All right, the major sticking point is the use of cream versus ricotta, and that's where we will get the biggest haters in the comments section. All right. So, I'm going to read you. This site is in Italian. You can use Google Translate to translate it into English. So, this is a legit site. This is from Italy. This is actually the site of Umbria.

(07:39):So, short or long pasta, 400 grams. That's about a little less than a pound. Sausage, about 300 grams. Everything here is a little less than a pound. So, you just scale up if you want. Cooking cream. Okay, so that's Panna da Cucina, all right? That's the cream that they use in Italy.

Whether store-bought or homemade, condiments are typically used to enhance the flavor of a meal. Here we discuss the top Italian condiments and how you can use them to elevate your favorite meals!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/I-jPTS3lMeQ

If you've followed us for any amount of time, you can probably guess some of our favorite condiments, especially as they relate to Italian and Italian-American food.

In this episode, we dive deeper and discuss some of the top Italian condiments and how you can begin to use them to add flavor to and elevate the quality of any meal!

We explore the differences between cherry peppers (aka vinegar peppers) and the more trendy Calabrian chilis, and while they both pack some heat, they're not necessarily interchangeable.

Included in the discussion are other store-bought condiments, such as sundried tomatoes, sundried peppers, and balsamic vinegar.

We also discuss our favorite homemade Italian condiments, such as gremolata, a citrus-forward condiment that's traditionally served with osso buco to balance the richness of the veal, pesto Genovese and how it can be used for so much more than pasta, and salsa verde, one of our favorites for topping grilled meat.

Resource Links

Pork chops with cherry peppers

Cherry pepper spread

Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe

Pepper and egg sandwich

Potato and egg sandwich

Assassin's pasta

Penne al baffo

Artichoke pesto

Sun dried tomato pesto

Walnut pesto

Spicy creamy mushroom pasta

Grilled chicken thighs

Steak pinwheels

If you enjoyed the top Italian condiments episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

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Full Transcript

Intro

Tara (00:00):These are your options. Dried parsley, Reddit commenters who know it all, too many onions in the sauce. Okay, which do you kiss? Which do you marry? Which do you kill?

James (00:13):I'm telling you, there's a lot of good information on Reddit, but there is an epidemic of know-it-alls on that platform. Welcome back to the Sip and Feast podcast. Today we're going to talk about condiments and specifically how they can improve your meals. We're going to talk about ones that we use all the time that we think are indispensable in our kitchen. Tara, I think this is a great one. Did you come up with this idea or did I?

Tara (00:36):I think you did.

James (00:38):Of course I did. I think now we're all cooking a little bit more this time of year. It's starting to get a little cool out. Kids are going right back to school now. This is being filmed one day before our kids return to school, and we're stocking up on stuff. We're getting ready for the bigger meals, meals that can be given to our kids for lunch, meals that if you're making a lot and maybe you take lunch for work, stuff like that. I think that for whatever reason, we all as a culture, especially in America, start cooking more when it gets a little cool out and the summer's over. Do you agree with that, Tara?

Tara (01:18):Yeah, definitely. I think it's normal. Your appetite increases more when the weather changes, even though the weather hasn't changed here, it's like 90 degrees out. You can still feel the changes in the air and you want to start having those heartier meals.

James (01:37):Also, I think it's that you're wearing a little bulkier clothing right now, so you're maybe not as worried about how you look. You're not going to the beach and stuff. You're laughing, right? It's not.

Tara (01:48):No, I think true.

James (01:50):I think it's true.

Tara (01:51):Yeah. I think people definitely are more aware of how your body is when you're wearing less clothing, which is in the summer, you're wearing bathing suits, shorts, maybe smaller tops. I don't know.

James (02:03):I like to eat all the time, but I'm going to go with what Tara's saying. I think you're probably in that boat too. We're not talking about fattening foods specifically today, but we're talking just more about food and the condiments we use for that food to make it better. This isn't a top five. We probably have more than five.

Tara (02:22):Yeah. We have more than five. What we're not going to talk about right now, we're not including ketchup, mustard. It's more Italian American focused.

James (02:34):These are Italian ingredients that we're speaking about. None of these are Italian American per se. Most of these ingredients come from Italy. They're imported.

Tara (02:44):That is true.

James (02:45):Though there are some American brands that do make these as well. Names will be a little different depending on in Italy versus here. Rest assured, all these ingredients are used in Italy. Now they might not be used in the same way that typical Americans or just Italian people here, they use the ingredients different. We're going to talk about what people here in America do, because we live here in America, we don't live in Europe, we don't live in any other country. That's really what we try to do here. We tell you how we do things here and we also try to give you a clue and information about how other people who live here do things.

Tara (03:27):This is the only region we're truly experts on is where we live.

Cherry Peppers

James (03:32):Yeah. We're going to get into the first one right now. What do you have, Tara?

Tara (03:34):I broke these out into two categories. I've got store-bought condiments, which some of the ones on this list you could certainly make homemade, but when we use them, we're using store-bought. Then the second would be homemade condiments, things that you can make in your own kitchen. We'll start with a store-bought condiment, which is cherry peppers.

James (03:56):Cherry peppers.

Tara (03:57):Your favorite.

James (03:58):Yeah, cherry peppers are my favorite. I've been using them forever. Before we even discuss the use of them. Since you've known me, you've known me for four years have you been watching our YouTube channel from the beginning and you could go back that far and you'll see me using them, but I've been using them realistically for my whole life. I was probably three years old when I ate my first one. They were always very much, I would say, a New York centric thing and New Jersey here way before in popularity, before Calabrian chilies ever came on the scene. Calabrian chilies obviously have been in Calabria and they've been using them forever in Italy, but they were not a thing here in America up until about 10 years ago. We'll speak about those later because those are great.

Pictured above: cherry pepper spread

(04:53):Cherry peppers, now you can grow them in your garden. They're a little round pepper. I'm sorry, I don't know the genus, the species of pepper right now. Tara will look it up as we're discussing this, but you can use them right off the vine, but they're almost always sold in vinegar so people will call them vinegar peppers. You might be familiar with Sopranos, and Sopranos has a lot of great food. Sopranos represents Italian American food better than anything, better than Goodfellas, better than anything, because they had about seven seasons to do it. What is it Tara?

Tara (05:35):Cherry peppers, also known as pimiento, are the species is capsicum annum.

James (05:41):Okay.

Tara (05:44):Some Latin for you from someone who does not speak Latin.

James (05:47):Anyway, back to the Sopranos. They were in multiple episodes, but one of the most famous ones was Vito when he made pork with vinegar peppers. In the show, they refer to them as vinegar peppers. Most people will call them cherry peppers here. You might disagree with me and say, "Oh my Nona always called them vinegar peppers." Anyway, in the show it was Vito was making it for his secret boyfriend. You remember that, Tara?

Tara (06:13):Yeah. That was the Live Free or Die episode that took place in New Hampshire. Johnny Cakes.

James (06:17):Johnny Cakes. That's right.

Tara (06:19):That's what he called him.

James (06:20):He made him his famous pork chops with vinegar peppers. That was one of the first recipes that I put out on the channel. Maybe one of the first 30 recipes. Great use of them, but not the only use by no means the only use. These peppers are very, very frequently found in different types of sausage dishes, sausage with broccoli rabe, cherry peppers almost always go in that dish. You can go to a huge swath of Italian restaurants here, New Jersey, and you'll see them in dishes. Some of them won't use broccoli rabe. A few of them might use broccolini for the dish, but almost universally it's broccoli rabe. That dish is the Italian American interpretation.

Tara (07:05):I'll read what you wrote. The Americanized version takes its cue from the Apulian dish Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa.

James (07:14):Nobody will make it how it's probably made in Italy. That's what makes this type of food great, is all the different interpretations of it. Cherry peppers get in there. They also are frequently found in deli cases stuffed, and they're often stuffed with a breadcrumb mixture or they're stuffed with ham and provolone.

Tara (07:35):Once they become stuffed, they're not a condiment.

James (07:39):They're not a condiment. That's true.

Tara (07:40):A condiment, the definition of condiment, it's usually something you wouldn't eat by itself. You're not going to sit there and spoon ketchup into your mouth.

James (07:49):You're right.

Tara (07:49):Let's keep it to condiments.

Have you ever watched a film whose depiction of food left you starving? Maybe it was the food itself, the way the actors ate or prepared the food, or even the story leading up to a final climactic meal. Listen as we discuss some of the best food scenes in movies, and how they left us wanting more!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/fsu0t7PQUQY

Some of the most famous scenes in film relate to food.

Whether it's the maharaja's banquet in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or the prison scene in Goodfellas, food played a key role in setting the tone for the scene, and for the entire movie.

In this episode, we discuss some of the most iconic food scenes in movies, and a few may even surprise you.

While Jon Favreau's Chef seems to be our winner when it comes to famous food in film, there are a number of other food scenes in movies we discuss, including Dinner Rush, Pulp Fiction, Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, and Christmas Vacation. This list and episode are obviously not exhaustive so we might revisit the topic in the future. We wanted to go over movies that we've actually watched.

Food news

This week's discussion on food news includes the outrageous new pizza by DiGiorno that's sure to infuriate many! Their latest pizza which is available via online orders only will be released on September 5th and is topped with pineapples and pizza.

We also discuss the Bonne Maman 2023 limited edition Advent calendar and some of their intriguing new flavors.

All Resources

Movies discussed

Pulp Fiction

Goodfellas

Dinner Rush

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Eat Drink Man Woman

Chef

Big Night

The Menu

Indiana Jones

Christmas Vacation

Pig

Megan

Recipes discussed

Cannoli recipe

Pizza fritta

Meatballs

Chicken Cutlets

Additional resources

Chef Jean-Pierre's YouTube Channel

Bonne Maman

If you enjoyed the Food Scenes in Movies episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Are there certain ingredients you shy away from using, or certain meals you won't make because you're afraid you might screw them up? Listen as we explore some culinary situations that may give you pause, and some tips to help conquer your food fears!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/nhLUVyV-57E

For many cooks, both novice and seasoned, certain ingredients or meals can be intimidating.

Do you delegate certain duties, such as breaking down a chicken or firing up the grill to someone else in your household because you're afraid of messing up?

Perhaps you've always wanted to prepare a special steak dinner, but the fear of ruining an expensive cut of beef has prevented you from making it.

In this episode, we discuss some common kitchen and culinary fears and provide ideas to help overcome and conquer your food fears.

Food news

Included in this week's discussion on food news are some of the most exciting new foods debuting at the Minnesota State Fair which runs from August 24 - September 4. These foods include the bacon-wrapped waffle dog, Miami mango pickles, the crispy lutefisk steam bun, and Birramisu. We also discuss the latest news about one man's alleged find in his Olive Garden minestrone.

Back in 2017 with my brother at the Minnesota State Fair. Look at that black beard! Times have changed lol.

Resources

Chicken and potatoes

Reverse seared ribeye

Italian cheesecake

If you enjoyed the Conquer Your Food Fears episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Shrimp are one of those ingredients that are perfect for novice cooks. They're easy to find, easy to prepare, and cook within minutes. If you've ever wanted to know all about shrimp as they relate to cooking, whether it be the size, variety, or cooking methods, give Shrimp 101 a listen!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/ZG7iLf3EHaY

Shrimp are one of our favorite ingredients to work with and, as discussed in the 30-Minute Meal episode, one that requires just a few minutes to cook.

But for many, especially beginners, there are questions such as "what type of shrimp should I use?", "should I buy frozen or fresh shrimp?", or "should I remove the tails from my shrimp?".

In this episode, we ponder these questions as we talk about shrimp, their sizes, varieties, our favorite shrimp recipes, and some tips on how to shop for shrimp.

Food news

Included in this week's discussion on food news is the acquisition of Sovos Brands, the company that makes Rao's sauce, by Campbell's, why we're leery about "triple-washed" produce after hearing the story about the tree frog who took up residence in a container of spinach, and the bizarre TikTok trend of eating 3 large carrots a day to maintain an orangey glow.

Resources

Shrimp scampi

Shrimp oreganata

Shrimp Francese

Shrimp arrabbiata

Gumbo

Lemon garlic shrimp pasta

Shrimp cocktail

If you enjoyed this Shrimp 101 podcast episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There’s no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

It's back to school season and for many families that means busier, tighter schedules. To help, we've compiled a list of the best 30-minute meals that are actually doable!

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/Ob5kf2xREJc

When schedules get busy, take-out is often the "easy button" of choice, but that can get expensive and annoying!

In the time we spent lamenting over where to order from and what to order, we could have prepared a simple 30-minute meal.

In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite 30-minute meals, such as baked salmon oreganata, shrimp scampi, and pasta aglio e olio, plus a few tips to get you through busy weeknights in an economical way.

We also share why chicken meals are more challenging to make in 30 minutes, and that while sheet pan dinners are great for cleanup, they often take longer than 30 minutes, especially if you count the 10-15 minutes it takes to preheat your oven.

Food news

We also introduced a new segment where we discuss some current food related news and trends.  

Included in our discussion are the Subway name change challenge and the Hugo Spritz as the Drink of Summer 2023.

We also pondered the question, "How early is too early for Fall food and drink?".

Resources

Cod piccata

Lemon garlic shrimp pasta

Cacio e pepe

Pasta Alfredo

Linguine with canned clams

Linguine al limone

Tuna pasta

Pesto Genovese

Pesto Trapanese

Lentil soup

Tuscan white bean soup

Zucchini soup

Pepper and egg sandwiches

Potato frittata

Sweet potato frittata

If you enjoyed the Doable 30-Minute Meals episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There's no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

Food myths run rampant in our world, whether it be online or through old wives' tales handed down through the years. Much of this misinformation applies to the culinary world and we’re here to talk about it and decide which of them hold water.

If you prefer video, watch the full episode 10 YouTube video version.

Shortly after we published our instructional video for Pasta alla Norma, we received a ton of comments telling us we should have picked a male eggplant since they have fewer seeds.

This is a claim I heard throughout my childhood but always wondered if there was any truth to it. 

With just a little research I found that it is in fact a food myth. Eggplants do not have a specific sex, rather each eggplant has both male and female parts.

In addition to the eggplant myth, we explore a number of other culinary myths and claims including:

Should shrimp be cooked to a c shape, not an o shape?

Should pasta water be the same salinity as the sea?

Does turkey really make you tired?

Does chicken need to be washed?

Should pasta be rinsed after cooking?

Do fresh tomatoes always make better sauce?

Do the shiny and dull sides of aluminum foil have different purposes?

Should oil be put in pasta water?

Resources

Pasta alla Norma

Shrimp alla vodka

Shrimp tomato basil pasta

Ratatouille

Ciambotta

Pasta Fagioli

Olive Bread

If you enjoyed the Busting Culinary Myths episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There's no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of all podcast episodes, visit our podcast episode page.

If the produce found at the grocery store has you feeling underwhelmed, disappointed, and frustrated, you’re not alone. One solution is to grow whatever you can at home, even if it’s just a few herbs!

If you prefer video, watch the full episode 9 YouTube video version.

If the produce found at the grocery store has you feeling underwhelmed, disappointed, and frustrated, you’re not alone.  One solution is to grow whatever you can at home, even if it’s just a few herbs!

After several frustrating experiences with store-bought tomatoes, eggplants, and basil we felt the need to vent a bit!

Tara and I took some time to air our grievances concerning grocery store vegetables and offer a few solutions on how to get the best produce you can find.

Growing your own produce

The best solution, and also the most time-consuming is to grow your own. 

The act of gardening, from getting your hands in the soil, to harvesting your fruit and vegetables, can be extremely beneficial. 

Not only does it help you avoid trips to the grocery store, it can help provide a sense of accomplishment, and may have physiological and psychological benefits according to a few studies from the University of Colorado and Texas A&M. 

But a garden is not something you have, it’s something you do. It requires commitment, constant nurturing, and space, so we realize it’s not optimal for everyone.  

The next best thing to growing your own produce is to visit a local farmer’s market where you’re likely to find produce that was grown locally and didn’t sit on a shipping container for weeks.

In this episode, I share a few ideas for those looking to start a garden, whether it be in their backyard, or small potted herbs in your home, and answer a few listener questions related to gardening, barbecue, and my top picks for Long Island restaurants.

Resources

Pesto alla Trapanese

Pesto alla Genovese

Pasta alla Norma

Stuffed Eggplant

Texas A&M article

University of CO article

Permaculture College of Australia article

If you enjoyed the Growing Your Own Produce Episode, leave us a comment below and let us know!  

We love your questions.  Please send them to [email protected] (remove the 11111 for our contact).  There's no question not worth asking.

If you enjoy our weekly podcast, support us on Patreon and you will get 2 more bonus episodes each month!

Thanks for listening!