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.

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,

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.

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!  

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.

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.

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!