Mommy's Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers alla Lucia

As I walked out of my apartment in Greenwich Village, something hit me. It was an unmistakeable smell ... A smell and aromas that instantly brought me back to my youth and my mother cooking the dish. Yes I know that smell quite well and can easily identify. The smell? Why Stuffed Peppers of course! As the peppers roast, stuffed most likely with ground beed mixed with rice (to strecth-out the beef), garlic and grated Parmiggiano Reggiano with tomato sauce. Yes the smell is quite wonderful and when I remember as my mother cooked the dish often. Stuffed Peppers along with; Meatballs, Stuffed Artichokes, Meatlaof, Eggplant, Braciole, and Stuffed Shells were one of the main-stays of my mothers Italian roots repetoire. A dish I always loved, but releived as I walked out my door the other day, a dish, just like Stuffed Shells and Chicken Cacctiatore that are hardly ever eat these days. I pondered why, and decided there was no good reason and I have to remedy this little delema, and soon.

I haven't had the dish in quite some time,  and decided I must have it soon. I went to the supermarket and got all the ingredients,; the Green Bell Peppers, ground beef, a can of San Marzano Tomatoes, and rice. I bought the Grated Parmiggiano at Raffetto's around the block and I was all set to go.

First things first, so I put the rice on to cook.  I got a little tomato sauce going with garlic, olive oil, Pepperoncino, and the San Marzano's,   I chopped the Italian Parsely, onions, and Garlic for the stuffing, and got things ready.

  I got 6 peppers that I would cut the tops off, then pull out the core inside. 

So the rice had finished cooking and cooled down, and it was time to put in a mixing bowl with the ground beef, garlic, chopped onions, grated cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and Black Pepper, throw in one egg and mix with my hands till everything was well mixed, just they mommy did. The stuffing was ready to stuff into the peppers. Fill all the peppers with the beef mixture, top them with their tops, pot some tomato sauce in the casserole dish, place the peppers in there, and throw them in the oven. In a little more than an hour they'd be done.

I pot on some Sinatra and Louie Prima, cracked open a "Nice Bottle of Chianti," as Anthony Hopkins would say, and waited for the Peppers to cook. 

Now I was making my own again, and I'm sure some of the neighbors were jealous as I was the other day, smelling those tasty Stuffed Peppers one of my neighbors was making, but none would I have. Not that day anyway, but now, and time for others to be wanting and not me. I'm sorry I can't feed everyone. Now anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook and feed others. My friends, family, whoever, and this often do, of which many will attest to.

Well noone is coming today. I'm gonna eat a couple of these suckers today, and the rest I'll leave in the frig and have 3 or 4 more meals of these babies during the week, Stuffed Peppers, Chianti, and Sinatra, "yes life is good at times," times like these ....

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

LUCIA'S STUFFED PEPPERS

in

Daniel Bellino's

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-AMericans Cook

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NEW YORK BEST CAFES

CAFFE DANTE

Macdougal Street GREENWICH VILLAGE

New York

100 YEARS OLD Next YEAR 2015

Is

NEW YORK'S BEST ITALIAN CAFFE

BEST ART in a CAFE

Caffe Reggio

photo Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

CAFFE REGGIO

Macdougal Street

BREENWICH VILLAGE

New York

For Great Art in a Cafe, You Can't Beat CAFFE REGGIO

in GREENWICH VILLAGE .. Caffe Reggio Boast

a Painting from The SCHOOL of CARAVAGGIO

and

a RENAISANCE BENCH From a MEDICI PALACE

Florence, Italy

Le COLOMBE

LAYFAYETTE STREET

Near ASTOR PLACE (8th Street)

East Village, NY

GREAT AMBIANCE & GREAT COFFEE

A Winning Combination!

STUMTOWN COFFEE

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WORLD'S PRETIEST BARISTA

STUMPTOWN COFFEE

GREAT COFFEE & GOOD LOOKING BARISTAS

And A Great Hang in The Lobby

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photo Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

ABRACO ESPRESSO

NEW YORK'S BEST CORTADO

and

BEST OVERALL COFFEE

If 

A Bit Much on Attitude at Times ...

PORTO RICO COFFEE

BEST COFFEE in NEW YORK

WHY The HELL Would ANYONE Be DUMB

Enough to Buy COFFEE BEANS at STARBUCKS  For $12.95

When YOU CAN BUY NEW YORK'S BEST COFFEE

For 5 DOLLARS LESS At $7.95 a Pound?

Guess Some People are Just Plain DUMB ???

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GREENWICH VILLAGE NEWPORT STEAKS

  Greenwich Village Newport Steak, French & Italian Wine Dinner on Thompson Street in "The Village."  My buddy Chris B. and I had another nice little Wine-Dinner this past Sunday with his girlfriend Maria ... It was quite the dinner ... We had some really nice wine to drink, with cheese a Steak-House Salad, and the famed Newport Steaks of Greenwich Village ... Chris gave me a call on Wedsday and said we where on for dinner this coming Sunday Night (Jan. 12, 2014) .. We were both quite phyched for a nice dinner and the prospect of drinking some great wines and The Newports, our favorite steaks. "A little Cote de Beaune" Chris uttered, immitating Miles in the greatest wine movie of all-time "Sideways" And so it was to be "a little Cote de Beuane" from Michele Bouzereau  2001 and  Sancere from Les Mont Damnes 2012, both wines quite lovely and very good examples of their prospective zones ... Chris always picks out nice White Burgundy's and the Bouzwereau was no exception, it was wonderful ... Anyway, let me get back to the Newports and the order of things as concerned the dinner which was awesome as usual, and maybe a bit more awesome than usual ...  So Friday I called Chris and asked hwo many we were gonna be for dinner as the butcher shop is closed Sunday and I was going to get the steaks on Saturday for Sunday .  We agreed on the 3 of us so I was set with the number of Newport Steaks I needed to pick up ... Oh yes, and the butcher shop in question was none other than the butcher shop where the Newport Steak was invented by one Italian-Butcher named Jack Ubaldi way back in 1947 ..  Jack wanted to able to sell his cuts of Tri-Tip Sirloin more readily, so instead of selling 



  Our THREE NEWPORTS From FLORENCE MEAT MARKET,  GREENWICH VILLAGE continued Tri-Tip in one piece which didn't sell as well, Jack cut the Tri-Tip Sirloin into 3-4 individual Steaks from the one triangular cut of beef .. He named the Steak after the Nike-like logo on a box of Newport Cigarettes and the rest is history as they say .. Florence Prime Meat Market is still open on Jones Street in Greenwich Village and that's where I get my Newports, either there or at Pino's Prime Meats on Sullivan Street which cuts a Great Newport and makes tasty home-made Italian Sauages as well .. Pino's is great, but I prefer and give an edge to Florence Market as they are the originator of the Newport and they look of the shop is much "Cooler" with all its original old fixtures ... 



OUR LINEUP of WINES For The NIGHT: 

BURGUNDY, SANCERE, BRUNELLO & SAUTERN


   

NEW PORT STEAKS In The PAN




NEWPORTS COOKING on 2nd SIDE[/caption] So I go to Florence and ask them to cut me 3 nice Newport Steaks .. One of the butchers goes to the walk-in (Refrigerator) and comes out with a nice fresh looking Beef Tri-Tip .. He puts it down on the thick wooden butcher block and starts trimming the tri-tip of some of its fat .. He then cuts me off three nice 2 1/2" thick Newports and wraps them in butchers paper .. The counter lady tells me it $18.99 for the Newports (about $6.50 a piece for 3 Prime Steaks). "A Bargain." I pay the lady, get my steaks and walk the 3 blocks back to my apartment, where I put my Newports in the frig to the next day.



The Hearts of Romain with Tomato Onion & Bleu-Cheese Dressing 
"A STEAK HOUSE SALAD"

So I get to Chris's house and as I'm climbing the stairs to his apartment I can hear some great Jazz playing . It was Dexter Gordon and quite fine . I was tired from walking up 5 flights of stairs, so I told Chris to crack open a bottle of wine, "I need to relax." Chris cracked open the Cote de Beaune Bouzereau, and it was quite nice and everything you'd expect from a nice mid-road White Burgundy. We both loved it .. Chris broke out some nice Brie Cheese and we sipped the wine, ate cheese and relaxed listening to some nice tunes before I started on the dinner; prepping the salad, the mushrooms, potatoes, and onions for our dinner to come ..

..
FLORENCE MEAT MARKET GREENWICH VILLAGE "HOME of THE NEWPORT STEAK"

Learn How To Make GREAT STEAKS, SUNDAY SAUCE MEATBALLS and More in SUNDAY SAUCE When Italian-Americns Cook by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

 

NEWPORTS on The PLATE With MUSHROOMS ROAST POTATOES


REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS "THE PERFECT DESSERT"
 by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
  LEARN HOW To MAKE GREENWICH VILLAGE NEWPORT STEAKS

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CHICKEN & CHET Chet Baker

Chet Baker

Came up with a new one the other night. It was at one of our dinners that we have a coupel time a month, when we cook, drink wine, and listen to some great music on Vinyl .. Vinyle Records that is, and some great music, not like any of the crap they make today, but great artist of the 20th Century like; Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Albert King, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and greats like Chet Baker. What's that? You never heard of Chet Baker? You're forgiven, many have not.

Chet Baker was one of the 20th Cenury's greatest and most unique Jazz Artist. He played Trumpet and had a positively unique singing style that was Super Cool and all his own. Baker played with Jazz Greats Charlie Parker and Jerry Mulligan before forming his own band and going out on his own in 1953, when he recorded and released Chet baker Sings ...

Chet Bakers most famous recordings are; My Funny Valentine and Let's Get Lost ...

OK, back to the Chciken & Chet Dinner ...  So my friends and I were having one of our little dinner parties at Chris's place on Thompson Street (Greenwich Village) .. As we usually do, we decide what we are gonign to eat, we buy the food, get some wine and cook dinner. As always the elements of our little dinner parties are; the food, some very good wine, and lots of great music, some on vinyl, some on CDs ... No matter what we make, we usually always have some nice cheese to start the meal, we decide on some music, and crack open our first bottle of wine. This night, Chris had already decided on chicken, which we all agreed would be great. He made some buttered carrots and Couscous to accompany the Chicken. Chris picked up a nice bottle of Au Bon Climant Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara that was quite nice, and I brought a bottle of Fausto Maculans Brentino ...

Chris was cooking the chicken, and we were listening to Eric Clapton, Ron Wood, and Pete Towsend's Raibow Concert LP .. A great album that's a bit obscure, but can you imagine, Clapton, Pete twonsend and Ron Wood all playing together? Friggin amazing. I myself had never heard of this concert and live recording album until Chris turned me on to it. It's awesome. Chris had some Zeppelin playing when we sat down to dinner, and I told him we had to tone the music down while eating. Like most civilized people I can't listen to loud music when eating so I requested a slow down. Chris asked what I wanted? He had been playing some Chet Baker when I arrived at his apartment, so I said I could go for some more Chet. He obliged.

The chicken was quite tasty, the wine was flowing and Chet Baker sounded just fine. 

The next day I sent Chris a Text thanking him for the Chicken & Chet, and so it's been coined. Everytime we have a Chicken Dinner now, we must also have some Chet, Chicken & Chet, it's our latest thing .. A dinner theme to add to our already famous Chianti Rolling Stones & Newport Steaks (dinner), as well Pork Chops Vino & Soul ... 

Oh and by the way, dessert is always Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and all is well with; Chianti Steak or Chicken, The Rollign Stones and Rock N Roll, R&B, Chet Baker and Peanut Butter Cups .. What more could one ever ask for?

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

CHICKEN

&  

CHET

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Last Day of The TART

ONCE UPON A TART Closing After 23 Years in Soho

SATURDAY August 23, 2014

The LAST DAY of THE TART

It's a very sad day in our neighborhood of South Greenwich Village / Soho today. Our beloved favorite little Mom & Pop Bakery / Cafe UNCE UPON A TART is Closing today. It's the last day, my last Coffee and the last time to see our lovely friends; Cleo, Samina, Kanai, and Jerome .. 

Once Upon a Tart has been like family to us. Those of us living in the neighborhood like myself who go there the first thing in the morning after leaving my house, I go to Once Upon a Tart fo my morning Coffee. But it's much more than that. It may sound Cliche, but in my case it really is, these people (the gcounter girls) are literally like family to me. I'm single and don't have a family and going to The Tart is almost like going to a second home where these lovely ladies, Cleo, Anna, and Samina are so nice and sweet, seeing them each morning brightens my day and starts it off just right. It really means a lot to me. And let me not forget Jerome, the owner of the Tart who with his wonderful little bakery / cafe, has brought joy and a place to go for those of us in the neighborhood as well as a multidude of tourists who find a lovely little cafe were they can get a bite to eat, a coffee and a bit of relaxation in a wonderful independent non-Starbucks cafe. How refreshing.

I've bee going to the Tart for 23 years since the place first opened. My girlfriend Dante and I were strolling the neighborhood and discovered this lovely little place. I've been going there ever since, never missing a beat. I love this place and will "Miss it Greatly." I will miss the nice ambiance, the coffee, tasty muffins and tarts, but most, I'll miss those wonderful girls who give me my coffee with a sweet smile each and everyday. I'm almost about to cry. Thank You to The Tart, to Jerome, and all the lovely ladies who have worked there over the years. A not so sweet but sad goodbye. Farewell.

Semena, Myself, and Cleo

One of my cafe Friends CHRIS N ...

Jerome (The Owner) & I

SOME TARTS

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Robin Williams Dies at Age 63

ROBIN in Good Morning Vietnam Where He Turned in

A BRILLAINT TOUR De FOCE PERFORMANCE

"As USUAL"

A Chicago native, Williams spent time at Juilliard, where he was briefly classmates with Christopher Reeve. 

After an appearance on NBC's Richard Pryor Show, he got his big break, playing the wacky alien Mork in what was supposed to be a one-off guest role on ABC's Happy Days. "We started rehearsing and I realized that I was in the presence of greatness," star Henry Winkler recalled on CNN Monday night. "No matter what you said to him, no matter what line you gave to him, he took it in he processed it and it flew out of his mouth never the same way twice and it was incredibly funny every time."

The character proved so popular that he commanded his own spinoff. Mork & Mindy, costarring Pam Dawber and Jonathan Winters, became a phenomenon, spiking sales of rainbow-colored suspenders and adding "nanu-nanu" and "shazbot" to the lexicon. The sitcom ran from 1978 to 1982. "I am completely and totally devastated," Dawber said in a statement Monday afternoon. "What more can be said?!"

Robin Williams With Bruno Kirby

In GOOD MORNING VIETNAM

A MASTERPIECE MOVIE With a GENUIS PERFORMANCE

by ROBIN in The LED ROOL as a POPULAR AIR FORCE DJ

For ARMED FORCES RADIO in SAIGON During The VIETNAM WAR

ROBIN As Well as The TALENTED BRUNO KIRBY & FOREST WHITAKER

All Turn in BREAT PERFORMANCES

Sadly Bruno Passed Away in 2005 at Age 57 (Leukemia)

Williams made the leap to film with a string of wildly successful movies, showcasing a range beyond the motor-mouthed improvisation he built his standup career on: The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Awakenings, The Birdcage, Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Insomnia. He carved out a rich career as a voice-over actor in such animated features as Aladdin, Happy Feet, Robots, and FernGully. 

He earned Oscar nods for Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, and Good Morning, Vietnam, before finally capturing the elusive statuette by upstaging Matt Damon and Ben Affleck with a touching supporting role in Good Will Hunting.

Among the films he completed before his death were May's The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, with Peter Dinklage and Mila Kunis, and the upcoming Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, where he reprised his role of Teddy Roosevelt in the Ben Stiller-led franchise. The latter is slated to open in December. 

Despite being one of Hollywood's most bankable movie stars, Williams never forgot his TV roots. Through the years he fronted several standup concerts and joined with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal to launch the Comic Relief television specials. Williams also made memorable appearances on Friends, Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: SVU, and The Larry Sanders Show.

He returned to television in last season's CBS comedy series The Crazy Ones opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar. The show was canceled in May.

In addition to his Academy Award, Williams won two Emmys, five Grammys and six Golden Globes (including the career-capping Cecil B. DeMille Award). He also won the admiration of generations of top comedic talent.

Robin in THE FISHER KING

with

JEFF BRIDGES

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alla CLEMENZA

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ELVIS PRESLEY

ELVIS

Elvis Aaron Presley

1935 - 1977

Tupelo Mississippi

Memphis, Tennessee

REMEMBERING ELVIS? The KING of ROCK & ROLL !!! No Doubt About It !  Elvis was The King. Love by Millions .. He died on August 16, 1977 , a Sad day for his many Millions of Devoted Fans. We remember Elvis, The King of Rock & Roll and one kind man. 

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"ONE HANDSOME DUDE"

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AUGUST 15, 2014 PUBLICATION DATE