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| Southwestern mole chicken enchiladas: Braise chicken thighs and drumsticks (with skin on) in chipotle sauce, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, coriander, mole paste (You can buy this at a Latino supermarket or create your own blend of cocoa and chili peppers), red onions, tomato cubes, green bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic on low heat. Once the meat is fully cooked and falls off the bone (after roughly an hour), remove it from heat, let it cool for a few minutes, then gently tease the meat off the bone and separate it from the cartilage and gristle so that only the meat is left. Shred the meat to your liking and toss the inedible parts. Reduce the remaining juice in the pot until it becomes a rich, concentrated sauce suitable for coating the enchiladas. The fresh vegetables and spices will have mixed with the chicken fat to produce a rich, flavorful, succulent sauce that you can leave chunky or puree with a hand mixer. In a large bowl, combine the shredded meat with extra sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced onions, black beans, corn, and any extra spices. Once the chicken sauce has cooled, add store-bought enchilada sauce to it (Unless you're keen on creating your own...good luck). Coat the bottom of a Pyrex with some sauce, then add one layer of corn tortillas that have been filled with the chicken stuffing. After each layer, add a generous amount of enchilada mixture to the top. Bake the enchiladas for 30-40 minutes. When they're done, top them with queso fresco, chilantro, red onion, and a dollop of sour cream. |
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| Cod baked with lemon, butter, white wine, sage, garlic, onions, and cream. With a side of green pea fusili in basil pesto. |
Curried barley and lentil salad with feta, red onion, olives, and dried cranberries
Caprese
Gorgonzola-apple crostini
Barley, zucchini, red bell peppers, corn, garbanzo beans, almonds, red onions, parmesan cheese, balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add diced chicken, salami, or ham, and you've got a one-dish meal! Also goes great with a traditional balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect to take to the beach or the pool.
Eggplant LasagnaSausage, polenta cakes, and salad
Succotash
Italian Shepherd's Pie
Parmesan risotto
with asparagus
and mushrooms
Summer app spread
Italian stratta with chicken sausage, ham, tomatoes, and Gorgonzola. Topped with Asiago.
Madrina Phyllis' homemade 'Cellos:
Limoncello
Limoncello with Cream
Nocino (walnut liqueur)
Bay Lead Liqueur
Wellness Shot
Courtesy of Whole Foods
1. Squeeze juice of one small lemon into a tumbler glass.
2. Juice (with a juicer) 2 small apples and one small piece of fresh ginger (unpeeled)
3. Add into lemon juice, stir, and top with turmeric powder.
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| Rosemary-and-almond-encrused pork tenderloin Galletti pasta in a cream gorgonzola sauce Roasted summer vegetables |
Spaghetti carbonara with mixed green salad
Homemade ricotta and pine nut ravioli
Cream marsala sage
alfredo
Tuscan bell peppes and
onions
Spicy sausage
Arugula salad with
garbanzo beans
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| Cajun-blackened cod sauteed spinach couscous garbanzo arancini |
Parmesan polenta, garlic roasted green beans,
and breaded chicken breast under a gorgonzola and roasted red pepper cream sauce
Drunk Dago's Original Cocktails
One of my favorite hobbies is to invent original cocktails. Many of these names were inspired by my time in Boston as a music grad student. Here are some of my favorites.
Tuscan Orchard
Grand Marnier
Italian Lemon soda
Espresso Martini Il Perfetto
Vanilla vodka
Frangelico
Fresh-brewed hazelnut espresso
Breve
As a substitute to Frangelico, you can also use Disaronno, Kahlua, Creme de Cacao, or vanilla or almond extract. They're all delicious. Bailey's also works, but lighten up on the cream. Experimenting with different coffee and vanilla flavors is fun, too.
There are many ways to make a really good espresso martini.
Look for my article about that soon.
Look for my article about that soon.
Haven Aviation
New Amsterdam gin
Maraschino cherry juice
Lemon Prosecco
...inspired by my uber-preppy Martha's Vineyard themed birthday party. Welcome to the Vineyard!
The Late Night Rehearsal
Hendrick's gin
Syrah
Muddled blackberry
Fresh lemon
Blood Orange Italian Soda
Great as a shooter!
Great as a shooter!
The Beacon Hill
Bacardi Rum
Maraschino liqueur
Pineapple Juice
Fresh lime
Orange Vanilla Seltzer
Cream
Vampire inManhattan
Chambord
Vampire in
Blood Orange Skyy Vodka
Fresh orange, lemon
Merlot
Splash cranberry
Lemon Seltzer
Fresh-brewed green tea
Muddled basil
Lemon-lime soda
Adult Orange Julius
Absolut Mandrin
Frozen orange juice (from a carton)
Drop of vanilla extract
Mandarin seltzer
Heavy cream
Summer Sangria
Ginger-infused gin
Strawberry-infused vodka
Champagne
Cream soda
Fresh orange, lemon, lime
Cucumber
Pomegranate Martini
Stoli Pomegranate
Chambord
Splash cranberry juice
Fresh lemon
Fresh pomegranate, pureed and strained
Gin Squeeze
Beefeater
Fresh orange, lemon, and lime
Splash maraschino juice
Italian pink lemonaide
Bodybuilder's Cocktail
Muscle Pharm Amino Acids (1 scoop)
Absolut Citron
Juice from 1 lime
2 drops of Angostura bitters
Lime seltzer
Shake well and serve in a highball
Southern Earl Grey Tea-ni
Gin
Fresh-brewed Stash Earl Grey
Juice from 1 lemon
Simple syrup
To elevate this drink one step (and to make it blow-your-mind alcoholic), you can infuse the gin with the Earl Grey for a few hours and include a sugar rim on the martini glass.
Drunk Dago’s Sweet Coconut Curry Chicken
I’ve infused this classic Indian/Thai dish with some Italian flair. No good dago would think to begin a cream-based dish (let alone one that requires chicken to be tender) without first sauteeing onions and garlic, as these two items give a dish an unmistakable flavor and bring out the flavors of everything they’re paired with. Surprisingly, the mixture of Italian spices and spices more often associated with pumpkin pie make an excellent pairing!
Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves
2 lbs chicken breast, leg or thigh chopped into cubes
2 large carrots chopped in thick slivers
1 can coconut milk
½ cup Half-and-half
1/8 cup curry powder
Cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, black pepper, to taste
Oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, to taste
2 tbs brown sugar
Procedure
Sautee onions and garlic on low heat until both are golden brown. Dump in chicken and increase to medium heat. Add Italian seasonings and mix in with chicken. When outside of chicken has changed color, begin to add curry powder and stir in vigorously. Don’t be stingy. Now add other seasonings. Pour in coconut milk and half-and-half. Stir all together until even consistency in pan. Increase to high heat so that half-and-half boils, then reduce to low heat and simmer for five minutes with the lid off (so that the dairy condenses). Sauce should cling nicely to chicken. May require more simmering time, depending on power of stove and type of sauce pan. At the end, add the sugar and stir. For extra flavor, mix in some freshly-grated parmesan cheese for a touch of saltiness. Sauce should be dense and a deep sunset-orange hue.
A note about the pan. Because this is a cream-based dish, do not use a Teflon or other non-stick pan. The ideal pan would be a cast iron skillet, but any old-fashioned pan would do. During the simmering process, you want to see a dense almost-solid substance at the bottom that requires a bit of light scraping. This is a sign that the sauce is condensing at a proper speed. If you do not see this, bump up heat or transfer to a different pan. In addition to providing a sweet, nutty flavor, the coconut milk offers a unique grainy texture that binds to the chicken. The half-and-half ensures that the sauce is smooth and creamy.
A Winter Dinner in Jamaica Plain
The other week we had two friends over for dinner: Tess, who is a graphic artist in Boston, and her roommate Robert, who teaches high school in Dorchester. Tess is a pescatarian who also eats bacon (Don't ask, I already judge her), so I decided to try my hand at cooking salmon, which I had never done. I decided to coat the salmon in cococut flakes that I had at the house. I kept the skin on because the knife I had wasn't sharp enough to filet the fish cleanly. I fried the salmon in a little vegetable oil for just five minutes and it was ready to eat: tender, flaky, and still moist. With it we served stir-fried vegetables: bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and water chestnuts. I prepared these in the cast iron skillet I got as a gift for Christmas (Thanks, Laurie!). Also on the side was some simple Jasmine rice.
Tanti Auguri, Giasone Connello!
Happy birthday to my roommate and biffle, Jason Connell! It seems like just yesterday that you were.......24. In honor of the occasion I offered a special meal. Peppercorn-marinaded pork tenderloin that was flash pan-seared and baked in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes. To complement it I included a long-grain wild rice and red lentil mixture as well as oven-roasted olive oil drenched asparagus. The tenderloin took longer than I anticipated to arrive at 150 degrees, but it turned out perfectly textured on the outside and slightly pink in the middle. What I love about tenderloin is how tender the loin is, you know? But really, it's so naturally juicy and delicate, I think it would be nearly impossible to screw up. I topped it with a rich parmesan gorgonzola cream sauce.
Before dinner we enjoyed a gin-based martini of sorts, into which I tossed fresh lime juice, pomegranate juice and maraschino cherry juice. It was refreshing and covered up a lot of the alcohol. During dinner we drank a 2010 Laboure-Roi Pinot Noir, a very affordable and quaffable Burgundy that I purchased for $12 at Blanchard's in "Downtown" Jamaica Plain. Love that place.
Drunk Dago’s Gnocchi
The other week we had two friends over for dinner: Tess, who is a graphic artist in Boston, and her roommate Robert, who teaches high school in Dorchester. Tess is a pescatarian who also eats bacon (Don't ask, I already judge her), so I decided to try my hand at cooking salmon, which I had never done. I decided to coat the salmon in cococut flakes that I had at the house. I kept the skin on because the knife I had wasn't sharp enough to filet the fish cleanly. I fried the salmon in a little vegetable oil for just five minutes and it was ready to eat: tender, flaky, and still moist. With it we served stir-fried vegetables: bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and water chestnuts. I prepared these in the cast iron skillet I got as a gift for Christmas (Thanks, Laurie!). Also on the side was some simple Jasmine rice.
Tanti Auguri, Giasone Connello!
Before dinner we enjoyed a gin-based martini of sorts, into which I tossed fresh lime juice, pomegranate juice and maraschino cherry juice. It was refreshing and covered up a lot of the alcohol. During dinner we drank a 2010 Laboure-Roi Pinot Noir, a very affordable and quaffable Burgundy that I purchased for $12 at Blanchard's in "Downtown" Jamaica Plain. Love that place.
Drunk Dago’s Gnocchi
Gnocchi are the hallmark of Italian indulgence. No dieter’s friend, these guys are the most simple-carbohydrate-packed morsels of culinary specimen I can imagine. Not yet faint are the memories of my childhood gorging myself over gnocchi ai quattro formaggi at my parents’ restaurant, and of course the stomach ache that always ensued. A few bites and I was done.
Who could possibly pinpoint the origin or a dumpling? And yet in modern continental European cuisine the Italian version is most renowned. Its home lies in the region of Liguria, where it is traditionally served with pesto alla genovese.
Gnocchi are a great dish because they’re renowned for absorbing whatever sauce they’re served with. The best of these include marinara, Bolognese, gorgonzola, creamy pesto, quattro formaggio, or butter sage. The best gnocchi I’ve ever had (Perhaps nostalgia prevails in this case?) were from its source: on the shores of the Italian Riviera outside Genova after a strenuous hike through Le Cinque Terre.
There are many recipes for gnocchi, most of which fall into two categories: potato-based or ricotta-based. Both have their flaws. The potato-based gnocchi require flour, which inherently adds undesired weight to the dough. The ricotta-based gnocchi are light but lack structure and easily fall apart in boiling water. The solution? A potato-flour-ricotta mixture! This is what I’ve found works the best.
Why are homemade gnocchi so difficult to pull off? First, gnocchi are made from dough, and whenever you work with dough, you only have a limited time frame for the magic to happen. Leave the dough out for too long and it’ll turn to mush, and when boiled will create boiled mush. Second, gnocchi are entirely dependent on their specific cooking environment: outside temperature and moisture, heat source, cookware. No two cooking conditions will be the same, which is why it’s advisable to not attempt them for a large dinner party on the first go! Finally, gnocchi are not for the easily distracted or impatient. From start to finish, this is a three-hour endeavor, much of which is mindless shelling of potato and rolling of dough. That being said, with an intrepid chef, they make a great dinner party activity, as everyone can get involved and learn something in the process.
The inspirations for my recipe are from The Goddess of Italian cooking herself, Marcella Hazan (The Classic Italian Cookbook) and a useful recipe by Michael Mulligan I found on his cooking blog (mikes-table.themulligans.org).
Ingredients
3 lbs Russet potatoes (Russetts are naturally lower in moisture)
2.5 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup parmigiano cheese
Italian seasonings: dried minced basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and parsley
Dash of salt, pepper, and nutmeg
1 tsp lemon zest
Procedure
“Crucial moments” during the gnocchi-making process I’ve identified in italics.
1. Rinse potatoes. Stab with a fork and bake at 350 degrees anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes depending on oven, until almost baked potato softness. Let them cool overnight or for at least a few hours. When preparing the dough you do not want the potatoes to still be warm whatsoever.
Despite what any other recipes tell you, do not boil the potatoes. This retails too much moisture, and is a recipe (Funny, I know) for disaster.
2. Once potatoes are chilled or at least room temperature, scoop out inside
4. Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to also hold the potato. Don’t over-mix; this is harmful to the dough
5. Add the potato to this next mixture. Again, don’t over-mix. The dough should come together into a large ball rather easily. If this is not the case, add a touch of flour, but be parsimonious. An ideal gnocchi dough is the consistency of cobbler dough and doesn’t stick to the fingers whatsoever. 
This is the make-or-break point in the preparation. If the dough is overly-sticky, your gnocchi are bound to be too heavy at best or mush at worst. I speak from experience. If the dough feels too crumbly because of the ricotta, don’t worry. You’d be amazed at how hot waters seals it all in!6. Put dough in refrigerator briefly while you put water on the stove.
8. Cut into 1-inch segments. Roll a fork over them to create grooves into the dough. Grooves won’t be perfect, but it’s more important not to fuss with the dough.
9. Water on stove should be boiling by now. Dunk in about 20 gnocchi at a time, making sure the water doesn’t splash up and burn you in the process.
These little balls of joy are your trial run. Here you’ll be able to stop and test dough consistency, water temperature, and cooking time. Let them cool for a few minutes. Cut into them with a fork. They should have the consistency almost of a wet donut—somewhat spongy, with small pockets of air visible to the eye. If the gnocchi don't “give”, then it’s rough sailing from here on out. 
12. Try to keep gnocchi as separate from each other as possible before adding sauce to them. This reduces stickiness.
13. When adding sauce, pour sauce over the pasta, as opposed to sifting the pasta into the sauce. Limit amount of manipulation and stirring, as they’re still fragile.
If this is your first time making homemade gnocchi, I recommend serving it with a very simple sauce of melted butter and parmigiano cheese (perhaps some sautéed onions and garlic as well). This will give you a sense of the subtlety of the gnocchi flavor. They’re delicious by themselves!
I’ve had a lot of fun serving gnocchi in “courses”, each with a different sauce. This shows off their versatility and ensures that overeating isn’t an issue.
If you’re feeling adventurous (admittedly I’ve never had the audacity to do so), experiment with spicing up your gnocchi by adding ingredients such as basil, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or pumpkin pulp to the dough. This adds color and flavor. Be sure to completely dry out these added ingredients (ideally outside or in the oven), because as we know, moisture is a gnocchi’s most nightmare.
A variety of wine pairings are at your disposal, and almost any medium-bodied Italian red will do, but I recommend something traditionally Northern Italian, such as Valpolicella, Barbera, or Teroldego. Your choice of sauce should also be a guide. If it’s gorgonzola, go for a young Nebbiolo from Langhe. If it’s Bolognese, what other than Chianti? The Drunk Dago’s Classic Italian Bolognese
Background
Bolognese (or Ragu by locals—the two are synonymous) is the classic red meat sauce of Central Italy, in particular Bologna. When placed very simply over a bed of tagliatelle pasta, as the Italians do, the subtle flavors of the sauce shine through. It adds richness to a traditional Lasagna Bolognese as well. Popular to put over a bowl of polenta, as is done in the Veneto Region. Bolognese is less a sauce as is it a thick, chunky pile of ground meat (beef, pork, and veal all work fine) saturated in marinara sauce until only the highly-concentrated and flavor-packed essence of the tomato sauce remains. Conservative Italian chefs would be mortified to know that I use Trader Joe’s tomato and basil marinara instead of canned whole or crushed tomatoes, but it adds a ton of flavor and saves about 2 hours of cook time. Besides, they don’t know my life.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground meat (It can be beef chuck, sweet Italian sausage, ground pork, ground veal, ground lamb. A mixture of these is ideal)
2-3 cans Trader Joe’s tomato basil marinara, or some decent supermarket equivalent
Medium-sized onion (yellow or Hawaiian sweet)
½ cup Extra Virgin olive oil
Italian seasonings: rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley (Dry is fine, but fresh is always good too!)
2-3 medium-sized carrots, diced to ½-inch thickness
2 cups of inexpensive dry Italian red wine
Pinch of Baking Soda, to reduce acidity from tomatoes
Procedure
Dice onion to desired size pieces. I prefer it larger so that I can taste it along with the sauce. Chop the garlic. Sautee both in olive oil under golden brown in a large pan on high heat. Add meat and separate it with a heavy wooden spoon until it is well crumbled. You don’t want large chunks of meat in the sauce. Once meat is brown, add red sauce. Instead of the premade sauce, you can add a can or two of whole of crushed tomatoes, for a fresher taste. Add red wine, Italian seasonings, and baking soda. Reduce heat to low or medium (depending on how long you want it to simmer), stir and let simmer. This sauce can simmer for up to several hours. When my mom used to make it for Christmas dinner she would leave it on the stove all day while cleaning the house before the guests arrived. Every few minutes return to ensure that meat and sauce are not burning the bottom of the pan. Bolognese is ready when most of the red liquid has been evaporated. Make sure carrots are tender.
Pour over a bowl of penne, spaghetti, or tagliatelle pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmigiano cheese. Goes great with Sangiovese or Dolcetto!
