Last weekend was the second time that I went to Sapori D'ischia in Woodside, a traditional, rustic Italian eatery that I loved last time around. Dining with Meg, Tom and Dan, we enjoyed a quiet evening, sharing some great food. Although the goodness did have a hefty price tag (even on water, as they don't serve tap), it was a hands-down delicious, quality meal. Here are the new things we tried:
Margherita Pizza - Although really simple, I liked starting with this clean, classic dish that was made to perfection. I remember how crunchy and delicious the crust of their pizza was from last time, and this time was no different. The dough is on the thinner side, but still substantial enough for you to bite into and savor. The cheese was excellent, later finding out it was mozzarella bufala - like I said, nothing but the best.
Octopus - Thinking this was going to be the dish from last time, served in a little clay pot, that wasn't the case. After reading back about the ingredients from my last experience, they were indeed the same, but prepared quite differently. The dish had a more stewy consistency this time around and the bean and caper berries were more prominent. It was still a tasty dish, but I preferred the presentation and the crunchy texture produced by the terracotta pot from last time.
Risotto Special - We just couldn't refuse the delicious-sounding special of cheesy risotto with fennel sausage. It looked creamy and rich and although it could've been ordinary, the sausage really set it apart, as it had a very distinct earthy flavor from the fennel and a sharp zestiness from orange extract. Although the portion was big, it disappeared fast between the four of us, as we couldn't get enough.
Ravioli Special - Disappointed that the signature Fettuccine Alfredo (served inside a cheese wheel) wasn't available, we settled for the ravioli special, stuffed with butternut squash. It was pretty awesome, clearly made from fresh pasta dough, and the filling was freshly made too. I loved the good quality parmesan that dressed the sauce, together with fried sage leaves, which made the dish really fragrant and interesting.
Dessert - Enjoying two desserts, the fresh raspberry tart and the chocolate panna cotta,
they offered a nice wrap-up to this delicious meal. I particularly loved the tart, as it had big chunky raspberries on top, and the puff pastry it rested on was light and flaky.
That's not to say that the panna cotta wasn't the bomb, because it really was. Also as light as air, but still very chocolatey, each little spoonful went a long way. And it didn't hurt that it was further embellished with a fresh raspberry too and some sticky dark chocolate sauce. Mmmm to the max!
Service and Cost:
There seemed to be just one server for the entire dining room, which granted wasn't very crowded on a Sunday night but still. He had a weird way about him, that made me feel slightly uncomfortable, but not to the point where I wouldn't go back. The deliciousness of the food speaks for itself, as you can judge through the above descriptions. One thing I found really odd and pretentious is that they don't serve tap water - you must get bottled. What a crock of you know what!
Costs are pretty expensive, even though we shared everything, setting us back about $100/couple with tax and tip.
3 Mmmms
Sapori D'Ischia - 55-15 37th Avenue, Woodside NY 11377
718.446.1500
R/M/G Train to Northern Blvd
www.saporidischia.net
Also located in an off-the-beaten-path area, one probably wouldn't know to uncover this treasure unless you were with a true Tuscan. We were lucky in this way, as Paolo discovered this piece of history and all its "candy" years ago, when he and Pat opened up Tasty Tuscany.
The most notable part of Calci was the aforementioned Baroque monastery he took us to, which included breathtaking frescoes of religious and secular scenes, opulent halls where the monks gathered and the modest quarters in which they lived. We also had the pleasure of seeing an old pharmacy, which was run by the monks and was still functioning until about 30 years ago. It was all so fascinating and truly unreal to imagine that we were looking at and touching pieces of history originating in the 13th century.
When we got back to the villa, we were pretty tired and took a luxurious cat nap after lunch under some trees, overlooking the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany. After a dose of R&R, it was back to the kitchen we went to create our 3rd meal.
Cooking Lesson 3 - A Real Taste of Tuscany
Our third cooking lesson was the most involved and took the most amount of time, but we enjoyed every minute of it. After glancing at the menu, we were nearly squealing with excitement for today was the day we'd make fresh pasta. I've made a form of fresh pasta before with my grandmother in Slovakia and I've always had a really hard time rolling out the dough. I was hoping to learn how to do it properly here. But aside from the pasta, there were other lovely dishes we learned--from the stuffed and baked zucchini to a refreshing Tuscan salad and Cantuccini (aka Biscotti)--that by the end of this meal, we were three very happy (and full) travelers.
Handmade Tagliatelle with Sweet Tomato Sauce - Pat did a great job demonstrating the simplicity and the magic behind making fresh pasta. For all of you who are intimidated by this process, I hope this description changes your mind, for you don't need any special equipment or ingredients. All you need is flour, egg and a good roller. While the process was a little time consuming, it was so much fun and we really enjoyed putting our own spin on each batch of tagliatelle - mine were all helter skelter while Angela's and Marjorie's were perfectly straight and beautiful. But in the end it didn't matter, as they all looked gorgeous in our bowls, mixed in with the sweet tomato sauce we made. Here's how you make the pasta:
Ingredients: (Serves 6)
1 egg per serving
Approximately 6 tbs of flour per serving
Directions:
Place your egg in a bowl with 2 heaping tbs of flour. Whisk with a fork until incorporated. Add 1 or 2 tbs of flour, depending on the consistency you get. The goal is to get a firm dough ball where you don't see the yellow in the egg. Continue to beat your dough until you get the desired firm but still malleable consistency.
In the meantime, set a large pot of water to boil.
Kneed the dough with your hand, pressing down and stretching it, but at the same time ensuring that you keep it round. If the dough starts to stick, sprinkle it with more flour.
Then take your rolling pin (flour it lightly) and start stretching the dough by using a steady forward motion. Turn the dough 90 degrees after each roll to make sure you preserve its round shape. Steady the dough on one side with your forearm and work the opposite part of the dough with your rolling pin (i.e. if you are steadying the top of the dough with your arm, roll out the bottom with your floured roller). Switch sides and continue to roll out the dough until its about about 1/8 inch thick or thin enough to eat as pasta.
Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter) and then take your knife and cut into 1/4 inch strips with a fast chopping motion. Unfold the pasta strips so they are long and then cut them in half, as to make them more manageable to eat.
Place the pre-cut pasta into the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until al dente. Try one to make sure you are happy with it. Remember, it's always best to undercook pasta, as it continues to cook even after you take it out of the pot.
Drain the pasta and stir in the freshly made sweet tomato sauce. See recipe for the sweet tomato sauce here.
Stuffed and Baked Zucchine - Besides the pasta, this was my other close favorite. It was healthy and hearty, combining all vegetable ingredients such as carrots, onions, the inside of a zucchine and breadcrumbs. Pat wasn't happy with the outcome because she thought the bread we used was wrong, but I thought it was pretty darn delicious. Pat suggests using a crustier bread for the stuffing, but we used a softer Pugliese bread that almost reminded me of potato bread. Additionally to to the amazing taste of this dish, I loved the bite-sized zucchine, as we used small organic zucchine, instead of the larger, darker variety we are used to in the States. I have no doubt that you can find these adorable minis at your local farmer's market or a CSA.
Tuscan Salad - As mentioned yesterday, I was totally smitten with Pat's salads and this one was no exception. A very light, fruity creation, containing plump raisins soaked in Vin Santo wine, thin slices of pears or apples (we used the latter), pine nuts and chunky pecorino cheese, it made me reach for seconds and thirds. Dressed simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it was a most delightful pairing with the stuffed zucchine.
Cantuccini - Essentially the same thing as Biscotti, just named differently and meaning "corners," we had a great time making these. Just for fun and for variety, we created 2 types including a classic version with lemon zest, almonds and anise seeds, while in the other, we ditched the last ingredient and added dark chocolate chunks. Since I'm such a chocoholic, I thought I'd enjoy the chocolate chip cantuccini more, but I actually preferred the more classic version because of its clean taste and a hint of something intereting at the end of each bite, which came from the anise. Yum!
While my Tasty Tuscany experiences will come to an end with this post, I will continue coverage about my Italian adventure later in the week with some Florentine and Venetian restaurant reviews. Stay tuned...
Duck Meatballs - I wasn't sure what to expect from this dish. "Would they be small bite sized rounds or larger, more substantial in size?" I wondered to myself. Surprised at actually how large they were (maybe a tad bigger than a golf ball), I eagerly split them with a fork to reveal a creamy ricotta surprise in the middle. I smiled to myself and thought, "this is gonna be good." And it was. The glaze on top was sweet with hints of orange, which complemented the duck meat very well. And speaking of the duck meat, it was divine. Moist and bursting with flavor from all the wonderful fresh herbs in it, it had a rich meaty bite that was highly addicting. I'm telling you...these are an absolute must.
Pasta Gone Nuts - Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner also raved about a new pasta dish he just put on the menu, which is made with pistachio sauce. I love the earthy taste of pistachios and the fact that it was served with one of my Ornella favorites, chestnut pasta, sold me then and there. When the plate arrived, I could smell the delicious pistachio sauce and an essence of truffle oil, which finished off this creamy indulgence. The chestnut pasta was the perfect vehicle for transporting the sauce, as it clung to the pasta dutifully and stood up to its hearty texture.Pappardelle with Oxtail - Another menu newbie, Dan ordered it to try a meatier dish. I had something similar this summer, which had wild boar in it as well as the same, delicate homemade pappardelle pasta. The oxtail was slightly richer in body than the wild boar and because this dish is on the heavier side, mixed with button mushrooms too, the thin pasta was appropriate. Overall, a perfect fall recipe.
Stuffed Pork Chop - Just when we thought the feast was over, Giuseppe convinced us to try the stuffed pork chop with cheese, prosciutto and herbs. It was a large, beautiful hunk of meat as you see here, surrounded by button mushrooms and handmade spaghetti alla chitarra, which I've helped make at the restaurant. The dish was lovely and again due to its size, a perfect thing to share with someone. The pork was flavorful and a nice sleeve for the delicious salty goodness of the prosciutto and the melted cheese inside. Just another example of Ornella's creativity and innovation. Molto bene!Ornella Trattoria Italiana29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105718.777.94N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)www.ornellatrattoria.com
Saturday provided quite the eating extravaganza, as I found myself in one of my favorite Astoria spots, Ornella. I was with Rachel, a friend who interviewed me for a school project and together, we enjoyed a lovely brunch. And as is usually the case at Ornella, we got more than what we bargained for (and that's always a good thing!)
Grilled Calamari - Because we were super hungry, Rachel ordered us a plate of grilled calamari, which was served with fresh mixed greens and cherry tomatoes, flavored by a really amazing, lemony vinaigrette. We loved the dressing so much that we asked Giuseppe, Ornella's co-owner what was in it. With modesty, he said it was simply their basic vinaigrette with oil, lemon, garlic and salt and pepper. Still...it was so refreshing and went perfectly with the generous pieces of grilled calamari.
Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu - This fresh pasta dish came as a surprise. It was piping hot and gorgeously interlaced with tender meat and other earthy ingredients such as mushrooms. Even though it's summer, there's something so comforting and wonderful about this dish, making it suitable for any season. I especially loved the delicate pasta and how it juxtaposed with the heartier meat. If you're a carnivore, don't you dare skip this--I think it'd make a great dinner entree too.
Pancakes with Nutella - Hearing only good things about Ornella's pancakes, I just had to try them, and even more so because my favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread, Nutella was involved. Well...simply look at the above picture! Aren't they beauties? Not only are these pancakes absolutely gargantuan, they're double the width of ordinary pancakes. But that doesn't mean they're heavy and dense - on the contrary, they're light-as-air and pair wonderfully with fresh fruit and rich Nutella. Simply put...they're a choc-a-holic's dream.
Fresh Pasta Made by Us - In addition to the awesomeness I just described, Giuseppe taught us to make fresh pasta. Not only did this make me giddy, causing me to giggle like a little kid, but the pasta tasted incredible and was a real step up from its dried brethren.
We made two kinds of pasta - first a thin, silk-like spaghetti alla chitarra and then a larger, rigatoni-like garganelli. The first involved using a special pasta machine called a chitarra (guitar in English) that had wire strings to separate the pasta dough. So simple and timeless. The second pasta instrument was even more rudimentary and consisted of a small, square wooden platform with grooves that helped the garganelli attain their pretty ridges.
Take a look at the video to visualize the process and to try it yourself.
Service and Cost:
I don't really even have to touch on the service aspect because it's never short of excellent. Giuseppe and staff were as hospitable as ever and we enjoyed a very leisurely and educational meal. I wouldn't change a thing.
Prices for brunch are pretty stellar and include a $13 prix-fixe which includes unlimited mimosas or bellinis, an entree and coffee.
3 Mmmms
Ornella Trattoria Italiana 29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105718.777.94N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)www.ornellatrattoria.com
