Amazing Breakfast on The Amalfi Coast

My Breakfast at Villa Maria Agroturismo, Minori

“Yes the Breakfast was amazing and trully the best of my life. How can it not be, look where I was sitting.” Perched hi atop the town of Minori on the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, “My God!” I had the most beautiful view imagineable on the terrazzo at Villa Maria Agroturismo looking down on the lovely seaside town of Minori with Ravello higher up the mountian and to the right. My breakfast, The BEst in The World. Well the best breakfast I’ve ever had; nice hot Coffee, Amalfi Lemon Cake, fresh Sfogliatelle, fresh fruit, toast and 10 different Homemade Jams made my Vincenzo and Maria with fruit from there farm. What could be better? Not much I tell you!

The World’s Best Breakfast? Yes, well maybe. Or maybe not, but for me, the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my life. I came across Villa Maria Agroturismo when I was watching vidoes of Sicily and The Amalfi Coast on Youtube one night. I was getting ready to go on my trip and I was just looking for inspritation and a way to psych myself for my upcomong vacation. I just happened upon this video made by David Rocco. David Rocco is a Celebrity Chef from Toronto and he had done a series of food & wine videos on Italy. This particular one that I came across was about this wonderful little agroturismo Lemon Grove Farm in Minaori Italy on The Amalfi Coast called Villa Maria Agroturismo. Well I loved the video and fell in love with this place and the people who run it, husband and wife team Vincenzo & Maria. Vincenzo tends to his farm which is mainly a wonderful Lemon farm, but Vincenzo also has a good number of Olive Trees to make olive oil, he has grapevines from which he gets grapes to make a wonderful red wine and a white as well, he grows all sorts of fruits and vegetables, he has chickens for eggs and meat, as well as pigs so he can make his own homemade Salami and Prosciutto.

Yes Vincenzo takes care of the farm and he also runs his little inn agrosturismo that has 6 lovely little rooms way up in the mountain top of Minori. They also have a nice little restauarnt that you eat, yes the world’s best breakfast and a marvelous 4 Course Dinner every night made my Maria with all the food made from products from their farm; Salami, Wine, Olive Oil, fruits and vegetbles, Pork Chops, Frittata (eggs) etc.. You’ll not get a better meal anywhere, I promise you.

View of Minori From VILLA MARIA

Lemon Grove, Villa Maria Agroturismo, Minori Italy

Pacceri Frutta di Mare .. My Lunch Villa Maria, the day I arrived …

Italian Cookbook Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICE

with VINCENZO MANZO of VILLA MARIA AGRO

MINORI, ITALY

1b7e8-screen2bshot2b2015-03-102bat2b11-26-192bpm

Cooking Italian Greatest Hits Cookbook

MY LATEST

COOKING ITALIAN GREATEST HITS COOKBOOK

This is The Cover

The Book will be out soon ..

October 27, 2015

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke Amazon Author Page

Macari Vineyards Waverly Inn Bacchanal

The Waverly Inn Macari Vineyards Bacchanal

October 13, 2015

There was a full Fledged Bacchanal going on in Greenwich Village last night. It was held by the Macari Family of which Alexandra Macari and daughter Gabriella hosted this wonderous feast of temptuous food and wines. The Macari family provided the wines along with a Side of Beef, a Pig, and a Rooster of which Chef Jeffrey Teller put together an amazing 10 course full Baccanalian Feast of delicious proportions. There were about 40 revelers on hand for this epic little feast that was savored by all of the friends, family, and fans of Macari Wines.

The Bacchanal … Jan Brueghel

Gabriella & Alexandra Macari

Gracious Host of The Evening

Macari’s Famed Sauvignon Blanc

OYSTERS ROCKERFELLER

The First Course

with Macari Dos Aguas White 2013

Maple Roasted Shoulder of Pork

MACARI WINE BACCHANAL

MENU

Oysters Rockerfeller … Oeuf Cocotte w / Bacon Chanterelle Mushrooms & Truffles … Roasted Bone Marrow … Lyonaise Sausage

Beef Rump Royal … Rooster in Puff Pastry … Smoked Pork Chops w / Porcini Relish

Tourtiere of Beef & Pork (Pie)

Maple Roasted Shoulder of Pork

Apple Tarte Tatin … Ricotta Cheesecake

WINES

Macari Cuvee Katherine, Blanc de Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Dos Aguas White Blend 2013

Merlot Estate 2012

Alexandra 2010

Block # Dessert Wine 2012

Macari “ALEXANDRA” 2010

The Macari Family

Arancini Pizza Pasta & Pannini “Favorite Things to Eat on The Amalfi Coast”

MY FAVORITE THINGS to EAT on The AMALFI COAST

Salumeria in Minori

She just made me my favorite Pannini, Smoked Scormoza & Sopresseta. Yumm.

ARANCINI

My Favorite Salumeria on Capri

Love their Arancini (Rice Balls) & Eggplant.

Pacceri Frutta di Mare . Mostly Clams with Mussels & Shrimp

My Trip Capri Positano Napoli The Amalfi Coast – Italy 2015

Lemon Grove, Villa Maria, Minori

My Breakfast Table Villa Maria

Photo Copyright 2015 Daniel Bellino Zwicke

My Daily Breakfast

Villa Maria Agroturismo is a beautiful Lemon Grove Farm in Minori Italy on the Amalfi Coast south of Positano and the town of Amalfi .. The owners Vincenzo Manzo and his wife Maria turned there lovely little farm in to an Agroturismo in 2000 .. An Agroturismo is a farm or vineyard in Italy where you stay on the property and have wonderful meals made from the products of the farm .. Villa Maria is primarily a Lemon Farm, but Vincenzo has Olive Trees (Olive Oil), Fruit Trees (Peaches, Pears, Apples), and Grapevines of which Vincenzo makes his own tasty white and red wine .. Yes he makes his own Olive Oil, Salami & Prosciutto from the pigs he keeps, as well as Eggs and Chicken from his poultry. So Vincenzo tends to the farm and makes Olive Oil, Wine, Salami, Fruit Preserves, and his own Limoncello. Vincenzo’s wife Mari does the cooking with her sister for the most amazing Breakfast you’ve ever had in your life and fabulous 4 Coruse Dinners every evening on the terrace. Villa Maria is a very special place that everyone who makes it there falls in love with the place, with Maria & Vincenzo as well.

Antipasto Misti

My First Lunch at Villa Maria

Pacceri al Vongole

Me & My Buddy Vincenzo – Villa Maria

View of Minori from Villa Maria

The BREAKFAST TABLE

Overlooking the town of MINORI and The MALFI COAST Below

Minori e Mare

Walking down to town in the morning from Villa Maria to Minori town center.

My Favorite Lemonade Stand .. Capri

View of Marina Grande

from Anacapri … Capri Italy

with Sorrento in The Distance

Photo COPYRIGHT 2015 Daniel Bellino Zwicke

da Gaetano

“A Great Little Pizzeria near The Porto Capuana and Church

of Santa Caterina Formiello”

Napoli, Italy

Great Pizza

da Gaetano

Porto Capuana , Napoli

Santa Caterina Formiello

Napoli

“I Love This Church”

One of My Favorites in The World

To SEE More on Santa Caterina Formiello … Click

FRESCO SANTA CATERINA FORMIELLO

Santa Maria Assunta

SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA

Click for More Historical NAPOLI

Market, Napoli

Playing Cards

Mens Social Club, Sorrento

MINORI

Restorante Da Vincenzo, Positano

Lunch at Da Vincenzo … Positano

My Favorite Restaurant in POSITANO . Been Eating there Since June 1985

Casa Albertino … Positano

One of my Favorite Hotels in The World !

Social Club Sorrento

FIAT 500 CINQUACENTO

Villa Maria Terrazzo at Sunset

Secret Bolognese !!!

COOKING ITALIAN

GREATEST HITS COOKBOOK

Recipes From My Sicilian Nonna

.At The Piazza in RAVELLO

Villa Cimbrone

RAVELLO, ITALY

Villa Cimbrone is absolutely Gorgeous and well worth the time to Visit when in RAVELLO. “I just LOVED IT” !!! The view from the Terrace of Infinity is Spectacular, and you can have a glass of wine or cocktail at the bar below. It’s great fun.

Walking down to Marina Picola Capri from bus-stop at Due Golfi

At Marina Picola looking toward The Faraglioni Rocks , CAPRI , Italy

The BADASS COOKBOOK

I’m Proud to Anncounce the publication of my latest cookbook,

The BADASS COOKBOOK …. Awesomely Badass Recipes

You Don’t Have to Be a Badass to Use it, The RECIPES ALREADY ARE

I had a lot of Fun writing this one .. As most of you know, I primarily write Italian Cookbooks .. This is my second forray into non-Italian Cookbooks and into the World of American Cooking and America’s Favorite Foods of which this book, The BADASS COOKBOOK has the Best of The Best of America’s Favorite Dishes … Dishes Like Fried Chicken, BBQ SPARE RIBS, Bobe Sucking BBQ Sauce, The Worlds Best Potato Salad, Blue Ribbon Meatloaf, Cowboy Chili, Badass Barbecued Chicken, New England Clam Bake, Sloppy Joes, Badass Guacamole, and Much More … It’s all in The Badass Cookbook, including The Best Chocolate Chips Ever and How to Cook The Perfect STEAK …

THE BADASS COOKBOOK is Available in PAPERBACK & KINDLE Editions on AMAZON.com

RAGU BOLOGNESE The SECRET RECIPE – Just Published

I’m proud to announce the Release of my latest Book RAGU BOLOGNESE

– The Secret Recipe and More …

You’ll See DANNY BOLOGNESE as The Author

That’s Me !!!

My Nickname I Was Given

as a Result of My FAMOUS BOLOGNESE

The Recipe was Kept Secret for Years

Now You Can Get It My New Cookbook

RAGU BOLOGNESE The SECRET RECIPE

and More …

Available in Paperback and Kindle

on AMAZON.com

Thank You All,

Daniel

The Publication of Grandma Bellino ‘s Italian Cookbook

Publication of GRANDMA BELLINO ‘S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN GRANDMOTHER

Available on Amazon Kindle .. Available in paperback July 31, 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hello! I am pleased to announce the publication of my latest book, Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook – Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother .. It is now out and available on Amazon Kindle, and will be available next week in Paperback , publication Friday July 31, 2015 .. It’s been a labor of love to get this one out. Well, they’re (my books) all a labor of love, and this one is no exception. The book is comprised of recipes from my Sicilian Grandmother Giuseppina Bellino who left Lercara Friddi Sicily with her husband Philipo (my maternal Grandfather) in 1904 for the shores of New York and a new a better life in America .. My maternal grandparents Philipo and Giuseppina settled in in the Yorkville section of Manhattan and lived and worked there for a few years before moving to the Italian enclave of Lodi, New Jersey where my grandfather Philipo set up a shoemaker shop on Main Street in Lodi .. My grandfather worked hard and he and his wife Giuseppina had five children; my mother Lucia, her sister Lilly, and their three brothers Frank, Tony, and James .. My grandfather worked hard, but never made much money .. Often times their low earnings reflected in the family meals which where heavy on Soups and Pasta, and not all that much meat or fish on its own, never-the-less the Bellino’s had a good healthy life .. My grandmother had wonderful recipes from back in Lercara Friddi, and she made friends in Lodi with women who came from Abruzzo, Napoli, Lazio, and Calabria and had regional recipes of their own. The ladies became friends and talked about and swapped the local recipes, so although this book is made mostly of Sicilian recipes from Giuseppina, there are Neapolitan recipes and one from Calabria, and Abruzzo as well. There are also recipes from Giuseppina’s offspring and grandchildren like myself, my cousin Tony and my sister Barbara. The dishes and recipes in this book are filled and come from love, and do hope that people will cook and enjoy this eclectic collection of Sicilian and other italian recipes, some that are popular and well known, along with others that are rarer and less well know, yet wonderful never-the-less. I sincerely hope you all enjoy Grandma Bellino’s Italian (Sicilian) Cookbook, the stories and recipes within.

Daniel

The BELLINO ‘S

Fillipo, Lucia, Tony, Giuseppina

My mother’s sister Lilly and Brothers James

and Frank are not in this picture.

Lodi, New Jersey

1941

SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

by Daniel Bellino – Zwicke

My Nonno

Fillipo Bellino

about 1900

The COUNTRYSIDE

Outside Lercara Friddi

Screen Shot 2017-11-10 at 2.41.17 PM.png

The DUOMO

SANTA MARIA d’ NEVE

The DUOMO

SANTA MARIA d’ NEVE

LERCARA FRIDDI

Friends at Cafe Glamor

Lercara Friddi

Un CANNOLO

At a Bakery in LERCARA FRIDDI

Man in Lercara Friddi

2017

PIAZZA ROMA

LERCARA FRIDDI

SICILIA

Screen Shot 2017-11-10 at 2.30.18 PM.png

Maria Salemi

ANTICA FOCACCERIA S. FRANCESCO

PALERMO

The most famous place to eat in PALERMO. Signature Dish is PANE MILZA

which is a Sandwich made of Beef Spleen, Ricotta and Caciocavallo Cheese

on a Sesame Roll. The ARANCINI (Rice Balls) and PANELLE are great as well.

This place is a “MUST DO” when in Palermo.

The “BIG GUY”

Cafe Glamor

Piazza del Duomo

LERCARA FRIDDI

My SICILIAN HAT , Vacation Journal , and a Wrapped ARANCINI

for Bus Ride from CANTANIA to PALERMO

at the CAFE by The BUS STATION in CATANIA

“They had tasty GELATO , Cannoli , and awesome ARANCINI at this Cafe.”

MALANZANE PARMIGIANO

My first Lunch at VILLA DAFNE AGRITURISMO , ALIA , SICILY

SOPHIA LOREN

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

by Daniel Bellino “Z”

PIAZZA SINATRA

AGRIGENTO

How to Make a NEGRONI

NEGRONI

The Negroni? A question? A question to some? Most of America probably. Many so-called sophisticates have been drinking this “The Negroni” quite a bit in the past 4 years or so. The truly sophisticated, worldly folks have known about them far longer. Me? I’ve been drinking this great Italian-Cocktail for some 28 years now. Yes, I’ve been drinking Negroni’s ever since my first at a Bar in la Bella Roma back in the Summer of 1985. Rome, “The Eternal City” is where I had my first, on that marvelous first trip to Bella Italia. I was quite a young man, and that trip was completely magical, discovering real Italian “Italian Food” for the very first time, I had my first true Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara, Coda di Vacinara, Bucatini Amatriciana, Gelato, and a true Italian Espresso, “Oh Bliss!” Yes it was. I saw The Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s Moses at San Pietro en Vincole (Saint Peter in Chains), I saw the Coliseum, The Roman Forum, The Duomo in Florence, Venice and The Grand Canal, Positano, Capri, Napoli, and so much more. Yes the trip was magical. It was magical hanging out at a Bar in the Piazza Popolo drinking my first Campari, and that first of a thousand Negroni’s, or more. Many American’s are just discovering its charms, “me and the Negroni,” we go way back; in Rome, Venice, , Positano, Capri, Verona, Bologna, I’ve had Negroni’s all over. And many in New York in restaurants and bars all over Manhattan, and Staten Island where I drink some of the best Negroni’s I’ve ever had, certainly in New York, at my buddy Pat Parotta’s house in Staten Island.

Pat pours an awesome Negroni, better than any bartender in the city. He makes them with love and when I go to one of his wonderful little dinner parties, that’s the first thing I have. It’s tradition for us now. Leaving my house in Greenwich Village,
I hop on the 1 Train and take it down to the Battery to the Staten Island Ferry
Terminal. I hop on the ferry, ride across New York Harbor, passing the gorgeous
Lady Liberty (The Statue of Liberty) along the way. I get off the ferry.

Pat picks me up at the terminal on the Staten Island side. We go to house, and I’m not through the door two minutes and he’s mixing up a nice one. A Negroni that is!

Well 2 that is, one for me, and a Negroni for himself. We drink great Italian Wine at those dinner parties, and some of Pat’s tasty food. But we always start it off with
our ritualistic Negroni’s alla Patty “P” and you should too.

THE NEGRONIBasic Recipe:

1 ounce Campari

1 ounce Sweet Vermouth

1 ounce Gin

Ice

Orange

1. Fill a Rocks-Glass or Highball Glass with Ice.

2) Add Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and Gin.

3) Stir ingredients. Garnish with a piece of Orange Peel or slice of Orange.

Note: Orsen Wells after discovering the Negroni while writing a screenplay in Rome, wrote in a correspondence back home thathe had discovered a delightful Italian Cocktail, “The Negroni.” Welles stated, “It is made of Bitter Campari which is good for the liver, and of Gin which is bad. The two balance each other out.”

“NEGRONI” T-SHIRT

photo Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

THEBELLINO NEGRONI

For me, this is the Perfect Negroni. The basic Negroni recipe calls for 3 equal
parts(1 oz.) each of Camapari, Sweet Vermouth, and Gin in a glass filled with
ice, and garnished with an Orange Peel. For the most perfectly balanced Negroni, I put in slightly less Campari (3/4 oz.), ¾ ounce of Gin, a little moreSweet Vermouth with 1 ¼ ounces, over Ice,
add a tiny spalsh of Club Soda
and Garnish with a good size piece of Orange. Voila! The Perfect Negroni. Enjoy!

THE NEGRONI is Excerpted From Daniel Bellino-Zwicke ‘s SUNDAY SAUCE

CLICK HERE !

READ : “ITALIAN COCKTAILS in NEW YORK”

At theDannyReport.com

CAMPARI VINTAGE POSTER

FINE ART PRINT on CANVAS

CAMPARI

TEE SHIRT .

AL PACINO & ME

AL PACINO

and AGLIO OLIO

“SPAGHETTI THAT IS” !!!

SPAGHETTI AGLIO OLIO

alla AL

AL PACINO & AGLIO OLIO

Al Pacino and Aglio Olio
you ask? What about it? Well it’s just that Spaghetti Aglio Olio always reminds
me of that great fellow New Yorker Sicilian American, the one-and-only Al
Pacino from da Bronx. It’s not a big deal, just a wonderful little memory for
me. When I was the Wine Director at the famed Barbetta Restorante on Restaurant Row in New York’s Theater
District (where Al often performs on stage), Al Pacino used to come and eat
there every now and then. He never wanted anything to fancy, but something that
just about all true blooded Italian-American wants, and that dish is Spaghetti
Aglio Olio, plain and simple, yet it’s in
our blood. That’s what Al wanted
and that’s what we gave him, and Al loved it and you will too.

Recipe Excerpted

from

Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook

RECIPE

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

the Way AL Likes It !!!

“Al Pacino That Is”

Recipe Excerpted From Daniel Bellino’s Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook

Note : Note, the recipe for Spaghetti Aglio Olio as Al Pacino likes it and as it’s written in Daniel Bellino’s Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook, encompasses Two-Recipes-In-One .. You have the Recipe for Spaghetti w/ Garlic Oil & Anchovies, and to make Spaghetti Aglio Olio the way AL Likes It, is by making this recipe, but ommitting the ANchovies to end up with Spaghetti Aglio Olio, just the way the Great Al Pacino likes it. Mangia Bene!

INGREDIENTS :

¼ cup best quality
Italian Olive Oil

6 cloves of Garlic,
peeled and minced

½ teaspoon
Red Pepper Flakes

6 Anchovy
Filets minced fine

1 pound
imported Italian Spaghetti

¼ cup
Italian Parsley

Put a large pot with 4
quarts of water on the stove. Add 2 tablespoons salt and bring to the boil.

Place Olive Oil and
Anchovies in a large frying pan and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook on
medium heat for 2 minutes. Add red pepper and continue cooking on low heat
until the garlic begins to turn slightly brown. Turn heat off and let rest.

Add spaghetti to the
boiling salted water. Cook spaghetti according to directions on package. Two
minutes before the cooking time on package start testing the doneness of the
spaghetti by taking a strand out of the water and biting into it to see how far
cooked it. By doing this you’ll be able to determine if it needs to cook a bit
longer or if it’s ready.

Once the past is
finished cooking, quickly remove it from the heat and drain into a colander,
reserving about 4 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to add to pasta sauce.

Add spaghetti back to
the pot it cooked in and drizzle on a little olive oil and mix. Pour the garlic
anchovy sauce and the reserved pasta water over the spaghetti with half the
chopped Parsley and mix well.

Divide the spaghetti
among four pasta plates or bowls. Sprinkle the top of each plate of Spaghetti
with some chopped parsley and serve.

The GODFATHER