While Mig and I were kidding around back and forth about certain Italian foods and what they mean in English and what they are made of, I thought that it would be fun to start a new topic where we can post a picture of a favorite food dish, from any culture, and give the ethnic name of it and then the English name of it and what it actually is.



I'll start with what is probably my favorite Italian Pasta dish :

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara.



It's made with spaghetti, pancetta, onion, dry white wine, eggs,
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated Pecorino Romano, black pepper and salt.

After much deliberation with myself and the rest of my personalities, I've narrowed it down to two dishes:

REAL, AUTHENTIC, Mexican tacos. Not the shit you get from Taco Bell, Del Taco, or any other American taco place you can think of. I posted this pic before. This is what a REAL taco looks like:



My second choice is really pretty self explanatory, so I'll just post the pic. Ribs. And not necessarily with barbecue sauce. I enjoy a nice slab of baby-back ribs, but my dad makes some KILLER smoked ribs. No barbecue sauce at all. Just a little salt, pepper, and some other type of seasoning. Throw 'em in the smoker for...oh...10 hours, and enjoy.

Good idea, DC.

Something that I've been craving of late... a good hot dog and great fries.



The pic is from "Nathan's", a place in Coney Island that is usually listed as among the best places in NYC to get franks and fries.

The hot dogs are all beef, and have a slight crunch to them when you bite into it. They're skinless and quite tasty.

Their french fries are my favorite. You'll notice they're thick and crinkle cut... the potato inside is soft and the outside is somewhat crisp (although it softens up within a few minutes). They're served in a paper bag.... add some salt and a little ketchup and you have heaven-on-earth!

I have so many favorites, it would be tough to come up with just one. I just made a pork roast (bone in) for dinner the other night which would definitely make my list. A really good RARE steak, or a nice RARE rib roast. Rack of lamb is great, too. Oh, and my mom's eggplant part and lasagna would be way up there as well.

So many choices...nope, can't choose just one!

A favorite dish SB, it doesn't have to be your MOST favorite dish.

Well, here's one, just for SC:




Edit: Sorry!! I know the pic is enormous. Could I get some help resizing??

Re-Edit: Done.

Your Costanzia, not Sandra.

You would THINK.

That pic is HUGE!!

I'm with Babe. I love meat blood-rare, raw even.

Surf and Turf aka Steak and Lobster, which is one of my favorite American dishes.




Personally though, I prefer it with a Porterhouse steak.

I actually much prefer the lobster body, simmered in a light tomato sauce.

I love lobster fra diavlo, it's ONE of my favorite dishes. No place, but no place, makes it like Angelo's of Mulberry Street. After its all done braising (the body can hold up to long term cooking) the body is shelled, the claws and tail meat are added, then it's finished and served on a bed of fresh pasta. I prefer thin spaghetti (capellini) but you can have linguini if you like.

It's orgasmic.

Lobster Fra Diavolo.

Fra Diavolo translates into The Devils Brother. And Being that the sauce for this dish is spicey hot, it is referred to as Fra Diavolo.





Angelo's used to make the best homemade pasta on Mulberry Street.

Good deal, DC.

I'll write it up, you post the pic.

You're the google image king.

And that pic is making my mouth water.

Seriously though. If you are not sure how to post a pic, which is really what this topic is supposed to be about, just let me know and I'll be more than happy to PM you and walk you through it.

I prefer my lobster plain steamed. No sauces or anything, just steamed with melted butter.

My daughter's birthday is this week, and there's a great lobster special at a local place. We offered to take her there, but she elected for Cheeburger, Cheeburger in the mall. There is no accounting for the taste of an almost-13-year-old.

I was the same at that age.... she'll outgrow it.

Wanna switch?

This past June, if you remember, I went on a trip with my daughter and her school to Philly. When we were there and it was lunchtime, we were all deciding where to go and eat. She turns around and says "Why don't we go and have lunch at that restuarant on the pier where we had dinner with the gangster people last year?" I'm serious! A busted Ass!







You're still the same!

She seems to go from one extreme to the other. We took her to a Japanese hibachi place in Florida, and she ordered the filet mignon/lobster tail special at $35. For her birthday, though, she wants an $8 cheeseburger. Go figure.

Mash potatoes


Cabbage rolls

I love stuffed cabbage!

Nice and gassy.

Anyone surprised?

Grilled Lamb Chops


Zuppa di Pesce


Pad Thai


Penne ala Vodka


Sushi




....and of course, the best pizza in the world from The Sawmill on the Seaside Heights (NJ) boardwalk -- "home of the world's largest slice"

How could I forget this:

That honor goes to "Spumoni Gardens" in Brooklyn.

Their regular (round or Neapolitan) pie is just average but their square (Sicilian) pizza is the best I've EVER eaten (bar none).

In all fairness, the quality of it has diminished somewhat in the past two or three years (a fact that has both Don Cardi and myself VERY upset).

If you don't know, Sicilian pizza has a thick crust (generally about an inch thick) and is usually cut into square shaped slices. This place makes theirs with a fairly standard (somewhat soft) crust and then spreads an almost "sweet" tomato sauce followed by grated cheese. IMO, its the sauce that makes the pie delicious, but their use of cheese is somewhat unique, and that adds to the great taste as well.

Go there during the summer and be prepared to stand on line for 5 minutes before getting served - its ALWAYS mobbed. Considering that its an almost antique remnant from a declining Italian neighborhood, thats saying SOMETHING!

I'm sure they may have the best Sicilian pie... but I prefer thin crust -- and that's where the boardwalk reigns supreme

Mig! How could I forget that!??!!! Add that to my list, too

That, and White Rose burgers, too (I can't believe I didn't make it there when we were in New Brunswick... )

Unh, no.

Patsy's--1st avenue between 117th and 118th streets.

I can't say that I ever had boardwalk pizza that was great, but there was a neighborhood joint (in Brooklyn) that I'd put up as a terrific place.... its in Coney Island and the brick oven pizza (thin crust) is awesome.... Totonno's is the name. I don't even know if they're still open (I THINK I heard the owner died recently)... it was "old world" pizza.

JG, how could you not have modified that to SB's Penne Vodka?? Last time that I cook for you!!!

Can someone resize the Harold Deli pic?