Fabulous Fabrizia!

Hello Foodies,

Several months ago, Fabrizia Lanza, called fork, Melissa Joachim, to say she will be visiting New York City and is there anything Tour de Forks can do to help create an event for her? Fabrizia was coming to promote the cooking school her mother, Anna Tasca Lanza, started on the family's Regaleali wine estate in Sicily. Melissa knew the perfect place to have an event: the wonderful East Village Sicilian restaurant - Cacio e Vino - and its owner, Giusto Priola, agreed.




Giusto Priola and Fabrizia Lanza






It is always a love affair with Sicilian food at Cacio e Vino but tonight even more so. Chef Salvatore Fraterrigo expertly prepared many of Fabrizia Lanza's favorite dishes and served them tapas style - four courses matched with wines from Fabrizia's family winery, Regaleali.



Chef Salvatore and Fabrizia







Fabrizia also demonstrated how to make the classic dessert - Cassata Siciliana.

The first course was the most spectacular - Sarde e beccafico con salsa cipollata, Involtini de pesce spada con riso al limone and the pasta, I will describe in English because this was the star - bucatini pasta with cauliflower, anchovies, pine nuts, raisins and saffron. This course was perfectly matched with a Regaleali '06 - a crisp white wine.

The second course standout was rolled eggplant stuffed with capellini pasta, a tomato basil sauce and pecorino cheese. This course was matched with a Nero D'Avola - classic Sicilian red wine.

The third course brought an amazing caponata and a typical Sicilian meatloaf that put the US version to shame. The wine served for this course was the champion, a Lamuri '04 - also a Nero D' Avola.

For dessert, we happily ate Fabrizia's cassata cake and also zeppole con crema all'arancia. The dessert wine was Diamante d'Almerita '06.

The event was sold out!

You can enjoy Sicilian food expertly and lovingly prepared by Chef Salvatore all year long at Cacio e Vino, 80 2nd Ave between 4th & 5th Streets, 212-228-3269.

Please make sure you're on our mailing list to hear about the next time Fabrizia Lanza is in town and other Tour de Forks events. Email us at info@tourdeforks.com.

Ciao, ciao,

the Forks

Noodle Slurpers Paradise!

Hello Foodies,

The ramen is all the rage at RAMEN SETAGAYA. This is the first US opening of a mini-chain of ramen shops that exists in Japan.

We recommend the Shio (or salt-based) broth - superb, smooth and flavored with ingredients like dried scallops and dried anchovies. The noodles are delicisous - light and firm. You can't stop eating them or at least, I couldn't. The dumplings are delicious and we liked the pork the best. The dumpling pastry is amazingly light and soft - irresistible. Another dish that we loved - oyako-don - flavorful, minced chicken topped with a soft-boiled egg that is served over rice. It's the perfect comfort food. We went with TDF alum and award-winning chef - Anita Lo.

So go get it at 141 First Ave, between St. Marks Pl and E. 9th St. The phone is 212-529-2740.
The website is in Japanese and that is www.setaga-ya.com.

Enjoy,

the Forks