Blog - L'amore Italian Restaurant

June 3, 2020 by Kim Abbott

Everything You Need to Know About Using Red Wine in Pasta Sauce

Take a look at the ingredients listed on the jars of pasta sauce in your kitchen pantry and you will likely find red wine listed more often than not. A small amount of the right red wine has the potential to transform an average Italian dish into a spectacular one. Red wine contains a variety of important compounds that dramatically improve the flavor of sauce as well as other cooked dishes.

Alcohol’s Role in Flavorful Sauce

The alcohol in wine triggers the release of flavor molecules into sauce, making every ingredient it contacts taste that much better. Alcohol also dissolves fats, empowering sauce ingredients to release their nuanced flavors. Other liquids and fats such as broth, water, olive oil and butter do not trigger a similar dissolving and subsequent flavor release.

As long as the alcohol is given sufficient time to cook off, it really will make the sauce taste that much better. The best chefs in the business cook wine-infused sauce to the point that half the wine is cooked away. Once the alcohol burns to this level, the sauce’s flavor begins to concentrate, providing quite the delicious taste.

Red Wine Acidity

Ask anyone who has paired a red wine such as Merlot with a dish featuring red tomato sauce about the experience and you will find the tomatoes burn straight through the wine, giving it a flat taste. Low-acid wines like Merlot are overpowered by the highly-acidic tomato sauce used in pasta dishes, pizzas, etc.

This is precisely why truly elite chefs rely on wines like Chianti Classico for dishes featuring tomato sauce. Chianti’s primary grape, the sangiovese, has the precise level of acid necessary to perfectly jive with that found in tomato sauce.

Perform a Taste Test

If you are still undecided as to whether red wine belongs in tomato sauce, perform a blind taste test. Have a family member or friend prepare two separate pasta dishes: one with red wine-infused sauce and the other with plain sauce. Give each a try and you will likely notice the pasta, pizza or other entrees topped with a sauce containing red wine tastes superior. Red wine’s bold flavor really is the x-factor of the world’s best tomato sauces.

However, any old red wine will not suffice for truly tasty tomato sauce. Our chefs abide by this mantra when it comes to using red wine in tomato sauce: “If we won’t drink it, we won’t eat it.” This means you won’t find any table wine, wine from a box or any other subpar wine in our tomato sauce. Our tomato sauce contains only the highest quality, most palate-pleasing red wine guaranteed to please your taste buds.

May 6, 2020 by Kim Abbott

4 Little-known Italian Culinary Traditions

Did you know famous Italian-American chef Lidia Bastianich uses diced celery in her pasta sauce? How about the fact that real Italians do not use butter on their fresh Italian bread?

These are a couple of interesting Italian culinary tidbits only the true cultural insiders are aware of.

Though the nuances of Italian cooking and eating might seem a bit odd to outsiders, these traditions developed for good reason.

Here’s the inside scoop on five of the most intriguing Italian culinary traditions.

Real Italians Serve Courses as Opposed to one Large Entrée

American restaurants often center service on a gigantic entrée followed by a cup of coffee and dessert. Things are done a little differently in Italy and America’s true Italian restaurants. Real Italian meals commence with a starter, typically in the form of antipasto. The next course is a primo such as risotto, pasta or polenta.

A secondo in the form of fish or meat follows. A contorno is served next in the form of cooked vegetables or even a small salad. The final course is dolce, meaning dessert. The purpose of staggering courses in such a manner is to keep portions under control while providing a carefully measured meal pace, allowing diners to truly savor the flavor of each dish.

Vegetables are Best When Hammered

No, we are not suggesting you get hammered before devouring a side of our tasty vegetables! Rather, “hammering” is a term some Italians such as Mario Batali use in reference to well-cooked vegetables. Though Italians are famous for their al dente pasta, we cook veggies longer than most others. Such slight overcooking elicits those intense textures and flavors necessary to bring out the best in a side of veggies.

Butter Does not Belong on Bread

Though many of our diners desire butter for their bread, those who abide by Italian tradition prefer olive oil. Some Italians even put vinegar on their bread. Take a trip to Italy and you will undoubtedly find some diners saving their bread for the end of the meal, using it to soak up leftover pasta sauce. Whether you would like butter, olive oil or vinegar for your bread, we’ve got you covered.

Fruit is a Perfectly Acceptable Dessert

There is a common misconception that tiramisu, cannoli, and gelato are the only Italian desserts served in Italian restaurants. However, as real Italians know, fruit is a common Italian dessert.

Enjoy a small bowl of cherries or strawberries after your meal and you will feel quite satiated. Additional Italian fruit desserts include figs, melons, peaches, persimmons, and plums.

April 5, 2020 by Kim Abbott

An Inside Look at why Water is the key Ingredient for Delicious Pizza Dough

It is often said New York City has the best pizza because of the city’s superior dough. However, the little-known truth is it is the water in pizza dough that makes the difference between a bland taste and taste that makes a truly indelible impact. Indeed, New York City has the “champagne of waters” so it certainly makes sense its pizzerias have some of the best flavors in the land.

However, New York pizzerias are not the only ones with access to flawless water. Give our pizza a taste and you will agree our dough is just as good as that of any pizzeria in the Big Apple.

Why Water Matters for Pizza Dough Taste

When it comes to pizza, most people are focused on the sweetness and flavor of the sauce, the freshness of the toppings and the crunchiness of the crust. Water is often overlooked yet it is of the utmost importance.

It is not only the quantity of water that matters but also it’s quality. Pizza dough consistency is largely dependent on the type and quality of water used. In particular, water hardness, purity, and acidity are especially important.

We test the pH of our water to guarantee it has the optimal acidity. Proper water acidity level ensures the dough ferments as it should. The alternative is to let hard water’s comparably high alkalinity minimize dough yeast activity, ultimately rendering flat dough that proves unfulfilling. We strive for water with a pH slightly below 7.

Water Purity

Pure water is necessary to make a delicious pizza. Water with an elevated chlorine level compromises pizza dough culture. This is precisely why we test our water chlorine level with regularity. Rest assured, the water used to make our pizza dough and other doughs used in our dishes is as pure as possible.

Water Hardness

Water hardness is a reference to the level of magnesium and calcium as measured by parts per million or ppm for short. Hard water has in excess of 200 calcium/magnesium ppm. Soft water is characterized by calcium/magnesium with less than 50 ppm.

We strictly use water with medium hardness, measuring between 100 and 150 ppm to create pizza dough with unparalleled taste. This precise level of water mineral content is necessary to properly feed dough yeast and facilitate the fermentation process for truly unbeatable pizza.

Give our world-class pizza a taste and you will agree it is delizioso. Our secret is our water but – shhh – don’t tell anyone!

March 3, 2020 by Kim Abbott

You Won’t Believe These 5 Weird Italian Foods

When you think about Italian food, your mind may drift to visions of pasta, lasagna, pizza and amazing cafes. However, there are a few other food options that Italy is known for that may not be as appealing to the taste buds. Keep reading to learn about some of these weird foods you may want to try here.

1. Stuffed Mice with Mince

Yes – this is still a dish that is eaten. Today, the mice are a protected species; however, in the time of ancient Rome, they were stuffed with spices, herbs, nuts, and minced meat. This is still an ancient delicacy and consumed in a small village that’s found in Calabria, in the Southern Italian region.

2. Maggot Cheese

This is actually sheep milk cheese that is obtained in a very natural way. Thanks to the cheese fly, which have their larvae in the cheese, it’s a natural fermentation process. When the cheese has fermented enough, you can eat it on a thin piece of bread called Carasau. Keep in mind, though, the cheese becomes toxic when the maggots die so you need to eat the cheese while they are alive and, well – jumping.

3. Tuscan Chicken Liver

This is similar to pate; however, there are some recipes that use chicken hearts and anchovies along with the chicken liver. It isn’t smooth and fancy like the French pate and there are several bits of liver in the dish. Locals really love it.

4. Songbirds

This isn’t just the little bird that sings to you when the sun comes up – they also get stuffed full of all sorts of meat bits, which includes rabbit, beef, port, and bits of different birds. They are then put on skewers and broiled. Usually, this dish is served with polenta.

5. Cow Guts

If you venture to Florence, you will be able to eat cleaned guts stewed in broth or spread into bread rolls. This dish may also be served on a plate with herb or spicy sauces. This is actually a dish that is quite good so don’t be afraid give it a try.

When it comes to weird Italian dishes, there are more than a few to try. Keep in mind, it’s a good idea to get to know what they offer to ensure you don’t get something too weird that’s going to turn your tummy.

By finding the best foods in the area, it is possible to really immerse yourself in the Italian culture and ensure you get the true taste of Italy – regardless of how weird it may be.

Everything You Need to Know About Using Red Wine in Pasta Sauce

4 Little-known Italian Culinary Traditions

An Inside Look at why Water is the key Ingredient for Delicious Pizza Dough

You Won’t Believe These 5 Weird Italian Foods

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