Who Stole the Red Sauce?

I don't know about you, but lately I can't seem to find a good Italian restaurant whose chef cooks the 'old fashioned' way. The traditional 'peasant' dishes that I grew up with as a boy are taking a backseat to some nouveaux yuppi concoctions that these so-called culinary masters are creating.

As far as I'm concerned, they can eat with saffron and cilantro and truffle oil. Good Italian food is simple to make, you shouldn't be overwhelmed by the number of ingredients when you look at a recipe. With core ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil you can create a palette of tastes. The only catch is that you use the freshest ingredients available.

My friend, Frank Imbergamo's cookbook, "The Good Life! Favorite Italian Recipes" is a compendium of old world homecooked dishes. Frank didn't have to go to any culinary school. His school consisted of growing up in one the country's famous Little Italy's, The North End of Boston. He learned by watching his grandmother and mother prepare a meal that was always spiced with love. If the wind was blowing in the right direction that sweet smell of garlic sauteeing in olive oil would waft over to the Irish neighborhood of Charlestown which was a mile away.

Sunday mornings, the neighborhood would be one giant Opera of aromas as each family would prepare the sauce for dinner. The meat sauce would consist of many types of meats from sausages to meat balls and various types of braciole. Each one would have its own unique taste. You grew up loving your mother's sauce and no one could top it. Frank has taken a little from his mother and grandmother and combined it with the experience gained from visiting restaurants such as Felicia's, Giro's and the Blue Front to make his own unique sauce.

His recipe "Frankie's Gravy and Meatballs" was selected as the winning recipe from 1500 entries submitted to the Food Network, specifically the Emeril Live Show. The show where Emeril recreates Frankie's recipe is going to be aired on Sunday, August 7,2005 at 8:00PM on the Food Network.

The Good Life! Favorite Italian Recipes Cookbook by Frank Imbergamo can be purchased at the Pastene site www.pastene.com. Check out the recipe for Shrimp Parmigiana and you too will enjoy The Good Life. Once you taste the Shrimp Parmigiana you too will be doing the tarantella.

Che Bella Cosa!