The countless and hidden treats are still alive and mouthwatering in Brooklyn, Manhattan and beyond!
.....which brings me to a subject that is something of a love/hate relationship for many of us. Carbs! How we love them! ..but how we hate what they do to the old waistline. Still, can we resist? No! So, let us begin with the most authentic focaccia bread outside of Italy. There I was, minding my own business in our local neighborhood pizzeria while picking up a few slices for my youngest son and my dad. That would be Brooklyn Pizza on 86th St. and 14th Ave, in the Dyker Park section of Brooklyn.
As I was waiting, the new owner/chef/pizza-man proudly presented this piping hot morsel for my tasting pleasure (the guy obviously knows a "Foodie" when he sees one). It was his own interpretation of focaccia bread. Now, I have tasted plenty of focaccia in recent years, and most were pretty good. This one was really excellent. It was lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fresh herbs and tangy circles of purple onions that were deeply baked into the little valleys of the warm moist crunchy bread. I asked the owner, Pasquale, how the heck this focaccia could be so darn divine. He told me that it is really very simple. He uses the very best ingredients imported from Italy along with a time-tested baking technique.
Pasquale also offers a focaccia topped with Parmiggiano Reggiano and fresh plum tomatoes. Both variations are priced affordably at $4 and I am happy to say that they graced my bread basket and antipasto table for Easter Sunday Dinner this past spring. My family completely enjoyed !
Next stop is two blocks away at Mona Lisa Bakery 15th Ave and 86th Street. Have you had a really good piece of lard bread lately? Yes folks, this is a really offensive carb especially since it has all those adorable (and I do not use that word lightly) cured Italian meats included with the deal. Of all the lard breads that are present in all the Italian bakeries in all of New York City, there is no lard bread like this one. It is just so true to the title of my blog because it really is a best-kept secret eat! The loaves are perfectly shaped and textured and then baked with the utmost care. The peppery prosciutto complements the fluffy inside and pours out onto the buttery crust of the bread.
Along with Pasquale's focaccia bread, this is also an addition to my holiday bread basket. Also, I use this particular bread in my cooking. I took the opportunity to use it as part of the filling for my mushroom caps. My mushrooms are now a favorite among family and friends. To end this blog entry, I invite you to email me if you would like a copy of my mushroom cap recipe!
