What Wise Guys Eat

When I lived in the North End of Boston, in the nineteen eighties and nineties, I hung around a neighborhood bar from time to time, called The Corner Café. It was located on Prince Street near the corner of Salem Street. And it was indeed a neighborhood place. The owner, Richie Longo, was a neighborhood kid who grew up on Prince Street and duly attended Saint Leonard's School-as his first generation Italian-American parents had-along with all the other neighborhood kids.

The regular patrons at the time, were neighborhood people too; all of whom seemed to have nicknames. (although, the nicknames were useful for identification purposes). There was Joe the Lawyer, who wasn't a lawyer at all, but worked as an insurance investigator. Then there was John the Lawyer, who was a stockbroker, and John the Lawyer, who really was a lawyer with an office across the street. And I was always confused about Mary the Nurse, whose nickname seemed unnecessary; she was indeed a nurse, but she was the only regular named Mary.

Then there were the rest of the regulars: mostly young men ,who fancied themselves to be wise guys. Their conversations were peppered with phrases like 'fuggeddaboudit,' and 'ba-da-bing!' And they often talked about 'needing to see this guy,' or 'having to take care of that thing.' But despite the fact that they revered Robert DiNiro, and may have harbored dreams of being known by a nickname like "extreme unction," the most serious crime any of them may ever have committed was betting on the Red Sox late in September.

When these local heros weren't talking about 'this guy,' or 'that thing,' though, the conversation tended to stray toward food; often, toward Chicken Scarpariello. This was a hot dish-literally, and figuratively-during my years in Boston. And the folks often debated the qualities of one preparation over another. The talk often centered around the merits of Cantina d'Italia's recipe, that included sausage, over Felicia's, that didn't. Sausage or not, though, Chicken Scarpariello is the kind of dish that would please any wise guy because it encourages eating with a fork in one hand an a torn-off piece of crusty bread in the other; the latter, used for sopping up the sauce, and for punctuating various exclamations of 'fuggeddaboudit,' or 'ba-da-bing.'

The short version of the history of Chicken Scarpariello, 'shoemaker's-style', is that it was named for the humble fellow who cobbled together the ingredients for the dish from his meager pantry. How it became a wise guy favorite is more obscure, and very likely lost to history. But I suggest that when you serve Chicken Scarpariello at home, the dinner table conversation will become animated and rise a decibel or two above normal. And will you and your fellow diners enjoy it? Fuggeddaboudit.

Skip's Chicken Scarpariello
Chicken, Shoemaker's-Style
Excerpted from my second cookbook, "Almost Italian."

Ingredients:

2 ½ - 3 Lb. Frying chicken cut into 8 pieces
4 Tbs. Olive oil
4 Cloves garlic, peeled, and sliced thinly
1 Cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio are popular choices)
6 - 8 hot cherry peppers, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 14 oz. Can chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 Tbs. Unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Six Links sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1 in. chunks (optional)
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley

Preparation:

Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Add the chicken pieces to the sauté pan without crowding. Do this step in batches if necessary. Cook the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, until they're golden brown all over; about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and reserve on a plate, covering them with aluminum foil.

Raise the heat to high, and add the wine. Boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of chicken that may have caramelized on the bottom of the pan, for about 2 minutes. Add the cherry peppers, chicken broth, parsley, and butter. Allow the mixture to return to the boil, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Lower the heat to the simmer, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. For a real wise guy presentation, add the sausage at this point too.

To Serve

Remove the chicken (and optional sausage) pieces to a platter, cover with the sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve with plenty of Italian bread for sopping up the sauce.

Serves four

Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks: http://www.skiplombardi.com. For comments or questions, e-mail at info@skiplombardi.com

---

Braised Fish in Soy Sauce (Hong Shao Yu)

Braised fish in soy sauce is the basic craft of... Read More

Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!

The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of... Read More

Stuffed Shrimp Recipes

Stuffed shrimp recipes will help you celebrate any special occasion... Read More

Save Time with No-Bake Cookies

Whether you don't want to heat up the kitchen or... Read More

Fancy Up Your Muffins

We introduced muffins to you last week and many of... Read More

Healthy Yummy Bran Muffins

An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyToo many people start their... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie - Moms Remedy for the Blues

As puberty crept up and I became a passive passenger... Read More

Prime Rib Cooking Times

As you look over a couple of prime rib recipes... Read More

Chicken Adobo

This particular recipe is Phillipian. Here are the ingredients you... Read More

Low Fat Salmon Recipes

Finding delicious low fat salmon recipes has just become easier... Read More

Making Whoopie!

Whoopie Pies that is! Other known as "Moon Cakes"Wicked WhoopiesAmy... Read More

Ground Turkey Recipes

Our family has recently made the switch from ground beef... Read More

Paella, The Most Famous Spanish Dish

First of all, paella is not exactly the dish but... Read More

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With... Read More

Oregano Dressing - Good for Allergies

An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyAs the weather becomes warmer... Read More

Finding Delicious Cookie Recipes

Many of us have an inner baker inside us that... Read More

Chocolate Tasting Techniques

First of all start with an empty stomach. This has... Read More

Low Fat Banana Toasts

I love bananas for breakfast.I think bananas a convenient food... Read More

Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce

Chicken wings with oyster sauce Servings: 3-4Ingredients: 12 chicken wings½... Read More

Handy Home-Prepared Mixes

Pre-packaged store-bought box mixes are expensive. Have you considered homemade... Read More

Canarian Recipes for Shrove Tuesday

For the British at least, Shrove Tuesday is probably better... Read More

Do You Know How Many Ways There Are To Eat A Cat Head Biscuit?

A time honored Southern tradition, the infamous "Cat Head" biscuit... Read More

Cucumbers with Yogurt & Mint

Almost every day I eat with my energy in mind,... Read More

Famous Secret Recipes Exposed!: Rosemary Chicken with Orange-Maple Glaze

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In:... Read More

Rosemary flower candies (Rosemarinus officinalis)

Leave your tic-tacs at home. This medicinal plant provides delicious... Read More

African Bean Soup

Yoruba ethnic group from the Southwestern part of Nigeria call... Read More

Grilled Scallops with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Summer time is great for barbequing, but aren't you tired... Read More

Provence Steak Recipes

Want an international flair for your steaks? Try a Provence... Read More

Burmese Shrimp Cake Recipe

Little pounded shrimp balls seasoned and fried till lightly brown.... Read More

Converting Recipes for Your Crockpot

Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100... Read More

Cucumber & Pork Soup

Due to the fact that cucumber is rich in all... Read More

London Broil - Garlic

eRix Recipes London broil - Garlic Ingredients: ? 2... Read More

Easy to Make Guacamole Dip

You can make guacamole that people will rave about! It's... Read More